9. Getting Rid of the Flower Problem

Authors Note: Story screen names always sound dumb, so I'm not using them in the IM conversation. The song used in this chapter is He Loves Me, He Loves You Not by Dream,. And Joan is going to seem incrediably evil in this chapter, but she's just incrediably jealous. I hate this chapter and the next, I tried a zillion re-writes and this is as good as they got..

dokushoka: Don't worry, I'm a sucker for happy endings, but every story needs a lot of angst and cliffies on the way to a happy end.

hgill: Erg, stupid GH cops. My mother's convinced Helena's holding Nikolas captive to piss off Emily. Any way, thanks for the review, and there's still hope for Adam and Joan

AL: I'm only one person, but I'll try to get the chapters up quick, I've already written up to 16, so I have a lot to upload..

Joan sat at her computer desk that night, listing to the radio and talking on AIM. She had somehow managed to get Grace to get an account, and she still wasn't sure how.

J: i tried. i really tried to like her grace. i mean, shes nice, but i dont want her with adam!!

G: So what? You expected him to sit around and wait for you? He's a 16 year old guy Girardi, they don't believe in waiting, even if they really like the girl.

J: do you like her?

G: Of course not. There are three of us. That's a good number. I don't want to talk to anyone else.

J: what about my brother?

G: This isn't about your brother. It's about you Rove and Cousin It

J: so what do you want me to do?

G: Kill 'It'!

J: i cant kill her grace!

G: Hire a hitman?

J: grace!!

G: What? She's just too nice. There's something I seriousally do not trust about her.

J: shes had a tough life grace, her father beat her and her mother

G: Yeah, I know, I know, that's not what I mean. She's too nice, nobody can be that nice without hiding something

J: so your saying shes what? the devils daughter?

G: No. She just can't be as nice as she's leading on.. She's a fake Joan!

J: why do you and adam only call me joan when your pissed off at me? you always call me girardi, and adam always calls me jane, whats up with that?

G: Who knows, who cares?

J: so grace.. your evil what do you think i should do?

G: I'm evil? Gee, thanks. All I have to say is that operation 'Get Rid of the Flower Problem' should be put into play soon.

Joan taped her nails on the key board and concidered what she should do when a song came on the radio that gave her an idea.

/Give it your all girl, give it all ya got.

Take your chance at a second hand shot.

Say what you want girl, Do what you do.

He's never gonna, gonna make it with you/

J: i dont want to be really mean, because im just not a mean person..

G: Which is your problem. Or one of them.

J: funny. but i think i have an idea.

G: What?

J: lets just say this is war. but ill need your help.

G: Want me to hit her with my crutches until she dies?

Joan laughed. Now that was a plan.

/Pulling petals off a flower trying to get your way.

Keep pulling til' it says what you want it to say.

Girl you can pick a field full of daisies,

But he'd still be my baby.

Instinctively, I know what you're thinking,

You'll be giving him an open invitation,

But my baby won't be taken in./

J: go for it. but i need you to tell me one thing

G: What?

J: does adam like me?

G: Dude are you blind? The guy's in love with you!

J: thats all i need to know.

G: So, you gonna tell me what this master plan is?

J: well lets just say i like adam enough to sink to a very very low level

G: A very, very low level? I like the sound of that.

J: heh. this, my friend, is war. flower girl is going down. you going to the art show tomorrow?

G: Do I have a choice?

J: you always have a choice. everyone has a choice. free will.

Joan blinked as she hit the enter button. 'I just sounded like God.' she though.

G: I'll be there. I wanna see Baby Voice's downfall.

Joan laughed again. Baby Voice?!

J: baby voice?

The door to Joan's room opened and Helen entered. She walked behind Joan's chair and looked at the conversation.

"Who are you talking to?" Helen asked, reading what she could see of the conversation, which included 'flower girl is going down.' Joan hit the x in the upper right corner.

"Grace, we're going to the art show Adam's in tomorrow," Joan told Helen. A window popped up.

G: You still there Girardi?

J: yeah.. exmayontheartstay

G: What the..? Oh, right, cya.

J: bye

"Iris is in that show too. You and Grace aren't planning on doing anything to her, are you?" Helen asked her daughter.

"Of course not mom! I wouldn't do that! And what would Grace do, smack Iris with her crutches?"

"Honestally I wouldn't put it past her," Helen said. "She hit you with them today." Joan laughed nervousally.

"But I deserved that. Iris didn't do anything. I mean, without her I'd.." Joan said, her voice trailing off. 'Oh my gosh. Without Iris, I'd be..' "Dead," Joan said, remembering the elevator. Joan hadn't given her parents detals about the fire, nor had Luke, and their parents hadn't pressured them to. They were just happy their children were still alive, and seemed alright, but what Will and Helen didn't know what that the fire had effected their children more than they were letting on. Joan had espically been effected, with the almost dying and the coma.

