Jessica stepped off the bus just as a gust of wind blew through the bus stop in front of the school.
She pulled her jacket, or rather, Taylor's jacket, tighter around her then walked through the double doors.
As soon as the doors were opened, volume exploded from the shouting kids. Jessica shook her head and made her way down the hall to her locker.
As she walked through the crowded hallway with her head down, someone ran hard into her shoulder causing her to cry out in pain.
"Oh my God. I am so sorry!" the person apologized frantically.
Jessica looked up to find herself standing face-to-face with a blonde haired boy of the same height. "It's okay."
The long haired boy smiled at her. He was about maybe a year or two younger than herself. His brown eyes flashed excitiedly. She noticed his hair was in braids.How cute,
"Do you know where locker..." he paused to check a piece of paper. "number one-o-three is?"
Jessica nodded. "It's right near mine. Come on."
The boy followed her until her was walking right beside her. "What's your name?"
"Jessica. What's yours?" she asked him.
"Zac. Zac Hanson."
Jessica's eyes widened. "Are you Taylor's brother?"
Zac nodded. "You know him?"
"Yeah. He's in a couple of my classes." she answered.
They walked in silence until they finally reached the lockers. "That one is the one you are looking for." she said, pointing.
He smiled a toothy grin at her. "Thanks!"
Jessica's face reddened as she smiled back. She began undoing her combination lock when she heard someone call her name. "Jessica!"
Jessica turned around to find the owner of the voice and spotted Nicole, Frenchy, Jennifer and Stacey running towards her.
"Hey," Frenchy greeted as they approached.
"Hi," Jessica quickly stuffed her books into her locker.
"Hey Zac!" Stacey excalimed.
"Hey...you!" he tried to remember her name but it wouldn't come to him. "What's your name again? Stephanie?"
Stacey pretended to be hurt. "No." she pouted. "My name is Stacey."
"Oh yeah. Sorry. My bad." he smiled.
"I thought you were only twelve." Nicole said suspeciously.
"I am. This is Taylor's locker. He wanted me to come and get his stuff for him." he informed them.
"Why? he's not going to be here today?" Jennifer asked, having no clue as to who they were talking about, but really didn't care."By the way, I'm Jennifer."
Zac shook his head. "Yeah he's going to be here later. But me, him, and my other brother Ike going somewhere first so he had me come in and get his books for him."
"Why didn't he just come in and do get them himself?" Frenchy asked.
He shrugged. "I owed him a favor. Well," he turned around and slammed the locker shut. "it was nice seeing you girls again, nice meeting you, Jennifer, and it was very nice to run into you, Jessica. Hope we can do it again sometime." He smiled at her. He gave them a small salute and walked to the double doors.
Frenchy and Jennifer sat in Biology class, listening to their teacher babble on and on about absolutely nothing.
Jennifer yawned absently. "God, this is so boring," she whispered.
Frenchy nodded slowly. "Yeah I know."
The teahcer momentarily stopped preching and looked directly at the girls. "Miss Ring, Miss Wilson, is there something you two would like to share with us?"
"N-no ma'am." Jennifer stummbled over her words, turning slightly pink. She turned to Frenchy. "Anything you want to share, Francis?"
Frenchy shot a warning look at her friend. "Nope, not me." she muttered through clenched teeth.
The teacher snickered then turned around and started her boring lesson again.
Frenchy glared at Jennifer and mouthed: "Don't ever call me Francis!"
Jennifer shrugged and grinned evilly. "Sorry...Francis."
"When's lunch?" Marques grumbbled impatiently as the group sat in the libary.
"Oh quit complaining you big baby. It's in..." Nicole paused to check her watch. "Thirty minutes."
Marques's eyes widened. "What! Thirty minutes? That's too long, man!"
Stacey groaned. "Nicole, can you please tell your boyfriend to shut up and get to work?"
"Shut up Marq." Nicole instructed.
"Yeah, shut up." Jennifer laughed.
"Damnit, all of you shut up." Frenchy snapped.
"You tell 'em, French!" Nick laughed, pounding his fist on the table.
"Shhh!" The librarian scolded.
"Sorry," Nick mummbled, laughing along with everyone else. But their laughter was cut shrt when the librarian stared at them.
"Please be quiet or I will be forced to ask you to leave."
Nicole rolled her eyes and looked towards the door of the libary just as it opened and Jessica walked in, moving towards the front desk where the grouchy old lady was sitting.
