Disclaimer: Don't Own Don't Care

Greeting World. The Next Chapter Awaits.

Enjoy!

Got Your Back

(Scarlett's POV)

I pushed aside the pile of papers in frustration.

I couldn't get the plot of my latest story right and it was driving me crazy.

I was a suspense and thriller kind of writer for the most part but, I was trying to expand my horizons. I was trying a reflective piece to work on my character development.

The character I was creating was more complex than I intended and so I wasn't sure what my next step was. I wasn't sure who I wanted him to be.

I pushed my glasses back and sighed.

"Trouble in writer paradise?" Dawson's voice asked as he slid into the space next to me.

"Depends on how you define trouble. Lost the reins on my character," I responded.

"Why put any reins in the first place. That's like putting a leash on a mustang,"

"For control."

"Who needs control. Let it go. Let the story write itself. The best books and movies aren't ever written by the writer. You're one of the most creative and free flowing people I know."

I looked at him with a smile.

"Thank you oh wise one," I laughed and he grinned back.

"Anytime. Just stick with me kid," he answered.

"How was your meeting with the counselor?"

He looked up at the sky and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Annoying. Everyone keeps pestering me about film school. How do they know I want to go to film school?!"

"Maybe because you live and breath movies. Why not film school?"

"I don't know...there's so many possibilities…"

"What do you want out of life Dawson?"

"I want to be happy, make something that I can leave behind, that kind of thing. I don't know."

"Well why don't you choose the option that makes you the most happy. Let your heart drive. I hear the best stories are written when you let it write itself," I said and he laughed heartily.

"Why thank you oh wise one," he replied back.

I grinned.

"Anytime. Stick with me kid."

$#$%^$^&%*^%$%#%&%*^(&(*^&%^$%##& (General POV)

Jen walked up the sidewalk leading to school.

"Jenny! Jenny!" she heard from behind her but, she recognized the voice and she wasn't interested.

"What, you no longer answer to jenny?" Drue asked catching up with her.

"Not since I left the 212 area code," she replied back annoyed.

"Not so fast. Can I walk you home? Carry your books? Buy you a soda at the malt shop? That's what people do for fun around here in Pleasantville, right?"

"Drue, I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible-go away."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think maybe you weren't exactly happy to see me."

Jen scoffed, "No! Really?"

Drue smiled, "Here I am, your old chum from the big city cast adrift in a one-horse town with no decent Chinese food, and you don't roll out the red carpet, you don't sit with me at lunch, you don't introduce me to your friends."

Jen shrugged, "Well, that's because you already seem to know my friends. They knew that you were here before I did, and they didn't warn me. I wonder why that is, huh?"

"Ok. Busted. I didn't tell them I knew you. I wanted to lay low, soak up some secondhand impressions of Jen Lindley, version 2.0. So, what do you say? You and me, one milkshake, 2 straws. Catch up on old times. I've missed you these past 2 years."

Jen rolled her eyes and picked up the pace.

"No, you didn't. You didn't miss me. You missed my idiotic willingness to try out any and all illegal substances that you happened to purchase in Washington square park. Remember?"

"Hey, come on. Not all that ecstasy turned out to be sinus headache medication. You make it sound like we never had any fun," he said back with no sense of remorse .

"Drue, the kind of fun that we had, I don't have anymore. So I don't know what you're hoping to gain by this little trip down memory lane, but it won't get you anywhere."

"Hey, it's not that I don't dig this whole hip-to-be-square thing you got going on, because I do. I just think we should hang out," Drue suggested innocently.

Jen rose her eyebrow with all defenses up.

"Hang out?"

He nodded.

"That's all. So what do you say?"

"No way. Not ever. Never gonna happen," she said with no kidding on her face.

"J, we still grabbing a bite?" Scarlett asked approaching the two.

Her steps slowed as she sized up the atmosphere.

"Am I interrupting?"

"No. Let's go," Jen said immediately taking Scarlett's hand and pulling.

They made it a few feet away before slowing down their pace.

"What was that?" Scarlett inquired.

"That was nothing," was a Jen said.

"Didn't look like nothing," Scarlett pressed grabbing her arm lightly and stopping.

"Come on Jen, it's me," she said pleadingly.

They had a natural connection. Somehow they understood a lot about one another because they were similar. Their connection was instantaneous.

"I know Drue," Jen said slowly.

"Ok…"

"No I know Drue," she emphasized guiltily.

"Oh...oh, from New York?"

"Yeah, we got into some really bad stuff. You know how I told you about the ecstasy…."

"You mean Drue is…"

"Yeah."

Jen looked away slightly defeated already.

Scarlett took her hand and pulled it towards their destination.

"It's the past. We all have one, some worse than other's. Don't let that mess up what you have going here. You're wonderful Jen. You've made some mistakes but, you're wonderful and worth way more than the crap that took place in New York. That's over now. And if you fall or if he tries to trip you you've got friends who have your back," Scarlett asserted squeezing her hand.

Jen smiled to herself and pulled Scarlett back long enough to hug her.

"I'm so glad you're here."

They pulled back and Scarlett smiled.

"I'm glad I'm here too. Now lets go eat I'm starved," she said and Jen laughed aloud happy to be understood.

#$%^*&%^$# $%*^(&)*&(^*%&$^*(&)&*&%$^(&*&%^

(Scarlett's POV)

I walked in the school doors heading towards my locker.

I saw the back of Jack's, Andie's, and Jen's head.

I hoped Jack was doing ok after his football accident yesterday.

He had to get a sling on his arm.

I caught up with them.

"Hey guys. Jack you doing ok?" I asked placing a hand on his good arm.

It's fine. It's nothing. The worst part about it was the sound that it made when they popped it back in," he responded shrugging off my concern.

I didn't take it personal.

"Oh, it was so gross. You guys, er does not prepare you for that kind of stuff," Andie chimed in with a disturbed face.

One of Jack's teammates came up in front of us.

"Hey, McPhee. Sorry about the shoulder," he said with his two friends on each side of him.

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks," Jack replied but, they didn't move.

"Anything else we can help you with?" I asked.

"Yeah. A bunch of us were just kinda wondering if the party was still on," he continued.

Dawson hesitated, "What party?"

He head bopped himself with his hand, "Was it like a surprise or something?"

"Is what a surprise?" Jen asked confused.

"The birthday party."

Jimmy Lemons came up from behind. "Hey, Lindley. Happy birthday. Party tonight, dude?"

"You know it, dude," the original guy responded giving a high five.

"Ok, Jen. You did not tell me it was your birthday. Happy birthday!" Andie exclaimed and Jack laughed.

Jen shook her head, "No, no, no, no. It's not."

Jack agreed, "Yeah, it's not. Her birthday's in may."

"So it's not your birthday, and yet people who call each other dude seem to be attending your birthday party. You might want to look into that," Dawson suggested.

"Yeah. Ha ha," she did her best to play it off as we locked eyes.

This had Drue written all over it.

I didn't have to know him to know guys like him.

"Yeah Jen, why don't we look into that," I inserted, ignoring everyone's looks, and grabbed her arm pulling her away.

"You know who's behind this right," I said and she nodded.

"Of course."

"Want me to take this?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No, I got this. He's my problem," she said back determined as she head down the hall.

"If you need me-"

"I'll let you know," she finished giving me a smile as she advanced.

$#%^$&%^%^*&^$&*&&&&*&&*(&*^&%#&%*^(*^&%#%*$^&%#%*^$&#

Fastest update I've ever made...i'm shocking even myself. Let me know what you think. Thanks.