Hello and happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and thank you so much for all the reviews! I love you all!
kickinfan321: Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad to hear that!
theScribblerWP: Okay, first off, thank you so for the super sweet words! You're the best! Thank you for noticing and yeah, I like their friendship too! Hehe, I'm so glad you liked the ending and you'll just have to read to find out!
Maddylixza1234: Yep and haha, oh yeah! Ooh, I like that idea and I have something else mind too but maybe I can blend the two! Thanks so much!
Kickfeaver: Thank you so much and hehe, we'll see!
Guest: Here you go! And you couldn't be more right!
talktothehand: You're welcome and I'm happy to hear that!
Guest: Here it is and I'm so beyond glad that you like it!
Jade: Aw, thank you so much and you will!
ProudlyUnique: OMG, you are too incredibly sweet! Thank you for all the kind words and I'm so happy you like it and hopefully you like the rest!
who am i really: I know right!
Guest: Sorry for that and here is the next one!
Guest: You can say that again!
Kicklover24: Haha, that did and me too! Oh, you got that right!
Guest: Thank you and you'll find out soon!
Guest: Sorry…and you'll find out soon!
Guest: That is a very good observation…you'll find out soon!
Enjoy!
"Jerry, hey," Jack quickly smiles. "Nothing's going on here."
"Really?" Jerry counters.
"Yes," I join in.
"Eh, I don't think so. You had your head on his shoulder", Jerry points out. "That means something."
"Jerry for the-,"Jack starts off before another voice was added into the mix.
"Oh, wonderful," I think to myself as I see their figure.
"What's going on out here?" Viviana questions, seeing Jack and I fidgeting and Jerry eyeing the both of us.
"Nothing," Jack and I say at the same time.
"No, you two were out here; alone and together," Jerry responds, emphasizing the last word.
"What?" Viviana screams. "You two were out here together? Kim, you told me th-."
"Nothing is," I cut her off before she has a chance to utter the phrase that's been on her mind for a while now because I cannot handle anymore awkwardness tonight.
"Then, tell me why you two were out here," she pushes, glaring at us.
Jack and I share a look before he closes his eyes and rubs his forehead. "See, I told you something is going on," Jerry tells Viviana, watching the scene unfold.
"Thank you Einstein, I can see that too," she hisses, rolling eyes at him. "But, what I don't understand is what the big deal is. It's not like they're secretly dating and behind our backs because surely, my best friend and brother would have told me. They wouldn't lie to my face, right?"
"And there was. Way to make things super uncomfortable Viv," I say myself as she continues to just stare at us with irritation and confusion.
"Well, they're not saying anything. Maybe you're onto something Viv," Jerry agrees with her, looking between the two of us.
"Way to go Jerry. Of course you think that," I grumble to myself.
"I mean, when I came out here th-."
"ENOUGH!" Jack suddenly yells, stopping Jerry mid-sentence along with making Viviana and I jump and Jerry scream. "For the last time, Kim and I are not secretly dating. So Viv, you can stop at the evil glare you're giving us. And since, you two are so fucking nosy, I was out here first, Kim asked if I was okay and then I thanked her for the family dinner," Jack said all in one breath as Jerry and Viviana's jaws just drop for a second before quickly closing.
"Oh, okay. Sorry," Jerry quickly apologizes and then rushes back inside.
"Mom just wanted me to tell you that we're leaving in a little bit," Viviana adds before following Jerry's actions and reentering the house.
I feel my jaw drop in shock at what I just witnessed and how quickly both Jerry and Viviana dropped the subject. "Wh-what just hap-happened?" I stutter, confused and in awe.
"Nothing," Jack smiles, walking up the steps and back inside.
I stay outside for a minute or so longer, trying to understand what just happened when I mutter to myself, "See, this is what happens when you have friends," before rejoining everyone inside.
No more than twenty minutes pass before my parents are hugging Anastasia goodbye with me hugging Jerry, Jack and Viviana who whispers, "I'll see you tomorrow," in my ear.
"Yeah," I reply with a nod as they all exit the house with small smiles on their faces.
Later that night, as I'm lying in bed, I couldn't get what happened outside out of my head. It's like the three of them had a secret and I wanted to know what it was. But, it's not like I can just ask. I mean, when I first met Jack, I was so closed off and wouldn't tell him anything about myself. So, I know I'll just have to be patient and when the time is right, someone, I don't care who, will tell me everything.
OoOoOoOo
It was a sleepless night and with the sun now shining through my window and the smell of breakfast floating through the air, I knew it was time to get up and start my day. By early afternoon, I was already on my way to Viviana's and to be honest, not quite sure how the day would go considering everything from last night.
