Jenny & Jay - Volume 1

The first day of my final year of school had begun. As always, I was curious to see how much the girls had changed over the summer. Spotting a few easy targets filled me with excitement as I casually adjusted my dark blond hair.

My thoughts were interrupted by my mother's voice.

"Johnny, Amber, breakfast!"

I finished getting ready in the bathroom I shared with my sister, then headed back to my room, which was across from Amber's. The bathroom was right next to mine. Our parents' bedroom-with its own private bathroom-was on my side of the hallway, while the guest room was on Amber's.

Mom kept the décor simple-light green walls and light brown furniture throughout the house-though Amber had painted her room orange and white a few years ago.

I headed downstairs for breakfast, taking the staircase next to our rooms. My sister was already at the table, sipping her tea. As usual, she was dressed in one of her eccentric, colorful outfits-pants and a separate top. Amber was tall and had a striking face like Mom's, with brown eyes like Dad's. Though she wasn't particularly curvy, she had a great figure. She usually wore her long, wavy blonde hair loose.

Amber had already been in school when I was born, so she often made me feel like I had two mothers. Sometimes I found it strange that our parents indulged her whims, but she was clearly talented and passionate about what she did. She designed clothes and had attended several different design schools over the years, which explained her bold and noticeable fashion choices.

At the kitchen counter, Mom and Dad were teasing each other quietly while Dad finished scrambling the eggs. He was a tall, slightly chubby man with brown eyes and light hair. I had inherited my blue eyes from Mom, who now had reddish-brown hair and stood slightly taller than the average woman. Since she had played tennis from a young age-and still did-she was in excellent shape. She had taught me as a child, but I never enjoyed it and didn't have much talent for it.

Mom was an incredible woman, but cooking wasn't her strength, so Dad handled meals whenever possible. He loved good food. It was still obvious that they loved each other deeply, though thankfully, they didn't show too much affection in front of us.

The kitchen and dining area were on one side of the stairs, while the living room was a step lower on the left. Behind the staircase, Dad had a quiet study, and near the entrance was a bathroom, along with a door leading to the garage where he kept his car. The kitchen also had a door leading to the terrace. Mom had stuck to her signature light green walls and light furniture here, just like upstairs. I liked it-it was a cozy house.

Just as the food was ready, I started shoveling it in.

"Johnny, you need to mow the lawn today. Please come home on time," Mom said.

"Mom, today is my first day. I don't know yet what will happen in the afternoon," I tried to argue, though I could already tell from Dad's amused smile that I was fighting a losing battle.

"Oh, I didn't know there was practice today. I thought there was never practice on the first day," she replied, a bit sarcastically.

"No, there's no practice. It's just... my friends and new acquaintances," I insisted.

"Son, your girlfriends have waited for you for several weeks. They can wait until tomorrow. Please be home on time," Mom said patiently but firmly.

"I'll try," I muttered under my breath.

"I think I didn't even hear that," Mom said without turning toward me. She considered the conversation closed and walked into the bathroom.

"At least today she didn't pick on us," Dad nudged Amber, grinning.

"Johnny, could you take me to school too? I need to hand out flyers for my new designs," my sister asked.

"And how will you get home?" I asked, not particularly eager to escort her.

"Don't worry about that. Cathy will come for me later, and we'll go on." Cathy was Amber's longtime friend, though she had recently moved away, so they rarely met in person.

Slowly, everyone left home. Dad headed to his private practice, and Amber and I drove to school. Mom, an event organizer, didn't have fixed working hours, so she stayed home today. Sometimes this made weekend family plans tricky, but we had learned to adapt.

We lived in a suburban area at the base of a large hill, where every street was higher up. Our white-walled, black-roofed house sat in the valley. We only had fences on the sides-front gates weren't common in our neighborhood. The school was barely twenty minutes away by car.

I loved my car-a not-so-new but well-maintained dark blue, high-clearance vehicle. I had bought it a few years ago with my saved pocket money, which my parents had supplemented as a Christmas gift. As soon as we reached the school, Amber jumped out and disappeared from sight.

