Boys and Girls, Part IV: Why I Love to Hate You

A/N: This chapter is for the readers who want to see a scene b/t Tristan and Jacy. Sorry it took so long, but we need exposition people!

Chapter 3 – An Unexpected Encounter

Jacy decided to jog at her school’s track. Being early Sunday morning – the first since Ewan’s arrival – no one in his or her right mind would be there. Jacy had inquired as to whether or not Ewan might want to join her. He politely declined, joking that exercise was bad for his health.

The Hawk football players were finished for the year, which was just perfect because aside from Jason, Ryan, and Joe, Jacy couldn’t stand them. As she scanned the track, she was relieved to find that there were only one or two other people there. She leaned over to stretch her hamstrings.

Jacy had called home Saturday evening to inquire after her mother’s health. Ever since her mother’s hospitalization, Jacy was constantly worried. She wasn’t exactly a fan of her younger twin sisters, but because she wanted to make sure that they would be all right as well, she made sure to check on everyone fairly often.

While the relationship between Jacy and her sisters wasn’t fantastic, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the relationship that Jacy “shared” with her father. He was just outright apathetic about everything that occurred in the lives of his daughters, and that was just fine. Since her father had abandoned them for “bigger and better things” in LA, their lives had evolved into something a little more tolerable.

Fred Hewitt was a published author/freelance writer who had frequent mood swings and a penchant for adultery. Jacy was pretty sure her mother had known these things going into the marriage but couldn’t resist falling for him in the end. Jacy’s father was good-looking, even in his late thirties – which was when she’d seen him last – but his attitude left room for improvement, and it was obvious that he didn’t really love Jacy’s mother anyway.

The last time that Jacy had seen her father was when she was sixteen. He never called on birthdays or holidays after he abandoned the family, and Jacy couldn’t have cared less. She thanked her father for giving her good bone structure and beautiful hazel eyes, but that was it. The way that her parents’ marriage ended confirmed Jacy’s beliefs about how love should be approached – slowly and cautiously. And while she loved all of her friends and respected the relationships that they had going, she vowed never to fall for someone as quickly as the lot of them had. Look what happened to her mother and father.

Jacy stretched into an upright position and bent her arm at the elbow over her head. She took a deep breath and realized how looking good make her feel good. At least the promise of her new image would keep her somewhat positive.

****

Fuck!

Tristan winced inwardly as he recognized Jacy Hewitt from afar. What was she doing at his track? Tristan always exercised at the track on weekend mornings, but with Jacinda Hewitt around, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to concentrate – particularly because he had spent his entire first week back in North Mission attempting to circumvent thoughts of Jacy.

Tristan continued to stretch his legs and plot ways to evade her notice without deserting his weekend routine. Too late, he realized as he saw Jacy running in his direction.

She was wearing an orange athletic top that covered her stomach. Her still-large breasts were pushed up by the top’s bra-like apparatus. She was also wearing short black running shorts that exposed some impressively toned legs. Jacy wasn’t particularly tall, but she had stems hot enough to tempt even the harshest of critics.

Tristan remained stretching. Maybe if he avoided eye contact, she wouldn’t notice that he was there. How many times could she circle the quarter-mile-long course? All he’d have to do would be duck for cover every time she made an appearance.

But curiosity got the better of Tristan, and as the sounds of Jacy’s Adidas sneakers hitting the track, punctuated the atmosphere; he couldn’t resist lifting his blue eyes to catch a glimpse of the rest of her newly transformed self – up close and personal.

He looked.

And Jacy Hewitt stopped right in front of him with a look of pure hatred on her pretty face.

****

“I’ve never seen you here before.”

If it weren’t for the thick Texan twang that resounded in the statement, Jacy wouldn’t have believed that Tristan Carter was talking to her right in front of her face.

“I pay to use these facilities too,” Jacy answered haughtily. She wasn’t able to get the words out as confidently as she had wished because she had long-forgotten what a sexy beast Tristan Carter actually was. There he stood in his full 5’ll” glory. His tanned, muscular arms bulged out of the sleeveless white basketball shirt he was wearing. Black shorts ended right above his knees where long, tanned legs and thick, muscular calves stuck out the rest of the way. All in all, Tristan was a perfectly proportioned God – not too wimpy but not too bulky. His body type was so similar to Ryan, but the similarities ended there. Unlike Ryan’s jet-black hair, Tristan’s was a sandy blonde that had recently been cut, so that he was able to tease it on the top, looking like a true surfer from Southern Cal. Also, instead of possessing storm gray eyes like Ryan, Tristan’s eyes were a clear blue. They had been what had really knocked the wind out of Jacy; Tristan’s eyes glistened like the Pacific Ocean and made him actually look like a good person, instead of the obnoxious ass that Jacy knew him to be in real life.

“Actually I don’t have to pay to use this here track,” he answered smugly. “I don’t have to pay to use a damn thing on campus.”

