Lessons in Epic Storytelling, Ch 9/?
Title: Lessons in Epic Storytelling
Chapter: 9/?
Pairings: Annie/Abed, Annie/Jeff, side Britta/Troy
Rating: NC-17 for future chapters
Words: 9294
Summary: Annie enters the study room to a scene of even greater chaos than usual. When the group blames her for their behavior, she sets them down to tell them an epic love story that will reveal every single one of her deepest secrets.
Spoilers: Anything up to and including the season three finale, 'Introduction to Finality'. In fact, several of the scenes in that episode's final montage will find their way into this story as I provide my own events that lead up to them.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. If I had any claim on Community, Abed would be all mine.
A/N: So, my computer finally died. On the plus side, I have a brand new computer now. I've had this chapter planned since before I started writing this story, so imagine my surprise when I developed a serious case of writer's block about halfway through. Seriously, writing the third flashback was like pulling teeth (to be completely cliche). The words simply refused to come out. I restarted and rewrote that segment at least ten times, and I'm still not thrilled with it. Oh well. C'est la vie. I'm calling it done now so that I can move on. However, the difficulty I had writing this chapter means that I'm going to take a couple of days to do something brainless (hello Sims 3) while I get my thoughts in order for chapter 10. As always, I'd like to thank my livejournal reviewers: fangirl 101, fluffyfrolicker, under_crisis, sassyrogue, novagirl, butterednoodle, and who_locked. Thank you so much for your kind words. I love hearing what you have to say! Please read and review! Thanks!
Chapter Nine: Choosing a Scenario
Study Room
Present Day
"You were addicted to him?" Britta questioned. "Wait. You keep telling us when you kissed him, but you're not exactly giving us the details each time. What was so great that you became addicted to him? I mean, he's Abed."
Annie blushed. "Of course I'm not going to share the details of the kisses. That's not any of your business. And, anyway, all that's important to the story is that we did kiss. I can't really explain my addiction properly without giving you off-limits details, so you'll just have to settle for knowing that Abed is a very good kisser."
"We need a little more information than that, Annie. No offense, Abed," Britta said, glancing at the man in question. "But you're not exactly the most emotionally open person."
"Just so you can understand where I was coming from," Annie began, her cheeks blazing, "I will tell you this. You know how he's very focused when he's shooting a movie? He kisses with that same focus and intensity. But that's really all that I feel comfortable sharing with you."
"You can't be addicted to a person," Jeff, who had been trying to tune them out the past few minutes, pointed out.
"Yes, you can."
Shirley and Britta spoke at the same time and then exchanged a look. Annie sighed.
"It really shouldn't be surprising that I was a little addicted to Abed. I have an addictive personality. Think about it: studying, grades, adderall. I just had to add Abed to that list."
"Oh, sweetie," Shirley said soothingly. "But Abed is a good man."
"Abed was a taken man. As much as I tried to ignore it, Robin was still technically his...girlfriend, I guess?"
She looked over at Abed to get his take on the title. He frowned faintly.
"We were in a relationship but we only saw each other a few times a year and never face to face. Long-distance girlfriend is probably the proper term, but girlfriend would suffice."
Annie nodded and stated, "See. He had a girlfriend and after two kisses so close together, it had hit me that I was the other woman. Something that I had never wanted to be. So, as we moved deeper into shooting his movie, I tried to fight my addiction. I backed off as much as I could while still fulfilling my promise to him." She blushed. "I didn't last long."
ooooo
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Feeling terribly self-conscious, Annie desperately wished that she had thought to bring her coat into her bedroom with her instead of leaving it in the coat closet. Honestly, she could kill Abed for this costume choice and she was seriously considering dropping out of his movie in protest.
She cracked the door open and peeked outside. Seeing that the coast was clear, she rushed out. She was nearly to the closet when Troy's voice stopped her.
"Annie? What are you wearing?"
Jumping, Annie stared down at her black bunny suit and reached a hand up to the white ears pinned into her hair. Scanning the room, she saw that he was in his recliner. She blushed at the stunned expression on his face.
