A/N: Heey everyone! I don't know what to say ... Late May and early June is seriously one of the busiest times of the year, with more birthdays than I can count (including my own) and finals and everything. Then there's my annoying routine with this site and new chapters; day 1 I finish it, day 2 it's uploaded to FF and I write my A/N's, day 3 I read over everything and make sure it's good, day 4 I build up courage half of the day before a new chapter is published ... and I can't help it.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kickin' It, Diamonds, Rihanna or anything else than isn't the plot ... but you already knew that.
"This is impossible!" Kim complained, glaring coldly at her reflection.
"Mhm," came the response from her best friend across her bedroom.
Kim rolled her eyes at that – it was like they were in two completely different worlds, even though they were obviously in the same room. Jack was seated on her bed with her computer in front of him, typing furiously with his eyes never leaving the screen. She didn't feel sorry for him at all, he should've known that would happen if he were to postpone writing that essay for honors English. In her world across the room where her mirror and closet were, she was trying on outfits for her dad's celebration dinner.
Jack probably hadn't paid her any attention when she told him that her dad had gotten a promotion and was now a part of the board along with every other snob in the company, and that he'd asked her to be his plus one for the celebration dinner. It wouldn't surprise her if he suddenly looked up from the screen only to ask her what on earth she was doing and how all of those clothes ended up on her 'used to be clean'-floor.
Looking back at the mirror made her wonder why she hadn't thrown that dress away yet, even though it would piss Grace off. It was light green and strapless, three inches shorter than she would've liked and had the most ballerina-like skirt she'd ever seen. Even though it was more than obvious the dress should be hanging in a certain brunette's closet, it was the exact same brunette who'd given it to Kim as a Christmas-gift the year before.
"God, nothing's right with this thing!" she complained again when she couldn't manage to unzip it.
Jack didn't move anything other than his fingers when he answered, "Mhm."
She was just about to tell him to shut the hell up when the zipper gave in and she hurried back into her walk-in closet to look for something else to wear to that stupid dinner. Catching sight of the skirt Jack had been forced to buy her a while back because he lost a bet with her – she had never had a problem boardsliding – she quickly grabbed it and held it up in front of her face. Deciding that the skirt was just like the guy who'd bought it for her, good for nothing, she chucked it at his head before ducking back into her closet.
"What on earth?" Jack questioned as he removed the black piece of clothing from his head.
Kim chuckled, "Don't you mean skirt?"
"Very funny, Kim," Jack replied flatly. "What happened in here anyway?"
"I did," she responded lazily as she pulled on an oversized t-shirt.
She was surprised he didn't start typing again, obviously waiting for further explanation regarding the bomb that had exploded in her closet without him hearing. As she looked for the jeans she'd been wearing for school that day – or her favorite pink sweatpants – she started re-explaining everything regarding her dad's promotion. Jack laughed at her when she declared she'd be arriving in what she was wearing at the moment, and the laughing continued when she emerged from her closet in a Hello Kitty t-shirt and her pink sweatpants.
Sighing, the blonde walked over to her bed with her typing best friend on it and plopped down next to him. He smiled amusedly at her, but she just rolled her eyes in response before shifting to look at her ceiling. She felt kind of bad for not helping him with his essay like she'd promised, which is why she decided to leave the thoughts of dresses alone for a while and snatch her computer from Jack's lap. He started to object, but immediately stopped when she held up a hand and whispered 'shh, I'm reading' – instead of calling her whatever he was supposed to, he merely thanked her before copying her previous actions and laying down on his back so he could have a staring-contest with her ceiling.
Just like Kim got bored once Jack started typing for real, Jack got bored once his best friend lost himself in his essay – he watched her coffee-brown eyes move at top speed along with the lines he'd written, filled with surprise, confusion and a small amount of proud as she went on. Eyeing the many dresses thrown out across her bedroom floor, Jack wondered what was so wrong with them all; except the strapless green one, that didn't look like anything Kim would wear.
"These dresses are beautiful, Kim," He stated.
Kim rolled her eyes, "They're okay … and I look horrible in them."
He caught sight of the yellow dress she'd worn after she'd officially been crowned Pearl of Seaford – it rested next to the skirt he'd been forced to buy her when he made the mistake of thinking she didn't do boardsliding. There were also the many dresses she'd dressed in to impress everything from a sleazebag celebrity to a black dragon to be to a prince; just because she'd worn them for the wrong guys, that didn't make the dresses any less beautiful.
"You're insane," Jack concluded. "But if they're all so horrible on you, why don't you just buy the blue one at the Cute Store you showed me last week?"
"Cause my allowance aren't given to me until two weeks from now," she sighed. "What are you doing later, Jack?"
