Chapter 14

Monday morning came way too fast for everyone. The cookout at the Thronton's home was cancelled. William had an emergency pop up at the docks early in the morning. Instead of calling in one of the body men on their day off, Tom went with William so he would have someone with him. The couple of hours turned into a full ten hours working through the issue and playing catch up.

Charlette and her two boys visited a church hoping this would be the one church to turn into their home church. They have visited a few churches hoping to find one soon. Following the morning service, her and her two boys went to a sandwich place for lunch. Their time together was fun. Jack spent a good amount of time during lunch texting Elizabeth. Tom was texting Julie.

Elizabeth went to church with her mother and sister. Elizabeth has only known that church as her church home. She enjoyed it. Steph and her family attended that church as well. They enjoyed catching up between Sunday School and service. Steph had to hear all about Saturday's issue. Elizabeth shared everything except the part of the conversation about Jack being already in love with her, but he just wasn't ready to tell her yet. Elizabeth wanted to keep that portion of the talk to herself. She also didn't share about Jack squeezing her hand three times or the meaning behind it. She wasn't trying to be secretive, but she did feel that was just between her and Jack.

Elizabeth melted Saturday when Jack told her that and when he squeezed her hand when she left that evening. She understood why he was hesitant to say the three simple words. She was in love with Jack too but wasn't ready to say it either. She absolutely loved it when he squeezed her hand three times. He was telling her he loved her but without saying the words. She easily repeated the same gesture with the same meaning. She did love him. But like Jack, she thought it may be a little too early to declare it.

…

While his father was still at work, the younger Tom sat down to watch some football on TV. He wasn't a huge football fan, but he was a little bored. His father's paper was sitting on the edge of the couch. He picked it up to move it so he could lay down to watch the game. He looked up to the TV after dropping the papers down on the floor. He stopped and stared blankly at the screen for a moment. Then his eyes returned to the top portion of the paper.

"Oh…" He stated as he took his phone to send a text to Julie.

T – Your secret is no longer a secret

J – What are you talking about

T – Have you read the paper

J – I don't think I've ever read the paper

T – You may want to find your fathers paper

J – Why are you talking in code what secret

Tom took a picture of the headline on the entertainment portion of the paper. It was a picture of Julie accepting and holding all three awards yesterday. The headline was. "Julie Thatcher accomplished something never done before." He sent her the picture.

"What?" Julie stated out loud. She jumped off her bed and ran downstairs to her father's library. Her father always reads the paper in the library. She called Tom as she was running down the stairs.

"Tom! You better be kidding me or you're in so much trouble!" She stated before he spoke.

"I didn't do it." He defended himself.

"You read the paper?" She asked as she jumped off the last two steps.

"No…I saw it on the couch."

"Tom…" She stated as she entered the library. The paper was on her father's desk. She rummaged through the paper until she found the picture. "I'm in so much trouble."

"Are you kidding me? Your parents are going to love it. I bet they will be very proud of you."

"They wasn't supposed to know."

"Too late…I told you that people were going to know who you were."

…

Elizabeth threw the blankets off her before her mother stepped into her bedroom. She loved her mother, but she did hate the cheerful mother's voice her mother used to wake her up. She was already in her bathroom brushing her teeth putting her make up on when her mother stuck her head into her bedroom.

"Elizabeth…are you up?"

Elizabeth leaned back from her vanity. "I'm in here mother."

"What would you like for breakfast?"

"I'll be fine with cereal."

"Are you ready for the day?"

"I am. I'll be down in a minute."

…

Elizabeth pulled up to the school a little tired already. It was Monday and she just wasn't excited about school. She and Jack stayed up late texting. She knew she needed to go to bed, but they just weren't too eager to end the conversation. She turned her car off and looked at the bike rack. She didn't see Jack's red bike locked in its normal spot. She thought she should offer to pick him up for school.

She looked down at her phone. He sent a text earlier telling her good morning. While it was a simple two worded text, it meant a lot to her. Her smile grew each time she looked at it. Her phone buzzed with a text from Charles. She didn't hear anything from him yesterday. She wasn't too surprised he texted this morning.

C – I'm sorry

E – I don't want to lose you as a friend, but the decision is yours

C – I understand. Are we ok?"

E – Depends on you

C – Then we are good

E – Time will tell

She looked up and Jack was just riding his bike into the parking lot. He had on a checkered black and gray short with a gray buttoned up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. He had his normal backpack on. He also had a small duffle bag. Then she remembered that he had an unofficial basketball practice after school today. She was hoping to stay and watch a little bit of it today. She really wanted to see how good he was. She jumped out of her car and made her way to where he normally locked his bike.

