#Chapter 20: First and Last One

Third Person's POV

"Time's up guys! Put your hands away from the keyboard and make sure your name is written before saving your work. You may all go home!" Jack announced. A mix of relieved sighs, slumped shoulders, and defeated groans came as the students stood from their desks, before each one came out the door.

Jack and Tadashi went around the rows of computers to organize the files into a folder, before transferring it to the white-headed teacher's laptop

Tadashi patted a hand to Jack's shoulder, whom was about to insert the USB into a slot

"Hey, I'll check the exams. You've done a lot of hard workin' and I haven't done a thing. Let me do it," Tadashi offered. Jack exhaled in relief. His vision seem to blur further as the day went. He hadn't allowed himself a second of rest. So he was grateful

"Thanks bro. That means a lot," Jack responded.

Tadashi patted his shoulder. "Sure thing pal. Rest well," he said, taking the USB from Jack before heading out from the class

Jack tucked in his folder into his bag and returned to the teacher's room to pack his remaining belongings. After putting everything into his backpack, he slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the room.

On his way to his car, Jack was surprised to see Beth at the main entrance, turning her head left and right, like she was looking for someone. When her eyes met his direction, she walked closer

He stiffened more and more after each step she took. After what happened back in class, he couldn't possibly face her now.

Then again, if he truly asked himself, he didn't mind seeing her again. Not in the least

'This feeling, it's happening again!' he thought.

That wasn't the first time it happened. The feeling came ever since his short date with Beth. When he had been on his way home that night, his hands kept trembling. Jack didn't think it was fear. And he wasn't so sure if it was happiness. Or perhaps it was nervousness. Maybe a bit of them all. His brain ordered it all to stop, before any other glittery emotion got into the mix, but his body would not listen

"Jack, we need to talk." Beth said, short and sharply. Jack caught his own breath as Beth grabbed his hand to lead him to the school yard. And when she did, the electricity sent had the teacher stop trembling. He wholeheartedly relaxed in her gentle grip

Tiled floors ended before a vast of green. The grass whined crisply as the two took a few more steps into the garden. Beth released her grip, but Jack wasn't as shaken as before. Any wobbly anxiety was replaced by eager calm, skating along his pulse and circulating around his veins. Like a sugar rush

"So! What do you wanna tell me?"

She went solemn, took a deep breath, and avoided his gaze completely.

"I'm sorry."

'Eh?' Jack thought

"For what?"

"For shouting at you that night. I was in an emotional wreck. I couldn't find it in myself to think over my actions. I'm sorry." Jack grinned.

"It's okay Beth! No big de-"

"And there's another one," she cutted.

"Okay? Go on."

Her lips parted and her tongue curled, but then timidly closed altogether once more.

In the end, she finally managed to speak. "Look, Jack. I know you're not gonna like this, but, we need some distance between us,"

Her words floated gently into the tunnel of his ears, before crashing his brain and nearly unraveling him from his senses as he processed what he had heard. It was like a knife gouging his skull. Like he fell from a lording height, then whipped from the back by a flat of water, drowning deep, losing breath. Jack felt like passing out

'What...?'

Jack expression changed. His eyes met from brightened to wild, It's something he tried to hide, but failed to do so miserably. He gritted his teeth "Why?!" His eyes desperately tried to search an answer into hers. But Beth still had her face hung and away from eye-contact

"I-it's...complicated..." she muttered

"Take your time. Got lots of free time to hear," Jack responded as he took a step forward. Beth noticed and hastily took a step back

"You...won't understand.."

"I'll try."

"You'll...get upset..and..h-hate me..."

"I wouldn't. And I will never ever hate you."

"But-" Panic bit at her spine as her back touched against the wall behind. Before she knew it, Jack was at an alarming proximity. His shadow swallowed her petite figure, making her feel all the more uneasy. The blonde thought she could feel his breath down her collarbone.

"Just tell me why, please," he said, almost demanded.

Beth looked up his face darkened from shadows, but his expression was no less than hurt. Looking at it, she was reminded of Rapunzel.

Her heart felt pinched. She didn't like the idea of hurting another person. She sighed and looked down

"I went to Rapunzel's house the day after the night, to fix the misunderstanding. She was jealous and sad that you would rather pick me than her. Of course, I told her whatever we went through was just a normal hangout, not a date. She forgave me and we're friends again."

She lifted her face to him, and curved a smile at the memory of her reconciling with Rapunzel. She nearly lost her. But with this, Beth wouldn't have anything to worry about anymore.

"She loves you jack, more than anything. I can see it in her eyes. She always brighten up when she's with you. And I'm happy for what you're able to make her feel. Please, Jack. It's for the best. Give her a chance to be with you. You guys make the perfect pair. And who knows, maybe you two will end up together. I'll lose you guys, but I got all the others beside me. I'll be okay," she said. The last word went out of her throat like a broken flute. A tear fought it's way out of her socket before landing onto soft dirt as Beth wiped it off. Jack stared blankly

"You...you see? I'm crying because I'm so..happy for you. For you both."

