Alive Again

It was all over school on Tuesday. Of course the rumours were merely that Kennedy and Reese had been seen joking around at his locker. No one had seen Reese Wallace smile and laugh that much, though it wasn’t unusual for Kennedy to look that happy—even in the early morning.

However it wasn’t news to Clary. She was a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. On Monday when she and Reese had driven home, her sister had given a feeble excuse about forgetting a book in her locker. Clary knew better than to believe that—why would her sister be bringing a plastic bag of clothes with her to school? Especially when the clothes belonged to Kennedy Brock?

And it didn’t take two hours to get a book from the school. Reese hadn’t even tried to lie about where she had been. She did, however, mention to Clary about how mom wasn’t at work. Clary didn’t think much of it, but Reese seemed concerned. Clary became even less interested. She was only interested in knowing what took Reese so long.

She had already figured out that Reese was at Kennedy’s. The whispers in the halls said that Reese had announced to Kennedy that she’d be over after school. Clary hadn’t given it much merit, since her older sister seemed hell-bent on avoiding Kennedy.

But then Tuesday came and they were joking around—so apparently they were friends, and from the looks of it, they were better friends than before. They disappeared at lunch, and people began to wonder if maybe Reese and Kennedy were more than just friends. Clary didn’t believe that, but she did get suspicious when her sister dropped her off at home and took off, not saying where she was going. It was Reese’s first reckless act.

Mom had been home, asking about where Reese was. Clary had answered honestly, she didn’t know. Their mother then pulled down a phone number from the fridge and dialed.

“John? This is Reese’s mother, I was just wondering if she was with you? No? Well, if you see her or hear from her, can you let her know to phone home? Thank you, sweetheart, have a good day.”

Clary didn’t know how to feel about Reese not being with John.

Reese had gotten home that night, around eight in the evening, and Clary got to watch their mother tear into the “perfect” daughter for the first time. She had to hide her laughter behind her hand and sit on the stairs. Their mother pulled the concerned parent card, and Reese had done something no one was expecting—especially not Clary.

“You know what, Mom? I’m entitled to have a life, and maybe Clary isn’t the only kid that needs a cell phone. Here’s Kennedy’s house number, next time try calling there!” And she had pulled a very Clary-like stunt and stomped up the stairs—sparing a moment to glare at her younger sister for eavesdropping.

Wednesday played out much like Tuesday had, only Reese didn’t come home until nine, and their mother wasn’t home to interrogate her. Clary quickly figured out how Reese’s new relationship (because she wasn’t clear on if they were friends or something else—yet) could be an advantage for her. Kennedy was like a built-in distraction for Reese, leaving John wide open for manipulation.

Thursday was the day that Clary began to put her schemes into action. Their mother had offered them lunch money, but Reese declined.

“Kennedy and I had a bet on a video game—I won, so he owes me lunch off campus.”

It was fate (not Clary, or one of her friends...) that had John sitting outside at the same time that Kennedy and Reese left to go get lunch. It was a coincidence that Clary happened to be walking by at the same time. She shielded her eyes and watched as her sister shoved Kennedy off the sidewalk and they laughed. The sound was carried back so that Clary and John could just barely hear it. Kennedy caught Reese’s hand and she began to walk on the edge, like she was a tightrope walker at the circus.

Clary turned around and gave a pretend surprised face when she saw John sitting on the front steps, looking casual as ever. His shirt was open, revealing a white muscle-tank and his jeans rode low on his hips, showing off his blue boxers. He was leaning backward with his elbows on the steps above him and was squinting at the retreating backs of his friends.

“Hey, John Oh, I didn’t see you there. What’s up?” Clary asked, walking up two steps before sitting on the step below him. She was looking up at him, but his gaze was still focused on the place where Kennedy and Reese had been walking (they had already turned the corner and were out of sight).

“Kennedy and my sister have been hanging out a lot, huh?” Clary prompted, following his gaze. When she looked back, John was looking at her with a small frown.

“Yeah, I feel like I barely get to see them anymore.” John finished his statement by stretching his arms over his head (causing his shirt to ride up and Clary’s gaze to be diverted) and then resting them back behind him.

“Reese is hardly ever home, she’s always at his house. She won’t tell me anything about it though, not that I expect her to. Reese and I aren’t prone to sisterly heart to hearts, you know? Do you think they’re dating? Surely one of them would have told you, I mean you are friends with both of them. That is unless; they’re trying to keep it a secret, because of what happened between Kennedy and I.”

“Between Kennedy and me,” John corrected.

“What?”

“After a preposition... you know, never-mind. I’m not a fucking English teacher, forget I said anything.”

“Oh, well, I guess I’m going to have to invite Kennedy. That’s going to be awkward.” Clary cast out the bait and hoped that John was curious—he wasn’t really, but he knew how to play the game.

“What do you have to invite Kennedy to?” John asked the obligatory question.

