Dirty Journalism

Jackie agreed to play tennis with Max for two reasons. One, she was honoring their deal and it was his turn to pick an activity. And two, she stole one of Stella’s super cute tennis dresses, and she really wanted to wear it.

Max wanted to play tennis with Jackie for two reasons. One, he wanted to kick her butt and watch her run away from the little ball screaming. And two, he wanted to see her in one of those really short tennis dresses.

“Crap!” Jackie shouted as the tennis ball flew by her for the hundredth time that day.

Max laughed from the other side of the court. “Hey, you’re making progress. You didn’t run away from it that time!”

“At least I can admit that I’m bad at something,” Jackie said, raising her eyebrows.

Max crossed his arms and said huffily, “I wasn’t bad at Guitar Hero. It’s just stupid.”

Jackie snorted and got ready to serve the ball. “Ready?”

“You know it’s not your turn to serve, right?” Max said.

“Um, yeah. Don’t care. GET READY!” she called playfully. Max laughed and got in position. Jackie threw the ball in the air and hit it forcefully with the racket. As usual, Max successfully hit it back. But then, quite far from the usual, Jackie managed to hit it back at him.

Max was so shocked, he stopped paying attention. The ball flew right at him and hit his forehead, causing him to fall over backwards. Instead of hurriedly rushing to his side, Jackie dropped her racket to do a celebratory dance.

“Shit…” Max groaned, still laying on the ground. He knew he was fine–it didn’t even hurt that badly–but he decided to screw with Jackie anyway.

“I beat you, I beat you, I beat you!” Jackie chanted as she danced around. “Well, I didn’t actually beat you, did I? I hit you, I hit you , I hit you! Go Jackie! It’s your birthday! It’s your birthday! It’s your–Max? Come on, Max, get up. Shit, Max!”

He wasn’t moving. Jackie dropped her racket and ran to the net. In her hurry to climb over it, she managed to get caught and fall on her face with a loud “fuck!” At this, Max cracked up.

“What the–? MAX!” Jackie screamed, still on the ground.

Max sat up, still laughing. “Comfortable down there?”

Jackie rolled her eyes and pushed herself up. “Shit, you scared me! I thought I had killed you!”

“Yeah right,” Max said, standing up as well. “Like any ball you hit could ever actually hurt someone.”

Jackie glared at him. “I hate you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Max replied. “Now fix the net that you got all tangled. Let’s get this game going so I can kick some more ass!”

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“I don’t care what you say. That ball was in the line and you know it!”

“Hell no! It was right on the outside!”

“You just don’t want to admit that you missed the ball!”

“I didn’t miss the ball, I just let it go because I knew it was going to go out of bounds!”

“But it didn’t!”

“I was on that side! I saw it better than you!”

“Have I mentioned I hate you?”

Max playfully shoved Jackie as he said, “Yes, you have mentioned it.”

The quarreling teenagers were walking back from their tennis match, down the hallway leading from the tennis courts to the James Academy atrium, where they would then head to the dorms.

Jackie turned around and started walking backwards so she could face him. “It’s my turn to pick an activity!” she exclaimed with an evil grin. “How much do you love Star Wars?”

“Luke Skywalker is my freaking idol.”

“I have a Star Wars trivia game,” Jackie said. “How much do you know about both trilogies?”

Max laughed. “Way more than you!”

“Oh really?” Jackie asked, raising one eyebrow. “I wouldn’t be so sure if I was you. I happen to have been raised by a man who was a psychotic Star Wars freak in his teens.”

“Well I used to run around with a toy lightsaber!”

“For three years, I wore my hair in Princess Leia buns everyday.”

“I was Yoda for Halloween six years in a row.”

“Every pet I’ve ever owned has been named Chewbacca or Wicket.”

“Wicket?”

“It’s the name of the first ewok you see in Return of the Jedi! You’re obviously not a real Star Wars fan if you don’t know that!” Jackie said with a playful grin.

Max grabbed her around the waist and flung her around. “Take it back!” he repeated over and over as she laughed.

They reached the atrium doors, and Max pushed through them, still holding Jackie. “Take it ba–” he stopped short and stared in front of him.

The entire senior class was standing about twenty feet away. Every single eye was on them. They all seemed to have been listening to something a teacher was saying, until Max and Jackie burst through the door… together. Laughing. Being friendly. In tennis outfits. Together.

TOGETHER.

Max still hadn’t dropped Jackie, and seemed to be too shocked to do so, until Jackie pried his fingers apart to let herself free. They stood there awkwardly, not saying anything.

