This is a chapter I wrote years ago and only put up on Archive of our Own a few months ago. I was gonna put it up on here, too, but I forgot my password to my account on here and didn't feel like making a new password honestly. But here it is now for anyone who wants it. Ik this is an almost dead fandom but hey, if only one person reads it, I'm happy to have provided.
Chapter 11
"Ouch! One of you kicked me!" Amber yelped at Nina and Alfie. "It's far too early for this! You want to play your little footsie game, fine, but at least don't do it in the morning! And have better aim!"
Everyone eating breakfast at the table laughed at Nina and Alfie feeling like their secret games of footsie had been exposed. The truth was, they weren't very good at hiding it. You could tell when they did it because they tried to act like they weren't laughing and wouldn't meet each other's eyes.
Jerome raised his eyebrows at Amber, and she cleared her throat.
"But I'm glad the two of you have fun together." Amber finished. Nina quirked an eyebrow, but also smiled at Alfie.
"So, what's the plan for today? It's Sunday, should be pretty chill." Eddie said.
Everyone just shrugged. Something was missing. It was Mara telling them that anyone who hadn't done their backstories should probably get them done today. But Mara wasn't at the table. No one had seen her outside of bed. Willow was there, but she only picked at her food.
Luckily, it was on Fabian's mind. "Amber and I are probably gonna work on Winkler's assignment. Right?"
Amber pouted and said quietly just to him, "But I want to play matchmaker to Nina and Alfie."
"C'mon Ambs," Fabian said, poking her a little. "You get to play matchmaker for us."
She lit up at that idea and grinned. "Ooh that sounds like fun!"
"What about everyone else?" Jerome asked to the group as a whole. He looked at Nina and Alfie. "You two wanna play another prank with KT and I?" Jerome asked.
"Oh, God, please no." Fabian mumbled.
"Don't worry, Fabian," Alfie chuckled. "I think Nina and I just wanna relax until she eventually makes me do my homework. Yeah?"
Nina giggled a bit but nodded. "Sounds nice. Maybe we can watch a movie. You did talk about rewatching Jurassic Park."
Jerome focused on Nina like he was reading her. "That doesn't really seem like your type of movie."
Nina shrugged. "Not really. But I figured I'd give it a try for Alfie."
Jerome nodded and looked at Amber with a slightly raised eyebrow. He didn't have to say anything. Amber knew Nina very well, everything about Jurassic Park would turn Nina away. Not only was she not super into sci fi, she wasn't into dinosaurs and she wasn't into horror. If it weren't for Alfie, she'd never watch it. Amber was starting to think their plan would be easier than she thought. She looked to Fabian, who was squinting at Nina like he couldn't fully focus on her.
"You'll want to train, yeah?" Patricia asked Mick. He looked at her and shook his head slowly.
"No... I think I'd like to take it easy today, too," Mick said. "You've put in the effort to be around me, you've made training, practice, and my games really great... I think it's only fair I put in the effort, too."
Patricia smiled but she said, "Hey, I get it. You've got to practice, and you were right about me being the flexible one-"
"I think one day won't kill me." Mick said.
Patricia's grin somehow got wider. Neither she nor Mick seemed to notice Eddie staring at them.
"Well," Jerome clapped, gaining everyone's attention back and then turning to KT. "Seems like it's just the two of us today."
"Don't sound so disappointed," KT said before lifting cereal into her mouth.
Jerome shook his head. "Being around you? Never."
Joy watched as they smiled at each other. Then she looked at Fabian and Amber, who were talking quietly to each other and giving each other doe eyes. She looked at Nina and Alfie, who were for sure still playing footsie, and then aat Mick and Patricia. Patricia was excitedly saying all the things she might want to do that day while Mick listened intently. Then she looked at Eddie, who was looking at Patricia.
And in that moment Joy realized something. This entire week, the entire project, she had been holding back. Her and Eddie flirt some, hang out, they even had a spot where they would go when they rode his bike. Sure they kissed, as was assigned, but there was nothing about them that yelled 'couple'. She's had to sit and watch Jerome and KT make goo goo eyes at each other for days, and the worst part was, she could kind of see them working. But Joy's been so concerned with how bad she'd feel being in a 'relationship' with her best friend's boyfriend, she hasn't been able to fully immerse herself in the project the same way the others have. After her talk with Patricia and Eddie yesterday, she felt like it was only fair to herself and to Eddie that she dive all the way in.
Joy took a deep breath, let go of all her feelings of being a bad friend, let go of the idea of Eddie belonging to Patricia, and mentally stamped 'boyfriend' on Eddie's label in her mind. She reached down and slipped her hand in Eddie's. He jumped a tiny bit, but corrected himself quickly and held her back with only a small note of hesitation. Joy liked holding hands, liked feeling physically close, and she realized she had no idea if Eddie was the same way. It wasn't like it was something she and Patricia discussed in depth. She couldn't help but notice the difference. Eddie's hands were bigger, but Jerome's fingers were longer, and neither were entirely unpleasant. Eddie, however, did feel a little more tense.
"Everyone's pairing off," Joy said to him. "So what do you think you'd like to do today? We could take another ride if you want."
Eddie grinned, "Now you're a motorcycle fiend, huh?" Joy snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well, I have to talk to my dad about something today, but other than that, I'm all yours."
"I should hope so," Joy said, her thumb rubbing across his knuckles. Goosebumps ran up Eddie's arm and stayed there even as she let go to get more food from the table. He couldn't help but to stare for a second. Joy had never been so touchy before, but if that was a new angle to gain points, he wasn't gonna fight it.
"Done?" Fabian asked as Amber wiped her mouth. She nodded and took his hand as she stood and Fabian said, "We're gonna work on our backstory, we'll see you guys later."
"Way later," Amber finished with a giggle and practically dragged Fabian away. Alfie couldn't help but watch them leave. He realized it had been quite a while since he saw Amber smiling that wide. His feelings battled between being happy to see the grin again, and wishing he were the cause of it.
Amber and Fabian had been friendly since they met, but they didn't really have much in common. The few times Fabian and Amber would talk, he was always so nice, it didn't take long for Amber to develop a small crush. However, at the time, she was too shy to say anything. Amber was, of course, beautiful, but it was like the more she came out of her shell, the more intimidating she got to Fabian. He wound up staying away, and Amber never pushed, she had plenty of friends and admirers around her anyway.
Everything changed when Nina came to school. Amber gained a new best friend and Fabian gained a crush. To Amber, the bookish, mysterious pair were a match made in heaven. It was only a matter of time before the two made it official. With the burgeoning relationship as well as Nina and Amber not really leaving each other's side, Amber and Fabian got to know each other in a new way.
