Chapter 24

The next five weeks came very quickly. The ugly, horrible incident was finally behind them. They spoke with Pastor Frank on four separate occasions. Then they met with him on three different dates with each other.

Elizabeth was feeling comfortable due to Frank's advice. He was very helpful to both her and Jack. He listened and just allowed her and Jack to explain what they felt. He was instrumental in giving her and Jack the final permission to forgive themselves. They were trying to take blame for what happened.

For the first two meetings, he gave them each a little homework to work through. After the first meeting, they had to write a paragraph on what they would have done differently. The second meeting their homework was what they would want the other person to do differently. The issue was that they couldn't think of what they should have done differently. The assignment was a tangible way to show them that they did well. They couldn't change history. They had to come to their own understanding that they really did all they could. Since both of them were thinkers, this was a good exercise for them.

Elizabeth had always liked Frank due to him being Abagail's husband. Now she liked him even more because he was Frank. Jack and his family have been attending Frank's church for a few weeks now. He already liked Frank. Now, he liked him even more.

…

Thomas met with Elizabeth and began self defense classes with her. The first meeting together didn't go very well. Everything Thomas did only brought back memories of that Monday morning. Halfway through the first session, Tom gave her a technique to use to get away from someone who grabbed you from behind. It immediately brought to mind what the masked man did to her. However, when she performed the move Tom showed her, she easily got out of his hold. At that instant, the empowering move clicked inside of her. She instantly fell in love with it all. She took it very seriously and became quite good at it over time.

Thomas would take it easy on her in the beginning, but he wasn't any longer. If he did, he was convinced Elizabeth would truly hurt him. He was very proud of her. During that time, they grew closer. It all started on that fateful morning, but this time together sealed their relationship. She began to call him dad. He would call her his daughter.

Three weeks after that fateful morning, Thomas was working with Elizabeth on a Saturday afternoon after her reading time at the library. He knew he needed to push her, but he was having trouble getting her over that hump of fully buying into it. He didn't know how to treat a daughter. He only knew how to raise a son. Girls have emotions. He wasn't good at dealing with that. With his sons, he would be physical. He often told his Charlette that he could just throw his two boys against the wall wrestling twice a day and they were all good. He never thought you could do that with a daughter. This morning, however, he was determined to throw her against a wall.

When Elizabeth stepped out of the locker room in the Thatcher Shipping exercise room, Tom was hiding beside the door. When Elizabeth walked through the door, he jumped behind her and placed one arm around her stomach and the other one around her mouth, just like the masked man did. Before Tom knew what was happening, he was face planted into the wall.

When Elizabeth felt arms wrap around her, she instinctively bent her knees and took her right leg and moved it behind Tom's left leg. He didn't lose his hold on her, but he didn't have control over her like he did before her move. She tucked her chin to her chest and took a half a step back. This caused Tom to stumble over her right leg. When he lost his balance, Elizabeth moved her body to the side of Tom. She took her right arm and wrapped it around Tom's back. With one swift and forceful motion, she spun Tom around and face planted him into the wall. Tom moaned at the pain in his nose and the right side of his face began to register. Before he could react, Elizabeth continued her assault on him.

Elizabeth quickly stood behind Tom and wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. She wasn't strong enough to pick him up and throw him to the ground. Instead, she leaned back and rolled him to the ground just like he taught her. Tom found himself lying on the ground face first. Elizabeth's knee was on the back of Tom's neck. She was in the perfect position to control him and to protect herself. He didn't know when she grabbed his arm, but he felt the pain of it when Elizabeth would pull it to the middle of his back. She slowly and deliberately pulled his arm higher and higher up his back.

"Tap." She commanded. While he couldn't see her face, he could hear the smile in her voice. He would often give her the command when he had her pinned to the ground. It was a signal that they submitted and gave up. Once that was given, you would instantly release the hold.

"Elizabeth…" He winced.

"Tap!" She demanded as she continued to pull his arm to the center of his back.

Without hesitation, Tom tapped Elizabeth's thigh in submission. She instantly let go of his arm and removed her knee from the back of his neck. She sat beside him.

"Are you ok?"

"No…" He wiped his nose and noticed the blood on his finger. He rolled over on his back to catch his breath. He sat up when the blood began to pour down his throat.

"Would you like a tissue?"

"Maybe a towel. A tissue wouldn't hold all this blood." He squeezed his nose to keep blood from getting everywhere. He watched with pride as Elizabeth quickly stood and went into the locker room to retrieve him a towel. He smiled at her when she handed him the towel and sat beside him.

