Sorry, guys. With exams and everything, this chapter was a long time coming. But now that school's out, I promise I can get more writing done and finish this puppy. ;) Hope you enjoy chap. 12!
[For the record, it was written in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back that Banky and Hooper were a couple, and if you watch the deleted scenes, the title of that particular scene is 'Yes, Banky's gay'. So I ran with it.]
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
R for language.
Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
She wanted to be dancing with Holden.
Bethany never wanted to admit it to anyone, but the least she could do was admit it to herself. She owed herself that much, right? That was what all the self-help gurus said, not that she had ever paid attention to them.
Bethany was dancing, moving her body to the sounds of Rum-DMC with Rufus, and wishing more than anything that she could be standing with Holden. Talking about why he'd freaked out when he'd seen Alyssa.
She knew that that was the real reason he'd needed to sit down. Not because of the heat, no matter what kind of front he put up. He'd wanted to sit down and escape because the idea of herself and Alyssa meeting was too much for him. Bethany wasn't sure exactly why she knew this, women's intuition perhaps, but she was certain of it.
So she'd waited until Alyssa was gone, and asked him to dance. She wasn't sure why'd she done that, either. What was the deal with Holden? How exactly did she feel about him? Was she even ready to pursue a relationship?
Over Rufus's shoulder, Bethany spotted a flash of blond hair, and after closer examination, recognized it to be Alyssa. She needed to talk to the woman. She wasn't sure why of this, either. "Rufus, I'll be right back," she called over the music.
"Who's house? Run's house!" Rufus shouted gleefully, punching the air as he danced. Suffice to say, he didn't notice his lack of dance partner.
"Excuse me...excuse me...pardon me..." Bethany said, pushing her way through the crowd. She tapped Alyssa on the shoulder. "Hi, Alyssa?"
Alyssa turned and smiled. "Hi yourself. Bethany, right?"
"Yeah."
"Sorry about earlier. But I had the feeling Holden really needed to be alone, you know?"
"Yeah, I think he did." Bethany paused. "You're his ex-girlfriend, right?"
"In no uncertain terms, yes," Alyssa said slowly, looking at Bethany like she wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. "Why do you ask?"
"Just feeding my curiosity," Bethany said, as nonchalantly as she could, although she was carefully choosing her words. "In love?"
"Excuse me?"
"Were you two in love, I mean."
"Yes, I suppose we were, though at different degrees. I'm sure he told you the whole story," Alyssa said with mild distaste.
"Yeah, kinda," Bethany said uncomfortably.
"How long have you two known each other?" Alyssa asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder in the indication that they should sit down.
"Oh, we met yesterday. I came in town to visit Jay and Silent Bob, and Holden let me crash at his place. He's a sweet guy."
Alyssa stared, and swallowed. "Yeah. He is."
"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? You're giving me a weird look."
"You're the someone," Alyssa realized aloud.
"The who?"
"The someone."
"What someone?"
"The someone Holden met."
Bethany blinked. "I'm not sure I get what you're saying."
Alyssa took a long drink from her beer. "This morning I came across Holden in the Stash, and he informed me that he met someone. And I believe it's you."
"Well, yes. We did just meet."
"I don't think he meant it in that particular sense," Alyssa said knowingly. "Because he pretty much came asking for my blessing in pursuing this someone. That is, you."
"You're kidding."
"I'm afraid not. Should I be?"
"I don't know." Bethany frowned. How was she supposed to tell Holden's ex-girlfriend that she was debating whether or not her interest in him was totally platonic?
"Look, if you like him, go for it."
"Who said I did?"
"Your body language. I'm sure Holden also told you that I'm quite, how shall we say, *experienced* when it comes to women."
"To say the least."
"Ah, my reputation precedes me," Alyssa said, but didn't look terribly displeased. "In any case, it's all over your face that you're into him. And if you're worried about competition from me, don't be."
"I wasn't."
Alyssa smirked. "I'm sure you weren't. My guess is that he's feeling 'better' now, so why don't you go ask him to dance or whatever it is you straight girls do when enticing a male specimen."
Bethany sighed in irritation. "I tried that already."
"I take it that didn't exactly work out."
"Obviously not, if I'm standing here talking to you."
"Touche. What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"He blew you off? Want me to give him a piece of my mind?"
Bethany looked stricken. "Are you crazy? He practically had a coronary just from you and I exchanging hellos. If he found out I was debating over the future of a relationship between myself and him with his ex, he'd totally lose it."
"Fair enough." Alyssa waited, as if she sensed that Bethany wanted to say something more.
Which she did. "I chickened out, basically. Turned tail and ran off with Rufus."
"Dare I ask who *he* is?"
"A friend. No complications included, trust me."
"Okay then. Listen, ask Holden to dance. Or whatever. If I know him at all, which I'd like to think I do, he won't say no. Go for it." She smiled encouragingly.
Bethany returned the smile, and started off in the direction of Holden's table. She'd barely made it three steps before she turned around again. "Alyssa?"
Alyssa was already dancing again. She lowered her arms. "Yes?"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you pushing Holden and me together?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Well, fine. Call it whatever you will, then. But why?"
"An old friend of mine once said something along the lines of 'very simple, very truly.' I want to see him happy. I think he might be happy with you." And Alyssa Jones, with a smile that was both encouraging, yet a statement that the conversation was very much over, started dancing once more.
