#jamoma

Ramona helped Jackson get his first girlfriend when they were thirteen. When she and her mom moved in with the Fullers she didn’t know the first friend she made at her new school would end up being Jackson’s girlfriend. She became friends with Lola after Jackson tried to help her escape the school she had hated so much. So, in a way, Jackson helped Romina make her first friend and then she helped her first friend become his first girlfriend. It worked out.

Lola had been Jackson’s first kiss and first girlfriend, but not his first love. Ramona remembered the months Jackson wandered around the Fuller house like a lovesick puppy though.

“Would you stop circling the room? You’re making me dizzy,” Ramona asked annoyed, glancing up from her phone. Jackson had been walking around her for what felt like an hour.

“Sorry,” he said genuinely. He plopped down on the couch beside her and hugged a pillow to his chest. “I just can’t stop thinking about Lola.”

“You’re always thinking about Lola. You’ve been dating for weeks now and she still occupies your every thought. It’s getting annoying,” Ramona told him.

“It’s not my fault she’s an angel,” Jackson said dreamily. He glanced at Ramona, “besides, you’re just jealous.”

Ramona scoffed. “You wish.”

Jackson chuckled and shook his head. He sighed, “I think Lola could be the girl I fall in love with and end up with for the rest of my life. She could be the one.”

Lola was not the one.

-

Jackson dumped Lola after six months of dating. It wasn’t a very pretty breakup either. Ramona barely knew it had even happened when it did.

She knew Lola and Jackson had grown apart and he hadn’t talked about her like a lovesick puppy since their fourth month of dating. Jackson came home one night after a date with Lola and went straight to bed. He didn’t say a word to anyone, not even Max, and closed himself in his room. Ramona asked Max about it the next morning but he simply said Jackson was asleep when he got upstairs.

Apparently that was the night they broke up. Jackson seemed off only for that one night. He woke up the next morning as if nothing weird happened. He acted the same as always around his family so Ramona never questioned him.

Ramona was never told they broke up; it was weeks before she even knew. Lola slowly stopped coming over and then after that night Jackson came home, she was never at the Fuller house again. Then, she started ignoring Ramona. They weren’t as close as they used to be to begin with, but they were still friends. The young Gibbler didn’t know why Lola turned in the opposite direction when she saw Ramona in the hallway, or why she wouldn’t answer any of her texts. Ramona became fed up with it quickly and confronted her a few weeks after the breakup she didn’t know about.

“Why are you avoiding me, Lola?” She asked Lola, catching her by the arm as they left their science class.

“I’m not,” Lola said defensively.

“Yes you are,” Ramona said matter-of-factly. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Okay, I am. I’m sorry, Ramona. It’s nothing personal, but wouldn’t it be weird after Jackson and I broke up?” Lola told her.

“I didn’t know you two broke up,” Ramona furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

“Didn’t Jackson tell you?” Lola asked in disbelief. “I assumed he did, considering how much he talks about you. Anyway, I’m sorry but I just think it would be weird if we kept hanging out.”

“Why? It’s not like he’s my brother or anything.”

“Believe me, I don’t see you two as brother and sister. And neither does he,” Lola said under her breath, but loud enough for Ramona to hear. “Just, think about it. I would never be able to go to your house, or see your mom. You live with my ex-boyfriend. Just- let it go, Ramona.”

And with that, Lola walked away. She never talked to Ramona again after that.

-

Both Jackson and Ramona turned fourteen the next year. Ramona was very happy, she was finally growing into her body and looking like a young woman. Her mother was less happy when she spent a week singing “bye bye, flat chest” every morning (not around the boys of course). Who could blame her though? She was the last out of all her friends to hit puberty. Jackson hit puberty too, but Ramona just laughed at all his voice cracks.

Jackson got his second girlfriend that year. This time, she wasn’t one of Ramona’s friends, thankfully. Ramona had enough trouble trying to find another best friend like Lola. She was still the new girl.

It was a year after breaking up with Lola when he started dating Jess. She was the head cheerleader at Van Atta Junior High. She was a pretty blonde with her hair always in a neat ponytail. Ramona never liked her very much. Then again, she had never spoken to Jess before Jackson started dating her. The first time she met her was when Jackson came home one day with her and introduced the blonde as his girlfriend. From that day on, Jess was always around the Fuller house. If Jackson was home, so was Jess.

