Thank you Querida1607, Uh.yeah, Golden Angel, molz, desperado, flonshoe, MG, sing-to-the-stars, cassie, meangirl, believe is lie, the cee factor, Sunshine, pens in potatoes, blah, the girl who lived, and Mrs. De Silva for reviewing.

desperado - That's a lot of pretty's.

flonshoe - Lauren, I honestly don't know when I am going to be updating that again. I got my first B on my report card, since, like, elementary school and it made me a little sad . . . granted it was in Chemistry Honors, but still. And, hey, itwas a B, too. My point is, I need to study a lot more and I'm probably gonna have a lot of homework and stuff too. Oh, and not to mention I have TONS more stories that I need to continue with. This one being one of them. I honestly am not in the groove to write Inferiority. My 1-800 fics I am really in the groove, as you can tell, with my frequent updates and what not. But, yeah, I'll try, okay?

MG - its good to here from you again, MG. Oh, and the paper he was reading? Yeah, I really have no clue myself. I put that in there because it is going to be important later on (i think), but I haven't really given thought to what it was yet. Makes no sense, but whatever.

Steph - Hey! Yeah, its a little . . . unrealistic. But that's what makes it fun to read, right? Just like some of your fluff J/S stuff. Like the one where Jesse actually you know with Suze when he's still a ghost. Not so realistic, Stephy-bear. But I still love it, even if it IS J/S. Hehe. ANd yes, the nudity was needless, but I just HAD to put it in there. It's just one of those things that you HAVE to do, you know? Okay, maybe you don't, but whatever. OH! AND UPDATE COL, MISSY!

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: Meg Cabot owns everything, not me. Give her all the praise!

Waiting Patiently

Chapter 8

Jess's POV

Immediately when I got inside, I ran to get a shower. But I was stopped by my dear mother, asking who that boy was that dropped me off. Okay, I chickened out and lied.

"Oh, him?" I said. "Yeah, that's Joanna's older brother. He graduated last year and offered me a ride home."

Oh, you don't know who Joanna is? Yeah, she's basically a figment of my imagination. An excuse for when I go somewhere and I do not exactly want my parents to know about.

But, needless to say, she bought it, which made me happy.

Then I ran to take a shower. And just as I had told Rob, I was shipped off to one of my dad's restaurants. And not really one of the ones that I would have liked to have been working at. No, my dad decided to take me over to Joe Jr.'s to work the goddamn steam table and sweat my ass off, even when it was, like, 40 degrees outside. Typical of my dad, really.

But, yeah, after five hours of working there, my dad let me go. I told him I was going to walk down to the park that was nearby. He said it was okay and went back to work.

So, yeah, I walked over there. And while I was walking, I decided, hey, why not call Rob. He said to call him when I got off of work, and, well, I am off work right now.

And so I called him. I really should have taken a shower first, but I didn't. Its not like I really thought he'd really kiss me again anyway. But whatever.

So I took out my phone, completely ready to call him, when I get a cat call. I looked to the direction from which it came and saw one of Kevin's friends looking back at me. I narrowed my eyes at them, flipped them the bird, and walked over to the swings at the park.

That was when I called Rob.

He picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hey," I greeted. "Its Jess."

"Oh, hey," he said. "I was kind of wondering when you would call." Then there was a pause. "I was starting to think that you wouldn't."

I laughed. "You know, I'm not like that. I told you I'd call you and I keep to my word . . . most of the time anyways."

He laughed too. "Well, that's good to know, I guess."

I smiled into the phone. I really could not help my sudden ecstatic-ness. I was just so happy that he actually liked me. I mean, me, the freak of all people.

"So," I said, "you still up for doing something?"

He chuckled. That wonderful tone reverberated though my ears. "Of course."

- ยง -

Not ten minutes later I heard the purr of his Indian. I realized then that I really should have taken a shower. But, honestly, could you blame me? I just could not wait to see him.

Okay, I admit, I was smitten. And to think, I thought I despised this guy 24 hours ago.

Weird.

Then I saw him park his bike on the black top and start walking over to me on the swings. My heart skipped a beat. I mean, here was this totally hot, buff guy walking toward me. This guy that could get practically any girl, but he wanted ME, yes ME.

I think things are actually going right in my life for once, you know? Alert the press, Jess Mastriani is having a normal moment in her whacked out life.

It's a sign of the apocalypse.

He sat down on the swing next to me and dug his feet in the sand below us. Then he dragged his face back up and his eyes met mine.

It was like time froze for that one moment. It was special, sacred. And that was really when I knew that I more than liked this guy. I liked him all along, even when I was dating Kevin. From the first day I met him in detention, really. And now its more than just attraction . . . it's the way he makes me feel when I'm a round him. He makes me feel happy and important and not like Kevin made me feel. Sure, Kevin was a good kisser and he was attractive, but that's really all he had. He wasn't intelligent nor did he make me feel like I was loved. He said he loved me, but maybe he just loved certain aspects of me, not the real me.

