Okay, so this one-shot was inspired by a story by Ravenbabe321 here's a link to her story if you haven't read it. s/10050361/1/The-Price-of-Friendship It's my take on what should have happened in the park scene, episode 1x11.
Jo was still feeling conflicted about her loitering feelings for Danny despite the new emergence of Tyler in her life. There was something about him, his charisma, his magnetism. He was like electricity, and when she saw the video of him and Lacey it blew a fuse in her heart, completely shattering her inner being. Jo knew she could never let go of him, not until she knew that there was not even the slightest chance that he may feel the same way.
So despite her current frustrations with him, she texted Danny, asking him to meet her in McNally park.
"I gotta say, of all the people I thought would text me-" Danny said as he started to approach Jo. She cut him off instantaneously. She did not have time for his charm or his wit, or the humor that he thought would solve all things wrong in the world Not this time, Jo thought to herself. I am done with his excuses and his lies. I am done with him trying to protect me, while simultaneously being the one who hurts me the most. I am done with Danny Desai. She lied to herself.
"I have to tell you something." Jo says finally.
"Okay, what is it?" Danny shifts on his feet nervously, detecting the sternness in her voice.
Jo inhales and exhales deeply, preparing her mind and heart for the confession which she is going to reveal. "When I saw that video, it hurt, and not just because you lied, again. But because- she paused for a moment, contemplating her decision to profess her love for him in this very moment. "But because I have these feelings." She trailes off nervously.
"Jo, look, we don't have to do this," Danny takes a few steps toward her, a clear indication of his unreciprocated feelings.
But it isn't enough for Jo. She ignores the many signs that Danny's feelings are for Lacey, and not her she proceeds, pleading for his love and affections. She wants him in his entirety, or nothing at all.
"I have to." Jo gazes directly into his eyes, searching for an ounce of desire, but refusing to accept that it is nonexistent. She continues to speak. "I have to say it to you Danny, to your face. I can't move on unless I know, unless I'm sure that you could never feel the same way."
Danny gathers his thoughts, trying to coordinate a response that is sparing of Jo's feelings, while being honest to those of his own. He sighs. "Jo, you are the most incredible person that I have ever met." But Jo cuts him off again.
"Please don't patronize me!" She begs.
"I'm not!" Danny tries his hardest to get her to understand. Seeing her this way, all angsty and broken hearted, it destroyed him that he was the cause. But he can't fake his feelings, and his feelings for Lacey are real. Danny composes himself. "Our friendship means so much to me, and I don't wanna risk that turning it into to something else," he explains.
"But you can risk it for Lacey?" Jo snaps back.
"That's different." Danny is stunned by Jo's boldness.
"Do you still have feelings for her?" Jo already knew the answer to that question. What she should have asked was, are you willing to put your feelings for Lacey aside so that our friendship can thrive, and maybe eventually your feelings will develop.
Danny fumbles around with his words. He does not want to hurt her any more than he already has. "L-Lacey and I we're over."
"That's not what I asked, do you still have feelings for her?"
Danny searches his best friend's face, trying to find an easier way out of the predicament, but he cannot. And so he remains quiet.
"Don't lie to me. For once, just the truth." She demands of him an answer.
Danny cannot give her the answer she needs, so he simply nods his head, confirming that he still has feelings for Lacey. How could he not? He had waited all his life to be with her, and when he was finally able to call her his, when he had finally broken through the walls she had surrounded herself with for so long, Danny ruined it all with his lies. This time, he vowed to be honest, regardless of who the truth may hurt, because a lie does not merely hurt, it kills.
Wrong answer, Jo thinks to herself. How can he not feel the same way towards me? I have stood by his side through all the turmoil and the pain, being ostracized and ridiculed. I was right there beside him. Where was Lacey? She thought. She was sitting smugly next to her super popular friends in their picture perfect world positioned high above - quote - peasants, like she and Danny. Lacey was embarrassed of him. I stood up for him with shameless audacity.
"I'm so sorry Jo. We're gonna get through this, the three of us. Okay? That's what's most important, right?" Danny says hopefully. "Right?" Through his eyes, he begs for her forgiveness.
Jo tries to collect herself, but her pride is hurt. "Goodbye Danny," is all she can muster up. She tries to walk passed him, but Danny grabs her by the arm.
"Jo, wait. You asked me to be honest, so I am. I have real feelings for Lacey, and I know it hurts you, but is that such a bad thing?"
"You lied to me about it Danny, that's why it hurts!" Jo is on the verge of tears.
"Well I'm not lying about it now. Okay? I admit, I like Lacey, hell I may even be in love her! I have felt this way for a really long time, Jo I'm sorry!" All of Danny's emotions came flushing in at once, he didn't mean to yell at her, but he wanted Jo to understand. Danny furrows his brows upon the realization of something. "Wait, are you really going to end our friendship because I don't feel the same way about you?"
Jo's eyes widen at his vast assumption. He was exactly right, but the way it sounded coming from him, it sounded as if she were the antagonist, when clearly she was the victim. "Don't try to put this on me. You heard what I said at the school board hearing. Remember? The one where I vouched for you even after you lied about having Regina Crane's necklace. I alluded to my feelings for you then, Danny you knew! And you still didn't tell me! Where was Lacey again? I don't recall seeing her there," Jo laughed spitefully. "Oh right, because she wasn't there." Jo turns to walk away again, she has said all that she needed to say.
Danny called out to her, "Lacey was there for me in ways you could never be." Jo stops when he says this, a shocking expression moving across her face. Danny continues, walking up to her. "When I first came back, you were all inquisitive. Why did I do it? What am I trying to hide? Who am I trying to protect, and why? I get it, you were curious. And don't pretend you were never harsh to me, you were even more harsh than Lacey at first."
Danny calms himself down. "The night of Regina's party," Danny begins to recall the memory. "When Lacey came over to my house, we just talked, and we laughed, and we shared a bag of Blue Ranch potato chips. We just had fun enjoying each other's company." Danny stares off into the distance. "It felt normal. She even opened up to me about some things, and I did the same. Of course she was scared of me, of course she regretted that I ruined her childhood, but she ignored the fact, even if just for a night. And that's when I knew," Danny is now speaking with pure conviction, staring at Jo face to face. "I knew that she had forgiven me, that she missed me, and was willing to let go of my past."
His glassy eyes sharpen, poking a hole through Jo's heart. "And then the very next day, her best friend died." He says, speaking more firmly than before. "Can you imagine the fright? The fear? A lovely coincidence that it all happened the day I returned. Lacey must have been terrified, we're talking about her best friend being murdered. Jo, don't you pretend that you understand what Lacey is going through. And don't you dare try to convince me that she doesn't care about me, because she does."
Jo does't know what to say, she's never seen Danny this angry before. Her large eyes fall to the ground and she says nothing.
"You're butt hurt because you think you deserve my love, no one deserves love, it's just a feeling. And either it's there or it isn't there but, but either way there's a reason for it." Danny stares at Jo with disgust. "That video hurt more than just you. Have you even spoken to Lacey about it?"
"No, but-" Jo shuffles on her feet, trying to compose a reasonable response.
"Of course you haven't." Danny nods his head shamefully. "Lacey's friends have completely frozen her out. She's been getting really dirty looks from people she doesn't even know, and they even vandalized her locker at school. But um- he pauses, and steps yet another step closer to Jo, so close that their faces are nearly touching. Jo shudders. "Poor Jo." Danny says condescendingly before walking away.
Jo stands there speechless. There is nothing she can say.