Jack and Jill

It was the perfect November night in Lawrenceville. All the stars were out, shining their brightest. The air was so cold and crisp, it couldn't of been better. What improved the seemingly perfect night was the fact that Jack's high school had just won the biggest rivalry game of the state. It seemed as though everyone, even the birds were watching this game of football that everyone had put so much excitement upon.
Jack was up on a hill inside the high school football stadium, standing in a hazy cloud of the smoke from his cigarette, leaning against the small bell tower that was a historical landmark for his school. It was a grayish tower, made of concrete with a wrought iron gate that let someone inside to pull the old, rusty chain that would ring the big, black-painted bronze bell that seemed almost ancient because the bell had been there ever since the school was founded, and it was the first school in the whole county to be built, but that was almost eighty years ago and even still, the bell was from a school before that, so basically, the bell was old. Even though the game had been long over, a seemingly multitude of people were all standing around, talking with their fellow students in their own hazy clouds of cigarette smoke. Jack was waiting atop of the hill because his date for the evening, Jill, was in the bathroom, freshening herself up because she knew that once her and Jack went somewhere in the light, he would see all of the dirt and smut all over her face. She really had a thing for him, so she wanted to make a good impression.
After Jill had taken the necessary steps for so she could be comfortable with herself, the nursery rhyme couple got into Jack's '98 Jeep Grand Cherokee and headed downtown. “Can I have one of these?” Jill asked jack while holding up a pack of his cigarettes that had been sitting in the center console of his S.U.V.
“Sure,” Jack replied while doing a trick with his Zippo to light Jill's cigarette, “Did you enjoy the game?”
“Yeah,” exhaling, “I'm not much of a football fan, but it's fun when our school beats South like they did tonight. I also like having pride in something, even if it's not something that I enjoy too much.”
“I understand,” Jack paused to flick his ashes out the window, “I never really feel like I belong to our school, but when I'm at a football game, I feel like I am accepted by everyone else and I'm not such a loner. Epically when there's all of the positive energy coming from out crowd because we're winning a game that is such a big deal to some people.”
“I guess,” Inhaling, “I guess that that's something that we have in common. Where are we going anyways, may I ask?”
“I'm not entirely sure,” Jack laughed a bit, “Do you drink coffee?”
“Yeah”
“Than I guess that's where we're going.” Jack laughed once more, “I know a place that has great coffee, and most likely, it won't be so crowded since it's already 12:30.”
“Sounds cool.” Jill began rummaging through her purse, “I don't know how much money-”
“Don't worry about it, I've got it covered.” Jack was really suave when it came to dates. Even though he hardly went on any, his own choice. Jack liked to keep to himself most of the time. He had a best friend, named Mark. Mark was definitely his best friend. They spent at least one day out of every weekend together. Secretly, Jack was taking note of what was happening on his date with Jill, so he could tell Mark. In fact, Mark helped get Jack on a date with Jill. Jill was pretty popular, so were Jack and Mark, but they were popular in a different way. Jack and Mark were known by almost everyone in the area, because they were musicians that performed at bars and parties from time to time, but they never really got that close with anyone but each other.
Jill was just popular. She had a ton of friends, any guy that got to know her well enough basically, wanted to date her, but Jack has wanted to date her since middle school, and through lots of talking and acquainting, they finally went on a date together.
Jack was pretty average-looking. Not to tall, not too short. Medium frame, dark brown hair that was a bit shaggy, but he was well-kept. Jill was beautiful. She had what some may call unconventional beauty. She was well beyond average-looking. She had soft, brown hair that was usually in a ponytail that let you see her deep, green eyes. Jack thought she was amazing.

