A/N Already there are so many stories revolving around Kick and Kendall's relationship (such as it is). Nothing wrong with that, but I think it's time someone tried exploring Gunther/Jackie as well. What went wrong between them? They had a good thing going in "For the love of Gunther" (and in "Dancing with the enemy, too. Sort of). I wanted to get to the bottom of this…

Widowmaker's Peak? More Like Snubbed Lover-maker's Peak, if you asked Gunther.

He should've known. If she really was such a diehard stunt daredevil groupie, there was no way she would be able to keep her interested unless he continued risking life and limbs on a regular basis. But he had been hoping that things would be different once she got to know him, especially if he made a good first impression.

He made an awesome first impression, everyone agreed. It still wasn't enough.

As unfair as it might sound, he thought girls like her shouldn't be allowed to be so shallow. Frumpy, lanky tomboys weren't supposed to be shallow. Blonde, snobbish, feminine girls were supposed to be shallow.

Then again, the blondest, snobbiest and most feminine girl in his school didn't really follow this stereotype either.

~0~

Jackie was sitting right across him, on the other side of the school cafeteria table. And yet, she hardly seemed to notice he was there. As usual, her eyes were fixed on the guy who was sitting next to him, and who was giving her nervous looks whenever she wasn't actively trying to avoid looking her in the eyes at all. Meanwhile, the tall girl enthusiastically and loudly continued her report for the benefit of anyone who was interested – Which, at the moment, were none.

"…But during your last Saturday afternoon rehearsal, you finishing the landing in a mere 9, 3 seconds at the third attempt! And as everyone knows, your average for jumps from that distance is 11, 5 seconds…."

"Ah-HEM…!"

Her report was interrupted by a cough so loud and striking that even Jackie couldn't help but noticing it, no matter how immersed she was in the subject matter. She turned around and looked at the next table.

"I didn't even notice she was sitting right there…" Gunther muttered.

Kick just groaned.

Frowning, Jackie got up. "What?" she demanded.

"I hardly think that Clarence's stunt performance averages is something everybody knows." Kendall commented dryly. "In fact, it's probably just you."

"OOOOOOH!"

Kendall Perkins looked around as she realized that not only the people on her table, but probably every kid in the school cafeteria were paying attention. It annoyed her that she could never have a discussion at school without every student within hearing range suddenly acting as if they were the audience of a trashy talk show. But she would not be discouraged.

"What's it to you, Kendall?"

"All I'm saying, Jacqueline, is that it's just not normal to keep track on things like that."

"Oh, and I suppose you can tell me what's normal to know? That's a laugh! Is it true that you got extra credit on last week's state capital quiz by knowing the exact coordinates and population of Austin, Sacramento, Phoenix, and Tallahassee?"

"And Albany" she added proudly, before realizing that she was sort of walking into a trap. "And so what?" she snapped.

"Kick…" Gunther whispered. "Shouldn't you interfere or something?

" 'Or something' sounds just about right, Gunther. I have a very good a reason not to get involved in a fight between those two girls."

"And what is that?"

"I…really…don't….want to!"

"The point is, you should be careful about throwing stones, Kendall!"

Gunther had never seen Jackie this fierce since the dance-off. It was a fierceness that scared the hell out of him, but it also reinforced his feelings for her. Not because she was cute when she was angry - No, cute would be the wrong word. But anger actually made her more attractive. When she was mellow, she was just…cute, in a plain way. When she was angry, she was formidable. Seeing Jackie as worked up as she was right now, caused Gunther to momentarily relive his Valkyrie fantasy.

However, Kendall had more in store:

"No, the point is that you're driving everyone crazy with your constant ramblings about Clarence! Why do you think Mrs. Fitzpatrick had your desk spot soundproofed? It's bad enough that you always bother him with that obsessive behaviour of yours, but do you really have to impose it on everyone else as well? Get real, Jacqueline! Clarence doesn't even like you! He tolerates you, and only just barely! He feels obliged to you because you're his only fan, and that's the extent of your relationship! When he gets…I mean, if he had thousands of fans, his bodyguards would make sure that loonies like you didn't get a chance to bother him! At worst, he'd have to get you a restraining order. In any case, he'd never have to see you – and more importantly, never listen to you – ever again!"

This time there were no "oooooh"'s to be heard from the crowd. Kick sank deeper and deeper into his chair, and Gunther had to admit that he now fully understood why his friend didn't want to get himself involved.

Kendall, on the other hand, actually looked visibly relieved, as if this was something she had wanted to get off her back for a long while. But neither she nor anyone else in the cafeteria could've foreseen Jackie's reaction:

She…just left.

She didn't even run, or slam the door behind her. Without another word. she just walked out, and closed the door gently.

All things considered, it looked pretty dignified. But the crowd didn't want dignified. They were hoping for a fight. There was a general sense of disappointment that the argument didn't escalate further. Even Kendall, who just "won", looked as if she had been cheated.

~0~

Jackie was absent for the rest of the day. Mrs. Fitzpatrick didn't ask; surely she already knew what had happened. But it frustrated Gunther that she didn't even comment on it. Towards the end of the day, he finally let curiosity get the best of him, and asked his teacher about Jackie's whereabouts. It worried him a little to learn that Jackie had, in fact, not gone home, and that nobody from school had been able to find her.

"We should go looking for her" he told Kick as soon as the bell rang.

"Why bother? All I have to do is getting started on a really awesome stunt, and I'm sure she'll suddenly show up to ruin it."

"Kick, I'm serious! Suppose she's done something rash?"

"What makes you think she's done something…oh right, I forgot who we're talking about here." Kick scratched his chin and nodded. "Fair enough." He tipped his skateboard nonchalantly, and jumped onto it. "I'll search the east side of town, you'll search the west."

Gunther had only been going for fifteen minutes before he started feeling a bit peckish. Conveniently, his parents' restaurant was nearby. It couldn't harm to drop by just for a couple of hot dogs in potato cakes to go, he figured. Hurriedly, he ran into the restaurant and sat down by the counter. Magnus was busy flambéing a sheep's head, but Gunther managed to get his attention long enough to say:

"I'll be on my way dad, I just need a –"

The blond boy interrupted himself as he turned around and looked toward the corner table…

To be continued.

But please don't expect anything too epic. This story is a two-parter, and I was orginally going to write it as a one-shot, but I want to see If there's any interest in it first. So please read and review, and I'll be back soon!