CHAPTER SIX.
Jess had a hard time helping Milo with his English, not because he was stupid or anything, because he wasn't. On the contrary, he seemed to be very smart. The main problem Jess had with helping him with his English, was that he wasn't focusing very well. He was spending most of the time staring at her.
"Milo, if you don't want me to help you with your English, then you should've just told me." Jess said after about an hour and a half of sitting on her back deck with Milo.
"Why would you think that I do not want you to help me?" Milo looked confused.
"Well, because every time I try to help you, it seems like you're not paying attention," Jess said, taking a sip of her water.
"I am very sorry," Milo apologized, "I do want you to help. I just… It is very confusing."
"English?" Jess asked.
"Well, yes, but…" Milo looked down and then back at Jess, "I think I would like to try something."
"Is it English related?" Jess raised an eyebrow, and rested her head on her chin.
"Kind of?" Milo smiled mysteriously.
"Okay, then, what do you want to try?" Jess asked, resting her head on her hand, as she looked slightly amused.
And then it happened.
Milo kissed her. It was very brief, and when they broke apart, he looked at her, "Is that okay?"
"Uh," Jess' cheeks were bright pink as she brushed a piece of hair away from her face, "I'm trying to figure out what exactly that has to do with English."
"You are an English girl." Milo said, as though this should've made everything clearer to Jess.
"Uh-huh," Jess nodded, "And?"
"I have never kissed a girl who is English before." Milo said simply.
"Okay," Jess nodded slowly.
"You are angry?" Milo asked.
"No," Jess shook her head, "No, I'm not angry, Milo."
"Then what is it that you are feeling?" Milo's dark eyes glinted in the sunlight,
"I don't really know how to describe it," Jess replied softly.
"Then, maybe," Milo moved closer, "I should be kissing you again,"
He didn't wait for her response, he kissed her again. And this time, he touched her face and pulled her closer when he did. Jess wasn't going to complain, she did think he was a nice guy, and there was a chance she could like him.
She probably would've kissed him longer if there hadn't been a noise of disbelief from the steps to the porch. Jess and Milo broke apart, and found Randy standing on the deck, staring at them.
"Randy," Jess breathed.
Randy shook his head, before saying, "Wow, Jessica, that's classy." And walking away.
Jess put a hand over her mouth, and took a deep breath.
"You are okay, Jess?" Milo asked, looking confused.
"No, Milo," Jess shook her head, "I'm not okay."
That night, Jess found herself standing at the Taylor's front door. She knocked, and took a deep breath, before Jill hauled the door open, and looked slightly surprised to see Jess knocking for once, Usually the James kids came and went as they pleased in the Taylor house.
"Hi, sweetie!" She greeted happily, "I was wondering when I'd see you around again. I asked Randy the other day where you'd disappeared to, and he just said that you'd been really busy," She smiled at her, "How can I help you?"
Jess took another deep breath, "Is Randy here?"
"Randy? Oh, yeah, he's downstairs, you can go right down." Jill nodded. She noted that Jess looked more serious than usual, and knew that Jess being busy couldn't have been the only thing keeping her away. She sighed and wondered what could've been going on between Randy and Jess.
Jess walked down to the basement of the Taylor home and found Randy laying on his bed, listening to the Beatles. She took a third deep breath, and then knocked on the wall just outside of Randy's bedroom.
Randy lifted his head, and looked at her, before laying back down.
"Hey." Jess greeted softly.
"What do you want, Jess?"
"Well, I kind of think we should talk, don't you?" Jess asked, walking in, and crossing her arms over her chest.
"What's there to talk about?" Randy asked.
"You know, that whole thing where you answer all my questions with "what-insert-object-here", when you're trying to distract me?" Jess asked, smiling blithely, in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Randy gave one bark of phony laughter, before going back to staring at the ceiling.
"I don't know what's wrong with you, Randy," Jess sighed.
"What's wrong with me? Oh, this is rich," Randy propped himself up on his elbows, "Jessica, I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with you for the past week! And have you told me?" Randy shook his head, and laid back down.
