Authors' Notes: Written for the Fitzsimmons Network Rom-Com Challenge on Tumblr. I unashamedly enjoy She's All That, so I was really excited to get this for the Rom-Com Challenge, and I had a lot of fun writing it. Big thanks go to agentverbivore for cheering me on as I wrote, and lettertoelise for being an absolutely fantastic beta. Thank you guys so much! I hope everyone enjoys. As always, thoughts and comments are welcomed and loved.

For the first time in her life, Jemma Simmons was anxious about going to school.

Logically, she knew she had no reason to be. She excelled at her studies and was on track to graduate first in her class; she was also popular and well-liked, serving as both class president and captain of the debate team, and was voted most likely to succeed in senior superlatives. She'd never suffered from a lack of confidence, either. She took a lot of pride in her self-assurance and firm sense of self. Yet no matter how many times she ran through her mental checklist of reasons not to worry, she still felt apprehensive. It was a certain change in her personal life that was giving her pause.

But sitting in her car in the school parking lot wasn't going to change any of that. Jemma checked her reflection in the rearview mirror-eyes bright, smile fixed in place-and got out of her car, pulling the straps of her backpack over her shoulders. Then she headed for the school's main entrance, her chin held high. It was first thing in the morning; there was no way anyone would know. Yet. She was safe, if only for a few more minutes.

She saw her friends sitting on their usual bench near the front doors, and headed for them. Callie looked up as she approached, and waved; Bobbi followed, calling out, "Hey, Jemma! How was your spring break?"

"It was fine," Jemma said, as cheerfully as she could. "Skiing was fun."

But Raina was looking at the empty space beside her and frowning. "Is Ed sick today?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so," Jemma replied evenly. Here it comes.

"Well, where is he?"

She affected an air of nonchalance. "I don't know."

Raina made a face, confused. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Yeah," Callie chimed in. "You guys are practically fused at the hip."

"Oh, we are not," Jemma protested, knowing it was technically untrue. She and Ed had spent most of the past three years doing almost everything together. They were inseparable. (Except, now, they weren't.)

Bobbi didn't look convinced either, concern writ in the furrow of her brow. "You are so. What's going on?".

Jemma sighed. There was no running from it now, and besides, these were her friends. "Well," she said, tucking her hair behind one ear, "he might have, sort of, possibly...broken up with me?"

"What?!" Bobbi and Raina cried, just as Callie shrieked "When?!"

They all sprung up from their seats, putting their phones aside to cluster around her, peppering her with questions. Jemma grimaced and ducked her head slightly, letting them get it all out of their system. "What happened?" Raina. "Oh my god, tell us everything!" Callie. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Bobbi.

"I'm-I'm fine," she said, waving them off, feeling self-conscious of anyone who might be eavesdropping. "I mean it," she added, when they gave her disbelieving looks. "I'll be okay."

Callie shook her head. "Did he say why he wanted to break up? I mean, you guys have been together for almost all of high school, he can't just up and dump you for no reason." Next to her, Bobbi nodded, and Raina looked curious too.

Jemma sighed. She wasn't eager to share the details of their breakup-not because she was heartbroken, but rather because she was furious, indignant, and a little betrayed. Biting her lip, she shrugged. "He said...he said he was just tired of me," she said, mentally replaying the whole conversation. "He thinks I talk too much and that I always have to be right and-and it makes him feel unintelligent." She rolled her eyes. "Like it's my fault that he has no ambition whatsoever, no life goals, and doesn't want to apply himself!"

Raina's eyebrows went up. "Wow, that's really harsh," she said, though she looked like she was fighting an amused smile. "So, he just-cut you off completely? Just like that?"

"Well...not exactly." Jemma rolled her eyes again. "He said he'd still be willing to go to the prom with me as friends, because-and I quote-'you know we're going to get prom king and queen so we have to go together.' I told him no. After the way he insulted me, did he really think I'd still go with him? I thought a clean break would be best."

"That's so strange," Bobbi murmured. "That he just suddenly decided overnight that he didn't like you anymore."

"I know!" Jemma shook her head. "He's always agreed with me on almost everything. But still, whatever happened, I won't change for him."

"But did he really insult you, though?" Callie asked. "I mean, you do talk a lot."

Jemma gave her an incredulous look. "Of course it was an insult! He wanted me to dumb myself down for him. I will never do that, not for anyone."

"If that's how he feels, maybe this is for the best," Bobbi said, reaching out to give her a sympathetic arm squeeze. "You don't need that in your life. Still, I'm sorry."

She gave her a small smile in return, but the sound of the bell interrupted any further conversation. Sighing, they all gathered their backpacks and headed for the front door.

"Any bets on how long before everyone knows?" Callie said.

"Oh, it'll be all over school before lunch," Raina replied confidently. "You know Ed can't keep his mouth shut."

