June Fanfiction Challenge: Day 4 - Community
Title: Old Maid's Day
Fandom: Community
Pairing: Gen (Jeff/Annie)
Author: jacqui_hw
Rating: PG
Inspiration: June 4th is apparently Old Maid's Day. It is also the day the U.S. Congress approved the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 668
Jeff stepped into the library with an overpowering feeling of dread. That in itself wasn’t anything new, but the fact was, he’d actually woken up in a pretty good mood that morning. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, he’d gotten two phone numbers from two very attractive and very eager women at the bar the night before...
And then he’d bumped into Britta in the parking lot and everything had gone to hell.
“Do you know what today is?”
“You know in most places, people greet each other with ‘Hello’ or ‘Good morning’.”
Britta had rolled her eyes and hit his arm. “Today is Old Maid’s Day. A national day for Old Maid’s.”
“Who uses the term Old Maid these days?”
“Jeff,” Britta had said in her most frustratedly passionate voice. “That’s not the point.”
“No,” Jeff sighed. “But I’m sure you’re going to get there eventually.”
“Why should single women need a day dedicated to highlighting that they’re single? It’s insulting. And sexist. And...”
Jeff had waved his hands at her, hoping to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion.
“Yes, yes, women don’t need to be married to be happy. Why are you getting so worked up over something that no one knows about?”
And that was when he stepped into hell.
“It’s Old Maid’s Day,” the Dean’s voice announced in that gratingly cheerful way. “And for all you Old Maids out there, we’re celebrating with an Old Maid’s dance.”
Britta looked furious. She pointed to a poster on the wall and emitted a high-pitched squeaking noise of despair.
It was a poster of her.
Jeff rubbed his face. There was a poster of Annie right next to it. And all the way along the hall, more posters of single girls, sorry, single women. He shouldn’t have bothered getting out of bed that morning.
He stepped into the library with Britta ranting angrily in his ear, to find Annie sniffling into a tissue and Shirley stroking her hair gently.
“It’s okay baby,” she was saying. “You won’t be an old maid forever.”
“God, Shirley,” Britta said as she dropped her bag on the table. “She’s not an old maid. None of us are. There is nothing wrong with being single.”
“I don’t want to be an old maid,” Annie whimpered. Her eyes drifted towards Jeff, who sat down and took out his phone, determinedly ignoring her.
He typed out a text to Dean Pelton and after a moment’s hesitation - he didn’t like encouraging him to text back - pressed send.
“Annie,” he said, silencing everyone and drawing all their attention back to him. “You’re not an old maid. For one thing, you’re nineteen. You couldn’t possibly be described as old. And for another...”
He stopped and watched her eyes widen to Disney-like proportions. They were glistening and hopeful. He really should have stayed in bed.
Damn it. No thinking about Annie and bed at the same time.
“Jeff?”
He sat up straight and pulled his chair further under the table, wishing her damn eyes - eyes for God’s sake - didn’t make him feel like a horny teenager.
“And for another thing, there are hundreds of guys out there who want to date you,” he said quickly. “You just have to pick one.”
There was a squeal from the PA system and then the Dean’s slightly frantic voice.
“Greendale. To commemorate the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing suffrage to women, tonight we are holding a Wonderful Women dance for all the wonderful women of our wonderful college, be they single, married, in committed relationships, straight, gay or all of the above. Please also enjoy our posters of the wonderful women we are celebrating. The rest of which will be displayed shortly. Thank you.”
Jeff smiled and started to relax. Britta was no longer glaring at him. Annie was still watching, but in a slightly less dewy way. Maybe the day wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
Fandom: Community
Pairing: Gen (Jeff/Annie)
Author: jacqui_hw
Rating: PG
Inspiration: June 4th is apparently Old Maid's Day. It is also the day the U.S. Congress approved the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 668
Jeff stepped into the library with an overpowering feeling of dread. That in itself wasn’t anything new, but the fact was, he’d actually woken up in a pretty good mood that morning. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, he’d gotten two phone numbers from two very attractive and very eager women at the bar the night before...
And then he’d bumped into Britta in the parking lot and everything had gone to hell.
“Do you know what today is?”
“You know in most places, people greet each other with ‘Hello’ or ‘Good morning’.”
Britta had rolled her eyes and hit his arm. “Today is Old Maid’s Day. A national day for Old Maid’s.”
“Who uses the term Old Maid these days?”
“Jeff,” Britta had said in her most frustratedly passionate voice. “That’s not the point.”
“No,” Jeff sighed. “But I’m sure you’re going to get there eventually.”
“Why should single women need a day dedicated to highlighting that they’re single? It’s insulting. And sexist. And...”
Jeff had waved his hands at her, hoping to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion.
“Yes, yes, women don’t need to be married to be happy. Why are you getting so worked up over something that no one knows about?”
And that was when he stepped into hell.
“It’s Old Maid’s Day,” the Dean’s voice announced in that gratingly cheerful way. “And for all you Old Maids out there, we’re celebrating with an Old Maid’s dance.”
Britta looked furious. She pointed to a poster on the wall and emitted a high-pitched squeaking noise of despair.
It was a poster of her.
Jeff rubbed his face. There was a poster of Annie right next to it. And all the way along the hall, more posters of single girls, sorry, single women. He shouldn’t have bothered getting out of bed that morning.
He stepped into the library with Britta ranting angrily in his ear, to find Annie sniffling into a tissue and Shirley stroking her hair gently.
“It’s okay baby,” she was saying. “You won’t be an old maid forever.”
“God, Shirley,” Britta said as she dropped her bag on the table. “She’s not an old maid. None of us are. There is nothing wrong with being single.”
“I don’t want to be an old maid,” Annie whimpered. Her eyes drifted towards Jeff, who sat down and took out his phone, determinedly ignoring her.
He typed out a text to Dean Pelton and after a moment’s hesitation - he didn’t like encouraging him to text back - pressed send.
“Annie,” he said, silencing everyone and drawing all their attention back to him. “You’re not an old maid. For one thing, you’re nineteen. You couldn’t possibly be described as old. And for another...”
He stopped and watched her eyes widen to Disney-like proportions. They were glistening and hopeful. He really should have stayed in bed.
Damn it. No thinking about Annie and bed at the same time.
“Jeff?”
He sat up straight and pulled his chair further under the table, wishing her damn eyes - eyes for God’s sake - didn’t make him feel like a horny teenager.
“And for another thing, there are hundreds of guys out there who want to date you,” he said quickly. “You just have to pick one.”
There was a squeal from the PA system and then the Dean’s slightly frantic voice.
“Greendale. To commemorate the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing suffrage to women, tonight we are holding a Wonderful Women dance for all the wonderful women of our wonderful college, be they single, married, in committed relationships, straight, gay or all of the above. Please also enjoy our posters of the wonderful women we are celebrating. The rest of which will be displayed shortly. Thank you.”
Jeff smiled and started to relax. Britta was no longer glaring at him. Annie was still watching, but in a slightly less dewy way. Maybe the day wasn’t going to be so bad after all.