Prama
This takes place on Tuesday, the fourth of May..
Things had been going remarkably well for the gang at PC High after Jeff Webber's freak alliance with the garden hose.
The older man had made a habit of making himself scarce whenever Jason was around – he figured that what he didn't see wouldn't drive him to the brink of insanity. Caroline had apologized profusely to both her daughter and her "sort-of-almost-kinda-I-don't-know" boyfriend, and had expected an irate phone call from Alan and Monica that would start a feud surpassing that of the Hatfields and the McCoys.
But no such phone call ever came. After that disastrous evening, Jason had managed to sneak back into the house undetected. It really helped that both of his parents had returned home exhausted and had fairly collapsed into bed. He had minced quietly up the stairs and barricaded himself into his room, and it didn't take long for him to change into his flannel pajamas and leave the soaking clothes in the tub of his bathroom. They were tossed into the dryer the next morning along with the rest of his wash, and his parents had been none the wiser.
Elizabeth had eventually relented and abandoned her vow of never speaking to her father again as long as she lived, but she had barred the man from ever hassling Jason or any of her other male friends ever again. Jeff was only too happy to do so, provided that Caroline let him back into the bedroom, where he was finally able to deposit his clothes into the dresser after retrieving them from the rose bushes.
And so everything was pretty much forgiven and forgotten as far as that night was concerned. Jason dropped by regularly – sometimes with his friends and sometimes without them – and he and Elizabeth began their diligent last minute studying for the looming AP exams.
If any parents found themselves short of any children, they felt it pretty safe to assume that the kids were gathered at The Studio, a popular hangout for the high school crowd. The cozy basement hub was a lounge, coffee shop, and bookstore all rolled into one, and the students would spend hours huddled over the tables, alternating between the theory of evolution and the area between curves, with a little Madame Bovary thrown in for good measure.
Besides studying for the standardized tests, Jason and Elizabeth managed to spend their limited free time together as well. Sometimes, they'd go out for a burger or coffee in the evenings. Other times, Jason would bring over a DVD and he and Elizabeth would make popcorn in the kitchen before retiring to the den and snuggling on the couch in front of the big screen. Jeff had perfected his gagging noises in an effort to provide the perfect background music for this event, but Caroline always found some extra chores for him to do, usually in the back yard.
Other times, Elizabeth would wind up at Jason's house and the two of them would end up sitting around in his basement, bored out of their minds, before somehow finding themselves in the kitchen baking a batch of Elizabeth's infamous brownies. Alan and Monica were only too happy to see her when they walked in through the front door – Jason never brought his other partners home. And there was a reason for that, they knew; since both Alan and Monica weren't too keen on him seeing older girls, Jason steered his companion of the month clear of their house.
But Elizabeth was another story. The two of them were inseparable, and Jason's parents couldn't have been more pleased. Elizabeth was chipper and respectful and quite cheerful, and was always ready to offer a hand. She'd help Monica put away the groceries while Jason inhaled half of them, she'd listen intently to Alan's amusing anecdotes about his patients, and she'd even play with little AJ. Lila was a favorite of hers, and Jason would often find Elizabeth in his grandmother's room, admiring her artwork. Lila had been a painter before arthritis rendered her tendons useless, and Elizabeth could look at her landscapes and portraits for hours. His grandfather, on the other hand, was a bit more reserved around Elizabeth, but the glimmer in the old man's eyes was as plain as day when he saw how happy and animated his wife was when she spoke with the young girl.
And so things had pretty much returned to normal for the almost-couple.
But not for long.
One warm, late spring night, Jason took Elizabeth to the drive-thru to see some animated French film she'd been talking about for days. He didn't understand much of it – due more to not caring than not comprehending - but Elizabeth enjoyed it tremendously. She had studied French in Colorado before switching over to Spanish in Port Charles, and he was surprised at how much she still remembered. Not that it mattered – the film wasn't terribly hard to follow. He himself found it a little boring – something with fat ladies dancing in a little town called Belleville or whatever.
