Crimson High – The Jane Story

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading these stories. I am glad you've stuck with me and my scheming. Now, on to the next chapter.

Chapter seven

I arrived at school early the next morning and tracked down Grace. I found her digging in her locker. "Good morning, Grace," I said behind her.

She jumped at the sound of my voice and whirled. "You scared me half to death…" her voice trailed off. "Patrick?"

I smiled. "You seem so confused at my sudden need to talk to you. But I have something very important to tell you."

She looked side to side, and leant closer to me. "I have a feeling it's about Teresa."

I nodded. "I took Teresa shopping yesterday, because I was genuinely worried that she was struggling to survive. She has some new clothing, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't ask where they came from. She seems a little embarrassed about it."

Grace pushed her locker door closed. "Would you like me to tell Wayne and Cho not to say anything?"

I smiled at her. "Cho is very observant, but is a man of few words. Wayne won't really notice. Grace, trust me when I say that he has eyes only for you. He really is a gentle soul. If you want to move on completely, I think it's best if you tell Craig where you stand. It would make Wayne a lot happier, knowing that there's no chance of anyone taking you away from him. Please be careful with Wayne. He is a true gentleman."

Grace nodded, completely sincere. "I promise not to hurt him, Patrick." She turned away. "Oh, and thanks for the heads up."

I turned away and headed up the hallway towards my locker. I had just opened the door when it slammed shut. I turned to face Lorelei. She was fuming, and the remnants of her tangle with Teresa were blotched under her left eye. Apparently, one of her friends had seen me with Teresa the previous day. "Patrick," she said, fuming. "We need to talk."

I glanced around. "About what? You and I are done, Lorelei. You can't stop me from spending time with Teresa. You just need to accept that I have moved on."

Lorelei's face turned deep scarlet. "I will not accept it. You and I had something good, and now I want that back."

She turned and stormed away in the direction of Teresa's locker. I followed discreetly behind her, picking up Craig and JJ in the process. The three of us followed her to where Teresa and Grace stood. She was yelling before she had even reached them. "How dare you steal Patrick from me!"

Teresa seemed stunned and took a step back. "Lorelei, I didn't steal anybody…"

Lorelei raised her hand, intent on continuing the brawl from the previous Friday, but I intervened and grabbed her wrist from behind. There was no way I would let Lorelei hit Teresa again. "Enough, Lorelei," I said, pulling her arm down.

JJ came around her and attempted to pull her away from Teresa, but Lorelei had other plans. She yanked her arm from my grasp. "No," said Lorelei vehemently. "That bitch stole Patrick from me and now she must pay." She turned on Teresa again and continued to yell. "Look what you did to my face, you bitch. It's ruined."

I watched Teresa give her a look of indifference, and shrug. "It will heal," I heard her mutter, before she turned away.

I knew that this one bruise meant little to Teresa, and that thought made me feel a little bit sick. I had had enough of Lorelei's bitching about Teresa, and so I grabbed her arm and dragged her away around the corner. I stopped walking a little way up, but didn't release her. "You listen very carefully to me, Lorelei," I hissed, venom oozing into my voice. "You ever threaten Teresa like that again, and I will find a way to make you pay. You will regret ever messing with her, I assure you."

Lorelei's eyes were wide. "What could you possibly do to me?"

I grinned vindictively. "You forget that I know things about you, things that would ruin you if they ever got out."

Lorelei's face visibly paled. "You wouldn't…"

I raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't I?"

"This isn't over, Patrick Jane," she said with a scowl.

"It is for now," I said, turning and stalking away. I made it through the first lesson on a strange high. I walked into Geography, and spotted Craig. His face was drawn, and he was clearly upset. I had one guess as to what had happened. Grace had taken my advice after all. "What's up?" I asked, sitting down in my seat.

He turned to me. "I feel like I've been shot. Grace told me today that it's over. She doesn't like me; she likes that geek Rigsby. Told me that I should 'move on'. How the hell does she expect me to move on?"

"I don't know, Craig," I replied.

An idea – completely separate to Craig's problem – was forming in my mind. Teresa was working that afternoon, and so I had time to perfect it. I pulled out my cell phone and texted a number I didn't think I would need. "I have a problem, Angela. Since you gave such good advice last time, I would like your help. Patrick."

I got a reply two minutes later. "If this is about that girl you were trying to impress, I think I could help again. What do you need?"

I grinned to myself. Angela had seemed like such a sweet girl, and I was glad she could help. "This girl, Teresa, doesn't really have a lot of stuff. I want to get her a piece of furniture, but don't know what to get. Any ideas?"

A short while later, I received a reply. "How about a couch? If you're planning on spending time there, get something that both of you could use."

I thought about that. Teresa would really appreciate a couch, and so I agreed with Angela. "I think a couch is the perfect idea. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."

"Any time, Patrick."

