Jack was at football, taking a shower after a particularly tiring practice. He was hidden by the swinging door, as the other boys showered. They were all laughing and joking, the same way Jack did on his old football team. He was quite, running shampoo through his hair. He listened as Will made jokes about small penises. Jack ignored his comments about him. He was growing accustomed to ignoring Will.

"So, who are you taking to the dance, Jarrah? That slut again?" He asked smirking. Sayid ignored him as well, but Jack saw the fire in eyes. "What about you, Shephard?" Jack shook his head, shampoo flinging everywhere as he washed it out. "Brining Kate?" Jack tensed. "I guess not. She's too hot for you anyways, not that says much on her behalf." He laughed and stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist and sauntered out.

Jack leaned against the wall and huffed, feeling distraught. What was with Will attacking him? And why did he always feel like by insulting Kate was a slap in the face for him?

"I hate that guy." Jack said aloud. He heard Sayid laugh. Jack stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. "I mean..." Jack paused and walked to his locker. "Who was that girl he was talking about?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows. Sayid laughed.

"Shannon." Sayid explained. "I'll be honest. She is a bit of a slut. But you shouldn't call her that anyways. We've been kind of going out I guess. She's a confusing girl." Jack nodded, he knew the feeling. "So, what is up with you and Kate?" Sayid asked slowly. Jack shrugged, not really comfortable with the conversation. "Okay..." Sayid trailed off. Jack finished getting dressed and bolted out the door. He walked down the halls hurriedly, reaching his muddy locker. He opened and pulled his things out and ran to the doors. An icy blast of cold Chicago wind hit him and his wet hair, making him wince. Jack waited outside for only a few minutes before his mother pulled up, Jack jumped in the car and rode home in a painful silence.

*

"So, are you still the outcast?" Marc asked Jack. Jack sighed.

"I'm not sure. I think my only real friends are Kate and Sayid. Sayid only talks to me during football and Kate...I don't even know what to do about her." Jack explained. Sun, Charlie and Hurley were nice enough, but they didn't make much of an effort to be friends with him. He was still the weird new kid from L.A.

"Why, what's wrong with Kate?"

"Well, I think she wants me to take her to the dance, but I don't know how I feel about her. She's smart, funny, pretty, easy going, fun to be with...I like her and everything...but I don't know. I just..." Jack was at a complete loss for words.

"I think you don't you want to be committed to Chicago. You don't want a reason to like being there." Marc said simply and Jack sat in silence. "Maybe you like being the outcast for once in your life... I say play it up, Jack. Don't force yourself to fit in, let them come to you. They always do." Jack didn't say anything.

"My mom's pregnant."

"Wow."

"I know." Jack agreed. Suddenly Jack heard Marc's mom calling Marc.

"Oh my..." Marc swore several times. "God, okay!" He yelled. "I got to go, see you, man."

"Yeah, bye."

Jack hung up and set the phone on the bed. He lay down next to it. Maybe he shouldn't force himself to fit in. Maybe just let everyone else come to him for once. Would it really hurt?

*

The next morning Kate woke up. She groggily rubbed her eyes. Three days before the dance. Was she ready? No. But that was okay. She wasn't one of those girls who stressed out about their social life in high school, and she didn't like freaking herself out over for a boy she might never see again after graduation. She got up and took a shower, combed her hair out and went to pick out something to wear. When she entered her bedroom she looked across the window and saw it had snowed drastically outside.

"Crap." Kate grumbled. She pulled out sweat pants, for warmth and a baggy blue sweater. As said before, she didn't need to look perfect for something as immature and petite as high school. Kate went down stairs and grabbed an orange for breakfast; she always ate one in homeroom, her water bottle and her brown paper bag lunch. She shoved her papers in her backpack and stomped out the door. She winced and tugged her hood up over her head, and buried her face into the hoody. She heard a yell and a thud. She span around on her front porch and saw Jack laying on this back in the snow.

"Son of a bitch!" He swore slowly sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. He wore boots, big huge boots, the type Kate thought people only wore when mountain climbing. He had on a huge parka, with the hood wrapped up around his head, and a scarf wrapped around his face. He had on big gloves and was clumsily placing things back in his bag. Kate burst out laughing and Jack turned to her. The hood and scarf covered his entire face. "Kate?" He asked looking around. He brought his gloved hand to his face and began scraping at his face, trying to pull the scarf down. "Kate!" He said when it finally revealed his red nose and face. "I hate winter! I hate it! It's only September and its freezing!"

Kate approached him, not minding the cold at all. "Here." She bent down helped him put everything back in his bag. She picked it up and placed it back on his shoulders and they set off. "Are you okay? That was a hard fall."

"Myes." Jack's muffled voice came from the scarf that covered his mouth. Kate giggled. "Hbowb arre youb?" He muffled.

Kate giggled again. "I cannot understand a word you are saying, I'm sorry." Jack sighed and pulled the scarf down and sighed loudly again.

