Chapter Text
After the last bell Jackie rushes to pack up to meet the Walter’s kids at the car. Grace walks with her to her locker as they talk idly about upcoming assignments.
“Isn’t Mr Walter supposed to be coming home tomorrow?” Asks Grace as Jackie is placing books from her locker into her bag.
“As far as I know ya” Jackie says as she closes her locker and they start to walk out toward the parking lot. When they hit the sidewalk out front Grace heads off in the other direction to her car as Jackie continues by herself toward the Walter’s car until she hears footsteps just behind her. She can’t explain it but she feels Cole walking behind her.
“Are you going to walk with me or do you just want to follow me like a creep?” Jackie asks with a joking tone and a smile that Cole can hear.
“I don’t know New York you run a hard bargain” Cole responds matching her tone but he increases his pace for a few strides to fall into step with her.
After a step or two of silence Cole asks “how was the rest of your day New York?” Having dropped the joking tone and replaced it with comforting concern that causes a warm smile to spread across Jackie’s face.
“It was ok I just want to go home” Jackie responds. Cole notices how she refers to the farm house as home and it warms him.
“Then let’s get you home” he says softly as he puts a gentle arm around her back squeezes and drops the arm as they approach the car.
The car has somehow lost the awkward energy it had just eight hours before. They drive home to the sound of several different conversations and the radio on in the background. Everyone piles out of the car when they get home and makes their way inside. Jackie heads upstairs to drop off her school stuff and have a minute to herself before she gets to her homework.
Jackie is laying across her bed when she hears a knock at her door and Katherine ask if she can come in.
Her bedroom door opens and Katherine walks in a sits next to her on her bed as Jackie sits up.
“Hey sweetheart. How are you?” Katherine asks sweetly.
“I’m good just tired how are you?”
“Good. Listen sweetheart I wanted to let you know that George is coming home from the hospital tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you he totally understands why you didn’t come to the hospital and he does not blame you at all.” Katherine says, the care in her voice clear.
Jackie hadn’t really thought that he would have any emotions about it. She’s now feeling weirder about seeing George tomorrow than she was before this conversation. “Oh right ya ok thanks” Jackie responds absently after a beat.
“Is everything else going ok honey?”
“What? Oh ya I’m good Katherine.”
Katherine pats Jackie’s knee before getting up to leave. As Katherine closes her door behind her she says “See you at 6 for dinner” and leaves Jackie to flop back down onto her back across her bed like she was before Katherine came in.
Shes left feeling guilty for never going to see George and wondering how he could not resent her. Shes stuck in her thoughts again when her door opens again and her bed sinks under the weight of another person as she lifts her head and sees Cole look at her with concern. “New York what’s wrong?” He asks with concern.
“What?” Jackie is confused at how he could know something is going on.
“You look like you’ve been crying” he says softly
Jackie doesn’t think she has been but realizes she’s not really sure. “George is gonna think I’m a horrible for not going to see him in the hospital” the words rush out of her before she realizes she opened her mouth.
Cole was shocked by the rush in words but quickly responded “no he doesn’t. He understands Jackie” Jackie lets out a self deprecating chuckle “it was only a year ago a hospital changed your entire life I promise you he doesn’t think of you any differently for not wanting to go back to one.”
“Really?” Jackie asks delicately.
“I promise New York”
At that Jackie is silent like she’s thinking over what Cole and Katherine have said.
After a few beats of silence Cole says “do you want me to leave you alone right now?” Jackie shakes her head no against the comforter of her bed without saying anything.
Cole responds by flopping back so they are both lying with their backs across the bed and their feet on the floor.
Jackie didn’t even realize she fell asleep until she is waking up to Nathan knocking on the door and telling her dinner is ready. It takes Jackie a moment but she realizes that she is now laying the normal way in her bed with her head on the pillow and a blanket gently laid across her. She is smiling to herself at the realization that Cole was most likely the one to tuck her in when he noticed she fell asleep as she makes her way downstairs for dinner.