Gorgeous Geek Chapter XXXVI: Pure Dreams

Chapter XXXVI: Pure Dreams

"Got your camera Eunie?" "Got it!" "All right then," said Jennifer, flinging her new gold purse with diamonds over her shoulder and standing close to the front door. Eunice was busy wearing her shoes right now. "To the beach it is!" The two girl were ready to head to the beach after news spread online that Jordan and Jin were going to the beach that day. Of course, when two of the most popular boys were going to the beach together, everyone wanted to get in on the gossip, especially the two of the Asian Gossip Girls. At last, Eunice was done tying her shoelaces. Jennifer flung the door open, only to find Tiffany waiting for them on the doorstep. Eunice gasped and hid behind Jennifer protectively at the sight of a scowling Tiffany. Trying her best to laugh it off, Jennifer questioned why Tiffany was here to see them out of the blue. "You're going to the beach right?" asked Tiffany, ignoring Jennifer's attempt at idle chatter. Eunice was scared of Tiffany so she nodded quickly behind Jennifer. "I'm going with you. I need to figure something out." "Of course you're welcome to come Tiffy," said Jennifer, trying to sound enthusiastic. "But you must promise you won't get in the way of us taking photos!" Sighing, Tiffany said, "You two can do whatever you want. I just want to confirm something about Jin." "All right then!" After Eunice shut the door behind her, Tiffany lagged behind while the other two skipped toward the car. Tiffany thought about how Jin was making too many bowls of salad while waiting for Jezebelle to come home. Even now, Jin still cared about her despite his growing popularity. At the sight of Jin being dramatic yesterday, Jezebelle understood that Jin was the same as ever. Nothing about him had changed despite his growing popularity. Even though the plan between her and Rin Hamada was to stop Jin's popularity by convincing him back to his former group of JinRinBo, Tiffany thought it was best if she tried again to ask for his reasoning behind all this. For whatever reason, she believed he actually wanted to be popular. But why? Her two friends waved at her. "Hurry up Tiffy or we'll leave you behind!" "Coming," said Tiffany with a faint smile. *********************************************** Hearing the doorbell, Jordan beamed. Today was a nice sunny day in the middle of October which was unusual so it was also the perfect day to go to the beach. Picking up his bag, Jordan headed down the stairs. He said goodbye quickly to his sister who was busy watching the news in the kitchen. It didn't matter if it was winter or summer to Jordan though; he loved going to the

beach. Besides, California beaches were always cold or at least, the ones around here. "Hey Jin," said Jordan, meeting Jin at the door with a wide smile. "Good morning Jordan," said Jin in greeting. Then, he indicated further outside. "I hope you don't mind me giving a couple of people a lift on our way to the beach." "No, not at all," said Jordan automatically, though his head disagreed. "Who-" Jordan stopped mid-sentence when he met a pair of familiar, glaring eyes. "Oh. Hey Wendy." "You tricked me," said Wendy through gritted teeth to Jezebelle, who was smirking. "You tricked me, you bitch! You said it was only going to be us three!" "Greene," said Jezebelle, obviously ignoring Wendy's protest. "There's no problem is there?" Jezebelle went up to Jordan and nudged him in the stomach with a playful smirk. "I believe we have much to discuss about the yesterday's events, don't you?" Jordan paled slightly. "Nothing to discuss at all. Let's go." "I refuse," said Wendy stubbornly, wrapping her arms in front of her chest. "I refuse to be in the same car as him! You know I hate him! Why did you have to make me sit in the same car as him! Why?" Wendy turned her daggers at Jin instead. "And why did you keep it a secret from me Jin Song? I thought we're friends!" Jin scratched his head. "Fi was holding my PSP outside a two-story window..." "Weak sauce," said Wendy, stomping her foot. "All of you!" "Somebody doesn't like you," said Jezebelle innocently to Jordan, who groaned. "I know how to drive and I have my own car," said Jordan, speaking up at last. The other three paid attention to him. "How about I drive Jezebelle and Jin drive Wendy and we'll be done with that?" "How does that make sense?" asked Jezebelle, lifting a pretty brow at Jordan. "One, I'm his girlfriend." Jezebelle indicated at Jin, who nodded in agreement. "Two, what a waste of gas money. I know you might like to spend all your money on crap but buttercup has to support both he and I." "Buttercup?" asked Jordan, glancing at Jin. "Don't ask," said Jin automatically. "Anyways, I actually agree with Fi... it seems like such a waste to go in two separate cars..." "Unless you two want to be in the same car," said Jezebelle, heading over to the car and entering the passenger seat. Wendy dropped her jaw at what Jezebelle did. "I suggest you move your pretty little asses in the back now." "What the fuck Leader?" cried Wendy after Jezebelle. "I'm not sitting in the back with him! It's bad enough we have to be in the same car! Why do I have to suffer?" "Come, jelly bean," said Jezebelle, motioning at Jin. Jin tossed Wendy and Jordan one sorry look. "It's a thirty-minute drive

Wendy... it should be fine." Obediently, Jin went over to the driver's seat and sat down. Wendy was furious now. "I swear, I'll stay here all night!" "I can't have you doing that," said Jordan in a stronger voice than before. Suddenly, he grabbed Wendy's arm. "You're not staying outside my house like a homeless person. Stop being so stubborn and go." Out of impulse, Wendy bit Jordan's hand which made him release. "Fine! But you're not touching me!" Once Jordan and Wendy sat at the farthest ends of the seats in the back, Jin started the car and drove off. Soon enough, they were on the freeway. Jezebelle was busy checking her beautiful face in the mirror when she noticed the heavy atmosphere in the back. Neither of them were looking at each other. Actually, Wendy forgot to wear her seatbelt entirely. Smirking, Jezebelle told Jin to make a lane change. Not sure why, Jin told her it wasn't safe. However, Jezebelle forcibly move Jin's wheel. The car jerked to one side and then back since it wasn't safe at all to change lanes. The impact of the car made Wendy tumble right into Jordan. "Why the fuck are you still touching me?" "You are the one who bump into me!" "You should have moved then you piece of shit!" "You're the cretin who forgot to wear her seat belt!" "What is that supposed to mean, you fuck head?" "I'm calling you stupid, stupid!" Jin glanced at Jezebelle who was snickering to herself and asked in a monotone, "You're enjoying this aren't you?" Nodding happily, Jezebelle said, "Immensely." "You do realize you're making your best friend suffer aren't you?" "So?" asked Jezebelle, pouting. "I'm fucking bored out of my mind." "Let's turn on some music," said Jin happily, trying to break the negative atmosphere in the back. "I have video game music." Everyone groaned. "Er... The radio is good too?" "I'll pass," said Jordan, grumpy now. They were back to the edges. "Knowing Wendy, all she wants to listen to is heavy metal music. They hurt my brain and my ears." "Well," said Wendy furiously, glaring at Jordan. "I'm not as cheesy as you! Go listen to your lame pop music that bores people to tears!" "Oh I see how it is now," said Jordan, giving Wendy a mocking look. "Now, you tell me. You didn't care shit when we were dating." "That's because I was trying to be nice, duh," said Wendy, rolling her eyes. "I totally despise your music. You have such girly tastes, you fruit cake." Jordan shrugged it off. "Better than a girl who is potentially death tone." "What did you say?" "You started it!" Ignoring them for a moment, Jin smiled at Jezebelle. "So... what is your favorite type of music Fi?" "You would like to know, wouldn't you?" asked Jezebelle, flinging her hair

