From: "vicki y." Howdy!, I came up with the idea for this fic while watching my school's prom fashion show. Hope you like! Disclaimer: HB owns JQ. I own the characters you've never heard of before. Category: J/J HR, slightly F Rating: PG Archivers: But of course! 5-8-99 ON THE CATWALK by: vicki y. No way will I do that! You can just find someone else! Jessie Bannon was aghast. Danielle Kay, the senior class president at Rockport High School, had just asked Jessie to be in the Prom Fashion Show later on that week. It was a showcase of gowns and tuxes that students could rent or buy for the prom at the end of the year. One of the couples had dropped out and Danielle was in a bind to find someone who could replace them. She had asked Jessie about modeling one of the gowns earlier, but Jessie had steadfastly refused. But Danielle was in a crisis now, and she would not take no for an answer. Please Jessie! Youre my last hope. Rick and Amber went and got themselves suspended for making out in the hallway in between classes, and now they cant participate in the show. Without them we cant have our big finale. They were going to wear the best outfits. And since youre the same size as Amber there wouldnt have to be any alteration to the dress. Please Jessie! I wouldnt ask you if I had another choice! Jessie could see that Danielle was really worried. Then she thought of something. Who would I be paired with? Yes!, Danielle thought to herself. Shes thinking about it! She then turned her attention to Jessie. We already have someone in mind thats around the same size as Rick, and you know him too. Danielle gave Jessie a sly grin. Jessie looked puzzled, racking her mind thinking of guys she knew who were Ricks size. And then she figured it out. Oh, no, not Danielle finished the sentence for her. Jonny Quest! Its a great idea. I mean, you guys are already friends so it wont be weird going up on stage with him. And you two do make a nice couple, Danielle added with a grin. Jessie was shocked. Thats exactly why I dont want to do it with him! Everyone already thinks were a couple and were not! And if we do the show together then people will definitely think that were, well, together. Aw, Jessie, please do it! I would owe you big time. Please!!! The girl was virtually in tears. Jessie couldnt help feel sorry for her. But she was not about to agree to this. Ask Jonny. If he says yes then Ill do it too. Danielle immediately lightened. Yes! Thank you sooo much, Jessie! Remember, I owe you big for this. Ill go find Jonny right now. Thanks a bunch! As Danielle turned to leave, Jessie called after her, Remember, only if Jonny says yes! Danielle waved absently behind her, signaling she had heard her. Jessie turned to go to her next class. Youd better say no, Quest, she murmured to herself. Or else theyll be burying you in that tuxedo. ****** Jonny, wait up! I have some great news! Danielle met Jonny right in front of his English class. He waited for her, wondering what she was talking about. Whats up Danielle? Danielle automatically got flustered when Jonny turned and looked at her with those blue eyes. Man, she thought to herself, How cute can one guy be? After regaining her composure she continued. Well, Jonny, you have been selected to replace Rick in the Prom Fashion Show. You were, after all, one of our first choices, so its natural that you would be our number one replacement. Rehearsals are tomorrow after school in the auditorium, so dont be late. Danielle turned to leave before he could refuse her. But Jonny stopped her. What are you talking about! I am not going to be in any fashion show! You can just find someone else! Thats weird, Danielle thought. Jessie said the exact same thing. Maybe But she pushed the thought out of her head and continued with Jonny. Jonny, please, youre my last hope! Youre the same size as Rick so it works out perfectly. And if this thing doesnt go off perfectly then everyone will blame me! You dont want that on your conscience, now do you, Jonny Quest? A little guilt trip never hurt anyone, Danielle observed to herself. Jonny looked at the girl in front of him carefully. He then asked, Who would I be paired with? Danielle responded, hesitantly, remembering Jessies reaction to the the same question, Its someone you know, so I dont think it would be a problem. Jonny pushed. Who exactly is it? Danielle looked down at the floor and muttered a barely audible Jessie Bannon. But Jonny heard her. What! Jessie! No way! Its its too weird! Danielle looked up at Jonny and saw that he wasnt going to be swayed easily. Then she got an idea. But she already said yes, Jonny. Okay, thats not exactly the truth, she said to herself. But in a crisis, the truth can be bended a bit. Jonny then found his voice after the shock of the news he just heard weared off. JESSIE SAID YES! The strength of his voice made the people passing by glance at him. He then continued, in a lowered tone. She actually said yes? Danielle nodded, and