It's Over

This ain't easy to admit …

Jimmy didn't have a whole lot of experience with females crying in his arms. He had no sisters, Ashley had always been too reserved to show that much emotion in front of him, and Hazel … Hazel was always happy. An endearing, if sometimes annoying, quality.

So to have Manny a blubbering, bawling basketcase in front of him was quite a shock to his system. He didn't know how to handle the fact that she hadn't formed a coherent sentence since tumbling into his lap, nor had she even collected herself enough to get off.

"Manny … really, it can't be that bad. I mean, come on." Jimmy worked not to roll his eyes. Whatever stupid drama Manny thought was tearing her life apart had to be absolutely ridiculous in comparison to the scope of his current situation. "Manny. Please stop crying."

"I – I – I –" she rubbed her eyes vigorously and choked back another sob. "I can't, it actually hurts. It hurts so much. What am I going to do?"

"Manny! Manny!" Stopping just short of shaking her, Jimmy raised his voice until she snapped to attention. "Okay. Better. Now. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Oh, God." Finally realizing exactly where she was, Manny scrambled off of him and frantically tried to pull herself together. "I'm so sorry, Jimmy. I don't … I don't know what got into me. Did I hurt you?"

"I'm not exactly china," he bristles. "Besides, you were on my lap. You could've brought three elephants and a piano with you and I wouldn't really have noticed."

"Oh," she said softly, her gaze moving to his legs as memory dawned. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"No big deal," he brushed off. "So what happened to get you so upset?"

"Um." She looked away. "It's a long story. I don't want to bother you with it, I'm fine, really."

He sighed. "Right, and I'm the Queen of England. Seriously, Manny. Something's obviously on your mind, I don't mind listening if you want to talk about it."

Manny debated with herself for another minute, then relented. The temptation of telling someone who might actually care, whose reaction had to be better than Craig's because there was no lower level that she could think of, was too great. "Okay. But it's kind of crazy, you might want to sit down."

"Got that covered." Indicating his perpetually seated pose, Jimmy smirked sardonically.

She flushed. "Oh, God. How far down my throat do you think my foot can go? Jimmy, I'm so sorry, really, I just … I have a knack for saying all the wrong things. Part of my charm or – something," she giggled nervously.

The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, struggling to hold back his anger. "It's cool. No big deal. Come on, over here."

He led her to the bleachers and she sat down heavily, shoulders slumped, face pale and tear-stained. Jimmy took a second to study her. She didn't look anything like the Manny Santos he was used to seeing, all bright eyes and sunshine, a blinding smile and a body constantly in motion. She looked … drawn, and tired, and miserable.

Just like you, a voice sniggered at the back of his head. What a pair!

"Manny?" he said, mostly to distract himself from the looming self pity. "You gonna tell me anytime in the next century?"

"It's nothing," she tried, staring vacantly at the floor. "I just had a fight with Craig, that's all."

Jimmy's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would you be fighting with Craig? He's with Ash now. Oh."

She let out a small giggle that sounded more like a sob. "Ha. Guess I'm not the only one with the foot-in-mouth issue."

"But wait. Did you fight with him 'cause you want him back and he's with someone else? Or did you fight 'cause the two of you are kind of back together and he hasn't told Ash?"

Just say it, she told herself. If Craig's reaction didn't kill you, Jimmy Brooks' certainly isn't going to matter. And it's only a matter of time until everyone finds out.

"Um … 'C'," she answered. "Neither of the above."

Jimmy stared at her, confused. "Then, why?"

"When Craig and I …" No, she stops herself, that's not right. There's no 'Craig and I'. Never was. "When Craig cheated on Ashley … with me … things got out of hand."

She pauses, and Jimmy feels every muscle in his body that still works tense up. "Manny, are you trying to tell me he hurt you? 'Cause if he did …"

"No, no, not at all, nothing like that," she rushes to explain. "I mean, yes, he's hurt me about as much as I think anyone can, but it wasn't anything like … like you're thinking. No. Craig and I … we had sex, Jimmy. Which, come to think of it, you and probably the rest of the world already know."

"Probably not the entire world," Jimmy tried to assure her. But she wasn't too far off base, the entire school was well versed in the recent Manny/Craig/Ashley saga. It was all anyone had talked about until Rick found a new way to make headlines. "I bet people in Tokyo half better things to do."

"Oh, great," she joked mirthlessly, "Halfway around the world, people don't give a damn about me and my screw-ups. When's the next flight out?"

Jimmy chuckled along. He'd already given plenty of thought to cleaning out his savings account and securing himself a one-way ticket to the middle of nowhere. "So, why did you and Craig argue?"

