With a full moon overhead, two silhouettes stumble towards the door to the cafeteria.
"Shh! Be quiet! Mrs. Garrett will hear us!" Blair hissed, waving her hands to signal trouble. Jo looked at Blair, and seemed to consider what she had said.
"HAAAA HAHAHAHA!" Jo let out a loud cackle. "Mrs. Garrett!"
"Jo!" Blair clucked. "Jo, please collect yourself."
"Okay pal, but if we're tryin' to keep a low profile, you might wanna lose that bottle!" Jo squealed, pointing at Blair's hand. Blair looked down at her hand, and appeared shocked at the sight of the beer bottle. Without thinking, she flung the bottle into a nearby bush. This sent Jo into another fit of hysterics.
"I can't believe you got me to drink that." Blair said seriously.
"Oh, believe me, you did!"
"I know!" Blair said, equally impressed. "It's time to go in, Jo."
Blair moved her hair around, trying to get it back where it belonged. One look at Jo, and it was all over. "Did you SEE how Walter was staring at me?!" Blair shrieked.
"Did you see how Kenny tried to put his HAND on my shoulder!" Jo shrieked back. Suddenly, a light went on in the upstairs dormitory next to the cafeteria. "Blair, hurry!" Jo said, grabbing Blair's hand. The two girls headed for the nearby bushes. They crouched behind the them, waiting for the light to go off. "Blair." Jo whispered. Beside her, Blair was staring off in a stupor. "Blair!" Jo hissed. "Earth to Blondie!"
"What, what?" Blair questioned.
"We can't go inside. We're not ready." Jo said. Blair looked at her for a moment with a very serious expression on her face. Suddenly, a smile broke across her face.
"I know." Blair laughed. "But Jo, it's already 1:30. They are going to realize we're not home."
"Blair, they're all asleep, I'm tellin ya."
"Where should we go?" Blair wondered. "We can't stay here. We're in a BUSH!" she finished, giggling, as if she had just realized their location.
"I think I know a little place." Jo said.
"Jo, where ARE we? This is wonderful!" Blair said excitedly, looking around the clearing. They had followed a trail through the woods, Jo pulling Blair along like a dog on a leash. A fallen tree served as a bench. A pit had been dug in the center, and the charred remains of some logs from a previous fire sat in it. Blair sat down on the fallen tree. "Jo," Blair said, looking at the fire pit, "I'm freezing." Blair hugged her coat tightly to herself. Blair looked at Jo expectantly. Jo frowned at her.
"Oh, alright, alright, give me a hand here, help me get some sticks." Jo offered. Blair stood up from the log and wobbled, putting a hand back on the tree to steady herself. "On second thought, maybe you better just sit there."
"Nooo problem!" Blair chirped.
With a bundle of sticks in her hand, Jo positioned them in a teepee and threw some dry leaves and pine needles in the center. Taking a pack of matches out of her pocket, Jo lit the center. The flame caught quickly.
"Woooow." Blair said, delighted. "Jo, I didn't know you could do that!"
"Blair," Jo began, "this right here is my spot. I've been coming here since I came to Eastland."
"You have? How come you never brought me?"
"Well, for SOME REASON, I didn't think nature would be your thing." Jo responded.
"Oh, I love nature! I just love it!" Blair gushed.
"Okay Blair, calm down."
"I just love the fresh air, and the birds, and the trees!" Blair exclaims, hopping off of the log. Blair pitches over and stumbles towards the fire. Jo jumps up and grabs her by the arm.
"Okay, Jane Goodall, maybe you better sit back down, huh?" Jo said, guiding Blair back to her seat. Jo settles in next to her, rubbing her hands together. "Yeah, she'll be cookin' in no time." Jo said, looking at the fire. The two girls sat for a minute, enjoying the fire and the stars.
"You know something Jo? I didn't even want to come tonight."
"Yeah? Well then why did ya?" Jo responded, annoyed.
"But I ended up having a great time. With you." Blair said.
"Yeah?" Jo said, softening, flashing Blair a shy smile. "Well, I gotta say, I was nervous about bringing you. But I'm glad you were there."
"Your friends aren't so bad. A little unrefined, of course." Blair reasoned. Jo frowns.
"Please don't start, okay?"
"I'm sorry." Blair says honestly. The girls are quiet for a moment. "Jo, do you think my parents are going to think about me this weekend?" Blair asked, looking at Jo with wide eyes.
"Sure."
"Do you think that they miss me?"
"Loads." Jo responded.
"What?" Blair asked.
"Huh?"
"Why are you doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"You know, that- that one word thing?"
"Listen, Blair, after you've had a few drinks, it's not a good idea to start thinking about things that upset you. I just don't want you to... well, you know. I just don't...I don't want you to be sad." Jo explains.
"You don't?" Blair asks, seemingly surprised. Jo looks confused, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Well of course not!" Jo yells.
"Okay, okay." Blair says. She scoots closer to Jo. "Do you miss your mom?" Blair asks. Jo's eyes widen.
"What do ya mean?"
"I mean, do you MISS her? You know, on holidays, and at bedtime, maybe... maybe on Christmas?"
"A little." Jo admits. "Look, I love my mom. I'm not sayin' that I don't. She works real hard. But don't get the wrong idea, Blair. It's not like we were the Brady Bunch. Holidays, birthdays, stuff like that... a lot of times that stuff didn't go so well at my house."
"Why not?"
