A/N: Here's a little high school Japril for you! I'm not entirely sure if I'm content with this piece to be honest. It's a little long for my taste and something about the pacing is off, but I hope that you enjoy! These are just for fun after all :)
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters!
Jackson pulled into the parking lot of his high school and groaned loudly as he turned his car off. Spring break had not been long enough, he wished that he was still skiing in the Swiss Alps with his mother, and back to school was really the last place he wanted to be. He was sick of the building and the people. He was sick of everything, despite being the king of campus. Thankfully, he would soon be out of this place. Just over two months stood between him and graduation. He was more than ready to move on to bigger and better things. The world lay at his feet. Stanford, Harvard, Duke, and dozens of other prestigious schools were all knocking at his door. He just had to pick one.
He stepped out of his beloved black Porsche Roadster and threw his lettermen jacket over his shoulder. He hadn't even taken two steps towards the main building before he was accosted by his best friend since middle school, Alex Karev.
"Hey man," he muttered in greeting.
"Hey Avery," he responded quickly. "I heard that Mara dumped you over the break."
Jackson rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. "News travels fast I see," he stated grumpily. It was true that his long-time girlfriend, Mara Keaton, had broken up with him over the break, he just hadn't expected the whole school to know about it already. They had been together since junior year and he hadn't seen it coming at all. He wasn't overly upset; his ego was just bruised a bit. "She's seeing some guy that goes to State. Whatever."
Alex released a chuckle as they reached their lockers. "Jackson Avery got dumped. I never thought I'd see the day."
The dark-skinned young man sneered unpleasantly as he yanked open his locker door. "It doesn't even matter. I could have any girl I wanted in this school."
"You can't have Izzie Stevens," Alex smirked.
"And whose fault is that?" Jackson retorted quickly. Alex and Izzie had broken up at the end of junior year and Alex had immediately declared her off limits to all of his friends. She was easily the hottest girl in school, and had asked him to go out, and more, numerous times, but Jackson had turned her down because of his relationship with Mara and his adherence to the bro code. "I could get anybody else and it wouldn't even be a challenge," he added cockily.
Alex leaned back against his locker and crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you sure about that?" He enquired as a devilish smirk played across his face.
Jackson simply nodded as he removed his sunglasses and carefully placed them in his locker. He then hung up his jacket and slammed the door shut. "Yeah, I am."
"Wanna bet on that?"
"Bet what exactly?" Jackson replied slowly as he felt his eyes light up excitedly. A bet could certainly liven up the remainder of their senior year.
Alex considered his words carefully before he spoke. "I get to pick a girl and you have to get into her pants by graduation."
Jackson laughed, "That's too easy." Most of the girls at this school were practically on the verge of creating a fan club for him. "What do I get if I win?"
"Izzie is no longer off limits," Alex answered slowly.
Jackson licked his lips as he rested his head back against his locker. By September he would be as far away from this place as he could get, but a summer of fun with Izzie Stevens was certainly something that he could invest in. "And if I lose?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Alex grinned wildly. "I get your car."
Jackson winced and closed his eyes. "Damn. My car," he repeated. He was pretty attached to his car. It was easily his favourite possession.
But he could always buy a new car…and he didn't plan on losing this bet…
He extended his hand to Alex with a smile. "Deal."
Alex practically cackled as he grasped his friend's hand. "Awesome! Now I get to pick the chick!"
The names of the biggest losers in school flashed through his mind but none of them were the right choice. They would fall to their knees as soon as his pretty friend batted his eyelashes at them. Avery at least needed a challenge, a bitchy cheerleader, or a good girl with a jealous boyfriend, or…
He smiled triumphantly as he caught a glimpse of the perfect choice out of the corner of his eye. "April Kepner," he stated.
Jackson groaned instantly. That was the one name that he had hoped Karev would not say. He turned his head and watched the petite brunette collect a few books out of her locker. April Kepner was not unattractive, so that wasn't the problem. In fact, she had quite a tight little body; she just never bothered to show it off. And she wasn't a complete loser, more like she was never really noticed by the popular crowd. She was too busy with her extracurricular activities. She tutored, she was the photographer for the school yearbook, and she was a member of the drama club. The problem was that she was too smart to fall for his crap. She had the highest GPA and average in their class. She was Ivy League bound for sure. She would see right through him as soon as he made a pass at her.
And he was pretty sure that she was still a virgin.
She was a brain and she had a chastity belt...There was no way that he would get April Kepner to sleep with him.
Nonetheless, he decided to excitedly approach her at his very first opportunity: homeroom. He perched himself on top of the desk in front of hers and smiled brightly. "Hey April, how was your break?"
"It was fine, thanks," she answered quietly without glancing up from the book she was reading.
"Aren't you going to ask me how my break was?" Jackson enquired after a pause.
She shook her head. "Nope."
He frowned and playfully flipped her book closed. "And why not?"
She sighed as she finally made eye contact with him. Thankfully, she found it a little bit easier to look at him than most of the girls at their school. She refused to get sucked into his blue-green gaze. "Because I am just as interested in how you spent your break as you are in how I spent mine."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a playful smile.
"It means," she began as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "that we've known each other for four years and we've never really talked about how our holidays were or anything like that, so if you're talking to me now then it must mean that you want something." He didn't speak; instead he just continued to smile at her with his stupid, perfect white teeth. "And can you stop smiling!"
Jackson chuckled as he ran a hand over his shaved head. He had called it this morning, she was too friggin' smart. "I don't want anything," he lied. "I just figured that we're going to graduate soon and it'd be nice to get to know each other."
She rolled her eyes as she got up out of her desk. She highly doubted that Jackson Avery, rich boy, student body President, star athlete in three different sports, owner of the second highest GPA in their class, and arguably, the best looking guy in the school, wanted to get to know her when they had so little time left in the same town. "Whatever you want," she began with a knowing grin, "you're not going to get it."
He watched her walk away with a grin. "Definitely a challenge," he murmured to himself. But honestly, a challenge was more fun than an easy lay.
"Slumming it already?" A voice whispered in his ear in a posh British accent.
He turned around and narrowed his eyes at his ex-girlfriend. "Whatever, Mara," he replied dismissively. "I'm surprised you're not skipping school to hang out with your boyfriend."