"Did you have to be so aggressive?" He asked. She couldn't see his smile because of the towel he was holding to his nose.

"You always said to do what you have to do."

"That's the one time you actually listened to me?" He playfully sassed. She heard it in his tone.

"Yeah." She chuckled.

"Does Jack know you can do that?" He nodded to the wall and then pointed to his nose.

"He's never done anything remotely like that to make me protect myself. I've never had to."

"Well…that does my father's heart good that he is being a true gentleman."

"He is. I have no complaints."

"Great. Now, help an old man up." He stated as he shook out the arm that she had pinned behind him. "I don't think it's broken."

"That's good." Her smile grew at the compliment.

"I'm proud of you. You did everything perfectly. Now, we will not speak of this to anyone." He warned her by shaking his finger at her.

"Yes, dad. And why not?" She teased him.

"Jack told me in the back of that ambulance that you look all petite and dainty but that you had a fire inside of you that burned with intensity. I don't think he realizes how true that statement is."

"He said that…?" Her smile growing at the thought of that compliment coming from Jack. It made her feel good.

"Ouch!" He stated as he turned to walk into the locker room. "I need to get my nose to stop bleeding and cleaned up. We're done for the day."

"We haven't even started yet."

"I started it, and you finished it faster than it began. We're done!" He gingerly walked toward the locker room. "Remember…no telling anyone about this!" He warned her again. He stopped just a few feet from the door. "However, you need to come up with an excuse to explain that." He pointed to the wall. The drywall was crushed where she slammed his face into it.

…

Jack and his father would spend some portions of Saturday working on the old truck. William had it moved from the old barn and into his garage. Every time Grace or Elizabeth would walk past it in the garage, they would just shake their heads. Lately though, Elizabeth had to admit the truck was beginning to look nice. She could easily see herself riding in it. She often laughed at Jack. He was so proud of it. His face would just glow at the excitement of the truck whenever he worked on it or talked about it.

She came home from the children's center one Saturday after working at the library to her father, her dad, and Jack all bent over the engine of the truck. They were all babbling about something. Then all of a sudden, Jack hurried behind the wheel of the truck.

"Hit it, son." Tom bellowed out.

She watched Jack's smile grow when the truck immediately purred to life. He revved the engine a couple of times and her father and dad high fived each other. Jack joined in their celebration a moment later.

"You know, I remember when I was the only one you would smile like that to."

"It's running!" He exclaimed.

"I can see that." She sassed. "Who would ever think I would lose my boyfriend to my father, my dad, and an old truck."

"It's a classic!" All the men exclaimed at one time.

Jack gave her his patent dimpled grin that was reserved only for her. She rolled her eyes at his playfulness. He walked toward his girlfriend and stood just in front of her.

"You couldn't lose me if you tried."

"I'm not trying, but you come to my home and spend more time with that classic then me." She playfully pouted.

"Now, I can take you out on a date."

"Only after you clean that truck up. It's filthy!"

"I promise." He reached for her hand. He began to slowly move in to kiss her until William cleared his throat.

As much as William loved having Jack around, PDA was still hard for him to see. After all, Elizabeth was his baby girl.

"Oh father." Elizabeth exclaimed. She tiptoed and gave Jack an innocent, quick kiss on the lips.

…

Jack was waiting for Elizabeth at the top of the stairs on this Monday morning at school. He arrived early. He was wanting to surprise his girlfriend. He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder for the fifth time even though it didn't need it. He smiled when he noticed Elizabeth's white mini cooper pulling into the parking spot. She makes that car look good. He thought to himself. Over the last four weeks, their relationship only grew closer together.

When she parked her car, she frowned when she didn't see Jack's red bike. She turned her car off and remained in her car. She didn't want to deal with Charles this morning. About once a week or so, Charles would meet her in the parking lot and talk with her until Jack rode up. Their friendship took a major hit since the beginning of school. Eventually, he would always bring the conversation back around to the fact they should be dating. Instead of trying to convince Charles, she just began to avoid him. She pulled out her cell and began to text Jack when she received a text from him.

J – Hey gorgeous! I love that yellow shirt you look stunning

Elizabeth laughed at the heart eyes emoji.

E – How do you know what color shirt I have on I don't see your bike where are you

J – That color makes your eyes bluer

J – I never thought that was possible

E – You're at school

J – You drive too fast when you are parking your car

J – I thought you were on three wheels

Elizabeth laughed at his text. He would always joke with her that she drove too fast in parking lots and that she would just zoom into a parking spot way too fast.

E – The joys of having a sports car

E – Now where are you

J – Look up

She slowly looked up to Jack walking toward her. She looked toward the bike rack and didn't see his red bike. She noticed he laughed. She assumed it was because of her confused look. He loved that look on her.

"Hey." She stated when he opened the door for her. "How did you get here?" She questioned when she placed a small kiss on his lips. She just had to kiss him, even if it was a small, quick kiss.

Jack sighed with contentment. He then nodded his head toward the second row of parking places. "That." He stated.

Elizabeth turned to look behind her looking for something. She didn't know what she was supposed to be looking for but figured it would be obvious. She didn't notice anything.

"Princess Beth." He stated.

"What?!" She groused. She still didn't like that nickname. The special ed group called her that. She accepted it but she really didn't like it when Jack called her that.

"Not you, Princess Beth…that Princess Beth."

She followed his eyes to a shiny truck about twenty feet away.

"Wait…is that father's truck?"

"Nope…it's mine, remember…I bought it."

"Wow! It looks so different."

This was the first time she noticed it cleaned. In the old barn and in the garage, the truck was a dull blue. It was covered with years of dirt and dust and whatever else collected on it for the last fifteen years or so while being stored in an old barn. The truck was a beautiful ocean blue. The tires were covered with Armor All and shining. Every part of the truck was cleaned, even the inside. She didn't even notice the truck.

"That's your truck? The old one from father's barn? The old, dirty, not running, I will never sit in it for anything in this world, truck?"

"It is. I told you it would clean up nicely."

"Wow! It really is nice looking." She stated as they walked toward the truck. The inside was very clean. She smiled at the bench seat. She thought she would be able to sit beside him instead of the other side of the seat. She ran her fingers over the hood and stepped back to admire it. "Jack…it looks so good."

"I think so. Here…look at this." He stated as he took her hand and pulled her back a few steps to look at the front of it.

After a second, she looked down at the front bumper. Her smile faded to a little smirk.

"What's that?" She pointed to the front license plate.

She couldn't miss his mischievous grin. She was looking at a queen's crown airbrushed in the middle with the word 'Princess' on top and the word 'Beth II' on the bottom.

"That's the truck's name. I call her Princess Beth II."

"You what?"

"Yeah…you like it?"

"Nope." Elizabeth laughed. "Jack, you can't call your truck that."

"Sure I can. It's my truck and I like the name." He squeezed her hand three times. She sighed knowing she wasn't going to win this little battle with his truck's name.

"Wow! Lee and Rosemary stated as they walked by.

"That's sweet!" Cory stated as he and Step came beside them.

"That looks really nice." Steph stated.

"It turned out better than I ever thought it would." Jack's glow was shown all around his face. Elizabeth shook her head.

"Jack, what does that license plate mean?" Rosey asked.

"Just don't…" Elizabeth continued to shake her head.

The small group was joined by Steven. Jack popped the hood for everyone to look at the engine. Only the guys did so. They didn't really know what they were looking at, but they did enjoy it. The ladies looked over the whole truck and the interior. They all thought the truck looked nice and cool. Jack was beaming with pride.

"I bet he asks you out soon." Connie smiled.

"We're dating…I just assume he will."

"E…you always said that Jack takes your relationship seriously. I don't think he assumes anything."

Elizabeth smiled slightly. She loved the fact that Jack never assumes anything with her. He never assumed dates. He also never took for granted that it was ok to just kiss her. He never asked for permission, but she never felt that Jack pushed himself on her. He was always respectful toward her. She loved that. She knew he wasn't perfect. There were times she would be a little frustrated with him, but he was perfect for her.

"You just know he wants to take you out in that old truck."

"It's a classic." Elizabeth sassed.

After the other ladies laughed, Steph leaned into Elizabeth's shoulder.

"Why are guys that way?"

"I have no idea, but they really are. Jack was never a car guy, but he is gushing over that old truck." Rosey stated. "Back home, he rode that bike everywhere. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton offered to buy him a car, but he just didn't want it."

"I can't believe a guy didn't want a car." Connie stated.

"Elizabeth, you changed that guy for the better. I don't remember a time he was ever this happy."

"Really?"

"Yeah…he was always a lot of fun to be around. He was pretty popular with everyone. People just loved to be around him, but everything about him just seems to be taken to another level."

"I think that's just Jack." She smiled thinking of her boyfriend.

"There is only one thing that is different and that's you."

"Are you ready?" Jack stated as he closed the hood and turned his attention to Elizabeth. "We need to get in the school before we're late. We have to say hi to our group."

"If you're done with your mistress." She teased.

Elizabeth, along with everyone else, saw Jack's smile fade. He didn't frown, but his smile most certainly disappeared. However, only Elizabeth noticed that her remark affected him. He reached down and picked up his backpack. He waited for Elizabeth to walk to the front of the truck. She noticed he didn't smile when she walked up. He always smiled when she did.

"Are you alright?"

"Hey Jack, what are you going to do for Thanksgiving?"

He looked at Elizabeth for a moment then turned his attention to Rosey. Elizabeth could see the clouds in his eyes.

"I think we're going back to Buxton to visit Nana and Pops, but I'm not too sure."

"Oh, I miss them. They were such lovely people. They were always so friendly to me."

"They liked you. Pops thought you were high strung and silly."

Lee let out a loud laugh. "He knew you all too well."

"And what does that mean?" She challenged him. Over the course of the past few weeks, they have grown closer. She hadn't opened herself up to this guy yet, but she was getting there.

As Rosey and Jack spoke about his grandparents, Elizabeth kept a close eye on Jack. She didn't realize that her statement would suck the joy out of him, but it most certainly did.

…

"Mrs. Johnston, Good morning. How are you?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Wilson. How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you here for our customary monthly meeting?"

"I am. Are you ready for our meeting to discuss Adam?"

"In a moment. May we talk over breakfast. We will be heading that way in the next couple of minutes. My group is set to eat breakfast. You can eat with your son, and we can have that meeting."

"Would it be possible to meet Jack and Princess Beth?"

"Maybe." Mrs. Johnston laughed. "How do you know about them?"

"Adam always tells me about them all the time."

Mrs. Johnston laughed at the memory of Adam signing Jack's and Elizbeth's name. He came up with his own signs for them. While Adam couldn't talk, he was learning some American Sign Language (ASL). He made his own sign for Jack and Princess Beth. He would often walk through the home signing their names.

"You're in luck, Jack and Elizabeth always meets us in the hallway before school. They make it a point to see the group."

"Lovely."

…

Mrs. Johnston, Mrs. Wilson, and the entire special ed group began their journey down the hallway toward the cafeteria.

"How do you time this out each morning to meet with them?"

"If we are early, my group will stop and wait. If they beats us here, they will stop and wait for us?"

"Group?"

"It's just not Jack and Elizabeth. It started with Jack and then Elizabeth quickly joined in. Now there is a total of six teens in that group now."

Mrs. Wilson reached up and wiped a tear away. She loves her son and was grateful another group took an interest in her boy. She looked up when the door opened. She didn't know why or how, but she knew the group that was walking through the door was Jack and Elizabeth. She noticed her son beginning to wave his arms. That was something he always did when he was excited. He also made his sign of Princess Beth and Jack.

She watched her son begin to walk toward the group. She intently watched a teen open his arms and begin to walk toward her son.

"There's my guy!" Jack exclaimed with a growing smile. He hugged Adam and picked him up and spun him around one full circle before placing him down again. Then she watched her son wave his arms again and embraced a beautiful young lady that was standing beside the guy.

Instead of waiting for the group of teens to walk toward the group, Mrs. Wilson made her way toward the teen group. She walked directly toward Jack and used Adam's sign for Jack's name. She wrapped her arms around this stranger. She whispered 'thank you' into Jack's ear. Jack stood shocked. When Adam released Princess Beth from their embrace, Elizabeth watched this middle aged woman hold onto her boyfriend. The lady released her hold on Jack and turned her attention toward Elizabeth. She used Adam's sign for Princess Beth and wrapped her in a tight embrace. She held onto this precious teenager and whispered 'thank you' into her ear.

Mrs. Johnston smiled and wiped away a tear as she watched this grateful, loving woman love on these two precious teens.

"Mrs. Wilson…this is Jack Thornton and Elizabeth Thatcher. Jack…Elizabeth…this is Mrs. Wilson. She is Adam's mother."

"Oh…Mrs. Wilson. It is great to meet you." Exclaimed Elizabeth.

"So, you are Princess Beth."

"Good grief…" Elizabeth shook her head. She glanced up and noticed Adam's little smirk. She also noticed his sign for her name. She couldn't help but laugh.

"That's how he says your name. He knows a little ASL."

"Oh…that's really good."

"And you must be Jack." They noticed Adam signing Jack's name."

"That's cool." Jack stated.

"Mrs. Wilson, we have a basketball game this Thursday. It's our first game. Would you please bring Adam to the game?"

Adam's mother was a little hesitant until she saw the expression on her son's face. He was smiling and waving his arms with excitement. "I will have to come too. Adam can't really be left alone like that. Especially in a large crowd."

"Perfect. We will make sure you two have tickets at the front for you two."

"That's very sweet of you."

By this time, Mrs. Wilson was pushed aside by the special ed group. Everyone received their normal greetings, and the laughter was pretty loud. Mrs. Johnston didn't worry anymore about the noise. It was before classes. Plus, the other teachers and administration just didn't care. The special ed group was fun and other students were getting to know the group.

…

Julie and Tom spend the four weeks growing much closer. This whole dating thing was really weird for them, but they did have to admit that it was working for them. They still couldn't go out on an official date, but they have gone out with a large group of friends.

As they side stepped the large group with their siblings in the middle of it, They reached for each other's hand at the same time as they began walking down the hallway.

"You know…" Julie laughed. "This is double the length of time I have ever dated anyone."

"Me too. It's weird."

"Are you happy?"

"I am." Tom answered honestly. "It's weird but I do like it."

"I received a text yesterday."

"Really?"

"Remember the company picnic when I placed in that design contest?"

"Julie, you didn't place in that contest. You won first, second, and third place. You freaking dominated it!"

"Yeah…I received a text from a Mr. Dickerson. He works at Savannah College of Art and Design."

"Ok?"

"It's a college in Savannah Georgia. They are very well known for Art and Design. He wanted to touch base with me about going to school there."

"But you're a sophomore. It's way too early to think about that."

"I whole heartly agree. I can't think of what I'm going to do this evening after school. Much more what I'm going to do in two years."

"That's true, but you know…that's very cool they texted you about it. I told you that you would be known."

"Yeah."

"What did you parents say?

"They were surprised but not really. They always knew I loved fashion. They just didn't know I was good at it that way."

Tom watched her open her locker and begin to pull out a couple of books. "I'm proud of you Jules." He stated as she kissed her on the check.

"Watch it Thornton…we have already gotten in trouble for that before." She warned him.

"Yeah…yeah…well worth it." He flirted.

"Come on, we've got class."

…

"Hey…what happened outside?" Elizabeth asked when they finally said their goodbyes to the group and Mrs. Wilson.

"You know…I don't think I love the fact that you can read me so well."

"Too late." She smirked. "So…?"

"I know I'm new at this relationship thing. I also know that I haven't always done things correctly."

"I'm happy with us. We're growing into this very well I think."

"Me too and I agree." He exhaled. "I don't like it when you said I have a mistress."

"What?"

"You stated that I have a mistress…Princess Beth II."

"Jack, it's a joke. It's a truck."

"I know." He rubbed the back of his head. She smiled knowing he was struggling with finding the right words. Most times it was adorable, but today she wished he could just say it. "You know I'll never go behind your back, right? That I won't cheat on you."

"I know that."

"I know this sounds petty, but would you please consider never saying anything like that again? Even joking."

"Does it bother you that much?"

He nodded his head.

"Deal. To me it was a joke, but if it bothers you that much, I'll not joke about it."

"I know it's silly…I just don't ever want you to have any doubt when it comes to me."

Elizabeth nodded her head. She didn't understand it. She wasn't accusing him, but she could tell that it was bothering him that she joked about it. Maybe it was just the topic that made him jumpy about it.

"Now Ms. Thatcher, would you like to go out Friday to the football game?"

"Sure."

"I'll pick you up at five?

She watched Jack's facial features for a few long seconds. She couldn't figure out his expression. That never happened before now.

"What's that look for?"

"What look? I just asked you out on a date."

She looked for another moment.

"Jack, why did you push your father and my father about working on the truck so much?"

"What?"

"Please don't avoid the question."

"I just wanted to pick you up for a date."

"You have done that."

"Yeah, in Ma's car. Now I can do it in my truck." He emphasized the word 'my'.

"Is this a guy thing?"

"Kinda."

She stopped walking. "Jack, I don't want a man to take care of me." She implored him. She was a strong woman. She didn't want to be kept.

"I know that, but Elizabeth…I also want to show you that I can help provide for us."

"Jack, would you permit your wife to work when you have kids?"

"That's random…" He whispered. "Sure, if she wants to. I guess she will take a few weeks off when she has the baby. After that, if she would like to go back to work or stay home, we'll work it out."

"So, this isn't a controlling thing?"

"Absolutely not. My Ma and Pa have always worked together. They always have. That's the only thing I've ever seen. I've seen my Pa be strong and take the lead. I've also seen my Ma do the exact same thing. I've always seen them work together. Honestly, I would be hard pressed to see who was leading and who was following."

"I've seen that in father and mother."

"I think marriage is a team effort. Sometimes the man may make more money or something and there are times when the woman will. I guess it just depends."

"So, you aren't a control freak kind of guy?"

"Elizabeth, over our dating for a few weeks, have I ever come across as that guy?"

"No…"

"I just wanted a vehicle because I wanted to show you that I'm capable to working with you to improve us. That's it."

Elizabeth smiled. She didn't know why she questioned his motives. He was a great guy that she loved very much. He was never like Joel during his relationship with Carla. He tried to control everything Carla did. Steph, Connie, and her tried to tell Carla that wasn't a healthy relationship.

"Elizabeth…you are worthy of everything I could ever do for you…worthy of so much more than I can give you. I just want to be the best version of myself for you. You at least deserve that." He squeezed her hand three times. He turned to face her. "I just want you happy."

"Jack, material things don't make me happy. I don't want the lifestyle of my father and mother. I don't want that. Yes, I've enjoyed it while growing up, but I want to make a difference in the lives of children. Maybe even children who don't have every opportunity in life. I want to help shape their minds and help them receive an education to improve their lives."

Elizabeth couldn't keep from noticing Jack's smile. "I would like to do that too."

"Well then…I guess we have a unique opportunity." Elizabeth stated with a little bit of flirting in her voice.

Jack studied her eyes for a moment. He was hoping he was reading her words correctly. He had known for some time now that he wanted to marry Elizabeth Marie Thatcher. Was this message coded with a meaning that she was open to that. Would Elizabeth be truly open for them to be together for life. He remembered their discussion in The Duck Park, but this was the first time they discussed a purpose for their life. He was grateful their purposes matched.

"What's going on in that mind of yours?" Elizabeth asked hoping it was what she was daydreaming about.

"You may not need a man, Elizabeth, but I need you." He whispered as he looked deep into her eyes. He squeezed her hand three times hoping she would understand his true, underlying meaning.

Elizabeth swooned over Jack's words. She knew their thoughts aligned with each other. The more she learned about Jack, the more she knew they were meant for each other. She squeezed his hand three times. The conversation was an in depth discussion that was understood between them.

…

Mr. Callahan slowly walked around his classroom watching everyone slowly work through the complicated math problem on the whiteboard. He saw several faces that showed pain as they struggled through the problem. Some expressions showed him that they understood the problem. They were just working through the equation. He smiled when he looked at Elizabeth. She already had the equation solved. Her paper was turned over face down with her pencil laying on top of it. He thought she was bouncing in her seat with excitement.

"What do you have?" He whispered not wanting to interrupt the other students' work.

Elizabeth turned her paper over and showed her work to her teacher. Mr. Callahan smiled as he tapped the top of her desk. "Well done, Ms. Thatcher." He whispered.

"Thank you, Mr. Callahan." Elizabeth stated as she turned her paper back over. She glanced toward Jack and saw that his tongue was still sticking out as he was truly concentrating on the problem. She involuntarily fanned herself as she watched him. She smiled when he quickly turned his head and looked straight into her eyes. Then he looked at her paper laying face down on her desk.

"For crying out loud!" Jack huffed as he tossed his pencil in the air.

"Mr. Thornton!" The teacher admonished him. "What is the problem?" He stated as he walked toward Jack to discuss whatever the problem was quietly.

"I believe Ms. Thatcher is cheating."

"What makes you say that?"

"She is always finishing first. She can't always finish first and always be correct." Jack whined a little.

Mr. Callahan laughed. "So, you're telling me that she is cheating because she is good at this subject?"

"Mr. Thornton, what are you saying?" Elizabeth challenged her boyfriend with a little smirk.

"I think you are a walking calculator. No one can always be right and always be first all the time." He shook his head.

Mr. Callahan laughed at Jack and his ranting. "Keep trying Mr. Thornton…it's fun to watch you try to catch her."

…

The day ended quickly. Jack had practice immediately following school. He had just enough time to walk Elizabeth to her car and give her a quick kiss before running back into the locker room to change and get his ankles taped. Elizabeth, Steph, and Connie decided to go and grab a quick snack. Elizabeth had a plan she wanted to do. She already texted her mother to let her know what she was going to do. Before getting into her car, Rosey walked by.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Hey Elizabeth. I'm good. What are you doing?"

"Heading to Abagil's for a snack. Would you like to join us. It's going to be me, Connie, and Steph."

"You all don't mind?"

"Don't be silly. Come on."

…

The four ladies sat at the booth chatting about the day. Rosey was quickly becoming part of the group. She took some getting used to by the three other girls because of her outgoing personality, but she was quickly becoming part of their small little group.

"So…you and Lee?"

"Well…" She hesitated trying to determine how much or what she wanted to share with this new group of friends. They were nice and welcomed her in, but she hasn't shared what happened with Stan to anyone who didn't already know about the situation, and then she only shared small things. "…I'm not sure yet. He's two years younger than I am…he seems nice enough…he's funny…" She was stumbling over the words.

"It's ok if you don't want to share." Elizabeth jumped in to redirect the conversation. "This has certainly been a weird start to our senior year."

"How so?" Asked a relieved Rosemary.

"Well, E's dating…never would have guess that one." Smirked Connie.

"Hey!" Huffed Elizabeth as she threw her napkin at her friend.

"Plus, I'm dating Steven and Step is dating Cory."

"Yeah." The three close friends stated together.

"It's good though?" Questioned Rosey.

"It is. I'm happy with Jack. There is just something special about him."

"I always knew he would be a good one for some lucky girl. I didn't know if he would ever open himself up to it. I always thought college would be when he met some girl that turned his world upside down."

"I believe Elizabeth has done that." Sassed Steph.

The young ladies talked for a few more minutes about their boyfriends. Each one sharing their thoughts on the relationship and all three giggling with each thought. Rosemary sat back and watched the group of three. They were very close together as a group. They must have been friends for years. There was no division between them. She knew Elizabeth was from a wealthier family than the rest, but you couldn't see it. Steph was sassier than the rest but fit in perfectly. Rosey thought her sassiness just added to the blend of friendships. Connie was hilarious in and of herself. They were all different but blended together well.

Rosey noticed that the group may have played around with each other, there was never a hint of sarcasm or judging from each other. These three knew each other's secrets, yet they were still very open and vulnerable with each other. Not one of them thought they would be judged by the group when they opened themselves up to each other. They were there for each other. A true sisterhood between them all.

That was something Rosemary wanted. She had good friends back home, but nothing on this level. The instance with Stan was beginning to be more in her thinking since Lee came around. He didn't know what happened. Rosey found herself looking forward to seeing him in the hall and jumped for her phone when she heard it vibrate. She always hoped it was Lee. Stan's trial was coming up very soon. The prosecutor felt very comfortable with the case against him. Rosey was secretly hoping he would just plead guilty and accept the plea deal. If he did that, she wouldn't have to testify against him.

"Something happened early in my junior year…" Rosey stated in a very quiet, timid voice.

The other three girls stopped talking and giggling. They turned their attention toward Rosemary.

"I was in the theater group. The lead actor opposite me asked me out on a date. We dated for a few weeks when he invited me to a dinner and movie."

"Rosemary." Elizabeth stated as she reached for her arm. "You don't have to share if it is something uncomfortable."

"It's ok." She whispered.

"Rosey, we are here if you need us, but you don't have to share anything with us." Steph stated.

"I know…" Her voice trailed off.

Connie and Steph reached for her hand and arm as well. "We're here for you if you would like to talk, but don't feel like you have too." Connie stated.

"Thanks…but I think I would like to share it with you with the understanding…"

"…with the understanding this goes no further than this table." Steph stated with confidence. She knew her friend group would most certainly keep the confidence.

"His name was Stan…" Rosemary went into the story sharing everything that happened. How nice Stan was at the beginning to him trying to push himself on her. She shared that Jack quickly stopped Stan before he was able to get too far into the attack. He only pushed kisses on her, and Jack stopped him before his hands began to roam.

"Oh Rosemary…that's horrible!" Elizabeth exclaimed with Connie and Steph nodding their heads in agreement. All three young ladies tightened their hold on Rosemary's hands and arm.

"His court appearance is soon. I'm hoping he accepts the plea deal."

"I hope so too. Rosemary, you must be one of the bravest girls I know." Connie stated.

"I don't know…"

"I agree with her." Elizabeth and Steph stated at the same time.

"That takes courage to stand up. Do you know how many young ladies won't report anything like that?"

Secretly, Elizabeth, Connie, and Steph were thankful and grateful that their boyfriends weren't anything like that Stan guy.

"Well, now I know why you are so slow with Lee. I think he really likes you."

"Cory said he does, but Lee knows you are deliberately slow with him."

"I have been, but I do enjoy talking with him."

"He told Cory that he was very willing to go at your pace."

Rosey nodded her head. "I'm grateful."

"Now, what do you think about him?"

"He's funny." Rosey laughed. "I like him, but…"

"Go at your pace. If he is meant to be, you'll figure it out."

"And if he is like Stan?"