said, If you dont do it, maybe I can get Rob Peterson to do it. I mean, soccer season is over and he isnt doing anything. If you dont want to I could always ask him. Danielle had a feeling that mentioning the good looking captain of the soccer team as a potential match for Jessie would change Jonnys mind about doing the show. Something told her that he would be bothered by it. NO! Danielle was surprised at the force of his statement. I mean, I can do it. Im not doing anything and I wouldnt want to inconvenience Rob, or anything like that. I can do it. Danielle had a huge grin on her face. Thanks a bunch Jonny! I owe you big for this. Thanks so much! As Danielle walked away from the confused looking young man, she thought to herself, Maybe this will be good for those two. Theres something definitely there between them. And with that she went to her next class. ************** On their way home from school that day both Jonny and Jessie were unusually quiet in the car. Jessie broke the silence by asking him, Did Danielle talk to you this afternoon? Jonny glanced over at Jessie sitting in the passenger seat and responded with a, Yea. She waited for more elaboration and then prompted, Well, what did you say? Will you do it? She held her breath while waiting for him to answer. After a few moments he finally said, Yea. Jessies mouth hung open of its own accord. WHAT!! YOU SAID YES TO HER? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? Her outburst shocked Jonny so much that he had to stop the car on the side of the road. What are you talking about? You said yes to her first! Jonny had a mixture of feelings to her reaction. There was confusion, anger, and a little hurt. Did she want to be paired with Rob that much? I didnt say yes! I said I would agree to it only if you did! I never thought youd go for it! Did Danielle say that I said yes? Jessie was obviously furious now. Jonny nodded and said, Looks like weve been had. Jessie turned her attention to the road in front of her and commanded Drive home Jonny. Ive got a telephone call to make. ******** After trying all night to get a hold of Danielle, both Jessie and Jonny were depressed. They had called her house at least two dozen times, but each time her mother had said that she couldnt be reached. Danielle obviously didnt want to talk to them. They had even considered driving over to her house, but, after all of those phone calls, Danielles mother would have probably called the police on them. They now sat in the living room in silence. Jonny broke the silence by asking Jessie, What do we do now? Jessie just looked at him and shrugged. After a few more moments of silence Jonny said, The show is in two days. It wouldnt be so bad if we did it, would it? Again, Jessie just shrugged. Race and Dr. Quest then entered. Whats wrong with you two? You look sadder than a turkey at Thanksgiving, Race quipped. Both Jonny and Jessie responded in unison. Nothing. Dr. Quest gave them a questioning look. Are you two sure nothings wrong? Jonny responded, Were fine, Dad. I think Im gonna go up to my room now. Bye. As Jonny got up to leave Jessie added, Yea, I think Im gonna go up too. Im pretty tired. After they left, Race and Dr. Quest just looked at each other. Race shrugged. Teenagers. Dr. Quest just nodded in agreement. ******** The next day Jonny and Jessie drove to school together in silence. When they got there, Jonny reminded Jessie that they had to go to the rehearsal today after school and that he would meet her by her locker so they could go together. Jessie said that that was fine and she would see him later. The entire school day went smoothly for them both. The only thing that seemed strange was the look they kept on getting throughout the day. And at lunch some guy that Jonny had never met before came up and congratulated him, and called him a lucky guy. What is going on here?, Jonny thought to himself. After the bell signaling the end of the school day rang, Jonny went to Jessies locker as planned. When he got there he saw Jessie and she was talking with another person. It was Mary Johnson, a person Jonny did not feel like dealing with at that moment. Mary had had a crush on Jonny since the eighth grade, and she did not hide it very well. He was wondering what Jessie was talking to her about. Jonny! Its great to see you! Mary ran up and gave him a big hug as soon as she saw him. Jonny rolled his eyes and gave her a little pat on the back in response. As he rolled his eyes, Jessie stiffened at the show of affection Mary was showing towards him. Thats weird, Jessie thought to herself,  Why should I care if Jonny hugs another person? Jessie shook off the thought and turned her attention to Jonny and Mary. Hi Mary, Jonny said reluctantly. Dont you have cheerleading practice now? Oh, I do! Thanks for reminding me! I wish we had more time to talk. It seems like I havent seen you forever. Mary batted her eyelashes at Jonny in an attempt to entice him. It wasnt