AN: Probably the biggest chapter so far with over 2.5k words. Just a quick warning, there are too many dialogues in this chapter and it's my biggest weakness lol. But I did my best. So, hopefully, it won't be that bad.
And here you go 3 chs together. Now, gimme those ps.
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"So, you two are dating?" Dakota asked.
For half a heartbeat, no one spoke.
Then three answers came at the same time.
"Yes," Gloria said brightly, with the confidence of someone announcing a confirmed fact.
"It's complicated," Haley said, a little too fast, heat creeping up her neck.
"Not yet," Jack said calmly.
The words collided in the air and tangled together.
Everyone froze.
Dakota blinked once, then laughed softly, like she thought it was a joke that had not fully landed yet. Her friends exchanged looks, clearly unsure which answer they were supposed to believe.
Manny looked delighted. "This is fascinating," he said. "I feel like I am watching a foreign film where everyone is in love but no one admits it."
Haley turned to Gloria, eyes wide. "Why would you say yes?"
Gloria did not even hesitate. "The way you've been talking about him all the time, I thought it was obvious you two are dating."
"It is not obvious," Haley shot back, cheeks warm.
Jack cleared his throat, raising a hand slightly, not defensive, just honest. "We are not dating."
Gloria waved him off. "Not officially."
Dakota leaned back in her chair, studying the three of them now, curiosity sharpening into something more focused. "Okay," she said lightly, "so which one of you is lying?"
"No one," Jack replied. "Let's just say, we are getting to know each other. That is it."
Haley nodded quickly. "Exactly."
Gloria smiled. "See? Complicated."
Haley groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I cannot believe you."
Dakota watched Jack for a moment longer, then nodded slowly. "Fair enough."
Her tone stayed casual, but Haley noticed the way her fingers tightened briefly around her soda cup before relaxing again.
"So," Dakota continued, "you are single."
Jack met her eyes. "I am."
"And you," Dakota said, turning to Haley, "are not dating him."
Haley dropped her hands and forced herself to sit up straight. "I am not."
There was a pause.
"Good," Dakota said, smiling. "That clears things up."
It did not, in fact, clear up anything.
Gloria leaned back in her chair, satisfied, sipping her drink like a woman watching a well-written telenovela unfold in real time.
Jack tried to steer things somewhere safer. "So what are you working on right now?" he asked Dakota. "Last time I checked, you were filming back-to-back."
Dakota's expression softened a little. "I'm taking some time off from mainstream acting. I want to focus on my studies for now. So, at the moment, voice work, mostly. It is intense, but kind of fun."
Jack nodded. "Yeah. I get that."
Her eyes flicked up, surprised. "You do?"
"I start recording Monday," he said. "Same project, actually."
That got her full attention. "You are kidding."
"Nope."
Haley's head snapped toward him. "Wait, what?"
Dakota looked surprised as she took a sip of her diet soda. "So you are the replacement?"
Jack raised his eyebrows. "You didn't know?"
"I heard someone dropped out," Dakota said. "I did not know it was you stepping in."
Haley looked between them, suddenly very aware of how easily the conversation was flowing. "You two worked together before?"
"A while ago," Jack said. "We were kids."
Dakota laughed. "Barely kids."
--
Dakota's phone buzzed a few minutes later.
She glanced at the screen, her expression shifting into something apologetic. "That is my dad," she said, already standing. "He needs me back at the hotel."
Her friends followed suit, collecting bags and half-finished drinks.
"It was nice meeting you all," Dakota said, smiling politely. Her eyes lingered on Jack for a second longer than necessary, then shifted to Haley. "Good luck with… everything."
Haley returned the smile, a little stiff. "You too."
"I'll see you at the studio then, Jack," Dakota said with a little wink before walking away with her friends.
For a moment, the table felt too empty.
Haley watched her go, then looked down at her fries, suddenly very interested in rearranging them.
Gloria broke the silence first.
"Well," she said, clapping her hands once, decisive. "Manny and I are going to shop some more."
Manny perked up. "I would like to visit the bookstore again. I felt rushed earlier, and I believe the poetry section deserves my full attention."
Gloria grabbed his arm. "You can feel poetic after we find shoes."
She leaned down toward Haley and lowered her voice. "Have fun. I'll meet you at the parking lot in an hour."
Gloria only smiled and pulled Manny away before Haley could say anything else. She also took her shopping bags.
And just like that, it was only the two of them.
The sounds of the food court rushed back in to fill the gap, trays sliding, voices overlapping, someone laughing nearby. Jack took a sip of his Fanta, buying himself a second to think.
