Disclaimer: I don't own Joan of Arcadia, the town, or it's characters. I'm
just a college student.
Chapter 7: I can't help you
Joan's day started out on an unusual note. Well, unusual for most people. Having come into the kitchen with one hand on his forehead and the other on his stomach, she pretty much guessed he was staying home from school. "I think I'm sick," he groaned sitting down at the table.
"Don't get germs all over everything!" Joan warned, "Stop breathing on me!" she pulled her chair farther away from him as he began to mumble nonsense to himself about science and molecules and Grace. "Well, if you're not coming then I'm leaving early," she said racing to get her bag.
"What's up with her?" Kevin asked coming into the room.
"No one ever knows anymore," Helen sighed.
Joan's intents were to get to school early to talk to Adam. It had been awhile, and being that it was Friday, she knew they'd be able to have some quality after school time. Her drive to school was unusual in that she was the only one in the car. A nice change. Blaring her music and quite certain that the surrounding cars could hear it too, she sang happily. She wanted to forget everything she'd been told about Adam: the grades, the tutoring, the "problems" that might arise. It wasn't til she reached the last stop light before getting to school that her attention was turned away from the radio. Seeing the man in the car next to her flailing his arms around and seemingly paranoid, she turned down the music and unrolled her window as she saw the man doing the same.
"Good morning, Joan," the man said smiling and folding his hands pleasantly as if he hadn't been freaking out moments before.
"You know, you have to stop popping up everywhere. I could've gotten into an accident the way you were acting!" she said then calmed down. "Let me guess, it's important,"
"So your mom told you about Adam," God said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, and I've decided to help him. I just don't know if he'll become angry or not,"
"He won't," God said with certainty, making Joan smile, "because you won't be tutoring him," Joan's smile faded.
"But God!" she said loudly, then realized the drivers and passengers of the surrounding cars were now looking at her, "He needs help,"
"And he'll get it, just not from you," he said snapping his fingers and the light turned green, "Now drive safely," he continued and the car he was in drove off. Joan sighed and accelerated. Why couldn't she help Adam? None of this made sense.
"Joan, what's up, yo?" Adam asked smiling and touching her cheek, "why's all the color from your face gone?" his eyes brows rose.
"No reason," she lied. She had to lie, what was she supposed to say *Because God told me I can't help the one person I care about the most?* No. She didn't think so. So she lied; but only about that. "Still on for tonight, right?" she asked.
"Yea, absolutely. I got a start on my writing project, but I'm really struggling. It doesn't flow as easily for me as Chemistry. Maybe we can work on it some tonight?"
"I don't think so," she said quickly, trying to change the subject.
"Okay, well then lets just blow off school and go back to my place. We can study now if later's not good for you," he wasn't catching on.
"First of all, I don't think either one of us can afford to skip school," she began, glad she had gotten their early enough to talk to him this long, "me because my mom works in the office, and you because, well . . ."
"Because what?" he asked becoming agitated. "I can't make my own decisions now, Joan?"
"Stop yelling, why are you being like this, Adam?"
"I don't know, maybe because everyone just thinks I'm stupid, Jane, how about that?"
"Not everyone," she said feeling like she had said the wrong thing, but he was being extra sensitive about everything she said today, so she blamed it on him having a bad day.
"Apparently you do," he said, "If not you'd help me. I bet you don't want to help me because you think it'd take too long to explain things, like I'm weird. You've thought I was weird since the day I told you I talk to angels," he spoke crisply in her ear for the last sentance.
"That's not true, I did not think you were weird because you talk to angels," she said defending him and herself at the same time.
"You don't?" he lightened up.
"No! I don't think you're stupid. You aren't. But mom overheard Price talking to your advisor about how your grades are falling. I'd love to help you, Adam, I really would, but I don't think I'm the right person . . . in fact, I KNOW I'm not the right person. You and I are too emotionally involved for me to be your tutor. Things wouldn't ever get done if I helped you study . . . well, I mean academically speaking things wouldn't get done . . . is any of this making sense?" she finally ended her long and winding whirlwind of words. Adam laughed and inhaled deeply himself,
"Quite the set of lungs there, Joan," he said as her cheeks turned red. "I understand, I guess. You're right about how we'd slack off," he admitted kissing her quickly. "But I still want you to come over tonight. I promise, no studying," he said crossing his heart with his index finger. Joan placed her hand up to his chest where his heart was, pressing his finger into it more. She could feel his heartbeat quickly and locked her eyes with his. Everything in that moment was perfect until a scurrying Grace nearly knocked them over,
"Hey, watch where you're going," Joan said laughing as Grace ended up running through them and coming to a hard stop.
"Cha, Grace," Adam said laughing.
"Where's Luke?" she asked, ignoring the fact that she was almost out of breath.