Our school was surrounded by greenery and located in an accessible part of the city, though not downtown. It had been recently renovated, so it was in good condition. Admission wasn't open to everyone-academic performance mattered. Stairs led up to the main entrance, and standing at the top, I could check out all the girls as they walked in.

As expected, I spotted my friends and my best friend, Brian, at the top of the stairs. We had been friends since childhood-he'd always lived in the house across from ours. Even after his parents divorced, he stayed there with his mom. A few familiar girlfriends surrounded them, some of whom I knew quite well.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as I approached.

"Buddy, the girls really outdid themselves this year," Brian said with a grin, nodding toward a few girls in short skirts. We were both single now, ready for new opportunities.

Brian was about my height, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a dimple inherited from his father. All my swimming teammates wore their hair like mine-styled hair was popular with the girls.

Two of our similarly tall swimming teammates stood next to Brian. Daryl, with his naturally tanned skin, brown hair, and larger muscles, stood out among us, while Aaron completed our group with his red hair and brown eyes. Each had a girl standing beside them-Daryl's current girlfriend was a colorful-haired girl in a leather jacket and skirt, while Aaron's was a short blonde with glasses, impatiently tapping her foot.

I looked around. Thanks to the warm weather, skirts and tops had indeed gotten shorter. After all, first impressions on the first day were crucial. I was used to girls smiling back when I nodded at them, so I waved at a few. Blushing and loud laughter followed my gesture. I smiled to myself-my charm was still intact.

As I did every year, I signed up to help lower-year students catch up. Some had quite attractive sisters, and studying with younger students was important for my academic performance. Over time, I had found the perfect balance between dating and avoiding awkward study sessions.

Inside the school, lockers lined both sides of the hallway, with classrooms opening opposite each other. My locker was directly across from Brian's, so we could chat there too.

The bell rang, and we said our goodbyes before heading to class. My first subject was Biology. Since I was preparing for veterinary school, I paid close attention to this class throughout the year.

In front of the classroom door, a crowd of ten to fifteen students had gathered, all scanning the paper posted on the closed door. I pushed through my classmates to find my name. The teacher had assigned groups of three, though I couldn't figure out the criteria. The names next to mine seemed familiar, but I didn't recognize the guy, and the girl didn't ring a bell at all-something like Paul and Jane.

"Excuse me," someone tapped my shoulder. "Could you step aside for a moment?"

I turned around and was met with a striking pair of blue eyes I hadn't seen before.

"What do you want, little girl?" I asked mischievously, leaning even more against the door.

"I want to see the notice," she replied, standing her ground without blinking.

"In exchange for a phone number," I grinned, waiting for the usual laughter at this question.

"I'll gladly give you my brother's," she said calmly, catching me off guard. I laughed-no one had ever responded so cleverly before.

Taking advantage of my momentary distraction, the girl slipped past me to check the notice, then stepped out of the crowd.

The door opened, and everyone rushed inside at once.

I took my seat, but neither the girl with the striking eyes nor my assigned teammates had entered yet.

When I saw the tall, short-haired, stout man in his forties standing quietly at the board, I realized I had heard about this teacher before. He waited patiently for everyone to settle before speaking.

One of my teammates-the girl-arrived among the last and quietly sat in the seat farthest from me. I glanced at her and greeted her.

"Hi," I smiled at the owner of those blue eyes.

"Hi," she replied briefly, unpacking her bag. She showed no sign of remembering our conversation outside.

I leaned back and studied her. She wasn't particularly tall-rather short-with long, straight, medium blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Her loose-fitting shirt and jeans covered almost everything. Her blue-and-white sneakers were new, but even I had a hard time guessing what might be beneath the layers of clothing.

My observation was interrupted by the teacher clearing his throat.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Mr. Thomas, your Biology teacher for this year. Thank you for choosing my advanced class."

