Jackie

“DID YOU KNOW THAT JACKIE DONALDSON’S MOVING TO BRUNEI IN TWO WEEKS?” Ty asked me inquisitively. I knew she was – and he knew that I knew she was.

I could only just hear him over the sound of the beating drums and screaming fans. The vibrations bounced through my feet and up my body from the ground beneath me like a mild Richter scale 2 ’quake. I had never been to a rock festival before – well not a proper one like this, only ones for children where your parents were either with you or ten feet behind – so I suppose I wasn’t expecting the noise to be quite so, well, noisy; but maybe that’s just my ignorance gleaming through as it always does. Ty and I decided it was about time we saw The Satellite Destroyers in person, after admiring their work only through earphones and online videos. The two of us had followed their work for several months, him more than me, and they were pretty good.

I shouted back at him “TO BE HONEST MATE, I THOUGHT BRUNEI WAS MADE UP ANYWAYS…” my ignorance exposing itself once again. Less crouching tiger and more rainbow-coloured two-storey-tall tiger“…AND IF YOU THINK I’M GOING TO GO AND STOP HER FROM LEAVING…YOU’RE WRONG.” You see, Ty knows I like Jackie – I like her a lot in fact. She’s stunning! Her cinnamon brown luscious hair always glistens in the sun and radiates with a beautifully perfect glow. She walks like a catwalk model and dresses to match. I love her, I truly do. She’s the sort of girl that I could only dream of being with. I’ve spoken to her once but even that was a disaster.

“Excuse me, could I get past please?” I’d forgotten how angelic her voice was. She was sitting seven seats to my left. Just my luck, one trip to the theatre to see my mother’s favourite musical, and the girl of my dreams is sitting on the same row. “So-sor-s-soo-sorry-sorry” I stuttered and panicked at the sudden closeness of her. ‘Great, now she thinks I’m crazy’ I thought. My mother began sniggering beside me since she too knows I like Jackie; it wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret. After my ten second mishap – which felt like ten minutes at least – I grabbed my rucksack off of the floor and lifted it up to stand up and shuffle backwards, so she could slide past. If only it had been smoother than it was; I almost tripped over the straps of the back, and the theatre seat I was sat on wasn’t playing ball either, it must have all looked like a badly performed circus act or entry into some freak show.

I’d rather not think about that day but it’s all that comes to mind whenever someone mentions her. The Satellite Destroyers moved onto the encore as the night was drawing to a close. The crowd were chanting along every word to the bands most known song ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you’. It was only at that moment that I began to realise how underprepared I was for an event like this. I mean, I knew the song and all, but, I wasn’t a major fan like everyone else seemed to be. Ty certainly was a fan, he was belting out each line with pure heart-stricken emotion like a patriotic sports fan singing their national anthem.

“TY, I’M JUST GOING TO GO FOR A WALK” I’m not sure he heard every word but he nodded nonetheless, trying to not get distracted as the chorus and base drop was approaching. To be quite frank, I had had enough; my ears were in agony, my feet killed, and my mind was racing all over the place. I needed air and quickly, I felt like I was about to pass out. I stumbled, and fumbled across the muddy field – trying to keep my newish shoes out of deep muddy puddles – towards the three central catering caravans; one ice cream, one drinks and one festival food like burgers and hot dogs. I wasn’t in the mood for ice cream or anything hot so I continued my fumbling and stumbling over towards the fizzy drinks cooler. I picked out a can of fizzy orange, and brought it to the counter with my head focussed on the floor which was even damper from where previous customers had stood.

I slid my back off and searched for my wallet. I couldn’t find it – but I was sure it would be there somewhere. It became unbelievably undignified, I realised; a young teenage boy on all fours on a muddy field, with one hand holding his forehead in pain and the other frantically looking for a one pound coin in a wallet I couldn’t find – I must’ve looked insane – certainly not my finest public moment. A queue of rowdy rock-loving concert-goers began forming behind me. I finally found two fifty pence coins in the front pocket of my bag; I must’ve left my wallet at home. I stood up and gathered myself together. “Next Customer please?” said a voice from behind the counter. It was angelic. I stood up ignorant as ever.

“Oh hi Malcolm, I didn’t know you were into this sort of thing”. I almost collapsed right there and then. I completely bypassed the fact that she was there, but she knew my name; Jackie Donaldson knew my name. I picked my jaw up off of the floor, I needed to act cool. ‘Come on pull yourself together Malc, you can do this’ the angel on my shoulder whispered, luckily for me there was no devil this time to contradict.

“Ye-yeah, I, um, yeah” It was as if I could hear the devil on my other shoulder return and begin to snigger at my cringey answer. “That’s one pound please” she stated after she saw the fizzy orange can in my hand. I put my hand out with the money. She put her hand in mine to receive the coinage. Her hands were so silky smooth and soft; dreamlike even. It was like I was shaking hands with a Pomeranian or high-fiving a cloud.

She looked as though she had something to ask “Listen, I’ve been meaning to speak to you actually, my shift ends in like five minutes, is there any chance you could wait for me?” What on earth was happening? Was this some sort of practical joke; was I to expect Ty to come round the corner with an air horn and yell at me in delight. It could’ve been a dream for all I know, I wanted so bad to pinch myself to make sure, but imagine how weird that would’ve looked in front of her if it did turn out to be real.

I waited for around about five minutes, like she had asked, but in all honesty I would’ve waited for days if I had to, I just wished I wasn’t being made a fool out of. I’m the kind of person that can easily be tricked; someone may have told Jackie that I like her and together they were pranking me, seeing how long I’d wait, what I’d do. My mind was about to explode with scenarios as to what could be happening.

Just as I was beginning to suspect something was up, she appeared, like a Hollywood film star; hair flowing in the wind as she opened the side door to the trailer. I got up and took her hand as she stepped down; ever the gentleman. I heard she likes people like that so I acted on impulse. We sat down on the nearest bench and she began talking with her angelic tone yet again.

“You may know, I’m going to Brunei at the beginning of next month.” I nodded sullenly, trying to hide my sadness, but at the same time curiosity was more prominent. “Well, how do I say this, I, I like you – I like you a lot in fact.” Oh. My. Goodness. Did she just say what I think she just said, or did I hear what I wanted to hear? “I overheard a conversation about you between Ty and someone else, and apparently you like me too.” I could kill Ty right now, but let’s see where this goes first. “I’ve been thinking maybe you’d like to go out with me? Next Tuesday, before I leave? If it goes well, we could keep in touch after I move away?” I smiled back at her “I’d like that”

She hugged me tight in delight and I hugged her back tighter. We knew this was right.