Jason had parked the Jeep in reverse, with the windshield facing away from the screen, and after realizing that the back window was spotted with mud and rain, the two of them perched themselves atop the roof and let their legs dangle through the moonroof. Jason had produced a blanket from somewhere in the back and looped an arm around Elizabeth when she snuggled into him. They sat like that through the entire movie, and even afterwards.
All the other cars had vacated the parking lot and the lights had been turned off, but the Jeep remained in its spot. The couple had switched positions slightly now, and lay sprawled against the long end of the roof with their legs still dangling inside the car and the blanket spread over them. This time, however, it was the twinkling stars that they were watching.
It had taken much deliberation and hesitation – not to mention procrastination – on Jason's part before he finally propped himself up on one elbow and asked Elizabeth to be his girlfriend.
She had responded favorably in an instant, and their relationship was no longer as ambiguous in nature as it had been. Or at least, it wasn't to them.
After considering all of the good-natured teasing, smirks, and playfully crude jokes that were hurtled at them from all directions by their friends at school, both Jason and Elizabeth had decided to just keep things cool for a while.
It wasn't difficult for them at all, either. Elizabeth had often expressed disgust at the couples that would stand in the hallways and make out, so public displays of affection were out. They still did all the things they normally did – they walked to classes together, went out to lunch together, and hung around after school together. But the only difference was that at this point in time, both of them knew where they stood. It didn't particularly matter that none of their friends save two knew – for Jason and Elizabeth, things had never been better.
Sonny and Brenda would have agreed emphatically with their friends – the two of them had also decided to see each other exclusively. While Sonny was still as smitten with the brunette bombshell as he had been since the beginning of the year, Brenda still needed some more convincing. While she wasn't ready to start naming their kids, the young woman knew that there was something different and special between her and Sonny. But this time, she was ready to really go the distance and take a gamble on how it all panned out.
The two of them, though off to a slower start due to their initial concentration that was geared more to their romantically challenged friends than themselves, had made up for lost time and were just as inseparable as Jason and Elizabeth. And so the two girls – both of whom hadn't ever been this serious about a boy before – figured that their luck had taken a crazy turn for the better.
And as Brenda and Elizabeth strolled through the halls – Elizabeth on her way to AP English and Brenda on her way to Psychology – a new kind of craziness could be felt pervading the hallways.
Prom madness.
It was that time of year again, and although some girls had their dates and dresses picked out months ago for the memorable night, for the majority, it was just starting to sink in.
Senior prom.
The most important night of their high school careers.
Most of the other students were just now getting into the swing of things – asking out potential dates, ripping through catalogs of dresses and accessories, sorting out the details of transportation and entertainment and lodging, and a ton of other things that made launching a space shuttle seem like child's play.
But Brenda and Elizabeth weren't in on this mad flurry of activity – neither of them had been asked yet.
"Do you want to go out to lunch today, just the two of us?" Brenda asked her best friend as they sauntered down the hallway. Carly and a few of their other friends were standing in a small circle in the corner, squealing over sparkly dresses, and the girls waved at each other as they passed by.
"Sure," Elizabeth nodded as she shifted her textbooks from one hand to the other. Her backpack had found a fate identical to that of Jason's – either stuffed in to her locker or sitting on the backseat of the car. She carried her books in her hand and kept all other supplies – pens, pencils, calculator – in her purse.
"Good. Meet me by the doors?" Brenda asked as she neared her classroom.
"OK."
Brenda was at her classroom now, holding the door with one hand and pulling at her ruffled white minskirt with the other. "See you then."
"Later," Elizabeth smiled as she hurried off to her own class down the hallway. Normally, she'd meet Sonny by now as he came up the side stairs, but her friend was nowhere in sight.
"Morning, Beth," smiled Ms. Georgia Hornsby. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks," Elizabeth answered cheerfully as she slid into her seat next to Jenny. "And you?"
