(originally posted 03/08/12)
The Previous Day
Marie decides to invite Armand (boyfriend) over for a study date.
Armand: Good lord, Marie! What did you do to your hair?
Marie's voice gets sarcastic: Well, that's a nice hello.
Armand: Erm, yeah. Sorry, but what were you thinking?
Marie: That I wanted a change.
Armand: That's quite a change.
Marie sounds almost hurt: Well, if you don't like it, just say so.
Armand gets defensive now: Hey! I didn't say that! It's just... going to take some getting used to. (He smiles slightly.) I do like the purple, though.
Marie laughs: Yeah, that was a stroke of brilliance wasn't it?
Armand looks at the ground, then back up at Marie: Just, if you're going to do something like that, warn me first, okay?
Marie lifts one eyebrow: I make no promises.
Armand raises both eyebrows and smiles slightly: So, you promise you make no promises?
Marie: No, that doesn't make sense. (She teases him back now.) Get inside, goober! I'm going to get the mail then I'll be right there.
Armand shakes his head with his fingertips on his forehead while walking into the house.
Marie turns to go down the stairs when she hears another voice call her name once Armand has closed the front door.
Marie turns to see Dawson across the street: Hey, Dawson!
Dawson runs across the street so he doesn't have to yell anymore: Hey! I was wondering... have you started on that awful bit from Mr. Stuart yet?
Marie groans: Ugh, no. I hate chemistry.
Dawson smiles slightly: I don't mind it so much, need a little help?
Marie nervously shifts her weight from one foot to the other: Um, Armand just came over so we could work on it.
Dawson shrugs his shoulders: Well, since I've already finished it, maybe I could help both of you. By the way, I like your hair. When did you do that?
Marie smiles a small smile: Yesterday night and this morning.
Dawson: So, you guys need help do you think?
Marie: Um...
Dawson: Oh, I see. That's right, Armand wouldn't want me to intrude.
Marie: You know what? Yeah. C'mon in. We could probably use your help.
Dawson grins as he watches Marie get the mail. Then he follows her into the house.
Armand turns to see Dawson: Well, look what the cat dragged in.
Dawson smiles slightly in challenge: Well, I've never really thought of Marie as a cat, but if you say so.
Armand snorts: What are you doing here, Dawson?
Dawson: Helping with chemistry homework.
Armand: I think we've got that under control. (To Marie) You want to work on it over here at the desk?
Marie looks over at the desk and thinks that it will be a tight squeeze for three: Why not we go sit at the table?
Armand makes a scoffing "ugh" sound: YOU go sit at the table if you want. I like the desk.
Marie looks confusedly at him: What's wrong with the table? There's more room there.
Armand's eyes cut back and forth from Marie to Dawson: Exactly.
Armand plops himself down at the desk, glares at the two of them, and starts to get out his homework. Marie shoots him a "what is your problem?" look. He shakes his head and promptly ignores her and Dawson.
Dawson: We can go sit at the table if you want, Marie.
Marie stares at Armand for a moment or two before she answers loud enough for Armand to hear: I'm sorry Armand is being a jerk, Dawson.
Dawson chuckles slightly: I'm not worried about him, Marie, and if you really need help with that assignment, let's get started.
Armand can't help but cut in: So, where's your GIRLFRIEND, Dawson?
Dawson doesn't miss a beat: Visiting her cousin this weekend. (He turns back to Marie.) Where's your textbook?
Marie: It's in my room. I'll go get it.
Dawson: We could just stay in there and work on it if you'd like.
Armand suddenly sits up, slams his notebook shut, and glares at the two of them again: If I'm going to end up working on this alone, I'm going home.
Marie: Armand! What is the big deal about getting more help!? Dawson says he's already finished it.
Armand shoots her a withering look: If you're not catching on to this Marie, then you are the most clueless girl in the universe.
Dawson raises his eyebrows in challenge: Catching on to what? I'm here to help!
Armand turns the look to Dawson: Right.
Armand shoves his notebook away and stomps out of the house.
Marie watches him go with confusion: I just don't understand why he still doesn't like you.
Dawson smiles widely as he says teasingly: Maybe he thinks I'm going to steal you!
Marie laughs: Then it was stupid of him to leave like that. (She shakes her head slightly.) And besides, you and Cristina have been together forever. (Now she bites her lip, thinking about prom.) Um, so... has her black eye cleared up yet?
Dawson chuckles: Oh, she was soooo mad at you for ruining our pictures with her torn dress. To me, it made them more interesting. But yeah, it's starting to clear up. What started that anyway?
Marie: To be honest, I don't really remember. She just said something to start me off. ... Oh yeah, it was something about how I had a boyfriend yet went alone that not even my boyfriend wanted me there.
Dawson blinks a few times in shock: She said that?!
Marie nods: Yeah. Maybe not word-for-word, but close to that.
Dawson: That's... that's terrible. (His brow furrows as he looks at the floor.)
Dawson: Why DIDN'T he ask you anyway?
Marie shrugs: I don't really know. We had had an argument about you so it might've had something to do with that.
