Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings of the TV show
American Dreams.
Summary: JJ/Beth story. What happens when Beth and Colleen meet at the
Pryor household?
High School Love
Beth's P.O.V
I sat on a chair by the kitchen counter and I could not stop crying. Roxanne had just fixed up two bowls of vanilla ice cream, on for me and one for her. I just couldn't see what JJ saw in that older woman. She was too old for him! She probably thought that JJ was just some fling to keep her occupied until another unsuspecting boy walked past. How could JJ just deny the love that I felt for him? Was it because I wasn't as "experienced" as Colleen?
"Beth, you've got to stop crying over JJ! You have to move on! You can't keep letting yourself get hurt by seeing him with other girls, and still have feelings for him!" Roxanne chided.
"Roxanne! I don't know what to do! I keep telling myself that I'm going to move on and stay away from JJ! But I just can't! There's just something about him that keeps me pulled toward him! And it hurts so much just to see him not care. And why does he keep going with that woman? She's too old for him!"
"Beth, he's a teenage boy. Teenage boys always want what they can't have, and they're never happy with what they have. If JJ is really as great and noble as you think he is, then he will eventually see the mistakes he's made, and he'll come back to you!"
"But what does she have that I don't have?!" I asked. I was beginning to get pretty angry. I had seen her before at the country club, and she wasn't exactly the most beautiful woman in the world. I also knew from country club gossip that she was a divorcee. How appealing could she be?
I continued bawling about my feelings for JJ, and Roxanne just sat there and told me that things would work out in the end. I had just finished using all the tissues of the freshly opened box about an hour later when Will walked into the kitchen.
"I hope you don't mind," he started innocently, which made me smile, "but I kind of overheard some of the things you said. I just wanted to let you know that I think that you and JJ will get married! It's destiny!"
"Oh Will, if only things were that simple," I sighed.
Will said goodnight, and Roxanne and I helped him get ready for bed. At around nine-thirty, Roxanne had gone home because I told her that I could take care of Will, and she needed to get home before it was too late. A little after ten, Will had just fallen asleep after the fifth story I read to him, and I'm sure it was already way past his bedtime. I walked downstairs to the kitchen and I cleaned and washed the dirty dishes. I picked up some of Will's toys which he left lying around by the television. By the time I was done tidying up the house, I heard a car pull up into the driveway, and two car doors opened then closed. My heart left, because I secretly hoped that JJ had come home.
To my disappointment, it was only Mr. and Mrs. Pryor.
"Beth!" Mrs. Pryor exclaimed. She seemed a little surprised. "What are you doing here? Did you help baby-sit Will?"
"Yes, I did. Oh, and I also cleaned up the dirty dishes and I picked up some of Will's toys and put them in his room. And before I forget, around Meg called around nine forty-five. She said that she was going to spend the night at Roxanne's house."
"Thank you, Beth," Mr. Pryor acknowledged as he walked up the stairs.
"Yes, thank you so much! Is JJ back yet?" A sympathetic look passed over Mrs. Pryor's features, probably because she saw me flinch when I heard JJ's name.
"Oh, well, no, he hasn't come back yet. He's still on his, um, date, I guess." It took a lot of effort for me to get those words out.
"Oh honey, I'm sorry about that. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I keep forgetting that you and JJ aren't dating anymore."
"Yeah, I wish we were though." I had spoken my thoughts, and I couldn't believe that I had let that slip in front of Mrs. Pryor! I couldn't keep tears from falling as I thought about what could have been, and how happy I had been with JJ.
"Mrs. Pryor, I'm so sorry about this. I didn't mean to just start getting all weepy!"
"Beth, it's okay. I can understand that you feel very hurt right now. Don't feel ashamed for your actions. Did you see JJ before he left?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, I saw him with. . .with that woman!"
"I don't approve of my son's current relationship right now, but I can't stop him. He can make his own decisions. But if this makes you feel any better, I also wish that you and JJ were still together," Mrs. Pryor said.
"Well, I better get going. Thank you for everything, Mrs. Pryor."
"Anytime, dear."
I got my coat and I opened the door. Once again, bad luck was faced in my direction. JJ and Colleen had just gotten back, and I watched as they both stepped out of her car and shared a passionate kiss. I couldn't breathe for several seconds. My heart had just suddenly stopped, and I could not close my eyes. Finally, air came into my lungs as JJ and Colleen broke apart. JJ stood and watched Colleen back out of the driveway, and he didn't start walking toward the door until she had driven away. I realized that he would see me soon, and he would see me in my teary condition. I started walking quickly to my car, but I knew that JJ would say something when he saw me.
"Beth, what are you still doing here?" he asked in a stiff voice.
"I baby-sat Will. Roxanne had to go home early," I choked out.
"Are you okay? You don't sound too well."
"I'm fine, JJ," I tried to say as a sob broke through. Now he knew how horrible I felt, and I was definitely unsuccessful in hiding my gloom. I suddenly felt extremely nervous as JJ walked up to me. I tried not to look at him and keep on walking, but my feet just did not want to move. He gently grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him.
