"Don't lie, Jayboy. Don't lie."
He opened his eyes, feeling fully awake for the first time in days as he did. For a second, he tried to remember where he was…and who was lying on his chest. But as soon as he saw the high ceiling and the colorful crate paper flower and heart chain hanging over the bed, he knew. And he remembered.
Pippa had completely crashed last night after the party. She hadn't told him everything, but after she was sitting on the floor of the bathroom, throwing up the remains of her last meal and some of the mysterious punch that had been at Tony's party, she'd been too tired to tell him anything else. So he'd carried her into her bedroom, chose her favorite childhood story out of her small book shelf, and lay with her on her bed, reading the soft and worn pages of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
And now she was asleep on his chest, her arm draped around his middle as he lay beside her, stroking her long blonde hair. The window was open and blowing a gentle breeze into the room, making it slightly chilly for his blanketless body. He shifted to try and get under the blanket with Pippa, but she just moaned moving her head and burying her face deeper in his chest.
"Mmmm…" She mumbled, clenching her fingers together and gathering a bundle of his shirt in her hand. Finally pulling himself under the blanket, he rubbed her back, shivering.
"Pip, I'm sorry for waking you up, but while you slept nice and warm under this parka, I was freezing cold." Jay tugged on her large sleeve, laughing as she drifted in and out of sleep. And as he made to set her sleeve back down on her hand, he saw something on the back of her wrist.
A bandage? He thought, gently lifting her hand and turning it around. The gauze strip was tied against her wrist in a cloth, two small specks of blood tainting the white material. What did she do?
"What's this?" Jay whispered, putting his head on top of hers as he continued to stare at the bandage. "Pippa…Pip…wake up."
"Hmmm? What?" She mumbled, rubbing her head against his chest, wisps of blonde hair tickling his face. Jay rubbed his hand up and down the bandage, occasionally sliding off its surface and touching her skin. He was constantly flirting with her…and he wasn't sure if she knew it or not.
"This…bandage. What's it for?" Pippa took in a sleepy yawn and raised her head. Turning to try and look at him, she blinked tiredly before taking her arm away from him.
"It's for nothing…I just scraped myself when I was making dinner last night…that's all."
"Pippa…" He sighed, resting his head on hers. "Are you lying to me?" Her voice had been hesitant, as if she was thinking of something to say instead of telling him the truth.
"Hmm?" She mumbled and Jay sighed again, shaking his head as he did. She would never tell him if she was lying to him…which is what scared him about her.
"Never mind." He kissed her head softly and decided to leave that as his last words on the matter. He loved her more than life itself…but he hardly believed that she'd scraped herself while cooking a pot of spaghetti.
……
"Do you want to go to session today, Pip?" After she'd showered, Jay had dragged her out of the house in attempt to make her feel better when all she really wanted to do was stay home and sleep all day. But when Jay Adams became determined…he always got his way. "How about me and you just hang at a pool all day? Or we could go to Bicknell…or-"
"Jay." She interrupted, smiling at him. Her hair was blowing in the breeze, occasionally dipping in front of her face and blocking her eyes' view. "I don't really feel like doing…anything."
"We could go to the pipes…and you could watch me skate? How about that?" Pippa let out a laugh again, leaning against his arm as they walked down the main street of Santa Monica, in the rougher area of town, as most would call it. Or in other words, Dogtown.
"That sounds g-"
"Chica!" She couldn't finish her sentence as the Mexican scoundrel, Tony Alva, whose toned arms were suddenly wrapped around her middle quickly lifted her off her feet. "You're alive!"
"She won't be for that much longer if you don't let her go, T.A." Stacy's calm voice called out to him as the blonde landed beside them, mastering his 360 signature move.
"Yeah, Peralta's right Tony. Let her go."
Pippa, who had been collected into Tony's arms bride style, looked at Jay with worried eyes as Tony smirked cheekily.
"Alright." Flinging her into the air, Jay lunged his arms forward to catch her in time, a chunk of blonde hair flying into his face as he did. Giggling, she threw her arms around his shoulders and set her head against his, laughing.
