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missing a look thrown in his direction. This one was laced with hatred, meanness and something not quite sane.
     
     
     
     

THE MIDDLE
    Chapter 1
     
       Catlyn paced the circular track on the school field, waiting and wondering why Sara had asked her to meet her here so late. Sara had sounded so happily excited. If she had to guess Catlyn would say that Sara and Jack had finally gotten together, officially. Catlyn smiled at the thought. Jack was the perfect guy for Sara. He was smart, even tempered and GORGEOUS. His six-two, sexily muscled, brown hair, green eyed frame stirred all the girls' hearts. Catlyn's included. And he had a Hero-Complex a mile wide. He was always protecting those weaker and smaller than him. She had never understood the friendship between J.T. and Jack. They were so vastly different. One kind and one mean. One considerate and one thoughtless. They were complete polar opposites.
       Catlyn liked Jack a lot, even had a crush on him (her first crush), but knew that he viewed her as too young for him. Besides her best friend was crazy over him and had been talking about Jack ever since they had become friends. If she couldn't have Jack for herself then she was glad someone as wonderful as Sara was going to be his girl. Jack Gard was one hell of a guy. People often teased that he took his last name too seriously. Either way Catlyn knew he was her protector and because he decided to defend her, her senior year had been awesome so far.
       The Monday after she'd been punched by J.T. Jack had pulled her aside near the lockers. He had told her that he had taken care of J.T. Jack made sure that J.T. would no longer bother her and said that if J.T. did approach her she was to come get him right away. He had ended that good piece of news with a peck on the cheek.
       From that day on J.T. had kept his distance, never so much as giving her a look. At first it seemed too good to be true. But as the weeks and months passed Catlyn became more carefree. She attended more parties, left campus for lunch; an honor for the senior class that she had never exercised until Jack had stepped in to make her life better. She spent even more time with Sara after school but the very best plus was that everyday she spent more time with Jack. He sat next to her at lunch or took her and Sara out to lunch at the local deli. He drove her home a lot now and spent time with her waiting until her mom came home.
       It was during these times that she and Jack really got to know one another. She told him about her dreams to become a journalist and he told her of his to be in law enforcement. He teased her about her obsession with chocolate. And she teased him about being a jock. A really, smart jock.
       He had started calling her Kitten. When Catlyn had asked why he kept calling her that when everyone called her Catlyn or Cat, he had simply answered, 'You're not quite a Cat yet. You're a little Kitten, a baby.' Catlyn didn't mind. It made her feel special. He was the only one who called her Kitten.
       Sometimes when her mom wouldn't be back until midnight, Jack would come by with dinner and a rented video to watch in the VCR. The first time he showed at night when her mother wasn't home it had been to return her keys which had been left in his car after he had given her a ride home. When he realized she was alone he said he'd keep her company. Catlyn had told him it wasn't necessary that she was alone three nights a week and she was used to it and if she was really scared or worried she could go upstairs to hang with Tasha. Jack ignored her and stayed. And then, he proceeded to show up on all the nights her mom was out until midnight. He came bearing dinner and a movie.
       Jack was a horror movie buff and Catlyn liked romantic comedies. Jack had sighed a deep put upon sigh as he graciously said, "We'll take turns with my horror and action films and your chick-flicks." Catlyn had laughed as she agreed to put up