Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2016 21:28:25 GMT
OFF-CAMERA
'Jay...'
Jen looks about to say something, pauses, studies me, sighs.
'...I don't know, babe.'
'You can see where I'm coming from, at least...?'
'Yeah, totally. I just don't know.' She looks up at me again, her lower lip sticking out the way it does when she's trying to make up her mind. 'What's your heart say?'
'That's the thing.' I sigh. 'My heart is telling me yes, but my brain is trying really hard to tell me no.'
Jenny grimaces. 'Well, hon, I'm not so sure myself. I mean, it's like you said...there's definitely advantages...but there's at least one huge downside as well. What you gotta figure out is, is it worth risking?'
'Gee, thanks, Jen. It's not like that's exactly what I'm trying to decide...'
'I know, Jay. I'm sorry.'
Silence falls between us for a moment, the kind that happens when two people hit a stump in the conversation. Then, I finally speak my mind:
'You think Nana would mind?'
Jen's lip juts out further.
'Hard to say. I mean, it's like you said, it's for a good cause...'
'...but also still technically cheating', I finish.
'Yeah...'
Silence again.
'What's Lyndsey think?'
'Haven't asked. Her and Walt are fighting, I think...'
'Ouch.'
'Yeah.'
More silence.
Then I stand up.
'I'm gonna do it.'
Jen looks up at me, frowns. 'Jace, are you sure?'
'Yeah. Walt's right. We gotta prove to Tiger and the Misfits that we're not pushovers. That we're not falling for their traps. We gotta show them, five can play at their game! If we don't, they coast to the finals. And nobody wants that. Not me, not Walt, and for sure not the Pollomaniacs!'
I can feel that old fire rising. The fire from when I was just getting going with an argument on a video. Just getting revved up. Just getting to the good part.
'And besides...Walt deserves it. He's never known what it's like to be a Champion. I can't take his first chance away from him, Jen. I just can't! I gotta do this for him!'
At this point, I'm convincing myself as much as Jen – but at least in her case, it appears to be working.
'I'm sure Nana would understand', I continue. 'If I explained it to her like that. I'm sure she'd tell me it was the right thing to do. To stick it to the bad guys and help my friend. Yeah, it's not the most honorable thing I've ever done...but it's not like the other side are playing fair. You know?'
Jen nods, her cheeks flustered, this big, wide grin on her face.
'I know, Jay', she says.
Then:
'I love you.'
And then she kisses me. And the little fire in my belly becomes this great, big, tingly ball of heat inside me.
Maybe Walt's right. Maybe Vainillo's closest friend needs to come back.
I've been away a long time.
Final Word Count: 490
Final Word Count: 490