Chapter 11

Not Such A Bright Idea, Einstein

Notes: First Off, I love this story to itty bitty bits, I hope you guys like it even half as much...leave me a review if you so desire...Second, I have taken this fic on a bit of an unexpectant course...just feel me out with this one people, I have not yet lost my firm belief that Daisy and Mason are the ULTIMATE ship! with that being said...enjoy!

We walked for a while in silence; both of us lost in are sad little reverie.

Mason was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry I made such an awful mess of things."

I stopped and looked at him, took his arm.

"This isn't your fault…we just got a little carried away that's all."

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, "you know George maybe us hanging out isn't such a good thing."

Now what was that? He wanted to bail on me. I was pissed.

"Why?"

"Cause, Rube is right, I am a fuck up and a bad influence…"

"Oh shut up with that, would you?"

Mason looked hurt.

"I like being with you, George," he said.

I smiled, "Yeah, loser I like being with you, too."

He smiled back but it was a sad smile.

"Really?"

"Of course really, in fact…Mason…you're the closest thing to a real friend that I have ever had."

I could swear he was going to cry and he reached out hugged me and while he was at it; he planted a big wet one on me.

That surprised the hell out of me. I pulled back and looked at him, struck for once in my life dumb.

I didn't know what to say.

Then he took my silence for something else and went to kiss me again.

"Ah, hold up, what are you doing?"

"I don't know," he said, releasing his death grip on me and backing up.

"You don't know?"

"I was uh kissing you," he mumbled.

"Yeah, you were…why?"

"I don't know George, I thought…I thought maybe…"

"Were friends Mason," I said and as I said it, I wasn't altogether sure about that. I guess truth be told, I liked the way he kissed; I liked the feel of his arms around me. Oh where in the hell was this bullshit coming from?

"I know," he said, "That was wrong of me, I shouldn't have…actually, what I should be doing is making things right with Daisy."

Oh, yeah Daisy! What was I a retard? He hadn't actually meant that stupid kiss of his to be some sort of declaration or anything. He was in love with Daisy and I just wanted to be his friend, right?

I wasn't so sure but I wasn't saying a goddamn thing. Not a thing!

"Yeah, exactly," I replied.

"Sorry, won't happen again," he said as he held up a hand, "scouts honor."

"Some boy scout," I kidded.

He grinned.

I felt like an ass. This was stupid, ridiculous, and idiotic…but I had feelings for Mason.

Feelings, I had long ignored.

Dear God, I thought…shoot me now.

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Our travels took us back to the mall so Mason could scope out Daisy and I went along for the ride like a world-class idiot.

I didn't talk much, but he did… good god…he could ramble, on and on and on.

I half listened but I had bigger things whirling around my brain. My mind still on that kiss that I wish now had never happened for now there were all sorts of stupid thoughts in my head.

We stopped at some fancy shoe store were through the window we could see Daisy trying on some high heels.

Mason turned to me. "Will you tell her I want to talk to her?" he asked.

Yeah. Talk to her, sure just the thing I felt like doing. I sighed. "Alright," I said and then hurried into the store. Daisy was taking off the shoes she had tried on and was placing them in a box when I came towards her. Her eyes glazed over when she saw me.

"If that prick is with you, tell him…tell him to go take flying le…"

"Off a cliff," I finished.

She paused, "Something like that…" She added prissily.

She started to stand; I planted myself in front of her.

"Cut him some slack, will you?"

"Hmmm. No not so much," she said stepping past me.

"God, he's in love with you, you know that right?"

Daisy stopped; there was a look of sadness on her face, and then anger took over.

"Well, that's his problem," she said as she pushed past me and out the store. I followed behind her. She stopped cold when she saw Mason standing in front of the store. He had on his hurt puppy dogface, eyes big and sad.

They each paused, sizing the other up. Then she stormed up to him and got in his face.

"I don't love you…I will never love you…I don't even like you…so leave – me – alone!" Her words came out fast and furious, her face flushed and her teeth gritted and I could see the toll of every word on Mason's face. He looked like someone had kneed him in the balls. I could have murdered her for being so cold and heartless.

Then before he could say anything or I could get my hands around her throat, she turned purse in hand and stormed away from us.

Mason was leaning against a fake palm tree; his expression was one of shock. He was looking at the direction in which Daisy had gone with such sad eyes. I came towards him and took his arm.

"I would do anything for that woman," he whispered sadly.

"I know," I said and it was with those words that I realized, really knew…that I was truly falling for him.

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I finally managed to get Mason up and moving, a scoop of ice cream down at the food court helped, we then moved on to Mason's reap. He had already started drinking again. I wisely declined, knowing that if I got a few drinks in me, I would start blabbing out my feelings, feelings that were still too new and overwhelming. I really didn't need to develop a crush on Mason, it was the last thing in the world I had expected to happen but there it was, so well, he was chatting away, munching ice cream, my mind was on the situation at hand. Where had this come from? Did this mean I was at last over Trip? I stole glances at Mason as I walked and tried to rationalize his appeal to me. He was a mess, hair disheveled, clothes wrinkled, reeking of booze and god knows what else! But, he was cute, in that grungy, British way of his. It was driving me crazy.

"Your real quiet, Georgie girl, what's wrong?"

"Huh? Me…fine, why?"

"You seem kind of out of it, you sure your alright?"

"Oh yeah, peachy."

He looked over at me, shrugged and offered me some of his ice cream.

"You sure you don't want some?"
I looked over; saw that his Irish Baileys ice cream was covered in something a bit stronger.

I caught a whiff and wrinkled up my nose.

"Did you put booze on that?"

He glanced down at the cup, nodded.

"Shit! That's revolting…"

"Nah, its good…try some…"

The cup was shoved at me. I pushed it away, my face a grimace.

"You fucking wish, no!"

"Suit yourself, Georgie…now where the fuck we going?"

"It's your goddamn reap," I offered, ever the helpful friend.

"That's encouraging," he said and then handed me the cup, which I dumped in the nearest trashcan so he could dig through his pockets for his post it.

"Hey, I wasn't eating that…"

"I wouldn't even let my dog eat that," I said, "So where is that post it of yours?"

"Here!"

He pulled it from the mess of his jean pocket and carefully unfolding, read it.

"Oh shit!"

"Oh shit! What? Don't tell me you missed it!"

"No, I-well its back at the mall."

We had already walked about a mile or so, this was the guy I was suddenly all in love with, and I wanted to kill him!

"Are you fucking serious?"

"Yeah, uh, really serious actually, I have an half hour…"

"Great! Just great…"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Its alright," I said calming down. He was having a bad on account of Daisy and her horrid mouth, I decided to give him a break for the time being.

"Would you walk back with me?" He said, all little boy sweet. I couldn't though, I had a reap in an hour.

"I got a reap, sorry…"

"That's alright, do you want to hang out later?"

I nodded.

"Your apartment?"

I figured he didn't want to run into Daisy. He clearly didn't.

"Yeah sounds good…eight okay?"

"Sure."

We parted ways and as he turned and started walking back. I paused for a moment to look at him, at his long legged, lanky stroll and it struck me again, this incredible, overwhelming feeling of love. I didn't know where it was coming from, where it was going to go. I thought back to the night before when he had told me that he thought of me as a sister, and then I thought back to him kissing me earlier today. I reached up touched my lips, watched him round the corner and disappear.

It amazed me then, how things change from day to day. Yesterday, I had a friend and today, I realized I wanted something more.

I wondered what tomorrow would bring.