New Girl in Town

I appreciate everyone's patience and words of encouragement during this hiatus. They mean a lot to me. Huge thanks to Devir for all the editing help and to Jessica for really being there when I needed a friend through all this. On with the show.

****

Monday

Jessica started up the steps to Jake's house when his front door opened. Jake's mom greeted her with a smile and a hug.

"Good morning, sweetie," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty great today," Jessica answered with a radiant smile as she entered. "How are you?"

"I'm well, dear," she answered as she lead her to the dining room where Jake and his father were seated. "Jake, Jess is here."

"Hey, Jess, ready to hit the road?" Jake said and started to push up from the table but Jessica stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You can finish eating, Jake," she told him. "In fact, I insist on it. You're going to need your strength."

Jake's lips drew up into a wicked smile that Jessica caught and rolled her eyes at him.

"I gave us plenty of time to get to school," She said hurriedly while she hoped his parents didn't see his knowing smile. "I figured that you might be moving a bit slow this morning."

"I've been moving fine, Jess," he told her and nodded toward his crutches. "Two weeks on those things and I'm practically a pro."

"It's been more like one week, Jake," Jake's mom chimed in.

"I used them in the hospital. That counts as a week," Jake tried to counter. "It could have been longer if someone had let me out of my room those first few days I was home from the hospital. You don't know who that might be do you, mom?"

"You are still my baby boy, Jake," she told him as she tousled his hair.

Jake sighed while Jessica giggled then did her best to fix his mussed hair while he gave her a look of frustration. He sighed and looked at his dad.

"Do you think they will ever allow me to do anything on my own again, dad?" he asked.

"Enjoy the pampering while you can, son," his father told him.

"Listen to your father, Jake. And listen to me too. We are going to take things slow despite what you say or think that you can do. Got me, Jake," she asked and emphasized that with a finger wag at him.

"Jake, unless you want to get fitted for another cast I think that you had better listen to Jess," Jake's dad grinned at him. "Jessica, have a seat and grab a bite to eat before you go. I think that it's you that might need your strength with my son today."

"I believe that you're right, Mr. Gibson," she said as she sat down in the empty chair. "Thank you."

"Toast?" Jake offered as he nodded toward his plate.

"Thanks, sweetie," she said and blew him an air kiss. "Jelly?"

Jake passed the jar of grape jelly to her along with a knife. She accepted both and spread the purple sweetness onto her toast.

"Can I get you something to drink too?" he smiled at her as he started to get up.

"Jake, so help me, if you start to hop toward the refrigerator without your crutches we are going to have problems," she stated with a glare over the top of her toast.

"I was going to use at least one of the crutches," Jake grumbled.

"And risk splashing milk all over my kitchen floor?" Jake's mom chimed in. "I think not. You stay put while I get Jessica something to drink. Coffee, dear?"

"Just milk please," Jessica answered as she used the knife Jake gave her to slice the toast in half. "I had coffee before I left my place and if I have anymore I won't be able to sit still in class."

She placed one piece back on Jake's plate then gestured toward it with the knife.

"Eat up, Crutch Master," she told him with a smile. "I think that we are both going to need our strength today."

****

Jessica took her time as she drove toward the school. Despite the breakfast at Jake's they still had plenty of time before the first bell would ring.

"You know," Jake said as he reached over and placed his hand on Jessica's thigh, "we have a bit of time and the drive in is practically right there."

"Jake, you can't possibly go up all of those stairs with your leg like it is," she told him with a grin. "Besides, we don't have your bag with us and we couldn't possibly go up there without that."

"That's not exactly what I was suggesting, Jess," he told her.

She reached down and rubbed his hand with hers and smiled at him.

"Oh, I know exactly what you were suggesting and let me warn you that you are playing with fire right now, mister," she warned. "There is nothing I want to do more than to pull over somewhere secluded and take care of a few things. Maybe more than a few things in fact but that just proves that if I do stop then we'll never make it to school."

"Part of me would be very okay with that, Jess," Jake chuckled as he rubbed her thigh. "I get it though. Staci would send out the troops to find us if we are so much as a minute late."

"We were very lucky that she did that on New Years Eve, Jake," Jessica reminded him. "I have nightmares about what might have happened if she hadn't and our friends hadn't found us."

