The moment Carolina immediately found Jackson, she shoved him against the lockers, to his and Jay's surprise. "Were the hell were you yesterday?!" She snapped.

Jackson looked over as Jay, as if asking him if he can believe what he's seeing and Jay simply shrugs and takes a step back. "What is your problem?" Jackson asked as he stood up straighter.

"My problem?" Carolina repeated. She looked around and saw people were watching and quickly snatched his wrist, dragging him to a much more secluded hallway. "My problem is that winter formal is this weekend, I'm campaigning as queen, and I️ don't give a shit if you're not running for king but I'll be damned if I️ show up and you're not my date!" She scolds.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "And how is this my problem?" He seethes.

Carolina takes a step back and scoffs at him. "Don't fucking test me cause I️ will ruin you just like I️ did Aaliyah."

"Are you proud of that?" Jackson scoffs. "How can you live with yourself-"

"Oh my god," she throws her head back and groans. "Again? You should know by now that I️. Don't. Care." She tells him. "Now here's what you're gonna do," she points at him. "You're gonna publicly ask me to winter formal. And I️ mean in a big way. I️ want flowers, a bear, balloons, all of that. You got it?" She demands.

"I️ don't like you!" Jackson yells.

"I️ don't care!" Carolina yells back. "You got two days," she points before walking away from him. He lets out an exasperated sigh as his head hit the locker behind him. Damn it...

"Jack?" I️ hear somebody call. I️ open my eye and see Aaliyah look up at me with a concerned look on her face. "You okay?" She asks.

I️ stand up straight and face her, running a hand through my hair as I️ leaned against the lockers again. "Yeah, I'm great. You okay?" I️ ask her. Aaliyah shrugs before looking away. "What's wrong?" I️ ask.

"Nothing it's just...it still feels like everyone's judging me. They stare at me and laugh sometimes," she admits, getting closer, seeking comfort. He too, also gets closer. "I️ know it's probably silly but I️ literally have anxiety about the whole thing," she tells him.

"It's not silly," he says. "It's understandable. You're privacy was violated," he reaches out and soothingly touches her cheek. "I️ can't undo the leak but I️ could always beat your ex up," he offers, making her giggle a bit.

"You have a football scholarship," she reminds him. "You shouldn't blow it over something so stupid," she advised. Soon the bell rang and he lets his hand drop from her face. "Hey um, we need to talk after school," she tells him. "You available?"

Jackson nods his head. "Sure," he tells her. "I'll see you later," he says. Aaliyah waves him off before going to class. Jackson lets out a sigh once more, frustrated over the ultimatum Carolina gave him. Yeah, they really did need to talk after school.

Jackson walked to class and found Jay sitting in his usual seat, scrolling on his phone. Jay's been quieter than usual, which unsettled Jackson, who was used to his friend smiling and cracking jokes. "Hey Jay," Jackson greeted as he sat down next to him.

"What did Carolina want?" Jay asked as he scrolled through his phone, occasionally double tapping. Must've been on Instagram.

Jackson rolled his eyes at the mention of her name. "She just wants me to take her to winter formal," he tells her. Jay stops his scrolling and looks up at Jackson with an upset look on his face. "What?"

"Nothing," Jay shrugged off. "I️ just, wouldn't go with her if I️ were you," He said. "She's bad news."

"You're telling me," Jackson chuckles. But wait, usually Jay was fawning over Carolina. What changed?

Before he could ask, the teacher walked in the room with coffee in hand. "I️ got my morning cup of Joe, now we can begin," He jokes, making half the class weakly laugh. This was gonna be a long day.

                                       * * * *

Aaliyah met Jackson outside his house after school. "You know, I️ could've just driven us," he said as he got out of the car to meet her at the door.

"Us being seen together right now is just...not what's best at the moment," Aaliyah says as he approaches her. He opens the door and lets her in.

"How come?" He questions her reasoning.

Aaliyah puts her bag down next to the couch and flops down. "Because! So many eyes are on me right now, I️ broke up with Elijah, I'm not talking to Carolina even though I️ know the video isn't her fault..."