"Don't tell Britta."
"Sure," Troy agreed easily, his eyes still wide. "But, really, what are you wearing?"
Groaning, Annie pulled her coat out of the closet and slipped it over her shoulders. She zipped it up and then tugged at the bottom, wishing it was longer.
"It's my costume for a scene that I'm filming for Abed's movie," she admitted.
While they had told Troy and Britta that she was starring in his big film project, Abed had asked that she keep the details of the movie to herself. He wanted everyone to enjoy it spoiler-free the first time they watched it. Since it was his pet project, she was perfectly happy to keep the plot quiet.
"I'll be back later, Troy," she said with a wave to him as she left the apartment.
Her car keys clasped in her hand, Annie hurried down the hall, ignoring the curious looks that she received from the few people present. She knew that no one would ask about the bunny ears perched on her head. They had lived here long enough that their neighbors were completely used to the odd costumes that they sometimes wore. In fact, they didn't even blink anymore when Abed wandered around in his Inspector Spacetime bathrobe.
When she pushed the building door open to the outside, the cold air immediately assaulted her and she let out a yip. Hugging her coat as tightly around her as she could, she ran to the car as quickly as her heels let her. She was thankful that the parking lot had been cleared since the last snowstorm. At least she wouldn't break an ankle. Shivering violently, she scowled. She was so going to have a word with Abed about his costume choice.
Thirty minutes later, Annie found herself standing in the auditorium at Greendale, staring down at her script in disbelief. He wanted her to do what?
"Abed," she addressed him in a tight voice. "I am not willing to film this. I didn't agree to be a stripper when I took this role."
"You're not a stripper, Annie. There is no nudity involved. You are a dancer," he explained quickly.
"I have to dance around a pole! That's what strippers do."
"No, strippers take their clothing off. It's right there in their title," he argued. "You will keep your costume on."
Burying her face in one hand, she waved the script at him with the other.
"Explain to me why I have to do this again," she demanded, her voice slightly muffled. "I thought this was supposed to be a simple story of two best friends who fall in love."
"It is, but I had to add suspense and fear to the story to meet the multiple emotions requirement. Sarah has been in love with Naveed since they were children, but he has never seen her as a possible romantic interest. She is working her way through college by performing as a dancer at a club. One of her patrons has become obsessed with her. Worried for her safety, Naveed now visits the club every time she works. Seeing her dance for the first time finally opens his eyes to the fact that she has grown into a desirable woman. This is the only scene that you are required to dance in, and it is pivotal to the romantic portion of the plot."
Annie sorted through the information that he had just given her. Her first thought was that she really should have read the script before she just blindly agreed to star in the movie. Her second thought was that the story actually sounded pretty interesting. If she wasn't the one up there dancing around a pole, she would want to watch the movie.
"But do I really have to do this in front of everyone?" she asked, raising her head. She gestured around the room at the students who had agreed to serve as extras in the scene. "Can't you just film them separately from me and, I don't know, splice in the audience scenes?"
He shook his head. "I can't. Both units will be filming at the same time in order to capture your dance and genuine responses from the audience in addition to my character's reactions."
Annie scowled. "Can you at least clear them out of here and give me today to practice? I can't just perform a scene like this without rehearsal, especially if it's important to the story. It'll take me at least ten or so tries to even feel comfortable performing it in front of you. And you're my friend!"
Abed tilted his head to the side, face completely blank. Annie knew that he was considering her request. Crossing her fingers, she prayed that he would at least give her this since he seemed set on leaving the scene in the movie.
"I see the benefits to your suggestion," he agreed. "The movie would suffer if you were stiff in the scene."
While he hopped up on the stage to dismiss the others, Annie wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her coat tightly to her. Why, oh why, was he insisting on this scene? Okay, so she knew why. It was obviously the scene where Naveed finally, truly sees Sarah for the first time; the scene where he starts to fall in love with her. Since the movie documented their relationship in addition to Sarah's issues with her stalker, the dancing scene actually was fairly important. She just didn't know why Naveed couldn't just see her in a short skirt or something and have that trigger his epiphany.
