The Long And Winding Road
Notes: Thanks to PsYcHoJo, sweet/sour, Dark Spell, Eppie Thenardier, YellyBelly, Kristine, spider-man-fan and Rehkopf for the recent feedback.
To sweet/sour – No, so far they haven't had sex, but they've discussed the issue. See Chapter 16. (Also for some reason, this system kept deleting the "and" symbol when I typed your screenname, so I used "/" instead.)
To Eppie Thenardier – If you reached Chapter 30, you've learned the reason why Emma started eating chicken.
To Rehkopf – I don't know if I'd make a good book author, but I appreciate the vote of confidence.
Chapter 34 - Decisions
On a Friday in early February, the bell rang at DCS signaling the end of another class period.
"Okay guys, have a good weekend," Simpson told his M.I. students. "Oh, by the way, be sure to check your classroom e-mail accounts. You've each got two projects to start this weekend which are due on Monday. Don't worry. Combined, they only count for 80 percent of your overall grade and will determine whether or not you graduate. But no pressure."
That statement resulted in audible gasps and mumbled complaints. After a moment, Simpson smiled.
"Kidding. Just have the next chapter read by Monday. You Grade 12s get so tense this time of year. You make it too easy."
Groans and sighs of relief were then heard as students departed either to go to lunch or to their next class.
"Your dad loves to torture us," JT said to Emma.
"You're just now figuring that out?" Emma joked.
"I'll meet you in the caf in a few minutes, Emma. I've got to go over the theater ad copy with Liberty since she'll be working on the next issue's layout this weekend."
"No problem," she replied. "Want me to get you something while I'm in line, to save you time?"
"Sure. Surprise me. Just nothing too healthy."
"I guarantee nothing."
JT laughed then left the room and went to his locker to get the advertising. Once he got there, he noticed something new. Taped to his locker was a university bumper sticker.
'Subtlety, thy name is NOT Emma Nelson,' JT thought. 'At least she only taped it on here instead of sticking it directly on the locker. That would have been a pain to peel off.'
He removed the sticker and tossed it inside his locker then removed the file folder he needed. After shutting the locker, he made his way toward the room that served as The Grapevine's base of operations. JT opened the door and found Liberty seated in front of a computer reading from the screen.
"Had a feeling you'd come straight here after class, Liberty. Ever heard of taking a break? This IS the hour set aside for that grand old tradition known as Lunch."
"…Said the person who's here on movie theater business. Surely you're not saying that I'm the only one not taking a break."
"Okay, okay. Point taken. Here's the ad and the check."
He handed the folder over to Liberty.
"Thanks."
She placed the check inside a desk drawer and then examined the ad design.
"Everything looks standard," she commented. "Nothing out of the ordinary."
"You should see the ad going into the local paper next week. It's going to be so small that readers will need to have a magnifying glass on hand when they're reading."
"Uh-oh. Did they raise their advertising rates again?"
"No," JT replied. "More like we don't have enough in the budget right now to buy the usual space AND keep everyone on our staff paid. At least we can still afford something decent in The Grapevine as well as in the university newspaper."
"Losing customers?"
"No, just not gaining any extra. Well, not enough to make a difference financially. That means we keep on getting by, but we never seem to get ahead. I'm telling you, if we kept our petty cash in a piggy bank, the pig would have run to the nearest oven, committed suicide and we'd be selling bacon to the customers instead of popcorn."
"It would be a shame if the place closed."
"Sal's owned that theater for years. He probably wants to be buried in the storeroom when he dies. It's not going anywhere. By the way, did you know anything about that little surprise that was waiting on my locker?"
"Surprise?"
"Emma left a university bumper sticker taped to my locker."
Liberty laughed.
"No, JT. I hadn't seen it. What? You didn't appreciate it?"
"I'm sticking with the whole 'It's the thought that counts' idea."
"She's just looking out for your best interests."
"I know. At least it will give me a chance to bug her. I think I'll give her my best Raditch impersonation and complain about her placing unauthorized propaganda on school property."
"Cruel."
"Hey, don't they say you have to be cruel to be kind?" he smirked. "I'll leave you to your editing."
"JT, wait a moment. I want to ask you something."
Meanwhile in the lunchroom, Emma and Courtney sat down at a table. Courtney had gotten a sandwich while Emma had purchased a salad for herself and a sandwich and apple for JT.