"Good, good," her teacher replied, absently sorting through the Respectful Prostitute essays she'd soon be handing back. Her head snapped up as the bell rang and she quickly scanned the rows of desks in her room. It was a small class – exactly fifteen students – and she could always tell who was missing just by looking around.
"Sonny," she muttered under her breath, making a little A in her lesson plan book for the student she assumed was absent.
"All right, everyone," she said loudly. "Pull out your notes on T.S. Eliot so I can check them, and we'll start our discussion right after the announcements."
The daily announcements were a five-minute nuisance that every third period teacher put up with because they were school policy. They were usually read by the captain of the debate team, a radical, spiky-haired young lady named Alex, and included updates on various PC High news such as the new fitness programs or the newly constructed weight rooms. Student Council also used it to reach the student body with news of the latest charity drives or school spirit events.
After the announcements came the federally mandated Pledge of Allegiance. While Georgia herself had no problem standing up and reciting the pledge, she was inwardly surprised at the number of students that refused to do so as well.
She'd let it go for the first week, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her, leading to a monstrous class discussion. And it was on that day that Georgia had recognized the true caliber of the young men and women she considered herself fortunate enough to teach.
The class had been divided on the issue, to say the least. But what amazed her most were their varying shades of division and the complexity of their rationale. Among opposing arguments were the religious ones offered by the lone atheist in the class, a tall, slim redhead, as well as the ones offered by Brendan Mahoney and his girlfriend Jenny, who felt that a mandatory recital was highly reactionary and therefore hypocritical.
These views had clashed drastically with those of students like Sonny Corinthos, students who were fiercely loyal to their country and felt that the pledge was a small token of allegiance that went a long way.
And it really warmed Georgia's heart to witness the way her students resumed their interaction with each other after the heated debate – no grudges or resentments were carried, and it was clear that the children respected each other's opinions and were capable of handling the altercation even more maturely than most adults she knew.
And now those mature students were busy chattering away about corsages and limos and handbags as Alex reported that the science labs were to be equipped with new computers for the next year.
"Sh, guys," Georgia hushed as she passed out the essays.
Jenny Evrard grabbed hers and then leaned forward to peer at Elizabeth's. Seeing that they both had received an A, she poked her friend in the shoulder and they did their customary victory dance, which involved a lot of random wiggling in hard wooden desks.
The wiggling proved to be a bit much in terms of movement, and Jenny soon felt the need to remove the sweatshirt she usually wore to combat the school's arctic temperatures. She pulled it off and dropped it on the floor, but not before Elizabeth caught the white lettering on the front.
"NYU?" she asked, pointing to the discarded article of clothing. "Is it final?"
May 1st had been the last date for students to accept admissions offers, so by now, everyone in the room knew exactly where they'd be spending the next four years.
Jenny nodded happily. "Yup. I just sent all their crap in last week."
"Good!" Elizabeth beamed. "I'm so happy for you – I know you'll love it there."
"I'm excited," Jenny admitted. "I think it's definitely the right school for me. Plus, they have a great journalism program, so I'll be all set." She paused for a moment before asking, "So, did you pick your school?"
Elizabeth nodded slowly. "Yeah, I finally decided."
But that wasn't good enough for her old friend. "And?" Jenny prodded, knowing how crushed Elizabeth had been when those monkeys from Stanford rejected her application.
A stray lock of hair had found itself in front of Elizabeth's face and the brunette carefully tucked it behind her ear. Her crimson nails tapped against the back of her desk. "Well, I really had my heart set on Stanford, and I didn't have any other school in mind for my second choice."
Jenny nodded sympathetically.
"So I ended up calling my sister down at Johns Hopkins that weekend, and we talked for hours about all of it – the rejection, other schools, my intended major, career plans, everything."
"Yeah?"
