Stuck in the Future 2:
You're the One
By NarnianAslan
Chapter Five
Summary: The sequel to Stuck in the Future. Edmund misses the love of his life, who just happens to live in modern America. How can he see her from Aslan's Country? Well, maybe just ask the Lion himself.
.: Author's .:. Note :. Here it is: The sequel to Stuck in the Future! Okay so first off: If you haven't read SITF, I highly suggest you do so… and there should be an update on Dance with Me soon. If you don't read the prequel to this, you will be highly confused. Okay, well, let's see, what else? Oh! If you don't feel like reading all of Stuck in the Future, read the epilogue at least… please? Okay so: On with the story
America: December 15, 2008
Jill was relieved to find that she had no more dreams of her and Eustace.
Eustace, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He dreamt of kissing Jill every night. I won't lie and say he hated these dreams (He actually liked them, he just believed Jill didn't like him as more than a friend), but they made him rather uncomfortable around Jill.
Every time Eustace was around, Jill would have to bite her lip to keep herself from saying anything idiotic. She even thought she caught Eustace stealing a glance at her once (he had looked embarrassed and had said nothing in his defense).
Every time he was around her, Eustace had to resist the urge to make his dreams real by kissing her, or brushing a lock of hair out of her face. He was almost caught smiling at Jill in a more than friendly way more than once. He so wanted to tell her how he felt, but he didn't, in fear that she wouldn't fancy him in return; and that would ruin their friendship.
Better friends than nothing, Eustace kept telling himself.
The Christmas Talent Show was the next day, and Eustace had secretly signed up to sing Tyler Hilton's Pink and Black (AN: it's a really good song).
Unbeknownst to him, Jill had signed up as well (not telling him, of course), to sing Ashlee Simpson's Dancing Alone.
The story to Eustace picking Pink and Black, or even thinking about signing up for the talent show, is that he had finally told two people about his fancy for Jill; Edmund and Lise.
FLASHBACK
"So, Eustace, why did you ask to talk to us?" Edmund asked his cousin and friend. Eustace had asked to talk to them in the room he, Edmund, and Peter shared.
"Well, I, er…" Eustace dropped his voice down to a whisper, "I fancy Jill."
Lise smiled. "I knew it. So what are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing, I just needed to tell someone."
"How long have you been doing 'nothing' Eustace?" Edmund asked.
"Er, since her birthday. I thought she looked beautiful, and it just got bigger from there."
"Moron," Lise muttered under her breath, and then aloud she said, "Why don't you enter the talent show you told us was going on? I have a bunch of CD's you can borrow. karaoke CD's are perfect for this."
"I like that Hilton guy. He sings like me."
"Alright, Tyler Hilton. I think you'd be best with Pink and Black," Lise decided.
"Pink and Black?" Eustace repeated.
"Two of Jill's favorite colors and it's an 'I love you' song," Lise told him.
"I said I fancy Jill, not love her."
"I'm not stupid you know," Lise told him.
"I think what Lizzie means to say is that we can see it in your eyes. It's the same look I had when I was in love with Lise, and didn't tell her yet. Then I asked her to court me, and I realized she loved me too," Edmund said.
"But I can't love her!"
"What do you dream about?" Edmund asked.
Eustace turned red. "Kissing her," he said, barely letting the words escape his mouth.
"What d'you want to do around her?" Edmund asked him.
"Er, um, do I really have to tell you?"
"Yes," Edmund said.
Eustace's voice dropped to a whisper again. "Well, I want to kiss her when I'm around her."
"So," Edmund started, "Do you think you love her? Think of what you've told us."
Eustace's face paled. "I do, don't I?"
"You tell me."
"I love Jill.
"Knew you did," Lise said.
"Why don't we go downstairs and get something to eat?" Edmund suggested.
So they all went downstairs and Lise and Edmund ate, for Eustace felt that he couldn't eat.
END FLASHBACK
Eustace had practiced the song with both the normal CD, and the karaoke version, everyday.
When it came time for the talent show, Eustace was incredibly nervous. He stayed in the boys' dressing room until there was only one act before him, then he went to watch.
"Next up is Jill Pole," The announcer said, and Jill came on stage.
Eustace was wondering why she never told him. He saw Jill wore a black satin cap sleeved top, and a black knee-length tulle skirt with black strappy heels.
The music stared and Jill began to sing.
"Nobody's gonna hold me back. It's Friday night, I feel alright."
Eustace found that Jill actually sounded a bit like Ashlee Simpson.
"Nobody's gonna bring me down. It's my life, and I'm doing fine."
Eustace was more impressed with Jill than he was before.
"Don't you know I wanna play? So take me on a holiday."
He was confused at the same time.
"So here I am, looking pretty for you. They come and go, so many faces, its no use. So I'm dancing alone, dreaming solo. Cause your love's the one worth waiting for. It's just like Heaven."
Why this song? Eustace asked himself.
"Nobody's gonna break my heart, and hurt me like they did before. No one can even get that part. Not until I know it's deep."
Eustace could tell Jill's confidence was building. She stood up straighter and sang louder.
"Can't you come and take me away? Take me to another place?"
Eustace caught her looking at him. He smiled.
"So here I am, looking pretty for you. They come and go, so many faces, but its no use. So I'm dancing alone, dreaming solo. Cause your love's the one worth waiting for. It's just like Heaven."
Jill smiled back.