"At home. Puking. Probably snuggling with his teddy bear and watching cartoons," Joan teased. Grace rolled her eyes, "Actually, he was pretty sick this morning. Be glad he's not here, he can't infect us all," she said more seriously.
"No, of all the days for him to be gone it cannot be today!"she said hitting her head on a nearby locker.
"Would you stop DOING that?!" Joan asked and pulled her away.
"This has happened before?" Adam asked laughing until Grace shot him a look of disgust and mockery. "Sorry," he said backing off.
"What's so important about today?" Joan asked, sensing it was the only way to stop Grace from hurting herself again.
"Heeeellllloooooooo, Joan!" she said, as if Joan should've already know, "Today's when we're assigned new Chem partners,"
"It is?" Adam and Joan asked in unison.
"Yeah," she said quickly and panicky.
"So wait, you WANT Luke to be your partner?" Joan asked, confused.
"Well, I mean he's smart. And we did that awesome project together, and . . ."
"Just skip class, when you two show up next week you'll automatically be assigned each other," Adam said casually,
"How do you know?" Joan asked him suspiciously, "You DID know about partners today!" she hit him playfully,
"Cha, Jane, why else would I've suggested we skip the rest of today?"
"You're smarter than you look, Rove," Grace said, seemingly relieved.
"Thanks," he said in an injured tone. Joan poked Grace when she opened her mouth to say more.
"What?" Grace asked annoyed looking at Joan.
"Not now," she whispered as Adam continued emptying out his bag into his locker. Grace nodded and walked off to leave school for the day.
"She likes him," Adam said smiling.
"Unchallenged," Joan said smirking.
"Guess its' good we didn't skip class, we'd be working together for sure then almost." he said, "And the whole working together NOT working thing . . ."
"Yeah," Joan said, faking a smile. She'd have given anything to work with Adam; anything but disobeying God. "Who knows though, maybe I would've been stuck with Luke. Then his every nightmare would come true," it was as if a lightbulb went on in her head, "That little freak!" she said laughing, "He wasn't really sick! He knew all along, just like you,"
"Great minds think alike, Jane, great minds think alike," they laughed and walked off to class.
Chemistry would bring Joan's greatest challenge yet. New partners. A new partner for Adam. A new partner for her. It was something about the word "partner" that didn't quite sit well with her. Maybe if it was any other word, like "assistant," or "associate," it'd be different; but "partner," it had too much of an aura of . . . commitment.
Joan's day started out on an unusual note. Well, unusual for most people. Having come into the kitchen with one hand on his forehead and the other on his stomach, she pretty much guessed he was staying home from school. "I think I'm sick," he groaned sitting down at the table.
"Don't get germs all over everything!" Joan warned, "Stop breathing on me!" she pulled her chair farther away from him as he began to mumble nonsense to himself about science and molecules and Grace. "Well, if you're not coming then I'm leaving early," she said racing to get her bag.
"What's up with her?" Kevin asked coming into the room.
"No one ever knows anymore," Helen sighed.
Joan's intents were to get to school early to talk to Adam. It had been awhile, and being that it was Friday, she knew they'd be able to have some quality after school time. Her drive to school was unusual in that she was the only one in the car. A nice change. Blaring her music and quite certain that the surrounding cars could hear it too, she sang happily. She wanted to forget everything she'd been told about Adam: the grades, the tutoring, the "problems" that might arise. It wasn't til she reached the last stop light before getting to school that her attention was turned away from the radio. Seeing the man in the car next to her flailing his arms around and seemingly paranoid, she turned down the music and unrolled her window as she saw the man doing the same.
"Good morning, Joan," the man said smiling and folding his hands pleasantly as if he hadn't been freaking out moments before.
"You know, you have to stop popping up everywhere. I could've gotten into an accident the way you were acting!" she said then calmed down. "Let me guess, it's important,"
"So your mom told you about Adam," God said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, and I've decided to help him. I just don't know if he'll become angry or not,"
"He won't," God said with certainty, making Joan smile, "because you won't be tutoring him," Joan's smile faded.
"But God!" she said loudly, then realized the drivers and passengers of the surrounding cars were now looking at her, "He needs help,"
"And he'll get it, just not from you," he said snapping his fingers and the light turned green, "Now drive safely," he continued and the car he was in drove off. Joan sighed and accelerated. Why couldn't she help Adam? None of this made sense.
"Joan, what's up, yo?" Adam asked smiling and touching her cheek, "why's all the color from your face gone?" his eyes brows rose.
"No reason," she lied. She had to lie, what was she supposed to say *Because God told me I can't help the one person I care about the most?* No. She didn't think so. So she lied; but only about that. "Still on for tonight, right?" she asked.
