Niagara Falls, Sunday morning
Somewhere in the middle of the chorus to Great Balls of Fire, Jaye pulls the pillow off of her head and says, "Okay. Listen." And the animals- a whole different set than the ones she's used to, which is wrong, wow- stop. "I have like, a whole morning before I have to run back to Fandom if it comes to that, so. Tell me. What do I have to do here?"
They don't give her an answer, and she hates them more than usual.
She gets dressed and heads downstairs for breakfast, where even Sharon's hanging around in the kitchen, though she's gabbing away on her cell phone. Considering it's Sunday morning, she's probably just trying to look important. The others definitely notice that Jaye's brought her bag with her, though. "Going somewhere, sweetheart?" Darrin asks.
"I have a morning class," Jaye says. "I thought I would be better in shape for it if I got there, like, tonight, instead of having to get back to school, move into the cabins, and then spend my day in class."
"What class is it?" he wonders.
He probably won't think too highly of a school that has a class called Retail 101: The Tongue is Mightier Than the Sword, so she answers, "Economics."
Darrin frowns. "You're taking Economics?"
"I'm smart enough," says Jaye, a little offended as she takes a seat.
"Yeah, you just don't care," Aaron says around a bite of toast.
Jaye glares at him. "I apply myself when I like something. And I really like this school," she says pointedly. Yes, she's actually trying for this. It's important to her.
Sharon hangs up with a sigh, reaching for the coffee and using that damn cow creamer to top it off. "I'm going to have to leave early. If we're that desperate to get rid of her, I can drop her off at the bus station on the way," she says.
"Sharon, behave," Karen tells her.
Sharon responds by making a face at the coffee. "That milk is spoiled."
"So are you," says Aaron, proving that he at least shares the snark.
Sharon glares at him, and goes to pour out the milk in the cow creamer down the drain when it says, "Take it back."
Jaye's not sure which part she's supposed to take back, exactly. She actually means what she said about school, so she's not wanting to do that. "Um."
As the cow creamer tips towards the sink, it says, "Take it back!"
"Wait," Jaye says, standing up and running to catch Sharon's arm before she can spill anything. "We shouldn't waste it. We can take it back." She looks expectantly at the cow creamer, like it'll tell her something.
"Are you having a staring contest with the cow?" Aaron asks.
"It's worth a dollar," says Karen, who obviously doesn't do the grocery shopping in the house. "Don't worry about it."
"It should be," Jaye says, sounding more determined than she actually is. Except wait, no, this gets her out of Niagara Falls and back to Fandom, right? She can be determined. "If people sit down and are cool with the status quo, the man just... takes advantage of it?" Maybe she should talk to Blair more often. Or less, since she has no idea where that came from. "So, I can take this to the store before I go."
"You weren't supposed to leave until morning," Darrin reminds her.
"It's better like this," Jaye insists, getting the milk carton to pour what's left of the cow into it. "This was I can be rested and do well in school tomorrow." She's not sure the workshops give grades. She's not saying that. "I've decided it's time to really buckle down." She doesn't exactly mean that. She'll pretend. "Oh, did I tell you? I'm going to TA for a class next semester. The fall semester. We've made plans."
"Really?" Aaron asks, frowning.
"My friend Rory's mom is teaching it. I think I could do a good job there."
"Colleges are going to be looking at what you're doing, you know," Darrin says. "It's good that you're being responsible about that."
Wait, this actually works on people? Monday's class #2: Lies and the Lying Liars That Tell Them. "Well, you know," she says. "But, seriously, I have to get back, like, today." And there's the part where she has to handle the Jason thing today, because she knows what happens when she ignores messages now.
"Did you say cabins?" Aaron notices.
"Yeah," Jaye says. "We're kind of switching off during the summer, a couple weeks in the dorms and then a couple in the cabins."
"You actually rough it?"
