I'm back! I took a long break after finishing Behind Her Back, but I
had several great ideas this past week that I couldn't ignore. This story
will mainly focus on Jessica and takes place after she broke up with
Will in book thirteen. The only catch is that she has never met Jeremy.
Liz will be mentioned in this story but she's not the focus. Enjoy!

"Jeremy," Trent said, sounding slightly aggravated. "We're going to be
late."
"This will take like fifteen seconds, I swear," Jeremy said hopping
out.
"Man, you are whipped," Trent said, not turning the car off. "Make it
ten seconds, I have a history test and I need all the extra time I can
get."
Jeremy hurried into the empty House of Java, and walked up to the
counter where a sullen Corey was working. Jeremy opened his mouth to order
but Corey shoved a small paper bag and coffee at him. "Low-fat
cappuccino and a blueberry muffin," she growled. "And you're late."
"Thanks, Cor," Jeremy said, handing her a ten. "I'll see you this
afternoon."
"No you won't," she said, brightening up, as if the possibility of not
seeing Jeremy that afternoon made her day. "I got tickets to see
Gelatinous Cubed tonight, you're working with Wakefield."
"Oh," Jeremy said, slightly disappointed. It's not as if he had
anything against Elizabeth Wakefield, it's just that after Conner had dumped
her, she had been really quiet and moody. Jeremy wished he could find
this Conner jerk and really lay it into him. He couldn't imagine what kind
of idiot took a sweet girl like Elizabeth and turned her into a mopey
zombie.
"Hey, Trent?" Jeremy asked, climbing back into Trent's silver BMW.
"Yeah," Trent said looking up. He had been drumming his fingers against
the steering wheel. He quickly pulled out of the parking lot and made a
left hand turn onto the main road that Jeremy was sure was illegal.
"You know that girl I work with, Elizabeth?"
"Yeah, the hot blonde, right?"
"Well, she's been kind of down since things ended with her last
boyfriend…think maybe you could take her out or something, you know,
show her a good time."
"I would," Trent said, going through a yellow light. "But no offense,
she looks like a relationship type girl and I promised myself I would just
have fun our senior year."
"Yeah, I guess she is, but what's wrong with relationships?"
Trent quickly pulled into Big Mesa's parking lot and found a space in
the back. He turned to Jeremy "We can't all be like you."
Jeremy grabbed his bag and the coffee. "There's nothing wrong with
relationships, it's nice to have someone to depend upon and who knows you."
"Yeah, but I don't have to make daily coffee and muffin runs either,"
Trent said smirking. "I get the good stuff without the strings." He
punched Jeremy in the shoulder. "I'm going to head straight to homeroom.
I'm like going to bomb this history test."
"You mean you're going to get a 98 instead of a 100?" Jeremy said
teasing.
"Something like that, plus I want to miss the goopy Jeremy
morning locker smoochfest."
Jeremy rolled his eyes and headed towards the end of the hall. His eyes
light up when he saw her and he felt a warm feeling spread across his
body. It was amazing that he still felt this way after all this time.
She had her books held in front of her and she was talking with her best
friend. She was dressed simply but trendy in a white blouse with
three-quarter length sleeves and a short, red pleated skirt.
Jeremy headed over to the girls. "Hey Kristen," he said giving a quick
glance to the petite blonde, turning his attention to the other girl.
"Hey," he said softly, and brushed a loose strand of black hair behind her
ear.
'You're late," she said poking him playfully in the chest. He held up
the muffin bag and her coffee. "Thanks," she said giving him a quick
kiss on the lips.
"I'm going to leave you two alone," the blonde said, smiling.
"Bye, Kris," she said "I'll see you in Thompson's class."
"So, Amanda," Jeremy said leaning up against her locker. "How was your
weekend?"
"Hell," she said, pressing herself up against him, sending sparks
throughout his body. "I mean it was cool seeing my aunt, but I wish they
didn't live in Washington. I missed you."
"I missed you too," Jeremy said running his fingers lightly through her
thick hair. "Trent and Stan in no way make up for you."
Amanda giggled. "I should think not." She pulled back from Jeremy and
peeked into her muffin bag. "Ooo, blueberry, my favorite!" she said
smiling. Jeremy felt his stomach muscles clench up like they did every time
Amanda smiled. Even after five years he couldn't believe how lucky he
was. It wasn't just how she looked, either. Even though at five feet
eleven, a model worthy body, long, straight black hair, lightly tanned
skin, and dazzling green eyes she was probably one of the five hottest
girls at Big Mesa. All that stuff didn't matter to Jeremy. But she was
also one of the nicest, sweetest girls he had ever met. After all, how
many rich girls volunteered at the woman's shelter every week because
they liked helping the women?
"So why are you so late? Do you have a secret girlfriend I should be
worried about?" she said teasingly.
Jeremy laughed. "I was helping Emma with her math homework and she was
having a lot of problems."
"At least she has big brother Jeremy to help her," Amanda said, taking
a sip of her coffee. "So do you have any plans for tonight? I was
thinking maybe we could go out. There's a new Matt Damon movie that just
came out."
"I'm sorry," Jeremy said. "But I have to work tonight, but not
tomorrow. Even though watching you stare at Matt for two hours isn't my idea of
fun, it sure beats working with Liz."
