A/N: Thanx for the reviewage - good to know I am retaining a few readers for this entirely wacky fic! Apologies for the shortness of chapter on this one...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 7 - Here We Go
The Tams didn't need to drive themselves to school, they had a chauffeur if he was required, but it just wasn't worth the strange looks they got from the locals when they showed up in a too fancy car driven by somebody else. Simon had his license and a convertible that River loved to share with him. The wind in her hair was a wonderful feeling, and she was never so alive as moments like this.
Unfortunately, this particular Monday morning, despite the sunshine and the breeze and all, River couldn't find her happy place, not when her brother was sat beside her being so agitated and strange. His knee seemed to bounce of its own accord and his hands played the steering wheel like a drum any time they had to stop for a red light or similar. It was unsettling, and she intended to tell him so.
"Too much caffeine" she said, without looking at him, "Too much time to wonder and wander"
Simon looked across at her as they sat at the junction waiting for the lights to change to green. She deigned to glance his way then, looking almost disappointed in him, though he could not think for what. Sure, they hadn't spent as much time together this weekend as they usually would, and when they had he probably hadn't quite been himself. Too much filled his mind, thoughts of Kaylee and plans of how to win her over. His conversation with Badger fuelled the already building jealousy in him over Kaylee and Bester, and it was all he could think about. He hadn't slept that much the past couple of nights and had three cups of coffee this morning in an attempt to be alert. Now he was going into some kind of over-drive as he made his way to school, and River's questioning his mood was damaging his chances of finding any kind of calm.
"River, I don't know what you're talking about" he told her, "I'm fine"
"Fine is the absence of all things bad, uncomfortable, negative" she recited like a dictionary, "but still no place for real happiness" she added, turning to watch the scenery go by once more as Simon's eyes were forced back to the road ahead.
They continued their journey in silence, his mind taken up by Kaylee and his plan today, hers pleasantly occupied by happy thoughts of the first real friend she had made in a long time. Sure, she and Jayne were not an obvious pairing, being of opposing genders, different ages, and vastly different backgrounds, but these things did not matter so very much to River. Of course, she had a feeling they would matter to Simon, if he cared enough to notice. He had asked her about her new friend but had not pressed the matter, his mind too full of Kaylee Frye and what she meant to him.
The idea of her brother getting a girlfriend baffled River, who had never known him speak more than two words to anyone of the opposite gender who was not either related to him or an employee in their house. Still, she liked Kaylee and if the two made a pair she would be happy enough for them.
Unfortunately, to River's mind, the math just didn't come out. Simon plus Kaylee could not equal a happy ending, unless her current bozo boyfriend was subtracted. That part she was sure her dear brother understood, but he was a complete boob if he thought it would be as simple as that. All weekend he had been moping on the subject of Kaylee, and she had heard him more than once in his room practising what he wanted to say to her. Things about liking her a lot, and wishing she was available to date him. There was no way he would ever say such things to Kaylee's face, River was more than certain on that, and even if he had the nerve, Bester never took his eyes or his hands off his girlfriend long enough for such a conversation to take place.
Arriving at school, the Tam siblings got out of the car together, but when Simon turned to speak to his sister he found she was already half way across the parking lot.
"Okay, see you later" he said to himself since she was already gone.
Adjusting his book bag on his shoulder, Simon headed inside, hell-bent on finding Kaylee the moment she arrived and ensuring she knew he was going to be around if and when she wanted him. If Badger was right, the moment she realised he was willing to be with her, wanting to have her as his girlfriend, she would dump that idiot Bester she'd been hanging around with and be his.
The whole thing made Simon just a little nervous, in fact it made him a very lot of nervous, to the point of wanting to throw up, but he did his best not to show a hint of it on is face. It was about time he grew up in this way, he had certainly had to in every other. Single-handedly keeping control of the house staff and bringing up River for years now, he was as much a man in his home as anyone could be. Still, when it came to women, he was a dumb kid, and just didn't know where to begin, at least not until now.
Spotting Wash and Zoe further down the hall, Simon strode on over.
"Good morning" he greeted them pleasantly, interrupting a moment that he would have done best not interrupting as the couple parted from an almost-kiss, "I was looking for Kaylee" he told the, sure that Wash must know where to find her, being her best friend and all.
"Oh, she won't be in today" he shook his head, "She said migraine but could be, y'know, lady stuff" he gestured randomly, making Zoe roll her eyes and smile.
Sometimes boys were just such... boys!
"Oh" Simon looked decidedly crestfallen at the news he wouldn't be seeing Kaylee today, especially when he had been so geared up for this moment.
"Hey, don't worry, big fella" said Wash, slapping him on the back, "She'll be back tomorrow and you can not find a thing to say to her then" he joked, much the amusement of his girlfriend.
Sure, it was sad for Simon that he couldn't get out a sentence when it came to girls, but it was also kind of funny to a young woman who'd grown up more amongst the opposite sex than her own. Talking to guys was as easy for Zoe as fallin' off a log, hence the fact she had a best friend who was a guy, and a boyfriend too. Of course those two didn't always get along, and it seemed this was gonna be one of those days as Mal and Jayne appeared behind them at the same moment Simon wandered away in an apparent daze.
