Jack stood at her full-length mirror, a satisfied grin reaching the corners of her mouth. ‘The perfect outfit,’ she thought to herself. It was made of a pair of tight black leather pants, a white baby tee with the words “Super Flirt” written in rhinestones, and a pair of three-inch high black stiletto heels, ones that she had borrowed from Nadia a while ago, but always seemed to forget she had. Her 5’9” body extended to almost six feet as she walked away towards the door.
The place Danny and Darren had decided on for dinner was a small restaurant on Fisherman’s Warf called Romana. Jack said that she’d meet them out there after finishing her practice session on her skateboard. Now, finally dressed and ready, she left the apartment and climbed into a cab. It only took a few minutes to get there, but she wasn’t about to risk a fall on her roller blades in that kind of an outfit. She paid the driver and got out of the cab to explore. She found the restaurant and waited outside for Darren and Danny.
Just as Jack turned around, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her face and cover her eyes. “Guess who?” a man questioned.
“Danny, I know it’s you,” Jack replied as she pried his hands off her face.
“You’re early,” he said.
“Well, so are you,” she retorted, looking at her watch. “It’s 6:45. Where’s Darren?”
“I don’t know! I don’t keep tabs on the guy. But I have a pretty good idea about where he is… in front of a mirror trying to get his hair just perfect.”
Jack laughed, “How vain!”
“Hey, Dan,” came a high pitched male voice from behind them. The grins on both their faces disappeared.
‘Please tell me he didn’t hear that,’ Jack silently prayed as she and Dan turned around. Standing in front of Jack was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He had clear, sapphire blue eyes, dark, almost black short hair spiked the way she loved, and an wonderfully chiseled body. She stood, her mouth gaping open as the men greeted each other.
“So, is this your new girlfriend?” Darren asked when he saw Jack standing alone waiting to be introduced. The expression on her face had changed to one of disgust.
“Oh, please tell me that was a joke,” she blurted.
“You’re not his new girlfriend?” he sincerely questioned. “Then who are you?”
“I’m his cousin, you half wit,” Jack angrily answered.
“You’re Dan’s cousin?” Darren nearly shouted. “You’re Jack?”
“Uh, yeah,” she replied, her extreme sports attitude shining through.
“But he said Jack, and I though you were a guy,” Darren tried to explain.
“Okay, why is it that men automatically assume that a name like Jack can’t be a girl’s name?” she retorted.
“Whoa! Before you guys blow things way out of the water,” Dan interrupted. “No fighting, please. We came to relax, and that’s my intent tonight, so simmer down and act like friends. I’m not saying you have to be friends. I’m just saying you need to act more like mature adults than children.”
Jack and Darren exchanged smirks and headed into the restaurant on opposite sides of Dan. They sat as far away from each other as possible when they reached their table. All three sat in dead silence, boring each other with their arrogance.
Dan finally spoke up. “So, Jack, what do you do at your competitions exactly?”
“Well, I blade, board, and bike. I’ve made it really far for being a girl. I won SMP Four last year, and I’m up for SMF Five this year. The X-Games are going to be my crowning moment next weekend. That’s why I want you to come and watch. I want you to see once and for all that girls can kick ass at anything they set their minds to,” Jack explained as she slumped back into her comfortable chair. “I’ve entered in the skateboarding competition, the roller blading competition, the BMX competition, and the motorcycle competition.”
“Answer me one question,” Dan said. “When do you find the time to practice all this stuff and still go to Stanford to study nuclear physics?”
“I thought I already made that clear in grade school,” she replied. “I passed up two grades and graduated two years after you. That’s why I took those two years off to travel around the world and explore. I went back to school at 18 and ended up taking some of the same stuff again, which is why it’s taking me six years to get my Master’s.”
“You’re confusing me,” Darren interrupted. “I thought it took eight years to get a Master’s degree.”
“I could have had it in four,” Jack arrogantly replied.
“You don’t have to be so bitchy about it,” he retorted.
“Now you’re calling me a bitch?” she nearly yelled. A few people from the tables around them turned to see what the commotion was about.
“I’m not calling you a bitch,” Darren slowly answered back.
“Look, I know I have an attitude problem. It comes with the territory,” Jack said. “But I don’t need someone who barely knows me to tell me that I am one. The only way anyone can call me a bitch is if they’ve known me for a long time.”
“I’m sorry!” he loudly replied. He turned to Dan and asked, “Is she always like this?”
“Shut up,” Dan mouthed.
‘Uh-oh,’ Darren thought to himself. He knew he was in for another assault from Jack.
“And now you’re talking as if I wasn’t even here!” Jack shouted. “That’s it! I’ve had it up to here with you!” she added, holding her hand up to her chin. “I’m leaving!” She stood up and stomped away from the table towards the door.
“Damn,” Darren nearly whispered. “I really screwed up this time.”
“Well, no shit!” Dan angrily replied as he stood up and chased after Jack. Darren sat alone at the table cradling his drink as he gulped it down. He pulled a $20 out of his pocket and left it on the table to pay for the drinks. It was hit turn to walk out of the restaurant and find Dan and Jack.
On the pier, Jack was sitting on one of the benches looking out towards Alcatraz. She didn’t hear Dan walk up behind her and was startled when he plopped down beside her panting. She stared at him for a couple of moments then turned her gaze back to the ocean.
“In Australia, you would get the same view, just the opposite direction. And the climate would be much warmer,” Dan said.
“We’re not in Australia anymore,” Jack retorted.
“Jackie, I know you’re upset,” he began.
“Of course I’m upset!” she yelled into his face. “For the last six years I have been trying not to fight with people about my attitude, and now you have to introduce me to that stuck up little prick and everything comes rushing back.”
“Jack, I’m sorry,” Dan sincerely replied as he wrapped his arm around her. “I didn’t know tonight would end up this way.”
“This is exactly what happened before I had that fallout with my dad. He never liked the fact that I was getting so involved with extreme sports and how my whole attitude was changing. He absolutely hated the fact that I was going to America to go to school. He never wanted me to do anything extreme, but I defied every single rule he set for me. I thought once I arrived here, he’d learn to accept it, but you know what? Things got worse. We argued over the phone for hours not even bothering to listen to each other, and then the accident happened. He had to go and get himself killed all because of my stubbornness and unwillingness to be civil. Ever since then I have been haunted by all those horrible memories and not being able to say I was sorry just made my life a living nightmare. That’s why I lashed out tonight. I didn’t want to, but that’s what my mind was telling me. Let it out on all those you don’t know and don’t get to close to anyone who suddenly enters your life,” she explained, ready to break down into tears. Dan held her tighter.
“Jackie, Jackie, Jackie,” he whispered into her ear. “What am I going to do with you?”
A small smile crept onto her face at his attempt at a joke. “Thanks,” she softly replied.
As Dan and Jack were sharing an intimate moment, Darren walked up. Dan was the first to notice him. He let go of Jack and walked over to him.
“Go home, Darren,” Dan said.
“But I want to…” Darren began.
“Not now,” Dan interrupted. “Maybe tomorrow.”
Darren nodded and turned to walk away. Dan returned to Jack’s side and sat down. “You wanna grab a bite to eat?” he asked. Jack nodded. They stood up and walked down the pier.