Chapter 6 #3
Snagging her around the hips, Jack drew her flush up against his chest. Her smile broke through her control. Fuck, that glow on her face made his heart ache. He wanted to give her a life where only good things happened to her so that smile could never falter.
“You did have me going for a second,” he confessed. His lips bent down to brush against hers without claiming them. “Who the fuck is Enrique?”
She shrugged. “No clue. I didn’t think about the Sesame Street character theme until I saw the trash can.”
Jack shook his head, making their noses rub against the other. “Fuck, I love to see your smile.”
“Even when I’m smiling while making fun of you?”
His lips touched the tip of her nose. “Especially then. Don’t ever be afraid to smile at my expense, Jen.” His right hand trailed up her side, over her shoulder, and up her neck to cup the side of her face. “And for the record, I think I make a better bodyguard than an imaginary elephant.”
Her lips widened. Their eyes bore into the other’s like they were trying to see deep into the other’s soul. “I am currently hiring for the position.”
“Yeah?” His grip on her hip tightened. “I’ll write up my resumé.”
Jenna tipped her face closer, talking against his lips. “What’s your work experience?”
Before Jack could respond, a car backfired in the parking lot. Jenna jumped but Jack’s hold on her kept her steady. With a resigned sigh, Jack kissed her forehead and then stepped back. “It’s so easy to forget the rest of the world exists in your arms.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I feel the same way.”
“Let’s go get my sister before we get arrested for PDA or indecent exposure.”
Jenna’s eyes widened and her face flamed so bright that it clashed with her orange hair. “Jack! You can’t say things like that!”
“Why not?” he asked. “I’m completely serious, Jenna. You’re too tempting for your own good. I’ve been a raging pile of hormones all day.”
Her eyes cast downwards, which Jack did not like. He wanted her eyes on him. “I’ve never… I mean, I don’t…” She took a deep breath before saying out in a quick rush, “You’re the first boy I’ve kissed. I’ve never…with anyone.”
As soon as Jack understood what it was she was struggling to say, his shoulders sagged slightly.
He felt bad about her embarrassment, though he also felt that it was unwarranted.
He reached out, brushing the pad of his thumb against her hot cheek.
“Sweetheart, you and I are in the same boat. You’re the first girl I’ve kissed too. ”
Her eyes widened in shock, snapping up to his. “Really?”
Jack nodded. “And if I have my way, you’ll be my last.”
Her skin flushed brighter, but a different type of heat lit up her hazel eyes. “I want that too,” she said softly. “I just… I find it hard to believe… A guy like you…”
“A guy like me?” he questioned back.
“Come on, Jack. You have to know how beautiful you are. Girls were staring at you all day.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Pretty sure they were staring at you. Regardless, I’ve never felt even a fraction towards them what I feel for you.
” He framed her face between his hands. “And just so we’re perfectly clear, Jenna Elizabeth Scanlon, when we do decide to take that next step, it will be because we want to, because it’s right for us.
I want you, make no mistake on that, but there will never be any pressure for us to go further.
Ever. It takes as long as it takes.” He leaned down, pressing his lips gently against hers.
“There’s no one else in this relationship so we’re all that matters. Understand?”
Her face bobbed up and down between his hands. “Thank you. I mean, I wasn’t sure what to think. We kinda…”
“Jumped into this thing with both feet without looking?”
She giggled. “Yeah.” Reaching up, she gripped his wrists, holding onto them tight like they were the safety bar keeping her from falling over the edge of a steep cliff.
“I appreciate you saying all that, Jack. I really do. Because as much as I want you too,” her cheeks flamed, “I also know that I’m not ready. I know most of our peers are—”
“Fuck our peers.” Then he realized what he said and flinched. “Wait, that came out wrong.”
Jenna smiled widely. “It did, but I know what you mean. No one but us, right?”
“Right,” he concurred.
When he went to drop his hands from her face, Jenna steeled her grip. She spoke quicky, like she was afraid of losing her nerve. “Just because I’m not ready to sleep with you doesn’t mean I don’t want to keep kissing you.”