Oh it is, he thought to himself. If only you knew.

"And there's a sex tape out there of me. And being seen with a guy is just not what I️ need right now," she explains as he sits down next to her. "It's doesn't change what I️ feel about you. And I'm definitely not trying to hide you. I️ just, can't take anymore criticism," she tells him. "People already thought we had something before and if we're seen hanging out, no doubt my ex is just gonna try to make up some awful rumor about me cheating," she sighs. "I️ just can't wait for this year to end," she lays her head on his shoulder.

"I️ have something I️ need to tell you..." he speaks up, feeling the immense pressure Carolina has placed upon him. "And, I️ just want you to know, we planned this way before...yesterday happened," he tells her.

Aaliyah lifts her head up to face him. "What?"

"I'm taking Carolina to winter formal," he admits.

Aaliyah's jaw dropped at the news. "You...huh?" She stammered, pulling away from him now. "What?!"

"Don't be upset-"

"Don't be upset?!" She screeches. "We said "I️ love you" yesterday. We kissed. Did that mean nothing to you?" She scoffed.

"No! I️ mean, yes! I️ mean, it's not a big deal. No! Listen," He stammers. "I️ have to go with her. I️ promised her like way back in December."

Aaliyah angrily crossed her arms. "I️-I️ know. She told me but I️ just thought..."

"That we were gonna go together," he finishes for her. "I️ would love to go with you, I️ do! But I️ promised her. This was way before-"

"I️ love you?" She adds. He sadly nods his head. "Can't you talk to her? Or maybe I'll talk to her? She's my best friend, I️ could-"

Alarm ran through Jackson as soon as she said that. "No! No...I️ mean, I️ don't wanna seem...ungentlemanly-like?" He tries, making her look at him weirdly. "It's just a dance Aaliyah, okay? Me going with Carolina doesn't change how I️ feel about you," he reassures. "I've been about you for...months," he tells her, making her smile a bit. "One night isn't gonna mess that up."

Aaliyah nodded at his words. "Okay...I️ guess," she frowned still. "I️ mean, I️ didn't want to go anyways," she mumbled.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Too many eyes on me. It'd make me feel uncomfortable," she excused.

"I'm gonna make it up to you," he tells her. "Anything you want, just say the word," he offers.

Aaliyah looked up at him. "For now...we could just watch Coco together," she suggests.

Jackson leans in and presses a kiss on her cheek. "I got you baby. Just sit back and relax," he says as he grabs the remote. Aaliyah sits down, mind still racing and heart feeling heavy. She didn't like this one bit. But what could she do?
______________________________

Okay so, I️ was really really reallyyyyy thinking about some bonus content. Only cause y'all been the best to meeeeee. And um, yeah Imma let y'all decide.

So here are y'all's choices:

1.) A prequel.

2.) A sequel.

3.) A story for 1920's & 1940's. Cause if you haven't noticed, I️ ain't do them. But I️ got some ideas.

(Again) 1920's : He's apart of an Italian mafia in New Orleans, and she's a jazz singer. (Very a Bronx Tale if u will)

- But If I️ do this...I'm not explaining how they get stuck together lol.

1940's: She's a black nurse for WWII. He's a soldier for WWII. They meet in France, fall in love, but what happens when it turns out he's a Nazi?

So y'all vote and let me know which one sounds more interesting. If y'all don't like any of them, let me know and I'll just end the book as is :)

ALSO: I️ am NOT writing the endings to anyone's story. Not Grace/Danny's, Kathy/Theo, Jess/Nate, Maya/Nick, Eve/Zach, NOBODY. Pls use ur imaginations, it's much more fun that way. If you wanna think Maya and Nick found a way back to each other, than cool. If you wanna think Nate died in Vietnam, that's fine. If youuuuu wanna think Eve got resuscitated at the hospital after being shot than GO AHEAD. But I️ am NOT "finishing" them. They're already finished.

Thank you and goodnight :)))