Chapter 11: Match Made in Heaven

- - - - - - - - JC POV - - - - - - - -

I flipped the page of my book and scanned the words, my mind floating elsewhere. I crossed my legs and pulled my dress down. The sun was shining bright and warmed my skin slightly. The grass beneath me cooled me down. It felt great, I couldn't love Fridays any more than I did today. This weekend was going to be fun, the tracks, my bike, and the thrill was calling my name. I flipped another page, this love story was getting interesting. I usually spent lunch with Robbie, but she was at a doctor's appointment. Her company was great, we always found some trouble to get into. I also spent time with Tyler; we'd gone to lunch three times already. Thinking of going to lunch with him, made my mind steer towards him. He was a great guy, who wouldn't fall for him? He was nice, caring, had a corky sense of humor, and he was absolutely gorgeous. I pulled out my phone, checking the time. School was supposed to let out early today, right after lunch. See why I love Fridays? I put my phone away and fell back, to lie down, and stared at the sky. The clouds moved slowly across the sky. Moving clouds always fascinated me, for some odd reason. I closed my eyes and soaked in the warmth. The sun was covered suddenly, a shadow above me.
"Mind if I join you?" a voice asked. I opened my eyes to see Tyler crouching above me, flashing his million dollar smile. I nodded and pulled him down with me.
"How are you holding up?" I asked, perking up onto to one elbow. He sighed and lied down, staring at the sky.
"I'm tired," he began, "this headache is killing me," he finished, his mouth turning into a firm line. I looked at him and thought about what happened. It did bother me that he had a mild concussion, caused by his own "best friend."
"Tyler?" I whispered.
"Hmmm," he said, enjoying the sun.
"I'm sorry about the concussion."
He opened his eyes immediately and looked at me hard in the eyes. I thought I was going to drool, he was so..cute. "It's not your fault." I didn't have much to say. I nodded and smiled.
"What?" he asked frantically, "Do I have something on my face?"
I laughed and sat up, "There's nothing on your face, pretty boy." He laughed and scruffed his hair with his hand.
"Practice today?" I asked, putting my feet together. He propped himself onto one elbow and played with my dress, nodding.
"Yeah, it's going to be a drag, I'm so tired of it," he said, sighing and touching is forehead.
He looked really tired. Light bags sat under his green-golden eyes. I looked at him, worried. He was such a sweet guy, I wished his friend hadn't been such a jerk. I couldn't even imagine Robbie giving me a concussion. I was lost in thought, when I felt something in my lap. I looked down to see him resting his head on my lap, lacing his fingers and resting his hands on his stomach.
"Hey, I know that face," he said chuckling, "there's nothing to worry about." I messed around with his hair and continued thinking.
"Your hair's so soft," I eventually blurted. He smiled a sweet smile and closed his eyes.
"Ah, that feels nice," he whispered. I continued playing with his dark hair and looked down at him. He was such a sweetheart and if I knew anything at that moment, I knew I liked him. A lot. I leaned back against the tree and looked up at the sky, my fingers still knotted in his soft hair. He took my hand out of his hair and looked up at me. I smiled and pushed the hair out of my face with my other hand. He held my hand, looking at it, and then back at me, almost as if he was asking for permission. His hand was warm, soft, amazing. He eyed me intently, slowly, lacing one finger at a time with mine. I watched our fingers meet and disappear into each other's hands and bent my fingers so they were resting on his knuckles. He gave my hand a light squeeze and rested both our hands on his chest. I sat up straight and laughed, scruffing his hair really fast. He laughed, trying to get me to stop.
"Okay, enough!" he shouted, "My beautiful hair! Oh no!" I couldn't stop laughing and slowed down. For someone with a major headache, he was still fun to be around. My hand still in his, I leaned down, so I was a little bit closer to his face.
"Hey, beautiful," he whispered. I could smell his sweet breath, it was so enticing. I smiled and squeezed his hand.
"I have an idea," I said softly.
"Do tell," he said slyly, running his fingers through my hair that was falling closely to his face.
"You work too hard, stress a lot. Let's just hang out.." I trailed off, "Have some fun, relax." I looked at him, hoping he wouldn't turn down my offer.
He smiled and got up, holding his hand out to me. My heart raced as I grabbed his and got up. He held my hand and walked me to his car.
