Who do I need to kill?

Harri's POV

Standing in the cafe car park I rest my heels on the curb while my toes remain on the path. The stretch of my calves feels great after mine and SJ's earlier run. I bring my hand to my lips as I remember some of the other activities that took place shortly after said run. I feel my cheeks flush red and my stomach flutter just at the though of our little encounter. Before I allow myself to get too side tracked I push the picture from my mind press dial.

Jazz answers without a hint of hesitation, "I've got the shovel ready. Who do I need to kill?"

"You worry me sometimes, you know that? And who says I need you to kill anyone?" I laugh.

"Why else would you be ringing me at 2 am, Harri?" she states wearily.

I guess she has a point. "Umm, well..." I start.

"Spit it out, woman! If you're going to wake me up the least you can do is get to the point so I can go back to sleep."

Biting the side of my lip, I apologise, "sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Yeah well, you didn't. Sooo...." she chuckles.

"What? You just said I woke you up?"

Although I can't see her I can all but hear her smile and know that in all likelihood she is probably twirling a piece of blonde hair between her fingers. "Yeah well... I lied."

"So what are you doing up?" I query not acknowledging her admission.

"YouTube. Gate Thirty Four videos. Specifically Jax's sassiest moments."

I groan loud enough for the young couple who have just parked to look at me like I've just told them that thing about Santa that we're not meant to say, "why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Give it another hour and I'll end up in the scary part of YouTube where the pimple popping and ear wax removal videos live," she chirps.

"I'd rather not," I reply dryly. I shudder just at the thought.

Jazz made me watch one of those videos once and I swear to god it looked more like they were performing an exorcism rather than a popping pimple. I still hadn't forgiven her for that. Honestly it put me off my food for weeks, and nothing, but nothing, puts me off my food.

"So you still haven't told me why you're calling? Are you finished with lover boy already?" she teases, thankful distracting from my trip down pimple lane.

I look through the window at SJ and Jackson. They look deep in conversation. Despite their costumes I can tell its serious. SJ's brows are crossed and he is rubbing the back of his neck, something which I am pretty sure he does when he nervous or stressed. Hopefully he is not being too harsh on Jackson. I mean he seems like a decent guy. Intense but decent.

"So SJ's friend turned up?" I mutter.

"What the Ferret? He just turned up? Like gatecrashed your date?"

"Yeah...SJ doesn't seem to happy about it either. They're inside the cafe talking," I explain looking away from the window.

"Who does he think he is? Doesn't he know I'm the only official third wheel?" she basically screams in my ear.

"I guess he didn't get the memo." Her protectiveness makes me laugh. I mean she's joking... kind of.

She perks up, "so is he cute?"

Every time with this girl. I clear my throat, "what about Theo?"

"Oh him," she giggles.

"Yeah him." I don't really want to know but I feel like I have to ask.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but..." she trails off.

I grip the phone extra tight scared about the words I'm about to hear, "but what....?"

"But honestly there isn't much there," she giggles again.

This time I laugh with her. Probably more from relief rather than at Jazz calling my brother stupid. Not that he's not. I mean he's not he just lacks.... lacks personality. "I told you, but you said he was cute so he didn't need to have substance." I manage to spit out.

"Well, I stand by that point because I did have a good night. Plus annoying the she-devil was totally worth it, buttttt there are only so many Lacrosse stories a girl can pretend to be interested in."

She continues to rant like this for another few minutes. I say nothing but smile satisfied that the thing with Theo seems to be over for now, and that surprisingly with our friendship still intact. Listening to her talk I start to feel a twinge of guilt for Theo. I hope he isn't too upset, I mean he did seem legitimately into her.

"So did anything happen between you two?" I ask when she finally stops to take a breath.

"Really you want to know?" she questions in surprise.

I run my hands through my hair, flattening the stray strands. "No I really don't, but you tell me everything so I know you want to spill the beans."

"Well you can stop your fretting, nothing happened. I mean he kissed me on the cheek but that was it. I told you he was sweet."

"THE CHEEK?!" I all but yell down the phone.

She sighs, "yeah well we had a chat after we dropped Rob off and we agreed it was awkward."

"Oh. And that was it?"

I hear her take another deep breath, "yep."

"Are you okay?"

"Yessss, Harri. I am a big girl. Now do you have a cute boy for me to meet?" she says changing the topic.

I look back at the window and see SJ and Jackson are still talking. "Yeah, at least I think he's cute. Blue eyes. Cheeky smile. Just your type." I tease.

