Mending of the Heart: Jackie's Story

Chapter 3: April's Problem

On the following Monday, Jackie woke up early. She quickly dressed in a pair of Jeans with a light purple V-neck t-shirt, and went downstairs to find Liam in the kitchen making pancakes. She sat down quietly at the breakfast nook and waited for him to turn around. "Hey Jackie, you're up early."

"I know it's strange, huh?" Jackie smiled.

"Are you still mad at me for the other night?"

"No, that's what dads are for." Jackie stated. "I mean, Grandpa Jack probably did the same thing to Robert."

"Jack hated Robert. That's why your mom only brought him to the house once, and that time was when all of our friends were hanging out with them." Liam explained with a laugh. "Unfortunately, your mom never told Jack that she was dating Robert, until Jack caught them in her room making out with the door closed while the rest of us were outside in the back."

"Is that why mom told me to keep the door open the other night?"

"No! She was just seeing if you still obeyed what she said." Liam said honestly shrugging his shoulders.

"Testing me?"

"It's a parent thing." Liam winked with a smile.

"I'm going to go to school early today." Jackie announced as she headed out of the kitchen and grabbing her backpack.

"Have a nice day, and make sure your home by your curfew." Liam called after her. "Also be sure to eat something for breakfast."

"I will." Jackie replied as she closed the door.

****************************************

As she pulled into the parking lot next to Eric, she saw April getting out of the passenger side of his car with an ear-to-ear smile on her face. Eric got out and waited for Jackie, while April stood at the front of his car waiting for him. "Hey Jackie." Eric greeted her sweetly.

"Hey." Jackie replied annoyed refusing to make eye contact with him quickly walking into school.

Even though their friends greeted them all in the hallway, Jackie just went straight to her locker. Eric was able to lose April with their friends and followed Jackie. He leaned against the locker next to hers. He reached out and moved a piece of her hair out of her eyes. "Hey babe, what's the matter?" Eric asked. "You won't even look at me."

"What's going on with you and April?" Jackie snapped.

"She needed a ride to school, because her car wouldn't start. Was I supposed to say 'no'?"

"She usually calls me or Dianna for a ride." Jackie insisted.

"Well she called me this morning, explaining that you didn't answer your phone and thought you might be mad at her." Eric explained.

"My cell phone hasn't rung since five-thirty this morning." Jackie stated slamming her locker closed in frustration.

"Babe, I only know what she told me." Eric leaned into kiss her, but she walked away.

When she met up with her friends in the cafeteria, she sat down next to Dianna. "Hey, Dee did April call you for a ride this morning?"

"Yeah, but I was at Blake's, so I told her to call you. Why?"

"She called Eric instead."

"You sound upset about that." Dianna remarked.

"I am." Jackie stated boldly.

"Why?" Dianna questioned taken aback by her friends' confession.

"I'll explain later." Jackie sighed getting up and walking over to Eric who was sitting in between April and Ace. "I'm sorry." She whispered in his ear.

"No need to apologize. I told you, I only know what I was told." Eric smiled. "Nothing more nothing less."

"I understand, but sometimes you need to check the information for lies." Jackie said smugly glaring in April's direction.

At the bell Jackie joined Dianna and Anna in the hall and headed to Calculus. As they sat down at their desks, Jackie smiled with anticipation, "So Eric asked me out the other day when we were at the creek."

"So that's why you were upset earlier." Dianna replied.

"Paul had an idea that Eric was planning to do that, when you two took a walk at the creek." Anna explained.

"April needs to back off, before we have a major problem." Jackie told her friends sternly.

"Ace and Blake have both told her that Eric likes you, and has no interest in her. Yet, she doesn't seem to be able to get it through her head." Dianna informed her friend.

"Eric is way too nice to tell her off." Anna added.

"She will, if she knows what's good for her." Jackie laughed. "She should know not to mess with a Malry."

"Okay class, settle down now." Their teacher called entering the room.

