Hey FF peeps! So… another one-shot from yours truly, MOI. I've been posting a lot lately - suddenly, no more mental block! :D
This is about a rainy day for Jack and Kim, and I think it kinda sucks, but just read and review anyway, please?
Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It or any of the books mentioned in this one-shot.
"Twenty-four? Please tell me the answer's twenty-four."
I wrap my jacket tightly around myself, hugging it around my chest in a futile attempt to keep warm. The rain outside is drumming endlessly onto the windowpane, and the chorus of raindrops is severely affecting my brainwork. I have a tendency to space out or lose focus when put in a noisy setting.
The library is cold, the air-conditioner not improving my freezing state by one bit. All it's doing is hindering my efforts in trying to stay warm - mainly the courtesy of my school's cranky, elderly librarian Mrs. Burke, who seems to be a cold-blooded amphibian at the rate the temperature of the air in the building is plummeting.
While the library is not my preferred setting to immerse myself in a series of algebra sums and explanations, I had no choice due to the unexpected downpour of rain. Splashing through the rain and getting my brand new pair of Uggs dirty is not my idea of fun, as shallow as it sounds.
Jack, of course, tends to be easy-going with such matters, and despite taunting me about my sudden My-Uggs-Are-Wet-aphobia (pfft), he agreed to stay in the library and teach me algebra.
Jack Anderson, my algebra tutor. The improbability of this moment was so high I never thought I'd see the day Jack becomes a mathematical genius. Probably a late bloomer.
Jack laughs lightly, checking my scribbled algorithms and scrawling an untidy tick next to my answer. "Yeah, it is," he says. "Good job - took you about five tries, six busted pencils and an eraser dust bunny, but you got it right anyway."
My shoulders slump in pure relief of being evicted from the miserable world of algebra, and I draw a deep sigh. "Thank god," I mutter. "This was torture."
"We should probably clear this mess up." Jack gesticulates towards the many borrowed calculators (due to the malfunction of our own), the broken pencils, stubs of erasers, crumpled and tortured papers and a ball of shed eraser dust spread across the table. I groan before picking up the eraser dust ball, frowning.
"Seriously Jack? Were you that bored?" I flick it towards the garbage bin, ignoring Jack's cries of 'J-LO!'
It takes us a good five minutes to simply sweep the entire table spotless of junk, which would have taken less time had Mrs. Burke not been scrutinizing our every move. She has problems - I'm surprised she's even married. Her husband must be either very in love, very tough, or very loony.
When we are done, we collapse into our seats, Jack shoving the filled bin away with his foot. We envelope ourselves in a few moments of silence before Jack suggests we do something.
"Okay, like what?" I ask. "Whatever it is, it must take place in the library, because I -"
" - have My-Uggs-Are-Wet-aphobia!" Jack announces, throwing his hands up into the air in an attempt to be dramatic. I scowl, only to earn a poke on the stomach.
Fortunately for me, I'm immune to 'zaps', simply because there has never been a day whereby I didn't have a zap war with my siblings. But Jack isn't, so I stick out my finger and edge it threateningly towards his side, causing him to nearly fall of his chair avoiding it.
I giggle, grinning in satisfaction at Jack's amusing reaction towards something as small as a finger. It's his turn to scowl, and he slaps me playfully across the arm, trying to look serious by wiping the ridiculous grin off his face.
"Okay, so seriously, what can we do?" Jack asks again.
I shrug. "We could read. That's what a library's for, right?" I suggest, getting out of my seat and advancing towards the shelves of musty, poorly-handled books. While it seems like a nerdy thing to do, reading is one of my favorite past-times, so it seems natural to step into the library and hit the books.
"Oh my god, Kim, that's so… geeky!" Jack complains, slapping his forehead. He still rushes after me though - probably didn't want me to 'get lost'. Honestly, he's a little paranoid when it comes to my physical and emotional safety, which is sweet but kinda annoying.
Although come to think of it, it has already proved useful in two situations concerning butt-heads.
"There's nothing geeky about reading," I retort, picking 'The Secret Garden' off the shelf and shoving it unexpectedly into his hands. "Reading helps with our English, and it allows us to enter worlds we've never even dreamed of. It's the way of life, and one who doesn't read is a doofus."
"I'm not a doofus!" Jack protests indignantly. "I am a genius."
"Well a genius reads." I slip another book of the shelf - 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' - and add it onto the growing pile of what I call, knowledge and fantasy.
Jack rolls his eyes, his chocolate-brown orbs scanning the title of the top book, 'The Hunger Games'. "The Hunger Games?" he repeats. "What's that - a competition for an abundance in food?" He smirks.
"It's about a televised show in a post-apocalyptic world where twenty-four tributes fight to the death," I respond casually, only to earn an unsure look from him. "Honestly Jack, you haven't even heard of 'The Hunger Games'? That's huge - there's a movie and everything!" I am flabbergasted.