"Sorry for being late, I was sent from the teacher's office," a guy interrupted. "I'm Paul Tashiro, a new student."

"Welcome to our school. Please sit next to Mr. Simmons."

Proudly, I smiled to myself. Even the teacher had heard of me.

"Hi, Paul Tashiro," the guy said, extending his hand toward us.

"Hi, we've met before," the girl smiled at him.

Her lips weren't particularly full, but the way she smiled at him was captivating.

"John," I said, extending my hand as well. "You can call me Jay."

That explained why I hadn't recognized them-I had only glanced at their names briefly when Brian showed me the list of new students. He was responsible for registering newcomers and organizing their tours. Brian loved meeting new people and always knew if someone was noteworthy. He hadn't mentioned these two specifically, which I didn't blame him for.

Paul was about my height, but his black hair and dark, half-cut eyes were completely different from my blue eyes and light hair. He wore dress pants and a shirt-far more polished than my jeans and t-shirt.

"Well, if everyone has unpacked and finished getting acquainted," Mr. Thomas continued, "you'll be sitting like this for at least half a year, and your end-of-year grade will be heavily influenced by your group work. Besides daily learning, each group will create a ten-minute nature film about any animal. Apart from a few small rules, you can choose any subject."

"What are the rules?" asked a chubby girl-I think her name was Cinthia.

"Who has a dog, cat, or any pet?"

Almost everyone raised their hand, including Paul. The girl didn't, and neither did I. We had lost Theodore, our family dog, about a year and a half ago.

"Great. Then sleeping, eating, playing, doing their business, and mating pets are excluded. I also don't want any videos of partying, drinking college students contributing to nature. That's about it-no more rules."

Loud murmuring followed his announcement.

"Does video quality matter? Can we film with a mobile phone?" Paul asked.

"Yes, but the video shouldn't look like a pirated movie. The narration must be clear and understandable. That means you'll need to comment on the video-just like in a proper nature documentary."

"What's the deadline?" I asked.

"The submission deadline is the end of February. If there's anything you don't like about it, you'll have time to improve it before the end of the year. After all, you chose my class because your biology grade matters." He paused briefly. "Well, if there are no more questions, let's start the lesson."

I liked biology, and Mr. Thomas was a great teacher, but I wasn't thrilled about my teammates. I hoped they wouldn't mess up my grade just because they couldn't take another class.

The rest of the lesson focused on ontogeny, but from a completely different perspective. Mr. Thomas explained how humans began to diverge from other living beings on Earth. We had learned the basics in previous years, but now we needed a detailed analysis of biology. By the end of the lesson, I started doubting whether one year was enough to prepare-and whether I even wanted this.

I glanced at my teammates. Paul was diligently taking notes in his notebook, while Jane barely wrote anything, only jotting down short notes in the textbook's margins.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Jane quietly started packing her things, but Paul spoke up.

"Would you like to meet over the weekend to discuss our video topic? I'm free-how about you, John?"

"I'm free too, no plans yet. Little girl, how about you?" I asked, my tone laced with irony.

"I'm not free on Sunday. We'll discuss it before the next class. I have to go-bye." She grabbed her backpack and left the room.

"She's right. We still have at least two more classes together this week," Paul said before leaving as well.

I was slightly annoyed that Jane had left so abruptly-I wasn't used to being brushed off like that.

I had three more classes before lunch, all painfully boring. I hated poetry, didn't care for language classes, and already knew history well. My dad loved history and had always turned lessons into bedtime stories when I was little. If presented interestingly, history could feel like a story.

I had just settled into my usual seat when Jane appeared. She nodded at me before sitting in an empty chair. I motioned for her to sit behind me-sometimes I could be nice. She hesitated for a moment, then moved to the seat behind mine.

I turned back just as Shannon arrived. She looked stunning today-one of the coolest girls in school. Last year, we had something going on, but then she started dating a college guy. She dumped him over the summer.

Her fiery red hair, brown eyes, and perfect figure always turned heads. She knew exactly how to dress to be noticed, and today was no exception-she wore a short, red, low-cut dress.

