Summary: (Partially AU) Jessica Mastriani - the well-known Lightning Girl - is waiting. Waiting for her savior - her knight in shining armor you could say. She isn't known for her patience, but for this one thing, she'll have to wait. Wait patiently.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Bow down to Meg Cabot, not me.

flonshoe - OOC? A lot of people say that in their responses, but I really don't know what you you're talking about. Is it, like, dramatic or something?

Mrs. Nikki Slater -Don't get your panties in a bunch. He's coming soon.

musiklvr- Thanks.

DemonicBallerina - Hehe. Thanks. And you have me on author alert? Sweeeet. I feel so loved. And I like your new Mediator fic. 'Tis awesome.

EasyTiger - Well, at least I know I can create SOME suspense. XD

Quick update, I know. And I actually have an idea as to where this story is going. Heehee. So, you know, review if you want me to update. This just happened to be a quick update. Doesn't happen too often with me.

"JESS!"

I spun around. I saw this one kid from my history class come running over to me. I was out by the parking lot, waiting for my brother to get out of school and drive me home. But what . . . ?

"Jess," he said again. He stood in front of me, completely out of breath.

I looked at him strangely. "Um . . . yeah?" was my ever so brilliant response. "Can I help you?"

He looked at me and chuckled. "Yes, actually. I was wondering . . . um - would you like to go out with me this Friday?"

I stared at him. He was kidding, right? I mean, no one ever asks me out. Seriously, I'm considered a freak in school. Well, I guess anyone who punches football players probably would be considered a freak, but shut up.

And anyone who could look at a picture of a missing child one night and wake up and immediately know where they are. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's considered being a freak also.

"Uh - do I . . . I haven't caught your name," I replied.

He looked a little hurt for a minute, but immediately brushed it off. "Oh, right. Kevin. My name's Kevin."

"Oh," I said, running my hand quickly through my hair - an old habit. "Kevin. Um . . . look, Friday . . . I'm not sure if that's good for me . . ." I looked at him with a guilty look plastered on my face.

His face fell, but he tried covering it up with a fake smile. "Uh - no problem. Maybe another time." And then he started walking away.

Great, the first good-looking guy that asks me out and I turn him down. "Kevin, wait!" I yelled and jogged a little to catch up to him. "Kevin," I said, but he just ignored me. I put my hand on his shoulder and spun him around.

Oops. I think I scared him.

I mean, by the expression on his face . . . yeah.

"Kevin, look, I'm sorry," I apologized, running my hand through my hair again. "I just . . . I have problems trusting people. But if it would make you feel better, I'll go out with you . . ."

He gave me a hard look. "Oh, so you'll go out with me because you feel bad?" he asked incredulously.

"No!" I practically yelled. "No. Kevin . . ." I sighed, running my hand through my hair yet again. I really have to quit that habit.

Then I heard a car horn beep and knew that my brother was getting impatient. I quickly looked back and gave him the finger. That made him stop.

"Oh . . . is that your boyfriend?" Kevin asked solemnly. "Sorry, I had no idea—"

"My boyfriend?" I laughed. "No. Uh-uh. That's my older brother. He's a senior here."

"I see," was all he said.

"Here," I said, grabbing his hand. I wrote down my number with the pen that I had in my pocket. "Call me when you get a chance."

He nodded and I ran to my brother's car.

First day of school . . . complete.

- § -

My fist hit something hard and I heard something else crack.

Score!

And before I could really start my celebration of breaking Jeff Day's nose, Coach Albright came around the corner to tell me off.

"Miss Mastriani, we meet again," he drawled. "Can't you go through one school year without hurting one of my players?"

Okay, now he was just pushing it.

"Come on, Miss Mastriani, off to Mr. Goodhart's office once again." And he practically dragged me down the hallway toward my guidance counselor's office.

When I got into the guidance office, the secretary looked at me and shook her head. "Jess, what have you done now?" she asked.

Coach Albright answered before I could say anything. "She punched another one of my players and broke his nose," he answered gruffly.

"Is that right?" she said, looking at me. "All right. I'll page Mr. Goodhart."

Soon enough, Mr. Goodhart came out and scowled. "I thought you'd do better this year."

"She broke my best player's nose!" Coach Albright screamed.

All right, I was just about to knock him out. He was so pissing me off.

"I'll right, Coach Albright. I'll handle this. You can go back to patrolling the halls."

Coach Albright left, muttering about his stupid football players and how a little girl like me could do so much damage.

Yeah, well . . . I could do more than break your sorry excuse for a quarterback's nose!

Mr. Goodhart led me into his office, telling me to sit down. Then he told me to think about what I did.

I thought.

But not about that. It was mostly about how much my life sucked.

Eh, whatever floats your boat.

"Jessica, why did you do that? You were going along so well. Almost three months you went without hurting anyone or getting detention. I thought I wouldn't have to see you in here the rest of the year." He sat back in his chair and knitted his hands together. He was looking at me expectantly.

