Kim sighed as she looked at the kitten-a-month calendar that hung on her wall, the very same calendar that read 'September 2013' beneath an adorable kitten sleeping in a teacup. The very same calendar whose boxes for the days were all filled up with her hectic, over-the-top schedule. After all, September was always the busiest month for those seniors applying to colleges, and this did not exclude Kim Crawford.
She looked at the box for the fifth, red marker words printed neatly to maximize the space. Help in the cafeteria before school, library volunteer during second and third period, after lunch cleanup, National Honors Society meeting after school, cheer after that, karate until ten, then get home to work on finishing those darn application essays. It all looked good on college applications, and Kim was determined to get into Boston University.
Glancing at the clock that read 8:15 on her extremely messy desk, she winced at the realization that if she didn't hurry up, she'd be late for school and miss her cafeteria volunteering on top of that. She huffed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed and just lay there for a few more minutes before she decided she'd done enough stalling.
Hauling herself off the bed and to the dresser, she settled for light jeans and one of Jack's sweatshirts that she had somehow accumulated in her wardrobe. But hey, she wasn't complaining, they were comfortable and they were his. Besides, Jack didn't seem to miss them; he just smiled when she wore them.
She piled her hair on the top of her head in a messy bun and skipped makeup altogether. She laced up her boots and set off down the stairs, the long hours of her schedule starting to take a toll on her body. The all-nighters, skipped meals, and the stress of college applications were making her tired, cranky, and off-balance. She was tightly wound and barely got to spend time with her friends aside from karate practice where she stumbled around trying to stay focused and alert. The guys either hadn't noticed her current condition, or just refused to acknowledge it.
When she reached the kitchen, she saw a bagel next to a glass of orange juice and a note from her mother to remember to eat breakfast. Shaking her head she chugged the juice, crumpled the note, and threw it along with the bagel in the garbage. She hated wasting food but she just wasn't in the mood for breakfast and she was so going to be late.
She sprinted to the car and stuck the key in the ignition, waiting for the engine to roar to life. Except it didn't.
"Crap, crap, crap!" she whispered, annoyed at her car for choosing today of all days to not turn on and annoyed at the world for making her life so hard to keep in order. She sighed again before grabbing her skateboard and setting off for school, only to fall, rip her jeans, and skin her knees.
"Are you kidding me?" she growled, picking herself off the floor and examining her knees. Just then, a car pulled up and rolled down the window, a familiar voice cutting through the Seaford early morning silence.
"Need a ride Kim?" Jack asked, looking at her with a worried expression. "Are you okay? What happened?" he got out of his truck and ushered her into the passenger seat, trying to get a better look at her bloodied shins.
"I'm fine Jack, just get me to school," she said quickly, pulling down the visor mirror and instantly regretting not wearing makeup. She had dark circles under her clouded hazel eyes, red spots where she had picked at pimples, and there was a tired yet stressed look about her that screamed 'I need a break from life.'
"Are you sure you're fine? I mean you've been acting really weird lately and your schedule is mega packed," Jack said quietly, looking at her from the driver's seat. "You really should slow down, maybe take a break or something."
Kim gave him a look, "I'm fine Jack. Don't worry about me, I'm just a bit tired is all." She shut the mirror and snapped, "Just drive already, I'm going to miss the thing at the cafeteria."
"Nope," Jack said, making a U-turn and driving in the complete opposite direction of the school.
Kim looked at him and then out the window and then back at him, "Jack what the hell are you doing turn around!" Jack just smiled and kept driving, barely acknowledging her protests. "Jack! Turn this car right now!"
When she saw that there was no way of him turning back to the school she tried opening the door, "Then let me out! I have to get to school. I'd rather walk, let me out god damnit!" She pushed and pulled at the door but it wouldn't open.
"What the hell Kim, that's dangerous! Stop, you could get hurt!" Jack yelled, checking to make sure that the door was locked before he reached over and grabbed her hand. "Just calm down already, you're not going to school today."
"But Jack-" she started.
"Or NHS."
