What Do You Want From Me?

Jessica Flaherty sighed with boredom as she sat in her fourth period class. Everything leading up to now resembled that of a blur, and all she wanted to do was see Matt and the guys. She wasn’t even sure why they were learning all these new things, considering graduation was right around the corner, and no sane twelfth grader would ever return to that high school again. Hell, the general population was already passing, so the teachers might as well just let everyone slack off for the remaining two or so months.

Of course, this wasn’t what was going to happen, but Jessica did sometimes entertain the notion while pretending to pay attention to Miss Caldwell’s eccentric accounts of The English Renaissance. She’d go on and on about her devout love for Sir Walter Raleigh’s, The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd, as if it were the grandest work ever displayed to the public. It wasn’t, but every student in the room listened with fraudulent interest, including Jessica, who wore an innocent smile while secretly wishing the bell would just ring already.

“But could youth last and love still breed, Had joys no date nor age no need, Then these delights my mind might move, To live with thee and be thy love.” Miss Caldwell read, then glanced at the surrounding room with an air of absolute contentedness on her face. “It’s that part right there that always gets me; so rich, and full of emotion. It’s like you can almost feel what Mr. Raleigh’s trying to relate to his readers. Can anyone tell me just what exactly they think he’s trying to say? I’d like to hear some of your own opinions.”

Jessica closed her eyes tight, knowing for a fact no one was going to raise their hand and volunteer. This usually meant Miss Caldwell would choose her, as she was perceived as the star student or something. Jessica hated talking in front of the class, even though she’d never let on, it always made her feel like every single person’s eyes were either checking her out, or judging her. Whichever the case, it wasn’t enjoyable in the least bit, and she could only hope the answer she gave would be to Miss Caldwell’s delight.

“Hm, how about Jessica? What’s your take on this fine piece of work?”

Jessica took a deep breath, collecting a persuasive answer, before looking back to the teacher. “Well, I believe, since The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd was a response to Mr. Christopher Marlowe’s poem, Mr. Raleigh was possibly trying to criticize Marlowe’s work. Either way, Raleigh’s poem expressed how, back in those times, women were usually denied a voice in any sort of decision making; whether it be voting, or otherwise. This, however, referred to literature, where the same actions take place. When Marlowe wrote his poem, it was assumed by the reader that the Nymph will, of course, accept the Shepherd’s proposal. Raleigh was simply writing his own take, where the Nymph makes her own decision, and denies.”

Why, oh why, does Miss Caldwell always seem to pick the works that reflect so appropriately on Jessica’s own life? The young girl questioned the same exact thing as she gave her answer, but showed no emotion on the matter, and waited for a just response as to whether it was acceptable or not.

“Miss Flaherty,” The teacher started with an unreadable tone. “That was probably one of the best answers I’ve heard regarding this piece of work. Bravo!” Miss Caldwell began to clap happily, and Jessica bit the inside of her cheek when she made everyone else join in. “I’m so proud of you! That’s an automatic A for the day.”

“Thank you, Miss Caldwell,” Jessica replied shyly and quickly hung her head. This woman just lived to embarrass her.

“As for the rest of you, that about wraps it up for today. I expect a lot more participation! You guys are twelfth graders, I shouldn’t have to tell you this! I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

The bell rang almost immediately after Miss Caldwell finished her chatter, and Jessica quickly packed up her books, shoving them into her bag, and jumping up from her desk. She briefly heard Miss Caldwell’s voice yelling after her that she did a magnificent job that day, though, Jessica pretended to ignore it, and pushed open the door.

She scrambled into the hallway and almost smacked into the few students who were already out there. Normally, Jessica might make a pit stop to the bathroom to check her makeup, or to her locker for a quick book change; but that very day, neither one of the tasks were able to happen. She had to meet up with Matt. That was what mattered above all else at that point.

She made her trek down the hall and stopped at the lunch yard doors. He would be there soon, she could just feel it. He was going to save her and stop anything bad from happening. Her heart just knew for a fact there was absolute good in Matt. There had to be. No wrong-doing person would do what he’s offered to, and that was just plain fact.

The he, though, that Jessica hoped and prayed for…wasn’t the face currently stomping his way toward her. She gasped instinctively, and turned away from him in an effort to not be seen. ‘Maybe…’, she thought, ‘Just maybe, he’ll miss the fiery red head that so obviously resembles his ex.’ Not likely, as it turns out.

“Jessica.” She was grabbed by the arm and whipped around the moment his angered voice snapped at her. “What the fuck? Why haven’t you spoken to me all weekend?”

“Let me go, Jason,” She said back. “Leave me alone.”

“Ooo,” He taunted with an amused look. “When did you get so snappy?”

