Thank you to Ztofan for helping me out with this chapter! She and Captain Crunk are da bomb. Hope you enjoy this one :D

Chapter Eight - Under the Bleachers

Jess pushed her Lucky Charms around her bowl half-heartedly as her Mom bustled around the kitchen. She shoveled a large spoonful into her mouth and rested her head on her hand, sighing through her nose as she chewed the soggy, sugary mess. Joan turned and rested against the kitchen counter, nursing a mug of coffee as she stared at her daughter.

"Okay Jess, I know that look. What's up?" Joan asked, tilting her head. Jess sighed, swallowing and pushing her chair back. She stood and carried her bowl to the sink, emptying the rest of the contents down the drain.

"Me and Paul had a sort-of-falling-out, it's nothing," Jess replied, licking milk from her thumb. She looked up at her Mom, whose face was twisted in concern. Jess was going to leave it at that, but the apt attention she was receiving from her normally otherwise occupied mother made her pause, hands on either side of the sink, and continue. "I've made these new friends and I think maybe he's jealous."

Her Mom raised her eyebrows, bringing the mug to her mouth. "New friends?" she said, her voice muffled behind the rim.

Jess nodded. "Yeah, they're really cool and nice and I like them a lot, especially one of them. But he and Paul don't get along. I don't know what to do Mom, I can't lose either of them."

Joan took a thoughtful sip of her drink as Jess retreated to the kitchen table, picking up her backpack from the back of the chair and wriggling into the straps. "I think it's great that you've made new friends, honey." Joan stated, placing her mug down and picking up her keys. "But just remember everything Paul has done for you. I hope this other guy would do the same."

Jess chewed her lip, saying nothing as she followed her Mom out of the door. She unlocked her bike from the front porch and slung a leg over, waving as her Mom got into her car and pulled out of the driveway, sticking her hand out of the open window for a fraction of a second. Jess smiled slightly as she drove away, then put her foot on the pedal and pushed off, trying to think of anything but her current problem as she cycled to school.

Rachel met her at the school gates, an annoyed expression on her face. "Paul told me what happened," she said curtly as Jess hopped off her bike. She fell into step beside her, staring at her. "Is it true? You're hanging out with that bully?"

Jess felt her stomach clench. She hadn't had a single falling out with any of her friends until now, and the look Rachel was giving her made her feel sick. Out of the four of them, Rachel was the least likely to start an argument. Yet, here she was, asking for one.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Rach."

"How about 'sorry, I won't see him anymore?'"

"We don't even see each other anyway!" Jess cried, fighting the lump in the back of her throat. "It was just one detention!"

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Really? You're not hanging out?"

"No." Jess replied confidently, pushing her bike into the racks. "He doesn't want to be seen with me." She snapped her lock into place with slightly more force than was necessary. "You're all right about him, okay? He obviously would have asked me to hang out if I meant that much to him. I won't speak to him anymore, I deserve friends who care about me and treat me like an equal."

Rachel watched Jess curiously, her irritation starting to deflate. "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't want to fight." She cast her eyes downward shyly. "Sorry Jess," she said again.

Jess offered her a weak smile. "It's alright, I'm sorry too. Come here."

She pulled her friend into a quick hug, before saying her goodbyes and dashing up the steps to the school entrance. She wanted Rachel to think she was in a rush, but in reality she just needed some time to herself to think.

What her Mom had said struck a chord with Jess. She couldn't ever imagine Miller or any of the Breakfast Club doing what Paul or Sadie would do for her. Cece and Winston had at least made it clear that they were only friends a couple of days a year, and Schmidt was happy to be seen with her, but Miller was so confusing. She didn't know what he wanted from her. Were they going to be pen pals for the rest of their school days, avoiding each other in the hallways and never speaking? That didn't sound like a friendship to her.

