FIX YOU.
꒰ messages ,, real life ꒱
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

my bbg 💍💍 — jackie
maves ⭐️ — mavery
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

maves ⭐️
jackie
jackie
jackie

my bbg 💍💍
what
what
what

maves ⭐️
did u see what the triplets posted on insta ??

my bbg 💍💍
what triplets?
i follow like four people

maves ⭐️
jackie..

my bbg 💍💍
oh god
what is it

maves ⭐️
u remember the sturniolos right?
matt nick and chris?

my bbg 💍💍
idk how i could forget.

maves ⭐️
they've gotten a bit of social media attention lately
by 'a bit' i mean they're going on tour
and one of their stops is new york city

my bbg 💍💍
ahhahahah well isn't that lovely !

maves ⭐️
i know it's a sensitive topic for you,
but i wanted to lyk that they'd be there

my bbg 💍💍
thanks maves
ur a great friend

maves ⭐️
ik 🥱🥱
but seriously be cautious
if i were u, id avoid them

my bbg 💍💍
yeah i agree
i'll try my best

maves ⭐️
okay
i have to go now love u

my bbg 💍💍
love u too

WHAT the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck. jackie's mind is spinning as she powers off her phone and turns her attention back on the customer in front of her. the man seems a bit annoyed at her lack of professionalism, but he's likely too drunk to stay mad for very long. this theory proves to be true when he flashes her a flirty smile as soon as her phone is out of sight. she gives him one in return, not meaning anything by it. she just knows men are more likely to leave a tip if they find you attractive.

the deafening sound of music paired with the headache inducing lights aren't helping with the way her mind is swimming with anxiety. the triplets are coming to new york? she moved away from boston in order to avoid anything that ties to her sister, and now the biggest tie of all is coming back to haunt her.

"whiskey." the man in front of her repeats for the third time. she mutters a quick apology before reaching under the bar for the bottle and glass. she sets the glass on the countertop, pouring the liquid into the glass.

"would you like mixers, ice, or do you take it neat?" jackie asks him with a forced smile, unable to push down the feelings that the news of the triplets have resurfaced. when are they coming? how long will they be staying? since when were they fucking famous?

he grins, "neat."

she nods in return, adding a bit more whiskey to the glass before sliding it over the counter. he responds to this by passing her a wad of cash, neatly stacked on top of one another. without another word, the man stands from the bar and returns to the night club. jackie picks up the money and stuffs it in the back pocket of her skirt, deciding to count it later. it looked as if he'd given her a decently large tip, which raises her mood a little. but not much. she's still trying not to puke from nerves.

there are two other bartenders working at the moment. one of them being a small, frail-looking girl that jackie has only spoken to once to twice ; the other being a burly man, in his thirties. most people prefer to approach jackie over either of them, which works out fine for her seeing as she gets tipped well.

the girl is wearing the same uniform that jackie is — a short black skirt with a tucked in white tank top. the outfit was uncomfortable at first, and she hated how the skirt rode up her thighs. but, now that she's been working here for almost a year, she's grown used to it. the girl doesn't seem to be as accustomed to the clothing, however. she keeps pulling at the hem of her skirt, trying to force it longer. she runs her hands over her tank top every few minutes, as well, not liking how tight it is in the waist.

the man is the mirrored opposite of the girl. granted, he's wearing dress pants and a t-shirt, so there's not much for him to be uncomfortable about. but people still avoid him all the same. jackie is pretty sure that he's related to mr cleveland. they wear the same scowl on their face, and cross their arms equally as intimidatingly. she likes the company he provided, though. even if they don't talk, she's sure he will provide a bit of protection against the more aggravated customers.

a few times, he's stopped old men from shouting at her or getting touchy. before he started working here, mr cleveland was the one to protect the girls. but now, he stays in his office most of the day.

"bad day, huh?" a female voice questions, her words slightly slurred. jackie looks up at the sound, seeing a woman looking up at her with a gentle smile.

"you could say that." jackie replies, straightening her back as to look a bit more put together. she would prefer if random strangers couldn't  tell that she was having a hard time. plus, it doesn't seem intriguing to try to explain that her ex-boyfriend from high school, that's tied to her twin sister's death, is now coming to nyc on tour with his triplet brothers.

