Elizabeth and Jason became close while attending summer camp over the years, but a freak accident separates them. Will they move on or find each other again?
A/N – I totally forgot I wrote this and stumbled across it. It's only 3 chapters, but I figured I'd give you a short romantic nugget (not MA). I'm still finishing off my other two fics. Should only be a few more days before I get into the next Liason fic. Enjoy!
Chapter 1 – Friends and Enemies
Liz sadly watched Jason run out of the mess hall. It was the third day in a row that someone had tripped him or thrown food on him. The unholy trinity, Carly, Sam, and Brenda were cackling like the witches they were as Ric and Jagger laughed and gave each other high fives. Assholes. She grabbed some paper towels and got up and walked outside and tried to find him, knowing he couldn't have gotten far.
It had been a long summer. Practically everyone sent their kids to the camp. She had been attending for the last three years. Jason just graduated and she was a lowly freshman. Every year, she had watched him be bullied, taunted, and shunned because of his appearance. It was almost merciful that this was his last year at camp. During the school year, he was sent away to boarding school, so she never saw him around. No one paid attention to her except that annoying Lucky Spencer who followed her around like a love sick puppy. He just wasn't her type because he was—just—Lucky.
She caught sight of Jason sitting near a tree next to the lake. He seemed so sad. Standing still, she took him in for a moment wondering how he put up with all their shit.
"I know you're there."
She smiled and walked closer.
Elizabeth was the only one that gave him the time of day unless they crossed paths with the younger kids and his sister sought him out. AJ used to defend him, but he had graduated and was in college.
She sat down next to him and handed him the tissues and he wiped off his arm. "You're probably thankful that this is your last year."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"What are you going to after this?"
"I'm going to NYU." He wasn't happy when his parents made him come to the camp this year. He had thought they'd give him a break, but they said it would keep him out of trouble. They didn't get that the bullying was bad.
"That sounds exciting." Elizabeth had no idea what she wanted to do after high school, but she still had plenty of time to figure it out.
"You don't have to keep rescuing me." The truth was that he thought she was beautiful and that he was going to ruin her reputation. She still had several years to go and he didn't want to make it more difficult for her.
"I consider you my friend. Do you feel the same way?"
He nodded. "Yes. I was wondering…."
"What?"
"Do you think I could write you?"
She smiled, having no idea why he'd even want to talk to a high school student once he went away. "I would like that. I'll slip you my address before we go home."
Jason smiled. He was shy. Years of bullying what do that to a person. He had tried so many times to lose weight, but it was depressing to not be able to eat what he wanted. His mom said that he still hadn't had his last growth spurt. All he knew, is that he was sick of waiting for it. At least his skin had cleared up in the last year. "So, is Lucky your boyfriend?"
Liz laughed and Jason grinned as he watched her. "Uh uh—no way. He's always crying and my God, he loves to hear himself whine."
Jason chuckled. "Maybe he'll grow out of it."
"Are you trying to set me up?"
Their eyes connected. Liz always thought that Jason had the most gorgeous eyes. She liked to paint and never could quite capture the hue.
"Not really. I mean—I hope I grow out of this."
She knew what he meant. "Jason, I think you're perfect just the way you are."
The look of shock on his face made her grin. "Seriously, you're nice and smart. I think you're handsome. Not to mention that you have great manners and you can really hit a softball."
He was surprised. "How do you know that?"
"I saw you and Johnny playing when you thought no one was looking."
He smirked. "Spying on me Webber?"
She blushed. Johnny O'Brien plopped down next to her before she could respond. He was very handsome and had an accent to die for you. Pretty much all the girls lusted after him. While Elizabeth appreciated his movie star looks, she was still more drawn to Jason. She wanted to know everything she could about him.
"What's happening?"
"The usual," Jason said.
Johnny was the only popular kid that hung around with Jason. He had liked him right off the bat. And because everyone knew better than to tease him about it, they pretty much left it alone.
"The new kid asked me about you," he said to Elizabeth. If she was a little older, he would be totally into her. She had no idea how pretty she was. She wasn't stick thin like the other girls and he loved that about her. He hated it when Carly called her muffin.
She looked at him like he was crazy. "Who?"
"John Zacharra."
Liz shrugged. "I haven't really spoken to him." He had a nice smile, but he was a grade younger than her.
