I own nothing! Important announcement: I will not be doing all of this as I had planned. Instead, I will do a few of my more favorite episodes, and some of the in-betweens. This chapter may be the last chapter. I will put an A/N at the end of this story, so you will know.

Chapter 28: One Night Stand

Jasmine Fenton is normally a cool-headed young lady. Today isn't one of them. Her brother, her only brother, the one she used to read to every night before bed, is lying to her. She can read it in his smiles, the fake, oddly brittle quality which she wishes she could fix, but that won't go away. She tried to help, but he won't let her in. Yesterday, she tried to talk to him, but today he's still ignoring her. She gives up. There's only so much you can do when the person you're trying to help doesn't want help.

She becomes bitter. So, when her younger brother comes in and admits he has a girlfriend, she tells him to tell her they're crazy so she knows what she's getting into. She sees Danny flinch, and the way he glances at the ground. It gives her a vindictive sense of satisfaction, but only fleetingly. When he walks out, his shoulders are slumped, and he is depressed. It hits her then that she hurt him, badly. Worse than she had wanted to. She can read it in his posture, so she struggles to not feel guilty. She gulps, but she doesn't apologize. She walks upstairs, sits in her room, and tells herself to get it together. It's stupid. She knows she's upset. She has a list of reasons.

1. Her brother won't let her help him.

2. Her brother won't even accept help from his best friends.

3. Nobody asked her to the dance.

It's funny. She knows that she shouldn't be bothered by that last one. She's never been asked out. She's a geeky, if pretty, redhead that has crazy parents. It's expected. It's stupid to cry. But then the phone rings. She doesn't pick it up at first, instead waiting for the phone to give her the number. It reads, 739-8949. It's Spike's number. She picks it up, and listens to him talk. Her sadness is probably in her tone when she replies to his questions, and he asks her to come over. She agrees, despite her better self's warning. She wants company.

She gets in her car, and arrives at his house in record timing. They sit beside each other, and Spike lets her tell him everything. The better part of her warns her not to, but she finds herself hugging him, and he hugs her back. It occurs to her that this is the first time a non-relative boy hugged her, ever. She wants more. He gives her more, willingly. For the first time, she's had sex. She likes it while it lasts, but when she wakes up in the morning sprawled all over his bed, naked, she realizes she feels worse. Guilt, she identifies it. Shame. The first time she has sex, it's because she feels pity for herself. She pushes it back. He thinks he helps her forget it again, but it can't last. Nothing lasts forever, and this is no exception. The glorious feelings of last night are very different from the shameful feelings of this morning, and she can't work up much energy for anything. She doesn't even really want to do anything for him. He lets her go. She knows she isn't special, and he only confirms it.

When she gets back, she takes a shower. She feels dirty, like she'll never get the grease of her crimes removed. She dresses herself in long sleeves, the same as usual, but she uses them to hide the dirtiness this time. She's tempted to wear gloves. Danny is downstairs in the kitchen, and she almost apologizes. He asks her where she was, but she only says she fell asleep out in the car. He doesn't fall for it, and it hurts her that what used to be a tight-knit family all their own has unraveled. They drift farther apart, and she tries to blame it on him, though not for long. She knows that she was really the one who caused it. She is the oldest. She could have prevented it. The tight knot last night and this morning placed in her throat stays there, and she doesn't speak much all day. She doesn't know that she'll ever get past it properly. She can only hope they can pull back together again.

Like it? Hate it? Remember to review it! I haven't gotten a review in a long time. Thanks!

-MiaulinK