"But can I-"
"Or cheerleading. Or karate. Nothing today Kim, you're relaxing, taking a break, slowing down, hakuna matata," Jack said sternly, glancing at her quickly before turning back to the road.
"Then can you at least tell me where you're taking me, Timon," Kim asked, defeated yet with a sarcastic sting.
"Very funny," Jack said with a smile, "but it's a surprise. But you'll see when we get there." Kim rolled her eyes and looked out the window, trying to get some sort of clue as to where they were going, her mind wandering back and forth from her current situation, the unfinished essays, and her stinging knees.
"There's tissues and Band-Aids in the glove compartment by the way," Jack said as if reading her mind. She reached into the glove compartment and began to wipe away the blood and stick the Band-Aids to her skin. By the time she was done, the car had stopped and they had reached their destination.
"The boardwalk? Are you kidding Jack?" Kim asked in disbelief and disappointment. "The water's cold, nobody is here, and I have work to do! I can't be goofing around with you when there's so much I have to get done!" she crossed her arms and sat back in her seat, demanding to be driven back to school, no matter how late she would be.
Jack just shook his head and unbuckled her seatbelt, plucking her out of the car and carrying her to the farthest end of the boardwalk, the edge that gave to the sea and doubled as a dock for boats.
"Jack what's your problem, I said take me back!" Kim yelled, pounding on his chest and squirming around. He plopped her on the wood, and untied her shoes, throwing them behind him. He rolled up her jeans to her mid-calf and swung her legs around, where they landed with a splash in the water and Kim shrieked.
"It's cold! It's so cold oh my gosh!" she screamed, pulling her legs back and curling up in her sweatshirt.
"Come on Kim, stop being such a baby," Jack said as he untied his shoes and put his own feet in the water. "Holy mother of all that is good that is freezing!" he said, recoiling and scuttling backwards from the edge of the dock.
This got a laugh from Kim, "Not such a tough guy now, are you?" Jack gave her a menacing look and before she could even think twice, she was drenched from head to toe in ice-cold salt water.
"You did not," Kim said, the smile all but vanished from her face.
"Oh I think I did," Jack said with a playful smile, hands dripping from splashing her.
"You probably shouldn't have done that," she said, using his own line against him as she splashed him back, the smile returning to her face. Before she knew it, they were involved in an all-out splash war, water was flying and they were both soaking wet and laughing too hard to breathe. They flopped back on the wooden planks of the boardwalk/dock to regain their breath, and Kim started to shiver.
"Kim, we should get you dry," Jack said, pulling her towards him to share his body heat with her. "I know the perfect place to go." They pulled on their shoes, which squeaked and squished on the way to their next destination, Talia Thompson's Treasures and Thrift.
"You're joking," Kim said as they walked up to the small shop. "I hate thrift shops!"
"Come on Kim, loosen up, they're awesome," Jack said as he pulled her into the store. They were welcomed by an older woman whom they guessed was Talia and they began their search, each trying on outfits they'd never in a million years consider to buy.
Jack came out of the dressing room sporting a Napoleonistic jacket, tight pants that Talia insisted were men's, and shoes that looked like they belonged to a leprechaun as Kim sat waiting for him in a Renaissance-inspired dress, complete with bloomers and a hoop-skirt, gaudy jewelry, and laced up boot-heels. One look at each other and they burst out laughing, tears forming at the corners of their eyes and sides hurting.
"Would you like to dance, madam?" Jack said, bowing deeply and extending a hand.
"Why I'd love to, sire," Kim said with a curtsy as she took his hand and they began to dance around the store, twirling and leaping through the stacks of antiques and shelves of old books. At last they plopped onto a soft couch and caught their breath, before setting out to find clothes they'd actually buy.
Kim chose a long yellow dress and a red felt hat that hugged her head closely, taming her damp curls and letting them cascade down her back. Jack went with loose shorts and a simple V-neck, paying for both of their outfits after many protests from Kim.
"Have fun you two lovebirds!" called Talia as they left the store, their wet clothes in a large tote bag that Talia had let them have, free of charge. They both blushed at the term 'lovebirds', but neither tried to correct her.
