Chapter 5
"Shopping/Uh-Oh"
The next morning Matt and Steph slept late. After they finally got up around 11 they got ready and went downstairs. Matt’s mom said they weren’t ready to go shopping. “Ok...I’ll call the guys and see if they are ready and we can go on ahead. We can shop for things we couldn’t shop for if we were with ya’ll.” Matt said. “And we can do the same when we go too.” his mom replied.
Matt called the guys and Frankie said he’d pick everyone up from their houses and drive them to the mall. When Frankie got to Matt’s house Matt and Steph were waiting outside. He had already picked up the other guys. Matt and Steph got in the mini van and sat down. Frankie and Chris were in the front, Stephanie and Jesse were in the middle and Greg and Matt were in the back. “Hi guys!” Stephanie said as she hugged Jesse. “Hey!” they all said and Frankie headed toward the mall. During the 15 minute drive they all talked, about the concert and things they were gonna buy for family members and stuff.
When they got to the mall they went in. They all decided to split up and shop. Matt, Stephanie and Jesse went one way and Greg, Frankie and Chris went the other. Matt and Stephanie we discussing what to get everyone in their family. While they were doing that Jesse told Matt he was gonna sneak out and go buy some things and something for Steph. Matt said cool and that they would meet where they all had agreed on meeting in one hour. That was the coffee shop. Jesse left and Matt and Steph finished shopping for their family and friend...that included the guys. Steph was about to tell Jesse to go in another store while she picked up his present when she noticed he was gone. “Where is Jesse?” she asked Matt. “Oh...he needed to do something...he is probably at the coffee shop. Let’s go.” Matt said. “ok.” Stephanie said for getting to pick up Jesse’s present from the jewelry store. She had gotten him a chain with a charm that she was having engraved.
When they got to the coffee shop they all started talking and showing what they bought for their families. “So...we were planning on splitting up again weren’t we guys?” Stephanie asked. “Yeah!” they said. So this time Jesse went with Steph, Matt went with Chris and Frankie with Greg.
Jesse and Stephanie were holding hands discussing what Stephanie should get Matt. They decided for her to get him a CD he wanted. They went into the music store. She found what she wanted and bought it. They decided to look around for a while. They were looking at some CD’s when Stephanie remembered she had to pick up his present. “Hey babe. I have to go get something. You stay here and I’ll be right back.” Steph told Jesse. “Ok.” he said as he kissed her cheek. “Don’t leave the store because I don’t want to get lost.” she said laughing. “Ok.” Jesse said then started laughing. She didn’t really think she’d get lost she just didn’t want him to see her across in the jewelry store getting his present. She went over to pick it up.
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Jesse was looking at CD’s when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He thought it was Stephanie, but he turned around and to his disappointment he saw his ex-girlfriend, Kacey, standing there. “Oh no. What do you want?” he asked rolling his eyes and trying to ignore her. “Oh nothing. Just saw you standing here and I realized how much I missed you.” she said sarcasticly. “I don’t think you did...the way you were kissing all over that other guy. You don’t know how hurt I was to see you. I’m glad I broke up with you.” he said getting a little loud. “Dang, don’t yell!” she said. “Well just leave because I have a girlfriend who I like and who likes me and wouldn‘t do what you did. And I would never be so cruel to her. So leave.” he said. “I’ll go...but before I do I want to make sure you are positive you want me out of your life.” she said and then kissed him. He was trying to push her away. Stephanie had been watching from the moment she kissed him. She felt so hurt. She dropped her bags and ran away crying. She needed to find Matt.
Jesse didn’t know she had seen. “Would you stop!!” he yelled at Kacey pushing her away. “Ok...fine! I’m gone and you will never have a chance with me again!!” she yelled madly. “That doesn’t hurt my feeling any!!” he yelled back. ’Gosh...that girl is such a snob!’ he thought to himself as he was wiping his mouth. Just then he saw Stephanie’s bags on the floor. ’Hmm...I didn’t know she left these.’ he said to himself as he picked them up. She told him not to but he left the store to look for her because he was getting worried.
Stephanie was running as fast as she could looking for Matt. She was still crying and thinking about how she thought Jesse liked her. She ran past Greg and Frankie. “Oh hey Steph--” Greg started to say but she was already past him. “What was that about?” Frankie asked as he looked toward Stephanie but she wasn’t in sight. “Don’t know....but we can ask Jesse...there he is.” Greg said waving at Jesse. Jesse ran to them. “Hey!” Frankie and Greg said together. “Hey guys! Have you seen Steph? I can’t find her anywhere.” Jesse said looking around the mall. “Yeah she just ran by...she didn’t even say hey.” Greg said. “She sounded upset.” Frankie said. “Oh no!” Jesse said, “Which way did she go?” they both pointed the way she went. “Oh gosh!” he said as he ran in that direction. “What’s the matte--” Greg started to say but Jesse was already gone. “What is it with these guys?” Frankie asked Greg. He shrugged his shoulders as they started walking toward the coffee shop to wait for the other guys.
