Author's Note: So, I've decided that there will be as many chapters as I need to finish it out, but I will touch on the following events. 1. Spring Break, you'll see how that forms later. 2. Junior Prom, always crucially important to the teen drama. 3. Eva's birth, for obvious reasons. 4. Tom and Ana's wedding, again, obvious anddd 5. The aftermath of events 3 and 5! It'll probably be something like 3 chapters for each. Also thanks for getting me past 100 reviews last chapter...major milestone, way to go!
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 51: First Loves
That Monday in school Elena took a deep breath and walked over Portman. She and Jimmy had had a long talk and she'd made a decision.
"Dean," She said, he looked at her. "I'm sorry about Saturday."
"You're sorry?" He said confused.
"Yes," She nodded, "I'm sorry I put so much pressure on you about the whole cotillion thing. It's not your kind of thing, and I knew that, and I should have just had Jimmy escort me and called it a day." She smiled sweetly. "So are we OK?"
"I slept with Kelly," He said. She looked at him. "On Saturday, after I left."
"Oh," She said.
"Lena, I'm sorry," He sighed, "I thought you knew, I meant on Saturday,"
"You meant that we were over," She looked down. "You don't want to be with me anymore." Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't look at you," She said and turned to run away.
Jimmy walked over to Julie's locker.
"Hey," He said. "Where'd you go the other night?"
"Mrs. Duncan came," She shrugged, "You were busy, I was tired and I wanted to go to bed."
"Julie," He sighed, "Portman dumped her at her cotillion."
"Yeah," She nodded and crossed her arms, "And her two best friends, her big brother and both her parents were there. It wasn't your job to take care of her." He looked at her.
"You put your ring back on," He smiled. "You trust me?"
"I put it back on a week ago," She whispered and shut her locker door. "Thanks for noticing." He groaned as she walked away.
"Julie," He said. "Come on. Look at me." She looked at him. "I'm sorry."
"Whatever," She shrugged, "She's single now, so if you want to be with her, be with her." She took off the ring and handed it to him. "Her birthday's in September but I'm sure you can get the stone changed." She walked away. Spring break was in five days. In five days she would go to Maine and tell Steve she wanted him. She'd be with Steve the way she always should have been, before Ducks, and boarding school and stupid soccer playing rich boys who couldn't decide what they wanted.
Kelly sat in class, drumming a pencil against a notebook.
"Hey there," Liam sat down next to her. She looked at him.
"Hi," She blushed. Liam. She hadn't even thought about Liam. "How was your weekend?"
"Pretty boring," He shrugged, "I was on duty." She nodded. "How was home?"
"Fine," She said.
"Your brothers are good?" He asked. She nodded. "How's your head? Clear?"
"More clouded than ever." She admitted, "I don't know about this Liam." He leaned across and kissed her. "I sort of hooked up with someone."
"That's OK," He shrugged, "We'll just hang out Kelly, I like you, I'm not looking for a relationship." She looked at him. "Anyone I know?"
"Dean Portman," She shrugged. He looked at her. "Don't look at me like that Nichols! I know you've slept with high school girls. If you think I don't listen when you brag about your conquests you'd be wrong."
"Fair enough," He said, "What are you doing for spring break?"
"I was supposed to go down to Florida with Scooter," She sighed, "We were going to bring his boat back up north, but I'll probably just go home."
"Do you want to come to New York?" He asked. She looked at him. "My parents are in Bermuda like forever, so our place is completely empty."
"I have to think about it." She said, as class ended. He nodded and they walked outside. He pulled her close and kissed her. "Liam," She giggled.
"I gotta go," He smirked, "But I'll call you later?"
"OK," She smiled and waved and as he walked away.
"I thought you weren't into him like that." She frowned and turned around, "It's not like you to lie, Kelly."
"I didn't lie," She looked at Scooter, "I didn't think I was. I'm not with him. We're just hanging out."
"That's really unlike you," He shook his head. "How was everything at home?"
"Fine," She said, "Rick and Cass say hi, the baby's healthy. And Brad said he'd go to Florida to help with the boat."
"Yeah, I talked to him," He nodded. "Kelly, I really think this is stupid."
"That's part of the problem," She whispered.
"Are you spending spring break with him?" He asked.
"Probably not," She sighed, "I'll probably just go home. I mean, Cassie needs a lot of help getting their apartment ready, and there's all this wedding stuff that Ana's letting slip through the cracks." He smiled. "What?"
"You looked really happy for a minute there," He whispered, "The way you used to, before I fucked everything up."
"You didn't fuck anything up," She said softly, brushing his hair out of his face. "It was mostly me," His hair fell down again. She shook her head and sighed, "You need to get a hair cut."
