Disclaimer: I would love to, but unfortunately don't own anything.
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The sudden silence was what awoke Adam out of his slumber. He silently cursed because he had been having the best dream. He and Joan had been at a creek on a hot sunny day. They were sitting on a blanket underneath a willow tree next to the creek. He was sketching and Joan was reading a book with her head in his lap. He would catch her looking, smiling up at him. But she would quickly go back to her book and pretend that she was reading. He would laugh to himself because secretly, he was doing the same. Adam had never felt so at peace, and he had the most wonderful feeling being with Joan. It was love, to love and be loved in return. And he wanted to keep it forever. He knew he would have to wake up but he didn't want the feeling to go away. Adam kept closing his eyes again and again, trying to get back to the dream, but it was no use. With a defeated sigh, he slowly opened his eyes.
The credits were rolling on the movie and Joan was asleep, her head resting on his chest. Adam smiled as he watched her silently sleep, chest rising and falling in a complete rhythm. Some strands of hair had fallen into her face and Adam reached down, gently brushing them away and trying not to wake her. To him, she was perfect. Sure, she had hurt him several times, done things he wished she hadn't, but in the end it didn't matter. In the end, there had always been a reason. If he could to go back, he wouldn't change it All of those things had helped to bring them closer together. He was different now and it was because of her. He was laughing again and enjoying life. The ongoing guilt and depression was gone. The mistakes had been worth it. They were good ripples, as Joan had once told him.
He glanced over to where Grace and Luke had been sitting, only to find them gone. As much as he wanted to stay with Joan, he needed to check what time it was. Slowly he lifted Joan off him and rested her back down on the couch. She stirred slightly, but continued to sleep. After covering her up with the blanket, Adam made his way to the kitchen. He heard voices coming from the back porch and immediately recognized Grace's laugh.
"Hey," he said as he closed the door behind him.
"Hey Sleeping Beauty! Have a nice nap?" Grace smirked. She was perched on the table while Luke sat in one of the chairs.
"Oreo?" Luke offered him from the bag that had been sitting on the table next to Grace.
"Where's Girardi?" she asked.
"Still sleeping on the couch," Adam ran a hand through his messy hair as he collapsed into the chair next to Luke.
"What time is it?"
"Ummm…it's 11pm," Luke answered after checking his watch. Adam took a couple Oreos from the bag and began twisting them. Normally, he only would eat Oreos with Joan. They would twist them apart and she would always eat the sides with filling. He hated the filling, but she had a sweet tooth for it. It was little things like that that he loved about her; it was what made her Jane. He finally separated all of his cookies and without even thinking, he set aside the halves with the filling on the table and began eating the cookie sides. Grace and Luke looked at each other.
"Rove…what are you doing?" Grace asked, giving him a look. He glanced from her to Luke.
"I'm saving the filling sides for Jane, why?" Grace and Luke looked at each other again and burst out laughing.
"What?" Adam demanded.
"Nothing…nothing," Luke choked out, he and Grace still laughing but trying to hold it in.
"I don't like them and she does!" Adam explained.
"Sure dude, whatever," Grace shook her head.
"What don't you like?" came Joan's voice from the door as she joined them, sitting in the chair next to Adam.
"The, uh, filing sides of the Oreos," Adam pushed them towards her.
"Thanks," Joan picked one of them up and began licking the filling off.
"It's true, he always gives them to me." Grace and Luke began laughing again.
"What?!" Joan and Adam asked at the same time.
"Nothing," Grace answered.
"Absolutely nothing," Luke assured them. Joan rolled her eyes at them.
"We should get going," Joan picked up the two Oreos off the table and went inside, Adam following closely behind her.
"So…" Luke hesitated, pushing his glasses up on his nose.
"We're, uh, still on for studying at my house tomorrow?" Grace grabbed the bag of cookies of off the table and looked at him.
"Yeah," she answered. She looked at Luke and sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Don't even think about it Geek," she brushed past him into the house, Luke at her heels.
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"I hope you have all been practicing, we are leaving on Wednesday for the competition," Lishek reminded them. It was Monday afternoon and they were having their final practice. Adam, Joan, and Grace, had spent most of their Saturday studying with Luke.
"Alright, let's begin. Here is the opening scramble for ten points," everyone's hands were ready on their buzzers.
"Who is the playwright that penned 'The Crucible'?" Grace surprisingly was the first one to buzz in.
"That would be Arthur Miller," she smirked at Freidman as she answered.
"That is …correct, excellent job Miss Polk."
"Lucky guess," Freidman said. Grace glared at him.
"You wish," she challenged.
The game continued for forty-five minutes and Grace, Joan and Adam needed the last question to win; they were 10 points behind the Geeks.
"Final question," Ms. Lishek announced, looking very excited at how well they were doing. The tension was thick in the air as they all waited in anticipation. "This is a 20 point question to end the game. What famous ensemble are these people a part of: Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, and F.H. Varley." There was silence and a look of udder disbelief on Glynis' face. It appeared that for the first time, she did not know the answer. For the first time since they started, no one had the answer immediately. The sound of a buzzer broke the silence and everyone looked at each other, trying to figure out who had buzzed in.
"The Group of Seven," Adam answered. They all turned to Lishek.
"That is….correct! Well, it appears that Adam, Grace and Joan are our winners today!" Miss Lishek looked extremely pleased with them. Freidman and Glynis were in shock, but Luke just grinned, he was glad they had won.
"What's the matter, questions too hard for you?" Grace smirked at Freidman. He and Glynis began to quickly gather up their books.
"We have to go and study," Freidman answered and he and Glynis rushed out.
"Common," Grace laughed as they collected their bags. She pulled her car keys out of her pocket.
"I say we go and celebrate victory over the Geeks."
"Unchallenged," Adam agreed, following the girls out. Ms. Lishek said goodnight and left as well, leaving Luke alone in the empty classroom. He sighed and began putting his Chem. Textbook in his bag; if he hurried, he could catch the next bus home.
"Hey Geek," he looked up and saw Grace leaning against the doorframe.
"You coming or what?"
"Yeah, sure," Luke said. A smile slowly spread across her face.
"Well, hurry up then," she said and walked out. Luke listened to the jingle of her keys as she walked down the hallway and shook his head, grinning to himself as he grabbed his bag and hurried after her.
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Author's Note:
Wow, ok that took a long time. I hope everyone likes it! Thanks to everyone who is reviewing! I really appreciate it! Now everyone else needs to start updating their stories! Again, thanks to all who reviewed! You guys rule! PLEASE review this chapter! Remember that more reviews there are, the faster I tend to update! Enjoy!
~*Arwen5 (aka Sketchy Jane)*~
P.S.- You know you love the new name Shady Lane! ;)