Chapter Text
Jim awoke with an early start to the day. His alarm clock rang with a loud *ding* and he got up and readied for the day. He washed up. He cooked breakfast and work and school lunch for him and his mother. Meatloaf for his mother, Toby, and him.
It was gonna be a good morning. The sun was shining. The weather was warm, yet breezy. His mother was getting off of work early this afternoon rather than late tonight. It was the first day of play rehearsal. The play rehearsal that he was working on with Claire.
Come to think of Claire, he hadn’t seen her in two days. Then again that was out of anyone’s control. With the principal’s quarters under surveillance for odd suspicions, school was out for two days until the police could properly assure the circumstance.
Luckily that only lasted so long before the suspicions fell with no evidence to sustain investigations.
‘Finally’ Jim thought. He’d never assumed he’d be excited for school, but the first day of rehearsals with the prettiest woman in the universe sure put him in a good mood.
Jim could not be happier.
Okay. Breakfast was made. His school lunch was made, as was his mother’s. He’d drop it off and be off to school.
He headed to the garage and opened the car entrance to see his best friend, standing beside his green bike. Jim grabbed his bike from a corner and got moving. “Hey, Tobes, ready for school?” He said, unusually beaming.
Toby scoffed, “Someone’s chipper this morning. What side of the bed did you wake up on? Personally, the right side serves me better than the left.”
Jim laughed at Toby’s wordplay, “Can’t I look forward to school? It’s gonna be a good day, I can feel it.” He rode his bike to the middle of the road before halting to a non-hurried stop to spread his arms out, closing his eyes, and smiling.
It really was a beautiful day, and it was about to get a whole lot prettier. But for now, he just enjoyed the warmth of the sun shining on his face.
Toby shook his head, slowly wondering if his friend was just going insane to enjoy school or there was a hidden reason. “Wait, wait, wait, didn’t Councilwoman catch you in her house? Aren’t you in trouble with her? Can you feel how she’s gonna bat an eye after that?”
Jim opened his blue eyes and turned to look at Toby who just biked toward him. “Maybe, but she can’t keep me from seeing her at school or at rehearsals, can she?” He began his bike trek to the hospital, nearly calling out his character’s lines as if he really was Romeo Montague. “O me, what fray was here?.... O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate and in my temper softened valor’s steel!”
Toby rolled his eyes and smiled. “Questions like that are exactly what get people in trouble, I hope you know that.”
/**\
Upon reaching school after their pit stop, Jim and Toby attempted to sneak past Steve Palchuk, but looking over Eli Pepperjack crammed in his own locker, Jim was feeling a little bold.
He put his bike away and stepped toward, while ignoring Toby’s attempts to talk him out of it.
“Hey, Steve! Why don’t you pick on someone who isn’t minding his own business?” He called out.
Steve turned his head so fast that his blond hair nearly flipped into a winded updo. He had to see the punk responsible for talking to him like this. “What was that, Buttsnack, you talking to someone?”
Jim took another step, “W-Well, you heard me. Stop picking on Eli, he hasn’t done anything to hurt you.”
Steve laughed, “Well, if it isn’t Loser Lake, the wannabe Romeo. This isn’t your business. This is between Pepperjack and me. It’s not my fault he’s a dweeb. He has done something. Exist with his para-phobias about creatures lying in the shadows and extraterrals.”
“Actually, it’s extraterrestrials.” Eli corrected from the closed locker.
“Shut up, Pepperjack!!”
Jim stifled a laugh.
Steve narrowed his eyes at Jim, “What are you laughing about, Lake?”
Jim shook his head. “Look, Steve, just stop. Alright? No one has to get hurt.”
“Says who?”
“Says me. Steve, leave Eli alone.”
“And if I say no?”
JIm looked around at the crowd they attracted. Oh, boy. No going back now. “I-I- I’ll make you.”
Steve burst in laughter, “What? You. You’re gonna make me? Alright, how about we settle this like men? Friday. You. Me, We’ll see who’s gonna make who do what.” He continued to laugh as he walked off.
Toby rushed to Jim's side, “Did you seriously just get yourself scheduled for an appointment with your mom? He's scheduled your beat down.”
Jim looked around at the applause he was gaining from his unexpected audience. “It seems so. What was I supposed to do? I'm dead, I know.”
Toby sighed, “I don't suppose it's too late to enroll you in Karate classes, is it?”
Jim shrugged nervously, “Probably.” He was definitely dead.