Stephanie looked around for Matt. Finally she found him and Chris in the Nike store looking at shoes. “Matt!” she yelled as she ran to him. “Stephanie...what’s wrong?” he asked as she hugged him and was crying on his shoulder. “Jesse.” she said as she looked at Matt, “He was kissing another girl!” “What?” Matt and Chris said together. “Yes...I thought he liked me...I guess I was wrong!” she said as she pictured the awful image in her mind again. She started crying again. “I think we should talk to Jesse...there is probably a good explanation for all this.” Matt said. “NO...I don’t want to talk to him.” she said sobbing. “Ok...well let’s just go to the coffee shop for right now.” Matt said. Chris didn’t know what to do but hug her and say, “Everything will be ok.” “Thanks Chris.” she said as they walked toward the coffee shop.
As they were on their way to the shop they saw Jesse coming. “I think you should talk to him.” Chris said. “No...I can’t.” she said as Jesse approached them. “Stephanie...I need to talk to you.” Jesse said as he tried to grab Stephanie’s hand but she wouldn’t let him. “There is nothing to talk about.” she said trying to hide the fact she was crying. “We’ll meet ya’ll at the coffee shop.” Matt said as he and Chris walked away.
Jesse and Stephanie sat on a bench. “Listen...what you saw back there wasn’t what you thought it was. It was--” he was interrupted by Stephanie saying, “It was you kissing another girl.” she said trying not to cry again. “Yes...no...she kissed me and I don’t even like her.” he said. “It wasn’t like you were trying to get her to stop.” she said. “That’s just it...I was trying to push her off. And I did and told her that I didn’t like her anymore that I had a great and beautiful girlfriend and that I wouldn’t hurt you like she did me.” he told her. “But it did hurt me. When I saw her kissing you...I felt my heart breaking.” she said as tears fell down her cheeks. “I know...I shouldn’t of even let it go that far. I am so sorry.” he said as he wiped a tear from Stephanie’s cheeks. When she felt his hand on her face she just wanted to hug him and make everything go away...but she kept seeing the image in her head again and again. “Oh Jesse.” she said as she grabbed his hand, “A part of me wants to forgive you and be held in you arms and the other part just...I don’t know. I have to think about some things.” she said as she got up to leave. Jesse grabbed her hand and stood up. He looked into her eyes. She wanted to forget everything and kiss him then and there...but she just looked down and walked away. Jesse sat back down. He felt like crying. ’Kacey has been nothing but trouble to me since I met her.’ he thought to him self.
Then he looked and saw that Stephanie had left her bags again. He found a little bag from the jewelry store and looked inside. He pulled out the chain necklace that had the charm on it. He read the engraving ’Jesse + Stephanie 4-ever!’. When he saw those words he felt a tear fall down his cheek.
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Stephanie walked into the coffee shop. She found the guys. “Are you ok?” they all asked. Frankie and Greg finally knew what was going on...Mat and Chris filled them in. “Yeah I’m fine...I just need to think about some things.” she said. “Where is Jesse?” Chris asked. “I think he’s coming.” Stephanie said as she wiped her tears from her eyes. They looked and there was Jesse walking up. The guys knew he had been crying because his eyes were red...but they didn’t say anything. “You left your bags.” Jesse said as he handed Stephanie the bag. “Thanks.” she said. There was a pause and everyone was quiet. “Ok...we should probably head back.” Frankie said. “Yeah.” Chris said. They all got up and headed for the van.
They got in the van and Frankie went to drop them all off at their houses. The seating was the same except Stephanie sat with Matt and Greg with Jesse. The ride back was quiet. The whole time Stephanie stared at Jesse...thinking. Frankie pulled up to Matt’s house. Stephanie and Matt got out and said bye. Stephanie looked at Jesse. He looked at her. They both almost started crying again. But Stephanie and Matt went inside before the tears formed. Frankie dropped the other guys off and went home.
Stephanie and Matt went inside and into their rooms. It was 8:30 p.m. when they got home. They got ready for bed. Matt came in Steph’s room to check and see how she was but she had already fallen asleep. He went to his room and went to sleep.
Stephanie woke up in the middle of the night. She started thinking about Jesse. The first time she met him, when she first had a crush on him, and also of him kissing that girl. But then she thought about how he kissed her. She knew that if he truly didn’t like her he wouldn’t kiss her the way he did. She thought and decided to call him the next morning. She went back to sleep.
Chapter 4 Chapter 6
