Jack & Jillian. - AThree Part Short Story.

Part 1 - Love At First Fight.

This is Jack. Jack is an average boy, 23 years old, he's slightly chubby, short brown hair, wears glasses, and isn't very appealing to women. He's pretty much the definition of the modern nerd. Jack likes Jillian. Jillian doesn't know. Jack and Jillian have been best friends for years, and Jack has watched her go from asshole boyfriend, to asshole boyfriend over and over again, starting in 9th grade, and continuing well into their 20's. You'd think, both Jack and Jillian being 23, that she would have grown out of the asshole boyfriend phase years ago, but she hasn't. This is a story about trying so hard but never reaching the goal, this is Jack's story.

Jack gets home from work late one night, he goes on his computer, hoping to talk to Jillian. "the Internet is so boring, nothing but shit I've seen too much, and people bitching about how much their life sucks" he mutters to himself. Jillian comes online, Jack gets excited and decides to instant message her.

Postbook Chat Transcript:

Jack: hey Jillian.
Jillian: JACK! oh my god! i am so glad you're on, i need to talk to you.
Jack: what's up?
Jillian: It's Martin...he's acting weird. He barely calls me, and yesterday we got in a huge fight.
Jack: oh my, what about?
Jillian: well, he doesn't want me talking to any other guys, which is why i haven't texted you very often lately, and he caught me talking to this guy i work with, he FLIPPED, started calling me names and everything. I didn't know what to do, i just cried my eyes out and apologized.
Jack: you know you shouldn't apologize, you didn't do anything wrong. Yeah, i was wondering why you haven't texted me at all, that's bullshit, why are you still with that jerk?
Jillian: Jack...i think I'm gonna go to sleep.
Jack: wait no, I'm sorry, i didn't meant to snap.
Jillian: goodnight.

Jack sighs heavily. "What the fuck." he mumbles as he continues to surf the web, eyes getting heavy. "I guess I'll just go to sleep" he says to himself. Jack lays down on his back, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the conversation he just had with Jillian.

Jack's thoughts: What do i do? I just want to help her. Yeah i know i like her more than a friend and wish i was her boyfriend, so what? Doesn't mean i can't look out for her well being, i mean that's what a good boyfriend should do, right? She knows I'm right, I've been telling her for years, that's why she always avoids confrontation about this now. Has to be it. You know what? Maybe she's just on her period. Stupid periods. I wonder what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow...

Jack drifts off into a deep sleep after about an hour of thinking.

Beep
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"OH MY GOD!" Jack awakens, startled by his alarm clock. He looks around, dazed, sighs to himself "I hate mornings". He gets ready to go to work at the local video rental store down the street and wonders why it's even still open, the format is obsolete, and with the Internet at it's peak, nobody rents videos anymore, so the place is always dead. Even with those thoughts in mind, he gets on his bike to ride down town to work. The ride there is sort of somber, his iPod is dead to he has no music to listen to. Everything just seems really quiet and weird to him, trees seem taller than usual, the ground seems to be moving with him. Jack stops in front of the video store, he looks up at the sky, "Wow, the clouds seem very creative today" he says as he noticed the oddly shaped clouds and weird yellow sky. "Must be an early sunset (10:00 AM)" he says jokingly. The day seems to drag on forever, with once again, no customers, and the TV playing nothing but Dr. Phil all day. Jack hears the door open "Customers?" he says out loud. Turns out to be Jack's best friends, Mike and Warren. "Hey fucker!" Mike exclaims, "Any new rentals in?". "Oh come on, Mike, you know we never have anything new, haha, how's it going?" Jack says. "Oh, alright, i heard you were talking to Jillian last night and it didn't go well, what the hell, man?" Mike says. Jack, staring blankly at Mike, says "How could you possibly know that?" "Well, i just started dating her best friend, Courtney. She told us all about it. Apparently Martin wants to kill you now or some shit" Warren speaks up and says. "KILL ME?! BUT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! Goddamn." Jack yells. "Look we gotta go, but hey, hopefully he doesn't see you in here" says Mike. "Nobody comes in here, so no worries there." Jack says.

