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The Garrettsville Golden Boy Returns Home (BreakFromReality and Frogger)

Josh saw Jazz's scowl and already began to regret his decision to try and smooth things over. However, he wasn't going to give up that easily. He stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind him.

"Look, I'm not leaving, so you may as well talk to me and get it over with." He leaned back against the door, keeping his distance for the time being. "I'm sorry, Jazz."

Well, he wasn't truly sorry...he was more sorry that he got caught because he admittedly was having an incredible time exploring his mother's body. But he had to make it sound good.

"I know it's not going to...change anything that happened. We just got carried away, I guess, and things happened. I don't want to hurt you, or piss you off, or anything like that. But if you're mad at me, then...well, I guess I can't blame you. Just know that I'm sorry...and that Mom's sorry."

Josh stepped a little to the side, trying to get in Jazz's peripheral vision to see her reaction.
 
"Look, I don't want to talk," Jazz spat out. "I don't want to know the dirty little details. I don't want to hear any of it. I'm not hurt, I'm not pissed. Just back off and leave me alone. I don't know why everybody feels like they've got to talk about things when it goes without saying."

Get the hint already! Leave her alone! Hands up in the air, Jazz pulled the hood of her jacket over her face and sank into her armchair in a sad attempt to disappear... even though she knows it's completely hopeless.

It's just that... It kinda hurts to see that sort of scene play out right before her eyes. Jazz has had boyfriends, don't get her wrong, but none of 'em tried to get to know her as a person. Nope! Testosterone played a huge part in every single relationship. Sex was the only thing on their minds.

Once a boy got past the jacket, it seems that their interest died... with a snap of the fingers. Is she really so ugly? Hell, it looks like Mom gets more attention than she does! Jazz scoffed at the idea, just to groan as she heard him shift closer, since she gave him the courtesy of turning her music down.

"How about you go pound Mom already? I'm sure you're ten times more interested in doing that than continuing this conversation. I seriously don't care if you fuck her or not, it's none of my business who you have sex with."
 
Josh listened as Jazz loudly proclaimed her desire to just be left alone. Josh put his hands in his pockets and took the brunt of her verbal barrage, then simply nodded. "Alright, I'll leave you alone. I'll see you tomorrow in class. I love you."

With that, he sighed and opened the door, ushering himself out and closing the door behind him. He walked back toward his parents' room, assuming Elizabeth was still there.
 
"Yeah. Right." A hand lifted briefly to wave him farewell. Jazz doesn't really believe a word of it, but whatever. It ain't like he means any of what he just put out there. It was a relief to be left alone with her thoughts, though. Maybe everybody will finally get the hint and just... leave her alone...

Elizabeth was fixing her hair when he returned from his one-sided conversation with his sister, using a comb to get the tangles out. "Oh! How did it go?" she asked once she noticed his reflection in the mirror, twisting around to face him. "Is she okay?"
 
"Ehh..." Josh began, the uneasiness in his voice letting her know things weren't peachy. "...I guess it could've gone worse. She said she just wants to be left alone, so it's probably best that no one bothers her for the rest of the night."

He leaned against the doorframe and looked at her. "I'll go grab the lasagna and apple crisp and head back home now."
 
Elizabeth released a sigh, just to run a hand through her hair. "I... should have expected as much. Ever since she started dating a while back, Jazz has become more... reserved. I just don't know what to do with her. I rarely hear her talk anymore."

Bright green eyes met his, a small smile pulling at her lips now. "Alright, sweetheart... I think that'd probably be for the best. I'll see you another time? Don't be a stranger," she playfully scolded, moving in to press a chaste kiss to his cheek, a hand resting lightly on his chest. "I want to see you over here more often. I'm your mother. You have to do what I say. Understand?" Elizabeth laughed softly.
 
"I won't be a stranger, Mother." Josh rolled his eyes and laughed. "And yes, I'll stop by to check in...maybe I can come by for dinner one night a week or something like that."

He gave Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek. "Yes, ma'am, I understand." Josh turned to walk away when he stopped and turned around. "Hey, are you and Dad coming to the game Friday? We're at home this week. Hopefully, we can get together to celebrate a win...back at my place," he suggested, giving her that same mischievous look he had given her earlier in the evening.
 
"At your place, huh?" Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle at the idea, even though heat rose to her face. How did she raise such a cocky son-? "I can't make any promises, so... we'll just have to see what happens, alright?" It's all she can do.