"Studying history with Lorie, why?" he responded, only realizing his mistake after it was already made.
Kim froze, glaring at the words on the computer-screen she was currently reading – talk about going from one blond study-partner to the other. Jack quickly apologized, explaining to Kim how Lorie was surprisingly good at history and that they were seated next to each other in class and that she'd been the one to ask if he wanted to come over and study for their test on Friday. Kim rolled her eyes, saying it was no big deal and that he could study with whoever he wanted (even if she hated them) before going back to correct his essay.
"What are you gonna do about tonight?" Jack questioned, just to test if she was still pissed (if she was, he wouldn't receive an answer).
"I was planning on taking you with me to the mall and demand a very early birthday present," Kim admitted with a laugh. "Now, I'm gonna go and ruin Grace's closet."
"But you don't like her clothes?" Jack questioned, his eyebrows furrowed.
Kim smacked his arm, "On me! I don't like her clothes on me, but it's kind of the only choice I'm left with."
"Same thing," Jack muttered before flashing Kim a smile. "How's the grading coming, teacher?"
"Cute, and it's not, can I finish it for tomorrow?" Kim asked.
Considering they were being turned in on a Friday Jack didn't see the problem of getting it back from her on Wednesday morning instead of Tuesday afternoon, which is why he agreed before explaining he had to go see Lorie. Kim rolled her eyes at the mention of the other blonde's name, but other than that she didn't say much else than that she'd follow him to the door if he could hold it for three seconds. She slammed her computer shut and placed it on her desk, catching Jack in the doorway as they made their way downstairs.
"Kinda early for a study-session, don't you think?" Kim question as they reached the bottom. "I mean, school ended like a couple of hours ago."
"We just had one … well, more of a fashion-show and typing than a study-session, but still," he responded as he started searching for his jacket. "Besides, the earlier it is the more work we can go through."
"Right, cause Lorie's so good at history," Kim spat.
Saying this, she kicked at James' favorite sneakers with a glare – even an idiot could tell she didn't like Lorie … or history, for that matter. And though she'd never tell Jack, she didn't like that her best friend was so nice he hung out with people he knew she didn't like just because they asked nicely. But then again, she knew that Jack thought it was pretty childish of her; heck, he'd basically given her a lecture after she popped the balloon Lorie gave him, so kicking shoes was as far as she dared to go.
Jack chuckled, "Just because I have history with her that doesn't mean I don't have chemistry with you, Kim."
Arching an eyebrow, Kim glared at her best friend, "Say that again, Prince Charming."
"Kim, please, I was talking about studying tomorrow during our free-period!" he exclaimed as he put his jacket on. "God, I don't even like you like that."
"Idiot!" Kim threw back, though smiling because she knew he was joking and didn't mean anything bad by it. "I completely forgot about that."
"Thanks, you're a great friend," Jack said sarcastically, throwing in a fake smile as he picked up his shoes.
Kim rolled her eyes, "That's what you get for choosing the wrong blonde."
"Wrong blonde?" Jack questioned, laughing. "You know, hadn't it been for the fact that it's you, having the option between two blondes sounds pretty nice."
Kim arched an eyebrow at him, but other than that didn't bother with further comment – they both knew he preferred brunettes anyways. As he slipped on his last shoe, Kim opened the door for his stupid ass and waited until he'd started walking down the street before she went back in and slammed the door shut behind her. Pulling out her phone from the pocket of her sweatpants, Kim texted Grace to let her know she would be the reason for a ruined closet when the brunette got back from work (waitress at captain corndog).
About an hour later, Kim stood outside her front door fumbling around anywhere she could've thought of putting her house keys with a plastic bag that was stuffed with clothes from her on-and-off best friend's closet. She had only found one dress she could actually wear without feeling like someone she wasn't, while the rest of the clothes were skirts and cute tops along with that knitted sweater she'd wanted to borrow forever.
When she discovered that she'd never even taken her keys with her when she left and that they were still underneath the doormat, she mentally punched herself in the gut. As she unlocked the door, her phone rang, displaying a quite unattractive duck-face picture of Grace to let her know who was calling. The call was answered immediately, and a couple of minutes later when she entered her bedroom they were still talking even though Kim had tripped on the stairs on her way up.
"Oh my freaking god," Kim cut off Grace's rant about the cute guy who'd came in sometime during her working hours.
"What?" Grace inquired, slightly annoyed.
"My room's clean," she breathed out, still surprised beyond belief. "And there's a bag from the Cute Store on my bed."
Grace chuckled at that, "God, what girl doesn't want to come home to that?"
