Disclaimer: I don't own Joan of Arcadia, the town, or its characters. I'm
just a college student.
Chapter 3: Help me Give Advice
Luke stepped in the car and shut the door fiercely. While he didn't exactly look angry, he didn't exactly look normal either. "Is everything okay with you?" Joan asked cautiously.
"I don't know. Yeah, everything with ME is fine, it's great," he said honestly.
"So that leaves Grace," she said as they turned a corner. Luke slammed his head back against the seat. "She's not exactly easy to read, I know,"
"It's not even that, it's that she won't even let me get to know her at all! She knows I like her, I mean, I AM pretty obvious, whether I want to be or not, but I'm not even trying to pursue that right now. I just want to be her friend, Joan," he seemed exhausted from explaining.
"I see this is a pretty big deal for you," Joan paused, "I've never heard you talk so passionately about something so unscientific,"
"Very funny, I'm stressed out here," he said closing his eyes.
"I'm not joking," she smiled, "I can tell you're worn out. I told you to stick to science instead of girls for as long as you could,"
"Now I know why," he said, "Joan, you're a girl . . ." he started.
"Um, maybe you'd be better off talking to Kevin about this, I mean he's a guy,"
"No, I need your help," he said looking at her at a red light. "Please, tell me what girls want,"
"First of all, what is it with men? All guys think that every single girl wants the same thing. As if there's a universal key to our hearts,"
"You mean, there isn't?" he asked seriously.
"Please tell me you're joking. I mean, you're so systematic, Luke. You of all people know . . ."
"No, I don't. Love's not very much like science at all. Yeah, there's certain pheromones and things but . . . " he said as Joan rolled her eyes and smiled, "At any rate, I can always find a logical reason while I'm doing an experiment in science. With Grace, logic is out the window. Just when I think I understand why she's doing something, I realize I'm not even close to knowing," he finished as they pulled into their driveway.
"Don't push Grace," she said putting the car into park, "Let her know you're around to talk if she wants, but don't force anything out of her. If she cares, she'll open up," she pulled the keys out of the ignition as her brother smiled and stepped out of the car.
"Thanks," he said, "See, you aren't crazy," he winked at her as he walked into the house.
Not that long ago, Joan had tried convincing herself and everyone else that she wasn't crazy. Although know one knew that she talked to God in a different, more tangible way than most people, there had been noticeable differences in her behavior and attitudes, and while things worked out well for the most part, others seemed unreasonable to the unknown eye. Adam's sculpture was one of them, taking the school bully to the dance was another. People in general don't believe what they can't see.
She hadn't realized it, but she had completely blanked out and was staring into space as she stood in the driveway. She probably wouldn't have been made aware as soon if it weren't for a person shouting as they walked by,
"Joan, a lot has happened since we last talked," the old man said. He seemed way too frail to have a set of lungs that could shout that far. Joan smiled and walked up to him,
"I was wondering when you'd come around," she said as the man started jogging in place.
"I'm always around, Joan,"
"I know," she said smiling, "So you saw what happened with Adam then," biting her lip.
"Someone's got a BOYFRIEND," he said, his voice rising up and down to emphasize. She blushed,
"First of all, you of all people shouldn't make me blush, for one because you're God and for two because you're in the body of a 90 year old man," she laughed, "And since when have you started teasing people?"
"I'm just happy for you, that's all," he said smiling.
"Wait, so you DON'T disapprove of Adam and I dating?"
"Not yet," he smiled and pulled an apple out of his pocket. She closed her eyes,
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked in a worried tone.
"You'll find out in time, Joan," he said, "now if you'll excuse me, I've got some prayers to answer," jogging away.
Some things in life seem way too good to be true. Adam Rove was one of them. It's not that she planned to ignore what God had warned her about, but since he said "in time," she wasn't about to let worry get in the way of her happiness. She and Adam had been through a lot in a short period of time. Both of them deserved to be happy, especially Adam.
"Hey, Luke, what's up?" Kevin asked as he sat by the kitchen table.
"Not much, just got home from another rejection from Grace, but you know," he said, trying to blow off that he was upset.
"Take it easy, it'll be okay. I don't really KNOW Grace," he started, "but she sounds like a very complicated girl,"
"I don't think she really is deep down," he said, his voice squeaking, "If she'd let me know her . . ."