Releasing her grip on her waist, Annie wandered over to the stage as the other students started to leave. Stopping in front of it, she looked up at the intimidating silver pole that a couple of the drama department's more skilled props people had set up for him. She didn't know how she was going to dance around that thing. She had never been to a strip club in her life. The closest she had ever come to seeing someone pole dance were the short scenes set in strip clubs in some of the movies she had watched. Those didn't really count, though, because she had spent most of her time avoiding looking at the TV out of sheer embarrassment.
"Are you ready to rehearse?" Abed asked, looking down at her from his position on the stage.
Glancing around, Annie saw that the other students had cleared out. She sighed.
"Okay. Give me a minute."
Unbuttoning her coat, Annie slid it down her shoulders. She instantly felt naked. The bunny suit was entirely too revealing. She didn't know what had made Abed decide on this particular costume, but she wished that he had settled on something with a bit more coverage. Resigned to her fate, she laid her coat over the back of one of the theater seats in the front row and then took the stairs onto the stage.
The pole was no less threatening once she was standing next to it. Staring at the gleaming metal, she didn't know how to even begin her dance. Running her hand down the pole, she found that it was quite smooth. She would probably be able to slide along it easily and wouldn't risk picking up a metal splinter. Gripping the pole securely, she circled it and found that she moved quickly and effortlessly around it. She was happy to find that it supported her weight without wobbling too.
"The pole works," she stated. "I don't know what you want me to do, though."
"Dance in a way that would entice men," Abed instructed. "You don't have to strictly use the pole; it's merely a prop to make things easier for you."
Annie clasped her hands in front of her. "I don't know how to dance like that. You saw me on New Year's Eve -- dancing isn't something that I'm good at."
Sexy Santa notwithstanding, of course. But she had been slightly brainwashed into the glee club mindset at that point.
"That's why you wanted to rehearse," Abed reminded her matter-of-factly.
"You're right."
Annie unclasped her hands and glanced around the room. When she was sure that it was just the two of them, she stepped in front of the pole, which felt like the best position to begin from.
"Do you have any music, Abed?" she questioned.
"I have the song that the scene is set to," he told her.
He climbed off the stage. She watched him stride up the aisle to the control booth that was set in the back corner of the room. A short time later, Britney Spears' 'I'm a Slave 4 U' began. Annie had to admit that the beat was definitely conducive to dancing, and the lyrics were actually highly appropriate for a scene where a man realizes that the dancer is a grown woman. Letting the music wash over her, Annie tried to dance in a way that was enticing. Clearly she didn't do well enough, though, because when the song ended, Abed simply started it over.
For a full hour, Annie tried to figure out how to dance sexy. She wanted to channel the spirit that had been in her Santa dance, but she wasn't sure that it would be any good even if she succeeded. Her Santa dance had been awfully immature in the spirit of the baby talking madness that she had descended into. By the time the song had ended for the fifteenth time, Annie was exhausted, upset, and on the verge of tears that she had failed so miserably. She simply wasn't able to channel sexy. She was so stiff and preoccupied with the knowledge that she had to perform in front of a crowd that she couldn't get into the dance. When Abed began the song again, she stepped forward and sat down on the edge of the stage, legs dangling over the side. She refused to continue to humiliate herself tonight.
Staring blankly at the doors, Annie noticed when the music turned off. Sliding her eyes over, she saw Abed making his way up the aisle to her. Once he was close enough that he disappeared from her peripheral vision, she turned her gaze forward again. When he came to a stop next to her on the stage, Annie tilted her head back to look up at him.
"I can't do this, Abed. I think you need a new lead," she admitted reluctantly, looking back down.
She still didn't like the thought of him kissing someone else for his love scene, but she would rather deal with that than ruin his movie and cost him his grade. She was so busy sulking that she didn't even notice he had sat down until his voice sounded right beside her ear.
"I don't. You're my best option."
Annie turned her head to find that their faces were level with each other.