"We'll, I came in here to ask you to turn off the radio. Or turn it down," Helen said, walking to Joan's door.

"I was going to go to bed anyway, night mom," Joan said.

*

Smoke filled up Joan's lungs. She couldn't breath. She was going to suffocate right there. 'Adam?' Joan called. She could feel the flames against her skin as she climbed higher. 'Adam?!' she screamed, but her voice was silent. Her eyes burned from the smoke as she looked around her and found Iris. She was grinning. 'You really think Adam is looking for you? He doesn't care. Adam gave up on you, he doesn't like you. He likes me. He's mine now, and nothing you say or do can change that.' The ground began to give out beneath Joan as Adam came into view. 'Adam! Help!' Joan called. 'Jane..' he said, reaching out his hand to hers. Just as Joan was about to grab it, Iris pulled Adam back. The ground gave way and Joan went tumbling down into the flames. Joan woke up in a bright white room. A disembodied voice filled the room. It said her name over and over. 'Joan. Joan. Joan.' 'What do you want?!' Joan yelled. There was a flash of red light and Joan found herself on the hotel roof. 'Joan, come on! Joan! Get up!' Grace screamed. Joan looked at herself, sitting on the roof watching the helicopter lift into the air. She watched Grace pull her to the other end of the roof, collapsing because of her leg. The two girls were on the edge of the roof as the flames spread over the roof. 'Come on Joan, don't die on me here. You, Adam and nerd boy are the only friends I've got. Come on Girardi, wake up, your one of those people that make the world more liveable, there aren't many of those people left, so just open your eyes and say something!' Joan was taken aback by the concern in her voice. The scene changed again. Joan was standing in the gym doorway with Grace. 'I don't believe you just did that Joan. That was a new low.' Grace looked Joan in the eyes. 'And coming from me that says a lot. I know I told you to get rid of her but God.' 'Grace..' Joan said. 'Don't. I'm gonna go find your brother.' And with that Grace left. Adam walked through the doorway and stopped in front of Joan. 'You could have just told me you didn't like her. How could you have done that Joan? I thought you were nicer than that. I never expected you to do something so.. mean. You crushed my sculpture, but that doesn't even compair to what you did to Iris. We can't be friends anymore Joan.' Adam said, leaving. Joan looked out the door and saw Iris sitting on the floor, her face red, crying her eyes out. Adam sat next to her and took her hand. Everyone else in the gym was glaring at her. Including Grace and Luke.

*

Joan woke up and looked at her clock. The art show started in a half hour. Joan threw on some jeans, a t-shirt and some shoes and ran downstairs.

"Up before eleven, wow," Luke said.

"Going to the art show," Joan said. Luke nodded.

"I know. Mom's afraid you and Grace are going to do something to Iris. I'm going along to keep you guys from doing anything. Just don't tell mom I told you."

"I'm sure you'll be able to distract Grace," Joan joked.

*

"Girardi," Grace said. Joan and Luke looked at her.

"Which one?" Luke asked.

"She's Girardi, you're nerd boy," Grace explained.

"Right. I'll see you in there. And don't do anything.." he said, entering the gym.

"What was that about?" Grace asked.

"Nothing. But Grace, I'm getting second thoughts about operation 'Get Rid of the Flower'. I don't want to hurt her," Joan said, remembering her dream.

"Just don't go over board. Do what you need to. I think I've got to go talk to the geek. Iris and Adam are in the gym," Grace said, leaving Joan standing in the hall as Cute Guy God approched.

"Having second thoughts?"

"Of course. You know about my dream. Is it going to happen? What am I going to do to Iris?" Joan asked God.

"Free will Joan. You don't need to do anything."

"But.. God! What am I going to do? Should I go ahead and break them up, or not, because Adam seems really happy, but Grace is right, there's something weird about Iris. She said something in the elevator that made me mad, about finding my falling amusing. But she also helped save my life, because without her I wouldn't have been able to get out of the elevator. What's wrong with me? Why do I want revenge on her?"

"You had a near death experence Joan. You've become more aware-" God started.

"My father had a near death experence and he became paranoid! Kevin had a near death experence and he became depressed! Luke had a near death experence and he became.. well, he's still Luke. Everyone but mom's nearly died!"

"And that might have something to do with her sudden over protectiveness?" God questioned.

"Like reading my conversation. And she made me paranoid. Which gave me the dream! So nothing bad is going to happen!" Joan said. She grined and walked down the hall to the gym.

"Joan.." God called after her. "Teenagers. Can't teach them anything.."