Jessica Jones

     “Wouldn’t be HERE if I didn’t,” he mumbled as he stood, he held back from kicking back at her – he’d rather keep his body parts today. Clearly still irritated with himself for even bothering to sit in front of her door for however long he had. Bill wasn’t one to keep track of time. It was an illusion that he wasn’t going to conform to like EVERYONE else.

      “HERE. Take it so I can go. You’re not the only one with THINGS to do. And I don’t want to end up like that elevator door,” again, Bill was avoiding looking at her as he took the money out of his wallet. If she could get under his skin through texts, he didn’t want a repeat of the other night in person. Jessica was trying to RUIN him – or at least that’s how it felt. FELT. Damn it. No feelings, Bill! STOP. His annoyance with himself showed as he waved the money in front of her.

For once Bill wasn’t playing his usual games, aside from the waiting like the dog. And even that didn’t sit well with her. Something about him wasn’t adding up. He bothered to wait five hours? When he could have just easily slipped the cash under the door and called it a day. Red flags. “Oh yeah?” She questioned. Jess would have preferred him to leave, as she always did. But for him to agree left a weird taste in her mouth. 

“Dying to know what had you choosing to sit around this shit hole instead. Was it the breathtaking view, or the company that kept you away from whatever the hell it is you do all day? Bet it wasn’t the peach down there,” she gestured behind her. The woman in 302 needed her teeth knocked in. 

The spike in Jess’ anxiety was evident, and it’s why Tia didn’t try and press further. But she couldn’t help it. She required answers to her questions, how else would she help, get to the root of the problem? It was almost a shame she knew Jess well, the more Tia pressed the more she pulled away. “Take the rest of mine,” she demanded, holding out her mug that still had a good amount left. A quiet sigh left her lips, more sad than anything. Not pity, not anger. Just sadness. Wishing one day she’d find some relief. That’s all anyone wanted for someone they cared about, right?

“Your mess is my mess, dear,” she teased, happy to keep playing along with the façade. Moving swiftly on from the questions. 

“Couldn’t have been because you have such a way with words.” She laughed, a rare, real laugh, happy someone else shared her sentiment about love and relationships, but it would never fool anyone else. Maybe they would work out after all, withstand the test of time. 

“Mm awful until you met me, thank you very much,” she corrected, giving her a warning look. Practicing. “I did. You’re terrible at planning,” she said plainly, “you could never plan a proposal. I debated the ol’ cliche of putting it in the bottom of champagne, but I knew y’d end up swallowing the ring.. or choking on it.” She smirked, eyes on the computer, mind wandering as she flipped through the pictures of resorts. “Drunk off rum from dinner… by the water.. just you and me. Simple. To offset the rest of the insanity that we are.”

“I could plan a proposal, Tee.” Jessica teased. They both knew what she was capable of, but the drive to complete a task was an insufferable roadblock in her path to success. “You’re right though, I’d probably drink the whole thing. What a pop question that would have been. A romantic ER visit.” 

Jessica hated going to the hospital. Then again, she didn’t know anyone who was thrilled to walk into the place as a patient. The wait alone could drive anyone insane. “Okay so, what? You get down on one knee? Or did you stay standing,” she poked fun at their obvious height difference. “You’d be staring up a treacherous mountain on a knee, but if you want my mess to be yours, holy matrimony would seal the deal.” 

There were WAY too many things going through Bill’s mind, right now. And not just random thoughts he was picking up from people walking by. Who the hell was this Jessica Jones? She tolerates him? Did she use the word FRIEND? Bill didn’t even know how to BE a friend. What does that word even mean to someone as old and evil tarnished as him? He was lost, was he? Was he? She was making him question SO many things and Bill had no idea how to fucking handle them.

     “Right. I’ll get it to you,” were the first words that he could blurt out in the confusion. Quickly finding his footing again, sort of, “I hate you too, by the way. You’re just fun to MESS with from time to time. Nice to look at. Though tonight’s fuck up wasn’t AS fun.” Bill sighed heavily, running a hand down his face before looking towards the closest bar. “You drive me NUTS, Jones. In too many ways. I’m going to get myself a couple bottles of the good stuff and disappear into the night. These people aren’t even worth it, tonight either,” what the hell did this woman just DO to him? 

“Yeah, well. Same. You drive me right out of my comfort zone. Grab me a bottle and scram.” She directed. Not that she had the ability to control anyone, but she certainly had a way to intimidate that hurt a whole hell of a lot. 

“I want the money by the end of this week. The rent’s past due already, and I can only hope I can talk the landlord into giving me a few extra days to get my shit together.” Jessica should have listened to that woman’s advice at the bank. Set aside half the check and pretend like it wasn’t there. Put it in a savings account and ignore it while it accumulated. For emergencies kind of like this one. 

     “Keep telling yourself that, beautiful,” the words came out of his mouth easily and so quickly that he didn’t really register the other stuff. Until he did. Throwing their now empty cups on a random table, Bill’s eye widened as his head turned to look around them for the guy he scared away. “Now WHY wouldn’t you mention that prick was who you were after? You just wanted to see this dumb look on my face, huh? Fuck.”

