Girls Don't Know Jack

Jealousy's a Disease, Get Well Soon

♫ space for you - Avenue Beat

Monday morning and Jack Moody's return is the talk of the halls. Dozens of relieved Wilcrest Academy girls stare longingly at the dark brooding boy, grateful to have their eye candy to ogle over for a while longer.

At our lunch table, Jade stares back in disgust. "These girls need to get a grip," she grumbles before kicking out her foot to nudge Naila.

The small girl slumps against the plastic gray table, fists pressed into her cheeks as she drools over Jack's long body sauntering through the lunch line.

As Jade's foot connects with her shin, Naila jumps, brushing the spittle from her chin as she refocuses on us both. "What? I wasn't staring."

With a small smile, I look down at my tray, poking at the few stray grapes left on it.

Just then, a thump sounds across from me. The sight of a matching cream tray slides onto the table top as my eyes graze up to take in the source.

Expecting another intrusion by Tina Parker, my mouth gapes open as I'm met with a pleasant surprise—Jack Moody.

He stares back with slightly raised brows as my throat grows dry.

"Uh—hey," he mutters taking a quick glance over at my friends. Naila stares back with wide brown eyes. "Is it cool if I sit here?"

"Yes," Naila states too quickly. And I plaster on a smile shaking my head as Jade shoots me a look of confusion.

To be fair, I hadn't filled them in on the details of Friday night, so this is probably coming across as even more of a shock to them both.

While we normally aren't the type to keep secrets—mostly on account of my inability to keep anything to myself, Jack had asked me not to mention his mother's condition. And I didn't trust myself to recount the night while omitting that detail.

"Cool," Jack mumbles staring down at his tray, but then his head jerks back to me. "Hey, your hair. You fixed it."

Nervously, I run a hand through it. Over the weekend, my mom took me to her salon; they had to chop it off above my shoulders, but after a few hours and an attempted dye job back to my old color, my hair is mostly salvaged.

"It looks good," he tells me with a half-smile before focusing back on his food.

The compliment flushes my cheeks. Jack Moody said I look good.

Satisfied, I look around to make sure others saw that too. And to my enjoyment, Emma McKinney glares at me from her usual seat in the cafeteria. Her blue eyes are burning daggers into me.

I flash her the widest smile I can muster and she turns around in a huff, her friend Sarah wrapping an arm around her shoulder to console her.

This is the best day of my life.

A loud bickering across the large room catches all of our attention, as we turn our heads in unison towards the scuffle.

"To the left!" Tina Parker roars. "Your left! What are you, daft? Center it!"

Two small girls stand on their tippy toes, arms stretched above them trying to hold up a large banner decorated with hearts.

"What is that about?" Jack asks wrinkling his nose.

"Oh, the sweethearts' dance is this Friday," I explain, as it's the same every year.

Naila pokes her curly dark head towards the boy. "Are you going?"

He pulls his head back before shaking it slightly. "No, I don't think that's my thing."

Probably a good idea. The last time a boy showed up to a Wilcrest dance was two years ago when Naila brought her cousin. And we all formed a line to take turns dancing with him.

And that kid had head gear and scoliosis. So, I can only imagine the reaction Jack would receive.

"But you could pick a date," Naila says with hopeful eyes. Her blatant desperation pains me—it's a good thing she's cute or this would be a pitiful display. "It could be fun."

Jack blinks a few times at the wide-eyed girl before saying, "Yeah, I don't think so. I'll leave that to you all."

"Well, we already have our dates," Jade states proudly. At Jack's blank stare, she explains, "We three go together every year."

I nod in agreement. We've done it since seventh grade—all plan our dresses to coordinate and end the night swaying to One Direction. It's a good time, all things considered.

More importantly, it's tradition.

"You all are useless!" Tina Parker barks as the banner comes tumbling down onto her comrades' heads. In a huff, the girl stomps off out of the double doors of the cafeteria just as the bell sounds.

A groan falls from Jade's mouth as she stands, her dark blue chair screeching on tiled floor beneath her. "Come on Naila, we have Chem."

The two bounce off out of the cafeteria, Naila looking comically tiny next to Jade's tall frame.

"Guess we should get to class, too," I mutter, rising. Jack follows me out, dropping off our trays before exiting into the hall.

"Hey," Jack calls out, turning towards me. "I was going to ask—we have that history test tomorrow. Would you want to maybe study...together?"

My eyes snap wide and my stomach does a somersault. Jack Moody is asking to hangout with me.

"Uh—yeah, no. For sure," I stutter trying to play it cool. All the while, my hands are clammy with sweat and my knees feel all wobbly.

"Okay, cool," he says kicking the toe of his converse into the shiny floor. "Uh—I'll come by your house tonight, then?"

"Yes." I stare back at him, unable to contribute anything further to the conversation. But then, the cafeteria doors swing back open and I see Emma McKinney step into the hall, eyeing the two of us.

So, I reach out a hand to grab onto his elbow. "That sounds great. I'll see you later then," I say before adding a little louder. "At my house."

Jack scrunches his face at me but then smiles a bit before nodding his head to mumble, "Okay, later." Then he brushes past me, heading off to class.

Emma McKinney stands frozen in her tracks, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at me. Tilting my head, I beam at her and then flip my fresh, new brown bob before strutting past her.

My shoulder connects with her arm, harshly and I hear her scoff at me, but I don't stop walking.

I'm on cloud nine. Nothing can stop me today. I made Emma McKinney jealous.

This is my peak.