New Girl in Town Pt. 15

Jessica's back is towards Jake as he approaches but Tabitha looks up and sees him.

"Jake, what happened to you?" She asks concerned.

Jessica spins quickly and looks at him.

"Jake, what happened? Are you okay?" Jessica asks running her hands carefully over his cheek with a look of great concern on her face.

"I'm good." He answers then notices the doubt on Jessica's face. "I am. Your mom checked me over and everything."

"I'm noticing a distinct lack of you telling me what happened to you," Jessica states as she folds her arms across her chest.

"Girls, let's give these two a minute to talk." Coach Morrison tells the team. "Game starts in five minutes, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Jake answers.

"Thanks, coach." Jessica answers.

As the team moves down the bench a little way, Jake and Jessica take a seat on it.

"Jess, your game is in just a few minutes. I will explain everything afterward, okay?" He asks.

"Is there some reason I shouldn't know about whatever it is before the game?" She counters then takes his hand in hers and looks into his eyes. "We don't lie to each other, Jake. That's our deal."

Jake squeezes her hand and gives her a smile. "I went for a run. To that park in your grandma's neighborhood, you know?"

"I'm very familiar." Jessica smiles. "I used to run there all the time, too."

"Well, I kind of ran into someone there," Jake says then explains to her all about the fight.

When Jake finishes Jessica scans the crowd on the far side of the court until she sees Sean sitting just behind the Paladin's bench, a bandage across his nose.

She turns and pulls Jake into an embrace. She gives him a brief but passionate kiss that Staci notices immediately.

"Woo! Go, Jess!" She shouts out causing Jessica to blush and pull away quickly.

Fearfully, she looks up to where her family is seated and is shocked to see her Grammy giving her a thumbs up signal and a smile.

"I see that you've got yourself Grammy approved." Jessica giggles.

"Yeah, I just had to get punched in the face by your ex to win her over." Jake chuckles.

"I think it was nearly breaking his nose that put you over the top." She tells him with a grin. "Now, I'm going out on the court to get my own little bit of revenge."

****

"Aw, did your little boyfriend get himself a boo-boo there, Fish?" Madison teases as she lines up across from Jessica on the court. "You should have warned him how much of a badass Sean is."

Jessica refuses to rise to the bait and turns her head towards Caitlyn. An unspoken word passes between them and Caitlyn gives her a nod just as the Paladins serve the ball into play. Tonya plays the serve towards the front line where Caitlyn sets it for Jessica. Jessica leaps high and brings down the hammer with her spike. Madison tries to make a save but the ball is traveling too fast and hard. When she gets her hand under it, it sails out of bounds for the Wildcats first point.

"That's one, Madison," Jessica says as they line up for the Wildcats serve.

"The last one that you'll get, Fish." Madison counters.

Tonya serves the ball and the Paladins play it towards Madison who leaps up for a spike. Jessica blocks it back onto their side of the net.

Cassandra makes a diving save that Madison sets for another Paladin player to try her luck at a kill. Kenyetta challenges the spike but it slips past her outstretched hands. Tabitha bumps the ball up and Jessica sets for Caitlyn who makes the kill past a scrambling Paladin defense.

"That was a nice save, Cass," Jessica calls out to her former teammate.

"Yeah, great save." Caitlyn agrees giving the opposing player a thumbs up.

"Great save, better kill," Cassandra answers with a smile.

"Shut up, Cass." Madison snarls. "Get over here and get your head in the game."

The rest of the first game of the set continues to go the Wildcats way stunning the normally dominant Paladin team. Their coach calls a timeout when the Wildcats lead closes in on double digits.

"You all are playing great out there!" Coach Morrison enthuses during the huddle. "Keep the pressure on them to make plays on us and keep playing our game. You've got them rocked back on their heels right now, so don't let up!"

"We've got this, you guys!" Jessica says putting her hand out. The rest of the team, Coach Morrison and Jake put their hands in.

"Go Wildcats!" They all shout as the timeout ends.

The Paladins come out fired up after the timeout and show why they are the number one team in the state. They pick up their speed, their spikes are more aggressive and when they start winning points their serves come hard and fast.

The Wildcat players are sent scrambling all over the court to try and survive the onslaught. The Paladins ring up point after point until their deficit is cut to two points.

"They aren't better than us!" Jessica tells her teammates during a quick huddle. "Keep your heads up. This is our night!"