Normally, Kim would've laughed, but looking around she realized she couldn't – not only was her floor clean of clothes, it had definitely been vacuumed too. Opening the door to her beloved walk-in, she was shocked yet again when she saw how nicely everything was folded in all the right places with more of a system than she'd ever managed to make for herself. She did a one-eighty spin so she was facing her bed and the Cute Store bag, wondering what she would find when she opened it.
"Kim, you still there?" Grace's voice interrupted the silence she'd unintentionally made.
Kim nodded, before realizing a second later Grace couldn't see her, "Yeah, I'm here, just a bit blown away … my closet's organized, Grace!"
"Girl, you got yourself a keeper right there!" The brunette declared, chuckling. "Now that we're in on the subject, do you even know who the keeper is?"
Kim was barely listening to her co-captain talking, as she had opened the mystery bag to calm her curiosity before it gave her a heart attack. Her hand got a hold of a soft material, and looking down she realized the piece of clothing was blue – sky blue with a decorated collar and no sleeves, to be exact. Pulling it out, she realized there was more in the bag than she'd originally thought; she could spot a pair of earrings that went surprisingly well with the dress, the bracelet she'd had her eye on for a while and an envelope with no writing on it.
"Kiiiiiim!" Grace whined. "Are you even listening?!"
Kim slipped the bracelet on, admiring and loving how perfect it was, "Sure."
"Do you know who did this for you?" Grace repeated her question.
"I have a hunch," Kim admitted, a smile gracing her lips.
"Well then why are we still talking?!" The brunette exclaimed, making Kim laugh. "Call this person and thank them immediately! Oh, and if it's a guy, ask him out on Friday!"
If Kim hadn't known Grace so well she knew that last sentence was coming, she would most likely have started laughing at her best girl friend. But because she'd been expecting it, Kim decided to focus on the dress which she'd laid out on her bed just to be able to admire it longer. It was absolutely perfect for the dinner she had with her dad in around two hours, and the white feather earrings worked perfectly with it, mostly because of the white decoration on the collar. Silently screaming with joy, she appreciated how well her 'keeper' knew her, but then she realized she couldn't go out with them on Friday – both of the reasons she had were stupid, but obvious.
Frowning, Kim picked up the white envelope, "But I thought we were going shopping on Friday?"
"Not anymore we're not! Bye babe!" Grace declared.
Kim rolled her eyes, chuckling, "Bye, hun, I'll call you later with all the details."
Throwing her phone on her pillow, Kim decided that her 'keeper' would hear from her later, considering saying thanks a million times would probably take longer than doing her hair and changing into the dress. She left her sweatpants and t-shirt on her bed as she slipped on her dress and went to curl her hair. Putting on another layer of lip gloss, she put on her new earrings and flashed a smile at her all in all appearance – the dress actually didn't look horrible on her.
She had just sat down on the floor to grab a pair of heels from underneath her bed when she remembered she had someone to call – reaching for the black ballerina shoes with one hand, she grabbed a hold of her phone with the other. As she slipped on her shoes and complimented herself for having bought the ones without a bow (it would've been too much), she dialed in an all too familiar number before putting her phone to her ear.
It was still ringing when she got tired of sitting on the floor and made to stand up before she started looking for the lip gloss she couldn't remember where she'd left. She was more than ready to slam her phone to the floor when she realized the other person had no intention whatsoever of picking up when voicemail made her stop dead in her tracks.
"Hey, you've reached Jack, except I can't get to the phone right now. Anyway, leave me a message and I'll get back to you."
Kim rolled her eyes, "Hey, it's me … uh, thank you, you know, for the gift and going temporary house-keeper on me. Seriously, the dress is perfect. Right, well, bye Jack."
Hanging up and grabbing her lip gloss from her bed along with the white envelope, Kim made her way downstairs to her awaiting father and jealous older brother who'd drowned his sorrows with chocolate and FIFA with his best friend. She put her stuff in the small bag she'd dug out from her closet earlier that day and took a seat with the seniors on the couch, complaining about how bad they were when they didn't say anything other about how she looked than 'hmmm' and 'something's different … I just don't know what'.
"Ready to go, Kimmy?" the oldest Crawford questioned, emerging from the downstairs bathroom that none of his kids used.
Kim shrugged, "If you wanna go out looking like that, then sure."
Kim's phone rang on their way to the place where the party was being held, and her dad said she should take it even though it had interrupted the story he was telling her. Still laughing from her dad's story, Kim hit the answer button without really looking and replied with a 'hey, waddup?', trying not to laugh at how her dad had started impersonating Rihanna on the radio.
"Hey Kim, I got your message," Jack said.
