Chapter 11: Dirty Little Secret

For the remainder of the week, things were a little different in the house. Jimmy kept to himself most of the time, & Alex kept looking at Manny as if she was keeping a secret. All three of them were insecure at the time, but what fate would bring them on Friday would bring a wave of fights, rage, & tears.

"I got it!" Manny squealed as she ran into the living room with a slip of paper in her hand. Alex looked back at her, cocking her eyebrow slightly while biting her lip, & Jimmy smoothed his eyebrows slowly as he opened his mouth a bit, and then closed it again.

"And what, is 'it'?" Alex asked as she got up off the couch & walked over to Manny.

"I applied to a dance school before the whole 'Peter' thing happened…& they accepted me!" Manny said happily. She spun around & then flopped on the couch, sighing happily.

"That's great! Let me see…" Jimmy said as he took the paper from her. He scanned through the paper. He moved his lips to the words, but then his mouth flew open when he came across two words: Los Angeles.

"We have to move to Los Angeles?" Jimmy demanded, with the same dumbfounded look on his face.

"But they said they would pay for everything! Please Jimmy, we have to go!" Manny said as she stuck her lip out. She put her hands together as if she was praying, & looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Pwease Jimmy wimmy, with cherries on top?" Manny said in a baby voice, with Alex laughing behind her.

"Manny! Aww…alright." Jimmy said with an eye roll, & Manny hugged him tightly. Alex smiled as she sat down in the same spot that Manny was sitting.

"So, we're going to LA. What are we gonna do there?" Alex asked as she looked at the two with a bit of jealousy.

"Well, you guys can hang out & sightsee, while I dance to my hearts content." Manny said as she stood up. "It'll be like a vacation."

"Yeah, but if you make it, we'll have to stay there…for good." Jimmy said as both girls looked at him.

"Well, we better find someone who wants a house." Manny said as Alex smiled a bit.

"Karris needs a house, she can stay here." Alex said as Manny looked at Jimmy pleadingly. He smiled; how could he resist that face? How could he resist her all together?

"Okay, then it's settled. We're moving to LA." Jimmy said happily, as the girls smiled at him.

"So…you're all moving?" Hazel asked as Manny nodded again. Alex smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"For the hundredth time…yes. We'll be leaving tonight." Alex said dryly. Jimmy stuffed a fry into his mouth & chewed it, smiling at the taste of it.

"Well, good luck. I heard there are some really good dancers…& some difficult routines." Hazel said slowly. Manny looked at her as if to say 'DUH!'

"Yeah, I know. That's why she's been practicing a lot lately. I know she can do it." Jimmy chimed in as Manny smiled at him. Hazel looked as if she was jealous, & so did Alex.

"Thanks. Anyways, I'm excited. I'll make sure to send you tons of pictures & things, promise." Manny said to Hazel as she plastered on her smile again, trying not to show that she was jealous of the nonexistent intimate relationship between Manny & Jimmy.

"Okay. Have fun!" Hazel said happily, as she got up & walked away. Manny looked at Hazel as she left, then tilted her head to the right.

"She wants you back. I can tell." Manny said as Alex nodded in agreement.

"Seems like a broken record lately, huh?" Alex said under her breath.

"What did you say?" Jimmy said as both of the teens looked at Alex in a suspicious manner.

"Nothing, I gotta go." Alex said as she got up & walked out of the cafeteria.

She walked down the hall hastily, trying to get all of her current thoughts out of her mind. She never felt this weak before…she seemed to crave to have his lips touch hers again. The kiss that she shared with Jimmy that night seemed to linger in her mind. The smell of his cologne, the way that he wrapped his arms around her, how soft his hands were when he touched her--they were all fresh in her mind. She could never remember having a kiss like that before; the kind of kiss that she would cherish. She didn't know whether she was in love with him, but she did hate him for one thing.

He made her weak for the first time in her life.