A/N: Sorry it took so long. Had another fic project that had to be finished first. As always...I do not own or claim to own any of the characters used in this story. Hope you like.
"Look Blair, Annie's waiting for me. Can you just tell me what you want?"
"Cancel" Blair said matter-of-factly.
Jo was caught off guard by the quick response and thought she'd misheard. "What?"
"Cancel your plans" the blonde repeated.
"Yer jokin?" Jo stated as she stared at the blonde in disbelief.
"No. I'm serious. Tell that girl you can't make it" Blair's answer sounded more like a command.
"That girl's name is Annie" Jo answered, her anger rising. "And…"
"Fine…then tell Annie you can't make it" Blair's tone was dismissive when referring to the other girl. "Tell her…
"I ain't tellin her nothin cuz I ain't cancelin." Jo said through clenched teeth.
Blair put her hands on her hips and said in a demanding tone. "Yes. You are"
Jo folded her arms in front of her as she asked irritated. "And why the hell should I?"
"Because…"
"Becuz why?" Jo challenged the girl.
"Because I said so" Blair answered as if the reason was obvious.
Jo sighed in annoyance. "Blair…"
"Hey! You asked me want I wanted and that's what I want" The blonde answered.
Jo dropped her arms, shook her head and moved to step around her. "Ain't happenin Blair"
Blair blocked her from leaving. "I want you to stay"
"Yea? How's it feel to want princess?" Jo glared, her voice getting louder.
The blonde was undeterred. "You have to stay"
"I don't hafta do anythin" Jo growled as she attempted to move around Blair again, only to be blocked again.
"This is ridiculous! You can't possibly tell me you'd rather spend time with her than me" Blair scoffed.
"Right now? Yea…I would!" Jo answered defiantly.
"You obviously aren't thinking clearly" Blair went on as if Jo hadn't spoken. "I'm not letting you…"
"Not thinking clearly? Not lettin me?! You don't own me Blair! Now Move!" Jo almost screamed at her.
Blair refused to budge.
Jo had had enough, her hands clenched into fists, her tone threatening. "Get outta the way Blair!" she hissed.
Blair reached out to grab the Jo's arm. "No…you…"
"Lemme go" Jo yanked her arm away from the blonde and cocked the other arm. Her eyes blazed in anger.
Blair retreated a step.
The flash of fear in Blair's eyes froze Jo for a second. She dropped her arm, pushed past the blonde and spat out, "You don't own me. We aren't…"… "I'm not your lackey," she finished, before storming out, slamming the door behind her.
For just a second, Blair had actually feared her roommate. The brunette would intimidate people with her fists, though never acted on her threats. So, Blair didn't really believe that Jo would hit her. The blonde had caught a glimpse of panic in green eyes before the brunette stormed out, but by the time she turned and opened the door to run after Jo, all she heard was the slamming of the door downstairs. Blair sank down on her bed and dropped her head into her hands. Shit! That wasn't how things were supposed to go at all.
Natalie looked up from the snack she was fixing at the kitchen counter as Jo came stomping down the stairs. She'd heard her friends argue before, but never like this. She couldn't make out what they were fighting about, but by the sound of it, it had to be big. "Jo..is everything..." she started to ask, but Jo stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind her before Natalie could finish her question.
Mrs. Garrett walked in from the dining room where she'd been planning the menu. "Natalie..what's going on? What's all the noise about?"
Natalie shook her head. "Don't look at me Mrs. Garrett. Blair and Jo just had another one of their fights"
"But all that slamming?" The older woman looked at Natalie a confused look on her face.
"I don't know what it was about.." Natalie answered as she shook her head "but it must have been pretty bad. Jo never even looked at me when she stormed out"
Mrs. Garrett looked up to where the girls' room was above their heads. "Well..I can't do anything about Jo..but maybe I should check on Blair?"
Natalie shrugged sympathetically. She knew the older woman hadn't asked looking for an answer. Whatever had happened, the younger girl knew not to get involved. Most of the time they're like bread and butter Natalie thought to herself as she picked up her plate and headed for the lounge. Other times..oil and water. On rare occasions… it was best to duck and cover. Natalie had decided this was one of those occasions.
Blair sat on her bed, with her head in her hands. All that she'd said to Jo…it wasn't at all what she wanted to say. Blair hadn't wanted to act like she had - trying to boss Jo around and demanding that she stay. That Jo should cancel her…plans. So why had she? Easy The blonde thought to herself. It was because Jo brought up Annie. Blair hated the girl. No..that wasn't right. She didn't hate Annie. It was just that…
"Blair?" Mrs. Garrett called out as she knocked on the door before entering. She felt a pain in her heart when she saw the distraught girl before her. "Is everything all right?"
The older woman's voice had that lilt to it. The one where the girls knew their mentor had an inclination that something was wrong. Blair raised her head. "You heard" she answered with a small sad smile on her face.
"The aftermath apparently" the woman said as she gave a small grin of her own. She sat down on the bed next to Blair. "Wanna tell me about it?"
"Oh Mrs. Garrett!" the pain in the blonde's voice was evident. "I didn't mean to…it wasn't supposed to.." Blair sighed heavily.
The older woman noted the burgeoning tears in the girl's warm, brown eyes and pulled her into a hug. "Hey now…it can't be that bad" she said softly as she tried to console the blonde.
Blair willingly leaned into the embrace of the woman who was just as much a mother to her as her own, if not more sometimes. "Y-yes…it is" she sniffled fighting back her tears. "Jo's really mad at me this time"
"Oh…I'm sure she'll get over it, honey. She always does. Come on tell me what happened?"
