YOU TOO.
- CHASE ATLANTIC

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"jackson's back in town?"

lydia jacobs was in a simultaneous step by rue bennett's side during their walk towards fez's home. there was only a nod in response to rue's question due to the sensation of her piercing gaze across lydia's side profile. silence consumed the teenagers after that due to the fact they'd remained in constant conversation since the minute lydia showed up at the bennett's bedroom window with a contagious grin.

the lack of conversation only lasted mere moments, however, once rue's voice was heard once again.

"how do you feel about that?"

lydia's shoulders shrugged nonchalantly, a seemingly unbothered smirk forming across her lips despite the words to come next. "it's not going to end well, it never does."

rue spared lydia a sideways glance once they reached their destination, yet before a response could be made, the jacobs girl was rushing to the front door. of course, the act was enough to let rue know not to push the subject any further.

"yo, ash!" lydia slammed her fist against the metal door before her eyes found the camera above their heads, successfully flicking it off alongside rue before the door was swinging open completely. "fucking finally."

"hello to you too, princess." jackson held an amused smirk across his lips as his frame leaned against the door once lydia entered at the first opportunity, the bennett girl hot on her tail. "and rue rue, holy shit!"

rue was pulled into jackson's grasp after his words fell dramatically. lydia had already rounded the corner in search for fez before the chance to catch sight of the moment. rue's genuine laugh that echoed through the home, however, was easily heard. a lingering smile tugged at lydia's lips, and it only escalated once her eyes found fez's frame.

"fez, hey." lydia's gaze flickered to fez's grandmother that remained bedridden. he was managing to bathe the woman as she slept peacefully hooked to multiple machines. "do you need help?"

"no, i got her." fez nodded gratefully towards the jacobs girl before motioning to the chair across the room with his head. "all yours."

yet before lydia could make any sort of move, rue's voice was ringing through the hall.

"yo, you guys know how in every 90s thriller, right, morgan freeman plays like the same semi-psychic black cop." rue came to stand at the doorframe after jackson successfully passed her in his way towards the only remaining piece of furniture in fez's grandmother's room. "so, i know that's kind of racist, but the point is in every movie, he's always calmly putting the fucking pieces of the case together, while everybody else around him is fucking freaking out saying 'you don't know what the fuck you're talking about, morgan. you're a fucking bad husband. you should fucking retire."

lydia and jackson held amused grins while fez held a nearly emotionless demeanor listening to the words rue rambled seemingly without catching a breath.

"but no, morgan is fucking hyper-focused because he can see beyond the little details. he's looking for the big fucking picture. because all of this shit? it's connected, and it's way bigger than any of us can even fucking see."

no one uttered a word except for lydia who voiced her agreement alongside relentless nods. jackson had leaned further into his chair, his feet kicked up carelessly. rue's hand extended towards lydia in order to emphasize she wasn't alone in the never ending suspensions before continuing in her words. lydia could tell rue was attempting to convince fez rather than either her or jackson, yet was failing miserably when the man failed to utter any form of a response.

"the point is that's me. right now, that is fucking me. i can see everything so fucking clearly." rue's hands moved dramatically alongside her words. "i know what happened, i know why it happened, and i know what the fuck i'm gonna do about it."

fez finally glanced up to meet rue's eye, a single nod being sent in her direction. "word."

lydia and jackson seemed to burst into laughter simultaneously in response, the contagious act causing smiles to tug at fez and rue's lips. the moment was short lived, however, when rue's features fell all together, her gaze glancing suspiciously toward the bed ridden woman.

"she can't hear me, right?"

"can't see you either, rue rue." jackson's expression had fallen flat as his attention remained on the woman who meant more to fez than anything. "is this supposed to be some top secret shit? because i have no fucking clue what we're talking about."

rue ignored jackson's question all together and instead, focused her gaze upon fez. "do you still have that gun?"

"seriously, rue?" lydia turned towards the girl with a deadpanned expression, her words nearly drowning out fez's response completely.

