CHAPTER SEVEN.
Jill knew that something had been wrong when Jess had left the house without a word that night. She decided she would try to talk to Randy about it first, before talking to Jess.
Jill went downstairs, and noted that Randy's choice of music had changed from a mellow Beatles album, to Nirvana. She knocked on the door to Randy's bedroom, and stuck her head in, "Hi, honey."
Randy turned down the music, "Hi."
"Jessica left?" Jill asked, walking towards Randy's bed slowly.
"Yeah," Randy scoffed, shaking his head.
"Is there something going on with you two?" Jill asked.
Randy shrugged, before saying, "It's more like a lack of something that's the problem, Mom."
Jill's eyebrows shot up, "Excuse me?"
"Not like that," Randy shook his head, "It's just like… everything between us seems to be getting so complicated this year."
"Sweetie, that's high school," Jill said, patting Randy's leg comfortingly, "But you and Jessie have been together for longer than most television shows and music groups last. Even some married couples."
Randy shook his head, "Yeah, well, all good things must come to an end."
Jill looked stunned, "Randy! You can't let your friendship with Jessica end because of one argument."
"It was a big argument, Mom." Randy muttered.
"Well, what was it about?" Jill asked slowly.
"I don't want to talk about it," Randy replied.
Jill sighed. She would have to try talking to Jess the next day.
Veronica knew that something was wrong when her daughter had come home in tears. Jessica never cried, and the fact that she'd come home crying was a sign that something was seriously wrong.
"Jessie, baby, can I talk to you?" Veronica knocked on Jess' door.
She heard Jess sniffling and said, "Come in, Mom."
Veronica pushed the door open, and found Jess laying on her bed, facing the wall. "Are you okay, honey?"
Jess shook her head.
"What happened?" Veronica asked, sitting beside her, stroking Jess' long hair.
"I told Randy what was on my mind," Jess murmured, tears rolling down her face.
"He didn't take it well?" Veronica asked.
"Well, the whole thing didn't start out well in the first place, Mom," Jess said, blinking rapidly, "Milo kissed me and Randy saw."
Veronica tried to hide her surprise, "Oh, wow… Jess."
"And he got so mad, and he was all like "you never told me what was wrong with you, Milo's not your type, Lauren wouldn't say all that to you"," Jess said, sniffling, "And then I told him that he's my best friend, and that I care about him but…" Jess cried softly, "If Lauren's in his life, I'm not going to be."
"Oh, Jessie girl," Veronica leaned down and kissed the side of her daughter's head, "I'm sure you two will work things out."
"I don't know, Mama, we've never fought before," Jess cried, "And this was a big fight. I wouldn't blame him for never forgiving me. I was mean."
"You spoke your mind though, right?" Veronica asked.
Jess nodded.
"That's what counts," Veronica said, "Randy really cares about you, Jess, and I don't think that he'll let two people as unimportant as Lauren and Milo come in between you two."
Jess rolled over and curled up to cry on her mother's knee, "I hope you're right."
The next day, Jill walked over to the James home, and knocked on the door. Lanky Nick answered the door, "Oh, hey, Mrs. T., what's up?"
"Oh, nothing really, Nick, um… is your sister home?" Jill asked.
"Jess? Oh, she should be. I think she's been in her room since she got home last night," Nick nodded, "Do you want me to go get her?"
"If it's not too much," Jill nodded, "I'd kind of like to talk to her about something."
"Oh, sure, I'll go up and get her," Nick nodded, "My mom's in the kitchen if you want to go and see her."
"Thanks, Nick," Jill smiled, and then made her way into the kitchen, where she found Veronica sitting, drinking a cup of coffee.
"Oh, hi, Jill," Veronica greeted, smiling at her neighbor, "What brings you over here?"
"I kind of wanted to talk to Jess, if that was okay with you," Jill said.
Veronica nodded, "Well, I certainly don't have a problem with it, but Jess may feel differently." She paused, "I don't think she's much into talking to anybody right now."
"She's pretty torn up about that fight that she and Randy are having too, huh?" Jill asked.
Veronica nodded, "Jess came home in tears last night,"
"Tears?" Jill repeated, her eyebrows raised.
"That was my reaction." Veronica nodded, "You know as well as I do that Jessica doesn't cry unless something's seriously wrong."
"Did she tell you what the fight was about?" Jill asked.
Veronica nodded, and sighed.
"Randy wouldn't tell me," Jill frowned.
"Well, it's basically like any episode of Beverly Hills 90210 available for our children to watch except based in Detroit," Veronica said, "Jess doesn't get a good vibe from Lauren, Lauren pulled a crazy at the barbecue last weekend and told Jessica to stay away from Randy, or Lauren was going to tell the whole school about what happened with Jack. Jess backed off and wouldn't tell Randy what was bothering her, and then this new guy, Milo, came into the picture."
Veronica took a breath, "Milo is from Spain, and very interested in my daughter. She offered to help him with his English, so he came over to our house yesterday. Apparently, Milo made a move on her and kissed her on our back porch, when Randy came over and saw."
Jill's brown eyes were wide. "Wow, Veronica,"
"There's more, believe it or not," Veronica nodded, "So, Jessica went over to your house last night to talk to Randy and try to work everything out, and that basically did nothing, except maybe make things worse. She and Randy argued about Lauren, and Milo, and it basically came down to Jess saying that she really cares about Randy and that he's her best friend, but if Lauren's in his life, she isn't going to be."