"I like this way better than walking." She sighed, swinging her feet back and forth. Jay laughed, kissing her cheek quickly as Sid, the last to join their group, skated up towards them. Pippa watched the awkward boy almost fall as he tried to attempt the same move as Stacy had just mastered. Seconds later, he was on the ground, his brown eyes glistening with the humor of a failed trick. The boys laughed and Jay, who still had an armful of Pippa, nodded towards him.
"Stace, help him up. Sid, when you're up, grab my board. Looks like I'm carrying the princess to our next destination."
……
"Do that one again Jay."
He smiled, carefully obliging as he pushed off the bottom of the pool, riding up against the side and jumping him and his board off the top rim of the pool and letting himself drop back into the pool and sliding back down to the bottom.
Pippa's joyful laugh was enough of a reward for him as he skated back over to where she, Sid, Tony, and Stacy were gathered, watching him with appreciative eyes as Stacy lined up to be the next person to go. He felt Sid slap him on the back as Jay took a seat in front of he and Pippa, shivering when her hands touched his bare back. He'd gotten rid of his T-shirt long ago, even though there had been an amazing breeze today. He just felt used to the feel of the wind draping his naked torso by now.
"You did a really good job Jayboy. Really good." Her hands were resting on his shoulders and he leaned his head over to kiss one of her hands, but Sid interrupted him.
"Yah man, that was totally gnarly." The enthusiastic boy laughed, sitting down beside him and Jay sent a blank stare back to Pippa, who just smiled before turning back to watch Stacy. "You were totally ripping it up-"
"Thanks man." Jay cut in, smiling at Sid. "Now I want to see you doing some of that stuff, alright? Get practicing." The excitement lining his brown eyes made Jay get a soar of accomplishment. Other than being with Pippa and skating, nothing pleased him more than inspiring Sid Columbino, a boy he had come to love and protect like a little brother. Seconds later, Sid had jumped up with his board to go try and ride the sides of the wall, Tony coming to his aid when he almost failed landing an ollie.
"He loves you, Jay." Pippa sighed when he stood up and turned to her, his hands gingerly circling her waist. Leaning his forehead against her, he let his words come out of his mouth slowly, each one meaning something in his mind.
"And do you, Pip? Do you…love me?" He leaned into kiss her, his lips only brushing hers before a loud crash hit the pathway leading to the pool. They both turned their heads, still wrapped up in an embrace as Wentzel's back angrily made his way out of the pool, pushing past a clueless Red Dog and Peggy.
"Shit."
……
"Wentz!" Pippa ran after him, her bare feet slapping against the road's pavement as she ran after the blonde boy who was skating away from the scene. She'd always been a great runner, and soon she found herself right on his tail. "Wentzel, please stop. I need to talk to you!"
"And what, Pippa! Tell me about your relationship with Jay! Don't worry about it, I already knew!" He yelled angrily as he kept on skating away. He's not going to stop…I'm just going to have to make him stop.
"Ahh!" She screamed as she 'tripped' over her own feet, falling down onto the pavement and skillfully sticking her hands out in front of her to break her fall. When the scrape of his board's wheels met his ears, Pippa smiled quickly before keeping a straight face and rolling over onto her side. "Owww…"
"Pip! Pippa, are you alright?" Soon he was beside her, kneeling down, allowing his hand to touch her arm gently. She looked up at him, a piece of her long, layered blonde hair falling in front of her face as she feigned a look of slight pain as he helped her get up.
"Yeah…I'm fine…I just left my shoes back at the pool." Pippa laughed as she looked down at her bare feet, brushing her hair out of her face as she still held one of his hands. "Wentz…can we please just talk about this? Please?" The blonde boy looked her square in the eye and let out a sigh, looking down at the ground as he tried to walk away.
"I really like you…if you hadn't noticed, Pippa. I really do." She wouldn't let him leave and he turned around, looking her in the eye.
"Okay…let's talk about this a bit more."
"I'm done with talking, Pippa." He muttered, and she yanked his hand back, making him stumbled back towards her. He didn't understand things…and he needed to before he left. "Pip…"
"Please Wentz." She sighed and he shrugged, trying to start speaking several times before he sighed in frustration, coming closer to her.