“I don’t like Jess,” Ramona declared sitting down at the kitchen table after seeing Jackson and the girl curled up on the couch together. She was just trying to watch The Bachelor in peace, without their gross cuddling.

“How come?” Stephanie asked, cleaning up the kitchen from their dinner. “She seems like a perfectly nice girl to me.”

“She’s just always here!” Ramona said exasperated. “It’s like she lives here!”

“She likes spending time with Jackson, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Steph said, washing a plate in the sink. She glanced up at Ramona, slouched in a chair with her arms crossed. “Are you sure you’re not jealous?”

“Of Jackson? Why would I be? I certainly don’t want to date someone as clingy as Jess.”

“I meant, are you jealous of Jess? Because she’s been spending so much time with Jackson,” Steph explained.

“Ew! I’m not jealous of Jess! I’d never date Jackson,” Ramona exclaimed. “Why would you even say that? He’s like- Jackson’s a brother to me!”

Stephanie smiled a little, “Okay, sorry. No need to get defensive. At least now I know you would never think of Jackson as anything other than a brother.”

“I wouldn’t!”

“Alright listen, Ramona,” Steph said wiping her hands on a towel and making her way over to the table. “Why don’t you try talking to Jess? Hang out with her a little, try to get to know her. Do it for Jackson. I’m sure he wouldn’t want his best friend hating his girlfriend.”

Ramona sighed.

“I guess you’re right. I’ll talk to Jess next time she comes over. I don’t want to interrupt their cuddle-fest,” she said, disgusted. “Thanks Steph.”

As Ramona was heading up the stairs, she paused and turned around, facing the single mom.

“Did Jackson tell you I was his best friend?”

“Well, yeah. You guys hang out more than Jackson ever hangs out with his guy friends,” Steph explained shrugging. “When we all first moved in, I thought you two were gonna hate each other forever. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After you two put away your differences, you became closer than anyone I know. Jackson has his other friends, and you have yours, but you two are different. Jackson didn’t even need to tell me you’re his best friend. I kinda already knew.”

It was true. I took them awhile, but after a few months of living together, the two teens quickly learned they could do more damage together rather than alone. Ramona and Jackson became partners in crime and were inseparable. There were days when Ramona would go to the mall with her girls and Jackson would do something reckless with his guy friends, but they were still closer than ever.

Some people at school thought it was weird that they, a boy and a girl living under the same roof, were best friends. After some strange rumors spread, Ramona told Jackson it would be best if they just didn’t hang out at school. So they didn’t. When they were at home however, they were always together.

Ramona smiled at Steph and the retreated up to her room. It was somehow comforting to know Jackson talked about her highly around his Aunt, among others.

She did as Stephanie told her and tried to be nice to Jess and hang out with her. She put on her best smile and tried to ask Jess about her interests and what she liked to do when Jackson and the blonde were doing homework (Ramona knew what actually happened on ‘study dates’ and a part of her just didn’t want that going on downstairs when she herself was doing homework right above them) a few days later. As soon as Jackson left the room to get some food for them, Jess’s sweet smile vanished.

“Alright listen here, Gibbler,” she practically growled at Ramona. “You need to stay away from Jackson. He’s my boyfriend and I’d appreciate it if I was the only girl in his life. So beat it.”

Ramona was so shocked at Jess’s change in personality she didn’t know what to do. She sat frozen on a chair across from the couch until Jackson walked back in with a bowl of popcorn. Jess’s sweet girl act immediately returned when he greeted them. He sat down beside Jess, giving her a peck on the cheek and set the popcorn down. Ramona was still frozen. He glanced at her, worried.

“Hey, Mona, you okay?” He asked. She tried to find something to say but she just sat there with her mouth open.

“Ramona?” Jackson waved a hand in front of her face. Ramona’s eyes darted between Jess and him on the couch. Jess glared at her for a moment and she snapped out of it.

“What? Oh yeah I’m fine,” Ramona jumped up, knocking her book on the ground. “Just um-,” she grabbed her book quickly and her backpack, banging her knees on the table as she clumsily tried to get away, “Ow- uh, I just remembered I have a huge test to study for, so I should leave you two,” she nearly reached the stairs but she missed and banged into the wall because she was still staring at the couple on the couch, “whoops, my bad, yeah, I’m just gonna,” without another glance, back Ramona dashed up the stairs and out of sight.

