Mending of the Heart: Jackie's Story

Chapter 5: Unsuspecting

Okay, so alone time did not work out as well as she had hoped, but at least they were on the same page... Weren't they? Jackie could not keep her mind from spinning with all that had happened in the last three months. Eric and her had hardly talked about what happened in the field, and no one seemed to know or suspect anything about it. So, why did school and work feel so distant to her? Jackie could not put her finger on it.

Until one Saturday morning, when Natalie took her aside and sat her down on the couch to talk, "Jackie, I've noticed that lately you haven't seemed yourself. Did something happen between you and Eric? I don't mean to pry into your personal life, I'm just concerned."

Jackie hates to keep things from her mom, and this was a huge thing. She came to a point where she needed to talk to someone about it, so she took a deep and told her mom, "Last month, Eric and I had sex."

"Did you use protection?" Natalie asked concerned and frightened.

"Yes, of course. But, we really haven't spent much time alone since." Jackie admitted. Everything had just came crashing down on her, and Jackie broke down crying. Natalie did her best to calm down her daughter.

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Sunday brought the most devastating news... Eric called Jackie's cell phone at two in the morning and asked her to meet him at the creek right away. When she arrived, she found Eric in tears on the shoreline. She had never seen him so upset and such a wreck.

"What's wrong?" Jackie asked soothing as she sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I got in a fight with my dad." Eric sobbed. "It was terrible."

"It couldn't have been that bad." Jackie tried, but Eric just shook his head. When he looked up at her, she realized that he had a black eye. She let out a gasp, "did your dad do that?"

"Right before he told me I was adopted, and he never wants me back in his house again."

"Did you know or ever think you were adopted?" Jackie was surprised. She knew Eric did not look like his dad, but his mom passed away when he was only eight, so everyone thought he looked more like his mom.

"No, but he threw these at me along with my belongings. He was planning this all day and drinking, while I was at work." Eric handed Jackie a manila folder containing his adoption records.

"Come back with me to my house and get some sleep. We'll have my parents look at these for you later on." Jackie said holding out her hand to him. "We'll come back later for your car." Jackie explained as she walked Eric to her car.

At her house, Jackie got Eric settled on the couch and went back to bed. When she woke up later that morning, she found Eric in the kitchen with her parents. "Good morning sleepy head." Natalie said as Jackie entered the room.

"Morning." Jackie replied sitting down at the table next to Eric.

"So, Eric explained to us what happened last night." Liam explained. "By the looks of these documents, I think what your dad told you was true. Now the question is, what are you going to do about it?" Liam asked as he neatly stacked the papers into a pile and handed them back to Eric.

"I'm not sure yet. I think I should go talk to him when he's sober, then go from there." Eric said unsure.

"That's a good start." Natalie said looking at Jackie for another idea that perhaps wasn't being shared.

"Then, maybe I'll do some research to find my birth parents, maybe I could arrange to meet them after graduation." Eric thought out loud.

"That's a great idea." Liam said.

After they ate, Jackie drove Eric back to the creek to get his car. "Thanks for being there for me last night. I didn't know who else to call."

"It's okay, I'm glad you did." Jackie smiled leaning over to kiss him, but he moved his head before her lips met his. She knew he was under a lot of stress so she did not want press the issue, but felt a pain of rejection from him.

Eric sat in her car for a few more minutes, then reached up and tugged on a loose piece of her hair. "I'll call you later, and let you know how things go with my dad." He told her as he got out of her car.

She quickly rolled down her window as he opened the door to his car, "You know I'm here for you if you need me. So, don't hesitate to call me for anything."

"I do, and I won't hesitate. I'll talk to you later, bye babe." Eric gave her a weak smile and closed the door to his car and started the engine.

Jackie waited for his car to disappear down the road, before she shut her car off. She was in tears, and felt like she was just punched in the gut. She slid her phone into her pants pocket, and got out of the car. After walking around her car twice, she just took off running down the trail.

She let everything go bit by bit, each time a foot hit the ground. She felt herself picking up speed as she just cleared her mind. She was sick of being confused about her relationship with Eric, sick of having trouble sleeping, and just tired of every issue going on at school. She lost track of time and where she was heading; she just let her feet lead her wherever they wanted to go.

