‹ Prequel: Dirty Journalism

In Too Deep

In Which Scooter Sings Scooby-Doo

“Max, it’s not working.”

The entire newsroom was quiet as Catie stood before Max’s desk, a confident expression gracing her features. Max sat in his seat, stunned. Catie continued.

“We had a few weeks together, and they were fun, but we’re obviously not meant to be. There’s someone who fits with you better. You’re a nice guy. A little distracted, but nice. So, I’ll see you around.”

The tall girl turned on her heel and walked out of the room, a smile on her face. Max, shocked from the sudden, nonchalant break-up, sat silently with his mouth agape.

Talk gradually resumed in the newsroom as people got back to work. Max stared at his computer screen, grateful that no one was mean enough to come over and say anything….

“So…” Jackie said conversationally, leaning against his desk.

Scratch that. Jackie was mean enough.

Max sighed. “What?”

Jackie was obviously trying very hard not to burst into laughter. “Did Max Leopold just get dumped by a lowly sophomore?”

“I’m prepared to kill you if you don’t shut up,” Max said through gritted teeth.

Jackie grinned. “You’re just bitter because she’s the one who did the breaking up… out of the hundreds of girls you’ve been with, is she the first who’s done it?”

“No,” Max replied simply. “That was you.”

Jackie’s grin vanished. “I didn’t… I mean, it was more complicated….”

“Jackie, relax,” Max said, taking his turn to grin up at her. “I’m just kidding.” He found it a little odd that she was concerned about being that girl. The girl who broke up with him and then rejected him and was now his friend. Right. A little odd.

“You know why she broke up with me?” Max said, laughing a little.

“Why?” Jackie asked.

“You.”

Jackie’s jaw dropped. “What? But we’re… not… huh?”

Max found Jackie’s inability to make sentences incredibly amusing. He smiled brightly. “The other day, she saw me in my shirt with your makeup all over it. You know, after you had that little sobfest all over me.”

“I did not have a ‘little sobfest’ all over you!” Jackie snapped in a quiet voice so others wouldn’t hear.

“The insane amount of mascara and snot all over my shirt points differently,” Max commented, shrugging. He was enjoying this. He was making Jackie squirm.

“Why are you not more upset about you and Catie ending?” Jackie asked, blatantly changing the subject.

Max raised his eyebrows. “I told you. She was a distraction.”

Jackie tensed up, and even Max couldn’t deny that it got a little awkward between them. “Right,” Jackie said in a strained voice. “I have to go do editor things.”

“Yeah,” Max said, equally uncomfortable. “I have to finish this commentary.”

“Cool, commentaries are… cool.” Jackie shook her head at her lame response and hurried to her desk.

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“There’s a party in the third floor lounge tonight,” Stella stated as she, Jackie, and Lexi walked into their dorm room after classes that day.

“Yay!” Lexi said, clapping her hands twice.

“Have fun,” Jackie said, shrugging her bag off her shoulder onto her bed.

Stella frowned. “We will… all three of us… because you’re coming…”

“Me. Hate. Parties. Have. Homework.” Jackie enforced, tipping her bag upside down and allowing several textbooks to fall out.

Stella rolled her eyes. “Party pooper, much?”

“Very much,” Jackie said with a smile.

Much later that night, after Stella and Lexi had departed for the party, Jackie lay on her bed, clad in her ducky pajamas, with her head using her chemistry book as a pillow. She was halfway asleep when there was a sudden loud knocking on her door.

“Jackie!” An excited voice yelled from the hall. “Open up! Please? Open up! Open up!”

Jackie rubbed her eyes and hurried to the door, flinging it open confusedly. There in the hallway stood Max, supporting a very giddy-looking Scooter. Lexi and Stella stood nervously in the background.

“What the hell?” Jackie asked, yawning.

“JACKIE!” Scooter shouted again, raising the arm that wasn’t flung around Max’s shoulders.

Jackie sighed. “He’s completely drunk, isn’t he?”

“Maybe?” Lexi said weakly from behind her boyfriend.

“Do you see why I hate parties?” Jackie asked, opening to the door wider to let everyone in.

Max ushered Scooter in and lowered him on Lexi’s bed. He turned to Jackie. “Nice outfit,” he said, smirking.

Jackie glared. Her pants were covered in little ducks and she had matching duck slippers. “I’m comfy,” she said simply, before changing the subject. “Why’d you bring him here? What’s wrong with your own room?”

Max gave a nervous smile. “Well, Jeffrey left with Dina for her mom’s funeral this morning, and he’s usually the one who carries the key when we go to parties, so… we’re locked out of our room.”

“We said they could come here,” Lexi piped up. She was sitting next to Scooter, stroking his hair, as he sang the Scooby-Doo theme at the top of his lungs.

“What, for the night?” Jackie asked incredulously over Scooter's voice. “When does Jeffrey get back?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Stella answered. “I called him a few minutes ago and he asked if we’d let them sleep here tonight. I said yes, Jackie, as they are our friends.”

“Yes, but they are of the male gender,” Jackie reminded them, “so they’re not allowed to be in here past nine, and–oh look! It’s already ten!” She pointed to the clock on the wall. “Don’t you have any guy friends whose room you can crash in?”

Max grinned and plopped onto Jackie’s bed, shoving her homework to the floor. “Nope!” he said.

“Jeffrey asked if they could stay here because he knows we’re responsible,” Stella added. “And I told him that pretty much every other boy at that party was completely shit-faced, so.”

“Why am I the only one who thinks this is weird?” Jackie asked, a little annoyed at everyone in the room.

“Max will be sleeping on the floor, Jackie,” Lexi said pointedly. “It’s not that weird. And tomorrow’s Saturday, so we don’t have to get up early. It’ll be fine.”

Scooter smiled dreamily up at his girlfriend. “You’re cute,” he said, batting his eyelids.

Max began to laugh hysterically on Jackie’s bed as Lexi blushed red. Jackie chuckled as she sat down beside Max, raising her knees to her chest.

“The party really was fun, Jackie,” Stella said a few minutes later.

“Oh, I can tell.”

“Yeah,” Max added, “lots of espresso vodka.”

Stella and Lexi shared a knowing look, having heard the story of the espresso vodka from Jackie.

“Then why aren’t you drunk too?” Jackie asked, frowning at Max. He sat up from his position and smirked at her.

“Takes more than a few cups of that stuff to take Max Leopold down!” he said, raising his arms in a victory pose.

“Yeah, all it takes is a sophomore girl,” Jackie said back with a grin. As Stella and Lexi laughed, Max pulled Jackie’s head into his arms and gave her a noogie, frizzing up her hair.

“Jackie Bodello hates noogies, doesn’t she?” Max asked conversationally as Jackie tried to push him away.

“Yes!” she screeched. “Let go!”

“No, I don’t think I will–OW!” Max released Jackie’s head and cradled his hand. “Did you just bite me?”

Jackie smiled triumphantly as Stella and Lexi shared a look. It was going to be an interesting night.
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xoxo Dems