Jumbled Heartaches

Freedom

Ian

I study Zoe and Dylan interacting, and then I shrug.

"He doesn't like her." 

"Correct, just like you don't like me." Jenny says.

My eyes snap onto hers immediately. 

"What?" 

She smiles, shrugging.

Holy shit.

To see her smiling like that...

I can see her lips moving, but I can't hear a word she's saying.

She's incredible.

Her eyes are different, and if possible, they're even better than they were before.

The familiar, vibrant blue is now shining with happiness.

She looks better than she has in all the time I've known her.

The words leave my lips without me meaning them to.

"You are so beautiful, Jenny."

Her words cut off, and then she starts laughing.

"What?" I ask. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because I don't think you heard a word I was saying." She says, smiling widely.

"No, I didn't." I say. I feel bad. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying that Dylan looks at Zoe the way that you look at me. And on top of that, you just wrote a song about me."

I scowl, but I'm smiling.

"The song wasn't about you, it was-"

She just stares at me, blinking.

I laugh.

A real, genuine laugh.

I don't remember the last time I had one.

She giggles.

Principal Custer taps the microphone.

"It's situations like that, that end so positively, that keeps me doing this job. That keeps me proud to do this job. This is the outcome we want for every student at this school."

He drones on and on about the school, and I ignore him, watching Jenny listen to every single word he's saying.

My, she is beautiful.

He drones on and on, and suddenly, everyone is cheering, and I feel Aunt Amelia squeezing my shoulder.

"You won! You won!" Jenny says, clapping. I snap out of it and stand up, Dylan following me.

There isn't an award, but you are supposed to sing another song.

Dylan and I shake Principal Custer's hand.

"Now I'll give them the stage for their last song." He says.

He walks off.

Dylan doesn't know the one we're singing.

I wrack my head for any thoughts.

It clicks.

Jenny

"You like him." I hiss to Zoe.

"What?" She looks at me. "No I don't."

Her entire face is red, but I'm smiling.

See, Zoe is here because she was raped as a child and she's been having bad nightmares.

So for her to like a guy is a huge deal.