He was in denial.

Not about everything, just about how he felt about her. He was emotionally withdrawn, but also emotionally vulnerable. He wasn't capable of acting on his feelings for Annie, partly because he couldn't process them, and partly because he wasn't used to feeling this way around someone like her. She was intelligent, beautiful, and flawless, in his mind. What his mind couldn't admit was that he was in love with her.

He'd never been in love. Or loved, for that matter.

When he was around her, he wanted to touch her. Hold her. Caress her. He wanted to pleasure her, and himself.

He always averted her gaze when he had the pleasuring thoughts. Because he was ashamed, yes, but also because the thought of actually doing these things didn't seem so out of reach- or place- anymore.

It seemed right to him. Was it? He wasn't so sure.

It was that- the discomfort and hesitation- that kept him from acting on these feelings, from trying to be his true self around her -because even though he didn't want to act on his attraction, he didn't want to burn any bridges that he someday might want to cross, and he was stricken with fear that she wouldn't like him for who he really was.

If he was being honest with himself, his ultimate fear was that he was going to burn that bridge- but not until he was on the other side.

On Tuesday, April 22nd she told him she was leaving. Not until the summer, she assured him, and the reason was because she'd gotten accepted into a college in Texas. They'd stated that with her past grades she was more than qualified- even after the pills episode- and could leave Greendale at the end of this year.

She'd told him this news with her close- lipped, secretive smile; the one that said "You should feel special, because you're the only one I've told. But don't tell anyone else about it, because don't you just lovebeing the special one?", along with her glittering eyes; the ones that said "I'm so excited! Be excited for me!"

This expression, however, faded a few seconds later. He hoped it was only from the lack of response and that the shock he was feeling wasn't being made obvious by his facial features (he doubted it was, though, because he'd never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve).

His first question was why so far away, why Texas? Her cheeks pinkened and she mumbled something about a fresh start, a new life. He would have commented more on this if he could, but the waves of shock were still rocking his body.

His next question was how could she do that to the group; just up and leave them right before their final year together? Didn't she need four years at Greendale, anyway? Her eyes flashed at this, and he instantly felt, well, bad (for lack of a better term) for making her angry. But then his defense mechanism went up, as it always does.

She stated (through gritted teeth) that it wasn't her responsibility to look after the group. Even though she (admittedly) was right about this, he wasn't ready to admit it just yet. She also apparently didn't need to get a degree from Greendale if she was going to be going somewhere else to get an equivalent of that degree. She gave him a 'duh' look and he felt incredibly stupid. As if that wasn't enough, she went on to say that he should have been happy for her, implying that he was a bad friend because he wasn't. He opened his mouth to respond, but she wasn't finished.

"You should be happy I don't have to waste any more time at some community college!"

'Some community college'. He felt as though he'd just been slapped. She might as well have said that they were all just 'some group' or that he was just 'some guy'.

She immediately and obviously (unlike him, she did wear her heart on her sleeve) feel remorse for what she said, and began to apologize. She hadn't meant what she said; this wasn't just 'some community college'. But it was too late. She take that back; whether it was just something said at the heat of the moment, or really a Freudian slip, it was what she'd really felt, and she had meant it.

He chose not to say any of this to her, though, and settled for an emotionless 'Congratulations'. She'd taken this as a cue to leave, some of the guilt melting off of her face as she began to walk away.

"Glad to see you can finally move on from your life and stop wasting your time with us."

This made her stop dead in her tracks. Good, now she's been hurt just like I've been. But now he was feeling guilty, especially when Annie turned around and revealed those infamous doe eyes. She knew that they were her main weapons of destruction, and that they- over anything else- could actually make him feel…. something.

What were he and her doing? Why were they being so stupid? Wasn't this what was bad-fighting, making them both feel like terrible people- nothis feelings for her?

Yes.

So, as you may have noticed, I specifically chose not to name the man in this story. If you're following with characterization, it can be either Jeff or Abed. I will reveal who it is next chapter, don't worry.

I know, I know, not Troy. Me and all my incessant and probably misplaced need to have Troy and Annie get married and have babies that "would be sooooo cute… because, you know, they're…" has been put on standby for this story alone (although, if Community's going to keep up with it's continuity of Annie kissing someone at the end of every season, it might be Troy she goes for tomorrow night! Fingers crossed!).

"Crystol Coneticut, was purposely not saying the name of the dude in this chapter just some ploy to get us to read both this chapter and the next, no matter who we want Annie to be with?"

I can neither confirm nor deny that statement

-CC