"I hate winter! I hate it! It is so damn cold! Aren't you cold?" He demanded.

"Not really, look, you'll get used to it." She told him. Jack shook his head stubbornly. "Oh Jack," She laughed. She turned to him and tugged his hood down, and pulled the scarf off. She stuffed it under her arm pits, and tugged his gloves off. "There, you have to get used to it or else...hey!" She cried out as Jack grabbed for his things, under her arms. Kate jumped away laughing.

"Give them back!" He ordered jumping around her, trying to grab the gloves. He chased after her, still trying to grab the gloves. Kate giggled, dancing away from him, the items still in her hands and underarms. "Kate!" Jack laughed, he grabbed one of her hands with his own and shoved his other under her arm and tugged her close to him.

"No!" Kate laughed squirming away from him. He wrapped his arms around her waist before she could escape and pulled her against him, tugging his scarf from under her arm pit. "Jack!" Kate giggled looking at up him happily. Jack tugged it out from under her armpit and looked down at her, grinning and flushing. Jack's brown eyes and Kate's hazel ones met, and their smiles slowly faded, gazing into each other's eyes. "Still cold?" She asked in a whisper. Jack lowered his head to her, his eye lids shutting slightly.

"No...I'm defiantly starting to warm up..." He said in a soft voice and leaned in a little closer, then in the same soft voice he said. "Oh shit in my pants. We are going to miss the bus." Kate let out a scream and the two began running down the street, but at the same time, trying not to fall on the ice.

They rounded the corner and saw the bus pulling up at their stop. "Go! Go! Stop! Stop! Wait! Bus! Sun!" Kate screamed running after the bus. Jack pushed his legs harder as the bus sat there, waiting. Jack arrived at the bus, just as it pulled away. He jumped and smacked the window. The bus stopped and Jack looked over his shoulder, Kate was only a foot or so behind him. They boarded the bus, panting, red in the face. Sun looked up from her cellular phone, and started at them, eye brows raised. Kate flopped down next to Sun in her usual place and Jack in front of them.

"Should I even ask?" Sun wondered aloud to them. Kate and Jack both giggled and blushed. "I think not..." Kate and Jack blushed. Jack heard Sun's phone begin to vibrate. Sun flipped up her phone, blush and giggle, glanced at Kate nervously. Jack saw Kate's eye brows raise, making a face of someone impressed.

"Are you going with him?" She asked. Sun shrugged. "Well, according to that text you are." Kate said, she looked up at Jack, and winked. Jack blushed deeper. "Sun has a thing for this guy named Jin." Kate explained. Jack smiled politely and Sun blushed at Jack.

"Kind of." She explained and giggled. Jack grinned at her.

At first Sun had been kind of distant with Jack. Jack figured it was because Sun, like Kate, had thought Jack would get involved with 'the kids on the wrong side of the track,'. But now Sun was nice with him and Jack felt he could be his more, gentle, nicer, giving self. Their friendship was slowly starting to blossom, unlike any other, except Kate. Charlie and Hurley were not warming up to him as much as Sun, but they were nice to him, and talked to him only at lunch time.

"Did he ask you out to the dance?" Jack asked her, eyebrows wiggling. Sun shrugged looking out the window, still blushed.

"He did, didn't he?" Kate asked, looking gleeful.

"Yes..." Sun said, clearly suppressing a giggle. Kate smirked at her and raised her eyebrows suggestively. Sun let out a sigh and ruffled herself, clearly trying to stay composed. "So, has anyone asked you yet, Kate?"

It was Kate who blushed now. "No, not yet." Jack saw the annoyed, yet meaningfully look Kate gave Sun, as if trying to tell her something.

Sun looked weary and then nodded slowly. "Right." She started at Kate for a moment then turned to Jack. "What about you?" She nodded at Jack.

"What?" Jack laughed. "No...no one has asked me."

"Well, haven't you asked anyone?"

"No...I barley know anyone!"

"You know us!"

"But you are going with someone else!"

"You know Kate!"

Jack didn't have an answer for that one. He didn't dare look at Kate but he thought he should anyways. She looked hugely surprised and little bit hopeful. Her eyes were fixed upon Jack, watching him carefully, gauging his actions.

"But..." Jack trailed off watching Kate. "You-" But he was cut short as the bus slammed on the brakes and Jack flung forward from sitting backwards to face Kate and Sun into the gap between his seat and the one in front of him.

"Jack!" He heard Kate and Sun yell. He slowly pulled himself up and saw people starting at him or looking forward to the bus driver. Jack looked forward to as the bus driver opened the door and he started to yell at the people out the window. Jack sat facing the front of the bus, everyone watching in silence.

Jack felt Kate's breath on his ear. "Are you okay?" She asked in a hushed voice. He turned his head only slightly, their lips almost touching.

"I'm fine." Jack whispered back, right against Kate's lips. She sat back in her seat.