“There were a lot of ‘not’s in that statement, but I’m pretty sure you just said you want to keep kissing me.”
Jenna nodded enthusiastically.
He grinned. “Fuck, sweetheart, you have my permission to kiss me anytime you want.”
“Same,” she vowed.
Jack did just that, though he had to remind himself of where they were and keep it far too short for his liking. Pulling away, Jack took her hand. They walked into the elementary school together. Jack headed for the cafeteria.
Mrs. Zarin was standing outside talking with another teacher.
When she spotted Jack, she smiled and motioned for him to wait.
Jack pulled Jenna to a stop and watched as Mrs. Zarin said something to the other teacher, touched her arm, and then walked towards them.
The other teacher headed back inside the cafeteria.
A rush of young voices could be heard clearly until the door closed again.
“Jack, you’re early,” Mrs. Zarin said with a kind smile.
“Jenna got me out of detention,” Jack responded. He nodded between the two women. “Jenna, this is Mrs. Zarin, Lilly’s teacher. Mrs. Zarin, this is Jenna Scanlon, my girlfriend.”
A blush appeared on Jenna’s cheeks, though this time Jack wasn’t sure why. Jenna released Jack’s hand to hold out her right to Mrs. Zarin. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well.” Mrs. Zarin shook Jenna’s hand and then turned her attention back to Jack. “Can we speak a moment?”
“You can speak freely,” Jack told her. He reclaimed Jenna’s hand. “Jenna knows everything.” Well, not everything but he had no intention of keeping secrets from her. If they were going to go the distance Jack wanted them to, honesty and open communication were key. No topics could be off limits.
He’d seen what happened to relationships where secrets were kept and he refused to let that become him and Jenna.
Mrs. Zarin’s eyes glanced between the two of them, even dropping once to take in their clasped hands.
Jack wasn’t sure what she saw or was thinking, but there was caution in her eyes when they met his.
Like she was trying to quietly tell him not to move too fast, to be a teenager and have a teenage relationship.
Well, fuck that, Jack’s eyes replied. He didn’t care if what he felt was too soon, both for how little time he and Jenna had known each other as well as their young ages.
He wasn’t the sort to make rash choices or even to flip flop with decisions.
He knew from the moment their eyes had met that Jenna was the one.
It might be too soon to say the words to her, he’d admit that, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel them.
“Lilly had a bit of a hard day,” Mrs. Zarin finally said, breaking the silence. “Apparently, not even the youth of this town can be spared the rumor mill.”
Rage heated his blood. Jack cursed under his breath. “Who said what?” he growled out.
Mrs. Zarin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Why, so you can teach them a brotherly lesson? It will only make matters worse, Jack.”
“No one—” Jack started, but a pull on his arm drew him back. He hadn’t realized he’d taken a step forward towards Mrs. Zarin.
In a much calmer voice than Jack felt, Jenna asked, “What happened, Mrs. Zarin?”
Again, those eyes flashed between Jenna and Jack. Dropping her voice, she told them, “A little boy called Lilly a bastard and the daughter of a whore.”
Motherfucker… They were in fucking first grade! How did a little boy even know what those words meant? More likely, he didn’t and was only repeating what adults around him said. “Who?” Jack demanded to know.
“The boy has been punished and his parents informed of the situation,” Mrs. Zarin said sternly.
Jack growled in frustration. It didn’t matter if she held to her principles and refused to tell him. Jack would get the name out of Lilly once they were away from the school.
“Some good did come of the situation,” Mrs. Zarin pressed on. “A little girl stood up for Lilly. The two of them ate lunch together and played hopscotch together at recess.”
Well, that was something.
“That’s sweet,” Jenna said lightly. “So Lilly made a friend?”
Though her expression was happy, Mrs. Zarin looked a bit uncomfortable addressing Jenna in regard to Lilly. “I believe so.”
As pleased as Jack was that Lilly got a friend out of the situation, he was not going to let the little boy with a big mouth off the hook.
“Lilly also ate a full lunch,” Mrs. Zarin continued her report to Jack. “The cafeteria served brownies for dessert today. Lilly asked me for a baggie to save you some.”