"Fine, you want to know what's wrong with me?" Jess asked, "You're not going to like it. And you know what? You're probably not going to believe it either."
"Jess, why the hell wouldn't I believe you?" Randy asked, sitting up.
"Lauren told me to back off from you, otherwise she'd tell the whole school about what went on with my parents before they split up, and about what happened with my brother." Jess stated, looking serious.
Randy's face was expressionless, "Jess…"
"I told you that you wouldn't believe me." Jess said, blinking rapidly, "But it is the truth, I wouldn't make something like that up."
"Jess, it just doesn't make sense that Lauren would say something like that." Randy said slowly.
"Right, of course," Jess nodded, tears welling in her eyes, "Because Lauren's perfect right? Lauren's your dream girl?" She bit her lip before saying, "What about me, Randy? What about me?"
"What about you?" Randy was confused.
"I've been your best friend since we were three years old! She's been in the picture barely even a year, and yet, because you think she's the perfect girl for you, that suddenly that makes her better than I am?" Jess asked, her eyes wide. "What makes you think that I wouldn't be telling the truth about this, Randy?"
"The fact that you were locking lips with the exchange student on your back porch a couple of hours ago, and I didn't even know that you two were hanging out!" Randy exclaimed.
"Oh, so because I was helping Milo with his English, this suddenly tarnishes my reputation for my honesty?" Jess looked as though she couldn't believe what he was saying.
"Helping him with his English?" Randy raised his eyebrows, "Is that what they're calling it these days?"
"Okay, for your information, I was aiming to help him with his English, I wasn't planning on him kissing me," Jess said, frowning at him.
"Uh-huh." Randy rolled his eyes.
"For God's sake, Randy, why are you acting like I'm the only one in the wrong here?!" Jess exclaimed, her eyes flashing.
"Oh, please, Jessica, tell me what I did wrong?" Randy said in a voice that was dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, where to begin," Jess spat, her notorious James temper beginning to show. "Should I start at the part where your girlfriend hates my guts and will do anything to make sure I back the hell away from you? Or maybe that part where you are freaking your mind off at me because a guy was kissing me on my back porch, for no good reason?"
"No good reason?" Randy repeated, staring at her, "Yeah, I have no good reason to freak out because some senior guy is macking on my best friend on her back porch."
Jess looked at him, "You don't, Randy. Who I kiss or don't kiss is my business, don't you think? You didn't ask me about Lauren."
"I didn't kiss Lauren." Randy said wrinkling his nose, "And that's beyond the point, Jess. I like Lauren."
"Who says I don't like Milo?" Jess asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, no one, I suppose," Randy began, "But he's totally not your type."
"Oh, because you're suddenly an expert on what kind of guys I like." Jess nodded, "I've liked how many guys in the past 13 years, Randy?"
"Well, uh, um…" Randy suddenly began regretting making that comment.
"Besides, you know, for a best friend who wants me to tell him everything, you didn't really do a very good job of doing that yourself, did you?" Jess said, narrowing her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Lauren, Randy. We never talked about Lauren." Jess accused, "You never asked me if I thought she was okay, or if I was all right with you dating her, or what I thought of her." She pinched the bridge of her nose, "You know, you might not think it's important to talk about that stuff, but I do."
Randy was quiet and then he said, "You didn't talk to me about Milo."
"Yeah, that's because Lauren's a psychopath who wants to tell the whole school my family's dirty little secrets. She thinks I'm competition,"
"Did Lauren say that?" Randy asked quietly.
"No," Jess said, looking at her feet, "It doesn't matter anyways though, because you won't believe me either way." She rolled her eyes, "You're my best friend, Randy, and I really, really care about you, but if she's around… I'm not." Jess said the last part softly, her bottom lip started to quiver, and she turned on her heel so that she was out of the basement before she burst into tears.
So I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter. I don't really know why. Anyways, good news! I am almost finished typing up The Best Girl so I should most likely, before too long, have daily updates (: Anyways, thank you guys so much for the reviews, please keep it up!!