Happy start-to-your weekend everyone! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Reviews welcome and encouraged.
Jane had laid low after Wednesday's lunch with Maura. She thought that Maura would probably still want her space after Jane's appalling behavior. But now it was Friday afternoon. Maura would have been getting ready for her date if I hadn't talked to her, Jane thought with a mixture of glee and disappointment. If she was honest with herself, she was happy Maura wasn't going out with someone, but she still felt very bad about her behavior on Tuesday. And she was sorry that Maura now found herself facing a lonely Friday night.
Bobbi and Jane were lugging the softball equipment back to the Death Trap 3000. They were done for the day, and it had been a scorcher. The cabins weren't air conditioned, though they were nestled amongst the shade of the pine trees, so they were usually quite a bit cooler than the baseball diamond.
"Man, what a week, huh Jane?" Bobbi asked rhetorically, trying to draw her friend and co-worker out of the silent state she'd been in for the last two days.
"Hmm...oh, yeah, a killer," Jane replied distractedly. She couldn't seem to stop thinking about Maura.
"Hey, at least we don't have to go out with that jerk wad tonight, ya know? I'm really glad Maura heard you out and broke it off."
Jane sighed, looking up at Bobbi from putting away the softballs. She smirked sadly. "Yeah, I'm glad too. I just wish I could figure out how to get us back on better footing. I usually don't screw up my friendships quite this badly."
Bobbi nodded, seeing the pain her friend was in. She decided to switch topics. "Hey, how about we go into town and catch a flick? We can eat dinner at camp, and then shoot into town for the 9 pm show. I could really use some air conditioning after a day like today. Despite all the suntan lotion, I think my skin is still on fire," she suggested good-naturedly.
Jane grinned at her friend. She liked the idea of getting away from camp for a little while and reconnecting with the real world where popsicle art and crickets at dusk was not the norm. "That sounds pretty good. What were you thinking of seeing?"
"Well, there's a new horror movie out that could be good for a scare. You up for it? I think its Hostel 12."
Jane's grin turned into a full on smile and then she laughed. "Oh, God, Bobbi, those movies are horrible! They're called horror-porn for a reason, you know? They just gratuitously torture or kill people in them and there's hardly any story line."
Bobbi laughed in return. "I know; they're the best. C'mon Jane! It will be fun! I'll invite our bunkmates and you…can invite Maura."
Jane's smile faltered. "What? Um, I don't know if that's such a good idea. It's only been a couple of days since we spoke and…I'm, uh,..not sure that's enough time for her. You know?"
Bobbi just watched Jane stutter through her reply, but was unconvinced. "It doesn't hurt to ask. And besides, are you absolutely sure that she cancelled that date with Chris? What if she changed her mind? Wouldn't you like to know that now instead of tomorrow? The movie's a perfect reason to find her and just…make sure."
Jane was dumbfounded. Would Maura have changed her mind? Chris was certainly a charming guy. What if he had convinced her that she should give him a chance? Jane began to panic and her fear that Marua had decided to go out on a date with him outweighed her wish to give Maura space. Her fear also outweighed her wish to postpone the possibility that Maura may ultimately reject her friendship altogether.
"Okay, fine, you make a good point. I'll poke around camp and see if I can find her. Should I just find you at dinner and let you know?" Bobbi nodded. "If I found out she went on that date with him anyway, would you help me find them?" Bobbi nodded again.
"That's what friends do. Help you find and spy on your other friends, right?" Bobbi gave a sly smile, but Jane could see the twinkle in her eye.
"Ha, ha, very funny. You know I just want to make sure she's okay."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't tease you about it." Bobbi winked and took off for camp, leaving Jane to lock the shed and decide where to look for Maura.
After lightly jogging around camp for about an hour, Jane finally found Maura under a tree by the lake reading a book. The sun was setting. Relieved and delighted, she approached Maura without hesitation. Maura was so engrossed in her book that she didn't look up until Jane gently nudged her shoulder.
"Jane!" Maura shouted, startled. "You scared me."