"Where to nex-" Jack was cut off by the sound of Kim's stomach rumbling, and he instantly knew where to take her.
"I'm going to take you to eat somewhere, but you can't judge it by the name and locale okay?" Jack asked, taking her hand and leading her down the boardwalk and to the beach.
"O-okay?" she said, uncertainly as Jack pulled her along to a dingy looking place called The Drowned Mermaid. The run-down shack had holes all over the wooden walls and the mermaid that carried the sign looked as if she really had been drowned and decayed.
Kim shuddered, "Are you sure you want to eat here?" Jack pulled her through the double doors and into the dark building, where they both got a whiff of something amazing.
"Table for two Gus?" Jack asked the man behind the counter who seemed to be cooking something from a horror movie. The man had only one hand, and he was using the stump to hold down the food. Kim wrinkled her nose and looked at Jack, who winked at her.
"Anywhere you like Jack, Gary'll be right with ya," Gus said, motioning around the empty shack with his stump.
Jack nodded and grabbed Kim's hand to lead her away from the counter, "Thanks Gus. By the way, this is my friend Kim, it's her first time here." Kim gave a thin smile as Gus held out his hand for her to shake.
"Nice to meet ya little lady," Gus said with a warm smile as he gave her the heartiest handshake she had ever experienced.
"Same to you, sir," Kim said politely. Gus retracted his hand and placed it over his heart as if he had been hurt and feigned pain.
"Please, little lady, call me Gus. Don't have to be so polite around here," he said. Kim nodded uncertainly and she and Jack went to go find a table, which wasn't really too difficult seeing as they were the only two people there on a Thursday afternoon.
"Jack, my man!" came a voice from behind them as Jack pulled out Kim's chair for her. They both turned to see a tall lanky boy with an apron and a shirt that read, 'I Didn't Drown the Mermaid' in dark blue lettering. He seemed to be around college age yet he looked like he knew Jack pretty well.
"Hey Gary, long time no see!" Jack exclaimed as he went to hug the boy. "This is my best friend Kim," he said as he turned back to her, grasping her hand once more.
"Looks like you're a bit more than best friends but I'm not here to judge. What'll it be?" Gary asked, eyeing them as he handed them menus.
Jack just looked at him and said, "The usual for me and the same for Kim please." Kim shot him a look as Gary nodded and trotted away to take the order to Gus. "What?"
"What's the usual Jack? How do you know I'll like it?" Kim asked, flashing him her best 'I'll murder you if I don't like it' face. Jack stifled a laugh and decided to roll with it.
"First, the usual is this fried fish and French fries, almost like fish and chips but they make it twenty times better here than any British person alive," Jack started enthusiastically, his mouth threatening to start watering. "And second, I know you'll like it because I know everything about you."
"Oh really?" Kim said with a smirk. "What's my favorite color?"
"Pink," Jack said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Come on Kim, make it a bit more challenging than that." He sat back and watched her as she scrunched her face and tried to think of a better question.
"What's my favorite animal? My biggest fear? Favorite thing to do?" Kim asked, eager to see if he really knew everything he claimed he did. "Favorite food?"
"You don't know your favorite animal, you're still between a kitten and a giraffe. Your biggest fear is having an asthma attack and not having your inhaler so you either die or pass out. Your favorite things to do are spend time with your friends and do karate. And your favorite food is fish and chips," Jack deadpanned; as if this were all just a review for a test they had in school.
"Impressive Brewer, but what would I do if there were ever a zombie apocalypse?" Kim asked, eyebrows raised. She was sure he'd get him there.
"Well, first you'd get away from your family because you always say you'd hate to go through something like that with your family. Then I suppose you'd get as many supplies as you can and hightail it out of there, probably running into me on your way out. Then we'd try to survive for a while before you start freaking out and decide that you've had enough and you'll kill yourself to get away from such a scary and impossible life. I'd follow soon after, not finding a reason to live without you next to me, and we'd meet up in the afterlife and talk about our lives before the zombies," Jack said with a small smile.
