Last Shot (JD.)

[JD Paerson]

"A teddy bear, madam?" He scoffed. Or pretended to. He had no idea what a scoff actually sounded like. He just kind of made a coughy, slightly offended noise. "I will have you know that I am made of solid man, which is as hard as steel. And I like to think I am strong enough to handle you complimenting other people." Or so he told himself.

"So...that's a 'you don't like it,' then?" he asked, somewhat quietly. He tried to think through. Did he tell people he loved them a lot? Not most people. Just the people he actually cared about. But what about the compliments, then? Jay only gave them to people she cared about. "I guess you're right. I didn't think about it much. To me it's just telling the truth. But if it means something to you I'll try to be more careful." And...use the phrase less liberally? Well, at least to start. Until they were used to it. Until this had been going on for a little longer.

He stopped chasing Jalen when she grabbed his hands and looked at him. He glanced down at her, still with a big smile, but he waited for the time being. As he tried to process what she was saying, what she'd said before, he let his hands fall.

"I know you do," he said. "And you don't have to say it, if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Just like how you don't need me to tell you you're gorgeous all the time. But it is nice to hear." He reached up to touch her cheek with the back of his hand--still not sticky--and leaned in to kiss her again.

"And for the record," he said, pulling away with a smile, "I love you, too. And that's not something you hear me saying to just anyone."

Despite his desire to step in and kiss her again, he made himself step back a little. Jalen had made it clear she didn't feel comfortable with that yet, and this wasn't the time to pressure her. So instead he reached for the ice cream bowls, getting ready to clean up. "Are you done with yours?" he asked, turning to look at his girlfriend.

[Jalen August]

“What? You don’t want to be my teddy bear?” She grinned, before launching herself at him and throwing her arms around him. At least they weren’t holding ice cream just yet. “If you don’t want me cuddling you, just say so. Otherwise, I don’t think snuggling steel would be very comfortable.” Yes, she still had to argue pretty well everything he said. He may have been a man, but he was certainly not incapable of being a softie. More specifically, her softie.

Jalen rose her hands in defense. “No! It’s not like that. It’s not like I don’t like it...” She frowned, wishing she had the words for this. “It’s just, you make it sound like it’s not special or something.” She said, now imaging JD telling all of his friends he loved them. And then all of his teachers. Really, how could he not understand the way her mind worked? She smiled at him. “I’m glad it’s the truth, really, I just... You’re acting like we say we love each other all the time,” she pointed out, raising an eyebrow. It wasn’t like she didn’t think it couldn’t be casual, but there hadn’t been a big show of it the first time. Was that really so much to ask?

Jalen rolled her eyes. “You are impossible sometimes JD,” she said, shaking her head. Men, why are they so dense? She dodged his kiss and whispered straight into his ear canal. “But I wanted to say it because words are meaningful to me.” She pulled back to kiss his jaw line. “And for the record, I don’t get tired of being called gorgeous by you.” What was she gonna have to do? Jump on him? There had to be a way to help him see straight.

But then he returned the sentiments and her hope for him seeing the light ignited again. Jalen smiled broadly and watched him step away. “What, you love me and want to run away?” She asked, closing the gap between them. She wasn’t going to let him get away that easily. He reached for the dirty dishes and she took his hands in hers, before pulling him into a deeper kiss.

A few moments that felt like eternity to her passed before she stopped and looked up at him. “Do you want any more ice cream?” Yes, the fallback had become dessert.

[JD Paerson]

JD sighed through his nose, but it was sarcastic. "Well. I might be able to deal with the hugs and whatnot. But I still maintain that I am not a stuffed animal. And you might be surprised how long I have been making this argument." He didn't need what little tough reputation he had left to be shredded all around the school.

He raised an eyebrow. "I want to say it all the time, to you. And I do say it, to my mother, and even my brother sometimes. But I guess I just don't see it in the same way you do." Namely, it wasn't overly special, as in something that had to be recognized when it was first said. It was something he acknowledged and accepted, but didn't dwell on as a strange revelation. But if it would make Jalen feel better, he would try to make it more special in the future. He was happy to compromise for her.

As he missed kissing her cheek, JD frowned. "What did I say?" he asked, since apparently he had done something wrong. Whatever it was, he'd missed it. Again. But he tried to make up for it. "Well, then, gorgeous, I will try to respect your wishes."