"Jealous?" She teased.
"Nope, not even a little bit," he answered in a clipped tone.
He was still bitter about the circumstances of their breakup but he was honestly thankful to be done with her. He had to focus his attention on April Kepner for now, but as soon as he won his bet with Karev, he could take his pick of the girls that he was interested in.
And he would start with Izzie Stevens.
Over the next two weeks, Jackson used every play in his book to try to get the cute bookworm to warm up to him. He talked to her in every class that they shared together, he tried to find a common ground by taking note of the books that she was reading, he even used cheesy lines, and so far nothing had worked. She was completely unreceptive to every word that came out of his mouth. He was still at square one and he was running out of ideas.
Coincidentally, the perfect way to get close to April Kepner came to him in the worst possible scenario: a failing grade.
He had taken the creative writing course offered by Mr. Webber as an elective, thinking that it would be a cakewalk and a perfect way to keep up his GPA. Clearly he had been mistaken. He had gotten back their biggest assignment of the year to date and it had had a big, red F written across it. Being a straight A student, he had not been happy about it at all, something like this could jeopardize scholarship opportunities. However, his mood had brightened considerably when Mr. Webber suggested that he look into getting help from the brightest student in the class.
He finally had a reasonable excuse to talk to her.
So during last period P.E., he jogged up to her as she did her required laps around the track. She looked really good in gym shorts but he wasn't about to tell her that.
"Hey," he greeted her.
"Hey," she responded as she kept her eyes forward.
They completed one lap at a fairly fast pace and being the track team's star runner, Jackson was quite impressed. "You should join the track team," he commented.
"Competitive sports aren't really my thing."
Her response presented the perfect opening for him and he couldn't pass it up. "Is creative writing your thing?"
April stopped running and turned to face him with her hands on her hips. "What?" She questioned breathlessly.
"I'm failing the class," he confessed.
"No, you're not," she stated in disbelief. She didn't buy that for a second.
"I am," he stated earnestly. "I bombed the short story assignment and I didn't do that great on the earlier stuff either. I need your help. Please, April."
He reached for her but she took a step backwards reflexively. "Whoa, watch your hands, superstar."
He laughed as he repeated again, "Please, April. I'm begging here. Don't make me get on my knees."
He slowly started to shift down into a kneeling position but she grabbed his arms and pulled him back up before he could cause a scene. "Oh my Gosh! Don't! Just please stay standing." He smiled charmingly and she felt a rush of heat in her cheeks. "Fine!" She caved. She had never been able to turn down someone who needed help, even someone like Jackson Avery. "Meet me tomorrow, after school, in the library. Bring your assignment," she told him pointedly before she began to run again.
"You won't be disappointed!" He called after her. He waited until she was half way around the track before he fist pumped enthusiastically. He was one step closer to his goal.
The next day during lunch, April sat in the corner of the cafeteria and eyed Jackson suspiciously. He was sitting with his fellow jocks and having his usual rambunctious lunch.
She could not figure out what was going on in his head and it was really bothering her. What did he want? What was he up to? He had been nagging her nonstop since they had returned to school and not all of it had been about their creative writing class.
"You're going to stare a whole through his head," Lexie Grey commented as she sat down beside her.
"Maybe if I stare hard enough his head will explode," she said as she munched on a carrot stick.
"What's the deal with you two anyway?" Her best friend asked.
"Deal?" She repeated in confusion. "There is no deal. There's nothing going on between us. He's been badgering me and I finally told him that I would help him with creative writing. There is no deal," she repeated.
Lexie grinned mischievously as she looked over her shoulder. She waved at her boyfriend, the quarterback, and he quickly moved towards their table, with Jackson Avery is tow.
"Hey Kepner," Mark greeted her with a grin as he placed a kiss on Lexie's forehead. "How's it going? I figured I'd have lunch with my girl today."
"I'm good, Mark," she smiled. "How are you?" A throat cleared loudly to her right and she looked at Jackson with a tight-lipped smile. "Jackson," she acknowledged.
"Hey April," he smiled widely as he placed his tray full of food down on their table and sat in the chair next to her. "Your sweater is really nice."
She awkwardly glanced down at her green turtleneck. "Uhh…thanks," she responded. "I like your…t-shirt."
Jackson was wearing a plain black t-shirt but he appreciated the compliment nonetheless. "Thanks!"
"Wow," Mark commented after he took a bite out of his apple. "The chemistry here is through the roof," he stated sarcastically. Lexie promptly elbowed him in the side and he yelped. "Ow…I, uh…I'll shut up now."
The foursome managed to make it through a lunch of stilted conversation and once the bell for class rang, April rounded on Lexie with wide, alarmed eyes. "What was that all about?"
"What do you mean?" Lexie questioned innocently. "Mark eats lunch with us every now and then."
"Yeah, but he doesn't bring along Jackson Avery," April argued.
Lexie giggled as they approached Spanish class. "I think he likes you, April. It's written all over his face!"
"He does not like me! I have no idea what he's doing but I know that he doesn't like me. He's known me for four years," she continued to rant, "and this is the most he's ever talked to me. You just don't come back from Spring break as a whole new person."
"Or maybe," Lexie spoke in a lowered voice as they entered their classroom. "He's liked you for a while, and now that he's single again he can finally make his move."
April rolled her eyes as she took her seat. "You're a hopeless romantic, Lexie."
"And it's about time that you took a leap of faith," her friend argued.
April did her best to push Lexie's comments out of her head as she walked towards the library to meet Jackson. The last thing that she needed in her life right now was feelings for Jackson Avery. She just needed to focus on getting out of this town, now more than ever.
She sat at a table in plain view of the main doors and waited for the jock to arrive. Minutes later, he bounded through the door with a smile and laid his books down on the table.
"Hey," he panted, "sorry I'm a little late."
She shook her head dismissively. "It's fine. I haven't been here long. Do you have your assignment?"
He nodded eagerly as he pulled it out of a book. "Yup! Here it is!"
April read it over with a frown. She immediately understood why Mr. Webber had given him an F. There was no creativity; he hadn't given any of himself to his work. She raised her head to look at him and saw that he was staring at her intently. "What?" The way that he was looking at her made her squirm uncomfortably.
Boys didn't look at her the way that Jackson Avery was looking at her right now.