Another tear rolled down her cheek. Beth brushed it off, only to have another tear go down her face. She took off her glasses altogether as she kept clearing her face, while still managing a smile.

But the male teacher knew better. Her unspectacled eyes shouted more than what Beth spoke. There was fear, pain, loss, regret. She was breaking. Sounds of sniffles softened and Beth put back her glasses, the rims shrouding her puffy eyes.

The blonde glanced her watch. "Umn, Tadashi is waiting for about ten minutes now. I-I have to g-go," she stuttered out. She stepped away from him, chin on her collarbone. If she attempted to look back right then, she might lose it. Beth began to fasten her pace, but she wasn't able to move. A pair of arms looped around her waist from behind, trapping her in a warm embrace

The blonde froze as she could feel the shadow of his lips near her ear, almost brushing against it. "If that's what you want, I'll do it. But in one condition," Jack whispered. It was difficult for Beth to not melt right there

"And..wh-what is that?" she whispered back. Silence prevailed

Jack closed his eyes, burying his nose onto her shoulder.

"Go on a date with me." His strong hold kept Beth from flinching out of his grasp.

'A-a-a date?!'

"A d-date?" she repeated, just to make sure

"Yes, just a date, our first and last one," he said, hugging her tighter.

She sighed

"Okay, I'll go on a date with you."

Jack couldn't suppress his overjoyed smile. Beth turned around to hug him back, before the two parted

"I really have to go right now, talk later okay?"

"Sure thing." Beth curved a last smile before walking away. She regretted slightly though. It was hard to twitch her lips back to a frown

Tadashi leaned against the wall of the main corridor. Spotting her, he flashed a smile.

"Yo Beth! Where have you been? I've been waiting for an entire hour."

"Sorry big bro. Had a pretty long chat with a friend."

"I see. Anyways, let's go home."

"Yeah, let's." The two went in the car. The vehicle rumbled slightly as the engine was turned on, before going down the road. Beth intended to clear her head by listening to music from her headphones, but all she could hear were Jack's words as they played over and over her head

"If that's what you want, I'll do it. But in one condition."

"And what is that?"

. . . . .

"Go on a date with me."

?!

"A d-date?"

"Yes, just a date, our first and last one,"

"Okay, I'll go on a date with you."

"What's wrong Beth? You look like you got a lot in your head," Tadashi asked, snapping Beth out of daydream

"N-nothing! Nothing at all. I'm just thinking about the next exam. It's gonna suck so bad if the problems are twice harder next time," she half-lied. The thought of an essay written paper came to mind and that's what she actually thought.

She heard a chuckle. "Don't worry so much. Just study hard. That's the only true way of getting a good score. Besides, I don't think you'll ever get a bad mark, since you're smart. Chill out," Tadashi casually said, while still focusing on the road

Beth nodded his way. The conversation helped her mood a slight and she was able to relax on her seat. The lyrics of 'Castle' by Halsey became more clearer as the melody went

The two arrived in their destination. Beth wasted no time to dash into her room. She dumped her bag onto the floor before throwing herself onto her bed.

She didn't need to place her hand onto her chest to know that her heart was beating a frantic rhythm. It was true that Beth befriended a number of boys, but it was only with Jack that something like that occurred

'Stupid heart, why do you do this? I've already thrown away my feelings for him, and know you're turning back on me? Don't you know how painful this is?'

Her blue eyes began to glaze again. Her cheeks found themselves curtained with tears once more. But Beth remained silent. She wanted to scream, but she left the job for her eyes to handle, pouring out her pain onto her tears.

/

Jack had his back to a wall. His eyes fixed onto a bush of white roses before him. The teacher dug his hands deeper into his pockets. He was still in the park, but he wasn't ready to go home. With a frown in place, he kept thinking of what Beth said to him

"She loves you Jack, more than anything."

"I could see it in her eyes."

"She always brighten up when she's with you. And I'm happy for what you're able to make her feel."

"Please, Jack. It's for the best. Give her a chance to be with you."

"You guys make the perfect pair. And who knows, maybe you two will end up together. I'll lose you guys, but I got all the others beside me. I'll be okay"

"You...you see? I'm crying because I'm so..happy for you. For you both."

Jack groaned, rubbing his hand all around his hair in frustration. He wanted to shout, to say that it wasn't truth. But everything had happened, and there's nothing he could do to change that.

'Geez Beth, look what you've done to me!'

But then he smiled

'At least, you accepted my offer. I'll do all I can to make it the best date you'll ever have.'

Thinking about it, Jack felt a lot more lighter. In fact, he felt so airy he wanted to dance. The feeling had his heart pumping. Jack couldn't help but snap his fingers twice to release a bit of the energy before he could burst. He was that happy. Whistling a tune, Jack walked back to his car. A single butterfly fluttered above a white rose as he disappeared from the park