This choice: That sounds like a good idea • Go Back...Chapter #36Coffee Talk with Jenny Ashton by: rugal b.   "Coffee," you ask dumbfounded. "Just the two of us?"
"Well yeah, you and me, Eva, Jessica, Chelsea..." she says as she punches you in the arm. "Yes just the two of us you doofus. That's not a problem is it?"
"N-not at all," you say nervously. "I'm just kind of surprised. Like I said earlier though we've just never hung out without everyone else around."
"Well maybe I want to start," she tells you and you're suddenly aware of the way her eyes are challenging you to turn her down. "Besides I'd really like to minimize the amount of time I'm sitting around in an empty house."
She looks at you, her eyes still challenging you but there's now a bit of pleading behind them as well. You can't really turn her down if she wants to hang out a little more. You don't want to turn her down. So you relent, tell her that it's fine since you don't have anywhere you need to be and agree to follow her up to Milagro.
* * * * *
Milagro Beanfield Warehouse is one of the many little cafes that's sprung up over the last few years with the influx of more people into the college. In comparison to most of them it's probably the one most popular with a certain set of people as you see plenty of hipstery looking guys and girls, some of the artsy crowd and you think you even manage to catch sight of Kelsey though only briefly.
It's definitely not your usual hang out as it's the first time you've been here. You wouldn't expect it to be Jenny's either but apparently when she does get to spend time with Yumi this is one of the places they like to go.
You both get a simple coffee and a sandwich with Jenny offering to pay and then grab a seat in a back corner. "I need to get another job," she says as she sits down. "I don't really like the idea of my dad leaving me cash when he's gone."
"I thought you had a job," you tell her. "Don't you work at that donut place with Keith?"
"That was just a summer thing. Dad doesn't want anything distracting me from my studies," she replies. "But I'd still rather have my own money." She takes a look at her sandwich, grimaces and picks out the tomatoes before taking a bite. "So you asked Fairfax about bringing me in, right," she asks you. "How come?"
"Well, it's just you're a friend and I kind of thought --"
"Look, don't bullshit me Will okay," she tells you. "I probably know why but I just kinda wanna get it straight from the horse's mouth."
You sigh at that. "It's because we were talking," you tell her. "I didn't really know any of that so when I heard it all I just felt," you make a face, "look, I'm sorry if it sounds patronizing or something but I just felt bad. I just really wanted to help you out and kind of, I don't know, show that you didn't have to feel lonely. Plus I was really enjoying hanging out with you and I just thought maybe this would give us an excuse to keep hanging out."
Jenny lets out a tiny laugh and takes a sip of her coffee. She then looks up at you and there's a look to her, the same one she'd gotten earlier after you'd embarrassed yourself at the storage unit. "That's really nice Will but I think there's something else too," she says. "Do you like me?"
"Do I like you," you ask in confusion. You're suddenly wondering if this place is hotter than you thought. "I mean, I do since you're my friend all --"
"No, numbnuts, I mean do you like me," she asks again and she looks very much amused at your flailing. "Holding hands and public displays of affection and the whole thing."
"Well, I mean --"
"Will, I'm not gonna flip out on you or anything but I'm not an idiot," she says. "Do. You. Like. Me?"
"Yeah, I do I guess. A little," you admit as you hang your head in your hands.
"Why are you acting so embarrassed," she laughs. "I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything but if you do then you do. I just wanted to here you say it."
"I know but," you tell her. "Was I that obvious?"
"Well when you asked me out on a date earlier you kind of were," she replies.
"Asked you out? But I didn't --"
"You did, you totally did," she says and takes another sip of her coffee.
"I just asked you to hang out," you tell her.
"You asked me to get Jessica out to Carlos' makeshift studio," she states. "Then you asked me out on a date."
"Well we're not on a date," you insist.
"We are," she says and leans forward, elbows propped on the table and resting her chin in her hands. "You're a guy, I'm a girl. You asked me all nervous-like if I wanted to hang out even though we've never done that before. We hung out and now we're here having coffee and sandwiches. Doesn't that sound like a date to you?"
"It sounds like," you say before sheepishly admitting that it does sound like a date when put like that. "But I wasn't trying to ask you out on one, I mean it."
"Well you did and I'm glad you did," she states. "because I've been enjoying it; you're easy to be around when you're not being a spaz. Maybe I was enjoying it so much that I was thinking of seeing if you wanted to do something tomorrow too before all of that got derailed."
Jesus Christ you think to yourself. So you were about as transparent as glass but apparently she was okay and wanted to get together with you some more... and now you blew that because you're going to be doing Fairfax's dumb plan that you've now got Jenny involved in so she can replace...
"So how do you feel about all of this," you say trying to quickly change the subject to something just a little less embarrassing for yourself. "I mean these masks and everything."
"I don't really know what to think," she admits. "There's a part of me that sees this and I'm like... oh man, that's really cool. But then at the same time it's kind of scary to think that there could be someone out there walking around as your friends and classmates and you'd never suspect a thing."
"You're really fine with that by the way," you ask. "Like using the mask to become Yumi. Fairfax told you that this would be for the semester at least. That's like three or four months where the only time you're only going to be seeing her is in a mirror."
"I'm not fine fine if that's what you mean," she tells you in a more serious tone. "But I was telling you the truth back there. I love Yumi but at the same time I guess I'm jealous of her. I think I always have been but it's been getting worse over the last few months. I keep thinking, like, she's got everything that I don't and what if I had it?" She lets out a deep sigh. "So I'm not exactly fine with it on the one hand but I really want to do it on the other. I guess I'm accepting of it. Besides better it's me under there than one of you guys running around and being able to do whatever you want."
She takes a few more bites of her sandwich and you finally get started on yours.
"What about you," she asks. "You're fine with being a girl?"
"Well if I'm going to be you I wouldn't know," you joke and she flips you off. "No but seriously, I guess there's worse things. Like I could be the one stuffed under one of those robot masks."
"Is that what you're going to do," she asks. "Use my mask?"
"Probably, I don't know. I was originally going to get Mia DeWitt so maybe it'll just be her."
"Don't think I'm going to be pissed if that's what you want," she tells you. "I mean I guess if someone was going to use my mask then I'd rather it be you compared to, I don't know, Keith. Oh man," she moans, "it's too bad Fairfax probably wouldn't like you getting a guy because maybe we could find someone who'd look good with Yumi."
* * * * *
Once you're finished with your coffee and sandwiches it's become evening and you both agree it's time to get home because it's been a long day. Besides, both of you have homework to worry about. Jenny laments having to be at home by herself and laments that it's probably to late to ask that they make Eva into your Beta instead of Mike's so that you can keep her company.
But to your surprise she does thank you for today and gives you a quick peck on the cheek before she goes to her car.
You're on cloud nine for pretty much the rest of the night. You do your homework as best as you can but occasionally a little fluttering feeling comes up and you feel as if you can't concentrate. You then think back to what she said at Milagro. You've thrown enough wrenches into Fairfax's plan that he might get really pissed if you try to change anything else but at the same you keep wondering if maybe you should try and find a guy that'd fill a role Fairfax would want and -- more importantly -- look good with Yumi.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author