The Only Constant is Change Ch. 04

"Oh, that sounds fun. I love skiing. We got to go in the French Alps a few years ago when my dad was stationed overseas."

At the mention of anything Europe-related, Serena was intrigued. "I didn't know you spent time in Europe. You are so lucky!"

"Well, it's not the easiest life, being an American military family over there. But I got to see most of the major museums, traveled to see some of the engineering landmarks, like the Roman Coliseum and the Eiffel Tower, and I met a lot of great people." Jeremy paused, searching for the right opening. "Say, Serena, maybe you could help me. I'm having some trouble with a few of the end-of-chapter questions assigned in chemistry class, and I know you've been doing pretty well. Do you think we could get together to go over some of it? Pizza's on me."

Serena looked at him skeptically. "Jeremy, you're one of the smartest guys in the class, and we both know it. There's no way I could help you in chemistry." She paused, and then looked at him with a big grin on her face. "Are you just trying to get a date with me?"

Jeremy did his best to look sheepish and said, "You got me. I finished all the work over Spring Break pretty easily. I was hoping to avoid the embarrassment of you turning me down if I pretended to need help with homework."

"What makes you think I'd turn you down?" she teased.

Old Jeremy might have folded or pulled the ripcord, but not new Jeremy. "Look Serena, I'll level with you. I think you're one of the hottest girls in school. I also know that you are friends with Colby and his gang; I don't know what kind of bad-mouthing you might have heard about me from those guys. You may or may not be inclined to give me the time of day, but I would love it if you gave me the chance to prove them wrong. Would you have dinner with me Friday?"

"I don't know if you've heard," she said, "but Colby and I aren't exactly the best of friends these days. You're right, though, he's always running you down. Personally, it's never been clear why; you've always seemed like a great guy to me. In fact, if Colby has a problem with you, that's even more reason for me to go out with you. Let me see your phone for a second." She proceeded to add her information, then called her own number so she'd have his. "Pick me up at 6 so we can eat and then catch a late movie too, okay?" Jeremy nodded and Serena gave him a little wave before heading off to class.

Were Jeremy prone to whistling, he might have softly whistled Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy to himself as he headed off to class. But only if he were prone to whistling...

The good feelings from seeing the beginning of a plan coming together carried Jeremy all the way through the morning. He'd managed to avoid seeing Jess, though he'd had to duck into the restroom once before they passed in the hall. In large part, he didn't have to think about Friday night at all. Right up until Colby Walters showed up to gloat and ruined his appetite at lunch.

Jeremy was enjoying the always-fine cafeteria fare when Colby sat down right across from him. In an unusually brave move, he didn't even have any buddies there for backup. He must have assumed that the risk of suspension would be too high for Jeremy to take a shot at him. "Too bad you left the party so early, Halperin. I would have been happy to let Jess take care of you too." Jeremy just kept chewing while he stared at Colby's smirking face and decided which way he wanted to play this. Look up the word "asshole" in the dictionary, and you'll find Colby's picture, he thought.

He decided to play dumb, just to see how big a jerk Colby was going to be. Slowly wiping his mouth, Jeremy asked him, "What are you talking about? Jess left early too."

The smug look the Colby gave him almost pushed him over the edge. Looking around to verify that they were alone, Colby said, "I know you saw your girlfriend sucking my cock. And like a pansy you just walked away. The stupid part is, I didn't even have to work that hard on her. I just had to point out how much attention you were paying to the other girls, play up a little how much I missed her from our dates last year, and she practically dragged me outside for a little action."

Jeremy had met guys like Colby at every school he'd ever attended. They were the kids who didn't want you playing with their toys, even when they weren't using them. They were the bullies who propped themselves up on the backs of those less fortunate. And they were the guys who had no respect for anyone other than themselves. If he'd been blindsided by this, or if he'd been more interested in Jess in the first place, Jeremy might have been angry enough to make this a physical confrontation. But the reality was that he was mainly just annoyed that he had to deal with it. "So you think getting your little pecker polished by a girl I barely know means something to me?" He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "I didn't know you were so concerned with my love life. I'm touched."

