*This is mostly just dialogue between drunk Ivy and Jackson but i hope yous enjoy.
"No she's with me." Jackson says and so many thoughts fly through my mind, the main one being; what the fuck is he doing here? At a 24-hour convenience store.
I look down at his hands and he was holding a shopping bag, immediately I need to know what he has in it.
Oh, shit focus.
Jackson's here and so is the scary sheep man.
"Cole..." I whisper and he immediately asks what's going on through the phone.
"Are you sure dude?" Mr sheep says and I look at Jackson and tell Cole I have to go.
"I have to go, Jackson's here."
"Ivy James don't you dare hang up. You this drunk and an interaction with Jackson is not what you need."
I'm not that drunk.
I giggle at his words and ignore Jackson and Mr sheep's conversation. "Don't worry Cole, Jackson won't hurt me."
Jackson's eyes find mine and I look back at Mr sheep. "I will ring you later, or tomorrow if I fall asleep."
"Don't you dare sleep with him, missy. You're doing so good!" Cole shouts through the phone and I hang up on him.
Did he really think I'd sleep with Jackson? I am not that much of a mess. I have some dignity and control.
"Miss?" The scary guy says and I frown at him.
"I have self-control." I tell him fiercely but my words come out slurred. Oh haha. Tequila.
The stranger shakes his head slightly in confusion. "I said, do you know this guy? Are you ok?"
"Oh yeah that's Jackson." I say and nod innocently towards the both of them.
Behind Jackson was a shelf of cake and I grin at it, changing my soda to a less dented one and walking past them both to get to the cake.
"Are you sure you know him? She doesn't seem to be comfortable with you bro."
I look up at the talking sheep and the world spins a little faster.
And then I'm suddenly imagining the world spinning a little faster and laughing aloud at the fact if it did, I read that we'd all actually fly off it.
Like everyone would just poof off of the path.
"Oh sorry what?" I say suddenly realising they're both still looking at me. Grabbing a whole ass birthday cake off of the shelf I smile at the guy.
"Yeah I know him. He's Jackson. He doesn't like me very much anymore. But I promise he used to." I smile sweetly at the guy and he looks at me strangely. "Well if you must know, we had a big falling out because-"
"Ivy enough." Jackson says and I look at him confused.
Yes Sir.
Joking, of course I ramble on.
"But I'm trying to prove that I know you." I say and look back at Mr Sheep. "His favourite colour is forest green and his favourite film is sixth sense. He has two little siblings, Sophia likes me a lot but I haven't really spoken to Milo yet. I know that he draws and is really good, oh and he has a birth mark on his-"
"Ok, kid, I get it, you're in good hands. She's all yours." The man says to Jackson and walks away from us.
"I am my own! Thank you very much you big-"
"Shh." Jackson says and watches as the guy walks out of the shop.
"Phew. For a minute there I thought he was going to eat me." I say to Jackson my mood turning quickly from fire to relief.
Jackson stares at me blankly and I roll my eyes exaggeratedly. "What? A whole cake? Yeah I know it's a bit much but it's also very cheap." I whisper and try to balance my cake and my lemonade in one hand. Walking away from him to grab some popcorn and piling it onto my stack.
"What are you doing here?" He says, his voice is cold but I can tell he's confused.
"Food."
"Ivy its 2 in the morning. And where have you even been?" He says and I watch as his eyes slowly trail down my body.
"Jackson, my eyes are up here."
His eyes flash back to mine and I smile widely, sending him a cheeky smile.
"I was with my friends."
I walk away again and he follows, and I yawn as I place my thing on the counter for the lady to scan.
Nodding along to whatever small talk the grumpy lady is trying to make I try to stop myself swaying, goodness tonight had been eventful.
The thought of everyone falling off the planet pops up into my head again and it takes all my drunken self-control not to laugh in this woman's face.
"Thankyou." I smile and go to leave the store.
"Did you seriously walk here?" Jackson says from besides me and I nod. Oops I guess that was a silly mistake.
"It was nice seeing you Jackie but I'm going now." I clutch my bag to my chest and go to walk away from him.
"You're not going anywhere." He says and I turn back around to look at him. He was wearing sweatpants and a creased tshirt. Why was he here?
"Why are you here?" I ask and stare at his bag.
"I'm not letting you walk home, come on." He says, ignoring my question and nodding towards his car.
Haha nope.
"I'm getting a cab don't worry."
"Cabs can be just as dangerous." He deadpans.
"I have fought everyone else off tonight." I smile at him and I shrug. "I think I'll take my chances."
