Jess grinned cheekily…

Similarly, three blocks away, Dess turned to Rex cycling effortlessly behind her and grinned in the same fashion, a similar thought running through her head. Rex looked at her warily and brought his bike to a halt. She copied his actions.

"Dess…"he began.

"Rex! Do you think…?"

"I think we're alone now" he glanced around, oblivious to the fact he'd just quoted a popular song. He glanced around as they rested their bikes against the rusting railings that surrounded the adventure playground.

They headed towards a bench hidden in an avenue of pink, blossoming cherry trees. Petals suspended in midair gave their surroundings a warm, pink and romantic glow.

Dess scooted along the bench, closer to Rex, her rucksack dropped off her shoulders, falling to the floor. Rex glanced up uneasily at her but his gaze returned to the ground. She lifted her right hand to his left cheek and drew it up so his eyes no longer rested on the floor but gazed into hers.

She smiled comfortingly and embraced him. He welcomed her tenderness, warmth and squeezed her back. She sighed as he released his grip, his hands slipping down and resting on her hips. She wriggled, turned around and settled in his arms and closed her eyes, satisfied.

She glanced at him.

"Will you promise to tell Melissa tomorrow?" she asked contentedly with only a hint of apprehension.

"Yes. No." Rex answered firmly. Dess turned and frowned.

"Yes I will tell her" Rex carried on, "No I won't tomorrow." He smiled, feeling dreadfully uncomfortable.

"Rexy!" she giggled, and then sobered, "Rex!" she objected, almost pleaded but tried to negotiate "She's my friend, too!

She realised this didn't help her situation and exaggerated shutting her mouth firmly. Rex poked her, teasing her for the obvious mistake. He knew she didn't want to tell Melissa or for her to ever find out, he wished it could be like this. She asked what he proposed they do instead, in a voice rising with impatience. Rex just sat there, taking it all in, thinking.

"We'll find a way." He promised her assuringly her.

"Jess, the park's right here. Want to take a look around?" Jonathan said as they flew together. Jess hadn't had much time since moving in to look around her new town, her new life. She was desperate to get away from school life, lore life and all the darklings and slithers. She jumped at this opportunity to go somewhere new, literally. As a result of this, they spent a few minutes getting back to heading in the right direction to the park. They flew beautifully as one, just as long as jess remembered not to let go and Jonathan to eat his weight in food.

They had decided to land on top of the helter-skelter slide, Jess' idea. She sat on his lap and the both laughed as they slid down very, very slowly, getting stuck lots. When they finally reached the bottom, Jessica turned round to him, wrapping her arms round him, and stroked his back, as if she were smoothing out the creases. His hands slipped to her waist and he tightened his hold on her. They drew together and smooched romantically.

Nearby, Rex drew back and span around, facing the children's adventure playground where Jonathan was spinning Jessica on the roundabout, he could faintly hear her squealing in delight and telling Jonathan to stop it! Rex automatically clenched his fists at the sight of him. Dess scowled, annoyed that they had ruined their perfect moment.

"Come on, Rex. Let's go." She began to stand up but he grabbed her arm, roughly and pulled her back.

"They aren't going to ruin it. This was our turf, they have to go."

"Rex! We said we were going to the Snake Pit! If they find out this easily, Melissa probably already knows!" she argued.

Rex threw her a severe look, warning her. She wanted to run up to Melissa and taunt her, jeer at her and let her know she had lost. Rex wasn't going to let that happen. Right now, they had to focus on keeping their secret from Jess and Jonathan. It wasn't going to be easy. He shook the tree next to their bench; it was strong enough, surely. Dess coughed as petals from the tree she was staring up at fell into her open mouth. Unbeknown to her, this cough roused the attention of the two midnighters nearby.

"What was that?" Jonathan held Jessica's hand as she began to shake fiercely. She wasn't keen on being in a place she had never visited before and being surrounded by darklings again.

"It's alright." He said, soothing her faltering voice.

He patted her back, calming her fears. He drew away from her, purposely making her feel insecure without him. Her tense shoulders slackened but returned to being tense as he slipped a necklace around her neck and she lifted her hair as he fastened it together.

She held her mouth open in perfect shock. She beamed blissfully cheerful.