"I can't do sexy, Abed. I think I could channel anything else easier than that. I'm trying, but I keep thinking about the crowd that'll watch me and the fact that this movie is your final exam. I don't want to be the reason why you fail," she explained earnestly.
He was quiet for several moments after she stopped talking. She saw the thoughtfulness in his eyes. She really hoped that he was coming up with a viable replacement for her.
"We don't have to shoot the film chronologically," he finally said. "It's a common process in Hollywood to shoot movies out of order based on travel, schedules, and budgetary concerns. We can come back and shoot this scene later. That will give you time to research scenes similar to this one."
She could feel her resistance melting. The block that had formed around the dancing might dissipate if she simply had more time to prepare for the scene. She could practice her dancing at home in private and then she might be able to complete it when she was in front of the crowd.
She offered him a tiny smile. "I'll stay in the movie, but you might find a backup just in case I can't do it."
"That will be unnecessary," Abed asserted, his eyes strangely warm on hers.
Annie couldn't take her eyes off of him. His absolute, unwavering faith in her left her breathless. Sure, many people had trusted her to help them study, but this was different. Abed was trusting her with his grade, yes, but her book knowledge and highlighters weren't going to help in this situation. The fact that he knew that and was still willing to place his belief in her was amazing.
The expression in Abed's eyes was so gentle and warm that Annie felt herself being drawn in again. When he moved his head toward hers, she leaned in and met him in the middle. The touch of their lips was soft, barely even a butterfly kiss, but it was heady. An alarming tingle began in the vicinity of her heart as her eyes drifted closed. Kissing Abed felt so right. How could Robin not want to do this every time she came to Greendale?
The thought of his long-distance girlfriend had Annie opening her eyes and looking away from him.
"Did I do something wrong?" Abed asked, his usual monotone tinted with confusion. "Was that an inappropriate interval for a kiss?"
"No," Annie said with a small, bitter laugh. "It was perfect, Abed. The timing and the kiss were both perfect."
"Then why did you stop? No one interrupted us this time."
Conflicted about what to do, Annie buried her face in her hands. She wanted so badly to explain but she wasn't sure that she could, not when she felt so close to hysteria.
"Annie?"
The sound of her name, spoken in a bewildered voice that was so far from his usual blank tone, broke her silence.
Lifting her head but avoiding looking at him, she asked, "What are we doing, Abed? We keep kissing when we shouldn't." She took a deep breath. "We're friends; we've been friends for years now. But lately, I've been feeling decidedly not friendly toward you. I want to kiss you. Every time I look at you, I want to kiss you. That's not friend behavior. If it was, I would want to kiss Troy and Britta every time I make eye contact with them, but I don't. I can't keep doing this. You already have a girlfriend and I can't be the other woman."
Annie knew that they weren't dating, but when she said it, she felt distinctly as if she had broken up with him. When he stood up and walked off stage without a word, Annie knew that nothing had changed; he still preferred Robin to her.
As the sound of the double doors closing echoed through the auditorium, Annie let the tears fall.
ooooo
Study Room
Present Day
"Annie, that's horrible," Shirley gasped.
"Are you sure he wanted Robin?" Troy asked urgently, leaning forward in his seat. "You should always get Abed to say what he wants because it's really easy to guess wrong."
Annie sighed, feeling the old desire to go back and change things. "I do know that, but I was too wrapped up in my own pain and self-pity to just ask him outright. I didn't want him to confirm what I already knew."
"So you didn't talk to Abed about what happened then?" Britta questioned in her psych major voice before turning to her neighbor. "Wait. That was when you started spending all that time in the mini-Dreamatorium, wasn't it?"
He nodded. "I had a lot of information to process."
Startled, Annie stared at him. This was news to her. "I didn't know that Abed had anything to process. He had made his choice. That only became even more obvious two weeks later."
ooooo
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Annie swung her hips to the beat of the music coming out of her I-Pod. Glancing at the door to make sure that it was shut, she shimmied down to the ground before following the same movement back up, practicing a new move that she had discovered.