No longer was Fabian simply the nerdy, quiet guy who was nice the few times he talked to Amber. Now she knew him to be funny, sarcastic, talented not only academically but musically as well. He was relentless and protective, and Amber always felt safe when he was around. Fabian saw a new side to Amber, the one who was secretly one of the smartest and most logical people he'd met, her logic was just unconventional. He saw a determined, stubborn, fierce girl who would do anything for the people she loved. They grew to admire each other.
Amber could understand why Fabian had the admirers he had, yet she was still surprised when she became one of them. Amber was nothing if not loyal, and Fabian was Nina's for as long as she'd known her. That didn't mean they couldn't be friends. The two would spend time together, and some of Fabian's favorite moments were looking down and getting a text from Amber that'd be full of emojis and unusual wise cracks. But guilt began to set in as Nina began to make herself scarce. She later would confide in Amber that spending time around Fabian after their failed relationship made her feel awkward and uncomfortable. Amber wanted to be loyal and stay away, but it was like Fabian was a magnet and she always found herself drawn to him. It didn't help that Fabian didn't want to stay too far from Amber as well.
The solution came in a way Amber didn't expect. She was just walking back from school when she saw Nina and Alfie just a few paces ahead. It hadn't occurred Amber to ask who Nina spent her time with when she was avoiding Fabian. She watched as Alfie said something that nearly had Nina snort with laughter, and Alfie grinned at her reaction. Amber was something of a genius when it came to spotting chemistry. As she paid attention to the pair, she saw that there was something there. She also saw the guilt that clouded over Nina's face whenever it was clear how much she was enjoying Alfie's company.
It was when she could see the two purposefully avoiding each other and how miserable it was making the two of them that Amber knew what she had to do. She told Fabian she had the solution to everyone's problems, and told him to have a conversation with Alfie while she had one with Nina. They were honest about the new feelings that had developed, and decided to stop torturing each other and give the go ahead. When Amber found Fabian later, he kissed her, and the spark that she'd tried to ignore for so long had become a full on flame.
Fabian sat on Amber's bed and finished reading the completed backstory of his and Amber's "coupling" and smiled. When he looked to Amber, though, she didn't look happy. "Hey, what's wrong."
Amber pouted a little. "I feel like a bad friend."
"Why's that?"
"How could I like you like this knowing you were Nina's?" Amber whailed. "At least in the fake backstory I knew Nina and Alfie liked each other, now I don't know how much is them and how much it is just them being good actors. What if I tell Nina how I feel and she hates me?"
"Amber," Fabian said wrapping an arm around her. "Regardless of what's going on between Nina and Alfie or what's not going on between Nina and Alfie, we'll figure it out. If this," Fabian gestured between them. "Hurts too many people, we won't do it. And it'll be okay. You know why?"
Amber looked at him. "Why?"
"Because even if we're just friends, I'll be happy to have you around." Fabian said. Amber smiled slowly.
"Ditto!" Amber said and Fabian chuckled.
Eddie was walking towards the front door when Joy stopped him. "Hey Eddio, heading to your dad?"
"Yeah, just gotta ask him about something." Eddie said.
"Okay, well take your time. I'll be around when you get back. I was thinking later we can make lunch or something?" Joy asked.
Eddie shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, sure."
Joy grinned and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Later babes."
Eddie was slightly stunned as he replayed the 'babes' in his head. Joy hadn't called him that at any point in the week. And she had been so much more touchy and affectionate all day. "Wait, Joy!" Joy paused and looked back. "Do you wanna just walk with me? It shouldn't take long and that way we can just spend more time together."
Joy smiled. "Sure, I'll just get my jacket." Eddie smiled back, but he knew what he really wanted: to get to the bottom of Joy's new behavior.
Patricia smiled to herself as she all but ran to her room to find something to wear. She rumaged through her closet, pulling out a few possibilities and laying them on her bed when movement caught her eye. She looked at Mara's bed, where a lump sat beneath the covers. She sighed and walked over, sitting on the bed and nudging the lump.
"Go away." Mara's muffled voice carried through the blanket.
"Mara, come on. What's this about?" Patricia said. "Is it about the awkward dinner from hell yesterday?"
Mara groaned in answer.
"Well you can't lie in bed all day and avoid the rest of life." Patricia said.
"I'm not avoiding life." Mara said, finally emerging from the covers. Her hair was a tangled mess that sat on her head like a too large hat. "I'm avoiding Willow. I screwed up big time."
"Oh come on, it's Willow. She'll get over it." Patricia said. "She's probably painting pictures of unicorns and squeeing as we speak."
Mara sent a slight glare Patricia's way. "Don't simplify her like that. Everyone only sees Willow one way, as the hyperactive oddball who says things that you don't understand. Willow's actually really insightful and more understanding of human emotion than anyone I've ever come across. And she's not just a one note, excitable person, she has feelings like everyone else." Mara pouted. "And I think I really hurt them last night."
Patricia looked at her morose friend and tried to be more understanding. "Okay, I wasn't being fair. Not to you, or to Willow. But why don't you talk to her?"
"We tried to talk last night," Mara said. "We didn't really come to any understandings. If anything, I feel like I made it worse."
"Well you won't exactly be earning any points for the project with the two of you not being in the same room together." Patricia said. "In fact, how are you certain she's really hurt. Maybe she's just playing her role really well, trying to listen to what Winkler said about allowing yourself to be angry at your partner and all that."
Mara shook her head. "No, she was really upset. I can tell. And I'm the worst girlfriend ever, fake or otherwise. My real relationships fall to pieces and I can't even keep a fake one going. Clearly it's me, I'm the problem."
"You're not the problem," Patricia assured her. "But if you really feel bad about all of this, then just find a way to make it right. I may not know Willow the same way you now do, but I get the sense she's very forgiving."
"Yeah," Mara acknowledged. "If the apology comes from the heart." She took a deep breath and then let it out again. "Thanks, Patricia."
Patricia nodded and patted her leg. "What are friends for?"
Mara watched as Patricia went back to her bed and inspected the outfits on there. "What's the occasion?"
"Oh," Patricia said, looking nervous. "Mick and I are... going on a date."
"A date?" Mara repeated. "An honest to God date?"
"It was Mick's idea." Patricia said. "I thought we could just goof off all day but he suggested it since we'd have a free day and we're already 'dating'. I said yeah cause... Honestly when's the next chance I'll have to go on a date withMickand it not be weird. And you know, it should gain us points."
Mara nodded. "You look nervous."
"Oh well I... I've never been on a date with anyone but Eddie, and most of our dates didn't go well. I accidentally stood him up when I got locked in the bathroom, then when we did go on a date I couldn't talk, another one I had to spend the first part of it with him blindfolded..."
"Blindfolded?" Mara repeated.
"It's a long story. The point is, I don't have much dating experience, and the experience Idohave... could be better." Patricia said. "I just... I want it to go well."
"Why?" Mara asked. "Do you like him?"
Patricia sputtered immediately. "Like who? Meathead Mick? Please, I just figure if I'm going to go through with the date, I might as well enjoy it."