“You don’t know? Reese’s birthday is coming up, so I’m trying to throw her a little get together. It’s hard, she doesn’t have a lot of friends and so I can never really throw her a party because I don’t know who she hangs with, you know? And I really think, just once, Reese would like to have a party instead of just me and sometimes our mom and a single cupcake. She’s never had one before... not since... anyway, I think she deserves it.”

“Yeah, she does deserve a party...” John trailed off. Clary feigned an excited facial expression—she was good at pretending to be enthusiastic. She was good at pretending, period. She was always told that she should consider taking a drama course.

“You’re, like, her best friend, John. You got her to go to a party, and you’re on the team together, and you hang out. You could help me! I mean, if you don’t mind. You know who she likes and doesn’t like. You probably know her better than I do, and it’d be really helpful!”

John was wary of this proposition. He had never heard from Reese (or anyone) about Clary doing something for someone else without gaining something in the process. Yet, he wanted to do it because everyone deserved a birthday party.

“Your sister doesn’t like parties, though.”

“John, you have to know by now that there is a difference between a birthday party and a keg party on a Friday night. Anyway, I’ve got to go work on my math homework, but we’ll plot the party at lunch tomorrow, okay?” Clary stood up and blew him a kiss before leaving John sitting alone on the front steps.

He was left feeling uneasy for two reasons: the first being Clary’s choice of words. They’ll plot? It sounded so sinister and devious with nothing but a negative connotation attached. Second, he was now feeling out of the loop and insatiably curious. Had Reese and Kennedy started to secretly date?

It was their own business if they had, but what reason did they have for not telling him? He was their friend; he encouraged Reese and Kennedy to talk to each other. He wanted them (Reese especially) to be happy. Jared and Elle had asked him once why he always bought Reese candy. He had told them it was because it made her happy, and they had exchanged a look and then stared at him like there was more to the story.

Was there more to the story? No, John didn’t like to think so, but didn’t the phrase say that love is blind? Maybe he was blinded by love. He didn’t like that word—love. In high school it was taken too lightly, or even dropped heavily like a sword. John always believed that if he fell in love, he’d know. Is it possible that he didn’t know but everyone else did?

Had Kennedy been in love with Clare and decided to extract his revenge on Reese? No, that was a stupid idea. Kennedy liked Reese; John knew that for a fact. They were friends, and Kennedy was a good guy, even though he had his mean moments. Who didn’t have a mean moment? No one is a perfect saint and kind to everyone. John had witnessed Reese having a mean moment, and even Eleanor was prone to a bad day.

Off in the distance John could see Kennedy and Reese returning to school. Kennedy had his arm casually draped over her shoulder and Reese’s face was flushed. John faintly remembered feeling her flushed cheek pressed to his exposed arm at one point or another on Friday. He remembered sitting in the booth with her pressed to his side, and his finger skimming over the virgin soft skin of her neck. He remembered the silky feel of her hair as it curled around his fingers and how her hand had landed on his lap, and the warmth that had spread through him at the contact.

And now he couldn’t help but think that Kennedy got to feel those things now. He got to hear her laugh, and maybe he even got to hear her talk about her secrets. Maybe Kennedy was her best friend now and could break through that wall that John had been scaling since sophomore year. John couldn’t find it in himself to feel bitter about that, because it was good for Reese.

Like she knew he was thinking about her, she looked up from her feet and their eyes connected. She veered away from Kennedy and jogged up to him, much more flamboyantly than her sister had. She plopped down on the exact same stair, in the exact same spot as Clary had, and grinned up at him through her slightly sweaty fringe.

“Hey, what’re you doing all alone out here, Jolly?”

“I don’t even remember. What’s up with you guys?” Kennedy had joined them now, standing next to Reese with his hands in his pockets.

“I just bought Reese lunch; she kicked my ass yesterday, man. I never knew a chick could be so devious when playing video games, I swear, she would not stop cheating.”

Reese’s arm swung out, smacking audibly into Kennedy’s shin. “Shut up, idiot, I did not cheat. You just fucking suck!”

“I do not!”

“Do too!”

“Are you guys five years old?” John asked, there was no smile in his voice or on his face. He wasn’t even looking at them. Reese’s smile slowly began to fade.

“Are you on your man period, John Oh?” Kennedy asked, his tone oozing sarcasm.

“Kenny, shut up. What’s wrong, not-so-Jolly?”

John’s lips quirked upward at the familiar name, but quickly fell again. “Nothing, Reese’s Pieces, I’m just fucking tired.”

“Me too, but tomorrow is Friday. Hey, we can skip English and go take a nap instead.”

John smiled at Reese then, it was hard not to. She was smiling, laughing and joking around with him in a way that he hadn’t experienced since they were freshmen. She had been so carefree, but that wall had gradually begun to build up and he had lost sight of this girl.

Kennedy was slowly bringing her back, and John didn’t mind at all.