Fireworks
A/N: This is my surprise! Happy Independence Day/4th of July! I spent four days on this, so I hope you guys like it. Maybe I'll do some more one-shots. And the Kim/Jack may seem a little scarce at the beginning, but at the end, there's a lot. Please review.
Summary: Jack's grandfather throws a party on the 4th of July and tells him to invite anyone he wants. More to it than just that, but I'd give it away if I told you.
Rudy was helping Milton and Eddie with a new move and Kim was trying to explain to Jerry that porcupines and groundhogs were two different animals when Jack walked into the dojo.
"Hey guys," Jack called as he dropped his bag. He turned toward Rudy and Milton as Milton cried out.
"Sorry, Milton!" Rudy said as he helped the boy up. He was supposed to catch Milton in case he fell when he jumped off the bench to do a kick, but Jack had distracted him and he forgot to pay attention.
"Oh, it's fine. I forgive you for breaking my back!" Milton said, causing the others to start laughing.
"Milton, I'm sure it's not broken," Kim told him as she kicked one of the dummies.
"And there are no porcupine needles in it," Jerry added, looking like he thought he was a genius since he pointed that out.
"Whatever," Milton said as he tried to stretch out.
"Milton, that's not how you stretch. I'm an Explorer Scout. I know what I'm doing," Eddie said as he walked over to Milton.
"Are you sure? Because last time you told me you knew a shortcut to Jack's house, we never got there and we almost got mauled by a dog!" Milton told Eddie.
"And you wouldn't let me use the GPS on my phone and thought it was vibrating when you pulled out a beehive," Jack added.
"And you told me you knew how to bake brownies when you offered to help me with the bake sale and they tasted like plaster and were as hard as a rock," Kim said as she placed her hands on her hips.
"And, um, how would you know what plaster tasted like?" Jack whispered as he leaned over so she could hear him.
"Shut up," Kim told him. Jack backed up and held his hands up in defense as he smirked at her
"And you told me that that porcupine was a groundhog looking for its mommy," Jerry said as he glared at Eddie.
"So, maybe I'm a little off sometimes," Eddie said as he held up his fingers, which were about a centimeter apart.
"Sometimes? Eddie, you gave advice every day one week and it ended up costing me two thousand dollars," Rudy told him. Eddie sighed, knowing he was outnumbered.
"So, why are you late, Jack?" Kim asked as the group turned to face him.
"I was helping my grandfather decide whether to use clams or crabs," Jack explained.
"Are you having a party?" Eddie asked excitedly.
"Yes, but the clams and crabs were for throwing at the neighbor when he starts playing the guitar horribly," Jack told them with a grin. "But, we are having a party on the Fourth of July in a couple days. My grandfather said I could invite anyone that I wanted. It's going to be huge! Are you guys in?" Jack asked them.
"Yes!" the five of the agreed with smiles.
"Great…be at my house at ten tomorrow morning," Jack added the second part quickly before walking to the door.
"Hold it!" Rudy called. Jack cursed in his head and turned around with a grin, clapping his hands together.
"What?" he asked.
"Ten in the morning?" Jerry asked.
"Tomorrow?" Eddie added with a glare.
"To do what?" Milton asked as he crossed his arms and tried to look intimidating.
"At your house," Kim said dreamily before noticing everyone was staring at her. "At your house?" she snapped.
"Yeah, we kind of need some help setting up the party?" Jack said as more of a question. "It's going to be huge! You guys haven't seen my house. Trust me, it's going to be a huge party. And we need help. Please?" Jack pleaded.
"If I get first dibs on the fudge I'm in!" Rudy yelled as he ran over to stand next to Jack.
"Whatever," Jack replied as he glanced at Rudy oddly. He watched the others started looking at each other. "Come on, please?" he asked again, smirking when he caught Kim's eye.
Kim mentally slapped herself when she let Jack catch her eye. There was no way she could say no to him now. He was just so darn cute! Wait, what am I saying? I don't…oh who am I kidding? Kim thought to herself before slowly nodding.
"Okay, I'm in," Kim told Jack with a smile. He smiled back at her before looking over to the others.
"I'm in too," Milton said next.
"I suppose I can find some time to help," Jerry said, holding his hands out and trying to act cool.
"I guess I'm in, too. Can we-"
"NO EXPLORER SCOUTS!" came the unanimous reply to Eddie's unfinished question as he backed up.
"Fine, fine, fine," he said before putting a pout on his face.
"So, I'll see you guys there tomorrow at ten?" Jack asked with a grin, smiling even wider when they all shook their heads yes. "Thanks! You guys are the best!"
"Alright, let's finish practice, guys," Rudy called out as he clapped his hands a few times to get their attention. "It's time for sparring. Jack with Kim, Jerry with Eddie, Milton you're with me."
"Finally, someone I can beat!" Eddie shouted in triumph as he rubbed his hands together greedily. He was usually paired with Jack, so it was a nice switch for him.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Jerry asked, offended. "I'll get Mariah the porcupine to come after you!"
"Jerry, you named the porcupine?" Jack asked, not being able to believe someone could be that confused.
"Yep," Jerry replied with a smirk.
