Hey all, welcome to my newest story. And I know that I should be working on my other stories for you guys, and I am, but this idea came to mind, and I went with it. I don't know how many people actually want to read a story about Earl and Jacqueline. The more I thought about them, I wanted to know more about their story, so this is really just to give them a story to explore. It takes place in the 70s.
I don't know who Moe belongs to, but for this story, I see him as a brother to Earl and that's what I went with.
There is some 70's slang in this chapter and there will be throughout the story, so I will be putting up a little key sheet for the words used.
Key:
square- not cool
toke up- smoking weed
boob tube- television/TV
bunny- a cute girl
grody- gross, disgusting
buzz off- get lost
zappy - acting crazy
raunchy - gross, disgusting
chump - a loser, a fool, a rube
With a great bit of research, and as much information as one can get about the older generation of the Bluebellians; I am trying to keep everyone within their rightful age group, which hasn't been an easy thing to do. If I go by the age of the actors, as their characters' ages have been loosely based on, then this is how it plays out. Nicolas Pryor, (Harley) was born in 1935. Tim Matheson, (Brick) was born in 1947. And Christopher Curry, (Earl) was born in 1948, and for this story, Earl was born in the 1960s. And lastly here the practice was open in 1966.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hart of Dixie or its characters. Caroline is mine, however.
Enjoy! And please let me know if you want me to keep writing this one.
"Sweetie, what's the matter?" Caroline asked her daughter, sitting on the bed, rubbing her daughter's back as she cried into her pillow. It took her very little time to know something's wrong with her daughter, as she didn't stop and have an afternoon snack if even the snack never happened it was more gossip about her day.
"Boys," Jacqueline sniffled, turning to look at her mom, well holding back her sobs. "They are so square," she bit out, thinking back to what happened at lunch today, making her cry harder.
"What makes you say that?" Caroline softly asked. She knew a few of the so-called slang words that her daughter started to pick up as she got older.
"David broke up with me today in the middle of lunch. The whole class, mom!" She exclaimed, hiccupping with a sob. A break up was bad enough, but he had to go right ahead and humiliate her in front of the whole grade.
"Oh, sweetie, I am sorry," Caroline sighed, pulling her daughter in for a hug.
"Didn't I tell you that he's not worthy of you?" A deep humorous voice stated, standing in the threshold of his best friend's room.
"Hello Earl," smiled Caroline, giving his shoulder a squeeze as she left the two of them alone, she did have dinner to prepare after all. "Will you be staying for dinner?" She asked, turning at the end of the hallway.
"No ma'am," Earl told her. He's got plans with his brother for the night, ones that couldn't get ruined at the last minute again.
"What happened to you at school?" Jackie questioned, using a tissue she got from her bedside table, to wipe away her tears, not really caring about how her makeup looked; Earl has been her friend, for as long as she can remember.
Earl ducked his head, scratching the back of his neck. They may live in Bluebell, a happy-go-lucky town, where everyone knew everyone and their business, but that didn't stop him from skipping school to toke up. "Can't we see what's on the boob tube?" He asked, motioning to the small TV in the corner of her room that only played in black and white.
"You're not going to graduate if you keep blowing off school to get high," she stated, lightly punching him in the shoulder.
"Who needs school?" He stated, turning the TV on, hoping that some sort of movie happened to be on.
"Everyone," Jackie frowned, laying on her stomach across her bed, facing the TV; Earl switched through the channels to find something for them to watch. Only to find nothing.
"Not for me," he said, switching the TV off, sitting on the bed, using his friend as his personal backrest.
"You can't even drop out for two more years and even then you'll only have two more years to go; it's not worth it, Earl," she stated, rolling over, so his head rested on her stomach, and she ran her fingers through his hair.
"Why stay when I don't need to know it anyhow?" He asked, sighing lightly, as her fingers massaged his scalp.
"Think about it, for me?" She asked, pouting, one he couldn't see, but knew it was there, by the sound in her voice.
"Okay," he sighed, tipping his head up to look at her. "Now stop pouting, you're by far too much a bunny to be looking like a grody," he smirked at her.
"You can buzz off now," she retorted, giving him a shove.
"I'm just trying to say that you shouldn't be crying over David, dude's an…" he said, effectively shutting up when her hand slapped over his mouth.
"It still hurts," she sighed, removing her hand, giving him a disgusted look, wiping her hand that he licked on his shirt.