Mara didn't mention that Patricia had a very similar reaction when anyone used to ask her about Eddie. Mara wouldn't push it, she imagined if Patricia did 'like' Mick in anyway, it would only feel complicated, what with her relationship with Eddie. In fact, Mara imagined many of her housemates were having conflicting and complicated feelings like that, she knew she was. Acknowledging that there might be more than just a project between them when in a week everyone would be at least trying to go back to normal might cause more harm than good.
"Go with that one," Mara pointed to the blue jacket/black dress combo. "Not too dressy, not too casual, and it doesn't seem like you're trying too hard but you'll still look great."
Patricia held it up to herself and smiled. "Yeah, I think I like this one, too. Thanks Mara."
"Sure." Mara said. "I hope you have a good date."
Eddie and Joy were about halfway down the path to the school where Eddie knew his dad was when Joy slipped her hand into his again. He almost stumbled with the contact but he caught himself. He figured now was as good a time as any. "Joy?"
"Hmm?"
"You've been real um... touchy today."
White hot embarrassment poured over her and she released Eddie's hand. "Sorry..."
"No, wait!" Eddie said, stopping. Joy also stopped walking. "It's not a bad thing, it's just... we've been dating-or well 'dating' for about a week and you haven't really done that. I guess I'm wondering what changed. Are you just trying to get more points? Make up for yesterday?"
Joy shrugged. "Kind of, but it's not just yesterday I'm making up for. It's the whole week." She sighed. "I realized I've been holding back because I feel weird about 'dating' you because of Patricia. But I shouldn't have been letting that stop me, I mean no one else is. I'm just trying to get into it, but it probably feels forced."
Eddie thought about the last week. He thought about how well everyone was acting and how invested in the project they seemed. He then thought about himself and Joy, and felt like they didn't put on nearly as good a show. He suddenly felt like they had a lot to make up for.
"It's not just you," Eddie admitted. "I think I've been so consumed with looking at and thinking about Patricia I haven't put my all into it. But everyone else is really going for it, and more so, no one's blaming them for it." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's also that... earlier in the week we were hanging out and having a lot of fun and I started to feel bad about it."
"See, I feel the same way!" Joy said. "But it's like you said yesterday, you've just got to throw yourself into it. And if holding hands is too awkward, we don't have to do it. It's just that my love language is physical touch."
"Your... what is what?" Eddie asked.
"Love language?" Joy asked. "You don't know what that is?"
"Not even slightly."
Joy chuckled. "Well, your love language is pretty much what it sounds like. It's how you express your love for someone, and it's not even necessarily romantic, it's just people you love. My love language is physical touch, but there's four other ones."
"Okay, lay them on me." Eddie said. They had finally begun to walk again, slowly and taking their time.
"Besides physical touch, there's words of affirmation, gift giving, acts of services and quality time." Joy said. "People have different ways of expressing their love and care for people, and just because my thing is physical touch doesn't mean it's yours."
Eddie thought this over, running through the list Joy gave him. "I feel like my love language is insults and punches."
Joy smiled. "Well it would make sense, being that you're with Patricia."
"So... love languages... is it what you like to give or receive?" Eddie asked.
"Kind of both, but I know people who, for example, like giving gifts way more than receiving them." Joy said.
Eddie frowned slightly. "I really don't know what my 'love language' is."
Truthfully, as much as he loved his Yacker, and he really did, she wasn't good with... intimacy. Physically she was getting better, but emotionally she still sometimes kept him an arm's length away. Eddie knew all about emotional walls, and sometimes he had a hard time not putting his up with her, so he understood and never pushed. But with this conversation about love languages, he wondered if either of them ever showed their language of love. Maybe practicing with Joy would make him more able to express himself with Patricia.
"You mind being my guinea pig?" Eddie asked.
Joy quirked her head. "In what way?"
"I wanna know what my love language is." Eddie said. "So I wanna try them out, if you're okay with it. See what feels the best."
"Sure," Joy smiled.
Eddie reached down and took Joy's hand in his own. "Might as well start with something I know you like."
Joy looked down at their hands. "How's it feel?"
Eddie made a face. "Weird." Joy laughed a little. "But not... bad."
Joy gave him a little squeeze and another smile.
Nina listened patiently, sitting on Alfie's bed while he explained his plans for the talent show. "And then, I'll maybe do some audience participation, people really love that in a magic act."
Nina sighed and nodded. Alfie frowned.
"What is it? Am I boring you?" Alfie asked.
"No, not boring me..." Nina said. "I'm a fan of your magic tricks, you know that, right?"
Alfie shrugged, sitting next to her. "When you're not afraid of it messing things up for Sibuna, yeah."
Nina snorted a bit, "Well that was one of your best tricks."
Alfie gave her a sideways smile and nudged her. "So why the sour face?"
Nina bit her lip. She went in the nightstand next to his bed and pulled out what she knew to be Alfie's sketchbook. Alfie raised his eyebrows.
"How'd you know that was there?" Alfie asked. "Did you snoop through my stuff?"
"I saw you put it away the other day." Nina said opening it. "I think this is what you should be showing off for the talent show."
"My sketchbook?"
"Your art."
Alfie shrugged. "It's really just a hobby."
"But you're really talented, Alfie." Nina said. "And it's like you're scared to share it with people. Even in art class you seem to hold yourself back. I... I won't push you but... I think you should show people what you can do."
Alfie frowned down at his sketches. It wasn't necessarily that he was scared, it just wasn't what people expected from him. Magic and excitement, goofy rapping or dancing, that was what people knew him to be. When he sat down and focused on a drawing or painting, it was like he wasn't putting on a show. And if he wasn't putting on a show, he was just him. And Alfie wasn't completely sure who he was without the show.
Maybe he was scared.
"Why's it matter so much to you?" Alfie asked.
Nina shrugged. "I don't know... you asked me out with an image of me drawn on the back of the house. Do you know that even though you sprayed it down with the hose you can still kind of see it? Sometimes I go back there and try to make it out. No one's done anything like that for me before, and it was so detailed. It showed a different side of you, and I liked it." Nina sighed. "Whenever I think about it, I wish it wasn't so hidden."
Alfie looked down. "I just feel like no one's gonna care about..."the Alfie that paints.
"Hey," Nina said, taking Alfie's chin and gently turning his head to her so she was looking him in his eye. "If there's only one person in the audience cheering, it'll be me."
Alfie couldn't help it, he kissed her, hoping she could feel how that made him feel. Nina felt a tingling in her body. It was crazy, because the first time they kissed, it was perfunctory. Now, she lived for it. It was always a battle within her, it wasn't meant to be like this. It was just acting, and in a week it would all be over. The best she could do for herself was enjoy it while she could, and try not to feel too guilty about it.