"Wow, you're good Jack…" Kim said, her voice trailing off at the end. "But I have one more question, who do I like?" Jack's eyes widened at the sudden question of her affections, not wanting to answer her in case he was wrong.
"Uh-" he started, getting cut off by Gary placing two baskets of fried fish and fries on the table. Saved by the waiter.
"Two orders of fried fish and potatoes, enjoy you two," Gary said with a smile. "And you forgot to order drinks so here's two iced teas, everyone likes iced tea." He set the two glasses down and turned to leave, but not before winking at Jack and shooting him a thumbs up.
"Ahaha, iced tea, who doesn't like iced tea?" Jack said quickly with a nervous chuckle, taking the opportunity to dodge the question.
"Uh, yeah. I guess…" Kim said quietly as she began to dig in. "Oh my god that's amazing, Jack it's delicious!" she exclaimed as she put the first bite in her mouth. The fish was crispy and seasoned to perfection and the potatoes were amazing.
"I knew you'd love it," Jack said, shoveling his food into his mouth. "I used to come here with my mom all the time, it was my dad's favorite restaurant in New York and when we found one here she kept the tradition of coming here every Saturday when we moved to Seaford. That is, until she started working those weird hours. Now I'm the only one that comes." Kim looked at him, his smile seemed to dim and his eyes clouded over.
She reached out and squeezed his hand, "I'll come with you from now on, and it'll be our place." Jack smiled and nodded before turning back to his food and Kim to hers. They joked around and laughed for the rest of the meal, reminiscing and planning future get-togethers. By the time Jack paid and they left, Kim hadn't thought once about her ever-growing list of things to do.
"Can we go to the actual beach next? I mean we've been on the boardwalk all day; I kind of want to feel the sand. You know, sand between the toes, salty breeze, the whole shebang," Kim said as they exited The Drowned Mermaid hand in hand.
"Sure, why not," Jack replied with a grin as they made their way down to the seaside and plopped down on the warm sand. After a few minutes, Jack got an idea, "Bury me," he said, laying down in the sand and grinning up at her.
"Huh? Are you sure? You'll get really sandy," Kim said uncertainly. When Jack nodded and pushed her to bury him, she gave in. "But if we're going to do this, we're doing it right," she said, pushing Jack softly to the side, "first we need to make a sort of hole for you to lay in." They both got to work on digging out a shallow trench and in no time Jack was in it and buried.
"Wait right here, don't move!" Kim said as she scurried to the shore.
"Not going anywhere!" Jack called out sarcastically as he watched her jump from the waves, holding the hem of her dress in one hand and various pieces of sea matter in the other. When she came back, he saw that she held seaweed, seashells, and sea grape.
"What's all that for?" he asked, wondering what she could possibly do with all of that. She just smiled and got to work, "You'll see."
When she finished, Kim ran to the bag and got her phone to take a picture, giggling at the sight of her friend in the sand.
"Okay, you can get out now," she said, still giggling like a schoolgirl. She watched as Jack broke through the pile of sand and seaweed that covered him and tried to dust himself off as best he could. Kim was still laughing at the picture when he took the phone from her hands and examined himself.
"Hey!" he exclaimed when he saw himself as a mermaid. Kim had shaped the sand over his legs as a tail and a women's body, placing the seaweed over his chest and the sea grape around his head to look like long, flowing hair. Shells decorated the mermaid body and it looked pretty good. Kim was doubled over in laughter at his expression and she was almost crying. Jack checked the time and saw that somehow it was almost time for the sun to go down.
He ran up to her and picked her up, twirling her around and yelling, "You think that's funny? You think I'm funny? Huh?"
Kim shrieked, "Oh my god Jack! Put me down!" But Jack didn't put her down; he kept spinning her around and around until he got too dizzy and they both tumbled to the ground, collapsing in a fit of laughs and giggles.
