Episode Thirty

Grant Lodge

It was almost 2 in the morning, and almost everyone had left. Only Jamie, Aaron, Summer, Maria, Diego, and Matt remained. And the 6 of them were gathered in a circle in the main room of the lodge, playing of all things, Truth or Dare.

"Summer, truth or dare," Matt asked.

"Dare." Summer paused. 'I'm gonna regret that, aren't I?"

Matt grinned evilly. "Oh yeah."

"So what do I have to do, Matt?"

"Go outside, and do a running cannonball into the lake. Right now."

"It's 2am!" Summer protested.

"Which is why you have to be dared to do it!" Matt replied.

Jamie laughed and leaned over to whisper in Summer's ear. "I'll be waiting with warm fluffy towels when you climb out."

Summer turned gave Jamie a quick kiss then jumped up. "Let's get this over with."

She and Matt ran outside, and everyone but Jamie gathered at the windows to watch, thankful for the floodlights that lit the dock and water. Jamie, meanwhile, went to the heated linen closet and pulled out 3 big towels. He shook his head as he joined the others. "Aaron, do you realize how wasteful of energy a heated linen closet is?"

"Not like we can't pay the electric bill," Aaron replied. "She keeps chickening out."

"Would you do it?' Jamie said. "And as someone who's lived without electricity because of not having the money, I notice wastes and stuff."

This actually shut Aaron up. "You actually had your electricity cut off?"

"A couple od times. A cop's slary isn't that much, and after my mom... I needed a whole hell of a lot of expensive conselling," Jamie replied, his eyes focused on Summer as she tried again to make the jump. "We just didn't have enough money to pay the bills sometimes."

On The Dock

"Chicken!" Matt called from the end of the dock as Summer got ready to try and make the run again.

Summer narrowed her eyes and took off as fast as she could. And when he reached Matt she pulled him in with her. She didn't do a canonball, but they sure made a hell of a splash.

Grant Lodge

Richard and Hannah stood on the upper balcony, watching Summer make the jump. "Should we stop them?" Richard asked.

"Nah, let 'em have fun," Hannah replied. "Remember in high school the parties you and Annie would throw up here?"

"Yeah, we never just invited the rich snobs," Richard said. "I'm really glad Aaron invited everyone this year."

"Probably made it easier for Jamie."

"Yeah, which is why I'm glad. He's trying to push his pain down and that doesn't work to well."

"How do you know?"

"I can see it. When he doesn't think anyone's looking he looks kinda lost, and... and I don't think he's drawn anything since Mike died. You've seen that mural on the side of the Montoya Bodega, haven't you?"

"Yeah, it's beautiful," Hannah replied. "Are you saying...?"

"Jamie painted it. But he isn't even sketching anymore."

Toria's Penthouse

Toria yawned and rubbed her eyes, not looking up from the photos scattered across her bed. She had left the party soon after getting Summer and Jamie to agree to be two of her models, and now she was exhausted, but determined to find one other person for her line. As it was she'd broken down and decided on two professionals earlier in the night. If nothing else she'd go find someone else from Jamie and Summer's group, but she'd prefer a bit of a variety.

As she looked through the photos, she found a head shot and a body shot of a young woman in NYC who looked perfect. Toria read over the application that had been forwarded to her, and smiled. The girl had actually been to Heaven Falls, and knew people here. "She'll do," Toria said. She grabbed her notepad and under Jamie and Summer's names he added 'Nicole Howards - NYC'.

Grant Lodge

"Okay, Jamie, truth or dare?" Maria asked.

Jamie learned back. "With you asking I'm screwed either way," he said. "Dare."

"Skinny dip in the lake."

"No way!" Jamie said. "I am NOT skinny dipping!"

"Why not?"

"It's illegal?"

"We own this part of the lake, Jamie," Aaron said. "You won't get arrested.

"I don't care! I'm not skinny dipping!"

"Then you have to answer the truth I give you," Maria said.

"Fine, I'll answer."

Maria grinned and leaned forward. "Are you still a virgin?"

"Maria!" Aaron said.

