Disclaimer: The characters herein are not my creations nor do I own them; I am not seeking any profit nor any ill will from the major corporations that are the legal owners. This is only for kicks and giggles.
Author: therubyone
Reader advisory: Rated T for Teen for mild, implied slash and potential step-cest
MEGAN'S BIG CRUSH
Chapter 2. – Project J
Megan stared out the window during her free period. She had just finished writing a book report, so she felt she was entitled to let her mind roam back to her favorite subject. Megan surmised that Josh had learned a few things while dating Mindy. After the two of them broke up, Josh never lacked for dates. Girls even asked HIM out. Heck, he'd even won a dating marathon against Drake! Megan hadn't wanted Josh to make that bet. She'd even laughed, as though Josh couldn't win. But deep down she just didn't WANT Josh to win. She didn't like him going out with girl after random girl – leave that to Drake. But even though Drake couldn't resist the girls, and vice versa, he didn't respect those girls very much; they were interchangeable to him.
Josh certainly wasn't like that. He was polite to everybody. He always gave of himself. He tried so hard to manage her troop of Campfire Cadets. Megan's cheeks blazed at the memory of how she and the other girls had been so mean and thoughtless to Josh. She'd called Josh so many cruel things, so many times. It embarrassed her now. Megan wanted their relationship to evolve in a natural way but she knew he'd get suspicious if she dropped her old act too fast.
Megan had put a lot of effort into making that pretty birthday cake for Josh, but all Josh could worry about was Drake forgetting his birthday. That was when she decided to go ahead and let the cake blow up. She hadn't realized until then that she herself had been driving the two boys together and she was frustrated now that she couldn't pry them apart. Oh, she'd tried. She was always dropping little hints to both of them in order to get them to fight. The best time was when they were hanging around Drew and Jerry to make each other jealous. So hilarious! Megan concluded, too late, that too many of her efforts were getting Josh and Drake grounded together, holed up in their boob-cave, where they could ignore her. She knew she had better re-think her tactics.
The closest she'd ever felt to Josh was when he and Drake had fought, during that terrible falling-out when Josh said he was "done" with Drake. Without Drake hogging up all Josh's spare time, he and Megan had so many wonderful conversations, sitting close together on the couch. Megan had watched with interest as Josh removed his tear-away sport pants for the first time. Hmmm. She thought she'd better add that to the List. She wondered if Josh could guess or sense somehow what she was thinking. It made her feel shivery all over.
The bell rang. Megan gathered up her things and went to meet Janie in the cafeteria.
After school, Megan checked Josh's work schedule, posted with magnets on the fridge. So Josh would be at work until 8:30. She hoped Drake wasn't going to turn up soon, either. He usually didn't when Josh was at The Premiere. She slipped into the boys' room. Holding her breath, she carefully started sifting through her brothers' wicker laundry hamper. She didn't want anything of Drake's, and what she did want - Ah! Perfect! She pulled out a soft, blue shirt that Josh had slept in. She shook off the Drake cooties that might have gotten on it and hurriedly retreated to her bedroom with her prize.
Megan sat down at her desk and got out the perfume-making kit she'd gotten last Christmas. She enjoyed a challenge. She thought of this as her Project J. She was attempting to distill the essence of Josh. She sniffed Josh's shirt. Notes of sandalwood and African violets—it was a start. Maybe this was as close as she could get to having Josh in a bottle. She counted the drops as she added each fragrance to the vial with a dropper, making notes as she went along. She recalled once telling Josh that she would knit a stupid bag and keep him inside it. Ha ha - THEN he'd be always at her side! As she mixed her ingredients and checked her notes, she giggled to herself. Josh could be lots of fun when he tickled and teased her, calling her "little girl" in that goofy way of his. He was patient and she knew he sometimes let her win at board games.
Megan concentrated on her project until she heard the front door open. It was her mother. Megan put her Project J away and turned to her homework, knowing that Mom would come in and check on her.
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Still wearing his red vest with the embroidered "P," Josh stood rooting around the top of his desk. "Drake, you didn't take my lucky Tikki, did you?"
Drake was sitting on his bed with his guitar. He put it down for a moment. "The one Aunt Barb brought you from her vacation in Hawaii?"
"Yeah. It's gone." Josh continued his search, this time looking in the drawers. "And so's my little wooden toucan from Brazil that cousin Skippy got when he went there on that agricultural studies program."
"Maybe we've got poultrygeists?! Like the ones in 'Ghost Monsters.'"
"It's weird, that's all, things going missing. I just wanted to make sure you haven't been selling my stuff on eBay again. Since you're not, then I probably just misplaced them."
In retrospect, Drake felt badly about doing that to Josh. "You can have MY Tikki if it makes you feel better."
There was a knock at the bedroom door, followed by Megan's entrance.
"Mom asked me to see if you guys had any dinner, and if you didn't, to tell you she'll make you some sandwiches."
Josh indicated "I'm good."
"I'm just gonna snack on stuff we have up here," answered Drake.
"I've got a headache. It hurts me so much I can't concentrate to read. Would either of you mind reading a chapter to me from Bridge to Terabithia? I have to get through it for school by tomorrow."
"I loved that book!" exclaimed Josh.
Megan knew that Drake wouldn't want to read aloud.
"Why don't you get Mom or Dad?" Drake asked.
"They're cuddling on the couch and watching some movie with the lights out. They're drinking wine. I hate to bother them."
Since when? thought Drake, growing suspicious.
Josh had taken off the vest and he hung it on the back of the desk chair. He extended his hand to Megan once he had seated himself on the couch.
Placing the book in his hand, Megan told him, "I've bookmarked the page where I left off."
Without waiting for an invitation or further comment from Drake, she got on the couch, too, and laid her head against Josh's leg. She'd read the book back in 5th grade, so she closed her eyes and concentrated only on the sound of Josh's voice, as she enjoyed the feeling of strength and warmth emanating from Josh's solid thigh against the back of her skull.
When he'd finished, Josh asked Megan a few questions to make sure she was prepared for class. Megan opened her eyes and was surprised to see that Drake had come down from his loft and was sitting in the orange armchair, dozing.
"Okay, Megs. We'd better call it a night. I hope your head feels better."
"Thanks, Josh. What about Drake? Shouldn't we wake him?"
"I'll take care of him. No worries."
Once she sat alone in her own bed, Megan pulled Josh's pajama top out from under her pillow and held it close. She hoped she'd have a nice dream involving Josh.
Josh touched Drake's shoulder and gently shook him. "Drake, wake up and go to sleep!"
"Huh? Is she gone?"
Josh nodded affirmatively as Drake looked up at him, sleepily yawning and rubbing his eyes.
"Man, you were right. She's up to something. I'm thinking she must be after a DNA sample."
"I like it when Megan comes to me for help. It makes me feel like a brother, instead of a moving target."
"Will you read me some more of that story tomorrow? Imagine that, a boy and a girl being best friends."
"I can't believe you don't even remember that book. We studied it ourselves. Was it 5th or 6th grade?"
"I'm certain I never read it before."
Josh wondered why Megan's class was reading the book this year. Perhaps the curriculum had changed. After all, it was a very tragic story for 10- or 11-year-olds to handle.