He tried, but he also really didn't (Puck Drabble)
I just spent the last couple of hours writing this up for the next chapter and I realized that the entire scene is superfluous and can be mentioned in passing. But I spent time writing it! So I decided to post it here. Just as a warning, it's of NaNo quality. That means that it's not very well edited. But it's somewhat interesting (I think) and not very spoilery.
***
"I have to get going. Christina's here and we have dinner plans. Talk to you later, bye," Puck said into his phone.
Christina placed her hands on her hips. "Who was that?"
He shrugged. "It was only Erin calling to see what's up."
She pursed her lips. "Oh, 'only Erin,' huh?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, only Erin."
"Why is she always calling?"
He laughed. "She doesn't 'always' call and she calls because we're friends. It's what friends do. Friends talk to each other on the phone."
"But she's single, isn't she?"
He laughed again. "Erin is always single. She claims that she's looking for the perfect man, but I doubt there will be anyone who she'll settle down with."
"Oh? You don't think so? You don't think she'll end up 'settling down' with you?"
He looked away. "No. She won't. I'm with you and I'm not the type to cheat on people, you know that."
"Whatever."
Puck sighed and tried not to roll his eyes. "We aren't going to have this argument again, are we? I thought we had a nice night planned."
"You think I don't notice, don't you?"
"Notice what? What are you talking about?"
"I see the way you look at her. I see the way the two of you are when you talk to each other. You guys act like there is nobody else in the world except for the two of you and it kinda sucks when I, who just so happens to be your girlfriend, is left out."
"Oh come on! You're exaggerating! I look at her when I talk to her--"
"No! You stare at her. When she leaves the room, you watch her movement. When she enters the room, your entire face lights up. You're in love with her!"
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm not in love with her. I'm in love with you."
"Oh really? Puck, we've been dating for two years now."
"Yeah we have. What's your point?"
"My point is that we're about to graduate college and we haven't made any plans post graduation. Most people get engaged at this point, especially when they've been dating for a long time. But we aren't. We don't talk about the future. I haven't even met your parents. Do you know how that makes me feel? Is it true what they say about that 'elven haughtiness?' Is it true that elves don't like interacting with people who aren't their own kind? is that why you haven't introduced me to your parents?"
Puck heaved an even deeper sigh. "Yes, it's true that elves are how 'they say' they are. But if I were anything like that, I wouldn't be attending this school. There's an elven academy for 'people of my kind' to attend. As for not meeting my parents..." he trailed off as he thought about the words he wanted to say. "My parents are dead," he finally said. "They have been since I was a little kid. I have a sister, but she doesn't approve of me." He tried to take her into his arms but she pushed him away.
"That doesn’t mean anything to me. For all I know, I could be just a silly little fling for you. A rebellious phase."
"Well, then if that were the case, then I wouldn't be 'in love' with Erin like you claim. Look, I haven't made any plans for the future because I don't know what the future holds. I'm living in my post college apartment. As soon as I graduate, I'll have a full time job."
"And what about marriage?"
He shrugged reluctantly and looked away. "I plan to get married, yeah. Maybe. I might not. I don't know."
"And that's NOT what you say to your girlfriend of two years whom you claim to be in love with!" Christina screamed.
"You're right, it's not. I'm sorry. I really am."
It was her turn to sigh. "You know what? I believe you actually are sorry. But I have plans. I have hopes, dreams, wants and fears and you apparently aren't the person who I'm going to share them with."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm not trying to say anything. I'm telling you outright that I came here to break up with you."
"Oh..."
"And that's the sad thing, Puck. After two years, all you can say is 'Oh' when I'm telling you that I want to break up."
He ran his hand through his hair. "Do you want me to beg you to stay? It looks like you're pretty set on this."
"It'd be nice if you begged, yeah. It'd also be nice if you told me that you have an engagement ring hiding in your bedroom and you were planning on surprising me with it. Do you have an engagement ring?"
"No."
"Then tell me this: are you planning on marrying me?"
He paused for a long moment before answering. "...No."
"Then there's my answer. God, what a waste. What a waste for both of us."
"Chris, it wasn't a waste. We had fun. We enjoyed each others company. I don't consider it a waste at all. People date without expectations of lifetime commitment."
"So what was your plan then, huh? Were you just planning on having us date for years and years? That's not good enough for me. After two years of dating, I shouldn't be asking myself, 'What's the point?' And I find that sad. Goodbye, Puck." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out the door.
He leaned on his kitchen counter with a sigh. 'The Point' of him dating Christina Huffington was so that he wouldn't date Erin Devereaux. He had tried so hard to avoid it even though Christina was right: he was drawn to Erin. He couldn't help it.
Christina was also right about another thing: it wasn't fair to her and he really did feel bad. He felt even worse when his very next thought was that both he and Erin were single at the same time. He had really wanted to avoid that and he was keenly aware of his mother's hand nudging in the entire matter. He wanted to go along with it, but at the same time, he felt incredibly guilty.
He felt guilty because the path he chose led to his father's banishment to the Punished Realm. And for the time being, his guilt overrode his attraction to the girl he knew he was destined to marry.
