Disclaimer: I don't own Ned's Declassified. Otherwise, it would be really easy to make this an episode.
Author's Notes: Okay, I just settled into Vacation-mode when I realized that I had packed my laptop with all of my chapters on it. Since I got a mind boggling 11 reviews in the few hours since I posted it, and the chapter was already written... well, let's just say it's Christmas in August for you. And this is also good in my case, because I hate using the hotel Internet station. Everyone can see what I'm doing.
The night had started off innocently enough. It was their usual Friday movie, video game, pizza night. When Lisa had become Cookie's girlfriend, she was a part of their tradition. But her and Cookie had left about an hour ago. Ned had stayed behind because he didn't have to travel far. It had began as a wrestle for the remote, action versus romantic comedy, or something like that.
All of a sudden, they were rolling around on the floor, tugging the remote one way, then another. This wouldn't have been such a big deal; they often wrestled when they were little kids. But they weren't little anyone, and this wouldn't look quite so innocent if someone walked in. Especially with Ned on top of her the way he was, her blouse shoved up halfway, and his belt loosened somehow. The remote was long lost, their excuse gone. She looked at Ned, and Ned looked back at her. This should have felt uncomfortable, but somehow it didn't. They lay there for a few moments just staring at each other. Moze's eyes drifted downward, and she suddenly realized that his shirt had become unbuttoned in the fracas.
Ned smiled at her. There was a look in his eyes that she didn't recognize...at least not directed at her. Wanting? Needing? Love?
No matter what it was, what happened next was unmistakable. She felt his hand sliding up the back of her shirt, settling on her bra clasp . For a few seconds, it felt like she was having an out of body experience; like it was happening to someone else. Thankfully, she got her bearings back and took his hands in hers. She pressed them against his chest. "No" She said so softly that she wondered if she actually had said it.
Ned gazed at her for a few moments. Then he shot up like his tail was on fire. "Crap, Moze, I gotta go. I was supposed to be home an hour ago!" He ran out of the door, buttoning his shirt as he ran out. His face was flaming red.
Moze lay there for the next half hour, contemplating what had just happened there, and feeling a little cold from the loss of body heat. She was concerned... that was the first time he had left without at least saying goodbye. That was the least of her problems. She would never have guessed that would be the last time she would see Ned go through that door.
Moze knew that the idiotic Jock in front of her probably didn't give a crap about her 8th grade locker door. But she pointed it out anyway. "This was in a national woodworking magazine"
"That's...like awesome" Jock Boy nodded, smiling all the way.
Moze distantly realizes that Jock Boy is yammering about something, probably about an athletic feat or something stupid. She can feel herself slouching a little as her mind wanders.
"...Shall we go into the gym?" Jock Boy says enthusiastically.
Moze perks up a little. "Sure" Apparently he can act like a boyfriend, rather than an idiot jock. Only when people are watching.
The instant she walks into the gym, she realizes it's not quite the same as when she went to Polk. That is clearly obvious by the green and yellow decorations, the confetti on the floor, and the DJ playing music as he waits for the party to start.
Moze sees Lisa, for the first time tonight, dancing with Cookie in a multicolored skirt. I'm glad Lisa is finally happy with Cookie.
"Friends of yours?" Jock Boy says to Moze.
"Once..." Moze says as she fiddles with her nails. "A while ago"
"Oh..." JB says to her.
"Can you get me a cookie?" Moze asks sweetly.
"Sure..." JB sets off to the other side of the gym, where the tables of refreshments are.
"Jennifer?" Moze hears a voice coming from her left. She turns around, about to yell at the person trying to talk to her, to tell them that she's not in the mood to talk. But it's someone she wouldn't mind talking to. Mr. Chopsaw.
"Jennifer!" He smiles at her. "How are you doing? And why is Ned over there talking to Mr. Sweeny, instead of being over here with you."
Moze ignores the second question. "Ummm, I'm doing fine."
"You look very uncomfortable" Mr. Chopsaw observes. He looks down to see Moze shuffling her feet in a pair of black heels. You have no idea Moze thinks Because I'm trying to ignore that second question.
"They hurt. But I am stylish!" Moze grins perkily and flips her hair onto another shoulder.
"Didn't we have this discussion about fashion when you were in Eighth grade?" Mr Chopshaw asks.
"Yes..." Moze sighs.
"Well, I still wear the shirts." Mr. Chopsaw says. "I still think you should go for comfort rather than style." He squints at her. "Are your eyes blue?"
Moze just stares blankly at him.
"Anyway, you never answered my question earlier" Mr Chopsaw said. "Why is Ned not over here? Last I heard, he couldn't stop talking about you...Trust me"
Did he really? Then why did he...But she doesn't voice this thought. "Well, we had some...issues" She carefully side steps the issue.
"Did the recommendation I wrote to your wood shop teacher help you?"