She nodded. "Sarah and I went through each and every school that I had applied to and drew out pro-and-con lists. It took hours, let me tell ya. But anyway, when we finished, it looked like Columbia was my best fit from the remainders. That worked out really well, because Sarah's best friend Holly is a junior at Columbia."
Jenny chuckled. "Almost uncanny, man."
Elizabeth grinned. "Tell me about it. We ended up conference calling her, and the three of us spent about two hours talking about everything that goes on there, and how Holly likes it and whatnot. Somewhere in the middle, Sarah got bored and hung up."
Her hair sidled into her face once more and Elizabeth absently tucked it back again. "I really liked what Holly had to say, and she put me in touch with some other students there that work with the Admissions department, and I emailed them back and forth for a few days. And that was it."
Jenny watched her shrug casually, a ghost of a pleased smile curving her glossy lips. "So you were sold," she grinned, propping her cheek in her hand.
"Pretty much," Elizabeth nodded, her blue eyes glittering. "I sent in all their paperwork a day later, and now I'm all set."
"What about your parents?" Jenny's voice was low this time. She didn't want to upset her friend or draw unnecessary attention, but she really wanted to know. Her friend's entire family had gone to John Hopkins – her parents had even met and fallen in love there. How had Elizabeth gotten out of it.
"What about them?"
Jenny sighed. "How'd they take the news of your choosing Columbia?"
Elizabeth bit her lower lip, teasing it with her teeth as she considered how to answer without giving away too much information. "Well, my mom's never really pressured me to choose Johns," she informed her attentive friend. "I mean, I'm sure she'd love it if I did-"
"But she wouldn't put you in that sort of position," her fellow editor finished.
She nodded. "Pretty much. She's strict when it comes to certain things, but she's much more lenient when it comes to others. I think she realized early in the game that even though I'm the youngest, it doesn't give her and my dad the right to map out my entire life. My dad, however, still has to learn that lesson – and he's fighting it tooth and nail every step of the way."
Jenny nodded in complete understanding. "I know what you mean. I'm worried about what my parents will do when Caitlin becomes a senior in four years. They've always been very free with me – I never had any problems from them when I chose my friends or my clothes or my job or my college. But Caitlin's the baby, just like you are, and my parents have always been very protective of her."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "As much as it frustrates me, I really can't blame 'em, you know? I'm sure that when I have my own kids, I'll be the same way. Even though I'm always telling myself I won't ever."
Jenny snickered. "I know. It's so funny, isn't it? No matter how strongly we believe that we won't be like our parents, it's almost a given that we will." She shrugged, combing her green-tipped fingers through her hair in an attempt to pull it into a messy ponytail. "That's just the way the cookie crumbles."
"Look at us," Elizabeth huffed, her eyes dancing. "We sound like them already."
Jenny gaped at her. "Oh, hell no. Beth, promise me one thing – if I ever start saying 'rabble rouser' or 'whippersnapper' or 'ragamuffin', shoot me on the spot and put me out of my misery."
Her friend's smile was quick and easy. "No problem. I'd do that without you even telling me."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "I have no doubt." Hair tamed, she tapped her polished nails on the desk. "So? You never told me about your dad. How'd he take it?"
Mr. Webber was a special favorite of Jenny's among all her friends' parents. She'd dislocated her elbow after falling from a tree when she was six, and Mr. Webber had set it for her and given her a special Scooby-Doo sling and three lollipops. At that young age, he'd been a giant among men in her eyes. He'd always make jokes about it whenever she came over after school, but she didn't mind in the least. Not even when he jokingly started calling her Elvira when she'd been going through her Let's-Dye-My-Hair-Every-Color-Under-The-Sun stage.
Elizabeth inhaled deeply. "Well, let's just say that my dad wasn't nearly as big of a problem as he easily could have been."
Jenny didn't understand. "Come again?"