“I see that you have an extensive taste in music,” Jill mentioned to Jack while she was thumbing through his CD case that he had in the car, “You've got the Blind Melon album! Can we listen to it?”
“Sure,” Jack put the CD in his player, “You like Blind Melon? Most people can't stand his voice.”
“Ha, yeah, thats what I like about them. I find Shannon's voice very soothing when I'm trying to relax. Also, they can be very inspirational when I'm painting or drawing.” Jill was one of the best art students at their high school.
“Yeah, it just sucks that he died, though. That band will never be the same. Oh look, we're here.” Jack cranked the parking brake into place. Jack was naturally a gentleman, so he got out of the car and opened the door for Jill and took her hand to help her step down and out of the car. He didn't let go of her hand. Jill noticed, but only looked Jack in the eyes and smiled slightly. Jack smiled back, and it was a real smile, something that he seldom did. Jack had a bad habit of “fake” smiling. He would give a half-assed smile for something he really didn't care about usually. He would smile in his mouth, but he wouldn't smile in his eyes, but this time, he smiled for real.
The couple waltzed into the smoky coffee house and sat down in an old bus seat that the restaurant now used as a booth.
“What'll it be miss?” The sweet thirty-something year old waitress asked politely.
“I'll take a coffee,” Jill answered.
“Make it two, please.” Jack was suave, like you see in the movies with some tough, biker who walked into a room and every single person in it would stop what they were doing and look at him, and when the biker threw his jacket, someone always caught it and hung it up and gave it back to him when he was going to leave.
Jill was sitting on the side of the booth that was facing out of the diner, so she could see the sleepy street. “It's exceedingly beautiful on this side of town, I'm never really over here. I wish I was.”
“Mark and I come here a lot. Often, this very booth is where we write our material. It'll get extra pretty in a few weeks, when all of the Christmas decorations are put up.”
“We should come here when it is like that, it would be really romantic, no?” She had a certain gleam in her eyes, like she was looking at the best thing she had ever seen in her entire life.
“Yeah, if you want to, we can-”
“Here's your coffee.” The waitress had returned with two identical white, ceramic mugs of black coffee, ready to be mixed with cream and sugar, “Can I get you anything else?” Jack looked at Jill in a do you want anything? kind of way, and she gave him a no thanks, I'm fine kind of look.
“No, I think we're good, thanks anyways.”
“Alright, if you need anything, just give me a holler”
“Actually,” Jack interrupted, “Do you have anything chocolate?”
“Yeah,” the waitress looked at the front counter, “We have a fresh chocolate cake that is supposed to be for tomorrow, but I think I could steal a slice for the two of you.”
“If you could do that, it'd be great.” Jack directed his vision back at Jill, and she seemed delighted to have some chocolate cake.
“I'll be back in just a second.” The waitress assured them, as she spun on her heel toward the counter where the newly baked chocolate cake was still cooling.
“How's your coffee?”
“It's good,” Jill answered, “It's very good, actually. We definitely need to come here again.” Jack smiled at her as he grabbed himself a cigarette. Being the polite young man he was, he offered one to Jill. “Thanks.” Said Jill as she took a cigarette from the crinkled pack of Camels that Jack offered. Jack lit both of the cigarettes, hers being first of course. After lighting his own, he pulled the soap dish ashtray into the center of the table.
“Here you go,” The waitress looked like she had been working all day, even though she did a good job at hiding it, “Anything else?”
“No,” Jack answered, “We're awesome.” The waitress winked at Jack and then returned to the kitchen.
“So,” Jill wondered, “How are you doing in school? Are you prepared for finals and everything?”
“Yeah, everything is going pretty smooth. I've just got this composition that I need to do for my English class. I need to write an essay about socialism vs. capitalism. It's nothing, really. You?”
“I'm good, people just assume that if you take mostly art classes, than everything is easy, since you're just doing at projects, but they really add up. Right now, I'm working on this print of a scene from NYC that has taken me way longer than it should of.” She took a drag of her cigarette and then set it in the ash tray so that she could drink some coffee and take a bite of cake.
“You aught to show me your portfolio sometime, Jack paused, “I'm really interested.”
“Yeah, I will,” Jill picked up her cigarette again and inhaled off of it. She looked extremely gorgeous to Jack. The way she looked in the dim light, with a red neon sigh reflecting on the side of her face was absolutely breathtaking. “I just never have any time anymore. It seems like when I start something, the amount of time I allow myself is just swept away into oblivion and I am completely out of time.”
“Time kills me,” Jack began, “When you think about it, time, in the sense that we look at it doesn't really exist.”
“Elaborate, please.” Jill suggested.
“Well, when you think about it, nothing really separates today from yesterday, or, today from five years ago. It's all just the earth, revolving around the sun. and when the sun is facing the opposite side of the earth from us, we have no sunlight, so we call it night and the end of the day.” Jack flicked his ashes in the shiny, black device in the center of the table. “So basically, to put it in a different light, we are like a car on a road, no, like a rock in a field. The rock has no where to go. It's just there. It doesn't move backwards or forwards, it's just there. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Jill answered, “But there is such a thing as duration. Because there is a such thing as a few seconds ago, and a few years ago. Humans have just decided to call it seconds or years.”
“But there is no duration. Humans have just come up with the concept of duration to explain things that they can't.”
“So, what separates this moment right now from, earlier, when we were at the football game?”
“Nothing,” Jack replied, “Nothing separates then from now besides the fact that we are here now and not there. The reason that we are here is only because we came here.”
”I guess you're right,” Jill gave in, “ Have some of this cake, you haven't had any yet and its almost gone.” Jill seemed a bit embarrassed that she had eaten most of the piece of cake.
“No, it's fine,” Jack smiled, “Besides, I bought it for you anyways.”
“Aw, you're so sweet. I've had a good time with you.”
“I'm glad to hear that,” Jack responded, “When do you want to be leaving? Its about one-thirty.”
“Whenever is fine. My parents won't be home until three-ish because they are coming home from Tennessee. Although,” Jill inhaled off of her cigarette, “ I am getting a little tired.” She yawned while she flicked her ashed in the ashtray before noticing that there was hardly anything left of it anyways, so she put it out and Jack handed her another one and also lit it got her.
“Okay, I guess we can leave now.” Jack said before standing up and straightening up their mess from the sugar and cream packets. He assisted Jill out of her seat and then opened up his wallet, took out a twenty and placed it under his coffee cup at the edge of the table.
As they walked out of the small little coffee shop, Jill wrapped her arms around one of Jacks, and pushed him in a direction away from his car, signaling that she wanted to walk around for a little while before going home. It was around one thirty, so they were about the only people on the block except for adults that were in the tavern across the street. “It's such a delightful night, Jill told Jack, “And I don't want to go home just yet.”
“That's perfectly fine with me. Where do you want to go?”
“I don't care, let's walk around this block and when we get back to your car, we can leave.”
“Sounds like a plan, “ Jack announced.