"Nothing. You're just really pretty," he told her with a smile.
She tried to roll her eyes and laugh it off but she blushed traitorously. "Okay, knock it off."
"No, it's true," he grinned. "Your skin and your eyes." He reached forward and gently pulled her glasses off of her face. "You're really pretty," he repeated in a whisper. He leaned in slowly, with every intention of kissing her, but the palm of her hand connecting with his face stopped him. "Ow," he moaned. He rubbed his cheek as he squinted at her. "What did you do that for?"
"Me?" April questioned incredulously. "What did you do that for? What the hell was that?" She practically shouted at him.
"I was going to kiss you, Jesus," he groaned, "take it as a compliment."
"Sorry if I can't take some guy I barely know trying to kiss me as a compliment," she shot back. "And I'm sorry that I'm not a card carrying member of the Jackson Avery fan club." She could feel herself getting more and more flustered and she was starting to feel embarrassed. So she gathered her books and got to her feet. "I knew this was a bad idea. I'll help you in class but we shouldn't do this."
Jackson grabbed her hand before she could turn around and he looked up at her pleadingly. "April, wait, please. I'm sorry I tried to kiss you. It obviously wasn't a smart move. Forgive me?" He knew that he shouldn't try to move so fast with her but he had found something about her oddly irresistible. Maybe it was her lips.
He was trying to win her over with his eyes and he was practically sticking out his bottom lip in a pout. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen a more pathetic facial expression. "Why did you do it?" She asked curiously.
"Because you're really pretty," he smiled widely. "Guys like to kiss pretty girls," he teased.
"You're a pig."
He held both of his hands up defensively. "I'm not…really. I like you, April," he told her softly.
She slowly lowered herself down into her seat but she didn't believe his words for a second. "Let's just focus on your assignment," she sighed. "No more attempts at kissing," she warned sternly.
He grinned and his eyes sparkled mischievously. "Not until you ask me to."
"Yeah, like that's gonna happen," she muttered to herself.
Days passed and Jackson tried not to get too discouraged. He was getting absolutely nowhere with April and it became harder and harder to be his most charming self around her. He was pretty sure that he could actually see her disdain for him growing and he was beginning to think that he was wasting his time. He was not going to get April to like him by graduation, and he certainly was not going to get her to sleep with him.
He was actually considering just giving up and handing his car keys to Karev until he walked into their auditorium and saw her on the stage. The drama club's final production of the year was Grease and she was playing Sandy.
He lowered himself into a seat and watched the cast practice Summer Nights. Everyone was good but he was totally captivated by April. She was amazing. She knew that she could sing but he had never actually heard her before. He had always been too cool to go to the school plays.
He now regretted the decision not to watch her at every opportunity.
All of a sudden it didn't matter that she didn't like him because he was entranced by her.
After the drama teacher, Ms. Robbins, dismissed them from practice, April approached him with an eyebrow raised in suspicion and all that he could do was smile.
"Wow," he breathed as he slowly got to his feet. "You're...amazing. Like really amazing."
"Uhh...thanks," she responded awkwardly. She felt a little uncomfortable that Jackson Avery had just watched her perform. She knew that he had never gone to a school play before...she would have noticed him in the audience. "So what are you doing here?" She asked to change the subject.
Jackson paused for a moment. He had come here to tell her that he didn't need help with his creative writing assignment any longer. He was going to convince her that he could take it from here, and he was going to give up on his bet with Karev. But now he definitely didn't want to do that. He wanted to pursue her now more than ever.
So he had to make something up.
"I'm having a party tonight at my house, and of course you're invited!" He told her enthusiastically. "Lexie will be there and everything, and me, and I'd really like it if you'd come," he rambled.
She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "Umm...maybe." She hadn't exactly gone to a lot of high school parties over the years. She had always been too focused on school, and it wasn't exactly an accepted topic of conversation with her father.
"Please," he begged with beautiful, pleading eyes. "Nine thirty?"
"Maybe," she repeated as he ran out of the auditorium with a grin.
Her maybe turned into a definite yes when she showed up at Jackson Avery's house with Lexie at quarter to ten. She had put on a pair of blue jeans and the nicest top that she owned and had given her best friend free reign with her hair and makeup. She had to admit that she looked pretty but she didn't understand why Lexie had put so much effort into her appearance. Her friend was still convinced that Jackson had a secret crush on her but she knew that wasn't true.
She looked around Jackson's gorgeous home while Lexie ran off to find Mark. She was almost too busy nervously wringing her hands to notice Jackson in her peripheral vision.
"Hey," he called softly.
She turned and faced him with a small smile. "Hi, you have a really nice house." His house could probably fit three of her houses in it, but she knew that his mother was some hotshot businesswomen that was almost always away from home.
"Thanks," he smiled. His eyes roved over her and he tried not to stare too blatantly because he knew that it would freak her out. But she looked incredible. Her jeans hugged her curves perfectly, her top showed off amazing cleavage, he was able to see just how pretty her eyes were thanks to her contacts, and her long hair was in curls. "I'm glad you came, and you look really great."
"Thank you," she replied shyly. He looked great too, in a pair of black jeans and a blue silk shirt that highlighted his eyes, but she wasn't about to tell him that.
"Would you like something to drink?" He enquired politely.
She quickly shook her head. "No, thank you, I don't drink."
He chuckled playfully, "I wish I could say the same." He gently took her hand and started to pull her towards the staircase. "Do you want the tour?"
She blushed fiercely, she could imagine which rooms the tour included. "Maybe later?"
He nodded understandingly. "Yeah, sure. Do you want to go in the kitchen? I think some people are playing some stupid card game," he chuckled.
April looked down at their still joined hands and swallowed. "I think I'll just go and find Lexie. You can go hang out with your friends."
Jackson frowned as he reluctantly let go of her hand. "Okay, I'll be around. Come find me later."
She nodded before she left to find her friend, who was wrapped around Mark Sloan.
From across the room, Mara Keaton finished watching the exchange in confusion. "What the bloody hell is going on?"
"Talking to yourself," Alex teased as he came to stand beside her.
"I'm just confused about my ex's new obsession."
"Oh," Alex laughed into his drink. "You mean April Kepner?" Mara nodded and he laughed again. "It's just a bet." The beautiful brunette furrowed her brow in confusion so he elaborated. "He has to get her in bed by graduation or I get his car."
