Disclaimer: Beware of falling rocks…oh wait, never mind. Ok, so I don't own them, but if Disney was searching for a great Christmas present- Jamie Waite stuffed under my tree with a bow on his head sounds great! Um I don't own Lane Bryant either (this will make sense as you read the chapter- I'm not making fun of ANY Lane Bryant customers, it was the only store that worked with my humor)
Chapter 4
Shades of Black and Blue
An hour later found Jamie and Tyler still sitting in the swimsuit shop, waiting for Val as she tried on what seemed to Jamie as the exact same baby blue swimsuit, (though Val insisted that each one contained important differences). Jamie's patience was by then, practically non-existent, and even Tyler was beginning to look slightly annoyed. The only thing that kept them sitting in those hard wooden chairs was each one's unwillingness to leave Val alone with the other. Jamie let out an audible groan as the sales associate came by with another armload of blue swimsuits. "Would you like to try any of these? They're a brand new shipment." She asked, holding them over the door temptingly. She missed the looks of extreme hatred that the two guys aimed at her. "Go away." Jamie mouthed, praying that none of the swimsuits in her hand caught Val's eye.
"Um, actually, no." Val replied. Their hopes rose, had she chosen? Were they free? "-But I would really like to see that black string bikini that was hanging up front. You know, the one with the butterfly? Could you get that for me in the same size?" Jamie looked up, surprised.
"You don't like black." He reminded her as the saleslady returned and dropped the suit into her dressing room.
"Usually, I don't. But for some reason I really liked this one- guess I've been hanging around you too much." She said with small laugh.
"I'll say." Tyler muttered darkly. He shut his eyes and rocked back in his seat.
"Oh! I think I like this one!" Val squealed from inside the fitting room.
"Well, come on out so I can see your dark side." Jamie called, more to annoy Tyler than anything. Val poked her head out from behind the door.
"You really wanna see?" she asked nervously.
"Don't keep us in suspense." Tyler answered sarcastically, still reclining in the chair. Val cautiously stepped out of the dressing room and cleared her throat to catch Tyler's attention. He lazily opened one eye- but as soon as he saw her the ground roared out from underneath his chair.
"Holy-" he gasped, toppling out of his seat and landing on the floor with a thud. Val immediately ran to his side.
"Are you ok? Did you break anything?" she cried, checking for any signs of damage. He nodded, pulling himself to his feet.
"I-I, fine…I'm… you look…it's black?" he babbled. She smiled nervously and spun around, giving them a full glimpse of the suit.
"Yes, but do you like it?" she asked. Tyler stared at the swimsuit-clad figure standing in front of him. Sure, she looked beautiful, but something about what she wore just didn't seem right to Tyler. Maybe it was the fact that the suit had been chosen more to suit Jamie's tastes then his.
"What was wrong with the blue?" he said, matching her question with his own.
"T-there was nothing wrong with it. I- just wanted to see how this looked." She replied, looking slightly crestfallen. Tyler shrugged and murmured something about liking the blue one better, so she turned to gauge Jamie's reaction, hoping that it would be a bit more satisfactory.
"Well, what do you think of your influence?" she teased. Jamie simply continued to stare at her, awed. "Jamie? Jamie, answer me!" her voice shook him out of his trance.
"W-what was the question?" he stammered.
"What. Do. You. Think?" she enunciated slowly, moving closer towards them and resting her hands on her hips. Val was oblivious to the effect that she was having on her friend.
"T-that one?" he repeated, unable to think of anything else to say. "Ok, now would be a great time to stop staring at her." He silently informed his eyes. Evidently they chose to ignore him, because he continued to stare. His brain tried again to regain control of his optical organs. "Ok, ready, we're gonna turn away, on 3- 1…2…3… NOW!"- No dice. His eyes weren't responding, and now he was pretty sure that he'd stopped breathing. "K, think of something besides the jockette standing in front of you... looking really hot in that black swimsuit…wonder if she works out? Certainly looks like -NO! Stop it! Think of…iced tea… or what was it? Cold oatmeal? Or mom, think about m- Caitie! Think of Caitie!" him mind pleaded desperately, playing it's final trump card. That did it. He blinked- "Score one for will power!" he thought triumphantly, coming back to his senses. Val was still looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. "You're looking great!" he exclaimed, a wolfish grin on his face. She beamed appreciatively at him, and Tyler sunk down in his seat, fuming.
