Why Bother?

“You’re home early,” Jake observed as Eve walked into the living room around 11 PM on Friday evening. He was lying the full length of the couch, his arms crossed in front of him, his eyes glued to the TV screen where football highlights from the first game of the season were playing. “Did you and Mark get into a fight or something?”

“No,” Eve rolled her eyes. “And you’re one to talk. Have you even moved off that couch since I left?”

“I got up to pee,” Jake smiled at his sister.

“Lovely,” Eve grinned back. Dropping her bag on the floor, she crossed the room and stepped up to the couch. “Are you going to move your feet so I can sit down?” she asked. When Jake just glanced up at her, saying nothing, and immediately turned his eyes back to the TV screen, Eve felt good. He was teasing her, joking with her like he always had; he had to be getting less angry with her.

“Hey,” Jake objected as Eve lifted his feet, twisting his hips in an uncomfortable position, in order to drop herself on the couch. “You’re a pain, you know that?” he glared at Eve, but a smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“And your pathetic,” Eve countered, also smiling. “A seventeen year old guy whose most exciting moment of a Friday night was going to the bathroom.”

“There was nothing better to do,” Jake shrugged his shoulders, his eyes never leaving the television screen.

“Liar,” Eve called him out, which forced him to look over at her. “You could have gone over to the party at Mary Binchy’s house.”

“Did you go?” Jake asked.

“I wasn’t even invited this time,” Eve shrugged her shoulders to show that she couldn’t care less that she hadn’t been included amongst the ‘cool people’. “Nicole probably told Mary not to invite me. I mean, she knows that I’m still Joanne’s best friend, so she most likely thought if I was there, I’d ruin her chances of sleeping with you.”

Letting out a grunt of a laugh, Jake knotted his eyebrows together. “Where do you come up with this shit?” he asked his sister.

“From Jo,” Eve said simply.

Immediately, Jake sat up straight and looked at Eve. . “What are you talking about?” His expression was somewhere between confusion and panic

“Well,” Eve leaned back into the sofa, glad this conversation seemed to be turning out exactly as she had planned for it to. “It seems that Nicole and her minion had a very loud conversation by Joanne’s locker today. The gist of it was that you dumped Joanne because, after you took her virginity, you found her boring in bed. And then Nicole went on about how she was planning on bagging you tonight at the party. It really upset Jo. I’m just glad I stopped by and was able to cheer her up.”

“You saw her tonight?” Jake asked before he could stop himself.

“Yeah,” Eve gave her brother a sympathetic smile.

Jake paused, as if to take in this information. “How is she?” he finally asked, his voice softer than it had been previously.

Tilting her head, Eve shrugged. “Honestly? She’s miserable,” she explained. “How else is she supposed to feel? The only guy she’s ever loved – the only guy she’s ever slept with – dumped her last week, and she feels like she deserved it. Now cruel rumors are spreading all over school as to why you broke up with her, and evil bitches like Nicole are making it their life’s mission to torment her because they’re still pissed that sweet innocent Joanne managed to land the most adored guy in school.”

Leaning back into the couch, Jake tried to think about what Eve had just told her. “She feels like she deserved for me to break up with her?” he asked cautiously. It was clear that he hoped this was true; not because he wanted to make Joanne suffer, but because it meant that maybe they could work through this. “Did she say that?”

Nodding slowly, Eve looked at her brother. He looked awful, almost as awful as Joanne did. Between the two of them, they must have lost ten pounds in the last week. “She feels like you trusted her, which you never do to people, and she didn’t trust you back the same way.”

“Well, it’s true,” Jake replied defensively, crossing his arms over his chest again. “No matter how long I went without getting into a fight – or even an argument – with people, she still didn’t trust that I wasn’t going to lose it that afternoon at the Lucky Room.”

Nodding as if in agreement, Eve paused before speaking. “That’s true,” she told Jake, and saw his shoulders visibly relax as she said it. “Joanne certainly needs to learn that, even though she’s seen you go completely psycho once, you’re not going to do it again.” Jake’s jaw tightened as his sister spoke, showing that he realized what a two-sided statement that was – both defending Jake and defending Joanne.

“But,” Eve pressed on before Jake could argue. “It’s not like she’s never trusted you. She trusted you with her family, making you a part of it. She trusted you with her heart, loving you so much. She trusted you with her body, letting you be the first and only person to ever be with her.” Eve paused to look at Jake’s expression, which had softened. “And she trusted your judgment, not telling anyone about the horrible things dad does, just because you asked her to, even though it killed her to not be able to help you. Now, tell me that she doesn’t trust you in the ways that matter most.”

Jake said nothing for a long time. Finally, he looked over at Eve. “Do you think she’s still awake?” he asked nervously.

