A/N: This is it people, the final chapter of A Short Rumination. It wasn't even supposed to go this far, I had planned it as a one shot, but I'm glad I extended it. Just a warning, Jason turns into a jackass in this one and there's some offensive words used but I tried to keep them to a minimum while still maintaining the integrity of the story, I hope it worked. Thanks to Rachel the Loser and KillMeDeadPlease for reviewing and making me all happy inside! Cookies to you both.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide and I never will. I'm not clever enough to write a show, I am clever enough to write fan fiction though. I do own the characters Jason White and Principal Dane; they are my tools and they will be used.

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What neither of us noticed while blissfully kissing was that Jason had followed Suzie out of the building. He'd seen the whole thing…and he was furious.

Of course we didn't know that at the time. Suzie and I were too happy about our new situation, we were together, and we loved each other, what could possibly ruin that? How about a jilted young man with a revenge streak a mile wide?

After our scene by the parking lot I took Suzie home. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting together on the couch pretending to watch TV when really we were just looking for a way to stay as close as possible to each other without arousing suspicion. We'd agreed that we'd come out to our families and friends when we were ready, but for now we just wanted to enjoy our new relationship.

I still had questions for her and I took the opportunity to ask them while we were on the couch. I asked her what she was going to do about Jason. She surprised me when she said she had broken up with him in the hallway, that's what she was doing when I saw her. She said that Jason had tried to kiss her to convince her to stay with him, but she didn't let him. She told me that she couldn't be with him when she knew she didn't have any feelings for him, she couldn't lead him on, and she couldn't pretend that she cared. She said that she had only wanted me for a long time and pretending she didn't wasn't doing her any good.

I could hardly believe it. She'd dumped a boy for me. She'd dumped him before she even knew that I had feelings for her. She'd been prepared to risk the possibility of losing me as a friend by telling me, knowing I would ask her why she'd broken up with a seemingly perfect boy. And that made me ashamed of myself.

I hadn't been that brave, preferring to live a lie than risk telling her the truth. She'd resolved to tell me that she had feelings for me whether I returned them or not. She said she just couldn't live a lie anymore…it was hurting her too much. Thinking that she has that kind of courage, that she loved me enough to be honest with me, made my chest ache…with love and with shame. I wasn't that brave, but I loved her for being so courageous.

I found whatever excuse I could for the rest of the afternoon to touch her; touching her cheek to put a stray hair back in place, brushing her fingers with mine to pass something to her, sitting close to her on the couch to keep our shoulders and knees in contact, leaning into her to take in her presence. I was in heaven. At one point she put her head on my shoulder during a show and left it there. I think she was just as glad for any reason to touch me as I was to touch her.

But I eventually had to go home. We had school the next day and there was still homework to do. I was sad to go, neither of us wanted to be separated, but we knew that tomorrow was another day.

And sure enough the sun rose on another day. Tuesday I was sure would be a good day. Suzie and I had admitted to having feelings for one another, we were together, and nothing could change that. I got ready for the day, picked Suzie up, and together we went to the school.

Before we even reached the doors we were getting funny looks, people pointing and whispering, and even some rude comments. We didn't know why until we entered the school. Posters were everywhere; colored flyers were on every locker door, covering the walls, and papering the windows, on them a picture of Suzie and I kissing yesterday. There were no words on the flyers, just a blown up picture of the two of us together.

I was shocked. How could this happen? Who had seen us? Suzie let out a choked sob, turned and buried her face in my shoulder, my arms reflexively wrapped around her adding fuel to the fire of gossip spreading quickly through the school. Just then Jason stepped to the front of the crowd that had gathered. He sneered as he said "Well, well, if it isn't the dykes in person! How do you like your new portrait? I took that yesterday on my cell when Suzie blew meoff to chase after you, Mosley." He made my name sound like a dirty word, spitting it out rather than speaking it.

"Oh god oh god oh god" was all Suzie seemed able to say, mumbling into my shoulder and shaking her head. I could feel tears soaking through my shirt. All I could think was why is he doing this; they hadn't even been dating a day! Then he said it "No one dumps Jason White and gets away with it; especially not when they go to a dirty whore like you!"

"You moron! That's what this is about! Yeah she dumped you, but that doesn't give you permission to put something so personal up all over the school! You weren't even dating an entire day! What's wrong with you!" I wanted so badly to swear at him, to curse him into oblivion, but I was mindful that we were in the school and that is a punishable offence and I wasn't looking to land myself in detention. Apparently Jason didn't care about that though, as he continued swearing and saying hurtful things. He was in a full rant when Principal Dane came up behind him.

"Excuse me Mr. White, but I believe we are on school grounds and you are using language inappropriate to a learning environment, also these posters and flyers were not approved by the administration and must be taken down. You will be punished for both offences, but we'll discuss this further in my office. Mr. White, Ms. Mosley, Ms. Crabgrass, if you'll all follow me." And he led the way to his office.

As we walked I saw students, random students, taking down the pictures and showing their support. Suzie noticed this too and seemed to take strength from their solidarity; she lifted her head again and began moving with more confidence.