"What's wrong? Why have you been crying?"
"JJ, you know what's wrong!" I snapped. "Don't you know how it feels for me to see you with. . .with her?! I feel like I'm dying inside! All these weeks you keep on avoiding me, and it hurts!"
"Well, you know what? That's how I felt when you didn't even want to bring me to that mixer! I even got Meg to teach me how to dance, and you didn't want me to come! You were ashamed of me!" JJ said as his voice began to grow louder.
"Well, I was being stupid! I don't know why I acted that way, and I feel really horrible about that! But you were the one who retaliated by spending the night with that good for nothing kitchen girl!"
I knew I had struck a nerve, because when I tried to leave, JJ immediately pulled me back, a little too roughly, because my arm twisted a little bit under his iron grip. I knew that it would leave a bruise, and I let out a little cry of pain as he held on to my right arm even tighter.
"Don't you ever insult Colleen like that! You have no right to belittle the people I care about!"
"JJ, let go of me, your hurting me," I tried to get out through my sobs. He finally realized how tightly he had held my arm, and I immediately wrenched my arm out of his grip. I ran to my car and stuck my keys into the ignition. I quickly drove out of the driveway, and I shot one fleeting glance at JJ, who stood angrily by his door.
As I turned onto another residential street as I neared my house, my vision got even foggier because of my tears. My wrist had begun to really throb, and I already saw a bruise forming. I kept on driving, and I could loud music up ahead, probably coming from a car radio. As a turned a corner, a car was wildly swerving high speed up ahead, and it came right at me! Before I knew it, I was hit, and all I felt was excruciating pain before I blacked out.
* * *
JJ's P.O.V.
I opened my eyes, and shielded them from the bright sunlight coming from the narrow slits of the blinds. I got out of bed, changed, and slowly trudged down the stairs to breakfast. Last night, Beth had ruined my perfectly enjoyable evening with Colleen, and I was still pretty angry about that.
The smell of bacon and eggs woke me up as I got nearer to the kitchen. My whole family was already at the table, and Mom was just putting the plate of bacon down on the table.
"JJ, Beth's father called about ten minutes ago," my Mom began, and I didn't like the tone of her voice. "He said that last night on her way home, Beth was in a car accident. I'm not sure of the details, but her father said that you could visit her at St. Joseph's."
"Is she okay?" Whoever hit her will be sorry, I thought to myself. Wait, I shouldn't be thinking that, should I? She's not even my girlfriend anymore. But that didn't matter to me as I quickly grabbed my dad's car keys without even asking and ran out the door.
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High School Love
Beth's P.O.V
I sat on a chair by the kitchen counter and I could not stop crying. Roxanne had just fixed up two bowls of vanilla ice cream, on for me and one for her. I just couldn't see what JJ saw in that older woman. She was too old for him! She probably thought that JJ was just some fling to keep her occupied until another unsuspecting boy walked past. How could JJ just deny the love that I felt for him? Was it because I wasn't as "experienced" as Colleen?
"Beth, you've got to stop crying over JJ! You have to move on! You can't keep letting yourself get hurt by seeing him with other girls, and still have feelings for him!" Roxanne chided.
"Roxanne! I don't know what to do! I keep telling myself that I'm going to move on and stay away from JJ! But I just can't! There's just something about him that keeps me pulled toward him! And it hurts so much just to see him not care. And why does he keep going with that woman? She's too old for him!"
"Beth, he's a teenage boy. Teenage boys always want what they can't have, and they're never happy with what they have. If JJ is really as great and noble as you think he is, then he will eventually see the mistakes he's made, and he'll come back to you!"
"But what does she have that I don't have?!" I asked. I was beginning to get pretty angry. I had seen her before at the country club, and she wasn't exactly the most beautiful woman in the world. I also knew from country club gossip that she was a divorcee. How appealing could she be?
I continued bawling about my feelings for JJ, and Roxanne just sat there and told me that things would work out in the end. I had just finished using all the tissues of the freshly opened box about an hour later when Will walked into the kitchen.
"I hope you don't mind," he started innocently, which made me smile, "but I kind of overheard some of the things you said. I just wanted to let you know that I think that you and JJ will get married! It's destiny!"
"Oh Will, if only things were that simple," I sighed.
Will said goodnight, and Roxanne and I helped him get ready for bed. At around nine-thirty, Roxanne had gone home because I told her that I could take care of Will, and she needed to get home before it was too late. A little after ten, Will had just fallen asleep after the fifth story I read to him, and I'm sure it was already way past his bedtime. I walked downstairs to the kitchen and I cleaned and washed the dirty dishes. I picked up some of Will's toys which he left lying around by the television. By the time I was done tidying up the house, I heard a car pull up into the driveway, and two car doors opened then closed. My heart left, because I secretly hoped that JJ had come home.
To my disappointment, it was only Mr. and Mrs. Pryor.
"Beth!" Mrs. Pryor exclaimed. She seemed a little surprised. "What are you doing here? Did you help baby-sit Will?"
