Disclaimer: I'm not in any way shape or form affiliated with Kickin' It, Disney Channel XD, It's a Laugh Production, Poor Soul Production or the actors who portrait the characters. No money was gained in the making and/or distribution of this story. Characters, events and places are completely fictitious. Any similarities with a real life person, event or place is completely coincidental.

AN: This story had not been beta read. English is not my first language. I apologize for all mistakes in spelling and grammar. I'm currently in the market for a Beta Reader, if interested please contact me.

There are five chapters for this story, and it's actually completed. I will be posting once a week, for as long as my schedule permits.

And yes, Kim will be on this story! Just wait for her big return. ;)

Key episodes: Wasabi Warriors. Wax on Wax off. Jack Stands Alone. Fawlty Temple. Wasabi Forever. Nerd With a Cape. Invasion of the Ghost Pirates.

Without further ado,

Read, Enjoy and Review.

The Problem with Jack

Chapter One: The Favor

~o~

The moment I saw Erica came in, I knew I was in trouble. It's not like I don't like the girl. Since I first came into Seaford High, she had been nothing but nice to me. I wouldn't go as far as call us friends, but I have to admit that if Erica hadn't taken a special interest in me, I wouldn't had have half an easy time like I did making the transition from Swathmore Academy to public school. Still, there was something about her that gave me pause, stopped me from actually calling the girl my friend. Maybe it was simply self preservation. I recognized the kind of girl she was, having been exposed to Claire at my old school.

Despite my misgivings about her, I was grateful for all the help Erica had given me, which is why I try to always be nice to her. "Hey, Erica, you are early." I said, starting to make her usual smoothie. We saw each other outside of school more often than not at the Wasabi Warrior Academy. I worked the smoothie bar – a sweet part time job that gets me twenty bucks an hour! – and she comes in three times a week to pick up her younger brother from his karate lessons. As far as I knew, the boy used to be a Black Dragon, like many of his classmates, but had switched to the newer, more upscale Academy.

"Hello, darling." She leaned in over the bar and kissed my cheek, her signature Bombshell perfume from Victoria's Secrets, making me nose twitch. "Thought I could come early. Catch the show." She gave me a slow, devious smile I didn't trust, but knew for a fact could turn boys into a puddle of pure lust.

Shaking my head, I slide her smoothie into the bar. "What show?"

Taking the drink, she turned around, her back resting against the wooden bar, her eyes falling on the boys lifting weights a few feet away from us. "Why, that of course." She said turning her head towards me for a moment and winked, before shifting her gaze towards Jack and two other older guys. "He is sure pretty to look at." She murmured, nibbling on her straw.

I bit my lip to stop myself from saying something that later might come back to bite me in the ass. I know it was silly. I had absolutely no rights to be annoyed – or worse jealous – of Erica's appreciation of Jack. He and I were not together, we are only friends and dammit, Erica was right: Jack sure was something nice to look at.

The problem was, that I was pretty sure my feelings from Jack were beyond the 'Hey stand still while I picture you naked' kinda way. I'm not an idiot, I know I had been attracted to Jack even when I thought him to be nothing more than an annoying bully with a nice body. My early fantasies might have involved cutting off his hair until he was as bald as my uncle Dwayne and running him over with my dad's car, but once we reached an understanding and become friends, they had quickly changed into something else, something serious. I know myself well enough to recognized, even accept, that I was slowly, but surely, falling in love with the young Sensei.

Sometimes, I fear Erica might have the ability to read minds, and as she turned once more towards me that inkling only increased. "So what's the deal between you and Jack?" She asked me, her big dark eyes pinning me in place.

"What do you mean?" Hopefully, I managed to keep what I was feeling and thinking out of my face.

"Oh come on, Taylor. I saw you two the other day." Erica said. She smiled again, but somehow it didn't softened her features any. "Serious flirting going on. Both sides." Whether there was genuine or fabricated, there was some admiration on her voice. Like I had managed to pulled a feat no one had before. "So, are you two together?"

Though I knew better, I can't help but sigh and gave in. After so many months trying to ignore what I was feeling, it was a big relief to finally being able to talk about Jack with someone. "No, we are not together." I said, leaning slightly over the counter of the bar, my voice lowering, not wanting anyone to overheard us. "But you are right, we have been flirting back and forth for months. It's driving me crazy. In a good way."

Erica smiled like I just answered all of her prayers. "You know what you have to do?" She asked me, but continued without waiting for an answer, "You need to ask him to the dance."