"Where's Manny?" Courtney asked.
"The library," Emma replied.
"I didn't know she even realized the school had a library," Courtney joked. "She DOES know that a library is where they store all the books, right?"
"She needed one more source for a research paper."
"I see. And JT?"
"With Liberty. He'll be along in a few minutes."
"So he's not simply hiding out from his overly eager collegian-to-be."
"Very funny," Emma responded. "But I think I HAVE been pressing him a bit much lately."
"I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you right. Was Emma Nelson just admitting to going overboard about something?"
"I'm always willing to admit my mistakes. Luckily I make so few that the issue doesn't come up very often."
In response, Courtney pretends to choke on her sandwich.
"I'll ignore that, Courtney. No, I'm not wrong about encouraging JT, but maybe I shouldn't have gone so far as to use props, like the sticker on his locker."
"As long as you didn't put one on his actual car bumper, I think he'll let it slide."
"It's just that in his own way JT's very smart, and I don't want him to pass up any opportunities."
"And…?" Courtney asked, knowing there had to be more to it.
"And…it's not like he's got a family around to give him any kind of encouragement about furthering his education."
"And…?"
"And…I like the idea of us doing this together."
"Ah-ha!"
"There's no 'Ah-ha,' Courtney. That's not the main reason and you know it. But I suppose it's ONE reason. It's not even about spending all our time together. We don't spend all our time together now, since we're both busy people and I'm not one of those clingy, needy girlfriends and he's not that kind of boyfriend. But I like the idea that this is something we can do together. You know, before I get busy with a career and he gets busy with his, and we become one of those couples who only gets to spend time together after work and on weekends. Which is not to say that we'd ever become boring or predictable even then."
"I suppose there are worse reasons, but it's good that you're going to let up at least a little. What changed your mind?"
"I don't know. Maybe it was the look he gave me on his way out of the room after class a few minutes ago."
"Annoyed?"
"No. Just the opposite. He was laughing about something I said and then he left to go take care of his business."
"Um, I'm eating here, Emma…"
"No, I don't mean he went to the restroom, I mean his theater business."
"Oh. My mistake."
"Anyway…he just had that usual look of his. Enjoying life. Confident. About himself and us. And I don't want to become someone who nags all the time, even if it seems like it's with good reason. I don't want to ever be responsible for that natural expression of his going away."
"That's sweet, Emma."
"Thanks."
"And of course there's the whole reverse psychology angle where the more you downplay his going, the more he'll probably develop his own interest and desire to attend. Right?"
"Yeah, there's that, too," Emma joked. "There's nothing wrong with having TWO motivating factors, is there?"
Back in the newsroom, JT stopped walking toward the doorway and turned back to see what Liberty wanted to ask.
"What is it, Liberty?"
"You know Patrick's been flirting with me."
"I've noticed. What about it?"
"Yesterday he finally asked me out. I turned him down."
"Okay."
"I like him, but I don't LIKE him. He was disappointed, but he understood. We're still friends."
"That's good."
"Do you think that was a good thing to do, or should I have given him a chance?"
"I don't really want to get into…"
"JT," Liberty interrupted, "I want to know your opinion."
After a moment, JT shut the door then turned back around to face Liberty.
"What do I think? Well, I've known you a long time, and one of things I know for sure about you is that when there's something – or someone – you want, you go after it. You don't always get it. For instance, you didn't get me."
Liberty laughed.
"But even when you don't get what you want, it's not because you didn't try to go after it. I figure if you'd had any interest in Pat as more than a friend, there wouldn't have been any doubt in your mind. You would have taken a shot."
"That makes sense. But if someone else doesn't come along, then I've lost out on two guys who DID want me, first by ending things with Roger and now by rejecting Patrick."
"You know better than that, Liberty. What, were you hoping to find your true love before you graduate?"
"You did."
"Exception to the rule. Besides, from what I hear, smart girls are considered much cooler at university than they are in high school. You know, except maybe by the drunks in the frats. So you'll be meeting all sorts of people who will actually get turned on when you start going on and on about science experiments and hundred-year-old books and stuff like that, but who aren't completely boring and annoying like you thought Roger turned out to be."
"You're sure?" Liberty asked.