Colby's face was clouded with anger. "Of course, it means something dickhead! It means your little girlfriend can't keep her hands off me, any more than her sister can stay away from my brother."

Jeremy looked at him with a new fire in his eyes. "Was that your brother's ass that I kicked when he tried to force himself on Lanie? Yeah, she really looked like she couldn't keep her hands off him. And as for Jess?" He shrugged. "Have at her. I took her out a couple of times and it didn't work out. I already broke it off with her, so she's free to look under whatever rock she wants to for companionship. That's where she found you, right?"

Before Colby could even respond, Jeremy made to stand up. "Listen, I'd really love to stay and talk a little more about my love life, but I need to plan for my date with my girlfriend Ava tomorrow night. You know Ava, the hot little brunette with the big tits over there?" Jeremy waved in her direction and she smiled back. "She's such a cool chick, I think I'll get her advice on what I should do when I take Serena out on Friday. It's our first date and I want it to be special after all. You remember Serena, right? She's the hot blonde who dumped your stupid ass a while back." Jeremy started to turn away, then snapped his fingers like he just remembered something and turned back. "I almost forgot to catch up with Monica to see if she still wants to have lunch with me this weekend." Jeremy chucked Colby on the shoulder. "See? You don't have anything to worry about. I'm going to manage, somehow, to put the disappointment with Jess behind me." With that, Jeremy walked away, leaving Colby fuming angrily in his wake.

As soon as Colby had started towards Jeremy, Ava was on the lookout, because she knew that there was no love lost between the two. When he'd seated himself across from Jeremy, she'd almost gone for help. Seeing the calm look on her boyfriend's face stopped her, however. Sitting too far away to catch any of their conversation, she tried unsuccessfully to read their lips. It was clear, however, from the look on Colby's face as Jeremy walked away, who was the victor in this round. Curiosity prompted her to chase after Jeremy to find out what had just happened.

"Hey, Jeremy, wait up!"

He turned and greeted her with a quick kiss. "What's up, hot stuff?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing. What did Colby want?"

"Oh that? My good friend Colby wanted to make sure that I knew that he and Jess messed around at the party on Friday." Ava stopped.

"I knew she did something!" she hissed angrily. "She made up some excuse about getting stuck talking to her sister's friends, but I saw the way she and Colby were acting after you left." Her voice softened and she placed her hand on his neck. "You act like you knew about that already, though. Are you okay?"

Jeremy looked around and spotted a bench nearby. "Let's go sit over here where it's a little more private." As they took their seats he said, "Unfortunately, as I was leaving the party, I stumbled across Colby and Jess in the parking lot. Like she said she could, she was 'handling him' in the parking lot. It made me a little sick to my stomach, and I spent a lot of time this weekend trying to figure out how to handle it. But what I realized is that I've got a hotter girlfriend named Ava, who is willing to share me with other hot chicks like Monica and Serena Chase," Ava's eyes got real big at the mention of Serena's name, "and it doesn't really matter if I lose Jess to that scumbag. I am, however, going to teach him a lesson in humility."

Ava just shook her head in dismay. "Serena, too? Really? How am I supposed to compete with that?"

He put his arm around her shoulders. "The simple answer is, you don't. You are fun and smart and beautiful, and completely you. Monica has a lot of the same characteristics in her too, but she's different for a few reasons. I was kind of surprised that Serena agreed to go out with me, to be honest. But I was thinking about getting back at Colby and we literally ran into each other; it gave me an idea for a plan, and I went with it." He leaned in and murmured in her ear. "What you've got to remember is that all of you are hot in different ways, but it's not a competition. I want to have fun with different girls, and I'm flattered that so many seem to be interested in me. But any time you want out, I completely understand. If you're not having fun with me, then it's unlikely I'm going to have fun with you, right?" He bumped her with his shoulder until she giggled and agreed.

As they started to head for class, she turned to him and smirked, saying, "Serena Chase, huh? Do you believe me now when I say that my boyfriend is the hottest guy in school?"