"i mean, i got a couple guns." fez replied with a single shrug of his shoulder, a fleeting glance to lydia who remained shaking her head relentlessly in his direction.

"why do you have so many guns?" rue missed lydia's moves as she further questioned the man.

fez answered once again without a thought, nodding his head towards his grandma, doing the same to lydia before finally rue herself. "protectin' the women who come around."

lydia's head tilted in a studious matter as her gaze remained lingering upon fez, no matter who spoke aloud. there was a gleam of admiration and pure love in her gaze, one fez missed in the moment.

the one who did notice, however, was sure the sense of utter jealousy to bloom in his chest would live there forever.

"what you worried about my guns for?"

the bennett girl's words came in a nervous sense which replicated itself across her body language. "okay, well, i was thinking that maybe you could use one to scare nate."

"now this shit makes perfect sense." jackson's reply came after a dramatic sigh. "that dude is on a whole new level of fucking insane."

fez dismissed jackson completely just as rue did moments prior before staring with utter confusion across his expression. "are you serious?"

"i mean, i'm not not serious."

"if fezco isn't up for it," jackson quirked an eyebrow in rue's direction, his words tugging everyone's attention as the shirt covering his chest was pulled upwards enough to show the gun peaking from the waistline of his jeans. "i am."

lydia didn't hesitate in leaning forward in attempt to punch jackson's arm as hard as possible. "absolutely not."

"i already got a record going for me." jackson peered to find lydia's gaze, his features flat. "don't really got anything else to lose, lyds."

fez waved jackson's words off before doing the same towards rue. "that must be the dumbest shit either of you have said all fucking day."

"you don't have to fucking point it at him. you could just— you could like, you could flash it like jackson, you know?"

"you really have lost your fuckin' mind, rue."

"spend enough time trying to figure my brother out and it'll do it to you." lydia let out a humorless chuckle with her gaze upon the rings she fumbled with anxiously. "rue, i don't know if there is a solution to this. i don't think there ever was."

"he fucked with me, he fucked with jules, he fucked with you." rue turned her frame entirely in lydia's direction, her words falling heavy with the emotions lacing every sound. "i want fucking revenge, don't you?"

when lydia finally glanced upwards, the only one to receive her gaze was the first love of her life. there were numerous emotions etched into her expression, too many to pinpoint a single one. "it's all i've ever wanted, rue."

jackson stared back with such intensity, lydia was relieved when fez's phone caught everyone's attention.

"fuck, mouse is here."

fez and jackson found their feet nearly simultaneously, the act causing lydia to follow suit without a thought. while rue turned towards fez in questioning, jackson went to exit the room, but was forced to halt due to the grasp upon his forearm.

"jack, wait." lydia's worrisome features had caused a slight grin to tug at the boy's lips. "mouse, he—"

"i know, lyds." jackson cut her words short abruptly, for the night becoming mentioned had been a lingering thought in his mind since fez spoke of the memory. "i used to work for him, it's all good."

"stay in here, be quiet—"

"fez, i can't— i can't stay in here like i'm reall—"

"yes, the fuck you can." fez returned the gesture of forcing rue to fall short in her words as his gaze flickered to lydia only to see her already staring in his direction. her expression was filled to the brim with the paranoia blooming in her chest with the sudden presence of the drug supplier. "it's okay, lyds. he won't be here long."

"fez, i cannot stay in he—"

"listen, i'm really serious right now. you just need to sit your manic ass down, and be quiet for five fuckin' minutes, rue." fez's harsh tone came as jackson passed through the doorframe in means of reaching the front door. "be like lydia and sit down and shut the fuck up."

once the door slammed shut, lydia was kicking her feet up carelessly onto the chair jackson was once occupying. "rue, take a seat."

the bennett girl turned on her heel, rubbing at her forehead in frustration once her attention began singling out the pill bottles upon the elderly lady's bedside table. it only took lydia mere seconds to recognize the true reason rue refused to allow herself to become trapped in the room.

for the only person capable of refraining her from relapsing once again was a girl stuck within a similar mindset.

lydia jacobs and rue bennett were ticking time bombs with shared fates they remained oblivious of.