It'd certainly be... intriguing to jump into, she'll say that much. Earlier, they were both swept up by the heat of the moment... and now, they're making plans? It's sort of crazy. "I love you, sweetheart. I'll see you soon." Elizabeth offered him more of a shy smile now, just to play with a few pieces of hair tickling her cheek.
 
"Sounds good. Love you. Bye."

Josh gave Elizabeth a small smile, then turned and left. He headed downstairs and grabbed the leftover lasagna and apple crisp, then exited the house. He got into his car and made the short drive over to his apartment. He was happy he talked to his mother before leaving; it put him in a much better mood and gave him hope that maybe the world wasn't falling apart around him.

After such a long day and stressful night, it didn't take him long to find his bed and pass out.

The next morning found Josh at his desk at school, checking for any emails that he may have received the night before. The first bell rang, and as the students walked in, his heart began to beat a little faster. How was Jazz going to act toward him today? He wasn't exactly looking forward to it.
 
A light drizzle poured down from above, grey clouds rolling in to threaten a beautiful day with the promise of heavier rain to come.

Jazz kept her hood up, head down as other students pushed and shoved on past her. Nobody spared her a second glance, and nobody apologized. Bright green eyes, though darker and somewhat duller in comparison to the other Millers, remained intent on the white tile at the girl's feet. It wasn't until the bell rang that she shuffled and kicked herself into gear by moving off in the direction of her first period, a hand tugging at her headphones.

"Great," Jazz grumbled under her breath, low enough so no one could eavesdrop. "Another day of torture."

It's just another year before she can break out of this place. Jazz stuffed her hands into her pockets before entering U.S. Government, though she didn't even look in her brother's direction. Nope, instead... Jazz plopped down in her seat and laid her head down, pulling her hood over so no one can see her.
 
Jazz entered the room exactly how Josh expected her to -- with her hood covering her head, gaze directed toward the tile floor. A night of sleep did nothing to move her off her stance that she just did not want to be bothered. Josh figured he'd have to tread carefully, but at some point, he would have to get her involved in the class. He'd just make sure it didn't happen today, of all days.

The bell rang to officially start the day. "Morning, everyone," Josh said before the bell had even finished ringing, standing with his notes in hand. He started his lecture, which was a continuation of the overview from the day before. He did his best to look toward each student, making sure they were paying attention, but his mind was on Jazz. He tried his best to keep up his upbeat behavior from the day before, but every time he glanced at his sister, he could feel it slipping away.

Just under an hour later, the bell rang to end first period. "Alright, that's enough for today. No homework for tonight, but you can start expecting assignments by the end of this week. Have a good day!"

Josh smiled at the class, then returned to his desk while the students filed out of his classroom.
 
How boring is this class? On a scale of one to ten, with ten being boring as all get out... U.S. Government hits fifteen. Jazz kept her head down most of the fifty minutes, but at one point or another, she did bring herself to prop her chin up and look out through the window. It wasn't until... ten minutes before the end of class, somewhere in that area, she began to notice how the strange looks her brother sent her way.

A small frown made an appearance along her lips. How didn't she realize this sooner? Every so often, Josh's eyes shifted over to her... and it felt like his smile is a little more... strained? Is that the right word for it? In any case, he's making more of an effort to keep a smile on his face. Is he afraid she'll spill the beans? Ha. It's not like anybody will believe her if she was in the sharing mood. Jazz rolled her eyes, about to scoff and just brush it off as nothing... that is, until the person behind her rudely pulled at her jacket.

"Do you mind-?!" Jazz just about spat, only the bell rang right then, cutting right through what she was fixing to say. A laugh echoed in her ears, cold and cruel, and a hand went to yank off her hood this time around.

"Next time, just keep your head down... not like anybody cares if you're here or not," the boy spat, joining his friends up towards the front. Jazz was quick to pull it back up, hiding inside while she bent to snatch her backpack up off the floor.

Figures. If she doesn't flaunt it, nobody cares to talk to her or treat her like a human being.
 
"Hey!" Josh snapped, a scowl on his face. "Brandon, my desk. Now," he ordered.

Red-faced, he glared at the boy as he shuffled toward Josh's desk. Josh angrily scribbled out a detention slip and thrust it into his hand. "And this isn't just because she's my sister. Don't ever talk to someone like that again. And do not yank on anyone's hood or clothes. I'll see you here bright and early tomorrow morning."

With his blood boiling, Josh took a few deep breaths to try and settle himself down before second period began. He definitely didn't want his anger to carry over. As Jazz gathered her things, Josh opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't come out. Would she even want to talk to him, considering all she's been through over the last 12 hours or so? His heart broke for his sister. He didn't care how much she yelled at him the night before; she didn't deserve that treatment from anyone, let alone some punk kid.
 