"They're air conditioned and sanitary and there's even a bathroom," she says. Next to Jack's alcove. She knows this now. And because she's not opposed to begging if it gets her into said cabins, she continues, "But I have to move everything from the dorms, and have to settle in around other people, and it's just going to be too much for me to do."
"You really should come home more often," Darrin says. "We don't get to spend nearly enough time together as a family. We don't even hear anything about you."
"I'm still a little doubtful of this whole Jaye-has-friends business," Sharon says. "And don't think for a second I believe you're actually dating a cheerleader!"
The cow creamer shakes its head, probably telling Jaye not to kill her. "It's a guy," she admits, and not only is the teasing Sharon bit done, but she's going to be getting questions now. "We've gone out a few times, it's nothing serious and nothing to pressure me about."
"And what was with that phone call the last time I talked to you?" Aaron asks. Jaye's pretty much relieved that it's just taking pressure off the last issue. "The one where you were pretending to be five."
"Newly four. It was a joke I was playing with a friend. No big deal. Hahaha. I will visit more," Jaye promises. "Absence makes the heart... You know. Stuff."
"Grow fonder?" Sharon supplies in a voice that says she doesn't mean it.
"That, too."
*****
She wins this argument. Not only that, she gets to take the car out without someone watching her. Though they probably should, since she drives all the way to the bus station to make a couple purchases, one kind of on a whim at the prodding of some preteen's kitty backpack, before actually heading back to the store. What? The milk's already spoiled.
She's just pulling into a parking space when she sees Jason heading out of the store again. Jaye actually says "Eep," and gets out of the car as fast as she can to chase after him, yelling for him. When she manages to catch up with him, it's pretty clear he's tired of seeing her. "Hi," she says anyway.
"You're around a lot," Jason states.
"Yeah, funny how we keep running into each other like this," Jaye says. "I got something for you."
He frowns as she pulls the ticket out of her purse and hands it to him. "What's this?"
"Bus ticket to Sarasota," Jaye answers. "Because dammit, mister, it is your destiny to join the circus and you are going to be the best darn juggler that circus has ever had."
Jason stares at her like she's crazy. This is not inaccurate. "Why do you care?"
"I'm a caring person."
He shakes his head and tries to give it back to her.
"No, no, no," she says, thwapping him in the head with it before putting it back in his hand. "That is yours. Sometimes, you're just supposed to be somewhere, and you have to do stupid things to make sure it happens. But if it's what you really want to do, you just have to suck it up and go for it, and that means getting on this bus."
The only reason he's probably even considering it is because it's weird to have a strange girl telling you she knows what you're supposed to do with your life. Regardless, he is listening. "I'm this close to finishing school," he says. "I can't just throw that away."
"Sure you can! It's accounting. You think you're bored now, imagine what you'll be like in twenty years."
Jason's eyes go wide.
"Take the ticket," Jaye says.
He stops trying to give it back to her. "I'll think about it."
"Stop thinking. Just do what you have to do," she says.
Jason nods, and steps back like he's afraid she's going to follow him if he heads back to his car. She doesn't.
However, when he's about halfway there, she thinks to call, "Um. That ticket was kind of expensive...!"
*****
Darrin and Aaron take Jaye to the train station, and the whole time she's waiting for someone to mention the idea of her not going back to school one of these times. No one does. On one hand, being told she couldn't go because she was missed would be a welcome change. On the other, she doesn't think it would happen and she actually likes Fandom. She can deal with black sheepery as long as she's somewhere she likes.
When Darrin goes to hug her, he says, "Call when you get in, okay?"
"I will," says Jaye, who knows she has to.
She pulls away, and waves at Aaron. "Hug your sister," Darrin tells him.
Jaye and Aaron both look very happy about this, but they hug anyway. Uncomfortably. "Not coming baaaack," she mutters.
"Gooood," he says back. "I'll remind them how much you suck."
"Thanks."
She steps away, and picks up her bag. "Bye," she says, and heads into the bus station. To go home. Where she's going to have to pretend to be good. Wah.
[NFB due to location.]