back. Jin thought she wasn't going to tell him when she sighed and said, "If you must know, it's Korean hip hop. Actually, I like any kind of hip hop." "Wow," said Jin, amazed. "Cool!" "Just because I don't speak Korean or act Korean doesn't mean I don't appreciate some Korean culture," said Jezebelle automatically, reading Jin's mind. Jin laughed it off. "Now, what are you going to do now, smarty pants? They're fighting again and it's hurting my fucking head." "Your own fault," said Jin, receiving a death glare from his girlfriend. "Don't worry. I know just the thing to shut them up!" Jezebelle watched with wide eyes as Jin managed to flip open one of his CD cases with one hand. He landed on exactly the CD he wanted. Then, Jin put the CD in quickly. "There you go!" Suddenly, both Wendy and Jordan froze at the song. Jin started laughing evilly, similar to Wendy at the song playing. Jordan jumped and hugged Wendy out of fright. Wendy was shaking so much that she couldn't even fight Jordan off. Jezebelle was staring at Jin with wide eyes. "What the hell is that?" cried Jordan, shaking against Wendy. "K.K. Dirge," said Jin, laughing hard. The other three stared at him with wide eyes. "So creepy," said Wendy with a dropped jaw. "So scary," said Jordan, shaking some more. "What's with the weird voice?" cried Jezebelle in awe. She was more excited than scared like the other two. "Which game is that from?" "Surprisingly," said Jin, still laughing. "Animal Crossing." "Animal..." said Wendy, thinking. "...Crossing..." said Jordan, elevating his eyes. Both of them had mental images of animals murdering each other at a railroad crossing by a graveyard. However, Jin wasn't satisfied with just that song. The CD went on to some Silent Hill music, Resident Evil music, Fatal Flame music, and a single Time Splitters track that caused silence throughout the entire car. Neither Jordan nor Wendy complained about each other anymore. When the CD ended, Jordan and Wendy were practically hugging each other now. Jin was so happy now that he managed to prove their assumptions wrong about video game music. "I'm hungry," said Jezebelle loudly. "Let's get breakfast." "But we're like five minutes from your mall..." "Breakfast now!" Jin got off the freeway and stopped at a shopping center. "The CD was just getting good. We were getting to some of the Dead Space music..." "No!" cried Wendy and Jordan in unison, not liking the name of the video game. After Jin and Jezebelle got off the car, Jezebelle smirked at Jin, "I must give it to you, baked potato. You really did stop them from fighting for a moment." Jin tilted his head at the word 'moment' when he noticed they were arguing after they got off the car. Wendy was complaining why Jordan clung

onto her like that and Jordan defended himself by saying that she clung onto him just as tight. The two of them still walked side by side as they went in though. "Denny's," said Jezebelle, obviously not pleased with Jin's choice. "You should try the pancakes Fi!" Jezebelle placed her hand on her hip and shook her head. "I've gained a pound since two days ago." "But you said you were hungry..." "Obviously, I'm not," said Jezebelle, shocked that Jin didn't understand at all. "Don't tell me," said Jin, exasperated. "It has to do with Jordan and Wendy?" Jezebelle pushed Jin further inside the restaurant before she had to explain to him everything in detail. "Hurry up and buy me some orange juice." "I don't even know why we have to stop and eat breakfast for," said Wendy, reading the menu right now. Jin and Jezebelle came in just in time to hear her say this. "Instead of thirty minutes, I have to spend an hour or more with this freaking loser." "It's not like I plan to be with you anyways," said Jordan back at her. Jin caught on now at the sight of the two in line. "That's why! Breakfast was an excuse for those two to spend more time together." "This better be real orange juice," said Jezebelle, staring up at the menu. "She totally ignored me," said Jin, dropping his head. However, Jin moved on and went over to Wendy and Jordan instead. "You don't have to stand in line for Denny's. You just take a seat and they hand you a menu to make an order." "Oh," said Jordan, blinking. "It's not like fast food restaurants?" "No, it's not," said Jin in awe that Jordan didn't know this. "Jordan, you've never been to Denny's?" "Denny's not really a place where popular people go." After Jordan said that and went on ahead to find a table, Wendy mocked him behind his back. Jin laughed at her reaction and told her that Jordan wasn't that bad. Of course, once the last three came over to Jordan's table, Jezebelle automatically grabbed Jin's arm and forced him to sit with her on one side. "Thanks Leader," said Wendy bitterly. "No problem my love," said Jezebelle, motioning for her to sit down next to Jordan. Standing up, Jordan tried to smile at Wendy. Insulted at his offer for her to sit on the inside, Wendy pushed him back down and sat down next to him. She held up her menu to hide her face. Jordan shrugged it off and stared at his menu as well. They were silent now at least until Jezebelle started giggling. "They have such weird drinks," said Jezebelle, giggling loudly. "Is it really that funny?" asked Wendy, lifting a brow. "'Strawberry Mango Pucker'," said Jezebelle, reading the menu. "What

the hell?" "That sounds good," said Jordan in awe with a gleam in his eyes. "I want to try it!" Both girls gave Jordan weird looks. "What? I like strawberries and mangos..." "And bananas and oranges and watermelons," said Wendy, finishing off his list for him. Jin was concentrating on his menu to pay attention right now. "No one wants to know what kind of fruits you like, Jordan. Please don't be even more fruity than Cash." "Cash?" repeated Jordan, amazed. "How do you know he likes fruits?" Before Wendy could answer, Jezebelle said, "Obviously it's because they've been seeing each other at late hours." Jordan's eyes widened. "What?" "That's not true," said Wendy, wrapping her arms in front of chest and glancing away with a blush on her cheeks. "We just ran into each other once... twice..." "She's being shy," said Jezebelle, giggling evilly. Wendy glared at Jezebelle. "He even gave her a fruits basket. Isn't that sweet of him?" Wendy flushed and began to mouth Jezebelle to shut up. "They're closer than ever." "Fruits... basket..." said Jordan slowly before he burst out laughing. Jin had to look up from his menu now. "That's so like him! Oh my God! I can see it!" The girls blinked, lost. "I can so see Eddie beating the shit out of him for doing something so stupid in school." "Are you serious?" asked Jin, concerned. "Why did he risk himself like that for you?" asked Jordan, still laughing. Wendy flushed bright red. "Shut the fuck up Jordan! I'm not..." Wendy bit her lip. "Some rag you used and threw away! I have feelings too you know!" "Hey there," said Jordan defensively. "I didn't mean it like that!" Wendy stood up. "I'm... going to..." Wendy could feel the tears already. "Bathroom!" "Jordan," said Jin, shaking his head. "That was mean..." "I didn't mean it like that though," said Jordan, staring after Wendy who indeed went into the restroom. "I mean like Cash has a lot of pride you see. I know him better than all of you. He's not the type of guy who will give a girl a fruits basket in the middle of campus. He'll wait until after school or in his car or something." "It can't be helped," said Jezebelle, pouting and fluttering her eyelashes. "He probably loves my sweet and beautiful Wendy more than you do." Jordan glanced away at Jezebelle's words. "Cash? No way." "How are you so sure?" asked Jezebelle, gazing intently at Jordan. "He already has a girlfriend," said Jordan, placing down his menu for the first time. The waitress noticed how engrossed they all were in their conversation so she didn't bother them about their orders yet. "She goes to another high school two hours away or so. He can't be serious about Wendy." "I don't get it," said Jin, looking down. "Why would boys date multiple girls?" "Most of them are weak," said Jezebelle automatically, rolling her eyes.