Soon, it was lunchtime, and I headed to the cafeteria. I walked through the door, and met up with Teresa and Cho. Cho merely raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, as I followed them to their table. I sat down next to Teresa as Lorelei entered the cafeteria. She glared at us, and I turned away. I had had enough of her for one day. Grace and Rigsby were already at the table, and the atmosphere had an awkward feel to it. Eventually I turned to Rigsby. "I heard that you and Grace are finally official."

Rigsby grinned, clearly quite pleased with that. "We made it official on Valentine's Day."

"Really?" I asked, genuinely surprised. "I hadn't realised, or I would have congratulated you then. I've been watching this bloom for a while now."

Grace glanced across at Teresa, and the awkward atmosphere lifted. I then launched into one of my stories of life in the carnival, needing something to entertain everyone, and soon they were all in stitches. Even Cho cracked a smile. I watched Teresa laugh with them, and I could see that she was finally happy.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I met Teresa in the parking lot after school. She was just climbing into her car. "Would you like me to come over to your house once your shift at Chuck Charlie's is finished?"

She thought about that for a few seconds, then nodded. "I would really like that."

I got into my car and watched her drive away. I started the engine and pulled out into the street. Several minutes later, I pulled into the mall parking lot and got out. There was a large homeware store just inside the door, and I wandered the showroom floor. I came across a couch that I thought Teresa would like. It had puffy cushions, and it was bright crimson. Her tiny apartment was desperately in need of some colour, and so I decided that the crimson couch was probably the best choice for her. I tracked down a salesman. At my request for the couch, he raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want this couch?"

I nodded. "This is the one I want."

After giving me an odd look, he beckoned for me to follow him. Ten minutes later, two assistants were wheeling the couch out to my car. I opened the trunk and pulled out several yards of rope. Thus began a very terrifying drive over to Teresa's apartment. The couch was tied precariously to the roof of the car, and I cringed with every bump in the road. I drove very slowly, not wanting to damage the couch. I was getting surprised looks from everyone who passed me. Eventually, I stopped the car in the apartment parking lot. I glanced around and spotted two guys walking past the drive way. I caught up to them. "Hey," I said. They stopped walking. "I'll give you each a hundred dollars if you will help me carry that couch up to the third floor. It's for my girlfriend." I had to lie about that part, since Teresa and I weren't strictly dating.

I pointed at the couch. The two guys looked at each other, and one shrugged. "Sure," he said. "Reede and I aren't in a hurry."

"I think Brett and I could spare ten minutes of our time," agreed Reede.

The three of us lifted the couch off of the car and proceeded to wrestle it up the stairs. We got it to Teresa's door, and I pulled the hundred dollar bills out of my pocket. "Thank you both for your time."

Brett and Reede nodded, and disappeared back onto the street. I picked the lock on the door and pushed it open. I managed to force the couch through the door, and tried to decide how to position it. I eventually pushed it up against the wall opposite the tiny kitchenette. I stretched out on it, and felt myself relaxing. Nurse Summer Thomas would have been proud of the exercise I had done that day. Back when she was unmarried, Nurse Edgecombe would continually worry that I wasn't getting enough exercise. But I was now. I ran almost every day, and I tried to stay as fit as I could. I thought about Teresa. I had a plan to win her over. Clearly her true loves were back in Chicago in the form of her three brothers, and so I would make her truly happy and take her to see them. I formulated a plan as I lay there waiting for her to return home.

Eventually, a key turned in the lock, and the door opened. Teresa stood on the other side. She looked tired, but her eyes went wide when she saw me. "You bought me a couch?" she asked in disbelief.

I sat up and flashed her a grin. "I figured that, if I were coming over more often, you would need better seating arrangements."

She shut the door and came over to the couch. I watched her sit down and proceed to bounce up and down. I couldn't help but smile at her reaction. I cooked dinner for her again, and she sat on the couch just chatting with me while I worked. She sat deep in thought, and then asked an odd question. "Tell me," she said. "Yesterday, you were so sure of your guess. How did you know?"

I glanced over at her. I knew she was referring to my revelation about her father, but I was hesitant to broach the subject. I opted to be as vague as I could. "I use body language and general responses to an environment to determine information."

She wasn't satisfied with that response. "How did you know that specific information?"

I left the tiny stove and went over to where she sat. I sat next to her. "I had guessed quite quickly that you didn't trust me, or any male figures, but I didn't know why." I raised my hand, and she instinctively flinched. "Then I realised this happened."

She looked at me in confusion. "Realised what?"

I grimaced. Clearly she had no idea she flinched whenever anyone moved their hands too quickly. "Whenever Cho or Rigsby raised their hands or waved about, you would flinch ever so slightly. It wasn't enough for most people to pick up on, but I noticed it clearly when I was cleaning your face."

Teresa frowned at me, clearly confused. "I had no idea I did that."