"I'm not really into woodworking anymore"
"You know? I've never found a woodworking student as good as you" Mr. Chopsaw says honestly. "I think it's a shame to throw away something like that for an attempt to be popular"
"Okay." Moze nods. "I'm going to circulate." And pray that the 10s don't make fun of me for talking to a 'dorky' teacher.
"I'll see you, Jennifer" Chopsaw waves her away.
Moze walks a few steps further, then lets out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "That was a close call"
This reunion was not going well. Her eyes swept along the crowd, seeing teachers that were bound to ask questions about her and Ned. The other alternative was talking to kids her age, who were probably going to ask that question as well. Although their questions would be more "What happened with you guys" rather than "So, how are you two doing?".
Moze looked at the dancing crowd. Among them was Claire Sawyer and Backpack Boy, who she noted were dancing together. She sees Mr. Wright climbing the steps to the podium, most likely to interrupt the dancers. For once, I'm actually happy to hear a speech. Less pressure to dance with the idiot Jock Boy.
"Everyone! Quiet!" The crowd becomes quiet. "I will try to keep this speech to a minimum. I know very well that you all despise long and tedious speeches. I know, I myself don't like them." To that, the crowd laughs falsely. Mr. Wright straightens his red tie in a panic and begins speaking once more. "Today, we are all here to reunite ourselves with the past, so to speak as we rediscover and recall some happy moments from the times you spent here. These people.. this place.. these things you will remember. So go reacquaint yourself with the past" He waves a hand at some white posters hanging all over the walls. "These posters have pictures donated from your fellow students. They're all over the building, so have fun looking for them" He steps off the podium, with everyone's eyes on him in shock. "Go!"
Moze moves out with the rest of the crowd. Go reacquaint yourself with the past? I'm more worried about reacquainting myself with Ned. And our past.
Moze walks down the hallway, past the cafeteria, suddenly realizing that she lost Jock Boy somewhere. As soon as she thinks about it, he appears at her side, as if summoned by magic.
"Hey, where were you?" JB flashes his pearly whites at her. "We're supposed to be a couple, remember?"
"Right" Moze smiles at him, somewhat pleased that he's making more of an effort to be her fake boyfriend.
"So..." He leans toward her, about to kiss her.
Moze leans in toward him. This isn't right hisses her inner voice Is this what you really want?
Moze pushes him away. "Sorry..I'm just not..."
"It's okay" JB says patiently. "I've seen this a million times"
Oh..no... does he mean what I think he means? He KNOWS! Am I that obvious?
"My mom goes through it all the time" JB assuredly says. "Pity. PMS can totally wreck your system"
"Yeah..sure..." Moze mumbles. It's not PMS... It's about 10 times worse.
"I have to go do something... will you be okay?" JB cautiously says, like he's afraid that she'll pass out at any moment.
"Okay" Moze nods. She wanders down the hallway, in the opposite direction of the bathroom. JB doesn't even notice. As she walks down the Seventh grade hallway, she sees posters all over the walls. She steps closer to the poster and frowns at it. It had an enlarged picture of Ned and Moze gazing at each other. Moze recognized it as the picture they used in the yearbook for the "Couple" category they had won in 7th grade. Ugh, is this what the whole night is going to be? Me avoiding people and looking at pictures that remind me of painful memories.
Moze moves over slightly and looks at the next poster, one of Cookie doing the last day of school dance. And she burst out laughing. Well, this isn't a painful memory. Moze studies the picture more. I wonder why Cookie took Ned's side when everything happened. Funny, considering what happened, Ned's in the wrong.
Moze turns her head towards the hallway, hearing footsteps. More specifically, it was the sound of high heeled shoes. Meaning it was most likely one of the tens. "I need some place I can hide..." Moze plots and paces in a slow circle. "Okay, tunnels that Cookie built... No Gordy destroyed those...Gordy's closet..." Moze smiles slightly. "Ned's probably hiding in there...oh...duh!"
-db -
Moze pushes open the hatch leading to the roof. It had been painful for her to walk up the emergency escape ladder with her heels, but somehow she had done it. The roof looks exactly the same as it had when they were in 8th grade. It is still messy (as was most of the school, due to Gordy's laziness, though not health-code violating ). It is reassuring to Moze somehow, because as much as everything changes around her, it still had remarkably stayed the same. She walks stiffly over to the corner of the roof directly over the overhang, sits down and lets her feet dangle. "Funny how this seems so much smaller now"
Moze bites her lip as she stares off into the darkening sky. The stars weren't out yet, so it seems like the sky is halfway between two things. Like Ned and me. We're not really enemies, but we're not friends.
Moze smacks her head. "I think I need a psychiatrist" She scratches her arm without thinking. "I wonder if he's obsessing even half as much as I am." Moze closed her eyes. I wonder if I can hide up here for the whole reunion.
