Chapter Four: He Wanted Her, She'd Never Tell
"So when I walked into the class I was completely clueless. They started talking about rondebonds or something like that. It was the only thing that I could do." Liberty rambled on.
"Really?" Marco seemed distracted.
"Hey you. What's going on? Finally realized that your princess was the wicked witch of the west?" She joked.
"No. Manny's not a bad. We actually got along really well."
"Did she flirt with you? That's so typical." Liberty grew annoyed, wishing that she were talking to Marco face-to-face. There was something that she was meaning to ask him ... tell him and Mona kept telling her that she should make her move before Manuela did.
"We didn't flirt with each other. I just saw a side to her that I didn't know existed. She can be really sweet you know?" Marco smiled to himself.
"Okay. Enough about her already ... you're not thinking of taking her to Homecoming are you?"
"Not this year. Maybe next time."
"Good, then we can go ... if you want to. I mean, as friends." Liberty covered, trying not to stumble over her words.
"Umm ... sure, if Manuela turns down my offer. I gave her until the day of." He explained.
"Oh. Oh, that's okay then. Mona, Cody, and I will just make it a triple date." Liberty tried to steady her voice. Already, he was turning her down for Manuela. They had gone to every school function together- the four of them- and now he was going to throw away four years of friendship for Manuela. The most popular girl in school who didn't even notice him. How jolly.
"Yeah. You three do that." Marco answered seeming distracted. Manuela had just walked into his room. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to work on our project. The sooner it gets done, the sooner I get to go back to hanging out with my own friends." Manuela answered. "If we don't work today I have to cancel my plans to go to the beach and that is so not gonna happen." Liberty remained quiet. Her worst enemy was over at her best friend's house. No way.
"Umm ... Liberty ... talk to you later." He spat out, hanging up before she could process what was going on. Liberty couldn't believe that Marco would just dispose her like that, like she was nothing. He was one of the main people that helped her go on when she discovered that her last name wasn't Van Zant, that she had been torn away from her father, who was considered an "unfit parent." But now, all he could think about was Manny.
"So Manny ... if I decide not to work with you, you can't go out?" Marco smiled.
"That's right."
"I had plans for today, but I'll make a deal with you. If you take me to the beach with you, then we can work for as long as you want today?"
"Eww. Me show up with you? Never. Ashley and Terri would tear me apart." She rolled her eyes. "Get off your bed and come downstairs. We have a project to work on."
"Can't help you there chica." Manuela groaned, sensing that she was trapped. "Having a change of heart chica?" She starting pacing around the room. Manuela was trying to contemplate on whether to look like a loser because she couldn't go or to look like a loser because she brought Marco. Decisions, decisions.
Hazel tapped her freshly manicured nails on her kitchen table, waiting for something to happen. No one had called her since yesterday and her family had gotten a head start on their three-day weekend. "Maybe I should've gone with them." She picked up the phone contemplating on whether she should call Jimmy or not ... that dream she had last night about him dying had really been crazy. He had been confessing his love to her and she had completely thrown it to the side. Now, she just felt awful, and what had that dream meant? Becoming more and more focused on interpreting her dream, Hazel didn't even notice her phone ringing. The answering machine picked up.
"Hey Hazel, it's me Jimmy. I don't know where you are, but everyone's at the beach- except you and Manuela. What's up-"
"Jimmy." Hazel picked up, happy that someone had called her.
"Yeah? Why aren't you here?"
"No one called me and told me. You guys are at the Southside beach, right?"
"Yeah." Jimmy paused. "Ashley was supposed to call all the girls and let them know."
"She probably forgot." Hazel lied, knowing that Ashley had noticed that she was spending more and more time with Jimmy. That girl had always had stalker qualities.
"You're right. You want me to pick you up?"
"Did you get your car back so soon?" Hazel flipped her hair.
"No. I got a new one. Courtesy of pops."
"Can you be here in half an hour?" She asked.
"Why don't you be ready when I come?"
"Why do you always insist on telling me what to do? I-" Jimmy cut her off.
"Just be ready."
"I can't believe that Jimmy just bailed like that." Ashley sighed. He'd come and gone so quickly that he barely noticed her hair-color change. She was now officially a blonde.
"He'll be back soon." Terri reassured her.