The Paladins serve, Tabitha plays the ball towards the front court.

"Set!" Tonya shouts as she bumps the ball up.

Jessica leaps up and as she begins to spike the ball her body is jostled by Madison's as she leaps to block. The contact knocks Jessica's shot off the mark and it lands out of bounds cutting the Wildcat lead to one.

"My player was bumped!" Coach Morrison shouts at the referee.

"The contact was incidental. The point stands."The ref tells her then turns to Madison. "Watch the contact."

"The point stands, Fish." Madison taunts Jessica quietly as the pair stand at the net. "Unlike your boyfriend this afternoon. I heard he went to his knees faster than you do."

Jessica says nothing and fights the urge to punch the smug smile off Madison's face. Instead, she turns and looks at where Jake sits on the bench. Their eyes lock for a moment until he nods at her and Jessica knows the meaning behind it and nods back.

"Yeah, Jake, I got this." She thinks as she turns back to get ready for the serve.

****

"What in the heck was that?" Ray asks as he and the rest of the Wildcat students are on their feet in protest.

"They're calling the contact incidental." Mr. Golden explains.

"Incidental?" Mr. Gibson asks. "She body checked, Jessica!"

"I smell some home cooking for Jess's old team. You get'em, Wildcat!" Antoine calls out.

The cheer team picks up the shout and runs with it trying to bring the team back into the game.

"Ray, how did you guys get out of practice tonight?" Mr. Gibson asks. "I know that Jake is benched but that means you and Tank are needed even more!"

"We uh, sort of lied, Mr. Gibson," Ray admits.

"Yes sir, we told Yates that we were going out of town for the holiday and in a way it wasn't a total lie." Antoine picks up.

"Jess has been there for us all year and there was no way that we weren't going to show up to support her tonight. Yates can't bench all of us." Ray laughs.

"He can if he wants to lose." Antoine notes then smiles. "And we all know that ain't happening."

"What happened to Jake?" Ray asks after noticing the four butterfly strips on his face.

"He got into a fight," Sarah announces proudly. "He broke Sean's stupid nose."

"Nice!" Ray comments.

"He did?" Staci asks Sarah as her face breaks into a huge grin.

Ray shakes his head. "You're going to kiss him again aren't you? Of course, you are, why am I even asking?" He laughs.

"Who is Sean and why are we happy about Jake breaking his nose?" Antoine asks.

"He's an ah..." Staci begins to answer then remembers the little ears beside her and stops.

"He's Jessica's ex and to state it simply, he did not treat her well." Shelly answers for her.

"Not treat my Wildcat well? Where is this idiot? I got a feeling that I need to break something on him too." Antoine comments.

"You're not breaking anything," Twanda tells him. "You have an important game on Friday and with Jake out, they'll need you."

"Both of you so don't you get any ideas either, Ray," Staci comments as she looks back over her shoulder at him.

"He doesn't have to." Sarah comments from her seat beside Staci. She still has her orange and blue tinted hair done up in pigtails by Staci to match her own.

"Why's that Sar-bear?" Michelle asks from the other side of Sarah.

"Jake's taken care of it like always," Sarah answers precociously. "Sean won't bother my sister ever again if he knows what's good for him!"

****

After the incidental contact call, the Paladins take control of the game first tying then pulling ahead of the Wildcats on a flurry of aggressive plays. Madison gives Jessica a few more subtle bumps at the net that go uncalled by the referees. A service ace wins the first game for the Paladins sending a dejected Wildcat squad to the bench. Coach Morrison tries to assure the team that it's just the first game of the set and how they shouldn't let it get to them. Staci, Michelle, and C.C. rally the Wildcat fans to get loud hoping that will pick up the team. Coming into the next game it all seems to have lit a spark into the team as they jump out to a five-point lead over the Paladins.

"Keep on them! Build on our lead!" Coach Morrison shouts as Tabitha steps back to serve.

The Paladins play her serve up to their frontcourt where Madison jumps up and spikes it over Jessica's outstretched hands. Tabitha makes a diving save giving Tonya a chance to set it for a leaping Caitlyn who gets the kill. Tabitha is rubbing her back as she joins the quick team huddle.

"Are you okay, Tab?" Tonya asks after noticing.

"I'm okay." She answers but her back up, Ashley Thompson runs onto the court.

"Coach wants you out, Tabby," Ashley announces.

Tabitha nods and jogs to the sideline.

