Jared woke up, ears ringing, with his face pressed against the floor, red lines across his cheek from the grooves in the wood and his back aching horribly as he tried to sit up. Grunting, he pressed his fingers gently against his eye socket before whipping them away in pain. He couldn’t remember anything happening after hitting the ground--Jack must’ve knocked him out.
Motherfucker... he really couldn’t get a minute alone
“Yeah?” Jared squinted up to see Jack standing in front of the window pouring light into the room.
Jack nodded, reaching down for Jared’s hand and pulling him up by it. He passed him the cigarette from behind his ear. Jared thanked him.
“No problem. I was just about to wake you--Sky’s waiting for you ‘round the corner. Money’s by the door.”
Jared took a deep breath and felt around for a lighter in his pocket. “Why me?”
“’Cause I said.” Jack lit a cigarette of his own. “Why not?”
“’Cause--” Jared tried to think of a good reason, lighting his cigarette to buy him a second. “I don’t know, it’s yours, you go get--”
Crack, Jared’s head hit the wall and his vision whited out. It came back fuzzy, and he was dragged to his feet by a rough hand hooked into his hair. Jack shoved him towards the door.
“Aw sweetie, what happened?” Sky reached out and when Jared didn’t pull back, ghosted her fingers across the bruise spattered over his cheekbone. “D’you get in a fight, how’s the other guy look? Like he just came back from a salon, I’d bet.” She gigged and Jared forced a smile.
“That sounds about right.” He said, hugging her so that he could slip the money into her pocket--she did the same with his, as he felt a small weight drop into his jeans.
Looking into his eyes with more concern that Jared was comfortable with, Sky sighed, sucking on the inside of her cheek. That really deep stare she had, it always made Jared want to cry. There was something really sad about it, like she always knew what had really happened. Even though he knew she didn’t.
“You’re real thin, you know that?” She eventually said, and tapped his ribs with her knuckles. “You should come over some time, there’s food at my place. That way I can see you eat it.”
“Heh... that’d be... sure.” Jared exhaled smoke and looked at their feet. “If it’s not ‘ny trouble’r anythin’.”
Sky scoffed. “What’re you talkin’ about? I’d love it. I always wanted to see you indoors.” She grinned, fixed her hat. “Yeah, come over. I mean--I’m busy now. Tomorrow? We could do dinner.”
Talking to Sky made Jared want to run and hide. Why was she so nice to him? She didn’t have to pretend to like him this much, it was awkward for the both of them...
“Yeah, cool.” He said anyway, drawing his arms around his waist.