"Ah, screw it." His lips had barely been on hers for a second before she snapped backwards, letting out a gasp.
"I meant talking…not-" Wentzel lifted his hand and let his fingers stop her from talking.
"No…just don't say anything. Not now." Pippa let out a sigh as he leaned in again, letting him kiss her gently, before in confusion, she returned it. And while she stood there, kissing Wentzel, all that was filling her mind, running through her blood, and filling her heart was…Jay.
……
He stood there and he felt as if a bullet had hit him square in the head. And he only wished it had…Pippa was standing much as she had been several minutes ago with him, only it was in the arms of Wentzel…and they were much farther into the embrace than he wished he had been. Jay clutched onto her shoes mercilessly, turning and grabbing his skateboard off the ground, running over to the sidewalk where he was safely hidden by several cars before kicking off the pavement.
Had she thought those sweet kisses they'd shared meant nothing? Had she thought he was just happy she hadn't died? Obviously Jay…she was just screwing with you and going behind your back with Wentz…he obviously is so much more than you are…
"Stop it." He told his mind angrily, wiping away a hot tear that had been trickling down his face. He was angry…and he needed to make the pain go away.
Jay had distinctly remembered buying a twelve pack of beers for his mom…to which she'd only drunk about four. That meant there was still eight left for his own self pity streak…then he'd go and get in a fight club, beat up some guy and feel a lot better.
No, you won't Jay. A voice that sounded much like Pippa's rang in his head and he angrily slammed her shoes down on the ground, leaving them in the middle of the sidewalk.
"Yes, I will."
……
Pippa woke up from her slumber on her couch confused and dazed as the music of Jimmy Durante filled her apartment. She'd grown up listening to the classic singer, her mother always playing it…Jay hated it, so he said, but she loved it and often found it calmed her down when she needed it. And she needed it now more than ever.
Mom was out with Harley again, and they'd had a fight about the letters…her letters. Her mom had said they didn't matter…and they'd been written a long time ago. But when Pippa had brandished the date on the letters at her, she'd walked out the door. Not knowing what else to do, she'd taken off her bandage to reveal two thin red lines dotting her tanned arm. And while she stared at them, she felt a sense of guilt, but also a sense of accomplishment. She'd gotten away with something…and no one knew about it. It could be her little secret. That's why she'd walked to the bathroom again, and created another line…this time father up her arm to make it harder to see. Jay had been suspicious…but then again, they'd been half asleep. With luck, he'd forgotten about it.
"Jay." She sighed as she woke up, hugging the pillow she'd grabbed closer to her stomach as she relished the pain of her choices. Both physical…and emotional. "Jay…"
Pippa began to nod off again as her favorite song, I'll Be Seeing You, began to strum from the record player. And that's when she heard the dull knock come from the door.
The blonde opened her eyes slowly, fearing what would be behind the door when she opened it. If it were Wentzel, she'd probably invite him in and tell him the truth…she didn't like him as more than a friend. No matter how much he was in love with her…she couldn't do that to him. She couldn't ruin their friendship. If it were her mother, she'd probably return to the couch and wrap her blanket around her body again, laying her head down as she began to talk about Harley before remembering the fight they'd been in before she left. And if it was Jay…she didn't know what she'd do.
"Please…don't be Jay…I can handle anyone but Jay right now…" She sighed, running a hand through her hair and wrapping her other arm around her middle as she walked slowly to the door, trying to ignore the loud and dragging knocks coming from it.
It seemed as if she unlocked the locks, turned the door handle, and opened the door in slow motion, like they did in the movies. And when she saw the person standing there, what she thought would've filled her with confusion and tiredness filled her with sadness and hurt. Jay was leaning against the doorframe in front of her, a large scrape on the top of his head letting blood run down his face freely while he nursed a bruised cheek. His eyes were watering and hazy, and Pippa realized before long that he was drunk…or more than likely getting over the effects of being drunk.
"Pippa?" He moaned, looking at her through half closed eyes. "Pip…" He trailed off as he stumbled into her apartment, falling over himself and falling on her. By instinct, Pippa caught him quickly, gasping as she tried to hold his weight up against hers.