"Glad to hear that you like to see me everyday," I replied.

He sighed. "I didn't mean it that way, Jessica." He closed his eyes for a minute, as if her were frustrated.

Hey, he was frustrated?

I wasn't that bad of a kid. It's not like I was on probation or anything. God forbid I was. My mother would kill me!

He opened his eyes again and looked at me. "I just want to know why you did it, Jessica," he said in a monotone.

I opened my mouth to reply, but quickly shut it. I doubt he'd accept, "Because he pissed me off."

So I thought of a different reply. "Because he tried to trip me in the hallway and I almost fell flat on my face," I replied. Which actually happened to be true.

"I see," he said. Then he shuffled some papers on his desk - an obvious distraction. He looked back up at me and said, "Considering Coach Albright is pretty . . . —"

"Pissed?" I supplied.

"Unhappy," he stressed. "I think it would be best if I just give you two week's detention."

"But Mr. Goodhart — !"

"Jessica, would you rather suspension?" he asked, looking up from the detention form he was writing out for me.

Actually, I kind of would. But my mother would murder me.

And that's why, after school that day, I was sitting in detention when I could be making ou - ahem - hanging out with Kevin.

These people are sick.

- § -

"Jess, where the hell were you?" Kevin asked when he pulled up in front of the school.

I got in the car and turned on the radio. "Huh?"

"Why did you get out of school so late?" he asked again.

"Oh, I got detention," I replied nonchalantly.

"You say that like you get it a lot," he said, laughing.

I gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Um, actually, I do. Well, did. I was trying not to so much this year, but old habits die hard, I guess." Then I looked at my watch. "Hey, could we get moving? My mom is gonna murder me if I don't have a good enough excuse for why I'm coming home o late."

He put the key in the ignition and started the car, pulling out of the school parking lot. "Okay . . . but what did you do to get in detention?"

Uncomfotably, I said, "Uh - I punched Jeff Day and broke his nose."

He looked at me and chuckled. "No, seriously."

"I punched Jeff Day and broke his nose," I repeated.

He stared at me, then remember he was driving and looked back at the road. "You're serious?"

"Uh . . . yeah," I said. Then Kevin stopped short and my books went flying off the dashboard.

"Sorry," he said. "Seriously, though, that was you? God, I thought that was some guy that was pissed off at him or something. Well, that's what he said."

I laughed. "He'll say anything to get out of embarrassment."

He chuckled. "I didn't think you were capable of that. You're not like that around me."

I cocked my head and smiled. "That's because you don't piss me off," I said innocently. Then I leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

By that time, we were at my house.

"You want me to wait here?"

I looked at my house, then back at him. "Uh . . . yeah. If I don't come back out, then call the police."

He laughed. "Sure thing, babe."

I shut the car door and trekked up to my house. Okay, Mom's car isn't here, so maybe she's at Mastriani's or something . . .

I got inside and yelled, "I'm home!"

No one answered back, so I yelled again. "Hello?"

Mike came running down the stairs. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

I rolled my eyes. He probably has his girlfriend over. "Just wanted to say I was home. And that I'm going back out with Kevin. See ya later."

Then he came running toward me. "Wait, you're going with Kevin? Where?"

"Dunno. Probably to his house or something. Or to the park nearby just to hang out." I shrugged.

He gritted his teeth. "I don't like him, Jess. Okay, I got it out there. I just don't like him. So if I find out that he did anything to you, I am going to personally beat his ass."

I rolled my eyes. "God, Mike, he's not horrible. He's a nice guy. Just give him a chance."

Boy, how naive I was.

- § -

Kevin and I were at his house. In his room. And - uh . . . on his bed.

He had me pinned to the bed and was kissing me adamantly. He was kissing me like there was no tomorrow. I was kissing back, of course. You just don't not kiss a guy like him. Especially if he's your boyfriend.

The door was locked, lest one of his younger siblings decided to venture in here, they would have seen quite a show.

Kevin's hand was slowly creeping up my shirt, tickling the skin in its wake. I giggled a little, because, of course, it tickled.

He smiled against my lips and whispered, "God, you're amazing . . ."

His hand was on the outside of my bra and about to go under when my phone rang.

Kevin stopped and looked at me when it kept repeating the same melody. "Are you - uh . . . gonna answer that?"

I sighed, exasperated, and grudgingly went to get my phone.

"Hello?"

"Jessica Antonia Mastriani! Where are you?" my mother's voice boomed into the phone.

"Nice to hear from you too, Mom," I replied sarcastically.

"Don't you talk that way to me. I want you home immediately," she said and hung up.

I turned to Kevin. "Um . . . I have to go home . . ." I muttered.

He sighed. "All right. I'll take you home."

That's when I looked at the clock on my phone. No wonder she yelled at me! It was past my curfew!

So Kevin took me home. Needless to say I was grounded for a week because I was late getting home. Well, that sucks.

But it didn't suck as much as what was to happen to me pretty soon.

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