Changing Of Times [Jet]

[Tamika Dombrovski]

"Tam-Tam!" Shouted Mikhail happily, clapping his hands and grinning.
"Hey kiddo," Tamika replied, smiling as she waved at the webcam, "How are ya?"
Mikhail gave her a peculiar look, unsure of what she was saying. Tamika had forgotten he only spoke Russian, something which upset her a little as she should have known.
"Kak dela?"
"Spasiba, horošo," he returned.
Tamika sighed, he was learning things so quick and she was missing it. For a while she worried that he too was gifted and being quick on the up take was his ability, but it turned out Josie taught him little phrases, "Gde Joselie?" She asked eventually. Mikhail shrugged and ran off. "Nyet! Mikhail, get back here!"
She scowled and reached for her phone in the top desk drawer. As she dialed the number of the family home her grandmother, Agnesa, appeared on the laptop screen.
"Hi gran," Tamika smiled softly.
"Tamika, how nice to see you dear girl," her grandmother replied. "You were looking for your mother, she is at work, but should be home soon."
"Oh, ok. I just had some news for her..."
"News?" Asked Agnesa, a questioning look on her face, "What news?"
Tamika took a deep breath and braced herself, "I am engaged, gran."
Instead of the screaming fit she expected from her grandmother, it was silent except for a short screech of, 'Oh, you stupid girl...'. A main cause of the silence was because the webcam on her gran's side had been turned off.
"DAMMIT!" Tamika shouted repeatedly, throwing the odd swear word into the mix. In an over dramatic teenage way she dropped her head on her hands and stared at the desk below her.
What's Josie gonna react like...?
A lot better than my mother, that's for sure.
Mum, I...
Save it, Tamika. There's only one reason a girl like you gets engaged so quickly, and you don't have to keep the baby. I don't want you to end up like I was.
Tamika sat upright, her eyes like saucers in shock.
Keep the baby? What the HELL makes you think I'm pregnant?
Well, when I was pregnant with you, your father said he'd leave your aunt and marry me for your sake. I assumed that was the case with you,
Stopping dead from breathing, moving and thinking, Tamika let out a sentence with a shaky breath she had been holding. "Feliks was dad?"
Slowly, she closed her laptop and put it in her drawer, all the while saying to herself in an almost silent whisper, "Feliks was dad."
After putting away her things in her dorm room, she began going through the motions of putting on her jacket, grabbing her purse and hunting out her cigarettes. She became greatly thankful that she had waited for her room to be empty before contacting home. In a zombie like state she walked down the hallways and out of the school, ignoring Josie as best she could. Well, except for one thing she needed to know.
Who is Mikhail's dad?
Uh, Feliks Josie replied, almost shocked that Tamika spoke to her.
Dammit Joselie, you're such a homewrecker.
Tamika stopped at the bottom of the main steps, staring out and thinking for a moment. Her father had died with her thinking that he was just a hospitable uncle. She hadn't gone to the funeral because of that. Hell, she hadn't even spoke to him kindly since she moved to Moscow back in 2001. Her family was now oh so simple(-ish) but it was so confusing and upsetting to her. Everything she thought she knew was turned upside down. A bout of emotion overcame her and she began to cry, slowly and silently at first, and then proper flowing. She began a gentle jog across grass towards the gates, gradually picking up a run. For some reason, this always calmed her slightly, unfit or not. As she got into her flow, slightly blinded by her tears, she bumped into something. Flying forward, Tamika screamed, but something grabbed her by the waist, stopping her from falling.