While Kim waited for Jack to finish talking, she was thinking about what it would be like going to his house. She knew it was big because he and his mom lived with his grandfather. But she hoped she'd get to explore. And she also hoped there were no ninjas like in Bobby Wasabi's mansion. However, that wasn't a total let down since he had to lift her up so she could kick the ninjas in their faces. She remembered trying to keep her cheeks their normal color as he spun her around and she kicked out. After she had finished fantasizing about his house and spending the next two days with him helping set up for the party, her thoughts moved to the day of the party. The one word that stood out in her mind was fireworks. She thought of how romantic it would be to watch the fireworks together and then maybe, just maybe- What am I doing? He doesn't like me like that. Well, maybe he does, but I don't know that. I've got to stop getting my hopes up. Kim yelled at herself in her head.
"Hey, Kim, are you ready?" Jack asked her as he walked over to her. Receiving no answer, he walked closer and started to wave his hand in front of her face. "Kim, are you in there?" he asked. Kim suddenly snapped out of it, startled. She saw a hand moving in front of her face and immediately grabbed it and flipped its owner over her shoulder. "I just wanted to know if you were ready," Jack whined as he started to get up from the mat.
"Sorry," Kim murmured as she helped him up, her cheeks starting to turn red as he grabbed her hand. She sighed before assuming a fighting stance and bouncing on her toes in front of him.
"Let's go, guys!" Rudy called when he noticed he and Milton were the only ones who had begun. Kim cleared her throat loudly and looked over at him. She was getting a little sick of being included when he said 'guys.' She knew she shouldn't take it to heart, but when you're the only girl, it starts to chew on your nerves after a while. "And Kim," Rudy added quickly when he caught sight of her glare.
"What'd you say 'and Kim' for?" Jerry asked, confused.
"Yeah, Kim's one of the guys!" Eddie pointed out before hiding behind Jerry when Kim's glare got sent his way.
"Yeah, Kim is just one of the guys," Jack grinned at her as she turned to him. He failed to notice the hurt in her eyes.
I know they don't mean it. I mean, I'm their friend, they should think I'm one of them. But, it just hurts to hear Jack say he thinks of me as one of the guys Kim thought. Rudy and Milton shot Kim sympathetic looks. Rudy was like an older brother to Kim, one she could tell anything to, unlike her own nine-year-old brother, Chris. He knew why she always argued with herself in her head over Jack. Milton, she knew, just saw the hurt in her eyes and was trying to make her feel better.
"Can we just spar already?" she snapped, turning back to Jack as she threw a practice punch that could've broken a concrete block. Confusion flashed through Jack's eyes as he tried to figure out why she was so angry. She threw a kick at him, which he easily dodged. He threw a punch aimed at her stomach, but she jumped back out of the way.
Since the first day she had sparred with him and had won unanimously, they had become pretty evenly matched and Jack no longer went easy on her because she was a girl. The only way one of them could win was usually if there was a distraction. A distraction that usually worked to Kim's advantage. Rudy had beaten Milton within minutes and Jerry had beaten Eddie, but not as quickly as Jack usually beat him, which made him happy as he told Milton what scent of air freshener he was wearing this week. Now, all four of them were still watching Jack and Kim fight with wide eyes. Rudy had even gotten popcorn from his office.
"How come you get popcorn?" Jack asked as he blocked a kick from the blond in front of him.
"Because I'm the sensei and because it's good," Rudy told him as he chomped loudly on the buttery kernels.
"But, just because you're our sensei doesn't mean you get popcorn and we don't," Jack said, as he stopped fighting and pointed his finger at Rudy. There's the distraction. Suddenly, Jack's arm was twisted painfully behind and Kim kicked him in the back, causing him to fall to the floor. Applause erupted from the four guys watching them.
"Oh, shut up you guys. So she beat me," Jack said as he stood up and stretched out his arm.
"See you guys tomorrow," Kim said an irritated voice as she walked over to the lockers to grab her bag.
"Remember guys, tomorrow at my house at ten," Jack called out. Kim froze for a split second as he said this. She felt her bitterness fade away as the thought of going to his house entered her mind again. She let out a quiet, cute giggle and hurried out of the dojo.
"What was that giggle for?" Jerry asked as they watched Kim leave quickly.
"She so has a crush on me," Jack smirked as the door swung shut.
"She does not!" Rudy, Milton, Jerry, and Eddie replied.
"I do not!" Kim's voice drifted back from where she had yelled from and Jack just shook his head with a chuckle before grabbing his bag and leaving the dojo.
Jack groaned into his pillow as his alarm went off the next morning. It was nine in the morning, which wasn't that early, but he had been up until one last night working on posters to hang around town for the party. Everyone in town was invited and his grandfather needed some way to get the word out.
Jack rolled over in his bed and stuck his hand out without opening his eyes and felt around for either the power button or the cord that plugged the clock into the wall. His fingers found the cord first and he yanked on it, succeeding in stopping the infernal beeping of his alarm and allowing him to peacefully roll back over. As he started to drift back off to sleep, he didn't hear two sets of feet enter his room.
"Jack. Jack," they started out in a whisper. "JACK!" the two voices shouted in his ears, causing him to jump up and fall out of the bed due to the sudden movement. Jack rubbed his shoulder, which he had hit on the corner of his bedside table when he fell, and looked up to see his mother and grandfather.
"Mom! Grandpa! What was that for?" he asked in an annoyed voice as his grandfather helped him up.
