Jake loved his grandma. To pieces. But sometimes, a man needed a little time to himself. It was Saturday, their usual grocery day, but they had done all the shopping they needed for Thanksgiving and more during the week. And a week off from school was heaven for most kids.

But Jake wasn't like most kids. Something that Jade had taken to bothering him about.

It was just getting old. No one at school openly disliked him, but there was an air of "nerdiness" about him that kids his age tended to avoid. It wasn't like one made friends by simply walking up and asking! It took work, and Jake had enough on his plate, with Dirk, his grandma, and remaining the top student in the school. Jake knew how to handle himself.

"I'm heading out for a bit, Grandma!" he called. Jade echoed back an affirmative. She was in the basement cleaning her shotguns, and it had given Jake an idea. There was a small shooting range about half an hour from where he lived. It had been forever since he fired a gun, and it would take his mind off of things for a while. He hadn't gotten any more messages from Dirk, and he'd gotten all of his work finished. In short, he was bored out of his skull. Going out for a day before school started back up sounded perfect to the teen.

The range was a small little place, family owned, but neat. It was out of ways, and as he drove up he could see that the ranges were mostly housed indoors. He parked, and entered the building, into a little reception area. A darker woman, with stunning platinum-blonde hair, manned the desk, and she smiled at him.

"Hello! What are you in for?" she said, and her accent surprised him. It was quite like his own, but more… sophisticated.

"I'm a handgun man, miss. Pistols and whatnot. I'm familiar with this process, and I have my own set, er, and if you need my license..." He pulled out his paperwork and his two pistols from a bag that he brought, and she checked over both.

"Where are you from?" She asked idly, as she tapped out a few things on a computer. "Just asking, if you don't mind."

He fidgeted. "I don't rightly know, actually. My childhood's kind of… and I've been in the States for as long as I can remember!"

"Oh, no, sorry to be a bother! I-"

"Callie! Stop chatting and get working!" A shorter man, head shaved, and looking ready to froth at the mouth rounded the corner. His accent wasn't as prominent as his… sister's? But, it was still present enough to make him sound sort of… villainous.

"Caliborn! Not so loud, or the customers might need to wear ear guards around you as well!" Callie tutted, and handed Jake's things back to him. "This is our range master. He can discuss rates and everything with you now that you're checked in."

Jake thanked her, and approached Caliborn warily. He sneered, and Jake thought he saw the glimmer of a gold tooth. He gestured for Jake to follow, and wound his way back to one of the handgun ranges. They stopped before the air-lock door, where a shelf of safety goggles and headphones laid.

"We keep these ranges hot, usually, so as soon as you gear up, get started. We charge by the hour." he said, no mention of actual prices to be heard. He left before Jake could get a word in edgewise. Good thing he was so frugal- he had quite a bit of money saved up. Enough to cover whatever that angry little man could throw at him.

He spent at least two hours shooting stationary targets. He would've liked to shoot clays, but this was an indoor range, and he wasn't as nearly as skilled as Jade when it came to rifles and the like. However, he did discover that he had a pretty impressive accuracy rate, managing to hit near-center even at the furthest allowable distance consistently. Finished, he looked around for instructions, but he saw none. Perhaps he should just go back to Callie and pay? She could also inform him of anything else he needed to do. Jake returned his safety wear and unloaded his pistols, returning to the reception area.

"Hello, Jake! Did you have fun?" Callie said when he entered. "Where's Caliborn?"

He shrugged, and pulled out his wallet. "He left as soon as he… explained things."

"I can't believe- he's supposed to stay with you! I apologize for my brother. Your total comes up to $78."

Not bad. Jake counted out the bills, and handed them over. "Thank you, Miss Callie! I'd been itching for a way to blow off steam for a while. And you've been wonderful!"

"Oh, it was our pleasure, darling! Take care." She blushed a little bit, and Jake smiled. His phone vibrated once in his pocket, and he thought that Jade might be wondering where he was. He stuffed everything back into his bag and pulled out his phone, having to do a double take. He had over a dozen unread messages.

Dirk: Oh my God.

Dirk: English, delete all of the previous texts, please.

Dirk: Reply if you've deleted them.

Dirk: Jesus, Jake, do you live under a rock?

Dirk: I thought you said you'd be available.

Dirk: Please ignore the texts from Thursday, at any rate.

Dirk: That was Dave.

Dirk: Like I said.

Dirk: Extreme asshole.

