Hey guys! Sorry that you had to wait so long for this chapter. I was in Canada and just returned home a few days ago.
Thanks to all my reviewers though! There were 15 reviews for last chapter!
LittleSM24:
Aw, thank you so much :) I'm happy you love Jerry and Rika's relationship!
HeartOfAFighter:
Yeah, I've spent a lot of time with planning the story, especially the plot, so I'm glad you like how it's thickening! Oh, and the "Her Kiss" chapter is after this one! There's not really much else to Rika's past other than what's already been told, but I will say that Ash isn't going anywhere yet. Their past may be over, but their story isn't (if that makes any sense). Thanks for the review!
ELOVATE:
Don't worry. Starting with chapter 13, the chapters will be full of kick. I promise :)
starships13:
Thanks for the review, but no, there won't be a sequel. I'm sorry :(
my unknown guest reviewer, KickForever99, BearKick15, Camela1998, optimistic girl94:
Thanks, guys :)
Kick Lover:
All I can say is that Kim will remember soon! Thanks for the review!
my guest reviewer Rose:
Thanks for reviewing, but just so you know, you weren't being rude. However, no offence (I'm not trying to be mean), but it is a little annoying to review saying "plz update." If you really want me to update, reviewing what exactly it is that you like about my story always inspires me to write :)
my guest reviewer Chanelle Rica:
Aw, thank you so much!
SouthAfricanKickShipper:
You'll have to be patient haha. Next chapter is "Her Kiss!" Thanks for reviewing :)
…
Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It, the parts of the story that relate to the Vampire Diaries, or any other brand that shows up in my work. I only own the plot and my OCs Rika and Ash.
…
Chapter 12: Up All Night Talking
Laughing uncontrollably and completely drenched in water from a sudden torrential downpour, Brody and Kim scrambled in the door, abandoning the dinner picnic outside. She glanced over at him, a smile on her lips and arms hugging her body in a hopeless attempt to lessen the chills coursing through her veins.
"So, now what?" She wondered.
"We could watch a movie." Brody offered, taking a step towards her and reaching out a hand to brush a stray lock of her blonde hair away from her eyes. "But first, do you want to borrow some of my clothes? You must be freezing."
Kim nodded, biting her lip slightly. "Sure."
…
Face to face with Rika, Jerry's eyes fell into hers. He brought his hand to her cheek, tenderly brushing his thumb across the skin below her eye.
"Since that one night," He began softly. "I don't think I've told you how beautiful you are."
Rika smiled slightly, feeling her heart race in her chest. She found herself amazed by how easily he managed to make her feel so safe, yet make her heart pound at the same time.
Leaning forward slightly, she rested her head against his chest. Jerry wrapped his arm around body, bringing her closer to him.
"Jerry?"
He closed his eyes, mumbling, "Hm?"
With her head still buried in his chest, Rika's smile faded. "I need to tell you something."
Too tired to comprehend the serious tone in her voice, Jerry mumbled sleepily, "Okay."
Rika didn't seem to notice that he was barely listening. Her mind was lost in thought, deciding how to go about telling him what she really was. If they were going to try and make this relationship work, he had to understand that it wouldn't last forever. As the years passed by, he would grow older, while she remained in the body of a seventeen year old girl.
Taking a deep breath, she decided on an indirect approach.
"I will never be eighteen."
Even though she couldn't seem him, Jerry smiled. "What do you mean, Rika? Your birthday is only a few weeks away."
Rika sighed internally, not knowing how to continue her confession. She had to find another way to explain their situation, but she was afraid she'd freak him out if she didn't choose her words carefully.
Noticing that Rika was taking a little too long to respond, Jerry's eyes opened and he knitted his eyebrows together. Was that not her birthday?
He looked over at the wall before asking, "Your birthday is October 16th, right?"
"Yeah, but…" Rika trailed off, hesitant to go on.
"But…what…?" Jerry asked slowly, becoming even more confused. If October 16th was her birthday, and she was seventeen now, that had to mean she would be turning eighteen in only a few weeks.
Suddenly, he grew worried. Maybe she was acting like this because she was unsure about their age difference and how it would affect their lives.
"Jerry, I…" Rika trailed off again. "I'm not…" She struggled to find the right words. "I'm not like you. I'm…different."
By now, Jerry was completely lost. He pulled away slightly, still holding her but now looking into her troubled, hazel orbs. In an attempt to lessen his confusion and the growing tension in the room, he smiled and said, "Of course you're different, Rika. You're a girl and I'm a guy."
Despite her nerves, a small, half-hearted smile appeared on Rika's lips. But it was short lived.
"Jerry, I was born on October 16th, and on October 16th, I will be a year older, but I will still be seventeen."