"Coach, I'm okay," Tabitha argues as she gets to the bench.

"I saw you rub your back. Jake saw it too so grab some water, take a seat and rest." Coach Morrison tells her. "This is a five-game set and we'll need you back in there so we treat this now."

Tabitha nods and accepts a bottle of water from Jake.

"Thanks, Jake. I need you to get me..." She begins to say but her words fade into a low moan when Jake begins to rub her lower back.

"It's here, right?" Jake asks as Tabitha slumps onto the bench.

"Uh huh," She moans as Jake's strong fingers dig into her tight muscles.

Tabitha attempts to keep her eyes on the game and her mouth shut as Jake's hands rub her. She has to bite her lip a few times, especially when his fingertips rest on her butt while he presses the heel of his hand into the small of her back.

"Jesus, Jake, where did you learn all of this?" She moans out her question as he makes a circular motion with his palm.

"Jess." He answers. "This is one of her favorite things for me to do on her. She says it works wonders for her back and her thighs too."

"Among other things I'm sure." Tabitha giggles.

Jake smiles and nods. "There are a few other uses for this particular technique too, sure."

"Lucky, lucky Jess." Tabitha comments then relaxes as she watches the play on the court.

With the Wildcats other All-State player on the bench, the Paladins try to target Ashley with as many shots as they can manage. She makes some great plays but the constant hammering starts to wear on her. The Paladins smell blood in the water and swoop in to score point after point until they take the lead from the Wildcats.

"Back her up!" Tabitha shouts as Ashley dives for another shot that is sent her way.

Ashley manages to knock the ball up just enough for Tonya to make a play on it but when her bump sails too long and is smacked down for a point by Madison.

"Tab, how's your back?" Coach Morrison asks as the Paladins get ready to serve.

"I'm good to go, Coach." Tabitha answers.

Coach Morrison nods. "Next point, you're in. Jake, get those hands of yours ready for Ashley. She's going to need them."

Tabitha retakes the court but her return can't stem the rolling tide of the Paladins who breeze to a win of the second game putting them one win away from the state championship.

****

Sensing their victory is near the Paladins revert to their old intimidation tactics at the start of the third and possibly deciding game. Every serve of theirs resounds like thunder through the gymnasium. Each shot over the net sends the Wildcat players scrambling to make a play on the ball but they do make those plays. Madison and the others seem to target Jessica with every hard shot but she manages to make play after play. Emboldened by Jessica's refusal to roll over and give up under the constant barrage of shots and her impassioned talks about how they were still in this between points the Wildcats endure the opening salvo from the Paladins. The Wildcat serves come like precision strikes, slicing through the vaunted Paladin defense. Their shots over the net strike the floor like lightning bolts from the blue scattering the Paladin players and leaving them stunned at the stubborn refusal to quit from the Wildcats.

"They're relentless!" Heather Downs exclaims breathlessly in the Paladin huddle after another Wildcat point.

"That bitch isn't beating me!" Madison states while Cassandra just shakes her head.

"This isn't some kind of grudge match between you and Jess, Madison." She tries telling the

team captain but it falls on deaf ears.

Every shot Madison takes is directed towards Jessica even when easier shots are available to her. Those that Jessica can't play herself are easily played by her teammates setting her up to rain down kills on her former team. The superior Paladin defense begins to show cracks as the Wildcat team pulls further and further ahead until Tabitha slams down the game-clinching kill. The Wildcat faithful let out a loud cheer as the team comes to the bench before the next game but the usual jovial nature of the team is replaced with steely determination. Jake passes around the water bottles and Coach Morrison gives her talk and instructions to the stony silent team of resolute players. They know that despite this win they are still one loss away from the title and they take the court for the fourth game with that in mind. The game begins as if it was more of a continuation of the last game as the Wildcats continue to rack up points much to the confusion and dismay of the Paladins. A timeout called by their coach when the Wildcats go up by ten points does nothing to stem the unrelenting tide that continues to wash over them out of the break. The ten point lead quickly becomes fifteen then with game point drawing close Madison takes another shot at Jessica. She slams into Jessica as she leaps for a spike so hard that the impact sends Jessica sprawling to the floor. The line judge blows her whistle and calls the point for the Wildcats and then produces a yellow card from her pocket.

"Warning to number one on the Paladin team for physically aggressive play." She announces as Jessica is helped back to her feet. She rubs the shoulder that she landed on and rolls her arm to try and ease the pain that's flaring up.

