Jackson Crosses The River
Jackson walked alone down the Roscoe halls the morning after Lily blew him off. He came early to work on playing his guitar in the music room again. The acoustics in there always offered much improvement over his own room or garage. Not many people seemed to be around because the cafeteria was the morning hot spot for those hoping to socialize during their breakfast. Jackson prefered his guitar over social situations any day, and that was no secret.
In his final steps towards the room he managed to bump directly into someone while being distracted from moving to unlatch his guitar case. When he looked up he immediately wanted to roll his eyes. The center of social atomosphere at Roscoe High was now looking right at him with disapproval.
"You like being unique about things, don't you? Usually when River Pierce appears people look up. I see you prefered to look down."
Jackson was hardly looking forward to this conversation.
"I'm sorry that I had to be the one to point out that the world doesn't revolve around you. But I really don't have time to stay and chat. Precious music time is melting as we stand here."
River shoved Jackson out of the way and opened the door to the music room with force. He grabbed the guitar case from him and tossed it aside, but not before pushing Jackson into the wall.
"Look smart ass, I do hold the power around here. You may think that you want to sit around here singing away your sorrows, but really you'd kill to be in my position. To have people worship you like they do me. If I picked up this guitar and strummed so much as one chord MTV would be recruiting me before your eye liner had time to wear off."
The smirk on River's face when he finished talking was just asking to be wiped off from Jackson's point of view. He was not some talentless loner wimp who let people just push him around. Lily got off from revenge because he wasn't stupid enough to mess with a girl, but he didn't care what damage he inflicted on a clueless elite member like River.
"You're absolutely right, River. I do want to be you. I'd love to be able to get up in the middle of the cafeteria and play for the school with no worries. Having an audience as life support is my dream. A guy like you could pull that off, easy."
He can see River pondering his words and he knows that his plan is already on its way.
"Well there is something that I want. Which you could help me get. If you agree to it then I'll get you a gig in the cafeteria tomorrow afternoon."
The school was not really Jackson's audience choice, but for the sake of revenge it was exactly the bait he wanted.
"Name your price and I'll be happy to assist you," Jackson replied.
The next day Jackson got out of 4th period early and prepared for his "performance". River showed up seconds before the lunch bell just as he was plugging his guitar into its amp. His knowledge was limited to the max when it came to what Jackson was really up to. Students began filing in for their lunch, and all of them couldn't help but look curious at why the 'freak who wears eyeliner' is set up with his guitar in the middle of their cafeteria. They soon were subjected to a song and some left before he finished from lack of desire to endure another minute of his dark lyrics.
River fell hook, line, and sinker for Jackson's revenge. After the first song he came up on the stage and the whole cafeteria stayed silent when River stepped up to the mic.
"Good afternoon Roscoe High. As you may have noticed Jackson here was quick to jump at the shot to perform for you guys," River says while patting him on the back.
"So, listen to his tunes and don't forget to clap for him before you leave."
River is about to walk off stage but Jackson stops him.
"Now hold on a minute, buddy, aren't you forgetting something?"
River turns around and tries not to let the audience know he is puzzled.
"I just wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity, and felt you deserved a bit of a recognition gift for your kindness."
At this point River is thoroughly suspicious, but he shrugs it off and goes for the bait by whispering in Jackson's ear.
"What do you think you are doing?"
Jackson responds by grabbing River by the shirt colar and forcing him into a kiss. The entire student body goes silent and Waller, who had just walked in, nearly faints. There was no way the most popular guy in school was gay, was there? They had to be hallucinating. Before River could plead his side of the story for everyone, Waller had snapped back out of his trance and was now standing between both young men.
"I want to see both of you in my office. There is a strict PDA policy as both of you should be quite aware, especially you Mr. Pierce."
Jackson played with Waller's globe below the top of the desk where he could not see him doing anything. River sat back in his chair and rolled his eyes.
"I belive I approved a small performance Mr. Pierce. I don't remember that including a scripted kiss between two of my male students. This is a serious offense. I cannot have someone working on Cougar Radio who participates in such obvious rule breaking activities."
"Danny...Mr.Waller Sir...you know this wasn't my idea. I am not the one in this room who puts tons of eye liner on each morning and comes to school almost an hour early to spend quality time with a cheap acoustic guitar."
"I can't do anything based on those accusations. Dark eye liner had been a legit fashion statement since I was in school. Nobody said our music room was off limits to students if they choose to use it for its intended purposes as long as they aren't breaking in to the school to do so."
"Can we skip this conversation Wally? Your prized Cougar DJ is not gay. This was a set up on my part in order to get payback for his smug attitude and ridiculously large ego," he states, while placing the globe on the table.
Mr. Waller knew he didn't have any real punishment planned, and the ridicule that could come from the public event would be punishment enough for the time being. They were both released from his office and went their separate ways to class.
After three months passed and River still had no date offers for the upcoming dance, he had no choice but to confront the bastard who made everyone think he was gay. His social status was constantly on the decline and to let Jackson win was not acceptable. He found him in the music room without any need to look elsewhere.
"You might want to keep that door open, or someone might suspect you came here to make out with me."
Jackson turned around and smiled to himself. He knew how damaging this was to River's world.
"I've had enough of this gay stuff. I am the great River Pierce. People listen to what I tell them and live to conform to my wishes. Why do you have to continue to be unique in all this? If you just conformed to begin with then none of this would have happend."
"I'll tell you what...you've suffered enough...I'll stick my end of the deal and get Lily to go to the dance with you."
He lied about talking to Lily and arrived at the dance in time to see River humiliated at the sight of her and Ray dancing. The second Jackson walked up to the dateless River, people began to stare, and it was obvious they were thinking they had come as a couple.
"You set me up again. You are going to pay for this."
"Who is going to beat me up? You and what army?"
For the first time, River realized nobody was still on his side. His "friends" all left him after the infamous cafeteria lip lock. Jackson was the only person still talking to, or acknowledging him at all.
Ten years later River and Jackson are sitting back on a couch in a cheap rented apartment with a beer in each of their hands, watching a little television. They both set down their drinks as some end credits start to roll and Jackson looks over at River.
"So, does my black eye liner still turn you on?"
They both exchange mischievious grins.
"You know how it is...the darkness always calls my name."
FIN