Dirk: He found your number and assumed

Dirk: well

Dirk: Anyway, those texts do not reflect my views at all, and it was a poor attempt by my brother to make a joke.

Dirk: Please answer.

Dirk: Jake.

Dirk: You're doing this on purpose.

Dirk: Aren't you.

Dirk: Is it because we're only allowed to talk about my failing education?

Dirk: I thought you wanted to be friends.

Dirk: Apparently not.

Dirk: Fine.

Dirk: See you Monday.

Dirk: Delete this number.

Dirk: And also fuck you.

Jake paled at the wall of text. God damn it! He'd goofed again!

He must've been more vocal with his distress than he thought. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah. Just, uh, school… issues…" Jake said, pocketing his phone again. There was probably no right way to fix this by text. Callie raised her eyebrows.

"Well, you don't seem alright. You've been frazzled since you came in, and then you got more relaxed, but you're right back where you started! I have a friend who's a therapist, maybe I could help? I know some of her tactics. Well, she's not a friend, but she's my friend's mom, so-"

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer, I do, I just don't want to bother you!" Jake interjected. He was touched, though, by her willingness to help.

"Oh, I want to help. You seem very nice, Jake! Now, what's on your mind?" She looked left and right, probably checking for Caliborn.

He bit his lip, unsure of how to proceed. "Well, there's this guy…"

"Oh. Well, I mean, does he like you back?"

"Ah, no, it's not- I'm his tutor, but he refuses to cooperate with me. I feel like I'm trying to teach a fish how to fly, and he just texted me, and I think he wants to be friends, but he's so distant and stoic it's hard to tell." Jake flushed, but got through his explanation. Callie looked pensive.

"It sounds like he needs attention." She finally said. "Doesn't matter how he gets it. Good, bad, he just wants eyes on him."

"But he's so secretive!" Jake added, unsure.

"That's part of the allure. He can get attention, and have people attached to him, but never reciprocate. It's the makings of an unhealthy relationship. You need to get him to open up, and be more receptive to good attention."

"Why wouldn't he be receptive to good attention?" Jake asked. "I mean, you're right- he never took to me being friendly with him."

"He doesn't think he deserves it." Callie stated, then looked away. "Sorry. That might've been rude."

Jake stared at her. "S-so, what do I do?"

"Make him feel like he's worth something! Start small, though, because he won't be used to it. You have to get him acclimated to caring about himself, and letting other people do so. Good luck!" She hurriedly said, as Caliborn came into the room.

"You're still here?" He griped, and glared at Callie. "Whatever. Come again soon, or something."

Jake left, even more confounded than when he came. He wasn't quite ready to return home, so he drove back into town and into some sort of shopping district. Perhaps he could grab something for Jade while he was out. Had she already eaten lunch? Probably; it was nearly 3, and he hadn't eaten anything. He was starved. His first stop was the Starbucks, though he felt like sort of a ninny by himself. He almost stuttered talking to the barista. He got a pumpkin spice latte and one of their sandwiches to tide him over until dinner. Coffee in hand, he basically windows shopped until he found a little curio shop. Grandma would like something unique.

The shop was crowded with absolutely ancient looking wares, and he had to wind his way around towering shelves to get to the very back.

"Hey stranger! Welcome to Megido's Curios! Can I help you?" The shopkeeper said, flipping some of her extremely voluminous dark hair behind her shoulder. She wore a hat resembling that of Indiana Jones, and an old whip laid on the counter next to her. He shook his head mutely, intimidated by her bright smile. "Alright! Come back here if you need anything."

Jake quickly turned and picked a random aisle. Jeepers, he felt like he was in a graveyard! Skulls stocked the shelves, and he marveled at them. He wondered if they were crafted, or legitimate. The thought gave him goosebumps. He wanted 20. For some reason, though, the girl at the counter unnerved him, and he didn't think he could bring himself to purchase anything from here. The whole place was just… sort of creepy. It felt haunted.

Jake ended up leaving without merchandise, and he felt kind of bad about it. Jade probably missed him, though. It had been a while. He drove home, and he was shocked to find that the sun was already setting. Grandma had been alone all day? What had she been doing all this time? He got home quickly, and as he walked in, he could smell dinner cooking. The house also smelled faintly of cleaning product and air freshener.

"Grandma, I'm home!" He called, and he heard a clamor rise from the kitchen.