Jack's back was toward her fiddling with his bike and bags. She wanted to sneak up on him.

"Good morning, Elizabeth."

"How did you know it was me?" She sighed as she approached.

Jack hadn't told her, but he knew her perfume. He loved it almost as much as her lavender and vanilla shampoo. He had already memorized the two scents.

Jack shrugged his shoulders as she walked up.

"Hey." She stated walking up to him.

"Hey yourself. How are you?" His smile was contagious. She paused for a moment. His dimpled smile paused her brain for a moment.

"Good. You?"

"Are you ready to learn something this morning that you don't know yet?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you are always so quiet during history class." He sassed, giving her a playful smirk.

"That's because you answer the question before anyone else has an opportunity." She flinched when she heard what she said. She knew he would have fun with this. Those silly dimples are distracting…

"Is that so?" He teased.

Elizabeth playfully rolled her eyes as he spoke. He couldn't keep from laughing at her antics. He finished locking up his bike. He looked up at her for a moment. The sun was shining behind her. It was giving her a glowing look.

"You look beautiful today."

Elizabeth nervously tugged at her shirt. She had on a pair of pants that wasn't too tight and a cream color shirt. The shirt was a little loose and it flowed well.

"Thank you."

"Simply beautiful. You know, I think dating looks very good on you."

"Well, you haven't actually taken me out on a date, Mr. Thornton."

"I'm working on it, Princess Beth."

"My name is Elizabeth." She huffed at his teasing. "I thought we was past that." She shook her head. "Come on…we don't want to be late."

Jack reached for her hand, and she accepted it willingly. They walked up the stairs after he adjusted his backpack and duffle bag on his shoulder. When they interlocked their fingers together, Jack squeezed her hand three times. She noticed he wasn't looking in her direction. Yet, his face was a slight color of pink. She was a little embarrassed at the thought, but she just knew she fell for him a little more at that moment.

"There's my guy!" Jack stated loud enough for Adam to hear him. He was already waving his arms in excitement when he heard Jack's voice. John was immediately behind him. Jack picked Adam up and turned him around one time. When he released him, John stepped up and gave Jack a high five.

"Princess Beth." John stated in a loud voice. He hugged her as Elizabeth just glared at Jack. She couldn't hide her smile even though she tried.

The whole group gave Jack either a high five or a side hug. Everyone gave Elizabeth a hug after calling her Princess Beth. When the last person hugged Jack and Elizabeth, they heard a collective "Princess Connie! And Princess Steph!" Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at their nicknames. As much as the girls tried to get the group to call Jack by a nickname, the group just wouldn't. Yet, they weren't coerced to call them Princess. Elizabeth just couldn't understand it.

All the hugs and high fives took a good five minutes. There was a massive circle of teens in the main hallway. The other students walked around the group. Many smiled while others just walked by without looking. Mrs. Johnston couldn't hide her smile. The special ed group was a good group of students. Yes, they had their challenges, but if you look past the initial layer, they were a group of young people who was a blessing to know. She was grateful Jack took a liking to Adam. He was a nonverbal guy who faced his challenges, but he was a good guy. In his own way, he was funny. Every time he saw Jack, he would wave his hands more than normal. She noticed he began to do that with Elizabeth as well. The smile on his face was unmistakably happy.

Mrs. Johnston was grateful for Elizabeth too. She has begun to interact with the group too. Elizabeth was a popular teen in the school. She just didn't act like it. She didn't understand the nickname of Princess Beth, but the kids were always calling her that. Even when they were in their classroom, they would speak of Princesses Beth, Steph, and Connie. Mrs. Johnston's heart was full.

"Alright everyone, it's time for class. We don't want to be late." Mrs. Johnston stated. When she had Jack's and Elizabeth's attention, she whispered thank you.

"Mrs. Johnston, I have received more from Adam than I can ever repay." Jack whispered.

Mrs. Johnston wiped a tear away. Most teens weren't mean to her group. They just didn't know how to be around them. They were nervous about them. So, they just avoided the uncomfortable setting. Now, she thought other students were beginning to see that they were good people with challenges and strengths.

"Bye Princess Beth. Bye Jack. Bye Princess Connie and bye Princess Steph. Everyone stated except for the two nonverbal students. All the boys high fived Jack except for Adam. He received his normal hug. All the girls hugged Jack and then hugged Elizabeth, Connie, and Steph, calling them princess as they hugged them.

