It's not Official 'till it's Facebook Official!

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac insists that he is not, and has never been, the jealous-best friend type. And while he is rather clingy, touchy and generally nosy, he claims that he actually would love for his teddy bear of a best friend to find someone special – just look at the number of dates he’s set JD up with over the past years, usually against the boy’s will.

It started with that unstable pyrokinetic Hannah three years ago. Followed by Geraldine the choir/band geek. Nicki, his uncle’s friend’s daughter. Victoria, who at that time had just broken up with her boyfriend. (she ended up in Zac’s bed the next morning, since JD refused to take advantage of her emotional vulnerability and the mimic said it would’ve been a waste). And the list goes on, the latest additions including a certain Fifi Hart and his Cajun roommate Logan. (‘Maybe JD’s gay? Who knows?’ he said soon after).

And no, he’s not giving special treatment to JD. He would’ve done the same to Robbie, but he says the blonde’s already slutty enough for his own good anyway.

In any case, the mimic argues that it’s not jealousy that drove him to drag the unexpected blonde from the hallways after school and demand she go with him for a cup of coffee in town. That despite the fact that he’s upset the speedster ditched their weekly ‘boys’ night’ to go on a date with the said blonde, it’s not the reason why he insists that she talk to him in private.

It’s not about him he says, but JD.

“So, are you two dating already or what? I know DeeDee, and when he falls, he falls hard. Break his heart and I’m going to crush yours, just saying.”

The mimic has never been one for subtlety, hard as he might try.

[Jalen August]

A perfectly fine day at school had been ruined when Zac pulled her over in the halls to demand an intervention in the form of going for coffee. Jalen shoved the mimic off and carried on, making no promises as she smiled slyly. He was probably mad that JD was spending more time with her than Zac. Or maybe it was that one Thursday night he ditched the guys for her? Jay was starting to think that Zac was being a little overprotective. JD could be make his own decisions, good (Jalen) or bad (Zac). Need she remind him that she didn’t have to buy the speedster’s affection? Jalen one, Zac nil.

Warm vanilla coffee in hand, the blonde sat comfortably across from Zac at a small table. She had texted JD to let him know that this intervention was going on, and that she promised to keep things civil. Really it would all depend on how Zac pushed her buttons. She was wearing her knee high black boots over skinny jeans and JD’s jacket, which he had given to her. Truly she liked wearing it, but she also knew that it would add insult to injury if Zac was going to be a little bitch about who his best friend did or did not date.

“I don’t know. If he’s fallen, he hasn’t said anything about it.” She said rather callously, sipping at her drink. Jay and Zac didn’t exactly get along, and she wasn’t sure why she was doing this. “Why is everyone so bent on arbitrary things like that anyways?” She asked then, raising an eyebrow. “Crush my heart you say?” There was a pause, and then she laughed hard. “Look, I know you two are friends, so why haven’t you asked him if we’re dating? ‘cuz honestly, I really don’t know.” She shrugged then.

She sighed, swirling her drink around. Jalen wasn’t shy, and she didn’t really care what Zac thought of her, so here went nothing. She caught his eyes, “I’m gonna be sincere for a second here, so hear me out,” she paused, then carried on after collecting her thoughts, “I really like him, JD I mean. He’s intelligent, funny, and unique. He argues as well as I can and actually takes me up on my bets and I love spending time with him.” She left it there for Zac to take in. If JD fell hard, then Jalen fell hard and fast.

Open about feelings, Jalen two, Zac none.

[Zachary LaRousse]

There’s no denying that Zac doesn’t like Jalen. He claims that she’s too cocky (How I’d love to wipe that smirk off her face!), too slutty (Can’t you see she flirts with almost anything that moves?) and too stubborn (Does she really have to argue every time?!). And while the merits of his accusations have yet to be proven, heaven knows the real reason why he hates the blonde so much is that she’s one of the few people who’s been able to make him fall on his knees and squirm like crazy without so much as breaking a sweat. Yes, the mimic still hasn’t moved on from that incident a little over half a year ago. He’d do anything to get even really. Unfortunately for him, there are no naturally deaf mammals (and he still can’t tap into birds, much less invertebrates) so revenge is pretty much impossible, at least for now.

So really, he didn’t invite the blonde just to push her buttons. Heaven knows JD would just get mad at him, even go as far as to not talk to him again. And as much as he’d like to rip the jacket off her shoulders (he can identify that custom-made jacket even from afar), he kept on telling himself that he should at least keep things civil with Jalen, make sure she isn’t playing with his teddy bear’s fragile heart.

He could still hook JD up with some random number from his inbox later anyway. Since he can’t make the blonde back down, maybe a direct approach would prove to be more effective.