To her it wasn't just a necklace or a sign of their love. It was protection. Her necklace was a thirteen pointed star. This would keep her safe throughout the midnight hour. He had named it deliciousness. She gushed with how happy she was with it, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"Thank you again, Jonathan. But seriously, what was that noise; it didn't sound like a darkling."

He shook his head slowly, staring into the distance. He slipped his arms around Jessica's chest and turned her round, as if he was shielding her from what he was staring at. She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows and whispered:

"What is it?"

His hands dropped into his baggy jeans, he searched his pockets for his weapons. Jess stood on her tiptoes and looked over his shoulders.

"Where did…err…Jo-…Jess go?" said Jonathan, entirely distracted from Dess who looked wistfully at him clasping his hands longing for him to be with her.

He was being impossible, she thought. The other night he had been wrapped up, totally into her, she had thought. Now, he kept standing up and looking at the other two. She cursed under her breath at her stupid clinginess and his desperate attempts to get away.

She stood up next to him and traced her fingers along his cheek bones down to his mouth, she brought them to her face kissed her hand and pressed it back on his lips. She walked away, resisting the temptation to look back; she needed to know if he cared that much about her. She gave in after six or seven steps and grimaced, he was concentrating on the two figures walking towards her.

Wait…towards her! She began to stride confidently towards them, glancing nervously at Rex. He face changed as he caught her peeking, he looked…amused! She stopped in her tracks, realising she had to come up with an excuse. Just as she started to twitch, an obvious sign she was lying, he stepped in and saved the day…well- midnight.

"Did you guys hear? The Snake Pit has been closed off to the public. We were just walking back to tell Melissa." Rex explained, his eyes wide in honesty, well so it seemed.

"Rex, it's okay. We kinda guessed…" Jonathan said gently.

"No. You didn't guess right then, 'cause we aren't doing anything, we were just off to tell Melissa!" he urged, nodding desperately. He reached back to Dess and pulled her to his side for support. She took the hint and nodded too, a little too eagerly, Rex thought. Jessica seemed to take it in and smiled. Jonathan wasn't convinced and asked when they found out.

"We just went over there now and it was all roped off." She replied.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"You walked?" Jonathan probed.

Rex glowered at him and told him to mind his own business, and then he seized Dess and strode off down the avenue, towards the industrial estate. Twenty seconds late he strode past them again, still marching proudly but his face slightly pink from embarrassment.

Jonathan waited till he was out of earshot and muffled a chuckle, his attempt to control this laughter failed and he erupted into helpless giggles, collapsing on the bench. Jessica tried to give him a withering look and failed, so she sat on him.

When he finally stopped there were tears in his merry, dancing eyes. He breathed out, slowly. When he had completely sobered, she glanced at his watch and gasped then looked at him, her eyes wide with shock.

The second hand was ticking round; they had less than three minutes for their five minute journey to Jess' and then Jonathan still had to get home after that.

"Come on, Jonathan! We have to go, now. Quickly!" she urged frantically.

He looked at her calmly and drew in towards her face, about to kiss her…

"Damn it, Jonathan!" she slapped his face, "The flying? The curfew? The police? Your dad?"

He looked hurt and shocked, his face burned from the pain of her slap, it glowed a flaming red. His eyebrows knotted together. His hands fell into his pockets and he brought out an energy bar. He ate in a matter of seconds, staring into embarrassed Jessica's face.

He then took her hand not gently and carefully as he usually did, it was almost rough the way he was treating her. The jumped into the sky, synchronised almost perfectly. They flew in silence, which was a good thing as they might not have heard the scream that rang out.

Jonathan looked concerned and scanned the ground below them. It was Melissa.

She was looking up at them, her bike rested on the floor beside her. She was waving her arms frantic with worry. She looked terrified. Jonathan began to descend, Jess following a little behind, their hands still clutched together.

As they landed Melissa ran to them. She was out of breath and nearly hysterical. She laid a hand on the garden wall next to them and tried to catch her breath, puffing like a puffing thing.

"Y..you…have…t.t…to…st….op" she wheezed.

"We have to stop what?" Jessica bent to face her drooping head, concerned.

