Chapter 6: Comfort

Hey FF peeps! Hope you guys all enjoy this chapter! Sorry for not updating sooner, school. :( Just one issue to address beforehand:

So, I'm totally thrilled that you guys all enjoyed Chapter 5, and I hope you all love Chapter 6 just as much. Loads of you favorited and subscribed, but didn't review – and I'm hoping you would, as your feedback helps me create a better story for you all. So please help out! Thanks. :D

And several shout-outs! Okay… Thank you SO MUCH to TheWritingsOfTaylor30, who is an awesome friend of mine on . We often PM each other, and she was so nice as to dedicate a chapter of her HOA fanfic, 'Safe and Sound?' on my birthday (which was January 6, by the way). We're also planning a collab together! It'll be a while before it's up, because we haven't began writing… but just a notice!

Another shout-out to TheWritingGames, who reviews for every chapter and is my huge inspiration on this site! And lastly, FreakierThanFreaks, who happened to have just discovered my story (or I think so) after I posted the 5th chapter, and reviewed for each and every one of them all in one shot! Thanks to all you guys! xDxDxD

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Kickin' It.

As I tore into the elevator, my head was bent down as I sniffed and wiped my tears away. Stupid feelings. Stupid Stella. Stupid Jack.

Trying to sound as normal as possible, I told the other guy standing in the elevator, "Ground floor, please." My voice was crackly and hoarse, and I gave a small cough to clear it up.

"Kim?"

I recognized that voice, and had to resist an irritated groan when I identified its owner. It was Ricky's.

Perfect timing. Ricky Weaver, just the person I wanted to see at a time like this. Second time that day. I think I was cursed with people I didn't want to see constantly showing up.

"What do you want, Ricky?" I asked, hoping my voice wasn't too croaky, and that I sounded convincingly annoyed.

"Were you… crying?" Ricky stared at me incredulously, taking in my puffy eyes, pink, tear-stained face, and red nose.

"No!" I answered defiantly, turning away as I faced the wall. "Quit talking, Ricky. We agreed we'd never associate again."

There was silence, which meant that Ricky had either decided to ignore me, or was contemplating what his next action should be: leave me alone, or ask what was up. Apparently, Doll Hair decided on the latter.

"Kim, just tell me, what happened?" By then, the elevator had reached the ground floor with a halt, but Ricky shut the doors close and pressed the button with the highest number. The elevator wobbled slightly before ascending smoothly.

I drew a deep breath, and while I didn't want to break down like some emotional diva and go pouring my heart out to the man who broke my heart, I unintentionally did anyway. The moment I breathed out, the story just came spilling out of my mouth – how I nearly kissed Jack, how Stella asked him out, how the idiot agreed, how I raced out, how Jack and I fought, how I nearly admitted I liked him, and how I just hated him now. By the time I was finished, Ricky already had to punch another two buttons on the elevator to stall for time.

We finally stopped at the third floor, where Ricky beckoned me out of the elevator when a girl stood waiting for it as the doors swooshed open. I followed him as he led me down the corridor, towards a deeper end.

"You're really upset, aren't you?" Ricky said sadly.

I nodded, before sending him one of my famous eye-rolls. "Captain Obvious, much?"

Ricky sighed and ignoring my comment, went on, "Look Kim, I know Jack really broke your heart today. But, there's also something else you should probably know."

This made me look up, my eyes glimmering with the slightest hint of interest as I looked at the mega pop star.

"What?"

"Jack was probably just using her to get to you. You know, make you jealous."

I stared at him with the same incredulous look he had given me in the elevator. Jack, using another girl, just to make me jealous? That was completely absurd and un-Jack-ish.

"Ridiculous, Ricky. Jack would never do something like that. He's more straightforward," I scoffed. "If he really wanted to get the girl, he'd step up, get her number, ask her out, and take her on a romantic candlelit dinner for two."