********************************

At lunch, Jackie met her friends at their usual picnic table outside and took a seat next to Anna. April arrived with a devious smile on her face, "So Jackie, what are you doing after school today?"

"Going home, why?" Jackie asked as calmly as she could.

"I thought I should tell you... Eric and I are going to the creek together." April whispered in Jackie's ear. "You may have the looks, but no guy can resist what I have to offer them."

"Why don't you say that out loud for everyone to hear you. I myself find that fact about you so interesting." Jackie smiled at April standing up.

"Everyone already knows it, I just thought I'd remind you. Now just sit-down Jackie, and don't get so offensive. I mean, just because you're jealous of the fact that Eric likes me and not you..." April was caught off guard by Jackie's fist hitting her in the mouth.

"Don't ever cross me." Jackie stated. "You can really be stupid at times. He only likes you as a friend, nothing more."

"That's not what he told me this morning during the ride to school today." April tried to recover.

"I told you, that you were a nice girl and I didn't think Jackie was mad at you or ignoring you." Eric said as he walked by April and sat in Jackie's seat.

"You really need to check for updates, before you go messing with people... Especially if that person is me." Jackie warned with a dirty look.

Eric pulled Jackie into his lap, as April got up off the ground and back into her seat. "You need to find someone else to give you a ride to and from school for now on." Eric told April calmly.

"Why?" April asked.

"Because I can't deal with you trying to start trouble between Jackie and I." Eric replied.

April left that table angrily. Jackie tried to move over into April's seat, but Eric held her tighter. "Let's go to the creek after school." Eric whispered in her ear and nibbling on it a little.

"I have to work at four." Jackie confessed.

"I'll go to work with you." Eric said with a sly smile.

"Thanks, but I don't need your help."

Eric kissed her neck and replied, "I didn't mean it like that."

"How did you mean it?"

"I want to help you like I did last Tuesday." Eric explained kissing her on the cheek.

"That's what I was talking about." Jackie said finishing her lunch. "Andrea will be working with me tonight. Aunt Leanne wants me to train her, so I can have Mondays and Saturdays off."

"I understand that. You could come to the creek for an hour at least. Please, babe." Eric begged.

"What do you have planned for us at the creek?" Jackie pressed.

"Just a swim, before next week." Eric insisted.

"Next week is our group ritual. So, you want us to spend some time alone?" Jackie played.

"Is that too much to ask?"

"I'll go, but don't get your hopes up." Jackie smiled as she left the table to through her trash away.

Later at the creek, Eric and Jackie met in the parking lot and walked down the hill to the creek. The wind was blowing softly and the temperature seemed to be dropping by the minute. Once in the creek, Eric swam close to her, and wrapped his arms around her. He gently kissed her neck, when he found her lips, he began kissing her more passionately. He lifted Jackie up and she wrapped her legs around her waist.

Eric stumbled to the nearest shore with Jackie still wrapped around him. They fell on the shoreline with Jackie on top of Eric kissing him wildly with sincere passion. Eric rolled on top of her and removed her bra. He was moving his hands down to her underwear, when April appeared standing over them. She had a smug smile on her face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jackie snapped as Eric reached for Jackie's bra.

"This is where I hang out too." April shot back.

"No, really." Jackie replied sarcastically as she quickly put her bra on.

"Everyone else is pulling in. We decided that the weather is getting cold faster than usual, so we all decided to change the final swim to today." April informed them.

"No one said anything to us." Eric responded.

"That's because we all just decided an hour ago. You would have known that if you two weren't so horny." April scowled.

"What are you talking about?" Jackie protested.

"I know what I saw and everyone says I'm easy." April laughed to herself at the thought.

"You are." Jackie pointed out.

"You slept with Blake just because you could." Eric added. "He was just recovering from his break up with Martina and you took advantage of that. I do have to say that he told Paul and I that 'it was the biggest mistake' he had ever made."

