Disclaimer: I don't own Community, but if I did, Michelle Slater and Ian Duncan would be dating and not annoying anyone else.
Chapter 12 - Introductory Geography
Author's note: on proofreading this, I discovered an accidental shout-out to one of my commenters. It amused me enough that I decided to leave it in…
Week 17
Joelle likes maths. Maths is honest and straightforward, it has answers that are clearly right or wrong and not a matter of opinion. It's why she signed up to professor Slater's Advanced Statistics class, and why she was waiting outside the professor's office first thing in the morning to ask her a question about her coursework assignment. This is not something she talked about much with her friends however as, even if they found maths to be interesting (they don't) Annie found anything to do with professor Slater to be a somewhat painful topic. Still, here she was waiting in the hall outside the professor's office, watching as she walked down the corridor with Jeff. Even Joelle, who is usually poor at noticing such things, can see why they're usually regarded as the most attractive couple on campus. As they came into range, she started overhearing snatches of their conversation.
"Oh, look! The human being has a little human with it - How blood curdlingly adorable." Jeff joked.
"Jeff - we need to talk." Slater said.
Jeff smiled. "What's wrong? Are you breaking up with me? Oh." His smile disappeared as he realised what Slater was getting at. She laughed however.
"Oh - maybe we don't need to talk!"
And just like that, she pivoted on a heel and walked away leaving a stunned Jeff staring at her. Joelle put her head down and also walked away before she's spotted.
As she went she pulled out her phone, scrolled down the contact list until the number she was looking for came up and sent a message.
Annie where r u? We need 2 talk RIGHT NOW. JoL
XXXXXX
Annie was almost grateful to miss Spanish class because there simply wasn't enough room for all the students without families to fit in the room as well as the families who have come along for family day - it meant she can sit in the corridor outside class and process the news Joelle gave her while she pretended to read her astronomy coursebook.
Jeff's been dumped, he'll need a friend to help get him past this. was her first thought, closely followed by the rather more selfish I need to get to him before the blonde does. Annie stamped down - hard - on that thought, but it didn't quite go away.
The class ended, and Annie put her book down as she saw Jeff leave the classroom with the strange old man who had yet to exchange more than half a dozen words with Annie's actual face.
"If you come to the barbeque - and I know you'd never think of touching her - maybe you could say a couple of cool things about me?" The old man said.
"You want me to wingman you with your ex-step-daughter? I'm sorry. I've got a - thing." Jeff said, he spotted Annie, who was standing up and coming towards him.
"-and here she is. Hiya, Edison, you ready to do our thing?" Pierce's shoulders slumped slightly as he turned away.
"What was all that about, Jeff?" Annie asked him. Jeff told her about Pierce's step-daughter. Annie was somewhat bewildered at Jeff's attitude.
"You can't holster it for a friend?"
"Please, Pierce is barely a friend. And he's no more related to that girl than you are, and he was a total jag about shutting me down."
"How much effort do I rate?" Annie had dialled up the doe eyes and half-smile.
"For you? Um, I'd break a light sweat, maybe a moderate one on a warm day."
"Good," Annie's half smile was now a full one as she did a happy bob. "I need a favour - I don't have any family coming today and I really don't want to spend the day being reminded of that while the rest of Greendale plays Happy Families, so I want to get out, but I don't want to do it on my own. Will you come with me? Unless you've got family coming of course…"
Jeff half smiled at her and shook his head wryly. "You're becoming dangerous, Edison - it's those doe eyes. Disappointing you is like choking the little mermaid with a bike chain." Jeff had turned around and was walking away. "But I could do with blowing this place too. Meet me in the car park in half an hour."
XXXXXX
(Car park, half an hour later)
Jeff had changed. Instead of the all black outfit he was wearing earlier, he now had on designer jeans, a white shirt and a tan jacket, oh and sunglasses. Annie's heart fluttered slightly as he smiled and took them off as she walks up.
