Chapter 22:

-

Beatrice set her bag down beside a bench table at lunch, sitting across from James like she usually did. Her concerned eyes were on Joe, who wasn't eating, only sitting next to James with a stern expression on his already harsh features. He stared out the tall multi-paned window with utter hatred, and Beatrice was afraid to ask.

"I take it the Ascension didn't go well?" she guessed with an 'I'm so sorry' tone.

"The Ascension went fine," James explained for Joe, who hadn't spoken since it all transpired. "It was the rest of the night that didn't."

"I'd ask what you mean…" Beatrice sighed. "If there wasn't a very distressed blonde in a long black coat headed this way right now."

Joe didn't move, or even flinch. He just stared out that window. Delilah marched all the way up until she was directly behind him. Figuring he just didn't notice her, she tapped his shoulder.

"Joe…" she said. "You going to tell me what happened?"

James and Beatrice looked to Joe to see what he would reply. Joe still did not move a muscle, his eyes locked intensely on the window. Even though his stare was cold… there was now a trace of pain in their undertones as well.

"Joe?" Delilah said with worry. She tried to make light of it with a joke. "Could you at least 'Charade' it? 'Two words'… 'Sounds like'… Anything?"

He was like a Garwin statue. So, she tapped him again.

"Joe--"

He grabbed her so fast James didn't even know he had moved until he saw Joe's hands firmly grasped around Delilah's wrist. Then Joe closed his eyes and kissed her hand gently, as one would kiss a lover goodbye… which was probably the exact action he was performing. Delilah looked to James for an explanation. James frowned at her with pity, and she got the message quickly.

"No…" she breathed. She whipped her eyes to Joe again, who had let go of her hand and was starting to gather his things to go.

"No!" she exclaimed, grabbing at his arm. "Don't do this, Joe!"

Her yells only tortured him more. She ran after his brisk march until they reached the hall.

"Where are you going?" she begged. "Talk to me, please!"

"God damn it, Ly!" Joe shouted, halting abruptly and throwing frustrated hands into the air. He looked around to see if anyone was watching him, then spoke:

"It's over… That's it-- Plain and simple. Don't speak to me again, for both our sakes."

"You can't let them control you. You have a right to live how you want to live--!"

"Stop!" Joe shouted so that it echoed through the halls and students began to stare. "Just stop it!"

"But--"

"Be SILENT!" Joe boomed with rage.

"NO!" Delilah shouted right back. "It's not fair, for Chrissake! All my life I thought people would only love me if I sold it to them. You made me change my mind about love, Joe, and don't you take that away from me!"

Joe reached his hand into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He grabbed her hand and put a wad of cash into it.

"There," he stated blatantly. "Now I'm just like everyone else."

With that he stormed off.

He would not cry. Crying was for people with a right to feel… which was something he no longer possessed. Even still, a single warm tear streaked his face.

He may not have the right to feel anymore… but he sure did feel a lot anyway.

-

Wayne stood in line for his lunch behind Glenn, searching the crowd for Beatrice. He spotted her at their usual table by the big window, talking deeply with James about something.

"Ah, hell," Wayne grumbled. Glenn looked to see what he was griping about, and noticed Beatrice too. He might have known.

"Looks like Jimmy's ahead of your game, there, Wayne," Glenn taunted with a smile. Secretly, inside he kind of hoped that James would win this girl. Beatrice was like a sister to him, and he knew Wayne would only hurt her. James was solid, and a genuinely nice guy. Though, he would never admit all this to Wayne, or his passionate roommie would have his head.

"Bad-- bad…" Wayne muttered quickly, as the Beatrice leaned closer to James. Glenn looked just in time to see Beatrice put her hand on James with intense concern. Wayne didn't approve of this one bit.

"BAD!" Wayne declared, shoving his tray into Glenn's stomach and taking off in their direction.

-

"You can't control the rules any more than Joe can," Beatrice comforted her friend. "Joe knows what he's doing. He's a strong guy. He'll find a way through this somehow."

"I just can't stand to see him like this… again," James sighed. "I was really hoping one thing would go right for him."

