My Twisted Teenage Romance

''Nikki wake up!'' Jenny sang, bouncing on top of me.

''Go away!'' I grumbled, putting my pillow on top of my head.

''But we have stuff to do!'' she whined, continuing to bounce on me.

''And?'' I asked from under my pillow.

''And get out of bed!'' she shouted and then ripped the blankets off of me.

The warm skin on my legs was met by unpleasantly cool morning air and I shivered as I tried blindly to cover myself again.

I peaked out from under my pillow and saw Jenny standing at the foot of my bed, holding my sheets and comforter in a ball with a triumphant smirk on her face.

''I hate you.'' I grumbled.

''Hurry up we have to go get Jason!'' she said, grabbing my pillow too.

''Yea, yea.'' I muttered as I dragged myself out of bed and then in the general direction of my closet.

It was Friday morning. We had the day off of school because of 'reorganization day' where they made all the requested changes to classes and then printed out new timetables. Jenny was using the opportunity to get ready for her and Jason's birthday party tomorrow night.

Although their birthdays had been almost a month ago, they knew that any party they threw wouldn't have shone as brightly when placed too closely to Peter's. So Jenny had planned their birthday for this weekend.

When I finished getting dressed, I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail and Jenny and I went down to the garage. Jenny hopped in the passenger's seat of my little red convertible like an over-zealous golden retriever and I walked slowly around to the driver's side. It was after all, only nine-thirty in the morning.

I started the car and pushed the button to open the garage door.

Since sage had fixed my car, it had run like a dream, not a single sputter.

As we drove, Jenny fiddled with the radio. When she decided that there was nothing worth listening to, she turned in her seat to face me.

''So how are things?'' she asked in the same polite tone that office coworkers use. I saw deeper than her question though, by things she meant Jacob.

''He's fine, I mean, he's still acting kind of odd, nothing overly weird though.'' I told her.

''What do you mean odd?'' she asked, sounding like a psychiatrist.

''I don't know, it's the littlest of things, like sometimes he just freezes and tenses up for no apparent reason.'' I said.

''Does it happen just around you? Maybe you make him nervous.'' she said with a slight smirk.

''It's not just around me, I mean he freezes around me too, but it also happens when there's a bunch of people there.'' I explained.

''Maybe he's developing a fear of people and he's going to leave you to become a hermit who lives in a mountain hut.'' she suggested.

''Thanks for those wonderful words of encouragement.'' I said sarcastically as we pulled into Jason's driveway.

We got out of the car and walked to the front door. His parents had already left for work, they were what some people called 'workaholics'. Jason didn't mind though, he liked having the house to himself so much, he said it made him feel independent. He didn't seem to mind the incredible allowance that he got each week from his parents either. Jason's family was among the richest in the town, but unlike Peter's, his parents worked, they weren't just rich by what I thought of as 'luck'.

Jenny took the hide-a-key from under the mailbox and opened the door. This was nothing out of the ordinary for us, we'd been doing it since ninth grade. Even his parents didn't question how we got in anymore.

We went upstairs to Jason's room and the door was closed. I opened it a crack to see Jason lying sprawled out across his bed with his mouth hanging wide open, out cold. Clearly, I wasn't the only one who wanted to take advantage of an extra day of sleeping in.

Jenny went in first, cutting straight to the chase as she pulled the comforter and sheets off of Jason in one swift movement. He automatically curled up into a ball and started to feel for another blanket without opening his eyes.

''Get up Jason, we have a party to prepare for.'' Jenny said, sounding as if he was a solider and she was his commanding officer.

''Go away Jennifer.'' he said, still grasping for a blanket that wasn't there.

''But it's your party too!'' she insisted.

''Hey, I would have been quite content to go clubbing with just you two but no, we had to have a party.'' Jason said, finally opening his eyes and running a hand lazily through his hair.

''Shut up and get dressed.'' Jenny said, throwing his blankets at him.

You would think that by giving him back his blankets, Jason would simply go back to bed, but over the years, Jenny had developed an unexplainable ability to tie one's blankets into an impossible-to-untangle-without-waking-yourself-up ball. We guessed that she had developed this skill by doing it to her brother so many times.