"So Edison, what is it you've got planned for us?"
"Well, I was thinking of going to the park for a picnic…"
Jeff shuddered with distaste. "If you really want to do this, then I get to decide where we're going." Jeff said, "And it won't be for a picnic in Greendale park."
"Then what do you have in mind?" Said Annie.
"Cutter's Creek."
Annie's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "The ski resort?"
Jeff grinned. "Don't panic Edison – we won't be doing any actual skiing. It's no Aspen or Vail, but it's in a scenic location, has a few nice bars and restaurants and a small high street if you want to go shopping. Most importantly it's only an hour's drive away so we should be there in time for lunch."
Annie smiled at him. "I'm game if you are."
"Of course you are Edison."
They reached Jeff's car, Jeff unlocked it and put his sunglasses back on as they got in. As he pulled out of the car park, Annie fiddled with the dial on the radio until she got some contemporary pop music. Jeff winced in pain, Annie grinned at his expression. Jeff put on a stern tone of voice.
"Edison," he said. "Driver picks the music. And as I'm driving a high performance car into the mountains, I have a beautiful girl –" wolfish grin "- in my passenger seat and I'm wearing sunglasses, the soundtrack is going to be classic rock."
He grabbed hold of the dial and spun it hard away from the station Annie had picked until he found the one he wanted. He paused for a second to listen to what he had found and grinned. "Perfect!"
Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway.
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way!
Annie put on a theatrically pained expression, but she was smiling inside as she saw Jeff nod along to the music and she felt the Lexus start to accelerate hard as it hit the open road.
They hit the mountains to Stairway to Heaven, Bohemian Rhapsody and Daydream Believer got them through almost ten miles of winding roads and hairpin bends, Nights in White Satin, Satisfaction and House of the Rising Sun got them through the back half of the journey, and by the time they crossed the last ridge line and Don McLean brought them into sight of Cutter's Creek even Annie was singing along –
Bye, bye Miss American Pie –
Drove my chevvy to the levee
But the levee was dry!
Them good ole boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
This'll be the day that I die!
XXXXXX
As promised Jeff took Annie to lunch first, at a pleasant little cafe with an open air terrace overlooking an ice rink. Jeff ordered a chicken salad, Annie a burger and fries. They suppressed grins when the food arrived and the waitress attempted to give Annie the salad and Jeff the burger and dismissed her profuse apologies. The conversation over the meal consisted of amiable trivia - Annie would occasionally attempt to probe his feelings over the split, only to be effortlessly diverted by an amusing anecdote, or his somewhat skewed approach to breakups.
"Seriously, Jeff, you need to let it all out." Annie had said.
Jeff relaxed in his seat with a soft smile. "Honestly, Edison - there's nothing to let out, I'm just glad I didn't have to do the dumping. I mean, then I'd have to lay low for three weeks to look sensitive and to avoid questions of overlap. But as the dumpee-" he smirked "- I can start making out with every girl around right now. And all anyone will feel for me is sympathy."
"Ew! Not anymore!" Annie has an appalled expression on her face.
"Sorry, Edison." Jeff was smirking openly now.
Annie continued to pretend to be disgusted for Jeff's sake, but internally she wasn't buying it for a moment. That may be what you want me to believe mister, but I know you - and when Joelle said you looked like you'd been kicked in the stomach I believed her.
"Do you want to have a go?" The meal was winding up and Jeff had noticed Annie was looking with some curiosity at the skaters.
"Isn't it dangerous?"
Jeff raised an amused eyebrow - "what, sliding along rock hard ice with razor sharp knives strapped to your feet? Nothing could be safer." Jeff stood up suddenly. "Come on - I'll show you."
Jeff led her over to the ticket booth and hired boots for the pair of them and led Annie towards the ice.
