Look Closer

Chelley had no idea what time it was when she finally woke up from the sleep coma she had been in. She also had no idea why her head felt like a hundred pound weight was where her brain should be.

A groan escaped her. "What happened?" she wondered out loud.

"You downed a bottle of tequila," Jack mumbled sleepily.

Chelley nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. She'd had no idea he was there. Slowly she rolled over to face him. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He laughed dryly. "You insisted I sleep next to you," he said. "After you were all over me and I made you stop."

She sighed and fell onto her back, regretting it once she felt the impact. Her eyes closed and she tried to remember the previous night's events. Nothing came to her. The entire night was a mystery.

"It'll come back with time," Jack informed her. "At least some of it."

The bed shifted as he sat up and then again when he stood. He walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains. The sun brightened the room greatly and Chelley groaned again. But Jack was at a point where he didn't care. He walked back across the room and sat on the bed once again. Silence filled the space between and around them.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Chelley said finally.

Another dry laugh escaped him. "For what?" he asked. "Kissing Alex? Starting a fight with Cassie? Throwing yourself at me? Or for completely ruining the party I put together out of the kindness of my heart because I just wanted to something nice for you?" Chelley remained silent behind him. He turned slowly to look at her. "Which thing are you sorry for, Chelley?" he snapped.

She jumped at his tone. It was obvious she had hurt him and that was what she was ultimately sorry for. But she didn't know how to tell him that.

"All of it, I guess," she said quietly.

Jack rolled his eyes as he turned around again and stared out the window. "An apology doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot when you don't even know what you're apologizing for," he said bitterly and stood. "Get your shit so I can take you home."

His tone was harsh and his words stung. Chelley felt tears spring to her eyes but she didn't argue with him. Slowly, she sat up. Her head pounded and she felt dizzy for a moment. Once she felt as close to normal as possible, given the circumstances, she slid off the bed and slipped her feet into the shoes she'd worn the previous night and looked around. At that point, she realized she had no idea where her purse was.

Jack was on it, however. When she turned around he was holding it out to her. She sighed as she took it from him, trying to ignore the impatience that radiated off him. "Thanks," she mumbled. He didn't respond but simply pulled open the bedroom door and made his way down the hall and to the stairs.

Any people who may have passed out on the floor were gone already, leading Chelley to believe that it was early afternoon, if not even later than that. They could both hear voices coming from the living room but Jack made his way to the front door instead of going to talk to his friends. As he pulled the door open, he grabbed Alex's keys from the hook. The light blinded Chelley and made her head pound harder than before.

"Is Alex going to mind that you're taking his car?" Chelley asked.

Jack shrugged. "Not usually," he said and proceeded toward the vehicle in question. Chelley followed, ignoring the footsteps she heard behind her. She had just reached for the car door when the person behind her spoke.

"Hey," she said, "How are you feeling this morning?"

Chelley didn't have to turn around to know who it was, but she did anyway. She was met by bright green eyes and long dark red hair. Cassie was wearing pajama pants and one of Alex's shirts and the expression on the older girl's face was one of concern.

"Like I got hit by a bus," Chelley answered honestly.

Cassie nodded. "Did you want something to eat?" she asked.

The small girl opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by Jack. "No, she doesn't want anything to eat. I'm taking her home," he snapped.

Cassie's eyebrow raised and she looked over the car at Jack. "First of all, watch your tone with me, Barakat. And second, I wasn't asking you," she said and looked back at Chelley. "I can take you home later if you want to eat first. Or at least have some water."

"I'm fine, thanks," Chelley said and pulled the car door open.

"Alright," Cassie said with a nod, "But if you want to talk, you know, about anything, just give me a call, okay?"

Chelley was already in the passenger seat and getting ready to close the door. A small smile broke across her face and she nodded. "Thanks Cassie," she said and reached out to close the door. Before she did, however, she looked up at the other girl one more time. "Um, I don't remember what happened last night, but Jack said I started a fight with you? So, I'm sorry."

"No hard feelings," Cassie replied. "I understand where you were coming from. And if you want those blanks filled in, just let me know. I can help with at least part of it," she said.

Jack started the car and Chelley gave a little wave as she pulled the door closed. They were both silent as he pulled out of the driveway and began to drive toward her apartment. The radio was tuned to a hip hop station that played a song that Chelley didn't recognize. The air in the car was think with tension.

Though the drive to her place was a short one, it didn't take long for the silence to become unbearable. She sighed and turned to look at Jack. His eyes were focused on the road in front of him. One hand was on the steering wheel and the other rested on his leg. Bravely, she reached over and placed her hand on top of his in an attempt to get his attention without words. He immediately jerked his hand away as if her touch had seared his flesh and placed it on the steering wheel.

Her eyes lowered and she let out a huge sigh. "Look, Jack," she began, "I'm really sorry that I messed last night up. I never drink that much. I don't know what I was thinking. I really do appreciate that you went through the trouble of putting together a party for my birthday," she said. His only response was a quiet grunt and she sighed again. "And I'm sorry that all the shit I pulled last night hurt you so much. I'm sorry that everything I've done lately has hurt you the way it has. And I hope at some point you can find a way to forgive me."

The car came to a stop and Jack continued to stare out the front windshield. For a long time he didn't say anything. He knew she wanted him to. She wanted to hear that he would be able to forgive her and that he just needed some time to cool off. It was probably true, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He was angry. And he was hurt. And he wanted her to know that.

Finally, he took his eyes off the apartment building in front of them and turned to look at her. "See you later, Chelley," he said. The snappiness was gone from his tone, but there was still and abruptness to it.

She reached for the door handle and pushed open the door. "Yeah, sure," she said. Tears were once again welling in her eyes but she wouldn't let him see them. She knew she had messed up and these were the consequences. And she didn't want him thinking that she was just trying to make him feel bad.

She walked away from the car, toward the front of the building. As she was reaching for the door, she heard him pull away and drive off. And once she was inside the building, the tears rained down her face.