"How's he dressed? You can always tell everything you need to know by the way a boy is dressed," she lectures.

"Ergh... well. You'll need to give him a little wiggle room on this one Jazz. It is Halloween after all."

"Harri. What is he dressed as?" she asks sternly.

I cringe at his choice of costume. When Jackson first sat down in the booth I almost had a panic attack thinking he was Erik with a K, given they both chose a Joker costumes, but as soon as Jackson opened his mouth I knew better. Not sure if it was his dry husky tone that alerted me, or the fact that the first thing he said was, "so this is the queen of SJ's heart." Since I highly doubt that Erik with a K even knew what my costume was.

Cheesy first line I know, but I always give credit to a pun. Almost enough to forgive him for his choice of costume. I mean I hated Erik with a K in that costume but somehow Jackson seems to be pulling it off. Maybe it's because with that one line I already knew Jackson had more personality than a dead fish, which is more than I can say for Erik with a K.

"Like I said you'll have to make some allowances."

"Harri. Tell me!"

"Jazz, he is The Joker."

I hear her suck in a deep breath, "Ergh! That's so 2016."

"I swear he looks so much better than Erik with a K," I add trying to convince her.

"Who?"

I look back at the window. SJ and Jackson are still deep in conversation. "You know, Erik with a K... Rob."

"Oh him."

"Please Jazz. Come to the cafe?" I beg pathetically.

"Okay."

"Really?" Not sure why I am surprised.

"Harri, I've always got your back. Plus there is a cute boy waiting."

I start to think this is more about the boy than about me. "So I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah. I'll leave by the side door. Mum won't notice she's been sleeping since before I got home. See you in ten!"

In Jazz time that meant at least double the time plus half, so I knew I had at least twenty five minutes to kill before her grand arrival.

Walking inside I cautiously make my way towards the booth. Jackson smiles up at me as I slide in next to SJ. We're sitting so close that our thighs are touching.

I successfully manage to stall any discussion of leaving by slowly sipping my coke. I watch the two boys talk and as strange as it is I get a feeling that I know them from somewhere. I sit there and run through every possible place we could have met. I'm so invested in my thoughts that I don't even notice Jazz's car pull up. Well not until he conversation stops mid sentence as Jackson's mouth drops watching her get out of her car.

Turning to me he asks, "who is that magical creature?"

It is something I call 'The Jazz Effect.' It happens to everyone when they see her for the first time. Well except for SJ, but then again his first impression of her was Jazz in protective mode so that doesn't really count.

"Why do you want to know?" I prod cheekily, stirring my coke with the straw.

"She's... she coming this way," he stutters as if in awe.

"Wow, Jackson. I don't think I've ever seen you speechless." SJ teases as Jazz walks in the door and seeing me heads towards our booth. I look at my watch, it is a record time for her. Twenty minutes, only double her estimate.

She's changed from her earlier costume save for the black leather pants. She is back to being bright and colorful, with a green long sleeve top, complete with purple arm warmers and orange Vans. Her bangles are back on too. The familiar clang fills the air as she walks. I never knew I could miss that sound.

I wave her over to the booth and point to the empty spot next to Jackson opposite SJ and I.

"Jackson this is Jazz. Jazz this is Jackson." I say gesturing between them. "And you remember SJ?" I add trying to make it sound less like a blind date.

"Hey..." she waves to the table. "So what are you weirdo's up too tonight?"

Jackson looks shocked, "Weirdo's?"

"Uh yeah have you looked in the mirror?" she teases.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that," he adds, flashing Jazz a huge smile.

In a move I've see Jazz do a hundred times, she tucks her hair flirtatiously behind her ears.

I was right, he is just her type.

In a move I've never seen before, Jackson, equally as flirtatious, runs his hand this his fluro green hair. Which confirms to me what I already suspected, she is just his type too.

I look to SJ to see if he saw, and he looks to me to see if I saw. We silently acknowledge our match making skills and look back at Jackson and Jazz who are still too busy peacocking for each other to notice mine and SJ's mental high five.

———

Author's note:

Hi guys,

Happy New Year! Hope 2018 is living up for you. What did you get up too?

I am so sorry for the delayed chapter; I've been on a Tennis holiday (nothing like live Tennis😜) but I'm back for a week before I'm off again. I was having withdrawals- I missed you all. Truly I miss your comments.

I wrote this chapter on the plane so I hope it lives up. Thoughts- Jazz and Jax? Serri? What do you think will happen next?

Next chapter will be up within the week... I hope 😬😜

-Trudz