"Something tells me… it still might," Beatrice said, putting her hand gently on James's, in order to give him added reassurance. When she noticed him staring at her hand on his, and going a bit red, she jerked it away promptly.

"Jimmy…?" she breathed in confusion. "Are you--?"

"—You wanna go out with me?" James interrupted quickly, practically yelling it at her.

"What?" she said, even more confused than before. "What are you saying? Take a minute to listen to yourself… I mean, you have Evelyn. You've always loved her… and we're just friends… Just really close friends, you know that."

"Yeah…" James agreed with an understanding nod. Unfazed, he then asked again: "Do you wanna go out with me?"

At overhearing this, Wayne stopped walking several steps away from his destination to listen intently for Beatrice's answer. She didn't seem to see him standing a small distance behind James.

"Well, then…" Beatrice said obligingly. "I'd love to go out with you, Jimmy."

"Aw, hell to the NO!" Wayne burst out behind James. He finished his trek over to their table and hit James upside the head. "What's the matter with you!"

Surprised, James winced at the sudden blow.

"Ow! What?!"

"What you suddenly goin' after MY woman for?" Wayne demanded, then hit him again.

"Ow! Hey!" James protested. Wayne hit him once more.

"Shut up," Wayne commanded. "Bee, what's this shmoe got that I don't?"

Beatrice folded her arms.

"Fidelity… The ability to have a monogamous relationship… My trust? Take your pick."

"Completely overrated," Wayne assured her. "You're too spirited for Jimmy. You'll get bored! I give you a week."

"Wayne!" Beatrice scolded as if ready to explode.

"Alright fine," Wayne backed off. "I'll be generous. Just to spite me you'll go a month. At most."

Wayne closed his eyes just as the flying fruit punch drenched his front. Beatrice slammed the cup back down on its place upon the table.

"Are you going to listen now, man whore?" Beatrice snapped icily. "Go snuggle up to one of your many girlfriends and leave me and Jimmy be. Got that?"

Wayne ran his hand over his now wet and sticky face, then flicked the red liquid off of his fingers. He pursed his lips tightly together in contempt.

"Got it."

-

Glenn walked to Rosie's room, his backpack slung over his shoulder and a lightfooted step. He was particularly happy today, simply because he was thankful that he and his girlfriend did possess the drama or the complications that his other Covenant members were currently undergoing. It put a smile on his face to possess the knowledge that he, the shy, grade-grubbing, 'never-gets-the-girl' one of the group… was the only one currently with a steady girlfriend. Not even the dirty looks he got from fellow student members for having a pregnant girlfriend could bring him down.

But his grin suddenly vanished at the sight of his girlfriend sitting on the floor against the wall in an abandoned hallway. Her face was in her hands and she was openly weeping. Glenn dropped his bags and raced to her side, dropping to his knees so quickly he slid on the tile a bit.

"What happened to the baby?" he pressed worriedly. She shook her head, trying to reel back her sobs long enough to talk.

"Rosie?" Glenn urged. "What happened?"

"The baby's fine…" she sniffed. He let his shoulders relax, sighing in slight relief.

"It's my… my parents…" she went on. Glenn began to understand even before she finished explaining. "They're coming down from Boston to see me. I haven't told them…"

"Oh, com'on," Glenn said encouragingly, helping himself to a seat next to her. "Just tell them what happened. They'll understand."

"They won't believe me," Rosie said. "I defied them for dating Damien in the first place… for all they know, I still AM dating him… they'll never believe that this wasn't my fault."

Glenn frowned thoughtfully. Rosie sniffed again, feeling helpless to stop the imminent disowning surely to come from her parents.

"They're going to hate me…" Rosie let out another few drops of tears. "A single mother at eighteen? I was such a good kid in their eyes…"

Glenn gulped, and sought her gaze.

"Well, what if you weren't a single mother?"

She stopped crying and looked up at him curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Glenn said. "I said I was going to be here for you. I meant it. I don't plan on ever leaving you… So…"

Rosie looked at him then like he had just transformed into a tarantula.

"You're not saying…?"

"Why not just tell them we're married already?" Glenn finished.

-

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Signed,
--RedRogue