"Aren't you guys a little closer than usual?"

Jessie blew a ring of smoke as she dropped the cigarette and stepped on it repeatedly. Archer refused to look at Jessie, only slightly over their unofficial breakup.

"Aren't you smoking a little less than usual?" Luke remarked with a small chuckle. Jessie grit her teeth, "I got caught the other day so I can't just smoke a whole pack anymore."

Her eyes were tired, and her hair a mess. She didn't seem like the Jessie, Archer once knew. She looked comfortable, her fingers didn't twitch anymore. He simply looked at her from the side, not wanting to make direct eye contact.

"Girls who smoke aren't attractive, you're never going to get a boyfriend like that," Luke joked around, cackling softly. Jessie glared at him, her green eyes soft.

"Like I give a damn," she yelled, knowing that she was going after this guy. Was it really that gross for her to smoke? Did he not like it?

"See, I don't smoke and I have a boyfriend," Luke wrapped an arm around Archer's neck. Jessie laughed, "That sounds like an anti smoking- wait what did you say?"

"Boyfriend, Jessie, Jessie, boyfriend," Luke pushed Archer towards Jessie and he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. Jessie stayed silent for a moment, before howling with laughter.

"Archer you dumbass! So you are dating my stalker!"

Jessie didn't contain laughter, and she let it all out. She laughed so hard she started to cry, but those weren't tears because it was funny. She was in tears because it hurt. The guy liked, and the guy who liked her are together, and she's all alone.

Archer started to walk off, getting away from the scene. He didn't see her crying, he simply thought she was just laughing too much. Luke could see her tears and he smiled worriedly. He tilted Jessie's chin up with one finger and stared at her eyes, whispering.

"Do I have to explain everything again? Or would you rather go with what I have planned?"

Jessie punched him in the gut and he stepped back, clutching his stomach. Knowing that Jessie was obviously jealous of Archer, and it was cute to him. Undeniably cute to him.

"Explain everything here at six tonight, got it?" Jessie sniffled, and then slumped against the lampost. Luke grinned, "Got it cowgirl."

Luke ran after Archer, knowing that at six tonight exactly what's going to happen.

***

It was still light outside, but everyone was heading back in. Jessie waited at the lamppost all day, refusing to attend classes or eat. This was her chance or at least somewhat of a chance at telling Luke how she felt.

The rust of the post had hardened after so many years, it scratched her bare back from the shirt she wore. She picked at her fingernails, that is until he covered her eyes from behind.

"There's a snake in my boot!" Luke said in his best Woody accent he could, and Jessie giggled a boyish giggle, that is if boys did giggle. Luke stepped away and then cane towards her, his cheeky grin still on his face.

"All right I'll start explaining-"

"Wait," interrupted Jessie, she stepped forward. "I have something to say."

Luke gestured for her to continue.

"Luke, when I first met you, I thought you were an inconsiderate jerk. And I was right. But you were the only one who noticed the fact that I hated having to fall into the pressire of being the perfect girl and that I just couldn't take it anymore! You pissed me off so many times about how you like both my faces because I thought you were lying, I thought you were going to use like every other jerk out there! And I hate the fact that you can read me like a fucking book, when I am just one of those crappy teen novels at the front of the store! Why did I have to end up liking your grin, your eyes, your jokes, your voice, the way you just can somehow make me feel okay. I just want to feel okay by you," Jessie screamed at him calming towards the end. She took a deep breath, and buried her face in her hands. She had expressed all her anger in one speech of ramblings from all nighters. Her feelings finally spilling from her mouth. She looked up to see a smiling Luke, walking towards her with arms wide open. She jumped into his arms and they embraced, with Jessie holding on to dear life. She wanted this for so long.

"I'm sorry, Jessie. But I can't."

Jessie's world froze, everything was crashing into an iceberg. She looked up.

"W-What do you mean?" she stuttered, shaking at how much she wanted to drop kick him.

"There are some things I have to do first. I can't just ..." he stopped suddenly, as he saw Jessie, her eyes red and puffy from crying. He let go of her, stroking her hair behind her ear.

"I like you too, Jessie. Just not right now, there are other things I need to straighten out. Please, will you wait for me?" he asked, the disease slowly eating Jessie again. His hands were cold, and Jessie smacked them away.

"No! You're just like everyone else! You don't like me, you just want to take advantage of me and then leave me out on the road with no where to go home to! Just shut up!" Jessie yelled at him, sobbing as she did so. She didn't want to cry again.

"You only talked to me for your own benefit. You won't do anything that doesn't benefit you, why do you think girls don't come up to you? Because you use them! I can't believe I didn't see this coming," Jessie reprimanded, and Luke sat down at the nearest picnic table. He twirled one strand of hair before standing up.

"If you really think I do everything for myself, then you don't know me well enough to say you like me."

Luke grabbed Jessie's shoulders and lightly kissed her forehead, "Just wait, cowgirl."

And he knew he had to do it. He had to reject the one girl that had ever liked him in his life, and be the loneliest guy in the world once more.