Jackie
"What should we do today?" Kim asked as she paced back and forth in my bedroom, fiddling with one of the cats toys as she walked.
"We could go shopping." Lexi suggested.
"We do that every weekend. Besides the boys can't withstand another shopping trip." Kim replied as she plopped down on a beanbag chair next to Andrea.
"There's a new coffee shop downtown we could try." Luke suggested.
"Went there two weeks ago with Kyle; it wasn't that great." I answered.
"Kyle or the coffee?" John muttered.
"The coffee." I snapped. I know what my friends think of Kyle but after two years you'd think they'd ease up on him.
"Let's just hang out here; Jackie's parents aren't here so the hot tub isn't in use." Charlie suggested." John can run home and get suits for the guys and the girls can borrow your stuff."
"It's December in Colorado but whatever floats your boat." I replied as I walked over to my dresser and pulled out four pairs of suits and tossed three to Kim, Andrea, and Lexi.
"Before anyone goes anywhere, might I suggest studying for exams. They're in a few days." Andrea suggested.
An array of "boos" erupted from everyone else as Andrea put her arms up in surrender." It was merely a suggested."
"John go ahead and go." Luke said before John rushed out the door. I watched his car leave the driveway in a hurry and a few minutes later he was back and all the girls were changed.
The boys stripped down and got their suits on before racing down the stairs to the deck.
"Tell me again how your parents can afford this sweet pad?" Kim asked as we walked down the stairs.
"Dad's a retired brain surgeon, mom is a successful business owner, and they only had me and Nate." I answered. Since the beginning of high school I've been self conscious about my parents being rich and living in an oversized house-no matter how many people tell me I'm lucky- it's not something to be proud of.
"You girls coming or what?!" Luke called from the patio doors.
"God how did we get so lucky to be friends with the three hottest guys at school?" Kim asked as she drooled over Luke.
"Ew; one of those boys is my brother." Lexi gagged.
"Maybe you should tell Jackie that; she's had an eye for him since fourth grade." Andrea smirked.
"I'm dating Kyle and John is just a friend." I replied as we walked outside to the boys standing around the covered hot tub.
I would never admit this to the girls or anyone for that matter but I have, and always will, think of John as my first love. Even if he didn't love me back, I was still lucky enough to be his good friend.
The boys took the top off while I got it running. Once I came back everyone was sitting in the tub drinking cans of Bud light from my dad's massive stash.
"Want one?" Charlie asked, holding a can out to me as I got in and took a seat next to John. I gladly took it and sipped at it for a while.
"Has anyone thought about post high school plans?" Lexi asked.
"I have a few offers but I don't know where I want to go yet and my deadline is soon approaching." I said.
"Where?" John asked.
"Boston, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Northern Kentucky. I haven't heard back from Harvard yet though." I answered." Boston gave a pretty good scholarship offer but I'm waiting to hear if I got into their Summer Nursing Program before I accept anything."
"When will you know if you got in or not?" Luke asked.
"Sometime in April. Hopefully I get in but that would mean I wouldn't see any of you the summer before we all move off for school." I answered.
"As if being thousands of miles apart wasn't bad enough; we won't even get to party and have fun leading up to the move." Kim whined.
"I have no idea where I'm going to go. So much for sticking together because lord knows I won't get into where you're going." John said to me, switching back to the original topic." I don't want to lose touch with you."
"I promise we won't. We'll be friends forever." I told him as I gave him a side hug. I sat under his arm, which wasn't uncommon for us, with my legs rested over his.
When you've known someone like John for as long as I have, being close and touchy, feely is not abnormal.
"If you two could stop cuddling for like five minutes, we could plan our New Year's Party." Kim drunkenly opined.
"You're just jealous that your best friend isn't as cool as mine." I snipped back before pecking John on the cheek and sticking my tongue out at Kim." My parents will be out that night if you want to have it here but we could do it at the Glade's."
"If we do it at our place, we won't have beer or anything." Lexi said.
"I'll take care of it. Nate will be home by then and he can buy some." I replied.
Nate is my older brother who was currently "studying" at Tampa State. He's twenty one and can chug forty ounces of beer in one sitting. If college taught him anything, it was to do that.
"Who's making the guest list?" Andrea asked.
"Anyone who wants to come can come. Most people will probably be at Missy's party but we should be able to pack it at least fifty if not be hundred." I answered.
"I'll let the people know. We need snacks and music by Friday, also who's leaving town for Christmas?" Luke asked.
"Nope I'll be here, as usual." I said after everyone else shared their plans.
"Don't worry I'll be in town that week so you and I can hang out." Luke replied. John and Lexi gave me a guilty look but I reassured them that it was okay and that they shouldn't feel guilty about taking a family vacation this year.
It is very clear to everyone in the group about how I feel towards holidays because of how busy my parents are and how often Nate is around. I can't remember a Christmas that my family was together and not constantly in and out.
Most Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners I spent with the Glade's. I hated intruding but Carol and Bill always insisted on having me over.
"Jackie if you want you can join my family for dinner. We were just going to get takeout and watch movies." Luke offered as he cracked open his second beer.
"No it's fine, Nate will be here Christmas morning so I'll just hang out with him. Thank you though." I said. The subject was quickly changed and forgotten about.
***
"Are you sure there will be no resentment or jealousy if I leave?" John asked as I walked him to his locker the following Monday morning.
"The only jealousy I'll have is that you'll be on a beautiful beach Christmas morning while I'm here scraping five feet of snow off my car." I replied.
"I'll face time you everyday and show you what I find on the beach. It'll be like you're there with me at all times." John joked.
"I'd enjoy a few pictures but if you start sending me everything you see, I'll be forwarding that phone bill over to you." I joked back. As usual he walked me to homeroom and we said our goodbyes for the morning. I'd see him a few periods later at lunch but there was always something reassuring to me about saying goodbye; almost as if it's a sure thing that you'll see them again.
Most people find that strange, including Kyle, but then again most people found my relationship with John strange. Many kids think I'm cheating on kyle with him but I constantly assure Kyle I'm not. He knows how good of friends we are and after two years, he doesn't worry about it.
Most rumors like that surface up when people don't see us together at free times like lunch or the sliver of time before homeroom. The only reason I hang with John and his friends is because Kyle is never at school on time or he goes out to lunch with his teammates everyday. The rare occasions we are together are blissful but don't happen nearly as often as you'd expect.
As the day staggered on, I found myself in fourth period waiting for the rest of the class to join us in the five minute change. Kyle walked in and took the seat next to me before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on my cheek.
"How was your weekend?" He asked, as he did everyone Monday when he walked in.
"Well spent. We've finalized the plans for the New Years Party; the Glade's are hosting and anyone who wants to come is invited. Beer will be provided." I explained.
"Let me guess, Nate is your supplier?" Kyle chuckled.
"What else would my brother be good for?" I replied.
We chatted a bit more before the bell rang and Mrs. Lowenstein began her lesson.
Most of class I stayed focus on what Mrs. Lowenstein was saying but every so often I'd get caught off track and the only think weighing on my mind was who I was going to be with at midnight on New Years.
John or Kyle?
Even though Kyle and I have been dating for two years, our relationship has begun to fizzle our and I'm too much of a wuss to end things with him.
There was nothing wrong with Kyle but two years can change a lot; physically and emotionally. For us, things just stopped working but neither of us would admit it.
We've been trying to make things work and patch up the rough spots but I don't know if it's working. I'm willing to stick it out I'll graduation if he is and see what happens but other than that, it's time to move on.