Chapter Eight: The Coming
Janey spat out a mouthful of gravel and stood, dusting her overalls off. The boy who'd knocked her down (she thought his name might have been Rob) grinned toothily at her.
"Ha-ha!" he crowed. "Are you gonna cry now, sissy girl?"
Janey blinked through her tears, walked up to Rob, and pushed him down, using considerably more force than a normal seven-year-old should. Once he was down in the dirt she jumped him and slapped his face until his cheeks were red and wet.
"Stop! Stop!" he squealed, wiping his running nose.
"Stop bothering me!" Janey threatened.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Rob whined. "Let me up!"
Janey did as bidden and stood, walking away with a "hmph."
The next day he threw a mud pie at her and she shoved sand down his pants.
The next week he pushed her down the slide before she was ready and she pushed him in the swing higher than he wanted to go.
The next month they swapped sandwiches at lunch and called each other friends.
Janey looked up when she heard glass smashing and saw a boy crashing down towards the sidewalk from several stories up. Without thinking she detached her arm from Rob's, flew up, and caught the boy, lowering him to the ground. Everyone who'd seen the rescue cheered as Janey checked him over to make sure he was okay.
"Holy crap," he wheezed, "you—you just saved my life."
"What are you doing falling out of windows?" Janey scolded. "It's too nice a day to commit suicide."
"Yeah," he shrugged, "I tripped. Story of my life." He held out his hand. "I'm Pete."
"Janey," she shook his hand and grinned up at his very, very good-looking face. He was tan, with bright green eyes and slicked-back dark hair. His smile was infectious, and Janey giggled despite herself, pushing a lock of hair behind her ears. It also didn't escape her notice that he had very nice arms.
"I guess I know who to call when I need an angel," Pete laughed. "Speaking of which, can I get your number?"
Janey grinned, pulling out a pen and scrawling her cell number on his palm. The motion was an unfamiliar one; she wasn't sure what had come over her, but as he smiled at her something stirred in her and she liked it.
"Give me a ring if you need saving again," she said, returning her pen to her bag.
"Who's your friend?" Pete asked easily.
Friend? Friend? What friend? Oh, right…
"This is my best friend ever, Rob Believe," Janey turned to Rob and pulled him forward, surprised to see the frown on his face. "Rob, Pete."
"Pleasure." Rob shook Pete's hand rather forcefully.
"Strong grip," Pete nodded, grinning. "Well, I'd better head. Nice meeting you, Rob. Janey." He winked and walked back into the building he'd fallen out of. Janey sighed.
"Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming," she murmured, looping arms with Rob again. She shrieked when he complied, tickling her side in the process.
"What? You asked," Rob teased when she hit his arm. "So, evaluation of new eye candy?"
"Definitely worth a taste," she murmured, laughing at Rob's grimace. "Don't make that face at me. You asked."
"Sometimes, Janey, I'd really rather you hit on guys when I'm not around," Rob frowned. "It makes me feel awkward."
"Sorry, babe. I take advantage of every opportunity, especially when the heavens open up and drop a gorgeous guy like that on my lap," she shrugged. He looked at her, deadpan. "Okay, fine, I'll make more of an effort."
They walked down the sidewalk until Janey pulled Rob into the accessory store she'd been looking for. The hats she wanted were in the back of the store; the display was a hopeless jumble. Janey tried to ignore Rob's increasingly pensive stares as she riffled through the hats, and after a moment Rob immersed himself in them, as well.
"This it?" Rob held up a baby-blue knit cap and Janey nodded. "Here, let me do it."
He pulled the hat snug over her hair, tucking a strand of it back. His fingers lingered a few seconds too long, then traced down her jaw. Janey felt the atmosphere charge in an instant. She wasn't sure what to make of it.
"Rob, what—?"
His lips mashing against hers cut off her sentence. Her mind fizzled, blanked, then switched to autopilot. She pushed him back. He looked as bewildered as she felt, and they stared at each other for a few seconds. Janey pulled the cap off, sidestepped Rob, and made her way towards the door. Rob followed, put his hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away, almost sending him headfirst into another shelf. She banged the door open, about off its hinges, and took a moment to look behind her, right in his face. He had a hurt expression now, his eyes begging her to stay put, to talk it out. She turned back around.