"He'll have his growth spurt soon. I'll have to try and check in with you in a couple of years to see if you're married yet."
Jason looked away. The idea of her being with someone else made his heart hurt.
Liz playfully punched Johnny in the arm. "You're crazy you know that? What are you doing after high school?"
"I'm going to work for Sonny Corinthos."
Liz frowned. "The mobster?"
He nodded. "Yup. I'm going to help run his warehouse."
"Wow. Isn't that dangerous?"
He shrugged. "Probably, but I can handle it."
Jason really wished that he wouldn't, but he knew that Johnny needed to find his own way. "How does Sam feel about that?"
He rolled his eyes. "We broke up. She was on my last nerve."
Jason didn't understand why he dated her in the first place. Johnny had terrible taste in women.
Johnny stood up and went into his bag and pulled out his polaroid camera. "Hold on. Squeeze together."
Liz moved closer to Jason and their heads touched and they both smiled. Johnny took two pictures and handed them out and they shook it.
"I've got to go. I'll see you around the fire."
Liz watched him jog off. "That was nice of him."
Jason nodded. Johnny had given him a gift. Now, he would have a picture of her when he went away to college. If he felt down, he could look at it and be reminded that there was someone else in the world that truly got him.
She stood up and brushed herself off with one hand. "Come on. We have to get back."
He stood up. He needed to go change his shirt. They walked back together as Liz talked animatedly about something that happened earlier. He watched her closely, realizing that he was falling for someone he probably would never be able to have.
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI
They sat around the camp fire. Elizabeth and Jason were towards the back because he liked to try to get away from the people who taunted him. If they couldn't see him, they wouldn't bully him.
The counselor started telling a ghost story and he felt Liz shiver. She moved closer to him, making him hold his breath when her arm came in contact with his. He had never even kissed a girl before due to his shyness. And frankly, he was pretty sure that no girl had ever wanted to. Just feeling her rest up against him was incredible. She was young, so he probably wouldn't encourage anything, but she had bloomed overnight and it was really hard for him not to notice.
Liz watched the fire crackle. Even though it was hotter than hades during the day, they were in the mountains and it got a little cooler at night. She hoped that Jason didn't mind that she was sucking his heat away.
Carly's eyes connected with Jason's and he immediately looked away. "Such a waste," she muttered. She was in her senior year too.
"Are you talking about lard ass?" Ric asked before grabbing his girlfriend's hand.
"Yeah."
"Maybe if he'd step away from the twinkies, he'd lose some fucking weight," Sam said quietly.
Brenda snorted. "I don't think that will ever happen." She was friends with the family and she thought that they coddled him way too much, but she stopped short of teasing him about it.
"They need to send him to a damn fat camp," Carly said making everyone laugh.
Jason could tell that he was the object of their amusement.
Liz, sensing his change in demeanor, reached over and grabbed his hand. She had no idea what made her do it, but she felt relieved when Jason squeezed it back.
Lucky looked over at them and gasped. He couldn't believe that Liz would like Jason of all people, because he was the camp pariah. There was no way he was losing her to the fat kid. He needed to do something about this.
After all the stories were told, everyone got up and Jason reluctantly let go of her hand. She smiled at him and he returned it and then they walked back to their cabins.
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Sam looked over at Elizabeth. "I see you're still hanging out with lard ass."
Liz glared at her. "Look boobless, I heard Johnny broke up with you. Maybe you were getting a little thick around the middle."
Carly snorted as Sam glared at Elizabeth.
"Like you have any? I'd probably mistake you for a boy if it weren't for those huge lips of yours."
Liz stood up. "You know what Sam, you are one of the ugliest people I know."
Sam walked up to her and Carly scrambled out of bed to get between them, but Sam had already shoved Liz to the floor.
"You're so tough. You can shove me all you want, but you're still an evil witch."
Bobbie's mouth fell open as she stood in the doorway. "Elizabeth Webber, what has gotten into you?"
Liz looked up at Carly's mom. "Why don't ask Sam why she shoved me?"
Bobbie watched as Liz got up and brushed herself off. "Sam, is that true?"
"She pushed me first," Sam said.
A little voice was heard from the corner. "No she didn't."
Liz was surprised. No one had ever heard her speak before. Kelly West slid out of her bunk looking very annoyed.
"Well, what is your version of what happened?" Bobbie asked her.