"Jake, dear! Did you have a good day? I went ahead and started cooking, and I tidied up! Seems like I can be very productive when I don't have a grandson to dote on." Jake rolled his eyes and followed the sound of her voice, to the kitchen. Something was boiling, and Jade dicing tomatoes. He eyed a pan on the stove- hamburger meat.

"Spaghetti?" Jake asked, and she hummed.

oOo

Monday was upon him before he knew it. He realized that he had never texted Dirk an apology, and realized how his silence might be taken. Oh dear. Mr. Zahaak wasn't at his desk. Instead, a sub stood in front of it, and Jake fleetingly wondered if his teacher was alright as he went to his seat. Then, Dirk walked through the door. He watched him sit down, but Dirk completely ignored him, wouldn't even glance in his direction. The sub gave him grief about the glasses, but he rattled off an explanation that was all Greek to Jake. Something about a medical condition. The color of his eyes? The sub let him be, though, and then they were working silently from the book. Maybe he could…?

Jake: Hello dirk! would you perhaps like to partake in a conciliatory conversation with yours truly?

Jake: Dirk, come on. i know you aren't working, i can see you on your phone.

Jake: *Dirk!*

Well, he tried. He got the same treatment in Mr. Captor's class, though it was awfully awkward being given the cold shoulder by someone directly to your right. He attempted to not let it deter him, and was almost looking forward to being one-on-one with Dirk. He needed to work this mess out, and make a game plan that would help Dirk in the long run.

The blonde edged through the door. His mouth was twisted into a frown. "I thought I told you to delete my number."

"Well, I know, but-" Jake said, trying to remain jovial. Dirk was in front of him in seconds.

"I said to delete my fucking number, English. And you accuse me of bein' a bad listener." He spat, and took another step forward. Jake stepped back. The back of his neck prickled.

"Well. I- I would like to be able to contact you-" Jake stammered, and Dirk kept following him as he moved backwards. He felt like he was being hunted.

"Here's a tip. Don't." Dirk's voice was monotone. Jake's back hit the wall. Oh, God. Jake didn't know what to do. What was Dirk going to do?

"Please, I just want to talk…" Jake breathed, and Dirk's hand slammed against the wall next to his head.

"We're done talking."

"Please, oh God, I'm sorry! Stop, please, just stop, let me go!" Jake finally cried, and Dirk froze. They were very close, and Jake felt rather than saw him shudder. Jake was breathing fast and hard, body in panic mode. Dirk pulled away. Jake could see him shaking, almost violently. Then, he was gone. Jake could've sworn he saw a tear. Without a second thought, he followed.

"Dirk! Wait, I'm alright!" His sneakers skidded in the hall as he tore after his pupil. He heard the doors to the parking lot open, and he ran to them as well. Pulling on the doors, he winced at the sunlight. Dirk was against a wall to the left, smoking a cigarette. Jake let his heart slow down back to normal.

"Dirk!" He said as he walked over. "Still giving me the silent treatment?"

He got no response. "Th-that's okay! Hoo-boy, I sure am winded."

After a few more one-liners with not even a glance from Dirk, he finally just sagged against the wall next to him. Jake let it be silent for a moment, and watched the smoke unfurl from Dirk's mouth.

"You know. I don't like you." Jake admitted, and Dirk finally turned to him. "I… I can't understand you at all!"

"Is that so." Dirk muttered, extinguishing his cigarette. He seemed interested. Now that Jake was being honest. The truth hurts sometimes. Renovation.

"I understand physics. I get English. I can do Calculus. But people… nothing. I'm useless when it comes to stuff like that."

"I can tell." Dirk was beginning to smile.

Jake snorted. "Yeah, well, I want to understand. I want to help you. You have to let me help you, Dirk. Maybe we can learn how to care, if we help each other. Get it?"

"Jake… bad things happen when people care. Sometimes it's best to let things be." Dirk replied, and he leaned farther back on the wall.

"I'm not going to stop trying."

"...I know. Please, don't give up." Dirk whispered, and then Jake was pressed back against the wall again. Dirk's hands caged him in on either side of his head. And then, they were kissing. Jake didn't move. Jake couldn't move, he'd never been kissed before! What was he supposed to do?! Luckily for him, it was just a peck, and Dirk pulled away with a frustrated sigh. From this angle, Jake could actually see Dirk's eyes, and they bored into him. Seemed to burn him. Dirk pushed off the wall, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stalked off, leaving Jake jelly-legged and befuddled. He shakily pulled out his phone. Speed dialed.

