It had almost been three months.
Three months of a cold, lonely, Australian-less summer. Jax Novoa had been sent to a rebel's boot camp for the summer, and he was coming back that day. Of course Emma Alonso wanted to see him - in a strict friend manner - and Daniel Miller . . . well Daniel had forgotten what a calendar was, so he had no idea of the day's events. Needless to say he would be taking the freshman English class this year. For the third time in a row.
Emma was in her room working on a scrapbook for Jax when she heard the doorbell ring. Her father, Francisco, went to get it, but Emma just stood and snatched the scrapbook up, waiting for the wizard to tele-transport to her room. Sure enough, in two seconds he was standing in front of her.
"Hey there," he said, his Australian accent thicker. The boot camp was in his hometown, Sydney, Australia, so he was surrounded by other gorgeous-looking Australians like himself.
"Jax!" Emma exclaimed happily, rushing to give him a hug. She held the scrapbook behind his neck, waiting.
Jax held her tight, breathing in her perfume. Somehow she managed to smell like glitter. "Hey Em," he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Not to mention that she still had a human boyfriend that he didn't care one bit for.
"How was Australia?" Emma asked as she released him, holding the scrapbook behind her back. It was her best scrapbook yet. She'd had practically three months to make it, and she didn't waste a single second getting started on it. Of course Daniel knew absolutely nothing about this, but Andi Cruz, her zombie-loving best friend, did. Clearly she didn't approve as Jax struck a nerve within her, but who was she to keep Emma from scrapbooking? Emma wouldn't stop even if she lost her powers and Daniel turned into a woman.
"The same old same old," Jax shrugged, unable to stop marveling at how she managed to get even more beautiful within three months.
"Well that's easy for you to say. I've never been there," she giggled, smiling up at him.
"Maybe I could take you there sometime." He gave her his signature smirk, proving the point that every girl had made since he showed up at Iridium High: Daniel's hair can't come close to being able to compete with Jax's smirk.
Emma returned his grin. "Maybe someday." After a few more seconds of the trance she got lost in she shook her head and held out the scrapbook. "I made this for you."
Jax took it out of her hands. "A scrapbook?"
Emma nodded happily. "Yep! I've been working on it since you left."
Just then Andi climbed through Emma's bedroom window and saw Jax holding the scrapbook. "Awe man! I missed the scrapbook?" she asked, landing on the floor.
"Sorry," Emma apologized. "You actually cared about the scrapbook?"
"Nah, of course not," Andi laughed, flopping onto the bed behind the two.
Jax flipped through the pages. "This is really nice, Emma," he commented, getting towards the end of the book. Then he reached a picture that he knew all too well - the picture by his bed at home. It was of him and Emma, when they were dating, or a carnival ride. He had his arm around her and their smiles were so big. Jax grinned even wider. "Thank you."
Emma smiled. "You're welcome!" She stood on her tiptoes to give Jax another hug.
Andi groaned in the background, poking around in a bag of candy that was by Emma's bed. "Ulch, gross."
At that point, Danny Boy poked his head through the window. "Emma, do you have that glue the T3 gave y-" He caught sight of Jemma. "WHAT IS THIS!?"
Jemma pulled back. "Oh, Danny, Jax just got back fro-"
"Yeah, I see that! Why are you" -he stumbled into the room, almost face-planting on the floor- "hugging him?"
"Daniel, I know you're not a fan of physical contact, but he just got back, so if I didn't dislike him so much I would probably hug him too," Andi commented, lifting her head up a bit to inspect his hair. An awkward expression overcame her face.
"Hey Daniel. How have you been these past three months?" Jax asked, tilting his head and smirking at the unfortunate boy. Jax could tell the summer humidity had done no favors to his hair.
Daniel squinted, crossing his arms and trying to act polite. "I've bee-"
"Well I've been great, thanks for asking," Jax cut him off, "Possibly even better, now that I get to see Em again." Emma blushed and ducked her head, and Daniel did that face he'd done when Andi told him not to get jealous last year.
Andi gagged. "Oh gosh." Jax sent a glare her way.
"You know, she's my girlfriend-" Daniel started, uncrossing his arms and putting his 'I-Know-I'm-About-to-Get-Beaten-But-I'm-Gonna-Stupidly-Try-Anyway' face on.
"Danny," Emma cut him off, worried of what he might start.
"So you can't really call her Em-"
"Daniel-"
"Why not? You don't call her Em. In fact, as far as I know, you don't have any nickname for her," Jax pointed out. He didn't even need to try, as he was going to beat Daniel at this argument anyway, but trying never hurt anything, right? Well, you know, except when you're Daniel Horatio Miller.
"Yes I do," Daniel retorted, reverting back to his former crossed-arms position.
"Really?" Emma sighed, waiting for Jax to go on. "What is it?"
"It's 'my girl'," Andi blurted, pushing herself off the bed and stretching.
Jax laughed. "That's it? That's your nickname for her? Not even something cute?"
"It's kind of cute," Emma shrugged, looking up.
"No it's not, Em," Andi cut in, laughing. "Plus, Daniel doesn't have a manly nickname. It's only 'Danny' and the occasional 'Danny Boy'."
"Well not exactly," Jax grinned, "We can't actually prove that he's a male, so."
Daniel gripped his bunchy pants and threatened, "Okay, do you want me to pull down my pants!?" One too many people had mentioned that this summer. Or in his life.
"MR. MILLER!" Fortunately, no one had noticed Francisco in the bedroom's doorway, so he was able to make a special entrance. He stomped into the room. "I cannot BELIEVE that you were going to pull your pants down in FRONT OF MY DAUGHTER?!"
Daniel let go of his pants. "No, no, Mr. Alonso. I wouldn't really have-"
"Oh yes you would," he barked. "And I have an announcement." He laid a hand on his embarrassed and frightened daughter's shoulder and stood up straighter. "I am proud to say that you," Francisco pointed at the Miller, "Mr. Miller, are no longer allowed in this house."
Jax laughed and Andi covered her mouth.
Daniel's jaw dropped. "I-I'm banned?"
"Actually, I thought I banned you a long time ago."
"B-but, I'm dating Emma! How am I supposed to see her?"
Francisco cut his eyes at the boy and stared hatefully. "There is no reason why you need to see her in her bedroom with your pants down, Mr. Miller. And Emma," he squeezed her shoulder, "can't go across the street to his house anymore."
"Dad," Emma sighed, shaking her head.
"Saw that one coming!" Andi chuckled.
"Emma, will you please date someone else?" Mr. Alonso asked.
Jax smirked when Daniel's eyes widened. "But I'M dating her!"
"Well you shouldn't be." Francisco released Emma's shoulder and took a step back to glance at Jax. "She should be dating someone who's nice, and polite, and Australian-"
"I-I can be Australian!" Daniel pleaded. He took an awkward stance and dropped his voice to a lower octave. "Hey," he drawled, sounding more country than . . . anything.
Jax glared at him again. "You are a disgrace to Australian people everywhere."
Emma shook her head. "Daniel," she muttered.
"Mr. Alonso," the ever-too-present boy tried again, "please! Give me one more chance-"
"Andi, can you get your chain saw?" Francisco had reverted to a more violent choice.
"Dad!" Emma exclaimed.
"No! Not the chain saw!" Daniel's hair poofed and his pants bunched as he ran three steps and jumped out the window and landed in the bushes once more. He sprung up and started around the house so he could run across the street to his mommy.