…

Jack worked feverously on the math problem. He felt comfortable with it. He knew it and was working through the math problem with confidence. In his mind, he was working quickly. Jack smiled when he finished the problem and placed his pencil down with a little emphasis. He wanted Elizabeth to hear it. He tried his hardest to finish the problem before she did. He really thought he finished before her. He turned his head and looked up directly into her eyes. She was leaning forward on her desk with her head resting on her hand looking at him. Her paper was turned over and the pencil was resting on top of the paper. Her expression was pure joy in finishing before Jack.

"You finally finished?" She smirked.

Jack huffed. "How did you finish so quickly?"

"What took you so long? Do you need tutoring?" She laughed when Jack's shocked expression turned to a frown.

"How in the world did you do that so quickly?" He asked again.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just good." Her smile never faded as she looked at him.

"I bet it's wrong."

"Wanna bet?" She challenged him.

"Nope." He looked up when Mr. Callahan cleared his throat.

"Ms. Thatcher, would you like to share your answer?"

"Sure, Mr. Callahan." Elizabeth sat up straight and turned her paper over. "The answer is: The second derivative "f" is always positive. Hence, the graph of "f" is concave up on (-infinity, +infinity) and since "f" does not change sign, the graph of "f" has no point of inflection'."

Jack's head shot up and quickly looked at Elizabeth. She was most certainly gloating. He thought she was floating in her seat.

"Excellent Ms. Thatcher. Well done."

"Thank you, Mr. Callahan." Elizabeth cut her eyes toward Jack without turning her head. She chuckled at his surprised expression.

"How did you do that so quickly?"

"Oh Jarrick…you lost the bet. Now you owe me."

"We didn't bet."

Elizabeth tapped her chin with her finger. She was lost in thought.

"Good…grief…" Jack blinked rapidly. "How is she so stinking cute doing that?" He had no idea he voiced his words.

Elizabeth turned her head when she heard Jack. He may have struggled saying what was in his heart, but she could easily see it in his eyes. He was lovingly looking at her.

"Alright class…" Mr. Callahan began.

…

"Elizabeth Bennet has this issue with making first impression judgements too quickly without first learning the person. As bad as that is, the fact that she becomes cemented in that line of thinking caused her the most problems." Jack stole a glance at Elizabeth and grinned at her. "She faces the repercussions of those hasty judgements. When she sees the true person and who they really are, she is still very hesitant to change her thinking. She doesn't adjust to the facts. Granted, Mr. Darcy would portray one thing when he wasn't that way. His servants are the ones who set the record straight that Mr. Darcy is a pretty good guy. Even with that knowledge, Ms. Bennet is still reluctant to change her view of Mr. Darcy. Once she finally does…" Jack emphasized the word 'finally'. "They fall in love." Again, he looked toward his girlfriend.

"Very well stated, Mr. Thornton." Mrs. Williamson stated. "Anyone have any thoughts on this? Agree? Disagree?"

As a classmate began to speak, Jack sat taller in his seat. Elizabeth swore she thought she heard him giggle. She leaned over and playfully swatted his bicep.

"Mrs. Thatcher, if you disagree with someone's opinion, there is no need to turn to violence." Mrs. Williamson warned her with a serious expression. "Please apologize to Mr. Thornton."

"Oh…I agree with Mr. Thronton, Mrs. Williamson."

"Then why did you hit him?"

"Yeah, why did you hit me?" Teased Jack as he rubbed his arm.

Elizabeth glared at her boyfriend. She turned her attention back to her teacher. She wanted to defend herself but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Well, in the future, play nice with each other. I would hate to see what you would do to someone who you disagree with." Mrs. Williamson smiled and shook her head. The class laughed at the exchange.

"Yeah, Princess Beth, play nice."

Elizabeth cut her eyes at him and just glared at him. As much as she tried not to smile, she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from curling up. Maybe it was because of Jack's adorable smile or maybe it was the fact that he was still rubbing his arm like the little swat hurt.

"Toughen up, Mr. Thornton. I didn't hit you that hard." She sassed.

Charles sat a couple of rows away watching the exchange. He was fuming at the flirting between Jack and Elizabeth. He still couldn't believe Elizabeth would date this guy. She barely knew him. Now, she's openly flirting with him in front of everyone, including his friends.

Charles leaned over to Sam. "He pays for this at practice today." Charles' tone was a little icy.

Sam nodded his head. He turned his attention toward Jack and Elizabeth. His view hasn't really changed. Elizabeth could date anyone she wanted. For whatever reason, she picked this guy, Jack. He could care less. Jack did seem like a nice guy. He knew Charles was jealous because she wouldn't date him. Sam just thought Charles' ego took a huge blow and he wanted to make himself feel better.