Jerry gave her the most puzzled of looks he had ever given anyone in all his twenty three years.
"Rika, what the hell are you talking about?"
Rika pursed her lips. "I-I don't know." She stuttered quietly, mentally kicking herself for lying. She had been so close to telling him, but her fears of him not understanding were too great.
"I think I'm just really tired." She added, trying to explain her odd behavior.
Jerry was unsure but decided to let go of his concerns for the time being. He brought his hand to her cheek again.
"Do you wanna stay the night?"
Rika shook her head. "No, I uh, should head home."
She sat up in bed, running a hand through her hair and looking away from his eyes. Jerry sat up too and took her hand in his.
"Rika, Kim is okay with us being together."
Rika found his eyes and smiled, raising an eyebrow. "I know, but do you really think she'd still be okay if she came home to find us naked in your bed?"
Jerry chuckled. "Probably not."
Still smiling, Rika turned away from him and gathered her discarded clothes, while Jerry found his. Once they were dressed, Rika turned to face him again.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Jerry nodded and smiled. "Yeah."
Rika smiled and started for the door.
After a moment of hesitation, Jerry called after her.
"Rika, wait."
She turned back around and looked at him, running a hand through her brunette waves.
"Yeah?"
Jerry walked up to her nervously.
"I…" His voice caught in his throat. It was like his heart was to about to burst from his chest.
He wanted to tell her so badly. Ever since his conversation with Kim last night, it was all he had been thinking about. But he just couldn't.
Even though he had liked her long before the first night they slept together, he was pretty sure she didn't. And if that was true, it would be far too soon to confess just how much she meant to him. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away.
Rika raised an eyebrow in concern. "Jerry, what?"
"Uh," He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Never mind. It's nothing."
Rika felt like he was lying. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," He replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Rika smiled hesitantly and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
"Bye." She nearly whispered.
Jerry forced a smile, his voice just as soft. "Bye."
Rika pursed her lips.
Once she was out the door, Jerry's smile faded. He fell backwards onto his bed, closing his eyes.
"Fuck." He groaned.
…
Jack stood in front of his house, lost in his thoughts and hesitant to go inside. He hadn't seen his brother in the last twenty four hours, so he figured that would be enough time for the two of them to cool down.
However, time didn't really do much for them. It wouldn't matter if they waited weeks or even years. The moment they laid eyes on each other, the tension between them would resurface.
Taking a deep breath, Jack decided now was as good a time as any and opened the door. He stepped inside, only now noticing the laughter he longed to hear ringing in his ears as he wandered down the hallway.
Turning a corner, he froze, feeling as if his heart was ripped from his chest. He had started to accept that Kim would never be his again. He had known she was bound to move on. But nothing could prepare him for seeing it with his own eyes.
Snuggled up on the couch, Kim and Brody weren't even paying attention to the movie playing on the screen. She was dressed in his sweats and laughing uncontrollably. Her laughter faded though when she fell into Brody's eyes. His smile soon faded too.
Bringing his hand to her cheek, his face neared hers. Just before their lips touched, Jack tore his gaze away from them and shut his eyes.
Jack needed to get the hell out of that house.
If he didn't, he wouldn't be the only one with a heart ripped from his chest.
…
Rika wandered down the sidewalk on her way home. Glancing up at the nearly full moon in the dark, black sky, she sighed. She couldn't help but think about how it reflected her backing out of informing Jerry of her deepest secret. Just like the moon was so close to revealing itself completely, she had been so close to telling him she was a mystic.
Tearing her eyes from the moon, she looked ahead of her, her thoughts leaving her the moment she spotted a disheveled Jack slumped against the steps leading to her front door. Earlier when she had stopped by the Brewer's, expecting to talk with Jack and instead had amended her broken friendship with Brody, she had been ready to see him, to ask him how he felt.
But looking at him now, with his dreary, red eyes meeting her gaze, she had never felt so lost on what to say. Tentatively, she approached him, neither of them saying a word nor breaking their gaze. She saw the beer bottle clutched in his hand and the countless others scattered across the steps, but chose to ignore the obvious – he was wasted.
Finding her voice, Rika spoke up, "What are you doing here?"
Jack shrugged, bringing the bottle to his lips and forcing the alcohol down his throat. "Kim kissed Brody."
Rika's mouth opened slightly in sympathy. She knew they would most likely kiss on their first date, but she never thought Jack would be there to see it happen. Hesitantly, she took a seat beside him. His feet were placed on the step below where he was sitting, his arms resting on his knees and eyes set out in front of him, not wanting to meet Rika's again.
"I'm sorry." Rika whispered, her voice so small it was barely audible.
Jack shook his head, pursing his lips and shutting his eyes for a short moment. "I'm pathetic." He muttered.