Oh, yeah, that’s right, Jacy thought begrudgingly. Mr. Football Player got a full ride here too. Jacy didn’t hate the fact that Tristan got a scholarship despite the fact that he was rich as hell because Jason was also wealthy and had managed to nab a full ride to NMU. But whereas Jason was thankful for those opportunities, Tristan acted as if everyone else in the whole world should bow at his very presence. She wanted to smack him across the face for it. “It must be nice to coast through life without anything to worry about,” Jacy responded sarcastically.

She noticed him twitch in a subtle but definite way. Whoa. Had what she just said gotten to him? How could it? She was right. Tristan Carter had probably never worked a day of his life. So what was with the sudden display of sensitivity?

Tristan’s discomfort instantly evoked some deep-seated confidence within Jacy. She arched her back so that she was standing tall and proud – at 5’5”. Tristan didn’t fail to notice, and the signature cocky grin reappeared on his handsome face.

“You look very nice,” he said.

Jacy thought his was joking. Sure, she had lost weight since the last time that he had seen her, but she was kinda sweaty and looked like crap in her running shorts and athletic top.

“Shut up,” she replied.

Tristan’s jaw dropped in mock indignation. “What did I say?”

“Never mind,” Jacy grumbled walking past Tristan. She heard footsteps behind her. Tristan was following her. What the hell?

“That was a compliment Jacinda – in case you didn’t know.”

She scowled. “Don’t call me that.”

“That’s your name, isn’t it?” he asked with a smirk.

“Yeah, but only people who want to get their ass kicked will actually call me by that name,” she threatened.

“Really?” Tristan asked with interest. “So if I were to call you ‘Jacinda’ again, what exactly would you do to me?”

Jacy shot him a murderous glare but merely shook her head in disgust. “I don’t have time for this.” She began jogging ahead of him when she heard him speak again.

“You sure talk the talk Jacinda,” he taunted her.

Jacy whipped around and stomped over to him. Her long, brown ponytail swung angrily back and forth behind her. She marched straight up to Tristan, who didn’t look the least bit daunted. Jacy placed her hand on her hips. “Haven’t you done enough?”

Tristan looked confused. “Excuse me?”

“Why are you still harassing me?” she demanded.

“This isn’t harassment. I’m just trying to talk to you.”

“Yeah, but if I don’t want to talk with you, and you continue to pursue me…um, that’s harassment.”

“I’m not pursuing you!” Tristan protested. “You’re the one who showed up here all of a sudden.”

“I’m working out!” she answered back. “But I guess if it means being faced with your inanity every Sunday morning, I’ll just have to go somewhere else.”

Tristan frowned. “Can’t you at least talk like a normal twenty-one-year-old?”

“Twenty-two,” she corrected.

“Really? Man, you’re old.”

Jacy looked offended. “What did you say?”

“Twenty-one, twenty-two. I’m just saying,” he began, ignoring her latest question, “I’ve never talked to anyone who’s used the word ‘inanity’ in civil conversation before.”

Jacy snickered. “That’s because the people you normally engage in ‘civil conversation’ with are still practicing their lower-case letters.”

Tristan’s frown deepened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jacy smirked. “Nothing at all.”

“If that was jibe at football players,” he began hotly, “I’m going to take the time to remind you that you also have friends who play football.”

Jacy rolled her eyes. “Geez, you don’t have to be so sensitive about what I said. But now that I know that I’ve upset you, I think I’ll be able to exercise in peace.” She turned around and began to restart her jog when a strong hand closed around her wrist.

She spun her head around. “What the fu-

Tristan didn’t look so flirty or casual now. He looked sort of…well it was a mixture of pissed off and frustrated. “You need to stop pushing other peoples’ buttons, Jacinda.” The statement sounded like a threat, rather than advice.

“L-let go,” she gritted out. She hadn’t meant to stutter, but Jacy hated being on the defensive, and Tristan just wouldn’t let go. Instead, he grabbed Jacy’s other arm and pulled her directly against his hard body. He looked her straight into her hazel eyes, challenging her to say anything else. Jacy hated this; she hated being overpowered by a pompous male, and suddenly, she wished that she could take back some of the brute strength she had had when she was a little heavier.

“Miss Jacinda Hewitt still needs to work on shutting that big mouth of hers,” he spoke in a low rumble.

“Mr. Tristan Carter still can’t stand to be around a woman who can outtalk and outsmart him,” she responded determinedly. “Now let go.”

Tristan’s eyes narrowed, like cool slits of ice. “Just because you think you’re better than everybody else doesn’t make it so, Jacinda.”

“Fuck you,” Jacy spat out. Tristan’s grip on her arms tightened but Jacy continued. “Your opinions and the things that you say mean shit to me, Carter. I hate you. And I don’t think that I’m better than everybody else.” She lifted her chin. “I’m just better than you.”