"If you've never done this before, just hang on to me and you'll be perfectly safe." He said. As Jeff put his arm around her shoulders a treacherous part of Annie wondered just how many other girls Jeff had used this as an excuse to pull them close, but then her feet shot out from under her and only the sudden tightening of Jeff's grip on her shoulders prevented her from crashing. Concentrate, Annie! She muttered to herself.
"Careful, Edison!" Jeff concentrated at first on just getting her to stand still, then slowly pushing off to start moving. After a few minutes, he felt it was safe enough to loosen his grip slightly to allow Annie more freedom of movement and to allow her to pick up the pace a little - she was still stopping mainly by crashing into him or the barriers, although she always picked herself up with a determined expression and got straight back on the ice. Of course she would. Jeff suddenly thought.
After almost an hour of this, Annie had a request to make.
"I'd like to try a couple of circuits on my own if you don't mind, Jeff." She said. "Completely on my own?" She said as Jeff let go of her but made no other move.
"Are you sure, Edison?" Annie nodded. "Well, I wouldn't mind a break anyway - knock yourself out, metaphorically speaking of course." Annie smiled at Jeff as he skated to the edge of the rink and stepped off, taking up a position casually leaning on the barrier fence. She waved, and slightly unsteadily, pushed off.
Jeff couldn't help but smile as he saw Annie start to pick up speed. She did a full circuit without any problems, letting out a delighted "wheee!" noise as she flew past Jeff the first time. As she was about halfway round the second circuit however, it started to go wrong. She's going too fast to make the bend, Jeff realised just as Annie's feet shot out from under her and she landed on her rear before sliding backwards into the barrier fence. Jeff was already starting to move towards the ice when he felt a hand gently but firmly grip his arm. He looked down with surprise to see a grey haired lady with a kind face had taken hold of him.
"She's okay," said the old lady - Annie, after her initial shock, was rocking with laughter as she realised the ridiculousness of her situation - "and my grandson is almost there." Jeff saw a kid who couldn't be more than fourteen years old skate up to Annie. "Will you let him be her rescuer?"
Jeff looked the old lady square in the eyes, then back across the ice. He found himself relaxing as the kid extended a hand to Annie then brace himself against the ice as she flashed him a brilliant smile, took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She didn't let go as he led her back to where Jeff and his grandmother were waiting.
"Your girlfriend seems like a lovely young lady. You must feel very lucky." The old lady said warmly.
"Oh, she's n-" suddenly, Jeff realised he didn't want to finish that sentence. "Yes she is," he said instead. "And yes I am. Don't tell her I said that though." He said with a trace of his old cocky grin on his face. The old lady didn't laugh. Instead she looked at him sharply, with eyes that seemed to see right inside him. "You are allowed to tell her, you know." She said quietly. "You will only hurt yourself if you don't."
Jeff was speechless with shock. What the hell, lady -
"Hey, Jeff!" Annie had come back before he could react. "Say hi to Tommy."
"Hi Tommy - thanks for bringing my Annie back." He put on a smile and forced himself to be the cool guy again. "Hey - do you have a phone?"
"Erm, yes sir?" The boy looked uncertainly at his grandmother, who dug his phone out of her bag and passed it to Jeff.
Jeff opened up the camera app. "Okay you two - smile." Annie threw an arm around the boy's shoulders and beamed. The boy look somewhat more stunned. Jeff took the picture.
"Here you go kid," he handed the camera back. "When you tell your friends you saved the prettiest girl in Colorado from a nasty skating accident and they refuse to believe you, show them that picture."
"Wow - thanks sir!"
"It was nice meeting you Tommy, but we've still got places to see and things to do - are you ready, Annie?" Annie nodded.
Jeff turned to the old lady. "Ma'am, it was interesting."
She looked at him straight in the eyes. "It was, and thank you - but just think about what I said please?" Jeff had no intention of doing any such thing, but nodded gravely anyway.
"That was sweet." Annie said warmly as they were walking back to hand in their boots.
Jeff shrugged. "It didn't cost me anything and made the kid's day."