The couple walked around the square for a while, admiring the sky and the stars, reminiscing about books and music until they approached Jacks car. “Well, I guess I should get you home.” Jack said as he opened the door for Jill and helped her in. He himself got into the car and started it, and in doing so, the CD that they put in earlier had re-started.
“I had a wonderful time,” Jill said softly, “Can we do this again sometime?”
“Sure, although, I can't do anything tomorrow, because we have band practice, but next week looks good for me. You?”
“Yeah,' Jill answered, “Sounds good to me.” For the rest of the way to Jill's house, the two of them sat in the car in silence, reflecting on how the night went, smoking and listening to the music.
After about ten minutes, they puled into Jill's driveway. Jack immediately got out of the car and went to Jill's side to open her door and help her out of it.
“Thank you,” Jill mentioned, “You're such a gentleman.”
“Not really,” Jack said, modestly, “This is how all guys should be around girls. Just not enough of them do it.” Jill giggled and they waked to her front porch.
“Thank you, Jack, it was magnificent”
“Ha, you're welcome Jill.” Jill hugged Jack and he gave her a small kiss on her soft, luscious lips. “Goodnight.”
“Night.” Jill replied. Jill found her keys and then went inside her house while Jack walked back to his car and pulled away.

The next morning, Jill awoke to a phone call
.
Is a miss Jill Blakley available?

“This is she, may I ask who is calling?”

My name is Cheryl Green from Summit Ridge Hospital. Do you know a young man by the name of Jack Durden?

“Yes, I do,” Jill sounded worried, “Did something happen to him?”

As a matter of fact, yes. His parents brought him in this morning around eight-o'clock because was passed out with no pulse.

“Oh my!” Exclaimed Jill, “Is he alright now?”

No ,he passed away this morning with an excessive amount of acetaminophen in his bloodstream. We are suspecting that he overdosed on pain relievers. His Parents tell us that Jack was with you last night, did anything happen to where he may of wanted to do something like this? We are not blaming you, we just want to find out why this happened.

“No, not at all,” Jill was clearly crying now, “We- we were supposed to go out n-next week. I have no idea why this could of happened. Did something happen to him at home?”

I'm afraid that i can't answer your questions until his parents allow me to. I will get hem to call you when they can. Thank you for your help.

The lady on the other end hung up. Jill left her phone off of the hook and fell back on her bed, crying.