"I like the blue one better." He grumbled. "It's more you then this one is."
"Well, maybe it's about time for something different." Jamie countered.
"Yeah, but why mess with something that was perfect to begin with?" Tyler asked, an edge in his voice. Val bit her lower lip, aware that this conversation wasn't purely about swimsuit color anymore.
"Connell, chill, ok, people's tastes change. If Val wants the black one, then she can have the black one. The fact that she's always liked blue doesn't change the matter. Maybe blue lost its chance, and she likes black now because blue is just so darn boring."
"I'll show you boring you-"
"Ok! Time for more swimsuits!" Val interrupted anxiously, grabbing a random one off the rack nearest to her and flying back into her dressing room. She let the door slam behind her as she leaned against the wall tiredly. "Jamie, what are you doing?" she murmured, quietly so that they wouldn't hear her. She knew that he was trying to make Tyler jealous, and that she should just play along, but she felt guilty for putting him through all this. She knew that she'd be mad if someone toyed with her like this. She glanced at the swimsuit that she was wearing, and then at the pale blue one that lay on the floor. A choice between polar opposites, and here she was, stuck in the middle with nothing else to do but ride it out. Should she tell Tyler and hope that he somehow understood? Or would she stick with Jamie, and risk the possibility of driving him even farther away?
***
"I'm this close Waite." Tyler growled as soon as Val had rushed out of sight, "This close to losing my temper."
"Then I must be slipping. You were supposed to have lost it by now."
"I swear Jamie. One more crack and I'll-"
"You'll what Tyler? Put me through a wall? Strangle me with a string bikini? Bring it on jock boy." Jamie challenged, pushing himself up from his seat and towering in front of Tyler. Tyler immediately sprung up to face him, and the two stood nose to nose in front of the dressing room mirrors, identical glares on their faces.
"Was that a challenge Hair gel?" Tyler spat, giving Jamie a little shove backwards. The dark-haired teen stumbled back slightly into a rack of discount swimsuits, but immediately regained his ground and returned the push.
"My hair's better than yours, buddy. I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, but sideburns went out with Grease." The sales clerks nervously watched the growing animosity between the two teens, and things would have quickly escalated into an all out fist fight, if Val hadn't stepped out of the changing room at that very moment, wearing a stunning suit.
"Are you guys ready to go?" She asked, apparently not noticing the fact that the two were about to rip each other's throats out. "Here's the suit I'm buying!" Tyler's mouth hung open in shock. It wasn't the blue one. It wasn't the black one either. It was white. Neutral white. Angelic, pure, non-side-choosing white. He and Jamie exchanged surprised glances, and, caught in the irony of the entire situation, they began to laugh.
"What, is it that bad?" Val asked, alarmed. "I thought it was cute, and I mean, I could go back and try on more black and blue ones but-"
"No, no it's fine." Tyler interrupted, biting back more laughter. "I'm sure it looks great on you."
"Are you sure? Why would you be laughing if-"
"Inside joke." Jamie cut in, saving them the explanation. "Shall we pay for it then?"
"Well, I mean, I guess if you're sure it's a nice one…" she said hesitantly.
"It's fine."
"Great."
"Beautiful."
"Breathtaking, can we please go now?" Tyler begged, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the register.
"Tyler! Slow down!" she cried, as he almost guided her right into a rack of purple tankini's.
"Oops, sorry about that. I just want to get you to the line before, um, it gets to long, because-"
"You want to get the heck out of here?" Val finished, amused. "Guys, I know I've taken entirely too long with this, and believe, me I feel horrible for making you wait-"
"Not as horrible as we felt waiting." Jamie grumbled, earning himself a steely glare from Val.
