A/N: I would like to apologize for taking what is essentially a 3 year hiatus. I have just gotten wrapped up with life and lost my interest in writing. And lately I have been feeling lost in life and kinda struggling with my own things. I'm hoping writing will help me relieve some stress. And I plan to (hopefully) continue updating this story, even if its just for my own mental health. I also would like to thank anyone who is currently reading, or has even made it this far, I have re-read all the previous chapters and I understand there are many mistakes, and poor writing, so thanks for making it this far. The concept of this story is my favorite, which is why I wanted to pick it back up.
And finally I'd like to give a bit of a recap for those who were as lost as I was: Jackie is a junior, and the only girl in an all-boys school: Marshall's School for Boys. There she is the star starting quarterback, which happens to be the reason she goes to Marshall's. Jackie swore off Marshall's boys after catching her first love, J, or Jordan Beaker, cheating on her. He is the pitcher and star batter on the baseball team. J did wind up badly injured "down there" after being matched against Jackie in a gym class for a wrestling match, she then later decided to forgive him and try to rebuild their friendship. She was then paired against a soccer player, Bryan, for a wrestling match, who she then went camping, swimming and making out with that very night (moving a bit fast, are we, Jackie?). Now Bryan is out of town for at least a week, due to the passing of his great aunt, after already losing his brother to cancer, and getting a butterfly tattoo in his memory. Jackie understands this feeling as her father was killed when she was 10 to a hit and run. Jackie is now at a party with her two best friends from Marshall's, Matt (who happens to be gay, but shhh, no one at Marshall's is supposed to know) and Donte. Knox McGuire, another baseball player, tried to grind with her, and J was way too friendly while trying to apologize for Knox. Jackie then reminded him they were not back together and she and Matt quickly returned to the dance floor. And we continue…
I balance my lemonade as best as I can, trying not to spill too much as I navigate the thumping crowd of sweaty teenagers. Matt and I see Donte from across the room, he already has a thin girl with amazing eyebrows grinding with him. He looks to be enjoying himself, so I lead Matt to a table in the back by the wall.
"God, why can't people just leave me alone?"
"I have no idea Jackie, I'm sorry, did I tell you I never liked that guy?"
"You may have mentioned it," I say with a soft smile. I start to think if it was a mistake to forgive J, that he would just try to pick up where we left off, and maybe that was a mistake, but he was so darn cute, and I secretly love the way he says my name, and the look in his eyes when he said he would "take care" of Knox. But I can think about all this some other time, like I already do when I try to fall asleep, worry about stuff and regret decisions I've made. Tonight is for fun. I swallow the last big gulp of lemonade. "Damn, I need something stronger than this," I say as I gesture to the empty cup, "I'll be right back."
I find my way back to the kitchen, I peek around the corner, hoping to god J is gone. And to my delight, the kitchen is empty. I peruse the bottles. I'm not feeling like a want a vodka hangover tomorrow in Pre Calc. Beer is just gross, and who knows what in the hell is in this "fruit punch." I grab the lemonade bottle and decide to go all bartender, I put a splash of rum in the bottom of my cup, which has "Jackie" sprawled on the side in black sharpie, then I top the plastic cup with the lemonade, nearly finishing the bottle as I watch the two liquids mix together, and pool up near the surface. I'm putting the cap back on the bottle when someone walks up right next to me.
"Sure you don't want something stronger? Make it a really fun night."
I look up, Knox is well over six feet tall, with a muscular build, like a lot of guys from Marshall's which always makes me feel tiny, even though I'm average height.
"Hey, I'm just kidding, Jack."
I smile at him, trying to be polite, but also trying to leave ASAP.
"Listen," he says as he opens himself a beer, "I talked to J. And I am now abundantly aware that my actions were both unwarranted and inappropriate." Marshall's doesn't just give you a hot bod, bulging muscles and confidence, it gives you the intellect to be as smooth and swanky as you desire to be. "I am truly apologetic for my actions, I hope you can find it inside yourself to forgive me." He flashes me a smile that could be mistaken for an arrogant smirk, as he takes a swig from his can.
"Sure. Okay." I just want to get out of this kitchen.
"I have learned from my mistakes, hands on your ass equals elbow to my ribs, which is not something I would like to endure twice."
"You won't have to if you keep your hands to yourself, Knox."
"I understand that. It's just very hard for me to control myself around someone so beautiful, in a polo. Let alone that little number," I feel him trail his eyes down to my toes and back up to my eyes, then he bites his lip, as though restraining himself.