"L-look, Jack!" Kim said, trying to regain her composure as she pointed to the horizon and a beautiful orange sky. The world was still spinning as Jack looked up and pulled Kim close to him, resting her head on his shoulder and looking out on the horizon. He held her hands and she didn't pull them back, and they sat there together, forgetting about the rest of the world. That is, until Kim's phone erupted in the chorus to 'Thank You' by MKTO. Her mother was calling.
"H-hello?" she spoke into the phone.
"Kimberly Ann Crawford where the hell are you?" yelled her mother into the phone. "I got a call from the school saying you never showed up and I thought 'That can't be my Kim' but it turns out you were never at school. Explain yourself!"
"Mom, calm down I was with Jack," Kim said, heart pounding at the amount of trouble she was surely in.
"And you think that makes it okay? I was worried sick about you the moment the school called! I know Jack is a nice and cute boy and that you like him very much, but that doesn't excuse you for disappearing without telling anyone and skipping school!" Kim's mom scolded.
"Mom! Jack can hear you please be quiet!" Kim whispered into the phone, hoping that Jack didn't hear the bit about her liking him so much. "I'm sorry, I'll get home soon."
"You'd better be home soon missy, as soon as you walk through that door you're grounded for a month. No phone, no friends, nothing at all for a month because of this. Do you understand?" Kim winced at the tone of her mother's voice, knowing full well she meant what she said.
"Yes mom," she deadpanned, her mood instantly sour. She knew she shouldn't have gone with Jack today. She knew how many things she had to do. She knew the responsibilities she had, and she knew she shouldn't have shirked on them. The day had been fun while it lasted but now she just needed to get as much done tonight as she could. She had been wasting precious time goofing off with Jack and she'd have to pay it all off eventually.
"Take me home Jack," she said as she stood up and hung up the phone. She didn't even wait for him to say anything or get up; she just collected the bag with their clothes and started up the beach to where they had parked.
"W-wait! Kim, hold on. What happened?" Jack asked, hurrying to brush off the sand that clung to him and catch up.
"Nothing, I just shouldn't have come here with you today. Take me home now," Kim said quietly, tears that she wouldn't let fall pricking at the corners of her eyes. She kept walking, faster now, and tried to pick her way through the sand and rocks, tripping and falling on the way.
"God damnit!" she yelled, she had almost twisted her ankle and she fell on her knees again. Jack ran to help her up, but she waved him away and got up again by herself.
"Kim, I'm sorry," Jack started, trying to find something to say. He knew she had had fun and so had he, but just having fun wouldn't make anything better.
"Stop," she said, holding up a hand and silencing him. "It's my fault, not yours. I just want to go home and get back to work. Now." He looked at her and sighed, continuing on to the car where he drove her to her house in a painfully awkward silence. When they finally reached her house, she hopped out of the car without a word and started to her door before turning and saying something.
"Thanks for trying today Jack," she said almost too quietly for him to hear from the driver's seat. "Thanks for distracting me from my life for today, but it ended up doing more harm than good. I'll uh, wash your clothes or something. See you tomorrow." She gave him a small smile and a tiny wave and disappeared in her house. Before she closed the door Jack could hear her mother coming to scold her again for leaving without telling anyone and for not getting anything done today. He instantly felt responsible, guilty for being so selfish as to take her away from her pre-college work and guilty for getting her in so much trouble.
He was about to get out of his car and defend her in front of her mom, but he just shook his head and started the engine again, driving off down the road deep in thought.
So much for hakuna matata.
A/N: Hey there everyone! Long time no see eh? Sorry about that! So to make up for that I wrote you and extra long(er) one, 4000+ words! Proud of myself because this took me three days to write ;) I hope you all like it and also HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOUR MAMAS! :*
By the way, if you'd like to see the outfits I imagined them wearing, go to and put these after it: /cgi/set?id=81980666 and /kim_jack_joint_outfit_hakuna/set?id=81980411
Thanks for reading!
~Hakuna Matata~
(By the way, sorry for not updating on Seaford Boys' School, I'm working on it...)
((Also, wish me luck on me EOC tomorrow because I need it, I SUCK at math...))