Jessica vs. The Jerk

17. Miss congeniality

I don't know whether I'm relieved or disappointed when I find Jonah kneeling on the bathroom floor, head propped up above the toilet. He's changed his shirt, but he's still sweaty and shaky.

I don't know the etiquette for this situation, so I pretend he's one of my besties in the midst of...uh, bad period cramps? I guess that's a comparable situation. I pat him gently on the back as I step around him and turn on the shower. It takes a while to mix the water so it's warm enough, and I hear Jonah retching behind me a few more times before it's ready. By the sounds of it, he probably doesn't have much left to purge.

When I turn around, he's standing up looking like utter crap. 'Thanks.'

'Will you be okay?' I don't like how pale he is, and he's practically swaying on his feet.

He cracks a grin, although it's not very convincing. 'Might need help taking my clothes off.'

I get out of there in two seconds flat, practically slamming the door behind me. If he can manage to flirt, he can manage to shower! Still, I put my ear against the door and I wait until I hear a change in the sound of the water before I make my way back to the living room.

'Is she his girlfriend?' My heart skips a beat when I hear Tina's question, and I hurry back before Dan can make up a story -- knowing him, it could go either way.

'Jonah's having a shower,' I announce in a slightly louder than normal voice just as I walk around the hallway to the living room.

Behind Tina's back I gesture toward the door and Dan smoothly asks where the best place to catch a taxi would be. Tina apologizes for not being able to offer us a ride home, but we assure her that since Dan and I live so close to each other, taking a taxi isn't a huge deal for us.

Dan waits until we're alone, walking along the quiet street, before he starts with the inevitable teasing.

'So...Jonah Sullivan, eh?' He nudges me with his shoulder and I jab him with my elbow.

'Shut up. It's not like that.'

'Really?' He fake coughs and it sounds like something that rhymes with bull pit. I pinch his arm.

'Look,' I say with a sigh, 'if you really have to know, Papa was waiting to take me home after school. Jonah happened to be at the right place at the right time.'

Dan knows my family situation so he gets it straight away, and our conversation is interrupted when he puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles to hail a passing cab. I sit behind the passenger side so he can't look back to see my face when he starts interrogating me again. I'm a terrible liar.

'So how come you were at Santa Rosa and not at home?' I can imagine his eyebrows wiggling suggestively even though I can't see his face, and I punch the back of his seat.

'It was a thank you treat.' I try to keep the defensiveness out of my tone. 'Can you believe, he's been here for almost a year and it was the first time he tasted Pinoy barbecue?'

Dan snorts in disgust. 'Typical.'

'I should have taken him to Jollibee and made him eat their spaghetti.'

Dan chuckles with me. A visit to Jollibee is one of the first things that locals usually do with new international students at our school. It's particularly funny with the Italians, who end up traumatized by what we've done to pasta.

'Anyway,' I say in an attempt to change the subject once and for all, 'what's up with you and Renie?'

The laughter stops abruptly. 'Not much.'

'So you guys are cool?' I'm curious to hear his side after Renie's revelations.

'We're fine,' he replies in a not-very-fine tone.

'Seeing anyone new?'

'Tss.' I can't tell if that means yes, no, or get lost.

'Well,' I say in a teasing voice, attempting to reduce the tension, 'you'll have to find someone soon. Prom will be here before you know it.'

He scoffs. 'Plenty of time, Agoncillo.'

I grin at his show of bravado. 'Oh, you think you have game, do you?'

'The chicks will be lining up to ask me to prom,' he brags. He's definitely not lacking in self-confidence. He looks over his shoulder toward me. 'What about you? Got a willing victim yet?'

This time I smack his headrest, eliciting another laugh from Dan and a flinch from the taxi driver.

'For your information,' I say in a snooty tone, 'I don't need a date to have the perfect prom.'

'As if.' Dan is shaking his head. 'No corsage? No cute photobooth shots? No slow dancing? No slave for the night?'

I feel miffed at being reduced to a set of tasks for my potential partner. 'If it's such a sacrifice, why do guys bring dates?'

'So we can steal a kiss, of course!'

He gets a direct smack on the side of the head this time. 'Dan, you are the worst.'

Dan proceeds to justify why guys deserve a kiss at prom, and by the time the taxi pulls up outside my house -- well before my curfew, I'm relieved to note -- I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe. He asks the driver to wait while he walks me to the gate.

'You know,' he says casually, 'local guys make better dates than internationals.'

'Oh, really?' I snort. 'And why is that?'

'Because the internationals don't know how to make ligaw.' Dan has his hands in his pockets, a small smile playing on his lips.

I press the doorbell. 'And what's so special about Pinoy courtship anyway?'

Dan moves closer and puts his hand on the wall just behind my head. 'That's for us to know and you to find out.'

Oh, my gahd. Is it me, or is Dan implying something? I try to read his expression, but it's...complicated, and I scoot back against the wall as much as I can. I don't even know how to deal with this, and when Yaya Esther finally unlocks the gate, I duck beneath Dan's arm and make my escape.

It's not until much later, as I lie in bed reliving every moment of tonight, that I remember Renie's challenge. I finally managed to go on a date with Jonah and I completely forgot to take a photo as evidence! I smack my head with a pillow in frustration.

And then I throw the pillow on the floor and put my hands behind my head, a loopy grin on my face. Because despite what a hassle it will be to be branded a loser for life, I can't bring myself to regret any minute of this day.

* * *

A/N: Typical Filipino spaghetti is sweet and has hotdogs in it and the pasta is cooked a little longer than al dente. I know that sounds wrong, but it is what it is. Gif source unknown.

x Brie

PS Dedicated to lakewriting -- thanks for the follow. :)

Next: Renie has brothers!