Coach Morrison sends Ashley into the game to cover for Jessica who she brings to sidelines to get checked over.

"I'm fine." Jessica insists as Jake has her sit on the bench.

Dr. Golden has made her way to the sidelines and joins them on the bench.

"How bad is it, Jess?" She asks as she starts to probe Jessica's shoulder.

"It's going to be bruised but it's fine." She assures her. "I'll ice it tonight but right now I need to get back into the game."

"Not until I get the okay from your mom, Jess." Coach Morrison states.

On the court, the Wildcats are serving for game point. Tonya hits her trademark float serve into play which is played by Heather. She knocks it to Cassandra who sets it for Madison. Ashley feints like she's going to jump and challenge the spike but she drops back a step as Kenyetta leaps up to block. Madison's shot rockets past Kenyetta's hands but to a waiting Ashley who bumps it up. Caitlyn climbs the ladder and smacks down the game-winning kill to the surprise of the Paladin players. The players leave the court to ready themselves for the fifth and deciding game.

****

"How is she?" Coach Morrison asks Jessica's mom knowing that Jessica will say anything to get back into the game.

"It looks like it'll be a bruise at worst." Dr. Golden answers her. "She has Jake working on her now so she can get back into the game."

Coach Morrison nods and looks over at the couple. Jess is sitting facing Jake her arm extended towards him with her wrist resting on his shoulder while he rubs her shoulder and upper arm.

"How long do I need to keep her out of this game?" She asks Dr. Golden.

"Give her a few more minutes and she'll put herself back into the game on her own." Dr. Golden laughs.

"That I can believe." Coach Morrison nods.

"I'll stay close by just in case she or you need me again." Dr. Golden tells her.

While Jake kneads Jessica's shoulder and bicep the fifth game begins. The Paladins serve and quickly jump on the fact that Jessica is still on the bench. Ashley is again targeted but she grits her teeth and plays nearly every shot that is sent her way. Those she misses are picked up by the Wildcat's backcourt keeping the game close. The Paladins score a kill making the score five to three in their favor when Jake speaks.

"You're ready aren't you?" He asks Jessica.

She nods her head then leans in and kisses his lips. "For this and a lot more when we get to Grammy's tonight." She answers then kisses him again, this time teasing his lips with her tongue before getting to her feet.

"Ready to get in there, Jess?" Coach Morrison asks when Jessica stops beside her.

"More than ever." Jessica answers.

"Was it his hands or those kisses that helped most?" Coach Morrison teases her star player.

Jessica looks over at Jake and smiles. "It's the whole package." She answers before jogging onto the court to relieve Ashley before the serve.

"Look who's back for more." Madison comments. "Ready for me to kick your ass again, Fish."

"Bring it, Bitch," Jessica responds with a smile and the grudge match is on.

Madison does her best to bring it but every shot she attempts is rebuffed by Jessica. Madison's hand's sting from every spike of Jessica's that she attempts to block and for no worthwhile gain as it seems that even the ones she succeeds in blocking are quickly played by the other Wildcat players for kills. The game reaches match point for the Wildcats and Madison vows that Jessica won't be the one that gets it. Wendy serves the ball and it's played by Paladin to the frontcourt where Madison attempts to dink the ball over and catch the Wildcats napping. It doesn't work. Tabitha plays it perfectly and sends the ball towards a Caitlyn who is waiting to set Jessica.

"Set!" Jessica shouts surprising Caitlyn when she steps towards her and bumps the ball back over her shoulder. Kenyetta leaps high and smashes a spike down. Madison, who was tracking Jessica instead of the ball is out of position and a diving Cassandra can't make the save.

"Point and match to Carter!" The line judge calls out.

The Paladin sideline is shocked into silence but the Wildcat side explodes in cacophonous cheering.

****

After the Wildcats are presented with the championship trophy a tall blonde woman with her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail approaches Jessica. For a moment Jessica feels like she's looking at her future self. The woman's hair is a shade lighter and she's slightly taller than Jessica. Despite her business attire it's obvious that her body is nicely toned and she has piercing blue eyes.

"Congratulations on your win, Jessica. It, like all your matches this year, were something to see." The woman states with a beaming smile. "You're a shoe-in for the All American team again this year."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jessica says. "I was lucky to have the greatest teammates surrounding me. They earned this title. I'm just proud to be a part of it."