***
As an Easter Egg for people, Christina is this girl:
She's on the cover of my next chapter. She's from an unpublished Prettacy I did and I wanted to use her for something. It's a shame that she really only gets a footnote in the chapter but, well, *shrugs*
Anyway, I thought I'd share :D
***
"I have to get going. Christina's here and we have dinner plans. Talk to you later, bye," Puck said into his phone.
Christina placed her hands on her hips. "Who was that?"
He shrugged. "It was only Erin calling to see what's up."
She pursed her lips. "Oh, 'only Erin,' huh?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, only Erin."
"Why is she always calling?"
He laughed. "She doesn't 'always' call and she calls because we're friends. It's what friends do. Friends talk to each other on the phone."
"But she's single, isn't she?"
He laughed again. "Erin is always single. She claims that she's looking for the perfect man, but I doubt there will be anyone who she'll settle down with."
"Oh? You don't think so? You don't think she'll end up 'settling down' with you?"
He looked away. "No. She won't. I'm with you and I'm not the type to cheat on people, you know that."
"Whatever."
Puck sighed and tried not to roll his eyes. "We aren't going to have this argument again, are we? I thought we had a nice night planned."
"You think I don't notice, don't you?"
"Notice what? What are you talking about?"
"I see the way you look at her. I see the way the two of you are when you talk to each other. You guys act like there is nobody else in the world except for the two of you and it kinda sucks when I, who just so happens to be your girlfriend, is left out."
"Oh come on! You're exaggerating! I look at her when I talk to her--"
"No! You stare at her. When she leaves the room, you watch her movement. When she enters the room, your entire face lights up. You're in love with her!"
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm not in love with her. I'm in love with you."
"Oh really? Puck, we've been dating for two years now."
"Yeah we have. What's your point?"
"My point is that we're about to graduate college and we haven't made any plans post graduation. Most people get engaged at this point, especially when they've been dating for a long time. But we aren't. We don't talk about the future. I haven't even met your parents. Do you know how that makes me feel? Is it true what they say about that 'elven haughtiness?' Is it true that elves don't like interacting with people who aren't their own kind? is that why you haven't introduced me to your parents?"
Puck heaved an even deeper sigh. "Yes, it's true that elves are how 'they say' they are. But if I were anything like that, I wouldn't be attending this school. There's an elven academy for 'people of my kind' to attend. As for not meeting my parents..." he trailed off as he thought about the words he wanted to say. "My parents are dead," he finally said. "They have been since I was a little kid. I have a sister, but she doesn't approve of me." He tried to take her into his arms but she pushed him away.
"That doesn’t mean anything to me. For all I know, I could be just a silly little fling for you. A rebellious phase."
"Well, then if that were the case, then I wouldn't be 'in love' with Erin like you claim. Look, I haven't made any plans for the future because I don't know what the future holds. I'm living in my post college apartment. As soon as I graduate, I'll have a full time job."
"And what about marriage?"
He shrugged reluctantly and looked away. "I plan to get married, yeah. Maybe. I might not. I don't know."
"And that's NOT what you say to your girlfriend of two years whom you claim to be in love with!" Christina screamed.
"You're right, it's not. I'm sorry. I really am."
It was her turn to sigh. "You know what? I believe you actually are sorry. But I have plans. I have hopes, dreams, wants and fears and you apparently aren't the person who I'm going to share them with."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm not trying to say anything. I'm telling you outright that I came here to break up with you."
"Oh..."
"And that's the sad thing, Puck. After two years, all you can say is 'Oh' when I'm telling you that I want to break up."
He ran his hand through his hair. "Do you want me to beg you to stay? It looks like you're pretty set on this."
"It'd be nice if you begged, yeah. It'd also be nice if you told me that you have an engagement ring hiding in your bedroom and you were planning on surprising me with it. Do you have an engagement ring?"
"No."
"Then tell me this: are you planning on marrying me?"
He paused for a long moment before answering. "...No."
"Then there's my answer. God, what a waste. What a waste for both of us."
"Chris, it wasn't a waste. We had fun. We enjoyed each others company. I don't consider it a waste at all. People date without expectations of lifetime commitment."
"So what was your plan then, huh? Were you just planning on having us date for years and years? That's not good enough for me. After two years of dating, I shouldn't be asking myself, 'What's the point?' And I find that sad. Goodbye, Puck." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out the door.
He leaned on his kitchen counter with a sigh. 'The Point' of him dating Christina Huffington was so that he wouldn't date Erin Devereaux. He had tried so hard to avoid it even though Christina was right: he was drawn to Erin. He couldn't help it.
Christina was also right about another thing: it wasn't fair to her and he really did feel bad. He felt even worse when his very next thought was that both he and Erin were single at the same time. He had really wanted to avoid that and he was keenly aware of his mother's hand nudging in the entire matter. He wanted to go along with it, but at the same time, he felt incredibly guilty.
He felt guilty because the path he chose led to his father's banishment to the Punished Realm. And for the time being, his guilt overrode his attraction to the girl he knew he was destined to marry.
***
As an Easter Egg for people, Christina is this girl:
She's on the cover of my next chapter. She's from an unpublished Prettacy I did and I wanted to use her for something. It's a shame that she really only gets a footnote in the chapter but, well, *shrugs*
Anyway, I thought I'd share :D