She had spent her free time over the last couple of weeks in her room trying to figure out the best way to look sexy while dancing. She actually felt like she was making some progress, so she was pretty proud of that. Plus, it was an excellent way to avoid Abed. Ever since he had chosen Robin, she'd only seen him at school and occasionally at home when she dared to venture out of her room. He didn't seem to be avoiding her as he had after their first real kiss, but she wasn't ready to be around him yet. Every time she saw him, she felt a terrible mix of pain and desire. She still wanted him badly, and she was pretty sure that it was going to take a lot of time before she could go near him without wanting to kiss him.
As a former addict, Annie knew that the best thing she could do to ease the cravings was avoid him as completely as possible. Until the urge to kiss him disappeared or at least eased to a manageable level, she knew that the temptation to relapse was too strong to spend time with him. She had even avoided filming for the last two weeks, and, luckily, he hadn't pushed her. It was as if he knew that she needed her space right now, which made her happy. At least he was still practicing empathy.
After dancing for the last couple of hours, Annie was extremely thirsty. Turning off the music, she left the room.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"
As Annie crossed through the living room, she heard Britta's voice. She listened closely as she entered the kitchen area.
Annie was going out tonight with Britta, Troy, and Jeff. She had accepted that Abed would probably come along too. She knew that Britta was going to try and push him into joining them. Pierce had been invited along, but surprisingly turned them down, saying that he had a date. Shirley and Andre had also opted out, having already promised to take Elijah and Jordan to see the newest kiddie movie.
"I already have plans for tonight."
Abed's voice was his usual monotone, but Annie's spirits immediately perked up. She knew that this was another aspect of her addiction. Eventually she would be able to hear his voice without her every nerve going on alert. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of plans he already had, though.
As Annie filled her glass with water, she heard Britta say, "Okay, but you don't know what you're going to be missing."
Annie snorted as she turned around to lean against the counter. Of course Abed knew what he would be missing. They were just headed out to one of Jeff's favorite bars. When they did that, the nights usually went the same way. They would all drink, except for Abed, who would stick to water and soda. Annie would stop after a couple since she had zero desire to experience a hangover. Troy would stop next. Jeff and Britta, the two most experienced drinkers in their group, would continue until they all decided to leave. There was always a lot of laughing, talking, some dancing, and, for Britta and Jeff, arguing. Abed had been out with them enough times before to know exactly what would happen.
Sipping her water, Annie watched as Abed entered the kitchen. He stopped short when he saw her.
"Are you going out with them?" he asked blankly.
She nodded.
"Good," he said, heading for the bowl of apples on the counter. "I need the apartment to myself."
A gnawing suspicion started in her stomach. She could only think of one reason why he would need the apartment to himself. She didn't want to ask; she really didn't want to know. Even so, she knew that she would ask. She couldn't help herself.
"Is Robin in town tonight?" she asked, her voice soft.
She could feel the self-loathing rise in her. Why did she have to torture herself?
"Yes," he replied simply. "I'm inviting her inside tonight because I have to fix things."
The pain that stabbed Annie in the vicinity of her heart was so sharp that it took her breath away. Hands shaking slightly, she set her glass down. She worked hard to keep her expression neutral. Apparently she was successful because Abed didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.
"I see."
It was all she could say before she left the room. She couldn't wish him luck. Granted, she was a supportive person and she thought that she was usually a pretty good friend, but she simply couldn't tell him good luck on his night with Robin. Not when she was certain that Abed was inviting Robin inside to explore the physical side of their relationship.
After all, that was the only part that needed to be fixed.
ooooo
Study Room
Present Day
Annie glanced around at the group. She was aware that this might be the last time that they were sympathetic to her position throughout the story, and she wanted to soak it in before she told them about the really, really stupid mistake that she had made.
"Don't you think you were jumping to conclusions?"
Annie was startled when Jeff was the one to ask the question.
"I was," she admitted. "But I was also full of self-pity, self-loathing, and pain. I wasn't seeing things clearly or else I would have realized that he hadn't said that he was going to kiss her or sleep with her. I was too focused on myself to see that, though."