…

Lunch was just as great as it was on the previous Friday. Jack, Elizabeth, Steph, and Connie joined the special ed group. The table was loud and joyful. Mrs. Johnston warned them a couple of times, but the table exuded joy. Elizabeth lost count how many times her, Connie, and Steph were called princess. Within this group, it was just their name. She was ok with the group calling her that. Their intention was not bad.

"Alright…alright…" An exacerbated Mrs. Johnston stated with ten minutes left in the lunch period. "As long as there isn't any yelling and no complaints from the other lunch monitors, have fun."

Her group let out a loud cheer. She just shook her head. She was grateful for their joy. It was beginning to rub off on her.

…

The final bell sounded, and everyone stood to grab their stuff. Elizabeth looked at Jack as they made their way out of the classroom with Connie.

"Hey Jack, is practice today?"

"Yeah Connie. It is."

Elizabeth looked at Connie and the look between them was understood.

"May I call you later?" Jack asked.

"Why do you even ask? Of course, you may."

Elizabeth and Connie walked with Jack to the gym and the boy's locker room door. "I'll talk to you later tonight." Jack squeezed Elizabeth's hand three times. She did the same thing. They both had a silly grin on their faces.

When Jack walked through the door, Connie turned to Elizabeth. "What was that about?"

"What?" Asked an innocent Elizabeth.

"Those silly grins."

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders.

"I could have turned my back if you two wanted to kiss." She playfully teased her friend.

"We haven't really kissed yet."

"What!?"

"Jack has kissed me on the cheek a few times and on the forehead once."

"Why on earth has he not kissed you yet?"

"Well…" Elizabeth's face turned red as she turned to walk out of the gym. She didn't say anything until they began to walk up the bleachers. "…he said he has wanted to, but he's nervous."

"Nervous?"

"Nervous and a little scared."

"Why would he be nervous and scared?"

"Connie!" Elizabeth stated in a hushed tone. "Neither one of us has kissed before. He said he is afraid he would mess it up."

"That's sad and cute all at the same time." Connie playfully teased.

"I think it's cute." Elizabeth smiled.

"You want him to kiss you…right?"

"Have you seen Jack Thornton?" Elizabeth sassed. "Those dimples…" She stated dreamily as she exaggerated waving a hand in front of her face to fan herself.

"Girl, you have it bad. Wait…! You're in love with him, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question.

"Come on Connie. You know me." Elizabeth stated as they sat down on the bleachers near the top corner. Steph joined them. They were trying to see without being seen by Jack.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Elizabeth's in love." Connie said it in a lovely dove voice.

"Of course, she is." Steph stated. "Have you seen her stare at him?"

"Steph!" Elizabeth exclaimed. There was no way she was going to share with her friends the conversation with Jack on Saturday nor about the hand squeezing, but she was having trouble convincing her friends due to the expression on her face.

"Elizabeth Marie…" Warned Steph and Connie.

"Elizabeth Marie Thronton…It sounds nice." Steph stated.

"Seriously?" Asked Elizabeth. She did love the sound of it.

Elizabeth was grateful when they heard basketballs beginning to bounce on the court. It drew the ladies' attention to the court and not on Elizabeth.

…

Tom sat at his desk looking over some photos on his computer. He had one of the body men take pictures of the crowd that was around William on Saturday. His thinking was pretty simple. William walked around the whole grounds during the picnic. If anyone was following him or paying him a little too much attention, he would be in several photos.

He noticed two individuals who were in several photos in different locations. In almost every photo, the two unknown people were looking toward William. They weren't too close but weren't too far away either. Tom counted eight different locations they were within sight of William.

"Hello sir. This is Tom Thornton. Would you please come and see me when you have a moment? I would like for you to look at something."

"Yes, Mr. Thornton. I'll be in your office in about twenty minutes."

"Thank you."

Tom leaned back on his chair. He interlocked his fingers behind his head. He was studying these two men with intent focus. He was trying to memorize everything about them. While they looked a little different, they looked enough alike that they had to be brothers or relatives. They had the same build. One was a little taller. Both had brown hair and one had a tattoo on his left wrist.

…

Elizabeth quickly looked up to see Jack. She was a little disappointed when he wasn't on the court yet. She just knew he would be in shorts and a tank top. She wasn't sure what they would practice in. She wasn't a sports person by any measure. She turned toward Connie when she spoke.

"There he is…"

"Who?" Steph and Elizabeth asked as they turned back to the court.

"The guy from history and lunch."

"Which one is he?"