Kelly looked down at Sam. "She started it by insulting Jason by calling him a lard ass. Liz defended him and then it went back and forth until Sam shoved her to the floor."
Carly's head tilted. "You can talk?"
"Just because I don't have anything to say to you banshees doesn't mean I can't."
They watched her crawl back into the bed and put her pillow over her head.
"Sam, outside," Bobbie demanded.
Sam rolled her eyes and followed her.
"You know that she's going to try and get you back at you, right?" Carly asked Liz.
Kelly pulled the pillow off her face. "I have her back. I've taken martial arts since I was ten."
Carly didn't even know what to say to that, so she walked out.
"Thank you."
Kelly smirked. "I like you. Anyone who called out that bitch is okay with me."
Liz softly smiled and crawled into her sleeping bag. She might as well get some sleep, because she was sure Sam would stay up all night thinking of ways to humiliate her.
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Sam sat outside listening to Bobbie lecture her. When she finally walked away, Lucky made a noise from behind a tree and Sam curiously wandered over to it. "What?"
"I need your help."
Sam gave him a look. "Why the hell would I help you?"
"Because you hate lard ass."
Sam smirked. "True. What did he ever do to you?"
"He stole Elizabeth from me."
Sam started to laugh loudly and then realized she needed to be quiet. "What the hell do you want that loser for? She's tainted from hanging around with Blubber."
"She's beautiful and—why am I explaining myself to you? Can you just work with me to do something that will end his stay here?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"I'm going to send him home crying to mommy." He laid out his plan and Sam grinned.
"I have a few suggestions to make it even better. We'll do it tomorrow night."
Lucky smiled. "Sounds good." Jason Quartermaine is going down.
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The next day, Liz knew something was up when Sam was nice to her. In fact, it gave her the creeps. She went to the mess hall and grabbed a tray and some food and then sat next to Jason. Kelly joined them.
"Jason, this is Kelly."
"Hey." He was pudgy but his eyes were to die for.
"Hey."
"She saved me from Sam's wrath last night."
"I'm her new bodyguard."
Jason slightly smiled. If she was helping to protect Liz, then she was alright in his book."
Johnny walked over and sat down.
Kelly couldn't decide if she liked him or not. He was hot for sure, but he still had been hanging out with Sam and company.
"Johnny, this is Kelly."
Johnny looked over at Kelly and smiled. "Well hello."
"Glad you got over your jock itch of a girlfriend."
Liz snorted and Johnny over at Jason who was chuckling. It was a rare occurrence.
"It took a lot of medication, but I think I'm going to be okay," Johnny quipped making Kelly smile. He thought she was really sexy.
"Incoming," Liz said.
Sam came by and stopped next to Jason. "I wanted to apologize for teasing you all of the time. I know I crossed the line."
Jason slowly got up and walked out of the lunchroom, thinking that something bad was probably about to happen. All he could think of was the movie Carrie.
Johnny glared at Sam. "What are you up to Sam?"
She pouted. "What? Can't I be nice?"
"No." Kelly and Johnny said at the same time.
Liz got up and brushed by her and went to find Jason. She located him by the tree. Slipping next to him, she handed him an apple, and then leaned back.
"I kept expecting her head to spin around and green gook to come flying out of her mouth."
Liz laughed. "Good one. Don't worry Jason. I've got your back."
Jason smiled. "Thanks."
Suddenly his head was moving towards her and he lightly kissed her lips, pressing against them languidly before pulling back. Then, panic set in. "I shouldn't have done that." He was mortified that he had taken it too far.
Liz was in shock, but it was the sweetest kiss —her first kiss, and there was no way she was going to let him take it back. "No, it's okay. It was really nice."
Jason blushed. "I don't want things to change."
"They don't have to," she said holding his hand.
Jason closed his eyes. His lips still tingled and he tried to slow his breathing. Her lips were perfect; just like he always thought they would be.
Bobbie walked up to them and they dropped their connection. "I'm sorry, but we need to make some announcements, so I'll need you back in the mess hall."
They got up and followed her back in there. Elizabeth trailed Jason and as they walked to the table, Jason started to slip. His arms were flailing. Someone clearly had put some kind of oil on the floor. Sam and company were laughing and pointing and then it all spiraled out of control.
A/N – Let me know what you think!