Slowly knocking on the door, I'm quickly greeted by Viv who has a huge smile on her face. "Hey Kim!" She welcomes happily, opening the door for me to enter.
"Hey Viv," I smile, a little weirded out about how she can be back to her normal self. Or, maybe it's just me and I'm just overthinking this whole thing.
"So, I have your present; but after getting your present, it doesn't feel like enough. So, here is this and I'll tell you the second part after," Viviana says, handing me a box.
I carefully unwrap it and open the top to see a picture frame. Placing the top of the box on the ground, I pull out the frame to see a quote in the center that read, "Good friends care for each other. Close friends understand each other. But true friends stay forever. Beyond words, beyond distance, beyond time." and it brought tears to my eyes. "Thank you," I mumble, hugging Viviana tightly.
"Of course! The moment I saw it, I thought of you. Your strength and optimism is uplifting and something I needed in my life. So, thank you. You really are my sister and best friend for life," Viviana beams once we release from the hug, both of us crying, of course, me more than her.
"Oh Viv," I wail, hugging her again. "You will always be my sister and best friend too."
"Good," she smirk. "And now, the second part of my gift is that I will read every single one of your sappy romance books you always tell me about it."
"Really?" I question in shock as a huge smile is forming on my lips.
"Yes, really," Viviana nods. "You're always talking about them, so I thought, why not."
"Eep!" I squeal. "You're going to love them!"
"If you say so," Viviana laughs as we share one last hug before going about our day that consists of shopping at the mall and then grabbing coffee at Viviana's favorite coffee shop.
OoOoOoOo
Over the next few days, we're all busy getting ready for the Christmas holiday that was only two days away. Viviana and I still text but I haven't heard from Jack since the dinner and was getting a little worried. So, I decided to send a quick text reading, "Hey Jack, how are you?" hoping that I can get something more.
Christmas came and went and although it was a nice holiday filled with family, love and of course presents, my mind was still on Jack and the secret as he still hadn't replied. I got an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach but pushed it aside, trying not to because obsessed with the matter and just focus on my family.
New Year's Eve was crazier than I ever thought possible as the Brewer house was jammed packed, wall-to-wall with friends of Anastasia's, Jack and Viviana and though I am better with crowds, this crowd wasn't necessarily in my comfort zone. Deciding to sneak away to get them fresh air, I reached the back door and quietly stepped out, not wanting to draw attention to myself. The cold winter air instantly my mind at ease as I couldn't believe another year has come and gone. It feels like I've known these people all my life when really, it's only been about eight months. That's how much they all mean to me. The light creaking of the door breaks my thoughts as I see Jack walking over to me. "Hey, you okay Kim?" he asks with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumble, silence filling in between us. "Um, I'm going to head back in. I really don't want to repeat of last week", quickly turning around on my heels.
"Kim, wait," Jack calls out, grabbing my hand. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't reply to your message. It's just, ever since the dinner, my mind's been elsewhere."
"Jack, you don't need to explain anything to me. It's fine, really. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," I respond, gently giving his hand and a squeeze.
"Thanks. I really appreciate it. And no, even though we don't talk about it, you deserve to know. It's just, Viv and I haven't had a real family dinner like that one since our dad passed away," Jack sighs, looking up to the sky and then down to me.
"Oh Jack," I breathe out, giving him a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"Kim, it's not your fault but thank you. It's just one of those taboo subjects for us, you know," Jack mumbles once we separate. "But, don't think that I didn't like the dinner, because I did. It just brought back some old memories."
"I understand and thank you," I smile. "And know that, if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."
"I know," Jack nods and then hugs me again before pulling me back inside because the countdown was beginning.
I quickly find Viv whose cheering and yelling along and I can't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. When we finally reach one, I'm squished in the middle by Viviana, Reagan, Winnie, Kelly and Jacob and can't help but smile as I try to hug them back up. Once they all release me, I give everyone their own hug and then am swept up by Jerry who's kissing my cheek and screaming, "Happy New Year!"
I pat his back as he drops me to move onto the next person as Jack subtly kisses my forehead as he gives me a hug before needing to go pry Jerry off of Kelly. All in all, it was a great holiday and I couldn't be more grateful for everyone I have in my life.
OoOoOoOo
The following week we are all back to school back and back our normal routine of not having a life. The first few days were a little brutal as my brain was still on vacation mode and by Wednesday night, I just wanted to throw my history book out the window. It's finally Thursday and all I can think about is that tomorrow is Friday and I then I can finally breathe and enjoy a quiet weekend. I go on with my day, doing classwork and talking with friends when I get a text message from Jack asking me if I can meet today after school. Of course I reply yes and I am actually a little nervous about the sudden offer but let it slide, thinking it may be about what we talked about on New Year's.