"me too, girl." the woman drawls. she places her chin in her hands, seeming to be the only thing holding her head upright. her posture hunches a tad as she appears to be growing more and more exhausted.

she appears to be in her mid-twenties. she has long blonde hair, which is messily tied back. her eyes are wide and brown, long lashes making them pop. she has a patch of freckles over the bridge of her nose. in all, she's gorgeous.

"wanna talk about it?" jackie offers.

it might be nice to hear about someone else's problems for a bit. people watching is always the most interesting at the club. at ms lennon's diner, everyone who comes in has the same old stories about their grandkids and twenty cats. she loves the place, but it gets uneventful listening to elderly people's stories.

maybe this woman will provide her with a bit of entertainment. as well as a half hearted distraction from the triplet news. she should feel guilty using the woman's bad mood to lighten her own, but jackie's too desperate to care.

"sure. i'll likely never see you again, anyway." the woman says, shutting her eyes as she speaks with a drawn out slur in her words. "my boyfriend broke up with me today. we've been dating for eight years. we live together in my flat that i pay the bills on, but he's trying to get possession of it. also, we have two dogs — golden retrievers — that i adopted and take care off. but guess what? he's trying to get custody over them as well. oh, and also! i'm pregnant. i haven't told anybody, but i tested positive. i haven't told my mom, siblings, or him. because i'm scared it'll just become another thing for him to rip away from me."

jackie's shoulders slump over as the woman continues to ramble about her boyfriend. well, he's her ex, now. the fact that the woman in front of her, who's clearly drunk out of her mind, is also carrying a child? it's not jackie's business, but she can't help but feel bad. it's not like the woman wanted to be in this position. she seems like a lovely lady.

she admitted to being in college, getting her law degree to become a judge. the woman clearly has her life set out in front of her. all she needs is to be able to grab it and keep it there. and jackie knows quite a lot about letting your life unintentionally crumble in front of you.

"anyway, sorry for ranting to you." the woman says, pressing the palms of her hands against her teary eyes. "i just have nobody else to talk to about this. which is pretty pathetic, seeing as you're a complete stranger."

"my name's jackie." she tells her.

the woman glances up, through her wet lashes. "huh?"

"now, you're not rambling to a complete stranger." jackie tells her with a soft smile. "i'm sorry you have to go through all of that shit. i hardly know you, but i can tell that you don't deserve it. people can be assholes. even if you've known them for years and years, they can still manage to disappoint you."

"mabel." the woman replies suddenly, sniffling a bit as she recollects herself. jackie raises a brow at her, confused. "my name. it's mabel."

"well, it's nice to meet you, mabel." jackie says kindly, noticing someone approaching the bar out of the corner of her eye. she begins to pull a glass out from under the counter, assuming the customer will be ordering something to drink.

he sits down two seats away from mabel, his head pointed directly downward at the countertop. he doesn't say a single word. most people wave the bartender down, asking for something. but he remains silent, forcing jackie to approach him instead. mabel watches with interest as jackie walks up to the man.

"would you like to order something, sir?" she asks him, keeping her voice polite. he doesn't look up at her when he replies, keeping his head pinned down.

"vodka, please." he utters. "no mixer."

jackie nods, taking the glass she had gathered beforehand, and filling it with ice. she then adds the vodka on top, passing to him without another word. he stays silent as he takes the glass and sips on it — which jackie finds weird. most people ordering without mixer down the shit like a shot. it's uneasy to watch him sip like it's soda.

she returns to stand in front of mabel, who is drunkenly staring at the man without a trace of shame or guilt. she suddenly leans forward to whisper something to jackie, who leans in as well to hear her.

"that's my ex." mabel says, her voice wavering a bit. she can't tell if it's due to fear or just being drunk. "he's trying to hide his face so i don't notice him. but i bought him that shirt last year on vacation to visit his family is arkansas."

jakie nods, watching the man wearily. "is he here to spy on you, then? that's creepy as hell."