working. Okay, Ill see you later. Dont want to make you late now. Bye. Jonny was obviously trying to get rid of her. Yea, I guess I should be going. Mary then turned to Jessie. It was great talking to you Jessie. We should do it again soon. Jessie smiled at her and waved. Bye Mary. After Mary had left Jonny asked Jessie what she had wanted. What else, Jessie said, She wanted to know if the rumors she heard were true. Jonny was puzzled. What rumors? Jessie looked at Jonny as if he lived under a rock. Theres a rumor that were a couple. Ill give you three guesses as to why that rumor started. Jonny didnt need three guesses. He knew that it was because of the fashion show. What did you tell her? Did you set her straight? Jonny was curious as to how Jessie responded to that question. Jessie looked at Jonny with a slight grin. I told her that you were available, if thats what you mean. It wasnt what he meant, but he decided to go with it. Gee, thanks Jess. Now shell be calling me to ask me out. Youre a real pal, Jonny said with a grimace. Jessie laughed. Always willing to help a friend in need, Jonny. She grabbed his arm and they went laughing down the hall to the auditorium for the fashion show rehearsal. ******** As Jonny and Jessie came into the auditorium together, laughing, everyone turned to look at them. They immediately stopped and went straight for Danielle. Well, hi you two! Jessie, you go back stage with the rest of the girls, and Jonny go over to the side with the guys. Hurry up, rehearsal starts in a couple of minutes. Danielle was nervous about seeing Jonny and Jessie again. They had to have figured out that she had set them up and she didnt know how they would react. Jessie looked at Danielle and smiled. Remember, you owe me big for this. Jonny smiled also. Real big. Jonny and Jessie then went to their respective areas and Danielle let out a breath she had been holding. Okay everyone, lets start! The rehearsal went off without a problem. It was just a basic walk through, just so everyone knew where to go tomorrow. They found out that they had to be in the auditorium at 11:30 because the show was going to start promptly at 12:00. Their gowns and tuxes would be waiting for them backstage. Jonny and Jessie were the first ones to leave, since they both had to be home to help their fathers with a project. After they left, all of the other couples had surrounded Danielle and demanded some answers. Nobody told me Jonny Quest and Jessie Bannon were going to be in the show. And theyll be wearing the best outfits out there. Well be totally upstaged by them! said one person. Yea, agreed someone else. Those two are the best looking people in school! And when theyre together, everyone else will forget about us! One of the reasons I agreed to do this thing was because they werent going to be in it. Danielle quickly silenced everyone. Nobodys going to forget about anybody. Everyone just relax. Ill give you guys some extra time onstage, okay? Will that make you feel any better? There was a round of mumbled Yeas and Thats cool in agreement. Okay then. Ill see everyone tomorrow. After everyone else left, Danielle stayed in the auditorium and thought. Jessie and Jonny do make a good couple, even if they dont see it. And I do owe them. Maybe I can repay them tomorrow. And with that Danielle started planning. ******** The day of the fashion show had arrived. It was hard to believe, but both Jessie and Jonny were excited about it. You know, Jessie said as she and Jonny ate breakfast, this thing might not be so bad. I mean, I hardly ever get to dress up, so this should be a treat for me. And, she continued with a grin, I cant wait to see you all fancied up. Why Jessie, Jonny said in a really bad country accent, are you hitting on me? If you are, let me go brush my teeth then. He gave her a bucked tooth smile. She giggled and said, in her own bad accent, Youd better not let Pa hear you say that. He might go get the shotgun. They both laughed. Come on, Jess, Jonny said in this regular voice. Wed better get going or well be late for our big day. Yea, youre right Jonny. Lets go. And with that Jonny and Jessie headed for Rockport High School. ******** Jessie, calm down! Youll be great. Danielle was trying to get Jessie to relax. For a girl who saved the world on a regular basis, she sure was worried about a fashion show. Are you sure I look okay? I dont want to look like a complete idiot out there in front of the entire senior class. Jessie had never been self-conscious about her looks before, but she felt different today. She wanted to look her best out there. Danielle gave Jessie an exasperated smile. You look fine. In fact you look terrific. Go get in your spot because were gonna start in a few minutes. Are you ready? Jessie nodded quickly. Danielle shooed her to get in her spot with the rest of the models. If Jonny Quest could only see her now, Danielle thought to herself. But hell get his chance soon enough. She smiled and went to go