“That was weird. Ramona is never really liked that,” Ramona heard Jackson say, confused. “Did you say anything to her?”

“No, we we’re just talking. Girl stuff, you know?” Jess said innocently.

If only you knew, Jackson, Ramona thought. She knew something was off with Jess since the start of their relationship. And now she hated the girl her best friend was dating even more.

-

The following year the two started attending Bayview High School. Jackson turned fifteen and had finally gone through puberty; his voice dropped and he never seemed to stop growing. Ramona used to be as tall as where the tips of his ears were, but soon she was barely level with his mouth. He was lanky and awkward, but he was still Jackson.

When he and Ramona started going to high school it seemed like Jackson had a new girlfriend every month. Jess lasted a few months but she broke up with him before the beginning of summer. Jackson never seemed phased by it. Yet again, Ramona didn’t find out they broke up until a few weeks after it happened. When she asked Jackson about it he shrugged and said “It wasn’t a big deal. The breakup was mutual.”

High school was different from junior high. Jackson and Ramona still didn’t hang out in school, so they were left to their respectable friend groups. Ramona didn’t have a problem with that, except it started affecting their lives at home. Jackson was always out with his friends. He never had time to just sit and talk to Ramona anymore. She never knew she could miss someone who lived across the hall from her so much.

In their freshman year, Jackson had two girlfriends. The first was Avery, a girl in Ramona’s art class. She was nicer than Jess, but too quiet. Ramona tried talking to her (a task she forced herself to do every time Jackson got a new girlfriend) but Avery said no more than six words to her. Ramona soon learned that Jackson didn’t date her for her conversationalist skills. She walked in on them making out more times than she would have liked.

Jackson dumped Avery halfway through the school year and then brought home Stacy. She was a sophomore and hated Ramona the minute she met her. After her, Ramona stopped trying to be friends with the girls Jackson dated. It was around the time Jackson was dating Stacy when Ramona stopped trying to be friends with Jackson.

She loved Jackson and he was still her best friend, but Ramona didn’t know if she was his. Any time she would try to hang out with him like they used to, he would make up an excuse not to. Ramona spent months trying to figure out what she did wrong before she nearly gave up on their friendship altogether. She distanced herself from Jackson, stopped talking to him other than when necessary, and she never went in his room to see what he and Max were up to.

Ramona blew up at him weeks after ignoring him. She walked down stairs to find the two of them making out on the couch. That was the last straw. She roughly dropped the text books she was holding on the ground making a large crash. The couple broke apart, and Jackson jumped up.

“Ramona!” Jackson exclaimed, looking sheepish. “We were-,”

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?” Ramona said bitterly. “Pay no attention to me. I’ll just get out of your way.”

“Wait, Mona-,” Ramona didn’t hear Jackson finish his sentence as she stormed into the kitchen.

“Ramona are you alright?” Her mother asked concerned, coming down the stairs. “What happened down here? I thought Jackson and Stacy were studying.”

“Yeah, studying each other’s lips more like,” Ramona said under her breath. She spoke up, grumbling, “Nothing, everything is fine.”

Just then, Jackson entered the kitchen. “Hey, Ramona, are you okay? You seemed kind of upset in there.”

“Oh I’m fine! Great, really!” Ramona said sarcastically.

Sensing the situation, Kimmy said, “I’m gonna let you to figure this out. I’ll be right upstairs.”

Once she was out of view, Jackson spoke again. “What has been with you lately? It’s like you won’t even talk to me.”

“Maybe it’s because you’ve been ignoring! When was the last time we hung out?” Ramona demanded, putting her hands on her hips. “Like genuinely, hung out, just the two of us.”

Jackson opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

“Yeah, exactly,” Ramona spat.

“I’m sorry, it’s just-,”

“Just what? Jackson we used to be best friends! We did everything together. I spent every day with you. Okay, yeah, we both agreed not to hang out at school because people thought it was weird, but you stopped hanging out with me here at home,” Ramona ranted. “You’re always too busy, with your friends, and your girlfriends.”

“Ramona I didn’t-,”

“No, listen to me! If you want to know why I’m not talking to you it’s because I’m done. I’m done trying to hold on to our friendship when clearly you let go months ago,” Ramona finished.