"Is she still depressed about Conner?" Amanda said, concerned. "She
must have really liked him. I only met him that once, but he seems like a
jerk."
"Yeah, I thought so to. I tried to get Trent to take her out, just so
she'd get out with other people, but he didn't want to."
"He's not really her type, but maybe that's not such a bad thing,"
Amanda said thoughtfully. Suddenly the bell rang, and Amanda jumped
slightly. "Damn, I forgot how late you were, you haven't even been to your
locker yet." She gave him a quick peck on the lips, and then sped off to
her homeroom. Jeremy smiled. Damn, he was lucky.

"I can't do this, I can't do this," Jessica said looking quickly both
ways. Thankfully she hadn't spotted Will and Melissa making out or
anything.
"Remember Jess, for the hundredth time, Will's a loser. Anyone who goes
crawling back to his Hitleresque girlfriend is a loser and sad,"
Maria said grabbing onto Jessica right arm and practically dragging her
down the hall."
"Yeah, plus he's totally stuck on himself. I mean, he waxes his
eyebrows for crying out loud," Tia said, pulling on her other arm.
"He does?" Jessica said, her eyes brightening. "He never told me that."
"No duh," Tia said rolling her eyes. "But seriously Jess, you have to
toughen up. You can't let Melissa walk all over you."
"Yeah, where's the Jessica from last year?" Maria said teasingly. "If a
girl even looked at your boyfriend you were all over."
"Yeah, but with Melissa I just feel like….dirt."
"That's the way she wants you to feel," Tia said. "Where's Liz? Maria
and I aren't enough for this job."
"She's probably camped outside of Conner's homeroom," Maria said,
rolling her eyes.
"I'm glad that you two finally made up," Tia said. "Conner is so not
worth it."
"Try telling that to Liz, I got the news flash when I saw him feeling
up my best friend in his kitchen," Maria said dryly.
"Hey guys, what's up?" a happy voice said from behind them.
They all stopped dead in their tracks. "It sounds like Liz," Tia said,
slowing turning around. "Holy crap," Tia said, when she saw her friend.
"Liz?" Jessica said incredulously, forgetting about Will.
"What? Don't you like it?"
"Why?" Maria said unable to say much else.
"Conner," Tia said sympathetically.
"No, not everything I do is about him," Liz snapped. "I don't need your
pity."
"No, I think you look awesome," Tia said quickly. "It's nice to see
that you're finally getting over him."
"When did you do this?" Jessica shocked, still speechless by the red
streaks in her sister's hair.
"Last night, during your how-could-Will-do-this-to-me cry-a-thon."
Jessica opened her mouth to get back at her sister's new found
bhiness, but she saw Cherie, Amy, Gina, Lila, and Melissa…with Will's arm
wrapped protectively around her, approaching her. Normally in this
situation she would be wearing a killer outfit, and not her old Juicy sweats,
and she would be flirting with every hot guy who was not Will.
"Hey Jessica," Melissa said calmly. "I heard about your big breakup,"
she glanced over Jessica's outfit. "I'm glad you're handling it well,"
she said, smirking every so slightly.
"You should really lay off the ice cream, Ben and Jerry's does not do
anything for your thighs," Cherie said giggling.
Jessica looked down in alarm. Her thighs were not fat. Just because
she wasn't some bug like twig like Melissa was did not mean that she was
fat.
"Actually," Jessica said, feeling some of the old Wakefield bhiness
run through her veins, "I wanted to thank you for picking him up, I
always get rid of my trash on garbage day."
Melissa's eyes narrowed and she glanced at Cherie.
"You're just jealous because Will got tired of your sluttiness," Gina
said.
"It's not like I had much choice, when I started dating him I forgot to
take out the chip in his neck that Melissa was still controlling him
with. See, when I'm with a guy I don't try to keep him by force."
Will blushed and looked at the floor.
"Why can't you just accept that you're just not good enough for him,"
Melissa said soothingly, like she was talking to a child. "It's kind of
pathetic."
"Maybe he can't handle a woman who actually has a thought of her own.
Try thinking for yourself for once. I mean, can you really not order
your own food, it's kind of pathetic," Jessica said crossing her arms over
her chest.
"You just keep lying to yourself, you know he never stopped wanting me.
It only took him like three weeks to get over his little obsession.
Plus, all you guys did was like hold hands."
"Is that what he told you?" Jessica said smirking.
"Yeah," Melissa said, slightly nervous. She glanced at Will.
"Unless you call making out in his car, my car, Lila's basement, his
bedroom, Lila's hot tub, and the janitor's closet nothing," Jessica said.
Melissa shot daggers at Lila. "Hey, don't look at me," Lila said. "I
didn't know."
"Don't you just love that thing he does to your neck?" Jessica
continued.
"Whatever," Melissa said lamely. "You still weren't close. You don't
have the history that we had."
"I don't know," Jessica said shrugging. "I thought we were pretty
close. You might want to try it, it's called not having your boyfriend on a
two-foot string."
And with that, she turned and walked triumphantly down the hall. This
is what she lived for. It was enough for her to forget about Will.
Almost.