……
"What were you doing in a fight, Jayboy?" She laid him down on the couch when he'd come to, watching her with intensity as she got bandages, peroxide, a cloth and water to fix him up. It looked like he'd been smashed over the head with a beer bottle, some glass still sticking into his hair.
"I was fighting for you." Pippa looked up at him with raised eyebrows as she dipped the cloth into the hot water, kneeling beside him on the floor by the couch to wipe the blood off his face. I'll Be Seeing You was still playing in the background, seeing as she'd kept on setting it back. It reminded her of better and simpler times…she needed that to help Jay right now.
"I loovee this song." He sighed, playing with a lock of her hair as she took the piece of glass out of his cut. He didn't sound drunk…but he was acting like it and she could smell it on his breath. "Damn it Pippa! Fu-ugh…that hurts like a bitch!"
"Well it's not my fault you got into a fight." Pippa growled, rolling her eyes as she washed the blood from his face. A silence passed over them as the song kept on playing, it's romantic lyrics floating through the air. "You didn't…get in a fight with Wentz, did you?"
"I wish I could've…I saw that fag makin' out with you…I wanted to kill him. I wanted to break a beer bottle over his head." He continued to toy with a piece of her long honey blonde hair as she cleaned of the last of his blood off his face, reaching over for the peroxide as she felt a wave of guilt wash over her.
"Okay…as much as I don't want to hurt you Jay…" She grimaced as she held the peroxide filled cloth against his cut, making him howl in pain. "Sorry."
"Shit!" He yelled and she took the cloth away, throwing it into the bowl of water she'd brought with her and standing up. "I thought you said you didn't want to hurt me!"
"I didn't. But the peroxide did…it gets rid of infection, Jay." Pippa walked around the couch and the many scratches Stacy and Peggy had helped her clean and care for after the accident stung. Along with the ones she'd created herself…"Trust me, it could be a lot worse."
"You don't even know half of it." He mumbled, letting out a long sigh and Pippa paused as she reached the kitchen, turning back to look at him. He was still drunk…and she couldn't talk some sense into him if he wasn't sobered up.
"Jay?" She said quietly as she put the dish into the sink, leaning against the counter for support. She needed to know if…if anything he'd ever done had meant something other than flirting.
"Uh...yeah?" Pippa walked over to the coffeepot, where fresh coffee had been brewed around twenty minutes previously…just before her mother had walked out the door to meet Harley. She let the music of Jimmy Durante play through the room, through the spaces, and through the silence they were currently enduring. She watched as she steam flew up through the top of the pot, pouring itself into the cup and swirling with the black liquid and squandering back up to the top as it filled the mug.
"Wentz asked me out to the movies tonight." Pippa said it quickly, almost as if she was asking her mom to stay out past her curfew. She heard him sigh angrily, sitting up in the couch as she turned around with the coffee in her hands.
"And you said yess, a' course…" He sighed, a touch of a slur hitting his voice. She felt a tinge of a smile hit her mouth as she walked over to him, setting the coffee into his hands as she climbed onto the couch with him.
"What did you expect me to say?" Jay frowned at the coffee, looking up at her as he avoided the question.
"S' for me?" He asked, glaring even more so when she nodded, and almost spitting it out when he sipped it. "This is sick."
"It'll make you better…" Pippa muttered as she watched him down the mug of coffee, several drips of it running down his chin as he did.
"You mean, it'll sober me up." Jay replied as he set the mug down on the coffee table, unfortunately missing the tabletop entirely. It let out a dull thump as it fell on the horrible carpet floor, a drop of coffee falling onto the cream rug. "Aww, shit."
"Oh no, I got it Jay."
"No, Pip, it's totally my fault-"
They both paused as their hands fell on top of each other when they leaned over to grab the mug, their heads almost hitting each other as they looked up. His cheeks went red, and so did hers, eyes locking on eyes for a second.
"Shit…this hurts." Jay laughed sadly, gently touching his head when they'd both leaned up, forgetting about the coffee cup on the floor in embarrassment.