Jackson stood there, not knowing what to say.

“Just go back to your girlfriend,” Ramona said looking at the floor.

“She left.”

“What?” Ramona looked at him again and furrowed her eyebrows.

“Yeah, I saw you were upset and I asked her to go home,” Jackson explained, putting his hands in his pockets. “Then she got mad, and said I cared more about you then her.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her yeah. I do care about you more than her,” Jackson smiled a little. “She’s just some girl. You’re my best friend.”

Now Ramona was left speechless.

“Look, I’m sorry if I’ve been ignoring you. I guess I never realized it. This year has been kinda hard for me,” Jackson admitted. “High school is a lot different. I’m sorry, that’s a bad excuse.”

Jackson left out a chucked and rubbed his forehead. Ramona felt herself smirk a little.

“I guess I haven’t been a very good friend,” Jackson said meeting Ramona’s eyes. “I just figured you’d always be there. I kinda took you for granted I guess. Can you forgive me?” He opened his arms for a hug.

Ramona approached him slowly and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt his arms around her shoulders. It was nice. Ramona had really missed him.

“I’ll always be here,” Ramona said quietly, “even when you act like the worst friend ever.”

“I’m sorry,” Jackson apologized again. Ramona knew he meant it.

Jackson kissed her forehead and they stayed like that for a while. They only broke apart when Kimmy came down to ask if they were okay. For the first time in months, Ramona could honestly say that they were.

-

Jackson considered Stacy walking out as their breakup because she never spoke to him again after that night. Ramona couldn’t have been happier. Jackson, now single, finally started hanging out with her again. They fell back together easily; it was like they had never grown apart. They were inseparable, that is, until Lily entered the picture.

They entered their sophomore year together as best friends, and decided that anyone who thought it was weird they were so close didn’t matter. It was an unspoken rule that they would sit next to each other in any class they had together. The days of them avoiding each other at school were long over.

Ramona still had her group of friends, and Jackson still had his, but he spent much less time with them. They always had time for each other. After their fight Jackson promised Ramona he’d spend every day making it up to her. And he did.

“So are there any guys you like?” Jackson asked out of the blue one day.

They were sitting outside on the grass watching Max play with Cosmo, both out of breath from running around with them. The nine-and-a-half-year-old had more energy than the two of them combined.

“What?” Ramona asked incredulous. “No, why?”

“I don’t know, just asking.”

Ramona eyed him for a moment, and then fixed her view back on Max and the dog. “Are there any girls you like?”

“Um, yeah actually,” Jackson admitted. “You know Lily from our English class?”

“Long, blonde hair? Freckles? Basically flawless in every way?” Ramona joked, “Yeah I know her.”

“I think I’m gonna ask her out.”

Ramona told herself the pang she felt in her chest wasn’t jealousy. It wasn’t. She didn’t like Jackson that way. Why should she care if he got another girlfriend? He promised her they wouldn’t drift apart again. She had nothing to worry about.

“Go for it!” Ramona said faking a grin.

“Really?” Jackson asked her, a small smile appearing on his face too.

“Yeah, definitely. You guys would be cute,” Ramona told him.

“Okay, I’ll ask her out tomorrow.”

If Ramona could rewind the clock and go back to that day she would have never let Jackson ask Lily out. The next day Jackson did, and Lily said yes. The two became the school’s power could and dated all of sophomore year and well into their junior year. They were a cute couple; Ramona just didn’t know why she felt sick every time she saw them together.

-

Ramona was lying on her bed one night when Max walked in her room. Max was almost eleven years old. It seemed like it was yesterday when she moved in with her mom and he was seven. A lot had changed since then.

“Ramona, how come Jackson isn’t home yet?” Max asked wandering through the doorway.

Ramona looked up and smiled at the sleepy boy. It was pretty late, nine o’clock, and Max was probably going to bed.

“He’s out with Lily,” Ramona explained. She patted the space on the bed beside her, gesturing for Max to join her.

Jackson and Lily had been together for over a year. Jackson was now seventeen and very much in love. Except, maybe not. From what Ramona could gather from him, he and Lily had been arguing about their relationship. It was heartbreaking to watch. Jackson would come home looking exhausted, and every time Ramona tried to ask about it, he would just brush it off and say he was fine.