"I told him …" she looked at her hands, at the nails she'd bitten down to the quick. "I told him I'm pregnant."

Of all the things Jimmy had expected her to say, that statement hadn't even been in the realm of possibility. He gaped at the slim cheerleader whose whispered confession was emphasized by the single tear that slid down her cheek as she avoided his gaze.

"You're … pregnant?" he repeated. "Wha – who – how?"

She sniffed. "Well, Jimmy, when a guy and a girl get together, they –"

"Stop." He blocked his ear until he was sure she had. "No details necessary. But just … wow. I'm shocked."

"So was I," she said, and laughed dryly. "I was such an idiot. I didn't even think. I never expected anything like this to happen to me."

"Well, you're not entirely to blame, Manny," he pointed out. "Craig had a small role as well. And he's older, he should've been smarter about the whole … event."

"Right. Leave the issue of protection to the horny high school boy who's cheating on his girlfriend with you. Why didn't I think of that?"

Jimmy had no reply. He was way out of his league here. He'd only been looking for a distraction from his own troubles when he volunteered to lend an ear. He'd expected Manny to complain about a catfight with Emma or a boy who wouldn't give her the time of day or something. He hadn't expected her to have any real problem.

"Manny, it's not your fault," he tried again, trying to channel Claire. "Sometimes things just happen."

"Yeah. I know," she stopped him abruptly. "I've given myself all the right pep talks – I'm on spirit squad, remember. It's just … what am I gonna do now? I can't have a baby on my own. And Craig … he wants to be with Ashley. And I love him so much. I just want him to be happy."

"Wait, do you mean …?"

Manny shrugged, biting her lip uncertainly. "If he wants to be with her, then … he should be with her. I mean, have you seen his smile when he's with her?" She shook her head resolutely. "I'm not gonna take that away. I just … I don't know what I'll do without him."

At the thought, she crumbled in front of him, and they were back to where they'd started. Watching her fall apart over a boy who would only disappoint her again and again, Jimmy realized what he had to do.

XXX

Due to his 'injury', as the guidance counselor has taken to oh-so-delicately calling it, Jimmy was allowed to leave all his classes a few minutes earlier than the other students. This gave him the advantage of watching Hazel as she approached her locker without knowing she was being studied.

Her head was bent close to Paige's, a small smile on her lips as the blond gestured wildly to enunciate her story. As it seemed to reach its end, Hazel threw her head back and giggled girlishly, her eyes alight with warmth and humor.

She's really something, Jimmy reflected.

So why are you gonna kick her to the curb like she's as worthless as your basketball uniform?

Jimmy shook his head to clear it. He had to end things with Hazel. He'd been nursing the idea practically since he woke up in the hospital with his mother crying in to a lap he could no longer feel. Things weren't going to be the same now, he wasn't going to be the same. And he didn't want to drag Hazel down with him.

She deserved more than that.

"Jimmy!" she said upon finding him waiting for her. "What's up?"

Ill at ease, he found himself looking anywhere but her face. "I kind of need to talk to you … alone."

Paige whistled. "Ouch, Jimbo, way to be subtle. Hazel, call me later? And tell Jimmy about Friday night!"

Hazel agreed and, as Paige walked away, turned to Jimmy with a smile. "Paige wants to have a party," she explained, "A sort of, 'yay for everything being back to normal' party so we can all blow off some steam. What do you think?"

"But … everything's not back to normal, Hazel."

"What do you mean? Of course it is," she insisted. "You're out of the hospital, on the road to recovery …"

"Hazel!" They were both surprised at his sharp tone. "That's not quite the road I'm on! I can't feel my legs! I can't use my legs! I'm a cripple!"

"No, Jimmy, don't talk like that," she began to argue.

She had to kneel to bring herself to his level, and seeing that only angered Jimmy more. Any doubts he may have had flew out the window. "Listen, Hazel," he interrupted. "This is why I wanted to talk to you. We're not on the same page about this whole situation. If I even can get better, it's going to take a long time. And it's going to be hard, really, really hard."

"I know –" she tried, but he cut her off once more.

"No." He shook his head. "Hazel, you have no idea. My life is a living hell right now, and it's got the potential to get even worse. And I'd rather … I think it's best if … if you and I take some time off. Just for a little while, just while I sort some things out, you know?"

Hazel swallowed hard as she processed his words. "You're … ending things?"

"Well, not totally, but –"

"Right. You need your space. You know, Jimmy," she stared him dead in the eye, "Sometimes you're too proud for your own good."

He was doing this for her own good. That was what she didn't understand, could never understand. And that was why he didn't argue or try to catch her as she straightened up, slammed her locker shut, and walked away.