Title: Two Sides of the Same Coin -- Chapter 4
Author: StuckHereWithNoTV
Author's Email: stuckherewithnotvyahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Jake 2.0 and all related elements, characters and indicia copyright Roundtable Entertainment and Viacom Productions, Inc., 2003. All Rights Reserved. All characters and situations-save those created by the authors for use solely on this website-are copyright Roundtable Entertainment and Viacom Productions, Inc.
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Jake drummed his fingers on the surface of his mug as an awkward silence settled in the room. To his left, he saw Jess nonchalantly taking a sip from her cup and then giving him a jovial wink when she noticed he was watching her. Jake grinned bashfully and turned to the right where he viewed Diane who had been blowing away the steam at the surface of her cup for the last five minutes. He tried giving her a friendly smile but then frowned when she didn't notice and continued to stare absently at her coffee. Jake shifted uncomfortably when he suddenly realized how small his couch actually was with all three of them crammed next to each other.
"So," Jess energetically began, "how'd you guys meet?"
"Uh, well... um." Jake covertly nudged Diane who proceeded to spill a little of her beverage on the floor.
Snapping out of her shocked state, Diane stammered, "What? Oh, um, well you know the computers in the lab are always crashing and so, uh, J-Jake came in one day while I was there and fixed them and, um, we just started talking. Noth-nothing unusual."
Jess touched his shoulder affectionately. "Aw, how cute of you! Always saving the day, aren't you Jake?"
"Well, you know, I try." Jake inclined his chin proudly not catching the roll of Diane's eyes.
Another long moment of silence passed before Jake attempted to revive the situation.
"So..." Jake nodded good-naturedly while trying to think up of a conversation starter. "You guys... have the same... parents. Uh..." He squirmed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable being sandwiched between the two sisters' stares.
"That is the typical definition of 'sisters'," Diane informed gently.
Jake scowled lamely, "Yeah... I guess that does make sense..."
"Mm-hmm. Anyways," Jess said taking command, "I guess my big sis here didn't mention me at all, did she Jake?" Leaning forward to look at Diane, she waggled a finger in a tsk-tsk motion, "I thought Mom always told us to share?"
"Well actually, she did mention you." He remembered back to Christmas, oblivious to the sparks of tension that were currently flying past him. "The pool party incident, right? Unless there's another sister I haven't met."
"No. Oh no," Diane hastily informed Jake. She shook her head as she imagined having another sister with Jess's personality.
"Yeah. It's just us two. I think me alone is almost too much for you to handle," Jess insinuated but not making it clear if the comment was meant for her sister or Jake. "Pool party... oh yeah, Diane's graduation! Hmm, that was a great day, wasn't it Diane?"
"Very," she replied in a monotonous tone.
Jess smiled. "Yeah, my friends made her a card and I bought her a new outfit to replace the one she wore that day because it was embarrassing to see her wearing that so not in style stuff--"
"It was you!" Diane gasped, "You were the one who stole my things!"
"I just took your clothes while you were in the shower. I figured that would keep you from leaving before I came back with the new outfit. I didn't think you'd actually leave for the ceremony wearing... well, almost nothing. As for your other stuff, I might've forgotten to lock the locker up again." Jess shrugged, "Besides I thought you took pretty short showers so I never imagined theft would be a problem in the first place. Of course, they might've just seemed short because I take really long showers, right Jake?" She placed a hand on his knee, "By the way, I'm sorry if I took all the hot water this morning... although, maybe you might not need a lot of it after all."
Jake gave a shaky laugh before setting his cup down. "Showers. Speaking of showers, I guess I should go take one. Uh," He pushed away the mental images Jess was trying to project and pointed both thumbs over his shoulder. "Yeah, showers are good. I... I'll just go do that." Rising, Jake attempted to cross in front of Jess but tripped on her outstretched leg. Bracing his hands on the couch, he stopped himself from completely falling on top of her. "Sorry. Really sorry," he apologized in horror.
"Don't worry about it," Jess answered, letting the smoldering timbre of her voice resonate throughout the room.