[Jethro Foster]

Jet stood with his arms folded at the gates again trying to think of another verse for the newly composed piece he'd been writing. But he was coming up blank.
It really frustrated him. Everytime he thought of the perfect line it he tried it out and found that it didn't go.
Then the eyes swam before him.
"d**n IT!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" he hunched over and started to pull at his hair in frustration.
"d**n TWILIGHT LIKE EYES!!!!!" he didn't take any notice of the people passing him. They could think him totally nuts for all he cared.
Make up rumors.
He just wanted those eyes that were etched into hi memory out! They were frustrating him to hell.
He was about to leave and go for a walk wehn soemthing crashed into him. No. Not something but someone. He caught her around the waist before she hit the ground and wrecked her pretty face.
Which was tear streamed.
Well, let's see if we can put a smile back on.
He held onto her, "Falling head over heels for me already Tamika?"
He raised an eyebrow as she twisted her head to see who had caught her.
He hid his smile as he saw feeble irritation cross her eyes.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika tried to calm her breathing as she turned to see who had caught her, before hearing the most irritating line at the possible moment.
"Falling head over heels for me already Tamika?"
Her breathing was total killed as she choked out a laugh.
"You should be a comedian, really," she snapped sarcastically.
Standing up straight she looked at Jet again whilst wiping her eyes, "Thank you for that..."
She pushed her hair out of her face and gave a bewildered sigh, "Sorry for, y'know, crashing into and disturbing you..."

[Jethro Foster]

"Aaah don't be," he waved his hand dismiddively at her.
He set her up right a bit more, his hand lingering on her upper on for a second too long.
"What's wrong anyway?" he frowned at her expression. This girl was usually happy and amusing. And occasionally hyper. Someone had replaced her.
He brought her over to abench which was really a fallen over tree that either the Carers didn't want to fix or they just hadn't goteen around to it yet.
"Tamika?"

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika sat down on the fallen tree and buried her face in her hands.
"I'm sick of this, Jet, I'm sick of everything. I can't even say that though because I don't know what the hell is going on around me anymore. I just want to be..."
She paused to search for something to suit. Home? A kid again? Dead?
"...Normal."
Tears began trickling slowly from her eyes, but she didn't care enough anymore to wipe them.
"Why can't things be simple?" She muttered aloud, more rhetorical than an actual question. She curled into a ball and hugged her knee's, barely audibly saying to herself, "Why can't dad be alive?"

[Jethro Foster]

Jet rubbed her back softly before lifting her head up and wiping away the tears.
"Such a beautiful face should never have such sorrow on it," he smiled gently and hugged her. He held her while she cried.
"Tamika, I'm never good at these things, but..if you ever need to talk...y'know," he finished awkwardly.
He stared at her eyes.
Those twilight shade of eyes.
Those mesmersing eyes.
Before he knew what he was doing, it had already been done. His lips lingered on hers for too long. He pulled away and blinked.
"I'm sorry, I didn't.." he looked at her surprise stricken face.
"Idiot. Jet you are such an idiot!!" he muttered angrily to himself.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika gripped Jets shirt softly as she cried. It was surprising her kind of that he was even hugging her when he wasn't exactly social butterfly of the year. She was about to thank him for offering an ear when he pressed his lips to hers.
Her eyes went wide, kind of like a cats before they claw your face, and her instinct made her pull back. She looked up at Jet lost for words.
"I'm sorry, I didn't... Idiot. Jet you are such an idiot!"
She shifted away slightly as he continued to scold himself.
"Jet, I... I like you, kind of in that way and everything, but... I'm meant to be getting married next summer and... Everything's complicated enough without this and... Yeah..." She told him quietly, feeling like the world's worst friend for rejecting him, but the worlds worst fiancee for enjoying the small kiss.

[Jethro Foster]

Jet sighed. He'd made this even harder for her.
Why am I so thick?!
"I know, I'm sorry," but then something she said struck home.
I like you, kind of in that way and everything..
Really?
I like you, kind of in that way....
There was hope yet!
No Jet, she's engaged.
Darn.
"Tamika...you're a good friend to me. I've only ever had two and that's you and Jude..." his face one of pain and restraint. Restraining his emotions..."I do mean it, you know. If you ever need to talk, I'm here,"
He gave a slight smile and looked skywards.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika looked up at Jet and almost starting crying again at his expression. Did he really feel for her that much? She was a horrible little person that seemed to bugger up everything and everyone she encountered. Without thinking, she instinctively reached for her cigarettes and lit one. After a couple of draws she stared at the lit embers, trying her hardest not to press it against her palm. Taking one last draw, she stubbed the last half of the cigarette out on her boot and put it back in the pack.
"Jet..." She began quietly, almost inaudibly before stopping again.
Tamika, don't say it, you'll ruin what you have with Twitch...
As she thought this, her mouth decided to work of it's own accord. "Jet... I dunno if I wanna be a good friend anymore..."
Oh yeah, nice work genius. Why do I bother?
Hesitantly, she looked up at Jet, who was still staring at the sky.
Great, he didn't hear... I'm not letting you say it again, no way, no dice...