"Yeah, he'll be back after he gets tired of Hazel." Sean laughed to himself.
"Thanks for being supportive." Ashley lightly hit Sean. "I really need your honest opinion—do you think that I can get Jimmy back. I mean, I'm starting to think it's hopeless."
"Why should I care whether or not you get back together with prissy boy?" Sean was still a little hurt by the fact that Ashley had still chosen Jimmy over him. Even after their year and a half relationship, she decided to break it off and go running back to Jimmy.
"I think you just need to give Jimmy time. He'll realize that he's not going to get anything from Hazel, and you're so totally ready to go all the way with him, right?" Terri cocked her head to the side.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Ashley smiled. She had never told Terri how serious her relationship with Sean had been and maybe that was a good thing. The last time she had informed Terri on the Jimmy-Sean situation, she had been outcasted from the 'group.' Now, she wasn't going to make that mistake twice.
Jimmy rushed to Hazel's house, happy to get away from Ashley. She was completely smothering him! He rang the doorbell, happy hoping that Hazel wasn't ready. The less time away from Ashley, the better.
"Hey." Hazel opened the door, dressed in jeans and a tank top.
"I thought I told you that we were at the beach." Jimmy commented.
"I know, but I told you that I'd be ready when I'm ready." Hazel motioned for Jimmy to step in. "I'll be ready in about half and hour."
"Half an hour? Girl, don't you know they're all waiting for us?" She nodded.
"You can leave if you want. I don't care. I can always count on Heather."
"Yeah because she moved away a long time ago and lives in a completely different state. How convenient." Jimmy rolled his eyes, plopping down on Hazel's couch.
"Why do I even bother trying to have a decent conversation with you? It's just so not worth it." Hazel rushed up her stairs, trying to forget how angry Jimmy had just made her, and in a matter of minutes too. It was all so unbelievable.
"Okay, when they approach us, try to act cool and don't say anything. Let me do all the talking." Manuela demanded, while Marco followed her onto Southside Beach. "Hey guys!" She yelled, waving as her friends came into view.
"Manuela. Hey ... who's that with you?" Hazel hinted, wondering why her friend was escorting that loser to their "gathering."
"Umm ... everyone this is Marco. I'm sure you all know each other."
"Yeah we know him, but what the hell is he doing here?" Ashley wondered, snickering at the sight of Manuela with Marco. How comical.
"Well ..." Manuela's voice trailed off as she thought of a good explanation. "First of all, I don't answer to anyone, must less you, and Marco's cool. Chill out." Manuela brushed past her, finding the perfect spot to tan.
"Chill out? Since when does she say stuff like that?" Terri wondered, knowing that something was going on with Marco and Manuela, but she just didn't know what it was.
"Personally, I don't think he should be here." Ashley mumbled to Terri.
"I think you already made that clear. Seriously Ash, give him a break. We all gave you one, otherwise you wouldn't be here." Jimmy butted in, grabbing a drink.
"I was just saying what everyone else was thinking." Ashley explained, walking off.
"You look completely pathetic, running after him like that." Hazel told Ashley, bluntly.
"What are you talking about? You wouldn't know a thing about having or keeping a guy." Ashley scoffed. "When's the last time you had a boyfriend?" She rolled her eyes.
"Fine then. I won't tell you what Jimmy told me." Hazel began to walk away.
"Wait! I'm sorry ... you're right." Ashley reluctantly admitted. "Now what did he say?"
"Oh. Not much, but he did mention a certain someone named Reagan." Hazel lied, trying to get to Ashley.
"Oh please. That is so last year."
"Yeah, but that still a soft spot. And you know how those break-ups and make-ups go, right?"
"Will you talk to him for me?" Ashley finally asked, not believing that she had asked Hazel, who was clearly interested in Jimmy, to do something for her.
"I'll get the scoop on Reagan, but you have to do something for me..."
"I just feel so stupid for thinking that I could trust him, that I could trust anyone." Liberty confided in Mona and Cody, who was, for once, sober. "I mean Marco is such a jerk. He completely blew me off!" Liberty knocked over a small figurine that was sitting on top of the table.
"And did you tell him that you wanted to talk to him, that he was blowing you off?" Mona wondered as Liberty shook her head in response. "How is he supposed to know how you feel if you don't tell him?"
