Chapter Text
Typically Jennifer would stay after school and watch the cheerleaders (under the guise of watching the football practice), but this Monday she had Andrew detail. Both of her parents were busy, so it fell to Jennifer to pick up her little brother from his elementary school and watch him at home until Elyse or Steven came home.
Although honestly, Jen had been worried that George would track her down at school. She’d been avoiding him since they’d slept together on Friday. George didn’t have her number, so the only way they’d gotten in touch was when Jennifer had called him, or face-to-face during football practice. The younger players had been happy to have George visit more, even if he sat in the stands by Jennifer (and Chrissy) while he was there.
Jennifer supposed George could look her number up in the phone book (there weren’t that many Keatons in the area). She wondered what would happen if George mistakenly called Alex’s number looking for her. If Alex would automatically give George the right number, or if he’d question the guy’s motivation. “Why do you need to speak to my little sister? My youngest sister? My sixteen-year-old sister?”
Jennifer hoped it would be the latter. Yes, Nick could beat up George. But Alex could eviscerate him with his words.
She hadn’t told Alex she was dating George. He’d probably figured it out, or possibly Ellen had, but only Mallory knew the specifics.
Jennifer distractedly worked with Andy on his homework, often looking at her watch or turning to look at the clock on the wall. As soon as she heard the door open and her mother’s voice, she stood up. “I have to go make a phone call.”
“Jennifer!” her mother called. “Can you at least say ‘Hello’?”
Jennifer paused, taking a breath. “Hi, Mom. I’m sorry. It’s just Chrissy and I have this project due soon, and she’s behind, and I don’t want her to take us down.”
Elyse waved her away. “Go. Thank you for picking up Andy.”
Jen bounded upstairs. When Mallory had moved out, her phone line had been redirected to Jennifer’s room. It was still the same line that ran to the other phones in the house, but when Jennifer wanted privacy, she used the phone in her room.
Jennifer pulled the note from Nicole out of her pocket. She’d read it so many times throughout the day that she’d memorized the number. It had also become somewhat wrinkled. Jen smoothed out the note as well as she could, grabbed the phone, and punched in the number. She held the receiver in both hands, breathing hard.
When the call connected, an adult female voice said, “Hello?”
Jen paused. Her mouth felt like cotton. “Uh – hello.”
“Yes, who’s this?”
Just act like you’re a regular friend. “I’m Jennifer. Keaton. Is Nicole there?”
“She just got home. Hold on.” Jennifer heard the phone being put down, then the woman’s voice calling, “Nikki! Phone!”
In a few moments the phone was picked up. “Hello?” Nicole said breathlessly.
“Hi. It’s me – it’s Jennifer.”
“You called!”
“You told me to.”
“I know, but – “ Nicole laughed nervously. “You weren’t sitting outside watching us after school, and I thought maybe. . .”
“I had to pick up my little brother.”
“Oh!” Nicole sounded relieved. “Okay!”
“So. . .” Jennifer said. “I called.”
“Yeah.” Nicole suddenly lowered her voice. “Can you meet me somewhere?”
“Like, now?”
“Um, later. . . We’re going to eat, but maybe after that?”
“Yeah, we’re going to have supper, too.” Jennifer chewed on her lips, thinking. “I could probably get out of here after supper. I already told my mom I had a project due with Chrissy. I could just tell her I have to meet her. I have a curfew on school nights, though.”
“Me too. But I just – well, I want to talk to you for more than a few minutes before the homeroom bell rings. If we meet after supper, we’d have – well, we’d have more time.”
“Where do you want to meet?”
Jennifer had to force herself to eat, and to speak normally to her parents and to Andy. Elyse did comment that her daughter seemed distracted, and Jennifer passed it off as worry over her project with Chrissy. Once she had cleared her dishes and kissed her parents good-bye, Jennifer grabbed her book bag and went out to her car.
She drove straight to the movie theatre. Before she’d even parked she saw Nicole outside, looking idly at the movie posters advertising the current films.
Jennifer walked briskly over to the dark-haired girl. Nicole beamed at her. “You came!”
“I said I would.” Jen waved a hand at the movie posters. “Are we going to see something?”
Nicole shook her head. “I just thought this would be a good meeting place.”
“Oh. You want to sit in the car and talk?”
Nicole gazed at the parking lot. “Yours or mine?” She gestured at a rusted-out Volkswagen beetle.
“I think mine would be more comfortable,” Jennifer said.
The two girls settled into the Volvo. “This is kind of a nice car,” Nicole said. “Old, but nice.”
Jennifer smiled. “It was my brother’s. His wife is pregnant with their second kid. They decided they needed a bigger car, so he sold me this. It beats having to borrow one of my parents’ cars.” In fact, Alex had mainly given Jennifer the used car; for purposes of the title transfer it was indicated that he had sold the car to his sister for five dollars. He and Ellen could have traded in the car when they’d bought the mini-van, but when Alex found how hard Andy was taking his absence, he’d felt Jennifer might feel the same way. After he’d “sold” Jennifer the car, it had taken a few days to go over the booklet with her and wade through the years of maintenance and service records. They’d both enjoyed the time together.
“Your brother – that’s Alex?”
