AN: Another chapter, short and sweet :)
The fluorescent lights of the grocery store buzzed faintly overhead, casting a sterile glow over the aisles. Jamie trailed behind Melissa, her hands resting loosely on the handle of the cart. She wasn't really paying attention to the items being tossed into the cart - a bag of apples, a loaf of bread, a box of crackers. Her mind felt like it was underwater, sluggish and distant, the world around her muffled.
Melissa paused by the cereal, picking up a box of something colourful and glancing back at Jamie. "We're out of this, right?"
Jamie nodded absently, her gaze focused on a scuffed spot on the tile floor. She hadn't been to a grocery store in weeks, maybe months. It felt oddly surreal, like she was playing a part in someone else's life.
"You know," Melissa began, her tone light but careful, "You should think about reaching out to your friends."
The comment made Jamie tense up, her fingers tightening around the handle. She didn't look up. "I don't think they want to talk to me."
Melissa turned, the cereal box still in her hands, and gave Jamie a pointed look. "Jamie, that's not true."
Jamie's chest tightened. It was true - at least it felt true. The way Jackson hadn't texted, the way Stiles couldn't even look at her when he popped over to see Scott, and the way her brother had been avoiding her ever since she'd come home. She knew they were keeping things from her. She could feel the wall between them like a physical thing, and it hurt more than she wanted to admit.
"They're just giving you space," Melissa continued, her voice softening.
Jamie finally met her mother's gaze, her expression sceptical. It's not space. They're avoiding me. They're hiding something.
Melissa sighed, putting the cereal in the cart.
Jamie swallowed hard, her throat tightening with emotion she didn't want to feel. She hated how reasonable her mom sounded. She hated the gnawing doubt in her own chest. Most of all, she hated that she still cared so much about what her friends thought.
The conversation trailed off after that, the tension lingering between them as they finished shopping. By the time they reached the parking lot, Jamie felt drained, her mind buzzing with thoughts she couldn't untangle. She helped load the groceries into the trunk, grateful for the distraction, while Melissa went to return the cart.
She was just closing the trunk when she nearly bumped into someone.
"Oh, sorry -," she began, but her voice faltered when she saw who it was. "Isaac?"
Isaac Lahey stood in front of her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. His dark blonde hair was tousled, his face slightly pale in the sharp morning light. His expression shifted when he saw her, his brows lifting in surprise. She couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable he seemed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his hands buried deep in his pockets. There was something guarded about him - something she recognized all too well. She studied his face, the bruise on his cheekbone hard to ignore. It was in a different place to last time she'd seen him.
"Jamie," he said. His voice was soft, cautious, like he wasn't sure how to approach her. "Hey. I haven't seen you at school for a while."
Jamie shrugged, feeling the weight of his words settle uncomfortably in her chest. "Yeah, I've been... sick," she repeated, though the lie sounded even more hollow the second time. She tried to hold his gaze, but the way his brows knitted together told her he wasn't buying it.
"Sick," he echoed, his voice neutral. "Must've been something serious."
Jamie winced at the question. He probably knew why she'd been off school. Everyone probably knew. "Something like that." She scrambled to change the subject, her eyes darting back to the bruise on his cheekbone. "What about you? What happened there?" She pointed at his face, her voice a little sharper than she intended.
Isaac's expression darkened, and he turned his head slightly, as if he could hide the evidence. "Guess I'm just clumsy."
The words hit Jamie like a punch to the gut. They were the same words she had used when he'd asked about her black eye. She took a small step closer, lowering her voice. "Isaac, come on."
His eyes darted to hers, and for a split second, she saw something raw and unguarded flash across his face. It was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a tight, almost defiant smile. "I don't know what you mean," he said, but his voice was brittle.
Jamie opened her mouth to push further, to ask him what was really going on, but she stopped herself. She remembered all too well how it felt to have someone press too hard, to ask questions she wasn't ready to answer. Instead, she took a step back, giving him space.
Isaac's shoulders relaxed slightly, and he glanced away, the tension between them settling into a strange, uneasy quiet. He turned his body to leave, and she gritted her teeth, Melissa's words hanging in her mind.
Before she could think about it too much, Jamie blurted out, "Hey, do you want to go see a movie or something?"