April was speechless. All of a sudden; Paul, Anna, Dianna, Blake, Ace, Chantal, Ashley, Liz, Judy, Tessa, Eddy, and Austin came running down to the creek and dived into the water without any hesitation. By then it was three thirty and Jackie began to gather up her cloths to leave. "Where are you going?" Ashley asked shyly.

"I have to go to work in a half hour." Jackie explained.

"But it's our last swim." Tessa protested.

"No, it's not. Our last swim is Friday of next week, not today." Jackie corrected her friend annoyed.

"What's the matter?" Blake asked.

"Who planned to have our annual swim date moved to today?" Eric questioned uneasily.

"We all voted." Ace said simply.

"Who proposed it?" Jackie asked. "And how was the decision made?"

"Well, the most yes votes won." Liz stated.

"How many votes did this idea win by?" Eric interjected.

"By one." Eddy replied sadly.

"But you were missing two votes... So, let's ask this again, WHO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA?" Jackie practically screamed.

"April said you guys did." Dianna answered pointing to April.

"She lied to you guys." Eric informed everyone and followed Jackie.

**************************************

As Jackie entered the shop, her cell phone began to ring. She glanced at the caller ID and put the phone back in her pocket. "You're here early." Natalie said as Jackie entered.

"I know, I figured that I could send you home early today." Jackie replied absent-mindedly.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Natalie was concerned by her daughter's tone and facial expression.

"April is causing so much drama this year already. Today, she lied to Eric, and then tried to lie to me. By lunchtime I snapped and put my fist in her mouth and Eric and I told everyone that we're dating. Then later she tried to mess with the annual swim, but I set it straight and came here before ripped her face off." Jackie explained with a heavy sigh. "When is Andrea coming in today?"

"Four thirty." Natalie answered with a smile. "You really do take after me too much. Just be careful not to get caught knocking her out in school..."

"I know. So is Andrea bringing her homework to help keep busy?" Jackie continued to try and change the subject.

"I'm not sure. You may want to call her and let her know. I'll see you at home later." Natalie suggested picking up her purse and heading out the door.

"Okay. See you later mom."

"Good bye honey."

As soon as Natalie left, Jackie called Andrea and advised her to bring her homework because it looked like it was going to be a slow night again.

******************************

By the time Andrea came into the store only one customer had come in to purchase a light blue short dress. "What do I do first?" Andrea asked bouncing back and forth on the heels of her feet.

"We go out back and take a few boxes from the shelf, and bring them out here on a cart." Jackie instructed. "Then we hang up all the dress here. Fold the jeans and tops and put them on their shelves. If we sell out of an item, we need to change the manikin into a new outfit."

"Okay." Andrea said organizing the shelves.

"Also, if we get new clothes in the morning shifts, we have to change the manikins to display them and make sure we put at least ten of them out."

Jackie helped Andrea finish. They were having a ball. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you about the perks of working here. Every two months we can choose one free outfit from the new clothesline. If we choose to buy anything, we get the clothes for half price."

They sat down behind the counter and worked on their homework. When a customer came in, Jackie insisted that Andrea learn how to assist the customers. "Your first customer was a success." Jackie approved after the lady left the store.

"Thanks." Andrea said shyly.

As they got back to doing their homework, Jackie's cell phone began to ring. Jackie saw that it was Eric and decided to answer it, "Hey."

"Hey, babe."

"What's up?"

"I just got off the phone with Blake." Eric told her.

"Yeah, Dianna called me at four, but I didn't answer. What'd Blake say?"

"He apologized for listening to April."

"Well, at least we know we got through to them about her."

"Yes, we did. So, how's work going?"

"We're actually getting ready to close up the shop, so I'll call you on my way home." Jackie replied.

"Okay, I miss you."

"I miss you too." Jackie smiled into her phone and hung up.

Andrea smiled at her cousin, "Was that your boyfriend?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Jackie pressed.