"What's up with the smart-ass?" asked Jayne as he watched the boy walk away.
"Girl trouble" said Wash absently as he fixed his woman's best friend with a glare, "or lack of same"
"Could we all maybe stop talkin' so loud?" Mal urged them, putting a hand to his head, "Ain't ideal for me to be in so much noise with the poundin' I got going on up here"
"And whose fault is that, Mal?" challenged Zoe as he looked over at her, seeing the unimpressed look on her face.
Oh, he knew what he'd done. She didn't care none that he was drunk or hungover and whatnot. She cared that he called her at two in the morning and scared all holy hell out of her. It was a part of the reason why he'd continued to drink most of the weekend away, in an attempt to forget Inara and their kiss first of all, and second to drown the guilt of what he knew he'd done to his best friend. Jayne was a more than willing drinking partner, though Mal did kind of hate the guy for not being half so affected by a gallon of hooch than Mal himself was by just a few drinks.
"Seems to me I got some apologisin' to do" he said, looking somewhat ashamed, never more so than when Ms Serra walked by, hurrying into her office before anyone had the chance to stop her, "In more'n one direction" he added as he spotted her, barely noticin' that Wash was still giving him some serious evil eye.
"What's eatin' you, little man?" Jayned asked, being as he was a little more observant than his friend.
"Just wondering how exactly Mal here plans to apologise to Zoe for givin' her the fright of her life, Friday night" he said, just this side of menacing as he finally seemed to get the other young man's attention.
Zoe looked between the two and was sure a fight was coming that she could well do without. Principal Niska would just love an excuse to have both her men, best friend and boyfriend, in detention for fighting. He'd delight in what he would call 'dissension in the Reynolds ranks'. Besides which, she could do without either of them knocking seven bells out of the other, t'weren't worth the fuss on her account.
"Let it go, honey" she urged her boyfriend, putting a hand to Wash's shoulder.
"Listen to her, Wash" Mal nodded, "Ain't sayin' I don't got me some makin' up to do, and I plan to do it, but this ain't a bit your business"
"That's where you're wrong, Mal" said Wash definitely, "I love Zoe, love her more than you ever could, despite what you think. Some best friend you are" he shook his head, turning then to walk away before he did something they might all end up regretting.
Zoe spoke words of peace, encouraging Mal to let it go, saying Wash had over-reacted which seemed to only make the red-head more mad. Jayne watched the three go back, forth, and around, about to start a full scale war as far as he could tell and as yet not a one o' them had told him what it was all about.
Afore he got a chance to ask, his attention was taken by the ringing of the bell and too many people moving past him through the halls. One in particular caught his eye, the lithe body and flying brunette locks of one Miss River Tam, as she headed toward him, books clutched to her chest and a smile curving her lips.
"Good Morning, Man-Called-Jayne" she greeted him, eyes shining with fun as she breezed on by.
"Mornin', Crazy-Dancer" he said in similar style, smilin' his ownself though he wasn't exactly sure why.
She was the darndest girl he ever knew, a damn sight sharper than her brother, probably smarter too. Didn't seem to matter none to her that Jayne himself wasn't half so clever, and the whole time they spent together Friday he never once got the feelin' she was looking down on him. She had a damn sight more coin than he'd ever see, she talked in riddles he didn't understand half the time, and her brother was a real pansy. That didn't change the fact she could dance like an angel, hit like a truck, and in the weirdest way seemed as much of an outcast and a misfit as he sometimes felt.
"Come on, people, let's get to class" all the students still milling around in the halls were soon being told
Knowing another tardy was the last thing he needed, Jayne started to move his ass, even when the others did not, makin him stop and turn back when he realised it.
"Always figured the Shepherd title was purely figurative" her attempt to make a joke didn't so much land, but Zoe would try anything to lighten the mood right now.
"Indeed it is, Miss Alleyne" Book answered her with a smile, "but the longer I'm here, the more literal it seems to become" he joked, before moving on down to hall, hurrying along the rest of the students hanging around there.
"C'mon, Wash" his girlfriend urged him, pulling his arm until he turned away from their friends, "We'll see ya later, Mal" she called over her shoulder, and Wash saw the smile that passed between the best buddies.
"You've just forgiven him!" he yelled indignantly even as he and Zoe walked away, unable to understand how she could be so flippant.
As the pair walked away still bickering on the subject, Mal watched them disappear around the corner and let out a snort of laughter.
"Can you believe that guy?" he asked Jayne, pointing down the hall.
"Er, no?" was his friends response, since he honestly hadn't been listenin' much and didn't give a great gorram for what he had heard.
Seemed to him a whole lotta people were getting altogether too crazy over stuff that weren't worth the fussin'. Jayne Cobb was here to get his schoolin' 'cause his Pa would have his hide if'n he didn't, that was all that mattered to him this early on a Monday morning.
Finally he and Mal headed off to their first class, though the young Mr Reynolds wasn't thinking about Math nor English. Nope, his mind was guaranteed to be otherwhere til he got to talk to Inara 'bout what happened Friday night, though what he was gonna say when he did get to face her, he had not an idea.
To Be Continued...