I wasn't sure what to do, what to think, or what to expect. The student body seemed to be on our side helping to tear down the posters. It seemed that news of Jason's rant, position on homosexuality, and use of offensive words had earned him the anger and disapproval of most of the student body.

I was glad that our friends didn't abandon us. That would have made everything so much harder. Billy Loomer, a member of the football team (on recommendation from his therapist to release aggression), was our staunchest supporter. He would defend us to anyone who tried to pick on us, and there were plenty of people who tried. It was so surprising at first, but he told us that whether we were gay or not we were still 'his girls' and he would always keep us safe. It really showed everyone how sweet he could be.

Ned was harder to win over. He felt that we'd betrayed him, as I knew he would. He didn't speak to either of us for two weeks. We understood that he'd been hurt, I mean, Suzie had been the object of his affection for years and his best-friend, his best female friend, (in a not so best-friendly move) had somehow managed to win her heart over him. It was the ultimate betrayal and I was sure he'd hate me forever for it. I was glad to be wrong for once. He approached us at lunch one day and apologized for treating us so poorly, we welcomed him back with open arms.

Cookie tried to reason out our attraction to each other in his cyborg mind and just couldn't get it. He had data from our being enemies and friends and he just couldn't see where the attraction had come in. He supported us, he just didn't understand us and we couldn't exactly explain it ourselves. But then, we didn't have to.

Lisa and Claire were really shocked. At first they were uncomfortable with us but they eventually relaxed when they realized we weren't leering at them and trying to 'convert' them to our way of life. What a silly idea. Homosexuality isn't a religion or a disease, it just…is. Nobody can control who they fall in love with, be it man or woman, love just happens. That's what makes it so special.

Of course Principal Dane had to call our families and tell them what had happened, which isn't how we wanted to tell them we were together but also took a lot of pressure off of us to tell them. Suzie and I had a long talk with our families about our relationship and they at first didn't like the idea, they still don't but they tolerate it. I'm sure in time they'll come to accept it. Our mothers got it immediately, they understood that we were young and in love, and that this didn't have to be a negative thing. They supported us entirely and knew this wasn't the end of our lives, just the beginning in fact. My little brothers didn't understand what being gay meant, they were six, and Mom thought it was best to wait to tell them and I agreed.

Things have been good. Jason was suspended for a week for the posters and their meant-to-be damaging content and his foul language. He had a lot of time to think about what he'd done and had apologized to us when he came back to classes saying he had overreacted.

It's been two months since then and Suzie and I are happy together. We've been doing the whole 'courting' thing; going out on dates, to the movies, shopping trips, fairs, and just hanging out together. I didn't know that just talking with her could make me feel so good. She makes me feel so special, I can only hope that I make her feel as wonderful as she makes me feel.

We're sitting together now as I think about all of the things that have happened over the last year. We're in the park underneath a willow tree near one of the ponds, we'd had a picnic on this lovely Saturday and she was sitting between my legs with her back to my chest and her head on my shoulder, I was being supported by the tree my arms around her stomach, our hands intertwined.

"What are you thinking about Suzie?" I was curious. I always like to hear what she's thinking, sometimes it's deep like why people feel the need to hurt others or themselves to fit in, and sometimes it's just silly like if trees like the wind because it helps them dance (of course they do), and everything she says makes me fall even more in love with her. But right now I just want to know if she's happy.

"I was thinking about our first kiss and how wonderful it was." That was a surprise. "I had been waiting so long for you to pick up on my signals and when you started pulling away from me I thought you had picked up on my signals and had gotten scared and it just about broke my heart. When you told me that you wanted me I thought my heart would beat right out of my chest, I was so glad. And while seeing you babble was incredibly adorable, I just couldn't contain myself any longer. I had to kiss you and it was so perfect and I'd been waiting for so long and I had imagined kissing you a million times and the actuality of it just made me feel so…so…I can't even find the words for it. I love you so much Jennifer." And here she pretty much repeated our first kiss, she took my face in her hands and brought our lips together with passion, the only difference was that this time she was ending her own string of babble.

When she pulled back she asked "What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about this whole year. How I'd come to fall in love with you. How I'd freaked out about it. How I'd tried to pretend nothing was different. How it was when I thought you were with Jason. How absolutely stunning you are and how much I love you…Mostly I was thinking about those last two…" She gave me the sweetest smile and a soft, chaste kiss.

With her lips still touching mine she said "we should probably get home soon, it's getting dark…" Our eyes were still closed (at least mine were I don't know about hers I couldn't exactly see them) her hands were still on either side of my head, my arms were still around her waist, and I know I didn't want to move from that spot.

Everything was perfect here, it was like nothing existed beyond the limbs of the willow tree, and if we moved from there the rest of the world would settle on our shoulders. I didn't want to move, but I knew we had to; our parents would start to worry soon.

So with one last kiss beneath the boughs we stood and made our way home, holding hands the whole way.

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A/N: Wow. This took me a lot longer to write than I thought it would. I'm happy with it though and I hope you all are too. Leave a message, let me know what you think.