"It was your brilliant idea to play tag along Mr. Waite, I could have just as well gone shopping without you." she huffed, angrily folding her arms over her chest and pouting. Tyler hung back, watching the tow with a smug grin on his face. "Yeah, laugh it up jock boy. Won't be laughing so hard in a second." Jamie thought bitterly, plotting his next move. He didn't know when it had evolved from a simple prank into a one-upmanship contest, but from the matching expressions of contempt on both guy's faces, neither of them was planning on losing this one.
"Yeah, well, that just goes to show how much I like you then, doesn't it?" Jamie asked calmly, watching Val's frown fade, bit by bit, until she was smiling at him again. She had to admit, he was convincing as anything. If she didn't know that the whole lot of this was a bunch of hooey, why, she might have fallen for him then and there. Of course, knowing that it was all an act, she simply smiled and continued to play it cool.
"Well fellows, I believe that Hank is waiting for us over on the second floor. Shall we go?" she offered brightly, taking her packages and strolling out of the small boutique. Tyler stopped the dark haired rebel from following her.
"Hold on a second, Jamie, I think we need to talk." He demanded- in a voice that clearly suggested that it wasn't a polite request. Jamie sighed deeply, but nevertheless, followed.
"What is it Connell, still aching to put me in traction? The other's aren't here to break it up you know, it would be just you, me and mall security." Tyler rolled his eyes at Jamie's bravado.
"Can it Waite, I'm calling a truce." Jamie's eyebrows raised in interest.
"A truce?"
"Yeah, a truce. No matter how much we hate each other right now, for Val's sake, we keep the fighting to a minimum." He held out his hand in a cautious show of good will, and after a few moments of hard glaring, Jamie took it. "I just want to let you know, Jamie, that before this, I counted you as a friend- and hopefully, when this ends, I still will, no matter what happens. I trust you, and if Val does choose you, all I ask is that you take care of her." Jamie's hostility ebbed, and he felt his competitive spirit dying. He stared back down at the ground, for the first time, feeling ashamed at his prank. He didn't want this- didn't want to steal Val away from Tyler. Winning wasn't the point of the whole exercise- success came in losing.
"Now, now Connell, what's with all this talk of defeat? May the best man win, right? Give it your best shot, and I'll do the same- and we'll see who she chooses in the end." Ok, he still had to be cocky, but that's all that it took. He saw the fire in Tyler's eyes, and knew that the jock's competitive edge and inability to lose was growing, while Jamie let his die. "Right then, I believe a lady's waiting for us?" he brushed carelessly past Tyler and walked to where Val waited for them outside of the store.
"Guy pow wow?" she asked curiously, as Tyler jogged out after him. Jamie shrugged.
"You could call it that. I was just inspiring your boy to victory." He whispered with a sly wink. Val gave him a weak smile and the three began to make their way to the second story of the mall.
"I'm exhausted." Val sighed, resting her head on Tyler's shoulder. "Who knew swimsuit shopping could be so tiring?" Tyler couldn't help but shoot Jamie a triumphant grin as he draped an arm over her shoulder and led her to a bench to sit down. Jamie lagged behind, realizing that it would be a good idea to leave the two alone, instead of playing tag-along and ruining the Kodak moment.
"Um, you guys, I have to uh, check something out in- here." He said, quickly walking over to the nearest store entrance. Val and Tyler stared at him oddly.
"Jamie? Uh, what could you possibly need at Lane Bryant?" she asked, stifling a giggle.
"Maybe he needs to find his inner woman- no matter what the size." Tyler snickered, eyeing the racks of plus-sized women's clothing with amusement. "Hey look Jamie, there's a sale on extra-large lacy undergarments!"
"Extra large lacy undergarments?" Val giggled, "Wow, there's a WHOLE lotta woman in you Jamie." Tyler collapsed off the bench in hysterics, which caused the people around them to move away from them in fear.
"Har har, aren't we witty today." Jamie grumbled, turning a deep shade of pink "I'll catch up with you guys later." He ducked into the store and once again took a seat outside the fitting rooms. "God, I wish Caitie was here." he muttered, leaning back and closing his eyes.