“Are Jackson and Lily in love?” Max asked once he was cuddled next to Ramona on her bed.

Ramona smiled sadly, “Yeah, I think they are.”

“Are you in love with Jackson?” Max blurted.

“What?” Ramona was shocked. “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

Why would Max, an eleven-year-old, think Ramona was in love with Jackson? Max barely knew anything about love to begin with. Besides, Ramona and Jackson were best friends. That was it.

“Well, you look at Jackson the same way Lily does. And you said they were in love,” Max explained.

“No I don’t,” Ramona said defensively.

“Yes you do,” Max said. “You’re just in denial. Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out soon enough.”

That was the end of their conversation because Max yawned and started drifting asleep beside Ramona.

Ramona looked at the boy sleeping beside her and thought about what he said. Did she look at Jackson as more than a friend? She had known him for three years and she never had a big change in how she felt about him. If what Max said was true, had she always felt this way about him? Was Max even right?

Then Ramona started thinking about Jackson. There was no denying he was much more attractive than he was when he was thirteen. He was tall and handsome and dreamy and Ramona loved his gray-blue eyes. Jackson was her best friend. He knew everything about her, probably even things she didn’t know about herself. Jackson was her partner in crime. He was mischievous and clever but he could also be sweet and caring and-

Oh.

Maybe Ramona liked him as more than just her best friend.

Ramona practically jumped off her bed at this realization. What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t like Jackson; she lived with Jackson. Not to mention he was her best friend and that was cause problems. And then there was Lily. Ramona found herself pacing as her mind raced through all the issues this brought.

Max stirred on the bed, probably awoken from Ramona leaping out of bed. He glanced at the clock,

“I was out for fifteen minutes, why couldn’t you let me sleep?” He yawned

“I’m in love with Jackson!” Ramona exclaimed terrified.

“I already knew that,” Max grumbled, getting out of her bed and walking to his own room. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”

What am I gonna do?

-

Jackson got home an hour later. Ramona was lying in bed on her phone, trying to keep her mind off said boy. She heard the front door close and the seventeen-year-old boy climb the stairs. She stayed silent, waiting for him to go into his room, but he didn’t. Ramona watched as her own door handle turned and Jackson poked his head in.

“Hi,” he said quietly.

“Hey, what’s up?” Ramona asked concerned. She didn’t like the look on Jackson’s face; he looked sad and defeated.

Jackson made his way into her room, closing the door quietly so he wouldn’t wake up anyone else in the house. He crossed over to Ramona’s bed and climbed onto it, laying literally on top of Ramona.

“Jackson- I can’t breathe,” Ramona said from under the boy.

“Mm? Oh sorry,” Jackson shifted so one of his arms was around her shoulders and his face was resting in the crook of her neck, but the majority of her body wasn’t crushed.

“Can I ask what this impromptu cuddle session is about?” Ramona said, putting her phone on the table beside her bed. She felt Jackson shrug but he didn’t say anything.

Ramona was sure her heart was pounding in her chest; she just hoped Jackson couldn’t feel it. Her mind was racing with the self-discovery she made only an hour ago. That was an hour ago? Feels like forever, Ramona thought. She was in love with Jackson. The elder boy lying on top of her was not helping.

“Did something happen with you and Lily?” Ramona asked quietly.

Jackson stayed silent.

“Jackson? Come on, you can talk to me.”

It was a few minutes before Jackson finally spoke. When he did he said,

“Just promise you’ll always be around,” Jackson murmured softly. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Ramona didn’t know where this was coming from, or why Jackson was saying these things, but she nodded a little and said,

“I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

-

Jackson and Lily broke up a week after Jackson came into Ramona’s room late at night. Ramona wasn’t as surprised as the rest of the school. Everyone thought Jackson and Lily would be the couple to stay together all throughout high school, and most people were sad to see they broke up. Ramona feigned sadness, but inside a sick part of her was insanely happy.

The only down side was Jackson seemed to never leave her side. He was in some kind of love-deprived funk and no matter how hard she tried, Ramona could not shake him out of it. He followed her around no matter where she went, even if it was just to get some water from the kitchen.

“Okay, Jackson, you’ve been in bed all day, it’s time to get up and doing something,” Ramona said, marching into his and Max’s room.