And it wasn't as if Abed had ever told her what happened that night. She still didn't know exactly what occurred between him and Robin, and she wasn't sure that she ever wanted to. She was very much aware that he could well have slept with Robin. Even now, she was still too terrified to ask.
"What happened?" Shirley asked, staring at her intently, clearly sensing some juicy details on the horizon.
Annie cast an apologetic glance at Jeff, who looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"I had more to drink than I should have, for starters."
ooooo
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Annie stared down at her empty glass. The vodka was gone. Where had the vodka gone?
It was barely after midnight, so she decided that she needed more. Since Britta and Troy were dancing and Jeff had gone to the bathroom, Annie knew that if she wanted more vodka, it was up to her to get it. When she stood up, the room spun. Right. That was where the vodka had gone. She had drank it all in the hopes that it would help her forget that Abed was in their apartment with Robin, probably kissing her. Or worse. Ugh. She needed more vodka because she was thinking about it again.
Although she was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol, Annie was pretty sure that she was still mostly in control of her actions. Her judgment hadn't deserted her. She still knew that driving home would be a terrible idea and that drinking more probably wasn't the smartest thing she could do. She had been more giggly tonight, but she was pretty sure that was the only real difference that the alcohol had caused.
On her way to the bar, she ran into something very solid. She would have fallen over if it weren't for the warm hands that wrapped around her upper arms. Looking up, she smiled at the fact that Jeff was the one supporting her.
"Hi, Jeff!"
He gave her an indulgent smile.
"Hi, Annie. How much have you had to drink tonight?"
Furrowing her brow, she tried to remember exactly how many vodka lemonades she'd had.
"Six?" she asked hesitantly.
She wasn't completely sure how much she had drank, but she was pretty sure that six was in the right neighborhood.
He frowned. "That's a lot, Annie."
She scowled up at him. She didn't like his tone.
"Well, how many have you had?" she asked defensively.
"Not sure," he answered casually. "But that doesn't matter. I'm experienced enough to handle it. You're not."
Annie had to admit, at least to herself, that he was right. She knew that Jeff had drank several more than her, but he probably was less drunk than her in spite of that. She didn't want to lose her cognitive abilities completely. Plus, with her addictive personality, who knew how quickly she would turn into an alcoholic? Sighing, she resigned herself to water for the rest of the night.
Thirty minutes later, she was back in their booth, sipping her water and listening to Britta rant about blood diamonds. The topic was heavier than she wanted to deal with in her pleasantly buzzed state, so Annie searched for something else to focus on.
She settled on Jeff.
He was sitting next to her in the booth, their arms pressed together in the cramped space. He felt warm and smelled so very nice. Comforted by the familiarity of him, Annie leaned further into his side. She knew that she had caught him off guard when he glanced down at her, a startled expression on his face. She smiled up at him.
An idea was forming in Annie's slightly foggy brain as she sat there, soaking in Jeff's warmth and scent. He liked her, and, most importantly, he wanted her. Abed didn't. Why should she keep pushing him away simply because she hoped that something would happen with Abed when it was now obvious that nothing would? She was still attracted to Jeff and their friendship was better than ever. Even if she didn't love him right now, there was still the possibility that could grow, right? She just needed to give him a chance. And she had always enjoyed kissing him. With that thought in mind, she reached over and started drawing patterns on the back of his hand with her index finger. She felt him stiffen next to her.
When Troy and Britta got up to dance a few minutes later, Jeff immediately turned to Annie.
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
She smiled at him. "Are you still interested in me, Jeff?"
She was fairly sure that she knew the answer because he hadn't been shy about flirting with her over the last several weeks, but Abed's recent rejection still left her feeling a little unsure that she was wrong about Jeff too.
"I am," he agreed readily, "Why?"
Annie was thrilled to hear that. She was certain that she could be happy with Jeff. He wanted her, after all. And for years, she had wanted him more than anyone or anything else. Yes, to her intoxicated mind, this was a great idea. She could finally have the happiness that she had longed for ever since the first time she kissed Jeff. She didn't need Abed to be happy.