Her bottom lip was under another attack. "Well…" She trailed off, not knowing how to say that her father freaked out about Jason and so her mother decided to keep him under wraps, without actually saying it. The hose incident wasn't something that needed to be spread around. "I got home late one night, and my dad just freaked out – not so much at me, but in general. Call it a mid-life crisis or a refusal to face the fact that I'm growing up – but he still freaked. And so my mom must have decided he was certifiably insane, because she tightened his leash, so to speak."
"What?"
"Basically, he's not allowed to hassle me about anything. Well, no, that's a little extreme. He's encouraged – strongly encouraged, some would say threatened – to consider his words and actions completely before he says anything. And he's been taken off discipline duty – that's my mom's job now."
Jenny grinned. "Sweet. Party at Beth's house!"
"No, no," Elizabeth frowned at all the eager eyes that were suddenly upon her. "No parties at Beth's house." She narrowed her eyes at Jenny, but the girl just smiled and waved, gesturing for her to continue.
"So before I filled out all the paperwork, I sat down with him and explained very calmly – which, since I tend to be like my dad sometimes, was quite an accomplishment – explained that I didn't want to go to Johns Hopkins or become a doctor, and that I wanted to go to Columbia and maybe do something in international relations."
"International relations?" Jenny parroted. "As in…?"
"Maybe marketing or public relations," Elizabeth explained. "Or, I could branch out into diplomacy and stuff. But I don't know for sure right now – I'm hoping to figure it out when I get there. I didn't even mention music – I figure that's a battle for another day."
Jenny nodded in agreement. "Wise move – work on the bigger stuff now, iron out the nitty-gritty later."
"That's what I figured," Elizabeth agreed. "He didn't take it badly at all – I think my mom's been working on him. I expected him to wheedle and coax and try to persuade me in to going there, but he didn't. He just said that he wanted me to be happy, and he'd always thought that I'd be happy at Johns. That was why he tried so hard to push me in that direction – because he and my mom had been so happy there, and Sarah's doing great, and he thought I'd find something there, too."
"Ah," Jenny sighed. "So that's why he was so gung-ho about it."
"I thought about it, and I don't blame him," Elizabeth shrugged. "He had my best interest at heart, even though his actions were somewhat misguided. But he said that he and my mother would support my decision, and that they hoped I'd be happy there. I told them not to worry."
Jenny smiled. "Good, Beth, I'm really glad. You deserve to go somewhere like that – somewhere challenging, somewhere that suits your personality and nurtures your talents. I think, for what it's worth, that you made the right decision."
"Thanks," Elizabeth smiled. "I think I did, too, and for the first time since I got the letter from Stanford, I'm really excited. I mean, really excited. I can't wait to start this new chapter in my life."
"See, what'd I tell you?" Jenny grinned, stretching idly in her desk. "Things have a way of working out for the best." She settled back more comfortably in the small desk and fiddled with her furry pen. "Where's Brenda going, again?"
"NYU," Elizabeth answered automatically. "Just like Sonny."
"You're kidding!" Jenny exclaimed, her eyes wide. "That's awesome! We'll be together! Yes!" She clapped her hands in glee. "Wow, that totally made my day. I have to find Brenda later today – holy cow, that's freakin' awesome! For some reason, I thought she was going down south."
Elizabeth furrowed her brows. "You may be thinking of Carol. She's headed to Miami."
"Oh," Jenny mumbled, tapping her finger to her chin. "Ok." She sneaked a glance at her friend, pretending to be completely absorbed in trying to map out every one of their friends' destinations. "So where's Jason going?"
Elizabeth just looked at Jenny as amusement kicked up the corner of her mouth. The brunette had a very specific motive for asking that – gleaning information. And as close as she and Jenny were, it wasn't the right time.
"Boston," she replied, fighting to keep her voice flat and not as amused as she was.
"Brendan's going there," Jenny replied, tipping her head toward her boyfriend who still had his nose buried in Sartre's Dirty Hands. "He's excited about it. How does Jason feel?"
