Lie detector

Jason was listening in silence as Jenny was telling him about the secrets she had been keeping from him. Though he already knew about what was to come, it still bothered him. So, he was bracing himself. Especially after hearing the secret that he did not know about yet, but that would have to wait for now.

"That day when I was late for lunch, it wasn't for whatever reason she told you. It was because I wanted to confront him in private and put this matter to bed. So, I took him to the roof and I asked him flat out whether he had feelings for me that go beyond friendship. And..." Jenny took a deep breath before she continued. "And...he said that he did." Jenny looked up to see how Jason was taking this news and seeing that all she saw was a glint of anger and no surprise, she concluded that this was the secret that he had been aware of. She didn't exactly know how, but this wouldn't have been his reaction if this was the first time he had heard about it. In that regard it was impressive that he had managed to keep his composure for so long. But this was no time to be impressed.

"I of course rejected him and asked him how he could let his feelings continue to exist knowing that I was already engaged to you, but he said that he found out about us only after he had developed feelings. He said that he didn't expect anything from me and simply wanted to continue to be my friend. But since I thought that was unfair to you, I said no to that as well. I wanted to break any connection I had to him. At least those that I could break. And at first I did..." Jason's level of annoyance was tremendous as he had to say the same words at the same part of the story again. So, through his teeth he said, "But..."

Jenny looked back at her own hands, where she was nervously playing with her nails as she continued telling Jason about that day on the roof. "But, I started feeling bad for him. No matter what, he and I were friends and he was my first friend that I didn't gain through you. He hadn't done anything wrong other than falling for someone who was already taken. That is hardly his fault and I had already rejected him and his friendship. Under the same conditions as I had once given to Liz. So, when he pleaded for me to at least not give up the class representative duties and give him a chance to prove himself or to adhere to the conditions that I set, I faltered and gave in to his request."

Jenny finally looked properly into Jason's eyes as she apologized. "Jace, I am so sorry for keeping this from you. I know I should have told you about what took place on the roof, but I just didn't know how to. I thought you wouldn't agree with me continuing to be in the same class as him, much less be the class representative with him. So, I kept it to myself until I knew how tot tell you." Looking into Jason's clear blue eyes, she felt like they were a lie detector. That with the smallest change he could tell whether she was telling the truth or if she was keeping things behind. So, she cleared her throat and added. "Well to be perfectly honest, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. If he got over me, if he could find someone else to love, then I hoped that I could pretend that the conversation of the rooftop had never taken place and that I could continue to be friends with him without increasing the tension between you and him. But I guess that was naive on my part."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, that is all."

Jason let out a deep breath as he tried to let go of the anger that had built up during the time that he was listening Jenny talk about Max and what had happened between them. Though his anger caused him to lose focus every now and then during the story as his imagination took him to much darker places, due to the parts that he had heard and the fact that it matched with what Elizabeth had told him, he knew at least that Jenny had told him everything. Including things he didn't really want to hear. He knew that it wasn't her fault that Max liked her and under the circumstances and with her personality she had dealt with the situation appropriately. So, he decided to not take it out and instead try to make her feel like she didn't have to hide things like this from him. Something he hadn't always done in the past. He pulled her close and pushed her hair behind her ears as he looked at the nervous kitten who was waiting for his reply.

"Look, believe it or not. I get why you kept this from me. Though I don't like that you did and hope you never will, I suppose my track record of responding to other men in your live doesn't exactly create a safe place for you to tell me about these things. Let alone men that have admitted feelings for you and that you spend five out of seven days of the week with. AND I am glad that you rejected him as well as his supposed 'friendship'. I know you aren't the kind of person that can walk away in the middle of something, so the fact that you were willing to quit the class representatives job for me means a lot. It would have been even better if you hadn't taken that step back, but I have long known that you are too kind for your own good. Hopefully that guy knows his place and the year will pass by quickly, so we can leave that guy behind us as the last connection you guys have will be broken when we graduate."

"Well, not necessarily..."