She spotted me, so I waved. She sat next to me, dropped her bag, and leaned in.

"Hi, pretty boy. How was your summer? I didn't see you-I missed you," she said, running her finger down my arm.

"I saw you often in my dreams," I grinned.

"Shall we meet after school?" she asked, winking.

"I'm free now," I replied casually.

"You know my number-call me." She stroked my arm before turning away.

I glanced around. My friends were grinning and pointing, clearly amused. Jane, on the other hand, was writing something, looking completely uninterested. She noticed my gaze and met my eyes.

"Good thing the scene is over-I almost lost my appetite."

I was about to respond when the teacher walked in.

Ms. Klein was a tall, thin, middle-aged woman with a slightly sour demeanor. She lived alone with her cats.

"Well, this is our last year together. I hope you realize this subject is an important part of your future, so expect even more pop quizzes this year than last," she announced. The class groaned.

"I see we have a new student. Stand up, dear, and introduce yourself," she said, looking at Jane.

Jane stood up and smiled around the room. She always smiled when she knew people were watching-strange girl.

"Hi, I'm Jane Shepherd. I recently moved to the city." She sat back down.

Well, she wasn't very talkative, that was for sure.

"Thank you, Jane. I hope you like history-it'll make the next few months easier with me."

The lesson dragged on, and I barely paid attention. Occasionally, I glanced at Shannon, but Jane also crossed my mind. I wondered if she was still taking notes in the book, but turning around to check obviously wasn't a good idea.

When the bell rang, I rushed to the cafeteria. The line was always ridiculously long. The serving counter started right at the entrance and stretched to the wall. Our usual table was near the cashier, so we didn't have to balance our trays for long.

The boys were already waiting. We sat down at our usual spot.

"I hear you have a date with Shannon," Brian said, sitting across from me.

"Yeah, I'd be stupid not to take the chance," I replied. "In biology, two new students are my teammates. What do you know about them? Some Paul and Jane."

"Ah, yes. They're both new seniors," Brian said. "Paul is half Japanese-his father is some rich big shot. They moved here over the summer and bought the old Sigma house up on the hill. Renovated it completely. Nice, approachable guy-I think he swims too, like us."

"And the girl?"

"I don't know much about her. Wait," he pulled out his phone and opened his documents. "Ah, here it is. Her mother is a widow and a home nurse. I don't know where they live-it's not listed here. She was nice when I showed her around on Friday, but she didn't talk much."

"Does it say why they need advanced biology?"

"No, nothing about that."

"Whatever. I just hope they don't mess up my grade."

I glanced around the cafeteria, searching for them. Jane sat alone at a distant table by the window, reading. Others were sitting on the opposite side of the bench, but there was a noticeable gap next to her-no one was talking to her.

Paul approached with his tray, asked her something, and she nodded before he sat down. They started chatting quietly, looking comfortable with each other. I glanced over occasionally, but only out of curiosity.

The rest of my afternoon was uneventful, though Shannon made sure to sit next to me in every shared class, clearly waiting for my call. In those classes, the new girl and Paul always sat together, far from Shannon and me.

--

After school, I hurried home, knowing Mom would kill me if I was late-she expected me to mow the lawn. She was just leaving when I arrived.

"Hi, son. Thank you for coming home on time and mowing the lawn." She smiled, adjusted my shirt, then walked out the door and drove off.

I quickly got ready and mowed the lawn. I actually liked mowing-it was relaxing-but I couldn't let my parents know that. If they knew, I'd lose my bargaining position.

Our backyard wrapped around the entire house, but aside from a few trees, Dad had kept it simple-just grass. In the summer, we often had dinner on the back terrace.

Later in the afternoon, I finished my homework and called Shannon before dinner. I lay on my bed, which was against the wall opposite my desk, so I could use my computer from there. My large wardrobe stood between the window and my bed. I didn't have much furniture, but it was enough for me.