"You guys just sound so cute talking on the phone." Andrea explained. "Are we really closing up now?"

"Yes, it's seven o'clock, quitting time. I'll walk you through it." Jackie answered. "You may be doing this alone next Monday after I talk to aunt Leanne in the morning."

They finished cleaning up the store and putting everything away. Jackie walked them out and taught Andrea the steps to the alarm, and lock system. Jackie then drove Andrea home, and headed home herself.

As she laid down in bed, Jackie began to wonder what tomorrow would bring to her. She seemed to toss and turn all night long as the different scenarios passed through her mind.

*****************************************

Jackie woke up the next morning at five still feeling tired. "Good morning." Natalie greeted her as she entered into the kitchen.

"Morning." Jackie mumbled.

"Are you feeling alright?" Liam asked concerned.

"Yeah, I just didn't sleep to well last night. I have a lot on my mind."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Liam offered.

"No, I can handle it." Jackie reassured her parents.

At school, Jackie met Dianna, Anna, and Liz in the parking lot. They were surprised to see her there so early. "I just was hoping to talk to all of you before April gets here." Jackie explained.

"Jackie, you know yesterday was just all a big miss understanding and then you over reacted and punched her. You know she was only trying to warn you about Eric." Liz replied.

"Is that how you interpreted it?" Jackie shot at her.

"No, that's what she told us, and we believe her. I mean why would she lie about something like that?" Judy stated.

"You guys weren't even there. Shouldn't you hear my side of the story before you come to a conclusion?" Jackie asked in disbelief.

"Why are there always two sides to a story with you?" Tessa asked.

"Because there is always more than one side to a story." Anna remarked.

"More than likely, April's story is just an exaggerated side, but not the whole story." Chantal stated as she joined the group conversation. "We all know that April can be a bit over dramatic at times."

"Yesterday, at lunch April tried to tell me that her and Eric were involved, and that I should just accept the facts. I punched her and told her not to mess with me. I'm not denying that my temper does tend to get the best of me at times, but she just keeps pushing my buttons. She must have over heard Eric ask me to go to the creek after school, and that's when the issue at the creek took place." Jackie sighed.

"So, your trying to tell us the April is jealous of you because your dating Eric?" Liz questioned.

"No..." Jackie began to explain further, but was cut off.

"Then what are you trying to tell us?" Tessa pried.

"That's what it sounds like." Judy stated, "Besides, why would April want Eric when she has Ace eating out of the palm of her hand?"

"Because she's a tramp that is never satisfied! I'm sorry for my language but there is no other way to describe her anymore." Anna defended Jackie.

"Besides, we all know that April wants Eric, and is just using Ace as her puppet. Ace is the one who wants April, and is doing his best to get her attention. She keeps Ace around for amusement." Ashley pointed out.

"Well, I guess we have come to an obvious agreement on this situation..." Anna began, but was interrupted...

"What situation is that?" April asked strolling over to the group with Ace.

"Who's the real friends of who." Anna explained looking to Paul and Blake as they joined. "By the way, April, we are not your friends." Anna took Paul's hand and walked away.

"Neither are we." Dianna and Ashley informed her walking away with Blake.

"What about you Chantal? You barely said a word." Tessa pressed.

"The hell with the lot of you." Chantal stated walking away with Eddy.

"Damn April, you really know how to ruin friendships, huh?" Eric said as he wrapped his arm around Jackie's shoulders.

"And stay away from me, or there'll be hell to pay." Jackie warned April as she and Eric headed to their classes.

After school, Jackie saw Eric getting into his car. "Hey, you okay? I didn't see you at lunch earlier." Jackie said leaning into his window.

"I had some work I needed to take care of. I'll see you later." Eric explained kissing her on the cheek and putting his car in drive. After she watched him leave, she got in her car and headed to Robert's to babysit Orion.