“For a little while,” Eve gave him a smile. “Call her on her cell on your way over there, and have her meet you outside.” Standing up, Jake nodded. As Eve rose, she had a self-satisfied smile playing on her full lips. “So what do you say to you super-smart, super-cool, super-relationship-saving sister when she manages to get you to pull your head out of your ass before it’s too late and you lose Joanne for good?”

“I don’t know,” Jake replied with a wry smile. “How about ‘It’s mostly your fault that we broke up in the first place, so you owed me anyway’?” At Eve’s disapproving pout, Jake let out a warm laugh. “No, I’m just kidding. Thank you, Eve,” he pulled his sister into a hug. “Hopefully, she’ll take me back.”

“Of course she will,” Eve pulled back and smiled. “People in love are always idiots. And she’s a head-over-heels idiot for you.” Watching Jake pull on his sneakers and rush out the front door of the house with a wave, Eve felt good. “Maybe I should be a psychiatrist when I get older,” she thought as she sat down on the couch and picked up the remote. “Nah, I get bored too easily listening to other people’s problems.”

-----

When Joanne’s cell phone had gone off and Jake’s phone number shown up on it, she was sure she was having a dream, even though she hadn’t made it to bed yet. The conversation had been short, with Jake asking if he could come by for a few minutes and Joanne agreeing.

Now, standing outside in her flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, waiting for Jake to arrive, Joanne began to wonder if she wished she really was dreaming. After all, Jake had given her no indication of why he wanted to talk. Maybe he wanted to get something back from her – a sweatshirt he’d left there or a CD she had borrowed. This is all Joanne would allow herself to guess, because if she got her hopes up and they were dashed, she didn’t know if she would be able to recover.

As Jake’s truck pulled up at the bottom of Joanne’s driveway, she slowly walked to meet it. A moment after the engine cut, Jake emerged from the driver’s side with an expression Joanne couldn’t quite read on his face; he looked like he was experiencing a whole bunch of feelings at once. “Hey,” he said as he approached her, a nervous smile just showing on his lips. “Thanks for meeting me.”

“Sure,” Joanne said, swallowing hard. Even with the slight weight loss and the tired look around his eyes, Jake was still the most beautiful creature on earth to Joanne. The idea that she might never touch him again, never feel his lips against hers, never feel his strong arms embracing her… the thought brought unwanted tears to her eyes. “So, um, what can I do for you?”

Leaning against the hood of his truck, Jake looked down at the car keys in his hands and smiled a little. “It’s funny you put it that way,” he said in a slightly amused voice. Looking up, Jake stared directly into Joanne’s eyes. “You could forgive me for me for getting so mad at you last week and saying you never trust me. You can tell me you don’t hate me for that. You can tell me that you would consider taking me back, even though I am a gigantic jackass.”

Joanne’s brown eyes grew wide and round, and her mouth opened just a little, as if she was going to say something. But no sound came out. She just stared in awe at Jake, as if waiting for the punch line to this terrible joke. When Jake said nothing for over a minute, Joanne finally cleared her head enough to say something. “But you were right,” she finally forced out, wishing she hadn’t spoken or that she could at least stop, but she couldn’t. “I didn’t trust you.”

Taking a tentative step towards Joanne, Jake looked down at her confused face. “You have issues when it comes to me and fighting,” he admitted, nervously placing his hands on Joanne’s shoulders. She jumped a little at the contact, but made no move to get away. “But this really annoying little bird with blond hair and overpriced shoes reminded me of something tonight. That’s the only thing you’ve ever not trusted me with. You’ve given me everything I could ever ask for from another person otherwise – everything and more.”

The tears that had filled in Joanne’s eyes began gently rolling over her thick lashes, wetting her cheeks. “You mean you… you want to get back… together?” she asked, as if in amazement.

Sliding one hand up from Joanne’s shoulder, over the curve of her neck, to finally rest cupping her cheek, Jake reveled in the feeling of her soft skin. “If you’ll have me,” he told gently.

Joanne didn’t speak her reply. Instead, she leaned forward, rising on her toes so her mouth could meet Jake’s. They immediately sank against into one another, Joanne wrapping her arms around Jake’s neck and Jake snaking an arm around her waist to pull her closer.

Wanting to be even closer to her, Jake reached down and lifted Joanne by the waist, eliciting a surprised squeak from her, and placing her on the hood of the truck. Fitting perfectly between her legs, he pulled close to her once again and fell into the kiss. Joanne’s lips were soft and eager, and she let out a quiet moan when he took her bottom lip between his teeth gently, sliding the tip of his tongue along it and tasting the saltiness of the tears that had been falling down her face moments earlier.