“None of your damn business, now let me go!” She tried her hardest to break from his hold, but the fact that Jason worked out constantly and built up a significant amount of arm strength, it deemed nearly impossible.

“No, I won’t let you go! I’m not done talking to you!” He screamed in her face, and quickly pushed her until her back hit the doors, which nudged them open. Jason continued pushing until they were out in the open, where everyone could see, much to his delight. “You think you can just write me off?! Huh? Is that where you’re going with this?”

“You and I are over, Jason. Get that through your thick skull. That’s why I haven’t talked to you, as if it wasn’t clear enough!” Jessica screamed in his face. He looked a little surprised, as she never acted that way toward him before, but his reply wasn’t delayed in the least.

“Hah, really? We aren’t over until I say we’re over, and I’m not done with you yet. I’ve waited how fucking long to get in your pants, and now you’re just going to try and run away before I get the chance to? I don’t think so. It ain’t happening, sugar, so get that notion out of your head right now.” He jerked her around following that statement, and by that time, a crowd had already begun to form. Where in the hell was Matt?

“Do you feel like a man, Jason? Hm? Does throwing women around make you feel like a man inside? Because you certainly aren’t a man in any other aspect, that’s for sure.” A cocky grin crossed Jessica’s face, and a collective amount of laughs sounded from around them. People really had no lives nowadays than to pry into everyone else’s.

“What did you just say?! Say it again, bitch! I dare you to fucking say it again!” With that, he gripped her ten times harder, and Jessica couldn’t help but cry out. His barely-there nails were digging into her skin, and at that moment, Jason Kiegan reminded her exactly of her father.

Before anything else could happen, though, the familiar form of the man who’s becoming Jessica Flaherty’s life saver appeared, and he was on Jason faster than lightning. He had pushed through the crowd and bounded forward the moment he hit the clearing, and Jason was ripped away from her and slammed onto the pavement below. His body hit with a deafening thud, and it was obvious the wind had been knocked out of him.

“Are you okay?” Matt asked, surprising the young woman that he’d taken the time out of kicking Jason’s ass to worry about her well-being.

“I-I’m fine,” She replied shakily as he lay his big hand on her shoulder.

“Are you sure? Fuck, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. This stupid teacher-- never mind, it doesn’t matter now.” He turned back to face Jason, who was groaning out in pain and making feeble attempts to sit back up. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay down there. Because the minute you stand up, I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“Wh-what the fuck…Is that Matt Sanders?” Jason questioned, as he looked at the two in front of him. “What the hell kind of business is this of yours?”

“She is my business, kid,” Matt fired back. Jason stared at them, totally confused, before sitting up fully and attempting to push himself to his feet.

“You’re fucking delusional or something. Jessica would never want anything to do with you. She’s not that much of an idiot.”

“It doesn’t make me an idiot,” Jessica spat, feeling the utmost insult. “It makes me smart for separating myself from you and everyone who’s tried to brainwash me over the years.”

Jason had no response to that, at first, and he only looked at his ex with wide eyes, finally figuring out that Matt was telling the truth. “You…what the fuck?!” He jumped to his feet, and Matt readied himself to attack. He raised his fist and was about to move toward the obnoxious teen, when Jessica jumped in front and pushed at his chest.

“You can’t! Matt, please, if you get into a fight, with him of all people, his dad will make sure you get expelled and probably sent to jail or something! Please, listen to me,” She pleaded, now placing her hands on both of his cheeks and diverting Matt’s gaze from Jason, to her. It was, for lack of a better word…intimate. Matt’s breath was shaky; being this close to her was affecting him more than he’d like to admit.

“Okay,” He relented. “Fine, I won’t kick his ass, at least not here.” He gently removed the girl’s hands from his face, and glanced around her at the seething Jason. Seeing the way Jessica was touching Matt had set him off a bit. She’d hardly ever touched him like that during their time together, and now all of a sudden, she’s touching this slimy guy, whom she’d obviously just started hanging with?

In that moment, the crowd began to separate again, as they moved to let someone else into the clearing. Brian and Zack appeared, both with concerned expressions when they realized just who was in the middle of it all.

“Are you guys okay?!” Zack exclaimed, running up and planting a single hand on Jessica’s shoulder.

“We’re fine,” She replied, hanging her head in slight embarrassment. No one had ever really showed this much care toward her, let alone affection. It was refreshing, even in the middle of this pressing matter.

“Yeah, but he’s not gonna be when I get through with him. Hey, Kiegan,” Matt began again, pushing his friends behind him so now only he faced the quarterback.