"Well, knowing you, we figured you would pull your alarm out," his mother answered. "So we came up to make sure you actually did wake up."
"It's my fault you're so tired, though. Those posters could've waited until today," his grandfather told him with a smile. "But kudos on getting your friends to help set up today and tomorrow. Today will be mostly decorations, tomorrow will be the good stuff. Food!" Jack smiled as he thought of his friends, minus Kim, or maybe plus Kim, he wasn't sure what she would do, but he thought of them fighting over who got to be in charge of the desserts. Then he laughed when he thought of his friends getting up this early.
"What's so funny?" his mother asked with a smile.
"I'm thinking about the guys and Kim waking up this early. Well, maybe more the guys than Kim," Jack explained. His mother joined in on his laughter while his grandfather looked at him with a twinkle in his eye.
"Do you like this Kim?" he asked with a wink.
"No!" Jack immediately denied the question.
"Of course. Well, Hollywood magic fireworks really are magical," his grandfather said with another wink before heading to the door of Jack's room.
"See you downstairs, Jack. Go get ready. We're having pancakes," his mother said before the two disappeared behind the closed door.
Jack smiled until the door closed before flopping back down on his bed and grabbing his cell phone off the table. He checked his messages before sending texts to his friends to make sure they were awake. As he lay on his bed, he was tempted to close his eyes and go back to sleep for another ten minutes, but the two people downstairs seemed to have another idea.
"JACK! GET READY!" his mother yelled up the steps. Jack groaned as he sat up again.
"Fine!" he called back before leaving his room and turning down the long hallway to go into the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face after turning on the faucet so he was fully awake and then brushed his teeth.
As he was rinsing out with mouthwash, his mother knocked on the door and opened it. He looked over at her, unable to say anything.
"Forgot to ask what kind of pancakes you wanted. Two for chocolate chip, one for blueberry," she said. As she waited for him to think about it, she started straightening up the cabinet. And think about it he did. Those were his two favorite kinds of pancakes. He had had blueberry more than chocolate chip this month. However, he had had chocolate chip last time they had pancakes for breakfast. After a few more second of debating, he held up one finger. His mother nodded before closing the door behind her and walking downstairs.
A few minutes later, Jack had put on a blue T-shirt featuring one of Bobby Wasabi's many movies (His grandfather had gotten a lot of free stuff), black skater pants, black high tops, and a thin black vest. He splashed on some cologne, which was blue cheese free, and headed downstairs, the smell of pancakes reaching his nose as he reached the steps.
Jack's eyes widened when he saw the stack of pancakes on the table with a large bottle of syrup next to it. He hurried over to it, but his mother grabbed the syrup before he could.
"Try not to use the whole bottle again, okay?" she asked him. Jack sighed.
"I promise," he assured her, smiling when she held the bottle out to him. He proceeded to pour half the bottle of syrup over his pancakes. Catching the look from his mother, he defended himself. "You just said the whole bottle. I only used half."
"He's got you there, Marie," his grandfather spoke up with a grin as he went over the list of things needed to be done for the third time.
"Grandpa, relax. When everyone else gets here, we can figure out what to do. Just sit down and eat breakfast," Jack told his grandfather.
"Fine," his grandfather grumbled before sitting down across from Jack and using the other half of the bottle of syrup on his own pancake stack.
"I swear you two are brothers," Jack's mother laughed as they looked at her, both with pancake stuffed in their mouths. She shook her head. "Eat! You've got twenty minutes."
Twenty minutes after the pancake discussion inside Jack's house, Kim had met Jerry, Eddie, Milton, and Rudy at the dojo and they were currently walking to Jack's house.
"I'm starving!" Eddie moaned as they walked.
"Didn't you eat before you left?" Kim asked incredulously.
"No! I didn't wake up until like five minutes ago! I had to sprint just to get to the dojo on time," Eddie explained.
"Pancake?" Rudy asked as he pulled one from his bag and held it out to Eddie.
"Why are there pancakes in your bag, dude?" Jerry asked as he reached for the pancake.
"I figured you guys might be hungry. I know I am!" Rudy told them as he handed the pancake to Eddie and held another out to Jerry.
"Milton?" he asked.
"No thanks, Rudy. I had pancakes before I left," Milton responded.
"What's with everyone and pancakes?" Kim asked.
"They're good!" the four boys said in unison, pancake pieces in three of their mouths.
"Oh, boys can be so weird some times," Kim shook her head as they continued walking.
"Yeah, but we can also be cute," Jerry teased her, smirking.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kim snapped as she turned on Jerry.
"You have a huge crush on Jack," Jerry replied with a grin before it was replaced with a scared face as Kim glared daggers at him.
"I do not have a crush on him!" Kim protested, ignoring the fact that her mind was screaming yes.
"Whatever," Jerry backed down, a little afraid of Kim after what had happened when he lied to Kelsey.
"There's Jack's house!" Rudy said, pointing excitedly in front of them.
"That's Jack's house?" Eddie asked in awe as he gazed at the huge, four-story house in front of them.
"That's his backyard? No wonder he said the party's going to be huge!" Milton commented as he glanced over at the back of the house.
"That's Jack's house," Kim whispered to herself, a blush forming on her cheeks as she thought of what his room would look like and the fact that she'd be spending the next three days with him.