"He's the third from the right in the red t-shirt. His name is Steven."

Elizabeth and Steph looked. "I don't remember seeing him."

"Of course you don't E. You only notice one guy."

"True…" Whispered Elizabeth.

"He's cute." Steph stated.

"Yeah." Connie whispered.

…

Jack just finished lacing up his left shoe. As he stood, Sam walked by and whispered to him. "Hey man…protect yourself out there, alright."

Jack looked at him confused.

"Just protect yourself out there, ok." Sam quickly glanced over his shoulder. Charles was standing with his back to them pulling his shirt over his head.

Jack nodded his head. "Thanks man."

Jack watched Sam walk out of the locker room with the first group of guys. He stood and pulled his tank top over his head. He kept a close watch on Charles. He knew Charles was upset that he was dating Elizabeth, but he never thought he would do something on the court. There were too many people around. When Charles looked up, Jack looked into his eyes. He saw hatred and anger.

Jack adjusted his tank top and turned to walk out.

…

"Mr. Thornton. How are you." Mr. McDaniels stated as he walked into Tom's office after knocking.

"I'm well. You?"

"Good. What may I do for you?"

Tom turned his laptop around. "Pat, do you know these two individuals?"

"Sure. That's Billy Hamilton. He's the taller one. The second guy is his brother, James Hamilton. Billy worked for me for a little while until he was fired for stealing. His brother was fired a little after. I don't know why. Was this photo taken this past Saturday?"

"It was."

"Why were they there? They're not employees any longer."

"That's a good question, Pat." Tom continued to stare at the photo. "What do you know about them?"

"Not a lot." Pat leaned back thinking through his memories.

…

Elizabeth sat up straighter when she noticed Jack stepping out of the locker room and onto the court. She loved seeing him in shorts and a tank top. She couldn't wait until his hair got a little wet and stuck to his forehead. Elizabeth shook her head. "Stop thinking that!" She demanded under her breath.

"What?" Steph asked. Connie was too busy looking at Steven.

"Nothing." Elizabeth never took her gaze off Jack.

Jack walked to the side of the gym where no one was at. He sat on the floor and began to stretch. He stretched for about ten minutes. Afterward, he jumped up and walked to the rack where there were a couple of basketballs left on the rack. He picked one up and began drippling it.

To Elizabeth, he looked like he was going through drills of just drippling. He has been on the court for about fifteen minutes, and he hasn't even taken a shot yet. Elizabeth wasn't sure if that was normal or not. She really wasn't a sports person. She just didn't know what to expect. Charles had tried to get her to attend some of his games, but she never went.

Elizabeth intently watched Jack dripple between his legs and around his back. He grabbed a second ball and was drippling with both hands. Elizabeth was intrigued with what she was watching Jack do. Finally, he threw one ball to the group of men around the basket. He drippled a couple more times and then took his first shot. She smiled when it through the net.

After a couple of minutes, Cory yelled for them to begin. Everyone placed their basketballs on the rack. They stood on the base line. They began to count. There were twelve guys. Odds were on one team and evens on the other team. Jack's team was odds and shirtless. Elizabeth didn't know why but she was excited that he didn't have his shirt on. Elizabeth began fanning herself with her hand. She blew out a long breath when he took his tank top off. "Good…heavens…" She whispered.

Steph bumped shoulders with her friend. "Are you ok? Are you breathing?"

"Define breathing?" Elizabeth stated. Her eyes glossed over as she stared at Jack. He had a way of making her feel things she never felt before or explain.

Jack took the ball out on top. He drippled a couple of times before he passed the ball to Cory, who was down by the basket. Charles dropped down to help double team Cory. When he saw this, he immediately passed the ball back out to Jack. He squared up and shot a three pointer. Charles ran out to him to defend the shot. Instead of jumping to block the shot, he reached down and hit Jack on the knee when he was in the air. It knocked Jack off balance, and he landed awkwardly and fell backwards on his back side. Even with that, he made the shot.

"Not cool Charles!" Stated Steven. "That's not cool at all!" His voice was a little cold.

"Come on man…" Sam stated as he tapped Charles on the back.

Charles just shrugged his shoulders. Jack stood without anyone helping him up.

"Your ball." Charles stated coldly as he tossed it to another guy.

"What was that about?" Elizabeth asked. They were far enough away that they couldn't hear what was said, but by everyone's body posture they knew something was wrong.

"I'm not sure." Connie stated. Steven said something to Charles after he did that to Jack. So did Sam. I couldn't hear it but judging by their body language, I don't think it was nice."