When they pulled apart, Alfie looked down shyly and cleared his throat. Nina wondered if he was thinking similarly, but she didn't want to bring it up. Alfie said, "I... I think I have an idea then. For the show. But you'd have to help me."
"Of course," Nina said.
"Alright, I'm still incorporating my magic." Alfie said. "Hopefully when you see the tricks behind the illusion, it won't ruin the magic."
"C'mon Alfie, your true magic was never about 'tricks'." Nina said. Alfie smiled. "Now are we gonna watch Jurassic Park or not?"
Eddie knocked on his dad's office door, leaving Joy outside for just a minute. Mr. Sweet looked up over his glasses and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Edison! To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm not gonna be long, Joy's waiting outside." Eddie said, closing the door.
"Ah, yes, the girlfriend?" Mr. Sweet said, with a fun smile. Eddie laughed a little bit.
"Yeah, my girlfriend." Eddie said. "Actually, I'm here about her."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Eddie said. "Do you know that Madam Stephens is way harder on Joy than she is anyone else? It makes it a miserable class for her and I bet she'd be doing better without Madam barking at her all the time."
"I've heard that she can be kind of strict, but I see no reason why she would single out one student. Are you sure it's not something Joy is doing?" Mr. Sweet asked.
"Joy doesn't do anything. In fact, she's so scared of her that she just keeps her head down." Eddie said. "But it's more than that, because I have reason to believe she has a vendetta against Joy and it's got nothing to do with her and everything to do with her father."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Do you know that Mr. Mercer is on the board for several schools in the district, including this one as well as the school Madam Stephens used to work at? He's the reason she was fired from there because of 'insubordination' and 'noncompliance with school laws'." Eddie said. "And then you brought her right here where she could make his daughter miserable."
"Oh my..." Mr. Sweet muttered. "I had no idea about any of this. I saw she was fired from her last school, something about a general aversion to authority. But her resume was impressive and she spoke French remarkably well-"
"You don't have to justify yourself," Eddie said. "I just want her to stop treating Joy like crap. I have no problem going straight to Mr. Mercer myself if it comes to that, or even just telling Madam Stephens that I will. But I think it'll go better if you just tell her to lay off. And if she tries to deny how she treats Joy, I know all the people in our house will stand behind me."
"Eddie, Eddie, there's no need for this, I will talk to her." Mr. Sweet said. "And you tell me if there are further problems."
Eddie smiled. "Believe me, I will. Thanks dad."
Mr. Sweet nodded at him as Eddie left the office. Joy was leaning on the wall, tapping rhythmically on her knee. She looked up at the sound of the door opening. "That was fast."
"Yeah, just had to tell him something, but it's handled now." Eddie said, holding Joy's hand again. "So what are the other love languages again?"
Patricia glared at Mick, and he only laughed in response. "What?" He said. They had taken a taxi cab out to a town just twenty minutes out. It was a quiet area with lots of little shops and cafes around. The vibe was lowkey, which was nice. But Patricia was still irritated.
"You know I don't like surprises," Patricia said. "Why won't you tell me where we're going?"
"It's not surprises you don't like, it's not knowing things," Mick said. "Just trust me, we'll have a good time. The main thing we're doing isn't until around four though."
Patricia looked at the time. "It's twelve thirty, what are we gonna be doing in the meantime?"
"Thought we could just hang." Mick shrugged. "Want ice cream? I know this spot that's got the best stuff and so many flavors you probably didn't even know existed."
"Hmm." Patricia said. "I have been craving a milkshake... Okay, let's go."
Jerome focused intently on his task, his tongue sticking out a little bit. He was in the living room braiding KT's hair despite the fact that he had absolutely zero experience in the braiding hair department. He really liked KT's hair, it was soft and it always smelled good.
"Okay, done." Jerome said. KT got up and looked in the nearest mirror, bursting into immediate giggles.
"What did youdo?" KT asked. She touched her hair. It was in two braids, one stuck straight out the side of her head, the other messily sat on her shoulder. "It's gonna be so tangled, too. Why did I let you do this?"
"Because I asked nicely and I'm adorable?" Jerome suggested, coming up behind her. She looked at him in the mirror with a face like she was trying not to smile. "Do you want me to help take the braids out?"
"No, I think you've done enough," KT said, struggling to free her hair from the hairband Jerome put on the end. "But if it means anything, I enjoyed when you finger-combed it."
"I could literally do that all day." Jerome said. The pair sat back down and even as KT was trying to get her hair okay, Jerome gently had her lean on him. KT let it happen, realizing that leaning against Jerome was one of the most comfortable things she's done. She recalled rehearsing for the play (that she didn't actually get an opportunity to be in) and having to lean on him and being uncomfortable. Just like this, it was acting, so what changed?
She realized what changed was that this, at least on her part, was no longer entirely acting.
Panic rammed through her and she shot up, nearly hitting Jerome when she did it. He looked startled. "What is it? Did I do something wrong?"
"No I-" KT shook her head, all but ripping her hair out, untangling her hair from the braids Jerome put in there. "I just... I need a minute."
"Okay," Jerome said carefully, watching her. "Is there something I can do? Something I should do?"
KT shook her head, sitting as far from him as possible.
"Come on, KT. Please talk to me." Jerome asked as gently as he could. KT looked at him hesitantly. "Please."
KT looked down at her hands. There were little pieces of her hair that broke off when she was forcibly going through it. "I..." She took a deep breath. "I've never had a boyfriend before. I don't think I've... mentioned that yet."
Jerome shrugged, "You're doing pretty well for a rookie."
She rolled her eyes at his slight teasing, somewhat used to it by now. "Yeah, too well."
Jerome's eyebrows tried to come together at that. "What do you mean?"
"I... I've never been in this position before and I think I'm... enjoying it too much. Everybody else, they'll know this isn't real. They won't be dumb enough to actually..." She sighed. "This is all I've ever known in terms of romance or a relationship and I feel like I'm getting too attached or something."
"To me?" Jerome asked. KT put her head in her hands. "No, don't-KT come on." He sat closer to her and pulled her hands from her face. "It's okay."
KT narrowed her eyes at him, "Why are you smiling?"
Jerome realized he was, in fact, smiling, but he couldn't help it. "After what you said yesterday, not being sure you wanted to stay in each other lives and all that, I thought maybe it was just me. I'm honestly kind of relieved to be proven wrong."
"Just you? What do you mean?"
"KT, it's got nothing to do with you not having experience or anything. I've had plenty of experience, probably too much, and I'm just as susceptible as you are." Jerome said. KT didn't look any less confused. "My point is... I might be growing attached, too."
"To me?" KT asked. Jerome shrugged. "Why?"
"Why?" Jerome repeated. "How could I not? Besides the fact that you're one of the most fun people to be around and you're beautiful..." KT felt herself heat up at the compliment. "You're also just... good. Everything about you. You're just a good person, and it makes me want to be a good person for you. I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose you."
