A/N: A look into an AU Jay/Hazel . . . thing over a span of 10 days. Is it a friendship, romance, both, neither? Who knows. Set after High Fidelity, but some liberties are taken with the Paige/Alex side pairing. I'm sure you can figure that out.
Reviews are always appreciated. I have a hard time writing 'bad' characters, so I might have made Jay a bit too soft. You be the judge.
xxx
1.
He's in his car, watching. She's just walked out of the mall, her arm looped with Princess Paige's and two shopping bags in her other hand. It's kind of like a teenybopper music video, them strutting down the street in their designer jeans and too big sunglasses, wind blowing in their hair.
He drives up to them.
"Hey, ladies, need a ride?"
Princess' nose wrinkles. "What we need is for you to get lost."
Hazy doesn't say anything. He fixates on that.
"What about you? Or have you already caught the lesbo disease?"
Princess glares and takes a step in front of her friend. "You of all people should be educated on diseases, Jay. You gave one to practically every skank in school."
"A little jealous, are we there, Queen Bee?"
"Leave us alone."
Finally, the sidekick speaks.
2.
On day two, he catches her alone.
"Are you actually out alone without Paige? Does she let you do that?"
She stops in her tracks and veers around. "Do you ever get tired of acting like jerk?"
He pretends to think about it. "Not really."
"Figures," she mutters, and breezes past him. He catches her arm with his hand.
"Hazy, my friend, what you need is a good time. And I can show you that."
"You're disgusting."
3.
"Ew," Paige says as she sees his car pull up in front of her house.
The doorbell rings. She tries to ignore it, but he's not going away.
"What do you want?" she snaps as she opens the door.
He grins even though nothing's funny. "Alex wanted me to give you these."
He shoves some CDs her way, and then studies her now sullen expression.
"Oh," she says. "Um. Thanks."
He knows she has too much pride to ask how Alex is.
"She's sort of a wreck. She keeps moping. Hasn't said anything sarcastic or offensive in weeks."
Paige tries to conceal a smile.
"Hey," he says, leaning against the doorframe. "Why don't I take you over there?"
"I don't know. . ."
"She really misses you," he presses.
After a moment, she agrees.
"Okay, but one condition."
She sighs. "What do you want, Jay?"
"Bring your friend."
4.
"Just because we spent the day together doesn't mean we're friends," Hazel warns, when he gets too close.
"I don't have any friends," he whispers in her ear, and she pulls away.
"You're such an ass."
"Why, because I'm not rich like Jimmy? That is the reason you went out with him, right?"
She looks at him, stunned. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you stalking me and Paige? Why are you asking me about Jimmy, trying to hurt me?"
He doesn't answer – just puts on his shades and leans against the car.
5.
"What are you doing here?" she asks through gritted teeth. "You don't do yoga."
"I'm thinking about starting," he says, in a way that warns Hazel he's about to start spewing bullshit. "I mean, girls, toned yoga bodies, all the bending and stretching. It could really work for me."
"Have fun, then," she replies venomously and turns to leave.
He stops her again. "I'm picking up Alex," he tells her and she places a hand on her hip.
"Great," she says with a fake smile.
"We could all go out, if you want. Maybe hit the ravine?"
"I would never be caught dead in that place. Especially with you."
He doesn't have a chance to respond, because Alex is headed their way. She comes over and greets them apprehensively.
"Okay, one of you please tell me why you," she says, motioning to Jay, "King of the Trailerpark and you," motioning to Hazel, "Queen of Diamonds and Daddy's Credit Card are out here talking?"
"I don't know. We must be in the Twilight Zone," Hazel says and walks away.
6.
"Wanna hit?" he asks, passing her a joint.
"Are you kidding me?" she shoots back, pushing his hand out of her face. She tries to clear the smoky air with her hand, but it fails. The stench is killing her. She lifts the collar of her shirt to her nose.
"You're such a diva," he tells her. "Seriously. It's always about you."
"Get over yourself," she mutters.
"See, there you go again – taking the attention away from me and putting it back on you."
"You're stoned," she says, now rolling down the window.
"I've been so nice to you," he continues. "I even went so far as to help out Paige."
She scoffs. "You used Paige's break up with Alex. You knew she'd say yes in a heartbeat to spend time with her."
"I know that. And they're like, two seconds away from getting back together. I'm so nice. I'm putting my ex back together with Princess. I should get a fucking medal or something."