check on the lighting. ********** And now we have Nick in a modern collar-less tuxedo. The high button compliments Beths gown perfectly, the announcer said. But Jonny wasnt paying attention to the announcer. He was up next, last in fact, and he was nervous. Really nervous. Dont trip, dont trip, dont trip, he reminded himself. And then he heard his cue. Finally we have Jonny Quest and Jessie Bannon in our Classic Collection. Jonny has a But neither Jonny nor Jessie acknowledged what the announcer was saying. They were totally engrossed in each other. As soon as Jonny had seen Jessie in the floor length sage dress she was wearing he was gone. The way the stylist had her hair up in curls on top of her head took his breath away. And Jessie noticed Jonny didnt look so bad either. His classic tuxedo brought out his well-developed physique and made him look quite handsome. As they walked towards each other from opposite sides of the stage, they tuned out the large audience that was looking at them. Jonny held out a hand and gave Jessie a lopsided smile as she took his hand and smiled back. He gave her a little twirl, making her dress billow up around her slightly. She then turned into Jonny, and they came face to face with each other. They became frozen looking into the others eyes. Lets give a round of applause to Jonny and Jessie everyone! And lets get all our other couples out here also! With the applause Jonny and Jessie came out of their trance. They were quickly surrounded by the rest of the couples and were bowing to the applause. Once offstage, Jonny pulled Jessie to the side and said, You look great Jess. I like your hair up like that. Jessie put her hand on Jonnys arm and said with a smile, Thanks Jonny. You look decent too. They both smiled, and then Danielle came over to them. You guys were great! I told you youd be fine! Did you two practice that little show out there? At their puzzled expressions Danielle just said, Nevermind. Just go get changed now, okay? As she turned to leave she smiled a secret smile to herself. Ill see you in a few minutes, okay Jonny? Jonny nodded and said, Yea, Ill meet you at the exit in a few. They each then went to their respective areas to get changed, the moment on the stage now over. ********* Danielle, where are my clothes!! Jessies anger was clear. I went back to change and my clothes were gone! Where are they?! Danielle was about to answer when she heard someone else call her name, equally angry. Danielle!! Someone took my clothes! It was Jonny, and he was just as mad as Jessie. Someone took my clothes too, Jonny, Jessie said. They both turned to Danielle, who said, Lets calm down now you two. Ill go see what happened and you can wait on the stage. Theres a radio there so just turn it on and calm down. Ill straighten everything out. She left before Jonny and Jessie could get another word out. This totally sucks, Jonny grumbled as he and Jessie walked to the stage. When they got there, they found the entire stage bathed in a soft glow with the radio in the middle of the floor. Jessie bent down to turn it on and a slow dance song filled the air. As she turned back to Jonny, she said, Ill turn it and see what else is on. But before she could change the station Jonny stopped her. No, this is fine. Jonny then walked up to Jessie and help out a hand and smiled. Would you like to dance pretty lady? Jessie smiled and took his hand, replying Why, yes I would sir. Thank you very much. Jonny put his arms around her waist while her arms encircled his neck. As they swayed to the music, they got closer and closer together. Jonny looked straight into Jessies eyes. You really were fantastic out there Jess, he whispered. Jessie returned the gaze and whispered back, Thanks Jonny. They then looked away from each other. After a few seconds of silence Jonny asked, Do you have a date for prom yet Jessie? What are you doing Quest? Jonny thought to himself. Are you really asking Jessie to the prom? Jessies heart pounded. What is he asking me? Is he just making conversation or is it more? She said in an even tone, No, not yet. How about you? I dont have one either, he relied. He then said a matter-of-factly, Do you want to go with me? Please say yes, please! Jonny prayed to himself. YES!! He asked me! Jessie rejoiced inwardly. Sure, why not? She replied in a tone similar to what he had used. Jonny looked down at Jessie and brushed some stray strands of hair out her face. She then moved slightly towards him and he did the same. Their lips touched in a sweet embrace and they parted and smiled at each other. You know, our dads are gonna freak. Jessie observed. Let them. Jonny then bent down and kissed her again more firmly, which she immediately returned. They then heard Danielles voice from the side of the stage. Were even now. _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ With more than 14 million emails exchanged daily. http://www.ONElist.com ONElist is truly helping connect the world!