     “Not cool, Jones. NOT cool,” Bill ran his hands through his hair. There was that love/hate feeling again. Jessica could effortlessly rile him up and part of Bill thinks she enjoys it a little TOO much. And so did he. “When do you need the eight hundred by? I got a pay day coming up. I guess I…” he GAGS on the word, “OWE you.” 

Let it be known – or NOT, people don’t need that kind of power over him, HE’S the one that’s supposed to have the power – that Jessica Jones was the ONLY one who has ever gotten Bill to this point. He felt weak and disgusted with himself. Visions of heavy drinking and passing out somewhere random were suddenly coming to mind.

“So help me god, if we’re not even by the end of this..” Jessica trailed off, staring intensely at him. Whatever chaos rituals he preformed naked in the dark alleyways were not doing spectacular work for him. They certainly came to the right outcome, but not in the way one would hope to get there. The little she understood about chaos magic was that it was just that... chaotic and uncontrollable. It wasn’t his fault he ruined her investigation. It was hers for not beating his ass, as he so kindly put it before. Like most everything in her life, she was the reason for her messes.

“Consider it pay back for a few things. Including her bracelet, which means a lot more to me now that it’s gone forever.” She pondered. Another drink was needed. Something stronger than the beer offered around these festivities. Somewhere alone, where she could drink to forget another day. And hopefully at the end of it all, she’d somehow make up for the loss of money. “I hope you know I hate you. But I tolerate you, because I feel sorry for you. But I realize as much as I hate it, you need a friend. Because you are just as lost as me.” Jessica needed to clarify, before he jumped off a building from excitement. 

     “A dick that you seem to not hate enough to beat on! I take that as a WIN. And I love winning,” Bill flashed her another grin before downing the beer she pretty intentionally tried to spill all over him. He may not be able to read her mind but he knew her body language pretty well. That glare she gave him only made him even more…intrigued by her. 

     “And hey! I APOLOGIZED for that bracelet thing! I NEVER apologize. This was back when we didn’t even know each other and I gotta make money somehow. It was just business, Jessie. You’re breaking my dead heart with that face. Stop it,” of course the sarcasm was evident. Though Bill really did apologize for the bracelet debacle.

Maybe it’s cause she keeps being around him and the one night things got a little more physical between them than he ever thought would. It was pure hate sex and it was BRILLIANT, he couldn’t deny that. “What are you even doing out and about when all these lame tourists are making a mess of things? Clearly it’s not beating on drunk, hands-y ones,” he asked the question, though he was already thinking of how he could get some money out of the unsuspecting idiots.

“Mistakes happen... like Miami,” Jessica inferred. “I’m happily married now,” Jessica told him, and although she had no ring to show off for the fake proposal, she still flashed off her empty hand. “This one wasn’t a mistake. This one was very intentional.” She told him. Of course it was for the spa, but the idea alone was sort of keeping her moving with momentum the last few days. 

“Billy, you’re not my type.” Jessica’s words feeling like deja vu at this point. “How many times do we need to talk about it? If I had to hear that twice from someone I’d want to bury my head in a hole. But you seem to thrive off the negative attention.” Which was probably why that one night ever happened. Jessica had been known to make questionable choices. And so she added another bad choice to her list and chugged the rest of her gross beer, handing him the empty cup. 

     “Hey! There is no way THIS face passes for a toddler! Look at this jawline! Look at this facial hair!” Bill didn’t let anyone easily fluster him, but Jessica had that ability. She had a lot over him. He hated it, and yet he loved it. Call it what you will. It was refreshing for him to have a person like her in his life. In all his years of living – TOO MANY – it didn’t happen often.

     “Make it TWO cheap beers, gorgeous,” he blew a kiss in Jessica’s direction but was speaking to the person behind the stand. Or was he? No one will ever know. “Does it really bother you THAT much that someone would step in and defend your honor, Jessie? You should be happy it was ME and not some other creep. Though I would’ve LOVED to see you break that dudes arms for touching you,” there was a glint in his eyes, one that showed just how much he enjoyed chaos, and a grin on his lips.

“Then you should have stood there and let me do what I do best,” she said boldly, overlooking his flirtations. They were probably for the boy serving the drinks. Either way, he was one and done. “Oh goodie,” she said, handing him a ten dollar bill, receiving no change. How typical.

“I hope you enjoy your beer piss warm, Billy.” She relayed, as she took a swig of her own, swallowing hard in the midsts of the near-summer heat. “Thanks again for keeping me from a good time. I know it’s one of many life goals. That along with scamming me out of that bracelet I told you was priceless. You remember the one? Me too. It was my mother’s.” Jessica wished she hadn’t listened to him. But she had fallen on some tough times and needed a little cash in her pocket to hold her over for the week. Only meant to be a quick pawn and buy back, but that very rarely played out when one brought it to Billy. 

Tia considered it for a minute, taking a sip of her concoction. “Sneak in?” She’d done worse for less, her eyes lighting as an idea flashed in her mind, echoing on her face. “We can pretend we’re newlyweds, they’ll give us endless discounts. Free champagne. Chocolate.” She nudged her friend again as if she needed convincing, though she highly doubted Jess needed much convincing to lie for perks. “I need my kidneys for when you inevitably need one,” she quipped back, smiling sweetly. 

