CHERRY. [JESS MARIANO]

The Shins

"One, two, three. One, two three. Come on, you two!"

Tristan and I separated from each other as we turned to face my mother. Our living room was transformed into a rehearsal space for Tristan and I's ballroom dance. All of our furniture was pushed aside which left nothing but a carpet fit for us to dance on.

Deciding that it was probably best not to put Tristan and Dean in the same room after last time. My mother offered to help teach us, seeing as she is an expert in dance.

"Shouldn't we take a break?," Tristan suggested as I leaned on him.

I scoff at him. "You need a break? Try wearing these heels." I remarked. My feet felt as if they were going to fall off.

Sending my mum a pleading look, she sighed. "All right, all right."

Tristan and I both sigh in relief as we flopped onto the couch that was pressed up against the far wall. "You have until I get back from Luke's," she continued.

At the sound of this my head perks up. "Oh, could you get me a bagel?" I ask while taking off the heels and flinging them to the floor.

My mother faces me as she puts on her coat. "Didn't you just have a bagel?" She questions with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, but that was this morning."

She holds her hands up in defence. "My mistake," she sarcastically says. "Tristan, do you want anything?"

"Just a coffee, if it's not too much trouble." He sends her a grateful smile. My mother nods her head at us before heading out the door.

When the door closed behind her I instantly turned my companion with a raised brow. "What?" He asked confused.

"If it's not too much trouble," I mimicked him as he rolled his eyes. "Who knew there was a decent person in you!"

"Hey!" He protested. "I'm always a decent person."

"Only if you wanna get laid."

The ringing of the doorbell cut Tristans rebuttal off. I looked at him skeptically. "Did you call a party I don't know about?"

With his eyes trained on the door he replied, "I wish."

I shrug before heading off to answer the door. I was maybe expecting Kirk to pass me the mail or maybe Ms Patty looking to get an eyeful of Tristan.

So when I opened the door to reveal Jess there needless to say I was surprised. He was leaning against the door frame with his hands clasped in front of him. When he saw the door open he looked up with one of his signature smirks.

"Hey, Cherry."

"Hi, Hey. Um, what are you doing here?" I stuttered out.

Jess shrugged as I opened the door wider for him to come into the hall. "Just wanted to give something to you."

As he says this he tosses a cd into my hand. I take a look at the cover with a raised eyebrow. "The Shins?"

He nods as he looks at the cd. "Trust me."

"What makes you think I even like that kind of music?" I challenge.

"Well, do you?"

"Fine, you're right." I grumble.

Jess had opened his mouth to say something else when I felt a presence behind me.

Tristan slung his arm around my shoulders. "Who's this?" He raised his head toward Jess. Who I realised had changed his demeanour completely. His once friendly smirk that I had gotten used to was wiped away. Replaced with a thin hard line. He looked at Tristan the same way a shark would look at a human. Threatening but cautious.

Pushing Tristan's arm off me playfully, I introduced them. "Tristan this is Jess, Jess this is Tristan."

"Hey, man." Tristan said while Jess only nods in response. His gazed fixed on Tristan like he was ready to pounce. The testosterone in this room was giving me a headache.

Tristan, sensing the tension in the air begins to speak. "I'm gonna go to the kitchen for, um something." He says rubbing the back of his neck as he leaves.

"What was that?" I asked with a frown.

Jess, clearly happy that he got Tristan to back down from their imaginary staring contest looked over at me innocently. "What?"

I wave my hands to the direction Tristan left from. "That!" I whisper-shout, not wanting Tristan to know we were talking about him.

"Just didn't know you had company over," he says dismissively as if he wasn't ready to have a go at Tristan right then and there.

"Why would it matter if you were just gonna drop something off?" I snapped.

He held his hands up in defence. "Was about to ask if you would want to take a walk with me, that's all."

I look at him unbelievingly. "You wanted to go on a walk. With me?"

He shrugs again. "Thought that maybe we could terrorise Taylor or stop by the bookstore. What do you say?"

I stare at him dumbfounded. I really wish I could say yes. Nothing would please me more than to go to the bookstore and terrorise Taylor with Jess by my side. But life didn't exactly like me much. "I mean, I would love to but-"

"Is it because of him?" Jess cut me off, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen.

I stumble over my own words as I figure out how to respond to that. "I-uh, no. It's not because of him. I mean it kinda is but that's not-"

Yet again, he cuts me off. "He your boyfriend or something?" He asks as he clenches his jaw.

His words sounded like he couldn't care less but the way he was standing with his fists clenched said something else. He was just full of surprises today wasn't he. I just kind of stared at him with my mouth agape for a few moments.

"Absolutely not!" I quickly exclaim. I didn't even try to hide my mortification at his words. Me and Tristan? No, thank you. Jess seemed slightly less tense as he took in my horrific look at his misunderstanding. "He's just my escort," I explained.

"Your what?" He asked confused. I gave a brief explanation on how I got roped into the ball cause of my grandmother and how I needed someone to escort me. "Wow, you have my condolences." He says gravely.

"Very much appreciated."

"Okay so, listen to the cd. Tell me what you think, I've got to get back," he say as he walks back toward the door.

"You don't have to go," I start to protest. "We won't be long, we'll just dance and then I can go with you?" I suggest as Jess shakes his head.

"It's fine, Luke needs me back anyway." He opens the door.

"Oh, okay," I say disappointed. "Another time maybe?"

He looks at me from the porch stairs as he nods. "Definitely," he says before walking away.

I turn around to head inside but was stopped when I bumped into someone's chest. "Y'know he's got a thing for you right?"

I give Tristan a glare as I step away from him. "Ha ha," I say sarcastically. I brush past him and head inside with him hot on my tail.

"I'm serious," he said as I went up the stairs to keep the cd in my room.

"Well here's the funny bit," I say looking down at him from the top of the stairs. "He thinks I have a thing for you!"

I head into my room as I heard his reply from downstairs, "You wish you had a thing for me!"