"Because he's known me for ..." Liberty stopped, knowing that she had only known him for three or four years. "He's one of my best friends, just like you guys."
"But you're totally in love with him." Cody added.
"I can see it now. He's gonna ditch us for popularity, just like everyone else does. And I can't take it. Marco just knows too much about me..." Her voice trailed off. Liberty hadn't told Mona or Cody about her real father, about what changed her and made school cease to be the top of her priority list.
"Marco's a smart guy. He's just 'in like' with someone."
"Yeah, I think you're just jealous." Cody joked.
"And why would I be jealous?" Liberty exclaimed, outraged.
"Because he can't return your affection." He responded.
"You know no matter how badly you treat her, she'll keep coming back." Hazel declared, talking about Ashley.
"Yeah, well how can she resist this? Playa, playa." Jimmy responded as Hazel rolled her eyes.
"I don't know who lied to you, but you've got no game whatsoever hon." Hazel proclaimed unamused. "And where's Reagan?" She asked, trying to find out what really happened between them.
"I don't know. I'm not her keeper." Jimmy rolled her eyes. "That was last year anyway." He replied sadly.
"So why do your eyes light up when you see her?"
"Why are you all in by business? Reagan and I have a lot of stuff to clear up. It concerns us, not you, k?" Jimmy walked away angrily. "I'll be in the water." He called back behind him.
"I can't believe that he stood us up. This is so unlike Marco." Liberty complained as Cody took another puff of whatever he was getting high off of. "Would you chill out? You're smoking that stuff like it's air."
"Did you ever notice..." Cody began, but stopped and started talking about something else. Now he was getting all spacey and everything Liberty said had gone in one ear and out the other.
"I'm sure Marco has a good reason- you know he's got that project." Mona offered.
"Don't even remind me about that one. I know who he's probably with ... that "Manuela." Did I tell you how she treated my when my mom made me go to that dance academy for rejects? She was so stuck on herself. Ugh!" Liberty exclaimed, wishing that Marco would just walk through the door any second. But he didn't. He didn't even call.
(a/n: R/R FOR MORE AND TO HELP ME FINISH!! Nicole Lopez)
"So when I walked into the class I was completely clueless. They started talking about rondebonds or something like that. It was the only thing that I could do." Liberty rambled on.
"Really?" Marco seemed distracted.
"Hey you. What's going on? Finally realized that your princess was the wicked witch of the west?" She joked.
"No. Manny's not a bad. We actually got along really well."
"Did she flirt with you? That's so typical." Liberty grew annoyed, wishing that she were talking to Marco face-to-face. There was something that she was meaning to ask him ... tell him and Mona kept telling her that she should make her move before Manuela did.
"We didn't flirt with each other. I just saw a side to her that I didn't know existed. She can be really sweet you know?" Marco smiled to himself.
"Okay. Enough about her already ... you're not thinking of taking her to Homecoming are you?"
"Not this year. Maybe next time."
"Good, then we can go ... if you want to. I mean, as friends." Liberty covered, trying not to stumble over her words.
"Umm ... sure, if Manuela turns down my offer. I gave her until the day of." He explained.
"Oh. Oh, that's okay then. Mona, Cody, and I will just make it a triple date." Liberty tried to steady her voice. Already, he was turning her down for Manuela. They had gone to every school function together- the four of them- and now he was going to throw away four years of friendship for Manuela. The most popular girl in school who didn't even notice him. How jolly.
"Yeah. You three do that." Marco answered seeming distracted. Manuela had just walked into his room. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to work on our project. The sooner it gets done, the sooner I get to go back to hanging out with my own friends." Manuela answered. "If we don't work today I have to cancel my plans to go to the beach and that is so not gonna happen." Liberty remained quiet. Her worst enemy was over at her best friend's house. No way.
"Umm ... Liberty ... talk to you later." He spat out, hanging up before she could process what was going on. Liberty couldn't believe that Marco would just dispose her like that, like she was nothing. He was one of the main people that helped her go on when she discovered that her last name wasn't Van Zant, that she had been torn away from her father, who was considered an "unfit parent." But now, all he could think about was Manny.
"So Manny ... if I decide not to work with you, you can't go out?" Marco smiled.
"That's right."
