Title: The Famous are a Fickle Beast
Summary: Rewrite of the Ricky Weaver Episode where we see a little more into Kim's mind and experiences. Although she's been looking forward to this evening, she must quickly reconcile that celebrities are not all they're cracked up to be. The famous, much like fame, she learns, are a fickle beast.
Author's note: Idk guys I tried to do something different with the title because usually they're all just either a line from the story or a stupid two-word title that describes the story. I was trying to be creative. Anyways, it's been a little while. This was another re-write that had been in my mind for a while and I finally started it over the summer. I came back to it a few times and today was the day I decided I should touch it up enough to post. Plus with the very brief TikTok ban, it gave me a moment to realize I could be doing more productive things with my time, such as refining my writing skills. So here I am. Hope you enjoy.
Kim looked in the mirror, studying the girl in front of her. She looked good. Her dress was gorgeous and her makeup fairly simple, but beautiful nonetheless. The gloss on her lips shone brightly and her hair curled just so… She felt like a princess and her prince was a super cute pop star that was here for her. It was literally every girl's dream come true.
She had to admit, her little crush on Ricky Weaver was just that. Until she met him in real life and realized she could actually talk to him. She had a chance to get to know him as a person, maybe even be his friend. It seemed way more real now and she allowed herself to soak in this whole new experience. It was going to be a night to remember, she was sure of it.
Jack had ruined everything.
At least, that's what Kim told herself to make her feel better about everything.
She'd shown up at the school, thrilled. Then Jack had come running in, babbling about Ricky like some jealous wannabe. Kim tried to ignore him, but Jack was being incredibly insistent.
He kept going on about how Ricky wasn't what she thought he was, and that she needed to be careful, and he was shallow and predictable and a million other things. Honestly, Kim was sick of it. It all sounded like a bowl of word salad if you asked her.
She'd finally pushed Jack out of mind, ready to focus on Ricky and her once-in-a-lifetime chance, when Jack literally grabbed her and tried to pull her away, stopping her from getting on stage.
Thankfully, she'd been able to shake him off, but she couldn't get over it. Jack, although he was strong and skilled, never used his strength against her. He never used muscle to get what he wanted. He respected her too much to simply overpower her just to get his way. Except clearly he was angry enough to try and stop her tonight.
Now the concert had ended and Ricky had immediately asked someone to take Kim back to his dressing room.
She was alone for a few moments and now she couldn't get Jack out of her head.
Why had he been so insistent? Why did he hate Ricky so much? Was he just jealous? Jack got jealous sometimes, but this seemed a little extreme. He wouldn't just ruin her day for no reason, but Kim couldn't for the life of her figure out what was so important that he felt like it was necessary to crush her dreams.
"So what did you think?"
Kim was snapped back to reality when Ricky's loud, jovial voice echoed throughout the room as he walked in.
"It was a good concert, wasn't it?"
Kim offered Ricky a small smile as she tried to pull her thoughts together. Forget Jack, this was her moment with Ricky. She couldn't screw this up.
"Um, yeah," she nodded. "Really good. Hey, thanks again for letting me be a part of it."
"Yeah, it's whatever," Ricky said, shrugging at her like it was no big deal. Kim noticed he looked comfortable. Like he was calm and confident. He walked around the room like he owned the place and it was a little staggering just how comfortable he was at the moment. Kim was kind of jealous, she was still very much uncomfortable. "I mean you earned it with that little essay thing you wrote, didn't you?"
Kim smiled again, finding that his answer kind of irked her but not fully knowing why. She had won the contest with her essay and that was the reason Ricky was here. She was probably just nervous. Ricky was a big celebrity, this is probably how they all acted. He'd done this a thousand times, that's why he was so comfortable right now.