"Grandma? Th-the, uh, lesson, ended early today. We can j-just leave." He hoped Jade didn't notice how stupid and breathless he sounded.

"I know! I'm up in my classroom and your stuff is here, but you aren't. Are you okay? Where's Dirk?" Jade asked, and he could hear her gathering their stuff. "Dirk's bag is up here, too."

At the mention of Dirk, his lips tingled. Oh, Jiminy Christmas. "I can give it to him tomorrow, just bring it."

"Okay. Are you sure nothing happened?" Jade sounded skeptical. If he told her, she'd never let him live it down. But he'd always been honest with her.

"Uh. Well, Dirk and I fought, and he ran outside, and I followed him, and… he… he kissed me." Jake nearly whispered into the receiver. Jade squealed, and he had to pull the phone away from his ear.

"Oh, Jakey! I knew there was something about that kid, and I'm never wrong! Are you two dating? When can I meet him? He's not in any of my classes- good thing I cleaned out my shotgun!" she exclaimed, and he could tell that she was walking down the hall now.

"I'm in the student parking lot." He said, trying to deter her wild imagination. It wasn't like that. It was just a kiss! Dirk didn't want… did he?

"Alright, I'll be right there. Ooh, is Dirk-?"

"No. Um, he left." Jake said, watching the doors. Jade popped out, and he hung up. She was smiling brightly, stuff on her back and on either of her arms. He rushed to help her.

"Aw, baby, you look all flushed. You are so cute!" she gushed as they walked to the car. "Last year you wouldn't even talk to another kid, let alone be kissed! This is an important milestone. We should get ice cream."

"Grandma, it's not that big of a deal." Jake muttered, opening her door for her.

"It is for you, darling." Jade reminded him, and he scowled. But she did have a point. What did this mean for him and Dirk?

Did he… like Dirk that way? He could ask him tomorrow.

oOo

Dirk was already in class when Jake arrived. Perfect, okay, he could deal with this. He walked up to his desk. Tried to lean on it casually. And slipped. Dirk tried to stifle a chuckle.

"What's up, Casanova?" He asked, trying to keep a straight face. Jake grimaced.

"I just… wanted to know where we stood, you know?" Jake asked quietly, and Dirk looked away, smile slipping.

"I dunno, Jake. That was… like a heat of the moment thing. An accident."

Jake tried not to look like a kicked puppy. He didn't know why he was so disappointed. "Ah, I see. Don't… don't sweat it, then."

Dirk grumbled something under his breath. "I mean, you're really nice, Jake. But I'm… not. So, we, uh… well, just give it a while, okay?"

Just give it a while. That wasn't a no, was it? Jake nodded, and sat in his own desk. Regardless, tutoring him would be a whole new level of hell.

oOo

The rest of the week went alright, Dirk was bearable. Jake wondered if he was being nice because he wanted to… to… date him? Jake wasn't sure if he could even handle a relationship- he wasn't a people person at all, but for Dirk… he could try. With that thought in mind, he nearly skipped to Jade's classroom, ready to at least tell Dirk that he was interested. He sat in his desk, Dirk's opposite his, as usual, for a few minutes. A few turned into five, and then, into ten. He was getting impatient. Finally, Jake just decided to see if he could find Dirk, figuring that they'd bump into each other eventually. He was in class today, so he knew that Dirk was somewhere.

M. East only had one floor, which made things much easier. He only had to go up and down a few halls to find Dirk. Only, he wasn't alone.

"C'mon, chief, there are… better things to do than go to that tutorin' of yours." Cronus Ampora, the school flirt, was whispering in Dirk's ear. Dirk was smirking, and playing with the hair at the back of Cronus's neck. Jake felt like he was invading their privacy, but he could look away. It was like watching a car crash. Morbidly fascinating, but terrifying… and heartbreaking.

"Yeah, Cro. I'm sure there are." Dirk said, and he tilted his head to the side and Cronus nosed down his neck. "But the, ah, tutoring, is kind of the only reason I still go here. And since I'm the only one here willing to fuck you, I'd suggest we save the fun things for later."

Jake finally spun away, rushing back to the classroom as fast as he could. He was so stupid! What would someone like Dirk see in a dingus like him? He didn't even notice when he started crying. God, why did he ever get so invested in that prick? He sat in his desk, fuming, until the door opened. Jake couldn't help but notice that Dirk's hair was quite ruffled, and he seemed flustered. Dammit.