Okay, that's enough. Into reality now.

The moment passed soon enough, but I felt like I was lost when I looked into those light blue eyes. Eyes that were so light blue, they were the color of fog. And those lips . . .

Well, let's not get carried away.

"So," he said, after a long moment of silence. "What - uh - how was your day?"

I gave him a warm smiled. "As good as working behind a steam table can be," I said and suppressed a chuckle, as did he.

"You get paid, though, don't you?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I do. But I always thought it wasn't nearly as much as I deserve."

He laughed again. And we fell into silence once again. It wasn't one of those unbearable, uncomfortable silences. It was comfortable. Kind of too comfortable, actually.

Then his face turned serious. I searched his eyes and the rest of his face for some emotion, but he showed none. "Are you all right? I mean, after what happened at the party, you're probably still a little shaken up . . ."

I shook my head. "I'm fine. Really, I am. I don't like what he did, but I'm dealing with it."

"Did you tell your parents?"

"NO!" I practically shrieked. "God, no! They'd kill me if they knew I went to a frickin' kegger."

"Jess, no they wouldn't. Not when they realized what he did to you!"

I sighed. "They wouldn't trust me ever again. And I need the trust they still have for me." They wouldn't let me go out with you if they knew, I said mentally.

I mean, sure, I could tell them that he was the one that saved me, but they still would never trust me ever again. Never ever again.

"Don't you see though? He'll get away with what he did to you, Jess. And he might . . . do that to other girls down the road."

I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. "I know. You don't understand though. All my life I've wanted to be the good girl that my mother wanted me to be. But I never was. And when my mother realizes that I went to a party and almost got raped, it would break her heart . . ."

He heaved a sigh. "Believe it or not, I know how you feel."

I chuckled humorlessly. "You almost got raped too? Wow, it's a small world."

He ignored my comment and went on. "I love my mom to death. But I . . . well, I did some things behind her back that weren't . . . good. Needless to say, she found out about it and she didn't trust me again for a while. I only recently gained that trust back. I've straightened my act out."

"Wait, is that why you're on probation?"

He nodded grimly.

"Oh," I said, putting all of the pieces together. Well, except I didn't know what he was on probation for.

I was about to ask him what exactly he was on probation for when he goes, "Don't, Mastriani. I know what you're going to say, so don't."

I folded my arms across my chest and said, "Fine." I tried to act like I was mad, but it was too funny, because I couldn't keep a straight face. I still really wanted to know. But I figured he'd tell me when he was ready. I mean, we technically weren't even going out. Hanging out, sure, but going out? No, not yet. Unfortunately.

I dropped it for the time being and started swinging, since we were still on the swings. "Wow," I said as I started pumping my legs. "I don't know when the last time I did this was."

"Yeah," he laughed. "It's been a while." But he didn't start swinging. I guess it wasn't all that manly to be swinging on a swing set.

I jumped off the swing, landing on my feet, and said, "Come on, let's go somewhere."

He got up and came over to me. "Okay. Where?"

I thought for a minute. Then I smiled. "How about Chick's?"

He laughed. "You liked that place, huh?"

I grinned. "It feels more like home than home does."

And then we got on his bike and went to Chick's. That night was something I'd remember forever.

We walked in the place and Rob told Chick what we wanted. "It's good to see you back here, little lady," Chick said when he saw me.

I smiled and said, "It's good to see you too."

Rob and I ate when the food was done and talked a little afterward. But thing that was so memorable didn't happen until I stood up, pulling Rob along with me. "What are you doing?" he asked.

I turned to him and said, "You'll see."

Then I dragged him outside to where we were the first time he kissed me.

He looked at me in confusion. I said, "I feel really horrible about how I reacted the first time we were here. And . . . I want to make it up to you."

He was still confused, but it quickly went away when I leaned up and kissed him. The kiss lasted a pretty long time. I could feel his tongue slip into my mouth, creating the utmost of nice sensations to course through me. He had his arms wrapped around my waist and mine were around his neck.

Then we pulled away. Oxygen is essential, you know.

"Wow," he said.

I grinned but didn't comment on it. Then I asked him curiously, "So . . . is this a . . . date?"

"Do you want it to be?"

I pretended to think a minute, then said, "Yes, I do."

He grinned and kissed me again.

We were officially going out. It was amazing.

Rob's POV

It was way better than the first kiss. WAY better, I'm telling you. I didn't even expect it at all. But, man, it was . . . amazing.

And to think, a guy like him got to experience that often. Or, as often as she kissed him, which I don't really like to think about.

And, well, I guess she's officially my girlfriend. Not his. Not anymore. And she seems like she likes me. I mean, if the way she kissed me had anything to do with it.

Man, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

Sorry that Rob' POV is short. I added it in at the last minute, because I totally forgot it altogether.

Anywho, REVIEW!