By the time Jess reached her locker, a dark cloud had settled over her mood. Paul had every right to hate Miller. He had locked him in a freaking toilet, for crying out loud. Who could blame him? And here she was, trying to convince Paul that he was a good guy, worthy of her time. No wonder Paul was avoiding her.

She opened the door with a sigh that was abruptly cut short when her eyes fell on the object in the bottom. She drew in a quick breath, reaching out to pick it up. Resting on her dog-eared copy of Midnight at the Middle School was a small square item wrapped in a piece of paper. Jess unfolded the paper to reveal a slightly scratched up Pokemon Yellow game for Gameboy. Her face broke out into an excited grin as she looked around for any sign of her gift-giver. She couldn't see him, so she turned the paper over in her hands, reading the note on the back.

Hey four eyes, hope you don't already have this. Seems like you need Yellow to complete the set so… go catch 'em all, I guess. Meet me for lunch by the football bleachers? M.

Jess clutched the note to her chest, her heart skipping a beat. It was like he could read her mind.

"What's that?"

Jess jumped, throwing the note and game back into her locker with a loud clang. Sadie cocked an eyebrow at her. "Nothing, uh, homework."

"Making that noise?"

"That was a mix tape. It's homework…for music."

Sadie nodded slowly. "I heard Rachel was planning on kicking your ass."

Jess turned to her, eyes wide. "I can't believe she met me at the gates to confront me!"

"I know right?!" Sadie replied with a giggle. "Your rebellious side is starting to get to everybody Jessica."

Jess shook her head, smiling. "No rebellious side, I swear. That was just a phase and I'm over it. No more confrontation, no more punching lockers."

Sadie looked shocked. "For real? I thought-"

"No." Jess interrupted. "I like Miller, I really do. But I'm still me." They grinned at each other, Sadie shrugging offhandedly.

"I kinda liked nonconformist Jess. She was pretty awesome."

Jess chuckled. "Maybe she can make the odd appearance."

With a nod and a quick squeeze of her shoulder, Sadie disappeared down the hallway to class. Jess watched her go for a few seconds before she visibly relaxed, letting out a breath as she pulled her gift out again, admiring it. It was obviously second hand, possibly stolen, but the thought that had gone into it made it one of the best gifts she had received. A crease formed between her eyebrows as she realized meeting Miller for lunch was a direct breach of her promise to Rachel. Either way, her actions would have consequences – she doubted Miller would take being stood up lightly.

She placed it carefully back, biting her lip nervously as she considered the best course of action. She really shouldn't go. He was bad news, or so she had been repeatedly told. But something about this particular gesture made her curious, doubtful and most of all, craving more.

So she found herself making excuses and heading out into the warm sunshine at midday, frantically checking the bleachers as she approached them. The jocks were on the field, messing around with a football and trying to dropkick it through the yellow goalposts and score a field goal. Jess found herself admiring one of the quarterbacks as he passed the ball, looking good in his white t-shirt. She felt a hot flush creep suddenly up on her and pushed it down, recognising it as another wave of hormones that occasionally struck when she was least expecting. There was no harm in checking him out – just because she was a virgin didn't mean she didn't think about that kind of stuff. In fact, she probably thought about it more than she would like to admit.

As he was walking backwards, calling out to his teammates and pointing to his left, he turned and spotted Jess staring at him. Embarrassed to be caught in the act she quickly shuffled away, hoping he was too far away to know who she was.

"Hey."

Jess froze, looking around for the source of the voice she had just heard. A laugh sounded from under her feet, and she crouched down, squinting under the seats. Miller waved at her from the shadows. "Why are you under the bleachers?" Jess asked, frowning.

"This is my place," he replied, shrugging. He patted the spot next to him. "Come on, I got you a burrito."

Jess climbed down, sliding underneath the seat and lowering herself into the space below. It was a tight fit and she found herself slipping into Miller's outstretched arms as she fell the last yard. He caught her, setting her on her feet on the grass. The previous wave of twirliness obviously hadn't completely disappeared as she felt a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach, making her palms turn clammy. Damn, Miller was strong. Oh my God Jess, get it together you nut.