Unable to really believe this was happening, Joanne kissed Jake back with passion. When he released her lower lip from his teeth, she immediately slid her tongue into his mouth, overcome by how wonderful it was to feel his tongue rubbing against hers, sending shockwaves through her body. At the same time, Joanne felt Jake’s hands on her body, one buried in the hair at the nape of her neck, the other on her lower back, below the hem of her shirt, tracing her skin softly.

Although Jake never wanted this feeling to end, he knew he had to pull back eventually. Joanne’s parents weren’t likely to let her leave to stay at his house at midnight, and he couldn’t exactly stay there. Even when Joanne asked him a moment later, “Couldn’t you just come in for a little while, just to lie in bed with me?” he shook his head.

“If I get anywhere near a bed, or a couch, or a kitchen table, or a bathroom sink for that matter, with you tonight,” Jake gave Joanne a tender smile. “I won’t be able to control myself.”

“What’s so wrong with that?” Joanne asked, her eyes shining with desire. She was now running her hands up and down his chest over his polo shirt, loving the way his muscles felt under her touch. “I wouldn’t have any complaints.”

“What’s wrong is that your parents are home,” Jake reminded her. “And I’m pretty sure, with the way my body is feeling right now, I would be pretty damn loud.”

Letting out a laugh, Joanne couldn’t believe how happy and free she felt all of a sudden. It was as if, for the last week, she had been existing with one lung. And now, with Jake before her, she was able to breath deeply and clearly again. “Oh, okay,” Joanne pouted. “But would it be okay if I spent the night at your place tomorrow night?”

A small growl escaped from back of Jake’s throat. “Oh, that will be more than okay,” he told Joanne. Suddenly, though, his face softened. “Listen, I apologized for being an ass myself,” he said. “But I haven’t apologized for the way Eve says people have been treating you at school. I’m really sorry about that. And I want you to know, I didn’t say one bad thing about you – to anyone.”

“I know,” Joanne looked into Jake’s concerned eyes and smiled. “And I don’t care what other people say or think. All I care about is that I have you.”

“Oh, you do,” Jake pulled Joanne close for a hug, burying his face in her neck. “I won’t do anything stupid like that again, I promise. I love you too much, Joanne.”

“I love you too much, too,” Joanne whispered with a smile, letting her lips press gently against Jake’s temple. “I love you far too much, and I hope I never stop.”

-----

When Joanne got to school on Monday morning, she felt like she was floating on air. The weekend had been incredible, as she had spent every waking moment with Jake – and all her sleeping moments on Saturday night, as well. As she turned the combination on her locker, she couldn’t help smiling to herself; she couldn’t believe things had turned around so perfectly.

“I guess you’re sorry now,” a deep male voice came from behind Joanne, causing her to spin around. “I guess you wish you had dumped Jake back when I told you to and gotten with me, huh? Then you wouldn’t be the social pariah you are now,” Derek was looking at Joanne with spiteful bemusement.

Joanne was about to say something rude to Derek when she spotted Jake walking up behind him with a concerned look. Giving Jake a quick smile, so quick Derek didn’t notice, Joanne decided to have a little fun. “I guess I should have dumped Jake and gotten with you when I had the chance, huh?” she repeated so Jake would know what the conversation was about. “I really missed my chance there, I guess,” she looked up innocently into Derek’s eyes.

A look of superiority crossed over Derek’s face, and he leaned forward, resting one hand on the locker behind Joanne’s head and trapping her between it and his body. “You know, though,” Derek looked Joanne up and down. “I am a very forgiving guy. Maybe if you found a way to make it up to me for rejecting me,” he gave Joanne a perverted grin. “I don’t know, maybe by coming by my house tonight, since my parents are out of town. Maybe if you worked really hard to prove to me that you really are sorry, I might consider going out with you again.”

With wide naive eyes, Joanne looked at Derek like he was being extremely generous. “Well, that would be really nice of you, Derek,” she told him. “But there’s two small problems.”

“Well?” Derek asked, looking over Joanne’s body once more. “What are they?”

“Well, first,” Joanne smiled at Derek shyly. “Jake and I got back together this weekend. And second,” she suddenly lifter her hand to Derek’s chest and pushed him a couple steps back while her smile changed from shy to amused. “Jake is standing right behind you.”

The look of shock on Derek’s face was enough to start Joanne laughing. As Derek quickly spun around, he found himself face-to-face with Jake, whose expression was anything but amused. “How was I supposed to know you two got back together?” Derek asked pleadingly.

“How about you not treat any girls the way you just treated Joanne?” Jake shot back. “Whether or not they are dating a guy that would have no problem kicking your ass all over this hallway.”

Before Derek could respond, Joanne moved around him and slid up next to Jake. “Hey baby,” she gave him a smile as he put his arm around her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her. “How are you doing?”

Turning away from Derek and heading down the hallway, Jake gave Joanne a grin. “You can be pretty evil when you want to, you know that?” he asked happily.

