This Is The Dawning Of The Rest Of Our Lives
Chapter XII - Jingle
I was sitting on Tré’s bed, staring blankly in front of me.
My mother and I had talked to the principal while Billie and Mike had waited outside with Tessie for Tré to return. I wouldn’t be going to school for a few days, and Mr. and Mrs. Wright had kindly offered us to stay at their house until we found another place to live.
I felt a familiar hand place itself on my back and I looked aside for a second to see Tré sitting a little bent over, smiling weakly at me. I swallowed and tried to smile a bit as well but I could hardly feel the corners of my mouth move. As I felt Tré’s hand slowly move over my back, making me feel a slight bit better, I sighed and put my head in my hands.
“Shh, Jessie,” he whispered, moving close against me, his arms sliding around me. I sat up a bit and leaned against him, swallowing, and I closed my eyes for a second in a failed attempt to stop tears from rolling down my cheeks.
It felt weird to sit there and have nothing. Nothing at all. Snuggles was the only thing that had survived the fire, because Tessie had been holding him when my mother had taken her outside. On the way to Tré’s house, mom had told me how it had happened. Apparently, the ashes of our stove that were stored behind the house had been lit by the wind, and had lit some objects lying around them. Since the wind had been on the back of the house, the rest had followed quickly. In half an hour, everything had gone up in smoke.
When mom had noticed the fire, it had been fairly small, but too big to put out herself. She called the fire department, but they arrived half an hour late. Too late.
Memories were now flying through my head, every single one of them making me think of what I’d lost. The only way to let go of those things seemed to be to mention them aloud. It must have been irritating for Tré to have me sit there, crying and mumbling, but he didn’t say anything about it, and didn’t show the slightest sign of irritation. I’m so glad to be with him right now, so lucky to have him. As I looked around his room, I thought of my own room. I still couldn’t believe it was gone.
“My books are gone too…” I mumbled, “and my bed, and those drumsticks you gave me!” I said, my eyes widening a little. I bit my lip.
“It’s okay Jessie, they were just drumsticks,” Tré said softly, holding my tightly and softly rubbing my arm.
“But you gave them to me,” I said, swallowing and feeling how my eyes filled themselves with tears again. It was fucking annoying to cry the whole time. I didn’t want to cry, but I couldn’t help it. I felt better than an hour ago, and I was getting more used to the idea, but those little things like the drumsticks made me realize exactly how much had gone.
“I’ve got zillions of drumsticks, don’t worry about that,” he whispered, placing a kiss on my hair.
“But,”
“Don’t worry about it, okay?” he said, looking at me.
“Here,” he added, getting up and fumbling around in his closet for a bit. He sat back on the bed, putting a pair of drumsticks in my hand. I sniffed and smiled weakly.
“Thanks,” I whispered. He stroked some hair out of my face and smiled a bit, gently wiping the tears from my eyes with his thumb.
“You want to play a bit?” he asked, looking at his guitar, “Maybe it’ll make you feel a bit better.”
I nodded. He smiled and touched my nose before grabbing the instrument and handing it to me.
I didn’t realize until I played a chord, that I’d lost my guitars as well. Both of them. As soon as I’d thought it, an enormous lump formed in my throat and fresh tears filled my eyes.
“Jingle,” I whispered, barely audible.
TRÉ’S POV
“What is it?” I asked, bending down to look at her face.
“Jingle,” she said, grabbing my arm so hard the flesh turned white. I didn’t care, and I’m not sure I even noticed.
“Fuck,” I muttered, putting my guitar aside and allowing Jessica to bury her face in my chest.
Why the hell didn’t I think of that? I should have! Tré, you fucking idiot, it’s your fault she’s breaking down like that right now, and all you can say is ‘fuck’?
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, pulling her onto my lap and stroking her hair. I started to gently rock back and forth, trying to find words to comfort her. I felt my eyes burning slightly at the sight of her crying like that, imagining how it must feel to lose everything like that… I mean, losing stuff sucks, but losing stuff with memories attached to it is hell.
“If I’d known that I’d never play him ever again,” she sobbed, “I’d have thought twice before putting him away yesterday!”
“Shh,” I cooed, “A lot of things would have been different if you’d known about this. I don’t think it would have happened if you’d have known,” I added.
She didn’t say anything, but wrapped her arms around me and clung onto me, burying her face deeper into my chest. I swallowed and continued to rock back and forth, silently resting my cheek on top of her head, stroking her hair.