Mara grinned devilishly. "Ah, I see. Good to know." So that's what Jackson had been up to since their breakup. That was very interesting.
As time dragged on, April grew more nervous and uncomfortable in her unfamiliar surroundings and it lead her to have her very first drink...which led to her second drink and then her third...which led her to feel very queasy. She was attempting to stumble up the stairs when two strong arms wrapped around her waist and helped her stand up straight.
"Are you okay?" Jackson whispered softly. Karev, of all people, had informed him that April was intoxicated and could probably use some help. His kindness had been short lived of course, as he had promptly yelled at him that it didn't count if he nailed her while she was drunk.
"I'm fine," she giggled. "Totally fine."
He grinned to himself. She was a cute drunk, but she was definitely smashed. "I thought you didn't drink," he teased.
"Yeah, I didn't," she laughed.
He helped her up over the staircase and guided her towards the bathroom. "Are you going to be sick?"
She shook her head vehemently. "No, I just need to lie down. Things are spinning."
He walked her to his bedroom and left the lights off as she laid down on his bed. "Do you want me to get Lexie?" He asked as he closed his door.
"No," she moaned. "She's too busy shoving her tongue down her boyfriend's throat."
He laughed before he asked his next question. "Do you want me to bring you home?"
"No, definitely not," she answered as she sat up quickly. She was supposed to be staying over at Lexie's tonight. She could not go home, especially in this condition. "My Dad will kill me. You can't bring me home!"
"Okay," he told her soothingly as he walked towards her. "I won't bring you home then."
He sat next to her once she scooted upwards to the top of his bed and made herself comfortable amongst his pillows. He smiled as he grabbed his throw blanket and draped it over her. He knew that he would stay here and watch her sleep just to be sure that she was okay. He didn't care that there were dozens of people downstairs at his party.
"Jackson," she mumbled to break the silence.
"Yeah, April?"
"I'm not gonna sleep with you or anything," she told him bluntly. "No matter how pretty you are."
He grinned to himself. "You think I'm pretty?"
She reached out, in a rather uncoordinated way, and tried to hit him. "Shut up."
Things between Jackson and April changed significantly after his party. He had taken such good care of her, particularly in the middle of the night when she had started vomiting, that she figured that he couldn't be the terrible guy that she made him out to be. She started to let her guard down around him and started to see what everyone else saw: that Jackson Avery was a smart, gorgeous, charming guy. He made her laugh, he made her blush, and he made her feel special.
So when he asked her to grab a burger after one of their creative writing sessions, she couldn't bring herself to say no, even though she knew that the invitation was not platonic. She sat in the booth in their local diner and chewed on her bottom lip as he looked at her with that annoyingly adorable grin.
She wanted him. She wanted him to kiss her...but she couldn't admit that.
"What are you thinking about?" He probed.
"Nothing," she lied.
He smirked knowingly. "You're lying." He reached across the table and played with her fingers. "You like me too. Just admit it, Kepner."
She rolled her eyes and retorted, "Stop flattering yourself."
He chuckled as he leaned back in his seat. "Just ask me out," he baited. "I know you want to and you know I'm going to say yes. Or," he continued playfully, "you could just ask me to kiss you and put us both out of our misery."
She shook her head and tried to act like she was annoyed. "Can I just eat my food in peace?" He reached for one of her fries and she slapped his hand away. "Hey! Just because you ate all yours already doesn't mean that you can have mine!"
He laughed and continued to sneak fries off of her plate.
They bantered until they left the diner and started to head in opposite directions.
"Do you want a ride home?" He called out.
"No, it's fine," she answered dismissively. "I'm just ten minutes down the road and your house is the other way. I'll walk."
"Come on," he started to argue. "I'll drive you home. It's no trouble. Get in my car. People would pay good money to get in my Porsche," he joked.
She shook her head stubbornly. "No, it's fine. I'll walk."
He strode towards her with his brow furrowed in frustration. "April, just get in my car."
"Jackson," she huffed. "Go home and leave me alone."
"Get in my car," he continued to argue. "I want to drive you home. I'm not going to move until you—"
She cut him off by pressing her lips to his roughly. It was the only way she could think of to shut him up. She placed both of her hands on his face and deepened the kiss before she pulled away. "Just let me walk home."
He stared at her in shock before he grinned uncontrollably. "Okay," he breathed. "I'll let you walk home and I'll see you at school tomorrow."
"Yeah," she smiled. "You will."
"So," Alex began as he watched Avery tie his sneakers before track practice. "You and April have been dating for two weeks now. How's it going?"
"Great," Jackson smiled to himself. He got to spend a lot of time with April at school and she had started to come over to his house after school, and he loved it. They mostly studied, or watched movies but he just loved spending time with her. It hardly even bothered him that they didn't do anything more than kiss.
"She let you touch her pussy yet?" He asked crudely.
Jackson shoved his friend as they walked out of the locker room. "Dude, do you have to talk like that?"
Alex turned to him in confusion. "You used to talk like that or have you forgotten. You had no problem talking about anything you did with Mara."
"Yeah, well," he began thoughtfully, "April's too sweet for someone to talk about her like that. She deserves some respect, ya know," he stated as he began to stretch.
"Are you falling for her?" Alex questioned in disbelief.
Jackson stilled before he shook his head. "No," he denied. "Its just that she's nice."
"Good," Alex responded quickly, "because Izzie's been asking about you."
"She has?" Jackson asked with a raised eyebrow.
Alex nodded. "Yup, talking about what a shame it is that you're taken off the market again."
Jackson wasn't sure what to make of his interest in Alex's comment. He liked April, a lot, but Izzie Stevens was like the holy grail of women.
He was reminded once again of how much he needed to win this bet.
He worked out some of his frustrations on the track but his selfish determination led to him being a little more aggressive than usual with his inexperience girlfriend. She came over to his house after practice and seemed rather turned on by the fact that he had just gotten out of the shower and was wearing only a pair of gym shorts. She had kissed him first but he had quickly taken advantage of her initiative.
He had laid her down on his bed and kissed her so hungrily that her knees felt like jello.