"They don't have enough courage to dump their current girlfriend to be with a new one. Either that or they're like Kirk who's doing this for the hell of it." "Cash is probably in the first category," said Jordan, thinking. "I don't know if he loves his other girlfriend or not since he doesn't talk about her. Actually, it's not like he's really cheating on her. They're in an open relationship." "Oh that," said Jin, recognizing the term. "When I first met Fi, she said she wanted to be in an open relationship." Jezebelle rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Why would I want to be with a boring guy like you all the time anyways?" "Anyways," said Jordan, escaping the Jin and Jezebelle wreck. "Even though Cash himself doesn't talk about her, a couple of boys and I researched a bit about her." "Oh?" asked Jezebelle, interested. "Do tell." "How do you do that?" asked Jin suddenly. "The Internet," said Jezebelle and Jordan in unison. "Oh right..." Jordan leaned closer to the other two from across the table. "She's a real whore. Since she's in an open relationship with Cash, she can date and sleep with as many guys as she likes. Cash can do the same." "Wait a second here," said Jezebelle, interrupting Jordan. "Is Cash and this girl the primary relationship?" "The primary relationship?" asked Jin, confused. "Usually," said Jordan, explaining to Jin. "In an open relationship, there's usually one primary relationship and multiple secondary ones. Essentially, the primary one is the most important one and should prioritize over all other relationships. That's not always the case but it's the most common kind." "I see," said Jin, not sure he understood completely. "From the looks of it," said Jordan, returning to Jezebelle's question. "They are. Even though Cash's girlfriend is a whore, she claims to only have feelings for Cash and therefore, in this type of open relationship, Cash can sleep around but he can't have feelings for any other girl except her." "Huh," said Jezebelle, absorbing all this. "From the sounds of it, it's not mutual is it?" "It's not," laughed Jordan. "He doesn't love her if he rarely talks about her right?" "Knowing the bitch," said Jezebelle, smirking. "She's calling all the shots in that relationship. It wouldn't be wise for Cash to dump her without some protection. She might get her boys to jump him like Cammy did to Rinny." "Who and who?" asked Jordan, lost. "None of your business," said Jezebelle, cutting him off. "But under the rules of an open relationship, Cash is allowed to be with Wendy then so there's no problem." "I don't think that's wise," said Jordan, shocked at Jezebelle's words. "You only dated her for two days," said Jezebelle, tapping her fingers against the table. "Why are you so jealous?"

"I'm not jealous." "You so are," said Jezebelle, snickering. "I mean, like seriously, you shouldn't stick your nose into her business. She can do what the hell she wants without you calling all the shots like some sore boyfriend. You have Young now. Live with it." "It's not like I want to get back together with her," said Jordan quickly, dropping his eyes. "I just feel responsible for her. I want to her to be with someone new but Cash is not right for her at all. She's not experienced enough to be in an open relationship." "You should have thought about that before you pulled your female gang on her," said Jezebelle cruelly before she waved at the waitress. Jordan gawked at Jezebelle. "Excuse me! When are you going to take our orders already?" Jin beamed. "I want 'Island Fizz'!" Jordan laughed at Jin's enthusiasm. "I'll get that strawberry drink from earlier and probably that combo..." Frowning, Jordan noticed that Wendy haven't returned. "I guess I'll order something for her too. I know her taste in food and all..." "Sure, make her pay for a more expensive breakfast," said Jezebelle mockingly. Shaking his head, Jordan said, "I'll pay for her." "You..." said Jin, glancing at Jezebelle, who shrugged innocently. "Never mind..." Right after they placed their orders, Jezebelle excused herself to the restroom as well. She went inside the restroom to find Wendy washing her hands with her full attention. Jezebelle smirked and went over to her friend. Glaring at Jezebelle, Wendy demanded why Jezebelle set her up with Jordan today. "You never do these things without a reason," said Wendy through gritted teeth. "One sec, dear," said Jezebelle, applying powder to her face quickly before she smiled at Wendy. "Cash kissed you and asked you out last night didn't he?" "Of course I punched him afterwards," said Wendy, regrettably. "But yeah he did." "You're still deciding what to do right?" Wendy nodded sadly and turned off the faucet. "Yeah..." "Yet, you're in love with Jordan Greene," said Jezebelle, releasing a fake sigh. Wendy gasped and denied it. "I can tell. It's too obvious you have feelings for him. There are hints everywhere, Wendy, so you can't lie out of this one." "But..." said Wendy, hugging Jezebelle. "I hate him so much!" "Pity," said Jezebelle, rubbing the girl on the head. "You can't date Cash then unless you learn that it's useless to hold onto these stupid emotions." Wendy didn't say anything. "You need to prove you're better than this. Rebound relationships are weak." "Man," said Wendy, frowning. "I can't be weak. I hate being weak."

Jezebelle removed Wendy from her. "I know..." ************************************* Even though the food was back, the girls weren't so Jordan started on his food without them. Jin waited patiently though since back at home, he usually waited for everyone around the table to be there before he ate anything. Jordan started questioning how long it usually took ladies to use the restroom. "Jordan," said Jin after a sip of his drink. "Are you bugged about something?" Jordan lifted his head, surprised at Jin's question. "Why do you say that?" "A feeling," said Jin admittedly. "You know that feeling when you know more zombies are going to come out despite the silence so you hold your ground and wait to shoot?" "I can't say I deal with zombies anywhere." "I guess not," said Jin, sighing that his example failed. "I'm feeling slightly down by what Jezebelle said earlier though," said Jordan, admitting Jin's concerns. Jordan took another bite of his bacon. "How do you know though?" "Some people eat faster when something's on their mind," said Jin, scratching the back of his head. "Is that it?" asked Jordan, amused. "I do that a lot." "Oh, I see." "You know how Jezebelle said cheaters who are actually weak..." said Jordan slowly, careful with his words. Jin's eyes widened but Jordan shook her his head off at Jin's internal question. "No, I never cheated before but you probably know of my bad reputation." "Bad reputation?" "You know," said Jordan, slightly frustrated that he had to voice it out. "My dating." "Oh!" said Jin, understanding fully now. "Yeah. The Asian Gossip Girls love you. You have a whole database on who you dated." "Nice," said Jordan, contradicting his word with his voice. "I don't care though," said Jin, smiling at Jordan. "It's your business, not mine." "Yeah," said Jordan, smiling back at Jin. "If only everyone were like you." "That'll be awesome!" cried Jin in awe, excited now. "I so want to challenge myself in Street Fighter! Wouldn't that be cool?" "Yeah," said Jordan, agreeing hastily. "The truth is Jin," Jordan hesitated for a second. "I'm probably worse than those cheaters. Ever since I began dating, I have always depended on it for emotional support." "You date for emotional support?" repeated Jin in disbelief. "I know it sounds like an excuse and it probably is," said Jordan, sighing. "But every time I break up with Vic, I feel empty... I feel lonely. I can't last very long without a girl to support me. Wendy was just another casualty of my weakness." Jin frowned. "Jordan..." "You might not know this but most girls I dated beside Vic are on a

whim," said Jordan, glancing away as if ashamed of himself. "Yes, including Wendy and Roselle. You were there when I broke up with Vic again right?" Jin nodded, unable to voice it out. "I don't know if it's because it's this time of year or not but I feel sad after doing that. I can't handle it. If I didn't get together with Roselle, who knows what girl I might have picked next to act as my new emotional support." Jin tried to smile. "It's okay, Jordan, it's all in the past now." "But I feel guilty," said Jordan, frowning. "I feel bad for Wendy. You know my reasoning to dating her?" Again, Jin did not say anything. He simply shook his head. "She's actually the prettiest girl on the girls' basketball team. She's a big fan of mine so I know her by face, name, and number. I also know she has a fine-looking ass." Amused, Jin said, "I see where your interest lies." "Oh quiet," said Jordan, flushing. "What of it? It's only a coincidence that Roselle has a nice ass too." Jin laughed at Jordan. "Hey! At least Vic doesn't have anything! She's just a bean pole but..." Jordan had a regretful look on her face. "She can't help it." "Yeah..." said Jin at the reminder of Victoria's condition. "Anyways," said Jordan, trying hard to regain his composure. "I dated Wendy on a whim. She was there at the right time and place and she would never say no to me. I didn't think things will turn out like this though." "It's okay, Jordan." "No, it's not okay," said Jordan, burying his head on top of his arms on the table. "I don't regret dating. I don't regret it at all. I was happy with her around. I needed her. But I do regret something." Jordan bit his lip and continued. "I regret not defending her when Monika and Frida picked on her at the mall that day. I should have at least defend someone who had been my emotional support for two days, but of course, I'm fucking afraid of Monika. She scares the daylight out of me. I mean," Jordan laughed it off. "She's dating Tristan. Her boyfriend can break me in half any time." "If that happens," said Jin suddenly, courageous. "I'll protect you!" Jordan felt his heart beat rapidly again. "No, no, that's weird." "A hero always helps his teammates," said Jin with a gentle smile. "Besides, you're like a princess... like a healer! You need the most protection." "No, Jin, I'm not a princess. I'm a guy see?" Jin laughed. "I'm only joking. Anyways, I'm sure back then, Wendy must have been happy. She must have been happy just being with you for that short period of time. She might hate you now because of it, but in time, it will quiet down." "I hope so," said Jordan, sighing. "Though," said Jin happily, laughing. "I haven't seen you this agitated over a girl since you fought with Rin-chan every day sophomore year!" "Oh, her," said Jordan, laughing as well. "That Nerd." "Mr. Brainless," said Jin, grinning. "That's not a very nice nickname is it?" "Neither is Nerd."