"So, you wanna stick around for a little?" Ricky asked, walking over to a table set up with snacks and treats. He combed through all the little options, popping a few into his mouth. Suddenly Kim felt weird again. Should she have helped herself to the table? No, that's weird. But Ricky was and if she was as chill and comfortable as he was then she would have done the same thing he did. Ugh, this was a disaster. She had to focus. No more overthinking everything.
"Oh, um, sure," Kim said, wondering what Ricky could possibly want to do. Was she about to hang out with Ricky Weaver? Grace was never going to get over this.
Honestly, Kim couldn't believe her luck. What if she got his number? What if they became friends?
Would he invite her to his concerts? Would she get to wait for him backstage at all of them?
"You from here?" Ricky asked, coming over to the couch Kim was sitting on and plopping himself comfortably across from her.
"Yeah. Well, kind of," she amended with a nervous sort of laugh. "I was born in Tennessee, but I've lived here for a while now."
There was a short, awkward silence after Kim finished and she internally cursed herself for being so weird and awkward. Why couldn't she just be cool? Why did she stop talking? Why didn't she have a more interesting answer? Why didn't she add another funny detail to make him laugh? Ugh, she felt so stupid.
"Southern Belle, then?" Ricky asked with a small smirk, seeming to have not noticed the awkward pause. Kim was glad. She still had time to act like she was cool.
"Um, yeah, I guess so," she chuckled, not finding it funny at all but not knowing how she was supposed to act right now.
"Bet you're a good girl and all that. Got your Nana's middle name?"
Kim nodded a few times as she bit her lip. Did she ever? What girl under the age of 60, besides her, had a middle name like Bealuh?
"Yeah, actually, haha. How'd you know?" Kim said, kicking herself mentally. Why was she being so weird? He was throwing around all these quips and she couldn't give him an answer with more than 3 meaningful words. Ugh. This was a complete and utter disaster.
"'S my secret talent," Ricky winked. Kim watched as he kept his gaze focused on her. Like he was waiting to see her reaction. Like he wanted her to laugh and idolize everything he said and did. It struck Kim as odd. A little... stuck up?
Yesterday, she would have obliged and laughed. Heck, even a few hours ago she would have laughed. But right now, she was just starting to feel really weird. She couldn't quite pinpoint why, though she tried.
Ricky used to be her idol but now she was realizing he was just a guy. Just some random kid that got famous. He wasn't anything too special. He was awkward. He was self-absorbed and cocky. He was not very interesting to talk to. She was usually a great conversationalist, but it was like Ricky was making it even harder for her to talk.
"If you want, I can show you some of my other secret talents," Ricky added, his voice getting lower and quiet. He scooted closer to Kim and reached a hand out, letting it sit on the fabric of the couch cushion right by Kim's leg. By her thigh.
This was definitely getting weird, Kim decided.
There wasn't anything overtly wrong with the way he positioned his hand but Kim didn't like the feeling it put in her stomach. She felt… icky. No boy had ever put his hand so close to her like that, not on purpose. Once Milton had accidentally brushed his hand against her and he immediately screamed and ran off. He stayed at least three feet away from her for two weeks after the incident. It had been overkill, but that was the kind of behavior Kim was used to, not... this. Maybe she wasn't cut out for celebrity friends.
"Um, you know, I should probably…"
Ricky followed Kim's gaze to the door, her escape.
"Come on," Ricky drawled casually. "You're backstage with Ricky Weaver. Don't think about anyone else right now. Enjoy the moment!"
Kim looked back at Ricky uneasily. He was Ricky Weaver but that didn't change that she still felt-
"Here, I know what. You have to try this chocolate. It's the best thing I've ever eaten. Come here, let me get you some."
Suddenly Jack, of all things, popped into her mind. Jack was so insistent that something was wrong with Ricky. Surely it was just jealousy that drove him to make those accusations? And maybe Jack had seen some of this side of Ricky: the boring, imperfect, awkward side. But staying just a little longer, getting free fancy food, and adding it all to her list of life experiences couldn't be bad, right? She was backstage, that was cool, wasn't it? She didn't have to interact with Ricky for it to be cool.
