"Do you ever think about how differently your life would've went if grandpa didn't go off to fight in Vietnam?"
"Only in quiet moments like these," Jessica answers her granddaughter.
"What do you think could've happened?" Aaliyah wondered.
Jessica sighed and looked at her. "Come here mini-me," she joked, making Aaliyah smile as she moved across the living room to sit to her. Her grandmother took her hands into hers and looked at her. "What is this about?" She asked.
"My...friend, the-"
"...one that looks like Nathan?" She asked. Aaliyah nodded. "What happened child?"
"It's a long story but, in the end, he lied to me. And I️ just don't know if I️ could be with someone who lies to me. Not again grandma," she shakes her head.
Jessica strokes her hair lightly. "Don't cry. We all have our fair share of bad relationships," she tells her. "Everything bad that happens to us is just a lesson in what not to do, okay?"
Aaliyah nodded her head. "I️ don't know what to do anymore," she whispers.
"You want my advice?" Her grandmother asks. Aaliyah nods her head. "My advice is...follow your heart," she says.
Aaliyah rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Jesus grandma, I️ could've just watched an episode of Riverdale for advice like that," she says.
"Don't sass your grandma child," she scolds. "Now I'm serious. The only person that can do right by you, is you. Now I️ could tell you everything under the moon. I️ could tell you to forgive him, I️ could tell you to forget that sucker and quit men forever, I️ could tell you it's time to give the ladies a chance, I️ could tell you to tell that boy to go to hell," her grandma listed out. "But in reality, we both know you're not gonna do a thing I️ say. So, I'm not gonna waste my breath," she shrugged.
Aaliyah groaned. "You gotta give me something-"
"Alright, fine," she huffed. "I'll answer your little question from earlier. You wanna know what would've happened if your grandpa stuck around?" She said, making Aaliyah nod. "Fine. You know what would've happened? Your grandfather would've done twenty-five to life, with a possibility of parole may I add, in prison for murdering a drug dealer," her grandmother revealed, making her eyes widen.
"Grandpa...killed someone?" She gasped. God, is every version of Jackson capable of homicide?
"It's a very long story," her grandma waved off.
"What happened?" Aaliyah wondered.
"I️ was what the men back in the day called "a fine thing"-"
"Oh my god," Aaliyah grimaced at that.
Her grandmother glared at her. "Why is that hard to believe? You stole my face," she tells her before they both burst into giggles. "I had this drug dealer back in the day who was just dead set on making me his wife. And then your grandfather came and charmed the pants off me...literally."
"Please get to the point, I'm begging you," Aaliyah cringed.
"Obviously this drug dealer didn't like the fact that your grandfather stole me away from him so...he tried to do something about it," she reminisced.
"You think after everything you've done to me, I'm just gonna let you live?" Rico seethes.
"I've never done anything to you!" Nate growls back.
"You're wrong!" Rico barks. "You made a complete fool out of me. And now, I'm gonna make your life a living hell!"
Pop! Pop!
"But that was different grandma. Nate was defending himself, defending you," She points out. "What Jackson did..."
"What did Jackson do?" Her grandmother asked.
"I️ don't know. We're actually gonna meet up this afternoon," she tells her. "But he says it was an "accident"," she air-quotes.
Her grandmother nods. "Well, whatever the case may be..." she shrugs. "In the end the judge gave him the decision, prison or the war," she finishes her story.
"And he chose war?" Aaliyah asked, making her grandmother nod. "Why?" She wondered. "Everyone knows that the Vietnam War was like...the most pointless war for America to join."
"He thought he had a better chance there than in prison. And in the moment I️ thought he was an idiot but, now years later, I️ finally understand the decision," she says. "Sweetheart, I️ may think a lot about how our lives would've been, had he not gone missing, but the fact of the matter is...it really doesn't change a damn thing," she tells her.
Aaliyah receives a texts from her phone, prompting her to get up. "I️ have to go," she announces. "Thank you grandma, for the advice," she presses a kiss in her cheeks before going.
"You two have a chance that me and Nathan didn't," he grandma says as she walks out the door. "But whatever you choose...it'll be the right choice regardless."
Aaliyah and Jackson sit at their local Waffle House, ordering an orange juice and water, respectively, neither one of them speaking except to order something.
Aaliyah went first. "Do you remember our first date?" She asked him.
"Um...yeah. It feels like so long ago," he comments.
"Do you remember what you said to me that day?" She asked him. "Because I️ do," she said. "You told me that you-"
"That I️'ll never hurt you," Jackson finished for her. "And I didn't just say it. I️ promised you."
"Pinky promised," Aaliyah added, fiddling with the straw in her cup. "And you went and did exactly that."
"But I️ also said I️ wouldn't do it on purpose. I️ didn't," he tells her. "I️ kept Carolina's secret and she kept mines," he said. "I was scared before," he admits, "I️ was scared of how you might react. What you might think of me. Worried if you'll ever talk to me again..."
"What happened Jackson?" She finally asked.
Jackson sat back and looked out the window for a moment before beginning the story. "It's the last couple of days of junior year and the senior just got done pranking is by releasing crickets in the classrooms and ambushing is with water guns during lunch one time," he says. "So being on the football team back at my old school, me and the junior's on the varsity team decided to prank them back. It was supposed to be harmless fun," he tells her.
"What happened?" She asked him again.
"It was supposed to be a stink bomb. We put it in all the senior classrooms but when we put it in the senior chemistry lab, the fumes must've mixed with something in that lab and it caused a fire. One of my teammates, Anthony, died in the fire and my other two were quick to turn on me and make me take the blame so that they would get even lighter sentences," he says. "I️ got hit with an arson and involuntary manslaughter charge and was sentenced to juvie. When I️ finished my sentence, my dad shipped me here with my mom," he says.
Aaliyah nodded after hearing the entire story. "But why couldn't you just tell me?" She questioned.
"I️ love you," he now says with ease, as if he's been saying it all his life. "I️ didn't want you think the worst of me. I didn't want you to be afraid. I️ didn't want to disappoint you..." he reveals.
"I️ understand." she tells him. "I understand why you did what you did, so now I hope...you can understand what I'm about to tell you, and why," she looks up at him now.
"I️ think we should just be friends," she tells him, catching him off guard.
"What-"
"Listen," she cuts him off. "Let's be real here Jackson. I️ just got out of an abusive relationship. An abusive friendship. I️ need some time for myself and I'm just...I'm really not in the right headspace to be with you right now," she admits to him. "Plus, we're both going away for college and everyone knows long distance relationships never really work."
Jackson lets out a heavy sigh and looks out the window once again, thinking deeply. "You're right," he finally says, which surprises her. "You've had a hectic year and you deserve a break," he reaches out and takes her hands into his, lovingly patting them. "But just know, I'm gonna marry you," it almost sounded like a promise.
Aaliyah laughs off his response. "Cute. I'll remember that," she points at him. They both get up and walk out the diner side by side.
"See you in school?" Jackson asks.
"Definitely," she smiles. He leans over and presses a kiss on her cheek before getting into his car and driving off.
For the first time in a long while, she felt like everything was gonna be okay.
______________________________
It's not over yet, there's an epilogue coming up. And then I'm gonna write a sequel about these two but only if you guys want it. But I'm sure y'all will let me know in the next chapter if y'all want it 😌
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Lemme kno.