Jack lay in bed that night with an ice pack on his cheek. He sighed heavily and stood up from his bed, walking downstairs.
"Mom, I'm going out." He said.
"It's kind of late, isn't it?" His mother finished putting the rest of dinner away.
"There's something I need to do." He walked out the door.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked up the steps of the small beige house. He knocked on the door and waited, expecting no answer.
Jack stiffened as the door opened and the small, blonde haired girl stood in front of him.
"Hey." He whispered, observing her tear stained face. "Listen, I wanted to say I was sorry."
"Sorry doesn't make up for what you did." Kim wiped her face with her jacket sleeve. "Sorry doesn't take away the pain Brody felt for hours after leaving the dojo today."
"I know." Jack let out a huge breath. "I know it doesn't. But, Kim, you have to believe that I never, intentionally meant to hurt Brody like that."
"Why would you agree to fight him in the first place, Jack?" She let tears stream down her face. "You knew you were better than him, there's no excuse for what you did."
Jack's heart sank; he hated seeing Kim like that. The fact that it didn't happen so often, made him feel even worse. "Kim." He reached for her.
Kim took a step back. "Don't." She closed her eyes. "Don't say you're sorry because it's just meaningless."
"I love you, Kim. I was just scared. I know it doesn't mean I had the right to do what I did, but I just…I couldn't lose you."
"You lost me anyways." She sniffled. "I love you too, Jack, but you didn't trust me. How can I be in a relationship with no trust?"
"I trust you." He wrapped his arms around her, refusing to let her go as she struggled to get out of his grip.
She finally gave up and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his jacket. "Please…please don't do anything like this again."
"Never." Jack promised. "And I swear, I'll apologize to Brody and to Emily."
"Emily?"
"She's mad at me too."
Kim gave him a confused look.
"She had a good reason." He kissed her cheek.
She nodded and held him closer.
"Hey, Brody!" Jack called from across the hall a couple days later. He jogged up to him. "Listen-."
"It's cool, Jack." Brody chuckled. "I know you're here to apologize, Kim called. And listen, I never meant for mine and Kim's friendship to look like more than it was."
"It's okay." Jack nodded. "I still feel really, really bad about what happened at the dojo."
"Bridge under the water, man." Brody shook his hand. "If it's cool with you, I'd still like to join the Bobbi Wasabi Dojo."
"Yeah, man." Jack smiled. "You got skill."
"Thanks." Brody nodded and walked away from him.
Jack turned and ran into Kim, who smiled up at him and kissed him.
"Thank you." She mumbled against his lips.
"You're welcome." He smiled and looked up, seeing Emily across the hall. He gulped and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.
"You'll be fine." Kim nudged him forward, pushing him towards Emily.
She slammed her locker closed and glared at him. "Yes?"
"I'm, uh…I'm s-sorr-."
"You're forgiven." She smiled and hugged him.
"What?" Jack was confused. "But…you…and the yelling…and the slapping…and…huh?"
"Kim called and told me what happened." She explained. "And-."
"After a couple of hours of convincing." Kim held his hand. "She agreed to forgive you."
"Really?" Jack sighed with relief. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Emily smiled as Jerry showed up beside her.
"Hey, man." Jerry gave him a high-five.
"Hey, Jerry." Jack smiled.
"Let's hit lunch, I'm starving." He steered Emily to the cafeteria with Jack and Kim following behind them.
Jack sighed with content as Kim settled in his lap at the lunch table.
"I'm tired." She mumbled, leaning her head on his shoulder and sneezed. "And sick."
"Your fault for being out in the rain like that." He teased.
"It's YOUR fault." She glared at him.
"Yeah, but you didn't HAVE to stay out in the rain with me."
She bit his neck gently, making him squirm. "You KEPT me out there."
He smiled at her. "If I hadn't, you wouldn't be sitting with me."
She ruffled his hair and laughed as he grumbled to himself, trying to fix it.
"I need a nap." Emily grained, resting her head on the table.
"Why'd you stay up all night?" Jerry asked with his mouth full.
"Because you can talk for hours." She lifted her head. "By the way, you killed my phone battery and I had to leave it at home to charge."
He swallowed his food and smiled sheepishly at her. "I'm sorry."
She laughed softly and leaned forward, kissing him.
Jerry blushed after she pulled away; he wasn't actually used to having a girlfriend like Emily and he definitely wasn't used to the public displays of affection.
"Hey, guys." Eddie waved, walking up to the table with Milton. "Can you believe Rudy's taking in ANOTHER black belt student?"
"Wow." Emily and Kim laughed. "Come on, you guys. Give Brody a chance, he's really good."
Jack nodded in agreement.
"Aren't you afraid of a little competition?" Milton asked her, Jack, and Emily.
"No." Emily replied, resting against Jerry.
"Why would we be afraid?" Kim asked.
"We are." Eddie admitted, point at himself, Milton, and Eddie. "You guys are all black belts, we're not even close to the same level you are."
"Eddie." Jack patted his shoulder. "Dude, it's okay, that's what practice is for. It's not lie Rudy's going to drop you guys from the dojo because it's taking awhile to get your next belt."
Eddie and Milton decided to let it go; Jack was right. Even though they weren't as good as Kim, Emily, Jack, and Brody, doesn't mean they were bad entirely.
After school, at the dojo, the group of friends had just finished practice for the day.
"You good?" Jack asked Brody, laughing at how winded he was.
"I'm good." Brody panted, laughing. "It's been awhile."
"You'll get back in the swing of things." Kim reassured, smiling.
"We're heading over to Falafel Phil's." Jack said, grabbing her hand. "Coming, Brody?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I'll meet you there."
Everyone left the dojo, except for Brody, who was putting his things away in his locker. He sighed and closed his locker; it was weird being friends with Jack after just being pummeled by him a few days before. Plus, he was so used to having Kim around and being so close with her, that every time he saw her with Jack, he felt lonely.
He had actually grown to like Kim, even before all the stuff that happened at the cotillion. He would have told her, but he knew her feelings for Jack, so he backed off. Telling her how her felt only meant getting on Jack's bad side again and possibly losing her as a friend.
He changed out of his gi, closed his locker, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and made his way to Falafel Phil's. He smiled when Kim waved him over to the table they were sitting at.
Brody sat across from her and joined in their conversation, laughing at a joke Jerry had told. He looked at his new friends and decided, for the sake of everyone, to keep what he felt to himself.
From across the restaurant he saw a girl smile at him and blush. He smiled in her direction.
"Or." He thought to himself. "I could just move on."
So...that's it. Ha. This is the last chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it (: