New Girl in Town Pt. 01

"Uh, okay." Jessica answers picking up her bag and heading towards the free seat. "Saving me a seat again Jake?" She asks with a smile as she puts her bag down.

"Jessica?" I say confused as to how I missed seeing her come in. "Where did you..."

"I was already sitting over there, your friend said I could move." Jessica answers.

I look over and see Lee Ann who grins and mouths "You're welcome" to either me, Jessica or both of us. I mouth back a confused "thanks" as she gives me a wink.

"So, anything I need to know about Mrs. Harper?" Jessica asks settling in as we wait for the bell.

"She's pretty laid back and will hand out extra credit if anything science related is happening around town."

"Are there a lot of those?" She asks.

"The planetarium in town almost always has something going on every weekend."

"Every weekend huh," She teases. "Do you think I'll need that much extra credit?"

"It pays off in this class, believe me." I tell her as the bell sounds.

"Good afternoon class and welcome to Biology," Mrs. Harper begins. "Some of you are new to me and several of you I've had before. It's nice to see you all. I know that you've picked your own seats but make sure that the person you're seated beside is the person you want as your lab partner for the whole year. We'll be doing several lessons that you and your partner will endeavor to work on together. Take a few minutes to make sure that you are where you want to be and then we get started."

"If you want to sit with your friend Lee Ann, I'm cool with that," Jessica says. "She told me that you two have a history."

I chuckle. "Last year she and I were paired together in a science class and we ruined the grading curve for the class. That's the history she's talking about."

"Oh okay," Jessica says. "Do you want to go for two years of grade ruining with her? She's cute."

I glance over and see that Lee Ann is chatting away with Dean Reynolds. "She is that but if I tried to evict Dean from that seat she'd kill me. She's had a crush on him since freshman year so this pairing might give them the push they need."

Jessica looks over at the pair and smile. "Aw, that's so cute. I guess that means you're stuck with me then Jake."

"I'll somehow find the strength to cope."

As the class bell rings, I grab my stuff and ask Jessica, "So where are you off to next?"

"Art," she answers picking up her stuff. I laugh as Mrs. Harper stops Jessica and I at her desk.

"Jessica, I trust that Jake here is explaining how extra credit works with me?"

"He explained how to get it," Jessica answers. "I'm looking forward to earning some."

"That's what I like to hear. I hope you both have a great afternoon."

"Thank you ma'am," I answer picking up one of the brochures off her table. Jessica follows suit then follows me out into the hallway.

"Ooo, weather exhibit this weekend at the planetarium," She reads aloud.

"Extra credit," I state. "Mrs. Harper doesn't push anyone to take it but if you know where to look..."

"On her desk for example," Jessica chimes in.

"Right," I answer.

Jessica pauses a moment in the hall and before I can offer to show her to her next class she stops Lee Ann and Dean.

"Lee Ann, did you or Dean grab one of these?" She asks the pair.

"Oh, I missed it." Lee Ann answers sheepishly.

"What is it?" Dean asks showing that it's first year with Mrs. Harper.

"Lee Ann will explain it and you two can share mine." Jessica tells her as she hands it over. "See you two later."

"That was nice of you but are you going to remember the time and all?" I ask as we start walking down the hallway.

"I'm counting on my lab partner to take care of me," She says then looks around. "Am I even going the right way?"

I laugh and nod. "Mr. Pennington's class is this way. It's my next class too."

She laughs a cute laugh. "It looks like I just can't get rid of you huh?"

"I was about to say the same thing." I respond.

"You can't get rid of you either?" She jokes as we reach the door of the classroom.

"A lot of us have that problem when it comes to Mr. Gibson." Coach Pennington states overhearing Jessica as we enter.

"She doesn't need any help from you Coach. Jessica here is as sharp as they come." I tell him as I look for a table for us. Before I can steer Jessica to one, Shelly appears and takes Jessica by the arm.

"Sorry Cuz, but this is girl talk time." Shelly states pulling Jessica along to a table near the back of the room.

"So that's Jessica huh, okay she's hot." Bobby says kicking a chair out for me to sit in. "When are you gonna introduce me?"

"That was Shelly's promise not mine." I tell him as I take a seat.

"Afraid I'll snake her from you huh? I understand. I mean I am irresistible." He states.

"You meant, "irritating." I joke back at him.

"Ooo, look at you with the quick comeback. You must be having a good day."

I glance over at Jessica and smile. "I guess I am."