Dawson: Me?
Marie: Er, yeah. Same old, same old. He doesn't like me being friends with you. Again, I don't get why. I mean, anybody can see how happy you and Cristina are so why should he be suspicious.
Dawson: You should've told me you were dateless. We could've gone as friends and Cristina could've just gotten over it.
Marie: What?! That's crazy, Dawson! I couldn't make you do that to her, even if I don't really like her.
Dawson looks at Marie for a moment, acting like he wants to say something but can't figure out how. Then he checks the time on his phone: Oh man! I forgot! I have to work today! Crap.
Marie chuckles: Hey, don't worry about it.
Dawson: Yeah, but now you've lost both study partners.
Marie: Studying is for nerds.
Dawson: Hey, watch who you're calling a nerd here.
Marie laughs, then posts a more serious question: Oh, I'm throwing a party tomorrow. You and... um... Cristina should come!
Dawson puts his phone back into his pocket and makes his way to the door: Cool! We'll be here. See you!
The Next Day (Sunday)
Xavier actually comes out of his art studio for the party. Marie purposely invited some kids his age for that reason. This is Lee Rose. She has a twin sister that's pure evil and is best friends with Demarco (who is, incidentally, just to Xavier's right). I wonder if this is the good twin. At any rate, the two of them have a great time playing tag outside.
Marie stands there staring at her ex-boyfriend, Andy, for a few minutes before she gets the nerve to go talk to him.
Andy: Heya, Marie. Isn't that your boyfriend over there dancing with another girl?
Marie: Yes. That's Janie Williams from school. She's a sophomore... um, would you go and distract her? She's always trying to get his attention for whatever reason. I don't know what on earth possessed me to invite her. I didn't think she'd come. I mean, yeah, her mom and my mom are friends, but so what.
Andy chuckles a little: No prob, Marie.
Andy looks over at the two of them: Yeah, and my brother looks bored. Cristina said she wouldn't come, but he decided to come anyway.
Marie: No big surprise that Cristina didn't come. She hates me.
Andy chuckles: Haha, yeah. I saw the pictures. You gave her a nice shiner.
Marie looks over at Armand: Get her off of him, please.
Andy: Right.
Andy walks over to start up a conversation with Janie.
Marie: Armand, I like your hair, and what was up with you yesterday?
Armand: Might as well ask what's up with me today as well. Why did you have to invite HIM?
Marie: If you mean Dawson, I invited him AND Cristina, but she didn't want to come.
Armand: That or he didn't tell her. Wasn't she at her cousin's this weekend or something?
Marie: Oh. Yeah. I forgot.
Armand blinks slowly and purses his lips slightly before he says: Yeah.
Marie: But ANDY said that Cristina didn't want to come--implying that Dawson invited her.
Armand: Fine.
Marie: What is your problem?
Armand: I'm just not getting the feeling you want this relationship to continue, Marie.
Marie: What?!
Armand: Yeah, and the way that he's staring at you right now, maybe I'm just in the way.
Dawson: You do realize I'm standing right here, don't you?
Marie jumps at the sound of Dawson's voice.
Armand: Yes, of course I see you standing there. So, awfully convenient that Cristina didn't want to come, huh?
Dawson rolls his eyes.
Armand looks back at Marie: I'm going to go get some pizza.
Dawson: You do that, Armand. Hey, Marie, guess what?
Marie turns around with a smile to see what Dawson wants. Armand doesn't immediately go get the pizza that I have set out in the kitchen. Instead, he stands there with a half angry/half sad expression on his face as he watches Marie.
Of course, I notice all this secondarily to my own plight. Marie also invited both John and Laurie. Laurie is manning the bar, quietly watching me. John is outside playing with Xavier and that little girl. When Laurie notices that I notice that he's watching me, he leaves the bar to go mingle. No one was wanting any drinks. It's no fun when they're all virgin drinks anyway haha.
Laurie seems particularly interested in meeting my friend Brook's daughter, Janie. Her dad was Tate. Poor child.
Armand never gets another chance to talk to Marie for the rest of the party. She and Dawson dance until it's finished.
After the party, Marie gets very introspective. I wonder if she needs any help with her apparent guy troubles. I think Armand is right. Dawson IS flirting, and Marie isn't stopping it. If she'll let me, I could be the perfect one to help her with this.
I also need to find out what Xavier is doing.
I find him outside talking with John.
Me: X-man, time for bed.
Xavier: Sure, Mom. Night, Dad.
John: Night, X-man.
John looks up at me warmly as I kiss Xavier on the top of his head as he passes me on his way into the house. John smiles widely as I walk towards him. The sun is setting, and I can just barely still see a bit of its light glistening on the river behind the house.
I notice John's beard has grown more this past week. I like it. I see him exhale slowly and shake his head slightly. His gaze glides up and down me as I've approached him now.
John: I really, really need to talk to you, Elena.
I feel a flutter of excitement in my stomach that spreads in a tingle everywhere else. His eyes burn with an intensity that I instantly recognize. He wants to do more than just "talk".