***
"Do you think we hurt his feelings?" Val asked worriedly, as she watched the rebel walk dejectedly into Lane Bryant. Tyler straightened and tried vainly to stop his chuckles.
"Nah, Jamie knows we were just kidding. He's a rebel, he can handle it." He said, cracking up a gain. Val elbowed him hard in the side.
"Be serious Tyler! I owe him a lot you know." He beeper went off and she ruffled through her purse in search of it. "Oh no!" she cried, looking at the message on the screen.
"What's the matter, Alex need us to come in for reserve duty?" Tyler asked, looking a little annoyed. Two hours of swimsuit shopping, only to be rewarded with another shift? Not all was fair in love and EMS.
"No." she sighed, standing up and grabbing her shopping bag, "I've got to go home." She walked over to the entrance of Lane Bryant. "Jamie! Jamie, I gotta go, so if you're done finding whatever you need in there, you can either come with me or catch a ride home with Hank." She called. Jamie jumped up out of his seat and met her at the entrance.
"Um, I think I'll stick around here for a bit- and save myself from your music." He said with a little half smile. Val shrugged.
"All right, if that's what you want, just page Hank and let him know that your still here so that he doesn't leave you behind." She leaned over to give him a hug. "Thanks for doing this." She whispered. "I know that you had to put up with a little more overachiever then usual today- and I really appreciate it."
"No sweat- seeing Tyler's face when I kissed you was worth it enough for me." Jamie replied softly. Val laughed and walked towards the exit.
"Time to face the music." She muttered sadly. Tyler followed her.
"Val, wait up! Are you in trouble at home or something?" he questioned.
"I guess you can say that. When I get home, I'm a dead woman."
"Why? I mean, you said that your parents knew you were shopping today! Why would they be mad at you?" he put a comforting arm around her shoulder as they walked out into the parking lot. "Troubles in the Lanier homestead?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that." She replied with a tired smile. "It's just that Brooke is having another one of her famous sleepovers- and this time my parents allowed Nick, Mark, and Geoff to stay too because they thought they'd be there to chaperon the whole time. We, now my mom just paged me frantically because they forgot that they had my dad's big dinner party for his office, and they need ME to baby sit the little-" she sighed and didn't bother to finish her sentence. "Five girls, three guys! And they're all 12! I just know that I'm going to be killed!" she exclaimed sadly. Tyler watched her display with amusement.
"Death by preteen eh? Well, I doubt that Kingsport's resident superwoman can be defeated by a little babysitting- especially with me to help out." She removed her face from her hands and stared at him.
"No way, after everything I put you through this afternoon, you'd be willing to help me out again?" she gasped. "Are you sure you're human?"
"Hmm, I don't know, never bothered to check." He joked. Val smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you." she said sincerely, trying not to pay attention to the shocked expression on his face. She gave him a warm smile, and touched the pink kiss print her kiss had left on his cheek. "You don't know how much your help means to me all the time."
"I'd do anything for you." he murmured quietly, but quickly realizing the sappiness of his comment, he clammed up and stared at his shoes, hoping that she hadn't heard. Val blushed, she had heard what he said, but how did one respond to something like that? She meant to keep silent, but her mouth moved on it's own accord, and the words that came out of it hardly surprised her. "So, I'll see you at my house." She mumbled. Her mouth had a habit of ruining every single moment possible- and she hated herself for it.
"Y-yeah, I'll, um, I'll be there." He answered still looking embarrassed. Silently, they parted ways and made for their own vehicles- each cursing themselves for their stupidity, and trying to think of a way to redeem themselves at Brooke's sleepover that night.
***
A/N: All right, I know that I said that this would be the last one, but I wanted to end it right after shopping before I go into the slumber party, ok? So maybe one more chapter- and an epilogue, maybe, just to lead into the sequel. Did you like this chapter? A lot of the jokes came from late night convos with my sister while I typed- as you can see, our humor is a little off.