"What do you boys want for dinner?" Helen asked as she walked in the room, "and where's your sister?"
"Meatloaf," Kevin said, "and I haven't seen her all day,"
"She brought me home from my horrible rej . . ."
"Rejection from Grace, we know," Kevin said laughing. Just then Joan entered the kitchen.
"Why's everyone looking at me like that?" she asked conscientiously as she sat down at the table.
"What're you talking about?" Kevin asked giving her a weird look.
"Nothing, nevermind," she said then faded back into thoughts of Adam and earlier. She sighed aloud, not realizing it.
"Where were you anyways?" her mother asked.
"Adam's" she said sighing again. Her voice sort of floated when she said his name. Helen smiled and took some ground beef out of the freezer to defrost.
"You two are getting along again, I'm so glad,"
"You like him, right mom?" she asked, then looked to see her brothers raising their eyebrows.
"Adam? Yes, he's a nice boy," she said, "Why?"
"Yeah, WHY Joan?" the boys asked in unison.
"Mom, I'll talk to you about it later," she said, sliding her chair out from under the table and walking to her room. Helen smiled and looked at her sons.
"Dinner will be ready in about an hour," she said as they didn't move, "You don't have to sit there and wait you know,"
"Well, I DO," Kevin said, pointing at his wheelchair. Luke closed his eyes and Helen frowned,
"What?" Kevin said, "I'm just trying to joke about it,"
"I think you're doing it more than you should," Luke said.
"You don't get it," Kevin said wheeling out of the room, "I'll be in my room,"
"I don't get anything these days," Luke said putting his head down on the table.
Detective Girardi opened the door and took off his coat. He moved to kiss Helen as he smiled at the defrosting meat. "How was your day?" she asked.
"The usual," he said seriously, "but I'm glad to be home, that's for sure,"
In Joan's room, she laid across her bed. Twisting the ends of her hair, she thought of all the fun she and Adam will have and about how being able to open up to someone really can bring you closer to them. She wondered, if she fell in love with Adam, could she tell him all her secrets? Would she love and trust him enough to tell him her deepest, darkest, most important secret?
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Keep them coming. Your comments and encouragements help me to feel more motivated to write.
Chapter 3: Help me Give Advice
Luke stepped in the car and shut the door fiercely. While he didn't exactly look angry, he didn't exactly look normal either. "Is everything okay with you?" Joan asked cautiously.
"I don't know. Yeah, everything with ME is fine, it's great," he said honestly.
"So that leaves Grace," she said as they turned a corner. Luke slammed his head back against the seat. "She's not exactly easy to read, I know,"
"It's not even that, it's that she won't even let me get to know her at all! She knows I like her, I mean, I AM pretty obvious, whether I want to be or not, but I'm not even trying to pursue that right now. I just want to be her friend, Joan," he seemed exhausted from explaining.
"I see this is a pretty big deal for you," Joan paused, "I've never heard you talk so passionately about something so unscientific,"
"Very funny, I'm stressed out here," he said closing his eyes.
"I'm not joking," she smiled, "I can tell you're worn out. I told you to stick to science instead of girls for as long as you could,"
"Now I know why," he said, "Joan, you're a girl . . ." he started.
"Um, maybe you'd be better off talking to Kevin about this, I mean he's a guy,"
"No, I need your help," he said looking at her at a red light. "Please, tell me what girls want,"
"First of all, what is it with men? All guys think that every single girl wants the same thing. As if there's a universal key to our hearts,"
"You mean, there isn't?" he asked seriously.
"Please tell me you're joking. I mean, you're so systematic, Luke. You of all people know . . ."
"No, I don't. Love's not very much like science at all. Yeah, there's certain pheromones and things but . . . " he said as Joan rolled her eyes and smiled, "At any rate, I can always find a logical reason while I'm doing an experiment in science. With Grace, logic is out the window. Just when I think I understand why she's doing something, I realize I'm not even close to knowing," he finished as they pulled into their driveway.
"Don't push Grace," she said putting the car into park, "Let her know you're around to talk if she wants, but don't force anything out of her. If she cares, she'll open up," she pulled the keys out of the ignition as her brother smiled and stepped out of the car.
"Thanks," he said, "See, you aren't crazy," he winked at her as he walked into the house.