"What did you expect? His grandfather taught the Bobby Wasabi! Did you think it'd be a little house?" Rudy asked as he led them up the walkway. He was the only one who had been here before when he helped Jack's grandfather with some paperwork.
When they reached the house, the boys began arguing about who would ring the cool-looking doorbell, so Kim just reached out and pushed it before subconsciously starting to fix her hair. None of them noticed the door open, but Kim gasped as a hand pulled her own away from her hair.
"Stop. Your hair looks amazing," Jack said softly as he leaned against the doorframe, looking as hot as always, his brown eyes boring into her own brown ones. Wait, did I just say he looked hot? Kim thought as she blushed bright red and looked down, trying to hide both her blush and the mega-watt smile that had formed. Fortunately for her, Jack turned his attention to the guys.
"Hey, guys! Break it up!" he called, stopping their arguments in mid-shout.
"Oh, hey Jack," Jerry said, waving to his friend once he noticed he was there.
"Hey Jack. Ignore the pancakes. They weren't smart enough to eat before they left," Milton explained.
"But I came prepared and brought pancakes in my bag," Rudy said as he took one out. "Want one?" he asked, holding it out to Jack.
"No thanks," Jack said, holding his hands up in a defense gesture. "I just had some for breakfast."
"Seriously! What is with you guys and pancakes today? Am I the only one who thinks it more than a coincidence that you all had pancakes today?" Kim asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Do you want some?" Jack asked, offering a small smile as he tried to calm her down.
"Maybe," Kim finally said as she looked up at him out of the corners of her eyes. He grinned.
"Come on, my grandfather still has some blueberry ones left in the kitchen. But we might be low on syrup because apparently two guys using two halves of a bottle is 'bad for company,'" Jack said as he led them into the house. He chuckled as they all started to point out things that were cool and awesome and how big it was. "The kitchen is this way," he said as they started walking up the stairs to the second floor.
"Right!" Eddie said. "Let's get pancakes!" Rudy, Eddie, Jerry, and Milton charged ahead of Jack and Kim since Rudy thought he knew where he was going.
"So, you really didn't have breakfast?" Jack asked Kim with a smirk.
"No, I had breakfast, just not pancakes. I had a bowl of fruit and a bagel," Kim replied.
"You would pick the most boring breakfast," Jack teased her as he rolled his eyes.
"Excuse me? Are you saying I'm boring, Jack Howard?" Kim asked as she placed her hands on her hips.
"No, of course not…I'm just saying your breakfast choices are," he added the last part quickly before taking off toward the kitchen, which the others had surprisingly found.
"Jack are you going to introduce us to your hungry friends?" his grandfather asked as Jerry, Rudy, Milton, and Eddie sat down with three pancakes each and began eating while Kim just took one.
"Uh sure. Mom, Grandpa, this is Rudy, Jerry, Milton, Eddie, and Kim," Jack said, pointing to each of his friends in turn. "Guys, this is my mom and my grandfather."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Howard, Ms. Howard," Kim said politely as she smiled at the two.
"You two, dear," Marie Howard smiled back. Jack sat down next to Kim as his grandfather started talking.
"Well, thank you for offering to help set up for this party the next two days," his grandfather began, receiving a chorus of 'you're welcome.' "Today we'll mostly be doing decorations. Tomorrow will be the food. Now, we're going to pair off today. Jack and Kim, you guys take the outside. Milton and Rudy, you guys take the kitchen and work on blowing up all the balloons. Make sure you blow up about fifty for Jack and Kim and about one hundred and fifty more for inside. Jerry and Eddie, although Jack seems to be against this, you will take the living room and the kitchen. Marie and I will take everywhere else. Got it?" he finished as the guests finished up their second breakfasts.
"Got it!" came the unanimous reply.
"Good. Move out!" With that, the house became a chatter box.
"I told you, it's simple. While we wait for the balloons, we'll work on the banners, centerpieces, streamers, and other stuff. Now, just get on my shoulders and hang the banners on the sides of the house. Then you can put the streamers on the trees," Jack explained for the third time as he rubbed his temples.
"Why can't you do it?" Kim asked.
"Because I'll crush you. What, are you afraid of heights or something?" Jack teased, the smile disappearing from his face when Kim looked down and didn't answer. "You're afraid of heights," he said simply.
"Maybe a little," Kim admitted, embarrassed.
"Hey, don't be embarrassed. Everyone is scared of something, right?" Jack tried to give her a pep talk. "Look," he began as he moved closer to her and grabbed her hands. "I'm not going to let you fall or get hurt, okay? I promise. Just get on my shoulders and don't look down. It's not as high as you think. We're only going as high as the second story. You'll be fine. Just hang the banners and you can get down. And then the trees are even safer. You will be fine, okay? Trust me," Jack told her as he looked into her eyes, trying to read her expression.
Kim sighed as she turned around and looked up, leaning back against Jack's chest in order to look all the way up and trying not to blush.
"Okay, let's just do this so we can get to the safe stuff on the ground," Kim reluctantly agreed, laughing as Jack smiled his oh-so-popular smile at her.
After handing the banners Kim would need to her, Jack bent down a little and locked his hands in a step-type fashion. Kim set her foot in his hands and jumped up, allowing him to lift her high enough so she could step onto his shoulders. As she stood up fully, she froze in fright as Jack's hands locked around her ankles.
