More than friends
"Jimmy another F and you're going to be kicked off the basketball team." Mrs. Kwan replied looking sorry for having to give the bad news. "Mrs. Kwan are you serious basketball is my life, what am I going to do", sulked Jimmy. "Well Jimmy you can have someone tutor you, like Terri she's your friend and she's in the tutoring program, so she could keep it all hush, hush." Jimmy thought about it all through Mr. Simpson's class. Terri had been his friend for years why wouldn't she want to help him.
After school he ran after her, "Terri, Terri wait up", he yelled. "Jimmy your out of breath, how long have you been calling me," Terri said, looking confused; "What's on your mind Jimbo. "Well… I am having trouble in Mrs. Kwan's class and I need tutoring but I don't want anyone to know that I need tutoring, would you be able to help me. "Wow all of that in one breath you've really been thinking about this; and yes I would love to help you." Terri exclaimed.
Terri was so confused yet so happy about what just happened. Why did he pick her? Why not someone else? But she didn't care she was just happy that she would be spending more time with an old friend, but she knew deep down inside that that wasn't the only reason she wanted to spend time with him. The next day after school they met at the library, and the day after for the next two weeks. Jimmy's grades were improving, and he had passed his test, but now he found himself just hanging out with Terri just to be with her. He enjoyed her company and the way she called him "Jimbo". But he couldn't like her, she was Terri, they were just friends and plus he was going out with Hazel. Terri would never think of him that way anyways. But that was what he thought. Terri went through the past couple of weeks in a daze. The more time that they spent together, the more Terri's fondness grew for him. That one day she couldn't take it. Jimmy had just finished showing her that she had passed the midterm exams with a B, and Terri leapt into his arms and kissed him. But the thing that took Terri by surprise was that he kissed her back. Jimmy pulled away slowly, took her hands and whispered I don't know what's going on … or how I feel about you but I like it, and he kissed her again.
For the next couple of weeks after school they would meet at the same tree behind the library and spend so much time together, kissing, talking, walking, doing anything that they felt like doing. The world was theirs to take. But then reality slowly sank back in.
Hazel walked up to Terri one morning and asked Terri what was going on with Jimmy. "He's acting real distant, and he's always so distracted is there someone else, or something?" Hazel began to cry. Terri couldn't stand to hurt Hazel, but she couldn't keep this up. "Hazel I need to tell you something, I kissed Jimmy one day a few weeks ago… and well…" Terri paused and Hazel wouldn't let her finish that's what it is you've been sneaking around with my boyfriend, how could you hurt me like this Terri, I trusted you and you were my friend." With tears streaming down her face Terri didn't know where else to go but to Jimmy. When Jimmy heard the news he wouldn't speak to Terri either. Terri wished she could take everything back, but she couldn't. And she couldn't bear to see Jimmy and Hazel especially since they had patched things up. Terri lost two good friends and she had lost someone she loved. She had loved Jimmy. A pure, innocent kind of love, and she couldn't help it, she didn't know what else to do except run.
The next week Terri wasn't in any of her classes, and the school said she had transferred. Jimmy had gone to her house but there was a for sale sign there. She wouldn't just leave like that, over some thing as stupid as me would she? Jimmy asked himself that question all week; when finally he asked Spinner. Spinner looked at Jimmy like Jimmy was a leper or something. Spinner sighed and murmured, "It's only her and her dad of course she could pack up and leave, and yes she would leave because of you because she loves you, you numb nut." Jimmy was full of questions. And there was no one there to answer them. Did she really love him? Did she leave because she didn't bear to see him and Hazel together? Where was she now?
That night Jimmy went online and googled her father. He got the address, they hadn't moved to far. She had moved far enough that she could go to the neighboring school. That weekend he would go and look for her. The weekend finally came and Terri was just beginning to get settled into the new life and the new school, but it was hard to forget about Degrassi and especially Jimmy. She would never forget him. But that life was over, she was so glad that her dad had let them move she couldn't bear another day let alone another year, knowing that Jimmy was not hers and never would be.
Terri reluctantly opened her Math book and tried to concentrate on her homework. When Terri had finally immersed herself in her work she heard a knock at the door. "Who could that be" she thought out loud. When she opened the door she was surprised to see Jimmy there. Fresh tears stung her eyes, and she tried to close the door. But she wasn't fast enough. He already had one foot in the door. "Aren't you going to invite me in, he asked sheepishly. No, she yelled angrily, emotions she didn't know rose up in her throat as she groaned, and let go of the door handle while wrapping her arms around herself as if her arms were holding her up. Not caring who heard she Screamed" When I kissed you, you kissed me back and to make matters worse we started sneaking around behind Hazels back, and then when I am finally truthful because I couldn't bear to lie to her anymore you stop talking to me, and you get back with her, and to make matters worse you made me fall in love with you, all of that was not part of tutoring you." "Wait a second" by now jimmy was sputtering, "when did you fall in love with me, Why do you love me, and how did this happen? Jimmy starting breathing heavily looking down at her sitting on the floor crying, she looked so beautiful, and at that moment he knew that he loved her and that he had always loved her. He sank down to the floor beside her, and reached over to tuck a stray strand of hair from her face, and he kissed her tears. At that very moment the words just escaped him, and he couldn't help it. "Terri I love you" he whispered, and he kissed her again. In the next month Terri was back in her old home, going back to Degrassi and going out with Jimmy. Hazel was still mad at her, but she knew that one day Hazel would come around.