He didn't get a chance to clean up as Jalen took his hands in hers. "I still haven't washed my hands," he murmured. And for a moment all he could think about was the fact that he was still totally disgusting and she was getting ice cream all over her hands. Then he looked up and they kissed, and for some reason he had a hard time focusing on anything else for a little while. When she pulled away he panted gently and almost ran his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture before remembering that they were still covered in ice cream.

"Uh, sure. Let me take those," he said, grabbing the ice cream bowls, "and get cleaned up. What about you, do you want more, since yours got, uh, splattered?"

He shuffled into the kitchen and rinsed out the bowls quickly, washing his hands. "There was a question you asked," he called out. "I don't remember...no, wait, I remember. And yeah. Sure. I'd run away with you. But I'll be honest..." He grabbed the refilled ice cream bowls. "I'm not ready to run away from everything. Maybe we could just run over to Boston, try to start everything there fresh?"

[Jalen August]

Jalen grinned at him, shaking her head. "And you'll be surprised how stubborn I'll be about proving you wrong." With that challenge, she raised her eyebrows. He was already dating someone, most people would think he was whipped by now. Besides, just because he was admitting he was a teddy bear to her, didn't mean the rest of the school would know.

The girl smiled, although hesitantly. JD wasn't exactly one for the romance was he? She knew there was a romantic side to him though, even though it was quite small and almost invisible. She laughed. "Well I'm glad you return my feelings," she said, tilting her head to the side, "and feel free to tell me as often as I give you compliments." Unless, love wasn't something that involved feelings for JD?

Jalen started laughing again, but instead of explaining herself she rested her forehead on JD's shoulder. "Yes yes, wonderful," she sighed. No, there was no way to get through to him.

"So?" She asked, still gripping his hands. It would take more than a little ice cream to scare Jalen away. He should come back when he was covered in vomit. Then she might run in the other direction.

"Nah, no more ice cream, I'm happy and full." Not that JD had asked about her emotional state or her hunger levels, but that didn't really matter. Jalen flopped back on the crappy school sofa, a book had magically appeared in her hands. Well actually it was the latest issue of Walking Dead.

Her eyes focused on the pages as she flipped through them quickly. Jalen tore her eyes away, watching JD as he got more ice cream. She grinned. He hadn't been listening. "You really want me to come with you, huh?" She asked. And what would that be like exactly? Would her parents be impressed? She shifted in her seat, stood up again, and shuffled to the kitchen area, wrapping her arms around JD's waist from behind.

"Ask me again at the end of summer?" She asked. Jalen wasn't sure why she wasn't rolling with the punches any more. Must've been the stress of growing up. That, or JD's sense of responsibility was starting to rub off on her.

[JD Paerson]

"Return, huh?" he asked. "So I guess that means you might like me or something?" JD grinned. He knew, in that same deep-down sort of way that he knew he would be an astronaut, that he loved Jalen and she loved him. And he just knew those were real feelings, real dreams...and nothing could ever change. Cynicism aside, for once, he thought everything was perfect. "I love you and your compliments, so keep it coming. Even if it is strange right now."

Why was she laughing at him? He guessed that he had done something right. So he just smiled and let her laugh. He'd try to figure out what had gone wrong (right?) later.

He didn't take much more ice cream for himself, and since Jay was done he decided to just shovel it all down in the kitchen and leave everything in the sink for later. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't" swallow "mean it." He dumped the bowl in the sink and wiped his mouth with his hand, then washed up. "Are you surprised or something? If you think it's a bad idea you don't have to..."

She was thinking about it. Well, that was fine. Good, even. Better not to jump into things, though it did force JD to remember that there was a future, and an end to the summer. An end to the school year.

He turned in her arms and put one arm around her shoulder. "All right, I'll check back. Meanwhile, aren't you excited to be getting out of school, finally?" He remembered her college problems and tried to modify the statement. "I mean, at least we're finally out of high school, at least almost. I've been here for...god, five years? Six? And hardly ever leaving. It'll be weird to be out in the rest of the world again."

He started walking toward the living room again so they could sit on the couch again.