"i can't stay here."

rue's words came laced with the distress evident in her expression. her sudden jump to her feet forced lydia's gaze from the bottles of pills calling their names. the jacobs girl barely had time to leave her position in the chair before the bedroom door was pulled open without a sound.

"rue." lydia forced the whisper through clenched teeth, yet it fell upon deaf ears.

the door was left cracked enough for jackson to round the corner in time to see lydia's silent, yet dramatic moves of utter panic. amusement contorted in the peters' features as he successfully shut the door completely to refrain lydia from following in rue's impulsive act.

a troubled sigh fell from the girl's lips as her head turned enough to catch sight of the pill bottles again. lydia forced her attention elsewhere before her eyes were closing tightly, forehead pressed against the door.

"fuck."

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"with jackson out the game, i'm gonna need you to start moving some weight."

once he was sure rue had exited the home safely, jackson returned to the living room the men occupied. the chuckle to slip past his lips at the expression across fez's face allowed his presence to be known.

fez remained staring towards the drugs that piled upon the table separating himself from mouse, his eyes nearly widening once finding his best friend's gaze. "you were moving all of this?"

"jail teaches you a few things." jackson shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly before falling upon fez's couch carelessly. his gaze flickered towards mouse, a smirk forming upon his lips. "i'll help my boy move it as a learning experience."

"yo, i'm just trying to keep it low key over here, man." fez dismissed the opportunity despite jackson's offer of help, the later's fist clenching in response.

if there was anything jackson knew about mouse, it was the man despised being told no. the peters boy was well aware fez's best option was to accept what had been given before trouble began to stir.

"and i'm trying to make fuckin' money."

"even if i wanted all this shit, bruh, i don't got the money for all this, man."

"that's why you in luck. i'm gonna front it to you. ten percent on the vig, and i'll collect in a month." mouse finally allowed a hint of a smirk to show as his attention flickered between the friends. "your friend here was the best fuckin' dealer i've had work for me. if i were your ass, i would take his help because i ain't asking again."

"don't listen to my boy over here." jackson leaned forward in his position, his next words coming before fez could have the chance to utter a response. "we're moving this shit."

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"lyds, you're good to come out now!"

the jacobs girl had the door swinging open within a split second. fez and jackson remained in the living room, their eyes lingering upon the drugs now their responsibility to disperse of.

once lydia rounded the corner, she replicated their act with eyes widening ever so slightly. her presence forced their attention onto her frame in time to see her shake her head relentlessly.

in response, fez found his feet in one swift movement. he was by her frame with only a few steps, his hands going to the sides of her face in means to tug her gaze to meet his own. lydia's eyes fluttered close, fez's studious eyes trailing her features causing the couple to remain oblivious to jackson's fists that clenched repeatedly watching the scene unfold.

fez used his fingers to push the hair framing lydia's face. "let's take a ride, baby."

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the sun was just beginning to set over the small town as the three settled in the car. fez drove aimlessly down the suburban streets, jackson residing in the passenger seat after lydia's multiple refusals of taking the position.

jackson had began a blunt rotation after settling upon the playlist they'd made years beforehand. it filled their chests with nostalgia for a time that once was, a time they knew was long gone.

"i've missed this." jackson's nearly whispered words followed the smoke to escape his lips. his eyes remained trained upon the scenery through his window. "only difference is my girl is now yours."

the tension within the car escalated in mere moments, especially due to the fact jackson peters had never been known to wear his emotions on his sleeve. seeming as if he didn't care about anything had became the shield protecting his heart, only growing worse after time in jail for a crime he didn't commit.

"jac—"

"no, it's good. lyds doesn't want me anymore." jackson let out a humorless laugh as he continuously refused to meet either fez or lydia's gaze. "do you, princess?"

the jacobs girl had a steady eye upon the rear view mirror, fez glancing upwards in time for her honest response. "no."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE,
no bc i've literally been writing this book forever, but will still find myself anxious as fuck ab updating it <3 love my brain