TO NO surprise, the group had been at the Forman's. Ozzie upstairs helping Kitty set up her new computer and the others downstairs minding their business.
Rachel had joined Joshua on the floor the two of them throwing a foam football back and forth with each other.
Joshua could tell that Rachel had a lot on her mind. She hadn't really spoken up about how Jay had quickly moved on from her to Leia in the matter of days and she wasn't planning on it.
She was quite content with the situation on the outside, but on the inside... it was a different story.
Anyway, Nate wanted a used hot tub. It was free and he wanted it in his backyard.
It was between that or a free goat.
"Nate, go get your disgusting used hot tub tomorrow." Nikki said, "We have an appointment to get our pictures done at Glamour Shots."
"Oh, it's cool. We can rebook Glamour Shots for when my mustache comes in." Nate smiled.
"Tiny pubes on your face do not count as a mustache." Joshua joked.
"When I drink milk, you can almost see it."
Rachel smiled, "Almost is a big work in the sentence."
"Look, Nik. This hot tub is first come, first served. It can't wait. That's how I lost that giant dog crate."
"You don't have a dog." Rachel said.
"But I might get a goat!" He pointed. Nikki scoffed and sat down. Nate sighed and joined her side, "You never want to talk about our relationship."
"Relationships, right?" Jay chuckled, "Who needs 'em?"
"So you're okay with us just being friends?" Leia asked.
"Oh yeah, it's great. I love it. It's so good. It's so good and fun."
Rachel took the foam football, griping it slightly and threw it towards Joshua with force. He caught it, of course, but not without grunting in pain.
"Okay, Nik. I'm not sitting here anymore, listening to you not talk to me." Nate said, "Jay, Josh, wanna help me pick up this hot tub?"
Jay turned, "Sure. What? Sure. What?"
"Nah, I'm good bro." Joshua said, "Might have a bruise appendix. Take Rachel with you."
"No!"
Rachel looked up and over at Jay who shouted along with her.
"Well," She said standing, "now I'm going."
Rachel stomped out of the Forman's basement and made the boys stop by her house before meeting up with the owner of the hot tub.
Nate jogged towards the backyard and held a wide smile as he rested his face against the hot tub.
"This is even better than that time we found that nude beach." Nate smiled, "Until we saw my baseball coach doing lunges."
Rachel wasn't there for that and thank God.
She separated herself from the boys. Walking around the hot tub as slowly as she could. It was probably for the best that she tuned the boys out. This whole Jay going between Leia and Rachel thing was bringing her down and she needed to pep herself up.
She was too young to be going through bullshit like this. Love triangles shouldn't exist in the real world. If he likes Rachel and Leia, Rachel was going to let him pick Leia.
He liked Rachel and Leia came into the picture and he fell for her. In Rachel's mind, because he also, seemingly liked Leia, he liked her (Leia) more simply because he was him.
Was that complicated? Yeah, it was for Rachel to.
The back door of the house opened and the trio looked over and saw an elderly woman step outside.
"Hello, boys." She smiled and looked over at Rachel, her smile dropping, "And one girl."
"Hello, ma'am. We called about the hot tub." Nate said.
"Oh, yes. I'll be glad to see it go. It used to be my husband's, but since he passed away, I don't use it very much."
"Oh. I'm so sorry. How did he die?" Jay asked.
"He drowned."
Rachel furrowed her brows, her arms crossed in front of her chest, "Still want the hot tub?"
"Oh, he drowned in a lake." She clarified.
"Yes!" Nate cheered, "I mean, I am so sorry for you loss. I just... really did not want a haunted hot tub. We'll take it."
"Now, hold on. Don't you want to try it out first?"
"You try out hot tubs?" Rachel questioned.
"Don't push it." The woman said.
Jay agreed to test the hot tub and the woman went inside to grab towels for everyone. She made sure to start the hot tub before heading inside though.
The boys took of their shirts and sat in the hot tub. Their pants still on. They looked back over at Rachel who still stood with her arms crossed and watched the boys.
"Aren't you getting in, Rach?" Nate asked.