"What do you want to do?" he asked, opening my door. I climbed into the SUV and looked down at him, before he closed the door.
"Anything you want."
He smiled, walked to the other side, and hopped in.

After a ten minute drive, he stopped the car in front of a giant beige and maroon home. I looked out the window in awe. It was the most beautiful home I'd ever seen. There were tall glass windows on each side of the house, angled, so the sun would fill the room perfectly. The fountain in the front spewed water in a certain, but amazing fashion. The lawn was huge and as green as could be. The front gate opened and we drove up the pathway.
"You live here?" I asked, appalled.
"Yeah," he said, laughing. "I wanted my parents to live in a smaller place, because there's only four of us. I lose things all the time."
"It's a beautiful house," I said, examining my surroundings.
"Save that for my Mom," he said, opening my door, "she does all the designing and jazz." He helped me out of the car and up to the front door, where he unlocked it. I stepped in and then stepped out quickly. He disappeared inside and returned shortly.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Wouldn't your parents mind if I was here?" I asked shyly, looking away.
"What?" he asked, surprised, "Of course not! Come on, get your butt inside."
I hesitated as he grabbed my arm and dragged me inside.
"Tyler, no, I don't want to disrespect your house rules," I said, grunting, as I was being pulled to the main room.
"JC," he began, letting me go, "Don't worry. Your fine. You're welcome in my house, don't be absurd." I sighed and gave in. My eyes wandered around and met the leather couches, the huge plasma screen televisions, the marble floors and the contemporary design.
"Tyler, is that you?" a voice shouted, from another room. I flinched and hid behind him. He looked at me and laughed.
"Don't tell me you're actually scared," he said, laughing and looking at me. "Yeah, mom! It's me!" he shouted.
"C'mon," he said, walking to another room. I could easily have gotten lost, the house was huge. We entered the massive kitchen, where his Mom was fidgeting with cupboards and drawers.
"Mom, I want to introduce you to someone," he said, pulling up the counter. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look. Her light brown hair was cut into layers that framed her face. She wore dark lipstick that brought out her eyes. She smiled and looked at me.
"Hi!" she exclaimed, brushing her shirt off.
"Mom, this is JC--" he started off, "Jordyn, I mean, but everyone calls her JC," he said, turning slightly red.
I smiled and put out my hand, "Hi Mrs. Giamatti," I began, shaking her hand, "you have a beautiful home, here."
"This is the one you're always talking about?" she asked, laughing, "Well she's precious! Thank you, honey, it took forever, but I've finally gotten the place to my liking." I looked at Tyler, puzzled. He talked to his Mom about me? What'd he say? My mind was racing with questions. He read my mind because he scratched his head while his mother and I conversed.
"You did a great job," I said, looking around the kitchen, as she pulled out a stack of plastic storage bins.
"Do you need any help?" I asked, moving around the counter near her.
"Oh no, dear, it's okay," she said as she tried walking with the giant stack. It was taller than her, blocking my view of her face.
"Mrs. Giamatti, they're going to fall over, I'll grab some for you," I said, laughing slightly, and grabbing a few from the top. I walked with her to the other side of the kitchen and put them down.
"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, putting her share down, "So I hear you moved here, when did you get--"
"Mom, we need to get going and start our science project," Tyler interrupted, our que to stop talking.
"Ah!" she shouted, "you should have told me sooner! Get to it and finish it on time, no more waiting until the last minute," she added sternly, putting the boxes away. I walked towards Tyler's direction and smiled; he was clever.
"Oh and Mom, don't forget, I'm staying out late on Saturday night, it's the spring fling dance," he added, before running out of the room.
"Those grades better be good and then we'll see!" she shouted from behind the counter. She laughed warmly and looked at me. "Oh gosh, that child drives me crazy," she said, shaking her head.
I smiled and thought about my stupidity. His mother was so nice. "It was really great meeting you, Mrs. Giamatti," I said, getting ready to leave the room.
"Call me Tori, please!" she called, "Let me know if I can get you anything!"
I smiled, thanked her, and tried to find the staircase, because I had heard him running up some earlier. I looked around from room to room when he suddenly jumped out from behind a wall. I screamed and stumbled backwards. He laughed and shook his head.
"That was hilarious, you should have seen the look on your face," he said cooly, " it was priceless." I frowned and crossed my arms.