Jen nodded dumbly.
“And your sister is Melanie?”
“Mallory.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“How did you know that?” Jennifer asked.
Nicole blushed. “I asked around.”
Jennifer shook her head, dumbfounded. “Do you have brothers or sisters?”
“I have a younger brother. Nathaniel. He’s still in middle school.”
Jennifer nodded. “I didn’t think to ask.”
“I wasn’t spying on you or anything,” Nicole said quickly. “It’s just, I noticed you, and I wanted to find out about you, so I could maybe talk to you, but then you were with George Heddy, and I thought – “
Jennifer closed her eyes, sighing painfully. “George was a mistake. I didn’t – I wasn’t trying to say I wasn’t available. Yeah, I went out with him a few times, but I don’t want to go out with him again.”
Nicole took a breath. “You know, there’s something going around about you. I heard it at practice today.”
“What?”
“There’s a rumor that you slept with George.”
“Where did you hear that?” Jennifer asked frantically.
“Uh. Well, the football players talk to us, and since you weren’t there today, they were making comments, saying you were probably with George again. And then someone said you guys slept together.”
“I can’t believe he’d do that,” Jennifer whispered angrily. “That he’d tell them – “
“So it’s true?”
Jennifer tipped her head back against the head rest. “Yes. But it’s like I said, it was a mistake. I just had to see – to see if what I felt for you was real. Does that make any sense?”
“I don’t know.” Nicole moved closer to the passenger side door.
“Nicole, don’t – “ Jennifer grabbed her hand. “Please. I was just so confused. My sister and brother are straight. I thought I was. I dated guys. I never really noticed girls until high school. Well, noticed you. And I didn’t know what to think. Then this good-looking guy hits on me, and I thought, well, maybe I’m straight after all – I mean, why would he want me if I wasn’t?” She paused her rambling to breathe. Nicole hadn’t moved away, and she hadn’t taken her hand out of Jennifer’s either.
“We went on a few dates, and they were okay. Nothing spectacular. Then he invited me to his dorm room. And I knew why. I knew what he wanted. So I went. And I slept with him. And it was horrible. For me. I guess he was happy.”
“Well, sure. It was your first time, right?” Jennifer nodded, and Nicole mirrored the gesture. “Virgin conquest.”
Jennifer stared. “You – think?”
Nicole nodded again. “He knew you were a virgin?”
“Yeah.”
Nicole blew out a breath. “Guys are dicks.”
Jennifer snorted. “Literally.”
Nicole took Jennifer’s other hand, turning so that they were facing each other. “Jen, do you like me?”
Jennifer nodded several times. “I do.”
“I thought maybe. The way you always stared at me. I hoped.”
“You noticed?”
Nicole laughed. “You never said anything, so I didn’t know if you just had a problem with me, but sometimes I’d look back at you, and see you smiling.”
“I’m sorry I stared.” Jennifer looked down at their joined hands. “And I’m so sorry I slept with George.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me,” Nicole said reasonably. “It’s not like we were in a relationship and you cheated on me or something.”
“But I confused you – “
Nicole smiled. “It’s okay. And you know, I don’t think you should act like sleeping with George was a mistake. It was more like – a means to an end.”
“I like that,” Jennifer breathed. “An end to guys. . .”
“And a new beginning.” Nicole leaned forward then, and met her lips to Jennifer’s.
Jennifer had kissed boys before. More than one boy, more than once. Most recently, George. George’s kisses had been strong but non-sensual, even when he’d shoved his tongue into Jennifer’s mouth. He’d been sloppy and quick.
Her first kiss ever, from her first boyfriend, had been startling and electric. Her lips had buzzed and tingled. As soon as possible, she’d called Chrissy from Mallory’s line and had talked to her for an hour.
Jen didn’t think she’d be calling Chrissy about this first kiss.
Nicole’s lips were soft and delicate. Jennifer could smell her shampoo, and taste her lip gloss. Nicole’s hand ran up Jennifer’s cheek, pressing the two of them more firmly together. Her hand was gentle, the movement lithe. Jennifer moaned softly, and felt Nicole’s lips turn upward in a smile. The dark-haired girl hummed slightly into the kiss, and Jennifer parted her lips. Nicole’s tongue snaked in, and Jen welcomed it.
It was so much different than kissing a boy. It was fresh and pure, yet indulgent. Jennifer felt grounded by Nicole’s touch, but at the same time her head spun. Her hands tangled in Nicole’s hair. She didn’t want this first kiss to stop. She chased Nicole’s tongue with her own.
It was over too fast, but both girls needed to come up for air. When they eventually parted, Jennifer brought her hand up to her lips, breathing hard. Nicole looked at her slyly.
“Was that okay? I should have asked first – “
“That was great.” Jennifer looked down at her waist. “I think if I was a guy, you’d have given me a stiffy.”
Nicole let out a loud laugh. “A woody?”
“A hard-on.” Jennifer was laughing now as well.
“A boner!”
They fell into giggles. When the girls had settled themselves, wiping their eyes, Jennifer checked her watch. “I still have another hour before I have to be home.”
“What should we do?” Nicole said.
“Can we kiss some more?”
TO BE CONTINUED. . .