"I don't think that lady likes me." Rachel said, "I'd be damned if I got into her hot tub and she sent her demons on me."
"Come on." Jay smirked, "The waters nice."
Rachel rolled her eyes and pulled the hair tie off her wrist and pulled it into a ponytail. She took her flannel off along with her tank top and was left in a green bathing suit top. She was gonna leave her spandex on. It was the least she could do, you know?
And do you know those moments where things are suddenly in slow motion? Whether something scary is happening or something absolutely insane?
Yeah, that moment hit Jay Kelso and Nate Runck in the face as Rachel took her flannel off. Teenage hormones or something.
Rachel stepped into the hot tub at the same time as the woman came back out with her own bathing suit on and joining the others in the hot tub.
"Is it hot enough for you, boys?" The woman asked.
Nate nodded, "Yes, ma'am."
Jay furrowed her brows and twisted his mouth, "Whose foot is that?"
"Oh, I love this game." The woman smiled.
"I'm done." Rachel said and quickly got out of the hot tub.
The boys began a conversation with Marion (the older woman) and Rachel sat on the chair near the porch steps.
A girl came out shouting at her Marion, claiming to be her granddaughter. The girl had said something along the lines of how Marion was tricking guys to get into her hot tub and that she wasn't actually giving it away.
"I've got a free king-size bed upstairs if you'd like to try that out." Marion said.
Rachel rolled her eyes. Standing up and instructing the boys to get out of the hot tub.
"You're lucky we're not calling the cops, Marion." Rachel said.
"I'm reporting you to the Pennysaver." Nate said.
Rachel pushed the boys out of the women's backyard and they took the towels while the made their way back home.
LATER THAT night. Jay made his way towards the MacFarlane household and knocked on the front door. He was lucky that Rachel had opened the front door instead of her brother.
Jay asked if they could speak outside and she nodded, stepping out on her porch and sitting on the porch swing with him.
"I'm sorry." He said.
"What are you sorry for?"
"For being... you know."
Rachel furrowed her brows, "I don't know what you're talking about Jay."
"You know... that thing that Gwen always calls me."
"A player? You're apologizing for being a player?"
Jay nodded, "Yeah. I shouldn't have led you on that way. I really do like you, Rachel."
"But?"
"There is no but."
Rachel pulled her legs close to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, "What about Leia? Are you gonna dump me as soon as she's ready to date you?"
"No." He chuckled, "I'm in this if you are."
Rachel knew Jay like the back of her hand. She'd know how he was with girls and that wasn't gonna change. He wasn't gonna change for her. At least, that what her mind told her.
Rachel really liked Jay and wanted whatever this was to be as real as teenage romance could be.
You can't repeat history, so they say. You can't repeat the moments you have with someone with anyone else. You can try, but it will never be like what it once was.
It almost hit Rachel like a freight train. She knew why she like Jay. She knew what she wanted and maybe it was too late.
She knew Jay wasn't fully in it and maybe she wasn't either. But for now, she was gonna go for it. She was gonna prepare herself for potential heartbreak and let herself be herself for as long as she wanted.
Rachel finally gave Jay a smile and he reached out, taking her hand with his.
It was Jay and Rachel. In it for as long as they could.
THE NEXT day, Jay and Rachel were gonna have a date at the Hub. Jay made his way inside before Rachel and once she did enter she approached Jay who was standing with Leia.
"Nate bought the goat?" Rachel asked, "He's chasing it around the sidewalk."
Rachel felt some awkward tension rise and the duo watched as Leia began pumping ketchup into her hands.
She could only assume that Jay had told her that they were dating. If you could call it that. She would. She wouldn't know what Jay would call it, but for now, they were dating, no matter how long it would last.
- lucy has something to say !!
y'all... i know how the story is gonna end you can pick jay or you can pick nate... but i know how it ends... and if the show doesn't get picked up for a season two well... 🧍
also adding when i asked that question i didn't expect that many people to respond because... y'all didn't on the other chapters so like yolo swag i guess
also also, be mindful if y'all make leia fics she literally turned 15 in the show she's a minor (they all are) 👍
anyway
bye :))))