With a steady smile, Kim nodded. Why not?
"Okay."
Ricky smiled back and Kim couldn't help but let her nerves settle a little. Ricky was a nice guy. Boring, but nice. She'd take advantage of the free food and lavish couches, and then leave.
When Ricky grabbed the small chocolate ball, Kim started to lift her hand to take it. Instead of handing it over, Ricky instead directed the ball toward her mouth.
"Take a bite," he encouraged with a smile.
"Oh," Kim laughed a little. She wasn't expecting him to hand-feed her, nobody ever did that with their friends anywhere she had ever been.
Still, she took a small bite. Ricky was right, it was a delicious cake pop. Just the right amount of chocolatey richness and creamy texture.
"That's amazing!" Kim gasped, forgetting about the other things.
Ricky laughed at her, enjoying watching her discover such a delicious treat.
"Here, take the rest."
Kim happily grabbed it and took another bite, moaning a little as she chewed. It really was one of the best things she'd ever eaten.
"Here, try one of these too," Ricky said, stepping back a little to grab another little cookie thing off a tray.
Kim popped the rest of the chocolate in her mouth and followed Ricky to grab the cookie.
"What is it?" she asked curiously, inspecting it.
"Not exactly sure. Danish, I think," Ricky shrugged. "All I know is it is delicious. Go on, try it."
Kim took a bite, finding it to be quite good, just as Ricky had said. Maybe not as good as the chocolate, but still amazing. It was soft and sweet and so good.
When she finished off the cookie she looked up at Ricky just in time to see him step toward her.
"Woah," she said quietly, trying to step back to match his step. In her heels, she was more uncoordinated and Ricky wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. She didn't need steadying, but he did it anyway.
Honestly, Kim didn't like it. It should have thrilled her that Ricky Weaver was touching her in such a caring way, but she couldn't help but feel like it was fake. Like some kind of performance. That made it worse and Kim hated that now she didn't quite feel comfortable at all, even eating delicious snacks.
"Sorry," Ricky apologized breathily. "You look flushed. Let me get you a drink."
"Oh-"
Before Kim could refuse and say she was fine, Ricky was already walking off. She noted that it also bothered her that he acted like he knew what was best for her. It would have been cute and romantic if it was genuine, but it all felt so showy and practiced. Like he was following some script on how to charm a girl. Again, she felt like she was just some prop in his performance and it wasn't at all something she was enjoying.
Kim watched him as he disappeared around the corner, crouching down behind another couch and table. It was an odd place to be getting a drink from, and Kim wondered why the drinks weren't placed out in the open on the table with the snacks. It seemed logical to her, but maybe that's not the way it was done in the celebrity world.
"Sorry," he called, lifting his head enough to look at her. It was supposed to be reassuring. "Just looking for some water."
Kim nodded, turning around and using this as an opportunity to look around in a few rare moments of partial privacy. It was weird in here, Kim realized. The room was just a room in the school, but furniture, tables, and curtains had all been brought in to make it more like a backstage room/changing area. It was such an odd combination and her mind couldn't fully wrap itself around the concept. She was at school but also backstage with a pop star. How odd.
The blend of two worlds had her even more confused about how to act and feel. Bright and popular and snappy like she was at school? Or maybe clean and demure and gracious like a fan of Ricky's should be? Kim wasn't sure and instead, she felt like she was nervous and confused and awkward. No confidence, no filter, no logic, or knowledge of social situations. This was not what she thought it would be.
"Ah! Got it," Ricky said, finally standing up.
Kim let out a laugh, even though she really didn't think anything was funny. Why was she like this? She was never going to enjoy herself if she kept being so weird in everything she said and did.
Ricky just smiled that charming little grin and walked around the couch. Kim looked at the snack table, again wondering why there hadn't just been water and drinks there. Maybe the cooler was just behind the couch cause that's where someone put it. Still weird, but maybe it was easier to access drinks that way. Whatever.