"Don't do that, Jeff." Annie said with surprising sharpness.
"What?"
"Explain away doing a nice thing as though you're embarrassed by it. It's okay to be a decent person, you know?"
Jeff had a biting retort ready to go, but one look at the expression on Annie's face - wide eyed, almost pleading with him to understand - and it died on his lips. "I'm sorry, Edison." He said instead. "I don't have much practice at it I guess - I am very good indeed at being a jerk, though."
Jeff made up his mind about what to do next. "Let's go for a walk."
"So," said Annie as they left. "Do you really think that I'm the prettiest girl in Colorado?"
Jeff looked down at her face, glowing with mischievous good humour. "I've created a monster."
XXXXXX
Jeff's idea for a walk was a wander up the main street of the town looking in the designer shops - mostly high end brands, as the sort of people who came away on skiing holidays tended to prefer that sort of thing - seeing if there was anything that interested him. For Annie, the experience of visiting clothes shops with a guy who knew, and cared, more about fashion than she did was a decidedly odd one. Fun but odd, as Jeff spent more time in front of mirrors discussing the precise hang and colour balance of an outfit than she did.
The afternoon was drawing to a close when they reached the end of the high street, and Jeff suggested getting a drink and a bite to eat at a coffee bar he knew that had a rooftop terrace with the best views in town.
They took a table near the edge of the roof and ordered coffees and a selection of snacks. While they waited for the orders to arrive, Annie had a good look around, drinking in the view. Finally, she looked at Jeff with a thoughtful expression on her face. Jeff, who had been amusing himself watching Annie, raised a questioning eyebrow.
"When we first came here, I thought this was just the place you brought women when you needed more than a single evening to work on them." She said. "But you actually really like it, don't you?"
"You wound me, Edison." Jeff didn't look particularly offended. Annie had long since learned that Jeff was not ashamed of his past private life and it was pointless her being offended by it. For some reason she had never understood he had never put her in the "fun, but disposable" category that rather a lot of women seem to have been put in, instead (apart from some mild teasing which seemed to be as much for his public image as anything else) he treated her as, what? One of the guys, like Troy or Abed? She didn't know whether to be relieved or offended.
"Earth to Edison…" Annie suddenly focussed in on Jeff, who looked like he was trying to suppress a chuckle.
"We lost you for a moment, there."
"Sorry Jeff, you were saying?"
"You're right - I do like this place for it's own sake. But it's more for the mountains - I really like them." He waved his hand to encompass the Rockies.
"They're spectacular, sure…"
"It's not just that." Jeff was looking past Annie at the view. "It's that they've been here for millions of years before we arrived, and will be here for millions after we've gone. Nothing we can do can possibly affect them in the slightest, or even force them to notice us - they will watch over us without even pretending to judge. Indifference like that is awesome."
What an incredibly bleak reason to love something. Annie thought to herself. "That's almost poetic, Jeff." Is what she chose to say instead. The food arrived at that point, and the conversation shifted back to banalities.
XXXXXX
Time flies when you're having fun, with the result that although he had promised to drive back in the daylight, the sun had already dropped below the mountain peaks when Jeff realised how late it was getting and told Annie they really needed to be getting back.
"Either that, or get a hotel room." He said with a smirk on his face.
"It's probably best if we head back." Annie replied with a smile of her own.
They got back to the car and headed back to the road. By the time they left Cutter's Creek behind them, it was almost full dark and Jeff had his headlights on full beam. This time, they left the stereo off and did the journey in companionable silence.
"Jeff, can you pull over as soon as it's safe? There's something I'd like to show you." Annie said, after about twenty minutes.
"What is it, Edison?"
She smiled at him. "It's a surprise, but I think you'll appreciate it."
Jeff tried to interrogate her further, but she made it clear this was a show not a tell, so when he saw a sign advertising a viewpoint a half a mile ahead he kept an eye out for it and pulled into the parking space as he approached.