Kim muttered a small 'mhm', because she was positive that if she said anything else she would burst out laughing – her father hadn't even heard the song Diamonds before! Jack started telling her about how horrible studying with Lorie went because she'd forgotten her book, he believed she did it on purpose, and therefore they had to share his. Apparently, Lorie couldn't write notes to save her life, and she had a stupid dog that might just as well be her new study-partner because he wasn't having it. She loved to talk, and had according to Jack talked constantly, just not about the subject they had a test on the next day.
"That sucks," Kim tried sympathizing. "But hey, don't say I didn't warn you."
"I guess I won't," Jack agreed.
Looking down at her dress, Kim decided to thank him another time, "Thanks for the dress Jack, and the cleaning, and the bracelet and the earrings … you really shouldn't have."
"Consider the dress an apology for choosing Lorie over you, and I kinda owed you for making my house sparkle that day I was sick," Jack responded.
Kim could practically see him shrug once his sentence was finished, and how his eyebrows would furrow in annoyance when she coughed and added the correction 'mansion' somewhere in the middle of it. Her dad chuckled at her antics, which made her slap his arm lightly and tell him to shut up and go back to his Rihanna. This made Jack wonder what he'd done wrong and why he should go Rihanna, and in a second Kim was back to laughing her head off all over again.
"Okay, so how do you explain my new earrings and favorite bracelet?" Kim eventually asked.
"The girl who worked there said that if I got the dress, I just had to get the earrings to go with," he explained. "And as far as the bracelet goes … you've been wanting to get it for ages, I figured it was a pretty good investment."
"Right," Kim smiled. "Can I ask you something though?"
"Sure, go ahead," Jack replied.
Kim fiddled with the hem of her new dress, smiling at her reflection in the side-mirror her dad was probably using to park. Instead of actually ditching her for the other blonde study-partner, he'd cleaned up her mess and bought her the perfect dress with earrings that went with and the bracelet she'd been staring at for way too long. All she'd done in return was insult his study-partner and only grade half his essay – for once in her life, Kim realized it was about time she listened to her stubborn, boy-loving best friend.
"Are you free Friday?" she wondered.
Jack chuckled, "Sure, why?"
"We haven't sparred in a while, and I just," Kim shrugged. "How would you feel about trading all of the study-sessions for an extra workout?"
"I'd love it," Jack answered. "Enjoy the dinner, Kim, I should get back to history."
"Aww, is your book missing you?" Kim teased with a smile.
Kim's father chuckled again, causing his daughter to glare at him as Jack threw some stupid comment back at her. Just before hanging up on each other the two of them made further plans about their double date with their chemistry books – Kim claimed they were Grace's words, but Jack wasn't too sure – because they had no classes together before the beloved free period. Kim thanked him yet again, and he laughed before reassuring her it was no big deal, and then he told her to enjoy the dinner even though every single person in the room had probably gone or was still going to Swathmore.
"Idiot," Kim muttered. "Oh, and hey, one more thing!"
"Yeah?" Jack inquired.
A smile formed on the blonde's face again, "You are still giving me a birthday-present, right?"
Laughingly, Jack responded, "Of course, Kim, of course."
"Oh great, 'cause there's this knitted sweater that Grace has and never lets me borrow, it's like-"
"Bye Kim, hanging up now!"
Silence followed, with Kim frowning at her phone and her dad grinning mockingly at her while tapping his fingers on the steering-wheel to the beat of the music. Rolling her eyes and telling her dad to go back to his Rihanna so he'd leave her alone, she got out the white envelope from her bag and opened it – like she'd suspected, it contained card with her best friend's handwriting on it. The writing explained to her that the dress-shopping was a one-time thing, that she shouldn't expect getting anything but his chemistry-notes in the future and that he definitely chose the right blonde to be best friends with.
"He chose another blonde over you?" Her dad inquired, catching a quick glance at the card in her hands.
"Oh, shut up, it was a one-time thing!" Kim countered.
Mr. Crawford chuckled, focusing on the road again, "I thought him getting you nice things was the one-time thing in this story?"
"Dad, you're an idiot," Kim complained, leaning back in her chair with the card still in her hands. "And so is Jack … yet, you both picked the perfect blonde to have in your lives, so I guess I can't hate you."
"Okay, since when was your brother anything close to perfect?"
"Daaaaaaad!"
A/N: What is it with me and bad endings? Anyway, my brother told me to write about two blondes fighting over him when I told him I had a writer's block, and this is what came of it ... not that they're actually fighting or that I compare Jack to my brother, I just sort of only listened to the 'two blondes'-part of his idea. Next chapter is being worked on, by the way, if you're lucky it'll be out early July; if not, it'll still be out in July (just not early).
Review, alert, favorite - I love the emails I get either way!
- Brooke.