[Jalen August]

She giggled and nodded a couple times before giving a defeated sigh. It was all in good fun of course. "Yeah, I might like you. Way deep, deep down inside." Jalen placed a hand to her heart for emphasis. If it wasn't obvious Jay adored the young man before her, then he must've been blind. "I'm surprised you're not used to it by now already," she said in all honesty. Surely there must be other people who noticed how great he was. She wouldn't be the only one. It was probably a good thing if she was though, because Jalen could turn very jealous very quickly.

"Of course I'm surprised! I've never lived with anyone other than my parents, never mind my boyfriend," she could feel herself redden as she spoke about possibly living with JD. Jalen was really and truly glad that he meant what he said though, and she smiled up at him as he turned around. She was still, oh so glad of their similar heights.

She followed him back to the couch. "I'm not sure. I'm going to try and get a job around here, maybe work at the ranch." And by the ranch, she meant the ranch. The one Cody/ex-lover owned and operated. She wasn't sure if it bothered JD that her and Cody still spoke once in a while, but she was a one woman man. He had nothing to worry about.

Jalen snuggled right up into JD. "Are you planning on working at all? Or are you finally going to take a break from school and working in general?" She glanced up at him, her shiny brown eyes smiling. Unless people knew her from before, she'd say no one would guess she'd ever been blonde.

[JD Paerson]

"Used to...you liking me? To be honest it's still a bit strange. I mean, it's only been, what, five months?" He couldn't think what else she would be talking about. And somehow it didn't really cross his mind that she might have had any feelings for him before they started dating, so he didn't bother to calculate that time.

"Well I never lived anywhere other than with my family or at school. But I guess it would be a little different, being farther away from your family." He had to remind himself that Jalen hadn't lived everywhere around the world, not even around the country or the state. And she wasn't used to being away from Pilot Ridge. This was probably a little frightening for her. "You could still come back a lot to visit, you know. And if it makes you feel any better it's new for me, too. Call it a learning experience."

Because he was JD, he started trying to figure out some of the statistics that would be involved if she came to live with him. Just the two of them? One room or two? Probably two...but then what if Zac wanted to live with them anyway? That wouldn't be the best idea in the world. But then maybe they could get a real house, something with a lot of bedrooms...would they need two bathrooms? Girls bathroom and guys?

He was so busy thinking through all of this that he almost lost track of the conversation immediately after he asked the question. He simply nodded when she answered, and it took a moment for what she'd said to actually register. "Wait, what?" he asked finally, thinking through everything. "As in Cody's ranch? So...living at home and working at the horse ranch?" He tried to keep himself from freaking out about this. She and Cody had ended that relationship, and JD knew Jalen loved him. He knew it. So why was he worried about her spending so much time with Jay?

Oh yeah. Jalen was a beautiful and intelligent girl and Cody was a guy. A guy who had basically proposed to her and never really broke off the relationship. And if she was here with Cody, then what if she forgot about her boyfriend in Boston?

He tried to ignore this and follow the rest of the conversation. "Well I've still got my job down at the boxing place in town. Filing, but hey, it's a paycheck. And I'll probably keep that until I head over to Boston, so, you know, until the end of school. Then they kind of kick you out of the dorms, and since I don't have a place to stay, I'll have to head over and try to find a place to stay. I think I'll have to get a job just to pay for the house." Sure he had a scholarship, but it wasn't that great. "No breaks for me. I'll rest when I'm dead."

And another wince. It was automatic. He should really stop talking about death in such casual terms--it didn't make it any easier to deal with the fact that his timer ran a little bit faster than most people.

He wrapped his arms around Jalen as they sat together on the couch. "Now you have some plans set out for the future. Do you feel any better?" Of course, he had a firm belief in plans, and he was mostly hoping that it had rubbed off on Jay.

[Jalen August]

Jalen poked his nose lovingly. “I’ve liked you from the start,” she said, “if I didn’t you would’ve known.” JD saw firsthand what she did to people she didn’t like. And yes, she had even liked him before they started dating, before she started dating Cody. Neither of them had the guts to ask the other out, but maybe it was for the better so that their friendship could develop. And it was nice to see JD grow out of that tortoise shell he holed himself up in.

