CHAPTER 3: The Distance (Please please please listen to the song while you're reading! "The Distance" by Hot Chelle Rae)

And just so you know,

the distance is what's killing me,

time and space have become the

ENEMY. - Hot Chelle Rae

"Hey guys, we're all going to a movie if anyone else wanted to come." Joy offered, gesturing towards KT and Patricia.

"Uh, yeah, I'd like to." I said. I needed to take my mind off of the mystery, as I guessed the three girls did too.

"Awesome, we're going tonight at seven." KT told me. I nodded understandingly and went back to my work. Joy looked particularly happy that I was going.

That night, Joy, KT, Patricia, Eddie and I loaded into Mr. Sweet's SUV and headed to the movies. Eddie, being the only one besides KT who actually had his driver's license, was the driver of the night. He and Patricia had gotten back together earlier that week after realizing the other wanted to keep dating as much as they did.

Patricia turned the radio on to a station playing songs we all knew, and soon we were singing along, acting completely cliche, as Patricia would say.

"Right, so what movie do you guys wanna see?" Joy asked us.

"Whatever looks good." KT suggested. We all nodded in agreement.

As we approached the movie theatre, Joy tried peering out of the car window at the film posters hung on the side of the building.

"Uh, we could see Les Miserable, This Is 40, Paranormal Activity 4, or Monsters Incorporated 3D," she mused, "Fabian, what do you want to see?"

"Anything's fine with me." I tried, attempting to make them all happy.

"Okay, Eddie? Patricia?" Joy asked, seeming a bit bored.

"Let's see Les Mis." the pair decided.

"Yeah"s and "sounds good"s echoed throughout the vehicle.

In the movie, I ended up sitting next to Joy. It wasn't awkward like it had been the last time we went to see a movie together, and I found myself wanting to grab her hand and hold onto it like a lifesaver. But I didn't know if she wanted me to, or if I really wanted me to, so I didn't.

The movie was good, and as we all sat down for dinner at the local family-style restaurant, the girls raved about how hot Eddie Redmayne was while their boyfriends rolled their eyes.

I didn't realize I had been staring at Joy and blushing until she asked me if I was okay. I nodded, but when I kept doing it, she dragged me outside.

"What's going on, Fabian?" she asked nicely. Joy was always so kind to me.

"I don't know." I responded, confused. I honestly had no idea what was wrong with me.

"You keep staring at me ... is there something in my teeth?" she started laughing, and then I was laughing, and shaking my head. We must've looked like idiots.

Eventually our stomachs started to hurt, and we kinda looked at each other like people do when they want to kiss, but I didn't know what to do. When Joy was tired of waiting for me to "man up" and make the first move, she kissed me. And I liked it.

"Fabian, I'm sorry!" she begged, starting to cry a bit.

"No, Joy, it's okay. Really." I smiled, and kissed her again. I guess I did have a bit of a thing for her.

LINE BREAK

Monday rolled in quickly, bringing March rain storms and chilly winds with it. Nobody felt happy that morning, what with school and the terrible weather. Joy and I trudged through the halls to our classes, only half interested in what the teachers had to say. I speak for everyone in that school when I say we all anxiously awaited the end of the day. So when it finally did come, it was like a fire had started and everyone was trying to escape it.

Joy and I ran across the school grounds to Anubis House, trying not to get soaked like Alfie and Jerome were.

"It's so crappy out!" she yelled to me as we were running, blazers held over our heads in a failed attempt to keep the rain out.

"I know! Keep running!" I screamed, picking up speed. Joy laughed and ran faster.

Anubis House was warm and dry when we entered, and I had never been so happy to be inside in my entire life. I was chilled to the bone, and dripping rainwater whenever I stepped.

"Well we were successful." Joy giggled, emptying her shoe of water.

"We were successful indeed." I agreed sarcastically. We entered the Common Room still laughing.

"What is this?!" Amber demanded me, her words laced with deadly venom as she held her iPhone up. A picture of Joy and I kissing in Joy's room was on the screen.

"I better go." Joy whispered, hastily running out of the room.

"Er -" I started.

"Fabian Rutter, you little cheat!" the blonde girl shouted.

"What do you mean? I'm dating Nina!" I defended, "... and Joy." Amber nodded, a look that could kill upon her face.

"Oh my God Amber, I am a cheat. What is wrong with me?" I cried, sinking into a chair and putting my face in my palms.

"I don't know, but you'd better break up with one of them!" she told me.

"I screwed up badly, didn't I?" I wondered.

"Yes Fabian. Yes, you did." I nodded in defeat.

"Choose, Fabian!" Amber called as she pranced out of the room.

LINE BREAK

That night, I didn't fall asleep at all. I stayed up all night trying to decide what to do. I felt like a complete and total jerk. If I broke up with Joy, she would be very sad, and probably angry since we had been dating for only a day. But if I didn't break up with her, I would be cheating on Nina more than I had been already. I loved Nina, I liked Joy. But Nina wasn't there, Joy was! And I was growing to like her more every day. I had absolutely no idea what to do. Half of my brain was telling me "Joy", and the other half "Nina". What a jerk I was.