When Kim turned back around, Ricky was walking by the door, his hand twisting the lock and then quickly checking to make sure the handle wouldn't move. He not only had locked the door, but he was double-checking that it was locked. Like he wanted to make sure nobody could get in.
It seemed strange. Why would Ricky want the door locked? He had a security team and every person in the school had been checked out. There shouldn't have been any threats that he would be worried about.
The only answer Kim could come up with was that Ricky had something planned. Ricky knew something that she didn't. There was a feeling in her gut that was screaming at her that the something he had planned was something bad. Maybe that's why Ricky was taking so long to get the water. Maybe he was putting his plan in motion. Maybe that's what Jack had been trying to tell her all along. Maybe she should have listened to Jack. Maybe Ricky was going to do something illegal or dangerous. Something he didn't want anyone, including his security team, to know about.
It seemed far-fetched but… all the pieces added up.
Kim quickly looked away before Ricky could turn around and see that she saw what he was doing. She needed time to figure out what was going on before it got too far or before she made a scene about confronting him. Maybe it was nothing, but if it was something she didn't want to be caught off guard.
She turned around a few seconds later, smiling at him and hoping he didn't catch her peeking.
He had an odd look on his face. It was like he was studying her. She needed to do something to distract him.
"So what do you think of Seaford?" she asked, smiling big. Wait, too big. She softened it a little, letting out a giggle.
The giggle seemed to do the trick and Ricky smiled back, handing Kim the water.
Kim looked down at it, actually grateful to have it because it would give her something to do. But when she was just about to lift a hand to unscrew the top she hesitated.
The seal was broken.
This was bad. This was very very bad.
It could have been Ricky being nice. It could have been him opening it for her, but that little voice in her mind was screaming, shouting, yelling at her to not drink it. If she didn't drink it and nothing was wrong, nothing would happen. But if she drank it and something was wrong, she was positive it would be a decision she would forever regret.
Her dad, Rudy, even Jack, had all taught her to trust her instincts. This was her trusting that she needed to be wary of Ricky.
She couldn't let him know she was on to him, not yet. She didn't have an exit plan. So instead, she just kept a charming little smile and pretended like nothing was wrong at all as she awaited Ricky's response.
"Oh it's great," Ricky said. "But really, I think I like the people a lot more."
The way Ricky was looking at her, Kim supposed it was supposed to be a flirty little line. She gave him a laugh because she knew it was what he was looking for. She had to play along.
She gave the water another quick glance. There was nothing odd about it, no bubbles or color changes, but Milton had once informed her that some drugs were invisible to the human eye. Especially common date rape drugs. You couldn't see a difference between a spiked drink versus a safe one. That's when Jerry had piped up about his older cousin telling him that she never drinks water that isn't sealed when she is with people she doesn't know. Parties, restaurants, bars, the gym. At the time, Kim had noted it all, adding it to her mental list of life rules to follow. Now she was glad she had heard those stories and facts. It gave her confidence in at least one thing.
She was not drinking this water.
"Not thirsty?" Ricky asked, eyeing the water too. His gaze lingered on it just a little too long.
"Oh," Kim laughed, holding the bottle up slightly. "Yeah, I think I'm good."
She set the water down on the side table, trying to figure out how to leave without being a total weirdo. As many blaring red lights as there seemed to be, Kim couldn't get over how weird it would be to just spontaneously run from the room. As much as that might be the best move, she would never recover from the embarrassment of that action if anybody ever found out and if she was wrong. If Ricky really didn't have any bad intentions, she'd be a major freak and she couldn't handle that thought. She had to leave right now but in a normal way.
"You want soda? I have basically anything," he chuckled.
Kim shook her head, she didn't want to risk anything in any other drink either. "No, really, I'm okay," she insisted. She needed to get out before things got too far. "Look, Ricky, this has been great, but really, I think I should go."