Tristan didn’t say anything. He continued to stare straight into Jacy’s soul with his sharp, blue eyes. Jacy instinctively took a nervous glance around and noticed that Tristan and she were now the only two people on the track. He gripped her chin and dragged her face back in front of his.

“How’s Mackey going to bail you out of this one?” he asked in a deep, husky voice.

Jacy recalled Jason saying that Ryan had gone to kick Tristan’s ass after what Tristan had put her through. “Y-you got what y-you deserved that t-time,” Jacy replied breathily.

“Is that so?” he asked, his eyes growing half-lidded.

Jacy just gulped and realized that she might be in store for more than just Tristan’s bad temper. The boy was hard, and his erection was pushed up right against her thigh. He didn’t even look ashamed about it.

He leaned his mouth next to Jacy’s ear. “Maybe I should give you what you deserve,” he whispered.

Before she could protest, Tristan’s mouth descended over hers. When Jacy tried to pull her face away, Tristan cupped it in his strong hands. Jacy was forced to accept his sudden invasion of her mouth. His tongue pushed in between her lips until it met hers. Jacy had never been kissed this way before, but it didn’t even matter. Tristan was clearly turned on by her inexperience; he liked to be in the driver’s seat. All Jacy had to do was let him continue to dominate this kiss and respond accordingly.

Jacy was breathing faster as indignation faded into…something else. Tristan own breathing grew heavier, and he tried to maneuver Jacy’s small hands over his prominent erection.

That’s when Jacy snapped back to her senses. She instinctively jerked her hand back and stepped away from Tristan. Was she nuts? Here she was, making out with one of the country’s top football studs, out in public – prime picking to be photographed by the Enquirer or worse. She leveled an accusatory glare at Tristan, who didn’t even bother covering up his erection, and furthermore, had the audacity to look at her like she had done something wrong.

Jacy wiped at her mouth in disgust. “What the hell were you doing?”

As Tristan backed up, he didn’t seem to have an answer for this one. He averted his blue eyes from Jacy and ran a hand through his hair.

“You were pissing me off,” he finally replied.

Jacy’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “I wonder how you treat people who make you happy!”

“It was a kiss, Jacy,” he said, finally using her preferred name. “Stop overreacting.”

Jacy looked shocked. “You attacked me!”

Tristan shook his head in protest. “Baby, you were so into it!”

She huffed inwardly as his liberal use of the endearment. “Why did you kiss me?” she demanded.

“To shut you up,” he grumbled.

Not the answer she had been hoping for.

Jacy scowled and began walking away, but she was the type who always had to have the last word. She spun around and glared at Tristan. “What’s changed?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why are you suddenly so handsy around me Tristan? Two months ago, you hated my guts and now this?”

Again, he didn’t answer. Jacy didn’t know whether to be confused or upset at his reluctance to respond to her questions.

“People change,” he finally uttered.

Okay, now Jacy was definitely confused. “What?”

“People change,” he repeated. “Circumstances change when people change.”

“Oh,” Jacy answered sarcastically, “so now that I’m about twenty pounds lighter, it’s perfectly normal to want to sexually assault me?”

Tristan laughed in disbelief. “Jesus! You really like to over-dramatize everything, don’t you?”

“You’re avoiding the question,” Jacy gritted out. Her hazel eyes bore into Tristan’s blue ones.

He sighed. “I wasn’t talking about you.”

“What?” she asked, confused. “Are you saying…I haven’t changed?”

“Of course you’ve changed,” Tristan responded as if Jacy was stupid, “but I was referring to myself.”

Okay, now Jacy was really confused. She made a show of looking Tristan up and down before regarding him skeptically. “You look like the same old asshole I first met in the boy’s locker room.”

Tristan gritted his teeth and swore silently. “Not all changes occur on the outside, Jacinda.”

She smirked. “Again, I don’t detect a change in you, Tristan – outside or in.”

Tristan’s patience was really wearing thin at this point. “Well you’re definitely the same person inside.”

Jacy lifted her chin. “That’s how I intended for things to be. Just because I change on the outside, why should I change my personality as well?”

Tristan shrugged his shoulders. “I guess your personality doesn’t bother you. That’s your choice…to keep things as they are.”

Tristan’s statement suddenly made Jacy feel uncomfortable. What did he exactly mean by that?

“You’re the only person who’s had any complaints about my personality,” she replied defensively.

“Right,” Tristan answered in an overly surrendering tone, “so you probably shouldn’t worry too much, right?” His conceding tone was almost more annoying that his arrogance. Tristan cracked his knuckles before kicking his feet up and starting to jog in place.

“Well, it’s been fun Jacinda, but I’ve got to keep in shape before the draft. So, good luck with the new look, and hopefully…we won’t be meeting each other like this again.” He gave her a mock salute before running off and leaving a stunned Jacy behind. She merely placed her hands on her hips before abruptly marching off of the track. She swore inwardly the entire time, pissed off that at the fact that Tristan Carter may have gotten the better of her, yet again.

****