"Hi, kitty. How are you?" I asked when she picked up.

"Hi, pretty boy. I've been waiting for your call."

"We're planning a movie night with the guys on Saturday. Want to come?"

"Oh, I thought we'd go somewhere just the two of us," she said. "I'd prefer that."

"Come along-we'll be alone after the movie, I promise."

"I don't know... If I'm not that important to you," Shannon started whining.

"Come on, kitty. You're so important that you get to meet my friends too," I rolled my eyes.

"Well, okay. We'll coordinate on Friday. Dream of me."

"I will."

I hung up. Shannon never surprised me.

Curious about Amber's day, I headed to her room. I stopped at the door-she had a large piece of fabric spread out on the floor, cutting it with scissors.

"So, what did you accomplish today? Did you get any applicants from your flyer?"

"I did, but none of them were great. I called them all, talked to them, but either they didn't like my designs or they had no personality. I'm still looking, though-the deadline is approaching," she said without looking up. "I even offered payment for the trials and photoshoots, hoping it would motivate them, but so far, no one has clicked."

"Why don't you showcase them yourself?" I asked as she finished cutting and stood up.

"Because it would look silly if I were the only one wearing my designs. They weren't made for my figure."

"Well, you know best. I don't understand this stuff," I shrugged.

"Well, you don't. Come on, let's go down for dinner."

Amber was tall and had a beautiful face like Mom, with brown eyes like Dad. She wasn't curvy, but she had a great figure. She also played tennis regularly with Mom.

Dinner was a tradition in our house-no phones, and everyone reported on their day. Tonight, Dad started.

"I have new patients again. It's like parents are choosing a brain picker instead of parenting," he said. "How about you, dear?"

"Quiet, administrative day," Mom replied. "How about you, kids?"

Our parents always listened to us in the evenings. They didn't bore us-just shared a sentence or two out of politeness.

"Two new students became my study partners in biology," I said.

"Who?" Mom asked, interested. She had a good network because of her job.

"The guy is half Japanese-Paul Tashiro. And the other is a girl."

"What's the girl's name?" Mom continued. "Maybe I know her parents."

"I don't think so. As rude as she is, her parents can't be any better," I said, considering the topic closed.

"I see," Dad said, exchanging a glance with Mom and Amber.

"I handed out flyers today, but all the girls are as simple and superficial as my brother's girlfriends," Amber chimed in.

"Hey, hey," I protested, food hanging out of my mouth. "I object to that. Not all my girlfriends were like that."

"Yes, son, all of them were," Dad said calmly.

"Well, on Saturday, I'm going to the movies with one of the best girls in school. She's definitely smarter than the others."

"If you say so," Amber said. "But if you find a more sensible one, recommend her to me."

"You know what? Let's bet that this girl will meet your standards too. I'll bring her here before the movie on Saturday, and we'll see."

"Okay. If you win, I'll do the dishes for a week. But if you lose, you will."

"Deal." We shook hands.

"Well, we won't miss this either. We'll be home Saturday afternoon-we'll see," Mom winked at Dad.

I didn't know what they were planning, but this was a bad sign. Shannon was unlikely to make a different impression than my previous girlfriends.

I didn't even know why I bet-I should have just prepared for dishwashing.

I fell asleep quickly that night, knowing that swim training would start the next day. I had loved water since childhood, and my parents had taught me to swim early on. For a while, I had considered pursuing it seriously, but now I wasn't aiming for a sports scholarship. I wanted to be the captain of the school's swim team, and the decision would be made tomorrow. I needed to rest.

I woke up early-only my father was awake. He quickly packed my breakfast, and I headed off to training.

We had mandatory swim practice twice a week, both in the morning and evening. The parents had decided on this schedule last year so we wouldn't be overloaded with late-night practices nearly every day.

The school's swimming pool was in the building next to the gym. It had a competition-sized pool with two changing rooms, but only one side had a grandstand. The facility had been renovated along with the school, so its white walls and blue-and-white tiles looked fresh and modern.