"i suppose." mabel shrugs. "he's weird like that, gets overly possessive and jealous. it was a problem between us for a while, back in high school. we always argued because he hated when i hung out with anyone besides him."

something about that makes jackie unreasonably angry. mabel is a very kind, genuine person. she can't stomach the thought of someone shouting at her and being a dick. jackie looks down the bar again, watching the way her ex glances over his shoulder every few minutes, then quickly turns away.

an alarm goes off on jackie's phone, causing her entire pocket to vibrate. she pulls it out and cuts off the alarm labeled 'shift over'. it's three in the morning. she normally can't wait to leave the club, anxious to get away from the intense atmosphere. but today, she can't imagine leaving mabel alone with this creepy man. especially considering how insanely drunk she is.

"my shift is over." jackie tells mabel, causing the blonde to frown a bit. she stuffs her phone back into her pocket and continues. "i'll go tell my coworker to keep an eye on you, though. i don't trust to leave you by yourself."

"thank you, jackie. i mean it." mabel says, genuinely. she watches her with wide eyes, seeming eternal grateful for her new friend.

"also," jackie pulls out a pad of paper and a pen from under the bar — used to collect orders when the place grows super packed and busy. she scribbles her phone number onto it before removing the paper and handing it to mabel. "if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to let me know. i work the nightshift every weekday, as well. visit me."

mabel holds the paper as though it's the most precious thing in the world, giving jackie a firm nod and gentle smile. "thank you." she says again.

with that, she turns around and leaves. she passes mabels's ex, shooting him a scowl that makes him blink with surprise. she also passes the man she served earlier. he appears to have gotten even more drunk, now dancing with some random lady. on her way out of the bar, jackie passes the burly man.

she grabs his arm harshly, making him spin around in surprise. she's a great deal shorter than him, seeing as he's over six foot. but she still manages to make him feel small as she keeps her eyes steady, her voice sharp.

"there's a blonde lady sitting at the bar. her name is mabel." jackie says, her tone coming out in a demanding sense. "there's also a sketchy-looking man a few seats down. you better do your absolute fucking best to keep him away from her. if i find out something happened to mabel, your ass is gonna be the one to pay. i can promise you that."

he nods so fast she's sure he could have gotten whiplash. then, she turns on her heel and exits the club. she enters the cool, night air of the city and frowns against it. she should feel good, she practically ensured that mabel will be protected. but jackie can't think of mabel without seeing her old self reflecting back at her.

when jackie's sister died, she hated the world. everything felt like it was turned against her, wishing and praying on her downfall. but what she hated more than everything? was herself. for allowing the world to push her down so easily. yes, she was grieving, but she was the one who urged wilson to go with her to the party. she was the one who let her drive alone without going along with her.

she turned her self-hatred around and pushed it outward, becoming a walking storm cloud of rage and fury. she shouted at all of her friends, losing them one by one. she argued with her mother for drinking so much, slowly ripping apart their relationship that had been carefully built over the past seventeen years.

the only thing that stood firm against her rage was chris.

she pulled her life apart, piece by piece until there was nothing left but him. he was like a sturdy cinder block amongst weak twigs — refusing to get toppled over with ease. he comforted her, saying it wasn't her fault. he let her cry on his shoulder, not caring about how she fisted his shirt as she sobbed. he came over to her house every day, ignoring how her room got more and more disgusting.

but eventually, she pushed him away as well. she decided enough was enough, and told him she was moving away. he begged to come with her, saying he'd pay the bills and do the chores and cook the meals for her. but she refused. when he finally accepted that he couldn't come along with her, he asked for her address, wanting to be able to mail her things and send letters. but one again, she refused.

she knew that if she had any ties to chris, she would come crawling back to boston to be with him. so she cut him off, changing her number and blocking him on all social media.

she didn't hate him — far from it, actually. she would probably love christopher sturniolo until the day she died. even if they hadn't talked for decades, he would likely be her last thought when she took her final breath.

which was why she ghosted him and moved to new york. there, she knew she could slowly build her life back. brick by brick — without any cinder blocks to throw off the balance.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

okay so

that last bit may have made me emotional and i may have cried thinking about my sister ,, but ! it's okay because this book is literally about jackie's journey of dealing with loss! so! it'll all be worth it in the end i promise 🤞😚

also you've been introduced to so many characters lately i feel bad, but most of them you won't see again — it's just to show jackie's dynamic && how personable she can be 🤗🤗 also i try to make it feel like all of the characters have their own personalities and stories bc i love when books do that

mabel will end up being a reoccurring character, but she's not very important to the story