“You do know that even if he did, he’s not going to tell you. Not unless you tell him first.” Or at least that’s how Zac understands JD. And it’s not because of the whole push-pull-tug people obsess about. JD’s way above that, says Zac. “Don’t you think I’ve tried?” Jalen should know how nosy Zac can get. “I bug him almost every day. No answer. That’s why I’m asking you.”

He shifted slightly in his seat, tugging his purple scarf down slightly and took a sip off his drink as he listened to Jalen talk about JD. All cheesy and supposedly romantic stuff, but it contains nothing of what he needs. Which means he rolled his eyes in the middle of it all, letting out an unsatisfied sigh afterwards. “Yeah, yeah. You like him, he likes you, you spend an inordinate amount of time together and JD’s less pissy lately. We’re done with the gathering of the facts, time for the analysis. Are you two dating?”

The mimic shook his head slightly, brushing away a wary strand that fell over his eyes before continuing, “JD may seem like his afraid of commitment, but once he knows it’s there, he tries his hardest to make it work. If a break-up happens, he blames himself, even if he did nothing wrong.” The usual playfulness and arrogance in the prince’s voice is gone, hoping it’d tell Jalen that he’s actually serious about what he’s saying. “It’s been what, a month? Two? Since you broke up with whoever that rancher was right? I heard he was asking you to be serious serious, so you stopped it there.” Stalking Information gathering, one of Zac’s secret skills. “While I’m not blaming you for anything because it is too early, I don’t want JD to be a rebound for you.”

“He deserves better (than that).”

ooc:
Long and might've been a bit too crappy. My bad. >.<
- Jam

[Jalen August]

Jalen nodded a couple times, “Maybe he doesn’t want to tell you and you should respect that,” she said finally with eyebrows raised. JD had his reasons and whether or not he wanted to share them with Zac was up to him. She personally could care less. They liked each other, they spent time together, they went to that Halloween thing together... Were they dating? Technically yes. “He hasn’t officially asked me out, so I don’t really know how to answer a question where there’s no answer,” she added, waiting for the next set of questions or remarks.

“I’ll tell him that I like him next time I see him then, I promise, even though it seems pretty redundant, I’m pretty sure he, and the rest of the nosey people at school, know that I like him.” She was getting a bit defensive again, but Zac just did that to her. It was like talking to the spawn of Satan, or something similar.

A frustrated groan came from the blonde’s mouth and she banged her forehead on the table, literally. How could JD stand this guy? At all? She was giving JD serious mental props for putting up with the guy, he needed at least one friend anyways. Raising her head slowly, she held Zac’s eyes and dared him to ask if they were dating one more time. “Let me try this again,” she cleared her throat, and enunciated every word slowly, “IIIII do noooooot knooooow if weeee aaaare daaaatttiiiinnng.” She sipped at her coffee again, leaning back with a death threat in her eyes.

But then, Jay became unadmittedly impressed with Zac. He was actually expressing care and concern for his friend, and giving Jalen valuable information about JD. Zac one, Jay two. She sighed when Zac started talking about Cody. She was starting to get over him, as she was interested in another boy now. Hearing about Cody still struck a nerve, but it didn’t hurt as much anymore. What was she supposed to do, tell Zac about her undying love for JD? “He tried giving me a promise ring, for the record.” She said then, a little bitterly. It just wasn’t the way she had planned on things going with the blonde.

“I don’t think you’re really going to believe me, but I liked JD before I met Cody and Jonah was there for me when I left Cody, so I can assure you he’s not a rebound for me.” She eyed him carefully then. “Why are you giving me hell for thinking of JD as a rebound anyways? He’s the one who hasn’t asked me out officially.” Jalen wasn’t trying to get Zac to do anything for her, JD would ask her out if and when he felt ready, but it was obvious through his actions that he cared for her, was even a little protective of her, and she liked getting to know him in a way she was so unfamiliar with. But Zac wouldn’t understand that, and he wasn’t supposed to. It wasn’t a threesome.

[Zachary LaRousse]

It’s not surprising that JD has a few things he’d rather not let the mimic know. But then, Zac being Zac means that no matter how hard the speedster tries to hide whatever it was, the pompous teen still finds a way to get the boy to spill it. (Or at least stalks him hard enough that he figures whatever it was on his own). For example, he knows the exact schools JD sent his college application to (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, to name a few). Knows how many countries JD's been in (6, he can name them all too). Knows how many ex-girlfriends JD’s had to this day and with whom he lasted the longest (8, with Pam Krischoff at 8 months). He even knows when, where and with whom the boy lost his virginity to (Zac says he promised JD he won’t tell).

