If Not For You

Chapter 13

Jax called Lena and found out that the girls were at the mall.  They parked the truck and went inside.  When the guys finally found the girls they were sitting in front of the fountain chatting.  Jax walked right up to Lena and bent down to kiss her.  Jenna and Ben looked at each other awkwardly.

“Well we are hungry.  You guys want to get something to eat.”  Jax looked towards the girls.

“Um, no.  I’m about to try on some clothes so I won’t be able to eat until I get home.  We can’t all have an amazingly girlish bod like you.”  Lena stood up wrapping her arms around his neck and gave him several kisses in a row.  “We will be back in about an hour.  You can load up on carbs for later.”  She squeezed his ass as she and Jenna walked away.

“Bye Benny.”  Jenna said as she followed behind Lena.

The boys went to get some food and sat down when they got their trays.  “So you and Lena, are you two getting serious?  Because you guys are seriously making me sick?”  Ben smiled as he said this.  Jax knew he was just joking around with him.

“It’s so weird.  I really like her.  I never really liked a girl like this.  Well other than Julie Harper in the eighth grade, but eighth grade love is different than actual love.” 

Ben practically choked on his burger.  “Did you just say “actual love”?  Are you saying you are in love with Lena?’

“I don’t know I think I might be.  I haven’t told her yet.  You better not say anything.  I swear if you say anything to anyone I’m going to tell Paul you’re going after Jenna.”  Jax made the threat but he knew that his best friend would keep this to himself.  After all these years and everything they’ve been through together he knew that Ben wouldn’t do anything to hurt Jax. 

Ben piled all his empty burger wrappers onto the tray and said, “alright, let’s go find the girls.”

They both stood up and threw their garbage away, leaving their trays on top of the garbage cans.  When they stepped out into the mall they headed in the direction they last saw the girls going.  It didn’t take long.  They were back at the fountain but this time they weren’t alone.  Killer and a couple of his friends were surrounding them and they were all talking and laughing.  Jax looked at Ben and rolled his eyes.

They walked up to the guys and they all exchanged hellos.  Jax stood in next to Lena and gently grabbed her hand.  She leaned in towards him while still telling a story that she had started before they got there.  Ben looked over to Jenna and noticed how close Killer was standing next to her.  He had leaned over and whispered something in her ear and she just smiled politely.

“So what did you get me?”  Jax said motioning towards the bags the girls had sprawled around.

“Just some tank tops and swimming suits.  There are some really good end of the season sales.”  Lena said as she pulled out a handful of bikini tops and bottoms.

“Well you in a bikini is kind of like a present for me.  Although you in a hot tub in your bikini is an even better present.”

 It was now obvious to all the guys there that Jax and Lena were officially a couple.  As if on cue they then all turned their attention to Jenna.  To Ben’s dismay they weren’t being discreet about flirting with her.  As if he understood Ben’s distress, Jax asked Lena and Jenna if they were ready to go.  “Let’s put those bikinis to good use and go back to my house.”

“Alright let’s go.”  While still holding Jax’s hand she locked arms with Jenna and they said goodbye to Killer and the other guys.  When they exited the mall into the warm summer evening they stopped to figure out the car situation.

“I hate to break up the party but I have to go home.  Early curfew.”  Jenna said.

“Sorry but my grandmother is stuck in the 1950’s.  I’m lucky I didn’t need a chaperone.”  Ben remembered what Jenna had said in the morning about needing to get home before her grandmother’s friends left. 

“I should probably get going too.  You know how my dad is.”  He knew that between Jax and Lena, they did know how his dad was and they wouldn’t question either of them any further.  “Jax, I can drop your truck off at the school when I pick up my car.”   After it was agreed that Lena and Jax would take Lena’s car and Ben and Jenna would drop off Jax’s truck and get Ben’s car, they all said their goodbyes and parted ways.

On the way back to the school, Ben asked Jenna if she would be alright tonight.  Making sure that her grandmother wouldn’t kick her out again.  “I should be fine.  She usually is fine for a few days after she kicks me out.  Plus she should be in a good mood with her friends being there and all.”

“Well if anything happens will you call me?  Give me your phone I’ll put my number in it.”  Ben reached out his hand for her phone.

“I don’t have a cell phone.”   Jenna shrugged.

“What do you mean you don’t have a cell phone?  How are you going to call someone when you need help?”  Ben couldn’t imagine anyone not having a cell phone.

“We weren’t allowed to have them in my last school.  I mean all the girls there had them anyway but we weren’t supposed to.  We had dorm phones.  My parents wouldn’t get me one and I’m 16 it’s not like I could get one by myself.”  The way she talked about her parents made Ben debate which was worse, a parent who hit you or a parent who just didn’t care. 

“You don’t have to be 18.  You can get those prepaid ones at the drug store.”  Ben couldn’t imagine that she hadn’t ever heard of those.

“Yeah well what’s the point.  It’s not like I have anyone I could call if I needed to anyway.  I made it this far depending only on me.  I think I’ll be alright.”  Jenna looked out the window sounding so small and alone.

“That’s not true.  You have Paul, you have Lena, and you have me.  You don’t know Jax too well but he would help you out if you needed it.”  Ben reached across the car and grabbed her small hand with his.  She didn’t budge.  He always had Jax and Paul growing up.  He met Lena in middle school and she was there for him too.   His childhood wasn’t the greatest but he had his brothers and Jackie if he needed. He couldn’t imagine being alone.  He always had friends. 

“I’m not doubting that they would help me but I can’t tell anyone what’s going on.  You have to promise me that you won’t say anything to anyone.  Not even Paul.  If my aunt and uncle find out, they will tell my parents.  And I can promise you this will all end up being my fault.  Who knows where they will send me next.”  She squeezed his hand hard.

“I promise that I won’t tell anyone but I don’t think this is the best idea.”  As he finished his sentence they pulled in next to Ben’s car in the high school parking lot.  Sitting in the passenger seat of his car sat Kelly.  She smiled when she saw him pull up in Jax’s truck until she realized that the passenger seat wasn’t empty.  Ben got out of the truck and headed to the passenger side.  “I don’t want to know why or how just get the hell out of my car.”  Kelly just sat there shocked at his tone of voice.  She clearly thought this was going to go down a little differently.