Haley picked at a fry, then glanced up at him. "So," she said, trying for casual. "That was… something."
Jack nodded. "Yeah. That felt like a crossover episode."
She laughed, relieved. "Right?"
They sat in silence for a moment, not awkward exactly, just unstructured. Haley swung one foot slightly under the table, then stopped herself.
Jack cleared his throat. "Hey, um…"
She looked up. "Yeah?"
"About Sunday," he said. "The studying thing."
Haley straightened a little, alert now. "Yeah?"
"I was thinking," Jack continued, keeping his tone easy, "we should probably decide where to do it."
She blinked. "Oh. Right."
"I mean," he added quickly, "we can keep it simple. Somewhere quiet without distraction."
Haley tilted her head, watching him. "Okay. So… where were you thinking?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly aware of how this might sound no matter how he framed it. "Honestly? Your place might be better."
Haley froze for just a beat.
"My house?"
"Yeah," Jack said. "I mean, only if you are comfortable with that."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, not suspicious exactly, more curious. "Why not your house?"
Jack answered without hesitation. "Because I do not want your parents worrying about where you are or who you are with. If we are at your place, everything is… clear."
Haley stared at him.
That was not the answer she had expected.
Most guys would have jumped at the chance to invite her over. Make it sound casual and cool. Jack had done the opposite, almost like he was deliberately putting distance between the situation and anything questionable.
"That is," Haley said slowly, "surprisingly responsible."
Jack shrugged. "I am trying a new personality."
She smiled despite herself, then looked away, biting the inside of her cheek.
"My mom is very… how to say it?" she thought for a moment, searching for the right words. "Like, aggressively snoopy."
"That is fine," Jack replied. "I am not allergic to parents. Besides, as a parent, she'll always be worried about you."
She snorted. "You say that now."
Haley thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Yeah. We can do it at my house."
Jack felt a quiet sense of relief settle in his chest. "Cool. Whatever time works for you."
"After lunch," Haley said. "If you come too early, my dad will try to drag you into his hobbies and there are lots of them."
Jack blinked. "Hobbies like...?"
She grimaced. "Magic tricks, long stories, possibly a slideshow. Oh, trampoline."
He laughed. "Noted. After lunch it is."
She smiled back, then glanced down at the table. Her fingers traced the edge of the tray, suddenly shy in a way that surprised even her.
"This is just studying," she said. "Right?"
"Right," Jack said easily. "Math and notes... No pressure."
"Good," Haley said with a little chuckle. "Because I am terrible under pressure."
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Emotionally," she clarified. "Academically, I just pretend."
Jack laughed softly.
They finished the rest of their food without rushing, conversation drifting into lighter territory. They talked about teachers they both disliked, how unfair surprise tests were, and Manny's very intense relationship with food. Then Haley talked about Alex and Luke. She explained that Alex spends all her time reading instead of enjoying life a bit, which gets in the way of Haley's life because she yells and gets irritated at everything during exam time, and that Luke gets his head stuck in the stair railings almost every day. The tension from earlier faded into something easier, something that felt almost normal.
When they finally stood and headed toward the exit, Haley walked beside him, hands tucked into her jacket pockets.
"So," she said casually, "I will text you the address."
"Yeah," Jack replied. "See you tomorrow."
She slowed near the doors, sunlight spilling in from outside. "See you."
For a second, neither of them moved.
Then Haley lifted a hand in a small wave and turned away, heading toward the parking lot where Gloria was definitely watching from somewhere.
Jack watched her go, a faint smile lingering on his face.
...
[Jack's house] [Night time]
Jack sat in front of his laptop and stared at the final page for a long moment.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
He has finished writing the first book.
He scrolled up, then down again, this time more slowly. He was checking for accuracy. He looked for names, chapter breaks, pacing, and small details that could trip him up if he wasn't careful.
He checked everything.
Spelling, formatting, chapter titles... There were a few typos that he fixed. It felt strange proofreading something he could almost recite in his sleep, but that was exactly why he did it. Confidence bred mistakes.
When he finally leaned back, rubbing his eyes, it was close to dinner time.
"It is done," he murmured, mostly to himself.
Jack opened a new tab and went through the copyright application step by step. He filled out every field, attached the manuscript, double-checked the information, then checked it again. When he finally clicked submit, the confirmation page loaded almost instantly.
Registered.
Certificate processing time, approximately two months.
Jack exhaled slowly and closed his eyes for a second.
Two months was fine. He did not need validation tomorrow. He needed foundations.