"Right, but you're not like most girls, are you Kim?" Ricky questioned softly, raising his eyebrow.

And all of a sudden, Ricky's theory seemed to make sense. Indeed. I was not like other girls. Other girls fawned over Jack, begging for him to notice them, while I easily got to hang out with him everyday as a friend. And after he was so, well, sort of straightforward with it – impressing me by catching my apple, accusing me of having a crush on him, and taking me out for cheeseburgers, I still failed to get all his little hints. I still didn't want to be his girlfriend.

So, was it possible that it was too much for Jack to keep waiting anymore, and decided to resort to last possible way of getting to me – by making me 'Greene' with envy?

The whole theory seemed strange to think about, and completely not like something Jack would do, but considering the circumstances… It was possible.

/

I continued to ponder the theory as I left Ricky, my head still spinning in wild circles like those spinning rides at the theme park. It was all too confusing. I mean, Jack, using a girl to get a girl? So unlike him. He wasn't a player, yet he wasn't shy… he was completely straightforward and completely clear and who he wanted to go out with and who he sought as a friend. And while this whole time, I think I was juggling in between both categories for him, Ricky's theory made me thinking that perhaps, I belonged in the former.

I sighed, and suddenly stopped in my tracks. I'd been thinking about the issue so much that I had just been walking around aimlessly the whole time. Stupid me. I glanced at the door to my left, when I realized it was Milton, Jerry, and Eddie's room.

If I couldn't hang out with Jack, I might as well chill with the others. They were pretty fun to hang out with, if you ignored all their juvenile jokes and blank expressions.

So, I rapped on the door with my knuckles.

I heard the loud scrambles and violent scuffles of feet, followed by several unintelligent screams and the sound of slapping, when the door finally opened with all three boys standing in the doorway, looking exhausted, as if they'd just fought with each other.

Actually, I think that's what they did to open the door.

The all looked kind of surprised to see me. Milton looked puzzled, Jerry went "Oh, hey Kim. Wait, Kim?" and Eddie… well actually, Eddie just kept smiling, but I could tell he was feeling kind of confused.

"Kim? Why aren't you with Jack?" Milton asked innocently.

At the mention of his name, I pushed Eddie out of the way and stormed right through the door in a mildly angry fit. "Don't mention his name," I muttered.

I could sense the boys exchanging anxious looks as they realized that their favorite pair of 'lovebirds' was quarreling with each other.

"Kim, what happened between you and…" Milton trailed off, tentative to say the name. I put him out of his misery by answering his question anyway.

"We nearly kissed," I stated, still feeling slightly edgy. At this, the boys' faces lit up like Christmas trees. "Then, he went to agree to go out with some over-sweet, sugared cupcake of a girl." I slumped onto one of the messy, unmade beds (probably Jerry's) miserably. The boys' shoulders sagged noticeably, and Jerry even let out a loud, audible gasp.

"A jerk, isn't he?" I commented, still slightly seething. The boys kept silent. They obviously didn't want to call one of their best friends a jerk.

Finally, Milton spoke up, "I'm sorry Kim."

I brushed his sympathetic words of comfort aside. "Nah, it's okay," I sighed. "I just…" I trailed off, contemplating on whether I should confess my problems to the guys. You know… about how confused I was, and how I fought with him, and how it so terribly obviously seemed that I liked him…

Then, I thought twice, and decided against it. After all, the boys won't exactly understand, would they?

"What?" Eddie egged.

I shook my head, standing up and hobbling towards the door. "No, it's nothing. I'm just gonna go now." Speaking with the other dudes wasn't help either. They just weren't as close to me as Jack was. They wouldn't understand if I told them about anything – even Milton wouldn't.

"Oh c'mon, Kim," Jerry whined. "We know you're all upset and everything, but you can still chill with us. Confess your probs, you know! We would totally understand what you're going through!"

