A/N: To give a sense of time in the story, we are approaching August right now.
Just because I can see the ending doesn't mean we still don't have a lot to cover! Plenty of drama and laughs and sweet moments to go.
Miranda woke up next to her husband who was stirring. She sat up and wandered over to her daughter's door when she noticed it was open. The mom peeked inside and saw that Jenna was gone. Her bed was made and the room otherwise completely straight. Not a sock or pen on the floor. Dirty clothes were in the hamper. Gary came up behind her, yawning.
"Where's our daughter?" he asked.
"Good question..." Miranda said with a click of her tongue. "I remember seeing her last night."
"Think she was kidnapped?" shrugged Gary.
She shot him a "WTF is wrong with you" glare.
"I'm just spit-balling here!"
They both could now sniff something cooking downstairs.
"Someone kidnapped Jen and is...making breakfast?"
Miranda held her forehead as she brushed past him as she went down the steps.
The parents were dumbfounded to see Jenna hovering over a hot stove, big skillet in her left hand.
"Good morning!" said Gary.
The teen whipped around in surprise but kept the pan good and steady.
"Morning, dad! Mom!" she smiled.
"What's going on here?" Miranda queried.
"Have a big day, and I wanted to get an early start, so I went to bed early and set my alarm." Jen looked down and chuckled. "You guys want some eggs, too? My dumb ass made too much."
"Eggs sound nice," Miranda smiled back. "How are we taking them today?"
"I tried sunny side up and..." she tilted the pan to show they were scrambled.
Gary laughed and relieved his daughter of the cookware.
"No worries, these will do sweetheart!"
"I'll get some toast and, honey you want some coffee?"
Jen pointed to the maker by the fridge.
"Oh! I already started it."
Indeed, the urn was full of hot fresh java. Impressed, Miranda took the steaming beverage and grabbed a couple mugs from the cupboard. She handed a cup to Gary, who blew on it before taking a cautious sip.
"So... what's on the agenda today?" he asked.
"Just going to practice with the girls..." Jen replied as she plated some eggs and poured some hot sauce on them. "Maybe go out with Billy later."
"No work today?" asked Miranda.
The tall girl shook her head and with a mouthful answered, "Tomorrow."
With her free hand, she showed her mom her phone. Jen had a "to do" app that listed everything in order of day and time of day, sorted by color. Red was next, yellow was soon and green was later. She had her workdays marked down for this week and next week.
"Gotta say, this is really great...but..." her eyes squinted at the screen. "No improv group?"
Jenna yawned and grabbed two slices of toast once they popped up. She forked some of her tobacco-covered eggs onto the bread making a hasty breakfast sandwich.
"Nah," the girl sighed before taking a big bite of her concoction. "It's just been too much," she uttered in the midst of chewing.
Upon swallowing, she took a quick sip of apple juice.
"Just been doing a lot of thinking and... you guys were right."
Gary and Miranda looked at each other.
"Everybody's been saying the same thing... I was doing too much, and I could be more organized."
"That's really nice to hear, Jen" her mother nodded. "And since you were nice enough to make breakfast for us, leave the dishes so you can get going."
"Really?" smiled Jenna with her last mouthful of egg sandwich.
"That's how I was raised," smirked Gary. "Someone cooks for you, least you can do is the dishes."
Jenna got the message. She loved her parents, and she had been taking them for granted lately. When they make dinner next time, she will jump in to clean up. It's only fair.
"Thanks, guys!"
She carefully set down her plate and fork, hugged and kissed both her folks and bolted upstairs to get her things.
"Okay, who was that and what has she done with our little girl?"
Miranda lightly smacked Gary on the arm.
"Not so little anymore, hon."
Jackie passed the ball to Alyssa, who faked to Georgina only to end with a shot.
"Alright!" Tambry clapped. "Good fake-out!"
"Yo, 'Gina!" Alyssa shouted, tossing the ball her way. "Let's test that jump shot."
Georgina positioned herself and bounced up with her best foot, sending the orange ball flying.
SWISH!
"Hell, yeah!" she clapped. "But I want to try dunking next."
Jenna held her face in her hands with a swooning expression.
"Aww, you want to be like me?"
"Why not?" Georgina asked, making a face. "I'm pretty tall myself!"
"Let's see it, girl!" winked Jackie.
Georgina smirked and dribbled the ball, her teammates playing defense. She slinked her way around the opposition and headed to the basket. She jumped up but fell a few inches short of the rim and missed.
"Damn!" she huffed. "I was close."
Jenna ran up to her and patted her on the back, as she was hunched over.
"You alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," Georgina replied. "I just don't know what I'm doing wrong."
"I've seen this before. Some people find trouble doing a dunk with two feet. Think of your jump shot back there, launch yourself on one foot instead."
She gazed at the net and back at Jenna.
"Think it'll make a difference?" she asked.
Jenna grinned and picked up the orphan ball and started a layup and ended with a picture-perfect dunk, the rim shaking even after she let go.
Applause from beyond the court was audible. The girls turned to see an enthusiastic blond boy clapping for them.
"Who's that?" asked Tambry.
Jenna grinned, passed the rock to Georgina and came running to the boy.
"Babe!" he exclaimed. "That was amazing! I knew you played but I didn't know you were a beast."
"Billy! What are you doing here?"
"Well, I had nothing going on today and I wanted to see you and... your dad said you were here."
"Oh, okay."
He looked over at the group of girls staring in their direction.
"Who are they? Your old Pitney friends?"
"Kind of," Jenna shrugged. "We're actually practicing...or, um...they're practicing and I'm helping out the captain. She's an old friend."
He began to fully take in the sight of his girlfriend, in shorts and a tank, all sweaty. Not to mention how a second ago she was leaping through the air like a damn superhero.