So really, the concept of ‘respect his personal space and decision’ has never been an issue between Zac and JD. Not because the mimic always abides by it, but because Zac’s never really observed it. (One can say that their whole friendship actually started because Zac was far too dense to process JD’s dislike for him).

Then Jalen suddenly told him that JD hasn’t even asked her yet. “Say what?” he asked all of a sudden, almost spitting the hot drink to the blonde’s face. He knows he, Robbie and JD work on different paces when it comes to dating and such, but he hasn’t heard about JD taking this long to ask someone out. That’s just ridiculous. “I’ll get Robbie and we’ll talk to him later then. Seems all those lessons we gave him didn’t really take root. Damn.”

But now, he has to admit that he was rather wrong in blaming everything to Jalen then. God how he hates the situation he was suddenly put in. “Fine, fine. You’re lost as well. But you’re not exactly off the hook you know.” He shifted slightly in his seat, the embarrassment of his wrong assumption fading quick as the seriousness returned. “So you’re telling me you liked JD even before. And knew that he liked you even then. But then, Mr. Rancher Prince Charming came along and you threw JD away. At least until you got tired of Cody. Then you went back to JD.”

The prince leaned forward for a bit, giving the blonde a sneer as he propped his elbows on the table and put his chin on his hands. “From your story, JD isn’t really a rebound but more of a fallback. Things didn’t work out with Cody so let’s go back to leading JD on so he’ll wait for me. Then find guy number two – I heard there’s a new one, Sawyer’s twin was it? Or is it Max’s roommate Leon? – enjoy him for a bit, then break up with him and go to JD again. And the pattern continues. Make JD hope so he’s always there in case things go bad with whoever I’m currently shagging.” A snort of derision, followed by a rolling of his eyes and a headshake in disbelief. “Ingenious really. Wish I could’ve thought of it myself.”

[Jalen August]

Jalen nearly laughed when Zac spoke next. “Are you serious? Lessons?” She rolled her eyes, readjusting the way she was sitting. “He doesn’t need lessons,” she said, although she wouldn’t mind if Zac did push JD in the right direction in this regard. They liked each other right? There was no reason not to date, JD was probably the only boy in the whole school with a proper head on his shoulders. Where their relationship would go, was probably what was stopping the brunette, although Jay wasn’t sure he had spent the time to think about the reasons to his hesitance.

He had more to say, really? Jalen sipped at her drink and watched Zac happily as he squirmed. Perhaps she wasn’t the wicked witch he thought she was. “Look, it’s not like that,” she said, glad to see the Asian was eager to jump to conclusions, “yes I liked him before, but I didn’t know if he liked me or not, he’s not very vocal.” She smirked then, surely Zac would understand what she meant by that, in whatever special way he decided to take it in. Her heart was hurting a little from her situation being taken so lightly, but then again it had been her and Cody and no one else would understand, least of all Zac.

Jalen practically snarled. “You really do pull things out of your ass, don’t you?” She asked, leaning close to the boy as well, getting right in his face. “Look, if this is a jealousy thing, you might want to talk to JD about that, but I don’t see how anyone could be into you.” She knew the speedster wasn’t, but everything else she was only being bold. She wasn’t a tramp, and truly, she was surprised that with all the information the little rich boy seemed to know, he didn’t know what she was a virgin and not ‘shagging’ everyone in sight. Zac just managed to find the nerve, again.

“I like JD, and I don’t know if things will work out, you really can’t call me things that aren’t true when I’m simply moving on,” she sat back in her seat a little. Stay calm. “I can date whoever I please if I’m single, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Jalen continued, her crossed leg shaking a bit now with irritation. JD had missed his chance the first time, and only time would tell if that would change. Whatever was between Jalen and Leon was none of Zac’s business, but they were friends and nothing more.

“Is this over yet, seriously?” She asked impatiently, checking her phone again to see if anyone, anyone else needed her.

[JD Paerson]

JD had gotten Jalen's text as he came out of the training room. It was timed twenty minutes past. He hadn't even realized that he'd gotten a message. He read the text and his heart sank with dread. Once again Zac was interfering where he wasn't wanted.

He barely spent enough time to throw on a clean t-shirt before he raced down to the parking lot, hopped into the car and drove off. The car was even a hesitation, but it was better, he decided, to take a little bit of extra time in getting the vehicle just in order to be able to whisk away with someone at the end.

But then of course there was the time parking, and paying for the meter...honestly, why didn't he just run down in the first place? Eventually, though, he was able to sort everything out and raced over to the shop, bursting through the doors and glancing across the room.