"You too huh?" he asked as he patted her leg.

"Yeah," she nodded. "We're out in those woods all alone and you're..."

"Jess, it's okay," Jake reassured her. "We made it. We're both okay."

He rubbed his cast and shrugged.

"Well relatively okay," he tried to laugh to lighten the mood.

"Is it bothering you?" she asked as she nodded toward his leg.

"Not anymore than having to wear workout pants instead of jeans to school," he commented. "I mean I look goofy as hell like this, right?"

"It's better that you wear those instead of trying to fit a pair of jeans over your cast," she pointed out. "Besides you look comfy and no one is going to care what kind of pants you're wearing. They're all going to be glad to see you."

"So you'll keep Bobby and Roxie from picking on me too much," Jake chuckled then shook his head. "What am I saying? You'll be right in the middle throwing your own jabs at me."

"True," she laughed then stroked his thigh. "At least with me, you know that I will make it all up to you, Jake."

"Are you positive that we can't make a quick stop at the drive in?" Jake grinned.

Jessica allowed her eyes to drift to Jake's crotch before she averted them back to the road in front of her.

"You are so bad, Jake," she said then smiled. "I must be just as bad because I am seriously considering it right now!"

"Get us to school, gorgeous," Jake told her. "Let's get this day over with and then we can see how homework goes. Ever play strip homework?"

"That's not a thing," she giggled.

"Sure it is. It's bound to be a thing, right?" Jake chuckled. "It's totally a thing."

"Totally a thing that I am going to beat you at, sweetie," she grinned at him. "Get ready to get naked!"

"You know that I'll probably need some help in that area," he pointed out.

"Oh look who wants to be pampered now!"

****

"Where have you two been?" Staci practically shouted as Jake and Jessica walked into the school building.

She rushed over to the pair dragging Ray along with her.

"I tried to keep her calm, Jess," Ray said. "She was not having it."

"We can all confirm that," Roxie added. "She's going to need a new pair of shoes after all the pacing she's been doing."

"That means that we are going shopping this weekend then, Foxy Roxie and you are coming with us," Staci smiled back at her then spun toward Jessica and Jake. "You were supposed to let me know when you got here so we could carry these for you. We have a whole crew ready to carry these for the both of you."

"I noticed that none of the crew rushed outside when we pulled in," Jake pointed out with a chuckle.

"Dude, it's cold out there," Bobby said. "I'll carry your bag but I'm not about to freeze mine off for you."

"I mean, he does have a point, Jake," Jessica said as Staci wrestled the books from her good arm. "It's freezing out today."

"Give me the bag and warm Jess up, Jake." Ray chuckled.

"I tried that already," he answered with a grin.

"Don't you start or you may lose strip homework, sweetie," Jessica teased him as she eased his backpack from his shoulder.

She handed it to Bobby and the group which also included Marybeth, C. C., Shelly, Jody and Javier. They all started toward the staircase.

"What is strip homework and how does one play that?" Bobby asked.

"No idea," Jake answered, "but we're going to find out today when we get home."

"You hope," Jessica said. "You'll be lucky to get five minutes of privacy with Sarah around."

Jake made a sad face and Staci patted his shoulder.

"Aw, such a sad face for Mr. Bouncy," she said with a giggle.

"I told you that we are not calling him that, Staci," Jessica stated as she playfully nudged her friend. "It sounds too dirty."

Jake chuckled at that and Jessica gave him a look.

"Do not get started again, Crutch Boy," she warned him.

"Hey, I have it on good authority that you are the

bouncy

one, Jess," Jake chuckled.

"Ooo, ride'em cowgirl!" Staci laughed which caused Jessica to flush red.

"Not in that way," Jake corrected then smiled. "But now that you mention it..."

"Ray, can you take this one down to the showers? He is in desperate need of one on the coldest setting," Jessica told him. "Arctic blast if that's possible."

"We can always get Coach Pennington to fill up our water buckets with that freezing water we had at practice," Jamie suggested as he joined the group. "We can dump those over Jake's head if you want, Jessica. That will cool him off real quick."

"You guys are going to ruin my cast," Jake sighed.

"You should have gotten a plastic one like me, Jake," Jessica said. "I can even take mine off to shower."