Jack opens the door to his work, finds himself overwhelmed with apathy. He locks up, 9:00 PM, closing time for the video store. He doesn't know how much longer he can take these work shifts. "They need to hire some new people" He says out loud. Suddenly Jack hears a commotion from around the corner, it sounds like a girl yelling. "I AM SO TIRED OF THIS!" Unknown Female exclaims. "EVERY SINGLE DAY, YOU ACCUSE ME OF SOMETHING, WELL NOT ANYMORE!" She yells. Jack hears running, around the corner turns Jillian, and not far behind her, is her abusive boyfriend, Martin. Jillian stops dead when she sees Jack "Jack? what are you.." Her sentence is cut off by Martin, who pulls her hair. "LISTEN BITCH, DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME THAT WAY AGAIN! I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!" Martin says, as he looks up and sees Jack. "Well well well, if it isn't the best friend." He says to Jack. Jack looks behind him, hoping to see someone else, and then turns his attention to Martin, who is holding the girl he loves by her hair. "Uh, me?" Jack questions. "Yeah you! Who else, retard?" Martin says. "Martin! Don't you dare go near him!" Jillian says. Martin slaps Jillian and throws her to the ground, he was tall, tan, blonde hair, and he was wearing jeans, and a sports t-shirt. He had a fit body, and a pretty boy face, everything a common girl would want in a man's looks. He turns his attention to Jack "Now it's your turn" he says, walking towards Jack. "No, um, hey, you better not hurt her again." Jack says, his voice shaking, he is shocked and angry at what he just saw, but can't seem to find the right words to scare off Martin. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? She'll never leave me, she will do as i say, for the rest of her life." Jack fills up with rage. "I said, YOU BETTER NOT HURT HER AGAIN!" Jack charges at Martin, filled with more rage than he's ever felt before, he clenches his fist, winds up as he's running, when suddenly....

BOOM.

Martin clocks Jack right in the eye, knocking him out almost instantly. "Pussy." Martin says as he walks away, the last thing Jack sees is the dark, blueish night sky...

Jack wakes up slowly, and he sees what he thinks is an angel above him. "Am I dead?" he says. "No, silly, you're fine!" Jillian says through tears. He opens his eyes wide, he sees Jillian staring back at him. She had long flowing black hair, black rimmed glasses, glimmering green eyes which looked more beautiful than a summer sunset, and skin the color of the clouds on a perfect weather kind of day. Her beauty was hard to explain without sounding completely corny, all he knew was that even with tears flowing from her eyes she was still the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. "Hi...Hi Jillian." He says, stuttering. "Hi Jack." She says, sniffling. She gives him a big hug. Jack hugs her back. "I am so sorry for how i acted last night, and i am even more sorry for Martin hitting you" Jillian says. "Oh uh..it's okay, it wasn't your fault, unless you hit me and i didn't know it. Where is Martin anyways?" he says. "Oh he's gone, we broke up, i couldn't let him treat my best friend that way, now could i?" Jillian says. Jack hears the words "best friend" and his heart sinks, he figures he has to say something now or else he will never be able to tell her how he feels. "Listen, Jillian, i don't want to be your best friend anymore..." he says, hesitating. "What? Why?" She says, sounding shocked and sad. "I never wanted to be your best friend, because from the moment i saw you, i knew you were something special, and after years of an amazing friendship, i realize now that i am in love with you, if that makes any sense at all." he says. "I...i don't..." Jillian tries to speak, but Jack interrupts, "Well it makes sense to me, goddammit. I mean, you have always been there for me, and every day when i wake up, i hope and pray and whatever else it is that we humans do when we want something badly, that you will call me, so i can hear your sweet voice, or that you will come visit, even for 5 minutes, so that i can smile all day. Every single day, i need to hear the voice of an angel, and i need to see the most beautiful thing on earth, or else, i feel as though there is no hope for the world, because whether you believe it or not, i feel as though you, Jillian, you make the world turn. At least, you make my world turn" Jillian looks wide eyed at Jack after his speech, she looks down, and begins to cry. "I'm...I'm sorry Jillian" Jack says. "I didn't mean to hurt you with that, i just..." Jillian interrupts Jack by kissing him, better than she's ever kissed anyone before. They kiss in the fluorescent moonlight, stars shining brighter than they've ever shined before, just for Jack and Jillian, until they stop, and Jack says one thing "Jillian...will you consider being my girlfriend?" Jillian smiles at Jack, and says "It's already been considered." Jack smiles, and they walk home together, holding hands, and holding hearts.