Ricky watched her for another second before he nodded. "Okay. I understand. But listen, before you go, I have a little gift for you. Just something for you to remember tonight by."
Kim followed him warily as he picked up a small box off the corner of the end table, thoroughly confused.
It looked like some expensive jewelry box…
"Oh-"
"Just a little something to go with your sexy little dress you've got on," he smirked, eyeing Kim before looking down at the small box.
He opened it, presenting Kim with a beautiful necklace with one of the biggest pendants she had ever seen. It was much more flashy than something she would ever wear but she was sure it was meant to look expensive.
Then before Kim could refuse the fanciest gift she'd ever seen, suddenly Ricky was on her. He was grabbing her and pulling her against him. His hands tried to find a place on her neck and back while he quickly leaned in for a kiss.
Kim reacted immediately, shoving him back harshly and stepping away.
Ricky stumbled, clearly not expecting such an immediate and harsh reaction.
"Hey!" she shouted, her heart racing.
She was not overreacting. Not about anything.
Not only had Ricky dived in for a kiss without her permission, it wasn't a small, sweet kiss like she used to dream of. She had read and seen and heard enough to know what kind of a kiss that was supposed to be, and what it would lead to, and Kim wanted nothing to do with it.
"Oh come on, every girl wants a kiss from Ricky Weaver," Ricky said, marching himself toward Kim again like he wasn't deterred from the shove she'd given him. Like he was the greatest thing she would ever have the pleasure of being with. Like she just needed him to get all over her a second time for her to realize she did want it. "I can give you even more-"
"Back up!" she shouted, remembering all the lessons Rudy had spent telling her that distance and volume were her friends in any confrontation like this. She was small but she had a big attitude. Her voice was a powerful tool. It made her big.
"You're not the first one to play hard to get," Ricky chuckled, his eyes dark and evil. "Makes it all the more memorable. If you take a sip of that water there I promise it'll calm you right down and this'll go smoother for all of us."
The implication of his words hit Kim like a train right in the gut. 'Hard to get' to guys like him meant non-consensual. It was their way of acting like it was all just a silly game when in reality it was a crime. And he basically admitted to trying to drug her so she'd feel and think less and be unable to control herself.
"You're disgusting," Kim spat, her heart now racing. "I'm leaving."
Kim turned around in a sharp spin and looked around for her clutch that she'd left on the couch.
She heard footsteps behind her and saw a dark shadow just over her shoulder. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins now and she didn't have time to be scared. Instead, she spun on her heel, reaching out and grabbing Ricky's outstretched arm and using his own momentum to flip him. She let his body slam as hard as she could on the ground. For good measure, she stomped a foot right where she knew it'd hurt between his legs.
"Have a nice life, Ricky," she spat, grabbing the tainted water and dumping it on him before marching herself quickly to the couch. She snatched up her clutch and hurried for the door all in one quick movement.
It took a second to turn the lock and her shaking fingers only made it harder. When she finally did get the stupid latch undone she slammed the door open and hurried out without caring to close the door. She turned around as she walked, making sure Ricky hadn't gotten up to follow her.
Just as she whipped her head around to look in the direction she was walking, she crashed into a body.
Jack put his arms out instantly, catching Kim and him before either could trip. "Woah, Kim, are you-"
"Don't touch me," Kim snapped, shoving Jack away, much harsher than necessary, so she could march past him.
"Hey, wait-" Jack said, trying to run after Kim to see what was wrong.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled, hurrying off before Jack could get to the bottom of it all.
He looked forward to where she'd run from, immediately seeing Ricky's dressing room with a door swinging closed.
It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together.
Jack hadn't been able to find Kim after the concert, he'd heard Ricky talk about making a move on Kim, and now she was running away from his dressing room. She was very clearly distressed and shaken. Ricky did something to her.
Feeling an anger rise in him, Jack marched himself right into the room.