"Janey, wait," she heard him say, but she was already in the air.
"I'm sorry!" he yelled after her, but she was too far in her shock to take notice. She had a favorite place to think, on the pinnacle of the tallest skyscraper in Townsville, high above the hustle and bustle of city life. She pulled out her phone and automatically started dialing.
The first number was her mother's. It went straight to voicemail, just like every other time she tried the past month. The second was Rob's, which she stopped herself from completing at the last second. The third was Jackie's, which rang until voicemail picked it up. Over the course of the next hour she called Jackie about eight times, working on the ninth when Jackie finally picked up.
"Is there a reason why you and Rob have clogged my inbox?" Jackie asked, though her voice sounded extremely floaty. "What's up?"
Janey tried to say everything at once, talking at such high speeds not even Jackie could understand her.
"Okay, calm down," Jackie said soothingly. "Start at the beginning."
She couldn't speak this time, instead making a noncommittal squeak and throwing her free hand up. Jackie sighed.
"Get to my house. Bring your PJs and whatever snacks you deem necessary. I'll call Jezebel and we'll all work it out together. Okay?"
Janey made a grateful sort of sniff and hung up, floating errantly through the air. Somehow or another she managed to make it to her house and then Jackie's without running into her dad or siblings. Jezebel and Jackie were already in Jackie's room, Jezebel hoarding a bag of Dorito's and Jackie fiddling with her radio. Janey set her bag of treats down, curled up on a corner of Jackie's bed, and pressed her face into a pillow.
"That bad?" Jezebel said idly, crawling up on the bed to sit next to her. "What happened?"
Janey swallowed several times, trying to get her throat to work, then snagged a bag of Reese's Pieces. Once she had a handful in her system she felt like she could talk.
"Two things," she said, grabbing a fistful of pillow tightly. "One, I saved a guy today."
"That's good," Jackie praised. "Was he grateful?"
"Oh, yeah," Janey nodded. "He fell out of a window, and we really hit it off. I gave him my number."
"Your real number?" Jezebel asked. Janey nodded again. She whistled.
"And number two," Janey sighed, "you know how Rob's been acting a little weird lately?"
"Not really," Jezebel shook her head.
"Well, he has," Janey replied. "He just kissed me."
Jackie and Jezebel's jaws dropped. Janey shoved another handful of candy in her mouth while they recovered.
"As in…kissed you?" Jezebel spoke first. "As in lip-to-lip contact?"
"Yes, Jezzie, what other kind of kissing is there?" Janey snapped. Jezebel shrugged.
"Okay, that's a way bigger problem than we can fix," Jackie said. "Unless it's not a problem…is it?"
"Yeah," Janey nodded. "Well, no. Sort of? I guess?"
"Well, which is it?" Jezebel asked. "Is it good your best friend since first grade kissed you, or is it not?"
"I don't know," Janey threw up her hands. "I just met this really nice guy, and then Rob goes off and pulls that stunt, and he's been my best friend since forever, and yeah, I guess it was kind of nice, but what if he didn't mean to do it, and what if Pete finds out and then doesn't want to see me anymore, and—ugh!" she buried her face back in the pillow, screeching into its padding.
"Well, when you put it that way…" Jackie frowned. "Well, I guess the best way to solve this is just to talk it out with Rob. Here, I've got him in my contacts somewhere—"
"No," Janey said forcefully, "I don't want to talk to him right now."
"Janey, you're not going to sort this out unless—" Jackie began, but Janey chucked the pillow at her.
"No."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Well, what about you, sunshine?" Jezebel turned to Jackie. "You've had this smile plastered all over your face since I got here."
"Oh," Jackie giggled, "that."
Janey and Jezebel stared at her for a second.
"Yes?" Janey prompted, her usual perk coming back.
"I had a very edifying conversation today," Jackie grinned, "with Duke Morbucks."