Part of me really wants to say something sassy. Give him hell for treating me like a piece of meat. But, I'm unable to muster the courage and instead I just look away and mumble, "Thanks, well I better go find my fri-" before I finish, he apologizes, again overstating how inappropriate his actions are in an advanced English class kind of way.
"It's fine, but I really should go."
"No, no. Please, let me make it up to you. Can I make you a drink?"
"No, I have one, thank you," I lift the glass in his direction for emphasis, and turn to walk away.
"Jack come on, I make a mean redneck margarita," he grabs my arm and pulls me back harder than I expected, simultaneously, my heel gets stuck in the grout between two floor tiles. I essentially trip backwards, but manage to catch myself before actually falling. Knox grabs my other arm hard too, which helps me regain my balance, but not my cup. My fresh dirty lemonade falls to the ground. The liquid spills across Daniel's kitchen floor, and the cup bounces away. "Shit, I'm so sorry Jackie, I totally didn't mean that. I can make you another one, what were you drinking?"
"Knox, it's fine, I wasn't that thirsty anyway. I just need like some paper towels or a mop or something."
"Yeah, yeah, of course. I'll take care of it." He exits the kitchen, and I take a breath of relief as I finally have a moment alone. I pick up the cup, and drop it sadly into the trash can, wishing Daniel's family recycled.
"Oh perfect." Knox returns with a mop, significantly too small for his massive size. I reach my hand out to take it from him, but he refuses. "Come on dude, it's my drink, I can at least clean it up."
"Jackie, don't let my assery mislead you, I'm a feminist. I got it."
He said it with a perfect mix of sarcasm and believability that I couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Finally!" He said with enthusiasm, "I knew there was a side of you that was fun."
"What are you talking about? I'm tons of fun, you don't even know me."
"Yeah, I guess you're right, I don't know you. But to be honest with you Jackie, I think everyone at Marshall's thinks they know you pretty well. You always know the answer in English class, I've been to football games, you're amazing, J always said nice things about you. I always figured you were just kinda a goody-two-shoes. As a matter of fact, I think this is the first party I've seen you at since you and J split."
"I didn't realize you followed my life that closely, Mr. McGuire. And for the record, I never knew you to be anything more than a halfway decent baseball player, that happens to have an affluent Dad who has had the extra cash to donate to Marshall's for years. Just a kid who copies off other papers in English whenever you don't feel like actually working, and uses and takes advantage of girls for your own motive."
He finishes cleaning up the mess, and grabs two new cups from the stack, "Oh, so it seems we have both made assumptions about each other. However, I know at least one thing you don't know about me, I make some killer mixed drinks. Why don't we make tonight the last night we judge each other before we really know each other, give me the chance to show you I'm not as bad of a guy as you may think."
"Fine," I agree, only because I know I have been gone a while and soon either Matt or Donte will come looking for me, and bail me out. Or worse comes to worst I at least get another drink.
Before I know it Knox is hard at work filling the two cups with the contents from multiple different bottles, we chat a bit about the party, who's who, and what kinda gossip we know about some of the patrons. He seems to be wrapping up and just asks me to grab the salt and points to the spice cabinet. Apparently Knox has a pretty good layout of the kitchen and the house because Daniel's mom throws a lot of the pasta dinners for the baseball team.
I turn to the spice cabinet, and root through the bottles as Knox tells me a story about some rumor he heard that the social studies teacher does slam poetry on the side. I find the salt shaker and hand it to him. He finally stops with the story. Thank the lord.
He pours some salt into the two cups from several feet above, as though he's in coyote ugly. "Ta-Da," he yells with enthusiasm, "try that, sister," and hands me one of the cups.
I'm just about to tell him that it's actually pretty good, when Matt and Donte walk in, with a worried look. They immediately start bombarding me with questions. I reassure them everything is okay, and they suggest we leave. "No, we've hardly danced and I haven't even had one drink. Let's just go dance a bit more, I'll finish this drink, and then we can go, and won't we home by 12?"
They both reluctantly agree, I thank Knox for the drink and apologize for judging him. And he apologizes too for the dancing and spilling my drink.
I follow my friends back toward the music. Taking big sips, wishing I had paid more attention to what he put in so I could make it again on my own. The salt or something gives it a weird aftertaste, but it works. We move into the huge mass of kids and I start swaying to the music, I start to feel warm, and almost feel like I mesh into the group and we are all just one big mass. I close my eyes and dance, I feel really happy for a while, before it all fades away.
Thanks again for reading!
Be nice to one another,
Forevernever33