Disclaimer: Guess who has an affiliation with "The Famous Jett Jackson." Not me!


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JB carried a crate from the stockroom to the front of the store. He was talking idly with Kayla and picking items from the crate to be placed onto the shelves when the bell on the door caught his attention. In walked Jett. Rather, in he stumbled. JB could already hear his teeth chattering as he crawled to the counter. He gave Kayla a pointed look. Unbothered, she only watched Jett with a glint in her eye.

"JB," He was barely able to make out his words as Jett stammered. "It's-cold-out-there."

Rushing back to the stockroom, JB grabbed a throw rug his dad had stored. It was thin and clean, and he offered to Jett who took it gratefully. He waited about a minute for him to warm up. "Did you find them?" He meant the boxers, of course, but it was a bit weird talking about that with a guy friend.

His eyes glazed over, he glanced up at JB. "Nooooo…" he whined. "They wouldn't let me in the school."

Kayla thought that was her cue to join in. Her tone was noticeably quiet and innocent. "What were you doing at school?"

If he had felt weak a second before, Kayla's voice snapped him into awareness. "Oh-uh…hi Kay! What's up? How you've been?" Do you hate me? Are we still friends? Or more? His mind raced with questions but his main objective was to make it seem like last night had never occurred.

"Well… um… I'm fine. Been here with JB…" She cleared her throat, appearing nervous. "So yeah… why were you at school?"

"School? Why would I be at school? Umm… funny you would ask, cuz you know, today IS a snow day. Who would wanna spend the day back there…hmm…" He was babbling. No way was he going to remind her of last night by telling her the truth of why he was there. He wanted that to be the furthest thing on her mind.

"He forgot the books for our research project. You know Jett. Good, reliable Jett. Never wants to let down his friends. Isn't that nice of him?"

Kayla fought the urge to roll her eyes at JB. Why'd he have to try to rescue him? "Yeah, that's very nice of you," she told Jett, insincerely. She had to act like she didn't want to touch him with a ten-foot pole. "All right…I gotta head back home. I'll see you guys later for the project."

As soon as she had stepped out, Jett turned to JB, his forehead wrinkled. "See? She hates me. Did you see how uncomfortable she was?"

JB was gaping at the door. That conniving, little…she was supposed to tell Jett the truth before she left! He turned back to him. "She doesn't hate you, man. Maybe she's just umm, overwhelmed." The corner of JB's mouth lifted sympathetically. "You guys have gone through a lot—the library, your uh, squirt..."

"No, that's not it. She's disgusted. Can't even stay five minutes in a room with me." He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, but it only fell as he let out a humongous sneeze that sent JB back. "Scuse me."

"Get some rest, Jett. You probably have a cold by now." JB counted the time that he had been gone. Sheesh, three hours waiting in the snow.

"Okay…maybe Nana will make me some soup…" Jett mumbled hopefully. "Later JB."

"Try to feel better for our project. We still gotta work on that, ya know."

Jett's shoulders sagged lower at the reminder. "Yeah, yeah…bye."

Kayla better stop playing with him soon. He'll catch pneumonia before they're actually going out.

******


"Are you sure it's just a cold? I think I'm dying here."

Miz Coretta stared down at Jett's pitiful gaze. The boy could sure be dramatic. Oh, right. He was a boy. Men get sick and they automatically think they're dying.

"Child, you're going to be fine. Just keep drinking and get some sleep. When I check back on you, that pitcher better be empty."

She pointed to a container that held some kind of green concoction inside. So much for soup. Jett decided not to ask what was in it and take her word for it.

He dozed off a couple minutes later. Needless to say, he dreamt about what worried him most. Kayla. She approached from afar, walking toward him with a sweet smile and a sway to her hips. He gulped. Why could she make him feel this way?

But as she got closer in the dream, her smile turned into a scowl. From behind her back, his boxers emerged and she threw them roughly at his face. "How could you??" she screamed. "I can never be with you again. You nasty, sickening…" she continued to bash him, until he rolled up into a little ball. He wanted out of there and he covered his ears to keep out her hurtful words. Silence resonated after a couple seconds and he opened his eyes. Nothing. Except his underwear left on the ground. As he reached to pick them up though, it transformed into a giant pair of boxers. Big. With feet. He did a double take. He didn't own a pair of orange boxers with blue lemons on it. Well, it proceeded to chase him around, booming, "Oh, they're gonna find out about me Jett. Aaaaallll of Wilsted. And your show? It's ruined. You're ruined. Muahahahahahaha…..HA!!" And it grabbed him then with its legs (if that was possible) and knocked him out.