"You're gonna pay for this, Maria Montoya," Jamie said. "No. Okay? I'm not."

"Who?" Maria asked.

"I all ready answered the question. My turn to drive someone crazy,' Jamie said, he looked around the circle, the focused on Diego. "Diego, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Diego replied. "Knowing you, you'd pass on Maria's dare to me, so..."

"No, I have absolutely no desire to see you skinny dip," Jamie said with a mock shudder. "All right, Why the hell don't you have a girlfriend?"

The entire group started laughing at the question, and it took a minute for them to finally calm down.

"the reason's really simple," Diego said.

"And the reason is?"

"I'd rather have a boyfriend."

"Huh?" Maria asked.

"Oh my God," Summer said, her eyes wide with surprise. "You mean you're..."

"Yeah," Diego said. "Gay as the lake is cold."

Everyone tried not to, but they found themselves laughing at the comment.

"Mama's gonna flip," Maria said through her laughter.

"Hence the reason I haven't said anything before," Diego said. "Good, Catholic, Latino boys aren't gay. Which means none of you can say anything. Not until I tell Mama."

"Secret's safe with me," Jamie said as everyone else nodded.

"I don't wanna be the one who breaks Mama's heart," Maria said jokingly.

"Hey, not like I've got a problem with it," Summer agreed. "I had a friend in NYC who was gay. He had better taste in clothes than either me or Nicole."

"Don't look at Diego for fashion advice, you say that ugly tie he wore to the Valentine's dance!" Maria said.

The Brady Residence

At 3am, Jamie and Summer sat in Jamie's truck and watched as Matt walked towards the door, then they kissed gently.

"I wish your mom would have let you guys stay up at the lodge for the night," Jamie said.

"It would have been fun," Summer replied. "Maybe I could have gotten some dirt on your childhood from Maria," she added.

Jamie snorted. "I was pretty much the perfect kid, Summer. Maria's the one who dumped green jello down my shirt, and threw mudballs at me."

Summer tried not to, but she had to giggle at the idea. "That's horrible!"

"That's Maria!" Jamie replied. "The day my mom died I told her I'd never be friends with Maria again, it was after the green jello incident. My mom said she was sure we'd be friends again real soon. She was. I barely remember what hapened the first few weeks, but I know at the funeral Maria was there and she hugged me and said she was sorry for the jello."

Summer was quite for a minute. "You've never really talked to me about your mom," she finally said softly.

"It still hurts," Jamie admitted. "I didn't really get to say goodbye, she was just... gone. I had to have a lot of counselling afterwards. I don't even know how my dad paid for it because I know it was expensive."

"Maybe your mother's mother paid for it?"

Jamie shook his head. "To this day, Gramma Isa doesn't know I need counselling. It couldn't have been her or Uncle Gee."

"Then maybe Mr. Grant?"

"I can't picture my dad asking him for money."

"Jamie, I only met your dad like twice, but I think for you he would have done it," Summer said.

"Maybe." Jamie was quiet for a minute before smiling. "You know, you lok beautiful even sopping wet."

Summer laughed. "I wasn't just wet, I was shivering!"

"You were still beautiful!"

"Only you would say something that corny."

"Probably."

"So, do you mind if I lie when Matt asks if I was the one who helepd you lose your viginity? I don't think we wanna deal with him finding out I'm having sex again."

"So you did sleep with Pete."

Summer bit her lip. "Once, then he started demanding it and acting pyscho. Trust me, I regret it."

"It's okay," Jamie said, squeezing her hand. "And go ahead and say it wasn't you. If we wanna be super technical, even if it didn't count, you didn't, so it's not entirely a lie."

"Okay. You're sure you don't mind?"

"I'm sure," Jamie said. "Love you."

"Love you more," Summer said. Then, in a mocking tone of voice she added: "Impossible."

Jamie laughed and tickled Summer's side. "Brat!"

"I couldn't resist!" Summer replied. She leaned in and kissed Jamie deeply. "No way could you love me more than I love you, though, Jamie."

