A/N: Sorry for the wait. NaNoWriMo was fun, but I'm glad to be back! :D
Even though Jim didn't have glee club until after lunch, and it was only nine-fifteen, he was feeling like he could walk on air. He could hardly wait until he got Pam's answer. He'd been practicing all night and, to be quite honest, he was really nervous. But he knew it would all be okay.
As he turned the corner, he had to stop to keep from running into a tall body. He tried to go around whoever it was.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"Oh, sure," the figure replied, stopping Jim in his tracks. "Always trying to sidestep your problems, huh?" Slowly, Jim turned to face Roy. "Well, you're not sidestepping me this time."
He reeled his arm back and closed his hand into a fist. Jim's eyes widened and he ducked, just barely missing a blow to the face. Roy growled in annoyance.
As Jim started backing away, he began thinking. Okay, let's go through my options here. I could fight. He took a second look at Roy, who was walking towards him menacingly. Nope. I could run, seeing as I have – He took a quick glance at his watch. - three minutes to get to class and I don't want to go as a Jim pancake. Yep, that one sounds best.
He turned on his heel just as Roy pounced on him. Tearing down the hall, books pressed to his chest, Jim didn't even turn around when Roy yelled after him, "That's right, Halpert. Just run. You know I'll get you at some point."
Roy turned back angrily, heading in the direction of his own class. Needing to get rid of some of his rage, he shoved the person passing by him. The person nearly fell and when he looked up, Roy could see it was Oscar. The fear showed in his eyes and Roy decided to take advantage of the situation.
"You're next." He growled before storming away.
OOOOO
"What does that mean, 'I'm next'?" Oscar asked later in glee club, obviously shaken. Phyllis shrugged.
"It was probably just some random threat."
"But what if it wasn't?"
"But what if it was?" Oscar sighed.
"We've been in the same grade this entire time?" Phyllis nodded. "How did I not know you before now?" She shrugged and gave a half-smile.
"You've always been so close with Kevin, I guess." She shrugged again. Oscar smiled.
"Well, don't tell Kevin this, but," he took a quick glance at Kevin's empty chair before continuing, "it's kind of nice to have a friend I can talk to intelligently with." He realized that sounded mean and tried to clarify. "I mean, he's great, but it's just nice to have a girl friend."
Phyllis grinned. "Thanks."
Oscar's eyes widened. "That reminds me." He took a quick look around to make sure no one was looking before pulling out a piece of paper. He handed it to Phyllis, who read it quietly.
While she read it, Oscar smiled, reflecting on his past with his new friend. They had indeed become close. They seemed to be able to talk about anything. He had never had a friend like this before.
And, maybe it was his gay fashion sense finally surfacing, but those clothes did not suit Phyllis at all. Taking a closer look, Oscar realized it wasn't the style of the clothes that looked off, but the fact that the clothes didn't seem to fit her. In fact, over the past few weeks, Phyllis had been filling out her figure. He would tell her, but she had seemed so down lately. The only time she perked up was when he talked to her. He didn't want to ruin that.
Oscar's thoughts came to a halt as Pam walked up to him.
"Hey, just out of curiosity, have you guys seen Jim?" she asked. Oscar shrugged.
"Not since this morning, sorry. Why do you ask?" She sighed.
"He's not here and he's not one to skip class." She looked up and pulled a smile out for Oscar. "Well, thanks anyway."
Oscar watched her go back to her seat and sit down sadly. I should probably keep an eye on that, he thought.
He looked up to find that Phyllis had finished reading. She stared at him with wide eyes, filled to the brim with tears.
"Whoa, are you okay?" She nodded, smiling.
"That's just so sweet," she choked out. "It's nice to see that kind of chivalry is still around. I mean, a love letter?" She had to stop because she was trying not to cry. Oscar patted Kevin's chair and, sniffling, she moved down a row to sit in it. Oscar gave her a hug and soon, she regained her composure.
I'll ask her more about it later, Oscar thought.
OOOOO
After glee club ended, Oscar tried to follow Phyllis out, to make sure she was okay. Unfortunately, it took him longer than he thought it would to pack up his things and, by the time he was done, she was gone.
He raced out the door and down the hall, looking for her. He pushed past other kids going to class. Finally, he thought he heard her voice. Turning down another hallway, he saw her standing with a tall boy with tan skin. Oscar ducked behind the corner, in an attempt to give her some privacy.
Maybe that's her boyfriend. Does she have a boyfriend? Oscar wondered. I should ask. Maybe we're not as close as I thought.
Taking another peek around the corner, he realized the boy looked really familiar. At last, he realized it was Shad.
