All Chapters of Jenny & Jay - Volume 2: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

It was late when I pulled into the driveway next to her little red car. She was locking the front door, wearing a loose sweatshirt and sweatpants, her coat unzipped—clearly heading out. Her hair was pinned up messily.“Hey,” I said behind her.“Uncle Steve’s not home,” she replied without turning around.“I came to see you,” I said.“I asked you never to speak to me again,” she said in a flat tone, then turned to face me.“Where are you going, all dressed up?” I joked, eyeing her sweats.“I’m hungry, and all the food’s upstairs,” she sighed. “Mom and Adam just got home, and I don’t want to disturb them, so I’m heading to Paul’s for something to eat.”“Are you sure showing up like that won’t hurt Amber’s business?” I asked. “Might not be the best look.”“I didn’t think of that,” she admitted. “I don’t want to cause any trouble for Amber.”She looked stunning, even if she wouldn’t look at me.“Come over to my place,” I offered suddenly. “We’ve got food, and no one’s home.”“Why did you

“You’re just jealous,” I snapped mockingly. “Because I actually have childhood dreams.”“Oh, please. Your childhood dream wasn’t about where you’d study, genius—it was to become a vet!” she shouted, kneeling on the chair to face me head-on.“Oh, and you know exactly what my childhood dream was, do you, smartass?” I stood up too.“Do you even know what a childhood dream is?” she screamed, unleashing all her fury on me. If I’d gotten any closer, she might’ve hit me. “I’ll tell you.” She climbed halfway onto the table, her voice trembling with rage. “When you dream of your dad dancing at your wedding—that’s a childhood dream!” she shouted. “And do you know what happens to childhood dreams?” Her voice turned bitter. “They vanish. You know why?” she continued, now standing and yelling. “Because your dad dies suddenly.”She realized what she’d said and sank back into her chair. Then she started crying—something I’d never seen her do before.In an instant, I was beside her, wrapping my arms

I started swimming again. I was taking better care of myself—I wanted to impress my girlfriend at the upcoming wedding. I still hadn’t heard anything from Jenny, and I missed her terribly.“Johnny,” said Uncle Steve at the end of our session the weekend after I got back. “Next week, I’ll only be free on the weekend.”“How come?” I asked curiously.“I’ve started giving lectures again at my old university. Janie and I usually have lunch together on those days, and next week I’ll be administering exams too.”“I didn’t know that,” I remarked.“In the summer, I’ll be expecting you for practice, of course,” the old man said cheerfully.“I’ll be going home a few days before the wedding,” I said. “I can help out then too.”“Alright, we’ll talk about it then,” Uncle Steve said, and ended the call.—--In the days that followed, I focused on preparing for my exams. With Uncle Steve’s help and my daily study routine, it wasn’t too difficult. Every time I saw Harper, I smiled—Jenny’s face came to

“Last year, after you called her and yelled loud enough for half the house to hear,” Paul began, “she said if you were going to be such a jerk and accuse her like that, she’d give you a reason. That’s when she started dating. But after three different dates, she said you weren’t worth it, she wasn’t going to play your ego games, and she’d rather get cats.” I laughed.“Were the dates that bad?” I asked. Paul just nodded.“The first guy asked her right away whose place they’d go to after dinner. She came home after the soup,” Paul said. “Another one ordered duck for her—because he was ‘the man.’ ““She hates duck,” I laughed.“Exactly. So she sent it back and ordered something else. That one ended quickly too.”There was one date that lasted quite a while,” Jessica said, clearly just to get under my skin.“Yeah, that one did go on for a while,” Paul smiled, “but only because the guy was late and didn’t know what to order.”“And this year?” I asked cautiously.“A few weeks ago, Adam need

“May I?” I asked. He gave Jenny a slight bow and moved aside. I took her hands, and we began to dance.“I want to talk to you,” I said, but the last word came out as a groan when she stepped on my foot.“Sorry,” she smiled. “I’m not a great dancer.”“Yes, you are,” I said—and she stepped on my foot again. I laughed. I tried to avoid her missteps, but she was unpredictable, stepping on my feet every few steps.“I want to talk to you,” I repeated gently.“Maybe next time, Jay,” she smiled just as Mickey stepped up from behind me.“Can I ask my sister for a dance?” he asked. I stopped and stepped aside, letting Jenny dance with her brother.I sat down, my feet aching.“I won’t lie, she really punishes you,” Brian laughed. “Normally, they’d dance perfectly in sync,” he added, responding to the questioning looks around the table.“I’m starting to feel sorry for you,” Amber laughed.“I’d pay anything for her,” I said calmly, resting my aching feet.Mickey and Jenny left the dance floor almo