New Girl in Town Pt. 20

"Thanks," She smiled then leaned in and kissed him briefly. "You know how to get to the school tomorrow right? I told you that I wanted to go see Jessica, her team and her coach didn't I?"

"You did and I do," he smiled. "You could have asked me that over breakfast you know?"

"I could have but then I wouldn't have gotten my passionate goodnight kiss," she smiled wickedly. "Just so you know, even though we're taking things slow, I think that I will require more kisses like that in our future."

"You think that you will, huh?" Ken smiled. "Then I guess that I'll add that to my weekly to do list, boss lady."

"See that you do," Jessica smiled at him. "Just don't add it to my calendar though. I like to be surprised."

Tuesday

Jessica was driven to school by Ray under the insistence of Staci. She had tried to argue that she was capable of driving herself but Staci wouldn't hear of it.

"I am to look after you, Jessica," Staci had said. "I promised Jake that I would until he was able to again so it's happening. Get used to the idea."

"I'll work on that," Jessica answered. "I wish we could have gone to see Jake before coming to school."

"We wouldn't have gotten you to leave if we had, Jess," Ray said. "We promised your folks as well as Jake's that we would get you to school today."

"You've got to stay caught up with your work so you can get Jake caught up when he decides to stop sleeping the new year away," Staci said.

Jessica poked her lip out and Staci saw her.

"Don't pout," she said. "You know that I'm right."

"Fine, fine," Jessica nodded. "Who told you that it was all right to make valid points?"

"We made a special deal with Jake," Staci said. "Ray and I are allowed to keep you in line until he's able to take the burden that is you back."

"Staci, don't be mean to Jess," Ray said as he got out then turned back to get Jessica's backpack but another pair of hands reached out and snagged it.

"I got it, Ray," Antoine said as he hefted her pack. "You know I gotta look out for our wildcat."

"Guys, I can carry my own bag," Jessica stated as Ray helped her out of the car.

"We know that you can, Jess, but we just want to do something for you," Twanda told her.

"Get used to it," Tabitha said as she, Tanya and other members of her volleyball team walked up. "We're all here to help."

"Even if you are already being well taken care of by your misfits already," Caitlyn said. "Consider the rest of us as the B team for when they need a break."

"The A team has her now," Roxie stated as she hooked her arm in with Jessica's good one and started to walk her toward the school.

As the group made their way to the doors Jamie noticed a car had pulled to a stop at the front of the school.

"That looks like Patrick's mom's car," he said as he nodded toward it.

"She came by the hospital the other day," Ray said. "I wonder what she's doing here?"

They watched as Patrick got out of the car and started to walk toward the school. As the car passed by they saw Patrick's mom wave at them so they waved back.

"Okay, that was odd," Ray commented. "When was the last time Patrick got dropped off at school by his mom?"

"Like middle school I think," Jamie answered. "Weird."

"Yeah," Ray nodded then shook his head. "Who cares? Let's catch up to Jess and the others."

"I gotta tell her that Marie wants to join in on the sitting with Jake chart that they've got worked up," he told him. "She and Jenny have the same free period so she can go in with her."

"I'm sure that Jess will be more than okay with that," Ray said. "Let Shelly know. She's the ringleader behind that set up."

"Oh right," Jamie said. "I told her that I could take a slot if there were any open but I think I'm way back on the list of people they want to be there for him."

"Don't mistake that for anything, Jamie," Ray said. "The list is pretty much all girls except for Bobby and me. I think they're hoping that surround him with hotties will get him up quicker."

"Dude! I didn't need that visual!" Jamie shook his head.

"I didn't either but I wasn't spared it when Staci brought it up so I wasn't about to spare you either," Ray laughed. "Now let's catch up to the others and see if Jess needs anything."

****

After lunch Jessica was on her way to her locker after she assured Shelly, Staci and the others that she would be fine to go on her own since their classes weren't in that direction. She also needed some time to herself. It had been a hard day for her so far. When she looked at Jake's empty desk in Ms. Simpson's class she felt her first pang of loss. She missed Jake not being there. The feeling intensified as the day went on as she walked the halls where Jake would normally be right by her side. Their friends had taken his place but it didn't feel the same to Jessica. She missed him and wanted to see him badly especially when she texted Jake's mother at lunch to get an update. She told Jess that the doctors had said that he seemed to have slipped deeper into his coma but they planned to run some more tests to be sure. She was lost in that thought when she noticed that someone had walked up and said her name.

"Jessica," Patrick said as he leaned against the lockers.

"What do you want?" she asked him as she worked the lock on her locker.

"I just wanted to see how... how you were doing," he said. "You and Jake I mean."

"I'm not great," she answered him. "Jake's not great either. His mom said that he might be slipping deeper into his coma so now is not really a great time to mess with me, Patrick." More distinctly she continued "I'm really not up for it so please just leave me alone."

Patrick didn't follow as she walked away. He was too stunned by what she had told him to say or do much of anything. He watched as Jessica walked away and noted just how defeated and sorrowful she looked. He thought about that and about Jake being laid up in a hospital bed through his next classes. He walked slowly to his mom's waiting car after school having skipped his usual work out in the gym's weight room.

"Mom," he said once he got into her car, "do you think we can we go to the hospital to see Jake?"