"I'm not so sure Mrs. Garrett" Blair answered, as she pulled away from the embrace and wiped her eyes. "I-I asked Jo to come up here…so we could talk…" She then told of their confrontation and how it went wrong. "I..I just wanted to..to tell her…" Blair caught herself. "I just wanted to spend time with her. She's been avoiding me for what feels like forever. I mean we hardly even speak anymore and..well.. I…"
"Don't like it" Edna finished for her.
"It's more than that" Blair had gotten to her feet and begun to pace. "I thought we..we were friends, but now it's like she can't even stand to be near me!"
"I see" Edna said more to herself than to the blonde. She'd noticed a while back how the brunette's demeanor towards Blair changed. How even though they had always teased each other, Jo's insults had more bite to them as of late. How Jo would move away if Blair touched her, where before she didn't seem to mind. The older woman also noticed that Jo would spend more and more of her free time at the library or out somewhere, but always was on time for kitchen duty or curfew. The guardian had an idea what was going on. She'd become aware of Jo's 'preferences' after the Bronx girl let it slip in a private talk after the Eddie Brennan fiasco. If Jo had developed feelings for Blair, and feared she was getting too close, it would explain her actions. Edna knew she wouldn't know for sure until she had the chance to talk to the brunette.
Blair stopped pacing long enough to look at the older woman. "Not even for five minutes!" she said holding up her hand, fingers splayed. "It's…I just don't know what I did to make her act that way." The blonde heaved an exasperated sigh. "Then she has to tell me that Annie's waiting for her" her voice slightly sarcastic.
Blair's tone pulled Edna from her thoughts. "Annie?" she asked a bit confused.
"Annie…Annie Campbell. She's the new student" Blair explained.
Edna shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know.."
"As I said…new girl" Blair interrupted. "Skinny, blue-eyed, punkish looking with spiky platinum blonde hair" a hint of disdain in her voice as she described the girl.
Spiky blonde hair? Edna remembered a picture Jo had shown her one night after Cynthia's death. It was of the Bronx native with her friend Gloria…the girl who had committed suicide right in front of Jo. The girl, for whom Jo had admitted having fallen for. The girl who was most definitely straight. Gloria…the one Jo was ready to tell how much she cared for her….right before the blonde stepped off the roof.
"Not only does Annie wear her skirts too short…" Blair said as she made a disgusted face. "but she also wears white knee socks with those awful white and black saddle shoes" The blonde began to pace again. "Honestly…I don't know why Jo is hanging around her" She tried to sound annoyed but there was a hint of hurt in her voice. "I mean.." Blair assumed a haughty pose. "I can't tell you how many people would die to be seen with me…Blair Warner…and yet Jo's willing to pass it up"
"And no one rejects Blair Warner?" Mrs. Garrett asked with a knowing look.
Blair turned to her. "Exactly!" she said defiantly. It took only seconds for her face to fall. "No one…but Jo" The tone of her voice clearly showed her disappointment.
"But…Jo isn't like everyone else" Edna stood to face the girl. "Is she?"
The blonde sighed. "No..no she isn't. She doesn't put up with my…'crap'.. as Jo would say" Blair turned, took a couple of steps, then turned back. "I went to a couple of Jo's practices…hoping we could talk after" Her brown eyes started to sparkle as she revealed that information. "Have you ever watched Jo play Mrs. Garrett?" she asked excitedly. "She's amazing! The way she moves…she dodges this way and that. She never gives anyone a clear shot at her, but when she's bearing down on an opponent? Ohhh..it made me cringe"
"I can imagine" the older woman smiled and nodded at the girl's enthusiasm, picturing the dark haired girl taking the field by storm. "Jo must have been pleased when you told her how good she was?" Edna was saddened to see Blair's face fall again.
"I-I never got the chance to talk to her. Annie was there…smiling, clapping, cheering Jo on. Jo didn't even look at me. Natalie said Annie's been going to all of Jo's practices and games" Blair sat heavily back down on her bed. ""I've..I've been replaced Mrs. Garrett and…I don't want to be. I think I've lost her before I even…" she caught herself again. Blair sighed. "I want my friend back"
Edna paused a moment to consider the blonde. Could it be that Blair had developed feelings for her friend? The older woman mentally shook her head…No, not the boy-crazy heiress. However, the more she thought about it, she realized how close the two had been up until Jo had pulled away and the way Blair had been acting since. Maybe Blair has? Edna sat down and pulled her close again. "Blair…I don't think you've lost Jo. I believe you two girls have a special bond that can't easily be replaced. I have a feeling that Jo's…trying to figure some things out. Just give her some time"
"You really think so?" Blair asked, a bit of desperation in her voice.
"I do. You just do your best to show Jo you still consider her your friend and you still value that friendship. Let her know you'll be there for her if she needs you" When she needs you Edna thought to herself.
Blair separated from the older woman's arms, took a deep breath and let it out. "Ok. You're right" Blair managed a small smile. "As soon as she comes back…I'll apologize. Jo'll appreciate hearing me admit I was wrong"
Mrs. Garrett chuckled lightly as she stood up. "Yes…she'll get a kick out of that. And…I think it will mean a lot to her"
Blair stood and gave the woman a warm hug. "Thank you Mrs. Garrett" she said sincerely.
"Any time honey" the red headed woman stepped back, smiled and patted the girl lightly on the cheek. "Remember…patience"
"I will" Blair smiled back.
When Edna had stepped out in the hallway and closed the door behind her, she paused for a moment thinking about the two girls. Having an idea now of what Jo's attraction to the new girl, Annie might be. She had no doubt that the tough girl from the Bronx was going to need the support of the debutante. "Maybe sooner than later" Edna said quietly to herself. "I only hope Jo lets Blair"