Moze shakes her head. "What the hell am I thinking! I am not going to hide from Ned." She smacks her left fist into her right palm. "Here's what I'm going to have to do. First I'm going to have to get over him by being with Jock Boy, even if it kills me, Second, I will tutor him so I'll remember why he's not so great, and Thirdly, I will move on and live happily ever after."
Moze hears some muted shuffling, and the sound of the hatch opening. She closes her eyes. It could only be one person. The one person that had invaded her mind.
"Moze" Ned questions her quietly. " Do you want a drink?" Moze purses her lips. What. The. Hell. Is. He. Doing. Here. And why is he asking me if I want a drink?
"Oh." She doesn't take her eyes off the night sky. "You." Her face has a sour look on it, as if she swallowed a lemon. "I'm with my boyfriend. If I wanted something, I'd ask him to get me one" But you're not with him now! Says the inner voice smugly. So if you wanted to say... furiously make out with Ned here, nobody would know! Moze frowns a little Stop it, inner voice!
"Listen, I'm sorry.." Ned starts. Moze knows that he's trying to think about what to say, because of the scrunched up look on his face "I..."
"I don't know you" Moze's voice comes out tired and with obvious agony. "And I can't think about you anymore. It's too painful."
Moze knows that she's drawn a line between them. A barrier that ensures that they can't be friends. That she harbors ill will towards Ned still.
"Moze" Ned says oncemore. "I'm.."
"We've done this before." Moze's vision blurs in front of her as she stares off into the distance. She takes a deep breath and sighs. Once again, her inner voice has an opinion about it. What are you doing!!! Why are you lying to him!!! "Ned, I'm over this"
Moze can distinctly hear Ned getting closer and closer. Unexpectedly, he stands next to her. "..Over what?"So close...and yet so far.
"You.. me..our past" Moze picks at a loose thread on the hem of her dress. She refuses to meet his eyes.
"Oh" Ned replies grimly. "If that's true" He questions with a hint of wistfulness in his tone of voice . "Then why did you come up here!" Bad question to ask...Because I don't know the answer to that myself.
"You mean with all of its memories" Moze smiles weakly at him. She points to a corner of the roof's sign and blatantly ignores the question Ned asks her "Do you remember when..."
"We were making out the day before graduation and broke the corner off of the sign. " Ned finished her sentence. "Yeah.. I do" She hears him sigh from exasperation. "Why here?"
"I don't know" Moze says softly. "Ned?" She looks at him for the first time since. Really looks at him. Not a passing glance in the hallway, not a popular girl mandated glare, where you don't really see the details...a real look, where you memorize the person's face. Ned's blue eyes haven't changed a bit, but his lower lids have a hint of dark circles. His brown hair is messed up a lot, and it's sticking up in some parts. But the weirdest part was the weasel, sleeping peacefully on the crown of his head, looking rather like a furry woodsman hat. Oh...my...god... I am ogling Ned. Even with a weasel perched on his head.
"What?" Ned sits down on the edge next to her. Even closer...and yet so far still
She locks eyes with him for a few moments, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. Moze wipes them away. Then she twists her face into a twisted sort of smile. "Why do you have a weasel on your head?" She softly says. As soon as she says that, though, the weasel scurries off of Ned's head and goes away into the air ducts.
"...Moze?" Ned touches her hand carefully. His hand is warm.
"Tell anyone whose looking for me, that I'm in the bathroom handling girl stuff" She jerks her hand away, and waves him away as she responds flatly.
Ned walks away, looking dejected. He opens the hatch and walks down, without another word. He casts her one last glance with an emotion Moze can't quite identify.
-db-
"Where do you think we're going to be in 20 years?" Cookie asked one warm night as he lay in Ned's backyard, next to Ned, with Moze on Ned's left.
"What is WITH all of the questions lately!" Ned grumbled. "First Moze asks me if we're going to be friends forever, and you ask me another question?"
"Awwww, is this too hard for you, Neddykins?" Moze taunted. "Two questions...so hard!"
"Well" Cookie interrupted. "I know this—we will be 28 years old"
"That's such a long time from now." Ned pouted. "I can't think that far ahead"
"I think..." Cookie placed his hands on his head in an attempt to look like a prophet. "Ned, I think you'll be married to Moze"
"What!" Ned jumped up from his sleeping position. "No way! That would be like marrying my best friend!"
Moze slapped him. "I am your best friend, dumbo!"
"Ooh, problems in marital paradise?" Cookie mocked. "Ooh.."
"Shut up" Ned growled, his cheeks flamed red.
"I think you're going to marry Lisa" Moze offered
"That wouldn't be so bad" Ned commented. "She's nice, and just as computer obsessed as you are"
"Seriously, guys" Cookie looked at them. "If Moze gets rid of her violent side...
"May I?" Moze glanced at Ned.
"Sure." Ned nodded
Moze launched herself at Cookie, punching every part she could.
"Ow! OW!"Cookie shrieked.
So, tell me what you think, what you really, really think!