"When it stops hurtin' Jackie, you let me know, and I'll show you the way you need to be treated," he stated, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"Earl?" She questioned with a frown, holding her hand on her cheek where he placed his kiss.
"No worries, babe," he winked, walking out of her room.
Her frown slowly turned into a smile. She could admit to how good looking her best friend turned out to be from the time they were running around as tots. She let her smile fade as she headed to the kitchen to see what her mom needed help with, she didn't think she could be anything more than friends with Earl; she's seen the way he acts around the girls at school.
"Chop the carrots will you, sweetie?" Caroline asked her daughter, tossing the browned beef into the pot of stew. "Something on your mind?" She asked after watching her daughter in deep thought.
"Just thinking," Jackie shrugged, adding the chopped carrots into the pot. "Do you... it's just...Earl," she sighed, not able to get any of her thoughts out.
"Sweetie, that boy has been in love with you since you two were four, and you scraped your knee at the park," Caroline smiled fondly.
"That's not true," Jackie said, shaking her head, refusing to believe such a thing. He's made no attempt to be anything other than her friend.
"You believe what you need to believe, just don't be shutting your feelings off and denying what your heart is trying to tell you," her mom told her. "Run along and get your homework started," she told her daughter.
"Do you really think Earl has feelings like that for me?" She asked, placing the knife she used in the sink.
"Yes, but you need to get over David and have a clear mind and remember that life isn't about boys," Caroline told her.
"No duh," she replied, rolling her eyes as she walked down the hall to her room, shutting the door behind her.
She let herself get lost in what homework she has, letting her thoughts of David and the lingering thoughts of Earl and what he's trying to play go as she focused on numbers and world politics, until her dad came home, and she needed to wash up for dinner.
"They're at it again, huh?" Earl asked, sitting on the front porch with his brother. His mood going from a giddy one with the guts he had to slowly admit his feelings for his best friend to a more glum mood hearing his parents' fighting, which really is a daily occurrence.
"When aren't they?" His brother sighed, kicking at the dirt. Earl nodded, stealing the ball from his brother's hands.
"Let's go play ball," Earl commented, getting up as he tossed the football in the air. "What are they fightin' about this time?" He asked, when his brother fell into step with him.
"Same as usual, dad isn't ever home, always off doing who knows what in Mobile and Fairhope," Moe sighed. "I don't understand why they can't divorce already," he commented, stealing the football from his brother and running off to the park.
"They love each other, Moe," Earl told his brother, tackling him to the ground picking the ball up and running a few feet away from.
"Dude, what they do isn't love," Moe yelled, getting ready to catch the ball. "How many people do you know that fight non-stop that love each other?" He yelled, jumping in the air to catch the ball.
"No one, I guess," he frowned. He didn't get involved in other people's business; he didn't know what went on behind closed doors.
"We're the reason," Moe stated, gripping the football in his hand, lining his fingers up against the laces on the ball. Earl gave him a confused look, wanting his brother to further explain himself. "Why they stay together," he shrugged, slicing the football through the air.
"What's wrong with you?" Earl snapped, backing up a bit to catch the ball. "Why would you say that for?" He asked angry, throwing the ball a bit harder than called for.
"What the hell? Why are you acting all sorts of zappy for?" Moe yelled, holding his hand. "And this added in with everything else, makes me glad I get to leave in less than a year," he groaned out.
"That makes two of us," Earl snapped, running a hand through his hair. "Let's get you to Dr. Wilkes," he sighed, grabbing the football and walking with his brother to the practice.
"I almost think I should be flattered," Moe smirked. Earl rolled his eyes at his brother.
"I only want the room to myself," Earl smirked.
"Now I remember why I tried to mail you elsewhere," Moe chuckled. "Too bad mom found out," he grumbled.
"Except I've been the one to take the fall for your raunchy self," Earl retorted, pushing the door to the practice open.
"What can I do for you two boys?" Harley asked, walking from behind the reception desk.
"My chump of a brother, broke my finger," Moe stated, holding his hand up.
"Earl sit tight," Harley stated, leading Moe into the exam room to have a better look at his hand.
Earl sighed, sitting on one of the ugly plastic chairs found in the waiting room, having the room to himself as he waited for the verdict on his brother's fingers. It's not like he meant to break them. As much as he bickers with his brother, it was in good fun because at the end of the day he'd have his back.
His thoughts trailed off from his brother and ended up on Jackie, the only girl he's ever loved so deep down in his bones and now that she's single; he's going to show her that the great love of her life has been her best friend all along.