Bethany stared for a second, then walked off.
[For the record, it was written in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back that Banky and Hooper were a couple, and if you watch the deleted scenes, the title of that particular scene is 'Yes, Banky's gay'. So I ran with it.]
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
R for language.
Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
She wanted to be dancing with Holden.
Bethany never wanted to admit it to anyone, but the least she could do was admit it to herself. She owed herself that much, right? That was what all the self-help gurus said, not that she had ever paid attention to them.
Bethany was dancing, moving her body to the sounds of Rum-DMC with Rufus, and wishing more than anything that she could be standing with Holden. Talking about why he'd freaked out when he'd seen Alyssa.
She knew that that was the real reason he'd needed to sit down. Not because of the heat, no matter what kind of front he put up. He'd wanted to sit down and escape because the idea of herself and Alyssa meeting was too much for him. Bethany wasn't sure exactly why she knew this, women's intuition perhaps, but she was certain of it.
So she'd waited until Alyssa was gone, and asked him to dance. She wasn't sure why'd she done that, either. What was the deal with Holden? How exactly did she feel about him? Was she even ready to pursue a relationship?
Over Rufus's shoulder, Bethany spotted a flash of blond hair, and after closer examination, recognized it to be Alyssa. She needed to talk to the woman. She wasn't sure why of this, either. "Rufus, I'll be right back," she called over the music.
"Who's house? Run's house!" Rufus shouted gleefully, punching the air as he danced. Suffice to say, he didn't notice his lack of dance partner.
"Excuse me...excuse me...pardon me..." Bethany said, pushing her way through the crowd. She tapped Alyssa on the shoulder. "Hi, Alyssa?"
Alyssa turned and smiled. "Hi yourself. Bethany, right?"
"Yeah."
"Sorry about earlier. But I had the feeling Holden really needed to be alone, you know?"
"Yeah, I think he did." Bethany paused. "You're his ex-girlfriend, right?"
"In no uncertain terms, yes," Alyssa said slowly, looking at Bethany like she wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. "Why do you ask?"
"Just feeding my curiosity," Bethany said, as nonchalantly as she could, although she was carefully choosing her words. "In love?"
"Excuse me?"
"Were you two in love, I mean."
"Yes, I suppose we were, though at different degrees. I'm sure he told you the whole story," Alyssa said with mild distaste.
"Yeah, kinda," Bethany said uncomfortably.
"How long have you two known each other?" Alyssa asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder in the indication that they should sit down.
"Oh, we met yesterday. I came in town to visit Jay and Silent Bob, and Holden let me crash at his place. He's a sweet guy."
Alyssa stared, and swallowed. "Yeah. He is."
"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? You're giving me a weird look."
"You're the someone," Alyssa realized aloud.
"The who?"
"The someone."
"What someone?"
"The someone Holden met."
Bethany blinked. "I'm not sure I get what you're saying."
Alyssa took a long drink from her beer. "This morning I came across Holden in the Stash, and he informed me that he met someone. And I believe it's you."
"Well, yes. We did just meet."
"I don't think he meant it in that particular sense," Alyssa said knowingly. "Because he pretty much came asking for my blessing in pursuing this someone. That is, you."
"You're kidding."
"I'm afraid not. Should I be?"
"I don't know." Bethany frowned. How was she supposed to tell Holden's ex-girlfriend that she was debating whether or not her interest in him was totally platonic?
"Look, if you like him, go for it."
"Who said I did?"
"Your body language. I'm sure Holden also told you that I'm quite, how shall we say, *experienced* when it comes to women."
"To say the least."
"Ah, my reputation precedes me," Alyssa said, but didn't look terribly displeased. "In any case, it's all over your face that you're into him. And if you're worried about competition from me, don't be."
"I wasn't."
Alyssa smirked. "I'm sure you weren't. My guess is that he's feeling 'better' now, so why don't you go ask him to dance or whatever it is you straight girls do when enticing a male specimen."
Bethany sighed in irritation. "I tried that already."
"I take it that didn't exactly work out."
"Obviously not, if I'm standing here talking to you."
"Touche. What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"He blew you off? Want me to give him a piece of my mind?"
Bethany looked stricken. "Are you crazy? He practically had a coronary just from you and I exchanging hellos. If he found out I was debating over the future of a relationship between myself and him with his ex, he'd totally lose it."
"Fair enough." Alyssa waited, as if she sensed that Bethany wanted to say something more.
Which she did. "I chickened out, basically. Turned tail and ran off with Rufus."
"Dare I ask who *he* is?"
"A friend. No complications included, trust me."
"Okay then. Listen, ask Holden to dance. Or whatever. If I know him at all, which I'd like to think I do, he won't say no. Go for it." She smiled encouragingly.
Bethany returned the smile, and started off in the direction of Holden's table. She'd barely made it three steps before she turned around again. "Alyssa?"
Alyssa was already dancing again. She lowered her arms. "Yes?"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you pushing Holden and me together?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Well, fine. Call it whatever you will, then. But why?"
"An old friend of mine once said something along the lines of 'very simple, very truly.' I want to see him happy. I think he might be happy with you." And Alyssa Jones, with a smile that was both encouraging, yet a statement that the conversation was very much over, started dancing once more.
Bethany stared for a second, then walked off.