"Hey, have I ever lied to you?" JT responded.
"Wellll…there was that time you told me you had a sister. And when you tried to convince me you were gay…"
"We were, what, 12 – maybe 13 – years old?" JT asked, rolling his eyes.
Liberty laughed.
"You're never going to let me live that gay thing down, are you?" JT asked sarcastically.
"I hadn't planned on it," she joked, which made him groan in mock annoyance.
"So JT, have you decided if you'll be attending in the Fall? It seems like you'd enjoy being there, if only to observe college life and mock everything you might find off-kilter. Not to mention protecting Emma from all those guys who are attracted to smart women."
"Both good incentives, Liberty. Actually, I've been thinking about it. How could I NOT, with Emma going on about it? I suppose I'm really going to do it. She HAS mentioned a few classes that don't seem like they'd be the biggest waste of time I've ever spent. So maybe it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, at least for a semester or two."
"That's great."
"As long as she doesn't get the idea that this means I'll start giving in to her on every issue."
"Don't worry, JT. Emma won't start thinking that. She's ALWAYS known that."
"Funny."
"I'm only kidding. You two are both good about taking care of one another."
"Let's not get all sentimental. I don't want to lose my appetite. And lunch is what I need right about now. You've got the ad and the payment. And as far as the personal business, are you okay?"
"Reassured and doing well."
"Then I'll see you later."
"Bye JT."
JT then went to the door and put his hand on the doorknob, but stopped before he turned it.
"Thanks, Liberty," he said while looking at the doorknob.
"For what?" she asked. "Shouldn't I have said that to you, considering our conversation?"
"I never said it last October. I meant to, but you know how it goes."
"I didn't do much," she said, realizing that he was referring to her part in the intentionally bad double date that led JT and Emma to confess their long-withheld feelings to one another. "The two of you would have found your way eventually. Like you say, things have a way of working out the way they're supposed to."
"Yeah, but it had already been months of wanting to…That night you helped us quit stalling and get everything out in the open."
He pressed tightly on the doorknob.
"Me and Emma…it's the best thing that's ever…Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you knew how much I appreciate…You're important to both of us."
"I know, JT."
"Good."
JT then opened the door and left the room. He walked through the halls and eventually made his way inside the lunchroom. After a quick glance around the room, he spotted Emma and Courtney sitting across from one another at a table eating and talking. In a moment, Emma looked up and noticed JT. She smiled and waved him over.
"Hey Courtney," he said once he reached the table.
"Hi," she replied.
"Nice sticker, Emma."
"Sorry about that, JT," Emma responded. "I shouldn't have…"
"Don't worry about it. Listen, since you seem to be the expert on all this stuff…Can you tell me some more about these film studies courses you mentioned the other day?"
"I'm sure I can get some further information and…Wait. Does this mean…?"
"Just tell me this college thing won't be the biggest waste of time ever and that I won't find it too annoying."
"I'll keep you from getting too annoyed," Emma assured him.
"I'm still not convinced this won't be a big mistake."
"It's not. I promise. JT, I'm so happy you've decided to do this."
"Don't think this is some win for you staying on my case," he said while sitting down at the table.
"Uh-huh," she replied as she put the sandwich and apple out in front of him.
"I mean, I'm an open-minded kind of guy. I should be willing to give this a chance."
"Absolutely, JT. It's all your idea."
"Yeah. Except if I don't like it."
"Then you're going to blame me, saying you only tried it for my benefit."
"Naturally," he joked. Then he winked at her. "Hey! No chips?"
"You like apples."
"True, but I like chips, too."
"You had chips yesterday."
"Emma, is there some chip rule saying you can't eat them two days in a row?"
"Don't mind me," Courtney interjected. "Who knew the caf would have its own version of dinner theater while I ate?"
"I suppose if you really want chips," Emma offered, "you could get a little bag of those baked ones."
"You mean the ones that are supposed to be healthier?"
"That's the kind."
"They have no salt and taste blander than a sheet of paper."
"I didn't realize you'd ever eaten a sheet of paper, JT."
"You know what I mean. So what is it? Are you trying to kill me before we even get to university?"
"How did you guess?" Emma asked, starting to laugh.
"Such a mean woman you are, Emma Nelson. So, do you want to do something after I get off work tonight?"