"Can you stop mentioning things where you're naked, Jess?" Jake sighed but with a smile. "If not, I am going to need those ice buckets dumped over me."

"We're not dumping anything on you, Sir Limps a Lot," Ray said. "He'll cool down once he sees all the work his teachers have piled up for him."

"I think that just the threat of that worked wonders," Jake grumbled as they walked the lower hallway. "I won't need any cold showers or ice water dumped over my head now."

"Aw, poor baby," Jessica said. "I'm sure that you'll be all revved back up by the time lunch rolls around and I'll be fighting you off so I can eat."

"Yeah,

fighting

him off," Staci giggled as she made the jerking off motion.

"You are the WORST, Staci!" Jessica shouted as she flushed with embarrassment.

"Nah, you love me," Staci laughed. "Now let's get you two to class."

****

"How are you doing, Jake?" Somer asked as she caught up to him while he was hopping toward the cafeteria. "You seem to be handling those things pretty well."

"I even managed to carry my own books from my locker," Jake joked as Somer grabbed the door and opened it for him. "Thanks. Doors have not been my friend today."

"Please, Jake, it's the least I can do for you after all that's happened this year," she told him. "I still can't even begin to wrap my head around what Patrick did to you and Jessica."

Jake's eyes drifted over to the table where Patrick used to hold court. For a second he thought that he would see him, still seated there with that ever present smirk on his face. However, his seat had been taken over by a group of sophomores that waved at Jake when they saw him looking their way. He smiled, waved back then turned back toward Somer.

"Yeah, I can't really either so I try not to dwell on it," he shared as he hobbled toward the table where Jessica and the rest sat. "I almost expected to see him sitting over there like always."

"I felt the same way the first few times I came in here after," she paused as if she wondered how to phrase it.

"Winter break ended?" Jake suggested.

"You know that's not what I was about to say but thanks for putting a more positive spin on it," she said. "You know that he won't be back here, right? Like not ever. After the school was told of his confession he was expelled so even if he wasn't under house arrest and wearing one of those ankle things he wouldn't be here."

"C.C. told me about the house arrest thing as soon as she heard and Jess and the rest told me about him being expelled but I appreciate you telling me as well," he said. "Hearing it as I'm seeing it kind of makes it more real, you know what I mean?"

"Absolutely, Jake," she said and patted his arm. "Now let's get you to your table before Jessica sees us together and decides that you and she shouldn't be the only ones wearing casts."

The chill of winter had driven the outdoor lunch bunch into the warmth provided inside the cafeteria and they had taken roost at, what was now, the newly christened

popular

tables. A few faces gave Somer strange looks as she escorted Jake over.

"These aren't the sort of looks that I'm used to getting," she pointed out to Jake as they walked along.

"Don't worry about them, Somer," Jake said. "They just haven't seen the real you yet."

"And you think that you have, Jake?" she asked with an almost laugh.

"I don't think that I have yet but you have let her slip out a little more now," he smiled. "How is Rick by the way?"

"He's good," she smiled wide. "He doesn't head back to school for another week. I guess that she slips out a bit when I'm with him huh?"

"A little bit," Jake smiled. "How about you sit with us today and see if she can come hang out with us losers today? I promise that Jess won't bite."

"No but she might smash a volleyball into my face," Somer giggled as they looked around at the faces that watched her. "It might be fun just to see how these faces change if I do though."

"You're in luck," Jake said as he got to his seat beside Jessica. "I don't see any volleyball available."

"Volleyball?" Jessica asked. "What are you talking about, Jake?"

"Somer?" Jake offered as he kind of fell / sat into the chair that Jessica had pulled out for him. "You want to take that one?"

"I told Jake that you might smash a volleyball into my face if I sat with you guys today," Somer told her. "He was attempting to be funny."

"He fails at that all the time, Somer," Jessica said. "We try to look past it."

"And try and try and try," Bobby chimed in.

"Still injured here, Bobby," Jake sighed. "What are we trading today by the way?"

"We waited for you, sweetie," Jessica said then nodded to an empty chair at the table. "If you need to go through the lunch line, we'll save you a seat, Somer."

"Really?" she asked somewhat surprised.

