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Chapter 4 – Lions and Tiger and Bears

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On Saturday morning, Joan was sitting at the Giradi kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and trying to figure out what she was going to do with herself all day. Sammy had called last night and said she didn't need to come into work today, then Grace had called just a few minutes ago and had said that she wasn't going to be able to do anything the entire day. Something had come up with her family and she had to spend the day with them. After a five-minute dissertation by Grace on the oppressive nature of ritualistic family activities, they hung up and Joan looked ahead to what she viewed as a bleak day. Since she had already made plans with Grace, her family had left her behind, leaving on an all day outing.

At one time she would have called Adam and come up with a plan for the day, but now with Iris in the picture, Joan no longer felt comfortable in just picking up the phone to call him. Yeah, she and Adam were still friends and there wasn't a single thing wrong with them remaining as friends, but if yesterday's little scene in the hall at school was any indication; Iris didn't share the quite same view. Kind of miserable over her lack of a plan for the day and her musings over her relationship with Adam, Joan was surprised to hear a knock on the backdoor and was even more so when she realized that it was Adam Rove.

"Cha Jane."

"Adam."

"Hey, I was wondering what you were up to today."

"Did you talk to Grace this morning?"

"No, why?"

"Well she and I had plans..."

"Hey, I can take off if you two had plans."

"We did but she had a family thing come up and we had to ditch our plans."

"Then you're stuck with nothing to do?"

"Yeah, nothing which sounds pretty lame especially when it's suppose to be a nice day."

"Ya wanna to do something with me then?"

"Adam that would be great, but, um...what will Iris say?"

"Cha Jane, we're friends and have been for months. Iris and I might be dating, but you and I, we're still friends. Aren't we?"

"To borrow your term Adam...Unchallenged."

"In that case then, what's the problem?

"I guess there isn't one. What did you have in mind?"

"You're gonna think this is really strange, yo."

"Try me."

"Um... Wanna go to the zoo?"

"The zoo?"

"Yeah, I've not been there since...well, in about four years. I figured since you haven't been here in Arcadia that long, you'd not ever gone."

"No, I guess I've never been to the zoo."

"So we're back to my previous question...Wanna go to the zoo?"

"Let me leave a note for my parents and get my jacket. The zoo sounds like a great idea"

"Unchallenged."

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Adam and Joan had spent an enjoyable day at the zoo. The awkwardness of Friday had seemed to fall away and the two were busy being friends, not a couple, but definitely friends. Arriving back at the Giradi house, pizza in hand, Adam and Jane were worn out, but if asked; neither would have traded the day for anything.

Seated at the Giradi table, the two sat eating pizza and commenting on the activities of the day.

"Jane."

"Yeah Adam."

"I wanted to talk to you about something before our 'zoo adventure' day ends."

"Adam, we've been talking all day"

"Cha, but this is something different."

"Okay, what is it."

"Well, Jane, yesterday after you left to take Luke to the dentist, Iris asked me something, and I like needed to talk to you first before I could answer her."

"Adam, what possibly could Iris have asked you that you had to talk first to me about?"

"Um...Jane she asked me to tell her why I call you Jane instead of Joan."

"Why Adam would Iris care about that? I'm the one who has to answer to a name other than my own, not her."

"Cha Jane."

"Adam, um...I don't even know why you call me Jane. I just know that I like it better than when you call me Joan."

"I know."

"Adam, this may sound really stupid on my part, but do * you * know why you call me Jane?"

"Um, yes and no, I guess."

"Adam, ya know, you don't have to tell Iris, or me, or anyone if you don't want to, or if you're not ready to."

At Joan's phrasing of her response, a look passed between the pair, as each recalled the last time Joan had said those same words regarding something between them.

"It's just that I thought that I should um...tell you first if I was gonna tell Iris. It * is * something that's between me and you."

"I appreciate that, but do * you * want to share your reasons? Secrets and the reasons we all do the things we do are hard things to live with but sometimes it's even harder to share them."

"Do your words of wisdom come from first hand knowledge?"

"Well, actually, yeah they do. You know Adam that I've had a kinda secret for as long as we've known each other. More than once I've wanted to tell someone about it cause it would of made my life easier, but every time something or someone stopped me. I've come to the conclusion that when the time comes for me to share my secret with somebody else, it's not going to be something that I have to guess about or question. I'm gonna * know * that the time and the person are right.

Adam had sat watching Joan closely, thinking back to all of the times when she had started to explain to him why she had done something stupid, or annoying, or embarrassing. He'd always thought that one day, when she trusted him enough and believed in him enough, she'd tell him her secret. He was willing to keep waiting for that day to come.

"Thanks Jane."

"For what?"

"For helping me decide what I'm gonna do."

"Can I ask what that is?"

"Well, the reasons I do things are, as you say, my reasons, and the reasons behind this particular thing still in part elude me. Until I understand them myself I think it's probably best that I keep them to myself. But, I will make you a promise Jane."

"What's that?"

"When I'm ready to explain why I've called you Jane for all these months, at least that is when I wasn't mad at you; you'll be the first one I tell."

"Thanks Adam."

Both fell into their own thoughts about what was just said, knowing that further conversation on the subject was really unnecessary and besides...their pizza was getting cold....

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