Manny waited for Jimmy outside of Mr. Simpson's room. They were posting the list in 5 minutes. 'Where are you Brooks?' She thought to herself as she paced in front the room. She was about to leave when Jimmy came up to her looking sweaty and nasty.
"Did you just have gym?"
"No I had practice, I didn't want to keep you waiting for I didn't shower."
"I can tell."
"Whatever Santos let's go check the list." He put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward laughing as she tried to fight him. When they got to the music room there was a crowd around the list. Jimmy just leaned against the wall and watched.
"What are you doing, don't you wanna see it?"
"Yeah but I don't want to see it with everybody around. I can wait, can you?" Manny checked her watch.
"Yeah I can stay." They waited about a half hour before checking the list. Manny scanned it and found their names. Manny turned around showing no emotion and started walking away. Jimmy grabbed her arm and turned her around.
"Well did we make it?"
"You made it, I didn't." She sniffled a little for effect while he went over to the list; she broke out into a smile then started waking away.
"You think you're so funny, don't you?" He called after her before running to catch up to her. He caught her from behind and tickled her. "I didn't think that was funny."
"I did."
"Oh well then I just have to show you." He started poking her while she turned around to face him. She was laughing really hard and fell to the floor with him still poking her.
"Okay I'm sorry, stop." She said between deep breaths. He stopped and looked at her. He leaned in and kissed her gently. She pulled away and they just looked at each other. "What just happened?"
"We just kissed." Manny stood up and brushed herself off.
"I-I uh have to go." She pointed towards the door and started walking really fast. Jimmy called after her but she didn't turn around, she just kept walking. 'You are so stupid.' She thought on her way home. When she got home she went straight to her room that she shared with Emma. Emma just looked up at her concern in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I made the play then Jimmy and I kissed."
"What's so bad about that?"
"Um….he just broke up with Hazel who's on the spirit squad."
"So?"
"You don't get it, Hazel's my friend."
"Manny you hate each other."
"Okay maybe you're right but Jimmy doesn't like me like that."
"Maybe he does." Emma heard the doorbell ring and left Manny to get it. Emma just looked at Jimmy. "What are you doing here?"
"Can I talk to Manny?"
"Sure, come on in. I'll go get her."
"Thanks Emma." Emma waited until Jimmy couldn't see her before she ran downstairs.
"Manny! Jimmy's upstairs and he wants to talk to you."
"What!"
"Get upstairs and talk to him."
"I'm going." Manny called over her shoulder as she made her way upstairs. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jimmy sitting on the couch. He stood when he saw her.
"Hey."
"Why'd you run?"
"I had to go."
"Come on Manny, I wasn't born yesterday."
"I don't know maybe because you just broke up with Hazel and Hazel's a friend of mine."
"You guys hate each other."
"Maybe we do but still you just don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Nothing."
"No tell me. You don't cheat on your boyfriend 7 times with the same guy saying it was a mistake or you don't kiss someone and say that you thought it was your boyfriend?"
"She did that to you?"
"Yeah, that's why we broke up. So what don't you do?"
"I don't know."
"It was just that since the whole video thing no guy has wanted to be with me just to be with me."
"I don't follow."
"Since the whole video thing, guys have only wanted me for sex and other things."
"So that doesn't mean that all guys are like that. I happen to think that I'm not like that."
"Well then you can be the exception."
"But seriously why did you leave like that?"
"I got scared okay?"
"What are you scared of?"
"I'm afraid to get hurt again. I barely recovered from Spin and if I get hurt again I don't think I could recover."
"Who says I'm gonna hurt you? It was just a kiss, nothing more nothing less at this moment in time."
"But that could lead to sex down the road and me being slut again. You have no idea what it's like to walk down the halls knowing that people are talking about you. Then when they call you a slut or ask for a free show it hurts more than anybody will ever know."
"I don't think about you." He looked at her reaching for her hand. "People say things like that to cover up for their flaws. I mean I do what its like to be talked about when Ash and I got back together people were angry because she was going through her gothic stage and I was the star athlete. So I know what it's like. I just don't want you to think that you can't have anything you want because of what people say or think about you." She just looked at him tears falling from her eyes. He just pulled her to him not knowing what he was doing or why he was doing it.
He rubbed the small of her back as she cried. She hated that he was seeing her at her worst. Nobody but Emma had seen her like this and now she was sure that he was going to tell everyone.
They broke apart and Manny wiped her eyes. She kissed his cheek and they just hung out. They ordered pizza and watched movies with Emma and Craig. When it was time for Jimmy to leave Manny walked him to the door.
"Thanks for earlier Jimmy."
"No problem, and don't worry I won't tell anybody about what happened."
"Thanks."
"I'll see tomorrow at rehearsal."
"Night Jimmy."
"Night Manny."