"I had plans for today, but I'll make a deal with you. If you take me to the beach with you, then we can work for as long as you want today?"
"Eww. Me show up with you? Never. Ashley and Terri would tear me apart." She rolled her eyes. "Get off your bed and come downstairs. We have a project to work on."
"Can't help you there chica." Manuela groaned, sensing that she was trapped. "Having a change of heart chica?" She starting pacing around the room. Manuela was trying to contemplate on whether to look like a loser because she couldn't go or to look like a loser because she brought Marco. Decisions, decisions.
Hazel tapped her freshly manicured nails on her kitchen table, waiting for something to happen. No one had called her since yesterday and her family had gotten a head start on their three-day weekend. "Maybe I should've gone with them." She picked up the phone contemplating on whether she should call Jimmy or not ... that dream she had last night about him dying had really been crazy. He had been confessing his love to her and she had completely thrown it to the side. Now, she just felt awful, and what had that dream meant? Becoming more and more focused on interpreting her dream, Hazel didn't even notice her phone ringing. The answering machine picked up.
"Hey Hazel, it's me Jimmy. I don't know where you are, but everyone's at the beach- except you and Manuela. What's up-"
"Jimmy." Hazel picked up, happy that someone had called her.
"Yeah? Why aren't you here?"
"No one called me and told me. You guys are at the Southside beach, right?"
"Yeah." Jimmy paused. "Ashley was supposed to call all the girls and let them know."
"She probably forgot." Hazel lied, knowing that Ashley had noticed that she was spending more and more time with Jimmy. That girl had always had stalker qualities.
"You're right. You want me to pick you up?"
"Did you get your car back so soon?" Hazel flipped her hair.
"No. I got a new one. Courtesy of pops."
"Can you be here in half an hour?" She asked.
"Why don't you be ready when I come?"
"Why do you always insist on telling me what to do? I-" Jimmy cut her off.
"Just be ready."
"I can't believe that Jimmy just bailed like that." Ashley sighed. He'd come and gone so quickly that he barely noticed her hair-color change. She was now officially a blonde.
"He'll be back soon." Terri reassured her.
"Yeah, he'll be back after he gets tired of Hazel." Sean laughed to himself.
"Thanks for being supportive." Ashley lightly hit Sean. "I really need your honest opinion—do you think that I can get Jimmy back. I mean, I'm starting to think it's hopeless."
"Why should I care whether or not you get back together with prissy boy?" Sean was still a little hurt by the fact that Ashley had still chosen Jimmy over him. Even after their year and a half relationship, she decided to break it off and go running back to Jimmy.
"I think you just need to give Jimmy time. He'll realize that he's not going to get anything from Hazel, and you're so totally ready to go all the way with him, right?" Terri cocked her head to the side.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Ashley smiled. She had never told Terri how serious her relationship with Sean had been and maybe that was a good thing. The last time she had informed Terri on the Jimmy-Sean situation, she had been outcasted from the 'group.' Now, she wasn't going to make that mistake twice.
Jimmy rushed to Hazel's house, happy to get away from Ashley. She was completely smothering him! He rang the doorbell, happy hoping that Hazel wasn't ready. The less time away from Ashley, the better.
"Hey." Hazel opened the door, dressed in jeans and a tank top.
"I thought I told you that we were at the beach." Jimmy commented.
"I know, but I told you that I'd be ready when I'm ready." Hazel motioned for Jimmy to step in. "I'll be ready in about half and hour."
"Half an hour? Girl, don't you know they're all waiting for us?" She nodded.
"You can leave if you want. I don't care. I can always count on Heather."
"Yeah because she moved away a long time ago and lives in a completely different state. How convenient." Jimmy rolled his eyes, plopping down on Hazel's couch.
"Why do I even bother trying to have a decent conversation with you? It's just so not worth it." Hazel rushed up her stairs, trying to forget how angry Jimmy had just made her, and in a matter of minutes too. It was all so unbelievable.
"Okay, when they approach us, try to act cool and don't say anything. Let me do all the talking." Manuela demanded, while Marco followed her onto Southside Beach. "Hey guys!" She yelled, waving as her friends came into view.
"Manuela. Hey ... who's that with you?" Hazel hinted, wondering why her friend was escorting that loser to their "gathering."