"You should get some fucking help," Hazel snaps, and he wonders if that's the first she's ever cursed in her life. She crosses her arms around her chest and sinks into the chair, annoyed.
"I hope your face freezes like that."
7.
"Aren't your parents from Somalia?"
"So?" she asks, defensively.
"So nothing. I was just wondering. Are they nice?" he asks. God, he sucks at small talk.
She shrugs. "They're okay. Are yours?"
He laughs – probably a little too loudly. "My parents are deadbeats."
"Oh," she says, similar to the way Paige did that one day he stopped by her house. She puts her hand on his knee, comforting him. "I'm sorry."
8.
When day eight arrives, it's like he's finally made headway.
"Want to go driving or something?" he asks her over the phone. He'd some how managed to bribe Alex into asking Paige for it.
"I'm supposed to go out with Paige."
What? "Sorry to burst your bubble, but Paige has been at Alex's all day and it doesn't look like she's leaving any time soon."
She's silent for a moment. Probably pissed. He understands.
"Come pick me up."
"See ya then, Hazy."
9.
"Okay," Hazel says, glee in her eyes – something that is never there when Jay is around, "would you rather get a manicure with Paige or get kicked in the balls repeatedly by Alex?"
"Wow, making me choose between something that could scar me for life mentally or physically," he says, in what looks like admiration. "Nice."
Hazel smiles proudly. "Thanks. Now, pick."
"I'd have to be unconscious to even step into one of those fuckin' beauty parlors," he says, and Hazel half-expects him to start burping or scratching himself. "Alright. My turn."
She gives him a fearless look as he comes up with a question.
"Okay. Who would you rather kiss – Paige. . . or me?"
She turns up her nose. "I can't believe you just asked me that. No, wait, on second thought, yes, I can. You're disgusting."
"Come on, it can't be that hard."
She sighs. "Maybe – and this is only maybe – you, if you brushed your teeth before and didn't smoke anything the whole day."
He leans back in his chair. "I knew you couldn't say no to me."
10.
"Get in the car."
He stops her on the street, practically running her over.
"I'm not getting in. I'm going to the movies."
He completely ignores her.
"There's a party the Montreal crew are throwing and I'm bringing you. Let's go."
"No way," she says, her hand firm on her hip. "Those parties are gross."
"Who are you going to the movies with?" he asks, suddenly interested his short-attention span showing.
"Paige, Alex, and Marco."
"Is Marco your date?"
"Ha, ha."
He shrugs. "I never know what team he's playing for these days. Kind of like my ex and your best friend."
"They're happy, okay? Just leave them alone."
"So, what are you going to see?"
"Whatever romantic comedy is playing. They haven't decided yet."
He makes a face.
"Yeah, tell me about it. Paige and Alex are going to be all over each other and I'll have to hold Marco while he cries."
"Whoa," Jay says, taken aback. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say something like that about your friends."
She shifts uncomfortably. "I've been hanging out with you too long."
"There is no such thing as too long with me."
"Right," Hazel says, rolling her eyes. "Well, I have to go."
"Let me come."
"What?"
"Let me come. I haven't seen Queerboy and Princess in a while. It should be fun. And worst comes to worst, we can ditch them and go make out in the bathroom."
"Ugh, and you wonder why the only girls you can ever get are skanks?"
"Actually," he objects, "I've never wondered that. Now, are you going to let me come or not?"
"Fine," Hazel gives in. "But if you so much as put your arm around me, I'm out."
She heads for the car. When she gets in, Jay gives her a mysterious grin. "We'll see how the night goes. After all, you are technically my date."
"You've never taken a girl out on a date in your life."
"Hey," he says, "I'm open to try new things."
She sighs again. "And apparently, so am I. Just drive. And when Paige asks me why you tagged along, I'm going to tell her you practically forced me into the car, just so we're clear. "
"And I'm going to tell her you liked it."
"Liked what?"
"Being manhandled by me."
Hazel grimaces as he puts the car in drive and hits the gas.
x.
He puts his arm around her twice. Tries to feel her up once. She slaps him every time, and Marco shushes them, loudly.
She hits him the hardest the second time he gets too frisky, and he jumps back, surprised.
"Sorry," he mutters. Hazel doesn't think she's ever heard that word fall from his lips, so she lets him put his arm around her the third time he tries, even if it was a little sarcastic.
She can't tell who's more surprised.
END.