He noticed Ricky on the ground groaning, trying to stand up. He was drenched in water with an empty bottle near his head.
"Hey! Ricky!" Jack shouted.
Ricky looked up momentarily before he groaned and flailed a hand out to find something to grip. He had to use the couch, resting his weight on it a little as he winced and stood at an awkward angle.
"Dude, that girl is such a little bit-"
Jack marched over before Ricky could finish and punched his square on the jaw.
Ricky's head snapped violently to the side and he cried out in pain.
Jack felt no remorse.
"If you ever touch her again I will personally shove my foot up your *ss so far you won't ever be able to sing again. You got that?" Jack ground out, finding it hard to hold himself back from doing just that right now. But he wasn't that kind of person. Ricky would get his (one and only) warning but then there was no stopping Jack.
"You both are crazy!" Ricky cried, like actually cried.
Jack let out a cold laugh. "You messed with the wrong girl, Ricky. I might kick your butt but she'll tear you apart limb by limb. And I won't stop her either."
Ricky spit blood from his mouth as he stood up to look Jack in the eye.
Ricky took a step forward, crowding into Jack's personal space but Jack didn't step back. "Maybe you deserve her. Freaky little-"
Jack lifted his fist again, pulling back and quickly jabbing it right to the center of Ricky's nose.
There was a disgustingly satisfying crunch as Ricky stumbled back, falling against the arm of the couch and then dropping to the floor while he cradled his bloody nose.
"If I ever hear you tried to touch Kim, or any other unwilling girl, again, I'm following through on that promise. Buh-bye, Ricky," Jack said with a scoff, dragging his feet as he walked away, letting his left foot come in contact with Ricky's leg in a subtle kick.
Storming out into the hallway, Jack saw a few reporters and leftover concert-goers, all seemingly waiting for an appearance from Ricky. Not one to deny them the object of their desires, Jack smirked.
"Hey! He's over here!" Jack shouted, pointing toward the door. He grinned as he was quickly passed by a swarm of people who were all going to discover very soon that Ricky was not the perfect little gentleman he pretended to be. It would be the scandal of the year.
With that taken care of, Jack's focus was on finding Kim.
She was stubborn and snappy with him, which he knew meant she was actually hurt. She tended to display a tougher exterior to protect herself. She had made a mistake in trusting Ricky over Jack and now she was pushing Jack away to save herself from any further hurt.
She wasn't at her locker, and he was afraid she might have tried to leave the building, when he heard the muffled sound of a chair falling over in a classroom.
He knowingly walked over, opening the door carefully and peeking in to see Kim picking up a fallen chair and slamming it down so she could plop herself in it. She pulled her feet up to the chair and rested her head on her knees in a flexible move that Jack had to take a second to admire.
"Hey," he said softly to announce his presence and walked closer.
Kim's head snapped up to look at Jack and she quickly dropped her legs, hoping Jack hadn't seen anything because while she was wearing spandex shorts, she wasn't supposed to be sitting like that in public in a dress.
"Sorry," Jack apologized with a rare blush on his cheeks. He hadn't seen anything but he was suddenly embarrassed to have almost seen something he shouldn't have.
Kim, despite the way she felt overall, found this to be endearing and it lifted her spirits enough that she nearly giggled. Nearly.
But then Jack's face turned concerned just as fast as the blush had come on and Kim felt sad all over again.
"Come to say 'told you so'?" Kim asked nastily.
Jack shook his head quickly, realizing that this conversation wasn't going to be easy if Kim was still projecting this aura of strike-before-someone-strikes-you.
He noticed the tear stains on her cheeks, the way her eyes were red and some of the mascara was now smeared under her eyes. The sight of her crushed his heart.
She seemed to have gained some self-awareness under his gaze and she tried to wipe the tears, only smearing her makeup more and all-together making it worse.
"Of course not, Kim," Jack told him gently, grabbing another chair off a stack and bringing it to sit next to Kim. She was sideways in her chair and he sat sideways in his to face her.