Elizabeth pursed her lips together, trying to keep her eyes from betraying the fact that she knew exactly what was going on. "He's looking forward to it. His parents have a place in Long Island, so he's been to Boston many, many times over the years and he loves it. He's a city kid, no matter what he tells anyone."
Jenny smiled. "Well, that's good. Good for him. Good for them both." She glanced at her boyfriend who was nibbling on a fingernail as he read the play. "I'm just going to miss him so much. I mean, I'm glad we're not halfway across the country from each other, but still – it seems so far. I'm going to miss him like crazy."
Elizabeth didn't know how to respond to that, so she settled for an uncommitted "Yeah."
Jenny frowned and was about to say something else when Ms. Hornsby cleared her throats. "Okay, people, calm down and listen up."
Alex's voice could be heard much more clearly now as the class quieted down. "And now, I'd like to turn the microphone over to the president of the Student Council, Sonny Corinthos."
Georgia blinked at her student's name before hopping over to her desk and erasing the A next to his name under the day's date.
"Thank you." Sonny's voice crackled a bit before they heard him situate the mic. "Our Student Council was contacted by the New York Food Depository earlier this week. They're a non-profit organization that collects food for the needy. What they want us to do is to run a canned food drive of our own for the homeless in New York."
Georgia was listening closely now as she handed out papers. She stuck a pencil in her honey-colored hair, behind her ear, as her mind wandered to all the unopened cans of Chef Boyardee Ravioli that her husband Dillon kept in the cabinet "for emergencies". They'd all be in a cardboard box and sitting in her classroom tomorrow morning.
"Several other schools in the area are contributing as well," Sonny continued. "And our goal is to match the food that the Depository already has. The class that contributes the most non-perishable food products will receive a pizza party courtesy of the Student Council, and the runners up will be awarded an ice cream party."
"Thank you, Sonny," Alex broke in. "That was-"
"Actually, Alex, I have something more to say."
Elizabeth peered up at the intercom as if it would reveal her friend's face. Sonny rarely spoke on the intercom if he didn't have to, and he certainly didn't interrupt the MC.
"Um, ok…"
"As most of you know – or so I should hope – prom is being held this year on May 29th. Now, being a guy, I don't have it as tough as you girls."
Elizabeth could almost hear the smile in his voice as he spoke, and her classmates were whispering as to what their president could possibly be up to.
"I don't have to spend weeks shopping for the perfect dress," he continued. "I don't have to find the perfect heels. I don't need a purse or new stockings or gloves. And I certainly don't need a garter."
There was quiet laughter in the room and Ms. Hornsby paused by her desk, wondering what the point of this shpiel was.
"But I do like to be prepared. So I went out a while ago and had my black tux dry-cleaned. I finally figured out how to wear a cummerbund, and I somehow managed to find some shoes. But in my rushed preparation, I realized that I forgot a very important component for the evening."
There was a pause for dramatic effect.
"I realized that I didn't have a date."
This time, there was a pause for laughter, and Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle at the mock embarrassment in her friend's voice.
"To that effect, I'd like to take this time to ask Brenda Barrett if she would go to prom with me this year."
Elizabeth grinned when Ms. Hornsby laughed, and her classmates were laughing as well. A bit further down the hall in Brenda's Psychology class, the entire room had erupted into applause.
"Yeah, Brenda," Felicia grinned as Carol Benson whooped in the background.
"Aw, isn't that sweet?" Ms. Purdy drawled, smiling at the blushing brunette.
Brenda was smiling uncontrollably despite turning as red as a tomato. She had been wondering if Sonny would ask her, and even though she knew he would, she kept second-guessing herself. And now that he had – in front of the whole school, no less – Brenda wouldn't dream of turning him down.
Jenny Evrard walked down the aisle in the cafeteria toward the table she shared with her friends. She looked down warily at the rubbery-looking chicken sandwich in her plate, and found herself cursing her guitar teacher. He'd made the entire class stay after the bell and when they'd finally got out, there was no point to leaving campus for lunch.