“Um,” the teacher continued, a slightly confused look on his face. Some of the students turned back to look at him, but most were still staring at Max and Jackie. “Good trip, everyone. All the instructors are very proud of this senior class… well, we’re proud of the seniors who went on the trip.”

Any students who had actually turned back to the teacher looked again at the two uncomfortable people in the doorway. The teacher continued, “Go unpack, get some sleep, classes start back up tomorrow bright and early!”

When the teacher was obviously finished and had walked out of hearing distance, one of Max’s basketball teammates shouted, “Leopold and Bodello? What the hell?”

Max didn’t answer. “Why are you all back?” he asked.

Lexi, Stella, Jeffrey, and Scooter had pushed their way forward. “Um, because it’s been a week, and the trip’s over,” Lexi said pointedly. She and Stella were eyeing Jackie with looks that quite blatantly said ‘you-will-tell-us-later!’

“Let me help you unpack!” Jackie exclaimed suddenly, hurrying toward her friends. She didn’t even glance back at Max.

Max turned to Scooter and Jeffrey. “Hey,” he said, trying to act casual. “How were the woods?”

“Have you gone insane?” Scooter whisper-yelled, as the three girls headed off to their room.

“What are you talking about, dude?”

Jeffrey rolled his eyes. “Um, I don’t know, the fact that you were just with Jackie, the psychotic bitch that you hate! And you were… flirting with her!”

“Flirting?” Max asked incredulously.

“Yeah, you know, behaving in an alluring fashion,” Scooter said.

“I know what it means,” Max said, glaring. “And we weren’t… flirting. We were playing tennis.”

Jeffrey pretended to laugh. “Oh, well that clears everything up! You and your enemy were playing a friendly, flirtatious game of tennis! How normal!”

“And totally forgetting when your two best buds were coming back!” Scooter added.

“Has it really been a week?” Max asked, frowning.

“Uh, yeah!” Scooter emphasized. “You were the one who was going to count down the days until we got back and you wouldn’t be stuck with Jackie!”

Max didn’t know what to say. He had almost forgotten about everyone else being away on the camping trip… because of Jackie? What is wrong with me? he silently asked himself. I hate her. Just keep telling yourself that. I. Hate. Her.

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“Spill. Now.”

Stella and Lexi threw their bags on the ground and cornered Jackie on her bed. Jackie shifted uncomfortably. “Hey, is it okay that I borrowed your tennis dress, Stella?” she asked in a rather high-voice. “I texted you, but then I remembered you don’t get service in the middle of the Canadian woods, so I figured I’d just go ahead and borrow it, but if you’re angry you can totally steal some of my clothes whenever you want.”

“That was the most obvious change in subject I have ever heard,” Lexi commented.

Jackie frowned. “Hm? What? Are you guys hungry, I’m starving…”

“WHY WERE YOU AND MAX ALL OVER EACH OTHER?” Stella yelled suddenly.

Jackie’s mouth opened and closed several times. “Are you PMS-ing?” she asked slowly.

Stella and Lexi groaned simultaneously. “If you don’t tell us what’s up, I’ll spill your stock of cranberry juice down the sink,” Lexi threatened with narrowed eyes.

“We were playing tennis! Sheesh!” Jackie said quickly.

“And?” Stella prompted. “You afterwards cavorted down the JA halls, laughing and joking and being flung around in his arms?”

Jackie rolled her eyes. “Look, Max and I got along on okay terms this past week. So we played tennis. That’s it. The end. Nothing else.”

“How come you’re all of the sudden on okay terms with him?” Lexi asked.

“I don’t know,” Jackie answered honestly. “Without everyone else here, it wasn’t as hard to tolerate him. And I guess I realized that since we started hating each other at an immature age, we’ve been acting immature all this time.”

Stella and Lexi stared at her. “After six years,” Stella said slowly, “you’ve decided to tolerate one another?”

Jackie laughed and shook her head. “He’s still an insolent, womanizing jackass. I still hate him. That won’t ever change,” she assured her friends, before hopping off the bed.

Stella and Lexi shared a look, but Jackie didn’t see. “So, Jackie,” Stella said, beginning to unpack her suitcase, “how did Max react when you stayed sober at that party?”

“Uh, you know. He was… pissed. And stuff. Have I mentioned I’m hungry?”

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In the next chapter of Dirty Journalism…

”He’s dated like fifty girls, but I’ve never seen him so upset about breaking up with one.”
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”You and me? Promise we’ll chill sometime?”
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“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you guys halfway, sort of, kinda, maybe like each other… a little.”
“And I’d say that you’re a total dumbass to think that could ever happen.”