Girls Don't Know Jack

Soak It In

♫ I'm In Love With You - The 1975

Perched onto the tall cement stairs leading up to Wilcrest, I lean back into Jack Moody's chest from where I'm pressed in between his knees.

The warm sun beats down on me, reminding me summer is now just around the corner. Only a few days left of school—and for the first time in my life, I'm not sure I'm ready for the break.

Things have been good, too good. But I know better than to complain about a good thing, so I turn my head on Jack's chest. Lifting one finger, I trace the Wilcrest emblem etched into his pressed white shirt—a symbol he's finally a true Wilcrest student.

His dark eyes look down at me and he places a large hand onto the top of my head.

"Hey!" I grumble as he ruffles my hair. Scowling he laughs at my pouty face.

His white teeth flashing as he wrinkles his nose up, gifting my ears with the beautiful sound of his hearty laugh before tilting my head up to press his lips against my forehead.

Even now, after weeks tangled up with him, the gesture still brings my stomach fluttering to life.

I don't think I'll ever lose that—not with him.

"Ugh," Naila groans dramatically from where she sits on the cement step below us. "You all are so cute, I could throw up."

"Don't mention throw up around Molly," Jack teases me and I groan.

"You're never letting me live that down, are you?" I whine. Jack smiles smugly and shakes his head causing me to swat at his arm.

"Hello, love-birds," Jade sings with a stern face, her long legs skipping up the stairs.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I take in the pale hand clasped into hers. "I could say the same to you two," I retort referencing the red-head nestled into her side.

Sarah Johnson flushes a deep pink before Jade brings their entwined fingers to her lips, pressing a soft kiss onto her hand.

That was a plot twist I never saw coming. Not Jade being gay—that's been plastered across her forehead for years. But Emma's little minion, Sarah Johnson? Of all the girls in Wilcrest.

Although, after getting to know her the past couple of weeks, I'll admit she's not nearly as dastardly as I had thought.

And to my dismay, her side-kick Emma McKinney isn't so bad either.

Looking past my friends, I locate her signature blonde locks skipping down the sunny sidewalk. We lock eyes and I flash her a smile just as she lifts her hand to wave at me.

I thought I'd never see the day the two of us greeted each other with actual warmth.

But after some reflecting, and some harsh words Jade once spit my way, I realized our hatred for each other worked both ways.

I'll admit, I have no idea where our rivalry started. Was it something she said? Or something I did? The world may never know.

Although, the reality of the matter is I was just as hateful and despicable to her as she was to me. Maybe it was some deep-rooted jealousy, or maybe she really was a bit bitchy to me somewhere along the line.

The fact is, had we buried the hatchet a long time ago, both of our lives at Wilcrest would have been a whole lot easier.

At least we've come to that conclusion eventually.

"Boo!" a voice calls out, clamping down a hand on my shoulder.

With a giggle, I turn around to meet the dark haired girl, plopping down beside me and Jack.

"Hey, Tina!" I sing to her and she beams.

"Guess what!" she exclaims to the group. We meet her with arched brows before she flashes a wide smile, displaying a row of shiny pearly whites.

Jumping forward, I grip onto her arms. "Your braces! They're gone!"

Tina smiles, nodding her head wildly before running her tongue along their smooth surface.

"No way—let me see!" Naila cries, grabbing onto the girl to turn her around as they begin to shriek with glee.

Smiling again, I rest my head back onto Jack's chest, soaking in the sun and admiring all of my friends together, in harmony.

Wilcrest has been nice lately—not only is my friend group getting along seamlessly, but our melding pot of mismatched friends seems to be infectious.

Who knew, you mesh a few cliques together, the popular crowd with a couple of nerds and an outcast, and suddenly the social hierarchy falls to the wayside.

The girls of the 'Crest are intermingling, like posses have lost all meaning. And not to mention, with the retirement of the school gossip Tina Parker, things have been remarkably quiet.

Sometimes I think I miss the drama, but then I bite my tongue. I've learned my lesson—I'm no longer taking for granted the good things in my life.

And things are good; I'll just enjoy that for now.

A shrill bells sounds from inside the halls of Wilcrest, our cue to enter the halls, snap back into the reality of classes and finals.

Jack's firm hands lean me forward, so he can stand. Stretching his long legs, he extends a hand to help me up. As I brush the dirt off from my pleated skirt, he smirks at me.

"What?" I ask narrowing my eyes at him.

"Nothing," he lies with a smug smile, looking down at me with heavy lashes. I shake my head as he pulls me in for a hug, resting his chin on the top of my head, bodies rushing past us to enter the school.

Dropping his arms, he laces his hand into mine to follow after the others into the building.

"Hey, don't forget tonight," he warns. "You're still coming by for dinner at my house, right?"

I nod.

"Good, because we're celebrating," he tells me holding open the heavy wood door for me to walk through.

My nose wrinkles up at him. "What are we celebrating?" I ask.

Jack shrugs. "Life, living—anything we want," he explains. "What's not to celebrate?"

Shaking my head I smile at him, my eyes adjusting to the dim lighting of the Wilcrest corridor.

"My mom's making your mom's alfredo," he states with wide eyes and then wrinkles his nose. "It won't be any good—you've been warned."

I break into a laugh as he drops my hand sauntering off down the hall for his first class of the day. And while I should get going to mine too, I stand and watch his long body shuffle down the hall.

My teachers have accepted long ago, Molly Clark will be late to class; might as well stop and enjoy the view while I'm at it.