"Can you hurry up? Can you feel my love? I'm burning up, I'm so hot, I'm so hot, I'm so hot."
Eustace notice Jill's hair and makeup was done like Ashlee's on the CD cover.
"Dancing alone, dreaming alone. So here I am, looking pretty for you. They come and go, no one else here will do. So I'm dancing alone, dreaming solo. Cause your love's the one waiting for. It's just like Heaven."
He smiled broader.
"Like Heaven. Cause your love's the one worth waiting for. You're the one worth waiting for. I'm dancing alone, I'm dancing alone, I'm dancing alone, I'm dancing alone, I'm dancing alone."
Jill was finished. Applause filled the auditorium. Jill thanked them and then went back stage. Eustace smiled at her, and she smiled back.
The announcer then went back onstage and introduced Eustace, who went onstage.
Jill was surprised. She stayed to listen.
The music started.
"So, yea, you said you heard this one. Maybe lived it twice. But with bias on my side."
Jill thought for a second on whose song he was singing.
"I swear I've got a different one, to be laid to line, and with a dime for your advice."
Someone who's CD Lise has. Oh, I know this song! Who is it by? Jill asked herself.
"You never saw a man make a fist and grab so fast. He said 'Good luck you know you better just forget it. Cause love is never in the same place that you left it' Yea."
Tyler Hilton! Yes, that's it! Pink and Black
"I said 'you wouldn't understand, this was long-term love.' She was perfectly described. 'And what she wore when we last met, it was pink and black. A study in scarlet up inside'."
Jill realized how odd it was that the name of the song Eustace was singing was two of her favorite colors.
"You never saw a man with bigger eyes that understand. He said 'Good luck you know you better just forget it. Cause love is never in the same place that you left it'. Yea."
She wondered if Eustace knew this.
"You never saw a man with bigger eyes that understand. He said 'Good luck you know you better go and get it. Cause love is never in the same place if you left it'. Yea, yea, yea. He said 'good luck you know you better go and get her. Cause love is never in the same place if you left her'. Yea."
Eustace was done.
The audience again applauded loudly.
Eustace thanked them, and rushed off stage, nearly running into Jill.
"Oh, er, hi Jill. Let's go get changed, I'll meet you outside. We can walk home together. I was the last act."
Jill nodded and then Eustace headed to the boy's dressing room, changed out of his Elvis t-shirt, and put on a plain tan one.
He grabbed his bag, put on his coat, and then went outside to wait for Jill.
Jill came less than ten minutes later, wearing a black t-shirt and her black coat, with jeans, carrying her bag.
"Hi Eustace," Jill said as they began walking toward Lise's house. It began to snow (though it had snowed earlier, leaving the whole place covered in it).
"Hey Jill."
"I never knew you were going to be in the talent show. You were amazing. You actually sounded like Tyler Hilton."
"Thanks, but you sounded more like Ashlee than I ever will sound like Tyler," Eustace told her.
"Not true, but thanks anyway."
"So, why that song?"
"Oh you want to know why I chose that song. Because," Jill said to him.
"You won't tell me?"
"Not likely."
"Please, Jill?" Eustace pleaded.
"Fine, because it reflects me."
"Dancing alone?" Eustace guessed.
"No, waiting for the perfect guy."
"Oh. I see," said Eustace, thoroughly believing Jill liked him only as a friend.
There was an awkward but brief silence.
"So, what will he be like?" Eustace asked, in an attempt to break the silence.
"Who?"
"Your perfect guy."
"Oh. Looks aren't so important, he should be handsome though. He needs to be able to treat me as an equal, and he needs to be good to me," Jill explained.
"Would you tell him about Narnia?"
"Who said he wouldn't know about Narnia?"
"Tirian?" Eustace guessed.
"No."
"Rilian?" Eustace guessed again.
"No, and not Caspian. I can't get the image of him as an old man out of my head."
Eustace chuckled at this.
"Not Edmund because he has Lise."
"Right," Jill told him.
"And not Peter because he's got Lila, and he's six years older than you."
"Right."
"So that leaves…" Eustace ticked off his fingers and was surprised that there was only one finger left. "Me? You think that I'm your perfect guy?" Eustace stopped in the now heavy snowfall.
"Yes and yes. I think I might love you, Eustace." Jill stopped as well.
"Good," Eustace said decisively.
"Why?" Jill was puzzled.
"Because I love you too. I just never thought you'd ever fancy me, let alone love me. You're out of my league. You're beautiful and graceful, and I'm average and clumsy."
"You're not average Eustace, you're very handsome. And as for your clumsiness, it's part of what makes you Eustace Scrubb, and the boy of my dreams."
Eustace smiled.
Jill smiled back.
"Jill?" Eustace asked her.
"What?"
"D'you think you might want to date me?"
"I dunno."
"Please? I'll beg right here and now, Jill, don't think I won't."
"Though that would be entertaining, I have to say yes. I'll date you."
Eustace smiled more broadly, and leaned in to kiss Jill, who returned the kiss full-heartedly.
When they were done, they continued to walk home in comfortable silence.
Eustace let Jill in, once they had reached the house. It was empty save for Lise and Edmund who were sitting on the couch.
.: Author's .:. Note :. Aww how sweet! Such a cute couple. For more of Jill/Eustace, check out my story Dance with Me, or do a search for Jill and Eustace. Okay, well I think that was my longest chapter, and might be my longest chapter. SEVEN printed pages This chapter. K. well I should go.
Pippa