“I’m all up for adventure, really, but moving in with your boyfriend or girlfriend? That’s a pretty big step,” she said. Sure, she could visit home, but it wouldn’t be the same. She’d have to make a new home, with JD. And her love just wasn’t getting her worry about all this. What about the physical aspect? Weren’t people who lived together and were in a relationship supposed to, do stuff? Jalen reddened just thinking about it. Tony would furious if she came home after grad and said, ‘oh by the way guys, I’m going to Boston to live with JD! Ta ta!’. Jalen groaned. “End of summer,” she watched him carefully, “you have my word.”

Nodding a few times in agreement, Jalen shifted a bit on the spot. “Well yeah. I know the horses pretty well already, and it’s better than being cooped up inside all day,” she reasoned. Plus it was close to home when she wasn’t ready to leave yet. Plus she was kind of hoping JD was sticking around Pilot Ridge during the summer, though she hadn’t really asked about that. Jalen often worried that he would go to Boston and meet someone better than her. Namely, more book smart or JD’s kind of intelligent. Sometimes she wondered why he was interested in her to begin with.

Jalen could feel her heart sink. “So... you’re going to Boston right away?” What was with her and her taste in men? Jalen was trying to keep him here with her and JD was trying to take her with him. At least they both wanted to be with each other, right? Jalen bit her bottom lip to keep in the tears. She was very done with crying today.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” she lied, not seeing the point in worrying him. There was no comfort in tomorrow, something that wasn’t the present. Jalen hadn’t planned her high school career and it was because of that that she hadn’t gotten into college. Why that had become important all of a sudden she wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t making her happy. “I really should study...” she mumbled, her fingers playing with the hair on JD’s arms. She didn’t even realize what she was doing.

[JD Paerson]

"All right, so maybe that's true," JD said with a shrug. He hadn't really seen her much with people she didn't like...except for Spring Break, when she still tried to be nice. Now that he thought about it, had he really seen Jalen lose her temper? Ever? That was probably a good sign.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's big. And I'm a little scared, too. But I think we could make it work." At whatever pace she wanted. Whatever. He could wait. Absolutely definitely.

"I guess that makes sense." He tried to rationalize this in his head. Jay would spend the summer, potentially longer, with Cody at his ranch. It was just a job. Because she liked horses. It was fine. "Well I hope that works out, but don't stop trying for other jobs, you know. Like working at a club or something, get some experience. Practice playing in front of an audience so you're ready when you're famous." He smiled. It was a little forced, but hopefully she wouldn't notice.

He shrugged. "Unless I find somewhere to stay. I'm kind of going to be kicked out of the dorms here, and it's not like I have a place to crash. I mean, I could take over Zac's house, but I'm not really interested in doing that. And maybe I can swing by my parents' place before I head over to college." He hadn't visited his parents in...two years? He was definitely overdue for a visit.

"Okay, if you need...to..." He stiffened as she began rubbing his arm. "Um." He pulled his arms away and ran his hands over his arms to smooth the hair, then wrapped his arm around her again. "Do you need me to leave, or do you want my help?" Hopefully she'd get the hint to stop that, especially if she still wanted to study and not get into...anything else.

[Jalen August]

Jalen believed him when he said they could make it work. She just wasn't sure it would. She just needed some time to let the offer settle before she said yes or no. One night at the very least. Things like this usually cleared up the next morning.

"I'm already singing in clubs," she said, raising an eyebrow at JD, "it doesn't pay a whole lot, but it gets me noticed I suppose." Jalen pushed her hair out of her face, mustering up the courage to explain what it was she really wanted to do with her life. "But the singing part isn't really what I want to do," she looked at him, "what I really want is to produce and mix music, you know, put my talents to use, be realistic." Jalen smiled, and this time it wasn't forced.

Jalen didn't like the thought of JD living with Zac any more than JD did. "Where would you stay in Boston? Will you call me or something?" She asked, obviously very disheartened at JD's news. Why wouldn't he tell her something like that sooner? "If you do visit your parents, are you going to bring me?" She asked hopefully. Jalen was just done hinting towards things. The best way to talk to JD, was to talk to him.

She watched him pull away, her fingers curling in on themselves. "Sorry," she said, "I wasn't trying to annoy you." Really, she wasn't. Jalen's mind was just everywhere at once, and this was probably one of the few times she felt like a worried, over anxious woman. She brightened at his offer. "You wouldn't mind?" Jalen grinned a bit before leaning closer to him. "You're not gonna like what I did to the school's math textbook," she giggled, glad she was starting to feel like herself again.