Did Josh just jump to her defense-? Nah, he's just doing his job as a teacher, not because he's angry on her behalf or anything...

Jazz doesn't need a Knight in shining armor. It's the stuff of fairy tales, and she's not gonna hold her breath for something that's never going to happen. No, she'd rather fight her own battles... only, she can't fight, because she received enough detention slips last year and the year before that if she so much as looks at somebody the wrong way... she'll be gettin' a call home. Mom doesn't need to know what goes on in these halls.

A few bits and pieces of gold managed to slip free and hide her profile while Jazz walked up towards the front, her shoulders hunched... the sort of posture of a girl that's not trying to draw attention to herself. A hand held onto her bag tightly. It wasn't until Brandon was already long gone she decided to pause by her brother's desk... eyes intent on the door. "You didn't have to do that," Jazz grumbled under her breath. "You could've ignored it. Everybody else does. It's not a big deal. I'm used to it by now." A nonchalant shrug lifted her shoulders, and after burying her hands in her pockets all over again, Jazz went to leave him to his next class.
 
Josh barely heard his sister's words, thanks to her facing the door instead of him. But he did hear them. He wanted to walk up and give her a hug, to tell her that she does matter. He couldn't do that now -- he didn't want to be portrayed as showing favoritism to his own sister, but it did give him an idea. He'd have to wait for some free time, which was pretty hard to come by until the weekend rolled in. But for the first time, he felt that he could actually have a chance to break through and figure out just what was wrong with Jazz.

His next class filed in, and he turned his focus to delivering his second lecture of the morning, filing this recent Jazz incident to the back of his busy mind.
 
Days melted on past, each more monotonous than the last. In fact, Jazz barely had any concept of time. It didn’t matter if it was morning or night, it all felt the same. If she wasn’t here at school, hiding from the judgmental eyes of her peers… she was at home, drowning herself in music to hide from the worried looks exchanged by her parents. It was just… suffocating. Jazz just wants to be left alone. Is that too much to ask for? Keeping her head down at school, and locking herself in her room after the fact, should’ve guaranteed this, and yet… she feels like she’s… like she’s… gasping for air, to put a poetic spin on things. It’s like everything is taking a downward spiral, and she’s just along for the ride.

Finally… Friday arrives. Everybody’s excited, hyped up for the first football game of the season. Jazz doesn’t really care, but at least it means time will fly by faster. A yawn nearly breaking her jaw, Jazz let her head fall back into her hands, eyes drifting shut. During the past couple of days, the bullying hasn’t died down any… so she has to give off the impression it hasn’t fazed her any. Brandon learned his lesson, and passed the word along. Yeah, hardly anyone messes with her in Josh’s class… but before and after are fair game. Jazz rubbed at a sleepy eye, just to blink and look out the window. Today she decided to go with a dark blue jacket, one that has an extra big hood, with sleeves that nearly swallows her hands. It’s actually super comfy. A pair of black jeans finishes off her ‘look’.

Not that she pays any attention or mind on fashion.

Jazz relaxed back in her seat, waiting for class to start while listening to music.
 
The rest of the week flew by pretty quickly. Josh's ice cream date with Lily on Tuesday night was fun and casual as the two high school sweethearts continued to catch up. Practice was especially spirited the whole week. Josh chalked it up to the guys getting tired of hitting each other and wanting so badly to knock someone else around. His students seemed to be enjoying his class...the key word being 'seemed.' Government was far from an interesting subject, so as long as they at least acted the part, he was satisfied.

For the first time all week, Josh didn't groan when his alarm sounded Friday morning. It was game day. He was very energetic just walking through the halls of Garrettsville High, pumping up any players he happened to see. He hoped they'd match his intensity on the field that night.

As for his Friday first-period class, he took it easy on the students, only lecturing for about 30 minutes or so before giving them the last 20 minutes to chat. While he planned on using some of that time to go over final preparations for the evening, there was something he wanted to do first.

"Jasmine, can you please come over here for a second?"
 
Alright, this is getting ridiculous. How can a bunch of hormonal teenagers be so damn excited over a football game?! Jazz wants to plug in, if only to drown the… boasting and the crowing and the general overwhelming exuberance , but Josh is liable to call her out on it. In other words? Today's gonna be hell on wheels. In a sad attempt to hide from the public eye, Jazz pulled her hood more over her head… casting her world into semi-darkness. Of course… she had to bring it right back up once the bell rang, because class started and she's gotta 'pay attention’. Bleh.