Janey dissolved into squealing giggles as Jezebel smiled hugely.
"Oh, how the mighty fall," she said. "Say it ain't so, Joe!"
"Shut up. You're not allowed to use my own words against me." Jackie colored deeply.
"I'm afraid the situation warrants it, my dear cousin," Jezebel replied, still smiling. "Who was it who said that she would never, ever, in a million years, like a Morbucks?"
"And who was it who told me and Mimi off for hinting you totally would join us one day?" Janey teased.
"Alright, knock it off," Jackie attempted a serious expression and failed miserably. "I think he likes me, kinda."
"What tipped you off? The way he keeps calling you ma cherie, or the permanent look of lovesickness on his face?" Janey giggled. "He's had it bad for you since he first saw you. Remember, it was me who introduced you? Be sure to credit me at the wedding."
"Oh, stop it, no one's thinking that far ahead," Jackie threw the pillow back at her. "He did kinda hint he wanted to ask me out, though."
"But he didn't?" Jezebel asked. "Sounds fishy."
"No," Jackie sighed, "sounds old-fashioned. It was like he was talking about…about courting, or something."
"Who would've thought?" Janey laughed. "Miss Closet Romantic finally found her Mr. Darcy."
Janey had to admit, Jackie was glowing. She'd never seen her cousin like that before. She evaluated her feelings and decided she wanted to talk about Pete, as a distraction from…that other guy.
"I wish you guys had been there when I met Pete," Janey sighed. "He's such a dreamboat. And he's so charming, too. He called me an angel."
"Well, you did save his life," Jezebel shrugged. "Not hard to guess why. Probably fell out the window on purpose."
"What's his last name? Maybe we've seen him at school before," Jackie said.
"Y'know, I never caught it," Janey frowned. "I don't think I've ever seen him around at school, either; I definitely would remember a face like that. Maybe he's home-schooled."
"Or maybe he's a crazy stalker," Jezebel mumbled.
"Okay, whoa, what's with the negativity all of a sudden?" Jackie asked. Jezebel shrugged.
"What about you, Jezzie?" Janey turned to her dark-haired cousin. "Meet any cute guys recently?"
"No," Jezebel drew her knees up. "Not really."
"What does that mean?" Janey asked. "Have you met an average-looking guy?"
She shook her head. Janey tsked.
"Jez, you're never going to meet anyone if you don't get out there," she chided. "You're sixteen and you've never even gone on a date."
"Not through lack of trying, Janey," Jezebel snapped back. "Or do I need to bring out the list again?"
"All I'm saying is you need to—" Janey began, but Jezebel turned on her quicker than she could get her sentence out.
"Because putting yourself out there has worked so well for you," she said acidly. "You have more boyfriends than you know what to do with and a best friend who you don't want to talk to because he probably likes you. I am perfectly happy to sit at home where nothing and nobody can mess with me. The last few times I tried to be like you I ended up getting stood up and hurt."
Silence followed this outburst.
"Okay," Janey nodded, "okay." She dearly wanted to say something to make Jezebel feel better, but there was too much truth in her accusation to ignore.
"Who wants popcorn?" Jackie asked brightly.
Janey's phone rang a total of seven times. Every single time it was Rob. Every single time Janey ignored the call.
She lay awake as Jezebel snuffled a little in her sleep and Jackie snored, then got up and crossed to the window. Outside, a beautiful moon was shining in the sky, millions of dots of light joining the party. Townsville beamed in the distance. She sighed, looking down at her clasped hands.
"Hey, Mom," she whispered to her fingers. "Wherever you are, I hope you know I wish you were here to help me sort this mess out. I know what normal girls would do, I guess. They'd go with the best friend."
She sighed again, sitting in the sill. "I don't know, though. There's just something about Pete that's really…really special. Not saying Rob isn't, but he's like…like a really close friend." She laughed a little. "Well, no duh. Best friend and all. I should call him my brother, but when he kissed me today…I felt things. Something. Maybe if Pete wasn't in the picture I could see myself liking Rob." She scrubbed a hand through her hair, yanking on the tangles. "Listen to me. Getting all mushy about a guy I just met today." She laughed again, a little more humorlessly. "He hasn't called me yet, you know. Rob's called me eighty bajillion times."
