Chapter Eleven: Maybe

"I wish you were going to be there," JB said over the phone.

"Yeah, me too," Kerry responded. She was sitting on her front porch, waiting for her mother to come home to drive her to her first football game with the Marauders. Coincidently, the Dragons at their first game that night to.

"JB, I'm scared. I mean, I spent my whole life so far building a life in Raritan and now it's just like its all for nothing. I mean, I like Shannon and Jamie and Courtney and everything, but they weren't the ones I've had pity parties with, who've made me feel better when I've gone into crazy emotional Kerry mode. They weren't the ones who saved me from looking like a fool in front of Jeremy Kaye in the eighth grade. They aren't the ones I have stupid nicknames with that we all had to make into screen names. I mean, we got Franklin to call himself turtle boy. No one but us could have –"

"Please don't talk about Franklin right now."

"Oh yeah, how's that going? With Taylor, I mean."

"Tyler! His name is Tyler!"

"Right, Tyler, I knew that. Sorry JB."

"Look I really don't want to talk about Tyler or Franklin or any of that."

"Sorry."

There was an awkward pause. "Remember when we accidentally got Jams jelly, instead of jam and he was like 'I like jams, not jelly!'" JB exclaimed with a laugh.

"And for like a month we called him 'Jams, not Jelly'."

"Until we finally shortened it to Jams. We were what eight years old?"

"Yeah. And I remember I got mine the year before. Everyone was so sick up the double r's it was just easier to call me K."

"Actually, I don't think that was it."

"What do you mean?"

"I gave you the nickname K. I shortened Kerry because you hated that I had a nickname and you didn't. Remember?"

"Well, I remember that you gave me the nickname. And that I gave you yours; I was definitely the first to call you JB?"

"But Kerry, do you remember why my nickname is JB? Like where it came from?" JB asked seriously.

"Of course, it stands for Jilly Bean. Like jelly bean, only not." Kerry stated dully. "What are you getting at?"

"No, I meant do you remember why you called me Jilly bean?" JB inquired.

Kerry thought for a moment. "Wasn't it just me being funny?"

"No, K, it wasn't. You don't remember?"

"I guess not."

"And you don't remember why I always call you K?"

"No," Kerry stated slowly. She felt bad for not remembering. "I'm sorry JB, I don't remember."

"Don't apologize, Kerry," JB paused and Kerry heard her mumble something under her breathe. "When we were in Kindergarten you couldn't say my name. Instead of Jillian you said Jilly-ean. I thought you called me a Jelly Bean, which was Derek's favorite junk food at the time. I however, hated them." JB laughed at the memory. "I thought you called me Jelly bean and I was terribly insulted. So you started calling me Jilly Bean, instead, which worked because my name is Jillian. Over the years it got shortened to JB. And I shortened Kerry to K so we would both have nicknames for each other. It was like, proof of our friendship or something."

"I hate that I don't remember any of this."

"Yeah, look Kerry, I got to go. First game you know."

"Yeah. Talk to you later?"

"Definitely. Bye." Kerry hung up the phone and fiddled with her flip folder. Kirk had gotten her the music, since he was the only one who had seemed to treat her okay in the section. Maybe it was because they had bonded over being sophomores, though Simon was in tenth grade too and he still seemed to hate her. Or maybe it was because they had bonded on the last day of band camp. Kerry smiled in memory.

They were supposed to be forming an odd shape at the end of Song Two and Kirk and Kerry had ended up near each other. Somehow the two had managed to do it avoid the major collision. Roger and Eric were on the opposite side of the field, and though Kerry was unsure if they were in their spots, she noticed Eric laughing hysterically. And then she noticed most of the freshmen in a heap in the middle of the field. That was when Kirk turned to her and said "It's like the freshmen barrier between the upperclassmen and the underclassmen."

"Good thing to," Kerry added. "Saves me from Roger."

"And Eric's lame attempts at telling jokes," Kirk continued.

"Kerry!" She looked up. Her mother had just pulled up, "Let's go.'

When Kerry arrived, she grabbed her trumpet and set up.

"What's up?" Kerry asked as Courtney took a seat beside Kerry.

"So I've been thinking and I may have come up with the best plan to get my brother back," Courtney replied.

"Really?" Kerry asked.

"Yeah, I mean, who better to find a way to exploit him then the girl he makes miserable inside and outside of his house. Trust me when I say I can help you make his life miserable."

Kerry laughed. "Okay that might be going a bit far. New subject please."

"But –"

"So it's the first game of the season! What's football like here? I mean, do people actually come to these games."

Courtney sighed. "Our football team isn't very good. We're more of a science league, mathletes, track champions type of school."

"Science league, mathletes and track? I'm sorry, but what?"

"Yeah, we're definitely a more academic school but we have this awesome track and field coach. Like he could get the fattest, laziest kid motivated to run. It's ridiculous."

"Sounds like it."

"Yeah, he's mad cool though. I run winter and spring track. You should totally join! Jamie and Shannon have indoor percussion, and Lena's not the track type, so basically all my friends leave me high and dry after marching band is over."

"No way, there's indoor percussion here?"

"Yeah, I think it's only for percussionist."

"Oh really?" Kerry attempted to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Well track sounds fun."

Courtney opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Jason yelling orders at the band. "Everyone, parade bloc outside now! Upperclassmen, help the freshmen! And remember your flip folders!"

And with that said. Kerry prepared for her first game with the Marauders. And a voice in the back of her head told her that maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

A/n: It's officially summer vacation and I hope to update a lot more. I'm not sure what I think about this chapter. I originally had part of it written for later in the story, but it seemed to fit now. Tell me what you think. Thanks, Sweetest Melody