Chapter 12: "Spread a Little Sunshine"

"Have you lost your mind?" Krissy asked before the smoke had even cleared from her teleport as she appeared in Elin's room a little while after practice had let out.

"No," Elin said, not looking up at her yet. "I just don't want them anymore. That dark purple-black one is on the far left. I know you liked it."

"I mean, I do like it, but Ellie — we got that dress in Paris!"

"And I'm not wearing dresses anymore," Elin said, looking up at her finally.

Krissy shook her head at her. "Ellie! Paris! You don't have to keep all of them, but… but... Paris!"

"What would I wear it for, Krissy?" Elin asked. "I don't have a reason to. And I'm not looking for one." She didn't say how she was convinced that if she'd been in jeans, the situation with Jacob wouldn't have progressed. In fact, her entire style had shifted to baggy clothes that she could hide in, and she was wearing her hair down so she could hide in that too.

"But we're still a year away from graduating. There's the Valentine's bash and the spring formal and then Halloween next year and the ones after that and—"

"Kris, you're the romantic one, remember? Not me. I fail in that every single time."

"Only because you pick the wrong guys!"

"Exactly. I always pick the wrong guys."

"Well, you should just date someone like — like Chance!" Krissy decided.

"I'm not dating one of your exes," Elin said, shaking her head. "That's … just … tacky. No. I'm not letting someone make laps around all of us girls for kicks."

Krissy wrinkled up her nose. "Um. No? We're talking about Chance here. Not … this is the kid who … he wouldn't…"

"He flirts with every single girl that walks past him," Elin said, ticking her reasons off on her fingers. "He's never been interested in me, and I'm not taking a pity date from a Summers. That's the last thing I need after getting the slut shame in both schools. No."

"But you're such good friends!" Krissy pointed out.

"Friends being the operative word," she said.

"Why can't you go to the dance with a friend, though?" Krissy asked. "That's not a pity date — that's just fun!"

"Actually, it is a pity date with the circumstances," Elin said. "Considering that the guys on the team know what happened? Total pity date."

Krissy rolled her eyes and leaned back. "Well…" She seemed to think better of her thought and then shook her head. "I really wouldn't mind, though. If you dated someone I dated. I mean, I am the romantic one, and I don't want the fact that I date around to stop you from finding your Prince Charming."

"Kris, it's not like it was a quick fling — you were in love," Elin said, shaking her head. "It wasn't just a passing thing. You were serious and I just … No. Forget it. That's not right."

Krissy tipped her head to the side and let out a slow breath. "Yeah, but I'm not in love with him anymore," she said. "And I don't really think I ever was. I just… love him? If that makes sense."

"It really doesn't matter," Elin said, shaking her head. "He's off-limits. That's it."

Krissy frowned at her friend for a long time. "That…" She let out a sigh and leaned over to kiss her friend's cheek. "That's really sweet. Totally unnecessary, but so, so sweet."

"Listen, I have both of you talking to me, and that hasn't exactly been the case for a while" Elin said. "I'm going to keep it that way — at least until someone drifts again."

"You know you've got us, Ellie," Krissy said, snuggling into her friend.

"I've got you for now," Elin said.

"And forever," Krissy swore.

Elin didn't argue it, though she shook her head and shifted the subject slightly. "Which … I should ask you who actually has an interested sweetheart … what are you doing? There is no reason not to go with Sying if you like him. No personal codes, nothing stacked against you."

Krissy shrugged her shoulders all the way up to her ears. "I… I know," she said.

"Well, for the record, I'm not listening to you trying to set me up with anyone. Especially as long as you're pulling this crap. Go ahead and pull it. But don't … no. You don't get to advise anyone on their love life."

"But… I just…. I want you to be happy!"

"And I'll be happy not wrecking anything else, alright?"

Krissy let out a long breath but nodded. "How mad is he right now?"

"Who?"

"Sying."

"More like he doesn't understand. He's taking it personally, of course. Because it's personal."

Krissy looked slightly dejected as she nodded. "I know… I just…" She bit her lip and looked up at Elin. "I thought I was in love with Chance. And we talked before we left Europe about how we were going to move on and all but … what if … what if I do the same thing to Sying?"

"What? Spend a few years madly in love and adventuring? Sounds awful. Neither of you would probably live through it."