Surprised, I couldn't do anything more than look at her. "Huh?" How eloquent of me.

Erica rolled her eyes, and patted my arm. "Darling, up coming dance. Two weeks from now. Sadie Hawkins Dance. Is only all everyone had been talking about since it was announced." I nodded at her, I remembered now. It was all Erica had been talking about. Her newest pet project. "I know he had said no to every girl who had asked him so far. But going by what I saw and what you just said, Jack would say yes to you."

I chewed on my lower lip, sending a fleeting look at Jack. "I can't." I said, shaking my head quickly. "If it was someone else..." I let the sentence trail off. I wasn't a ninny, I usually go after what I want and the rest be dammed, but Jack mattered to much and I was terrified of messing up whatever the heck we had.

"Look, you can either stop being a coward and ask him, or watch him go with someone else. Up to you." She stopped and turned when we heard the voices of a dozen little kids coming into the main room. The karate class was finally over. "I like you, so I'm going to give you a week."

"A week?" I asked, taking the money she gave me for the smoothie.

Nodding, Erica stepped away from the bar, waving over her shoulder at her younger brother. "One week, I'll make sure no one else asked him before that. But that's all the time I can give you. You don't get him by then, I might have to ask him out myself." She didn't say anything else, simply walked away, took her brother and left the academy.

I blew out a deep breath, feeling like I was just hit by a tornado. That was Erica alright, you either get on board with her or get trampled over. With a shake of my head, I turned to greet a new costumer, trying to ignore the deadline I was just given. Harder to ignore was Jack himself. That boy was everywhere.

Taylor, you foolish girl, I thought to myself, what have you gotten yourself into?

~o~

~o~

It should have been easy. Jack and I have known each other for months. Our rocky beginning had given way to a strong friendship, or so I like to think. Then, there was the attraction. I was no fool, I know I'm beautiful, and that's not me being conceited. Long, curly blonde hair, was my pride and joy, but the rest of me was nothing to sneeze at. I was tall and curvy, my deep blue – gray eyes were perhaps the thing I like best about my face, but I had plump pink lips, and strong jawbones that my grandma was especially pleased with for some reason. Boys had been admiring me since they first discovered girls, and Jack was no immune to my looks, though I like to think it was mostly my personality that made him take notice of me. Either way, I know Jack wanted me, nearly as much as I wanted him.

But things weren't easy, and that was the problem. Jack, karate prodigy, youngest Sensei in Seaford was all about control. He might lust after me, but he didn't seemed inclined to act on his hormones, which I supposed was part of his charm. There was something else, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was like he enjoying flirting with me, but had no intention of moving past that any time soon.

Briefly, I considered cornering Jack on the boy's shower – naked – and see how much his infuriating self control would last. But I let the thought go as soon as it came. I wanted more than just a physical fling with him. I wanted Jack to return my feelings.

I supposed it's human nature to want more than what they had. I knew for a fact that dozen of girls would kill to be where I was. To have Jack at least acknowledged that they were alive, and here I was, tying the boy up in a knot of lust and I wasn't happy because he didn't feel quite as much as I wanted him to.

Maybe I should take Erica's advice. Pressed the advantage I had and see where it lead to. At the end what do I have to lose?

"Taylor! Taylor!"

Shaking my head to clear my head from Jack, I grinned quickly at the tiny girl who was trying to catch my attention. She was young, about five years old, give or take. A dainty girl with blonde hair, brown eyes and a mischievous smile. She didn't do karate, but came into the dojo three times a week anyway. I knew she did ballet those days and Jack took care of her after her lessons were done for a couple of hours before one of her parents would show up to pick her up. I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I think she might be a cousin of his, because not only did Jack worshiped the little girl, but it was hard to miss the affection between him and the girl's father.

"Princess Crawford!" I said with a smile, slipping a piece of candy from my apron. I stuck them just for her. I don't know what's the girl's first name. Everyone at the dojo just called her that. "How was dance class tonight?"

The little princess sent a fleeting look over her shoulders at Milton, satisfied that he wasn't watching her, she took the candy and unwrapped it quickly. That too was an old game. The nerd boy would moan and warned her about the dangers of too much sugar, then slip a bag of candy into her bag before she left for the night. "It was great!" She said in answer to my question, slipping the whole candy in her mouth. "We have a recital soon. I'm going to be a fairy!"

It was hard not to love that girl. "Really? Can I go? I would love to see you." I reached towards her, entwining a finger along one curled pigtail.