[JD Paerson]

"Well sure, yeah, but I bet the singing will help you a lot more. You know, getting out there, into show business. Better than working on some farm, right?" He had no idea how that sort of thing worked. But really, at least doing something vaguely in the correct field had to be better than going off and working in the middle of nowhere.

"I've got a spot in the dorms, but until those open up I think I'll try to get a place in the city, something for just like a month while I get to know the town." He rubbed her shoulder. "I'm still going to be visiting. And I will definitely be calling, all the time. And even texting. I feel like it might be a habit worth learning." He smiled to reassure her. He had no intentions of abandoning anyone.

His smile fell, though, at her next question. "Um." Would he bring her to visit his parents? How would his dad react to that? Look, Dad, I'm not going to the college you wanted me to attend and I'm directly flaunting your plans for me and look here's my girlfriend that I didn't really tell you I had and we might be living together next year. Talk about an explosion. "It might be better if we wait for a while. You know, this is a big transition period, and I don't want to put my parents through too much at one time. Is it okay with you if we wait for a bit?" Like...forever?

"No, it's not--you weren't annoying me, it was just kind of, um, ticklish. Like when someone blows in your ear. I'm fine." And he was. Mostly. "No, I don't mind. I'll face whatever that textbook has turned into, even if it eats people alive. You should go get it and I'll get set up at the table."

He needed the chance to stand and stretch for a moment, maybe get something cold to drink. A big glass of ice water, that was what he needed.

[Jalen August]

“Some farm hey?” She asked, watching him carefully. Maybe he was also a jealous type, but he was passive aggressive so, he probably wouldn’t tell her that it bothered him for her to be anywhere near Cody, summer job or not. “When I sing to the horses they seem to enjoy it,” she teased, only trying to make like of the situation.

“Town?” she asked, her eyes wide, “what I’ve heard Boston is actually big.” Jalen wondered if he was downsizing it because he was worried too. She breathed out a sigh of relief, “Good, I think I’d miss you too much otherwise.” She smiled a bit, though she was a little disappointed that she wouldn’t get to see him as often as she’d like to. Suddenly the idea of going to Boston with him sounded more appealing.

Jalen bit her lip. She sometimes forgot that not everyone had a family like hers. This was one of those times. “I uh, yeah, that’s fine!” She chuckled nervously, her face falling as much as his had. Way to go Jay... “I guess you’re dad wouldn’t like that so much,” she said, nodding to reassure herself, because there was absolutely nothing wrong with her in this circumstance. Right?

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Do people blow in your ear often?” She asked as she quirked up an eyebrow, a mental image of Zac doing just that popping into her mind. It probably wasn’t one of the more offensive things the Asian managed to pull off. JD was ticklish though? She would keep that in the front of her mind.

Jalen nodded and stood from the couch, going to her room to find her beloved textbook. It was still on her desk from before, when she had texted him. Since she was in there, she decided to close the door and change into her pajama shorts and a t-shirt before going back out to JD.

Her nose was buried in the book so to speak, her finger panning along the page, smudging her hand notes. Jalen sat innocently at the table in the living area, cross legged on the floor. “See, I’m on the review part,” she said, looking up at him with a sheepish grin. Would he even be able to tell what it was? The white space of the textbook had been obliterated with her pretty handwriting.

[JD Paerson]

"Oh good, you found your calling as a horse whisperer." And he tried to keep the edge off his voice, he really did. He was glad she had a place to go, a place to stay. Nothing would happen between her and Cody. And the more times he told himself this the more he would believe it.

He shrugged. "All right, so city. Maybe one of the twenty largest cities in the country. Though technically I'll be in Cambridge, which is really more of its own...place...You know, it's not a big deal. Point is I'll want to get settled in around campus. You know how it is."

He smiled again when Jalen agreed about not meeting his family just yet. He didn't mean to exclude her or anything, it was just...hard. "Thanks, love." He reached over to kiss her. "No, he's not going to be too thrilled. He's such an ass about this sort of thing. Any sort of thing to do with my future, no matter how great it is..." He frowned at a spot in the corner, brow furrowed. Then he shook his head. "I'm starting to think that maybe I can just pretend your parents are mine or something. Have just one set? Or find some way to just talk to my mom."