“Let's go, cougars!” Kaylee thrust a fist up into the air, just to curl her fingers to imitate a paw. Apparently… she got the bright idea of dressing the part. Tangled in her dark brown hair was a headband with felt cat ears. It’s hard to tell if she used mascara or marker, but Kaylee also drew on a set of whiskers on her cheeks, complete with a black button nose. Jazz was fixing to say something snarky, quite possibly mean, however… she didn't get the chance to say it.

Everybody else loved her enthusiasm though. Figures. Boys like the outfit because just about everything's on display: her swimsuit is skin-tight, so… and the tiny little black shorts didn't leave much to the imagination, either. Thank God Josh decided not to lecture them for too terribly long, or else she'd go insane. If only the rest of the day can fly by as fast…

"Jasmine, can you please come over here for a second?"

Uh oh. What did she do this time? Nobody uses her full name.

Really frickin’ reluctant to find out what he wants, Jazz dragged herself out of her seat -under the scrutiny of her peers, no less- to walk down the way to his desk. Jazz buried her hands in her pockets, keeping her eyes down at her feet… even though there's nothing interesting that way. “Yeah?” she grumbled. “What do you want?”
 
Josh smiled at Kaylee as she lifted her hand in the air to cheer on the team. If all the attention wasn't on him at the front of the class today, well, he could understand. The only thing he was left wondering was how she managed to pull that off without getting in trouble for breaking the dress code...not that he would've been the one to discipline her, of course.

Josh scooted his chair a little closer to Jazz, trying to ensure no one else would hear their conversation. With everyone else pumped up about the game or talking about their weekend plans, it shouldn't be that difficult.

"Hey," he began softly. "I'm sorry about what happened the other day, and Brandon served his punishment. I think people around here know not to mess with you like that. But there's something else...

"I'm worried about you, Jazz," Josh said bluntly. "You just bury yourself in your hood and pop in your earbuds and tune the world out. I know Mom and Dad are concerned, and I am too. So can we go to lunch tomorrow after I get out of film study? I'll pick you up and it'll be my treat. I just want to talk about everything that's going on with you, not as a teacher, but as your older brother. Because as much as you may not think so, there are people that care about you. I want to help.

"So what do you say?" Josh asked, eyes looking up toward his sister's.
 
… Seriously? Is this an intervention? Jazz’s halfway tempted to run a hand through her hair… but that’d require her to take off the hood, so that’s not gonna happen. “Look, I don’t need the pity party,” Jazz started off with, her hands curling into fists inside her pockets. “I don’t need everybody to be lookin’ after ‘poor, pathetic little Jazzy pants’ or whatever. I’d like it if everybody got off my case.” Mom used to call her that when she was, like, twelve, because of her sassy mouth, though the nickname was only meant for the family.

“I don’t need an apology. And don’t think your display of authority changed things any. People just know a better time to strike, that’s all.” Jazz roughly shoved a few pieces of hair threatening to escape her hood back inside, just to stuff her hand back into her pocket.

Jazz took a step closer… making it to where their eyes met, two nearly identical pairs of bright green. In hers, however… there wasn’t a glimmer of hope, of excitement to tackle whatever challenges life has to offer, just resignation. A finger jabbed into his chest.

“You’ve got better things to do than have lunch with your kid sister. I’m not gonna waste your time. Why don’t you just write me off as a goth or something already? Everybody else spares me the lecture.” Jazz doesn’t want to open that Pandora’s Box. Once she cuts off the lock… everything will come pouring out, and there’s no way she’d be able to stuff the bad stuff back inside. “If you run and tell Mom about this, I’ll have no choice but to go along with this stupid plan… but it doesn’t mean I’ll talk.”

A scowl twisting her lips… and her eyes a little shiny, Jazz twisted to head on back to her seat.
 
Josh sighed and watched Jazz head back to her seat. To say that something was bothering her was a massive understatement, and he started to feel terrible for not being around to help her navigate through the problems and pressures that high school brings. But Josh could be a bit stubborn at times, and was by no means a quitter, so he was even more determined to show up at his parents' doorstep the next afternoon. If he sat with her and let her spill her guts for hours on end, it'd be worth it if it made her feel even the slightest bit better.

The bell rang moments later, and Josh dismissed the class for the weekend. "Have a good weekend, everyone. Hope to see you tonight!" He watched Jazz intently, waiting to see if she would make any eye contact with him on her way out.
 