"I said to do something fun and relaxing, NOT mean," I said, putting emphasis on the mean part.
"Aw," he whispered, "I'm sorry," he said, frowning, moving in front of me. He looked down and smiled his cute smile, "Forgive me?"
I couldn't resist that face, so I gave in. I laughed and nodded. He walked me up the spiral staircase and opened the door to his room. I walked in to see a giant bed on the left side of the room, basketball posters covering the walls, a computer on a large desk on the right hand side, and a couch in the far back with a television posted on the wall. It was amazing, nothing compared to my room. It was really clean too, which was really odd.
"Welcome to La Casa de Giamatti," he stated, falling back onto the couch and smiling, as I took a tour of his room. I walked closer to the walls and lightly touched the trophies and medals, thinking of him playing basketball.
"You like?" he asked, shifting positions and watching me.
"Yeah, it's amazing," I started, "you have a really cool room." I walked over to the other side, where pictures covered a bulletin board. There were a few basketball portraits, some with Jake and Jason at the beach, baby pictures. I smiled as I moved my eyes across them, until my gaze met a pictures of him with Kelly. Her arms were wrapped around him, his around her. They were both smiling, standing in front of a shore. There was another of him in his uniform and her in her matching cheerleader uniform. It was a match made in heaven. A pang of sadness hit me as I stared at the picture.
"Ah," he sighed, behind me. "I need to get rid of those pictures" I looked down and walked away, not saying a word. I stared through the large glass panels on the wall, at the backyard. The garden, the pool, the trampoline, and the hammock.
"JC.." he began, coming up behind me. I didn't turn around. He moved next to me. "She doesn't mean anything to me."
I turned and looked at him and tried not to let my emotions show. He nudged me, getting me to talk. Those pictures altered my mood greatly. There was a long moment of silence.
"If she didn't mean anything to you, those pictures wouldn't be up there," I whispered, trying to control myself. He looked back at me and shook his head.
"I'm never home, I never have time to do anything to this room," he pleaded, "Please don't be mad."
"I'm not mad," I said blankly.
"You seem like it and I don't want that," he responded.
Thoughts of them kissing on my first day of school flooded my head and I felt pained, once again. I couldn't handle this, who was I trying to fool?
"Why do you even like me anyways?" I began, talking firmly and losing the niceness in my voice, "She's a cheerleader, you're a basketball player. It's the perfect match," I began rambling, losing control of my feelings. Tears of anger began forming in my eyes. "I'm not someone.." I trailed off, choking on my own words, before I could finish. His face fell, quickly and solemnly. Hurt and shock appeared in his eyes as he looked at me, baffled.
"Are you serious?" he finally asked, putting both his hands on my shoulders. "JC, you've got to be kidding me," he whispered, pulling me into a hug. "I don't care that she's a cheerleader, that has nothing to do with it. She's not what I want." I stood in his arms, begging my eyes to not let the tears fall. He squeezed me lightly and stopped for a few seconds. Man, I was such a baby.
"Are we good?" he asked, letting go of me slightly, looking down at me. I nodded and pulled myself back together. He held me and moved the hair out of my face.
"Why do I like you?" he started, "I like you for many reasons, you shouldn't even have to question it." I looked down and nodded, grasping his explanation.
"What are those reasons?" I asked, finally looking up at him. He rubbed the back of his neck and then put it back around me.
"Ah," he hesitated, "this is hard for me." I moved out of his arms and looked at him.
"See? You don't have any reasons," I said, getting ready to walk away.
"No!" he shouted, pulling me back to him. He held my waist and walked backwards until we were by the couch. He sat me down and turned to me.
"I have a hard time--" he sighed and swallowed, "I have a hard time talking about my feelings, all right? It's not that I don't have reasons, because I do, plenty of them. I just don't want to sound like a sappy lover from a chick flick." My heart dropped into my stomach. I was such an idiot. He said he had plenty of reasons, it wasn't something I had expected to hear. I looked at him and sighed at my rudeness.
"I'm sorry," I eventually said, "Gah, I'm such an idiot." I felt like I had messed everything up.
"No you're not, don't say that," he shifted his eyes to mine. "I do like you..a lot. You have no idea."
My mouth turned into a small smile as I stared at him, "Really?"
"Really," he confirmed, in all seriousness.
