I've Hoped For Change, It Gets Better Everyday

Work was impossible. Someone must have decided that I needed even more stress and invited crowds of people to the diner. I was so busy I hardly had time to breathe.

“Order up!” George's voice rang out through the diner. I sprinted over and grabbed the plates trying to balance them on a tray while getting another drink.

“Here you go,” I slid plates in front of the customers and set down the drink. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No we’re okay, thanks,” One woman replied. I smiled and walked away to see where else I was needed. People kept walking in even when I was praying for it to slow down. Then Jack stormed in, looking around for me. I rolled my eyes; I seriously didn’t need this now. I ducked behind the counter to grab some napkins and hoped he’d just give up.

“Abby?” his voice was shaking, which I found odd, but I ignored it. “Abigail.”

I sighed, standing up and sifting through the counter shelves for things I needed. . “Yes? I’m really busy right now. What do you want?”

“Can you take like five minutes and just listen?” Jack asked, frustrated.

“No, I’m busy. I already said that. It’s full today and we’re short staffed,” I answered without looking at him. I knew this would piss him off, but I honestly didn’t care. I was just as upset with him as he was with me.

“Would you just fucking give me the time of day and fucking listen?” Jack yelled. Silence fell over the entire diner and all heads turned our way. I hadn’t been this mortified since first year when those pictures came out. My face felt hot and Jack wouldn’t meet my gaze.

“I have to work,” I whispered, studying the patterns on the floor. “I’ll just see you tomorrow.”

Jack sighed. “I really need to talk to you, Abby. I’m sorry I yelled, but please, I really need to talk to you.”

With everyone still watching, I looked over to find Gretchen. She was glaring at Jack, but when she saw me she nodded, giving me the go ahead to take a break. I put down everything I was holding and walked out of the diner, not bothering to see if Jack was following me. I stopped by his car, crossing my arms, watching the street light turn yellow, then red.

“What do you have to talk to me about?” I asked, finally turning to look at him. His face looked tired and the bags under his eyes were much more noticeable than usual. “Jack, what’s wrong?”

Jack sat on the pavement and held his head in his hands. I was worried, more so now that I was paying attention. He took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. “Baby’s not mine.”

“What?” I sat across from him, trying to catch up to this conversation.

“Linda cheated on me. The baby isn’t mine,” he answered.

“How- how did you find out?” I asked carefully. I was so glad it wasn’t his, but at the same time, I could tell how upset he was.

“I decided to go visit her and see how the baby’s doing, since you were mad at me and ignoring me,” he glared my way then continued, “so I went. Then we started fighting and it slipped out. She said, ‘I can’t believe I chose you to be the dad!’ Then she just stopped when she realized what she’d said. I was confused as fuck, so I asked her what the hell she meant. Turns out she cheated on me with her ex.”

I racked my brain for a name, until it finally came. “Greg?” I asked in shock, Linda had left him because he was ‘annoying’.

“Something like that,” Jack nodded.

“I’m so sorry, Jack,” I replied, not sure what else to say. “I know you were excited about the baby.”

“I was scared at first, but after the first sonogram it was just, so amazing. It was just so cool that I helped create this little person. But It wasn’t me at all,” Jack lamented.

“Hey,” I grabbed his hand and lifted his face to meet mine. “You’ll have that someday, okay? This is not the end for you. Linda screwed up, and that’s her fault, but you’ll have a family someday with someone who loves you too much to even think about hurting you the way Linda did.”

“Would that person be you?” Jack asked, smirking. I smiled back at him, glad he wasn’t completely broken.

“We’ll see Jackie. We’re just starting out here. A little too early to think about stuff like that, don’t you think?”

“Just thought I’d ask,” Jack sighed. “I just was really excited about it.”

“Babe, you’re eighteen. You’ve got your entire life to have kids. Right now you’ve got to focus on the stuff that you want now, like getting All Time Low signed. You want to tour and play on stages and in stadiums. You’ve got this chance to have your dreams come true, and you don’t have to worry about a kid on the way,” I reminded. “It’s horrible that Linda played you like this, but at the same time it’s a good thing.”

Jack nodded slowly. “I guess you’re right. Thanks.” I nodded. “Are we okay?” Jack added.

I inhaled slowly. “Not really, I’m pretty pissed at you, but I don’t love you any less.”

