Author's note: Okay. I have been threatened with death. So I'm throwing
this chapter behind me as I run away, cold and frightened.
Disclaimer: I still own nothing. **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** *****************************************************
Tom and his dad worked on Tom's car and had the tire fixed in less than half an hour.
"Okay, we're all set. See you at home, Tom. Goodbye, Jenny."
"Goodbye."
"I'll be home soon, dad."
And with that Jenny got into Tom's car and they took off for Jenny's house. Her courage had deserted her and she kept up small talk all the way to her house. As they pulled into the driveway she had a stern talk with herself and reminded her inner weakling that she had faced down a room full of Shadow Men. There was nothing she couldn't handle.
With that in mind she mustered her strength and turned to Tom.
"Would you mind coming in for a minute?"
He didn't seem surprised by the request, a fact which was supported by his reply.
"Not at all, in fact, I need to talk to you."
They made their way into the living room and sat down next to each other on the couch.
"There's just no easy way to do this." Tom got up and began to pace around the room.
Jenny decided to play dumb, hoping to prolong the pain this situation was sure to cause.
"To do what?"
Tom stopped pacing long enough to give Jenny a look that made her want to crawl under the carpet and hide. He actually gave a half-smile at the grimace on Jenny's face.
"Come on, Thorny. Don't make this harder than it already is."
There was a sense of surreal ness surrounding the whole thing. A few months ago if someone had predicted that she and Tom would be in her living room to discuss the future of their relationship Jenny would have had a good laugh. Not only that, she would have been hard pressed to come up with anything that would warrant such a conversation.
She gave a sharp laugh. At his look she explained.
"I was just thinking that this whole thing," she gestured between them, "is so unreal."
"That's a good word for it," he agreed.
Like a band-aid, she thought to herself. Just rip it off. Go on, Jenny. Rip it off! She steeled herself and decided to be blunt and stop the torture this conversation already was.
"We're breaking up, aren't we?"
She couldn't meet his eyes as she said it. Her bravery had its limits.
He just sighed, not saying anything for the moment. He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, seeming to search within for the words he wanted.
"Yes."
And there it was.
They both remained silent for what felt like an eternity. The silence was both welcome and oppressive.
Jenny couldn't believe it. She was stunned. She didn't think she would be. She hadn't really given much forethought to how she would feel upon actually having heard the word.
"What happened to us?" It came out in a whisper. She felt like a masochist. Did she really want to hear the answer?
No, her brain assured her. She really didn't want to hear the answer.
But her heart reminded her that she needed to hear the response.
"I don't know, exactly."
Jenny couldn't really blame Tom for being evasive. This wasn't a conversation she was dying to have, either. But they needed to air this out, or else their friendship would end up in as much jeopardy as their relationship had. She realized with a pang that she was going to have to lead the conversation.
"It started with The Games, didn't it?"
She felt more than a little proud of herself. It had taken a lot of guts to say that, to just cut right to the heart of it. She hadn't thought she was capable and judging from the look on Tom's face, he was surprised too.
But that look of surprise faded into sorrow.
"Yes."
Suddenly Jenny was hit full force with the reality of what she was doing and some part of her screamed out for her to end this madness and just go back to the way it had been before. It wasn't worth it!
She jumped up from the couch and clenched her fists, becoming angry.
"Why can't things go back to the way they were before?"
Surprised by her outburst Tom took a cautionary step back but he became upset as well. He gritted his teeth and snapped at Jenny.
"Because of him, that's why."
It was her turn to marvel at Tom's words. She never thought that he would go there. Mr. Evasive had turned into Mr. Confrontational, and from the look on his face he had brought his close friend Mr. Bitter and Resentful with him.
Oh dear.
"What about him?"
No sense pretending she didn't know who they were talking about now was there?
"You know."
"And that's why I asked, of course. Because although I'm psychic I like to have my subjects confirm my insights. Come on Tom."
He just stared at her, his eyes narrow and intense. He crossed his arms defiantly.
"Talk to me."
He looked away and sulked. It was clear he was regretting ever saying anything. She made her way over to him and placed a hand on his arm.
"Please Tom. We need to talk about this. I don't want to lose you from my life completely."
With a sigh he gave in.
"Fine."
That was all he said. Jenny waited and when it was clear he was going to be difficult she rolled her eyes and asked herself why guys had to be such babies sometimes. But then her conscience reminded her that he was in immense pain due to her and maybe she wanted to rethink her strategy a bit.
"Tom, what did you want to say about what happened during The Games?"
"How could you do that?!" He exploded.
"Do what?" This time it was Jenny's turn to step back.
"Be like that with him! Do you have any idea how that felt?"
"Be like what? I'm not sure I'm totally with you. Could you please explain in a little bit more detail?"
Jenny didn't really want to hear how Tom thought she was with Julian. She was afraid of making him more upset but they needed to hash this all out and it was for the best if he said exactly what was on his mind.
"I *saw* you kiss him!"
At that outburst Jenny's mind could only form one thought..which time?
Tom saw the blank look on her face and misinterpreted it.
"At the end of the first Game, during the ceremony. I saw you kiss him, we all did! And it wasn't just a quick peck, either. I never thought you'd kiss him of your own free will, let alone like *that*! Do you have any idea how it felt to see how that kiss affected you?"
Her eyes became even wider at this statement. Whatever Jenny had hoped Tom would be talking about, it certainly wasn't this! She fervently wished for a hole in the ground to swallow her up.