JD shifted nervously on the couch. "Not everyone. Just my old girlfriends. When we were dating, that is. Nothing since. Otherwise it would have been awkward. But you know that." He really didn't want to get into his past dating life and all of its various...episodes.

When Jalen went to get her textbook, JD stood and went into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. He splashed a little on his overly-hot neck as well before going to the table and clearing off a spot where they could sit. He glanced up when she came in again, but looked back down at the table quickly when he saw her in her pajamas. Was it just him, or were those really short shorts?

"Uh-huh," he said, scooting over and looking at the textbook next to her. He took another drink of water. "Huh. Are you sure this is a math book anymore and not some literature thing?" He looked at some of the notes. "What are these, anyway?"

He ran a finger under the actual text. "I am assuming you've been over this already. So you already have it figured out? Or is there anything you're having trouble with?"

All right, he was having trouble looking at her. But that shirt had such a big neck opening, and he was doing what he could to keep from causing himself even more problems. Avoid temptation altogether. And yet...he couldn't stop sneaking peeks.

[Jalen August]

“Nooo,” she said, catching JD’s edgy voice, “that would be Cody.” Just because she was going to work for Cody, didn’t mean she was going to be a douche and cheat on JD. It just wasn’t in her to do that. Jalen was going to use her powers for good, and if her natural talent could bring calm to those magnificent creatures, she would help where she could. It wasn’t her dream job, but it was something she felt comfortable doing. Something that would save her sanity.

Jalen shook her head no. “I don’t really know how it is, but if anyone can figure it out, it’ll be you.” She smiled lovingly at him, because in her mind, JD could do anything he set his mind to. “Hey, don’t worry about your dad. You have plenty of people who are proud of you,” she grinned, “and my parents adore you, they’ll gladly adopt you.” Jalen laughed. “Well, not really adopt you, because then dating you would be weird,” she pushed her hair behind her ear. That wasn’t awkward at all. She cupped his face in her hands. “We’ll figure something out.” Yes, we, together.

“Gross JD,” she said, before falling into a giggling fit, “you don’t need to tell me about your fetishes just yet.” Jalen doubted that he wanted to hear about what she had done with Cody. Namely stripping down to her underwear to swim, but that was basically like swimming in a swimsuit right? She had done that plenty of times in front of JD, so the score was pretty well even. He looked pretty good in just swim trunks if her memory served her correctly.

It was just him.

She slapped the book. “Of course it’s a literature thing, how else am I supposed to understand it?” Jalen glanced at JD, reading between her lines. Why wasn’t he sitting with her on the floor? Her eyes averted back to the book. “Well I think I have it figured out, I mean, I might have to rewrite some of these notes during the exam, but I guess if it helps get the answer that’s what matters in the end, right?” He was looking at her, but he didn’t seem to be paying attention. “Right?” She sighed, slumping onto the table. “I’m gonna fail this stupid exam...” Head down.

[JD Paerson]

"Thanks for the faith," JD said, though he wasn't really sure of his ability to handle his parents. So far his only technique had been avoidance, and he wasn't sure he could keep that up forever. He chuckled a little. "It's good to know I'm not the only person who says stupid things every once in a while." Runaway mouths? Check. "I liked your family, too. So it's a nice offer, even if it wouldn't really work out in the end."

He frowned. "It's not a fetish. It's a very common...no? You're telling me you never...all right, whatever. I guess." He had been fairly certain that wasn't unusual behavior, but maybe he was wrong. What did he know, anyway? Still, though, he vowed to try it on Jalen and see if she reacted the same way. People were just hardwired certain ways, he felt, so it would probably work anyway.

Or, you know. Maybe it was just boys, hardwired a certain way, to always be looking at girls in that...certain way. Even if they were just in their scrungy PJs.

"What? Oh, right, right," he said, agreeing even though he wasn't sure exactly what she'd just said. But when she flopped back onto the couch he was torn between actually trying to help her study and just going with what he wanted. Selfish desires won out.

"Well, if you're already sick of studying, we could always try other activities. I'm open to suggestions." He gave her a look, smiling as he stared at her eyes. "How bad will the exam be, I mean, really?"