April barely had time to take a breath, his kisses were so intense. He used his tongue and his teeth in ways that she didn't even know were possible. She was so overwhelmed by pleasure that she didn't noticed where his hand had drifted at first.
Jackson ran his hand along her hip and the tips of his fingers gently dug into the exposed skin above the waistband of her jeans. Her breath hitched and she panted, "Okay, yellow light."
He shifted his body a little away from hers and tenderly brushed her hair out of her face. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.
"Nothing," she whispered with a smile. "Nothing's wrong. I just think we need to slow down a little. Things got heated kinda fast."
He nodded slowly. "Okay, that's fine. Do you want me to put a shirt on?"
She covered her face with one hand as she felt blush spread across her cheeks. "No," she murmured. She trailed her hands over his sculpted torso before she added, "You can keep it off."
He grinned as he softly kissed her on the lips before sitting up so that he could give her some more space. She sat up as well and he smiled as he soothingly ran his hand along her leg. "You don't have to be embarrassed about your body," he assured her.
"I'm not embarrassed," she argued.
He raised an eyebrow and eyed her suspiciously. "You don't exactly show it off. You only wear shorts in gym and you always got out of water polo so I assume you don't like wearing a swim suit either."
"I'm not embarrassed," she repeated. "It's just that I'm a little clumsy," she stated. "I'm clumsy and I bruise easily."
"That's even less reason to be embarrassed," he chuckled. He leaned forward to kiss her and as he did so, he grasped the hem of her shirt. "Just take your shirt off for a minute. We can try it and if you're not comfortable then you can put it back on," he proposed.
She nodded as she tentatively kissed him back. "Okay," she murmured. She raised her arms above her head and he slowly pulled her shirt off. She fell back onto his bed and pulled him down on top of her.
She was kissing him eagerly but he had to pull away so that he could look at her. Her skin was soft and pale, and her breasts were round and pert, encased by a simple grey bra. She was lovely. "You're beautiful, April."
"Thank you," she replied shyly.
He dropped his mouth to her stomach and lovingly kissed her flesh. He slowly moved upward and found an ugly, multicoloured bruise on her rib cage. He ran his tongue along the edge of her bra as his fingers moved over the bruise that he had been eyeing. "Does that hurt?" He whispered.
"Yeah, a little," she breathed.
"Sorry," he muttered. He moved up to her collarbone and he saw another bruise on her upper arm. An uneasy feeling came over him as he realized that these bruises didn't look very self-inflicted. He raised his head and looked down at her apprehensively.
"What is it?" She asked self-consciously. "Do you want me to put my clothes back on?"
"No," he smiled. "No, of course not. It's just that I've…I've never seen you fall down."
"W-what are you talking about?" She stuttered.
"I've never seen you fall down or anything. You're not clumsy. You're a runner," he rationalized.
She smiled and brushed his comment off. "Practice for Grease hasn't been too kind to me this week. I've taken a couple of nasty falls and Tyler's dropped me a couple of times."
Jackson chuckled as he playfully squeezed her waist. "I should tell him to be more careful with my girlfriend."
She giggled as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Your girlfriend?"
"Well yeah," he grinned. "We're dating, so you're my girlfriend. Are you okay with that?"
She rolled her eyes and sarcastically replied, "I'm lying on your bed in my bra, what do you think?"
Their relationship progressed steadily and April could feel herself falling for him even though they hadn't been together for that long. He was the perfect date. He was the perfect gentleman. He was the most wonderful kisser. He was working incredibly hard at creative writing, on top of his heavy course load, and he had started to stay behind, when he was able, to watch her Grease practices.
She had never imagined having a boyfriend like Jackson Avery, and he seemed to be just as into her. They had even started to talk about colleges. They had both gotten into Harvard and the Ivy League school was at the top of their list for different reasons, one of the newer ones being that the other had gotten in.
She liked Jackson so much that she did something that she hardly ever did with people she knew. She brought him to her house. She waited until a day that she knew that her father would be out until late and invited Jackson over to study. She was thankful that he didn't judge her small, poor home and that he didn't complain that his feet were hanging over the edge of her twin bed. He just seemed perfectly content to be with her.
Of course, his good mood could also be attributed to the fact that she was running her tongue along his abdomen.
"God," he groaned loudly. "I love studying with you."
She giggled as she planted a trail of kisses up his torso. She wanted to spend all of her time doing this, his body was so unbelievable. She couldn't believe that guys in real life actually looked like this. Then again, this was Jackson Avery, and he was no normal guy. She worked her way back up his mouth and he tangled both of his hands in her thick hair.
"We probably should go back to the books though," she murmured between kisses. "Our calculus assignment is due tomorrow."
He grinned as he placed both of his hands on her waist and flipped her onto her back. She hitched her legs up around his hips and he pressed into her with a growl. If she hadn't known what she was doing to him then she did now. "We could always switch to biology," he suggested huskily.
She giggled and pressed her face against his neck. "I figured you'd be all about the hands on approach," she flirted.
"Absolutely," he agreed quickly. He snaked his hand between their bodies and played with the top button of her jeans. "Especially if you'll let me make you feel good," he whispered suggestively.
She looked up at him nervously. "You mean…?" She enquired as she bit down on her bottom lip.
He smiled and responded, "If you want. It doesn't mean we have to have sex or anything," he clarified. He didn't want to pressure her but he was definitely ready to move on to more X rated things.
She opened her mouth to tell him that she wanted to, but her body froze in horror when she heard the front door slam. "Oh my God," she gasped. She inelegantly jumped off of her bed and pulled her sweater back on.
"What is it?" Jackson asked curiously.
"My Dad," she answered as she frantically threw his things at him. "He wasn't supposed to be home, but he is, so you need to leave!"
Jackson slowly sat up and pulled his t-shirt over his head. "I'm really good with parents," he smiled. "It's probably time that I met your Dad anyway."
"No, that's not a good idea. You need to go."
He fixed his appearance, swung his backpack over his shoulder, and took a hold of her hand. "Come on, it'll be okay," he assured her. Her Dad was all that she had. Her mother had died when she was little and she was an only child, therefore, it was important to Jackson that he meet the man.
"Jackson," she started to protest as she firmly stood her ground. "You don't know my Dad."
"It'll be fine," he repeated with a broad smile.