After my last class, I'm at my locker, throwing a few things in and grabbing other things when Viviana pops out of nowhere. "Hey Kim, you free this afternoon?" She asks curiously.
"No, sorry Viv," I reply, slamming my locker shut.
"Okay. It's fine. Maybe tomorrow?" She wonders.
"Yeah, tomorrow's great," I smile.
"Awesome. Well, I'll let you go," Viviana finishes, giving me a quick hug.
"Bye," I wave as I'm walking towards the door.
I hop into my car. Yes, I finally have my own car. I got it for Christmas as my parents finally accepted that I'm growing up and need a car for school and potential job in the future. The twenty minute drive wasn't too bad and as I pull into the parking lot, I realize I don't know what Jack's new car looks like. Do I go in and wait? Is he already waiting for me? And as I go back-and-forth, I finally talk myself into getting out. The bell on the door signals a new customer and as I look around the room, I see Jack sitting at a table and waving me over. "Hey Jack," I smile, taking a seat across from him.
"Hey Kim, thanks for coming. And I took the liberty of ordering you a hot chocolate. I hope that's okay," Jack says caustically.
"Of course and thank you for doing that," I reply.
Jack just smiles and nods as we end up staring at one another, feeling like the first time we met and not sure how to start a conversation. No more than a minute passes before I question, "So, what's up?" Not being able to take it any longer.
"Right", Jack coughs, clearing his throat and his cheeks reddening from embarrassment. "So, my winter break hasn't been off to the greatest start and I think it's because I need to talk about it. Ever since the dinner, I've been reliving the past, feeling emotions I thought were long gone and now, I think I'm going crazy."
I open my mouth, ready to reply when our waitress arrives with our drinks. We both mumble a quick thank you as I look at my hot chocolate and then back at Jack, refocusing on our conversation. "Jack, you're not going crazy but I do agree that you should probably talk about it. It doesn't have to be with me, but I think it'll help you let go of the past and finally get it off your chest," I explained softly.
"Okay, yeah," Jack sighs. "And, what I said before is true. You need to know, so, here it is. It all started when Viv got diagnosed with cancer. It was a huge shock to the system and my mom literally fell apart. She couldn't believe or understand that her baby girl was sick and me, I was just a thirteen year-old boy who was worried and scared for my sister. But our dad, he wouldn't accept it, at all. He denied that Viv was sick and tried to pretend like everything was okay. But then, Viv got worse and so did our dad. He became distant and we could just tell that he was terrified. So, over the months with my mom and I continuously taking care of Viv our dad only helped half the time. But then, one night, my mom tried to talk to our dad about options for Viv. She was stable at the moment but her test results were always back-and-forth so my parents needed to be prepared for anything. My dad was listening to everything my mom was saying but didn't say anything in return and suddenly called a family dinner where he ordered us to stop talking about cancer for the night. He just wanted one normal night like before all this happened. But my mom, she couldn't do it and my dad got mad. He grabbed his keys and stormed out of the house. During the middle of the night, our mom woke us up and told us we had to go to the hospital and that's when everything changed. Apparently our dad went to a bar, got drunk and then decided to drive home; which resulted in him smashing his car into a tree off the highway. I had to grow up and be the man of the house night. I had to protect my sister with every fiber of my being and I was the one who held the family together during the difficult times. Now, I'm not saying my dad wasn't a good man, because he was. He was one of the greatest human beings I knew. He just couldn't accept the drastic changes happening in our lives. I still love him, but there are some days I blame him for everything and think about all the 'what if's' in life."
I can't stop the tears that are running down my face as I get up to move to the next seat as I'm instantly hugging Jack and rubbing his back, comforting him. I can't believe what he just told me and all the pain and anger he must have felt as no one deserves to ever have to go through that. "Oh Jack, I'm sorry to hear that. That's just terrible and I can't even imagine having to deal with something that. But, just know that you're so strong and loved. I know it's not an ideal situation, but know that you did a fantastic job in being there for your family and protecting them. You are the glue that held them together and look at how far you've come, achieved and thrived," I whisper, lying my head on his shoulder as his head lays on top of mine.
He intertwines my free hand with his, kisses my forehead and murmurs, "Thank you. Thank you for being you and knowing exactly what to say. I know that when people tell you you're doing a good job, it's supposed to make you feel better. But, I know no one ever believes them. But, when it comes from someone like you, you feel a new sense of hope. I feel a new sense of hopefulness, all because of you."
For the next, I don't know twenty minutes or so, we just sit there. With our drinks long forgotten and me being speechless, again, it's just, every time I'm with Jack, I am learning something new and feeling something different. A good different of course as I don't want to anything to change. Things are good, real good and for the first time, in a long time, I'm content.