"I can date whoever I please if I'm single," he heard coming across the room. His head whipped around and he saw Zac and Jalen in a heated discussion by a window. He stalked over.

"Yes," he said with a low growl. "This is over."

He looked between the two, glaring at his friend and offering a sympathetic glance to Jalen. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "I was training. But then, I wouldn't really have to be apologizing if someone here had been able to keep his nose out of my business." He glared at Zac again.

"We can go now, if you like," he told Jalen. "My car is parked out front. You..." He cut his eyes toward the Asian. "are not invited."

They'd been talking about him. Him and Jalen. And dating. And part of him was desperate to know what they had said, and another part of him was terrified. What if she didn't want to date? This was the whole worry, that he would ask her out and it would destroy their friendship.

He liked her too much to risk losing her. Which was why he was going to help get her out of here as soon as he could, and why he wasn't, no matter what Zac said, going to ask her out. At least not yet, not until he knew...something.

But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was how much he hated Zac and how he wanted this situation to have just never happened.

[Zachary LaRousse]

And once again Jalen was angry. Typical. Not one day has passed by when the two met and the blonde hadn’t lunged for his neck anyway. Odd as it may be, Zac says he wouldn’t have it any other way. It was a bit unsettling at first (since everyone was supposed to worship him after all), but since she became ‘JD’s girl’, it actually made things easier.

In other words, he thinks the anger would supposedly mask Jalen’s innate need to sleep with him and keep her at arm’s length. Going out with a best friend’s past girl has never been nice; happened with a certain blonde before Zac says, never going to happen again.

“I know right? Don’t you just love it? I had the raw talent, but it took years before I perfected it,” chuckled Zac at Jalen’s ‘pull-things-out-of-your-ass’ comment, smug look on his face as he slouched over slightly and happily rubbed his conclusion on the obviously furious girl. Unfortunately for Jalen, one of Zac’s greatest skills is to judge a book without even seeing the cover, as well as an extreme lack of sympathy for people. Jalen could be mourning about a death and still the mimic would have the same conclusion – JD’s being used. Sad really.

He had just raised his finger and was just about to say something else when JD suddenly arrived, freezing him in place for a good second or two. A good thing really, since he was just about to unleash a torrent of words that had Jalen and JD heard, well, it would’ve been the end of it really. Not of their relationship, but of their supposedly peaceful – or at least nonviolent – existence with Zac. Nice timing really.

“Wait, you texted him about this?” fumed the pompous teen, crossing his arms as he leaned back on his chair, “Did I give you mixed signals about this little meeting? That, I don’t know, this was supposed to be a secret?” Because if JD knew – and he knew now – Zac knows he’d immediately take Jalen’s side. Nothing he ever does is good enough for the speedster anyway. Everything’s with ill-intent with him. Zac gave up trying to be on his good books a long time ago he says.

In any case, no use hiding things now. JD was obviously furious, and much as he’d want to keep things between him and the blonde, he couldn’t risk the speedster not talking to him again. So might as well clarify his motives before the two go their merry way (and Jalen persuade JD that Zac’s been his asshole self again). “Just so you know Dee, this is my business,” said the boy with a serious tone, “Bros before hos and all that crappy, cheesy and cliché stuff about best friends looking after each other right? I used to think it wasn’t my business before too, but then look at what happened to Robbie. And that’s Robbie.”

He would not like to imagine what would happen to JD should Jalen do the same.

“Batman was hated for spying on everyone even though he’s doing the right thing. I’ll understand your anger dude, don’t worry.” Since when did being a friend become so darn complicated really?

ooc:
Not so good. I'm sorry. >.>
- Jam

[Jalen August]

Jalen looked up from her phone in surprise. JD hadn’t said he would show up, but the smile on her face was a tell tale sign that she was glad he had. He may have claimed not to be superman, but damn, he arrived just in the nick of time, didn’t he?

“It’s alright, thanks for saving me,” she said, casting Zac an I-totally-win look before standing up. This was more than over – it shouldn’t have begun. She practically sneered, “Of course I did, you didn’t?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. Weren’t they supposed to be friends? Jalen three, Zac one.

The blonde stood next to JD as the two towered over Zac, which probably wouldn’t shut him up even if they wanted it to. The boy probably didn't know what intimidation was. “Sorry, not into reading subliminal messages, you never said we were going to have a secret meeting in public,” she added with a shrug. JD could have been walking through the mall at this very given moment without her having said a word. Again, Zac was eager to jump to conclusions.

The girl wasn’t totally upset about the whole thing, yet, as intrusive as it had been. At least the Asian had been able to hear her side of the story, even though he probably wasn’t listening to more than half of what she said. Jay had a bigger heart than most gave her credit for, but she wouldn’t expect Zac to understand that. At least he was looking out for his friend, and that was possibly the only redeeming factor about him.