Jane smiled. "Yeah, I've got that talent," she replied sadly, but consciously decided not to be morose and to keep their conversation on a lighter note. "This light can't be good for your eyes. How long have you been out here?"
Maura looked around, a little bewildered. "I'm not sure. Maybe a few hours? I didn't realize how late it was getting."
Jane grinned. Maura had a way of getting lost in her own world. "Must be some book, yeah?" Maura nodded silently, still looking up at Jane. She glanced around and Jane noticed that she was becoming uncomfortable. Nobody else was nearby. Jane sat down next to her. Maybe if she wasn't standing over her, Maura wouldn't be as intimidated.
"Hey, I was looking for you. Bobbi's craving AC and a movie. We were gonna see if a couple of the girls from camp would like to join and she asked me if I'd ask you." Jane looked at Maura expectantly.
Maura raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Me? Really? Um..thank you. That was very kind of Bobbi to think of inviting me." Maura glanced down at her book. She still wasn't sure how she felt about Jane and her behavior earlier this week. But she couldn't deny that when Jane was near she got butterflies in her stomach and this tingly sensation over her skin. She found her physical reaction puzzling when she knew logic should be leading her in a different direction.
"How will we get there? What does Bobbi want to see?" Maura began fidgeting with the corner of her book, still having difficulty meeting Jane's eyes. Those intense brown eyes that she would get lost in. Just looking at Jane briefly when she spoke a moment ago had sent Maura off-balance. She's so pretty, Maura thought.
Yay, she's talking to me, thought Jane. "Since Bobbi drove up here instead of taking the bus, she's got wheels. She'll drive us into town for the movie. She wants to see Hostel 12."
Maura had never heard of this movie. This was not so unusual as she didn't typically follow pop culture, particularly American pop culture. "Oh, is that about international travel?" she asked earnestly.
"Um, no," Jane tried valiantly to tamp down on her attempt not to laugh. She was mostly successful, though a grin did peak out. "It's a horror flick. They're total crap, but Bobbi loves them and I usually go with her."
Maura's face fell. She hated horror movies. They were her least favorite genre. But she was warming to the idea of spending an evening out with the girls, particularly Jane who she was still having difficulty defining her feelings for. It would be nice to have a change of scenery after a month in the forest, and it was certainly exciting to be asked to hang out with her peers.
Jane could see the conflict in Maura's eyes. She asked gently, "hey, what's up? You can talk to me." Maura glanced at Jane's eyes, and then locked on them. The sincerity and quite plea surprised Maura and she couldn't help blurting out her inner turmoil.
"I..I'm not great with scary movies. I think I've only seen one and I had nightmares for weeks," she replied sheepishly.
Jane was surprised. "Oh, um, that's okay." She stalled. "I don't like them very much either." She looked across the lake. "How about this? You can cover your eyes when you're scared, and then when its all clear, I'll let you know so you can uncover them."
Maura thought about this. She really hated scary movies, but she liked the idea of seeing a movie with Jane. She also found that being near Jane was making her want to spend more time with her.
"I have a counter-proposal," Maura started. Jane's eyebrows raised and she grinned, encouraging Maura to continue. "I go see this movie with you, and then you have to see one with me, of my choosing." Maura looked smug at her good idea. "And I still get to hide my eyes and you tell me when it's all clear."
Jane couldn't stop the goofy grin that was spreading across her face. Did she just ask me out? Jane's spirits soared, but knew that that was probably too good to be true. Still, she couldn't help the idea, or ignore the slightly flirting tone that Maura's proposal had taken. Two can play at that game, she thought.
"Hmm…that's a pretty tall order. This movie, and another movie, and knowing you, it will probably be some movie about international travel…with subtitles." Maura was returning Jane's grin with one of her own, a glint in her eye. "I might be able to abide by this counteroffer."
"It's a deal," Maura stated and held out her right hand for Jane to shake. Jane gently took Maura's hand in her own, sending a chill down Maura's back when they touched. Curiously, Jane gently turned Maura's hand over, causing Maura's long sleeve t-shirt to ride up slightly on her arm.