Rika was caught off guard by his words and turned to face him, but his eyes reopened and remained out in front of him. "No, Jack. You're not."
He chuckled slightly, puzzling Rika.
Knitting her eyebrows together, she asked, "What?"
Still not looking at her, he replied, his voice low. "A few days ago, you screamed how pathetic I was to my face."
Rika felt a pit of regret form deep in her heart. "I…" She trailed off.
Surprisingly enough, he turned to look at her for a second. As long as he was looking at her like that, she was unable to respond.
Rika was the first to avert her eyes away. "That was before I knew."
Jack nodded and returned his eyes to the street in front of him. "I know." He glanced away from her to his right. "It's just ironic."
It was silent for a few moments, both of them lost in their thoughts. Jack's heart clenched as he tried but failed to shake the sight of Brody with his girl out of his head. Before he could stop them, his drunken thoughts drifted off. What were they doing right now? Was it more than kissing?
Jack ran a hand through his hair, not allowing his mind to go down that road. The mere thought of his brother touching her in that way made his blood boil. He exhaled deeply, attempting to calm his rage.
When Rika spoke up again, Jack was broken from his thoughts. He had nearly forgotten she was seated beside him.
"You should tell Brody…about you and Kim."
Jack narrowed his eyes at her. "And tell him what?" Rika nearly flinched under his intense gaze. Before continuing, he tore his eyes from hers and looked out in front of him again. "In Brody's eyes I'm not even capable of loving someone."
Rika couldn't believe he just said that, that he really felt that way. "That's not true and you know it." She argued, her voice somehow steady. He was practically attacking Brody and himself with that statement.
"It might as well be." Jack mumbled, taking another sip from his bottle.
That shut Rika right up. How could she respond to that? Was it even possible to drag someone out of a place that dark, a mind so screwed up it never left them alone, never stopped reminding them of all their mistakes?
Before she could find an answer to her question, which probably didn't even exist, Jack shifted the conversation over to her. He appreciated Rika's concern, but he was tired of talking about himself. All it ever did was depress him even more, shove him even deeper into his regret and unforgiving mind.
"So, what are you gonna do about Jerry?"
Rika's eyes widened. How did he know…?
"What are you talking about?" She asked him, eyeing him carefully.
Jack turned to face her, a smirk playing on his lips. Her flustered reaction was quite amusing. "I can smell him on you."
Rika's eyes widened even more, and she felt her cheeks heating up. "You…you what?"
Jack's smirk grew. "And it's a pretty strong scent." He added.
Rika avoided his eyes, stuttering, "I-I don't know what y-you're talking about."
Jack chuckled. "Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed."
Rika hesitantly met his eyes only to catch him smiling smugly.
"At least one of us is getting some."
Rika's mouth shot wide open. Shoving him, she raised her voice. "You pervert!"
Jack laughed a real laugh in response. Rika couldn't help but smile at that; she had never heard him laugh like that – so carefree and true.
She crossed her arms across her chest though, unable to suppress her laughter. "I hate you."
Jack chuckled.
"Does Kim know?" He asked after their laughter had died down and smiles had faded.
Rika looked at him. "Yeah, but…"
"…he doesn't know you're a mystic." Jack finished for her.
Rika nodded. "Yeah." She sighed.
Her eyes landed on one of his unopened beer bottles. "Give me one of those."
Jack raised an eyebrow at her, and she gave him an expectant look. Shrugging, Jack grabbed the bottle and went to pop off the cap.
"I can do it." Rika's words stopped him. He handed her the bottle and his eyes widened when she utilized the stairs to effortlessly remove the cap and then downed about half the bottle.
She caught his widened eyes and raised her eyebrows. "What? Never seen a girl open a bottle of beer?"
"No, I just…" Jack trailed off, his surprised expression fading and a smirk now tugging at the corners of lips. "I never knew Rika Blake was into hardcore drinking."
Rika smiled, bringing the bottle to her lips and taking a sip. "Only when life sucks."
Jack smiled and raised an eyebrow. "And how often is that?"
"Pretty much all of the time."
Jack chuckled. "Well, here's to life sucking." He raised his bottle.
Rika did the same, tapping her bottle against his.
"To life sucking." She repeated before the both of them took another sip.
Oddly enough, Rika had found a friend in Jack that night. For hours they just talked. There were no arguments, no hurtful comments – nothing but true laughter and honest conversation. It was as if they were the best of friends, and Rika had a feeling that from then on, at least for a little while, that things were looking up.
…
Review your thoughts? I really enjoyed writing the scene with Rika and Jack, and I'd love to know what you guys thought about it!
Just a reminder…next chapter is "Her Kiss." Thank you all for being so patient with the 'eventual/ sprinkled in kick nature' of this story :)
theScribblerWP