[Jethro Foster]

"Jet..." she stopped, was she thinking? then her words spilled out, "Jet... I dunno if I wanna be a good friend anymore..."
What?
Wh... what in the hell did that mean?!
She didn't want to be friends at all or that she wanted to be more than good friends.
It must be the first one. She didn't want to be his friend anymore.
He'd spoiled their friendship.
Nicely done...not!
He could see from his peripheral vision that she had looked up at him hesitantly. Waiting for an answer.
But he didn't know if he could form one or not.
He was frozen. Set in stone. Trying to figure out what she meant.
He released his breath quietly and withour moving his eyes, "You don't want to be my friends anymore?"
His tone was even and controlled which surprised him.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Jet was silent after Tamika spoke. He barely moved a muscle. A good sign? I think not...
Way to go genius. You should have realised he just made a mistake earlier. Probably imagined you were one of the nicer, attractive girls.
As she scolded herself and reach for the cigarettes again she noticed Jets mouth move.
"You don't want to be my friend anymore?" He asked, sounding as if he didn't actually care either way. She was too shocked to speak and all that came out were squeaks or noises that resembled the beginning of sentences.
"Jet, I... Why on earth would I want to give up being friends with you? You're awesome. I meant I want to be... Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, I'll go..."
She rose from her seat on the bench and lit a cigarette, "I... Yeah..."
A slight giggle escaped from her lips as she realised that made no sense, but quickly faded when she realised the seriousness of the situation and remembered she was still meant to be angry at, well, everyone...

[Jethro Foster]

Did she mean too say...no.
She stood up and reached for her ciggarettes again. Then a hysterical gigle excaped from her soft pink lips.
Jet took her hand and made her sit again.
"Tamika...I," he what? Loved her? No. Felt incredably sorry for what he did when she's going through her own crisis? Yes.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he changed his train of thought and the conversation at the same time.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika sat down beside Jet again and reluctantly let go of his hand. She sighed as he asked did she want to talk about it, it being her previous problem. Staring straight ahead of her she took a draw of her cigarette.
"I don't know. I'm scared to talk about it aloud now. It's just going to make me hate myself."
Her eyes weld up and overflowed a little.
Great, waterworks, just what we need.
Her free hand flopped down beside her, accidentally hitting Jets. Pulling it back as if she touched a block of ice she flinched, "Sorry."
When she pulled her hand back up she began pressing her fingertips against the cigarette end, leaving marks that lasted for only a couple of seconds and sighed again.
"Y'know, my problems are probably the last thing we should be talking about now..."

[Jethro Foster]

"Sure, sure," he jumped the tiniest bit as their hands brushed. He wanted to take it and just hold it.
"I understand," and he did, "Do excuse me for a moment,"
He was gone before she took her next blink. He ran all the way to the dormitory, grabbed his guitar and was back beside her before 10 seconds had passed.
"There we go," he smiled as he sat down beside her and started to play a tune he had been stuck on for quite some time.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika furrowed her brow and blinked a lot.
"What the hell happened there?" She asked, a confused look on her face. She looked at him as he sat playing with a smile on his face, a smile which dare say it, she adored. Turning round 90 degrees she pulled her knees up on the tree and sat indian style. Vanity set in a little and she pulled a tissue and small mirror from her pocket to wipe her face.
"So is this one of your compositions?" She asked, continuing to wipe at her eyes.