"Thank you," Jamie said. "If I ever fall asleep tonight, I'll be having very nice dreams of you," he added with a raised eyebrow.

Summer laughed and pulled back, lightly slapping his shoulder. "I'll see you later, James."

"I love it when you say my name."

Summer got out of the truck and ran up the walk, turning at the door to blow Jamie a kiss, then ran inside.

"Have fun?" Janice asked as Summer entered.

"Tons," Summer replied.

"Why are you so wet? You should have stopped swimming hours ago!"

"Blame Matt, he dared me to cannon ball into the lake at 2am," SUmmer said.

"Matthew!" Janice yelled.

"Hey," Matt said from the secodn story landing. "She got her revenge all ready, mom. She pulled me in with her."

Summer grinned. "You deserved it, Matthew!" she called up to him.

Janice couldn't help chuckling. "I'm glad you had fun," she said, though her voice seemed slightly tense.

"Is everything okay, mom?" Summer asked.

"Pete called."

"Oh no."

"He said something about Jamie."

"What?"

"He said Jamie was sleeping around with a man."

"Well that's not true," Summer said, all her happiness leaching away. "He isn't."

"Summer, how do you know?"

"Because I know Jamie! First, he's straight, mom! Second, he wouldn't do that since..." Summer stopped, catching herself before she blurted out that Jamie had been raped.

"Since what?" Janice asked.

"Since he loves me."

"Pete said he loved you."

"Yeah, then Pete treated me like crap.He would hsve laughed about me freezing after jumping into the lake. Jamie was waiting with some big warm towels that he wrapped around my head and shoulders, and he had me sit on a towel so he could wrap it around my legs. Jamie loves me, Mom. really loves me. He wouldn't try to pressure me into anything like Pete did."

"I just don't want you making the same mistakes."

"I won't. I won't make any mistakes," Summer promised. "I'm gonna go ahead upstairs and go to bed, okay?" she said, and when Janice nodded she ran upstairs.

After changing into a pair of light blue pajama shorts and a white tank top, she grabbed her journal and quickly wrote an entry.

Despite the stupidity of it, I don't regret tonight. it wasn't a mistake, it was perfect.

Then, she shut the book, put it back in her nightstand, and turned off her lamp.

The Grant Lodge

Aaron and Diego were in the kitchen making a 3am snack for when Jamie got back. The weren't talking, and the silence was getting to both of them.

"I'm not going to hit on you," Diego finally blurted out.

"What?" Aaron asked.

"Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm going to hit on you if you talk to me."

"That's not why I'm being quiet."

"More like silent," Diego corrected. "And if not, then why?"

"Because you have more guts than me."

Diego was quiet for a minute, digesting the sentence. "Are you saying your...?"

"Bi," Aaron replied. "My mother would kill me, though. She thinks Maria is inapropiate, a guy would send her through the roof."

"Maria would probably be glad to let you pretend to date a guy just to freak out your mother!" Diego said.

"Hey, I could date you," Aaron said.

"That would be a double whammy. Not only the wrong social class, but a GUY too!" Diego said laughing.

"Yeah. It isn't such a bad idea, is it?" Aaron asked. "You and I pretend to date, and my mother will realize a wrong social class girlfriend is better than a wrong social class boyfriend, and accept Maria."

"Yeah," Diego agreed. "You get to suggest it to Maria, though. Because at first she may go ballistic."

"I can handle her."

"So you think," Diego said laughing. "Wait until Jamie gets back. He's even better than me at getting her out of her rages. Probably because she still feels guilty for putting green jello down his shirt the day his mom died."

"She did what?"

"It was before Elizabeth died, after Maria felt so bad... she stopped doing mean things to Jamie after that. And suddenly he was the person other than mama who could calm down her rages because she can't stand the thought of accidently hurting or upsetting him."

"I gotta remember that when I piss off Maria... get Jamie to be in the room so she doesn't kill me."

Diego laughed, then grinned as he heard Jamie return. "You ready to suggest the plan? Only Maria and Jamie will know the truth."

"As ready as I'll ever be."

End Of Episode Thirty