A groan came from Jackson’s bed, but the lump under the blankets didn’t move.

“Jackson, come on,” Ramona ripped the covers off him. Luckily Jackson was laying on his stomach in a tee shirt and boxes. She may or may not have blushed anyway.

He groaned again, burying his face in a pillow.

“Do I have to pull you out myself?” Jackson didn’t reply, so Ramona took that as a yes. “Fine then.”

Ramona grabbed his ankles and dragged the boy off the end of his bed, taking many blankets along with him.

“Ramona,” Jackson complained rolling over and glaring at the girl.

“You’ve been in bed all weekend, and when you’re not in bed you’re following me around,” Ramona stated. “I’m getting you out of this house even if it kills me.”

Jackson’s only reply was to groan one more time and attempt to bury himself in the blankets on the floor.

“Jackson, Jackson, come on,” Ramona grabbed his wrists and proceeded to pull him upwards. Although trying to get a boy that is a foot taller than her, and weighs a lot more than her, proved to be more of a challenge than Ramona thought. All she managed to do was drag him on the ground a few feet.

“Jackson, get up and get dressed right now,” Ramona commanded. “I want to see you downstairs in twenty minutes.”

She left the room before Jackson could protest any more.

“Did he get up?” Max asked from the kitchen table, once Ramona came down the stairs. He and Tommy were sitting, while DJ and Kimmy prepared their lunch and Steph set the table for everyone.

“Sort of,” Ramona told him.

“If you manage to get my son out of the house, you are a miracle worker,” DJ told Ramona, crossing the room and bringing Max and Tommy lunch. “I’ve tried talking to him all week but he barely listens to me.”

“He’ll get up for Ramona,” Max reassured his mom.

“And how do you know that?” Steph asked, taking a seat beside him.

“I just do,” Max grinned.

Turns out Max was right because Jackson came down the stairs fifteen minutes later, dress and showered. He looked the best he had all week. Ramona thought he looked a little dressed up even, but it was probably her imagination telling her this was going to be a date. It wasn’t. Besides, she wasn’t wearing anything fancy anyway.

“We will be back later,” Ramona said after they ate. She took Jackson by the wrist and dragged him away from the table towards the door.

“Where are you two going again?” Kimmy asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Ramona told them all before opening the door and pulling Jackson out with her.

-

“Your idea of a surprise is getting ice cream and looking out at the San Francisco Bay?” Jackson asked as they sat down on a bench.

“What? This isn’t fun?” Ramona asked. “It was short notice and I didn’t know what would cheer you up! I was desperate, okay?”

Jackson chuckled, “Ramona, it’s great. Thank you.”

It was one of the most fun afternoons Ramona had ever spent with Jackson. He was usually busy with Lily so it was a really nice change to have him all to herself for a day. They talked about everything and nothing and as hard as Ramona tried, she couldn’t stop imagining their day as a date. Jackson even gave her his jacket at one point (he just handed it to her and she slipped it on herself, but it still counted, okay?).

When they got home that night, DJ ducked into the living room to greet them.

“Hey, guys,” she grinned seeing Jackson’s happy face. “Have a good day?”

“Yeah, we actually did,” Jackson replied.

“Okay, well I have to go put Tommy to bed. There are leftovers in the fridge if you guys are hungry. And Jackson, make sure Max is asleep when you go upstairs,” DJ quickly blew a kiss to her son and disappeared through the kitchen door again.

Jackson turned to Ramona, “Thank you, for the amazing day. I guess I needed it, huh?”

“You would still be in bed if it weren’t for me,” Ramona said laughing. Then she remembered she was wearing Jackson’s coat still. “Oh my god, sorry! I forgot I was wearing it.”

She quickly took off the coat and handed it back to him.

“Mona, it’s fine,” Jackson told her. “You look better in it anyway.”

Was Ramona losing her mind or was this flirting? No, of course not. That would be crazy. This was Jackson, he didn’t think of Ramona like that.

Jackson threw the coat on the couch and slowly walked towards the kitchen. Ramona had a question on the tip of her tongue that she had been itching to ask all day. It would seem rude if she asked, but she couldn’t take it any longer. She blurted,

“Why did you and Lily break up?”

