I'm Right Here

I'll Tell Her

*Ramona's POV*

"Hey Ramona?" Jackson said, walking into my room.

"Can I help you?" I shut my diary and discreetly slid it under my leg. If he read what I had been writing I would probably die.

"Um yeah actually," he said.

I waited. He didn't say anything for a minute and I looked at him expectantly. Finally I motioned for him to say something. "Oh right. So, it's been a month since Tessa broke up with me. I think that's enough time for me to put my plan into motion."

"Oh right. When?"

"I was thinking Saturday?"

"Can't. I have plans with Lola already."

"Huh ok Friday?"

"Ummm," I glanced at my calendar, "sure."

"Great I'll text Tessa now!" He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and walked back to his room while texting her. I felt guilty all over again. I shouldn't agree to this plan just so I could pretend my fake date with Jackson was real. I would just be meddling with Tessa and Tyler's lives and upsetting myself. I flopped back and yanked my diary out from under me. It wasn't very comfortable to sit on. I sighed and stared at the cover of it.

I set it on my nightstand beside me and closed my eyes. I decided I should text Lola. She had heard about Jackson's plan and wanted to know when it would go into action. She didn't think I should've agreed to it and I didn't either, but for some reason I still did. I grabbed my phone and called Lola. She picked up after three rings.

"Ramona?" she asked.

"Hey," I replied.

"Hey what's up?"

"I don't know honestly," I sighed, "my 'date' with Jackson is officially set for Friday."

"Seriously?! So... you're going through with it?"

"Yeah I guess..."

"I just don't know what to think about this Ramona. It's not a good idea."

"I know. I agree I just... will you come over? I need to talk and certain people might hear if I'm talking loudly on the phone."

"Sure I'll head over now," she said. Then I heard her yell, "Mom I'm going to Ramona's!"

"Thanks. See you in a couple minutes."

"Yeah bye." I hung up and set down my phone. Jackson poked his head into my room on his way by.

"My plan is a go. We've got a movie date Friday at 7."

"Sounds... great," I said hesitantly.

"Action Jackson's back at it again!" I gave him a fake smile and he ran down the stairs. Probably to tell his mom. I wonder what she thought of all of this. Maybe I should talk to her... but then she might find out I liked Jackson and she might pressure him to go out with me even if he didn't want to. I decided I'd just talk to Lola. I got up and slumped down the stairs to await her arrival and I could hear Jackson and DJ talking in the kitchen.

"You're going on a date with Ramona?! Jackson that's so exciting!"

"Mom calm down it's not that big of a deal."

"Yes it is! You like her!"

What? He likes Tessa not me. I thought. I stayed quiet and inched a little closer to hear what they were saying better.

"Mom! She might hear you. She doesn't know. You weren't even supposed to know," he said, exasperated. I stepped back. Could I be hearing right?

"Why else would you go out with her?" DJ laughed.

"Weeell... she kind of maybe thinks I'm going out with her to make Tessa jealous."

"Jackson!"

"What?"

"You can't do that! That's not very nice. If you're going to go out with her you need to tell her you like her!"

"Ok ok! I will. Just... after this date."

"Ok. But if you don't tell her..."

"I will Mom."

There was a knock at the front door and I jolted. I ran back to the stairs to make it look like I was just coming down before DJ walked in and called, "It's always open!"

Lola walked through the door and saw me standing at the base of the stairs. She could clearly see that something had happened. She raised her eyebrows at me and I motioned for her to come upstairs. DJ said hi to her and she quickly said hi back before coming straight over to me. "What happened?!" she whispered.

"I'll tell you when we get upstairs." We jogged up the stairs and into my room, shutting the door. I told her what had just happened with every detail included and her eyes got wider by the second until I thought they might come out of her head.

"Jackson likes you?!" she exclaimed.

"Shhh," I said urgently.

"Oh... I mean, Jackson likes you?" she whispered. I nodded.

"I guess so. Unless he was lying to DJ so she wouldn't know his real plan. But there's only one way to find out. I'm going on this date Lola."

She sighed and nodded. "I think you should now. There's no other way to find out if he really likes you. You said he told DJ he'd tell you after the date?"

"Yep. I've just gotta wait." She nodded. We talked for awhile longer before she had to go home. Somehow I'd have to act natural around Jackson until I found out the truth... and I hoped the truth was that he did like me and he wasn't lying when he said it to DJ because if I got my hopes up and he was lying, it would hurt more than it probably should.