Jane looked down, now lightly holding the young brunette's hand in her own, studying her wrist. She hadn't touched Maura since Tuesday, but she'd wondered how badly she had hurt her friend. Even days later, she could see the purple fading into yellow, encircling her friend's wrist. It was still ugly. A wave of guilt washed over Jane anew.
Maura, still mesmerized by Jane's touch, noticed that she wasn't shaking her hand to seal the deal. She was simply cradling her hand, gently stroking it with her thumb. She looked down to see what Jane was looking at. Realizing it, she tried to pull her hand away, but Jane tightened her grasp, slightly, not wanting her delicate digits to slip away.
"Jane, I…" but Maura found herself at a loss for words.
"Maura," Jane pulled her gaze from the hand she was holding, and the wrist she had been memorizing. Maura noticed that her eyes were wet with unshed tears. "I'm really sorry. I never meant to do this. I…listen, I understand if you don't want to come. Or if you don't want me to come tonight. It was foolish to think I could make things better, make us better." Jane let go of her hand and shifted her weight to stand up.
"Wait, Jane, please wait." Maura was standing up now too. She desperately didn't want to lose all of the ground they had just covered. "Please. Listen to me. It doesn't hurt, it just looks ugly. It will go away in time, and I'm," she paused. "I'm not angry."
She looked at the slightly shorter woman in front of her, not understanding. She shook her head, disbelievingly.
Maura continued. "It's true. Look, I'll agree that you didn't handle that day in the best fashion, but I understood what you were trying to tell me. And I really do appreciate that you later came and told me the full story. You allowed me to make a decision, on my own, but you volunteered to be there and help me if I made a decision you didn't completely agree with, so that you could keep me safe. That's really a very remarkable thing for a friend to do." Jane smirked, half-heartedly. She did not feel like a remarkable friend. She felt like a horrible friend.
"Maura, friends don't give each other bruises. Really, I went too far with you, and I just met you. I know I've said it before, but I am so, so sorry. I'd go see a hundred subtitled movies with you if I could take it back."
"Oh really?" Maura flirted, trying to turn the tide of their conversation from Jane's guilt to the playful tone they'd had minutes before. "Is that a new deal?" She took a step closer and lowered her voice. "You'd take me to see one hundred movies of my choosing if I forgave you?"
Jane could smell the intoxicating scent of Maura's shampoo and felt the slight heat radiating off of her body. She was so close to Maura, but she remained perfectly still, fighting the urge to touch her. "Yes," she whispered. Maura moved centimeters closer to her, looking into her eyes. "I could hold you to that." Jane swallowed. She felt Maura's hands lightly touch her ribcage, balancing herself in front of Jane.
Suddenly Jane heard shouting in the distance. "Jane! Jane! Where are you? Dinner's almost over. Did you find Maura? Is she coming?" It was Bobbi. Jane groaned inwardly and took a half step back, trying to gain her self-composure. Being so close to Maura was having a heady effect on her.
"So you'll go?" Jane asked Maura, to make sure. Maura nodded, though Jane caught the ghost of disappointment that crossed her face. Jane smiled and hugged her friend, needing to feel some connection and not willing to walk away without it. She whispered in her ear, pulling her tighter, "thank you. I owe you one hundred movies."
When Jane pulled away, Maura couldn't help immediately missing the sensation of having Jane pressed so close to her. "Are you hungry? We can go meet Bobbi and let her know you're coming. And go to the mess hall for dinner, provided that they haven't cleared it away."
Maura nodded in agreement, and began to follow Jane up the hill to find Bobbi.
Luckily the threesome made it to the mess hall before dinner was cleared, so they all heaped their plates and ate quickly. Since they didn't have to leave for the movie for about another hour, Maura told them she'd meet them at the flagpole on the way to the parking lot at 8:15 pm. They agreed and parted ways.