"Well, it's your own fault you got in a fight." Pippa sucked in a deep breath, knowing she was getting herself angry. "If you had just come to talk to me, and calmed down, you wouldn't have all those damn cuts all over yo-"
"Stop it, Pippa…" He interrupted her, and she stopped in shock of his words. He was crying. Jay Adams was sitting in her living room crying, the utter pain on his face shining through in his sobs. "Wh-hy c-can't I g-get h-hurt-t by so-someone e-el-else, but y-you can h-hurt yo-yourself-f?"
Pippa felt her insides well up with guilt, her eyes stinging with tears. And as much as she wanted to push away what Jay had said, she couldn't get it out of her mind. He was right…that she was allowed to hurt herself, while he wasn't allowed to get in fights and get roughed up by someone else?
"I…I'm sorry Jay." She said, shaking as she leaned over to him, trying to wrap her arms around him. "I'm so sorry…" His hands fell down on her shoulders and began to travel up and down her neck, his fingertips brushing her face gently as he pulled her towards him. Pippa tried not to hurt the both of them as she hugged him, running her fingers through his hair.
"Pippa…I…I…I love you." He whispered, kissing her head. Inside, she felt her guilt turn into warm fuzz, or something of the sort. All she could feel was her body burning with an incredible heat that hadn't been caused by a hot flash or something...but by his words. "I love you so much."
……
The first kiss from her had been enough of a reward for finally getting over his fear of rejection. He, Jay Adams, had feared rejection…from his best friend? He kissed her back, smiling as the tears continued to dry on his cheeks. How could he have been so stupid as to think she didn't love him back?
"Jay." Pippa gasped as they pulled apart from each other. "I'm so sorry…I just wanted you to know that I…I…"
"I know." He kissed her gently, pulling her back to him. "I know, Pip." He wanted her…and some could call it lust, or desire or whatever…but it was raw passion that was driving Jay Adams over the edge.
"I love you too." She whispered, smiling as she ducked back down to him, running a hand through his hair. It seemed like an eternity that they just sat there kissing, but at the same time, it seemed like a second had passed when she pulled back from him, glancing at the time. "I have to go Jay."
"No." He moaned, capturing her hand as she tried to get up, pulling her back to him. He couldn't let her go…not to him. "Stay here instead…with me…"
She sighed, shaking her head as she straightened up and bent down to kiss him again, the long tips of her blonde hair brushing his face as she did.
"I've got to go…if I don't, then Wentz-"
"Will forget about you. And then…me and you can be together." He wanted, no, needed her to stay with him. If she didn't go, the rejection would be easier for Wentz to handle. At least…that's how Kathy had gotten rid of him. But Pippa knew better and he frowned as she shook her head, beginning to walk away as she held his hand loosely in hers.
"Jayboy, that's horrible. I couldn't do that to Wentz…we are friends you know."
"Yeah," Jay said quietly, pulling her closer to the couch. She was trying to slip away romantically…and that meant that he would have to capture her romantically. "But me and you are lovers."
"Lovers, now are we?" She smiled, her bare knees hitting the couch as she kneeled down beside his body. She was wearing those little jean shorts that showed off her long, strong muscle built tanned legs…the ones that he loved. Her hands found both of his hands and she smiled down at him, her eyes twinkling. "I guess…I could stay…"
"That's my girl."
……
Wentzel sighed as he got up from the seat he'd taken on the bench outside the Movie Theater. The movie itself had started an hour ago, but he'd known long before then that she wasn't coming. He'd been so stupid to actually believe she would.
But he liked her so much and his heart ached to know she was probably with Jay…her real lover. Tony had told him to forget about her several times already…and he hadn't listened. And now, Wentzel Ruml wished he had more than ever.
But Pippa hadn't seemed like the type of girl to lead him on like she did…no…that must've been Jayboy. He knew too well that Jay had been in love with Pippa from the first moment he realized he could love, which was long before he'd ever met the two of them. Maybe he had been interfering when he had fallen head over heels for the blonde Dogtown princess. Yet who could help it…she was just so 'charming' and the long blonde locks definitely helped her win over hearts.
Maybe it was just lust? He thought as he walked over to the trashcan, tossing in the white rose he'd bought for her. Or maybe…maybe it was something more.