Chapter 3 (Change)

Everyone is running down the hallways, yelling to each other about their summer plans. It's been a week and I have yet to take to Jess again. I know she's in my homeroom and I see her everyday but after the movie I've been really nervous to talk to her again. I try but I just end up standing there with my mouth open like an idiot.

I walk into homeroom and I am determined to talk to her today. I walk over to her desk and try to play it cool.

"Hey! What are your plans this summer?" I try to say but it comes out "Hi! Plans you are this summer?"

She laughs. Great. I've just embarrassed myself in front of Jess. Why do I care so much? I typically don't care about how others view me.

"I don't really have any. How about you?" she asks.

"I might go to the mountains and the lake with Will and his girlfriend. I don't know if I really want to though. They might just be interested in each other the whole time so..." I reply, actually forming a sentence.

"You should go. It could be fun."

"I'll go if you go. How about that?"

"Oh. I don't now about that. I mean I'd have to ask my mom and dad. They'll probably say no. There's really no need to ask. I know that's their answer already."

"It sounds to me like you're trying to avoid going" I say.

"I just don't really like Christina. She's not really my type of friend. She's too popular and she has Will that she's so attached to all the time."

"You like me. I'm popular. Like you said 'star baseball player.' You won't even have to talk to her if you don't want to. You can just hang out with me. You should go. It'll be fun, right. That's what you said."

"Fun for you not me. And I said that my parents won't let me."

"But that means that I have to wait even longer before talking or hanging out with you."

"You can come to my house for dinner tonight if you want. My mom's been begging for me to ask the Movie Boy over for dinner. She really wants to meet you."

"Okay see you...?"

"Six- thirty."

"Six- thirty."

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I knock on Jess' house's door. And immediately her mom comes to greet me. Their house is nice but almost minimalistic. Nothing too extravagant. 

"Dinner will be out in a second. Please take a seat in the dining room."

I walk to the dining room and sit next to Jess. A girl sits across the table from me. She couldn't be Jess' sister. They look nothing alike. Then I realize that Jess doesn't look like her parents either. Interesting.

"My name is Sarah. I'm twelve. How old are you? Are you dating Jess? She's never had a boyfriend be-" Jess cuts her off with a swift kick to the shin under the table. I look at her and she just rolls her eyes.

When dinner is over we sit in the living room and the questions start rolling in.

"So, I think I deserve to know. Are you dating Jess?", her father asks.

"Of course not! Who would date Jess?" Sarah says under her breath. I look over to Sarah and she looks like she might cry.

"Actually yes. We've been dating for about a week," I say as I take her hand.

She looks at me, confused.

"Oh that's so cute! Little Jessica's got a boyfriend!" her mother says.

"Okay that's enough." She hastily takes her hand out of mine. jess doesn't seem to be very happy with anyone in this room. 

"Okay, okay. Well, Cooper what are your plans for this summer? Going anywhere?"

"I'm going to the lake in a few days with my friend," I reply to her mom.

"Oh! I've been trying to get this family to go to the lake or the beach for years!"

"Well there's room for one more. If Jess could come. But I'm sure you have other plans," I say.

"We don't have any plans! Jess you should go honey! Get you out of this house. That would be great! You'll have so much fun!"

"I don't know." 

I look at Jess with subtle puppy dog eyes.

"Okay fine! I'll go! Happy now?!" she says as she runs out the door, upset.

"Oh dear." 

"May I?" I ask pointing to the door left open.

They nod and I head in the direction of the crying. I reach the bench she's on and sit down. She turns towards me and puts her head on my shoulder.

When she looks up she says "Why did you have to do that? Tell them we were dating? Mention the lake trip? I don't want to go! I just want to stay here with my books all alone, okay?" she says sobbing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would upset you. I just thought you'd want to have fun with us at the lake. I was trying to get you to go so you'd enjoy yourself more than here."

"It would be better than here. With them." she says pointing at her house.

"Why? What's wrong with them? I mean your sister's not very nice but still. She's twelve."

"They aren't my real family. My real mother and father died in an accident when I was ten. I was staying with my aunt at the time. They were on a vacation to Florida. Bryan and Claire are my godparents. They adopted me. They like Sarah a lot more than me and Sarah's mean because she doesn't want to share her parents. I can't wait until college so I can get out of this house!"

I pull her toward me and she lays her head back on my shoulder.

"I want to go. I want to go to the lake now. I need to get away from this for awhile. They're going to pester me about running out and getting emotional again."

She gets up and starts toward her house again. I follow.

"We leave Thursday and get back Tuesday."

She doesn't look back. She just walks straight through the living room and upstairs. I grab my coat, thank her godparents, and head home.