"Cory would kick his backside." Steph stated with great confidence. "I've gotten to know him a little since dating Cory. He isn't like that. But you need to figure that out yourself. Take your time."

"Yeah…" Rosey sighed. She felt much better sharing with this group.

"Plus, he's younger than you."

"He is…that's a little weird." Rosemary stated. "I never thought I would like a sophomore."

"So…you like him." Teased Elizabeth.

"I do…but…" She exhaled.

"Take your time. No rush." The girls stated.

…

Jack walked out of the gym adjusting his backpack. He was talking with Cory. The coach just informed him that he would be the starting point guard at the game on Thursday. He was feeling good about it. Cory was giving him a hard time. The coach decided to move Charles to the number two slot. While still starting, Charles wasn't happy with losing out on the point guard spot. Cory was laughing at Charles' mean look he gave Jack during the coach's post practice speech.

'He's really going to hate me now." Jack grinned. He was well past caring what Charles thought of him. He didn't like Charles and figured most people knew it. However, out of respect for Elizabeth's friendship with Charles, Jack just didn't talk about him unless she brought him up, which she hasn't done in a long while. There were discussions about him, but neither Jack nor Elizabeth brought him up.

"He hasn't liked you since he first met you." Cory laughed. "Certainly not since you stole his girl."

"She wasn't dating him."

"I know." Cory laughed and patted Jack on the back. "We all thought so, but she kept saying she wasn't. We did know that Elizabeth doesn't lie."

"She's special." Cory couldn't miss the dreamy look that overtook Jack's face as he spoke.

"My boy's in love, isn't he?"

Jack only grinned. He did love Elizabeth. He has told her countless times, but he hasn't shared that information with anyone, even his mother and father. They knew he did, but he hadn't told them that.

"Well…what do we have here?"

Jack followed Cory's eyes and noticed a white mini cooper parked beside Jack's truck. Elizabeth was leaning against the driver's side door playing on her phone. He involuntary inhaled a quick breath. Elizabeth just has a way of taking his breath.

"This is a great surprise." Jack stated with a huge smile. Cory patted him on his shoulder and left to go to his car.

"Hey." She smiled noticing Jack's wet head from his shower after practice. She loved it when his hair was wet. It gave him a very sexy look. "How was practice?"

"It was good. Coach told me that I'm the starting point guard."

"That's great!" She stood from her leaning position against her car. She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm proud of you."

"Do you know what that means?"

"No, but you're smiling and that's a good thing."

"I'm smiling because you are here." Jack flirted.

"Sure, Mr. Thornton."

"Ms. T, you know I enjoy being around you."

"Jack, why have you begun to call me Ms. T?"

"Well…" He began as he rubbed the back of his neck. "…your last name begins with T."

She studied him for a few moments but couldn't figure out what was hidden in his emerald eyes. He was shifting from foot to foot. She knew he was hiding something but didn't know what. He was trying to think of something to change the subject. His little grin made her smile.

"So, what is a guard point?"

Jack smiled at this intelligent woman who knew absolutely nothing about sports. "Point guard." He corrected her. "I'm the guy who brings the ball up the court. I'm kind of the quarterback of the team."

"Quarterback?"

"I'm the leader."

"Oh…that's nice. Charles always said he was that."

"He was."

"Oh…I bet he didn't like that." She stated when she realized what that meant.

"Not really. He's still starting but the coach moved him to another position."

"So, my boyfriend is the guard point of the team."

"Point guard." He corrected her again.

"Yes, point guard." She stated with pride.

"I'll miss you not being there."

"Why won't I be there?"

"I'm not going to ask you to go when you won't like it." He stated shaking his head. "You're not a sports girl."

"Maybe so…but I'm Jack's girl. I'll be there."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"So, I'm grateful to see you, but why are you here?" He stated as he stood in front of her. He placed his hands lightly on her hips. Their flirty smile matching each others.

"Well, my boyfriend fixed up this old truck and I've been wanting to see if he'll take me for a ride."

"Really?"

"I love the looks of it. I don't like the name of it though."

"You really came here for a ride?" His voice was hopeful and a little shocked.

"Absolutely. Now, does a girl have to beg for a ride or what?"

"Elizabeth, you are the only girl that sits in that seat."

Elizabeth tiptoed and gave him a soft, loving kiss.

"Come on Jack, I want to go for a ride in this classic truck."

Author's Note:

Since Christmas is next Monday, I will push the next chapter until Tuesday. If you celebrate Christmas, I wish you the best Christmas ever. Merry Christmas! Enjoy your family and friends. Make someone smile.