At 8:15, Bobbi, Jane and their bunkmates Gemma and Lotti were waiting for Maura at the flagpole. Jane and Bobbi had showered and changed into casual clothes instead of the wicking sports apparel they had donned all day. Jane was staring back at campus when she saw Maura making her way toward them. Jane held back a low whistle that she felt building in her throat when she was Maura.
She was walking toward them in form fitting dark blue jeans and a billowy, long sleeved turquoise shirt that draped and fell over Maura's chest in a tasteful yet tempting manner. Not enough to be indecent, but enough to draw attention. To finish the outfit, she was sporting three inch black strappy heals and had accessorized with a string of pearls. In contrast, the other girls were in t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops.
"Hey Maura, glad you could make it. My car's out that way. You remember Gemma and Lotti, yeah? Great. Okay, let's head out gang," Bobbi said as she began walking to the parking lot.
Jane fell into step beside Maura and they began to walk as a pair behind Gemma and Lotti, with Bobbi leading the way. "You look great," Jane complimented sheepishly.
Maura smiled. Though she knew this wasn't a real date, she always wanted to dress for the occasion, and after being in medic scrubs for a month, she couldn't resist the urge to wear some of the other clothes that she had brought to camp.
"Thank you," she replied. She stole a sideways glance at Jane, and saw that Jane was still taking in her attire. "I hope I'm not overdressed, though. Being in scrubs, which are just barely removed from pajamas, makes me want to dress up a bit more when I'm off-duty and have a reason to do so."
Jane smiled. "I'm glad we could provide you with the occasion to do so."
"I'm still a little nervous though, about the movie. You promise you'll tell me when I should close my eyes, and when it's safe to open them again?" Maura knew she was being childish, but she wanted to make sure Jane remembered her role tonight. She still wasn't certain that she could stomach two hours of a fright-fest movie, even for the upside of getting to spend the evening with Jane.
"I promise you, Maura. I will be your own personal editor." Maura smiled nervously.
They quickly arrived at the car and piled in, arriving at the movies a brief twenty minutes later. After securing tickets, hitting the concession stand, and loading up with sweets, popcorn and soda, the girls found five seats together in the center of the theater and settled in. Gemma and Lotti were in the center of the row, Bobbi next to them, and Jane and Maura rounded out the end. Jane had planned for them to get the end, just in case the movie proved to be too much for Maura.
The girls chatted amiably until the previews picked up, and then Hostel 12's credits started to role. Jane stole a glance at Maura, and noticed that she was visibly tense. She leaned over, whispering in her ear so she wouldn't bother Bobbi. "Maura, relax. It's just a movie, and I promise I'll let you know when to close your eyes." Maura nodded, nervously, slouching down in her seat slightly, as the full realization of what she'd just signed up for hit her – two hours of horror sounds in a movie that would be swiss-cheesed in plot for her since she wasn't willing to watch the truly awful parts. Her big, saucer eyes turned on Jane, as she nodded. "Okay, thank you," and she turned back to the screen, hiding behind her large Diet Coke.
Jane shifted her attention back to the screen too, feeling bad about dragging Maura to this movie. I hope I didn't screw this up, she worried silently.
The film started and opened in a dark, dank warehouse, location undetermined. Jane didn't think this was a good sign and suggested Maura close her eyes, which she obediently did. The camera panned onto two young college-aged looking kids, one male and one female. They looked like they had been there some time, and were dirty and bloody. Aside from their clothes, they didn't have any backpacks or stuff with them. The girl was whining to the boy that they had to get out, and he agreed to go look for an exit. The girl was apparently too injured to move. The boy disappears. A dark figure comes out from the shadows as he exits. The girl sees the stranger, and screams for the boy to come back, but it's too late. The stranger overpowers the girl and kills her.
Jane's stomach turns. Ugh, these movies, so over the top. She glanced over at Maura, who was cowering in her seat with her hands over her eyes. Jane took one of her hands. "Hey, its okay. I'm right here. You can hide in my shoulder if you want." Maura quickly clasps onto Jane's hand and turns her face to Jane's shoulder, leaning into her. "I hate these movies," Maura replies weakly.