KT only frowned at this. "But it's not real."
"Well," Jerome said, looking down. "It's not entirely fake either." KT looked at him for long time. Eventually he met her eyes. "I told you before, I like being your boyfriend."
KT sighed. "And next week? When this is all over and I have to watch you and Joy be the perfect couple?"
"I..."
"Do you get what I'm saying?" KT asked. "You have someone when all this is over. I'm just gonna be alone with all these new feelings for you that I never asked for." KT looked down, and took a deep breath. "I've never felt anything like this. And unlike most people when they get into relationships, I know this has an expiration date. And I know when it is."
"KT-"
"And you saying you might feel the same doesn't make it better, it just makes me feel bad about what I might be doing to Joy... and everything I'll be missing out on when it's over." KT said.
"KT, please," Jerome all but begged. "I don't want to talk about the 'end' of this."
"But don't you think it's important?"
"No, I think right now and right here is important." Jerome said. "I can't pretend that everything's going to just feel right or what things will look like, or what I'm gonna do when it comes to you or even Joy. All I know is thatright nowI like being with you. And right now I can with no consequences. And yeah, pretty soon, that's not gonna be possible anymore, but for the love of God don't rush us there."
KT gulped and sniffled a bit. "I just... I'm scared."
Jerome nodded. "I get it. I... I am too. All I'm asking is that you just let us enjoy this while we can. While there's no hurt, no guilt. If anyone asks we're just... we're doing the project."
"Wearedoing the project." KT mumbled.
"Yeah," Jerome said, lifting her chin up. "That's all."
Except when he kissed her, he knew that was not all.
Minutes later, after the two were sitting together, KT leaning on Jerome's shoulder only slightly more tense than usual, with the tv playing and neither of them paying attention to it, Jerome heard the door open. He looked over and saw a flash of a smiling Joy and Eddie go by. He realized just as they disappeared, that they were holding hands. He didn't think he'd seen them do that, but he'd dated Joy long enough to know she could get very physically affectionate-it was something they had in common and an easy adjustment in their relationship.
Briefly, Jerome thought of a scenario where this just stayed. If all the couples that had been decided by the fate of a hat continued past this week. He'd miss Joy, God he would. But as he felt KT's breathing get slower and more relaxed, likely exhausted from the emotion heavy conversation they'd had, he knew how much he'd miss KT. Jerome was never good at choosing between two things that made him happy, it's how he managed to hurt Mara and Willow in the first place. That was one of his biggest regrets. He didn't want to go down that path again, but unlike last time, it seemed like he would have no choice. No matter what, at least one person was going to be hurt, maybe even more than one. He had a feeling he was going to be one of those people.
Mick looked across his sundae at Patricia, who was finishing off her S'mores milkshake. "So it was good?"
Patricia nodded, "Surprisingly not too sweet and I didn't even get a brain freeze. I'd consider this an ice cream success." She looked at his dessert. "Despite that your sundae is a toppings mania and looks far too chaotic to be anywhere close to good."
"Oh no, it's perfect." Mick said, lifting a loaded spoonful to his mouth. He smacked his lips and smiled.
"With all those toppings you can't even really enjoy it, it's all just... mouth overload at that point." Patricia said.
"Who said you have to have all the toppings at the same time with every bite?" Mick asked. "See, with it this way, I can get a spoonful with chocolate chips and cookie dough, and my next one can be peanut butter cups and brownie bits. Two different sundae experiences, one sundae."
"So you're saying there's a method to your madness?" Patricia asked.
Mick nodded, "I like food, so I try to have the best experience with it every time."
"And why you know all the best places to go, I assume." Patricia asked. Mick grinned.
"Right-o."
Patricia leaned back with a milkshake filled stomach. They were sitting outside despite the weather being somewhat chilly and the ice cream only making them colder. The both of them kind of enjoying the cold was a recent thing they realized they had in common.
"Can I ask you something?" Patricia asked. Mick gestured for her to go ahead. "I know you don't feel like you have much time to give to your relationships... But did you ever do anything like this for Amber or Mara?"
"Yeah, sure." Mick said. "When I could give them time, I would. It's just hard to do it on a regular. But it's not the reason either of those relationships fell apart. With Amber... I don't know what happened. It's like one second we were good and then she just got too preoccupied for me. I tried to be understanding because it was usually her on the other side, but she just kept blowing me off. It didn't take long for me to realize I wasn't important to her."
"Well that's not entirely true." Patricia said. "You were important to her, you still are honestly."
"Maybe, but I still wasn't a priority." Mick said. "There's only so much of that I can take."
Patricia nodded, that was fair.
"With Mara, I guess it was the long distance thing that killed us. By the time I came to visit, she was with Jerome." Mick frowned, remembering them kiss in front of him and not even having the energy to be angry at either of them. "After I heard that Clarke had broken her heart just how I thought he would, I got this idea in my mind that we could get back to things if I were just closer. I talked with my dad, had it all arranged for me to come back here, and that wasn't easy. I was gonna surprise everyone, and I just knew Mara and I were gonna be able to make it work. Just as things were finalized for me to return, Fabian asked if it would be okay if he dated Mara."
Patrica frowned deeply as Mick swirled his spoon around his slowly melting ice cream.
"And you said yes?" Patricia asked. Mick nodded. "Why?"
Mick shrugged. "Fabian and I don't talk as often as we used to, not like when I was here before. But when we did talk, I could tell how broken up he was about losing Nina. The prospect of dating Mara was the first bit of excitement I had seen in him, and it seemed like he was finally moving on. I didn't want to stand in the way of that."
"I don't think I would have been that..." Patricia searched for the word.
"Selfless?" Mick supplied.
"Sacrificing." Patricia finished. "You don't have to push yourself to the background for others. You're allowed to get what you want every now and again. Kind of feels like you're determined to be a martyr. Don't you care?"
"Of course I care," Mick said. "When Nina and Amber also came back to finish the year with us, I was hoping Fabian would just go back to Nina."
"I think Nina hoped the same." Patricia said.
"But he didn't." Mick said. "And he and Mara were going pretty strong, you know, before this project."
"Yeah," Patricia said. "And what about you?"
"I'll be fine." Mick said, having another scoop of ice cream despite that it was more soup than anything.
Patricia leaned back and looked at him. "It's a shame. For a guy with a lot of fight in you, you give up on yourself far too easily."
Mick opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Then he looked down. He wanted to say he fought for things that felt worth it, but he thought that'd only make him seem more pathetic.
Patricia suddenly felt kinda bad. She didn't mean to bring down the mood. In the hopes of avoiding ruining another date, she made an effort to perk up.
"This place really does have good ice cream." she said. "And the milkshake was perfect, not too milky, not too thick."
Mick gave a bit of a small smile. "Like I said, I know food."