"Ivy no."
"Jackson you don't have a say in what I do anymore." I explain and sigh annoyed because all I wanna do is go home and eat my cake and sleep.
He laughs, and my head shoots up... did he actually just laugh? "I never did."
I don't know what that means.
I'll over-analyse it if I remember this conversation in the morning.
"Goodnight Jackson." I say and he sighs.
"Just please get in the car." His voice is so serious that I furrow my eyebrows at him. What's the problem?
"I just wanna go home." I say and he nods at me.
"I'll take you."
"But why?"
"Because everyone would hate me if they knew I had left you in this state."
"I am not a state!" I say and glower at him. Wow my head feels awful.
"Ivy please." He says and my resolve crumbles.
"Only because, I just spent my cab money on cake." I say and walk past him to his car and climb into the passenger seat.
Ah home.
I sigh in content as I am coated in familiarity.
NO IVY NOT HOME. Dickhead.
My eyes burst back open and Jackson opens up his driver's seat door to climb in.
"Wow Tequila is not a good one to mix." I say to him and he nods at me once. Indication he's heard me but doesn't care whatever I'm rambling about.
He places his bag by my feet and I itch to look in it. I just wanna see. I just want to see why he's here in the middle of the night.
"Who were you out with?" He mumbles and turns the car on.
"Just Nora and Jess and Faye."
"And did you tell them you were leaving?" He asks and my eyes widen at his.
"Oh My Goodness. I forgot!"
"Oh god." He mumbles and I fumble for my phone.
Ringing Jess immediately I'm granted with a "Ivy! Faye it's Ivy! Are you still here, we couldn't find you. Nora's locking lips with someone on the dance floor. And we've looked everywhere for you."
"I'm so sorry!" I say and sigh relieve that they are all ok. "Some dude was grabby so I left and I forgot to tell anyone."
"Oh shit are you ok?" Jess asks and I smile into the phone, laying my head against the window, watching the lights go past. "Do you need us to come and get you?"
"I'm fine. And no Jackson's taking me home."
"Jackson?"
"Yeah it's a long story, I'm not sure if I'll remember it in the morning." I giggle. "But I'll tell you at some point."
"Ok, Ivy. I'll let you be. Call me in the morning yeah?"
"Of course. I love you." I say and Jess says the same and hangs up.
"They'll all fine." I say to Jackson and sigh a breath of relief.
His knuckles are tight on the steering wheel as he says "Are you?"
"Am I what?"
I wonder what cake I brought.
"Ok. Are you ok?"
"Oh." I say and look up at him.
He looks as if it's actually so painful to pretend he cares.
"I'm fine, Jackson you don't have to ask. I get it." I mumble and text Cole a quick message telling him I'm on my way home.
Ivy: on mj wau homr
Cole: Thnk duck.
"What happened?" He asks quietly and I just shrug. Watching his face in the darkness of the car. His side profile was so jarring that it fills me with a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach.
Anger. Maybe?
"Nothing, you don't need to pretend to care Jackson. It's fine."
His eyes meet mine quickly and then stares back out into the road.
"Put my jumper on." He says and reaches behind him and tosses me his hoodie.
"What no."
"Please." He says and I follow his command. Mainly because he has the air conditioning on and it's fucking freezing.
"But why?" The jumper engulfs me and I immediately want to cry. I wont. Because I am an independent wom-
Why do I chant that every time I get a little drunk?
"Cos I'm trying to fucking drive." He mumbles to himself more than me and I frown in confusion.
What?
"I like your car." I share openly and bring my now bare feet up to the seat with me. "My feet hurt." I moan and try and rub away the indentations the heels have left me with.
He doesn't reply to me and I just carry on talking to fill the silence. "Did you know that raccoons have hands?"
Silence.
"Well you do now."
More silence.
"They hold things and it's really fucking cute."
"Why are you telling me about raccoons?" Jackson sighs and I smile sadly.
"Because what else are we supposed to talk about?" I say and he grimaces. "We could talk about how you're not my friend anymore. But I don't think either of us are ready for that conversation."
Silence. And I sigh.
"I miss you." I say quietly and he slumps back into his seat a little.
I know I'm drunk and I know I shouldn't miss him but I do. And I literally just mean that I miss talking to him, I miss being able to hear what he thinks about something.
"Ivy..."
"Can I look through your bag?" I ask and he immediately says "No."
"Why?"
"Because why do you want to? You've got your own bag." He nods and I gasp.
"Oh I forgot popcorn!"
"No you didn't it's in there." He laughs gently and I stare at him. Wow we're talking and he's not angry or cold or blank.