"J-Jack, I'm scared," Kim stammered out as she did her best not to look down.
"You looked down didn't you?" Jack teased, trying to get her to smile. "Kim, I promise I won't let you fall, alright? Just hang the banners and it'll be over in five minutes. Just trust me." Kim sighed before nodding to him. Jack took a few steps closer to house, causing Kim to panic as she tried to grab something steady but only caught air.
"Relax," Jack called up to her, the calmness in his voice rubbing off on her as she began to relax. She shakily held one side of a banner up to the side of a window and taped it on before doing the same to the other end. Jack took a few steps to the side and she repeated the process. This went on for another ten minutes before Jack said she could get down. As he lowered her to the ground, she threw her arms around him and started to shake a little bit.
"Hey, it's okay. You did it! I told you you could. Now, you just have to do the trees and you'll be done with the heights," Jack told her as he gently rubbed her back, not really sure what to do. Kim nodded against him and pulled back.
"Sorry," she mumbled, a blush appearing on her face. She followed him over to the tree and managed to get up onto his shoulders without looking down, listening to his words of encouragement. He was right; the tree was better than the house. After another ten minutes, she was back on the ground for good.
"See, that wasn't so bad," Jack told her. Kim nodded as she smiled at him ignoring her thoughts as they kept telling her how hot he looked. "So, we can just work on the lower stuff until the balloons are ready. But first…" Jack trailed off and Kim looked at him suspiciously as he walked back over to the house. She saw him pick something up, but he hid it behind his back as he walked back across the huge yard.
"What are you doing?" she asked, giggling as he smirked at her, his comment from yesterday completely forgotten. She let out a shriek as he turned the hose on her full blast. When he turned it back to the side, she was soaking wet and her air was drenched. "Jack!" she shouted as she tried to grab the hose from him. She eventually did, chasing after him as he ran away across the yard.
"Milton, just blow up a balloon!" Rudy said between breaths as he gasped for air. He had already blown up twenty-three balloons.
"But if I get light-headed, I could pass out!" Milton protested.
"Ugh, why do you have to be so smart!" Rudy groaned. "Just blow up some balloons. I swear they won't kill you."
"Fine," Milton reluctantly agreed as he stood up and started walking across the room and sea of balloons towards Rudy.
"Hallelujah!" Rudy cried. It had taken half an hour to get Milton to touch a balloon. He tossed a deflated one at the boy and picked up another one as they both started to blow up a balloon.
"Only twenty-five more until we have enough for Jack and Kim," Rudy said optimistically.
"And then we have to blow up one hundred and fifty more," Milton added, causing Rudy to glare up at him.
"Can't you look on the bright side?" he snapped.
"Sorry," Milton defended himself. "Here," he added as he started walking through the sea of balloons to get to Rudy. Suddenly, twenty-four simultaneous Pops! were heard throughout the room. "Whoops," Milton said nervously. "At least we still have one." He picked up the only balloon still intact and it immediately popped in his hands. "Sorry?" Milton offered weakly.
"Milton!" Rudy shouted as he stood up and started running at the boy.
"Man, did we get an easy job," Jerry said as he and Eddie stood between the kitchen and living room.
"Let's start with the kitchen!" Eddie suggested, grinning.
"Deal!" Jerry agreed as they charged into the kitchen. They gazed in awe at the huge refrigerator in front of them. Eddie suddenly snapped out of the trance and whacked Jerry in the head.
"No food! We have to decorate," Eddie said, trying to block out the image of the beautifully refrigerator.
"Right!" Jerry affirmed as he held up a box of streamers and some banner sin one hand, and some centerpieces and hanging decorations in the other.
"Where did you get those?" Eddie asked as he looked at the objects. Jerry hadn't been holding those a minute ago.
"Marie," Jerry replied simply.
"But you weren't holding them until now," Eddie replied. "You know what? Never mind!"
"Whatever," Jerry responded with a smirk.
"You know, that fridge is looking pretty good right now," Eddie spoke up after they had hung one banner.
"I agree, but you said we can't," Jerry reminded his friend.
"I know, but it looks so good!" Eddie whined.
The two stared at the giant refrigerator and slowly exchanged glances. A moment later, they had opened it and were chowing down on anything they could find.
"Well, it only took eleven hours to get everywhere decorated," Jack said as he joined his friends, mother, and grandfather in the kitchen with Kim.
"Uh, Kim? Why are you soaking wet?" Rudy asked as he pointed to her still drenched clothes and hair. Let's just say the hose didn't get put away after the first time.
"I'll give you one guess, Rudy," Kim said, her southern accent showing as she threw a pointed glare at Jack.
"Well, that explains it," Rudy said with a smirk.
"Remember the last those two were alone with a hose?" Eddie asked as the memory played in his head.
"Yeah, I do! They were watering the flowers outside the dojo and somehow I was put in the middle of a water fight!" Milton replied.
"And the dojo was flooded," Jerry added, smiling.
"Really, Jack, how much trouble do you get into when you're at that dojo?" his mother asked with a smile.
"Um…some?" Jack answered.
"Anyway," his grandfather spoke up. "Thanks for helping today, guys. I'll see you here tomorrow at the same time and we'll work on the food."
"Food!" the boys yelled in unison as Kim and Ms. Howard shook their heads.
"Let's go guys!" Rudy said as he began to lead the way to the door.
