All It Takes

(14) dance, dance

"I wanted Taylor" Josh began, looking down as he waited for Jenna to reply.

"Yeah, we all knew it" Jenna laughed quietly, giving a small shrug. "What about it?"

"Well, I told Alex what to say to you" Josh admitted rather bluntly. Watching Jenna stare back at him blankly, he continued on. "The letters, the nursing home... It was so that in return, he could help me out with Taylor. I'm... I'm sorry, Jenna."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Jenna shook her head. "No, no way. I don't believe you."

"Think about it, Jenna. When you're alone with him, when it's just the two of you, does he even say anything nice? Smart? Or slightly sincere?" Josh asked, tilting his head as he saw Jenna open her mouth to speak.

"He's shy!" Jenna replied, sniffling as she bit her lip. Alex wouldn't do anything like that to her, would he? Or more to the point, her best friend.

"No, Jenna, he is not shy. He is a dumb ass!" Josh replied, watching as Jenna began to cry again. "The theater. I said all those things. Well, other than the thespian-lesbian thing. Alex really is an idiot. Anyway, I said you were beautiful because I meant it."

Jenna raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. Wiping her eyes, she felt stupid for crying over Alex and Josh. Sighing, she waited for Josh to continue.

"I have feelings for you, Jenna" Josh admitted, folding his arms. He didn't know if that was the best time to say so but he went along with it anyway.

"You're fucking pathetic, do you know that?" Jenna frowned, shaking her head. "You were my best friend."

"Jenna, I-" Josh began, before being cut off by an angry Jenna.

"No. I'm sorry if things didn't work out for you, but you know what?" Jenna began, narrowing her eyes at Josh. "You can't just tear me and Alex down because Taylor broke up with you."

"Jenna, listen-" Josh tried to explain himself, feeling really bad.

"No! Honestly, Josh, I don't even see that guy that you used to be anymore" Jenna raised an eyebrow. "I see a liar. A scammer. A loser."

Josh frowned, looking up as Jenna spoke to him. The pair never fought when they were friends.

Jenna and Josh had always got along, could talk about anything, have fun and not worry about the usual teenage drama. How could Josh stuff it up this much?

Jenna slammed her balcony door after she walked back into her room, shutting her curtains afterward.

Josh walked back into his own room, sitting on his bed as he buried his head in his hands.

It felt like there was nothing Josh could do to save Jenna from Alex's 'nail and bail'.

- - -

Crying as she covered her face with her hands, Taylor sat with Sally and Josie, her two best friends, still upset about how Josh had broken up with her.

While Josh spent no time thinking about Taylor, other than his feelings of regret, the girl spent all of her time thinking about him.

"If you ruin your mascara, it's going to look bad" Sally tried to cheer Taylor up, in some strange way, which didn't work.

"Would any of you two bitches just get me some tissues?" Taylor asked Sally and Josie, taking her bad mood out on the pair.

Josie jumped up and ran into the kitchen to get some tissues, not wanting Taylor to get any moodier - if that was even possible.