FROM NOW UNTIL ETERNITY
Chapter Five

Friday night had arrived and Jack stood outside the girl’s locker room waiting for Rose. He nodded at all the basketball players and cheerleaders that passed him by.

"What are you doing here, Dawson?" Jack turned to face Caledon Hockley. The two of them used to be best friends in elementary school, until junior high, when Cal got a big head. They were still civil, but they were no longer friends and ran in a different crowd.

"Waiting for my date." Jack crossed his arms. "You?"

"Same. So, who’s the girl that decided to take pity on you for once? I can’t imagine who it could be."

"Rose DeWitt-Bukater." Jack had to hold back from laughing when he saw how shocked Cal was. "You know her?"

"Dated her once. Too boring for me, so I went for greener pastures." Caledon faked a yawn, just as Suzette appeared.

"Cal, you’re here!" She hugged her date and then glanced at Jack condescendingly. "I suppose you’re Rose’s date. Cute, but definitely not rich."

"But at least he has a personality, which is more than I can say for your date, Suzette." Rose smiled cruelly at the sputtering cheerleader.

"How rude." Cal snorted.

"Cal here is more man than you’ll ever be able to handle, Rose. Watch your back." Suzette glared at Rose. She was now determined to knock Rose off that pedestal of hers, one way or another. Her pet project this weekend was to find out what she could about Rose and use it to humiliate her Monday. After she was done, not even Jack Dawson would want anything to do with Miss DeWitt-Bukater.

"I don’t think that was a wise thing to do." Jack held an arm out to Rose.

"Suzette? She’s more bark than bite. She doesn’t scare me. So, are you ready to go have some fun?"

"Sure." Jack nodded, leading the way to the school gymnasium. Watching Cal and Suzette up ahead, Jack couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get very difficult for Rose, and that Suzette was going to be the main cause of it.

The dance was in full swing when Jack and Rose entered the gymnasium. Jack was surprised to see Moira and Tommy there, dancing up a storm.

"Jackie boy!" Tommy waved and gave the thumbs up sign. Moira just rolled her eyes when saw Rose.

Jack just waved and turned to Rose. "So, where do you want to sit?"

"Anywhere will be fine." Rose shrugged.

"Rose! Rose, over here!" Leanne waved them over to the table she was sitting at with her date.

"Hey, Leanne." Rose smiled, not letting go of Jack’s arm.

"Wow, Jack, you look great tonight." Leanne giggled. "Of course, you always look great."

Jack blushed. "Thanks."

"Come on, you two. Don’t just stand there. Sit down." Leanne motioned to the two empty chairs. "Everyone looks so great tonight. Don’t they, Josh?"

Joshua Campbell was the co-captain of the basketball team and Leanne’s boyfriend. He only nodded and went back to watching the dancing couples. He never paid that much attention to Leanne. Sometimes Rose wondered if that bothered her, but Leanne never made a complaint.

"That was a great game tonight, man." Jack tried to start up a conversation, but Joshua only shrugged and continued watching the couples.

"Don’t mind him. He’s not the talkative type." Leanne waved a hand at Joshua in dismissal.

"Jack, there you are!" Tommy and Moira showed up as the song ended. "I thought we were sharing a table."

"We are. Pull up some chairs." Jack grinned, Rose and himself scooting over to make room. Only Moira noticed Leanne’s look of displeasure.

"This isn’t a problem, is it?" Moira looked at Leanne challengingly.

"Not a problem at all. Any friend of Jack’s is a friend of ours. Right, Rose?" Leanne looked at Rose, who was caught in her own world, just staring at Jack. "Rose?"

"Huh? What was that?" Rose quickly smiled, hoping that no one had noticed her staring at Jack.

"I was just telling Moira that any friend of Jack’s is a friend of ours," Leanne repeated.

"Oh, right. Sure." Rose nodded before returning her attention to her date.

"Well, then, good, because where Jack sits, we sit." Moira crossed her arms.

Sensing the mounting tension, Jack got up and took Rose’s hand. "Come on, Rose. Let’s dance."

Suddenly the song Differences by Ginuwine came on. Rose thought of how perfectly the song fitted her feelings for Jack as she got up and found herself swaying back and forth in his arms. She enjoyed the heat of his body and the beat of his heart with hers. Their eyes never left each other.

"I don’t think your friend likes Leanne very much." Rose tried to find something to talk about.