"You're telling me you're not happy that you were right?" Kim asked, a judgmental sneer accompanying the words.
Jack shook his head again. "Kim, obviously I'm not happy about this. Stop with the act, I came to see if you were okay."
Kim looked away pointedly. She knew it wasn't fair to talk to Jack like this but if she was kind to him then she'd have to face what happened. Fighting with Jack was much more comfortable.
"Well does it look like I'm okay?" she settled on. Her voice came out all nasally since the crying awakened her sinuses and clogged her nose.
She didn't wait for an answer before she scoffed and turned forward, grabbing her stupid clutch in search of a tissue.
Jack realized what she was looking for, and failing to find, and stood up. There was a tissue box on a bookshelf that he grabbed and brought over to their chairs. He grabbed one out of the top and offered it wordlessly to Kim while he set the rest on the desk in front of her so she could grab more when she needed to.
Kim snatched the tissue, noting how glad she was that Jack had seen her predicament so quickly and how he had fixed it all without prompting or fuss. It was natural and genuine. She sank into the chair again, wishing it would just consume her in a tight hug.
"What- What happened?" Jack finally asked, afraid to hear the answer.
Tears welled up in Kim's eyes again and Jack saw both fear and shame behind them. He had to remind himself that it—what 'it' was—had just happened and he needed to be careful in his words and actions to her.
"I'm so stupid," she said instead of an answer. Shaking her head she reached for another tissue to blow her nose, making a little pile of used tissues now. "I can't believe I didn't see it sooner."
Jack frowned, not knowing what to say. He had seen it sooner and he'd tried to tell her but she hadn't listened. So maybe she was feeling stupid and guilty because she blinded herself. But she wasn't stupid and Jack understood why she didn't believe him.
"Kim, that's not fair to yourself," Jack said aloud. "You let yourself be wooed by one of the biggest teen heartthrobs in the country. You fell victim to his very elaborate and time-tested trap. You couldn't have seen it coming. Not when the blinding lights of a chance at being with a celebrity were right in front of you. Do you know how many girls would kill to get the opportunity you had? Without knowing what was actually going to happen?"
Kim shifted uncomfortably, remembering what Ricky said about past girls and playing hard to get. "He's done it before. Other girls have had the same opportunity as me and he did it to them."
Another tear slipped down Kim's face and Jack realized he shouldn't have said that.
"Look, if it makes you feel any better, he won't do it again," Jack said, trying to fix what he had brought up.
Kim didn't seem to understand what Jack meant so he continued.
"I might have threatened him…"
Kim's mouth dropped open, not believing that Jack had threatened Ricky Weaver. He had more money than either of them could ever dream of having and plenty of lawyers to go with it.
"And I also might have punched him. Twice. He should be fighting off the paparazzi and stopping a bloody nose right about now."
"Jack!" Kim gasped, unable to hold it in. "You- You punched him?"
Jack nodded, keeping solid eye contact with Kim to let her know there was not one single ounce of regret in his body.
"Jack, you know I can defend myself-"
"I know," Jack said quickly. And he did know that. Kim already had defended herself. But he couldn't just stand by and let anyone get away with hurting her. "Which is why I told him if I ever find out that he touched you, or another girl, again you and I both would kick his butt and tear him apart."
"Jack!" Kim scolded. "You said that?" She couldn't believe it, there was no way he'd said that to Ricky Weaver!
"Well," Jack relented. "I didn't say butt."
Kim's jaw dropped even further. She was speechless. Actually speechless. She had never heard Jack swear ever. He just didn't and Kim found it kind of sweet of him. To know he was mad enough at someone for hurting her that he would use a word like that suddenly had pride swelling in her heart. Jack was hers. He did that for her.
"I so wish I could have seen that now," she admitted. Then she gasped. "Do you think Milton and Jerry could figure out how to get access to the security cameras?"