Jett jolted up from the bed, awakened. Stars came to his eyes and his head pounded. "Ughhhhh…." His groan croaked out and his throat felt like a dozen needles had pierced it.

And that tea stuff or whatever his Nana had made, went right through him. He jumped off the bed and sprinted straight for the bathroom. The whole time, he wondered if he should be worried about the sour taste in his mouth. Soon enough, he was heaving into the toilet.

******

[The next day, Saturday afternoon…]


"I'll be over in a couple minutes." Kayla stuffed some pencils into her backpack as she spoke to JB, cradling the phone on her shoulder. "I hope we finish this in time for class on Monday."

"Yeah, well, that'd be possible if we weren't one man short, ya know."

"What?? Jett's going to your house too, right?" This get-together at JB's was just what she needed to torture Jett more before she told him the truth. That she was only pulling his leg about the silent treatment, the boxers, their little "break" or whatever he thought they were going through. Oh, it tickled her so much that he was worried about the two of them. She was really touched. It was sweet. It was thoughtful. It was hilarious.

"I'm not sure. He sounded pretty bad when we talked this morning."

"You gotta call him up again, JB! Make sure he's coming."

"Okay. But you gotta promise me that this is it. Before this day is over, you're going to tell him."

"Yeah, fine. Now get a hold of him. And call me back."

"I'm serious Kay. It's not fair--"

She had already hung up on him. He sighed. This really wasn't the healthiest beginning to their relationship. Dialing his other friend's number by heart, he listened to the rings. Miz Coretta answered.

"Hi, Miz Coretta. Could I speak to Jett please?"

"Why hello, JB. Let me just check that he's awake."

He heard the elderly woman pad away from the phone. There was a click and Jett cleared his throat painfully before he said anything.

"Hey JB."

"How ya doin' Jett?"

"A little better. I don't think I can make it today, though."

A puff of staticky breath went through the receiver as JB sighed. This was frustrating. When the heck would they--

"Are you sure? Come on. I bet you're missing your girrrrrlfriend." Maybe he could lure him into getting his butt over.

"We're not like that. And stop trying to convince me that we are. It's probably a good thing I can't go anyway."

"Dude, you're good as together! Don't give up now. Besides, I talked to Kayla and it sounded like she wanted to see you." That was true. Kinda twisted but what either of them didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"Really?" The hope in his voice was obvious.

"Yeah..."

Even with his head high with meds, Jett heard his friend's uncertainty. "You're not just saying that, are you?"

"No! Now you're coming. Be here in half an hour." It was mean to boss him around in his condition but after this day was over, Jett would feel a hundred times better.

"Sure, if I don't pass out first." Slowly getting up, he trudged over to his closet to change. "So, is there anything I should bring? For the project."

"Huh? Oh, uh, no. Everything's taken cared of. Kay's bringing a bunch of her art stuff and the store has anything else we'll need."

"Ya sure? What's Kay bringing?"

JB remembered and went through the list she'd told him over the phone word for word. "Colored pencils, markers, Jett's underwear, some watercolors, and--"

"WHAT!!"

His loud yelp caused JB's ears to ring. Shaking his head, he placed the receiver back to his ear. "What?"

"You said my underwear."

Stunned, JB paled. By golly, he did.

He chuckled nervously. "Oh, meant nothing by it. Guess you've gotten me worried about the whole underwear fiasco too, buddy. Man, I hope you find those. I bet they were very becoming on you. All right, see you la--"

"Hold up! Why did you say that? About the underwear. And don't hang up, JB, or I swear I'm gonna tell Riley you've liked her since she moved here, so help me--"

"No! Jett I'm here!" His eyes widening, JB shouted with desperate urgency. What had he gotten himself into.


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Eep. I apologize for not updating quicker. I know it sucks to wait, so it won't take as long for the conclusion to be up. It will be up a lot sooner.

Those of you who posted your comments: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! :o) You are all beyond sweet and it just brings a cheesy little smile to my face.