"Point taken," said Jordan, finishing up his food quickly now since he only had eggs left. "The Wendy I dated would have never fought me like she did today. That Wendy was a sweetheart. She was as sweet as candy. Even though I'm sad that Wendy is gone, I'm also happy that she returned to her old self. With this Wendy, she wouldn't allow either Friday or Monika to pick on her." "Yeah," said Jin, agreeing happily. "Fi's pretty tough too." "I'm surprised though," said Jordan, winking at Jin. "I thought that when the day comes when my bud Jin gets a girlfriend, she'll be a gentle, shy girl. The exact opposite of Jezebelle actually. Funny how things work out right?" "I wouldn't trade Fi for anyone," said Jin with a grin. "She's my girlfriend." "Stop it," said Jezebelle, coming over and picking up her drink. Wendy was hiding behind Jezebelle. "This better be healthy or you'll pay with your life, grilled bananas." "It's good!" said Jin with a smile. Reluctantly, Wendy sat back down next to Jordan. She was bright red, much to Jordan's surprise. He was curious as to why but he didn't want to ask her either. Glancing at him once, Wendy suddenly remembered something and scowled. She wrapped her arms in front of her chest when she noticed the food on the table. "What the?" asked Wendy, surprised. "I already paid for it so you're forced to eat it," said Jordan, causing Jin to look up from his plate. Jordan didn't pay for anything yet. However, Wendy believed it and fumed. "You need to be as healthy as possible for the girls' basketball team right?" Wendy picked up a fork bitterly. "I know what I have to do." Jordan smiled in satisfaction. "Now just promise me you won't date Cash..." "Never," said Wendy, smiling happily at the taste of her favorite breakfast combination- French toast. "Oh man! This is delicious! Oh boy! I might need to order seconds for myself!" After Wendy and Jin finished their breakfast and Jezebelle with her drink, Jordan went over to the front and paid for Wendy and his. Jin followed suit and paid for Jezebelle and his right after. Right after Jin paid for the bill, he found Jordan missing. It was now his turn to go to the restroom. Much to Jin's surprise, Jezebelle smirked up at Jin. "Hi," said Jezebelle deviously. Jin was suspicious. "What?" "Nothing," said Jezebelle, giggling evilly. Then, she started to stare at her nails. "Nothing at all, green peppers. I'm leaving." With that declaration, Jezebelle went on ahead out the door. Before Jin could follow her to make sure she was all right, Wendy grabbed a hold of Jin's sleeve. Jin turned back to her with questioning eyes. The darkly garbed girl glanced away and sighed before she got off her seat and walked with Jin together. "I'm just an emotional support," said Wendy softly.

Jin's eyes widened. "You... heard?" Wendy nodded weakly. "I heard some of it." "I'm sorry," said Jin, dropping his head. "There's nothing to be sorry about," said Wendy, trying hard to smile. "To tell you the truth, you're right Jin Song. I was happy. I was terribly happy for those two days. But-" Wendy laughed nervously. "The happier you get the more painful it is to lose it." "I'm really sorry to hear that Wendy," said Jin, sympathetic. "I really do hate him for not defending me," said Wendy in the same soft tone. "That's probably why I hate him so much. I didn't hate that he dumped me. I hated that he didn't do anything against those girls in the mall. He could have at least said something, anything, to make it up to me. But he didn't." Wendy laughed it off a second time. "He just stared. He stood by and did nothing. It made me feel... insignificant." They stopped in front of Denny's. Jezebelle was leaning against the car. "Like I'm not worth it. That just gets me so angry you know?" "Yeah, I understand," said Jin with a nod. "I don't know Cash well enough," said Wendy suddenly, looking down. "I also don't know what I want in a relationship anymore. What should I do Jin Song? Say something please. You're the boy who's able to make people better right?" "This is coming from personal experience," said Jin in a solemn voice, glancing at Jezebelle from the distance to make sure she wasn't doing anything bad. "Sometimes, relationships are not about things you do. It's not about holding hands and going out on dates." Jin bit his lip. "It's more like an experience... something you hold onto and learn from, to mature and to become a better person." "Odd," said Wendy, giving Jin a skeptical look. "I never heard it like that before." "Yeah," said Jin, scratching the back of his head. "I think of weird things." "I do understand though," said Wendy in awe, bobbing her head in agreement. "I guess I can see it. Thanks Jin Song." Before Wendy went to join Jezebelle, she patted Jin on the shoulder. "You're all right, Jin Song. You're all right." "Wait Wendy," said Jin, stopping Wendy from going too far away. "About Jordan..." "What about him now?" "You said he was always brooding right?" Hesitant at first, Wendy quickly said, "He needs cheering up. A hell lot of it. He's really pathetic like that. I don't even know why I like him." "I see," said Jin, understanding. "Thanks." Waiting outside Denny's for Jordan, it didn't take long before Jordan came out and asked whether Jin was ready to hit the road again. Jin gave Jordan a long hard look which made Jordan really uncomfortable. At last, Jin looked away and headed toward the car along with his friend. "If..." said Jin slowly, pocketing his hands. "If you're ever lonely or sad

again after a breakup," Jin grinned. "Call me. It's a lot easier than finding yourself a new girlfriend each time right? I'll listen to you." Jordan was stunned until he allowed a relieved smile. "Okay then. Thanks Jin." "I'm not only doing this for you," said Jin quickly, amused. "I'm doing this for the rest of the girls who might have to end up with Wendy. She's my friend too you know." "Yeah," said Jordan, hurrying to the car now. "I want to go to the beach already!" Sighing, Jin ran over. "Coming!" ********************************************* Under the morning sunlight, a broad-shouldered boy with blonde hair stared at a twenty dollar bill in his hand. He kept thinking about the passing student that gave him this without asking anything in return. In the background, he could hear girls screaming and the waves chasing after them. It was nice to lay on his back at the beach. "Hey." Someone dropped a towel on his head. Laughing in amusement, he took it off and tossed his girlfriend Monika a charming smile. If there was one feature he was quite proud of it, it was his flashy, award-winning smile. The African American cheerleader wasn't as enthusiastic as she sat next to him with her legs tugged up against her stomach. "You have your first football game like next week," said Monika, gazing intently at the waves. "Like what the fuck are you doing here Tristan?" "I need to return something to someone," said Tristan, turning the twenty dollar bill around. Monika snatched it from his hands to stop him from playing with it. "I heard Jordan and Jin Song are going to be here today so might as well huh?" "Let me like rephrase," said Monika. "Why am I here?" Tristan widened his beautiful smile. "I heard you're in need of my services, babe." "Oh em gee? Like what did you do this time?" "You got your hands full with the Populars right?" asked Tristan casually, retrieving his bill in the process. "What with Vic having a change of heart and shit." "Like she called me and like told me never ever to lend her clothes again." "The bitch," said Tristan out of gist more than disdain. Monika frowned. "Fucking Jordan." Monika curled her right hand into a fist. "Every time he fucking dumps her, she can't get a hold of herself. And now spineless Frida like deserted me and joined up with weak and geek." Sensing Monika's agitation, Tristan sat up straight and wrapped his arms around her neck. "No worries. I got this covered. That's why I called you out here." "Oh?" "I can't really beat the crap out of girls," said Tristan, chuckling at the

