Ugh... bored out of my mind.

((JTLib=3))

JT woke the next morning with vague memories of a very good dream. Something to do with Devon and a machete, he couldn't remember exactly, but it brought a smile to his face.

"Get up, JT. Time to get to school." Toby said, throwing him his nap-sack which contained everything from toothbrush to clothes. JT groaned and hopped off the top bunk, pulling off his shirt as he headed for the bathroom for his shower.

After a shower and brushing his teeth, JT dressed and made his way downstairs for his pop-tart breakfast. As he chewed the cold pop-tart, he thought about Liberty. God, how he'd wanted to kiss her the other day... That spark had zinged through him like an electric shock. He had wanted to pull her so much closer... And now he knew why...

((JTLib=3))

Liberty woke with a start. She couldn't remember exactly what she had dreamt, something about Devon... and... JT with a machete? Hm. She'd have to figure that out later.

She got her shower and brushed her teeth quickly, for some reason, she felt excited.

Oh... that's right. My date. She smiled happily, walking into her room and passing by her newly created outfit. Stopping as she reached the closet, she looked at it with a calculating eye.

Maybe I SHOULD wear it... I mean, why not? I can spend art sketching, right? She took the outfit off the hanger and dressed. She left her hair down and put on the red poorboy cap. She thought she looked pretty good.

She grabbed her school-bag and walked out the door quickly, before her parents could ask about the sudden change.

((JTLib=3))

JT had headed out the door long before Toby or Ashley. He was boarding to school early to see if he could meet Liberty in the library before school started. They needed to work on the project anyway, and JT needed to spend as much time around her today, FRIDAY, DATE DAY, as possible.

Reaching the school steps, he caught sight of Spinner and Paige. They waved him over, and he complied, flipping his skateboard over his back.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He said, wondering why Paige would EVER want to talk to him voluntarily.

"Oh nothing, caught sight of your girlfriend yet?" Paige said innocently.

"No, but do you guys know where Liberty is? We need to get to work on the project." JT asked, pretending not to notice what Paige had called Liberty.

"Sure. She's in the library. At least, I think it's her." she answered, a mischievous smile lighting up her face.

"O...K... thanks..." JT said, before leaving them at the steps, and heading up to the library.

When he opened the library door, he looked around, and when he spotted Liberty he couldn't breathe. She... was.... he couldn't say what, he could only stare. She was purely beautiful. That was it for JT. He admitted it right there. Just said to himself I love her... I LOVE her...

She turned her eyes to him and smiled. JT's heart thumped in his chest. He waved back, meekly. She waved him over and he complied, sitting in the chair in front of her.

"Hey, JT! What's up? You look... weird. What's the matter?" Liberty asked concerned.

"Uh... nothin'. Nice outfit." He could barely choke out the words.

"Thanks, like it? Made it last night, if you must know. See anything familiar?" She asked coyly.

JT looked closely. The jean-skirt was unsubstantial, they were all the rage this season. But the yellow cut-up tee and the Hawaiian print tank under it... they were ringing bells. Suddenly, a flash from the year before flitted through his mind. Liberty, standing before the class in a Hawaiian shirt and yellow tee. It clicked.

"It's your JT-Imitation get-up!" He exclaimed, eyes widening. "I'm impressed!"

"Yeah, well it doesn't take much." She said, laughing. JT mock-glared, then laughed as well.

"Lets go get the book." Liberty said, standing up to go grab the book they had been using the other day. When they got to the aisle, however, JT glared at the top-shelf book, still where it was.

"Ah... so we meet again, my worthy adversary...." JT hissed, glaring at the book.

"JT, stop!" Liberty giggled. "The books right there, JT, just grab the one we were using the other day!"

"Never! JT Yorke will never surrender! Especially not to a stupid bunch of papers stuck together all pretty. Never!" JT made an insane jump for the elusive book, and once again, fell flat on his butt. Liberty was hysterical by now, and JT couldn't help but laugh as well.

"You know, I really do like it down here. It's comfy. Here, come see." He said, grabbing her arm. Liberty gasped as he pulled her down and she landed in his lap. After a long silence, JT smiled.

"This is nice. Let's just do our work here for now." he said smiling.

"JT, I'd love to, but we still need a copy of the-" JT cut her off by pointing to the bottom shelf in front of her. There, in the exact same spot it had been before, was The Complete Book of Shakespear's Comedies. Reaching over, she picked it up and turned to the play.

"So, I was thinking we should do something with Viola, seeing as Olivia seems to be our only source of humor. I thought if we could do something to Viola's character, maybe that would-"

"My, my. Don't you two look cosy." came a voice from above them. JT looked up at the voice, and resisted the urge to glare.

Devon.

"Hey, Devon, we're just working on our proj-"

"I noticed." Devon cut JT off. He grabbed Liberty's arm and pulled her up. "Hey baby, I've been lookin' for you all morning. You look different today. Did you get your hair cut?"

"Um, no Devon. I didn't. I'll see you tonight, ok?" Liberty answered, smiling brightly.

"First, give me somethin' to remember you by..." Devon said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing her against the book case. Liberty's smile faded the tiniest bit, JT noticed, as Devon closed in for the kiss.

Again, JT wanted to be in Devon's shoes. He wished he was the one kissing Liberty, and not the creep she called her boyfriend.

((JTLib=3))

Again, the kiss was hard and rough. Devon's tongue forced its way into her mouth, and their teeth clicked together in a way Liberty didn't really like. It felt like Devon was trying to choke her with his tongue.

And yet again...

She felt nothing.

Liberty pulled away, and Devon gave her a questioning look.

"PDA isn't allowed and they have cameras all over the place. I'll see you tonight, ok?" Liberty said, smiling. Devon finally smiled, and turned to leave. As soon as he left, Liberty sank back down to the floor, barely containing her embarrassment.

"Hey, what's the matter? You just kissed your boyfriend for crying out loud! Shouldn't you be all giggly and smiley? What happened to the lovey-dovey-dopeyness of it all?" JT asked, a tinge of spite in his voice.

Liberty looked at JT. She looked straight into his eyes. She knew right then that she would always have a thing for him. Too bad he would never feel the same.

The bell rang, signaling everyone was to report to homeroom. Liberty stood, not taking the chance of looking at JT again, and walked away. She would get through this project somehow. And the date. Then she would do her best to get over JT, because the closer they got, the more it pained her heart to see him, knowing that he would never feel like she did.