Food was a relevant topic for another pair that was just miles away. Eddie and Joy were in the kitchen, all giggles even as they shushed each other so they didn't disturb the sleeping form of Jerome and KT in the living room. Eddie took the bowl of spaghetti and meatballs out of the microwave and placed it on the counter.
"Now," Joy said looking at the bowl. "Why is that not good enough for you?"
"Oh it's good enough," Eddie said, getting a plate and a bread roll. "But why settle for good enough when you can have the best?"
Joy shook her head, amused, watching as Eddie piled the spaghetti onto the bread. Then he carefully put meatballs on top, cut the sandwich in half, and offered a plate full of 'boy sandwich' to Joy. She wrinkled her nose at it.
"Hey, we had a deal," Eddie said. "And how can you be so judging of something you haven't tried yet?"
"It's my superpower," Joy said. Still, she lifted the hefty sandwich and took her best bite without spilling. Eddie watched as she slowly chewed, an unreadable expression. She slowly put it back on the plate and squinted at it. "Not bad."
Eddie nearly cheered. Joy held up a finger and went to the counter.
"It could be better though. You know what it's missing?" Joy asked. She held up a bottle. "Tobasco sauce."
"Joy, you're really after my heart now," Eddie said. "Maybe some parmesan too?"
"Grated or shredded?" Joy asked.
"Good question," Eddie said. "For this, I say grated."
He went in the fridge and pulled it out. They decorated their sandwiches and then cheersed with them, each taking a big bite.
"Oh God," Joy said laughing, even with her mouth full. "Is it all over my face? This doesn't seem like the kind of thing you can eat neatly."
"It's the mess that makes it delicious," Eddie grinned, taking his thumb and wiping the sauce from her chin. She gasped as he put it to his mouth and licked. "So I'd say we can cross gift giving off the list of love languages to try out."
"What was the gift?" Joy asked. "The sandwich?"
"Hoagieand yes, because of me you now understand what a true delicacy is." Eddie said.
"That does not count as gift giving." Joy said, licking her fingers. "Maybe you can try acts of service? Do you know it's my day to set the table?"
"Are you saying you want me to do it?" Eddie asked. Joy grinned.
"Only if you want to do it for me," she said. "And in return, I'll clean the mess you made while making this hoagie. I mean, really, how did you get spaghetti on the floor?"
Eddie looked at where she pointed and there was, in fact, spaghetti on the floor. "Huh." Joy rolled her eyes and got a paper towel. Eddie watched her for a moment. "Okay, I'll set the table for you. I want to."
Joy raised an eyebrow. "You want to?"
Eddie shrugged. "Sure, I'm still trying to figure out what my love language is, so I gotta try it all out."
Joy smiled. "Okay then."
"There's one I think I can cross off the list," Eddie said. "I'd say quality time is definitely one of my love languages."
Joy grinned wider. "It's high on my list, too!"
Eddie shrugged. "It's a good thing spending time with you is quality."
Joy laughed, "That was so bad. Is that you trying to give me words of affirmation?"
"It wasn't, but I don't see why it shouldn't count." Eddie shrugged, taking another bite of his hoagie.
Joy shook her head. "No, let me give you an example." She leaned forward, steadying herself on the counter. "When I first saw you, I thought you were really, really cute." When Eddie tried to hide a shy smile, she pointed at him with a gasp. "Did I just make you blush?"
"No," Eddie said turning away.
"I think you liked that. Well let me go again," Joy said, turning him to look at her. "I still think you're cute."
There was definitely a distinctive pink tint to his cheeks and it made Joy giggle that she seemed to have an effect on him like that. Eddie looked away again. "Don't make fun, I told you, with Patricia it was always insults. I'm just not used to it, okay?"
"Well," Joy shrugged, looking around to make sure no one would hear her 'break the forth wall' so to speak. "Maybe when the project is over, you should tell her you like compliments every once and a while."
"Nah," Eddie said. "I think it just caught me by surprise."
Joy narrowed her eyes. "Well prepare for this one," she said. "You are one of the funniest guys I've ever been around. And when you stop acting like you don't care... it's really nice to see your passion for things."
Eddie ducked his head. "Alright, you've made your point."
Joy smiled at his bashful demenor, a side of him she really didn't see much. She liked it.
Eddie looked up, suddenly mischievous. "My turn."
Joy snorted. "What could you possibly have to say about me?"
Eddie's somewhat smug face dropped and he looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Come on," Joy said. "You're doing well for the project but I know you don't like me. Last year you hated me. Not that I blame you." She looked down. "I hated me."
Eddie sighed. "I didn't hate you. I hated the things you were doing and who you were becoming. But I don't blame you."
Joy glanced at him warily. "You don't?"
"Nah," Eddie said. "I've heard about what happened, you know. A couple years back. All that mess with Victor... your dad." Joy sighed. "You had a lot to be angry about and almost nobody seemed to realize that. Like people thought that by the time you were however many months removed from the situation you should have been over it. But I get it. I know what it's like to be angry, and there's no expiration date on hurt."
Joy smiled softly. "Thanks Eddie."
Eddie watched her and the way she seemed to close in on herself. So he took a napkin, wiped all remnants of food off of his hands, and took one of hers in his. Eddie knew what he was doing was a little out of his comfort zone, but he barreled forward anyway. She looked down at their hands and he squeezed.
"Joy Mercer," he said. "I admire you. I think you're brave and strong. You're really smart and when you go for something, there's nothing that can get in your way. And despite what you think, you're really likable."
Joy scoffed, "Please..."
"No really," Eddie said. "You're easy to get along with and you're a lot of fun. I've really enjoyed the time we've spent together. Like I said... it's quality."
Joy smiled and then bit her lip. "Well thanks Eddie but-"
"I'm not done." Eddie said. Now that he'd started, he didn't want to stop. "You're also... you're also really pretty. You've got this great smile that lights up your entire face. I never used to see it, but then when I did, it was so eyecatching. A few days ago I realized every time we're together I try my hardest to make it appear."
"This is too much," Joy whispered.
"No," Eddie said, holding her hand firmly in his. "I'm honored to be your boyfriend, even if it's just pretend."
Joy felt fear course through her. It was a familiar feeling for her, she spent most days in deep anxiety since her atrocious year being 'homeschooled'. She was usually somewhat good at figuring out what scared her, but this time it was hard. It could be Eddie's cutting words, it could be how much they meant to her. She'd never seen this version of Eddie, and she felt like she wasn't meant to. But the whole point of today was to not be scared. To let go of all the things that have been holding her back. She got the okay from Patricia, and she did want to do well on this project. She shouldn't want to run away, and honestly, she was tired of running. So instead of steering clear of all the things she was afraid of, she leaned into it. Into him.