Jemma sighed again, her shoulders sagging a little. She didn't mind being the topic of school gossip, and was even used to it-but it had always been for things like her grades or her extracurriculars, or whatever party Ed and his friends had thrown that weekend. Being talked about because her boyfriend of three years had just dumped her, especially given the reasons why, was not appealing to her at all. She'd never had to deal with negative gossip, and she didn't want to start.

"Well, it's just a breakup," she said, without much conviction. "It can't be that interesting to talk about."

"Yeah, right," Raina laughed shortly. "You're only the most popular couple in school. This is the breakup. You'll see."

-:-

As it turned out, Raina was correct. Even though Jemma had only told the three of them, by noon it seemed like everyone in school knew Ed had dumped her. She could feel the eyes of her curious classmates following her as she walked through the halls from class to class, and she couldn't escape their whispers and questions, not even in the bathroom. By the end of the day, she was thoroughly done with it all, and wanted nothing more than to just go home and pretend nothing had happened. Stiff upper lip, and all. Her British sensibilities would see her through.

"I actually think you're taking this really well," Trip said as he, Jemma, Bobbi, and Raina walked outside after the final bell. Trip was a mutual friend of Jemma and Ed, and was apparently taking her side in the 'custody battle', as Raina put it. "Ed was in Marine Biology acting like he'd just been set free after years of living in captivity. Gotta say, I'm disappointed in him. You don't deserve that."

"Well, it's nice to know he's being mature about it," Jemma replied thinly, crossing her arms. "And would you believe-I had some girls stop me after Calculus and thank me for being enough of a harpy to make Ed break up with me! They think now he's single, they've got a chance with him. Honestly, if they're going to act that way, they all deserve each other."

Bobbi gave her a gentle elbow bump. "You're not a harpy, Jemma."

She smiled despite herself. "Thanks, Bobbi."

"Even if you aren't, all of this talk isn't good for your image," Raina said as they passed another group of staring, whispering students. "Your legacy is in danger. You've been squeaky-clean for four years, but with this happening so close to graduation, people might only remember you as a bitchy control freak. And you've still got prom queen elections, too. This might ruin your perfect track record."

Jemma frowned. "Is prom queen really that big of a deal, though? It's just a title. And-I can't really help what others think of me, can I? If they think I'm perfect, it's only because that's how they choose to see me. I have flaws, just like everyone else. Even Ed isn't all everyone's made him out to be."

"I gotta disagree," Trip said. "Ed's the top of the social food chain here. Every guy wants to be him, every girl wants to bang him." At Jemma's sour face, he shrugged. "Might not be want you want to hear, but it's true."

"It really is," Raina added.

"Do you want to be Ed?" Bobbi asked Trip, smirking.

Trip laughed. "Girl, you know I don't. I'm secure with myself."

Jemma shook her head, suddenly feeling extremely uncharitable towards her ex-boyfriend. "But it's all just an illusion. If you take away his good looks and all of his family connections, he's just a B- average with a trust fund." When Bobbi snorted, hiding a smile behind one hand, she rushed to add, "He is! If anything, I helped his reputation. I don't need him to-to be popular, or win prom queen, or anything like that. You could replace him with anyone else and he'd probably be voted in as prom king instead, just because he was with me."

Trip's eyebrows went up. "That's a pretty serious statement." Beside him, Bobbi nodded.

She set her jaw. "I meant it seriously."

Raina stopped in the middle of the walkway, forcing the rest of them to stop with her. She gave Jemma a speculative once-over. "Want to make a bet?" she asked.

Jemma narrowed her eyes. Beside her, Trip took a step forward, holding his hands out. "Uh, do you really want to be doing this? I mean, she's not exactly heartbroken or anything, but she's still in a vulnerable position and you shouldn't encourage her competitive streak-"

Raina crossed her arms. "No, she thinks she can do it, let her prove it. Bet?"

It was very tempting. Jemma didn't want to admit it, but Ed had put a sizable dent in her normally ironclad self-esteem. If someone she'd been close to for years thought she was awful, a domineering know-it-all with control issues, what did it really say about her? Was that how she really presented to the world? The opinion of her fellow classmates didn't matter so much, as they would all be graduating and going their separate ways in a few weeks, but it could spell doom for her continued academic aspirations. She dreamed of going into biochemical research; a large part of that would involve collaboration and networking with fellow scientists. If she had a difficult personality, it might hinder her prospects.

The rational part of her brain told her that submitting to any sort of bet was not a good idea, but with her confidence in tatters, she felt the need to prove she was likeable, still in control of herself, and didn't need Ed to be successful. And Trip was right-she did have a competitive streak, and Raina had just tapped right into it.

"What sort of bet?" she asked. Trip and Bobbi both groaned in dismay.

Raina's mouth drew up in a smirk. "I pick a guy. Any guy in school. And you've got six weeks to turn him into the prom king. But-you can't nominate him. Someone else has to."