(This is pretty hot.)
"You're not free tonight, are you?" he asked.
"I am," she sighed. "And I know you are, too!"
The blond boy smirked.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That we capitalize on this work-free night and go on a real date?"
He shrugged, "I mean...it's been a minute since we did."
Jen smiled, unable to take her eyes off her boyfriend. But her brain sent the reminder that they still had more practice.
"Well, I need to get back."
Billy nodded.
"Okay, would you mind if I sat and watched? I... never really seen this other part of you."
Jenna blushed.
He knew about her past prior to Hollywood Arts and while he wasn't a big sports guy, he would listen intently because Jenna had a knack for painting a picture. When she would reminisce about an old game, you felt like you were there. Billy only imagined how she looked then, and it turned out better than he ever imagined.
Again, hot as hell. Jade made a mental note that if she wanted to turn him into butter, just show up wearing a basketball jersey.
"Oh, sure."
"One thing first?" he asked.
"What?"
"A kiss? It's been a while."
She bit her lip and kissed him through the gap in the chain link fence.
This was met with "oooohs" from the other girls on the court.
"Whoops," he chuckled. "Forgot there were other people. Now that I'm done embarrassing you, I'll just take my seat."
Jenna nodded and turned to see the gawking faces awaiting her.
"Hey, pretty boy!" shouted out Alyssa. "You got a brother?"
Late afternoon, Jenna and Billy decided to have a nice lazy mall date. It didn't matter, as long as they were together, and they weren't on the clock. They had difficulty deciding where to eat but that Auntie Anne's stand looked really good. And smelled amazing, too.
They went and got in the ten-person line. Nothing like a mid-mall snacking to tide you over while you mulled over where to have dinner.
"Yeah, I haven't seen much of Lauren except at the store."
"She must really be getting into it," Billy said. "We're proud of our girl. She needed this."
"I'm still sorry the audition didn't go well for you, babe."
Billy shrugged.
"Hey, gave it my best shot. Just don't have the vocals."
"Maybe Lauren can give you some singing lessons sometime?" she suggested.
He nodded with a grin.
"And when I get better, I can serenade you outside your window like in a movie!"
Jen's eyes widened.
"Oh, no, that's...you don't have to do that, really..." she chuckled.
Jenna then held up her arm, which made Billy stop.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Abby," she replied.
"Who's Abby?"
"Wait right here. I'll be back."
Billy hung back while Jenna made a b line to the food court.
"Hey!"
The tall girl turned away from the girls she was talking to, and her eyes widened with recognition.
"Jenna," she sighed. "What a surprise."
"What the hell, Abbs?" she asked with her arms crossed.
Abby rolled her eyes and gestured for Jenna to walk with her away from the others.
"What's your beef, Parker?"
"Don't be coy!" she huffed. "How could you? How could you turn your back on the Dragons like that?"
Abby ran her fingers through her light brown hair.
"Oh, for fuck's sake. This old thing."
"Old thing? You mean how you instigated a mass exodus from the team, leaving Tambry to make a team out of a bunch of newcomers? These girls just came off a shitty season and in their needy hour, you just abandon ship?!"
"Fuck YOU, Jenna!" Abby pointed. "I don't need your ass to tell me what last year was like. I was there, bitch! And I was sick and tired of losing practically every game! You have NO idea what a shit show it was, and everyone in school looking at you for answers!"
Jenna sighed and closed her eyes.
"And furthermore, Parker; Steph was the first to leave. So, get your shit straight! You also left, too."
"Don't even go there, Abby! Don't you dare!"
Jenna grabbed Abby by the hand and led her behind a wall adjacent to double service doors used by maintenance. The conversation was getting a bit heated, and they needed more privacy than they had before.
"In the interest of getting shit straight, Abby, remember; I changed schools. I didn't quit!"
Abby held her tongue and leaned against the blue wall.
"Hollywood Arts has no basketball team!" Jenna clarified. "And even if they did, I would NEVER join them because of the possibility of playing against my old school. That's called loyalty..."
Abby shook her head, muttering how this girl was high roading her. Jen just ignored the rude interruption and brought her point home.
"...Leaving Pitney is NOT the same as turning my back on the Dragons!"
"What is this all about?" grumbled Abby, holding the bridge of her nose. "Because this powwow sounds like you're convincing yourself more than me."
"Yeah, I admit it. I fucked up. I had to confront my mistake the last few weeks. Just because I was no longer on the team, I still should've shown my support. I wasn't avoiding my friends, but I didn't exactly make the effort. That's what I have to atone for. But you? Tambry deserved better than being the only senior on the team in every sense of the word!"
Jenna said her peace and started walking but turned after a few steps.
"I left, sure. And Steph switched sides. But you? You just stood on the sidelines when your team needed you most. Tambry is captain of the ship now. And I am going to do my best to keep them from sinking."
Abby looked on as her old teammate vanished from sight.
"You alright?" asked Billy, holding two soft pretzels.
"Yeah," she said with a small smile accepting the warm treat. "Just needed to get something off my chest."
"To Abby? Is she a friend?"
"Frankly, I don't know what we are right now."
Billy put his arm around her and kissed her cheek, which made her smile broaden. She was really glad they did this. Jenna was grateful for the wonderful people in her life (family, old and new friends), and she will never take them for granted.
A/N: I like getting to this part of the story because we get to see how much our characters have grown since we started.
Jenna learned a little time management can go a long way, and this will serve her well as an adult. And that was quite the reunion between her and Abby. Jen had a lot to get off her chest but to her credit, she didn't shy away from where she herself failed her team. It wasn't fair that she was shouldering all of the guilt, so Abby needed to hear this.