Pride and brotherly love swelled inside him. Still, he said, “She shouldn’t be saving food for me.”
“She says you’re too skinny, Jack, and I agree.” Mrs. Zarin’s keen eyes narrowed slightly on him. “Did you eat lunch today?”
Jack shifted uncomfortably at the turn the conversation had taken. “I had an apple.”
“Half an apple,” Jenna muttered under her breath. Her displeasure was palpable.
Jack had to fight to keep the scowl off of his face. It was bad enough that he’d accepted the apple from her. He did not need or want Jenna paying for his meals. He wanted to be the one paying for her meals.
Mrs. Zarin straightened slightly and there was something like approval in her eyes now as she looked at Jenna.
That approval quickly fell to disapproval when her eyes shifted back to Jack.
“There’s more to life than the future,” she said carefully.
“Sometimes taking care of you now is more important than taking care of planning for the future.”
Jack felt a prickle at the back of his neck. Her words were hitting a little too close to home. He cleared his throat. “Is Lilly ready to go?”
“Ms. Hall went to get her. I asked her to give us a few minutes before she brings Lilly out.” It was obvious Mrs. Zarin wanted to say more but was allowing the subject change. “I hope you remember what I said this morning, Jack. It’s okay to ask for help.”
Jack nodded, biting his tongue. He appreciated Mrs. Zarin’s words of advice, but Lilly was his sister, his responsibility.
Mrs. Zarin gave him a tight smile, said it’s good to meet you to Jenna, and then walked back towards the cafeteria doors.
Jenna turned to Jack, knowing their remaining time alone was limited. “I like her.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed slightly. “She means well, but she doesn’t need to be so nosy.”
Jenna raised an eyebrow. “What happened to you putting your pride aside for the sake of your sister?”
He recalled saying something along those lines to her when they met on Saturday. “That hasn’t changed. I will do anything for Lilly. I meant what she said about me,” he clarified. “I appreciate her help with Lilly, but she doesn’t need to concern herself with me.”
“Because you’re all grown up and have your life figured out?” Jenna asked wryly.
Jack didn’t get a chance to respond. Which was good—because he had no good response. Lilly came bursting out of the cafeteria doors, shouting, “JENNA!!”
Jenna smiled, dropping Jack’s hand to catch Lilly up in her arms. “Hi, Lilly! How was your day?”
Jack just stood there as Lilly told Jenna about being the only kid in her entire class who remembered all her ABCs without missing a single letter. Then he tapped his little sister on the shoulder, getting her attention. “What am I, chopped liver?”
Lilly gave him a wide, toothy smile. “You smell like chopped liver.” She crinkled her nose adorably. “When was the last time you showered?”
“Why, you little—” Jack lunged for her. He deliberately moved too slow so Lilly could dodge out of his way.
Laughing uncontrollably, Lilly ran down the hallway.
Jack chased after her. He let her get as far as the sidewalk in front of the school before catching her and lifting her giggling, wiggling body up onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
He spun them around several times, making Lilly drop her backpack.
On his final spin, because he was the one of the two of them who was getting dizzy, he caught sight of Jenna walking calmly out of the school behind them.
Carefully, he brought Lilly back down to the ground.
The world was still spinning on its axis for him.
Her cheeks were flushed and the joy on her face made his dizziness worth it.
“Ready to go shopping for a winter coat?” he asked her, breathless. Maybe it was a good thing he’d only had an apple for lunch. If he’d had more, it might be on the ground by now next to her backpack.
Lilly nodded. Then, with more energy than Jack could ever hope to possess, Lilly ran towards his bike on the rack.
Jenna met up with him. “Can you walk?”
“Probably would fail a sobriety test right now, but yeah.”
Chuckling, Jenna bent to pick up Lilly’s discarded backpack. “Come on, you lush.” She looped her arm around his. “I’ll help you get to your bike.”
That night, all the gasoline out of Trevor Montgomery’s parents’ cars was syphoned, his bike tires went missing, and a wasp nest was left on their front porch.