Somer had been invited in and participated in Jake's update group chat but she wasn't sure how that would translate once Jake returned to school. Part of her expected to be shunned by the newly minted popular group but this was a pleasant surprise for her.

"Thanks, Jessica," she smiled. "I'll be right back."

"Yeah," Staci called out. "You don't want to miss any of the jokes we're going to make at Jake's expense."

"Really, Staci?" Jake asked with a chuckle.

The chuckle made Staci turn toward him just in time to see one of her tater tots disappear into his mouth.

"Jake, we are not starting that again," she told him.

"No?" he asked then swiped another as he deftly avoided her attempt to stop him.

He handed the pilfered tot off to Jessica who smiled at Staci as she popped it into her mouth. Staci shook her head at the pair but couldn't help but smile because she had both her friends back.

****

"Buck, I'm advising you to get ahead of this thing and come up with a settlement offer for the families," Buck Greene's attorney told him as they sat together in the attorney's office.

"Settle? You want me to fucking settle with these people?" Buck practically shouted. "I'll tell you what I'd settle for. I'd settle for an attorney that didn't let my idiot of a son walk into a fucking police station and confess to a fucking DUI and a hit and run. That is something that I would settle for you prick!"

He was loud enough that the secretary peered in to make sure her boss wasn't about to get bludgeoned or something. She even mouthed the word

police

when she caught his eye. He shook his head and waved her back to her desk. He had dealt with Buck's tantrums before so this wasn't new to him.

"Buck, have a drink and calm down before you blow a fucking gasket or worse," he said as he produced a bottle from the bottom door of his desk and sat it in front of Buck. "I know that it's kind of early for a drink but..."

"But nothing," Buck muttered as he opened the bottle.

He looked around for a glass even as he gave serious consideration to just drinking straight from the bottle but he didn't want to look desperate and that cute little blonde secretary already looked to be on edge. The last thing he needed was her to flip out and call the cops on him.

"This should be clean," his attorney said as he handed him a glass.

Buck didn't waste time to inspect the glass. He poured himself a healthy amount and downed it quickly.

"First damn drink I've had in weeks," he grumbled. "Fucking Courtney ditched all the booze in my house. My own fucking house! I'm telling you, Eli, my whole damn family has lost their minds."

"That may be so but, Buck, we really need to get ahead of this court thing," Eli Moore stated.

"What's there to get ahead of?" Buck asked. "My son already confessed. He'll get a little slap on his wrist then the insurance companies can fight over which one is getting paid what."

"Your insurance company will be the one that is paying, Buck," he told him. "They'll pay for those poor kid's hospital bills, all the rehab they'll have to go through and for that wreck of a mustang your son made. Then they will drop you like you are on fire and there is nothing that can be done about that. Either that or they'll raise your premiums so high that you'll be broke within a year and that's the best case scenario. What I'm trying to do here is make it so you are only burned once. You make a sensible act of restitution to the families and then we leak that to a friendly reporter who runs the story on how you; a pillar of the community, helped out these poor, struggling families."

"How

sensible

are we talking?" Buck asked because he liked the idea of coming out on top after this whole mess.

"I've taken a discrete look into both families finances," Eli shared as Buck poured himself a drink much to the dismay of the ever watchful eye of Eli's secretary. "The Golden's shouldn't be much of a problem. They are well off enough to take a lesser amount. It helps that Mr. Golden is working on your marina redesign. He can't bite the hand that feeds him now can he?"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Buck grumbled.

He had heard rumors that someone had made inquiries about Mr. Crouse's land. No one could give him specifics on who made them but he had his suspicions that it was Golden and his company out of Charlotte.

"Then offer him enough so that he doesn't," Eli interrupted his thoughts. "You need this to go away quickly and quietly."

"You think I don't know that!" Buck stated. "You don't think I've noticed the way the people in this town are looking at me since this whole thing went down? I'll be lucky if I don't lose any business over this nonsense."

"Which is why you need to set up a meeting with each family sooner rather than later," he told him.

"I can do that when I see them at the sentencing hearing," Buck answered. "I'm sure they won't want to miss that."

"That may not be the best place for you to approach them," Eli counseled. "Unless you can get to them before Patrick goes before the judge. If you manage that, I suggest that you let your wife approach them."

"Courtney? She'll give them everything we own, Eli!" Buck stated angrily.