"Hey Jess! Over here!" Frenchy whispered loudly so that the old lady wouldn't get too pissed.
Jessica smiled at them and walked to their table. "Hey guys. What's up?"
"Not much, just looking up some stuff." Stacey answered.
Jessica looked confused. "How can you be looking up stuff if there is nothing on your table?"
"We...uhh...couldn't find any books so we...uhh...are just talking about what we are supposed to be looking up." Nick stuttered. "Please don't hurt us!" he hid behind Stacey.
"Ha ha. You're so funny, Nick." Stacey rolled her eyes. "You're so dumb."
"At least I don't have a personality of a toliet." Nick shot back.
"Yeah but that's because your IQ isn't as high of that of a toliet." Stacey grinned.
"Would you two knock it off?" Nicole demanded. "That old women is about to kick us out of here."
"Yeah, Nick, then you'll be unwanted everywhere," Jessica smiled.
Nick's mouth dropped. "Whoa, she spoke!" He clutched his hands over his heart."
Jessica playfully slapped his arm. "Shut up."
Nick grinned at her then turned around. He watched as the doors opened again and Taylor walked in. "Hey Tay! Over here!" he called over to his cousin.
"Shh! I'm not going to ask you again to keep it down." the old lady hissed.
Taylor made his way over to them. "Hi ya." he greeted, pulling out a chair and sitting in it backwards.
"How was the interview?" Nick asked, putting his arm around the back of Stacey's chair.
Taylor shrugged. "It was okay." he paused. "Zac went crazy as usual."
"We saw him in here today." Nicole said. "He's so cute."
"Yeah I liked his braids." Jessica giggled quietly.
Taylor looked up at her, noticing her for the first time. How long has she been there?" he asked himself. I wish she wasn't so quiet." He continued to stare at her.Man she looks good. "Yeah but I've had to put up with him for twelve years, so those braids get very old."
Jessica smiled shyly. "I know the feeling. I have a five-year-old brother, only he doesn't braid his hair...but...he likes to break things."
Nicole smiled as she watched them talk. It made her happy that they were getting along. She noticed Taylor hadn't taken his eyes off of her since he noticed her presants, his eyes flashing. Nicole almost laughed.
"Nikki, your man fell asleep." Jennifer laughed.
She laughed. "I know," she tapped him on the shoulder. "Marques, wake up."
Marques snored loudly, then woke up. "Huh?"
"I enjoyed listening to you sleep," Stacey laughed. She made snoring sounds at Marques.
Maruqes looked at her strangly. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't snore."
Frenchy laughed. "Yeah whatever, Porky." She started imatating his earlier sounds."Yes you do very much snore."
"Shut up, I do not." he pouted and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
"Aww French, you hurt his feelings." Nick cracked.
"Yeah French, how could you be so insencitive to my man?" Nicole said in a baby voice, getting out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Marques's shoulders from behind. "Poor baby can only take so much abuse."
Marques smiled. "You need to apologize."
Nicole smiled back and kissed him on he lips gently.
"Man, don't do that. Ben's not here. You're making me miss him."
Stacey shrugged. "So?"
Taylor watched as Nicole continued kissing her boyfriend. Suddenly, where Nicole had been standing, Jessica was now there. And Maruqes had been replaced by him with Jessica's arms wrapped around him. Taylor's cheeks burned at the thought. He closed his eyes. Whoa, Tay. Calm yourself, man. When he reopened them, the images were gone and Nicole and Marques were no longer kissing.
"Let's go to lunch. I' starving." Nick said, patting his stomach like a drum.
Stacey laughed. "Yeah, come on let's go before hungry boy here decideds to eat everyone in here."
Everyone laughed and got up, pushing their chairs back under the table.
Jessica picked up her back pack and slung it over her unbruised shoulder. She started to walk off when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around and was face to face with Frenchy. "Hey,"
She smiled. "Do you have to baby-sit your brother tonight?"
Jessica shook her head. "No, not tonight. Why?"
"Because Stacey wants us all to come over to her house after school today. Her parents aren't going to be home." Frenchy informed her.
Jessica looked thoughtful. "Who's going to be there?"
Frenchy's smile widened. "Me, Ben, nicole, Marques, Stacey, nick, Taylor, Isaac and you."
Jessica thought a minute. "Okay. Sure. I'll be there."