"Yes, I did. Oh, and I also cleaned up the dirty dishes and I picked up some of Will's toys and put them in his room. And before I forget, around Meg called around nine forty-five. She said that she was going to spend the night at Roxanne's house."
"Thank you, Beth," Mr. Pryor acknowledged as he walked up the stairs.
"Yes, thank you so much! Is JJ back yet?" A sympathetic look passed over Mrs. Pryor's features, probably because she saw me flinch when I heard JJ's name.
"Oh, well, no, he hasn't come back yet. He's still on his, um, date, I guess." It took a lot of effort for me to get those words out.
"Oh honey, I'm sorry about that. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I keep forgetting that you and JJ aren't dating anymore."
"Yeah, I wish we were though." I had spoken my thoughts, and I couldn't believe that I had let that slip in front of Mrs. Pryor! I couldn't keep tears from falling as I thought about what could have been, and how happy I had been with JJ.
"Mrs. Pryor, I'm so sorry about this. I didn't mean to just start getting all weepy!"
"Beth, it's okay. I can understand that you feel very hurt right now. Don't feel ashamed for your actions. Did you see JJ before he left?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, I saw him with. . .with that woman!"
"I don't approve of my son's current relationship right now, but I can't stop him. He can make his own decisions. But if this makes you feel any better, I also wish that you and JJ were still together," Mrs. Pryor said.
"Well, I better get going. Thank you for everything, Mrs. Pryor."
"Anytime, dear."
I got my coat and I opened the door. Once again, bad luck was faced in my direction. JJ and Colleen had just gotten back, and I watched as they both stepped out of her car and shared a passionate kiss. I couldn't breathe for several seconds. My heart had just suddenly stopped, and I could not close my eyes. Finally, air came into my lungs as JJ and Colleen broke apart. JJ stood and watched Colleen back out of the driveway, and he didn't start walking toward the door until she had driven away. I realized that he would see me soon, and he would see me in my teary condition. I started walking quickly to my car, but I knew that JJ would say something when he saw me.
"Beth, what are you still doing here?" he asked in a stiff voice.
"I baby-sat Will. Roxanne had to go home early," I choked out.
"Are you okay? You don't sound too well."
"I'm fine, JJ," I tried to say as a sob broke through. Now he knew how horrible I felt, and I was definitely unsuccessful in hiding my gloom. I suddenly felt extremely nervous as JJ walked up to me. I tried not to look at him and keep on walking, but my feet just did not want to move. He gently grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him.
"What's wrong? Why have you been crying?"
"JJ, you know what's wrong!" I snapped. "Don't you know how it feels for me to see you with. . .with her?! I feel like I'm dying inside! All these weeks you keep on avoiding me, and it hurts!"
"Well, you know what? That's how I felt when you didn't even want to bring me to that mixer! I even got Meg to teach me how to dance, and you didn't want me to come! You were ashamed of me!" JJ said as his voice began to grow louder.
"Well, I was being stupid! I don't know why I acted that way, and I feel really horrible about that! But you were the one who retaliated by spending the night with that good for nothing kitchen girl!"
I knew I had struck a nerve, because when I tried to leave, JJ immediately pulled me back, a little too roughly, because my arm twisted a little bit under his iron grip. I knew that it would leave a bruise, and I let out a little cry of pain as he held on to my right arm even tighter.
"Don't you ever insult Colleen like that! You have no right to belittle the people I care about!"
"JJ, let go of me, your hurting me," I tried to get out through my sobs. He finally realized how tightly he had held my arm, and I immediately wrenched my arm out of his grip. I ran to my car and stuck my keys into the ignition. I quickly drove out of the driveway, and I shot one fleeting glance at JJ, who stood angrily by his door.
As I turned onto another residential street as I neared my house, my vision got even foggier because of my tears. My wrist had begun to really throb, and I already saw a bruise forming. I kept on driving, and I could loud music up ahead, probably coming from a car radio. As a turned a corner, a car was wildly swerving high speed up ahead, and it came right at me! Before I knew it, I was hit, and all I felt was excruciating pain before I blacked out.
* * *
JJ's P.O.V.
I opened my eyes, and shielded them from the bright sunlight coming from the narrow slits of the blinds. I got out of bed, changed, and slowly trudged down the stairs to breakfast. Last night, Beth had ruined my perfectly enjoyable evening with Colleen, and I was still pretty angry about that.
The smell of bacon and eggs woke me up as I got nearer to the kitchen. My whole family was already at the table, and Mom was just putting the plate of bacon down on the table.
"JJ, Beth's father called about ten minutes ago," my Mom began, and I didn't like the tone of her voice. "He said that last night on her way home, Beth was in a car accident. I'm not sure of the details, but her father said that you could visit her at St. Joseph's."
"Is she okay?" Whoever hit her will be sorry, I thought to myself. Wait, I shouldn't be thinking that, should I? She's not even my girlfriend anymore. But that didn't matter to me as I quickly grabbed my dad's car keys without even asking and ran out the door.
A/N: review review review! How do you like it so far? Good or bad? (