"Your date?" Kim asked incredulously. He wasn't being serious, was he? She was going with someone already. Oh! And let's not forget for the fact that she almost practically slept with him because she drank too much and was jealous of Jack and some senior. There were plenty other reasons that this all would be a bad idea. He broke her heart for one. She shouldn't be trusting a boy who practically gambled their relationship is two. And three-

"Yep. C'mon, you know you'll have fun with me! We always did." He winked at her. Kim would've blushed or at least said something completely stupid like, "Jack, no. I mean uh…". But that wasn't what silenced her. Anger boiled up in her stomach and tears began to well up in her eyes. He remembered everything.

"Fun, huh? Is that what you and your buddies thought back in seventh grade?" She said coldly. Jack's smile was wiped right off his face, realizing his slip up.

"Kim, I-"

"No! I fully believed that you didn't remember me. Maybe someone else came along and cured you of my presence. Maybe our whole relationship wasn't as important to you as it was for me. But you knew. You knew this whole time who I was and didn't say anything. You just made me look like a complete idiot in front of my friends! You even made me feel sorry for you. But you don't even deserve sympathy because you, Jack Brewer haven't changed a bit. But I have and I'm not the same naïve girl that you decided to toy around with in eighth grade. And I mean when I say, don't look at me at school. Hell! Don't even think about me in school and most certainly, don't talk to me, ever."

The charade that Kim had put on was brilliant. Jack's face looked heartbroken, but she didn't care. Or she tried to convince herself of that. How could he lie? How could he play her once again?

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I'm the fool, Kim thought.

It then just struck Kim again, that it was pouring outside. At least, Mika and Minny couldn't ask why she was crying. It would just be the rain on her face.

But all Kim could do was knock on the door before she started sobbing uncontrollably. The moment Minny opened the door, Kim rushed inside and up the stairs, locking herself in the nearest room. Then the memory she tried so hard to suppress appeared once more.

Fully and vividly.

-THREE YEARS AGO -

Kim sat in the corner of the room, while every other twelve year old continued to shout and laugh and joke loudly, playing games on her iPod. It was the last day of school, 2010. Everyone was enjoying the party while she enjoyed playing with her iPod. Music floated into her ear as she continued to play Music Quiz 2.

It was only when she looked up at a sudden shift of weight land next to her, did her peaceful environment disappear.

Jack. The two hadn't talked since sixth grade, when he came back from Colorado, all tanned and handsome. Girls flew over to him and boys floated towards him because of how popular he became with the girls. She wasn't much for the popular life, since that wasn't how her and Jack's friendship was when they were smaller. They drifted apart and soon just thought it was better to stop trying to talk to each other and move on.

Kim with her new boyfriend, Ricky. Jack with his good looks and new friends. It was no secret though, that Kim hated Jack's new friends almost as much as Jack hated Ricky.

But Kim and Ricky broke up within the first four months of their 'relationship' because of Ricky moving to Florida. They promised to stay in touch but never did.

"Need something?" She said a little too harshly. He winced but recomposed himself, in his arrogant manner, and smiled. She pulled the white headphones from her ears.

"Hi, to you too." said Jack, holding out his bag of pretzels to her.

"No thanks."

"Okay."

Awkward silence.

Kim felt the need to fill it with something witty but couldn't bring herself to do it. He was the one who walked over here after all.

Then he turned to her and blurt out, "I'm sorry."

She looked at him, so clearly confused as to why he was apologizing.

"For what? Talking to me?"

"No. For not talking to you sooner."

Kim felt eyes on her and from the corner of her eye, she could see Jack's posse looking at the two of them. She couldn't make out if they were shocked or even talking, just that their heads were facing them.

"Did your friends tell you to come tell me that?"

"No. I wanted to. For a while now." He said sheepishly.

"Well, it's fine. You didn't really need to do that."

"I know." He said softly.

"So…" Kim said awkwardly.

Jack smiled, "Wanna hang out later?"

"Don't you have people for that already?" Kim looked towards the group of five, hanging around staring the two of them down. But once they were caught, they quickly turned back around and pretended to talk casually.

"Well, Zack and Cody are leaving to go see their dad, Rocky is going to go see her brother in Chicago for the summer too. And Bree is going to New Jersey. Which only leaves me and Emma. To be honest, I think she has a thing for me." He whispered. Kim scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Am I your last resort or something?"

"No. I just wanted to let you know that we'd basically be alone hanging out."

"Is that right?"

"Yes. Will you?"

There was nothing to lose at that point. She didn't really have any plans.

"Sure."

-A YEAR LATER -

It wasn't long for the summer to reconcile young friends. But it took all of eighth grade for Kim to realize she was in love with her best friend. Jack didn't seem to cling to his posse so much and everything seemed perfect.

That was until Kim received news from her father that they were going to move to Seaford.

Kim held off almost two months from telling Jack that at the end of the summer, they were going to move away and she would no longer be starting high school with him. It was only while Jack was in the middle of getting to second base did the truth come out.

His phone rang and he gave Kim a peck on the lips before taking the call outside of his bedroom. When he left, Kim got up to fix her hair which was a complete mess. And her mind suddenly flew to the conversation on the other side of the door.

"Just give me more time, Zack. I promise I'll break up with her." Kim's breath hitched.

"No! This wasn't part of the bet! I thought you wanted to get back at Kim Crawford for being such a bitch to you when she was dating Ricky."

"Don't call her that! And I just-need more time."

"You made a deal! Stop being so lame!"

That's all Kim needed to hear. Everything she believed was real was a lie. Jack, their relationship. All their kisses. She opened the door and stared at Jack, in disbelief.

"A bet? Is that why you talked to me in seventh grade? Or maybe it was over the summer when I actually started to like you? When did…How did you…?"

"It was in eighth grade and it doesn't mean anything, Kim! I promise."

"You promise a lot of things. Did you make another bet too? Probably, I know how much of a bitch I am!" She spat.

"No! Kim, I was jealous. Everything you did with him made me angry and I thought if you liked me that-"

"It would be okay to do the same to me? You disgust me! And I'll make the bet easier for you. I'm moving to Seaford in two days. I didn't know how to tell you." Kim said coldly and began to walk down the stairs.

But Jack grabbed her arm, "No! Kim, please. Don't go! Kim, I-I love you!"

She pulled her arm away and looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, "That's the thing about true love, Jack. I love you so much and I wish you felt the same-"

"I do feel the same, Kim. I love you!"

"No, you don't. And no matter how badly I want to believe this all is some sick joke and believe you love me. I still know deep down that you're lying."

Author's Notes: Was this what you were expecting? Hmmmm?

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-Nicole xoxo

p.s. I'm wondering if any of you were wondering how familiar the names of Jack's friends are ;D