He dragged her out of her bedroom and down over the stairs. They walked into the living room where April's father sat in a chair watching television. He cleared his throat before he announced himself. "Sir, hi," he smiled charmingly once the man turned towards him. "I thought I should introduce myself, I'm Jackson Avery."
Joe Kepner slowly got to his feet and narrowed his eyes. "And you are?"
Jackson turned to April in confusion. She hadn't told her father about him? That didn't seem like her.
"He's just a friend, Daddy," April chimed in. "We study together."
"Well I think it's time for you to go, Jeffrey."
"Um, it's Jackson," he corrected awkwardly.
"He was just leaving anyway," April told her father with a shaky voice. She started to push him towards the door and he looked at her with a questioning expression. "I'll talk to you at school, okay?"
"What did I say? Why did you tell him that we're just friends? I don't understand," he spoke quietly.
"Just go," she pleaded.
He was reluctant to leave her because she looked so upset but he did as he was told. "Bye April," he whispered with a small smile.
Jackson crept up behind his girlfriend as she grabbed her books for the morning and placed a kiss on the side of her neck. He had been confused yesterday but he knew that she would tell him what was going on when she was ready and he wasn't going to let it ruin his good mood. "Good morning, babe." April jumped and spun around with a gasp. "Sorry I scared you," he chuckled.
"I-it's okay," she stuttered. She closed her locker and faced him with a small smile. "I have to talk to you."
"What about?" He grinned as he placed his palm on the locker next to her head and leaned into her.
"I can't see you anymore," she whispered.
His face fell in disappointment. "Why? Did I do something wrong? Did I make you uncomfortable? What did I do?" Maybe he had pushed her too far or had said the wrong thing without knowing it, or anything.
"It's not you," she assured him. "You're perfect," she sighed as she gently grasped the lapels of his lettermen jacket.
"Then why?" He asked in confusion. He was really into her and he certainly had not anticipated feeling this way about April Kepner. The thought of her breaking up with him made him genuinely upset.
She swallowed nervously before she worked up the courage to tell him the truth, or at least a version of the truth. "It's just that my Dad thinks that now isn't a good time for me to get involved with someone. I have to focus on school and getting ready for college, and he's right." She chewed on her bottom lip before she added, "But if you ever need help with creative writing then we can work on it at school." She ducked underneath his arm and started to walk away from him before he could argue with her. "I'll see you around Jackson."
She raced down the hallway and found sanctuary in the girls' bathroom. She locked herself in a stall and tried to muffle her sobs as best as she could. The very last thing that she wanted to do was break up with Jackson, but her father had been so furious. She had seen him on some very bad days but she had never seen him like that before. She had received her punishment for having a teenage boy in her bedroom. The thought of a boy with his daughter had sent him into a rage that she now wore on her skin, and he had threatened to hurt Jackson as well. She had been ordered to breakup with him so that's what she had done.
She wasn't sure how long she had been crying when she heard a gentle knock on the stall door. "April?" Lexie called softly.
April wiped her eyes and sniffed loudly. "I'm fine, Lex, really. You can go back to class."
"It's not like you to miss AP Chem," her friend pressed. "What's wrong?" April offered no response so she spoke again. "Jackson looks pretty glum. Did something happen?"
After a moment, April opened the stall door and stepped into the bathroom. "We broke up."
Lexie's eyes widened in surprise as she watched April wash her face in the sink. "Why?" They seemed so happy; Lexie would even venture to say that they seemed like they were in love. "What happened?"
"It's just...it's not a good time...not the right time," she explained awkwardly.
Lexie narrowed her eyes skeptically. "That doesn't make any sense. You're both on your way to Harvard next year, now is the perfect time."
"You wouldn't understand, Lexie," April snapped.
"I know," she sighed, "because we've been friends for years and there are still things that you refuse to tell me! So just tell me what's going on!"
"No," April shrieked. "It's better if you don't know! It's better if nobody knows," she murmured to herself as she turned on her heel and left the bathroom.
Jackson took a deep breath as he closed the door of his Porsche and stared at April's house. He was incredibly nervous to have this conversation but he had spent the entire day pouting and brooding so he knew that it was a conversation that he needed to have. He wanted April back and this was the only way to achieve that.
He walked to her front door slowly and mustered up the courage to knock.
April's father, a very large, angry looking man, answered the door and looked down at him in annoyance. "What do you want, boy?"
Jackson bravely looked him in the eye and responded, "I want to talk to you about April, sir."
Joe Kepner stepped out onto the patio instead of letting Jackson inside the house. "April's not allowed to date, end of story. You will stay away from her."
"I really care about her," he stated earnestly, "and I want to spend time with her, and you can't keep me away from her."
"I'd watch your mouth, boy," the older man warned.
"She's eighteen; she can make her own decisions. She's smart, you just have to trust her," he argued passionately.
"Well I certainly don't trust you."
"I'm not going to hurt her. I'm a good kid, I—" He was about to rattle off a list of his credentials when he heard April's voice behind him.
"Jackson! What are you doing here?"
He turned around to see her rushing towards him and she looked panicked and flustered. "I just wanted to talk to your Dad about us," he explained.
She grabbed his arm and started to pull him away from her house. "I'll be back in a second, Dad," she called. She firmly pushed him towards his car as she spoke frantically. "You can't just show up at my house like this!"
He wasn't going to let her just usher him out like last time or just walk away. He needed to know what was going on. "April, tell me the truth. Why do you always freak out whenever your Dad is around? Am I really that bad?" She remained silent and everything clicked for him. She didn't even like to talk about her father and when she did, it was always out of fear. She said that he was strict and protective but he thought that something else was going on. "How did you get those bruises again?" Her eyes widened in shock and he knew that his theory was right. "Get in my car." He opened the passenger door for her and motioned for her to get inside. "You're coming with me. I can't leave you here. I won't."
"I'm fine," she argued. "It's not what you think."
"It is what I think," he growled. "And either you come with me or I'm going to kick his ass."
She stepped up to him and gently placed her hands on his chest. "It'll be worse if I leave. So just go, I'll be fine."
He shook his head and replied through gritted teeth, "No. No way. I'm not going anywhere."
"Please," she whispered tearfully. She pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes and softly kissed his lips. "Please go. I promise that I'll call you if I need you."