"Yeah…" Elizabeth leaned forward to the edge of the bleachers. She was even more interested in watching now.

Charles wasn't guarding Jack, but he kept his eye on him. He was waiting for his chance. Cory missed the shot and Charles' team rebounded and brought the ball out to set up a play. Jack was guarding the guy with the ball. They were on the right side of the court. Jack was in a good defensive position with his hands out toward the guy with the ball. Charles snuck up behind Jack to set a screen. The guy with the ball went left and Jack followed. Charles stepped in front of Jack with his shoulder down. It was like he was playing football. He lowered his shoulder and hit Jack with everything he had. Jack fell backwards and hit the ground with a loud thud. Elizabeth stood to her feet and covered her mouth with her hand. Even she knew something was wrong.

Cory came up and pushed Charles with both his hands. He knocked Charles down and stood over him. "What are you doing!?" Yelled Cory.

"What?" Defended Charles.

"That was dirty, and you know it!" Cory shouted. His voice was so loud it echoed throughout the gym. Cory continued to stand over Charles. He wouldn't let him up. Cory and Jack spoke a couple of times. They weren't friends by any stretch of the imagination. However, what Charles just did was dirty and uncalled for.

"That wasn't cool, man. Not cool at all." Sam stated shaking his head.

"What?" Charles stated with his arms out to his side as he sat up. "I was setting a screen." He tried to defend himself.

"Shut up!" Cory demanded. Six other players came behind Cory to stand. They were letting Charles know what he did was dirty and wrong.

"If you were to do that in a game, you would be thrown out." Sam stated. "Charles, that was wrong, and you know it."

"Come on…"

Sam turned his back on Charles. Cory still stood over him. He wasn't letting him off the hook that easily.

"You pull that crap again and I will end you." Cory stated with authority. The tone in his voice left no doubt. He pushed Charles' hand away when he reached up for Cory's hand to help him up.

Cory turned to check on Jack. Jack was already standing with a couple of guys around him. He was stretching his right shoulder to see if anything was wrong. It was hurting a little, but it wasn't too bad.

"You good?" Cory asked.

"Yeah man…I'm good." Jack stated.

"You sure?"

"Yeah…Let's play."

No one helped Charles up. He huffed when he finally stood.

"You're out!" Shouted Steven.

"Who says." Charles challenged.

"I do!" Charles heard several voices at the same time. He looked around and saw several players just looking at him. He huffed as he walked toward the bleachers.

When the guys began to play again, Elizabeth finally sat down. She paid closer attention to what they were doing out there. She noticed that Jack was favoring his right shoulder a little bit. She knew she needed to check on him later. She also needed to learn this game since Jack played it and was evidently pretty good at it.

"That was pretty intense." Connie stated.

"It was." Elizabeth stated as she continued watching Jack closely. For the rest of the hour practice, Charles never stepped foot on the court again. The team played well considering it was their first practice. The girls remained on top of the bleachers watching the guys.

…

Elizabeth and Connie kept vigil watch on the locker room door. Connie was hoping to see Steven. She didn't have the courage to talk to him, but that didn't stop her from wanting to see him. Elizabeth was just wanting to see Jack and check on him.

"Hey man, you ok?" Steven asked when he and Cory stopped by the bench Jack was sitting on tying his shoes.

"Yeah. I'm good. I think I may be a little sore tomorrow, but I'm good."

"Sorry man." Cory stated. "That was dirty. Everyone knows it."

"Yeah."

"I guess he's just jealous over you and Elizabeth."

Jack nodded his head.

"Hey man, can I ask you something?" Steven asked in a hushed tone.

Jack looked at him for a moment. "Sure. What's up?"

Steven leaned in. "You're dating Elizabeth, right?"

"Yeah." Jack whispered.

"She has a friend that's always around. About this tall with brown hair."

"Connie?"

"Yeah…that's her name."

Jack smiled. He understood Steven's whispering. "Connie's a great girl. She's funny and smart."

"She is." Steven's face turned a little red.

"You should talk to her."

"I don't know…" Steven slowly stated.

"She's a really nice girl. Any guy would be lucky to have her attention."

"Jack, she's out of my league."

"Steven, you've seen Elizabeth, right? I'm batting way over my head with her. She is way out of my league."

"How did you get her to date you? She always said she wouldn't date anyone in high school. A few have tried, including Charles on several occasions. That's why he is so mad at you."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Jack shook his head at the memory.

"Try me."

"Well, would you believe if I said that she made the first move?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Told you that you wouldn't believe me."

