Breaking Surface

Chapter Four

"You'll never believe who asked me to the Fall Ball!" Jill shrieked as she rushed up to Jack, who was stading by his locker. It was first thing in the morning of the next day and he was surprised to see her with so much energy, given that she usually resembled a slug in the morning (with all respect to slugs).

"Who?" he asked. It must have been someone big, or she wouldn't be so excited. "No..." he said as the realization dawned on him. She grinned widely and nodded. "Not Josh," he groaned.

"Yes, Josh!" she screeched, grinning and jumping up and down with excitement. "He called last night!"

"He has your number?" Jack couldn't remember her ever giving it to him.

"He has EVERYONE'S, Jack!" she said, as if it were the simplest thing on earth and it was ridiculous that he didn't know. "Duh!"

"But he just broke up with my sister!" He groaned. First, his sister. Now, his best friend... Josh sure was on a roll. "Why would he even ask YOU out?" he thought aloud.

"What do you mean?" she asked, instantly taking offense. "What are you saying, that I'm not popular or pretty enough to go out with him? That I'm some loser?"

"No, no, I just mean that HE'S a senior and YOU'RE a sophomore." He tried to fix what he had just said, but he was just making it worse. "I mean, he's two years older AND the star of the football team AND the most popular boy in school AND a surfer... he could have any girl in school, so why isn't he taking some, I don't know, cheerleader or something?"

"Oh, so I'm not good enough for him?"

"No, no, I just mean that..."

"Oh I get what you meant," she said, throwing daggers at him with her eyes. "Well, I'll see you at the dance. Unless, you know, he dumps me for some pretty cheerleader." She turned on her heel and stormed off, pushing through the hallway.

"Just wait!" he called after her, but she ignored him and kept walking. "Darn it," he muttered to himself. "Way to go, Jack."

***

That day at lunch Jill was nowhere to be found, and although he searched for her, Jack ended up eating alone. He knew he had messed up, but he just wanted the chance to apologize and make everything right again. He didn't understand why they had been fighting so much lately.

He really hadn't meant to offend her. He was just hurt that she would go to the dance with that jerk. He had actually been considering asking Jill to the Fall Ball himself, but when he chickened out he figured they would stay at home trying to beat each other on his Wii and eating pizza or something... or maybe not eating pizza, he wasn't sure if she could eat that or not. He still didn't quite understand the whole diabetes thing.

And now his least favorite person in the world, Josh Wellerman, was taking her to the dance.

Why would he even want to? Sure, she was smart and funny and pretty, but he was a full two years older than her and extremely popular. He had never shown ANY interest in her. He could just snap his fingers and a hoard of desperate and pretty girls begging him to be their date would come running up, no problem. So why pick Jill? Jack very much doubted that he would have left his sister for her. No, that was nearly impossible. There had to be something else.

And Jack was going to find out what.

***

"What do you think you're doing?" Jack demanded, having found Josh at the school's pool.

"Well, I think I was just about to show off my new dive to the ladieeeees," he responded smugly, winking and smiling as he waved to a group of attractive girls in their swimsuits at swim practice on the other side of the pool, who giggled and waved back.

"I mean with my sister. And best friend."

"Whatever do you mean, Jackie?" he asked, acting confused.

"You know exactly what I mean. What are you up to?" He shoved Josh slightly.

"Well, maybe I've just always been intimidated by you and wantednto distract you by messing around with the girls in your life to keep you from becoming more popular than me and winning the title of Ridgemont's hottie."

"Really?" Jack asked, confused. It was genius.

"No," he shrugged, and shoved Jack into the pool. Jack stumbled and fell backwards with a splash. "Because you are STILL a loser, Jackie, and you ALWAYS will be!" He laughed and walked away.

"Just watch yourself, Josh!" he yelled after him, treading water. "Leave Jill and my sister alone!"

"Don't count on it," he called back, not looking over his shoulder as he mounted the steps to the diving board.

***

Moments later, a sopping wet Jack pulled himself from, the pool. He stole one of the towels lying by the pool, wrapped it around himself, and sped off in search of Jill.

"Wow, get hot and go for a mid-day swim?" Jill laughed as Jack dripped his way towards her. "Or did the Lock Ness Monster pull you in?"

"More like the second one," he muttered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into s less-crowded section of the hallway. "Listen, you can't go out with Josh," he said bluntly.

"What?"

"You can't go out with him," he repeated.

"And why not?" she asked, irritated.

"Because he's a jerk!" he exclaimed. "He's just using you to try to get to me."

"Excuse me, but when did hid become about YOU?" she asked angrily.

"Listen to me, just don't go out with him, ok?" He didn't understand why she didn't comprehend how serious this was.

"Excuse me, but who the hell are you to tell me who I can and can't go out with? Who do you think you are?"

"Uh, I THINK I'm your best friend, and I THINK I'm trying to protect you."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a big girl now, and I can take care of myself. You think that just because I needed you when we were little kids that I can't, like, survive on my own without you? Well, newsflash: that was SEVEN years ago. I'm just fine now."

"If you were 'just fine' all these years than why have you kept me around? Huh?" he asked, furious.

She flushed slightly, looking both embarrassed. "I don't know," she said at last after a long pause. "But if that's the way you feel, then fine. Just go." She spoke quietly and evenly, all anger evaporating from her and being replaced by a cold sheet of pure hatred.

"What do you mean if that's the way I feel? You're the one who's being unreasonable! I just wanted to protect you from-"

"Just GO!" she interrupted loudly. The pure fury and sharp hatred in her voice hit Jack like a slap, only amplified so that it was projected throughout his entire body.

"Fine," he said calmly, blinking. "If that's what you really want."

She nodded, and he turned to walk away.