Isaac turned around as he blinked, visibly caught off guard. "A movie?" he repeated, his tone a mix of confusion and curiosity. "Like... a date?"
Jamie's face flushed. "No, not a date," she said quickly, shaking her head. "Just to hang out. I need to get out of the house, and..." She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "And it seems like maybe you do too."
He studied her for a long moment, his head tilted slightly, as if he were trying to figure her out. The sunlight caught the faint bruising on his cheek, making it look even darker. "You're serious?" he asked, his voice softer now.
Jamie nodded, holding his gaze. "Yeah. I mean, unless you've got something better to do."
Isaac's lips twitched into a faint smile, the first genuine one she'd seen from him in a while. "I'm not really a 'better to do' kind of guy," he said dryly. "So...yeah. Sure. Let's go to a movie."
The corner of Jamie's mouth lifted, the tight knot in her chest loosening just a little.
"Okay," she said, her voice steady. "Cool."
"Cool," Isaac responded, his smile lingering for a moment before he glanced away, his hands sliding out of his pockets. He adjusted his hoodie, the movement quick and slightly nervous. "Uh, text me when you want to go, I guess?"
"Yeah," Jamie said, watching as he gave her a small nod and turned to walk away. "It's not a date," she repeated, panicking slightly, surprised at herself. He turned around, meeting her gaze for the last time.
"Not a date," he echoed, his tone teasing. "Got it."
Her eyes lingered on him for a moment before she turned back to the car, where Melissa was waiting by the driver's side, watching the interaction with a curious expression.
Jamie slid into the passenger seat, her heart still racing a little. Melissa raised an eyebrow. "Friend of yours?"
"Something like that," Jamie muttered, looking out the window. She didn't want to explain it—didn't want to talk about how much she'd seen in Isaac that reminded her of herself. But her mom was right, she needed to get out of the house, and if everyone else was ignoring her, Isaac seemed like the better option anyway.
The evening sky outside was a soft shade of orange, the kind of peaceful backdrop that should have set Jamie at ease. Instead, she found herself pacing her room, brushing a hand nervously through her hair. She adjusted her reflection in the mirror for the hundredth time, checking her outfit and wondering if she looked too casual.
This is normal, she reminded herself. Just a regular outing with a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.
Her nerves were slightly tempered by the knowledge that her mom had finally gone back to work today. It felt like a step toward regaining some kind of normalcy after everything that had happened. Jamie was relieved to have a bit of space to breathe, even if part of her still worried about how much stress Melissa was carrying.
Her phone buzzed, and she grabbed it off the bed eagerly, expecting to see a message from Isaac saying he was on his way. Instead, her heart sank at his text.
Hey. Sorry, but I can't make it tonight anymore. I'm not feeling great.
Jamie stared at the screen, disappointment washing over her. She hesitated for a moment before typing back.
Seriously? Lame excuse.
It only took a moment for his reply to come through.
It's not an excuse. I just really don't want to go out tonight.
Jamie frowned at his words, her frustration bubbling up. She thought about just letting it go, but something stopped her. She wasn't sure what it was. Maybe she just really didn't want to be alone.
Fine. Why don't you just come over? We don't have to go out.
The three dots indicating he was typing appeared and disappeared a couple of times, making her heart race. Finally, his response came.
Okay. Be there in a bit.
Jamie exhaled, equal parts relieved and anxious. She busied herself tidying up the living room while waiting, but it wasn't long before the doorbell rang.
She opened the door to find Isaac standing there, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie as usual. He looked paler than normal, and far more on edge. He kept glancing over his shoulder, as if afraid someone had followed him. Her turned back to meet her gaze, her eyes immediately drawn to the fresh cut above his eyebrow, a thin line of red against his pale skin.
"Isaac," she said, her concern spilling out in her tone.
"It's nothing," he said quickly, brushing past her into the house. "Just clumsy, you know?"
Jamie folded her arms, leaning against the doorframe. "You always say that."
He shrugged, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. "And it's always true."
Jamie frowned, but there was something in his tone - a quiet finality - that stopped her from pressing further. She let the door close behind her and followed him into the living room, the air between them heavy with unspoken tension.
They settled onto the couch, the small space feeling larger than it was. Jamie's eyes kept darting to his face, to the fresh gash and bruise she could tell he was trying to hide.