Jason and Sonny had been standing in line behind her having a hushed conversation, and although Jenny strained to hear what they were saying – hopefully about prom and maybe Elizabeth – she didn't catch much. All that she understood was that Sonny was telling Jason to do something and Jason was eagerly agreeing. The two of them appeared to be forming some sort of plan, and although Jenny would have loved details, she didn't receive any.
Nearing her table, she saw Carol, Emily, Sydney and Felicia standing by Roni Peterson, one of her and Elizabeth's co-editors.
"Hey, guys," she nodded, announcing her presence. The girls instantly shifted over to allow her into their circle. Behind her, Jenny saw Lexi Cassidine and motioned her over. "What's going on?"
"Did you hear Sonny ask Brenda to prom today?" Felicia asked as she nibbled on a carrot stick.
Jenny nodded. "Mm-hmm. Me and Beth were totally cracking up – it was so cute!"
"Beth, huh?" Carol asked. "Funny – we were just talking about her."
"Oh?" Jenny and Lexi both raised an eyebrow.
Emily nodded as she gulped down her cream soda. "Yeah. OK, tell me what you think – you probably know more than I do – Do you think Jason is going to ask Beth?"
The question was directed to Roni, Jenny, and Sydney, seeing as how they were closest to Elizabeth after having worked on the paper together for two years.
The tall blonde bit her lip. "I don't know," she admitted. "It's hard to say."
"Oh, come on, Roni," Carol burst out. "You've got to know the dirt!"
Roni shrugged helplessly. "I don't know – I never really asked about her and Jason. It just seemed kinda nosy, you know?"
Emily rolled her eyes at her friend. "Amateurs," she teased.
Sydney chuckled. "I wish I knew, but Beth's kept her lips sealed about the whole Jason thing. I can't get a word out of her, and we always talk about this stuff. I mean, she listened to me babble on and on about Charlie before we started dating, but she doesn't say a word about Morgan." She huffed in frustration. "It's driving me batty."
Lexi bit her lip. "I think he'd ask her. Right?" she asked, turning to Jenny.
"I'd hope so," the girl responded. "I mean, he has to, right?"
"Not necessarily," Emily disagreed. "I mean, as much as I think he should, he doesn't have to. They're not really dating, are they?"
"See, that's what I'm confused about," Carol interjected. "I've seen them together in school, flirting it up in the hallways and stuff, but what if it's just that – flirting?"
"You mean, what if Jason's just playing around?" Lexi asked.
Sydney considered it. "I don't think so," she said slowly. "I can't explain it, but I just don't get that feeling."
"I agree," Roni asserted. "Besides, Elizabeth's never really been the flirty type, if you get what I mean. She's totally fun and stuff, but she's pretty serious about stuff like this. I don't think I've ever seen her just flirt around with a guy and lead him on. This thing with Jason is something different."
"But they're not a couple, are they?" Felicia asked, twirling a lock of blonde hair around her finger.
"No," Jenny answered. "We'd have heard if they were, right?"
"Right," Carol agreed.
"You know, I tried to corner her in English today," Jenny burst out, putting her hands on her hips. "He's going to Boston with Brendan, and I kept saying how much I'd miss him and everything, but Beth didn't bite. I couldn't get a word out of her."
Carol huffed in displeasure, leaning a jean-clad hip against the table. "And that's what makes this so messy."
"If they were dating or, better yet, a couple," Felicia continued to muse. "We wouldn't have any problem – he'd have to ask her."
"But we don't know," Jenny muttered softly. "Huh."
Roni glanced at each member of the circle. "So…? What are you thinking?"
Carol licked her lips as she crossed her slender arms over her black Led Zeppelin t-shirt. "We have to get Jason Morgan to ask Beth to prom."
Sydney grinned. "So, what do you have in mind?"
