Chapter 9~Ice Cream

"Favourite movie." "Twilight. You?" "X-Men. Your turn." Joy and Gary had been continuing on like this for nearly an hour now, letting their ice creams melt and ignoring the texts from their classmates asking where they were. "Favourite book..." Joy asked. "Mine are a series: Harry Potter. What are yours?" "Twilight." Joy grinned sheepishly. "What is your favourite tv show?" "Hm. I really like Doctor Who and Charmed; and Once Upon a Time. I also watch probably every crime show ever made." He smirked. "Your turn." "I like Glee..." "Typical girl." Gary muttered. "and Gossip Girl. Oh, and Pretty Little Liars too. But I guess my favorite show is The Vampire Diaries." "You seem to like Vampires. Who is your favorite?" "To be honest, it's Stepan from The Vampire Diaries." "As long as it isn't Robert Pattinson." Gary said. "Not since year ten." Joy promised.

"It's my turn, isn't it?" "Yeah." Joy nodded. Then she glanced at her watch. "Shit. Trudy's serving dinner at seven and it's six-thirty. Final question." "Why did you pick me over all the other single guys in the school to hook up with?" Gary asked. Joy bit her lip and felt her cheeks flushed. "I picked you because you remind me of Stepan from Vampire Diaries." Her eyes shot to the left. "You're lying." Gary said suddenly. "N-no I-I'm not." Joy stuttered. "Yes you are. Psychology 204. People look to the right to recall something, and to the left if they are lying." "Fine. I chose you, Gary, because I knew you'd say yes. Now can I ask you a question?" "Shoot." Gary said. "Why did you agree to come?" "You're an ornery one Joy." He smirked. "I said yes because I knew you would ask someone else if I said no."

"Hey Joy, you're going to dinner with my mom and dad later." Gary said. Not asking, commanding. "Why?" Joy asked. "I think we should tell them." Joy shot him an icy glare. "Why?" She asked. "Well, do your parents know?" "Who, the man who ran out or the bitch that called me a whore and blamed me for my father's abandonmet?" Joy snapped. That shut him up. "We all need someone." He said suddenly. At this, Joy changed the subject. "What should I wear." "Olive Press appropriate." "Of course." Joy muttered. "See you in an hour." She ran up the stairs. "Where are you going?" Patricia asked. "Dinner." Joy said simply, as she pulled her favorite dress out of the closet.

"So Joy, tell us about yourself." She was sitting across the table from Gary's mother and father, picking at a plate of ravioli di porvado and staring at the lemon in my tea. "Well, I've lived in Anubis House since I was eleven. I met Gary in the seventh grade, of course we've been in all the same classes but we never really started talking until this year." There really hadn't been much talking involved. "Oh, How long have you been dating then?" His father asked. Joy sent a death glare toward Gary, who was suddenly fascinated with a spare flake of parsley that had fallen from ravioli di portobello. "Two months." Joy decided to go with. "Almost three." She continued. They didn't need to know that they had only slept with each other two months ago, almost never talking since then.

"Was she what you needed to tell us about?" His mom asked. Gary only nodded, taking a big gulp of his beer. Joy envied him. "Tell them Gary." Joy said. "What?" Gary asked. "You wanted to tell them. I'm certainly not stopping you." "Well...umm...he gulped..." He threw up. "What's wrong?" His mother gasped. "Gary!" Joy said sharply, pulling him up to be level. She didn't need to get sick too. "Sorry." He muttered. "Oh you will be." She mumbled back. "Gary! What is wrong?" His father demanded. "Jo-Joy i-is pr-pre-pre pregnant." His eyes grew glassy, the alcohol finally beginning to reach him. He took another swig, and then another, because he needed to dull the pain. Fuck the law.

"I love you." The blonde girl said. Her name was willow. She was a year nine and desperate for a boyfriend. "I missed you too." Gary grinned, hugging her. She looked nothing like Chelsea, but a lot like Gary. She knew nothing about Joy, which only made him happier to see her. "You promise me you don't have a girlfriend, Gary? Still nothing to tie you down?" "You'd be the first to know if I did." He promised. Joy had been right, his parents had totally shunned him. "What are you smiling about?" She grinned. "I'm just REALLY happy to see you." "It really has been too long." Gary agreed. The door swung open behind them. "How could you do this to me Gary?! And why?" Joy screamed.

To Be Continued...