Jeremy just shook his head and grinned before pulling her into his arms and giving her a quick kiss. "I never would have believed that a girl like you would give me the time of day before. And then I find out that you're not only pretty, but you're also smart and athletic? On top of that, you're willing to put up with me exploring relationships with other girls? You're truly amazing, Ava, and I meant what I said earlier. Whenever you come to your senses, I want you to do what you need to do without reservation. You've been a huge blessing to me in a very short time, and I don't think I'll ever be the same. Thank you."

She hugged him back and said, "What are we doing tomorrow night, stud?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come over to my house for dinner. Just to temper your enthusiasm, realize that it's not going to be anything fancy. It's my turn to cook and I was thinking I might fire up the grill and throw some brats on there, maybe warm up some pork'n'beans and have some chips. It's supposed to be a nice night, and I thought we could sit out on the patio and talk for a while? We didn't really get a chance on our date last week, and I'd kind of like to get to know you better."

"That sounds good. What time should I be there?"

"You can come over whenever you want, but we'll probably be eating about 6."

"Alright, I'll see you then. And I'll bring you one of my mom's pies for dessert."

Jeremy's afternoon classes passed by uneventfully. There were a few awkward moments in his last class, only because Jess was in that class as well. She smiled and winked at him as they arrived at the classroom simultaneously. Jeremy gave her a small smile in return, but otherwise remained aloof. Despite his decision to remain civil with Jess, he found that the thought of sitting near her in class simply made him angry all over again. He could see that she was surprised and confused when he chose a seat a few rows away and behind her.

Since he suspected that there was going to be a confrontation of sorts with Jess after the class ended, Jeremy spent the next 50 minutes deciding just how he was going to play this situation. The more he thought about his plan to gain revenge on Colby, the more he realized that Jess was no longer a factor. With the unexpected arrival of Serena onto the scene, Jeremy found himself in the position that Colby thought he'd gained by seducing Jess. Jeremy knew that Colby considered Serena his for the taking. By virtue of her agreement to go on a date with Jeremy, the tables had turned in Jeremy's favor since Friday night. As such, Jess was no longer useful in any capacity, and Jeremy now had no reason to play games with her. The best he could hope for was to find out just how the situation had developed between the two of them to see if he could prevent it in the future.

As he left the classroom following the final bell, he wasn't surprised to find Jess waiting for him in the hallway.

"Hey, Jeremy," she said. Jeremy wanted her to be on the defensive right away, so he just turned and walked away. Jess hurried up behind him, saying "Jeremy, wait up!" But he kept on walking, not accelerating, but certainly not slowing down to wait on her. By the time she caught up to him, he had reached his locker.

"Jeremy! Didn't you hear me calling? Why didn't you wait for me?"

Jeremy took a deep breath before answering. "I didn't wait for you because I don't really want to talk to you Jess."

"Why wouldn't you want to talk to me? I thought we were past the break-up, and you were going to keep seeing me. Did something change?"

"Actually," he said as he turned towards her, "last week I told you that I didn't think we were right for each other when I tried to break it off. But you brought up the idea of me dating other girls if I promised to make some time for you as well. So, you tell me, has something changed?"

There was confusion on her face. "No, that's pretty much where I thought we were."

Jeremy couldn't tell if she was hiding her dalliance with Colby, or if she really thought that he'd be okay with her blowing the guy on the side. It wasn't even the thought that she'd maybe date another guy on the side; that would be hypocritical. The bigger issue was that it was Colby. The one guy he'd expressed his concerns about. He decided to push her to see if she'd tip her hand. Changing gears, he said "Did you have fun at the Barn Party on Friday? I'm sorry we never connected. We didn't seem to be free at the same time, and then when I went to leave, I couldn't find you."

For just a split second, recognition and fear flashed in her eyes, but she was quick to recover. "Yeah, I had a great time. Ava and I spent a long time talking. It was so good to reconnect with her; I owe you big time for bringing us back together. And I know what you mean about not being free at the same time. Every time I looked up you had a different girl out on the floor, and that didn't even include Ava."