I didn't know she was friends with Shad! I mean, I knew she knew him, but – Well, cool! We can all be friends together! He was about to walk towards them, when he saw them hug tightly. As they pulled away, Shad gave Phyllis a deep kiss. Oscar's mouth dropped open as Shad put a hand on Phyllis's stomach. He appeared to ask something and she nodded, happily. Oscar ducked behind the corner, his heart pounding.
All the memories of the past few months came back to him in a flash. Phyllis's clothes not fitting, her sudden emotional outbursts, Shad casually mentioning he slept with someone at that party . . . Oh, no.
Oscar ran off to somewhere he could collect his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Shad and Phyllis parted ways, in fear and confusion. As Phyllis walked to her next class, her new secret warm in her stomach, she sighed. Her heart felt heavy with everything she was hiding.
"It's so strange he doesn't show me
more affection than he needs.
Almost formal, too respectful,
never takes romantic leads.
There are times when I imagine
I'm not always on his mind.
He's not thinking what I'm thinking,
always half a step behind.
Always half a step behind."
As she walked, she began to sing a flowing melody.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh."
Shad walked to his school, quickly, his heart racing. I'm a father. I'm a father. No matter how many times he told himself that, he still couldn't comprehend it. He stopped and fell against a nearby tree, outside the front of the school, needing a moment to think.
"I'm in every kind of trouble.
Can't you tell? Just look at me.
Half ecstatic, half dejected,
All in all, I'm all at sea.
Easy terms I thought I wanted
fill me now with chilling dread.
You could never know the chaos
of a life turned on its head.
Of a life turned on its head."
He began to sing the same melody Phyllis had been singing.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh."
Phyllis, who had stopped to sit on a bench, out of breath, began to sing the melody now as well.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh."
Oscar ran into the library and dove into a section, unaware of where he was. He sat down on a stool and sighed. His head throbbed with all this new, life-changing information. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his crumbled love letter and smoothed it out on his leg. He stared at it for a moment before beginning to sing.
"I am certain that I love him,
but a love can be misplaced.
Have I compromised my family
in my passion and my haste?
I could be his life companion
anywhere but where we are.
Am I leader? Am I traitor?
Did I take a step too far?
Did I take a step too far?"
Oscar sang the melody with disbelief and sorrow over a lost friend.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh."
Shad sang along with fear and bewilderment over what he was about to face.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh."
Phyllis joined in, unknowingly, singing with grief over a lost childhood.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Oh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh,
oh, oh, oh, oh!
Did I take a step too far?"
They finished the song together, yet apart, each letting the question linger in the air. After a few moments, they all returned to normal life and continued in the direction they had been going previously. Phyllis left to go her class, while Shad left his place beneath the tree and headed back to his school. Oscar picked up his things and left the library sadly.
Maybe I wasn't meant to make new friends.
OOOOO
That night, Kelly couldn't get to sleep. She lay on top of her bed in her pajamas, staring at the ceiling and thinking of Ryan.
If only I had someone to talk to about this. I mean, I've got my mom, but she's my mom. She sighed in frustration. And today had to be the one day Erin chooses to be absent. Who am I supposed to talk to when she's gone?
Finally, she admitted defeat.
I miss Ryan. I need to find a way to get him back. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only nine-thirty. But, before I come up with a plan, I have something more important to do.
Getting up, she pulled her karaoke pack out from under her bed. Switching it on, she took her IPod off the nightstand and scrolled through its contents.
"Here we go." Choosing a song, she plugged the electronic device into the machine. Almost immediately, music began spilling out. She tested the mike and then, when her cue came, she began singing along.
"You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset.
She's going off about something that you said.
She doesn't get your humor like I do.
I'm in my room, it's a typical Tuesday night.
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like
and she'll never know your story like I do."
Unhooking the mike from the machine, she was able to walk away from the machine to get some space to dance.
"But she wears short skirts and I wear t-shirts.
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers.
Dreamin' 'bout the day when you wake up and find
that what you're looking for has been here the whole time."
She jumped up onto her bed and started singing her heart out, indulging in her concert.
"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you,
been here all along, so why can't you see-ee-ee?
You belong with me-ee-ee, Ryan.
You belong with me."
Her mother, lying in bed in her room, smiled into the darkness. My little girl is growing up.
If one were to see the outside of Kelly's house at that moment, it would be a tall building with dark windows, all but one. In one window, there was a light on and, occasionally, the shadow of a dancing teenager would fall across the shades.
Other than that, it was a peaceful night within the neighborhood.
Songs used: 'A Step Too Far' from Aida (www . youtube . com / watch?v=laW9gdxPwuw) and 'You Belong With Me' by Taylor Swift (www . youtube . com / watch?v=RgNfbd_eQVg)