EDITED
31
I slid over one last worksheet for Jackson to complete before we were to head off for finals.
Jackson finished the ten problems in about 5 minutes with only 1 wrong, and that was due to a simple multiplication mix-up.
We gathered our things and walked side by side toward the school.
The last time I'll ever be on Stanford grounds...
"How do you think I'm going to do?" Jackson asked me, nervously.
"You've been doing great at tutoring lately. But how you do is up to you. I know you can pass this, but the real question is do you know you can pass this?"
Jackson's eyes sparkled, which was different; it was probably one of the only actions Jackson did that I didn't know the meaning of.
We stepped into the testing rooms, and after they established the rules, we began to work.
As I went through my test, question after question, all I could think about is how in two hours, I would be at the airport on my way back to Colorado.
•••
Right after the test, Dylynn and Josh were waiting outside of the school in Josh's car. I was going home to Colorado now. I could finally just escape, and I was glad, even though it meant saying goodbye to my friends.
It's been an eventful year, and I was ready to sit at home and relax for the summer. Probably the fall, too, since I'll be settling at a community college.
Dylynn was sitting in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead. I could tell from the back seat she was crying and I felt horrible.
"Dyl..." I whispered. She didn't budge as she continued to look straight ahead, like she didn't hear me. I sunk back into my seat and gazed out of the window next to me.
Josh helped me carry in the few bags I had, most of the others were already sent home.
Josh and Dylynn had walked with me all the way to my gate and I had an hour to spare. This whole time I've been with them, we've barely conversed at all.
"Do you want us to stay and wait with you?" Josh asked, no emotion shown in his face.
"I think you guys should go." I replied, not able to look at either of them. I won't be able to see them everyday anymore, and I needed to get used to it sooner rather than later.
It would be impossible to separate my California life from my Colorado life if I didn't get a head start.
Jackson's POV-
Jaycee had finished the tests before me, only by minutes. I don't know how I missed her but she was out of site from the campus. Where the hell did she go? I got in my car and drove to where Dylynn and Jaycee had been staying the past two weeks since the dorms are closed for the summer.
I banged on the door until I heard footsteps approaching me from behind. I turned around hoping to find Jaycee, instead finding Dylynn. Good enough, I guess.
"Dyl, where is she?" I asked, my breathing hitched. I knew Dylynn wasn't going to say anything positive - anything I was hoping to hear. I could tell by the look on her face.
"None of your business." Dylynn hissed pushing past me and opening the door. I followed her in and watched as she threw her clothing in a suitcase.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Matt's."
"Dylynn..." I came closer to her. "Where is Jaycee?" I repeated. Why was Dylynn leaving? Where were all of Jaycee's things?
"This is your fault, you know?" She mumbled as she pushed me away from her.
"What's my fault?" Maybe if I pissed her off enough she'd spill.
"Get out, Jackson." She told me in a low, serious voice with a straight face. When I didn't move she stood up and punched my shoulder.
For a 5'3, 120 pound girl, she definitely knew how to pack a punch.
"Leave!" She yelled and punched me again and again, as she cried hysterically.
"Hey, Dylynn. Calm down." Josh rushed over and pulled Dylynn in for a hug. Was I the only one that didn't know what was going on?
"It's your fault she left Jackson. It's your fault she isn't coming back. It's your fault Jaycee is going back to the place she seems to think she belongs." Dylynn mumbled to me as she hugged Josh.
Then, before Josh even had a chance to turn around, I bolted out the door to my truck. I stepped on the pedal and made my way to the airport.
I slammed my door shut, handed the keys to a valet parker, and booked it inside. I took sharp turns finding which ways to go.
"5 o'clock flight to Colorado boarding in 10 minutes." The speaker said throughout the whole airport.
My running came to an abrupt stop when I saw Jaycee in line for security with a bag in hand. She had an obvious frown etched across her face and looked to be in deep thought.
Without wasting another second to think about it, I stepped next to her, outside of the line on the other side of the boundary line.
"Jaycee, what're you doing here?" I asked, honestly curious, taking her by surprise.
"Why are you here?" She murmured, sounding stressed.
"What's going on?"
"I need time away from all of this. I can't keep living here with all of these painful memories."
Like that, my whole world crumbled at my feet.
"Jaycee, don't leave please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I pleaded.
"Me too, Jack. But it's what's best for me. I need to leave."
"Will I see you in the fall?" I asked; my voice weak, because I had a bad feeling I already knew the answer.
"No." She declined.
The speaker said that the Colorado flight was now boarding. I screwed up bad this time and I knew it. Fuck my life.
"Jackson you're a smart guy and I believe in you to do well." She promised me, eyeliner falling down her face as she cried. She probably wasn't planning to be so emotional.
Before I even had a chance to go after her, she had already turned and went through the security gates.
I stood there looking stupid as I stared at the door Jaycee just went through. She looked back once, but, as fresh tears fell down her face, she didn't turn again.
Maybe I should just let her go.
Lance told me that if you love someone, set them free. If they come back, then it was really meant to be.
I left the airport in not nearly as much of a hurry as I was getting in here. I don't know what I was expecting to get when I came here. Was I expecting to have one of those cliché airport kisses and talk her out of leaving? I'm an idiot.
I got in my car and drove around aimlessly.
When I found myself at the cliff I took Jaycee to on our first date, I knew I wasn't just driving around aimlessly, and I knew I wasn't going to let Jaycee go. I am going to fight for what's mine.
And Jaycee Gardner is mine.
She made me fall for her, and even if she was at one point falling for me, it was very obvious I screwed that up.
My mission? To get Jaycee to Fall For Me...again.
Jaycee's POV-
I landed in Colorado about two hours later. After I got my luggage from luggage claim, I scanned the crowd for my dad.
When I spotted him I ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"Hey, sweetheart." Dad whispered as he hugged me.
"Hi, Daddy." I was always a daddy's girl as a kid, but my mom was always there during boy trouble and drama.
I haven't seen my dad in a few weeks, since I went home for a little after Claire died to be more specific. My dad knew mostly everything that's happened this school year.
Shocking my own self, I told him everything - from how I met my roommate all the way up until me missing the finals.
I told him about how I was asked to tutor someone in math. I told him how I agreed to go on a date with the guy if he got a good grade, how Jackson and I started to like each other, how we got closer, how I met Chris, how I got beat up by Jackson's crazy ex, how Claire died, how Jackson cheated on me shortly after, how I thought my new roommate was a bitch, how I realized she wasn't actually a half-bad person, all up until I missed the finals.
Everything.
"Any run-ins with that Jackson kid?" As you can probably guess, my dad didn't like Jackson in the slightest, besides the fact he didn't even know him. However, I couldn't blame him. I would hate a guy I've never met if I found out he cheated on my daughter, too.
"Briefly." I replied. "I'm fine." I assured him when he gave me his famous look of concern.
•••
THE END.
HAHA JUST KIDDING.
There's still plenty to go.
Sorry for the slight delay... I was going to have this up yesterday, but something unexpected came up. All I'm going to say is I lost someone very close to me, close enough to be called my uncle. It really took its toll on me. He's in a better place now though, like Claire.
Were any of you expecting/hoping they'd have the cliche make-up kiss at the airport? I don't feel like it would've set right with the current mood of the story, so I don't think many people were expecting it. Though, I'm sure all of you were hoping that would be the case.
Vote & comment!
Thanks for reading! I reached 100K and I couldn't be more thankful! Thank you all so very much!
- emily