"I know. It still looks scary so just stay like that. Okay? I think this is just the opening sequence, so it should calm down in a few minutes." She feels Maura nod into her bicep, and Jane gently squeezes her hand reassuringly.
Jane turned back to the movie. The boy had returned to find the girl gone, but a suspicious blood puddle where he had left her. Then the dark stranger comes out and the camera pans away as he begins screaming.
Charming, Jane thinks sarcastically. The movie switches to a new scene where it is daylight and a new couple are taking in the sights of what looks to be a small German town. Jane squeezes Maura's hand. "I think the scary part is over for now." She informs Maura a bit reluctantly, as she is relishing holding the medic's hand and having her snuggled against her. Maura looks out from Jane's arm, seeing that the movie has taken a happier tone, and thankfully one in daylight with lots of people around. But Maura remains where she is, knowing how quickly things can turn. At least, this is what she tells herself as reason for not pulling away.
The movie continues and quickly the new college sweethearts find themselves approaching the warehouse from the first scene to find their mutual friend that they lost. "You should probably close your eyes again," Jane warns quietly. Maura buries her face in Jane's upper arm, curling her other hand around Jane's bicep. Jane swallows, loving the contact. Jane can't shake the feeling that Maura is only becoming more miserable as the flick progresses.
Though she knows Maura will feel the shift in her weight, Jane leans over and whispers to Bobbi. Bobbi looks across at Maura, nods sadly, and returns her attention back to the movie. Jane leans back over to Maura. "Let's go."
Confused, she pulls back from Jane's shoulder with questioning eyes. "What? Why?" But Jane isn't waiting. With their hands still entangled, she pulls Maura up and quickly guides her out of the theater to the bright lobby.
"Jane, wait. What happened? What's wrong? Where are we going?" Maura stops, forcing Jane to stop too since their hands are still linked.
The lanky athlete steps closer to the petite medic. "Nothing's wrong. I just thought we could get out of there. There's an ice cream shop next door. I told Bobbi to come find us there after the movie."
"Really?" Maura was relieved she didn't have to go back into the dark theater and hear more people getting tortured and killed. "But I didn't mean for you to leave. I don't want you to have to miss your movie."
Jane just smiled. "I'd much rather spend the time with you in a place where you aren't whimpering because of a movie," she replied sympathetically. "You up for some ice cream?"
Next door, the girls chose their flavors and sat down at a small table. Since the 9 o'clock shows were still in progress, there were only a couple of people in the shop. They had the place nearly all to themselves.
"So, aside from allowing people to drag you to horror movies, what else do you do for fun?" Jane started teasingly. Maura grinned. She loved the way that Jane seemed so at ease with people, anyone really. She was excited about the chance to talk to her for the next hour before the movie released.
The two fell into an easy dialogue, with Maura informing Jane of the history behind ice cream and the flavors they had chosen, to the reason people sought out different film genres. Jane told Maura about her family, her life in Boston. They both talked about what they wanted to do after the graduated from high school in a year, what colleges they were looking at and why.
Jane couldn't help the niggling feeling she had talking to Maura, that this was different then her other friendships. It seemed more intense, and she couldn't recall getting this nervous over anyone else. She typically didn't care what anyone thought of her. She would just do her own thing, and if anyone had a problem with it, they could steer clear of her and vice versa. But with Maura, she kept wondering what she would say next, how much longer they had together before the movie got out, when she could see her next, what she would look like when she did see her again. Jane loved watching Maura's face as she described some odd bit of trivia, and she couldn't help but imagine what it might be like to run her hands through Maura's beautiful hair.
Stop Rizzoli! Jane scolded herself. She is just a pretty girl…fascinating, beautiful, intelligent girl, but still, just a girl. Pull it together.
"Jane, can I try your sundae?" Maura asked, saving Jane from her inner dialogue.
Jane looked down. "Oh, yeah, of course. Can I try yours? It sounded good." Maura nodded, reaching across the table to take a spoonful of Jane's rocky road ice cream. Her sleeve pulled back, again reminding Jane of Tuesday's misadventure. Jane's breath caught, but she recomposed herself. "Do you like it?"