thought. Monika rolled her eyes at him. "So I brought her to you instead." "Her?" asked Monika, suspicious. "Come," said Tristan, holding his hand to Monika. She grabbed his offered hand. Then, he picked up the towel he placed for them to sit on. "She should be here by now. She's either fucking brave or stupid, but she came anyways..." Suddenly, before Tristan could bring Monika to the parking lot, he caught sight of Abe and Zane running for their lives with Zane in the front. A girl was chasing after them, throwing sand at them. "Leg it Abe! Leg it!" screamed Zane over his shoulder. "Use American English please!" shouted Abe, wrapping his arms around his neck for protection. Right when Zane ran into Tristan, Tristan pulled the scared British boy up by the collar to stop him from running. Abe saw what was coming and was about to run to his left when Monika grabbed him from behind and dragged him back to Tristan. Panting, Roselle came up to them with a glare in her eyes. "What a potty girl," said Zane, glancing behind him at Roselle. "So she's Jordan's new girlfriend," said Tristan, examining Roselle thoroughly with his hands. "She's cute... I suppose." "What do you people want with me?" asked Roselle, placing her hands on her hips. "You don't have to be such a bitch," said Tristan in a calm voice, still checking her out from top to bottom. "We just want to talk to you." "Where's Jordan?" asked Roselle, looking around. "You people said you did something to him on the phone." "We lied," said Tristan, amused. "But I'm sure Jordan's more than happy that his girlfriend is so nice that she'll go out of her way to come all the way here to rescue him." "You people don't scare me," said Roselle, pouting. "I thought Jordan usually dates nice girls," said Abe, whispering to Tristan to his side. "Maybe his taste in girls changed?" asked Tristan, but then he realized that Abe was distracting him so he punched Abe on top of the head. "Quiet! I'm talking to her!" "If that's all you want to talk about," said Roselle, turning around. "I'll be going now. I have a bunch of chapters to type this weekend." "One second Missy," said Parker, who was catching up with the rest of his friends. He looked relax unlike Zane and Abe. Roselle listened and returned her attention to them. "We really just want to talk to you about Jordan, but we can't do anything without Eddie so..." Roselle was annoyed now. "Well, I hate to be rude but I don't feel like talking to you people when I have better things to do." Judging by the look on his face, Tristan was ready to do something to her if Monika didn't hold him back by the arm. Parker went up to his group to join up with Abe and Zane, who thought better than to interrupt Tristan or Parker who were considered longer members of the Pimp Juice than they. There was actually an order in the group to who had more power than who. Tristan and

Eddie were at the top with Parker and Cash trailing behind with Zane and then Abe last. The rest of the Caucasian boys belonged to the second branch so they hung together instead. "Let's go," said Tristan, nodding his head toward the nearest Hawaiian restaurant. "I don't want to," said Roselle stubbornly, wrapping her arms in front of her chest. "It's not like you have a choice," said Parker, gripping her shoulder now with his hand. "I don't want to!" shouted Roselle, smacking Parker's hand away. This time, Tristan really lost it. He was ready to get his hands on her due to his lack of temper but fortunately for Roselle, someone came to her rescue. Much to Tristan and everyone else's surprise, a beautiful Indian girl had her arms wrapped around Roselle. "Hi darling," squealed Lydia, beaming. "What you doing her dear?" "Lydia," gasped Roselle, surprised at the appearance of her classmate. Lydia dropped her head lower to Roselle's ear and whispered, "Tristan can break your neck in half. He's the football captain after all." Lydia pretended to smile at the others. "Roselle is like my dearest friend ever! I love her to bits! You weren't about to hurt her were you? Of course not, my lovelies." "Eddie's woman," said Tristan, trying to cool down. The other boys didn't say anything, knowing who Lydia was. "We're not doing shit. We're inviting her to join us at the restaurant over there. She didn't have to be such a whore about it." "Oh my," said Lydia cutely. "Of course we'll join you! Eddie'll be here in a few minutes! Let's all eat lunch together okay? Sounds good no?" Lydia noticed Monika behind Tristan. "Oh my goodness! Monika my love!" The two girls exchanged kisses on each cheek until Monika said, "You're here for the rumors too? Like it'll happen." Lydia winked. "You'll never know, dearest. How about everyone go on ahead to the restaurant while I'll call Eddie to let us know yes?" Lydia grabbed a hold of Roselle's wrist. "I'll take care of my pretty girl here. Don't worry." Lydia giggled. "I won't let her escape." With that reassurance, the other boys left ahead of time. Roselle stared stunned at Lydia who was now taking out her new cell phone to call Eddie. Even though Roselle wanted to leave now that they were gone, she thought better of it. Lydia saved her after all. "Lydia," said Roselle, gaping at the India girl. "Yes Roselle dear?" "Why are you with them?" asked Roselle sadly. "You're one of us, not one of them." Blinking, Lydia tilted her head to the side. "Whatever do you mean?" "You're on the science team," said Roselle, frowning. "Your dream is to get into Brown University. You actually care about your grades. Why would you associate yourself with the Pimp Juice boys?"

"It's always nice to have connections you know," said Lydia, fluttering her pretty eyelashes. "Besides, you forgot something," Lydia smiled timidly. "I'm a cheerleader too." "Oh right..." "Smile sweetie," said Lydia, poking Roselle in the cheek. "You need to remain calm and cheerful when dealing with those boys. They're nice boys really, once you get to know them you know? Have no fear." Lydia placed her cell phone against her ear now. "With me around, they won't do anything to you. It's a sister promise." Roselle smiled. "I'm not afraid of them but thanks." "You're very welcome," said Lydia, smiling back. Then, she heard a voice on the other line. "Oh Eddie! Where are you? Like everyone is waiting for you. Don't tell me you're lost again." Lydia pouted and placed her hand on her hip. "I told you time and time again that when I send you instructions, you need to use it." Roselle stared at her own cell phone. "Maybe I should call Jordan to let him know." "What?" asked Lydia, pouting even more. "Bad boy! You're so prideful! If you don't get here in ten minutes and keep your boys in check, I'm going to leave!" Waiting for his answer, Lydia suddenly smiled. "Oh okay then. Bye bye darling." "Lydia," said Roselle immediately. "Why are they here anyways?" "Don't you know?" asked Lydia, gaping. "Jin and Jordan are coming. Isn't it exciting?" "Oh," said Roselle, gripping tightly on her cell phone. "Everyone's here actually," said Lydia, walking side by side with Roselle to the restaurant. Roselle noticed a couple of her classmates scattered throughout the beach. Lydia wasn't lying. "Beach party time! Maybe I should go buy a new swimsuit?" Roselle wasn't really listening. "Jordan..." ******************************************************** Right after Jin dropped off Wendy and Jezebelle, Jordan received a text message. He checked and noticed that it was from Frida. Curious, Jordan read the message which shocked him so much that he had to report it to Jin immediately. "Jin!" "Huh?" "According to Frida," said Jordan, breathless. "Someone spread a rumor about us going to the beach together." "Everyone's there aren't they?" asked Jin, catching on fast. Jordan nodded. "What should we do now?" Before Jin could answer, Jordan's cell phone started ringing. Making sure it wasn't one of his admirers, Jordan was surprised that his girlfriend was calling him. Didn't Roselle say she hate to use her cell phone? This must be important. At that thought, Jordan accepted the call and greeted her. After a quick talk, Jordan hung up and stared at Jin with a sad look on his face.