''It's not even ten!'' Jason whined, clinging hopelessly to the ball of blankets.

''You think you're the only one who got dragged out of bed this morning? It's not even my birthday!'' I said and a smiled played at the corners of his mouth.

Jenny tapped her foot impatiently and Jason rolled his eyes.

''I'm going!'' he said, getting out of bed.

As Jason got dressed, Jenny and I sat on his bed, covering our eyes when needed, and Jenny prattled on about the party and what needed to be done.

They were having the party at Jason's house because, like Peter's, it seemed almost as if it was built to entertain in, that and Jenny's parents wouldn't let them have it there. As an added bonus, Jason's parents were going to be in New York this weekend for business.

Jenny had come up with an extensive plan for what would have to happen before tomorrow night. As she went over it, I found it hard to keep my eyes open.

''So Nikki, you got your half of the invites out right?'' she asked, suddenly calling me to attention.

''Yes Jenny, everyone plus five will be there.'' I said and she smiled widely.

''Perfect.'' she said.

Five hours later, Jenny deemed Jason's house ready for the party and Jason deemed himself ready for bed.

Jenny and I let Jason go to bed and went back to my house. Jenny followed me up to my room, still talking about the party and I was about ready to rip her lips off of her face. I mean really, it was a party, there wasn't that much to talk about.

''Do you know what you're wearing?'' she asked.

''No.'' I said flatly, trying to express my disinterest.

''You'll find something, you're good at pulling stuff together at the last minute. I've known for about two weeks, I saw the dress and had to have it, there was no saying no. not to brag, but I look so good in it, I mean I can only imagine the guys who'll fall at my feet.'' she continued, happily unaware of my boredom.

''Speaking of guys, sage is excited for the party.'' she said.

''That makes two of you.'' I thought and smirked a little.

''He got me something, you know he got me a bracelet on my actual birthday, he's so sweet. You'd never guess that he was any younger than his brothers because of how refined he is.'' she said, still totally unaware.

As I listened to her talk, I wanted to cover my ears and walk out. She was being such a girl, not that she wasn't allowed, but I could only take this level of girliness in small doses.

I was surprised when I caught myself suddenly wishing it were Michael who had followed me home. Michael and I were still friends, although I saw him less and less lately.

Mostly because of school, but I had concluded that another factor in his recent lack of time spent at home had something to do with the girl –Clare Jenny had told me- who he'd been unofficially seeing for the past week or so.

''Speaking of the Michaels boys, you're going with Jacob tomorrow night right?'' Jenny asked.

''Actually, I was thinking of asking Andrew, you know, to spice things up.'' I said playfully and she laughed a bit.

''Yea and then Holly would rip your head off!'' she laughed and I joined her.

''Holly and Andrew seem so perfect for each other though, did you ever notice the way they look at each other? They seem like the couple who would stay together forever just because.'' Jenny said and I nodded.

I had seen the way Andrew and Holly looked at each other, it was almost the same way Jacob looked at me. The way they looked at each other seemed somehow older though, as if they'd been seeing each other like that for years and their looks of pure indescribable love had become a habit, the same way breathing does.

The way Jacob looked at me though, was newer, like he was seeing me for the first time every time.

We'd been dating almost a month now and he still hadn't told me why he looked at me like that. Each time he replied with a simple 'I don't know'. If it was anything like the reason Andrew looked at Holly and Holly looked at Andrew, I had absolutely no objections.

I finally managed to pull Jenny away from the topic of the party by asking her about her brother. She seemed rather suspicious about why I was asking, but she had no problem with dishing about him anyway.

''He met her at school, get this, she's a TA!'' she was working in one of his classes and then next thing you know she's having dinner with my family.'' Jenny said, her tone hinting at disbelief on her part.

''Talk about homework.'' I said, a suggestive tone in my voice and Jenny's smile disappeared from her face the way lines do when you shake an Etch-a-Sketch.

''Ok, gross.'' she said and I laughed.

My phone started to ring and I dug through my bag to find it.

''Hello?'' I answered, neglecting my caller ID.

''Hey it's Jacob.'' he said and my heart fluttered a bit.

''Hey, what's up?'' I asked.

''It's about tomorrow night.'' he told me.