This was the first kiss she shared with Eddie that didn't start with her own hesitation, falling fully into it, even acknowledging how soft Eddie's lips were and how surprising that was because everything about him was so rough. He kissed back, one hand holding hers tightly, the other reached for her face like he was figuring out how to pull her in closer. Joy felt her heart beat vibrate her veins and wonder if he could feel it, too.
When he pulled back, they stared at each other for a while. Joy wondered if he was thinking the same thing; did they cross a line? She wanted to say something, maybe laugh it off, but she felt stuck.
It was Eddie that spoke first. "You... taste like... a meatball."
Joy stared at him incredulously before she let out a surprised and slightly manic giggle. It erupted into a full blown laugh that made her throw her head back. The pair in the livingroom stirred at the sound.
"'You taste like a meatball' really?" Joy asked, still giggling. Eddie laughed too.
"Yeah, probably not my best affirmative words." he smirked. "You've only had two bites of your hoagie, you know."
"Well if I eat more I might spoil dinner." Joy said. "Not all of us are bottomless pits."
"I definitely cannot relate," Eddie said, taking her hoagie and plopping it onto his plate.
"Well how about this, you finish the sandw-hoagie, sorry," Joy quickly corrected herself at his face. "And I'll get my laptop. We can go in your room, I don't think anyone's in there, and I'll do all the typing so long as you still contribute."
"Typing for what?" Eddie asked.
"Our backstory," Joy grinned. "I'm feeling inspired."
Mick opened the door for Patricia, who was excited to finally see where they were going. They'd made their way around the town in the time waiting, even finding a little lake towards the edge and skipping rocks, which Mick was very good at and Patricia was 'piss poor' at. Now he was taking her to what looked like might be a restaurant?
"Where are we?" Patricia asked.
"It's called Little Rock," Mick said, pulling her further inside. The lighting was low, and she realized it wasn't really a restaurant, not a traditional one at least. There were tables and it certainly served food, and there was a bar on the side and a stage on the back wall. The closer you got to the stage, the seating got more like a lounge with couches and armchairs and even a few beanbags.
On the stage was a group of men, a band by the looks of it, all gearing up to start a set. The place was pretty packed but Mick and Patricia managed to find a seat by the side. When they were seated, she looked at him questionably.
"I'd seen an ad for this place, every Saturday and Sunday they have up and coming musicians play here. I saw this band was playing today, and it has a small following. When I looked it up, it seemed like your kind of music." Mick shrugged. "I thought it would be fun. They have food and stuff, and I already got permission from Trudy to eat out rather than with everyone at the house. If you don't like it, though, we can bail."
Patricia smiled. She looked at the band, the piercings and heavy eyeliner made her feel like Mick was right about the music being her speed. Mick clearly put a lot of thought and research into this. "Mick, this is awesome!"
Mick grinned. He found a menu and shared it with her while the lead of the band came up to the mic to ask 'how's everyone doing tonight'. The crowd erupted in cheers and Patricia already liked the energy of the place.
"Well, Mr. Food Expert, have you eaten here? How good is it?" Patricia asked.
"I haven't actually been here before, the place is pretty new," Mick said. "Guess we get to experience it together."
Patricia decided that even if the music sucked and the food was awful, this was for sure a good date.
When Eddie arrived to school with his leather jacket and 'cool guy' smirk, he got everyone's attention. That included Joy's. He was charming, had an American accent, and his bad boy image seemed to work for him very well. But it didn't take long to realize that he and Patricia had something going on, and everyone kind of kept their distance, letting the two circle each other until they became whatever they were bound to be.
When they got together, Joy was happy for them, especially happy for her best friend. However, the relationship was not without its hardships. It was clear it was never a lack of chemistry, but moreso figuring out timing and communication. They called it quits, got back together, broke up again, and got back together, it was an exhausting cycle that led to them eventually deciding to just be friends.
Being friends with your ex was no easy feat. Eddie had to try to stow away any of the romantic feelings he had for her and keep things casual, even in the times when it hurt. He was determined though, he cared about Patricia too much for them to be the exes who never spoke. Patrcia was just as stubborn, even though it could be awkward. They often tried to have a buffer for their times together. Enter Joy.
Joy was perfect. She cut any awkward tension in half with her witty humor, making sure it never got strained. Eddie learned why she and Patricia were best friends, he'd never met two people with sharper tongues. For Eddie, Joy became like his savior, and he came to really appreciate her presence. Coming from a recent breakup with Jerome herself did not cause her to lose her shine, she made sure of it.
If you asked them when things started to change, when they started to yearn for the chance to see each other again, when they started to see each other even without Patricia, they couldn't tell you. It was like there was just a shift one day. Maybe it was long nights working on The Jackal together, maybe it was just when Eddie realized Joy made his days better and her smile was infectious. Either way, they both began to notice when things between them felt... charged.
Guilt was a number one feeling from the both of them. Joy couldn't believe she had gotten so low as to have feelings for her best friend's ex-boyfriend, and Eddie asked the skies why of all the girls, it had to be her. Joy knew for the sake of her friendship, and just to be a decent person, she had to swallow and push down anything she could possibly be feeling, and Patricia never had to know. Except... she already did. She went to both of them and told them it was okay, that she cared about them far too much to stop their happiness. She'd seen it happening from miles away, and the biggest thing she noticed was how wide their smiles got around each other. Though hesitant, with Patricia's blessing, Eddie and Joy got a second chance within each other.
Joy finished reading it out to Eddie who nodded. "It's good."
"Right?" Joy asked. "I was thinking, if we really do an article on The Jackal about the project, we could maybe have a page dedicated to everyone's backstories. Maybe a journal or two if people feel comfortable sharing them."
Eddie nodded, "So long as our housemates are willing, it could be cool."
A knock on the door interrupted them, it was a content looking Mick. "Oh, you guys are back!" Joy said.
"Yeah, just got in actually." Mick said. "Trudy wants everyone to come out here for something."
Joy and Eddie shared a look, that was kind of unusual for Trudy. They quickly got up and followed Mick out.
Mara was a coward. Several times that day, she told herself to get up and face Willow, apologize and then try to make things right, but she couldn't. She felt so ashamed of how she handled things, and of disappointing Willow. She didn't want to see her hurt face again, so she stayed in her room all day. When she felt someone nudge her as she laid under the covers, her area of safety, she told them to, "Go away. And if you're Patricia, I'm sorry I'm just in no mood to hear about your date."
"What if I'm Willow?"
Mara froze and then practically jumped up. Willow was, indeed, in front of her. She looked as kind and soft hearted as always, and despite Mara's fears, she did not look at Mara with disgust. "Willow?"
"You didn't come to breakfast, you didn't come to dinner... Did you eat at all today?" Willow asked. She held out a banana. Mara slowly took it. "You look very sad."
Mara knew this was her window to apologize for everything and maybe, hopefully, make things right. But she couldn't seem to get her mouth to work. She only stared at her, and then eventually, stared down at her banana.
"I'm sorry you're in pain." Willow said softly.