Jonathan still had the blank face from the park and he was stood a little away from the two girls. He glanced around. Jessica fumed and glared at him.

"Help?" she insisted, it wasn't a question.

He ignored her.

"Th…the…time!" Melissa puffed.

Jonathan turned on her. He shoved her, hoping that she was in pain from his touch. He pushed her again; Jess drew up and squared up to him.

"What the hell was that for?" she hissed.

Melissa had almost recovered and she seized Jess' arm. She told Jess to relax as she felt fine and it didn't matter.

"I'm serious, Jess. Look at the time. We can't be out here anymore."

Jess fumed and began striding over to the bike rested on the floor. She picked it up and brought it over. While she had been gone, the other two had begun talking.

"What do you mean?" Melissa sounded distressed, "it can't be like that…"

"Believe me, Melissa. Trust me. Get on your bike and go home. We'll see you tomorrow."

Jonathan's voice was hushed but firm. She obeyed him: she cycled away.

"What did you tell her? Did you…" her eyes grew rounder and rounder, matching the shape of her mouth, "JONATHAN!"

"No, Jessica. I didn't tell her about Rex and Dess, cool it, will you?"

He told her to run home and not stop till she was there. She too, obeyed.

Monday came and none of the midnighters had met up all weekend, too scared of meeting each other for their own reasons, Jess was walking to her next class with Constanza, she knew this meant she didn't have to talk, just react. Even this she did feebly, it surely wasn't convincing her! Thankfully, it was. She was a nice girl, unbelievable though. Her thoughts drifted to when they had first met, when Jessica was a new girl in town…

"Jessica?" Constanza's face was in Jess'.

"Sorry, sorry! Sorry, Constanza. What did you say?" she apologised.

"Bixby guys, Jess! They're coming here!"

"To this dump?" Jess tried to act surprised, impossible as that's what they did every month.

"I know!" she grinned, "They said last weekend but they had a thing. Y'know…It was their barbeque thing for their basketball team or whatever. So they said they'd come see me, I mean us, sometime soon, like in the week sometime…or whatever…whenever, I mean. I reminded of the curfew and they were like, we'll be careful, I didn't want to argue because in town! it's like way better than the Snake Pit, isn't it? So do you want to come to the party, or what?"

"Sure." Jess replied absentmindedly. She had totally switched off as Jess had described this pointless information.

"Great! Come to mine after school!"

"Wait. What time?" Jess asked, a little too anxious. He hand reached up to her neck, subconsciously. The necklace was there, she clamped it firmly in her hand until she realised what she was doing. It left an imprint on her hand. She sighed, her thoughts flicked to Jonathan.

"Yoo-hoo?" Constanza called, "What is wrong with you today? You're weirder than normal."

"Gee, thanks Connie." Jess looked up.

'Connie' apologised and repeated that the party was at the park from ten till late. Jess still wasn't listening, Melissa was walking towards them

"Hey." Melissa smiled shyly at Jess. Melissa had no earphones in and her hair was tied up. Her face seemed prettier and longer without it draped over her face. Her cheeks were pink, a healthy pink that mad her glow.

"Do I know you?" Constanza grinned.

"Err. Hang on. Jess, I wondered if you're free tonight?" she turned back to Jess.

"Yeah." She was happily mesmerised by this drastic change in her friend, she was holding on to every word she said.

"Ha ha! You are quite the joker today, Jess!" Constanza laughed nervously, she thought for a moment when an idea pinged into her head.

"Would you like to come to a party tonight? In the park? You can see Jess there." She invited Melissa.

"Sure." Was the confident reply, "Jess, it's important though, okay? Don't be like, stoned."

Jess hugged her and thought she was joking.

The day sped by, for Jonathan. He went to the shops for lunch and successfully avoided Jess all day. Jess couldn't concentrate without warm thoughts of him filling her head. All she could think of was his cold shoulder.

Constanza marched with Jess to her house. They chose outfits suitable for the occasion then plastered themselves in makeup. They both had a can or three of beer while watching a chick flick. They had a great girly afternoon, ready for the evening with boys. Jess' thoughts were slurred. She called home, telling her answer phone of the 'sleepover at 'Connie's'.

They wouldn't be very happy tomorrow she giggled.