I half expected him to make one of his charmingly witty offers, but the tone of his voice told me that I was in for something different all together.

''I can't come to the party, none of us can.'' he said and my heart sank into my knees.

''Oh.'' I replied.

''I'm so sorry, my aunt and cousins flew in today, completely unexpected and we have to spend the weekend catering to them.'' he explained.

''Oh, I guess it's ok, things happen right?'' I said.

''Could you tell Jenny too? Sage would have told her himself but he was too mad at my parents and afraid of how she would react.'' Jacob said and I nodded unconsciously.

''Yea sure, she's here now, I'll let her know.'' I told him.

''I'm so sorry Nikki.'' he repeated.

''It's fine, I understand, I have a family too.'' I said, my tone unintentionally giving away my disappointment.

''I have to go, I really am sorry.'' Jacob said.

''It's ok, I understand.'' I said again.

''Bye Nikki.''

''Bye.'' I replied and closed my phone.

''What's going on? Who's got family? What's ok?'' Jenny asked, clearly irritated that my end of the conversation hadn't been more revealing.

''Jacob's not coming, none of them are.'' I said, my tone flat and Jenny's face fell, no doubt mirroring my own.

''Oh.'' she said, giving the same response I had.

''Well that bites.'' she said, falling back on my bed, all her excitement from earlier clearly gone.

Sage had become a country on the map of Jenny's life and not having him there for her perfectly planned birthday party clearly took a huge toll on her level of enthusiasm.

''Come on, it's still going to be fun.'' I reassured her, lightly stroking her hair.

''Not as fun.'' she said. Evidently she wasn't going to come out of this easily.

''Would it make you feel better if I let you pick out my outfit for tomorrow?'' I asked.

I saw her eyes light up instantly at the prospect of going through my closet and using me as a Barbie for the next few hours and she nodded slowly, putting on her best puppy dog eyes.

''Go for it.'' I laughed and she sat up instantaneously.

Jenny spent forever going through my closet and every drawer in my bedroom on her quest to find the perfect outfit for me. She had me in at least ten completely different outfits by the time she had decided on one, not to mention the –what felt like- hundreds of variations in between.

I really wasn't someone who likes to play dress up, but this seemed to be keeping Jenny's mind off of sage and all of the changing kept my mind pretty much Jacob free.

''And I think that does it!'' Jenny said as she brushed an imaginary speck of dust from my shirt.

''Finally!'' I said, flopping down onto my bed.

''No! Get up and take it off before you ruin it!'' Jenny said, pulling me up from my bed by my arm.

She took my place on the bed as I got undressed and changed back into my normal day clothes.

For my official party outfit, Jenny had chosen dark jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, and a black vest over top. She scowled at the pile that I threw my clothes in on the floor and I laughed as I moved them to a hanger in the closet.

''Now what?'' I asked, falling onto my bed again.

''Can I do your hair?'' she asked, her eyes alight.

''No, sorry, you're not that upset.'' I said and she chuckled.

If there was one thing I couldn’t stand, it was having someone else pulling and styling my hair. I'd even learned to cut it myself to avoid having to go to the hairdresser. That just wasn't my bag of apples.

Jenny's phone suddenly started to ring and she jumped when it first went off.

''Hello? Mmhm… Where else?…Ok bye.'' She said and I raised my eyebrows as she hung up.

''My mom wants me to come home.'' she said, getting up.

''It's barely seven.'' I said, following her to the door.

''Oh well, I've still got lots to do before the party, I'm so excited I think I might puke!'' she said and we both laughed.

''So I'll see you tomorrow then?'' I confirmed as she opened the front door.

''Yep. Hey! You can be my date! That way I don’t show up dateless to my own party!'' she said and I chuckled.

''Sounds like a plan.'' I said and she grinned.

''I'll see you later then, date.'' she said with a wink as she stepped outside.

''See ya'.'' I said and closed the door behind her.

Amidst all the dressing and undressing I had been doing for the part while, I'd almost forgotten about the party tomorrow night. As soon as Jenny mentioned it though, I remembered why I was playing dress up in the first place.

Tomorrow night I was going to Jenny's party completely and utterly Jacobless.