"Umm ... everyone this is Marco. I'm sure you all know each other."
"Yeah we know him, but what the hell is he doing here?" Ashley wondered, snickering at the sight of Manuela with Marco. How comical.
"Well ..." Manuela's voice trailed off as she thought of a good explanation. "First of all, I don't answer to anyone, must less you, and Marco's cool. Chill out." Manuela brushed past her, finding the perfect spot to tan.
"Chill out? Since when does she say stuff like that?" Terri wondered, knowing that something was going on with Marco and Manuela, but she just didn't know what it was.
"Personally, I don't think he should be here." Ashley mumbled to Terri.
"I think you already made that clear. Seriously Ash, give him a break. We all gave you one, otherwise you wouldn't be here." Jimmy butted in, grabbing a drink.
"I was just saying what everyone else was thinking." Ashley explained, walking off.
"You look completely pathetic, running after him like that." Hazel told Ashley, bluntly.
"What are you talking about? You wouldn't know a thing about having or keeping a guy." Ashley scoffed. "When's the last time you had a boyfriend?" She rolled her eyes.
"Fine then. I won't tell you what Jimmy told me." Hazel began to walk away.
"Wait! I'm sorry ... you're right." Ashley reluctantly admitted. "Now what did he say?"
"Oh. Not much, but he did mention a certain someone named Reagan." Hazel lied, trying to get to Ashley.
"Oh please. That is so last year."
"Yeah, but that still a soft spot. And you know how those break-ups and make-ups go, right?"
"Will you talk to him for me?" Ashley finally asked, not believing that she had asked Hazel, who was clearly interested in Jimmy, to do something for her.
"I'll get the scoop on Reagan, but you have to do something for me..."
"I just feel so stupid for thinking that I could trust him, that I could trust anyone." Liberty confided in Mona and Cody, who was, for once, sober. "I mean Marco is such a jerk. He completely blew me off!" Liberty knocked over a small figurine that was sitting on top of the table.
"And did you tell him that you wanted to talk to him, that he was blowing you off?" Mona wondered as Liberty shook her head in response. "How is he supposed to know how you feel if you don't tell him?"
"Because he's known me for ..." Liberty stopped, knowing that she had only known him for three or four years. "He's one of my best friends, just like you guys."
"But you're totally in love with him." Cody added.
"I can see it now. He's gonna ditch us for popularity, just like everyone else does. And I can't take it. Marco just knows too much about me..." Her voice trailed off. Liberty hadn't told Mona or Cody about her real father, about what changed her and made school cease to be the top of her priority list.
"Marco's a smart guy. He's just 'in like' with someone."
"Yeah, I think you're just jealous." Cody joked.
"And why would I be jealous?" Liberty exclaimed, outraged.
"Because he can't return your affection." He responded.
"You know no matter how badly you treat her, she'll keep coming back." Hazel declared, talking about Ashley.
"Yeah, well how can she resist this? Playa, playa." Jimmy responded as Hazel rolled her eyes.
"I don't know who lied to you, but you've got no game whatsoever hon." Hazel proclaimed unamused. "And where's Reagan?" She asked, trying to find out what really happened between them.
"I don't know. I'm not her keeper." Jimmy rolled her eyes. "That was last year anyway." He replied sadly.
"So why do your eyes light up when you see her?"
"Why are you all in by business? Reagan and I have a lot of stuff to clear up. It concerns us, not you, k?" Jimmy walked away angrily. "I'll be in the water." He called back behind him.
"I can't believe that he stood us up. This is so unlike Marco." Liberty complained as Cody took another puff of whatever he was getting high off of. "Would you chill out? You're smoking that stuff like it's air."
"Did you ever notice..." Cody began, but stopped and started talking about something else. Now he was getting all spacey and everything Liberty said had gone in one ear and out the other.
"I'm sure Marco has a good reason- you know he's got that project." Mona offered.
"Don't even remind me about that one. I know who he's probably with ... that "Manuela." Did I tell you how she treated my when my mom made me go to that dance academy for rejects? She was so stuck on herself. Ugh!" Liberty exclaimed, wishing that Marco would just walk through the door any second. But he didn't. He didn't even call.
(a/n: R/R FOR MORE AND TO HELP ME FINISH!! Nicole Lopez)