HTSAL-Gone So Young

"Jennifer and Jamie have been best friends since Kindergarten. When JC realizes what a bad friend Katie is, it's his turn to try to save Jennifer."

Over the next few days, JC's wrist healed up fine and he was let out of the hospital. Instead of the usual just going on the streets, he went to Jennifer' house for the first time living there again.

It's almost the end of the school year, and JC and Jennifer have finals.

Today is a study day, and in Jennifer's Science class, her class is going over the chapters.

Jennifer sits in the front next to her best friend, Jamie Stewart.
Jamie and Jennifer have been best friends since Kindergarten.
They met when Jennifer was playing with the bouncy ball and it bounced away from her. Jamie caught it and brought it back to her.
They were together that entire day, acting like bestfriends without even knowing each others names.

"Jennifer can you read the next page of the book?"
Jennifer swallows hard and looks down at her book.
Jennifer has dyslexia, and she figures that her teacher doesn't know.
"The act...actual...distint--distance...and seize...I mean...size of space is unknown to mon....man."
"Come on, Jenny, you've read the chapter ten times," Jamie suddenly says.
Jennifer looks at her and her face gets bright red.
"Let her finish, Jamie," Mr. Dennis says.
"With her dyslexia? We'll be here till the end of the school year," Jamie replies.
Jennifer looks around the room and sees the kids all whispering about her.
"Katie..."
"What? Everybody knows you're dyslexic, what's the big deal?"
"You're right. Sorry, my bad," Jennifer replies and shakes her head.

Later, after class, JC and Jennifer were walking with Jamie down the hall.
"That was pretty funny today in Science, right Jenn?" Jamie laughs.
"Yeah, ha." Jennifer mutters.
"What was?" JC asks.
"Jennifer couldn't read because she's stupid and she embarrassed herself so bad!"
"I'm dyslexic..." Jennifer says in defense.
JC realizes what a bad friend Katie is to Jennifer.
"Why is that funny...?"
"You had to be there," Jamie mutters and walks to her locker.
Jennifer and JC keep walking.
"And THAT'S your best friend? You can't be friends with somebody who treats you like dirt..."
"Why not?"
"Well for one, she's not a true friend, and two--"
"Two, if I give Jamie up...I have no friends. I'd rather have a bad friend then no friends."
Jennifer shakes her head at JC and walks back to Jamie.
JC realizes it's his turn to save Jennifer.

That evening, Jennifer's mother isn't home so JC can walk around the house freely.
He finds Jennifer downstairs in the kitchen trying to study.
"Ya know, Tom Cruise is dyslexic. He used to have his scripts for movies played for him on a tape," he implies.
"Good to know."
JC groans and sits down.
"Come onnn!" I' m sorry about what I said about Jamie. It just looked to me like she was a bad friend!" JC says.
"It's fine. I just need to study," Jennifer replies.
"I could help you if you want," JC says. "I'm really good in Science."
"Sure, thanks."
JC grabs her book and sits on the edge of the table.
"Alright so what are we studying here? Space? Alright, first things first. Name all the planets."

The two spent the next two hours studying. Finally, they got hungry and decided to make pancakes.
They blast music and cook the batter.
Jennifer starts break dancing and accidentally spills the pancake batter all over the floor. JC slips in it and falls to the floor. He cracks up and Jennifer laughs at him. He grabs her and pulls her down and the two are covered in batter and half cooked pancakes.
They crack up and start shoving the batter in each others faces and wrestling in it.

At around ten o clock, Jennifer's father came home drunk and passed out on the couch.
JC and Jennifer hurried upstairs and got cleaned up.
"So how often does your dad drink?"
"Uh, sort of often, I guess. A few times a week I'd say."
"My dad got abusive when he drunk...has your dad ever...ya know?"
"No." Jennifer replies. "Well, once, but it was my fault. He was drunk and I was like, three years old. I was crying and I broke one of his little tools and he slapped me and hit me a few times."
"Wow. I wouldn't even have to do anything and my Dad would beat me or my mom," JC says.
"Your mom never did anything?"
"Nah, she was great to me... Does your mom do anything to you?"
"Nah..."
"Oh... So do you think you're going to do good on your Science exam tomorrow?"
"Yeah! Defiantly! You're a great tutor!"

The following day, JC took his Math final and Jennifer her Science exam.

Jenn walks out of Science class with a big smile on her face.
"I aced it!" she cries when she sees JC.
"Good job! See, studying does pay off!" JC replies and high-fives her.
"Well I gotta go clean out my locker. I can't believe tomorrow's the last day of school!"
"Haha, I gotta do the same, so I'll see you at home, alright?"
"Yeah hah, bye!"

Jennifer walks to her locker and puts her combination in.

"Oh, Jennifer!" Jamie suddenly calls.
JC's voice suddenly rings through Jennifer's head, telling her to stop being her friend. She ignores it.
She turns around and smiles at her.
"Heyy!"
"Chris gave a note!" Jamie cries. The two girls squeal like happy pigs.
"Read it!" Jamie suddenly says.
Jennifer gets quiet.
"What?" Jennifer says.
"Read it! I can't do it!"
"J-Jamie, you know I'm dyslexic..."
"Oh, so what? Please??"
"Okay..."

As Jennifer opens the note, Jamie underhandedly motions a group of people to come up behind Jennifer. They all snicker.
"Jamie...who are you doing-- I mean, how are you doing?"
The group snickers. Jamie covers her mouth trying not to laugh.
"Do you wama--wanna...go to diner--dinner...tonight?"
The group behind her suddenly burst out laughing along with Katie.
Jennifer looks up from the note at Jamie and then at the group. She looks back at Katie.
"Why'd you do this to me?" Jennifer asks tears form in her eyes.
"See? She can't do it. She has no brain," Jamie laughs.
Tears start rolling down Jennifer's face.
Jamie stops laughing and realizes her joke went too far.
"I was just kidding... Come on, have a sense of humor," she replies.
"Why are you so mean to me?" Jennifer asks and tears start rolling down her face.
JC appears in the crowd behind Jennifer.
"I'm not. I only kid around, and you're my best friend!"
"Then why do you treat me like dirt?"
Jamie gets quiet and has nothing to say.
"Because you've never stopped me," she replies and starts to walk off. Jennifer suddenly stops her.
"Without you I have no friends. Guess what, Jamie? I have no friends now. Good-bye," Jennifer says.
Jennifer pushes past Jamie and walks down the hall wiping away her tears. JC hurries after her.

JC finds her sitting in a room on the corner of a desk crying.
"Are you okay?"
"No. I have no friends."
JC sits next to Jennifer.
"Sure you do," JC tries to reassure her.
"No, I really don't..."
"You don't need a friend who treats you like dirt. You did the mature thing and walked away from Jamie," JC says.
"Oh great, now I'm mature and friendless."
"Don't worry..."
JC and Jennifer look at each other.
"...I'm your friend," JC says and smiles.


End.