Title: Her Choice

Rating: G

Summary: After the summer is over, Jackie has made her choice.

Notes: Possibly the Shortest. Fic. Ever.   Thanks to Annie and Jessica, who helped me figure out how to end the silly thing.  Feedback is always welcome, even if it's just to say I'm being melodramatic ('cause I've never heard *that* before).

She can't look him in the eye. Hurts too much.

"I'm going back to Michael." It comes out as a whisper, and she's
ashamed to be saying the words.

A wave of devastation washes over his face, but is quickly shielded and
he once again looks at her impassively. He's going to ask her the one
question she doesn't want to answer. Doesn't know how to answer.

Why? Why after all this time can you forgive him and not me?

She wants to run over and throw herself into his arms. Tell him she
loves him, and it will always only be him. That she's argued and
reasoned for days at a time, made up lists of pros and cons in the hope
that a clear cut victor would show himself.

And it did.

And every time it was Steven.

But she can't erase the hurt. Spent a summer trying to banish it from
her mind but it never really worked. She's realized the more you love,
the more it hurts. And she doesn't want to feel that way again.

So she'll tell him it's over. That she's going back to the safe
option. And she knows as soon as the words are out of her mouth he'll
plead with his eyes for one more chance. But she's prepared. Knows
it's coming.

He inhales deeply and tucks his hands into his pockets, keeping himself
from reaching for her. Part of his mind screams to grab her and hold
her until she admits its the wrong choice.

The stronger part, the part that's been hurt so many times before,
tells him to walk away and file the whole thing under 'reasons not to
trust people'.

Instead he waits for her to speak again, arching his eyebrows in a
silent prompt.

Tell me anything, tell me that you could never love me. Tell me I was
always a second choice, just say something.

But she can't, won't. In a split second decision she knows the only
way right way is the truth; as much as it will hurt both of them. So
she closes her mouth without saying a word and tries to hold back the
tears she doesn't want him to see. She wants to be strong about this,
make him understand it's over.

Even if it's the one thing she doesn't want.

~the end~