"Oh, my God." Jill was stunned, she didn't know what else to say. "No wonder they're both so torn up."
Veronica nodded, and sighed, "I really want them to work things out, Jill, but I don't want my daughter to be the one to make her best friend give up a girl he likes."
Jill nodded to show she understood, and then said, "Veronica… do you think that maybe the real reason behind the kids fighting might not be Milo and Lauren?"
Veronica smiled slightly, "That was my first thought too. I haven't been able to ask Jess about it though, the timing just hasn't been right."
"Mrs. Taylor?" Nick came jogging into the kitchen, "Jess says you can go up and see her if you want."
"Thanks, Nick," Jill smiled, and then made her way up to Jessica's bedroom. The door was already open, so Jill just tapped on the doorframe to announce herself.
Jess looked up, and Jill was startled to see her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed.
"Hi, sweetie," Jill greeted, "You mind if I sit down?"
Jess shook her head. After Jill had sat down, Jess said, "I'm guessing my mom already told you about why Randy and I are fighting."
Jill nodded, "Yeah, she did."
"Is that why you wanted to talk to me?" Jess asked.
Jill nodded again, "And I wanted to make sure you were okay,"
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Jess asked in a flat voice. "My best friend probably wants nothing to do with me now, but that's no big deal."
"Jessica, Randy will never want nothing to do with you. He really cares about you." Jill said.
"Yeah, but I gave him an ultimatum," Jess said, "Between me and the girl he likes. That makes me like the worst best friend in history."
"You don't like Lauren, though, and you don't think she's good for Randy." Jill said.
"Yeah, but what does that matter when Randy can't see it?" Jess asked.
"Sweetheart, it does matter," Jill nodded, "I know you don't think so right now, but later on down the road, Randy will probably thank you for telling him what you really think of Lauren."
"If you say so, Mrs. Taylor," Jess sighed.
"I wish I could somehow make this all better for you two." Jill said softly, "I don't know how to, though."
"Don't worry, it isn't your fault," Jess said.
"That doesn't stop me from wishing I could make things all right for you and Randy." Jill said. "I know you're probably not going to want to hear this right now, but… do you ever think that maybe the reason you're so wary of Lauren… it might be because…" Jill hesitated, "Maybe your feelings aren't entirely just friendly towards Randy."
Jess blinked before reacting, "Like, what do you mean? You think I like him more than friends?"
"It's just a possibility I was throwing out there, sweetie." Jill nodded.
"I don't," Jess shook her head, "I don't. Randy's my best friend, that's it. Once you know somebody for this long, it's just impossible to see them like that, right? I mean, you know. I don't like him like that. No. I don't."
"Well, Jessica," Jill touched Jess' shoulder gently, "To me, you sound more like you're convincing yourself than anybody else."
Jess blinked a few times, and then said, "I don't think I do, Mrs. Taylor." But she didn't sound very sure of herself this time.
"Maybe just think about it, Jess," Jill kissed the top of Jess' head, "I'm right next door if you need to talk."
"Thanks, Mrs. Taylor." Jess said, in a now absent voice. Apparently she really was going to have to reevaluate how she felt about everything.
Randy was sitting in the back yard, when he heard Wilson's greeting.
"Hi-de-ho, Taylor lad."
"Oh, hey, Wilson," Randy turned so he was facing the fence.
"Why do I sense that something's troubling you, young Randy?" Wilson asked, his eyebrows raising.
"Because it is," Randy sighed, "Jess and I are fighting."
"Oh, dear," Wilson sounded concerned, "You two never fight, what brought this on?"
"A guy," Randy was going to blame the whole thing on Milo, but he sighed, "And a girl."
"A guy and a girl being a different guy and girl than you and Jessica?" Wilson asked.
Randy nodded, "There are these two people at school, Lauren, the girl I like, and Milo," He said Milo's name with particular dislike, "This exchange student who likes Jess. Last night, we got into an argument, because I don't like Milo, and Jess doesn't like Lauren."
"Ah, uh-huh, uh-huh," Wilson nodded, "Well, Randy, why don't you like Milo?"
"He isn't good enough for Jess," Randy said automatically. In his opinion, nobody was good enough for Jess. "And he seems like a jerk."
"What makes you think that?" Wilson asked.
"Um… well…" Randy wracked his brain and then sighed, "I don't know, Wilson."
"Mm, well. Maybe the reason why you don't like this Milo fellow, and the reason that Jessica doesn't like Lauren… maybe it's because you two are experiencing what the French call le petit monstre vert." He paused before saying, "The little green monster."
"You think I'm jealous?" Randy raised his eyebrows. "Jealous of… Milo?"
Wilson nodded, "It would make sense, wouldn't it?"
"Well, yeah… I guess so." Randy said slowly, "But I'm not jealous of him."
"You may just want to sleep on that before you jump to conclusions, Randy," Wilson advised, "I once knew a man who was best kindred spirits with a lovely woman, not unlike Jessica and yourself. He didn't like the man she decided to date, but he wouldn't admit it was jealousy until it was too late."
Randy nodded slowly, "Well… thanks, Wilson."
"You're welcome, Randy."
Thanks so much for the reviews guys! Again, sorry for the gap in between updates, but I've had exams! I'm finally on summer vacation, though, so I should be updating regularly! Please read and review! ( :