He opened a new document and typed the next title.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The cursor blinked patiently beneath it.
"Yeah," Jack said quietly. "Let us not get lazy now."
He typed the opening lines from memory, the words flowing easily, but he stopped himself after a page. He saved everything before closing the laptop.
Jack stood, stretched, and headed downstairs.
'I'm starving.'
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, listening.
Nothing.
He was expecting to see his dad watching the news... But...
That was not unusual. His parents spent more nights at the penthouse than here, especially when schedules stacked up. Still, after the past two days, it felt odd.
"Well, time to eat." He went straight to the dining room.
..
[After dinner]
Back upstairs, Jack changed into something more comfortable and lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His phone buzzed once on the nightstand.
A message.
Haley: I sent you the address. And just so you know, my mom will probably ask you a lot of questions. Sorry in advance. Gloria spilled everything.
Jack smiled and typed back.
Jack: That is okay. I can survive interrogation.
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Haley: Good. Also, thanks again. For today. It was fun.
Jack paused for half a second, then replied.
Jack: Yeah. It was.
A few seconds later...
Haley: So, what are you doing?
Jack: Just finished dinner. Now lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. What about you?
Haley: Same. Just finished dinner. Lying on the bed too.
Jack: Cool. Beds are underrated at night. Perfect for thinking and staring at the ceiling.
Haley: Definitely. And texting you.
Jack: Right. The ultimate teenage multitasking.
Haley: So… what were you thinking about while staring at the ceiling?
Jack: Hmm. Mostly about how boring it is at my house. It's just me and I don't have anyone to talk to, play games with, or watch a movie. My parents rarely stay at home. So, it's just a couple of caretakers and me. Kinda boring. I'm glad you texted me. What about you?
Haley: I was thinking about… well, the mall. And lunch. And how you said 'not yet'. I won't lie, I kinda liked it when you said that.
Jack: Oh really? You're making me blush over text.
Haley: Blushing over text? Really?
Jack: True. But you have a way of making things awkwardly charming.
Haley: I'll take that as a compliment.
Jack: Good. Because it is one. Totally one.
Haley: Okay… fine. Compliment accepted.
Jack: So now that we've broken the compliment barrier, what's next?
Haley: Um… more texting, obviously.
Jack: Naturally. So tell me something scandalous. Something I don't know.
Haley: Hmm. I ate dessert before dinner.
Jack: Dessert before dinner? That is a serious crime in the world of food rules. I might have to report you to the authorities.
Haley: Ha! And who exactly would those authorities be? You?
Jack: Possibly. I could be very strict, but I might let it slide if you promise to share next time.
Haley: Share, huh? Hmm, maybe. Depends on what the dessert is.
Jack: You are making this very complicated for me. I might have to interrogate you thoroughly.
Haley: Oh really? And how exactly would you do that?
Jack: I would ask all the important questions. Chocolate or vanilla? Ice cream or cake? Sweet or salty? You see, the safety of the dessert world depends on me.
Haley: That is quite a responsibility to take on. Are you ready for it?
Jack: I think so. I have trained for this my whole life. Someone has to protect dessert. Someone has to keep you in check.
Haley: Well, in that case, I will cooperate, officer. But only if you promise not to make it sound too serious.
Jack: I promise. I can be very serious while still smiling. It is a rare talent.
Haley: That sounds like something I would need to see to believe.
Jack: Then you will just have to join me for dessert sometime. Maybe I can even make some myself. I warn you, I am a beginner.
Haley: A beginner chef with a very serious job. That is quite the combo.
Jack: Exactly. And who knows, maybe I will surprise you and make something edible. That would be a miracle.
Haley: I might just have to witness this miracle then. You owe me dessert after that.
Jack: Deal. But only if you promise to tell me what counts as a miracle in your book.
Haley: Fine. But I warn you, I have high standards.
Jack: That is perfect. I like a challenge.
Haley: You are crazy.
Jack: Crazy? Maybe. But fun crazy, I hope.
Haley: Fun crazy is acceptable.
Jack smiled at his phone again. This conversation was easy and playful, and he liked how it made him feel. He typed one last message before putting the phone down.
Jack: Goodnight, Haley. Sleep well.
Haley: Goodnight, Jack. Don't dream about dessert too much.
Jack: What about you?
It took a moment for Haley to reply...
Haley: You're allowed to do that.
Jack: See you tomorrow.
Haley: Tomorrow.
Jack chuckled to himself and set the phone on the nightstand. He lay back, staring at the ceiling again, a small smile lingering on his face.
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