"No, you would not!" I snapped, whipping around to face three very startled boys, whose faces were ashen at the thought of me getting angry with them. "You would never understand what I'm going through! You would never! Firstly, you guys don't know how my mind works. I'm a girl, for God's sake! Secondly, you guys have never experienced something like that before! Milton has a heavenly, wonderful relationship with his chemistry-obsessed, extremely geeky girlfriend Julie –" I ignored Milton's indignant protest and went on, " – and even though Jerry has a rocky relationship with Kelsey, you have still gone on several dates and have a blast when you're together. And Eddie, you insist you're some kind of player, but you're not, and even though you know it yourself that you're never gonna get any girls, you keep persisting anyway and…" I trailed off and blinked. I had no idea where I was going with Eddie's part. I had just been shooting words out of my mouth.

"Whatever," I continued in a snappy tone. "Whatever it is, you three would never understand what it's like to have a crush on your best friend, where you think he likes you too, and he goes ahead on a date with some sugary, honey-sweet diva!" I was inhaling and exhaling deeply, my breath ragged, as I glared piercingly at the guys.

But their expressions weren't what I expected. It was a mixed expression, actually. They of course looked alarmed at me blowing up like that… but there was a hint of…. Cheekiness? What? Was it something I said?

I ran that invisible record of what I had shouted at them back in my mind, when I suddenly realized what they were looking so cheeky and gleeful over.

"Whatever it is, you three would never understand what it's like to have a crush on your best friend, where you think he likes you too…"

Oh my God. Did I just admit that I liked Jack in front of the guys?

Kill me now.

"We were right!" Jerry finally exclaimed triumphantly, after mustering enough courage to speak. "We were right guys! Kim loves Jack!"

"Kim loves Jack, Kim loves Jack, Kim loves Jack –"

"Shut up!" I yelled at them, my Southern accent bouncing off the walls, generating a series of (mental) echoes. They immediately shut up with their stupid chant.

"I do not like Jack!" I retorted, red in the face, due to both anger and embarrassment.

"Yes you do, you just admitted it," Eddie said quietly, almost as if he were afraid to say it in a taunting tone.

"Yeah, so what if I did?" I asked, sticking out my chin defiantly. "I didn't mean it. I say loads of things I don't mean, and I didn't mean what I said this time."

"But Kim," Milton interrupted the minute I was done, "you were really mad back there. And usually, those who are mad don't take note of what they're saying. It's almost like their heart has control over their brain for a change. They don't realize what they're blabbing about, even if it's completely nonsense. They're just way too worked up. That was how you were just now, and if you asked me, you were mad enough to have unintentionally and accidentally admitted you had a crush on the butt-kicking black belt brunette of our dojo, which saved Rudy's martial arts academy from the 'Closed' sign."

I gawked at his speech, running the words back in my head about a gazillion times. As much as I hated to admit it, the words made complete sense. It was always the case.

But I couldn't say it aloud. I wouldn't hear the end of the taunts and teases. In fact, I don't think I even like Jack. That was a completely ridiculous idea.

"Point, Milton," I said, matter-of-factly. "But I still don't have a crush on Jack. And if you guys are gonna start your protests, don't mob me, I'm just gonna leave." I spinning around on my good heel, I hobbled out the door.

"Wait Kim!" yelled Jerry. I spun around again, expecting some kind of taunt about liking Jack.

"The guys are gonna come watch my dance crew, the Lone Wolvez's practice session," Jerry said. "And since you have practically no one to hang out with –" I shot him a glare " – maybe you'd like to come along too?"

I could see Milton and Eddie vigorously shaking Jerry's shoulders, mouthing 'No's' and making cutting motions with their hands. I sighed. Was I that bad that they didn't even want me there?

Well, then all the more to go.

"Sure," I agreed after three seconds of thought. "I'll come along."