"Please can I see what you brought." I ask and he shakes his head at me.
"I'll give you two options. Either let me or answer why you were out at 2 in the morning?" I say.
"You'll figure it out when you look in the bag." Jackson mutters and I take that as permission to look. I lift it on my lap and it's so light that I immediately feel relief.
Looking inside I take out the snacks and then we're left with a bottle of lube and a pack of condoms.
Oh.
I start laughing and throw the snacks to the back seat. "Oh, I interrupted a booty call."
He doesn't reply and I can't help it, I don't know why I'm laughing so much but I'm honestly pressing my hand down against my stomach to stop myself thrashing with laughter.
I am relieved, that's why.
And also disgusted.
"Ew Jackson you could have warned me." I say and pick up the pack of condoms.
"I told you not to." He mutters and I watch him, he is so uncomfortable that it kinda makes me want to make him even more uncomfortable.
Without thinking I carry on teasing. "Wow and extra-large, I mean I know but damn."
"Ivy." He says and grips the steering wheel tighter.
I pick up the small bottle of lube and laugh at him. "Really lube? We never had that issue, or we wouldn't have had anyway. You always got me so-"
"Jesus Christ Ivy stop talking." His knuckles are white and the veins on his forearms are starts to pop out slightly and my god it makes me pleased with myself.
Ok, maybe drunk Ivy is petty Ivy. But I promise I'm much more composed when I'm sober.
"Something wrong?" I ask and he sends me a look.
But his eyes aren't angry and fuck my life I almost melted at the fact he seemed amused.
Goodness I am drunk.
I shouldn't have said that.
It was fun though.
I chuck the condoms and lube back into the bag and toss it behind me.
"Good bonding session Jackson." I nod to him and he rolls his eyes at me.
"You drive me insane." He says and I don't know If he meant for me to hear. But I smile to myself anyway.
Because although I know he meant it negatively, he's been acting like he couldn't give a damn if I was around or not. So at least I know he's thinking about me.
Which isn't something I want.
Goodness sake.
"Do you want me to give you a haul now of my midnight convenience store shop as well?" I ask and he sighs at me.
"Sure Ivy."
I smile happily and start describing to him the things I brought, reading out every ingredient that it contained.
Or well I tried.
Some words are hard ok? And for some reason the words kept moving.
"I can't read." I say and he laughs again.
Fucking hell I hate his laugh.
"That's because you're drunk."
"I'm sorry." I suddenly say and go to role my window down.
"Oh god, why are you rolling the window down? Do you feel sick?"
"No." I say but keep my head turns away from him.
"Ivy what are you doing?"
"Breathing."
"Are you struggling to breath?" He says confused and I sigh and mumble.
"I don't wanna breathe tequila breath on you."
"Pardon?" He says firmly and I immediately feel inclined to repeat myself louder. What is that?
"Tequila breath."
"Ivy you can breathe into the car it's fine" He laughs. "You smell like the whole distillery anyway."
"I'm really sorry." I say again and he frowns at me.
"It's fine."
"So, where ya off to?" I say and cringe at how overly casual that came out.
"Nowhere, I'm going home now."
"But-"
"I changed my mind."
"Oh." I say smiling a little. "Wanna hang out?"
I am drunk. Golly.
"No Ivy." Jackson sighs and I immediately feel the sting of rejection. "I'm sorry, its just-"
"We're not friends anymore." I finish his sentence for him and he pauses.
"Yeah." He rubs his eyes in exhaustion and looks at me and my probably sad face. "I don't get why you're not mad at me." He finally says and I look away.
"I am Jackson." I am unbelievably mad at how it all turned out.
"I'm just a happy drunk."
We are nearing my drive way now and I open up my little bag to check that I still have my keys. Phew, at least I won't have to wake my parents up. He doesn't reply to me and we drive in mutual silence the rest of the street.
I am literally close enough to touch him but honestly, he feels so god dam far away.
He pulls the car to a stop outside my house and we both look up at it for a few seconds. But then his name on my lips gets his attention.
"Jackson?"
"Yeah?"
"If I asked you what was wrong, would you tell me?" I ask quietly, clutching my shopping in my hand and getting ready to climb out the car.
"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong."
That's my answer then.
"Ok, thank you for bringing me home safely, I'm sorry I disturbed your plans." I say and smirk when he grumbles something under his breath.
"Pardon?" I ask, leaning over to peer in so I could see his eyes.
"I said goodnight."
Next chapter dedicated to the first person who comments why ivy was relieved