The bus driver moved to his seat and plunked down. "Sit down and shut up!" He roared. Jack saw that the three boys climbing onto the bus were William and two friends. Jack figured they had jumped out in front of the bus or done something equally stupid to have the bus driver slam on the brakes like that.

"OoooOOoooo." William called as he sauntered on the bus. "Look, like I picked the right bus today! Maybe it isn't a bad thing my car broke down!" He smirked at Jack. "Well, hello, buddy!" He sat down and gripped his arm around Jack's head, giving him a nugie. Jack blushed and pushed him off, he didn't look up at Sun or Kate who were both silent. "So, Kate, who's taking you to the dance?" He asked, his two friends stood over them chuckling stupidly. One too many blows to the head. Jack thought, they were both on the football team with him.

"Sit DOWN!" The bus driver roared and the two boys stumbled around, and sat down behind Jack and William. The bus driver mumbled and started to drive to school again.

"Kate, I asked you a question." William said in a steely tone.

"Oh, leave her alone." Jack snapped, his head springing up, he saw Kate quickly look his way.

"Ooooo, sensitive topic, eh?" Will asked, looking proud. "What, you didn't have the balls to ask her, just as I predicted."

"Has no balls. Huh Huh." One of the boys chuckled stupidly behind them. Jack ignored him.

"Why is it any of your business? Do you have a date?" Jack snarled. Will paused.

"I do if Kate wants to go with me." Will said.

"She doesn't want to go with you!" Jack declared for Kate.

"Hey!" Kate said. "I think I get to speak for myself?" She asked.

"Get to speak for herself. Huh Huh." The same boy laughed.

"Sorry." Jack mumbled, taken aback.

"So, you'll go with me, Kate?" Will asked.

"Hell no." Kate laughed. William glared at her.

"Whatever, you are a prude anyways."

"A prude. Huh Huh." The boy laughed again.

Jack span around to face him. "Will you shut up?" Jack snarled. "Why must you repeat absolutely everything!? Do you have the I.Q. of a pomegranate? You have had one too many balls to the head...but you probably like getting balls in the face don't you?!" Jack glared at him and span back around. There was an awkward silence as the bus pulled up the building. Students left but Will didn't move. Kate stood up and let Sun leave. Will started stealthy at Jack.

"Will, get..." Kate started.

"Shut up, you slut." Will snapped.

Jack felt like ripping his jugular out.

"If you put one more toe out of line Shepherd I'll personally make sure you never walk again." With that Will got off, his two henchmen following after him. Jack sat there as Kate stood, watching him. Jack gathered picked up his backpack and gestured for Kate to leave first. Once they were off the bus, the bus driver drove away, leaving the street empty, but many students were still making their way into the building. Kate flung her arms around Jack for a hug. Jack chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, and tugged her tiny frame against him.

"I'm so sorry, Jack!" She said. "He is such an asshole."

"I know he is...why are you sorry?"

"Well, for biting you head off in there, for saying I don't want to go the dance with him." Kate explained. She hitched her thumbs into the straps of her backpack and made her way up the steps to the school, Jack followed. "I mean, obviously I don't want to go with him. I just don't like people speaking for me."

"You don't need to apologize for that, Kate. It makes sense. I should have known."

"Don't blame this on yourself. It was both our faults."

"So...when is this dance?" Jack asked, holding the door open. They walked in, the hall was a puddley mess. "You never really told me."

"Oh...it is this Saturday. We've been planning it since the beginning of the year. We were going to do a Halloween dance, with masks and everything, but then we thought of saving the coral reefs and changed our minds!" Kate explained perkily. Jack nodded. "It is semi formal by the way." She told him. She leaned against the locker next to his as he gathered up his things.

"Which means..." Jack trailed off.

"Which means I suggest nice dress pants, a dress shirt and a cute tie. But the tie isn't mandatory." She explained. "Some of the girls are thinking about wearing kind of mermaid tails and stuff, with seashells in their hair." She said as they kept walking.

"It reminds me of L.A, you know, the beach." Jack said bluntly and Kate went silent. "I never went to school dances in L.A. it was considered...a lame thing. We went to parties, clubs...and drank on the beach." Kate didn't answer and Jack looked over at her. She was frowning and looking thoroughly ticked off. "Are you okay?"

"Why don't you just give Chicago a chance? It isn't L.A. Jack and never will be. You might like it." She told him. "I do."

Jack didn't answer but turned down a different hallway and left Kate standing alone.

I'm sorry if I haven't replied to a review you left!! All of my messages had to me deleted and it just...believe me it was crazy. I had to many and it was just my head was going to explode. Facebook messages + + Twitter + Shopping sites (haha.) + Junk mail + messages from friends + one month = 10000000000 messages!!!! :) But thank you soooo much if you did review! Some of them made me laugh outloud, and some really sweet and I really apperciate them! I will reply to some of my faveorite reviews when I have the time. And all reviews from here on in, as always will be responded to! :D Thanks so much guys your reviews mean so much to me!!