"Yea, absolutely. I got a start on my writing project, but I'm really struggling. It doesn't flow as easily for me as Chemistry. Maybe we can work on it some tonight?"
"I don't think so," she said quickly, trying to change the subject.
"Okay, well then lets just blow off school and go back to my place. We can study now if later's not good for you," he wasn't catching on.
"First of all, I don't think either one of us can afford to skip school," she began, glad she had gotten their early enough to talk to him this long, "me because my mom works in the office, and you because, well . . ."
"Because what?" he asked becoming agitated. "I can't make my own decisions now, Joan?"
"Stop yelling, why are you being like this, Adam?"
"I don't know, maybe because everyone just thinks I'm stupid, Jane, how about that?"
"Not everyone," she said feeling like she had said the wrong thing, but he was being extra sensitive about everything she said today, so she blamed it on him having a bad day.
"Apparently you do," he said, "If not you'd help me. I bet you don't want to help me because you think it'd take too long to explain things, like I'm weird. You've thought I was weird since the day I told you I talk to angels," he spoke crisply in her ear for the last sentance.
"That's not true, I did not think you were weird because you talk to angels," she said defending him and herself at the same time.
"You don't?" he lightened up.
"No! I don't think you're stupid. You aren't. But mom overheard Price talking to your advisor about how your grades are falling. I'd love to help you, Adam, I really would, but I don't think I'm the right person . . . in fact, I KNOW I'm not the right person. You and I are too emotionally involved for me to be your tutor. Things wouldn't ever get done if I helped you study . . . well, I mean academically speaking things wouldn't get done . . . is any of this making sense?" she finally ended her long and winding whirlwind of words. Adam laughed and inhaled deeply himself,
"Quite the set of lungs there, Joan," he said as her cheeks turned red. "I understand, I guess. You're right about how we'd slack off," he admitted kissing her quickly. "But I still want you to come over tonight. I promise, no studying," he said crossing his heart with his index finger. Joan placed her hand up to his chest where his heart was, pressing his finger into it more. She could feel his heartbeat quickly and locked her eyes with his. Everything in that moment was perfect until a scurrying Grace nearly knocked them over,
"Hey, watch where you're going," Joan said laughing as Grace ended up running through them and coming to a hard stop.
"Cha, Grace," Adam said laughing.
"Where's Luke?" she asked, ignoring the fact that she was almost out of breath.
"At home. Puking. Probably snuggling with his teddy bear and watching cartoons," Joan teased. Grace rolled her eyes, "Actually, he was pretty sick this morning. Be glad he's not here, he can't infect us all," she said more seriously.
"No, of all the days for him to be gone it cannot be today!"she said hitting her head on a nearby locker.
"Would you stop DOING that?!" Joan asked and pulled her away.
"This has happened before?" Adam asked laughing until Grace shot him a look of disgust and mockery. "Sorry," he said backing off.
"What's so important about today?" Joan asked, sensing it was the only way to stop Grace from hurting herself again.
"Heeeellllloooooooo, Joan!" she said, as if Joan should've already know, "Today's when we're assigned new Chem partners,"
"It is?" Adam and Joan asked in unison.
"Yeah," she said quickly and panicky.
"So wait, you WANT Luke to be your partner?" Joan asked, confused.
"Well, I mean he's smart. And we did that awesome project together, and . . ."
"Just skip class, when you two show up next week you'll automatically be assigned each other," Adam said casually,
"How do you know?" Joan asked him suspiciously, "You DID know about partners today!" she hit him playfully,
"Cha, Jane, why else would I've suggested we skip the rest of today?"
"You're smarter than you look, Rove," Grace said, seemingly relieved.
"Thanks," he said in an injured tone. Joan poked Grace when she opened her mouth to say more.
"What?" Grace asked annoyed looking at Joan.
"Not now," she whispered as Adam continued emptying out his bag into his locker. Grace nodded and walked off to leave school for the day.
"She likes him," Adam said smiling.
"Unchallenged," Joan said smirking.
"Guess its' good we didn't skip class, we'd be working together for sure then almost." he said, "And the whole working together NOT working thing . . ."
"Yeah," Joan said, faking a smile. She'd have given anything to work with Adam; anything but disobeying God. "Who knows though, maybe I would've been stuck with Luke. Then his every nightmare would come true," it was as if a lightbulb went on in her head, "That little freak!" she said laughing, "He wasn't really sick! He knew all along, just like you,"
"Great minds think alike, Jane, great minds think alike," they laughed and walked off to class.
Chemistry would bring Joan's greatest challenge yet. New partners. A new partner for Adam. A new partner for her. It was something about the word "partner" that didn't quite sit well with her. Maybe if it was any other word, like "assistant," or "associate," it'd be different; but "partner," it had too much of an aura of . . . commitment.