"Well... they weren't around a lot. My mom was always working- just like your parents. And I was alone a lot. And when they were home, they fought all the time. Sometimes it got really bad. And my dad, before he got... before he went... well, just before- he used to bring some pretty shady characters around the apartment. I don't know." Jo stopped, feeling as if she had said too much.
"I know exactly how you feel." Blair said. "It's like, I feel angry. And I feel sad. And then I feel guilty about feeling angry and sad, because, well, they're my parents. And all of that just makes me feel worse again." Blair adds.
"Exactly. And on top of that, there was never any money. So Christmas presents? Let's just say Santa skipped my house more than a few times." Jo revealed, looking down.
"Well, I can't exactly relate there..." Blair said, but without her usual snobby air. She looked at Jo. "You know, it's not my fault my parents have a lot of money." Blair said.
"I know. It just makes it hard to listen to you talk about things sometimes. Like the pony you got, and the shopping, and the dinners... I never had any of that. And I never WILL have any of that." Jo said.
"I think you will." Blair said softly. "Jo, you're one of the smartest girls at Eastland. I know I don't like admitting it but- I was a little impressed when you made the honor roll your second semester here."
"Yeah but, what I really need is to get into a good college. And even if that happens, I have to rely on a scholarship. And they're not always available." Jo worried.
"I know you'll make it work. You always do." Blair said, slowly inching her hand towards Jo's. She rested her hand on top for a moment, and Jo looked at her, startled. Blair smiled at Jo, and intertwined her fingers with Jo's. "Things will work out for you, Jo, I know it." Blair rested her head on Jo's shoulder, watching the fire. Jo's eyes looked troubled, uncomfortable. Was it okay to hold Blair's hand? This wasn't exactly something that was done where Jo was from. And their banter and occasional laugh was one thing, but... they were really getting close here. And when someone gets close, that's when it's time to move, because if you don't...
"Don't run away, Jo. Stay here." Blair said, as if she had read Jo's mind. Jo considered this. A large part of her was screaming, 'get up, run, what are you doing, this is bad, you don't need this, you're fine on your own!' but another growing part of her was smiling like a cat in the sun at Blair's closeness. Jo remembered the feeling she'd had the night before, holding Blair on the couch. It wasn't so bad to have a friend. Friends held hands, right? Nothing wrong with that. Okay, so maybe Jo wasn't exactly the hand holding type. But if Blair wanted to, then...
"I mean it, Jo. It's okay. Just let me." Blair said, again, on cue as if she had heard it all.
"I can't!" Jo screamed, standing up from the log, surprising even herself. "I can't." she repeated. "I'm sorry, Blair. I don't know what's wrong with me." Jo admitted, tears springing to her eyes. She paced around the fire.
"I'm sorry, Jo, I was just feeling comfortable, this fire is so cozy." Blair said, a little taken aback.
"I know!" Jo said. "Blair, I can't explain it. I just... ugh!" Jo let out a frustrated cry.
"Jo, I know it's hard for you to open up." Blair said calmly.
"I can't Blair. I can't." Jo said, tears running down her face. "And I want to, but I can't." Blair watched as Jo paced around the fire again. "Back home, back home it was just an idiot idea, an idiot idea to have a best friend. It's like setting yourself up for a fall. You might as well go jump off a building. Because if you don't, well, the other person will!"
"Jo, are you talking about Gloria?"
"Yes! And I'm talking about everybody. Everyone is like that. I spent so much time, Blair, so much time making myself into a person who could come and go. And I want to come and go here! It's safer that way!"
"I don't want you to come and go." Blair said honestly, looking at Jo. Jo stopped pacing for a moment.
"We are getting too close! Last night, then tonight, I don't need this, I can't do this!" Jo yelled, pleading with Blair to understand.
"Can't do what? Be my friend?"
"Yes!"
"Yes you can." Blair spoke softly. "Just sit back down with me. And watch the fire. Don't be afraid." Jo looked at Blair, her eyes full of tears. Jo was exhausted. "We both need each other. And I'm too tired, too drunk, and too cold to argue about it with you. Please, Jo. Sit back down." Blair said. Something about the way her voice stayed soft, the way Blair's eyes opened wide when she looked at Jo. Jo could still feel the warm buzz of alcohol running through her veins. Slowly, Jo took a few steps towards Blair. "Come on, you're almost there." Blair said encouragingly. Jo approached the log, and reluctantly sat down. Looking nonchalant, Blair grabbed Jo's hand again, and resumed her position with her head on Jo's shoulder. "Now stay there, and don't be bratty about it." Blair said, turning her head up to smile at Jo. Jo laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"It's just the beer, that's all." Jo said dismissively.
"Of course." Blair said. She let Jo sit there for a moment. She felt concerned at Jo's reaction. She didn't like seeing her friend, usually so strong, struggle over something as simple as friendship. "I'm not like the other kids you knew. I'm not going anywhere. You and I are here for the next few years, Jo. We might as well be a team." Blair said.
"It's not that easy." Jo said.
"We can make it that easy." Blair said. "Honestly, as much as I truly despise you... I don't think I'd have made it here without you." Blair said. Jo let out a sigh, and began to relax.
"Okay, I'll try. But don't think you're putting my hair in curlers. It's not like we're gonna be doing each others' makeup. Let me make that real clear." Jo said.
"Okay." Blair answered drowsily.
"Can I still bust your chops?" Jo asked.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Blair said with a smile.