When Jackie entered the house, Kayla emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was done up and she was in a slimming black evening gown. "What's the occasion?" Jackie asked Kayla.

"It's my birthday, and your father is actually taking me out to dinner." Kayla explained. "That's why I called you earlier and asked you to babysit."

"That's awfully romantic of Robert."

"Just make Orion some Mac and Cheese for supper, and make sure he takes his bath before bed. And remember, his bedtime is at eight. We should be home no later than eight thirty. Call me if you need anything." Kayla instructed as she went to see if Robert was ready yet.

"Okay, sounds good. Where's Orion?" Jackie asked looking around.

"He's in his room playing on his road mat with his cars." Robert answered as he emerged from the parlor.

"I'll go up with him." Jackie said walking passed Robert and up the stairs. As she walked down the hall of the house she had once called home, she realized that Kayla had changed the wall color from a light gray to a deep red. When she found Orion, she realized that Robert and Kayla had remade her old room into Orion's bedroom. Then it hit her that this was the first time she had gone upstairs since she last spent the night at her father's house when she was six years old. "Hey, buddy. What are you doing?" Jackie asked when she spotted Orion in the corner where she used to play with her dollhouse.

"Playing cars." Orion replied not looking up from his road mat.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure."

"These are some cool cars. Which one is your favorite?" Jackie asked.

"This one." Orion said holding up a black firebird with a guitar painted on the driver's side door.

"That one is cool. Did you know that that is the same type of car that I drive?" Jackie told her brother.

"Really? Does it have a guitar on it too?" Orion asked looking up at Jackie enthusiastically.

"No, but it is black."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure. It's in the driveway." Jackie said standing up.

"Cool." Orion said excitedly running down the hall. He waited for Jackie at the door, before he went outside. Orion walked all around the car and stopped at the passenger side door, "Can we go for a ride?"

"Sure, where do you want to go?" Jackie asked.

"Around the block." Orion suggested.

"Hop in." Jackie said holding the passenger side seat forward. "And buckle up." Jackie got in the car and turned over the engine. "How about we go for a ride downtown, and back? By then it'll be time for supper." Orion just sat there with the cutest ear-to-ear smile on his face. He was quiet for the entire ride, when they returned to the house Jackie stopped the car just inside the dirt driveway. "How old are you?"

"Eight. You know that silly." Orion laughed.

"Then you're old enough. Why don't you unbuckle and climb up here into my lap and park this car?"

"Really? This will be awesome." Orion stated putting his hands hesitantly on the wheel.

After they parked the car, they went inside and Jackie began to cook supper. Jackie's phone began to ring as she poured the Macaroni into the boiling water. "Hello?"

"Hey babe." Eric replied.

"What do you want?" Jackie asked not paying attention to him.

"What are you doing?"

"Cooking some Mac and cheese." Jackie answered stirring the Macaroni.

"Sounds like fun. Can I have some?" Eric laughed.

"No. I'm babysitting Orion currently." Jackie explained.

"Robert's son?"

"Yeah, anyways why did you take off so quickly earlier?"

"I was late for work. Sorry if I made you upset."

"You didn't upset me." Jackie defended herself. "I was just surprise that I barely saw you all day today. Especially after that whole situation with April and her gang."

"I know, I'm sorry. I really needed to talk to Ace."

"I thought you said you had work to do at lunch. Now you're lying to me? We haven't even been dating for a month and you're already lying to me." Jackie was so angry that she hung up the phone before Eric could reply.

As soon as Robert and Kayla returned, Jackie left. On her way home she called Dianna. "Hey, are you home?"

"I will be in about two minutes, why?" Dianna replied.

"Can I come over for a bit to talk?" Jackie asked holding back tears. "I really need your opinion on something."

"Eric?" Dianna guessed.

"Yes."

"I'll see you when you get here." Dianna said as she hung up her phone. Jackie quickly called home and told Natalie that she was going over Dianna's house for a bit and would be home by ten thirty.