She brushed herself off, blushing and trying to control her erratic heartbeat. "Thanks. How do you fit under there?"

"I just go the easy way," he replied, amused, as he pointed to the edge of the grass where a person sized hole was very visible amongst the metal structure. "That's how Remy gets in here to clean the trash people leave after big games."

Jess nodded and laughed, smoothing down her bangs. "Makes sense."

They smiled at each other for a few seconds before awkwardness started to set in. Jess didn't know how to act around him, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. "So…" Jess started, tilting her head to the side as Miller ran a hand through his messy hair.

"So." He echoed.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," she said quickly, looking away.

"Don't be," he murmured softly, moving to sit down and motioning for her to join him. "I liked it. You have balls."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jess laughed as she settled on the cool grass, taking a wrapped burrito from him and ripping it open. Non-stop worrying from the moment she had woken up this morning left her with quite an appetite.

They ate in silence, watching the football guys through the gaps between rows. Sunlight streamed in, casting a glowing striped pattern across their bodies. Jess glanced over at Miller as they chewed, admiring the way the light hit his eyes, turning pools of dark brown into a golden hazel color. They crinkled as he noticed her gaze and smiled at her, swallowing. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Jess snapped her eyes forward again, feeling defensive. "Whatever."

He chuckled, finishing up and wiping his hands on the grass. "I guessed your hangman by the way. There is a film called Clueless, right?"

Jess nodded enthusiastically. "It's such a great film! Alicia Silverstone plays this popular girl with a heart of gold and she falls in love with her super smart ex-stepbrother and…" she trailed off when she saw the look of disgust on his face. "…Probably not your thing though."

"I'll pass," he said, shooting her the ghost of a smile. "How was your burrito?"

Jess gave him a thumbs up, instantly regretting how goofy she looked. Miller didn't seem to notice as he picked at the grass by his feet. "Any particular reason why you asked me to have lunch with you?" she asked, passing her hand through the beams of sunlight and trying to catch them. Miller squinted at her.

"No reason. I like you."

"Not enough to be seen with me though."

Miller stared at her as she shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. She hadn't expected it to come out like that, but she was glad she had brought it up. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind with him.

"Fine," Miller eventually said, starting to push himself on to his feet. "Where do you wanna go? Your choice. You wanna go introduce me to your pals?" He looked at her pointedly, scowling.

Jess' hand shot out and she pushed him back down again. "Okay mister, you've made your point. My friends don't know I'm here either." Miller looked satisfied as he settled on the grass again, stretching his legs out in front of him. "You locked one of them in the toilet a while back so he doesn't want me to see you. None of my friends exactly like the idea."

Shock was evident on Miller's face as he took in what she said. "I did? That seems pretty harsh." He took out his tobacco and started to roll a cigarette. "Is your friend a pussy?" he asked, rolling the paper between his fingers. Jess reached out and punched him in the arm, making him cry out and laugh at her. "What? I was only asking."

Jess huffed, crossing her arms. "That's no reason to bully someone, you know. Just 'cause they're weaker than you."

"Sorry, four eyes. Didn't mean to offend you and your precious morals."

They stared each other down, Miller placing the roll-up in his mouth and taking out his lighter. Jess was the first to give in, looking away just in time to see the quarterback she had been admiring score, the sounds of their cheers barely reaching their position.

A few peaceful seconds of comfortable silence passed. "What do you want to do when you're older?" Jess asked, keeping her eyes on the game. She sensed Miller tense next to her. "I wanted to be a vet, but I'm not very good at biology. I think I might like teaching."

She heard the sound of the lighter being sparked up and smelled nicotine and dirt as Miller smoked. Patiently, Jess waited for him to come up with an answer for her.

"Why are you asking me this?" he eventually muttered, as she met his eyes. "You know I'm not headed anywhere."