Steven opened the door. Cory walked through first followed by Jack and Steven. Jack smiled at his girlfriend who was standing against the wall with her two friends. Elizabeth perked up when she saw him. He was a little surprised she stayed. She always said she wasn't a sports girl.

Jack grabbed Steven's arm. He reached for Steven with his right arm. He winched at the little shot of pain in his shoulder. "Come with me." Jack whispered.

Steven looked up to see an embarrassed, yet smiling, Connie.

"Jack…" Steven whispered.

"Ten seconds of courage can change your life." Jack whispered toward Steven.

Jack looked toward Elizabeth. He gave her a deep dimpled smile. "Hey Princess Beth…what are you doing here?"

"Jarrick…" Elizabeth whispered. "…how are you?"

"I'm good."

"Jack…I saw what happened. I noticed you were favoring your shoulder."

"It's ok. I may be sore for a day or two. It's no big deal."

"Jarrick…" She tried to calm herself. "From what I can tell, what Charles did was uncalled for."

Jack nodded his head. He turned his attention to Steven.

"Steven, this is my girlfriend, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is Steven."

"Hey Steven. We have had some classes together."

"Yes. We never really talked much but we have had some classes together."

"Steven, this is one of Elizabeth's best friends, Connie. Connie, this is Steven. I guess you can say he was one of my protectors today."

"Hey." Both Connie and Steven said at the same time. They were so shy that you could barely hear them speak.

"I believe you have a class or two together."

Steven and Connie nodded their heads at the same time. They didn't take their eyes off each other.

Jack gave Elizabeth a knowing smile. He leaned in so he would whisper in her ear. "He likes her, but he was way too nervous to speak to her."

"She's the same."

Elizabeth looked at her best friend then turned her attention back to Jack. "Seriously, how are you?"

"I'm good. It hurts a little and I'm sure it will be sore for a few days, but I'm ok. I didn't hear anything pop or feel anything pull. I'm good."

"Why did Charles do that?"

Jack reached for her hand. He winced a little when he pulled her hand up a little. "Because of this."

"Because of us?"

"He's upset you are dating someone and it's not him." Steven spoke but never looking away from Connie."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked.

"I thought you were dating him. Everyone did. We all knew you said you wouldn't date in high school, but we all did think that you and Charles were a couple."

Elizabeth only looked at Steven as he spoke. She tightened her hold on Jack's hand. She wasn't going to let him go. "Steven, we never dated."

"I hear you, but we all honestly thought you were. You both acted like it. Plus, he told everyone you two were."

"Jack…"

"I know, Princess Beth…I know." Jack's tone lowered a little.

"Jack, my name is Elizabeth."

"Why does he call you Princess Beth?"

"He's trying to start trouble." Elizabeth cut her eyes toward Jack.

"Is it true that you made the first move?" Steven asked.

"Milkshake?" Elizabeth tried to change the subject.

"Sure. You two are coming right?" Jack asked Connie and Steven.

…

"Mom! Mom!" Tom shouted as he came down from his bedroom.

"What?"

"Can I go out with friends this coming weekend?"

"Who all is going?"

"Peter and Jammie from my first period class. Julie, Elizabeth's younger sister, and three other people I don't know very well."

"Sure. Curfew is at ten."

"Jack's is at eleven."

"Jack is two years older."

"So…ten thirty?"

"Let's do nine thirty."

"Mom, you don't know how to negotiate."'

"I negotiate like a mother."

"Fine…ten it is."

Charlette shook her head. Tom was always trying to get by with a few things. She wondered if she should have been worried about her son and Julie, but Tom had never been one to seriously speak to a girl for very long. He was always running from one girl to another. Never mind he wasn't allowed to date yet.

…

While Jack and Elizabeth enjoyed sitting with Steven and Connie, they wanted a few moments to themselves. To Connie's shock and insistent opposing of them leaving, Jack and Elizabeth excused themselves from the booth. Elizabeth leaned over and hugged Connie and kissed her on the cheek. "Payback." She smirked. "You needed a push off the cliff." Elizabeth sassed whispering in her ear.

"You're not pushing…you're throwing me off the cliff."

"Payback." Elizabeth smirked with a grin.

Jack paid for their milkshakes and chili cheese fries. Then the young couple walked out to the parking lot where Elizabeth's mini coop was parked. Like always, Elizabeth parked on the side of the café's building. Jack's bike was beside her car locked to a light pole. Elizabeth chuckled when they turned the corner and she saw Jack's bike. He was the only guy she knew that didn't want a car.

"Are you laughing at my bike?" Jack teased.

"Maybe." She laughed while trying to speak.