"You're late." Jake said curtly, pulling out one of his note sets. "We're going over a few grammar rules today, just to make sure you've got them down."

"Hey, just because I'm Texan, babe, don't mean I ain't got good grammar." Dirk joked, sliding into his desk. Jake didn't smile.

"Alright, just to make sure- what is the difference between a colon and a semi-colon?"

Dirk scoffed. "Grammar is arbitrary, regardless. A colon is for a list, and a semi-colon separates two complete sentences."

Jake shook his head. "All of the parts to correctly format a sentence."

"Have you seen any linking verbs around here? Because you are my complement and I want to connect." Dirk said instead, leaning forward on his desk. "I am your subject. Will you be my predicate?"

Jake couldn't believe that Dirk was trying to flirt with him, after… "Dirk, stop that. At this rate, you aren't going to learn anything!"

"Yeah. So?" He asked, nonplussed. "I'm smarter than you give me credit for, hon. I'm just lazy."

"Oh, my God. Can we just be professional, please?"

"Or what. You'll tell on me?" The blonde smirked. "Besides, I know you like it."

"No, I most certainly do not! The way you operate is like you believe everyone around you is an object! The world doesn't exist to serve you, Strider!"

Dirk frowned. He seemed genuinely unsettled by Jake's words. "Then give up."

"Maybe I will!" Jake finally said, and Dirk looked shocked. Jake stood, and stormed out. Good riddance. He walked a few halls over, away from Dirk, and paced a bit.

"God, I'm such an idiot." He groaned, rubbing his temples. "Honestly, to ever believe I had a chance at any sort of relationship with that douchebag…"

"You doing okay out here?" Jake jumped as another person tapped him on the shoulder. "Oh, jeez, didn't mean to scare you, buddy!"

Jake turned. "The cooking class can hear you, and uh, they sent me out to check. Heh. I'm, uh, Jane Egbert. Hi."

"Jake English." He said, and held out his hand. She took it. Her hands were very soft. Jake realized that he'd just been holding it, and hastily shook it, letting go. She giggled, and he thought it was one of the cutest things he'd ever seen. "S-sorry about that, I, am, having trouble with a… friend of mine. He's just kind of insufferable."

Jane tilted her head. Her eyes were bright blue, and she had red-rimmed glasses that really brought them out. "What's up with him?"

"He's just doing poorly in school, and it frustrates me." Jake sighed, and Jane put a hand on his shoulder. It felt warm.

"I have a friend like that. She had some issues, back in freshman year, and even in middle school, but I whipped her into shape. She's fine now- even in NHS. She's really smart." Jane told him. He noticed that she was wearing an apron over a really cute polka-dot dress.

"Er, well, how did you do it?" Jake asked, looking pointedly across the hall. He wasn't going to creep on a stranger he just met!

"I just kept at it! She was really angry, and pushed me away lots of times. But sometimes when they say go, they mean stay. People with issues like my friend tend to behave certain ways in response to what they're going through, it ain't their fault. Just stay determined!"

"Thanks. Say, Jane-"

"Would you like my number? Just, in case, you know." Was she blushing? He was just about to ask her that! Had he made another friend? Jake pulled out his phone, and Jane grinned. She had a really nice smile, too.

"I really like your accent." She said as they typed in each other's numbers.

"Heh, well, I like yours!" He said back, and she laughed.

"Don't be a stranger, Jake! I gotta get back to my club before they set something on fire." Jane started to walk to the class kitchens, where he knew cooking class was held.

"Right back at you, mate!" He called and waved. He'd really done it. Made another friend. Jade would be ecstatic. Although, he should, also tell her about his and Dirk's falling out. Oh, shit. Dirk. He checked his watch. Their allotted time was up. He'd missed the whole lesson! He ran back to the classroom- Dirk was gone. Oh dear. Jade came in soon after.

"Hey, bucko! How'd it go?" She asked, going around to her desk. He wondered where she hung out while he was in here with Dirk.

Jake pursed his lips. "I saw Dirk in the halls with another guy. It's… uh, not gonna work out, Grandma." Jade looked angrier than he'd thought she'd be, and he quickly changed the subject. "But I did meet a really nice girl, Jane Egbert! She's in the cooking club. We're friends, I think."

Jade still looked mildly upset, but she nodded. "That's good, at least. Do you.. are you okay, though?"

Jake looked at her, and shrugged. "I mean, Dirk said the kiss was kind of an accident. So I don't think we were quite meant to be. Let's just go home, okay Grandma?"