"Rudy!" Jack called after a few seconds.
"Yeah?" the sensei called back, still leading the kids through the house.
"The door is this way!" Jack told him with a laugh.
"Right!" Rudy said as he began marching the teens back past the kitchen.
"See you tomorrow guys," Jack grinned at them as they waved. "Don't let them get lost, Kim," Jack whispered as she passed by.
"No promises," Kim sighed as she followed the others. As she followed the others outside, she became lost in her thoughts. In the backyard, Jack had been really sweet, but then later he had started seeing her as just one of the guys again. It made her feel…weird and a little hurt every time it happened.
"Alright, now we need to find out who is going to make what," Jack's grandfather said the next morning as they all stood in the kitchen.
"I call dessert!" everyone but Jack cried, even Kim. They all turned to each other before jumping on top of each other, yelling about who called it first and why they should get to it.
"I told you, mom," Jack grinned as he looked over at his mother, who had smacked her forehead with her palm. "I just didn't think Kim would do it, too." His mother glared at him. "Fine, fine, fine," Jack finally gave in before stepping towards his arguing friends. "Guys! Break it up! Let's go! I don't need guys fighting over who makes dessert! Do you want this to take eleven hours again?" Jack cried, Kim freezing for a moment in the middle of the fight as he said 'guys.' "Guys!" Jack yelled before jumping into the pile himself. He managed to throw Eddie and Milton to separate sides of the room. He gently moved Kim behind him. Then he tore apart Jerry and Rudy. "Thank you," Jack sighed as he stood up.
"Now, as my father was saying," Ms. Howard continued. "Who's good at baking?" Kim and Jack both raised their hands before smiling at each other when they saw who else raised their hand. "How about cooking?" Rudy and Jerry raised their hands. "Okay, then Kim and Jack are in charge of the desserts, Rudy and Jerry go to the other kitchen and work on the main courses, and Eddie and Milton can prepare the appetizers," Ms. Howard explained.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Jack's grandfather asked when they all just stood there. "Move out!"
"Jack, are you sure this was necessary?" Kim asked as she looked at the mess in the kitchen in front of them.
"Yep. Now we're ready to start," he grinned before walking over to the mess.
"And you're sure you know how to bake?" Kim asked again as she cracked some eggs in a bowl.
"Yes, Kim. I'm sure. Now, let's start the brownies," Jack assured her before he started measuring out the liquid ingredients.
Ten minutes later, the batter was ready to be put into the mold. Jack dipped a spoon into it and held it up, some of the chocolate dripping back into the bowl.
"Jack, what are you doing?" Kim asked as she turned around to get the pan.
"Nothing," Jack smirked before lightly tossing the contents of the spoon forward, causing them to land on Kim's back.
"What did you just do?" Kim snapped at him as he dipped the spoon in again. He tossed the spoon again and the batter landed on Kim's face. "JJJAAACCCKKKK!" she shouted before grabbing a spoon of her own and lunging forward at him.
"Jerry, do you really know how to cook?" Rudy asked as he added a few seasoning to the mixture simmering on the stove.
"Yeah, dude. My Uncle Carlos taught me how to cook when I was ten. I think I remember," Jerry replied as he looked into the oven to see if the dish he was working on was ready yet.
"You think you remember?" Rudy asked, his eye twitching as he looked at the teen in front of him. One thing, besides karate, that Rudy took great pride in was his cooking and if it was ruined by Jerry of all people, then someone would be losing their grits!
"Yeah, dude, I said think," Jerry responded. "Wait a minute, did I just think?" Jerry asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood there, confused. "Look, if you don't believe me, taste this. It's ready," Jerry told Rudy.
"What is it?" Rudy asked as Jerry reached into the oven.
"Ow! Hot! How am I supposed to pick this up?" Jerry whined as he pulled his hand back and kissed it, the loud bang of the pan landed on the rack ringing through the room.
"Oven mitts, genius," Rudy replied as he tossed them at Jerry, his hand rubbing his head as he tried not to yell.
"And it's a special Mexican platter. I forget what it's called, though," Jerry added as he took it out with over mitts on this time. Rudy grabbed a fork. He held the piece of food in front of his mouth, looking at Jerry, who nodded. He put it in his mouth before spitting it out and putting his head under the faucet, rinsing his mouth out.
"Jerry! This tastes like salt pie!" Rudy groaned.
"I followed the recipe," Jerry said as he handed the sheet of paper to Rudy. "It said two cups of salt."
"Jerry," Rudy began calmly. "This says two teaspoons!" he yelled.
"Whoops," Jerry said, lifting his hands in a what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it-gesture.
"Oh, I'll show you what I'm going to do about it," Rudy said as he lunged at Jerry.
"Eddie! For the last time, we are not using anything in your Explorer Scouts manual! Didn't you listen to what Kim told you about the brownies the other day?" Milton said as he knocked the book out of Eddie's hand.
"Milton, we need to make appetizers," Eddie replied. "This book can help us."
"No, cooking class can help us! I have my book of recipes right here!" Milton said back, his voice starting to rise.
"Well, this has some great recipes in it. How about…" Eddie flipped through the pages. "Cricket Surprise?"
"Or how about something that sounds and I'm sure tastes better, like…" Milton flipped through his recipe book. "Veggie bars with cheese and faux escargot finger sandwiches on the side?"