Jalen frowned a little, before her body stiffened. “Look,” she said, pointing a finger in Zac’s unholy face, “I’m not a ‘ho’, I’m not out to ruin your friend’s life, and I’ve been completely civil up until now and answering all your little questions with all sincerity.” She crossed her arms in front of her, just about ready to leave. But not before the prince got a piece of her mind. “So lay off and give me some credit, if JD’s your friend and you value his opinion at all and he likes me, then trust him,” she took a deep breath, “or should a repeat of when I first met you be in order?”

It was only complicated because Zac was angry that he couldn’t play god.

[JD Paerson]

JD watched the rapid exchange, his eyes narrowing. "Why did you two feel the need to have a secret meeting? I mean, a meeting is bad enough. But secret implies you're hiding something, and...no, you know what? I don't think I even want to know." He shook his head and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

He growled at Zac. "I consider you both my friends, and I'd appreciate it if you'd consider that before throwing insults around." Had Jalen said something it might have been a different story. But Zac always deserved that sort of thing, so who could have blamed her?

"Yes, thank you Jay. Please, just trust me. I'm not like Robbie, I'm the sensible--wait, what happened the first time you met?" Fast as he was, sometimes comments took a while to actually reach his brain. "No, you know, you guys can tell me later. I'm tired of standing in a coffee shop with everyone staring at me."

He started to walk away. "Well, I'm glad you understand the anger. But comparing yourself to Batman is still a bit of a stretch for the imagination, don't you think?" He held the door open for Jalen on the way out and cast Zac a last look. "We can talk more about this later," he said warningly before catching up with Jay.

"Sorry about him. He's...Okay, this is going to sound weird, but I think he's just trying to be a good friend." As far as JD knew, there was no other reason why Zac would talk to Jalen like this. Zac was just weird, in that he felt the best way to help others was to run their lives. "Don't worry, I'm trying to train him out of it."

[Zachary LaRousse]

Throughout the whole exchange, the heir kept an unamused face on, periodically rolling his eyes and huffing, not even once looking at the two straight in the eye. JD’s outburst was very much expected. The speedster has made it early on that he doesn’t want Zac meddlinghelping, a trait that the mimic insists comes naturally when it comes to matters concerning the people he treasures. Which is why he keeps his helping in secret.

The fact that Jalen told JD about their little meeting told Zac only one thing – the blonde’s really up to no good. Clearly she’s out to turn JD against him, projecting him as a villain and all that. Why else would she tell him anyway? Just because? Puh-lease. And the fact that she’s standing there, spouting insults and fanning the flames of JD’s anger on him, isn’t helping him change his opinion of her in any way possible.

“Yeah yeah, I’m the evil guy here, out to ruin everything good in the world,” said the boy with an obvious lack of energy, huffing once more before taking a sip off his drink. “Go along now. Have fun with her and all that. But when she breaks your heart, don’t come running to me looking for sympathy, ok? Because I would very much go ‘I told you so’ on you.”

Oh brother. Seems like he’ll need another cup of coffee, and maybe a cinnamon roll on the side, just to get rid of all this stress he’s feeling.

[Jalen August]

“I didn’t feel the need for any of this, but I thought Zac might take me seriously if I actually went along with it,” she cast said rich kid a glance. Obviously he wasn’t worth her time. “Apparently not though.” Maybe JD didn’t want to know, but she had nothing to hide, and she was sure that Zac would keep bad mouthing her, and she wanted him and everyone else to know that she had a backbone, and even had the heart to actually meet up with him when it came to his best friend.

Without so much as a goodbye to Zac, she walked through the open door and waited for JD to catch up. “He is trying to be a good friend,” she said bitterly, as though giving the brat any kind of credit burned into her soul. If Zac was any kind of friend to JD though, he had to let him make his own decisions. It seemed that the Asian knew more about her track history with boys than JD did, and she wondered if that was a concern to the latter. “He just doesn’t want to see you get hurt,” she said, scratching the scar on the back of her neck, “but he’ll never get the chance to say ‘I told you so’.” Jay smiled sweetly, linking an arm through his and walking wherever he was going. She was glad she had texted him.

“So you want to know what I did to LaRousse the first time I met him?” She smirked, glancing up at her favourite speedster. “He pissed me off and I used my powers and his sensitive hearing to my advantage,” she smirked, leaving it at that. If JD didn’t understand, she would explain further. Oh the beauty of being able to make sounds pitch so high that only dogs could hear it. Yes, she was quite proud.