"Well, your sister and her friends were so surprised and pleased when they found out that I like to dance, that they kept me out on the floor for quite a while when I first got there."

Jess rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it was torture to dance with any of those three. You really sacrificed yourself for the greater good, there."

In spite of himself, Jeremy had to chuckle at her observation. "I never said it was torture, only that it was time-consuming. And then, I ended up having a long talk with Monica White. She looked so unhappy that I wanted to check on her, and we spent quite a while working through an issue that she was having."

She gave him a knowing look. "You must have solved the 'issue' to her satisfaction, because you were all she could talk about when I saw her later. She said that you guys were going on a date soon?"

He nodded in response. "Yeah, I think we're going to try and have lunch this weekend. Anyway, after she and I talked, I danced some more. Before I knew it, with that early wakeup on Saturday, I needed to head home. I tried to find you to say goodbye, but I never did see you." He watched her closely as he asked, "Where'd you go?"

For whatever reason, and even though he'd already decided that they were through, Jeremy was still hoping that Jess would come clean. Unfortunately, that was not the case. "I don't know. I know at one point I ended up taking a short walk outside to get some fresh air with Lanie. Maybe that was when you were looking for me?" She almost sounded hopeful.

Jeremy decided to put an end to the charade. "Jess, do you remember what I said to you at the bowling alley last week?" She nodded, and he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. "I told you then that I wouldn't tolerate dishonesty in my relationships. Do you have anything you want to tell me about?"

When she shook her head, all he could do was sigh. "I guess that closes the book then. Jess, I know where you were on Friday when I was looking for you. And more importantly, I know who you were with and what you were doing."

"Jeremy, I don't..." she started before he cut her off.

"I saw you and Colby," he said hissed angrily. "The one guy that I told you I didn't trust. Do you remember what you said? 'I can handle him.' Well, you certainly handled him on Friday." Jeremy slammed his locker shut before shouldering his backpack. "The thing is, I didn't understand us to both be seeing other people. My impression was that you were hoping I'd see how good you were for me or something. But even if that were the case, the one guy I would have put my foot down about is Colby. You want to know why?" Before she could respond, he continued. "Because even if I hadn't seen you myself, that jackass made it a point to find me and make sure that I knew what you guys had done. That's the kind of guy he is. I'm sorry, but whatever the reason you thought he was coming after you, I'm pretty sure that he was just using you to get at me." At this, Jess's eyes flared with anger.

"What? You think Colby couldn't be interested in me because I don't have big tits like my sister or Ava?" she asked angrily. "Am I not pretty enough to draw his attention? Is that what you think?"

For a moment, his own anger almost overwhelmed his common sense in forming his response to her outburst. But he realized that she was probably hurt by the revelation as well, so he took pity on her. "I don't think there's any reason that Colby shouldn't be interested in you for who you are, Jess. But I'll tell you one last thing that he said before I go, and then you can make up your own mind on what he really wants. Colby told me 'your little girlfriend can't keep her hands off me, any more than her sister can stay away from my brother.' To me, he was playing a game to try and take you away from me." Jeremy shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Jess. I wish things had gone differently. But they didn't, and I've got better things to do with my time than worry about whether a girl I'm seeing is trying to make me look like a fool with an enemy. So, we're done." He left her standing there and walked away without looking back.

School the next day passed without complication. Since Colby's antics had misfired, he was clearly miffed but without recourse. Likewise, Jeremy suspected that Jess had come to see Friday's events in the same light that he did. The few times that he saw her in the halls, she bore little resemblance to the bouncy bundle of energy that he'd come to expect, and she had difficulty meeting his eyes. In some ways, it was a better way for the day to pass than he'd expected, but he still wished things had gone better. At the end of the day, Jeremy really didn't like conflict, even if he wasn't one to run away from it when it arose. Fortunately, he could distract himself from those troubles by looking forward to dinner with Ava. His excitement built as the final bell drew closer, until he could barely contain himself as he rushed home to begin preparations.