Jack shrugs. "I pride myself in my ignorance towards the geeky -" I let out a cry of protest "- world of ancient books."
"Hunger Games was first published in 2008, mind you," I say with a roll of my eyes. I gesture for him to follow me back to our seats, and I shove the bottom two books off his hands, leaving 'The Hunger Games' on them.
"At least read 'The Hunger Games' - I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it," I say, even taking the initiative to flip the book open to the first page.
"No, I don't wanna!" Jack whines obstinately, nearly earning a slap from me.
"Well fine," I say, snatching the book from his hands. "If you don't wanna feel what the joy of reading a book feels like, then I can't force it upon you. But let me just tell you that you have no idea what you're missing."
Jack shrugs. "I'll still pass."
As I begin flicking through the fourth Harry Potter installment, I hear another petulant cry from the brunet. I whip around, demanding, "What?"
"Don't read," Jack begs, pouting. "It's so boring just sitting here and watching my only company read. I feel so lame and forever alone."
I smirk, putting the book away reluctantly and turning to face him properly. "Okay, so suggest something to do. I tried reading, but Mr. Stubborn-Pants here thinks it's stupid." I cross my arms, sending him a challenging look.
"Let's…" Jack looks around in the hope of finding a source of entertainment before snapping his fingers when a thought comes to him. "Let's go outside!"
I moan, "Why? I already told you, these are new Uggs that cost me a gazillion A-stars and full marks for a gazillion tests, and I am not getting them wet!" I send him a penetrating glare along with an immediate refusal, and sit down on the chair obstinately.
"You're a real ass, Kim," Jack jokes. I shoot him a look of both fury and hurt and the brunet immediately shakes his head fervently, stuttering on about how an ass refers to a donkey in this context.
"Donkeys are stubborn, aren't they? Oh god dammit Kim, lighten up!" Jack's exasperated comment only leaves me virtually gluing my butt to the seat.
"Look, if you're not gonna give in, fine," he says after I fail to budge for ten seconds. "But you're gonna have to eventually since we have karate practice in ten minutes."
"WHAT?!" I leap up from my seat, nearly dying of utter horror. "Ten minutes? You're… you're joking! We only started at 2… you mean it's already 5? Oh shit, oh shit, we're gonna be late…" At this point, my mind is only focused on getting to the dojo in ten freaking minutes. Curse Jack and his lack of sense of punctuality. He knows he's the only one of us with a watch, and the clock in the library isn't functioning properly…
I shove books and worksheets into my beaded bag in a mindless haste to get out of the library, scooping up my stationary and dumping them into Jack's bag, the closest object, in a mad attempt to save about three seconds of time. Punctuality is a virtue I try to uphold all the time. I can't be late - I have late-phobia, if there's such a thing!
"Come on, Jack, hurry up! We have to get to the dojo or Rudy is gonna kill us and I think I'm gonna kill myself -" I knock a chair over on the way out, stopping only to put the chair in its proper position (thanks to Mrs. Burke). I make a wild scramble for the door, trying to push the door open while pulling an umbrella out of my bag all at the same time. I feel like a mess of tangled arms.
Jack walks over, his expression serene and his lips pressed together to form one thin line, like he's hiding something. But I don't have time to interrogate him on his secrets - I need to get to the dojo, and fast.
"Kim, calm down - what about your Uggs?" he teases me. I willingly sacrifice time to slap him on the shoulder before rummaging through my bag in a frantic haste again.
"Punctuality, I'd say, is more important than my uggs," I respond. "Besides, I guess I could always dry them - ah-ha! My umbrella! Wait, why won't this stupid door open?" I push more violently at the door, my aggravated screams ringing through the library and shattering its silence (cue the looks of disapproval). I even resort to kicking it roughly with the sole of my boot before I find myself stumbling backwards and tumbling onto the ground.
"What was that for?" I demand, flames leaping in my eyes. I see Jack standing next to an opened door, his hand gripping the handle smugly.
"It's pull, not push," he says with an impish smirk. I seriously feel like slapping the glee right off his somewhat adorable face (what?), but I have more pressing matters to attend to.
"Kim, would you chill?" Jack's following me as I stomp out the library in a frenzy, attempting to open my umbrella which to my ultimate horror, seems to be stuck. I can't open it!
Beneath the sheltered area in front of the library, I can already feel the drizzle of the raindrops splattering on my arms and legs. My Uggs are already speckled with drops of water, the brown material soaking everything in until I look like I'm wearing leopard spots or something like that.
"Why - won't - this - damn - thing - open?" My exasperated screams are punctuated by my umbrella getting tossed out from beneath the shelter and landing on the gravelly strip of road before being carried away by the howling wind. It's quite comical actually, to see an umbrella sort of skip along the road, about to be hit by a -
"OH SHIT!"
- Car.
On the road lies the remains of my currently demented-looking, tattered, torn, embarrassingly-pink umbrella.