Disclaimer: I still own nothing. **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** *****************************************************
Tom and his dad worked on Tom's car and had the tire fixed in less than half an hour.
"Okay, we're all set. See you at home, Tom. Goodbye, Jenny."
"Goodbye."
"I'll be home soon, dad."
And with that Jenny got into Tom's car and they took off for Jenny's house. Her courage had deserted her and she kept up small talk all the way to her house. As they pulled into the driveway she had a stern talk with herself and reminded her inner weakling that she had faced down a room full of Shadow Men. There was nothing she couldn't handle.
With that in mind she mustered her strength and turned to Tom.
"Would you mind coming in for a minute?"
He didn't seem surprised by the request, a fact which was supported by his reply.
"Not at all, in fact, I need to talk to you."
They made their way into the living room and sat down next to each other on the couch.
"There's just no easy way to do this." Tom got up and began to pace around the room.
Jenny decided to play dumb, hoping to prolong the pain this situation was sure to cause.
"To do what?"
Tom stopped pacing long enough to give Jenny a look that made her want to crawl under the carpet and hide. He actually gave a half-smile at the grimace on Jenny's face.
"Come on, Thorny. Don't make this harder than it already is."
There was a sense of surreal ness surrounding the whole thing. A few months ago if someone had predicted that she and Tom would be in her living room to discuss the future of their relationship Jenny would have had a good laugh. Not only that, she would have been hard pressed to come up with anything that would warrant such a conversation.
She gave a sharp laugh. At his look she explained.
"I was just thinking that this whole thing," she gestured between them, "is so unreal."
"That's a good word for it," he agreed.
Like a band-aid, she thought to herself. Just rip it off. Go on, Jenny. Rip it off! She steeled herself and decided to be blunt and stop the torture this conversation already was.
"We're breaking up, aren't we?"
She couldn't meet his eyes as she said it. Her bravery had its limits.
He just sighed, not saying anything for the moment. He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, seeming to search within for the words he wanted.
"Yes."
And there it was.
They both remained silent for what felt like an eternity. The silence was both welcome and oppressive.
Jenny couldn't believe it. She was stunned. She didn't think she would be. She hadn't really given much forethought to how she would feel upon actually having heard the word.
"What happened to us?" It came out in a whisper. She felt like a masochist. Did she really want to hear the answer?
No, her brain assured her. She really didn't want to hear the answer.
But her heart reminded her that she needed to hear the response.
"I don't know, exactly."
Jenny couldn't really blame Tom for being evasive. This wasn't a conversation she was dying to have, either. But they needed to air this out, or else their friendship would end up in as much jeopardy as their relationship had. She realized with a pang that she was going to have to lead the conversation.
"It started with The Games, didn't it?"
She felt more than a little proud of herself. It had taken a lot of guts to say that, to just cut right to the heart of it. She hadn't thought she was capable and judging from the look on Tom's face, he was surprised too.
But that look of surprise faded into sorrow.
"Yes."
Suddenly Jenny was hit full force with the reality of what she was doing and some part of her screamed out for her to end this madness and just go back to the way it had been before. It wasn't worth it!
She jumped up from the couch and clenched her fists, becoming angry.
"Why can't things go back to the way they were before?"
Surprised by her outburst Tom took a cautionary step back but he became upset as well. He gritted his teeth and snapped at Jenny.
"Because of him, that's why."
It was her turn to marvel at Tom's words. She never thought that he would go there. Mr. Evasive had turned into Mr. Confrontational, and from the look on his face he had brought his close friend Mr. Bitter and Resentful with him.
Oh dear.
"What about him?"
No sense pretending she didn't know who they were talking about now was there?
"You know."
"And that's why I asked, of course. Because although I'm psychic I like to have my subjects confirm my insights. Come on Tom."
He just stared at her, his eyes narrow and intense. He crossed his arms defiantly.
"Talk to me."
He looked away and sulked. It was clear he was regretting ever saying anything. She made her way over to him and placed a hand on his arm.
"Please Tom. We need to talk about this. I don't want to lose you from my life completely."
With a sigh he gave in.
"Fine."
That was all he said. Jenny waited and when it was clear he was going to be difficult she rolled her eyes and asked herself why guys had to be such babies sometimes. But then her conscience reminded her that he was in immense pain due to her and maybe she wanted to rethink her strategy a bit.
"Tom, what did you want to say about what happened during The Games?"
"How could you do that?!" He exploded.
"Do what?" This time it was Jenny's turn to step back.
"Be like that with him! Do you have any idea how that felt?"
"Be like what? I'm not sure I'm totally with you. Could you please explain in a little bit more detail?"
Jenny didn't really want to hear how Tom thought she was with Julian. She was afraid of making him more upset but they needed to hash this all out and it was for the best if he said exactly what was on his mind.
"I *saw* you kiss him!"
At that outburst Jenny's mind could only form one thought..which time?
Tom saw the blank look on her face and misinterpreted it.
"At the end of the first Game, during the ceremony. I saw you kiss him, we all did! And it wasn't just a quick peck, either. I never thought you'd kiss him of your own free will, let alone like *that*! Do you have any idea how it felt to see how that kiss affected you?"
Her eyes became even wider at this statement. Whatever Jenny had hoped Tom would be talking about, it certainly wasn't this! She fervently wished for a hole in the ground to swallow her up.