She finally fell to the ground in tears when the sky itself opened up and began to pour. Once she was able to calm herself down, Jackie realized that her phone was ringing. She completely forgot that she had put it on vibrate when she and Eric left her house. She pulled it out of her pocket and calmly answered it, "Hey Dee what's up?"

"Thank goodness! It's about time you answered your phone. Where have you been?" Dianna hastily spoke.

"What do you mean? I just went for a run." Jackie replied looking around trying to get her bearings.

"Your mom's been trying to reach you for quite some time now. She called me about two hours ago in a panic."

"Really? I haven't been gone that long."

"Jackie it's six o'clock. You haven't answered you phone for over four hours." Dianna explained. "When your mom called me, I sent Blake to Eric's house and then came to the creek. Then when I saw your car, but not you, I called our friends to come help me look for you."

"Wow, I honestly didn't realize how late it was." Jackie said beginning to retrace her steps. "I just went for a run to clear me head."

"Where are you?"

"I'm not sure, I really wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Jackie answered. After a few feet she came to what looked like an overgrown yard and instantly realized where she was. "Yeah, scratch that. I know right where I am."

"Tell me so I can come pick you up." Dianna insisted.

"Well, you'll need to drive about twenty minutes out of town." Jackie explained. She did her best to remember the correct roads that led from the creek to the old shack. Since she had only been here once before three years ago, she was amazed at how clearly, she remembered it.

"You ran that far?" Dianna gasped. "Sit tight, I'll be right there."

Once Dianna hung up, Jackie continued to walk back towards Turbo to make it easier on Dianna to find her. By the time Dianna pulled up beside her, Jackie was soaked through. "We need to get you out of those clothes at once. Unfortunately, the only spare outfit I have here is my cheer leading uniform." Dianna said as she popped her trunk. She handed her uniform to Jackie, "here put this on. You can change into something more comfortable when we get to my house."

"I should really just go home." Jackie began.

"No... I told your mom that I'd let you stay at my house tonight when I called her to tell her I found you. You definitely need someone to talk to, about whatever is bothering you." Dianna insisted as she took the wet clothes Jackie handed her and tossed them into her backseat. "You haven't been yourself in months now. We're all worried about you, and Blake keeps insisting that Eric has a lot to do with it."

"I'm fine, Dee." Jackie stated getting in the car.

"Stop trying to lie to me." Dianna practically yelled at her. "We've been best friends since kindergarten. I know when you're lying to me, and when something is bothering you."

"Whatever you say Dee. I'm tired of arguing." Jackie sighed. "Are you going to take me to my car first?"

"Nope, we're going straight to my house." Dianna replied.

The rest of the ride to Dianna's house was quiet. As soon as they pulled into the yard, Jackie realized that everyone was there, except Eric, which made her heartache more. "Dee, I thought you said we were going to have some one on one girl time." Jackie stated trying to hide her pain.

"We will later. Everyone wants to make sure you're okay. Since you gave us quite a scare earlier today." Dianna explained turning off her car.

"Yeah, all but one." Jackie mumbled under her breath as she got out of the car. As soon as they entered the house, Jackie ran down the hall to Dianna's room. She quickly grabbed a pale-yellow sundress out of Dianna's closet. When she found her friends all in the kitchen munching, it appeared that someone had put out some chips and dip and stuff to make sandwiches.

Jackie quietly entered the kitchen, and made herself a sandwich. She had not realizing until that moment how hungry she was. As she took a bite out of her sandwich, someone wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a hug. Heart had skipped a beat until he spoke, "Glad you're okay Jackie. You really had us all worried." Blake stated as he let go of her.

Jackie turned around to see all her friends watching her carefully. Jackie swallowed her mouthful and replied shyly, "Sorry about that. I just decided to go for a run to clear my head and lost track of time. I was in a zone, and tuned everything out. The feeling of my feet hitting the ground was refreshing."

"You've seemed really stressed lately. I mean this is worse than any of us have ever seen you." Liz stated. "You know we're all here for you and willing to listen to you. We worry that if you're this stressed, next month during final's you're going to be extremely overwhelmed."

"I know, but I assure you that I am not stressed, I am just preoccupied." Jackie insisted.

"Preoccupied is not a good word for what you've been lately." Blake interrupted. "Stressed, upset, overwhelmed, or pissed off would be better terms to describe how you've been."