"Turn all the lights off and close your eyes until I ask you to open them again." Annie said. Jeff had no idea what was going on, but decided it was easiest to humour Annie for the time being.
After a couple of minutes of silence, he heard Annie's door open and close again after she got out. A few seconds later, his own door opened from the outside and he felt Annie take his hand in hers.
"Can you get out while keeping your eyes closed?"
"Edison, this is ridic-" He was silenced by a soft finger placing itself across his lips. He shrugged and climbed out of his car.
If she's naked when I open my eyes - Jeff couldn't help thinking.
But instead he said "Edison, you had better not be planning to walk me over a cliff edge. There are less elaborate ways to steal a car, you know." Even with his eyes closed, he could almost feel Annie's smile.
"Tilt your head back Jeff, and open your eyes."
"...wow."
In the pitch black of the mountains the sky was full of stars, in a way that Jeff, as a man born and bred in cities, had never even dreamed was possible. He could think of nothing to say, which was just as well as Annie wanted to talk.
"You said you loved the mountains because they were always there for you and didn't give a damn about your problems. Well, I've always loved the stars for similar reasons. If you really want to know what eternity looks like and how trivial your problems are compared to it, lie on your back in an open space after dark when the sky is clear. It helped me get through high school, it helped me get through rehab, but I never really had a friend to talk to about it," she squeezed Jeff's hand again, "until now."
Jeff was still looking upwards, he was silent for a long moment, just looking up and gently squeezing Annie's hand. When he finally spoke, it was on a completely different subject.
"I really tried to be a good boyfriend, you know? I really wanted it to work - We always used to watch the shows she wanted to watch - I hate 'Glee'!"
"I'm not crazy about 'Glee' either." Annie muttered.
"And I had to be so careful what I talked about around her - did you know she would get a 'headache' if I so much as mentioned your name? And she was incredibly rude about Britta - pretty much the only woman she was happy about me being friends with was Shirley!"
Annie had dragged Jeff out of Greendale to help him put some space between him and his problems, but hadn't expected this much in the way of confession. And Jeff hadn't finished yet.
"And then she dumped me without so much as a 'we can still be friends'!" The raw pain that had suddenly appeared in his voice shocked Annie. "What's the point of opening yourself up to someone if you just end up like this? She wouldn't have been able to do this to the guy I was a year ago!" There was real bitterness in his voice now.
Annie was still holding his hand. She gave it a squeeze. "God alone knows you're still a work in progress, but I'll take the guy you are now over the guy you were back then any day. I don't think he and I could have been friends."
Jeff finally tore his eyes away from the view overhead and looked down at her. The starlight was reflected in her eyes.
"How do you do it Edison? How do you manage to care for people so much without getting hurt?"
Annie looked down at the ground for a long time before speaking.
"I don't, Jeff." Her voice was barely a broken whisper. "I get hurt all the time. My parents, my so-called high school friends, the guy I first -you know - did it with, even the people in rehab - "
"Me." Jeff said. It wasn't a question.
"You." She squeezed his hand again. "Hey - at least you know it's wrong and try to apologise afterwards, I'll take that over the people who thought they were doing it for my own good or just for the fun of it any day.
"The thing is, Jeff," she continued before he could say anything. "Caring and getting hurt is still better than not caring, because how can you not care about stuff, about people, and still be properly alive? And sometimes, just sometimes you get to make a difference that makes it all worthwhile."
"Dammit, Annie - what did the world do to you to force you to be so wise, so young?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle, Jeff." She looked up at him with a big smile on her face. "And let's not overdo it - I still like bright cardigans, pink poster paint and glitter, I have a bedroom full of stuffed toys and I crush on Zac Efron and buy Taylor Swift songs - I can still be immature." She dropped his hand and closed in for a hug. Jeff hugged her back.
"You're also a damn fine friend." This time, Jeff put a finger over her mouth to prevent her returning the compliment.
"Let's get back before the State Police find us."