"I like you too..I really do. I know it didn't seem like that at first, but I do." He laughed and pulled me back into his arms.
"See? We're A-okay, don't worry about her or anyone else, they don't matter." I leaned my body against the rough edges of his and took in his scent; he smelled amazing and I couldn't resist.
"Now let's do something fun, all right? That's what our plan was."
"Ah, that's right, I completely forgot about that," I stated, getting back to reality. I stared at his basketball posters and the basketball on the floor.
"You up for shooting hoops?" I asked, a smirk forming on my face.
"Are you challenging the Giamatti?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh of course," I mocked, "I want to beat the unbeatable star of the James Madison High."
"We'll see about that," he said, scooping me off the couch and onto the floor.

Swoosh went the ball, as it fell through the hoop. The sun was nearly almost set and the wind blew lightly.
"That's 3 for me, zero for you!" I exclaimed, clapping and jumping around.
"Looks like we've got a cheater on our hands, tsk tsk tsk," Tyler said, laughing and grabbing the ball as it rolled near my legs. I looked down at my bare feet and smiled.
"Hey, at least you have shoes on," I refuted. He shot me a suspicious glance and I curtsied with my dress. "AND I'm in a dress, c'mon, go easy on me here."
He smiled and rolled the ball in his hands and walked towards me.
"I'll make you a deal," he smirked. "If you can grab the ball from me, then you win. Easy enough?"
"Hmmm," I hummed, "what's in it for me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Dinner, wherever you want, my treat," he smiled, holding the ball against his hip. A hint of sweat matted his perfect brown hair and his eyes glistened.
"Let's do it!" I exclaimed, getting in position.
"All right, you ready, Emerson?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, Giamatti."
He dribbled the ball and began running in my direction, moving from side to side. I tried to keep up but he dodged me everytime I moved near the ball. I smiled as a clever idea flooded my head. I waited until he came closer and dodged to execute it. He moved near me and moved from side to side, a little less than an inch or two away.
"Ah!" I screamed, crouching to the ground, "Ow, ow, ow!"
He stopped immediately and let the ball hit the ground. He rushed over and worry was plastered all over his face, "JC!" he shouted, "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he began. I held my ankle, grabbed the ball, and ran to the basket. I lifted my arms and made the shot.
"And she scores!" I yelled, throwing my arms into the air and laughing. He stood there in disbelief and eventually smiled, walking my way.
"You're a clever one," he said, chuckling lightly, "so I'll let it pass. Come here," he motioned. I walked over to him and held my dress down, the wind was beginning to sweep up. He put the ball down and pulled me into his arms. I smiled and took in a wiff of his scent.
"You smell really nice," he added, letting me go so he could look down at my face.
I laughed and crinkled my nose, "Right back at cha, you read my mind."

After shooting hoops, he took me to dinner. Although I won and it was my choice, I let him decide where we'd have dinner. He took me to the same cafe we went to at lunch. We definitely butted heads when it came time to paying for it, but he won that battle. We had dinner and talked until the restaurant closed down, which was 11. I gave him turn by turn directions to my house, because he gave me a ride home.
"Now that's a cute little home," he mentioned, pulling along the curb in front of my house.
"Oh, why thank you, Mr. Mansion owner," I said, opening my car door and hopping out. He parked the car and walked me to the front door, his hand on my back the whole way. We reached the porch and I turned around to get one more look at him. He smiled down at me and wrapped me into his arms once again. I squeezed tight and held onto him for as long as I could. He eventually let me go and smiled.
"I had a lot of fun today, you come up with great ideas," he smiled his amazingly crooked smile.
"I'll let you know when I come up with another one," I added, moving my arms down to his waist. He rubbed my arms softly, battling the cold that was creeping down slowly. He nodded and looked into my eyes, leaning in closely. The kiss. He was coming in for it, but I didn't kiss anyone I wasn't dating. I wanted to kiss him with everything I had, but I held strong to my code. His lips were inches from mine but I moved my head to the left, so his lips pressed lightly onto my cheek. He held me closer and kissed my cheek one more time before letting me go.
"I'll call you, okay?" he smiled and waited for my response. I nodded and hugged him one more time, before letting him get back to his car and drive off. I walked back into the house and fell on my couch, the world's largest grin on my face. That day was the best I had in a really long time.