"It's my own fault," Mara whispered. Willow shifted a little closer.
"No matter what happens, you have to remember to take care of yourself. Especially when you're hurting here," she reached and hovered a hand over Mara's heart. "You need all the energy to heal a painful heart."
Mara sighed, realizing how important a presence Willow had become in her life. Regardless of the project, the way Willow saw the world was so unique, and with her and Willow not talking, it was like a big gaping hole in her day. "I missed you today," Mara said. When Willow looked down, Mara immediately felt like she did something wrong.
Willow stood and started walking to the door. "Trudy's called the whole house to the living room, we've got to go."
Mara tried not to feel too rejected and nodded, using all of her energy to stand up and follow Willow out.
She did not expect that when she came into the living room, she would see Mr. Winkler there of all people. He was standing in front of everyone, seemingly waiting for herself and Willow. Everyone looked comfortably paired off, and Mara wondered if she and Willow should put aside everything while the main scorer was here, but it felt too uncomfortable and too forced. There was an evil part of Mara that wanted to try to use the project to force Willow to forgive her, but when she thought of that longer, it only made her more miserable.
It was very strange to see their history teacher in their house so late at night. Teachers didn't come around the houses often, not unless they were doing something sinister with Victor, but those days were long behind Jason. He gave them all warm smiles. "Hello everyone, I know it's late and this is a bit out of the norm."
Many of them met each other's eyes in agreement and anticipation for the reason their teacher was there.
"I promise not to keep you long, I'm well aware of Victor's ten o'clock rule. I'm here so late because for the majority of the day, I could not decide if I wanted to say this now or wait until class, but I decided waiting until class tomorrow would give you far less time to prepare."
Now the looks exchanged around the room were nervous; what would they need to prepare for?
"First, let me say that I have been very impressed with what I've seen and heard throughout the week. Believe me, I'm aware that this is no easy project. My goal is always to get you a bit outside of your comfort zones along with understanding that with acting, you have to create relationships between your characters. Most casting directors try to find pairs with an immediate spark, but sometimes you can make a spark, and I'd say I've seen that with this group. You guys have been exceptional, and I thank you for really putting your best foot forward."
Mick was too impatient for this speech, "Sorry, sir, but what's the point? I mean, it kind of seems like you're saying all this because you're about to end the project."
Jason shook his head. "Not exactly. See, if you'll recall, I gave you your assignment for the first week of a two week project, and you've all done quite well. Now, it's time for the second week, and things are going to be a little different."
'Different' was too vague, and many of them didn't want things to change. KT raised her hand, "What do you mean by different?"
"We've seen you together, seen how you would act inside of a relationship with someone you might not have considered in that way. Now I want a different relationship dynamic: exes."
A cold chill seemed to whip through the room, they could even hear Amber audibly gasp.
"Playing the devoted girlfriend or boyfriend has its fair share of challenges, I'm sure you all know this by now. Playing a broken heart, that's a completely different set of challenges. But don't be misled, it all comes from the same place, feelings. I want you all to dig deep, just as you have been in the last week. Really play your role, I have complete confidence in all of you."
KT felt like she'd been cut open. Just today she had made peace with knowing that even though there was an end, it wasn't for days. Now Mr. Winkler dropped a bomb on her, they were already at the end. Jerome was the one to say something. "It would have been nice to have a heads up."
Mr. Winkler nodded. "I understand that, but in a way, this is the heads up. See, as you know, our theater class ends the school day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Each of your pairs have to be 'broken up' by our Wednesday class. If you would like to take your time, maybe prepare some, you have from now until then. This is exactly why I came by tonight rather than wait until tomorrow afternoon. Now, you have quite a bit of creative freedom here. You get to decide how and why you breakup, if it's messy, if it's mutual, if there are other people involved, all of it. You also get to decide what kind of exes you'll be and what your heartbreak looks like. Come Wednesday afternoon, you will present your breakup scenario to me with your partner, and I want to see some emotion. Even if you end on good terms, I need to see something that shows off the acting chops that I know all of you have."
It seemed Jason did not realize the distress this shift of the assignment caused. Many pairs leaned closer to each other, not fully ready to let go. Jason only smiled, excited to see what his students came up with.
"Remember, you are still 'on', so if you decide that tomorrow morning you and your partner are broken up, that's fine but you should know the reason, what kind of relationship you have now, and why it all happened in the first place so you can begin to act accordingly." Jason explained. "Or, if you decide that you will stay in your 'relationship' until Wednesday, that's also fine, but don't put it off and not do anything that would showcase you as a couple before then. And make sure by the end of the school day, you are ready."
Jason grinned again.
"I think you'll all continue to impress me, and with that I bid you all goodnight." Jason said, nodding to them and walking out the door. No one moved, not even at the clear sound of the door opening and closing. Many people wished he'd waited until the next day, just so they wouldn't go to bed feeling so sick. To learn that the week they thought they had would be at least half filled with the emotional subject of heartbreak felt like something had been taken from them. It felt like a promise they didn't realize was broken until they looked at it.
Mick
Today was one of the best days I've had in a long time. I love training, I love football, but when I can take it easy and spend more time with the people I care about, it means a lot to me. I think Patricia really enjoyed and appreciated the time we spent together, I know she wasn't really happy with my packed schedule. She's been a really great sport about it, which is why I tried to make today something really great. She doesn't know that I'd been planning it for a couple days, I think she liked the spontaneous feeling it had. I've figured out that Patricia doesn't like the lead up to the surprise, when she's waiting in anticipation, but she likesbeingsurprised, and I think I did a good job on this one.
Everything I said in the above paragraph is true. I had a really good day with Patricia, and I made a huge effort to make it nice for both of us. When we came back, she was all smiles. At Little Rock, we got to talk to the band, and she said how cool that was. Even when the project is done, I know this will be a good memory for her. I'm grateful we did it today, before we knew we'd be 'exes'. If we'd known, it might have given the day a different feel, like one last good day before everything... falls apart.
KT
Its funny how worried I was about being Jerome's girlfriend in the beginning. I had zero experience in that department, and I felt like everything I did Jerome would compare it to all the other girls he dated, many of them my friends. But it turned out nice, we have a lot of fun and he's one of the main people to make me laugh. He's a surprisingly great listener, and actually very kind hearted. When he turns his full attention to me, it makes me feel like I'm the only thing that matters. It makes me feel sad for the end. There's always an end.
I thought there'd be more time.
Okay soooo with this being the first official new chapter of the story, these are the stats it's been since the last time I updated on here. And as I always say, it's not too late to vote for the couple you like best! I always come back to this story, it just has a grip on me. Another chapter was just written recently, so don't treat this like a dead story! If any of your are reading, don't hesitate to vote, okay?
Nalfie 49
Kerome 43
Patrick 42
Famber 24
Joddie 17
Millow 16