"You know, maybe you're right. Cricket Surprise is better!" Eddie yelled as he ran to the refrigerator.
"Stop twisting my words around!" Milton shouted back as he ran after Eddie.
"Well, I was wrong," Jack said as his friends, mother, and grandfather entered the main kitchen he and Kim were in. "It didn't take us eleven hours. It took us twelve hours!"
"Why are you covered in brownie batter, Jack?" Eddie asked as he dipped his finger in it and licked it off. "Yum!"
"Two words: Kim and Crawford," Jack replied, glaring at the blonde girl next to him.
"Hey, he started it!" Kim defended herself as all eyes turned to her.
"Yeah, but I didn't dump the whole bowl on you!" Jack protested.
"But you got it in my hair!" Kim shot back.
"Guys stop! Don't fight!" Milton pleaded with his friends. Kim and Jack stopped talking and looked back at the adults.
"Well, thank you guys so much for your help these past two days. We'll see you at the party tomorrow. It's late, so get home and get some sleep. Rudy, the door is that way," Ms. Howard told everyone before pointing to the left.
"Right," Rudy replied as he started to lead everyone out once again.
"Jack," a soft voice said as someone gently shook his shoulder. "Jack, sweetie, wake up."
Jack finally opened one eye and saw his mother sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Mom, what time is it?" he asked as he opened the other and turned onto his back.
"It's eleven 'o' clock, honey," Ms. Howard smiled at him. "You were up late last night and I didn't have the heart to wake you up any earlier. But the party starts in a couple hours, so you need to eat something and get ready," Ms. Howard added as she brushed some of Jack's hair out of his face.
"Alright," Jack said as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed so he was sitting next to his mother.
"Good, I'll go finish making your breakfast," she said before standing up and closing the door to his room behind her. Jack picked up his phone and saw that he had two new messages. He clicked on the first one and smiled when he saw it was from Kim.
Tell your mom I'm bringing a surprise dessert to the party. I think you'll like it ;)
Jack smiled even wider at the little winky face she typed at the end. He couldn't wait until that night when he could show her the surprise he had for her. As he thought about it, he realized she had been acting a little weird the last couple of days. She seemed a little more snappy and sad than usual. As the smell of chocolate chip pancakes reached his bedroom, he decided to worry about it later. He bounded into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
Two hours later, Jack was standing with his mother and grandfather at the front door. He was wearing black jeans and a black button down shirt with his signature black high tops. They had promised him that once his friends arrived, he didn't have to greet people anymore. He was urging Rudy to hurry up and drive faster in his mind as more people he didn't really know walked past him. When he thought he was about to die of boredom, he heard it.
"Jerry, you can't use a blowfish to blow up balloons!" Milton said, obviously annoyed.
"Why not?" Jerry asked, sounding confused, as always.
"Because! Blowfish have spikes. They'd pop the balloons," Kim's voice was like music to Jack's ears as he waited for them to appear.
"And blowfish don't actually blow air out," Eddie added. "It says it right here in-"
"Enough with the manual!" Milton yelled at Eddie.
"Guys, cool it. I want one of Kim's surprises so let's just get inside," Rudy insisted.
"You know you can't have one until later, right?" Kim asked and Jack could picture her smirking at the boys as they pouted. And then, they appeared.
"Hey guys!" Jack called when he saw them. He looked at them, his eyes lingering a few extra seconds on Kim. She was wearing stone-washed blue jeans, a loose-fitting, but pretty silky pink and purple shirt and wedge sandals. She looked amazing.
"Hi, Jack," Kim smiled at him after the others had pushed into the house and the two were following them.
"You look great," Jack told her, causing her to blush at the compliment.
"Thanks, so do you," Kim replied softly before grabbed her arm and pulled her into the backyard. "Whoa, no hose today, got it?" Kim warned him.
"Fine, got it," Jack reluctantly agreed. Then he perked up again as they joined the other guys. "Come on, let's go eat!"
Later that night, around nine 'o' clock, it was finally time for dessert and Rudy, Jerry, Eddie, Milton, and Jack all crowded around Kim, who was laughing at their expectant faces.
"Guys, calm down," Kim giggled. "It's just a dessert."
"Just dessert?" Jack said as all five pairs of eyes widened. "Never say it's just dessert Kim."
"Fine, fine, sorry. But here, they are Oreo truffles," Kim said as she set the tray on the table outside and took the lid off, revealing the chocolate covered creations. She watched in amusement as the boys grabbed two each and began stuffing them into their mouths.
"Dude, these are awesome!" Jack said after he had swallowed. Kim forced a smile as the word Jack said stabbed her in the heart.
"Yeah, man, they're so good," Jerry added.
"And they aren't that high in calories either!" Milton cheered, earning odd looks from t he others. "Just saying."
"Did you use the manual?" Eddie asked with a wink.
"Eddie, no one uses the manual!" Rudy exclaimed. "Hey Jack, want to come play water balloon toss with us?"
"Sure!" Jack's eyes lit up as he followed the guys, leaving Kim alone by her dessert platter. She sighed.
Great, now I'm one of the guys and I'm being left out. I knew the last two days were too good to be true. So much for my fireworks fantasy. Kim thought as she sighed, blinking back the tears that had started to fill her eyes.