"And we mourn the death of Pinkie, Kim's beloved -"
"Why don't you shut it, butt-head?" I retort, sending a fist at his stomach. "You're not helping here. We're about to be late and you're being stupid. Now do you have an umbrella?"
"No."
"What? Who in the freaking hell won't bring an umbrella to school in case of inclement weather? Jack!" I nearly want to rip my hair out, but I don't because I love my hair. I sound shallow, don't I?
"What? Sorry. I'm a forgetful person, and usually, I don't mind splashing in puddles and walking (and slipping) through the rain," Jack says defensively.
I roll my eyes and tap my foot impatiently on the marble flooring of the sheltered area, nearly bursting with urgency. "Great," I mutter, which is surprisingly still audible over the crashing cacophony the rain was making. "Now we're stuck here."
"Or not." I glance over and look at Jack, only to see an impish grin grazing his lips. I feel telepathic because I immediately scan his mind of thoughts and realize what he's planning.
"Oh no," I say. "Oh no, I am not running through the rain to get to the dojo."
Jack smiles, waving his watch in front of my face. 5:05. Shit, we're late.
"You're already late Kim, might as well just do it. You never know; you may enjoy it." There's now a smile erupting on Jack's face, his mischievous grin somehow drawing me closer and closer towards the outside world unarmed with an umbrella.
Eventually, I find it a bit hard to resist the nagging temptation of the pattering raindrops, and stamp my foot, yelling, "Alright!" Then before I can change my mind and get all fickle-minded about it, I step onto the road, my actions fast and decisive.
Immediately, I am showered by a downpour of water droplets. They splatter onto my skin, some water bouncing off onto the road and some simply providing assistance in drenching me. Before long, my denim jacket, floral blouse, jeans and (oh my god) my precious Uggs are soaked through.
"I hate precipitation," I mutter, my fists clenched tightly as I attempt to ignore the rain pitting itself against my skin.
Jack shrugs. "It does kinda suck from time to time." He seems completely collected in the downpour - how can he be? Idiot.
"Look, let's just get going." I dip my neck down and lift my zipped up bag onto my head, letting it take the full blow of the wrath of the storm. I hurry along the pavement, not bothering to wait for the brunet to come along, attempting to avoid every single puddle. Eventually I find myself speeding along the lane of cement, my unfortunate boots accidentally meeting with an unexpected puddle from time to time.
"Kim, don't run!" Jack yells over the ruckus of the rain.
"I want to!" Ignorant towards his advice, I continue sprinting along the pavement, biting my lip and squinting my eyes, trying to prevent any rainwater from irritating them.
"Stop running!"
"No!"
"Kim, listen, if you don't, you're seriously gonna end up -"
One moment I'm speedily avoiding puddles and the next moment, I'm slipping on one. I fall backwards and land on my butt, which is throbbing terribly from taking the fall. It aches while my hands sting with diluted blood from trying to cushion my terribly unflattering stumble.
" - falling," Jack finishes his sentence off in the realization that his advice is a little late. He rushes forward and helps me off the ground, checking for broken bones and blood.
"Kim, it's bleeding… Your hand…" Jack is fishing around in his bag for a packet of tissues at this point, but I rest my hand on his, calming him down.
"Jack, it's fine," I insist, staring at him earnestly. "Look, I can just rub it right off -" I brush my hand against my jeans, which have grown incredibly uncomfortable from the effect of the rain. As I lift my hand up again, the blood is gone, and while some traces of red still linger around the cuts from time to time, the bleeding has more or less stopped.
Jack's shoulders drooped in relief. "Oh thank god," he murmurs, seizing my hand and stroking it in a rather caring fashion. It only makes me flush flamingo pink. He observes my hand before abruptly dropping it, and when he does, the tingles stop.
"Look Kim, I have something to tell you -"
"Save it for later," I insist, trying to avoid him doing anything awkward like 'confessing his love' or whatnot. "Let's just get to the dojo. We're… what, how late are we now?"
Jack's face scrunches up and he gives me a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yeah, about that… we're not actually late, we're early. Fifty minutes early."
I cannot believe my ears as I hear Jack explain how he wound his watch back by an hour in an attempt to escape the 'boring' library and have me lighten up for a change. He finishes off my giving me an incredibly inadequate apology.
"Hey, but this was fun, right?" Jack asks hopefully, trying to get my face of disbelief and fury it break into a smile.
All I do is punch him. Again.
So… was it okay? In my opinion it wasn't very good, since somehow good vocab stopped flowing into my mind, but…eh, I suppose it'll have to do.
This doesn't feature much Kick romance - it's more humor and friendship, which I think most fanfictions (and mine) lack. So I tried shifting the whole romance thing away for once… didn't work out for a short moment with the hand-holding bit, did it? :P
Review, please? And check out my fanfics - Fight to the Finish and Weird (one-shot)! :) It'll mean the world.
-Sienna