"You should know by now that we know you too well for you to try and hide things from us." Anna added trying to explain everyone's thoughts.

"We all know what's going on at school, but we don't know what's been going on with you outside of school. You barely talk to any of us anymore." Paul interjected. "I mean, you don't even talk to Dee any more. You just seem to be pushing everyone away."

"What's the point?" Jackie asked fighting back tears. "This year is going to be over in less than seven months. We'll graduate and go our separate ways. So why should we fight the inevitable."

"Jackie, we may all go away to college next year, but you know we'll all stay in touch one way or another." Dianna tried to assure her best friend. "You can't get rid of us that easily."

"We can't help you unless you talk to us." Anna said.

"Your mom has been pleading with me all day to try and get you to open up. She's worried about you. You haven't really been talking to her about anything anymore, and we all know that you and your mom have always been close." Dianna explained.

"LET IT GO ALREADY!" Jackie shouted. "There's nothing any of you can do to help. Everything that is going on with me are my problems, not yours. I don't need or want your help!"

Without any warning, Jackie took off running out the back door. She was relieved that it had stopped raining, or she would have felt guilty if she had ruined Dianna's dress.

It didn't take long for her to stop running. Though as she sat on a log on the side of the road, she had failed to realize that Blake's truck had been following her, until it stopped just behind her. "That's it Jackie! You will talk to someone..." Dianna called as she got out of the passenger side of the truck.

"Go away." Jackie pleaded putting her head in her hands to try to hide her tears. "I don't want to talk anymore."

"Tough s**t!" Blake said smugly.

"Blake, I have this." Dianna insisted.

"No, you don't. She's already brushed you off, so now it's my turn." Blake stated as he walked briskly toward Jackie. "I'm sick of this Jackie. You have Dianna worried, causing me to worry, and when your mom called Dee in a panic, you just went and pissed me off. Your eighteen now and it's time to grow up!"

"Blake, that's not going to help," Dianna tried.

"Please babe, I got this." Blake assured Dianna taking a seat next to Jackie on the log. "I know Eric has issues going on at home, making it hard to get really mad at him. Though I know he's the one that's got you all messed up in the head."

"Leave him out of this." Jackie deflected.

"I won't leave him out, because I know that I'm right." Blake continued. "I have eyes, and I can't help but notice how distant you two have become in the past month. It's November and you're usually planning for Christmas this time of year. Yet this year, you're pushing everyone away."

"If you say so." Jackie replied looking off into the distance.

"I do say so. Eric has you so confused you don't see what's right in front of you." Blake said bleakly. "He should be caring about your feelings, and not constantly flirt with the one girl in the entire school you can't stand."

"I don't care who he talks to, and he doesn't flirt with April." Jackie shot back at Blake.

"Eric should want to spend time with you, no matter who was around. He shouldn't just ask to spend time alone with you in order to get in your pants." Blake continued ignoring Jackie's protests.

"Wait... He told you!" Jackie blurted feeling betrayed.

"No, but you just confirmed my suspicions." Blake answered with a small shake of his head.

"Jackie..." Dianna replied sympathetically pulling Jackie's head onto her shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me, and when did this happen?"

"The day I told you it happened." Blake interrupted. "I could tell by the look in her eyes when she looked at him. You had the same look our first time."

"Blake, this is why I wanted to come alone." Dianna stated.

"You know you wouldn't have gotten anywhere. She's too stubborn." Blake laughed. "We're too much alike, but Jackie you really need to put that boy in his place. Otherwise he'll ruin you."

"He won't ruin me, and our relationship is just fine. The stress he's got going on is a lot for him." Jackie tried to explain to him.

"He's a big boy, he can handle it." Blake insisted. Blake continued for several more minutes explaining his thoughts on her relationship with Eric. Most of what he said touched base with her thoughts exactly, but she didn't want to tell him that.

Finally, she drew a raggedy breath and told him, "I've heard enough, and tomorrow I will talk to him. Can we just head back to Dee's house?"

"Let's go. Blake, can you drop us off and leave? We really need girl time without your input." Dianna asked talking Jackie's hand and walking her over to Blake's truck.

Blake dropped them off and left, and the girls finally had a good deep conversation about everything that had happened since September. Jackie felt better by the time she passed out.