XXXXXX
Jeff took the following day off – he sent a text message to his study group informing them that he needed more time alone to process his feelings about the breakup and one to Annie thanking her again for the previous day and asking her to work with Abed to start planning the paper for next week. Then he went out for a long run and followed that up with a hard session down the gym, trying to drown the emotional conflict with physical activity. For the afternoon, he went to the cinema to see something violent and stupid and bought a bottle of Scotch on his way home with the intent of spending the evening climbing inside it.
Instead, he'd been back barely half an hour when he was disturbed by a hammering on the door and a cheery cry of "Open up, douchebag!"
He groaned as he recognised the voice, walked over to the door and opened it. "What do you want, Britta?"
She sauntered in without waiting to be invited. "The study group was worried about you, Jeff. We decided somebody needed to come round to see how you were coping, we drew straws and I lost. So, here I am. Get your coat, we're leaving."
"What?"
"We're going to a bar, and I'm going to pour Scotch down your throat and pretend to listen while you moan about what a bitch your Ex is. It's called being a friend Jeff and you need it."
I don't believe this. "Thanks Britta, but I'm really not ready to start dating again just yet."
"In your dreams, mister – do I look like I've dressed up for a date?" She had a point, Jeff realised – jeans, jacket and boots were pretty much Britta's usual day wear, not dress to impress stuff.
"You're not budging until I agree to come, are you?"
"Not an inch, Jeff."
Jeff sighed. "Give me five minutes to put on a clean shirt and pick a jacket."
XXXXXX
They'd gone to a bar about a ten minute walk from Jeff's apartment. Britta bought a Scotch for Jeff and a glass of white wine for herself, she knew Jeff well enough to guess it was pointless talking about Slater just yet so instead she filled him in on what had happened during family day – Jeff actually laughed at her account of being switched by Troy's grandmother, and again at the resourcefulness of Shirley's boys in helping Abed's cousin to play on the bouncy castle, but he was a bit more serious when he heard how Pierce's step-daughter had only hung around long enough to fleece the old man of a hefty cheque. When Britta asked where Jeff had disappeared to, he said he'd gone for a drive in the mountains to clear his head but declined to give further details. Do you really think I don't know you ran off with your little friend? Britta thought to herself. Half of Greendale was passing through that parking lot. As she herself had said however it was not a date so she had no business challenging him about other women – and besides, she was absolutely certain she didn't want him thinking it mattered to her.
The first half of the night passed in like manner – amusing gossip, talk of trivialities, the occasional silly game. Two friends hanging out, not doing anything serious. Jeff felt deeply grateful for the company and the lack of pressure. It was during a moment of silence halfway down the fifth (or was it sixth? He'd started to lose count) glass of Scotch that he felt the silence stretch out and turn reflective.
"It came out of nowhere, you know." He said. Uh oh, here we go. Britta thought to herself.
"Three nights ago was a great night – I cooked dinner, we watched one of her stupid shows and then she changed into something more comfortable," he smiled at the memory. "And we went to bed. Not to sleep." He smiled further. "Two nights ago she was too busy preparing for family day to meet up, then when I caught up with her yesterday morning it was 'we need to talk', and she didn't even bother with 'I still want us to be friends'."
"Bitch." Britta said bluntly.
Jeff attempted to be gallant. "People are allowed to grow apart Britta."
"There's growing apart and then there's cheating." Said Britta. "Did you know she already had another guy by the time of the evening dance?"
"What?"
"Yup. Either she moved on really fast or she's been cheating on you."
"Bitch." Jeff's mood had suddenly turned black. "I really tried to make it work with her, you know?" Britta signalled the barman for more drinks and settled down to listen to Jeff vent. She deftly limited her contributions to encouraging him to turn away from self-pity and towards anger at his ex and throwing in the occasional supportive anecdote about her own supply of jerkass exes whenever he ran down.