"The Caucasian boys are waiting for me," said Jordan with a sigh. "Should we go somewhere else instead?" asked Jin, trying to think of another place. "You should," said Jordan, shaking his head. "I need to see them. They're using Roselle to get to me. I can't believe I drag her into this. Fuck." Jordan hit the window with his hand. "Maybe I'm not meant to be with anyone." "After all that hard work with Roselle's mother?" asked Jin, surprised. "You shouldn't give up so easily Jordan! I'll go with you!" "No," said Jordan sternly, surprising Jin. "This has nothing to do with you. With you there, more people will come and listen in on our conversations. If you want the hype to die down, you need to stay clear of people from our school outside of school." Jin dropped his head. "I want to be there for you though..." "I'll be fine," said Jordan, smiling. "Roselle will be there for me. You don't have to worry. Maybe it's best if you go to the mall with your girlfriend instead." "At least," said Jin, agitated. "Let me drop you off. You can't walk there right?" "Oh all right." Jin nodded. "Let's go then." "Jin," said Jordan, forcing Jin to look at him when he stopped the car before leaving the parking lot into the main streets. "I'm sorry that we can't hang out at the beach like we planned to." "Another day then." "Yeah, definitely," said Jordan, sighing. He stared at the gear shifts. "It's so weird though... I didn't tell anyone about us going to the beach because I knew something like this might happen. I didn't even tell Roselle. I wonder why everyone knows. Rumors have a way of getting around..." Jin thought about it. "Yeah... I wonder who spread it." From the mall to the beach, it was only a five minute drive. Jordan gave Jin directions where to drop him off. Once they were at the expensive parking lot near the beach, Jordan assured Jin that he would call him once he was done with business here. At least, for their project, no one would disturb them unless they wanted to intrude Jin's house. Jin felt heavy after seeing Jordan off by himself but he knew it was for the best that he didn't join Jordan. What should he do now? It shouldn't take Jordan all day to deal with the Pimp Juice boys. Maybe he should find a video game store? During his drive, he noticed a lone girl sitting by herself on a bench in front of Jumbo Juice. Recognizing the girl, Jin wondered why she was by herself. He was so concerned about her that he couldn't concentrate on anything else so he gave in to his emotions and parked the car in one of the expensive parking lot. He just wasted fifteen dollars on parking. His parents would kill him if they knew. After crossing one street, Jin arrived at where she was. She was still there with a pen and notebook on her lap, listening to her MP3 player. From her face, Jin thought she was daydreaming. It wasn't safe for her to be here by

himself with all the bullies and gang members from their school running around. "Mary Lou?" asked Jin, remembering her name. Since Jin caught her off guard, Mary Lou jumped and dropped her notebook by accident. Scared, she ran the other direction. Jin only stopped momentarily to pick up her notebook before he ran after her to return it to her. They managed to cross a couple of streets before Jin finally caught up and grabbed her arm to stop her. "Your notebook!" Mary Lou was shaking but she managed to look at the item in his hands. Immediately, she took it back and hugged it to her chest, reddening. Jin didn't know what to say. They managed to be at a street he wasn't too familiar with. This exact thought crossed her mind as well as she looked around her blankly. "Mary Lou," said Jin gently, receiving her silent attention. "I'm sorry to surprise you like that. I didn't mean any harm." "It's okay," said Mary Lou softly, refusing to look at Jin in the eyes. "What are you doing here by yourself? It's dangerous." Stunned by Jin's worries, Mary Lou said, "I don't know." "You don't know?" "I do know," said Mary Lou, changing her mind. "To see you." "Oh the rumors," said Jin, remembering. "Yes..." "Where are the other girls then?" asked Jin, looking around for any sign of them. "Aren't you usually with the other girls of my..." Jin didn't want to use the word but he had to now. "My groupie?" "They were there," said Mary Lou, frowning. "I don't know where they are now..." "You don't happen to have their cell phone numbers do you?" Shaking her head, Mary Lou said under her breath. "No... sorry..." "It's hard to believe they just left you there," said Jin, annoyed. He and Mary Lou began going back down the street they ran off. "That's not very nice of them." "It's not their fault..." said Mary Lou, staring at the ground. "I don't talk very much..." "Still." The two of them walked in silent until they arrived back at that same bench. Instead of sitting down, Mary Lou stood in front of it and stared at it for a while. Jin didn't want to interrupt her so he stood next to her quietly. However, he noticed that she tried to peek a look at him, only to return her attention to the bench instead. "Mary Lou," said Jin, calling her name softly as not to scare her like the first time. She gave him a questioning look. "If you don't mind, I can help you look for your friends. Would you rather walk by foot or by car?" "That's awfully nice of you," said Mary Lou, still unable to look at someone in the eye while she spoke in such a low voice that it was hard for Jin to hear. "I don't want to bother you though..."

"It's no bother at all," said Jin immediately, smiling. "I want to help!" At Jin's kind words, Mary Lou tried to smile back when a couple of boys ran down the street and knocked her into the bench. They didn't even apologize as they continued on their way. Jin helped her up before he picked up her notebook once again. Thanking him timidly, Mary Lou received her notebook and stared at it with a frown on her face. "It's probably better if we look by car," said Jin, staring after the boys. "Ah," said Mary Lou, nodding. "I agree." "Here," said Jin, holding out his hand to Mary Lou, who tilted her head curiously. "These streets are crowded. I don't want you to get lost." Touched, Mary Lou tried to hide and nodded softly. She grabbed her small hand to Jin's firm hand. With their entwined fingers, Jin pushed through the crowds and the passing people with Mary Lou right behind him. Staring at Jin from behind, Mary Lou thought to herself- what a nice guy. Arriving at the parking lot, Jin laughed and glanced back at Mary Lou. "That took longer than expected!" "Yes," said Mary Lou in agreement. She was nervous. "Thank you Mister Jin." "Mister Jin?" asked Jin with wide eyes. "I'm only two years older than you!" Mary Lou smiled shyly and released his hand. "Thank you very much..." Usually, Mary Lou wouldn't join a boy in his car on any kind of invitation. It was dangerous. However, Mary Lou knew about Jin's positive reputation. When asked around, no one had anything bad to say about Jin. It was strange to Mary Lou. Even though she was a high school freshman, she knew fully well that popular people were not very nice. However, Jin didn't fit any of the stereotypes she watched on television. He wasn't shallow or mean. Jin seemed like a simple, genuine person who cared about his girlfriend that day when she watched them. When Lexi asked Mary Lou whether she wanted to join Jin's groupie, Mary Lou didn't know what to say. She was not very good at socializing with anyone outside her house. She was the student that would rarely raise her hand. Actually, she would rarely say anything unless someone approached her and talked to her first. In a group, she was the one who never said a word and simply stood there. Why? She didn't know how to speak to people. It was hard for her- an internal struggle. "So Mary Lou," said Jin in a pleasant voice. Mary Lou gave him a silent yet intent gaze. "How do you like Wilson High so far?" "It's okay." "Oh," said Jin, amused. "That's good I think." Mary Lou nodded. "It's... nice." Copying her, Jin drove out the parking lot after handing the man at the booth his ticket and money. "Wilson High is a great school. A lot of famous people come from our school. We're well-known for our sports team, especially our swimming team. If you haven't noticed already, we're mostly a white school with a handful of other races, especially Filipinos. They love our school."

