A Life Rescued

The Returns

"Les is coming back tomorrow? That's good, maybe Lisa and Carol will stop hanging around with us."

Jesse and Tom had just paid for their milk and were looking for a seat in the cafeteria. Tom started drifting off to one side and Jesse towards the other, where Lisa, Carol, and Mikey sat, waving at them to come over. It was embarrassing and Jesse didn't feel like being embarrassed. He push his friend towards their regular table.

"I like them, Tom. Just because you can't handle being around Lisa doesn't mean we should all suffer," Jesse said, trying unsuccessfully to hide his irritation at his friend's continuing stubborn behavior towards his ex-girlfriend.

"I can handle it," he replied, weakly resisting being herded to the people Jesse wanted to sit with.

They sat and exchanged greetings with their friends, though Tom refused to say anything to Lisa. Jesse then told the others that Leslie would be back the next day...and immediately regretted his action: No sooner had he said 'tomorrow,' than did the questions begin, all centering around he and her getting back together. After trying to ignore or put off at least one inquiry from each person, he set his milk down and was honest with them.

"Leslie and I are just friends now. We decided anything more wouldn't work."

Actually, Jesse meant that he had decided that anything more would not work.

His four classmates stared, mostly dumbfounded, at this revelation. They all knew he and Leslie split up, but they also knew something was wrong with her and assumed that when she was better she and Jesse would get back together. (Not surprisingly, Leslie expected this, too.) But Jesse had made up his mind when he saw her the night before that it wouldn't work. While he still felt a deep friendship and affection towards her, he confessed that much of his love had been burned away by the events of the past few weeks and months. Even touching her hand was bitter, and no longer evoked the swell of joy in him it had a month earlier. Everything reminded him of the pain and emptiness he had suffered through since the beach, and he knew of no other way to stop it.

"You're serious, aren't you?" asked Tom incredulously. Jesse nodded, refusing to meet his eyes.

Lisa and Carol gave him a disgusted look and left the table without finishing their lunch. Predictably, Mikey followed.

"Jess, are you sure? This isn't because of Gracie, is it?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jesse snapped, slamming his fist on the table next to his carton of milk, causing a little fountain of the white liquid to spurt out of the straw.

"Chill out, Jess. I've seen you and her this past week." Jesse began to protest but Tom rode over his sputtering. "Forget it, Jess, it ain't gonna happen. Dad wouldn't let you two, anyway."

"What? Why?"

"On account of you've already hurt her, that's why."

Jesse made to take a bite of his sandwich but shoved it in his brown paper bag instead. "And what about you?"

Tom smiled, unsettling Jesse. Then he spoke and it unsettled him even more.

"Jess, Gracie's been in love with you for years. She's a big girl now and if she wants to screw...I mean, mess up the year with you, then it's fine with me."

Now it was Jesse's turn to look incredulous. "You mean that?"

"Sure, but you still have to get by our Dad." Tom laughed.

"Oh, yeah."

"And if you're serious about not dating Leslie any more...I guess you wouldn't mind, uh, me asking her out."