Maura nodded, and pushed her sundae closer to Jane so she could try it. "It's good. I like mine a little better, but I think the chocolate suits you." Jane snuck a bite out of the dish placed in front of her. "Your's is also good," she acknowledged.
"Maura, could I ask you something?" The medic nodded. "May I see your wrists, please?" Jane asked beseechingly. Maura sat there, stunned.
"I don't know if that's a good idea Jane. And you saw one of my wrists earlier anyway, at the lake." She looked down, pulling at her sleeves to more fully cover her wrists and hiding her hands under the table.
"I know, but please. It's..," Jane struggled with the words. "It's important to me."
Maura looked up and watched her skeptically. Finally, she silently brought her hands up and pushed her sleeves past her elbows, laying her hands palm up on the table.
Unconsciously, Jane reached out both of her hands and touched the bruised wrists. She gently cradled the wrists in her own hands, rotating them so she could see the full extent of the damage. With a deep sigh, she adjusted her grip so that she was holding Maura's hands instead, rubbing her thumbs over the bruises lightly. Thinking back on that day still bothered Jane greatly, on two points. One because of the physical damage she had inflicted on her friend. The other because of their weird conversation, one that she hoped her very intelligent friend wouldn't remember specifically since Jane knew she would have a hard time answering if ever pushed for a better answer on why Maura couldn't ever rape her.
Jane was quiet for a moment. "I am very sorry Maura." She felt Maura try to pull away, but she resisted lightly. "Please don't pull away from me. I…I like holding your hands." She grinned crookedly.
Maura let out a little huff of air. "I..like that too, but I don't want to revisit your pity party. We've been through this already. I'm okay, you're okay. I know you're sorry. The bruises will go away." Jane still had a dark look on her face. "And you still owe me one hundred movies, remember?" she bantered.
Jane laughed, taking the change in topic as the peace offering it was, and enjoying the lighter note. "Ah yes. I believe it is one hundred and one, isn't it? Since I owe you for tonight's torture fest? Wasn't that our deal?" Jane's eyes twinkled.
"Well, I'm not really sure I can hold you to one hundred and one since you didn't get to see the end of it. But maybe we should start working on the one hundred movies. What would you like to see?"
Since their ice cream was polished off, and since Hostel 12 was about to get out, they decided to walk back over to the theater and check out the marquee to get an idea of what they could see together next. As they were talking about what to see, Bobbi, Gemma, and Lotti emerged from the theater.
"That movie settles it. Bobbi does NOT get to pick the next flick," Gemma announced once they had caught up to Jane and Maura. "That thing was awful!"
"Aw, c'mon guys, it wasn't that bad. In the end, the bad guy gets it," Bobbi tried to defend to the group. Gemma just rolled her eyes.
Lotti piped up, "he sort of gets it. The screen cuts to black and the credits roll. You really don't know if he dies. I guess that's so they can make another one of those horrible films. Ugh! It was really ridiculous. I don't know who bankrolls these, but they should probably stop."
"You guys made the right call by leaving. It didn't get better. The plot was appalling, and the killing was ridiculous. It's like nobody in these movies has a brain!" Gemma followed on Lotti's points.
Jane and Maura laughed at hearing the verdict on the movie. Jane was glad that she had taken Maura away since it wasn't worth either of their time to try and sit through it.
"I'll agree that Bobbi's movie turn is up. Too bad for you, Bobbi. Oh well, maybe if our schedule's align we'll be able to catch another movie next week," Jane lightly punched her pal on the arm.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll see. But I had fun anyway. And you guys forget that I'm the one with the wheels. No getting to the movies without me, ya know. So it better be something I want to see!" Bobbi countered, though Jane knew Bobbi would be up for carting them around again, even if it was for a rom-com or superhero movie, Bobbi's least favorites. She was a good sport about stuff like that.
Since it was late and they all had to work the next day, they all piled back into Bobbi's car and headed back to camp.