Throughout Jin's entire speech, Mary Lou simply nodded in understanding. "Our academics are not that great though," said Jin, shrugging. "But our science team last year almost made it to the state finals. It was impressive. Our math team are getting better and better every year. We try to keep up with those other high schools." "Urm..." Jin stopped and turned to Mary Lou. He was at a red light. "What is it?" "Should I..." said Mary Lou, hesitating. He had such a beautiful face. "Join clubs?" "They're fun," said Jin admittedly. "I heard from my friend Rin-chan that joining clubs and other school activities help you get into universities. Of course, I don't really care about that. I guess it's sort of sad in a way." Mary Lou tilted her head. "Why?" "Honestly," said Jin, paying attention to the road again since the light changed to green. "I don't know what to do with my life." Frowning, Mary Lou stared at Jin's bothered face. She felt bad for bringing it up. How did she manage to make him unhappy in a matter of seconds? Guilty, Mary Lou thought of something quickly to distract him. She noticed the notebook in her hands. "Urm..." "Yes Mary Lou?" "It's okay," said Mary Lou, trying out a wider smile. "Most people don't know what to do until later anyways..." "I guess. How about you?" "Me?" asked Mary Lou, shocked he would care what she thought. "Yeah, you," said Jin, chuckling. After thinking about it for a couple of seconds, Mary Lou held a finger up to her lips. "You... promise not to tell anyone?" "Promise." Mary Lou took a deep breath before she tried to talk louder, "I want to become a nurse as soon as possible." "That's awesome," said Jin, amazed. "You shouldn't be ashamed of your dreams." Turning slightly red, Mary Lou lowered her voice once more, "Actually... there's an-" Mary Lou stopped herself and then tried again, "-embarrassing reason why I want to become a nurse." Jin was curious now. There were times Mary Lou wanted to speak up in the middle of a crowd. Sometimes, she didn't agree with the others or she wanted to add something she thought was missing from the subject. However, she could never find the chance to voice her opinion. Everyone around her liked to talk about random subjects and then jump to other random subjects. When was the time to interrupt and add her input? It seemed too rude. In the end, Mary Lou thought it was best not to talk at all. She would listen. She would understand instead. If they asked her for something, she would answer. But in a one-on-one conversation with Jin, she had no choice. Whenever

he asked her something directly, she had to answer. She didn't know how to continue a conversation so she was relying on him to do so. This was an experience she was not too familiar with. What was she to do now that he kept his silence? "Mary Lou?" asked Jin uncertain. Mary Lou looked at him with no real expression. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I won't force you to." "Oh no..." said Mary Lou, shaking her head. "That's not it. You promised already." "But it's personal isn't it?" With one firm nod, Mary Lou went on, "There is a boy I like." "That's cute." "Is it?" asked Mary Lou, frowning. She never thought of it like that before. "Actually, I haven't met him in person yet." Mary Lou released a heavy sigh and held her notebook up high. "But I write to him every week." "Long distance relationship?" asked Jin curiously, stopping the car. They were stuck in traffic. All this time, Jin was talking and glancing out the window at the same time to spot her friends. "That sounds nice." "I don't think it's that though," said Mary Lou, pausing to think what to say next. "We never confirmed that we're in a relationship." "Oh," said Jin lamely. "It doesn't matter though," said Mary Lou, smiling to himself and thinking of him. "His name is Sherwin and he's one year older than me." Jin listened and drove at the same time, nodding his head to indicate that he was paying attention. "He doesn't go to school like me. He's sick so he has to stay in the hospital." "That's sad." "It is." Jin thought about it. "I never liked hospitals." Jin thought of his mother and her almost death experience. "Never did." "He says in his letters that he hates staying in the hospital but he has to," said Mary Lou. "There's something suffocating about that place. He says that everyone treats him like a child, that he can't do anything." "Do you know why he's in the hospital?" asked Jin carefully. "I never cared to ask," said Mary Lou honestly. "I really didn't care." "Oh I see." "Since he's never been in high school," continued Mary Lou in her gentle, soft voice. "I like to write to him about my experience so far. The girls are so talkative and the boys are so tall. A lot of them have growth spurts so they seem to be taller every time I see them." Mary Lou allowed a small giggle. "Boys that I know since elementary school are so different now that they look at girls at another angle. I tell him all about it." "That's nice," said Jin, liking her story. "What does he write to you about?" "He describes things he sees outside his window," said Mary Lou, opening her notebook to reveal letters after letters stacked in there. "He says that once you get used to the room, that's the only thing that ever changes- the scene

outside. Oh." Mary Lou beamed. "He watches sports and the news too." "Oh," laughed Jin. "But he doesn't write about that," said Mary Lou quickly, flushing. "He only mentions that he watches them. When he write about the scenery though, the details are so vivid. I can almost see it." Mary Lou had a dreamy look on her face as she stared out the window of the car. "There's something incredible about painting an image with words alone." "It is," said Jin in agreement. "Yes," said Mary Lou, taking in another deep breath. "From the way he writes his letters, he seems like a very hopeful person. It makes me sad." Mary Lou paused, lost in thought. Jin waited her to continue, which she did after a quick laugh. "I don't know why. Even though I have more things to do, I'm not as hopeful." "You seem hopeful to me." "No, I actually get bored very easily," said Mary Lou, refuting Jin's claim. "I'm never bored when I write to him though. I want to let him know everything. Soon enough, I find myself observing everything around me just to write about it to him." Jin was awed by this. "Is that why you're so quiet?" "One of the reasons I suppose..." "But you're talking a lot now." Mary Lou nodded. "That's because I'm talking about Sherwin. Whenever I talk or write about him, I can't help but feel happy and excited. It's so unusual compared to my normal self. Isn't it amazing that he can bring a side of me without being here?" "Very amazing," agreed Jin. "Even though Sherwin is hopeful, he knows that he's probably never going to leave the hospital again," said Mary Lou sadly, causing Jin to also feel sad. "I can tell from his writing. It sounds like he's never going to leave. Imagine that. The hospital... a permanent home. He can never experience what school is like for himself..." Jin joined Mary Lou in her sympathy. "Yeah..." "Why did I talk so long?" asked Mary Lou to herself more than Jin. "This is the longest I ever spoken..." "It's nice," said Jin, offering his support. "It's nice to simply talk you know? Why don't you try to call him instead?" "I'm afraid," said Mary Lou softer than before. "That our letter exchanging experience would be lost. It's the same reason why we don't send email instead. It's not the same." "It's not?" Mary Lou shook her head frantically. "Checking an inbox is not the same as checking a mail box. It seems so impersonal you know?" Jin nodded, even though he didn't understand completely. "The feeling of checking the mail box every day even on Sundays is something I'll never forget. I don't think I would want it any other way." "Mary Lou," said Jin at last in interruption. Mary Lou gave him her full

