When You're Fifteen

I sat on my bedroom floor looking at my photo album. I don't know why but the way Nick asked me about Joe seemed off.

'So why did Joe really walk in with you?' still echoed through my mind.

His voice sounded full of jeolousy, but of who? His brother?

"Elissa? Joseph is here." my mother said as she opened my door. "ok. I'll be out in a minute." I said.

I put my photo album away grabbed my duffle bag before going downstairs.

Joe stood on the stairway looking at the pictures on the wall. He started laughing to himself.

"What's so funny?" I asked as I approached him.

"This oicture. God how I missed your summer pool parties." Joe said pointing at the picture. His eyes glazed over for a moment remembering the day.

It was Kevin, Joe, Nick and myself, Maura was somewere that day, jumping off the side of our ten feet pool. It was the summer of the 7th grade. Before Joe and Kevin became more popular and were going to high school parties.

"Yeah we had one this year. Nick Maura and I stayed inside because it was too smoky to do anything outside." I explained admiring the picture.

"Yeah, we etter get going. Nick's going to freak if we're late." Joe said with another chuckle.

"Nicholas Jerry Jonas. The perfectionest." I said.

Once in the car I looked in the back seat to see Nick's forehead against the window with both head phones in his ears blasting what sounded like Elvis Costello.

"Hey Joe?" I asked turning in my seat towards him. "What's up?" he asked. "Has Nick told you who he likes?" I asked.

"No he hasn't why?" Joe asked stopping at the intersection waiting for thelight to turn green. "Kust curious. he seemed jeolous when he asked who you walked me to class. But it seemed like a best friend would be jeopus when they find out their est friend has a new friend...." I rambled.

"Maybe he was. Nick's not the type of guy to bust out about his feelings. You're known him all your life, you should be avle to talk to him." Joe said as he parked in the senior parking lot..

"I hate it when you're right." I sighed before running towards the gym. I heard Joe call Jenna's name as I walked into the girls's locker room where more than half of the volleyball team was changing and showering.

[Joe's P.O.V]
I watched as Elissa walked into the girls' locker room. I saw Jenna being dropped off by here sister Michelle.

"Jenna!" i called. I had to end it. Things just working out like we had wanted them too. She was too territorial. If I wasn't able to hang out with my best friend because she was jeoulous and because she couldn't just learn to deal with i was going to dump her.

After hearing about her conering Elissa in the hallway and then walking in on her giving some kid on the freshmen football team, a blow job, I knew I had to end it.

"Hey sweetie." she said wrapping her hands around my neck. I grabbed them and placed them by her sides gently.

"No 'hey sweeties' look I heard about how you practically terriorized Elissa today. I wanted her as my locker partner. I want to keep my eyes on her. You've heard the guys on the football team. They act like she's just some sexy girl that they can fuck then dump on the ground.

"And why in the hell did you give Paul a fucking blow job? You're supposed to be dating me. But it's over." I said grabbing my stuffout of the back of my car.

"But....but that wasn't me." Jenna exclaimed. I gave her a look. "Ok but why? I mean why would you want to protecrt that slut. And we've been dating for so long..." Jenna whined.

"Three months isn't that long. Besides I've had my eye on someone for awhile. And Elissa is not a slut. The only slut that I know of is standing right in front of me." I said before heading into the bloys' locker room.

I heard Jenna scream in frustation. I laughed to myslef before getting undressed and into my practice uniform.

[Elissa's P.O.V]
"How was practice Maura?" I asked grabbing out my pom-poms from my dufflebag.

"It was good, except we had to run about 20 bajillion laps around the gym." she said packing her volleyball shin guards, and socks in her own duffle bag

"Jones!" exclaimed someone. I turned around to be face to face with Jennawho dropped her 'cheer is life' bag dramitically.

"Hey Jen--" I was cut off mid sentence with a slap across the face that was sure to leave a bruise.

I stumbled backwords on to one of the benches..

"Bitch you deserved that. You fucking slut. Making Joe break up with me." Jenna spat before walking off into the gym.

It took me a few minutes to realize what had happened. It took even less time to get Maura standing in fron t of me and making me promise I wasn'r going to do anything stupid....like bashing her face into th ebleachers.

"That slut is so lucky, I'm on Varsity." I mumbled putting my socks and shoes on

"Please just don't do anything stupid. We don't need you suspended on the first day of school." Maura said posistioning her bag on her shoulder.

"I can't make any promises." I said shoving my long brown hair into a ponytail.

"Elissa Nicole Jones!" Maura eclaimed as I ran into the gym.

"About time you joined us. What happened?" Angela asked as she examined my face which probably hada bruise on it.

"I was slapped. By a jeolous person." I said lookimg straight at Jenna.

"Yeah well if you weren't such a slut..." Jenna trailed off.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I didn't evin know Joe was going to break up with you." I said.

"Sure you didn't, even though you spent almost al summer with him. I bet you begged on your hands and knees to get him to break up with me. So you could get your chance with him." Jenna said standing up and heading in my direction.

"Like I told you in that hallway this morning, he's my best friend's brother, totally off-limits to me anyways." I said.

"Like he's want you anyways. He doesn't like manly girls. I mean have you looked in the mirror? You look like a typical he-she." Jenna said getting a group of girls from the freshmen squad to giggle.

That hurt. I diidn't look like a man. And I already knew it would never work. He was my best friend. It never worked between best friends....so I thought.

*A few Hours Later*
Cheer practice was over and I sat on the hood of Joe's blue Jeep Wrangler drawing shapes in the dirt that was there. I waited for Joe and Nick to hurry up so I could get home and eat, bathe, and sleep.

"Elissa? Why are you crying?" Nick asked as he embraced me in a hug. I han't realized it until he pointed it out.

I shook my head biting my bottom lip. "Elissa what's wrong?" Joe asked as he ran up to us. I shook my head once burying my face into Nick's shoulder. "What happened sweetie? Why do you have a bruise on your face?" Joe asked.

I sighed knowing I wasn't going to get away with out telling them. "Jenna slapped me and said I looked like a man." I said wiping my eyes.

"Can we go homeplease? I have stuff to do." I said leaning out of their embrace and hoping off the car. I crawled into the front seat and waited for Joe and Nick once more.

Joe and Nick got in adn we headed home. Joe dropped Nick off first because thier house was the first stop. Once we got to my house, Joe parked the car and turned it off.

"Thanks for the ride. I'll get gas money from my mom and give it to you for the week." I said grabbing my duffle bag and turned to get out.

That is until Ifelt Joe's hand on my wrist. "Wait. I wanted to talk to you about something.

"Oh?" I asked sitting back in the seat. "Jenna's a jeolous girl. She was really pissed off when she found out we hung out alot over the summer." Joe explained.

"And the reason why you're sharing a locker with me is because I asked Mrs. Harned to let you be my locker partner. And also Elissa? You're gourgeous. Jenna's the one who looks liike a man." Joe said before leaning over and kissing me on my cheek....

ok the corner of the mouth but whatever.

"Thanks Joe it means a lot." I said getting out of the car and walking into my house.