His words staggered her. She had never met anyone who was so certain of their incredibly low self-worth, and it made her angry and upset. "I've never…" she stopped when she remembered what she had said to him in that closet. Unlike you, I'm leaving here with a future. She was as much to blame as anyone else for shitting all over the guy in front of her.

Jess leaned forward, her face serious. "As far as me and you are concerned, I think we should wipe the slate clean." She smiled at him, and he frowned unsurely. "All that crap I told you, Shiller told you, your Dad probably told you… forget all of it. Do what you want to do, Miller."

He continued to watch her expression, his brow furrowed, the cigarette forgotten and burned up between his fingers. He dropped it on the grass. "I want to go to college. Actually, I…" he broke off, casting his eyes upwards as if looking for inspiration to continue. "…I always wanted to go to law school."

Jess sat back, surprised. Miller scoffed at her. "Go on, laugh it up," he muttered. Jess shook her head.

"Law school? That sounds amazing!" she beamed at him and he raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You're so good at arguing. You'd make a wonderful lawyer. What are you interested in?"

It took Miller a few seconds to come to terms with the fact that Jess was obviously interested in his aspirations, and wasn't rolling around the floor in hysterics at the idea that he even had a future in mind. "I like Public Interest Law." When Jess appeared blank he explained further. "It specializes in helping members of the public who might otherwise not be able to afford a lawyer. There's a lot of work with charities and education." He shrugged, embarrassed. "I don't want to con people like my Dad. I like the idea of standing up for someone who needs it."

"And yet you pick on people smaller than you every day," Jess stated matter-of-factly, making him wince.

"Maybe I want to make up for lost time."

They shared a smile, before Jess sat forward on her knees, reaching for him. He drew back instinctively but relaxed as she plucked a few loose tendrils of hair from his forehead. "First things first," Jess announced firmly as she tucked strands behind his ears and pushed his hair back on top of his head, "you have to look the part." She ignored the tickle of his breath on the soft underside of her forearms.

Miller sniggered, watching her work, her face the picture of concentration. "You mean I have to look intelligent."

"Same thing," Jess replied casually. She removed her thick frames and turned them around, placing them on his face and pushing them up his nose. "There," she said, leaning back and taking him in. "Now you look like you belong on Law and Order."

Miller grimaced at her. "I feel like a complete assbag."

"But you look like a hottie," Jess corrected him, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. "A hottie with a law degree."

Miller smirked back, his eyes glinting behind her glasses. "Stop it."

Jess giggled, resting her chin in her hand. "This is nice. We should do this again."

"We should," he replied, taking the frames off and reaching out to slide them back on to her face. She smiled shyly as his fingers brushed her hair behind her ears, making sure the glasses were on correctly. Something jolted in her lower abdomen and she felt a pang of annoyance at herself and her stupid body. Jesus, a little touchy feely and she was as hot and bothered as Sadie in a thrift shop. "I don't mind being seen with you," Miller added, his eyes locking with hers.

"You sure?" Jess asked nervously, bringing her hands to her face to adjust the frames the way she liked them. "Cause if it wasn't for that detention we wouldn't even know each other. You're so busy smoking weed and being bad that you never would have noticed me, and a part of me thinks you would have preferred it that way."

Miller shook his head and chuckled. "You are one clueless chick, four eyes. One thing is for sure - I would've noticed you."

Jess felt her stomach do another flip as he stood and offered her his hand. She took it, hoisting herself up, still trying to figure out what he meant by that last sentence. She suddenly noticed their position and felt self-conscious standing in the shadows with him. "Hey, it might look a little bit like we…y'know," Jess mumbled, gesturing between the two of them and the exit, flustered.

Miller laughed, nodding. "I get it, you go first. See you around Jess." He grinned at her and held out his hand for her to shake.

She grasped it and held his gaze, drawn to those goddamn eyes again. "See you, Miller."