I arrived, changed, and stepped onto the pool deck-only to realize Brian hadn't been exaggerating. Paul was already there, preparing to swim a timed lap.

The coach signaled the warm-up, then the swim, and finally, the timed lap. Paul was fast-roughly as fast as me.

"Simmons, you're up," Coach Stein called.

I prepared and dove in. I swam as hard as I could-I had to win if I wanted to be captain.

Everyone completed their laps, but the coach didn't share our times. He simply wrote them down for himself.

"Alright, boys. You know your captain graduated, so this year I'm looking for a new one. My decision won't be based solely on speed-I'll be considering leadership and other qualities as well. So, I suggest you all give your best effort. I won't decide today, but after the first competition."

Everyone started changing, but I still wanted to talk to the coach.

"Coach, a word. Last year, it was said that I'd get the captain's position. What happened?" I tried to keep my tone calm.

"I know, Simmons-I remember. But this Tashiro kid is really good. Today, he was practically faster than you. We'll see who values this position more and who shows stronger leadership. A few weeks, no more, and it'll be clear."

"Alright, I understand. I'll do my best," I conceded.

There was no point in arguing-he had already made up his mind. I'd simply prove that no one was better than me.

While changing, I noticed how quickly Paul had made friends. After just a few days, he had built good relationships with everyone. A conversation caught my ear.

"Are you coming to the movies on Saturday, buddy?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, thanks for the invite-I'll come," Paul replied.

"Bringing someone or coming alone?" Aaron asked.

"I haven't had much time to date, but if it's okay, I'll bring my sister. Just a heads-up-she's only sixteen and off-limits to everyone."

Loud laughter followed his statement.

"Alright, buddy, we don't fish off the company pier anyway. We leave each other's siblings and girlfriends alone-and make sure others do the same."

"Maybe I'll invite Jane too," Paul said quietly, more to himself. I tried not to pay attention.

"Go ahead," Brian said with a smile.

I wondered why they cared so much about who the new guy was bringing on the weekend. They were still getting to know each other. I finished dressing and left them, even forgetting to style my hair.

As I walked, I let the wind dry my hair. Girls liked it much better when it was styled, but I didn't care today.

I thought I'd sit in the classroom before the lesson and quietly eat my sandwich, but as soon as I entered, I realized I wasn't the first. Jane was already inside, reading.

She hadn't put much effort into her outfit today either-probably just picked one of her nearly identical patterned shirts and paired it with her one pair of jeans.

"Hi, little girl. You got here early," I greeted.

"Hi. Just like you. Ran out of hair gel at home?" she asked, glancing at my hair.

"What are you reading?" I ignored her jab.

"A book." Her slightly sarcastic response made me smile, though she didn't look up.

"What kind of book?" I pressed.

"Not your world-you wouldn't understand. Sci-fi. Time travel." Her eyes remained hidden behind the pages.

"And what's it about?" I wasn't about to let her read in peace.

"The protagonist goes back in time and meets himself to save the world." She put the book down but didn't close it. She thought she could shake me off with that.

"Do you believe in it? I mean, time travel?" I asked.

"I don't know. Theoretically, as far as I know, it's impossible-we'd have to be faster than light. But who knows what the truth is? And you?" She politely returned the question.

"I haven't thought about it," I admitted.

"Figured. With swimming, girls, and hair gel, there's hardly time for that." That was sharp, but I didn't take it personally.

"If you could, where would you go back to?" I asked, ignoring her remarks.

She closed the book.

"I'd tell my dad not to get in the car that day. Or if he did, to do it an hour later," she said, surprisingly calmly.

I wasn't interested in any emotional stories, so I changed the subject.

"Have you thought about our biology video topic?"

"Yes. I have a few ideas-we could discuss them over the weekend." She immediately returned to her smart-aleck tone from yesterday.

"Hi, guys," Paul stepped over and dropped his bag between us.

I only then realized that time had flown by-I barely had five minutes left for my sandwich. I quickly went out and devoured it.

