Scouts Honor

Chapter 1

Dedicated to rivshoran_phoenix for making the beautiful cover on the side. :)

"Babe, would you like something to drink?" Jesse asked. It's so sweet how he's always thinking of me.

"Actually, I would like a water," I replied, looking at him expectantly.

"Great. Grab me a beer while you're in the kitchen." Well, so much for being sweet. I rolled my eyes before stepping around the random couple making out against the wall.

You see, parties are usually on Friday nights. This party is on a Monday because school starts again this Wednesday. It's the final summer bash that we have every year. This one is extra special because it's our last party before our senior year.

Actually, I don't really see the point of partying. The only reason I ever go to parties is because of Jesse. They Always go the same way. Jesse shows up with me, acting like his normal self. He gets drunk, acts like a jerk, then asks a cheerleader to drive him home. It never fails. Even though I know how it's going to play out, I always stick around. I'm convinced that one day, he'll ask me to drive him home. After all, we have been dating for almost a year now.

I managed to squeeze through all of the sweaty guys in the kitchen without getting felt up too many times. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw them. The head cheerleader, Shelly, was flirting with my boyfriend. And the worst part was - it looked like he was flirting back.

Like I said earlier, Jesse always does this at parties. He talks to cheerleaders, then asks them to take him home. But, he's never flirted with one of them before. At least, not like this. Don't get me wrong, I know he would never cheat on me. We're too in love for that to happen. I just don't think that he should flirt with another girl while he's dating me.

Her horrible giggle brings me back from my thoughts. I walk over to them, handing Jesse his drink. "Here you go babe," I said, before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks," he says, turning his attention to me. Shelly rolls her eyes and walks away, muttering to herself. "What took you so long?"

"I'm surprised you even noticed that I wasn't here. You and Shelly looked pretty distracted."

"Aw, is someone jealous?" I knew Jesse was just teasing, but it was still annoying. "You don't have anything to worry about. You're my girl, Baylee. Not her."

"I know. I just don't think you should flirt with other girls. Especially Shelly. It'll give her the wrong idea." I'm pretty sure I already knew the ideas Shelly had for her and Jesse.

"Look, Shelly is just a friend. Are you trying to tell me that I'm not allowed to have friends anymore?" I guess he had been drinking more than I thought. His jerk side was already starting to come out, and it was only 10:00.

"I don't want to fight with you. Let's just talk about this later." I knew this wouldn't work, but I decided to try anyway.

"No, we'll finish this discussion right now. I can't believe you don't trust me. I thought our relationship was better than that."

I just sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry for not trusting you. You've never cheated on me before, so I shouldn't be jealous of the girls you talk to. You can be friends with whoever you want."

This was playing out like it did every other time. "I know I'm right. I'm me." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend some time with people who actually trust me."

He didn't even give me a chance to respond before leaving me alone. I turned around and saw exactly who he was spending more time with. Shelly. He whispered something in her ear that made her giggle. She grabbed her purse before he lead her to the door.

I knew it would happen, but knowing didn't make it hurt any less.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I left right after watching Shelly walk out with Jesse. He was already gone, so I had no reason to stay at the party.

Tonight's end of summer bash was so much different than last year's. I met Jesse for the first time at last year's party. He seemed so much different back then. He used to treat me well, drunk or sober. Everything's changed over time. I've learned more about who Jesse really is. I'm actually his first real girlfriend. That little fact used to make me feel incredible. It always assured me that our love was strong. Now, it just causes me to worry.

Jesse used to be one of the school's biggest players. Sometimes, I wonder if he still is. I trust him, but I still worry. The way he acts at parties sometimes reminds me of the way he was before we dated. I'm always curious about what happens with those cheerleaders who drive him home. At first, I asked him about the girls. It would just cause an argument over "me not trusting him", so I just started keeping my mouth shut. It never stopped the curiosity.

I eventually developed a system for party nights. After Jesse left, I would leave and go to Denny's. I don't plan what'll happen. I just order my usual, sit at the same table, then talk to whoever comes up to me. I never approach anyone there. That way, it feels like I'm meant to talk to the people who come over to my booth. Like fate sent them my way. It's always been people who leave the party early, but not tonight.

I hear the bell ring over the door, but I don't turn to see who's come in. That's a part of the mystery. Not knowing who's there that could approach me. I'm too busy looking at the menu to realize he's sitting there until I hear him speak. And I know exactly who it is.

"Hey, Baylee. It's been a while since I've seen you."

I look up from my menu to say hello, but end up staring instead. Fate was very good to me tonight.