/

Before we knew it, Milton, Eddie and I were seated along the mirrors of the cruise ship's dance studio (amazing, right?), watching in interest as Jerry's dance crew popped, locked, slid, glided, and flipped to Party Rock Anthem. The Lone Wolvez comprised of three other boys Jerry had managed to gather – a blond, shaggy-haired one named Jared, a spiky fair-headed, tall and built boy called Seth, and last but not least, a boy of about fourteen, who was a giant for his age and had a mass of tousled brown curls spilling out of his head.

My eyes drifting away from Jerry's dance practice, they wandered across the dance studio, observing the place. The walls of the studio were covered with mirrors, reflecting light in every direction. The floor was smooth and tiled, and circular table at the far end was there for radio-placing purposes.

Finally, the song ended, with the quartet each giving their trio of an audience a unique pose, funny looks on their faces. We applauded loudly – they were really good, except for that last pose there. The boys high-fived each other triumphantly, and Jerry declared a ten-minute break.

"That was really good, Jerry!" Eddie complimented him. "I wish I could dance like that. But nope, Mom only wanted me to learn salsa, and I totally sucked at that." He looked rather dejected.

"Thanks guys, any areas for improvement?" Jerry questioned.

"Yeah," I said, then brought up that final pose. Jerry waved his hand dismissively.

"Then we did an excellent job, because the pose was supposed to be like that," he declared.

I tried telling him that he then should probably change the choreography at the end, but I didn't get a chance to because at that exact moment I opened my mouth, the door to the studio flung open.

I gawked at the person standing there, and thought, Well, there you go. I'm definitely cursed with people I don't want to see showing up at the wrong time.

"Hey Jack! You made it!" Jerry said cheerfully, pulling him into a man-hug and thumping him on the back. "You missed about ten minutes of the session, but it's cool, we've still got thirty to go."

Now I knew why Milton and Eddie so desperately didn't want Jerry to ask me to watch his dance practice. Jack had been invited.

When Jack's eyes fell on me, he seemed to be at a loss for words, when he finally managed to splutter, "Kim? You're here too?"

I overcame my momentary shock, and gave Jerry the deadliest death glare I had ever given anyone.

"Why did you invite me when you knew that Jack would be coming?" I demanded loudly, this time, my Southern accent truly generating a series of echoes.

Jerry's hand was on his mouth, and he smiled at me sheepishly. "Oops. Forgot."

I rolled my eyes and scrambled up from my position the chair, a sharp pain shooting through my ankle for a split second, but I ignored it. Then, I turned and began hobbling out of the dance studio, slamming the door along with me.

How was Jerry so forgetful and so insensitive? Amazing, really, amazing.

"Kim! Wait!" I could hear Jack's voice, and the sound of the door slamming again and the thumping of his high-tops. I tried walking even faster, but it was no use, because once again, Jack caught up with me.

"Kim, I just want to talk," he pleaded desperately. "Please, just let me."

My eyes flickered with disgust. Here he was, the completely insensitive brunette, standing in front of me, begging for forgiveness. But upon seeing the sincerity in his dreamy chocolate brown eyes – wait, I'm mad at him! I'm not suppose to be calling his eyes 'dreamy' – my heart melted slightly and I sighed.

"Go ahead," I eventually said.

/

So, did you guys enjoy the chapter? Hope you all did! My apologies that it was short (well, personally). And I'm sorry that Jack was only featured at the last part of the chapter, last paragraph. I know, sorry to all you Leo Howard/Jack Lovers. Anyway, I decided to include a bit more of the story with the other guys (those guys are rarely in any Kickin' It stories, and I feel they deserve some recognition. They're created for a reason, you know!), and I hope the scene was okay. Hope they weren't OOC or anything… though I don't think they were.

And in case all of you are wondering, (HURRAY!) Jack and Kim are gonna make up SUPER soon. YIPPIEDOODA!

Okay, well, school has started again, so I'll be busier now, and updates would be less frequent. But don't you fret! I'll try my best to update as quickly as possible for each chapter!

Thanks for reading! And remember:

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Peace Out!

Kelsey