“Admit it,” Joanne replied. “It’s one of one of the things you love the most about me.”

“It’s pretty high up there,” Jake laughed. “Although not quite as high as that thing you were willing to try on Saturday night- Oof!” he flinched as Joanne whacked him in the stomach.

“Perv,” Joanne smiled.

“Only for you, baby. Only for you,” Jake replied, feeling indescribably content that things were finally back to normal.

-----

“Okay,” Nicole was obviously angry as she shoved open the door to the girl’s bathroom during lunch. “It is one thing that Jake stood me up at your party on Friday night. That, I could deal with. But is he actually back together with that plain boring nothing dork? How is that possible, when he could have had me?”

“I can’t believe it,” Mary said, pulling a brush from her bag and running it through her already-perfect hair. “I mean, how could anyone want to be with Joanne over you? But it must be true. Derek said he saw it with his own eyes.”

At that moment, a toilet flushed and Joanne walked out of one of the stalls. Placing her bag next to the sink, she ran the water and began washing her hands without saying a word. Finally, she glanced up into the mirror and saw the expressions on the faces of the girls beside her. Mary looked shocked and a bit embarrassed, but Nicole just looked pissed off. “I suppose you expect me to apologize?” Nicole sneered at Joanne’s reflection. “Well, too bad. Jake Reynolds is too good for you. He belongs with someone like me.”

Reaching over to grab a paper towel to dry her hands, Joanne tried to keep a straight face instead of laughing, like she wanted to. “It seems Jake disagrees with you, Nicole,” Joanne said calmly. “It seems he would rather be with a – how did you put it? – ‘a complete loser in the bedroom who doesn’t know what she’s doing or how to please a man’. Maybe he was just afraid of catching something from you. At least with me, he knows I’m disease free.”

Mary’s mouth dropped open even wider at Joanne’s words, and Nicole’s eyes slit nearly closed. Before she got a chance to come back at Joanne with another retort, though, the bathroom door swung open and Eve sauntered in. Taking in the sight before her of the three girls, Eve broke into laughter. “What’d you say to her?” she asked Joanne, pointing openly at Nicole. “What did you say to piss her off so bad?”

Shrugging, Joanne leaned down to pick up her bag. “You’ve got me,” she gave Eve a coy smile. “I was just trying to add to the conversation that Nicole and Mary were already having, trying to figure out why Jake would choose a loser like me over a winner like Nicole. Apparently, she didn’t like my theory.” With a wave, Joanne turned and headed out of the bathroom.

Turning around, Eve was smirking as she looked at Nicole, who still looked incredibly angry. “Let me guess,” Eve said. “Joanne thought Jake would be afraid of what he would catch from you?”

“You’re one to talk, Eve Reynolds,” Nicole finally spat out. “You have easily slept with as many guys as I have.”

“And yet,” Eve calmly reached into her bag and pulled out her lipstick. “I’m not known as the biggest whore in school; you are. I wonder why that is?” Tinting her lips, Eve blew a kiss at herself in the mirror and put the lipstick away “Anyway, I have to go now. Bye girls! Oh, and I’ll be sure to tell my brother that you say hi, Nicole.”

Watching Eve practically skip out of the bathroom, Mary turned towards Nicole with a worried expression. “You don’t think Joanne or Eve is going to tell Jake that I was talking bad about Joanne with you, do you? Because, when everything is said and done, Jake is still the most popular boy in our class.”

Looking at Mary with disgust, Nicole rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, Mary. Your reputation couldn’t be ruined at this school,” she told her, watching Mary smile at the news. “Everyone already knows what a brown-nosing, popularity-seeking, two-faced-bitch you are. There’s nothing Joanne or Eve could say to change that.” Mary then watched in horror as Nicole picked up her bag and turned around without another word.

-----

THANKS AGAIN TO THE READERS. A FEW NOTES TO REVIEWERS:

PAPERMIRACLE: THERE ARE GOING TO BE A FEW MORE CHAPTERS SET IN HIGH SCHOOL (THE FINAL OF WHICH WILL CONTAIN THE CLIMAX), AND THEN HAVE A FEW MORE CHAPTERS WITH JOANNE IN COLLEGE, SET IN THE PRESENT.

ADAEE: THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ME, AND FOR TELLING ME I HAVE TO WORK HARD!

CU-KID: THANKS FOR MAKING NOTE OF THE CHANGING VIEWPOINTS. I TRY NOT TO MAKE THE CHANGES TOO SUDDEN, AND I’M GLAD THAT I AM SUCCEEDING.

THANKS ALSO TO PSYCHOSNAKE, GIRLFIXER, AND DC FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT. YOUR REVIEWS ENCOURAGE ME TO KEEP WRITING!