Jemma considered it. Six weeks was plenty of time, she figured, given she was at least on friendly acquaintance terms with most of the school's population. And Raina hadn't stipulated anything beyond the prom king title; she wouldn't have to get too deeply involved with anyone. All she had to do was make a new friend, raise his visibility a little, get his name on the ballot-and bam, Ed was no longer a shoo-in for prom king.

"Deal," she said firmly.

"Aw girl, no," Trip groaned, but Jemma tuned both him and Bobbi out as Raina laughed excitedly, clapping her hands together.

"Excellent, excellent," she said, pleased. "Well, then. Shall we go shopping?"

Jemma followed Raina as they walked around the school's outer courtyard, taking stock of all of the guys who were hanging around, chatting, or on their way to the parking lot or other various after-school activities. Bobbi and Trip followed a short distance behind, not looking thrilled but also unable to look away.

"No, not him," Raina murmured as they passed a guy Jemma vaguely recognized as being a junior in the marching band. Did he play trumpet? Or was it trombone? No matter-Raina had discounted him. "Not them, either," she added, nodding as half the varsity football team ran past. "Too easy. Oh, what about this guy?" She pointed at a greasy-looking boy who was in the midst of pulling up his sagging jeans while also eating a Twinkie.

"Oh goodness, no, please," Jemma murmured, wrinkling her nose. Raina laughed, scanning the courtyard again. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with pure delight.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" she cried, pointing. Jemma turned to look, and her heart dropped.

Coming up the stairs from a lower level of the courtyard was someone she was very familiar with. He'd tripped on the top step, sending his bag and his armful of cardboard paper tubes scattering across the concrete. Cheeks red and head ducked against the light laughter of the students closest to him, he was currently scrambling to get all of them picked up.

"Leo Fitz?" Jemma blurted, looking at Raina with wide eyes. "Oh no. No, not him."

Raina merely smirked. "You agreed to the terms, Jemma." She looked behind them. "Right, Trip?"

Trip shook his head. "Hey, no, this is between you two."

Across the courtyard, Fitz picked up the last of his cardboard tubes and stomped off toward the benches facing the parking lot. Jemma watched him go before turning back to Raina in desperation. "Weird! I can handle weird, or strange, or possibly bad breath or a bad personality, but-grumpy and inaccessible? No. He hates me, Raina. Hates me."

Raina made a show of checking the time on her phone before smiling innocently. "Well, don't just stand there. Time's wasting. If you're going to turn Leo Fitz into the prom king, you've really got your work cut out for you."

Jemma stared helplessly at her for a moment before looking back at Trip and Bobbi. Trip was watching in morbid fascination, but Bobbi raised her eyebrows as if to say, you got yourself into this. Then she gestured for Jemma to go talk to him.

She turned to look at where Fitz was now sitting alone on one of the benches, a wide berth between him and the other students gathered there. Then she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before setting off. She could do this. She was Jemma Simmons, all-around friendly and likeable girl. Not Jemma Simmons, the harpy.

But her stomach was filled with dread as she crossed the courtyard. Leo Fitz had been her academic nemesis from almost day one of their freshman year, constantly trying to one-up her in class and on projects-without ever so much as a glance or a word in her general direction. He'd never spoken to her. He didn't really speak to anyone else, either, but it had galled her that she'd once made an overture of friendship, only to be shut down completely. A part of her had always wondered what she'd done wrong.

Now she had an opportunity to try again. Maybe, this time, she would succeed.

Fitz's head was down as she approached him, his nose stuck in his phone, so he didn't notice when she stopped right in front of him, clasping her hands in front of her. She politely cleared her throat. "Um...excuse me. Fitz? I was wondering if you'd like to…"

His head had shot up at the sound of her voice, his eyes wide, but he almost immediately looked back down, his brows drawn together and his mouth pressing into a thin line. Then he went back to scrolling through his phone. Jemma hesitated, thrown by his flat dismissal, but decided to press on.

"I was wondering if I could-"

Fitz stood suddenly, shoving his phone into his pocket and readjusting his hold on his paper tubes, before pushing past her to go toward the parking lot. Stunned, Jemma turned to follow, only to see him join up with another girl, her long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She recognized her as Daisy Johnson, the only person Fitz ever seemed to spend any time with.

Daisy looked between the two of them curiously. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

Jemma opened her mouth to reply, but she heard Fitz mutter "no" before he took Daisy by the elbow, pulling her with him. "Come on."

She watched, open-mouthed, as they left. Daisy looked back at her, frowning, but she didn't try to stop Fitz. Then Jemma was left alone, painfully aware of the stares and the snickers of the other students who had just witnessed her getting snubbed. Feeling her cheeks heat up, she turned to look at where Raina, Trip, and Bobbi were still standing, watching. Raina burst into laughter, clutching her sides, while Trip just shook his head. Bobbi winced.

Jemma swallowed. This was not going to be easy.