“You’re still trying to pick a fight with me, man? Even after your little ho told you not to? Surprise, surprise.” Matt clenched his fists tightly, the bones cracking noisily, and Jessica only gasped at the obscene word Jason used to describe her. She’d never been blatantly called something like that, as most of the high school population knew she was probably the most innocent girl you could ever come by. Sure, a lot of guys chased after her simply because she was gorgeous, but everyone knew Jessica wasn’t like that; Jason especially, as he’d been trying for the whole year or so they were together to make her give it up.

“Meet me later,” Matt said, fighting the violent urge to just snap the other guy’s neck right then and there. “At the baseball field around the corner from here, Joey Greene Field. Meet me there, if you’re not a pussy, and we’ll settle this.”

Jason only looked at Matt, seemingly a little shocked that he was actually proposing a brawl between the two. Suddenly, though, a smirk crossed his face; one to be rivaled by The Joker.

“Okay, fine, if that’s how you want it. Don’t expect me to come alone, though, Sanders. I know for a fact you’ll be bringing your little queer’s over there with you, so how about I bring some backup of my own?” He turned and glanced around the crowd, obviously searching for said backup. “Where the fuck is the football team?”

Murmurs flooded the area, and Jason appeared to be incensed his fellow teammates were allowing the altercation to go on any further. A moment or two later, a few of the football guys broke through and stood next to Jason, who was still flaring.

“You guys were here the whole time and you just let this crack head throw me around?!” His eyes were set particularly on Riley Smith, who was the running back and had been Jason’s best friend since freshman year.

“We weren’t here the whole time, Jay. But Sanders backed off so we figured it was okay…” Riley drew off, eyes not meeting Jason’s and looking absolutely intimidated.

“Whatever,” Jason replied. “Anyway, so, here’s who I’m bringing. If you still want to battle this out, then sure, meet me at Joey Greene Field. But if you’re too chicken, don’t come. You have four of the most athletic players around standing next to me, I could see why you’d be threatened.” Jason ended with a cocky laugh, and the others standing around him joined in, as well. Though, it seemed rather forced.

“Yeah, well, we’ll see about that. 6:00, Kiegan, be there, and bring whoever the fuck you want.”

“I will,” Jason said, stupidly. His eyes moved to Jessica, who was still standing behind Matt’s solid form. “And you, I hope you’ll be there, too, so you can see how much you’ve downgraded from this…” Jason looked over his own body, gesturing with both hands as though he were showing off something absolutely magnificent. “To that.” A putrid expression crossed his face, before flashing back to that arrogant sneer, and finally turning on his heel to exit the clearing. Everyone began to separate, as the confrontation was now over, going back to their regular lunch period. It was apparent, though, that word was going to spread fast of the planned fight, and Jessica just knew half the high school population was going to be there.

“Okay, what the fuck just happened?” Brian chimed in, after being quiet the whole time.

“Isn’t it obvious? Fuck face got to her before I did, and voila! Now we’re going to fight,” Matt replied fiercely. He took Jessica’s hand and began to lead his little group over to their grassy mound at the end of the lunch yard. They all sat, and Matt appeared to still be fuming after having to hold himself back from destroying Jason.

“Calm down,” Jessica whispered, planting her hand on his arm.

“I’m trying,” Matt replied, voice less hostile simply because it was her.

“You know this isn’t going to work, right? Jason has four other guys with him, while you only have two. They’ll easily get the upper hand and plummet us,” Zack said, always the pessimist.

“That’s probably true, but I’m not going to fucking back down. Hell no. I’m not a coward,” Matt spat in return.

“No one’s saying you are! But the fact of the matter is this: Jason is. If he had any balls, he’d face you one-on-one. But he’s not going to, and chances are, he’s not even going to get involved in the fight. It’s pointless. I’m not saying don’t show up, but it’s just pointless, dude.”

“I don’t give a shit. If you saw the way he was treating Jess when I got there, maybe you’d understand where I’m coming from. I’m going to get him, if it’s the last thing I do. Even if I get my ass kicked, eventually, I am going to get him.”

Jessica listened to the exchange with sheer distress. Matt, Brian, and Zack were outnumbered. The football players were tough guys, each one with more confidence than Jason, and there was no doubt in her mind something bad would happen. Four, possibly five, on three? It just wasn’t realistic, and she wholeheartedly expected something like this from Jason. If only there were others, people with the same exact backbone to stand up against the majority; people whom Jessica could trust would be on her side no matter what, that could help Matt, Brian, and Zack. If only…

And then, a marvelous idea popped into Jessica’s head, and her eyes lit up with complete wonderment.

“Oh, my God,” She gasped, face etched into an extraordinary smile. The three others looked at her with strange gazes.

“What?” Matt asked, as he watched Jessica fish through her purse and pull out her phone.

“I have to make a call.”