"Good thing you're back," my swimming buddy greeted me. "Would Saturday at 2 PM work for you to sit down and discuss the video?"

"Sure, I'm free in the afternoon. Where should we meet?" I asked.

"We can't do it at my place-my dad's throwing a big party in the evening, so it's better if I'm gone in the afternoon," Paul said.

"Jane?"

"Could we meet somewhere neutral, like a burger place?" she suggested.

"Not good-I'd have to run around all day because I already have plans for the evening. Come to my place. We can discuss everything calmly there," I said.

"Alright." They agreed, so I scribbled my address on two slips of paper and handed them over.

Just then, Mr. Thomas walked in and dove straight into the lesson material.

-

The rest of my day passed uneventfully-until lunch, when Shannon sat down with us.

I didn't like it when girls wanted to eat with me-it was better if they didn't get too comfortable in the spot. But I didn't want to shoo Shannon away, at least not before the weekend.

"Hi there, Pretty Boy. I was thinking you could take me somewhere on Friday since we won't be alone on Saturday."

"What would make you happy, kitten?" I asked sweetly.

"I don't know, maybe a romantic dinner?" Shannon snuggled up to me like a kitten, her hand resting on my thigh.

"Alright, I'll pick you up at eight on Friday night," I said, flashing one of my signature charming smiles.

"Awesome." She kissed my neck and then sauntered off.

"My goodness, that girl sure knows what she wants," Brian said from across the table.

"Yeah," I remarked dryly.

"Would you be happier if you had to work harder for it?" Brian asked. "Look around-every guy is busting his chops to impress someone, and here you are complaining because the best girls are hanging around you."

"You're right. I'll enjoy what I get," I grinned mischievously.

I glanced around, curious if every girl had guys hovering around them. My gaze landed on the new girl. She was reading, though she wasn't alone. Paul sat across from her at the desk, surrounded by a group of girls.

It seemed half-slit eyes and wealth were attractive.

Jane wasn't eating cake, but for some reason, Paul pushed his own toward her, which she accepted with a smile.

--

After lunch, before geography class, Jane was already inside, quietly reading as usual.

"Same book, little girl?" I asked, settling into my chair and turning toward her.

"Well, it's hard to make progress when I'm interrupted at every page," she smiled when she looked up.

She didn't seem offended.

"I'd meet Theodore again," I told her.

"Excuse me?" She sighed softly, gave up, and put the book away.

"If I could go back in time," I continued, "I'd meet my dog again."

"He'd surely be happy to see you," she said with another smile. She was quite charming when she smiled.

"Do you have a dog?" I asked, though I already knew the answer from yesterday's class.

"Oh, no," she said. "With all the traveling, it didn't fit in."

"Traveling?" I asked, but before she could answer, a voice interrupted.

"Hey, Pretty Boy, there you are," Shannon purred as she sat down at the desk next to me. "I hope you haven't forgotten," she whined while sizing up Jane.

Clearly, the two girls weren't in the same league-but that wasn't a compliment to Shannon.

"You can't be forgotten," I winked and turned back.

"I think I'll move somewhere else before I have to throw up," Jane muttered behind me and moved to the furthest empty desk.

"I'm looking forward to the weekend," Shannon whispered in my ear, which my arriving buddies greeted with grins.

I didn't turn around for the rest of class, though I was curious about what Jane was doing.

--

At dinner, Amber was already impatiently pestering me.

"I'm looking forward to Saturday, bro. I don't want to wash dishes next week."

"We'll see," I said.

"Did you have class with the new students today?" Dad asked, interested.

"I did," I said briefly. "The guy swims like me, and there's nothing wrong with him. Everyone liked him."

"And the girl?" Amber asked.

"She just makes snide remarks to everyone," I said.

My parents exchanged glances, but I didn't understand why.

"Is she pretty?" Amber asked curiously.

"No," I said shortly.

"Too bad," Amber said. I ignored the mild sarcasm.