The day went by slowly as Jim's mind did nothing but worry about Friday. At least, he could look forward to rehearsals.
At early noon, right before Latin class, Jim saw Claire gathering more supplies from her locker. He carefully approached her, hoping she had not seen the conversation with Steve he'd had. “Hey! Claire, I wanted to talk to you about.. um… I was wondering if you could.. I don't know… help me out with my upcoming Latin test. Muy importante.” He chuckled awkwardly, as his hands held her locker door open for her.
Claire didn't spare him half a glance, her expression read blankly, her caramel eyes reaching a dimmer coffee brown. “.. And I was looking forward to not getting grounded til next year.”
Jim jerked his head back, “Wait- grounded? Oh, my gosh! Claire, I am so sorry! I did not mean to get you in trouble. Is- is there anything I can do? I could tell her, it was my fault…”
Claire stopped and turned to him with a confused gaze, “... And tell her what? You forced me to let you walk me home? You threatened me into hiding you in my room just so you could try to sneak out my window?” Her lips broke into an amused grin. “Jim, as much as I would like to think the dumbest of my mother, she’s not stupid. I should’ve thought the whole thing through before I just let you walk me home or help me in the kitchen.” She readied to close her locker only to realize Jim’s presence caused her to forget the very things she was looking in her locker for.
She began to search again.
Jim hung his head, “I’m really sorry, Claire. I- I shouldn’t have offered all that. Without the offer, you wouldn’t have done it.” He looked up into her eyes for a moment.
Claire’s cheeks heated and colored a light red. “I-I didn’t mean it like that! Tr-Truth is, I actually really enjoyed myself. I.. I like spending time with you, Jim. You’re sweet and…..” She mumbled the last moments so that Jim could not hear.
Jim raised a pinkened eyebrow at what he barely heard, “Hmm? What was that?”
Claire’s candy apple cheeks just increased in heat, “Um.. I .. uh.. I think you’re really sweet, and really cute.” She shyly repeated. She couldn’t tell him, she thought he was much more than that, right? She found what she was looking for and closed her locker door, beginning to walk to 3rd Period with Jim following.
“Really?” Jim’s ears perked at that.
Claire nodded, unable to put anything into words without sticking her foot in her mouth. Still trying to muster the cool outlook, “B-Besides, my mother is too busy to really remember my interests. However, I.. uh.. I’m not supposed to be talking to you. But she doesn’t exactly need to know. She’d limit my audible speech if she could.”
“You’re really okay with disobeying your mother?” Jim asked. How was she so cool with it?
Claire smiled wide. “Jim, she took the situation in conclusion. She wasn’t willing to hear my explanation. She misunderstood, that’s not my fault. She never listens.”
As terrible as this situation was, Jim couldn’t help but wide at all this. Claire wanted to talk to him. She wanted to spend time with him. In fact, she liked it. Claire Nunez liked it. He nodded, “Oh! Mhmm.” He began to pay more attention.
~…~
5th period passed, and rehearsals began and ended much to Jim and Claire’s excitement and displeasure. Both Toby and Darci attended to see as well as talk with one another.
Just as rehearsals ended, Jim and Claire were in conversation backstage. After an extra two hours of rehearsals with each other, they were enjoying themselves too much to stop now. Toby, several moments ago, let Jim know that he was gonna walk Darci home… At least, Jim would swear it was several moments ago. He stopped counting the minutes shortly after Toby left.
“I can’t believe Eli burst onstage with his rewritten script to insist on the car chase.” Jim laughed.
“That wasn’t the funniest part. Miss Janeth literally went berserk on him.” Claire giggled. “I never knew rehearsals could be this fun, and I’ve been in theater for over 11 years.”
Jim exclaimed, “11 years and 4 days. Miss Janeth is quite particular about this stuff.”
Claire grinned, “Yeah.. 4 extra days?”
“Well, yea.. I.. it’s just….”
“Don’t worry, I was just teasing you. I know you’re always attending the theater productions. I really had a lot of fun today. Thanks.” Claire blushed.
Jim’s blue eyes widened, “Wait, you kne-”
Claire laughed, “You really think I wouldn’t have noticed you in the audience. Anyway, I gotta walk home, see you tomorrow on the field trip. Maybe at the park, I can help you with your Latin test. See you there, I hope.”
Jim smiled so wide his cheeks already hurt in a few seconds. “I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He watched as she began to walk away. “She’s perfect. She really is perfect.” He said, assuming Claire couldn’t hear. “Perfection.”