As to be expected, Jazz acknowledged no one, and spoke to no one. In fact, she was like a ghost drifting among the living. Her hands remained buried in her pockets, fingertips brushing over the cool metal of her MP3 player as she went on to her next class. Maybe she'll be able to hide out of sight, listen to a few songs before the next bell rings. In the hallway, though... fate had other plans. Brandon shoved his shoulder roughly against hers, nearly knocking the girl off her feet... but she had to catch herself against the lockers, or else end up flat on her face. Of course she didn't have enough time to let go of her precious MP3 player... so it was sent flying across the floor... that is, until it was smashed under a cruel boot.

"Oops! Sorry!" Brandon drawled, though he didn't mean a word of it. His laughter echoed in her ears as he left with some of her friends... sending a sliver of dread right down her spine. Jazz pushed away from the wall, but she didn't dare linger and mourn the loss. No, if anybody noticed this sign of weakness, they'd be all over it. No... she had to move on.

((I figured we can skip to later. :p))
 
Friday morning quickly rolled into afternoon, and Josh used seventh period to change, opting for a red Garrettsville polo shirt and a pair of khaki shorts to wear on the sidelines. After the final bell rang, a few students headed over to the gym to watch the volleyball match, which would kick off a full night of Garrettsville sports.

With some time to kill before he had to report to the football locker room, Josh stopped by the fieldhouse to catch the match. There were a handful of students scattered across the bleachers, with the crowd being mostly parents. He decided to watch the first set.

"Hey, Coach."

Josh turned to see Officer Timko approaching him. He smiled and shook his hand. "Hi, Officer. You working some overtime here tonight?"

"Yeah. Watching over this match, then heading over to the stadium. Feel good about tonight?"

"I think so. They lost a lot of seniors and we're coming into our own, so we should be good. But you know anything can happen."

"For sure. I didn't know you were a volleyball guy, though..."

"Eh, I wanted to come and show my support for the girls. I think all the athletes should support each other. I know I'll encourage my guys to go to some volleyball and soccer games this fall."

Of course, what Josh happened to leave out is that he was also here to get a look at #12 wearing the home white jersey. It seemed to him that Kaylee was wearing shorts even shorter than the ones she wore in class today, and the way they clung to her ass...well, he certainly took notice.

After a particularly nice play that resulted in a pivotal point, Josh loudly clapped his approval. "Nice job, girls!" he boomed.
 
Kaylee kept her knees bent, her eyes on the prize. It might be just the first game of the year, but it doesn't mean they can't take it seriously! Her heart beating hard in her breast, Kaylee followed the ball with her eyes, and... when the opportunity presented itself, jumped and sent it hurtling over the net. It wasn't until the referee blew into the whistle that she realized she scored a point for her team -the first point of the first game. How cool is that?!

"Yes!" she cried, just to laugh a heartbeat later.

Ten minutes later, Kaylee's soaked in sweat. Every breath felt like it was made of little sharp knives. Her knees feel a little weak, too, as if she's going to fall over any minute... but then again, it's so worth it. A few threads of dark brown are plastered against her cheeks, having escaped her ponytail a little while ago.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Kaylee called out to the other girls in white, tossing the ball up into the air. It exchanged hands once, twice... and with the third, it was spiked down, so it had no hope of being sent back.

Everybody in the bleachers -not that there was a lot of people to begin with- roared their praise, and Kaylee laughed, letting her eyes study their faces for the first time.

No, wait... Is that-? A smile spread from ear to ear at the sight of her U.S. Government teacher standing on the sidelines.

"Mr. Miller!" Kaylee cried out, laughing and waving. The white jersey clung to the girl's shoulders and breasts... making it impossible not to notice the black sports bra underneath as she ran over to join him.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be busy with the boys' football game?" Kaylee isn't complaining, not by any stretch, she just didn't expect to see him here. A hand came up to nervously tuck hair behind an ear, though the other wiped beads of sweat off her neck.
 
As the ball hit the hardwood floor, setting off a chorus of cheers and applause, Josh gave a little fist-pump with a smile. The girls had won their first match of the year, making quick work of Roosevelt's volleyball squad. He was about to turn away and head toward the football locker room when Kaylee spotted him and ran over.

"Hi, Kaylee. Congrats!" he smiled, extending his hand for a high-five. "You girls looked pretty good out there. I just swung by to see how you were doing and to give some support before I head over for the game."

His eyes danced a little over Kaylee's tight body, and he quickly spotted the black sports bra through her sweat-soaked white jersey.

"So will you be showing up later? I had to laugh at the little cougar outfit you put together today," he commented.
 
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