He bumped his shoulder into her shoulder as they approached her car. He flinched a little. He forgot about his shoulder hurting a little.

"So…what's that all about?" She nodded toward his shoulder.

When they reached her car just a few moments later, they both leaned against her driver's side door. He took a moment to try to state it the right way.

"Is it because of what Steven said?"

Jack nodded his head.

"Charles did all of that today at practice because I'm dating you?" Her voice was dripping with unbelief.

"Yeah…He's upset you're not dating him."

"I just can't believe he did that. From what Cory and Steven did during practice, that was a dirty play."

"It was dirty. He's just upset about it all."

"I just can't believe it. He knew we weren't dating. He knew we weren't going to date. None of that was a secret to him. "

"He always held out hope."

"I guess but he knew better."

Jack nodded his head. He is trying to do what his father told him to do concerning Charles, but today was totally crossing the line. The play was dirty and now Jack's shoulder is hurting. Plus, Steven was just another person to mention Charles and Elizabeth dating.

"You really don't know anything about sports?"

"No. I've never been to a basketball game. I only went to one football game. That was last year. Charles talked me into going. It's just not my thing." She flinched when she realized that sounded like a date. She simply shook her head.

"For two people who weren't dating, you two sure acted like it." He turned his gaze to the pavement in front of his feet.

"Are you telling me you didn't have anyone wanting to date you?"

"Last year there was a girl named Mary. She pushed really hard, but we didn't have the friendship you and Charles have. We never spent time alone together."

"Are you going to be ok?" She wanted to stop talking about Charles. She was pretty upset with him. Plus, she noticed Jack rubbing his shoulder and where his gaze was directed.

"Sure. It'll heal in a few days or so. It's getting sore. I may need to ice it tonight."

Elizabeth leaned into Jack, so they were touching shoulders. She couldn't believe her friend would do what he did during practice. Charles was never a dirty guy like that. He was always friendly. She tried to reconcile what she knew of her friend to what she saw and learned today. Things just didn't make sense to her.

"Are we ok?" Jack asked.

"Of course, we are ok. I'm upset with Charles for acting the way he did. That's just not like him, but I saw it with my own eyes."

"I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong."

"He's upset because of me and you."

"Well, he needs to understand that I am dating you. If he is struggling with that, then he needs to come to an understanding or he will close off our relationship."

"Are you ok if he doesn't come to that understanding?"

"I won't be happy about it. We have been friends since we were four years old." She noticed Jack was still looking at the ground in front of his feet instead of her. "Jack, you need to listen to me." She waited until she had Jack's full attention. "I choose to date you. If he is a true friend, he will be happy for me."

"But he isn't happy for you."

"No, the ball is in his court."

"You're actually using a sport's metaphor?" Jack laughed.

"I guess that is what happens when I date a jock."

"I better be going home. I need to ice my shoulder and I do have some homework."

"Yes, you should study a little harder on math. You're falling behind a little." She teased as the smile grew on her face.

"Funny, Princess Beth."

Elizabeth huffed. "My name is Elizabeth."

"You need to study your history. After all, history repeats itself if it isn't learned."

She looked at Jack for a moment. She didn't know if he was kidding her about his excellence in history or if it was something concerning Charles.

Jack turned to face her. He reached for both of her hands and gently squeezed them. He took a half a step closer. "Are you busy this Saturday?"

"I am during the late morning, but not after eleven." Her smile growing hoping this was going where she wanted it to go.

"Well…I have met your parents and you have met mine."

"We have."

"I have already asked your father for permission."

"For permission?" She asked smiling. "Ask me already!" She impatiently stated trying not to bounce on her feet.

"Elizabeth…would you go out with me this Saturday?"

"Jarrick…I thought you were never going to ask." Elizabeth smiled as she stared into Jack's hazel eyes. She was losing herself in those eyes. Jack waited what felt like hours for her to answer, but she never did.

"Well…?"

"I would love to go out with you."

She laughed when he let out a soft breath. "Were you really nervous?"

"Absolutely!"

"Silly guy." She shook her head.

"I really need to be going…"

"You've said that already." She flirted.

Jack leaned in very slowly. It was as if he was asking permission. Elizabeth's breath caught in her lungs. His actions were causing her heart to beat out of her chest. She tried to breathe in, but no air was filling her lungs. She couldn't move or think. Jack closed the remaining distance with a small smile. He placed his lips on the corner of her mouth. His lips didn't touch her lips, but they were intimately close. Jack's smile grew when she shivered.

"Text later?" He asked when he finally pulled away.

She couldn't speak. She simply nodded her head.