"What's the matter, Kim?" a voice said behind her. She turned to see Jack's grandfather standing behind her with a smile.
"Oh, nothing, Mr. Howard. Just some girl things," she replied.
"It's Jack, isn't it?" Mr. Howard asked.
"Maybe," Kim nodded after a minute of thought.
"Well, just remember, Hollywood fireworks are magic," Mr. Howard said before walking away as Kim called out her thanks. She wasn't sure what he meant, though? The fireworks were magic? What was that supposed to mean?
I guess I'll just have to wait until they start. Kim sighed as she walked over to an empty bench and sat down. She could hear her friends laughing as they played their little game and the balloons burst every few seconds. She wished that was her and Jack having that much fun.
Kim had been sulking around the party for forty-five minutes now, waiting for the fireworks display. Finally, an announcement was made by Jack's mother.
"Friends and family, the fireworks display will be starting in five minutes. Please find your vantage points now!" Ms. Howard called out over the hushed crowd. People began to move around quickly and Kim found herself being swept with them. She finally made it out of the sea of people near the tree Jack had had her hang banners on. She looked to her left and saw that she was about five feet away from her friends, who were sitting back on a big blanket, waiting for the colorful show to begin, looking as excited as five-year-olds on Christmas. Kim had to smile a little at that thought.
She sighed as she leaned against the tall and tree and waited as well. Ms. Howard made the two minute announcement and Kim grinned. She loved fireworks. They could always cheer her up. Suddenly, a hand covered her eyes.
"Close your eyes and follow me, okay?" Jack asked. She could smell his scent of mint, vanilla, cologne and blue Gatorade as she nodded. She felt Jack take his hand ff her eyes and grab one of her own before leading her somewhere.
After a couple minutes of walking, the din of party began to get quieter and Ms. Howard quiet announcement about a delay and Kim began getting nervous.
"Jack, w-where are we going? It's dark out here and I'm getting nervous," Kim told him as she walked a little faster to catch up to him and grabbed onto his arm for dear life.
"Kim, relax," Jack told her. "I'm your best friend. Do you really think I'm going to let someone jump out at you? Trust me, I come here all the time."
"Are you sure?" Kim asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. Just relax," Jack replied before he reached down and squeezed her hand reassuringly, causing her to blush and making her thankful it was dark out. "Keep your eyes closed."
"I promise," Kim giggled a little. "Jack? She said, her voice nothing but serious now.
"Hmm?" Jack replied as he continued to lead her.
"Can I ask you a question?" Kim asked, trying to put it off as long as she could.
"You just did," Jack teased. "Shoot," he added.
"Do you think I'm just one of the guys?" she asked, glad her eyes were closed because they would've showed her embarrassment.
"Of course not," Jack replied after what Kim guessed was a moment of shock. "Why would you think that?"
"Because you always refer to me as one. Hey guys, I don't need guys fighting over food, dude," Kim responded. Jack chuckled and she became confused.
"Kim, I do that to everyone. Just ask my mom or my cousins," Jack laughed, causing Kim to sigh in relief and laugh along with him.
"I guess I just felt self-conscious," Kim said more to herself than to him.
She followed him in silence for a few more minutes before he stopped abruptly and she walked right into him.
"Sorry," Kim apologized.
"Open your eyes," was all Jack said in reply. Kim did as she was told and gasped in awe.
In front of her was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. There was a small, crystal clear lake with a waterfall cascading down across the lake. There was beautiful plant life around the lake itself and the stars and moon reflected off the surface. She looked to her right and saw a blanket set out on the ground next to the lake.
"Jack," she breathed as she turned to face him. "This is amazing. It's beautiful." She let Jack pull her over to the blanket and sat down next to him.
"It's not the only thing," Jack mumbled, suddenly becoming nervous.
"Why are you getting nervous?" Kim teased, but unsure why he was. He looked up at her.
"You're amazing and you're beautiful and you're totally out of my league, but I need you to know how I feel about you," Jack laughed at himself a little as Kim gasped and blushed at the same time. "I really like you, Kim, but I understand if you don't feel the same way. This where I usually come to think. It's peaceful and pretty to look at. No one knows about it," Jack referred to the lake.
"Jack," Kim giggled as she heard him say what she had wished he would say to her since that first day he caught her apple. "I really like you, too. I guess the others were right when they said I had a crush on you," Kim smiled as his eyes lit up and he looked over at her. She decided to be brave and reached down and locked their fingers together.
"Well, someone's getting over confident," Jack teased as he looked down at her. After that, a silence fell over the two and before Kim knew it, he was leaning closer to her. As their lips connected, she could taste the Gatorade on his lips and smiled into the kiss. The first of the fireworks rose up over the hill from Jack's house and they broke apart once it exploded.
"I love fireworks," Kim whispered as she leaned against Jack and licked her lips, tasting small hints of Gatorade.
"Me too," Jack smiled at her as some more fireworks exploded in the sky, the colors reflecting off the water along with the stars. "For more reasons than one," he added before leaning down to kiss her again.
A/N: 8,604 words! Beats my previously longest one shot by over 3,000 words, haha. I really hope you guys liked this because I'm actually really proud of the way it came out. I'll try to update my other story soon and I'll have another one shot out before I go on vacation next week. But in the mean time, review and tell me what you thought of my little pride and joy here! Just kidding, lol, but please review and tell me what you thought.