"I'm letting myself get scruffy now," He smirked, "I did last year and I would just get my hair cut and shave before I saw you." She laughed. "I miss you, give me a call sometime huh? Maybe we can start book club up again."
"Maybe," She nodded. "I'll see you." He nodded and walked away. "Scooter," He paused and turned around, "You're still going to come," He cocked his head, "In May, when the baby's born, and then stay until the wedding? It'll mean a lot to Rick if you're there." He nodded.
"Then I'll be there," He said softly, "Anything for Rick." She smiled and waved as he walked away.
"It'll mean a lot to me too," She whispered.
Jimmy sat on the steps of the cafeteria, rolling the ring around in his palm. He couldn't help thinking of Julie, not of the girl who'd so sadly given him this ring back, but of the sweet excitable little girl he'd fallen in love with two years before.
"I really meant it, when I said I loved you."
"I meant it too." He smiled. "You know, this being in love thing, it kind of calls for something special."
"Special?" She raised an eyebrow. He nodded and pulled a box out of his pocket, "Jimmy!"
"Open it before you yell at me," He said. She laughed and opened it. A small ring was sitting in there.
"Jimmy," She laughed, "What exactly is it?"
"It's a promise ring," He said, "It's a garnet, your birthstone."
"Jimmy, its great," She said softly, and kissed him.
"Hi," Elena walked over and sat down.
"Hi," He whispered. "So, um, how'd it go?"
"He slept with your sister," She said, hugging her knees to her chest. "I love him so much Jimmy, I almost want to forgive him for it. I don't know what to do anymore." He pushed her hair out of her face and leaned down and kissed her. "Did you mean it?" She whispered.
"What?" He asked her gently.
"When you said you were in love with me?" She swallowed. He nodded.
"Yeah," He sighed, "I meant it," He looked at the ring, "I really meant it."
"What's that?" She picked it up, "So pretty. Simple."
"It's the promise ring I gave Julie after I told her I loved her the first time," He said. "It's a garnet, her birthstone."
"Oh," She said, "But if it's a promise ring, then," He nodded. "Oh Jimmy!" She sighed, "I'm so sorry. And after we agreed," She looked down. "I want to be with you, I do, but I,"
"I know, Elle," He shook his head, "We went over all of this on Saturday," She nodded. "You love me, but you haven't been in love with me for a really long time. You've been a little bit busy. I just wish I was less in love with you."
"You're in love with Julie," She sighed and touched his face. "You belong with her. Just because she doesn't show it all the time, doesn't mean she doesn't need you. Just give her time, she'll come back to you. And Kelly will get back together with Scooter and me and Brad will find a way to finally make it work, and everything will be right with the universe. And we'll all be family," He smiled.
"The way we always should have been." He whispered. She nodded. "How does your brother end up happy? I'm just curious."
"You really think that Biff and Allie weren't destined for each other?" She sniffed. He laughed. "I'm completely serious. Someday they'll both wake up and see it."
Connie stood nervously at Guy's locker. She didn't know why she wouldn't just talk to Tammy or Julie, well, actually she did. She needed advice from the one person who knew her better than anyone, and that wasn't either of the girls. That was Guy.
"Hi," She said as he walked up.
"Hey," He smiled, "What's going on?" She sighed and looked down. "Connie, you're freaking me out. Are you breaking up with me again?"
"I sort of told Charlie that I'd have sex with him." She spit it out. He stared at her. "I mean, the other night, we were kissing and fooling around and he told me he loved me, and then I said it back, and I made this split second decision," She looked at him, she expected him to get angry, but he just looked really sad. "And we started to, I mean, we were undressed and he stopped, and said he wanted to wait because he wanted it to be perfect."
"Why are you telling me this?" He asked. She sighed. "Is this to somehow rub in my face what a better boyfriend Charlie Conway is than me, because if that's the case, then,"
"No!" She sighed, "No that's not it at all, Guy." She whispered, "I don't want to." He looked at her. "I mean, I did, in that moment, but then I thought about it, and," She closed her eyes, and then opened them, "He said he wanted it to be perfect, so I was thinking about my perfect scenario for my first time." He nodded, "And it's always my wedding night, and," She swallowed, "Charlie's not the man who's waiting for me. It's you, my perfect first time is after I marry you."
"This isn't fair to me," He said. "You broke up with me!" Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded, "You've been with him for months, you've practically ignored me," He sighed and looked at her.
"I know," She whispered. "And I'm sorry, and I know this is unfair but I needed you to know how I felt, and," He cut her off pulling her close and kissing her. "Oh Guy," She sighed happily.
"That's my perfect first time too," He said gently, "With you, forever. That's perfect to me."
Review Please! The italicized text is from Little Rileys, Chapter 34: Return. I copied and pasted it, but if you feel the need to check, go ahead!