OoOoOoOo
An hour later, the two go their separate ways, feeling relieved, sympathy and pride for what just happened. Jack enters his house, feeling like it a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders when he is greeted by his sister who looks livid, really livid. "You asshole!" Viviana shouts, stomping down the stairs. "I can't believe you!"
"Whoa, Viv. What's going on?" Jack questions calmly, trying to keep his cool.
"What's going on?" Viviana repeats, her voice rising as she glaring at Jack. "I'll tell you what's going on. My brother and best friend lied to my face and are in fact dating behind my back!"
"What?" Jack yells, annoyed and confused by Viviana accusations. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't play dumb with me. I saw you today, with her. And although I don't know the full story, you two looked pretty damn cozy", Viviana snaps.
"What do you mean you saw me with her?" Jack pushes, not following Viviana's rant.
"I saw you and Kim at the little diner you like going to. I saw you two holding hands, her lying her head on your shoulder and I saw you kiss her forehead. That right there is definitely a boyfriend move and I know for certain that you, you don't do relationships so, Kim must be special," Viviana sneers bitterly.
"For the last time, Kim and I aren't dating! But wait, you saw us today? Were you spying Kim? What kind of friend are you?" Jack growls.
"Stop lying to me!" Viviana screams. "And, when you put it like that, it sounds bad. But, I was just curious on why Kim was so eager to leave school, so I followed her. And, I'll have you know I'm an amazing friend."
"Bullshit, if you were an amazing friend, you wouldn't be spying on your best friend. And, I'm not lying Viv. Read my lips. Nothing's going on between Kim and I," Jack says slowly, emphasizing each word.
"So, if nothing is going on between you guys, then why were you two together?" Viviana retorts.
"We were together because I told her about dad," Jack sighs, shifting on his feet.
"Wh-what? You to-told her ab-about dad?" Viviana stutters out. "Why?"
"Because she deserves to know why you and Jerry all of a sudden went back to your normal calm selves. And because, I think I needed to talk about it to someone," Jack explains, looking at the ground.
"You needed to talk about it? Jack, what's going on?" Viviana inquires with confusion.
"Nothing's going on Viv. But, the dinner at Kim's brought back feelings I thought were long gone. I thought I'd let the past go, but maybe I never fully will. And, I knew Kim was perfect person to vent to," Jack answers honestly.
"Do you like her?" Viviana suddenly asks.
"What?" Jack choked out.
"Do you like her? Do you like Kim?" Viviana repeats.
"Sure, I like her. She's a great person and friend," Jack tells her.
"No, you fucking dimwit. Do you like, like her," Viviana tries again as she rolls her eyes.
"Honestly, I don't know. We just became friends so were a little far from thinking like that, but I do know that I like talking with her and getting a new insight on life. She's an amazing person," Jack says in a soft voice.
"Yeah, she's pretty amazing and that's why I need you to do this for me, okay," Viviana starts off, pleading with Jack.
"Okay", he agrees, giving her a nod of reassurance.
"Don't lead her on and make her think that you're interested in her. Don't be that charming guy everyone loves and don't make her fall for you. Like I said before, I know you don't do relationships and though I love you, I can't risk you guys dating and then maybe breaking up because believe it or not, I need you both in my life. You're my brother, my best friend and I don't know what I would have done without you all these years. But Kim, she's become my sister. She is someone who understands me and someone I trust. Just please, stop whatever this is", Viviana stresses.
"Viv, nothing's going to happen. And sure, Kim and I hang out, but we're friends; that's it", Jack tries to convince her.
"I get that, really, I do. But, can you honestly tell me that within the next few months of you two just 'hanging out' that your feelings for her won't change?" Viviana fires back.
Jack's about to reply, but as his mouth opens, no words come out because, in all honesty, he doesn't know what to say or what can happen. Sure, they've become friends over the past months; but the type of 'relationship' they have and the trust they have in one another is undeniably strong. Strong enough for a something to maybe happen in the future. "I, um," Jack stammers out.
"See, you can't give me am answer because you know I'm right. And, there's nothing wrong with the two of you liking each other; it's just, you need to think of a lot stuff before you commit. So, for a little but, can you please, just keep your distance from her?" Viviana lays out.
Silence fills the air as Jack is stunned but Viviana's anxiety and vulnerability and knows that he has to do what's right for everyone. "Yeah, okay. I'll keep my distance. You don't need to worry", he finishes as he gives Viviana a quick hug before walking away and up the stairs.
And there you go folks! Please R&R and let me know what you think!
Please, let's try to trach 210 before the next chapter!
Thanks and until next time,
Missy xx