Jack's face dropped. He did not want people watching that.
"Oh come on," Kim giggled. "It would be so funny."
"I doubt they're even turned on," Jack said. "It's supposed to be a private room."
Kim's face dropped. "Oh."
She had a tissue in her hands that she'd been fiddling with. It was starting to disintegrate and she added it to the pile on the desk in front of her.
"That makes sense, actually," she sniffled. "Ricky was confident that we were somewhere private. He locked the doors and everything. Nobody would have interrupted us."
Jack's hand slipped from the edge of the desk as he went rigid. "What?"
Kim nodded. She should probably tell Jack what happened.
"Kim, he didn't try to…"
"It's fine. I- I was just uncomfortable for the most part…"
As Kim trailed off Jack watched her closely. She wasn't making eye contact anymore and she was shivering a little as goosebumps grew on her bare arms.
"He was just being weird. I could tell something was wrong but I didn't know what. He gave me water from an unsealed water bottle and that's when I was pretty sure there was something wrong. Milton and Jerry told me about how people try to drug girls like that and I wasn't totally sure if Ricky was but… When I tried to leave he showed me this necklace and then-"
Kim cut herself off before she could finish and she sent a nervous glance up at Jack.
"Then what?"
Kim wasn't sure why it was so embarrassing. She hadn't done anything, it was all Ricky. But for some reason admitting to Jack that she had almost been kissed by anybody was mortifying.
"He grabbed me. Like he was trying to kiss me. I pushed him back and told him to stop. He wasn't getting the hint so when he tried to come from behind I flipped him. Then I dumped the water on him and kicked him in the… you know."
"So that's why he was wet," Jack answered, smiling at the image of Kim putting Ricky in his place.
Kim just nodded, a small smile growing on her own face now that she could see Jack found it amusing as well.
"Look, Kim, I'm sorry about everything," Jack apologized genuinely. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you about Ricky. I- I think I was just-"
Jack cut himself off. What could he say? Jealous? Was he jealous? No way, what was he jealous of? Ricky's life sucked, Jack didn't want any part of it.
"You were just what?" Kim asked.
Jack shook his head. "I don't know… I'm glad you're okay."
Kim studied him for a second, not sure she believed that he 'didn't know' but also not sure what he had been meaning to say.
"I'm sorry I let my obsession get in the way," Kim apologized. "I won't ever make that mistake again. I should have known it would be too good to be true. Guess you really should never meet your idols," she sighed.
Jack scoffed. "Yeah, some kind of role-model that guy was."
Kim rolled her eyes, it seemed Jack still wasn't over Ricky. Something told her he wouldn't be over him for a long time. And they say girls hold grudges.
"Anyways… What do you say we go get some froyo? You still look really nice and I think it'd be a waste not to go out and do something fun."
Kim grinned wide. Froyo was exactly what she needed right now. Something fun, delicious, and normal to take her mind off of everything that happened.
"That sounds great. Thanks, Jack."
Jack smiled back, fighting the muscles in his face because otherwise, he was sure she would think he was insane for smiling as big as he was just because she said yes to getting froyo with him.
To hide it, he stood up abruptly and bowed in her direction, offering his hand. "M'lady."
Kim laughed, rolling her eyes at his obviously pretend chivalry (he was a teenage boy, chivalry was basically nonexistent to his species), but taking his hand nonetheless.
"Thank you, kind sir."
What did you think? I tried to have a contrast between how Kim felt with Ricky and how she felt with Jack. With Ricky, she's uncomfortable and feeling self-conscious and awkward. With Jack, she's comfortable and normal and doesn't think twice about blowing her nose or smearing her makeup in front of him. You should surround yourself with people like that and the story was supposed to show how Jack is that kind of person for her.
I'd love to hear any and all feedback. What do you like to read? What do you want to read more of? I would love any ideas you have because sometimes I get bored of my own ideas haha.