"Okay gang," Coach Pennington states getting to his feet and walking the room. "Most of you know me but for those that don't, I'm Mr. Pennington and welcome to Art class. Now we'll doing several different projects this year from drawing to painting and if I can swing it, a little sculpturing but let's start off with some sketches. Grab and easel, pick one of the set ups from around the room and start sketching."

I grab an easel for Bobby and myself who then asks what I'm going to pick.

"The vase of flowers maybe," I state. "You?"

"I dunno, the violin probably. Closest thing to a guitar in the options." He answers. I move my chair slightly when something else I want to sketch catches my eye. I pull out my pencil and begin to draw.

Right before the bell was to ring, calling an end to the school day, I quickly covered my sketch with a new piece of clean paper and sketched out the vase of flowers.

"I liked the first one better," Coach Pennington said quietly as he passed behind me. Before I can respond the bell sounds and everyone starts getting up. "Sketches on my desk and we'll pick back up with them tomorrow. Those of you I won't be seeing in practice in a few minutes be safe getting home."

As Bobby and I start to get up Shelly and Jessica stop at our table. "Jessica, this is our friend Bobby," Shelly introduces, "Bobby, this is Jessica."

Bobby hops up and offers his hand to Jessica who laughs and accepts it.

"Nice to meet you Bobby," Jessica says as I get up and place my easel on Coach Pennington's desk.

"Same here Jessica," He answers. "I feel like we've met already with these guys talking about you."

Jessica looks at Shelly and I with a smile. "Should I be worried?"

"You've spent a few hours with them both, you tell me." Bobby responds as we all head out into the hallway.

"Well with Shelly, I'm sure I'm fine but with Jake here," She states bumping my arm playfully. "I think I need to watch out for him."

Bobby bumps my other arm. "You did say she was a smart one too. You weren't lying about that either."

Jessica laughs. "What else did he say about me Bobby?"

"Nothing bad, I promise but that's all I'll say."

Jessica gives me a smile. "I knew I was going to have to watch out for you." She teases.

"Is this where I plead the fifth?" I ask her and get the laugh I'm hoping for.

"Too late for that," Shelly laughs.

"Too late for what," Jody asks coming up to join our group.

"Jake here is trying to plead the fifth so he doesn't incriminate himself with what he's been saying about Jessica."

"Jake!" Jody scolds and punches my shoulder.

"And the hits just keep coming," I state coming to a stop at my locker.

"Don't say mean things about Jessica. She's really nice."

"Jody, he didn't say anything mean. I mean as far as I know." Jessica explains.

"It's all been good." Shelly adds.

"Some would use the term glowing." Bobby adds.

"Oh gee, look at the time. I gotta get to practice. See you guys tomorrow." I state grabbing the books I need for homework before hurrying away from the group.

"Was it something I said?" Bobby asks garnering a laugh from the girls.

"More like whatever he said," Jessica jokes getting more laughs.

****

"We're going to have a little quarterback contest today," Coach Yates says as the team huddles up around him. Inwardly I groan because I already know that whatever it is, it'll be stacked against me. "We're looking for completed passes. Whoever has the most wins, fewest is gonna owe me laps."

"Are you ready to run all night long Shadow?" Patrick calls out getting laughs from his buddies which includes most of the receivers.

"I'll be keeping up with incomplete passes so quarterbacks, receivers, and tight ends line it up."

Patrick goes first and completes a curl pass to Scott Kennedy. I step up and my receiver is Ray Halston. He's set to run a slant pattern and I expect him to develop alligator arms but I throw it where I'm supposed to, leading Ray just a bit so he catches it on the run. To my surprise he plucks it from the air with ease then jogs back to the line. I hear grumbles from Patrick's group and wonder what is going on. The junior that's going out for quarterback overthrows his turn and coach shouts out "That's one!"

The kid looks rattled so as Patrick takes his turn I go over to him.

"Don't let coach get to you, he likes to put on the pressure to see who'll crack." I tell him. "I'm Jake by the way."

"Thanks Jake, I'm Sean." He says.

"Go through your motion just like you usually would. You'll be fine." I tell him as Patrick completes his second pass.

I go back up to the line and this time Scott is lined up as my receiver. The play calls for a five step drop and as I let the ball go it's right on target but Scott doesn't even reach out for it until it's passed him.

"One for you Gibson," Coach calls out.

"First of many," I hear Patrick whisper to his group.