Krissy bit her lip again and shifted a bit. "No, I mean — think we're in love and — and — and Ellie… everything changed between me and Chance after we fooled around because — because it was serious and we weren't and — and I don't want to be that girl."

"You probably don't," she agreed. "It sucks, let me tell you."

"And I don't want to do that to Sying," Krissy concluded.

"So don't do that until you're sure," Elin said. "You don't have to be a … you don't have to be like me — though I wasn't … I knew I wasn't serious."

Krissy shook her head. "That's … I just meant… I don't want to hurt him. It's not just about the fooling around."

"No, I know," Elin said. "I just needed to clarify that I never thought or felt that way about Nolan."

Krissy leaned over and hugged her friend. "I knew that. Which is why I want you to find someone that makes you happy. But if you're not ready to date again, you can just… I'm not ready to get serious again, either. It's okay."

"I don't think it works the same way for us," Elin said. "And I know Mom and Dad both had a lot of false starts."

"It's fine; we're still young," Krissy said soothingly.

"I hate this so much," Elin half growled. "Fighting instincts."

Krissy snuggled her friend some more. "I'm sorry. It sucks. I agree."

"I kind of hate all of this … all of it," she said, starting to vent a little. "That … that is why I'm giving you my dresses."

Krissy nodded quietly and then looked up at Elin from where she was snuggled in. "Alright. But I won't take the Paris dress. Even if you hold onto it for decades… you should have it for that right moment."

"There won't be a right moment for me, Kris. I'm okay, and I don't want it."

"I won't take it until I have a daughter of my own," Krissy said. "And then I will take it."

"Fine. Then I'll pack it away for you," Elin agreed.

Krissy nodded. "Come on. Let's go get some hot cocoa or something. We can have it on the roof."

"I just … I kinda want to just go to sleep," Elin admitted. "I know it's early, but I'm tired."

"Just one mug," Krissy said. "With marshmallows, of course."

"One."

Krissy grinned at that and teleported off with her friend, taking her up to the roof — though Elin did end up falling asleep on Krissy's shoulder with her cup of cocoa untouched next to her, and Krissy didn't miss that it was a major marker of how depressed Elin really was.

Logan had held back on going after the little creep that had tried to force himself on Elin … but only just. He wasn't afraid to get caught. That … really wasn't something that he even considered, if he was being honest. James had effectively ended Jacob's future career in sports. That much he was sure of just by the way the boy's hand was colored.

But his silent warning in the police station wasn't doing what it should have. At least … not to the local hot shot kid. Obviously, he'd thought he'd gotten away with it — or that Logan wouldn't teach him a lesson. But he was dead wrong.

As it turned out, Jacob had a pattern that was easy to crack, and even off the team, he deviated surprisingly little from his daily routine. Which really just made it easy for Logan to find the kid after he came in late Friday night after causing trouble with his friends.

Jacob's house was fairly removed from the others on the street, and the boy had barely gotten to his house before the lights outside the garage flickered off and he complained to himself as he headed over to see what the problem was.

Of course, he never really made it there to see. Logan got a hold of him and twisted the kid up into one of the most painful positions he could think of — one that with a little bit of pressure would dislocate the kid's leg from his hip — which he knew would leave him out of even walking for at least a few weeks. "Give me a reason not to," Logan growled out low. "But the second you scream, all bets are off." The kid whimpered as Logan held pressure with one hand. "Seems like you need to learn some manners. Especially where young women are concerned. So … you an' me are gonna spend a little time together."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"I guess that depends on how quick a study you are," Logan replied. "But I wouldn't count on walkin' anytime soon."

Gerry had ostensibly come down from NYU to visit to say hi to his "Aunt Kate," and the two of them had spent some time out on the archery range shooting together before coming inside, though when he spotted Elin in the living room, he put a hand on Kate's shoulder. "Hey, hold that thought. I'll be right back," he said before ducking into the room with a wide grin. "Hey, Elin. How's life?"

"Still breathing, so … functional, I guess. Are you helping the archery class?"

"Just wanted to come say hi, brush up, make sure I don't lose it," he laughed. "I've been swamped with O-Chem this semester, so the break's been nice."

"I can see how that would make you want to shoot something," Elin agreed. "James said he was ticking off the teacher with his study habits when he did that one, so … he just klepped out. Said the guy was 'a total goob'."

