Jack Kelly x Reader

Chapter Eighteen

(y/n)'s POV

I was having fun at lunch, just hanging out with my friends and such. I was very involved in my conversations with the group, so I definitely flinched when someone tapped my shoulder.

I glanced behind me, even more confused to see Eric Jordan, a friend that I'd done a couple shows with, standing behind me.

"Hey, what's up?!" I stood up and hugged him quickly before pulling away. He grinned, glancing behind me for some reason. I tried not to let it bother me.

"Nothing much, I just haven't seen you in ages and wanted to talk to you. We need to do more shows together," he said enthusiastically.

"What, so you get an excuse to kiss me?" I teased. I swear, every casting director we had in common thought we had good enough stage chemistry to make us play love interests. Every single time.

"Oh please, maybe I just like having a friend I already know in a cast. Hey, are you auditioning for the Addams Family production at Middle Manhattan Theater?"

"I wasn't planning on it, I was gonna go for Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde at Holland Theater, but I'll go for that as a backup." I said, shrugging. Just in case I didn't get into Bonnie and Clyde, it would be pretty fun to do a show with Eric. We were close friends, and we did a lot of cool shows together before, even including an original straight play called Murder on 37th Street.

"That would be so cool! I'm gonna be going for Lucas, so if I get that you'll probably be Wednesday. I'll text you all the info for the audition, okay?" He looked down at me with a huge grin. It was times like these I remembered how short I was compared to him.

"Right on, bro. I'll be there," I finger-gunned as I spoke fondly to the tall boy.

"Cool beans. Well, I should be off to my friends, they're probably waiting. See you!" He pulled me into another hug and pulled away, waving as I sat down.

"Who the FUCK was that!" Albert asked, turning to watch Eric go. I rolled my eyes as dramatically as possible.

"That's Eric Jordan, good friend of mine. We've been in a bunch of shows together." I explained.

"That doesn't exactly explain the flirting, though," Davey chimed in, glancing at Jack who looked... unreadable. But there was something off about him, and that something may have been that he was avoiding making eye contact with me, instead staring intensely at the table.

"We weren't flirting, it's all in good fun." I tried to convince them, but obviously something had disrupted the peace, and I figured I knew where it would lead. A ship war, because of course. This had happened a couple times before, when everyone thought one person should be with different people.

"Why did you say the whole 'excuse to kiss me' thing then?" Crutchie asked, leaning forward. He didn't sound accusatory, thank god, just curious.

"All these casting directors think we have good onstage chemistry, so we always play love interests when we're in the same show. It doesn't help that we're good friends and that translates in the audition room or onstage, but it's just a factor. It's an inside joke at this point, since it's happened 6 times," I told him, glancing to Jack, who had brightened a bit, but still looked upset. Angry, even.

"Ooooh, fun! You still would be cute together though," JoJo said, giving my shoulder a nudge.

"Ewww, that would be gross. Inside intel, he's not a great kisser. That would be like dating Race. Not a fan." I wrinkled my nose at the thought. Eric and (y/n). Yeah no, I couldn't see it.

"Excuse you, dating me would be wonderful." Race interjected.

"Yeah no, kissing you would be like kissing a fish," Kath retorted. I glanced over to Jack to see him watching me closely, but his eyes darted away when I caught him staring.

"A sexy fish," Race stated proudly.

"A dead fish." I corrected.

"Plus, if you find fish sexy then you got somethin' wrong with ya," Jack finally chimed in, making me grin.

"As if we didn't already know that," I sassed. Jack smiled at me. It was cheesy, and not as genuine as he normally did, but it was a start. It was something besides anger and betrayal brewing behind a blank expression.

"(y/n), you are the rudest person on this Oith," Race proclaimed.

"Oith? Racetrack, I don't even know how you manage to talk like that when none of the rest of us do," Kath shook her head. I was gonna sass him but okay.

"Just happens. Just like I say goil. You don't say goil. Maybe youse the weird ones." He said, pointing a jokingly accusatory finger at the pair of us.

"Enough with the galaxy brain, Racer. I'm trying to each my french fries in peace but no." I rolled my eyes while dunking a fry in ranch.

"Excuse you ma'am, there is nevah enough'a my galaxy brain. Nevah evah."

"Maybe to the girls you're always trying to seduce, but we're good bud." Davey butted in, reaching over to mock-sympathetically pat his back. The group's laughter swelled as people high fived Davey and ruffled his hair, much to his dismay.

"Wow, okay, rude," Race pressed a hand over his heart as dramatically as possible. And for Race that was very, very dramatic. As in the type of dramatic that makes you feel like you're watching a soap opera with terrible actors making up the entire cast.

"We're aware, Racey," Crutchie said with a sickly sweet grin.

"Oh my god, don't give him ANOTHER weird nickname." I scolded, rolling my eyes for what felt like the 50th time in this lunch period alone.

"Another?" Race re-inserted himself into the conversation.

"Every one of your nicknames is weird," I sassed, sporting a smug smirk.

(1004 words)