He sighed as he realized that he was going to have to give into her and leave her here alone. "Fine, but call me in the middle of the night if you have to, okay?"
She nodded. "I will."
He kissed her tenderly before he forced himself into his car and drove off.
Jackson paced his house like a madman until two in the morning. As per usual, his mother was not home, so he was allowed to worry in peace. There was no way that he would be able to sleep or study or watch television knowing what he knew.
When his doorbell rang, he felt a mixture of fear and relief. What had caused her to come to him? Something good or something bad? He threw his door open and quickly swept April into his arms. He buried his face in her hair and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thank God," he breathed. "Are you okay?"
"Well you're kind of hurting me right now," she chuckled.
He immediately placed her back on her feet and gently cradled her face. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He asked again. "Did he hurt you?"
She shook her head. "Not really."
"Not really?" He repeated angrily. "What did he do?"
She placed her hands on his chest to try to calm him down. "Relax, Jackson," she cooed. "I'm okay. I'm fine, I just really needed to see you."
"Yeah?" He smiled.
She nodded as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Yeah, you make me feel really safe...really really safe."
His hands continued to cup her face as he kissed her. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you, April. I promise." He kissed her again before he led her up to his bedroom.
He had brought her up here to sleep, but instead they kissed and cuddled. She lay by his side with her head on his chest and her hand on his abdomen. He kept her as close as possible and ran a hand through her hair. "So, what are you going to do?" He whispered. "You're not going back into that house. I won't let you."
Despite the topic of conversation, she smiled to herself. "I'll figure something out. Mrs. Grey has always liked me, maybe I can stay there until graduation."
"Or you could stay here," he proposed tentatively. "My Mom is never here anyway," he laughed, "at least I would know for sure that you're okay."
She tilted her head and kissed him softly. "You're sweet, but living together would probably get...complicated." She blushed as she looked him over while licking her lips. "You know, close quarters and everything...sharing a bathroom..."
"Well, there's enough bathrooms in this house that you could have your own," he pointed out. He watched her watch him and after a moment, he realized what she was actually talking about. "Oh...well...we're not doing that so that's fine."
She ran her fingers along his abdomen, over the top of his shirt. "What if I want to do that?" She had always wanted to give her virginity to a serious boyfriend, a guy that cared about her and understood her, and now she was finally in a relationship that she deemed worthy. She was pretty sure that she was in love and his reactions today showed that he could maybe be in love too. She leaned forward and captured his mouth excitedly.
Jackson responded to her eagerly and only stopped her when she reached for his belt. "Hey, hold on a second."
"What's wrong?" She panted.
"Let me plan something special for your first time. I want to do something nice," he grinned.
She opened her mouth to argue with him but she knew by the look on his face that he was determined to have his way. "Okay," she conceded. "Next Friday. Not a minute later," she murmured through a kiss.
On Friday, April found Lexie in the girls' bathroom and approached her with a giddy grin. She was skipping out on last period to be with her boyfriend but she really didn't care. "I'm going to leave for Jackson's now," she told her.
Lexie squealed excitedly and grabbed both of April's hands. "Do you have your sexy underwear on?"
April blushed but nodded. "Yeah."
"Don't be nervous," Lexie spoke encouragingly. "I'm sure he'll be wonderful, and it only hurts at first." She squealed once more. "Have fun and tell me all about it whenever you get home! Wake me up if you have to!"
April giggled girlishly, "I will, and I'm gonna go but I have to pee first."
"Okay," Lexie laughed. "Bye!"
She left the bathroom and April disappeared into a stall. When she stepped out she was surprised to see Mara Keaton leaning against the sinks with an ugly sneer on her face.
"You really think Jackson cares about you, don't you?"
"Excuse me?" April asked in astonishment.
Mara ignored her question. "I actually think it's really cute and if I didn't know the truth, I might even root for your guys."
"What are you talking about?" She asked in frustration.
"You're a game to him," Mara told her with a hint of enjoyment in her expression. "You're a bet between him and Alex Karev."
"I don't believe you," April responded fiercely.
Mara shrugged. "Fine, don't believe me but it's the truth. The bet was about whether or not Jackson could get you into bed by graduation, and based on the conversation I just heard you have with Lexie Grey, he's about to succeed."
April practically ran towards the door but she could still hear Mara Keaton's voice behind her, even though she tried to tune it out.
"You know I'm telling the truth!"
April did not have the stones to confront Alex Karev, but she knew one other person that would surely know about this bet. She found Mark Sloan canoodling with Lexie against her locker and her friend mistook her appearance for her being in need of some last minute advice.
"I told you, don't be nervous!" She grinned.
"This is not about that," April responded through gritted teeth before she sternly turned towards Mark. "Did Jackson make a bet with Alex Karev about me?"
The popular quarterback appeared stunned but his guilty look down towards the floor said it all. He opened his mouth to respond but Lexie interrupted him.
"Of course not! He wouldn't do that! He really likes you, April," she continued adamantly. She turned towards her boyfriend and smiled. "Tell her, Mark. Tell her that Jackson wouldn't do that."
Mark remained silent and that was all the confirmation that she needed. Lexie looked just as disappointed and shocked as she felt and she didn't have anything to say to either one of them. She walked out of the school with determination and got into her old, rundown truck.
She drove to his house with a growing anger deep inside of her chest. She walked through his front door without knocking and was immediately accosted by her boyfriend, who looked beyond excited and happy to see her. He kissed her in greeting and she let him.
He grabbed her hand and quickly led her into the kitchen. "I was starting to get worried that you were going to stand me up," he laughed. "I bought everything, so don't worry." He pulled out a chair for her at the kitchen table before he moved towards the stove. "I bought everything for dinner and dessert, and I'm going to make it all myself. I also got protection and massage oils, and candles." He had everything planned out to the very last detail. He had never given anything so much thought in his life. But this was really important to him.
"You sure put a lot of effort into this," she muttered.
"Well of course I did," he smiled. He leaned on the kitchen table and carefully observed her face. "What's wrong? Are you nervous?"
She slowly shook her head as her gaze remained fixed on the tabletop. "No, I'm just wondering how you're planning on proving to all of your friends that we slept together."
"What?" He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why would I do that? This is private."
She raised her head and stared at him angrily. "How else are you going to win the bet with Alex Karev?"