"No kidding. Me on the other hand? Twelve hours' study prep for the test this morning? I needed the break after it was over." He shook his head. "Not a certifiable genius, though, so that's how the cookie crumbles or whatever." He took a seat opposite her. "Krissy and Kari have been talking nonstop about that dance," he said honestly as he kicked up his feet on the coffee table.

She made a disinterested little noise as she went back to her book.

"Let's go together."

"What are you talking about?"

Gerry just grinned at her. "Hey. Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking you out or anything. But I could use some fun; you could clearly use some fun if your assessment of life is 'breathing'. We'll get sno cones after. And get Charlie to help us make fun of the raging hormones. And show everyone up on dance moves."

She closed her book and looked up at him with a more serious expression. "Who put you up to it?"

"I told you: Krissy and Kari have been talking about the dance nonstop. But I don't have to be put up to asking a friend to have a little fun." Gerry looked as serious as he was able.

"I don't … I don't want a pity date, even covered in sunshine."

"If I'd known you were just… existing, I'd've been here sooner. Come on. You know I'm not interested. I know you're not interested. It's a total no-pressure, just-friends, knock-their-socks-off hilarity date." He grinned. "I'll even wear a suit and tie."

"I already gave my dress away," she said with a shrug. "And I'm not putting on a costume for anyone."

"Unless you want to go in matching tracksuits and say 'bro' to everyone. I'm totally up for that too. For the look on Aunt Kate's face if nothing else."

She cracked a little smile at that. "That's really more of an early Sunday morning thing," Elin pointed out.

"Hey, I'm not in high school anymore. I don't care if the dress code is suit and tie. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Yeah, but Storm is enforcing it, so …. Plenty could happen."

"We'll sneak in the shadows," he teased. "Jump out and surprise Aunt Kate. If she had a tail, it'd be straight up."

"I don't know. I gave my fake mustache to Sadie."

"Well, that's a shame. I guess you'll just have to wear a dress," Gerry said, shaking his head. "If you hate the dance, we'll go to Coney Island or something instead after we make an appearance. You just ... hey. We could both use a night of fun. Whatdya say?"

"I really don't … want to."

"You need to get out, Elin," Gerry pointed out. "And I'd like to think I'm a pretty safe 'fun' date? Unless I've been lied to my whole life about being a nice break from drama or whatever Lottie calls it."

"I don't know; you're talking to me? So I think that means you probably rate somewhere on the jackass scale," Elin said. "Even if you're asking out of pity."

"It's not pity." Gerry shook his head. "Think of it like… a gigantic big brother move."

"So you think my best option is a brother …"

"Yeah, I already said we're not interested in each other… unless there's something you want to tell me, in which case, I have bad news for you…"

"Yeah, that'd be the case for anyone? So … no."

He grinned at her. "Great. So I'll wear a suit — Mom taught me this pretty cool knot with the tie that I can even pull off."

"Are you going to give me an option here?" Elin asked as she crossed her arms.

"Not on the getting out and having fun. But like I said, we can ditch and do something else if you end up hating the dance," he swore. "But at least let's make sure to get a picture before we ditch the high schoolers for greener pastures. I'll do the pouty lips, you do the he-man…"

"Fine," she replied finally. "But I'm holding you to that. Besides, you're the one that knows how this is supposed to go."

"It's really not horrible, especially when Jubilee and Noh tag team the DJing," he promised. "We'll kick off our shoes and dance the night away and put all the other couples to shame."

"If I kick off my shoes, I won't be tall enough to dance with you."

"'Course you can. I have a very attractive navel."

"If that's all I can see, then we have a very big problem on our hands, and you'll need to get off the chair."

He laughed outright. "Yeah, true. We'll figure it out. Even if you were dancing to my knees, though, we'd still knock everyone else out. Hands down."

"Gerry, I already said I'd go … you can stop cheerleading any time."

"Have we met?" Gerry laughed. "Name's Sunshine? I spread it around? It's like a twitch." Still, he pulled his feet off the coffee table and got up as he said it.

She shooed him with one hand. "Go spread it in archery."

He grinned and waved. "See you later, Elin. I'll get here an hour ahead of time to help with some twinkle lights."

"Of course you will," she said, shaking her head.

"What can I say? No one can do them like I can," he laughed over his shoulder before he headed out to go find Kate and the other Wagner girls to tell them they were on for the dance.