Jake hastily continued towards the bathroom repeating inaudibly, "Oh, yeah. Showers are good."
It wasn't until the loud rushing noise of water from behind the closed door that the pause in conversation since Jake's departure was ended.
"What do you think you're doing, Jessica?" Diane asked sharply.
Jess leaned back with a malicious grin playing on her lips, "Well, I'm sitting here on the couch having coffee--"
"I'm serious."
"Well so am I," Jess sighed and put down her mug. "I helped out Jake yesterday and like the considerate guy he is, he's letting me stay over a few nights." She gave her sister a sly glance. "And who knows, maybe we'll get to know each other a little better."
This whole week was starting to grate on Diane's nerves and finding her younger sister in Jake's apartment with only a towel on certainly wasn't helping the situation. "If you do anything to hurt his feelings--"
"Could you please clarify the phrase 'do anything'?" Jess struck an overdramatic pose with her finger tapping her forehead as if completely puzzled. Knowing she was getting under the other woman's skin only made her grin wider. "Oh c'mon Diane, it's not like I haven't stolen one of you're boyfriends before... And look, you're not even involved with Jake so I don't see why you're getting all worked up."
"Because Jake's my best friend and I don't want to see him-- just don't play any of your little games with him or I swear I'll--" Diane set her own mug down, noticing that she was shaking from what she assumed was the caffeine.
Jess's eyebrows lifted, stunned. Her shy and passive sister had basically threatened her; a fierce action she had never seen Diane insinuate to anyone before. She wasn't kidding when she said she had stolen one of her sister's boyfriends in the past and yet when that had happened Diane had just backed down, so Jess wondered why all of a sudden this was different. And not willing to admit it, she actually felt a little proud that her older sister was finally showing some backbone.
"Hey, I genuinely like Jake," Jess defended matter-of-factly. "He's different than the kinds of guys I've been with. And besides, I don't see anyone else interested."
"Who says I'm not int--" Diane stopped realizing what she was about to say. With a weak laugh, she tried to change the subject, "Wow, really strong coffee. Just can't seem to finish any sentences this morning. Is-Is this decaf, 'cause y'know I just get really wired when it's not decaf and I just start saying stuff that I absolutely don't mean. And it tastes very sugary and-and--"
Rolling her eyes Jess interrupted the babbling, "Don't bother with spin control Diane," she commented knowingly. "If you're jealous just admit it."
"I-I am not jealous."
"Then maybe you're just scared that you'll lose to your sister again when it comes to guys."
"Now that's just plain wrong. And there is not going to be some competition between us; I refuse to do something as silly as that."
The two turned to glance over the back of the couch when they heard Jake come out of the bathroom drying off his hair.
"Your loss," Diane heard Jess say in a low pitch only meant for her to hear. Nonetheless, Jake was still able to pick up the short phrase.
Walking up to the couch, he asked, "Someone lose something?"
Jess turned to him in amazement while Diane got up and started towards the door, not wanting to deal with any more of her sister's remarks.
"Where you going?" Jake called after Diane.
"Work, remember?" she said curtly. "So are you coming?"
Before he could answer, Jess happily chimed in, "Actually, I offered to drive Jake to work today."
"Oh, really?" Diane tried to sound pleasant, which fooled no one except for Jake. "But you don't have to do that. I mean, I'm already heading over there and I'm sure Jake wouldn't want to trouble you--" She looked pointedly at Jake, signaling him to agree with her.
Jake opened his mouth to speak when Jess placed a hand on his bare arm prodding him to look down at her. "As I keep saying, it's no trouble. And it would make more sense for you to catch a ride with me instead of wasting time at work you could spend more time doing... fun things," she suggested.
He cocked his head to the side, "Yeah, that-that's logical. You know, Diane, I think I'll-- Diane?" He looked back up to see an empty doorway. "Where-- What'd I say?"
Jess picked up her coffee and brought it to her lips. Shrugging as if mystified, she hid a triumphant smirk behind the rim of the cup.