By the time the barman was making increasingly unsubtle signals that they'd drunk enough and he'd like them to leave so he could lock up Jeff had basically run out of steam and was back to talking drunkenly about random topics.
"C'mon Jeff, time to go." Britta slurred at him.
"M'kay," he replied with a giggle. He tried to stand up, only for all the Scotch to go to his head at once, causing him to stagger and desperately grab the edge of the table to prevent himself from falling.
"Lemme help," Britta wasn't much better off, but she swayed over to Jeff and put an arm around his waist to brace him. Jeff threw an arm over her shoulders and thus propping each other up they staggered out of the bar into the cool night air.
"You're reeeeally good a' this, Britta." Jeff said. "Have you thought of taking the- therrapy courses?"
Britta smiled drunkenly at him.
"Mebbe I'll do just that." She slurred. Werrare we goin'?"
"Thizway!" Jeff pointed vaguely in the direction of his apartment. Britta giggled drunkenly as he dragged her along with him. It seemed to take much longer to get back to his building than it had to get to the bar earlier in the evening, long enough for them both to sober up a little in the cold night air.
They stopped outside the door. Britta with her arms around his waist, him with his around her back.
"Thanks Britta, I needed tonight – it was fun."
She smiled up at him. "No need Jeff, I had a good time too."
Jeff leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, just as he did she turned her head and their lips met. The kiss started accidentally, but swiftly turned passionate. Jeff picked her up and pressed her back against the door of his building, Britta wrapped her legs around his waist, freeing up her hands to grab his head and pull it tight against hers. Jeff grabbed hold of her leather jacket and frantically tried to unfasten it. All of a sudden, Britta broke the kiss and pushed back at Jeff to create some space.
"Not so fast, mister." She gasped.
"Dammit, Britta!" Jeff's desire was almost physically painful.
"We can do this thing Jeff if you really want to, but on one condition."
"Anything!" He gasped.
Britta had climbed off Jeff and was standing in front of him again. "You have to promise me – and mean it – that tonight is all about me. You will not be thinking of anybody else at any point."
"Seriously Britta, I'm so over Slater!"
Britta shook her head. "That wasn't what I asked, Jeff."
All of a sudden a memory flashed across Jeff's brain, of a soft hand in his and blue eyes and a warm smile under starlight. He felt reality crash in, sighed and let go of her. "I'm truly sorry, Britta."
Britta saw the way his face changed and smiled sadly.
"I know you are Jeff," she said. She took hold of his hands in hers and looked him straight in the eye. "You need to make up your mind about what you really want – when you do, let me know. But until then, I'm nobody's second choice. Do you understand?"
Jeff nodded. "You really are a good friend, Britta."
Britta leaned in and kissed him on the cheek – no passion this time, just friendship. "I'll see you in school on Monday."
She started to turn away, Jeff took hold of her elbow to stop her. "It would have been good, Britta." He said with a wistful smile.
"No, Jeff." Said Britta, with a smile of her own. "It would have been amazing."
Jeff let her go with a final smile. As she walked away she got out her phone and called Shirley – the other woman had offered to pick her up and drive her home in exchange for gossip. But Britta made damn sure to put an extra swing in her hips so Jeff would know just what it was he was missing.
XXXXXX
Author's note: I'm a pretty unapologetic J/A shipper - I wouldn't be writing this story if I wasn't - but I'm also very fond of Britta the Needlessly Defiant. She's probably the most fundamentally decent character on the show, even if this does manifest itself in frequently incompetent and counter-productive ways. This story has tended to show her in a somewhat unflattering light so far, as Annie's jealous and suspicious rival constantly ready with a belittling snark. I wanted to put in something of a corrective in this chapter to remind us that Britta is more than that, hence ending it with a scene showing her at her best - the one who's there for a friend when he needs it (especially when he doesn't realise it or welcome it, which is when friends are most important) and who forces Jeff to face his own conscience when he thinks he wants something else, even if by doing so she inflicts significant damage on her own cause.