Sure enough, the receivers are unable to catch any of my passes with Ray being the lone exception. He catches everything I throw to him even one I went a little long on.

"Nice catch," I call out to Ray who nods at me right as coach calls practice.

"Great job as usual Patrick, no laps for you." Coach reads out. "Wilson, you owe me five laps and you Mr. Gibson owe me twelve. How in the hell do you think you're gonna be number two with that kind of half ass play? Answer is that you ain't."

"Yes coach," I state. Arguing with him about how he heard Patrick and the receivers plotting to drop my passes would do me no good. Patrick is his golden boy, his ticket to the state record and nothing will stand in his way.

"You two get to running and the rest of you hit the showers."

"Twelve laps is gonna have Shadow running half the night," Patrick laughs as the team is showering.

"It should have been twenty," Jamie calls out. "What the hell were you doing catching his passes Ray?"

"My place on the team is based on catching passes. I figured I probably ought to do that at the first real practice." Ray answers while toweling off.

"Your place is wherever I tell Coach Yates it is." Patrick boasts. "It'd be in your best interest to remember that if you ever think about catching anything Shadow throws your way again."

"Haven't you done enough to him already Patrick?"

"He needs to learn his place," Patrick states while the group gets dressed.

"Like he hasn't learned that already with what you did to him and Jennifer last year."

Patrick shrugs. "He seemed to let it slip his mind with the way he was trying to put the moves on my girl today."

"Jessica isn't your girl." Ray points out. He too had seen Jake and Jessica walking together in the hallways. Maybe that was a way for him and Staci to "help" Jessica. He makes a mental note to run it by Staci later.

"Oh she is, she just doesn't know it yet." Patrick says.

"From what I saw today, you need to step up that game of yours because Jake looks to be ten steps ahead of you and pulling away."

"Fat chance of that," Jamie states smugly.

"Fat chance of what," Staci asks as she meets them outside the locker room.

"Shadow getting in the new girls pants before Patrick does," Jamie shares.

"Jamie, do you have to be disgusting all the time?" Staci asks making a disgusted face.

"All this talk of getting into pants is making me horny," Patrick says then tugs Staci towards him. "You wanna make out a bit in my car?"

"No," She answers curtly jerking away from his groping hands.

"Staci, would like to go out and grab some dinner with me tonight?" Ray asks taking Staci's hand.

She smiles and nods. "Yes, I would."

"Cool deal," Ray smiles then turns to the guys. "Later."

"What the hell was that?" Patrick asks Jamie as they watch the couple walking away together.

"Looks to me like there's a few people that need to learn their place this year." Patrick states as he stares daggers after the departing pair.

****

I'm on lap ten when Coach Yates yells from the door of the locker room. "Gibson, get your ass in here!"

I jog over. "That was only ten, Coach."

"I can count goddamn it! I just don't want to be out here all night while you take your sweet ass time jogging around. You'll start with two extra laps to run at the start of practice tomorrow and don't think you're gonna lollygag them either. Now get your ass changed so I get home!"

"Yes Coach," I tell him fighting the urge to salute the bastard. I quickly grab my stuff from my locker and meet him outside. "I'm ready coach."

"'Bout damn time," He states and I just nod. "Lazy ass kid." I hear him mutter as I begin jogging to my car. I come to a sudden stop about halfway to my car when I notice that I not only have one flat tire on my Mustang, I have two.

"Son of a bitch," I exclaim.

"Looks like you've got a little problem there huh Shadow?" I hear Jamie call out from behind me. I turn and see him and Patrick laughing their asses off.

"Sucks to be you Shadow!" Patrick shouts as Jamie revs his engine then peels out of the parking lot.

"Assholes," I mutter as I pull out my cellphone and call Bobby. "Hey man, how's it going?"

"Decent I guess, just finished up my homework. What's up? You home from practice yet?" He asks.

"Had to run laps and guess what I found when I got to my car?"

"A-fucking-gain?" He asks already knowing the answer. "I don't know why we even took the air compressor out of the back of my truck."

"We're idiots apparently."

"Apparently," He answers. "Give me about ten minutes to get the thing loaded back up, maybe fifteen."

"Thanks man, I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah," he says. "Just when you finally decide to kick Patrick's teeth down his throat, make sure I'm there to see it."

It takes a little under an hour for Bobby and I to get my tires inflated. I thank him again before heading home. When I get in Mom informs me that I'm late as if I wasn't painfully aware of that fact.