"Yesss." She said, looking very pleased with herself. She turned her head to the side then her eyes lighten up, like she had seen Santa coming into the dojo. Without so much as a goodbye to me, she jumped off the bar stool. "Jerrrrry!" Incredible fast, she ran towards him, jumping into his open arms.

"She sure is something." I whirled quickly around at Jack's voice. Hopefully, I didn't blush.

"Well, she does thinks she is a princess and this is her own little kingdom." I pointed out, but I was smiling.

Jack laughed, unaware of what that sound does to me, his eyes were on his best friend and the little girl. "I guess we do spoil her some. But well, she is the biggest piece we have of –

"Jack!" I was a bit put out that we have been interrupted, since I was curious about who the girl reminded them of, but since the interruption came in the form of the girl herself, it was hard to be mad. "Look, Jerry had magic beans! Look, look, look!" Still carrying her over his hip, Jerry brought the Princess towards the juice bar. Delight in her face, she opened her palm to show us the jelly beans Jerry had given her. "Lookkkkkk" She demanded once more.

Smoothly, I saw Jack take the girl from Jerry into his own arms, bickering back at forth with the girl whether the beans were magical or not. It was a simple, normal evening, I'm not sure why that scene stroke me so deeply. Made my heart practically melt. Funny how watching Jack being so tender with a five years old, made me feel more than watching his muscles ripple as he pumped weights.

I force my eyes away from them, trying to settle my pounding heart. One thing was admitting to myself that I was absolutely, no doubts about it, in love with someone, quite another was showing it to him, his young princess/ cousin and his best friend. No, I thought firmly, that was for me to savor for awhile.

A distraction came quickly in the form of a petite brunette girl I barely recognized from school. She stood from a moment on the doors of the dojo, her gaze scanning the main floor quickly until they found my little group. There was nervousness in her face, but after a moment it was gone, replaced by determination. She walked towards us quickly, her eyes pinning Jack in place. I knew then why she was there and I had to restrained the urge to throw the small towel I had to clean the counter in her face.

"Hello, Jack." She said, rudely ignoring Jerry, Princess Crawford and myself. I arched a brow, sharing a look with Jerry. He at least, looked amused. Our tiny princess was glaring at the girl, like she too, knew why she was there and was having none of it. She locked her arms around Jack's neck, resting her tiny head on his shoulders. I understood the clear message of 'Back off, he is mine!" and had to swallow a small snicker.

"Hey," Jack gave the girl a small, polite smile, and shifted Princess Crawford's weight, so he wouldn't drop her.

"Listen, I was wondering if you – " She stopped mid sentence, her text alert chiming in on that moment, she gave Jack an embarrassed smile, but took her phone out. I saw the light go out of her eyes, disappointment coming first, then annoyance and finally resignation. With a sigh, she slipped the phone once more on the pocket of her jeans. "Sorry, guess it doesn't matter anymore. I'll see you at school." She waved at Jack and ignoring the rest of us once more, walked away.

"What was that?" Asked Jerry, looking as the girl left the dojo, confusion on his face.

Jack, mirroring Jerry's expression simply shrugged. "No idea."

"Girls are crazy, man." Jerry said, but shrugged as well.

I didn't say anything, and when they changed the subject I was grateful. I couldn't be sure, not a hundred percent, but I had the suspicion that the text the girl had gotten had been from Erica, warning her not to ask Jack out. I got the feeling that the girl had not been the only one who had gotten that text, too.

Would she really had that much power? I wondered, only half listening to the conversation going on around me. Would a simply text from Erica stopped a girl – mid question – from asking Jack out? If that was the case, then Erica was far more powerful that I gave her credit for. Somehow, I was sure that that was not a good thing.

~o~

TBC

AN (2): Thank you so much for reading. As always, questions, suggestions, opinions are more than welcome. If you wish to contact me you can do that here through a review, or sending me a PM. If you are on twitter my UN is iLadyGuilt. If you are in LiveJournal my url is ladyguilt . livejournal . com - Don't be afraid to contact me, as I love to make new friends.

This story is an exercise for me, as I mostly use first person point of view in Role Play. I would really appreciated to hear your thoughts about how the story reads in way of format. Which is better in your opinion? First person vs third person point of view which is my usual. Of course, general comments about the plot and characters are more than welcome! Constructive criticism is vital for me.

Thanks again for reading! Virtual chocolate chip cookies for everyone who reviews.

Until next week.

LadyGuilt