I don’t know how long we sat there, but eventually, Jessica’s breathing steadied and when I looked at her, she had closed her eyes and dozed off to sleep.
My mother and I had talked to the principal while Billie and Mike had waited outside with Tessie for Tré to return. I wouldn’t be going to school for a few days, and Mr. and Mrs. Wright had kindly offered us to stay at their house until we found another place to live.
I felt a familiar hand place itself on my back and I looked aside for a second to see Tré sitting a little bent over, smiling weakly at me. I swallowed and tried to smile a bit as well but I could hardly feel the corners of my mouth move. As I felt Tré’s hand slowly move over my back, making me feel a slight bit better, I sighed and put my head in my hands.
“Shh, Jessie,” he whispered, moving close against me, his arms sliding around me. I sat up a bit and leaned against him, swallowing, and I closed my eyes for a second in a failed attempt to stop tears from rolling down my cheeks.
It felt weird to sit there and have nothing. Nothing at all. Snuggles was the only thing that had survived the fire, because Tessie had been holding him when my mother had taken her outside. On the way to Tré’s house, mom had told me how it had happened. Apparently, the ashes of our stove that were stored behind the house had been lit by the wind, and had lit some objects lying around them. Since the wind had been on the back of the house, the rest had followed quickly. In half an hour, everything had gone up in smoke.
When mom had noticed the fire, it had been fairly small, but too big to put out herself. She called the fire department, but they arrived half an hour late. Too late.
Memories were now flying through my head, every single one of them making me think of what I’d lost. The only way to let go of those things seemed to be to mention them aloud. It must have been irritating for Tré to have me sit there, crying and mumbling, but he didn’t say anything about it, and didn’t show the slightest sign of irritation. I’m so glad to be with him right now, so lucky to have him. As I looked around his room, I thought of my own room. I still couldn’t believe it was gone.
“My books are gone too…” I mumbled, “and my bed, and those drumsticks you gave me!” I said, my eyes widening a little. I bit my lip.
“It’s okay Jessie, they were just drumsticks,” Tré said softly, holding my tightly and softly rubbing my arm.
“But you gave them to me,” I said, swallowing and feeling how my eyes filled themselves with tears again. It was fucking annoying to cry the whole time. I didn’t want to cry, but I couldn’t help it. I felt better than an hour ago, and I was getting more used to the idea, but those little things like the drumsticks made me realize exactly how much had gone.
“I’ve got zillions of drumsticks, don’t worry about that,” he whispered, placing a kiss on my hair.
“But,”
“Don’t worry about it, okay?” he said, looking at me.
“Here,” he added, getting up and fumbling around in his closet for a bit. He sat back on the bed, putting a pair of drumsticks in my hand. I sniffed and smiled weakly.
“Thanks,” I whispered. He stroked some hair out of my face and smiled a bit, gently wiping the tears from my eyes with his thumb.
“You want to play a bit?” he asked, looking at his guitar, “Maybe it’ll make you feel a bit better.”
I nodded. He smiled and touched my nose before grabbing the instrument and handing it to me.
I didn’t realize until I played a chord, that I’d lost my guitars as well. Both of them. As soon as I’d thought it, an enormous lump formed in my throat and fresh tears filled my eyes.
“Jingle,” I whispered, barely audible.
TRÉ’S POV
“What is it?” I asked, bending down to look at her face.
“Jingle,” she said, grabbing my arm so hard the flesh turned white. I didn’t care, and I’m not sure I even noticed.
“Fuck,” I muttered, putting my guitar aside and allowing Jessica to bury her face in my chest.
Why the hell didn’t I think of that? I should have! Tré, you fucking idiot, it’s your fault she’s breaking down like that right now, and all you can say is ‘fuck’?
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, pulling her onto my lap and stroking her hair. I started to gently rock back and forth, trying to find words to comfort her. I felt my eyes burning slightly at the sight of her crying like that, imagining how it must feel to lose everything like that… I mean, losing stuff sucks, but losing stuff with memories attached to it is hell.
“If I’d known that I’d never play him ever again,” she sobbed, “I’d have thought twice before putting him away yesterday!”
“Shh,” I cooed, “A lot of things would have been different if you’d known about this. I don’t think it would have happened if you’d have known,” I added.
She didn’t say anything, but wrapped her arms around me and clung onto me, burying her face deeper into my chest. I swallowed and continued to rock back and forth, silently resting my cheek on top of her head, stroking her hair.
I don’t know how long we sat there, but eventually, Jessica’s breathing steadied and when I looked at her, she had closed her eyes and dozed off to sleep.