attention. "I want to confirm. You want to become a nurse for Sherwin?" At Jin's question, Mary Lou flushed and nodded weakly. "It sounds like a story out of a book," said Jin with a sweet smile. "Is it..." said Mary Lou, thinking. She then picked her head up. "I want to become a nurse so I can take care of him at home. Every day, we can eat lunch and dinner together. We'll see each other all the time. We'll live out our quiet lives in the same house." "Using your life for someone else's," said Jin absentmindedly. "Hm..." "Is something wrong, Mister Jin?" "No, nothing's wrong," said Jin, shaking his head. "I'm just wondering whether I can be the same as you. I might not know what I want to do in life yet but I do know I want to help people. I want to help as many people as possible." "That sounds like you Mister Jin," said Mary Lou bravely. "I'm glad then," said Jin, tossing her a big smile. The timid girl smiled back. "Yes. Anyways..." Mary Lou laid her head against the window and closed her notebook. "I've only told three people before you Mister Jin about my dreams. All of them thought my dream was stupid." "I don't think it is at all," said Jin in exclamation. "Even if you don't mean it, thank you." "It's admirable," said Jin quickly. "You have a dream and motivation. Compared to me... well let's not even go there." "You'll figure it out one day," said Mary Lou enthusiastically, picking up her head and beaming at Jin. "You are a very nice person and you listen to my story without interrupting. People don't do that very often." "Really?" Mary Lou nodded firmly. "I'm happy that I agreed to become part of your squad, Mister Jin. Though truthfully, I only joined because I wanted more friends. After introducing myself and talking to you now, I'm glad I made such a decision." "Thanks for your honesty, Mary Lou, and guess what?" "What is it?" Jin indicated out his window at the sight of Lizette and Naomi wandering around the streets, as if looking for someone. "I found your friends." "Oh," said Mary Lou, following Jin's gaze. "They do care after all." "Of course they do. They're your friends." "It's my fault for being so absorbed in my letter writing," said Mary Lou, blushing slightly at her honesty. "I'll return to them then. Do you want to come with me?" "I'm supposed to keep a low profile," said Jin, smiling weakly. Mary Lou tilted her head. "Is that so..." She thought about it. "Then, may you please drop me off at the corner? I'll cross the street and meet them myself. I don't want to bother you any long." She managed to bow awkwardly in her seat. "Thank you very much!" After an exchange of goodbyes, Mary Lou got off the car at the corner. As

Jin drove off, he managed to watch her reunite with her friends in the rear mirror. Lizette and Naomi hugged her tight and looked like they were bombarding her with questions. Jin smiled at the sight and at the story he just heard. Now, to find that video game store to spend his hours in before Jordan calls him... **************************************** On his way to the restaurant, Jordan was greeted and surrounded by a lot of people before he managed to spot the restaurant. He tried to make up excuses and reasons for why he was here alone and not with Jin. Out of the crowd, he managed to spot a familiar figure so he went after him. "Cash!" "If it isn't Jordan," said Cash, bored. "What's with your eye?" asked Jordan, shocked at Cash's bruise. "Did someone punch you? Did you get into a fight with someone?" "As if," said Cash, scowling. "Some girl punch me." "Strong girl," said Jordan mindlessly. "You should know," said Cash curtly, picking up the pace. "Where's Jin Song?" "Not here," said Jordan quickly, shrugging innocently. "Right," said Cash, not caring. "I don't even know why Tristan has to go out of his way to call out your new girlfriend for. I don't know what Tristan got against you. I can understand Eddie since you dumped his sister and everything." Jordan hated that reminder. "It doesn't matter. If they want to talk to me, call me." Jordan narrowed his eyes. "Why do they have to drag Roselle into this?" "Did you treat Wendy the same way or is Roselle special?" Irritated at Cash's tone, Jordan turned on him, only to remember something. "About that. You're not allowed to date Wendy." "Says who? You?" asked Cash, astonished. "What a selfish ex-boyfriend. You just want to have someone waiting on the bench for you, like in basketball." Suddenly, Jordan grabbed Cash by the collar. "Shut up." Waving his arms innocently, Cash smirked, "What is it this time? Are you going to go cry in your sorry corner after you leave in the middle of practice like you always do?" "You-" "That's enough," said Roselle, coming out of the restaurant and placing her hands on her hips at the sight of Jordan holding Cash up by the collar. "Jordan, inside now!" "Roselle," said Jordan, momentarily forgotten about Cash. He dropped the other boy on his feet. "You're all right. The other boys didn't do anything to you. I'm glad." Roselle glared at him. "Assume the worst why don't you? Hurry up in here already. I want to get this over with and go home and type!" Inside the restaurant, the walls were decorated with flowers, paintings,

and various other materials that reminded Jordan of Hawaii or at least, the Hawaii he saw on television. He had never been there before. Soon enough, Roselle led the way for both Cash and Jordan to the table in the far corner. At the sight of Jordan alone, Tristan cursed under his breath and crushed the twenty dollar bill in his hand under the table. "Where is the Korean boy?" Monika gave Tristan a warning look. "Doesn't matter anyways." Tristan pocketed the bill now. "Welcome Jordan." "Sup," said Jordan, sitting down in the seat provided for him next to Roselle. Cash went over to the other side and sat on the right side of Parker. "You guys need something?" "Simple negotiation," said Tristan, sitting back and relaxing. "I was hoping your new best friend Jin Song was here to see this but I guess this will have to do for now." "I know this too well," said Jordan, feeling his leg shake uncontrollably. Roselle managed to hold his hand under the table. "What are the conditions and what are my options?" Roselle gaped at Jordan. "Why are you defeated already?" "Your girlfriend is new at the system I see," said Eddie out of observation. "Whatever. Go on," said Jordan impatiently. "Do you think it's wise to..." said Tristan, leaning over and whispering something to Eddie. Jordan waited patiently, though Roselle could see he most definitely look in his eyes. At Tristan's question, Eddie scowled. Tristan understood. "Anyways, according to Eddie and the other witnesses here, you've cut basketball practice twice this week. Coincidentally, you got together with Roselle here not long after the first time and then, you even met up with her the second time you cut practice." "Someone followed me," said Jordan. "Nice." "Of course it's nothing new since you usually cut tennis practice to go on dates in the past," said Tristan as if it were the easiest thing to say in the world. "But you see we actually have a good chance at winning league this year so we can't have any slackers on the Varsity team, especially not the cocaptain, right Eddie?" "Of course," said Eddie automatically. "And since your popularity with the girls are dwindling thanks to your best friend," continued Tristan. "There's really no real use for you on the team or at least not as the co-captain, right Eddie?" "Exactly," said Eddie, backing Tristan up. "So basically, we've talked it over with Coach already and agree that either you give up your captain position to someone else," said Tristan, suddenly glancing over at Cash, who was pretending not to care. "Or stop dating the girl who hinder your performance. It's simple really." Roselle stood up from her seat. "And why should he listen to you people?" "Because," said Monika, speaking up suddenly and gaining everyone's attention. "We know Jin Song has been seeing Vic after school on Friday." "Grim will love the news of this gossip for his newest blog entry," said

Parker, joining in. "The Gorgeous Geek and Leadership Beauty? What are they doing behind Jordan's back? Is that the reason for the earlier breakup between Jordan and Victoria?" "Wow," said Roselle, wide eyes. "So it's you people who make high school crap!" "Please Roselle," said Jordan automatically, forcing her to sit down quietly with his arm. "Is that all? Really? You guys win either way," Jordan got up and smiled. "Anyways, I'm not giving up Roselle and there's no need for me to give up my captain position when I'm no longer on the team. Now, maybe I can concentrate on my studies instead..." After everyone started whispering and murmuring to each other, Jordan placed a hand on Roselle's shoulder. "Let's go Roselle. I need to work on my project for school." "Me too," said Roselle, leaving the restaurant with Jordan. "Is that really okay?" "Why not?" asked Jordan, kissing Roselle on the forehead quickly. "I'll have more time to make your dreams come true and work on other projects. I like it." Roselle laid her head on Jordan's shoulder. "That was really brave, Jordan. I'm proud of you. I'm really proud of you." "Yeah," said Jordan, feeling almost tearful. Inwardly, Jordan knew the basketball team was in trouble now. He might not be the best player but they needed him. None of the JV boys could replace him. Yet, he thought something heavy left him by turning their schemes against them. He might regret it later but for now, it felt... good. "Hm," said Jordan, trying to not sound sad. "Where do you think Jin is at this time?" "That's easy," said Roselle, amused. The two looked at each other and said, "Video game store."

Author's Note
Thanks for reading everyone! Please comment~ For those who are in interested to know, Wilson High School really does exist and it is located at Long Beach. The school and the mall there are not far from the beach but in this scenario, Jordan's house indeed is far from the beach, which of course proves how far Jordan must drive every time he goes surfing. Last but not least, please participate in the tournament! I'll try to get the next chapter as soon as possible! Until next time everyone~