"Sorry mom," I apologize. "Thanks for keeping my dinner warm."

"Can't let you starve now can I?" She jokingly asks.

"Practice run late," Dad asks when he hears us.

"I had to run laps and then my car winded up with a couple of flats. Had to call Bobby to come out with his compressor." I answer.

"I'm guessing that you didn't run over anything this time either," Dad states.

"Nope," I answer, "I need to hit the shower before I eat. Coach didn't want to hang around for me to get one after practice." I head up to my room and begin to undress when my cell rings. Checking the number, I see that it's Shelly.

"Hey Shell, I was just about to hop in the shower."

"I know, Bobby updated me a few minutes ago. You need to call the cops on Patrick's ass." Shelly tells me.

"Would those be the ones that work under the Police Commissioner who plays golf with Patrick's dad on the weekends or are there different ones I should know about?"

"They take an oath Jake." She points out.

"To manipulate and destroy, right?" I ask.

She giggles, "It's serve and protect, bonehead."

"When it's the Greene family, I'm sure," I answer.

"This will hopefully put an end to the whole "Jessica" thing at least. You two have become friendly enough for this little stunt to piss her off at him too."

"Shell, you can't tell her."

"Are you concussed? I didn't think you guys were padded up yet."

"We're not," I answer.

"Then explain to me how you damaged your brain." She states.

"It's just... it's not fair to her Shell. Jessica is new here and she shouldn't be put in the middle of this garbage that's been going on for years." I tell her.

"She's already in the middle and we should at least arm her so she can defend herself." She tells me.

I laugh, "You make us sound like some small rebel faction fighting against an evil empire."

"Maybe someone made me watch Star Wars too much when we were kids but I stand by my statement."

"That I'd make a terrible Han Solo? Thanks Shelly, that still hurts by the way."

She laughs. "Go take your shower. I'm sure you smell like you've been swimming around in a trash compactor but don't worry, I won't tell Princess Jess anything. She'll learn everything eventually anyway."

"Yeah maybe, see you tomorrow Shell."

Next Day

"Hey Shadow," Jamie shouts as I enter the lower hallway the next morning. "How's your tires looking this morning?"

I look up and see that Patrick and his crew are camped right outside of Ms. Simpson's room.

"Chasing after Jessica no doubt," I sourly think as I continue towards the door.

"Two flats at once and after all those laps you had to run too," Patrick says. "What are the odds?"

"Odds of what," Jessica asks as she appears heading in from the opposite direction.

"Shadow had a little trouble after practice last night. Hope it doesn't happen again." Jamie says pointedly as I pass the group and enter the classroom. The warning is clear

"What happened," Jessica asks.

"His car got a pair of flat tires last night. He must have run over some nails or something." Patrick explains causing his group of football guys to laugh. Jessica knows that something is up with the way they all thought that was so funny so she excuses herself and heads into the classroom.

"Fuck," Patrick mutters. "Why is this one so hard?"

"She's a fucking nerd dude," Jamie snorts. "Sure, she's cute and all but there's hotter chicks just waiting for you to say that word."

Patrick nods, "Maybe I'll let them occupy my time until I get into her pants."

****

"Uh oh, she showed up for a second day," Ms. Simpson says as Jessica walks in. "I guess Mr. Gibson was on his best behavior yesterday then."

"Not really but I knew you'd need all the help you can get with him." Jessica jokes back then looks over at Jake whose head is down on the desk with a pair of earbuds in.

Ms. Simpson sighs. "Earbuds day is not a good sign."

"It's not," Jessica asks pausing at Ms. Simpson's desk.

Ms. Simpson shakes her head. "Like I said yesterday, he and I go way back. He's been in my classes since freshman year and earbud days are ones when he's trying to tune the world out."

Jessica nods then makes her way to her seat but pauses before sitting down. She reaches over and plucks one of the earbuds out of my ear and smiles when I look up.

"Good morning," She says. "You know that you're missing out on some great ribbing at your expense."

"I am huh," I ask looking towards the door expecting to see Patrick's smug looking face.

"Yep, I am on my 'A' game today. You shouldn't be tuning me out."

I can't help but smile back. "You are? Well it is rude of me to miss that."

Up front, Ms. Simpson smiles at how easily Jessica got Jake to put away his earbuds and now has him smiling.

"I see that you've decided to join us Mr. Gibson." She says.

"Yes ma'am," I answer. "I was told that I was missing someone's 'A' game this morning."