"Moira’s just standoffish. She’s one of those people you have to get used to. You know, Rose…I’ve liked you for a long time now. I’ve been wanting to ask you out, but I was afraid of what you would say," Jack confessed.

"I would have said yes. I’ve liked you for a long time, too, Jack. I’ve liked you ever since we were in ninth grade."

Jack grinned. "That’s exactly how long I’ve liked you, too." Jack laughed. This was unbelievable. "And it took us until we were juniors to get together."

"Pretty funny, huh?"

"Very." Jack pulled her closer. Soon, before Jack could stop himself, his lips were gently touching hers.

Taken by surprise and wanting to feel his lips some more, Rose stepped closer and deepened the kiss. Their friends at the table they had left looked on in shock.

"Jack sure moves fast." Tommy stared in shock.

"So does Rose." Moira snorted. "I hope this isn’t some joke you cheerleaders have cooked up. Jack really likes her."

"And what if it is?" Leanne asked, not wanting to disclose that Rose had had a crush on Jack forever.

"Well, then, I’ll just have to break your face." Moira glared.

"I don’t think it’s a joke, Moira." Tommy rubbed her shoulders. "No one can kiss each other like that and not mean it."

Finally, the song was over, and after talking a little bit more, Jack and Rose headed for the table.

"You two looked comfy out there," Leanne commented.

"We have an announcement to make." Jack grinned, looking at Rose, who was smiling happily back. "We’re officially together."

"In fact, Jack gave me his ring." Rose held up her hand with a class ring on it. "I know it’s an old tradition, but it’s one we like."

"I can’t believe it. Rose…can I talk to you for a minute? Alone." Leanne got to her feet.

Rose frowned. She knew what was coming. "I’ll be back." She kissed Jack and followed her friend outside.

"I wonder what her problem is." Tommy frowned.

*****

Leanne whirled on Rose as soon as they were outside. "Have you completely lost your mind, Rose?"

"What?" Rose looked at Leanne, confused.

"You accepted his ring! That’s…that’s like getting engaged!"

"So? What’s the problem?"

"I’ll tell you what the problem is! He’s poorer than dirt! That’s the problem! Rose, you’re a cheerleader! The upper crust of the school! What will it look like if you date Jack exclusively? A boy of the slums, Rose! The slums!"

"I don’t see your point." Rose’s eyes narrowed, not liking what Leanne was getting at.

"If you want to go to a few dances with Jack, fine. If you want to go to a movie and dinner, fine. But you do not date boys like Jack exclusively! That honor is only for boys like Cal! Not Jack!"

"What makes Cal any better than Jack, Leanne? Huh?"

"Cal is rich. He’s part of the elite. Jack’s not. I suggest you stop things with Jack now, before they get out of hand." Leanne crossed her arms. "We’re royalty, Rose. Royalty sticks with royalty, and peasants with peasants. It’s a fact of life."

Rose narrowed her eyes angrily. "Leanne, I have never been one to let anyone tell me what to do, and I’m not going to start now. I like Jack, and he likes me, and for me there’s no one else. If you can’t live with that, I’m sorry, but that’s the way things are, and the way they’re going to continue to be. Now, let’s get back in. Everyone’s waiting." Rose stormed back into the building.

*****

The dance was over, and Jack stood on Rose’s doorstep, telling her good night.

"I had fun tonight, Rose. We’re going to have to do it again. How about tomorrow?" Jack asked.

"I can’t. I’m moving." Rose laughed at the look on Jack’s face. "Don’t worry, I’ll still be in Chicago. I’ll just be moving to a more middle class area. My mother…we’ve hit a bit of misfortune and we’re moving."

"Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. Will you be okay?" Jack asked, not meaning how she was going to live, but what her standing among the elite of school would be.

Rose shrugged. "I really don’t know. I hope so. But if not…I’ll still have you, right?"

"Of course." Jack grinned as she gave him a big hug. "You’ll always have me. No matter what."

Wiping away a stray tear of gratitude, Rose smiled. "Thank you, Jack. For everything. I better go on in. I want to get as much rest as I can before tomorrow."

"Call me if you need any help. In fact, I’ll drop by."

"Sure. That’d be great! You can help me pack." Rose smiled. "Good night, Jack."

"Night, Rose." Jack waved as she disappeared into the mansion.

Chapter Six
Stories