His mouth dropped open in shock and he swallowed fearfully. "What?"
"The bet," she enunciated carefully. "I know so you don't have to lie to me anymore."
"April, I-I haven't thought about that in forever," he tried to explain. "It doesn't even matter. I really care about you and that's what matters."
She rolled her eyes and ignored his comments as she got to her feet. "The worst part is that I was vulnerable with you. I confided in you, Jackson! You know things about me that no one else does. My Dad and everything...and...I was going to give my virginity to you! I thought you were a great guy."
"I am," he argued. "I can be," he corrected. "I was always myself when I was with you. I was never putting on an act."
"I want to know what the stakes are." He just stared at her in silence and it made her even angrier. "Tell me!"
He took a deep breath before he finally confessed. "If I lose then Alex gets my car and if I win…" He closed his eyes as he said, "I get to take Izzie Stevens out."
April covered her mouth with her hand to prevent a sob from escaping. It was even worse than she had imagined, he was just using her to get to another girl. "Wow, you're a real jerk." She started to walk towards the door but he ran after her. "Don't."
"Please," he begged as he blocked her exit. "Just stay and we can talk. Let me explain myself."
She shook her head as she felt tears began to form in her eyes. She felt like her own body was betraying her because the last thing that she wanted was for him to see her cry. "No, I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk to you at all. I just want to leave and never speak to you again."
His voice wavered uncomfortably as he stepped away from the door. "April."
She took a deep breath before she turned around to face him. "You know what, you can tell your friends whatever you want. I wouldn't want you to lose your precious car."
Jackson cringed as she left his house with the slam of the door.
April Kepner was a girl that was true to her word because no matter how hard he tried to talk to her, to try and explain, she ignored him. He tried to call her, he sent her text messages, he left notes in her locker, and he tried to talk to her in class but she was determined to pretend that he didn't exist.
He had really screwed up and he had no idea how to make things right.
To make matters even worse, what he had done to her had spread throughout the entire school. Girls scoffed and turned their noses up at him when they passed him in the hallway and guys gave him sympathetic looks, as if to say, 'Nice try, man'. He had gone from being the big man on campus to the most hated and pitied guy in the student populace.
And nobody made him feel worse than Alex Karev.
Alex cackled triumphantly as he entered the boys' locker room to change for track practice. "Hand over those keys, Avery! Looks like it's over," he gloated.
Jackson just glared at him as he pulled a t-shirt over his head.
"Come on," Alex chuckled as he jabbed him in the ribs. "Don't be a sore loser!"
"Knock it off," Jackson murmured grumpily as he pushed his friend away. "I'm not in the mood."
Alex changed his line of teasing in hopes of lifting his bud's mood. "Hey man, at least you're back on the market."
Jackson snapped at his comment and slammed his locker door shut with much more force than necessary. "I don't want to be back on the market," he sneered. "Jesus, Karev! I really liked her and now she won't even look at me! You know when we started dating, I barely thought about that stupid bet at all! I should have called it off," he huffed, "but I didn't so now everything is ruined."
Alex just stared at him, not knowing what to do. When he and Mara had broken up, he had been pissed and annoyed, he had not been anywhere near this upset. "I'm sorry, dude," he apologized awkwardly. "I didn't know that you were serious and shit."
"Yeah, I know you didn't," Jackson responded in annoyance. He grabbed his bag before he stormed out of the locker room. "Tell Coach I went home or whatever, it doesn't matter."
Alex instantly felt ashamed of himself. He hadn't intended for anything like this to happen.,
The final days of their senior year passed by quickly. Prom happened, which neither April nor Jackson bothered to attend, and they wrote their final exams. They skipped out on Senior Ditch Day and collected a copy of their yearbook. The only thing left to the year was graduation and the drama club's final production.
On the opening night of Grease, Jackson waited backstage with hope and a bouquet of roses. This was the last idea that he had to show her that he cared about her. He tapped his foot against the floor anxiously as he listened to the cast take their curtain call.
April ran into her modest dressing space and didn't notice her visitor until she had already closed the door. The smile instantly fell off of her face and her body tensed. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to give you these," he smiled as he extended the flowers towards her. "You were amazing, but you already know that I think you're amazing."
"Thanks," she forced herself to reply. "You can give the flowers to Ms. Robbins if you want, she always appreciates them."
He frowned as he looked down at his shoes. "I got them for you. I remember you told me once that you really love pink roses."
"What are you doing here?" She asked again in exasperation. "I really don't want to hear another half-assed apology."
He nodded in understanding and sighed, "I know that I really screwed up but you have to know that after all that stuff with your Dad and us talking about being together for the first time and even way before that, that bet wasn't even on my mind. I was never going to follow through with it once I really got to know you. It was stupid and disrespectful." She crossed her arms over her chest and didn't seem convinced so he switched gears. He nodded towards the small stack of paper that he had laid on her chair. "I got my short story back. Webber gave me an A," he smiled.
"That's great," she replied unenthusiastically.
"I'd really like you to read it," he continued. "It's about this stupid boy who really hurts the girl he cares about."
She turned around to open the door and motioned for him to leave. "Yeah, I think I saw the movie," she quipped sarcastically.
He dejectedly walked towards the door but he didn't leave. "I fell in love with you, April," he confessed as he looked down at her. "And I know that that's probably not enough, not after what I did, but we're both going to Harvard next year and I want you to give me a second chance. I can be a good guy," he implored. "You make we wanna be a better guy. I want to be good enough to actually deserve you."
She didn't say anything and after a long moment, he stepped over the threshold with once last sigh.
"Wait!" She called while he was still within earshot.
He spun around so quickly that he almost fell down. "Yeah?"
"Before Harvard," she nervously began as she leaned on the door frame, "can we see how the summer goes?"
He grinned uncontrollably. "Yeah, we definitely can," he replied nonchalantly.
She bit down on her lip to hide her own smile. Maybe she was making another huge mistake but she would just have to wait a see. She was taking another leap of faith on him but she had a feeling that this one would produce more positive results. "Jackson," she called softly, "get over here and kiss me."
"I knew you'd say that to me one day," he answered before he lifted her into his arms and kissed her softly.
A/N: Fluffy little ending but whatever lol. Please leave a review! :)