“Jack’s very sorry,” Jack grinned. “Jack is so sorry that he’ll do anything to make Abby happy.”

I laughed. “Can Jack stop speaking in the third person because it’s creepy?”

“Jack will think about it.”

I stopped smiling. “I really didn’t appreciate you flipping me off and leaving me alone, that’s why I ignored you. But I’m also sorry that I freaked out on you when you were only trying to help.”

Jack nodded. “I shouldn’t have done that, but you really know how to piss me off. I mean I was just trying to help.”

“I know, but I had specifically asked you not to.”

“That doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to try. My mom said it was fine, by the way,” Jack replied.

“Seriously?” I asked flabbergasted.

“You forget that they actually like you,” Jack pointed out.

“But they didn’t seem so keen on the idea of us together,” I argued.

“True, but my parents can tell that we’re in love, and that’s worth way more than anything to them. Abs, my parents think you’re great because somehow you’re changing me in little ways. I was freaking out about taking responsibility for Linda’s baby until you talked me down from running. I used to act obnoxious a lot until you pointed out that I’m retarded when I’m acting like I’m five.”

“There is a time and a place to act five,” I interrupted.

“Yeah, well my mom really appreciated that,” Jack smiled. “I just feel like being a better person when I’m with you. Which is why I’m gonna work on not getting so wasted at parties. I’m really sorry for what happened last time.”

“I know you are,” I agreed. “I’d really like it if you didn’t drink so much.”

“Agreed, do you have to go back to work?” Jack looked over at the diner doors.

“Probably, are you hungry?” I asked.

“Jack thinks he’s kind of hungry,” Jack replied with a grin.

I shook my head and giggled. “Come on then.” I grabbed his hand and we walked back into the diner. Gretchen smiled and nodded to me, checking if everything was okay. I nodded back as I sat Jack at the counter and filled a cup with ice and Sprite for him.

I felt a lot better now that we were okay. And Linda had nothing to hold onto Jack with. He was all mine now.

~*~*~*~*~
“So I think you should move into my house with me,” Jack suggested as he dropped me off at Aimee’s. “It’s still an option you know?”

“I’ll consider it, Jackal,” I replied. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Why won’t you just do it?” Jack asked, putting the car in park.

“I don’t know. I just think it would be weird living with your parents,” I shrugged, unbuckling the seatbelt. “How’d you like to live with mine?”

“Touché, but my parents are way cooler than yours,” Jack argued.

“I suppose. I’ll seriously think about it okay?”

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.” Jack leaned over and kissed me. I held him close kissing back and running my fingers through his hair. I felt him smile into the kiss as he readjusted himself to reach me better. My heart rate sped up and for the first time, I wasn’t freaking out. Kissing Jack just felt right. It was like we were made for each other, and even though I tried to ignore it, I wondered what it would be like to sleep with him. I tried to push that thought away, ‘cause seriously, what was I, twelve?

Of course, the thoughts were harder to push away when Jack’s tongue traced my lip and his hands met the piece of exposed skin where my shirt rode up. My skin tingled where his met mine and I shivered at the contact earning a smirk from Jack. He bit down slightly on my bottom lip when I didn’t open my mouth soon enough. Jack used the time I took to yelp to slip his tongue in my mouth and explore. I tugged on his hair for revenge, but I think he liked it a little more than I intended. I pulled away from him panting for air. He trailed kisses down along my jaw to my neck and sucked on the sensitive skin there. A moan escaped my lips and Jack nipped my neck.

“Jack, don’t. I don’t want any hickeys,” I reminded him.

Jack pulled away, panting. “Sorry, but I think it might be too late.”

I groaned and pulled down the mirror to inspect it. “Well crap, there is one. It’s light, but it’s there.”

“Hey, it’s either that or you let me go at you with a black Sharpie.”

“What?” I asked laughing. Jack sometimes said things that made little sense.

“I can either give you a hickey so that people know you’re taken, or I can write ‘Property of Jack Barakat all over you in black Sharpie. Of course, you’ll have to strip for me so I can get to the real important places.” Jack smirked. I smacked him playfully.

“I love you and I’ll see you later, loser.” I pecked him on the lips quickly and jumped out of the car before he could pull me back in.

“I love you too,” Jack replied, driving off.

“Yeah, but I love you more,” I said to myself, walking into the apartment complex. “I love you so much more.”