She ran her hand through her hair again and sighed. "I don't know." She stood back up, looking at the moon one more time. "Good talk, Mom. Come home soon."
She closed the window and went back to her place on the edge of Jackie's bed, laying awake for several more hours.
Janey stared at her phone, laying innocently where she'd tossed it on the floor when she got home. She was chewing incessantly on her fingernails, arguing silently with herself as she waited for it to ring.
If it's Rob, I'll just ignore it…well…maybe I shouldn't. We're friends. I'm sure it was just a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing. But what if it wasn't? It had to be. We've been alone plenty of times. Why now? Why would he pick now to act if it was planned?
Because of Pete, she replied to herself. Think about it. It all makes sense. I meet a guy who I really like for the first time in a while, he feels threatened, he makes a move. But was he threatened for our friendship, or because he actually likes me? And what about Pete? I gave him my real number, for crying out loud. He's gonna call. I know he is. Yeah, he's hot, but I don't know anything about him. Rob's been my best friend since forever. Shouldn't this be a cut and dry decision?
She kneaded her forehead, grumbling to herself. She floated across her room and picked up her phone, snuggling back down on her bed. She stared at it, toying it between her fingers, and sighed, pressing the familiar buttons. Just as she was about to push "call" her father burst through her door, looking frazzled. Down the halls she could hear the buzz of the hotline.
"Downtown," he said, "weird metal girl tearing it up, other two already on their way."
"Thanks for the sound bite," Janey rolled her eyes, getting up and pulling on her shoes.
Her phone rang as she opened the window to fly out, but she ignored it, swooping into the sky to see what the problem was.
"What's up?" Janey yelled as a magenta streak flew above her, and kicked into hyperdrive to catch up.
"Mayor Bellum said a robot is attacking downtown," Jackie replied. "Ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Janey said grimly, her mind wandering back to her phone. She wished she'd at least stayed to see who it was from….
Jezebel joined them silently, and together they sped towards the smoke rising from Townsville.
The smoke made things harder to see, but something silver was flashing through the air, emitting red lasers at random and scorching Townsville below. Collectively all three girls inhaled, then blew hard to disperse the smoke. Left behind was a slender robot, or maybe a girl sheathed in silver armor. Janey was inclined to think the latter, looking at the mass of curly reddish-brown hair poofing out around the crown-shaped helmet.
…hang on a second…
Jackie launched into her "surrender and we won't hurt you" spiel, but the figure laughed obnoxiously and pressed a button on the side of her helmet. The faceplate slid down under the chin, revealing an all-too-familiar smile. Janey glared.
"Queenie."
A/N: Hokay. Up until...erm...ten minutes ago, I hated this chapter. Now I'm feeling more resigned and vaguely fond of it more than anything else.
Janey's used to being the one who leaves first; the longest-running relationship, not counting her BBFship with Rob, was about two weeks. She's used to flirting and being gone, not thinking about a guy longer than it takes to have her bit of fun, maybe dance and tell a few jokes, and flit to the next flower. Pete is the first guy she's ever met who A) convinced her, with little to no effort other than being gorgeous (remember this), to give him HER number instead of the other way around, and B) stayed on her mind for a substantial amount of time, and not just in the back of her mind, the very or near-front.
Rob, on the other hand, is the one constant male figure other than family in her life; they've shared everything from cookies at snack time to messy breakup dramas, sticking to each other loyally and always with the unspoken understanding that there's an Untouchable Line between them. Rob crossed the Line, and now Janey doesn't know what to do or think. Rob, obviously, has been struggling with his feelings towards her for a while. Had he played his cards right instead of rushing his hand, we wouldn't be here right now.
And then there's a Queenie. :D Next chapter will be about 18 pages long. It made me depressed, but feel slightly awesome at the same time. You'll see why; LOTS of Jezzie backstory, the longest flashback ever, and some team-building.
REVIEWS KTHXILYBAI.