Not that long ago, Joan had tried convincing herself and everyone else that she wasn't crazy. Although know one knew that she talked to God in a different, more tangible way than most people, there had been noticeable differences in her behavior and attitudes, and while things worked out well for the most part, others seemed unreasonable to the unknown eye. Adam's sculpture was one of them, taking the school bully to the dance was another. People in general don't believe what they can't see.
She hadn't realized it, but she had completely blanked out and was staring into space as she stood in the driveway. She probably wouldn't have been made aware as soon if it weren't for a person shouting as they walked by,
"Joan, a lot has happened since we last talked," the old man said. He seemed way too frail to have a set of lungs that could shout that far. Joan smiled and walked up to him,
"I was wondering when you'd come around," she said as the man started jogging in place.
"I'm always around, Joan,"
"I know," she said smiling, "So you saw what happened with Adam then," biting her lip.
"Someone's got a BOYFRIEND," he said, his voice rising up and down to emphasize. She blushed,
"First of all, you of all people shouldn't make me blush, for one because you're God and for two because you're in the body of a 90 year old man," she laughed, "And since when have you started teasing people?"
"I'm just happy for you, that's all," he said smiling.
"Wait, so you DON'T disapprove of Adam and I dating?"
"Not yet," he smiled and pulled an apple out of his pocket. She closed her eyes,
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked in a worried tone.
"You'll find out in time, Joan," he said, "now if you'll excuse me, I've got some prayers to answer," jogging away.
Some things in life seem way too good to be true. Adam Rove was one of them. It's not that she planned to ignore what God had warned her about, but since he said "in time," she wasn't about to let worry get in the way of her happiness. She and Adam had been through a lot in a short period of time. Both of them deserved to be happy, especially Adam.
"Hey, Luke, what's up?" Kevin asked as he sat by the kitchen table.
"Not much, just got home from another rejection from Grace, but you know," he said, trying to blow off that he was upset.
"Take it easy, it'll be okay. I don't really KNOW Grace," he started, "but she sounds like a very complicated girl,"
"I don't think she really is deep down," he said, his voice squeaking, "If she'd let me know her . . ."
"What do you boys want for dinner?" Helen asked as she walked in the room, "and where's your sister?"
"Meatloaf," Kevin said, "and I haven't seen her all day,"
"She brought me home from my horrible rej . . ."
"Rejection from Grace, we know," Kevin said laughing. Just then Joan entered the kitchen.
"Why's everyone looking at me like that?" she asked conscientiously as she sat down at the table.
"What're you talking about?" Kevin asked giving her a weird look.
"Nothing, nevermind," she said then faded back into thoughts of Adam and earlier. She sighed aloud, not realizing it.
"Where were you anyways?" her mother asked.
"Adam's" she said sighing again. Her voice sort of floated when she said his name. Helen smiled and took some ground beef out of the freezer to defrost.
"You two are getting along again, I'm so glad,"
"You like him, right mom?" she asked, then looked to see her brothers raising their eyebrows.
"Adam? Yes, he's a nice boy," she said, "Why?"
"Yeah, WHY Joan?" the boys asked in unison.
"Mom, I'll talk to you about it later," she said, sliding her chair out from under the table and walking to her room. Helen smiled and looked at her sons.
"Dinner will be ready in about an hour," she said as they didn't move, "You don't have to sit there and wait you know,"
"Well, I DO," Kevin said, pointing at his wheelchair. Luke closed his eyes and Helen frowned,
"What?" Kevin said, "I'm just trying to joke about it,"
"I think you're doing it more than you should," Luke said.
"You don't get it," Kevin said wheeling out of the room, "I'll be in my room,"
"I don't get anything these days," Luke said putting his head down on the table.
Detective Girardi opened the door and took off his coat. He moved to kiss Helen as he smiled at the defrosting meat. "How was your day?" she asked.
"The usual," he said seriously, "but I'm glad to be home, that's for sure,"
In Joan's room, she laid across her bed. Twisting the ends of her hair, she thought of all the fun she and Adam will have and about how being able to open up to someone really can bring you closer to them. She wondered, if she fell in love with Adam, could she tell him all her secrets? Would she love and trust him enough to tell him her deepest, darkest, most important secret?
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Keep them coming. Your comments and encouragements help me to feel more motivated to write.