Under Jersey Skies

I walked into the school grounds on Monday morning to find everyone in the usual spot, well, almost everyone.

“Morning guys” I said, sitting down between Frank and Mikey.
“Morning Jackie” they each replied.

I leant over to get a good view at Gerard, who was sitting a little way away from us, staring into the distance. I opened my mouth to speak, but Ray put a hand on my shoulder to silence me. I turned around, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Not today Jackie” Ray said.
“Why? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“He broke up with Jess” whispered Bob, who was sitting next to Ray.
“What?!” I gasped.
“When did this happen?” I asked.
“Last night” answered Mikey.
“Did he say why?” I asked the younger Way brother.
“No, but I’m guessing it had something to do with Friday night” Mikey replied.

None of us really spoke after that, a depressing silence hung in the air around us, like someone had died. And that’s how it stayed until the bell signaling the first lesson rang…

***

I walked into my English class intending to sit down with Jessica. Her eyes shot to me the minute I pulled out my chair. She was staring at me, with a menacing glare, so cold it sent shivers down my spine. I couldn’t believe the look in my best friend’s eyes. It was pure hatred.

“Find somewhere else to sit Jackie” she said.
“Jessica, please, don’t be like that” I replied, putting my satchel bag on the table.
“NO!” she shrieked, pushing my bag off the table, sending me to the ground along with it as the strap was still around my neck.

I looked up at her in disbelief from the floor where I had fallen. This wasn’t the Jessica I knew. I picked myself up off the ground and sat at a desk in the far back corner of the classroom, on my own…

***

At lunchtime, Gerard was still quiet, and he still wasn’t talking to anyone.

“I’m gonna try and speak to him” I said, getting up from my place between Mikey and Frank, who grabbed my arm.
“Frank, let go” I said.
“Jackie, please, just leave him be” Frank replied.
“No, I’m not gonna sit here and let Gerard suffer, he needs to talk to someone, whether he wants to or not” I argued.
“Jackie” Frank repeated.
“Let. Go” I said sternly.

Frank released his grip on my arm and I walked over to Gerard and sat down beside him. He turned his head to face me, and I looked at him with the gentlest expression I could. His eyes softened, and he was able to give me a weak smile. Ok, so it wasn’t much, but it was something.

“Hey Gee” I said.
“Hey Jackie” he replied.
“You alright?” I asked him.
“Hmm” he replied, turning away.
“Gerard” I said, grabbing a hold of his hand.
“I spose Mikey told you?” he asked, turning back to face me.
“About Jess?” I replied.
“Yeah” Gerard said.
“Yeah, can I ask why you broke up with her?” I questioned.
“Because of what she was like on Friday night, she accused me of cheating on her, she tried to kill herself, she attacked you” Gerard explained.
“Gerard! She had no idea what she was doing! She was drunk!” I explained.
“She still thinks I’m cheating on her” said Gerard.
“Surely she doesn’t mean it Gerard, she’s still pretty messed up from that night, it’ll take time” I argued.
“That’s no excuse! She knew better than to get that drunk Jackie!” Gerard snapped.

I went quiet for a moment, taken aback by his temper. But then I spoke up, I wasn’t going to let him win that easily.

“She’s not a bad person Gerard, she wasn’t herself that night” I said calmly, in the hope that Gerard would calm down too.
“How can you say that Jackie?” Gerard asked me.
“What do you mean?” I replied.
“Look at yourself, she’s changed you, from the very second she met you, you became her fucking Barbie doll” Gerard explained.
“What? I’m not her Barbie doll Gerard” I said.
“Yes you are, she pressured you into dying your hair, and then she dressed you up in the clothes she wanted you to wear, which I’m pretty fucking sure you never wanted to wear before you met her” Gerard continued.
“Ok, so maybe she did pressure me about my hair, but as for the clothes, she had a point Gerard, the shit I was wearing looked crap as hell, you saw me the first day I walked into this school, the secondhand t-shirt, worn out sneakers, baggy jeans, and that fucking scruffy grey beanie” I explained.
“You weren’t always in secondhand stuff Jackie, what about that day you came in in that yellow top with the pink belt and the boots?” Gerard asked.
“Hmm” I agreed.
“And the day you wore that tight fitting pink hoodie and the blue skinny legs, damn you looked good that day” Gerard laughed.
“Gerard!” I exclaimed, slapping him playfully.
“Well you did” Gerard replied.
“Thanks” I said, trying to get the stupid grin off my face.
“But anyways, my point is that you were great, even before Jess got to you, you were always a great friend to me Jackie, no matter how you dressed, or what colour your hair was” Gerard explained.
“You really mean that?” I asked him.
“Yeah, I do, you were perfect, just the way you were” Gerard said, putting an arm around me.

I looked right at him, and he smiled, and it made me smile. Although Jessica had changed me, I knew I could always go back to being me, the real me. I’d still keep the clothes, I’d become accustomed to wearing them, but the real me that showed through my personality was here to stay, no matter how I looked.

“Gerard?” I said.
“Yeah?” he replied.
“You’re right, I haven’t been myself, and I’m sorry” I said.
“Jackie, you don’t have to apologize, it was Jess’s fault, not yours” said Gerard.
“So what do we do about Jess then?” I asked.
“Just leave her to herself, we’re better off without her, she’s nothing but trouble” said Gerard.
“Okay” I replied.

With that, Gerard stood up, and pulled me to my feet, and we went back over to join Mikey, Frank, Ray and Bob again.

“So she talked some sense into you did she bro?” teased Mikey.
“Fuck you” laughed Gerard, punching Mikey’s arm.
“Gerard you fucking cunt!” snapped Mikey, pushing him.

Gerard pulled Mikey into a headlock, grinding his fist into Mikey’s head as he laughed and tried to escape Gerard’s grip. Frank, Ray, Bob and I just watched, laughing at the sight. It was like everything was back to normal again. Well, all except that our group was one person short in the absence of Jessica, but somehow, it didn’t matter.

“Jackie, thanks for talking to Gerard” said Frank, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a tight hug.
“That’s alright, I couldn’t sit there and watch him suffer” I replied.
“I know, and thank you, he’s my best friend, and it killed me to see him so upset” Frank said as we pulled away from each other.
“Anytime” I said.
“You’re a great girl Jackie” Frank replied, smiling.

I smiled back, our eyes met, and I felt my heart warm up inside my chest. We broke eye contact as Frank went over to try and help Mikey out of Gerard’s death grip. I gasped as I suddenly became aware that I had forgotten to breathe.

What the fuck was that about?