"Thanks for coming over," she said finally, her voice quieter than she intended.
Isaac gave her a sideways glance, his expression softening slightly. "Yeah, well... not like I had anything better to do."
Jamie smiled faintly, though it didn't reach her eyes. She stared at the TV, the images on the screen blurring as her thoughts wandered. "You know you don't have to keep things bottled up, right?" she said, her tone deliberately casual.
Isaac stiffened beside her, his posture tensing just enough for her to notice. "I could say the same to you," he replied, his voice carefully measured.
Jamie's heart skipped a beat, her fingers tightening around the blanket she'd pulled onto her lap. There it was - the unspoken knowledge between them, hanging heavy in the room. She wanted to push, to crack through whatever wall he had up, but she knew better.
"Fair," she said finally, her lips twitching in a half-smile.
Isaac glanced at her then, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary.
"So...pizza?" she questioned, trying to deflect the tension.
Isaac exhaled a quiet laugh. "Yeah. Pepperoni?"
"Obviously."
She grabbed her phone to place the order while Isaac leaned back against the couch, his head resting against the cushion. The moment felt strangely normal, despite everything unsaid between them.
By the time the pizza arrived, the movie was halfway through, but neither of them had been paying much attention. They ate in relative silence, the kind that felt less awkward and more like a shared understanding.
Jamie glanced over at Isaac, catching him absentmindedly touching the edge of the cut on his brow. She wanted to ask again, to demand the truth, but she stopped herself. Instead, she said, "You know, you should let me cover that with some concealer or something. It's distracting."
Isaac chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I'll pass."
"Your loss," she said, popping the last piece of crust into her mouth.
The rest of the evening passed in comfortable quiet, the unspoken weight between them still present but less suffocating.
The movie credits rolled across the screen, bathing the dimly lit living room in a soft glow. The remnants of their pizza sat on the coffee table, grease-stained napkins strewn about. Jamie leaned back against the armrest of the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest. She glanced over at Isaac, who was sitting on the other end, his legs stretched out, his gaze fixed on the TV even though the movie had long since ended.
The room was quiet except for the low hum of the television, but the silence felt comfortable, almost safe.
Jamie shifted slightly, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of the pillow. "You didn't really want to come over tonight, did you?"
Isaac's head turned toward her, his brows knitting together. "What makes you say that?"
She shrugged, keeping her voice light. "You just seemed... off earlier. Like you'd rather be anywhere else."
He hesitated, a small smile tugging at his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, it's not every day I get stood up for a movie and then guilt-tripped into pizza instead."
Jamie rolled her eyes, unable to suppress a smile. "Oh, please. You bailed first, remember?"
Isaac chuckled softly but didn't say anything more. His gaze dropped to his hands, which were fidgeting with a loose thread on the edge of his hoodie. The humour had deflected the conversation, but only momentarily.
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might get up and leave. But instead, he sighed, leaning back against the couch, his eyes fixed on the dark screen ahead.
"Things have been... complicated recently," he said finally, his tone measured. It wasn't much, but it was something.
Jamie nodded, hugging the pillow closer. "I get that."
He turned his head slightly to look at her, his expression softening. "Yeah. I think you do."
The silence between them felt heavier now but not oppressive.
Jamie let out a slow breath. "Sometimes it feels like everything's spiralling, and no matter how hard I try, I can't grab onto anything steady."
Isaac didn't respond right away, but his hand moved, tapping the edge of the couch between them. It was a small, almost insignificant gesture, but it felt oddly reassuring. "I get that too," he said finally, his voice quieter this time.
They sat like that for a while, the space between them filled with understanding that didn't need words.
Eventually, Isaac stretched and stood, pulling his hoodie tighter around himself. "I should probably head out."
Jamie followed him to the door, feeling reluctant to let the moment end. As he slipped on his shoes, he paused, hesitating like he wanted to say something more. He glanced back at her, his expression soft but unreadable.
"Thanks for tonight," he said simply. "It was... nice."
Jamie leaned against the doorframe, a small smile playing at her lips. "Yeah. It was."
He nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets as he turned to leave. Jamie watched him walk down the path until he disappeared into the darkness. She closed the door, leaning against it for a moment, and let out a long breath.