She narrowed her eyes, looking her friend up and down like she was considering it, ignoring the jab and obvious sadness behind it all. “One day, I can only hope.” There wasn’t much she could do, but be there and offer her help when and where it was necessary, but it didn’t mean she enjoyed watching her friend’s spiral. “If I see something I’m booking it.” She pulled the laptop in her direction, adjusting herself on the desk.

“Fancy? Since when would I give you something fancy… and I know you have no issues when it comes to burning things.” Her eyes dropped to the ashtray on the desk, but she had no room to talk. “It’s simple. But you need help, just call.” She knew it was a futile attempt, but at least it was out there that she could call anytime she needed to. “Have they gotten worse or stayed the same?” she asked, trying to stay casual as her eyes wandered the beautiful resorts and spa getaways. “Maybe something spurs them on. Has to be some common link between them.”

The mantra was usually trick enough to ward off the visions. Hallucinations? She wasn’t even really sure what they were at this point. Residual energy that stirred in place like a vortex. “Not drunk enough for this,” she said as she slid open the bottom drawer again for a look see. But she already knew she was dry. “I don’t know.” She mused, “I would say they gradually get worse. Rarely are they better.” Jessica started, but that was as far as she wished to go. “I don’t want to dig into this bullshit right now Ti. I know you mean well, but this is just...” 

“--It’s my own mess. The less you know, the better.” She stated firmly. She couldn’t risk it with Tia. No matter how many rabbits she pulled out of that magic hat of hers. 

Ivy raised her eyebrows at the question. “Actually,” she began with a sigh, tying a string around the box of pastries into a neat bow, “It was my fault. Mostly. So I suppose you’re right.” 

“Not so sure I deserve to have fun though,” Ivy leaned against the table, staring out over the water. “I really hurt him.” She turned, giving the other a genuine smile, appreciating at the woman’s honesty. “Thanks, that means a lot, actually.”

“Girl time isn’t just about having fun, it’s about remembering how to be okay with yourself.” Though, she had seen plenty of guilty people to know she was being too hard on herself. “People hurt people all the time, doesn’t make it better, or right. But life carries on, and you move forward. Supposed to... make you stronger or something. I don’t know. I was never good at the whole letting go thing myself...” She covered the truth with a smile.

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head, pulling out a cigarette as if to ride her point home even more, holding the pack out to Jess in offering. Might as well sin together. “I’m sure my mama rolls in her grave every day.” It was probably better she had been gone for years. Tia couldn’t imagine having to explain half her life to her mother, let alone the choices she made almost daily, specifically lately. She needed a cleanse. Body, heart, and soul.

“Warm?” she scrunched her nose and made a noise of disgust, eyeing the bottle that had come from a drawer. Basically empty as Jess poured it into her cup. “Give me that,” she demanded as she waved her hand requesting the bottle, standing up and going to dispose of it, and more importantly wanting it out of her companion’s hands. Though she knew full bottles littered the place. ‘As well as the recycling bin,’ Tia thought as she passed the overflowing can, pouring herself the aforementioned orange juice and adding the last little remaining gulp of vodka. 

“Cheers!” she offered overly cheerful as she made her way back over, clinking their mugs and taking an experimental sip. Not terrible, she’d had worse, thankfully the orange juice was cold. She plopped down on Jess’ desk this time, never shy to make herself at home, eyeing the paperwork. “And I thought my desk was bad.” She couldn’t make heads or tails of anything, assuming it was client info, raising her eyebrow at her friend’s rambling. “Oddly enough I was just thinking I needed a cleanse, going back to that. Let’s do it. Real fancy though. All out, the works.” If they were gonna do it, they had to do it right. 

“You don’ need me for drugs,” Tia chided, pulling the things she brought from her jacket pocket, holding up each one as she explained. “Light this. At least thirty minutes before sleep. Or whatever you do that closely resembles sleep.” Seriously, the girl in front of her was paler than a ghost. “These go under your tongue. Let it dissolve.” She smirked, nudging her with her foot. “You can pretend that’s drugs if you want. Try to clear your head. Sober mind.” 

While Tia was away snooping and fetching her glass of OJ, Jessica flipped open her laptop. Drinking down the terrible vodka like it were a necessary cough medicine, she began typing away for the fancy resort. All the results costing anywhere between 200 a night to 700. A steep price for some relaxation, but if she knew any better she’d say it sounded like a scam. “Well, I don’t know how fancy you’d like to get, Tia darling, but looks like it’ll cost a pretty penny. Maybe if we both sell a kidney.” She took another mouth full.

Tia probably knew what she was doing when it came to the witchy things, however she never tried them without a glass of alcohol at her aid, so there was no real telling how well they worked. Jessica trusted her either way, though it took them years to grow close enough to warrant it. 

She smirked with Tia’s nudge. “Sober mind? Do I look like the sober type?” She gave her a smile, forced and awkward, almost painful in presentation. “You wanna see what you can find? All these spas are out of my price range,” Jessica offered, turning the laptop around.