Ramona cringed as the words left her mouth. She didn’t meant to be so blunt. Jackson was obviously not expecting that; he turned slowly and faced her again.

“I- uh,” Jackson struggled, searching for the words. “Well, we- um…”

“Jackson, it’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” Ramona said softly as she approached him, meeting him in the middle of the room.

“No, I should. I should probably tell someone,” Jackson agreed.

“Okay.”

Jackson took a deep breath. “Lily thought I was in love with someone else.”

That was the last thing Ramona had expected to hear. She gaped for a beat and then quickly replied,

“And, are you? In love with someone else?”

Jackson nodded.

And there it was, Ramona’s heart breaking again. Jackson dated girl after girl but he never even looked at her like he looked at them. She was stupid to think she had a chance. He was already off looking at someone else. Ramona had never felt so stupid in her entire life.

“Oh,” she said after a while. “Okay.”

She looked to the ground and moved around Jackson, trying to get away before he saw any tears she felt coming.

“Ramona, wait, where are you going?” Jackson watched her as she paused at the door.

“I’m just gonna go to bed, I think,” Ramona said, still facing the door. Why couldn’t he just let her leave? She opened the door, but he stopped her again.

“Ramona, wait!” Jackson called.

“What?” She whipped her head around, tears swimming in her eyes. “Can’t you see I’m already embarrassed? It’s bad enough that I spent the whole day thinking this could have been a date or that you might have liked me back, but instead I find out your already in love with some other girl. So just let me leave.”

Ramona looked at the floor. She didn’t want to see Jackson’s face when he heard the truth. She just confessed her feelings because she was feeling emotional. How worse could this night get?

Jackson gently took her hand and pulled her back to where they were standing before. Ramona didn’t look up. The boy tilted her chin and her brown eyes met his gray-blue ones.

“It’s you.”

The words were soft, and if she were any further from him, Ramona wouldn’t have heard it. In a matter of seconds she felt twenty different emotions before landing on confusion.

“What?” she asked, looking up at him.

Jackson took both her hands and said, “I’ve been in love with you for two years. It might’ve been three but we spent a lot of the first year you lived here becoming friends,” Jackson laughed a little and Ramona found herself smiling.

“I didn’t really figure it out until Jess dumped me the summer before freshman year. She told me she couldn’t date me when I clearly had eyes for someone else. At first I thought she was crazy for thinking I had feelings for you, but then one day that summer I looked at you differently. You weren’t just Ramona, my best friend, the girl who lives across the hallway. You were Ramona, this beautiful girl I was falling in love with.

“I spent the first few months in denial and dated Avery. When we broke up I figured, I can’t just keep looking at you like I was so I dated Stacy. Looking back I couldn’t be more embarrassed by my thinking. I was avoiding dating the best girl I know– stop laughing, I was young and naïve! While I was avoiding dating you, I met Lily. I liked Lily, I really did, but you know what she said to me when we broke up?”

Ramona shook her head. Her eyes were still filled with tears, but theses weren’t sad ones.

“’I can’t keep doing this when I know I’m not the one you’re in love with’,” Jackson said. “That’s when I knew. No matter how hard I try, I suck at not falling in love with you. I’m sorry it took so long for me to figure it out.”

Ramona didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t stop smiling.

“And unless I totally misinterpreted this situation, I’m guessing you like me too?” Jackson joked.

“Shut up.”

Ramona tugged him down by the front of his shirt and crashed her lips onto his. Yes, Jackson had dated lots of girls, but Ramona had her fair share of experiences with boys. None of the kisses she had shared with them felt like this. This was full of excitement, passion, love. When they broke apart, Ramona looked up at Jackson and nothing could wipe the grin off her face. She started giggling and he joined soon after.

“Holy cow!” both teens jumped apart and their heads shot to the top of the staircase.

“Max!” Ramona exclaimed. The eleven-year-old was gaping at them from above the living room.

“You were supposed to be asleep,” Jackson scolded.

“If you don’t tell mom I’m awake, I won’t tell her you and Ramona made out in the living room,” Max bargained.

“Deal. Now get to bed!” Jackson grinned a little.

“Oh and one more thing,” Max said before leaving, “I may be biased, but out of all the girls you’ve dated, Jackson, I think I like Ramona the best.”

As the boy ran back to their room, Jackson smiled.

“Me too.”