I nodded slowly. "I figured that you did it unconsciously, as a result of the…" my voice trailed off.

Teresa nodded slowly as I got up to check on the steaks. After we had finished eating, we sat chatting on the couch for a long while afterwards. Much later on, I stood to leave. Teresa's face fell ever so slightly. However, I had a surprise for her. "Teresa," I said. "I would like to take you to the carnival this weekend."

She looked up at me in mild surprise. I guessed that she had never been to the carnival before. "I would really like that, Patrick."

She stood next to me. I felt sad to be leaving her. "Thank you for excellent conversation tonight, Teresa."

She smiled back up at me. "Thank you for the couch, and for cooking dinner."

I smiled back. It truly had been an enjoyable evening. "I really do enjoy the time I spend with you."

I acted on impulse and bent down to kiss her cheek. I felt her blush as my lips brushed her skin. With that, I turned and left the room.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

The long drive out to the carnival grounds I used to call home was filled with general small talk. It had been years since I had visited the carnival, and I felt unsure of how the people would react to my return. A contact I had within the carnival, a childhood friend named Elise, kept me informed of what was happening. She had told me that my father had left rather abruptly around eighteen months before. He had chosen to scam the wrong people, and this had its consequences. Soon, we pulled into a grassy field. I stopped the car. It was like coming home. I got out and walked around the front to join Teresa. "Shall we?" I asked, waving my hand.

She nodded, and followed me into the adjoining field that I once called home.

The air was filled with the excited screams of children, and with some music coming from the nearby carousel. I grabbed her arm and dragged her along to a nearby stall. "Shooting Gallery," it said above the stall. I remembered long hours spent trying to beat that game, but I didn't have any professional training when I came to weapons. Several paintball guns lay on the table, and five brightly coloured targets lined the back wall. The man behind the counter, a man named Herb Greenfield, smiled at us and turned to me. He clearly remembered who I was. "Would you like a chance to win the lady a prize? Only costs a dollar."

I turned to Teresa. She was a much better shot than I was anyway. "You want a shot at it?"

She shrugged. "Sure, I'll have a go."

I paid Herb a dollar, and I watched Teresa pick up a gun. It shot paintballs at the target, and you had ten to knock the five targets over. You had to knock all of them over to win a prize. I had no doubt that Teresa would knock the targets over without any trouble. I stood behind her as she aimed the gun. The smirk on Herb's face fell away rather abruptly after her third shot. She knocked down all of the targets using only five paintballs. She put the gun back down and looked up at Herb with a look of triumph. He turned to me and smiled. "Found yourself a regular Annie Oakley, haven't you, Paddy?"

I looked back at him and smiled. He didn't like his game being beaten. "She won the prize, didn't she? I know what a bitch it is to win this thing, Herb."

Teresa looked up at me in confusion, and then across to Herb. Herb laughed. "Paddy here didn't tell you he was bringing you back here, did he?"

She looked back up at me. "He mentioned growing up in the carnival," she said. "But not that it was this carnival."

Herb looked at me, and then pulled a stuffed tiger from the top shelf. He handed it to Teresa, and stepped back. "You earned it, Annie."

She laughed, proud to be associated with the best Wild-west woman shooter in history. I took her arm, waved goodbye to Herb, and dragged her to the next stall. One by one, I introduced Teresa to all of the people who I grew up with. But there was one Teresa didn't meet. She picked the top of the Ferris wheel to ask about it. "Where's your father?" she asked, knuckles white from fear.

I shrugged. It didn't matter to me. "Word is that he left about eighteen months ago. Apparently he scammed the wrong people."

She nodded, absorbing the information. "Thank you for today, Patrick," she said. "It's been amazing."

I smiled and gently released one of her hands. "I can see you're terrified. Not to good with heights?"

She nodded, and I took the opportunity to put a comforting arm around her. She rested her head on my shoulder as I gently stroked the top of her hand. That seemed to soothe her anxiety. The wheel stopped at the very top for people to get on, and I watched her gaze off into the darkening sky. "This really had been an amazing day, Patrick," she whispered.

My arm tightened around her. "Thank you for letting me do this, Teresa. I was terrified that you wouldn't want to do this."

She laughed, a carefree sound. "You haven't won me over just yet, Patrick. But I'm sure you of all people will work out what to do."

I bent down and whispered in her ear. My breath on her ear seemed to catch her off guard. "I'm sure I will eventually."

I felt her shiver, and I pulled her closer. We rode down to the ground like this, and I could tell that I was very close to winning her over. But I knew I hadn't, not yet.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I dropped Teresa back at her apartment, and walked her up to the door. I had just been looking for an excuse to spend more time with her. Just before she went in, I remembered my Chicago plan. "Teresa," I said. "What are you doing over Spring Break?"

A/N2: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me how I'm doing. I really appreciate your input, because it inspires me to keep writing. Thanks.