The sober part of her mind tried to point out that she didn't need a man to be happy, period. She shushed that part, though, and focused on the man in front of her. His eyes were so pretty and his lips were so nice. She kind of wanted to kiss him. Straightening, she cupped his cheek and pulled his lips down to hers.
It wasn't exactly electric like kissing Abed was, but a pleasant tingle began in Annie's stomach all the same. Letting her eyes drift shut, Annie slid her lips against Jeff's, the movement timeless and comfortable. It was just like their previous kissees. When he slid his hand to the back of her neck, Annie arched into the touch briefly before pulling away.
She stared up at him, slightly dazed by the combination of alcohol and Jeff. His eyes had darkened and his lips were parted slightly as he drew in quick breaths. She liked that she could have that effect on him. He wanted her, and she liked him. She could be happy with him.
Yes, this was a good plan.
As the next hour passed, Annie and Jeff would steal kisses whenever Britta and Troy weren't around. Jeff ordered a couple more shots, and Annie took advantage of that to have another vodka lemonade. She didn't need the alcohol, but it relaxed her. It killed her entirely too rigid inhibitions and made her feel brave, brave enough to go for something that she normally wouldn't. The intensity of their kisses had grown each time, and Annie knew that at the end of the night she would have a choice to make.
"Annie? Ready to go?" Britta asked shortly before two.
She was standing at the side of the table by herself. Troy was missing, but Annie figured that meant that he was either in the bathroom or maybe getting a cab.
Annie frowned at Britta. "Already?"
The end of the night had come a lot quicker than she expected.
Yawning, Britta nodded. "Yes. The bar shuts down in an hour anyway, so we may as well leave now while we can still catch a cab home."
Rather than answer her roommate, Annie slanted her gaze at Jeff. He was watching her, an obvious invitation in his eyes.
Lowering her sight to the table, Annie frowned. She could accept what he was offering. It would be so easy to just say yes and go home with him tonight. After all, he wanted her and she had always been attracted to him. Still, she couldn't quite put Abed out of her mind. But why should she deny herself and Jeff? Abed didn't want her; he had probably slept with his girlfriend tonight. That was the whole reason he wasn't here with them.
But Jeff was here and he wanted her and no one else.
"I want to stay," she finally declared, sneaking another look at him.
His eyes smoldered but otherwise his expression didn't give anything away when he spoke to Britta.
"I'll make sure she gets home okay."
"Okay," the blonde agreed easily. "If you need anything, Annie, just call."
"I will," she reassured her friend.
Even in her buzzed state, she was happy to know that Britta was there for her.
As soon as her roommate had disappeared, waving one final time at Annie, Jeff turned to her.
"Are you sure about this, Annie?" he asked, a rare sincerity in his voice even as his words slurred together slightly. "How drunk are you right now?"
Annie considered the question. She wanted to be honest with him because if her fresh start with Jeff was going to work, he couldn't be worried that he had taken advantage of her while she was vulnerable. After evaluating her state, which included dizziness when she stood and a distinct haze to her thoughts, Annie provided him with a truthful answer.
"Drunk enough to be honest about wanting this, but not drunk enough that you should feel guilty about indulging me."
That response was clearly good enough for him because he gave her a downright sinful smirk.
"Let's get out of here."
Twenty minutes and one tense cab ride later, Annie and Jeff were making out on his couch like a couple of teenagers. At least, Annie was pretty sure they were. She hadn't exactly made out with many people during high school, but she was pretty sure that was the appropriate phrase to describe their frenzied activity.
She was pressed back into the couch, Jeff's body mostly covering hers as his hands skimmed her curves. His lips were on hers, their tongues twined together. While his technique was impeccable and the butterflies in her stomach were definitely stirring, Annie couldn't lose herself in him the way that she wanted. She felt too suffocated. She needed more room. Yes, that was definitely the problem.
Shoving at his shoulders, Annie pulled her mouth from his. He stared down at her in confusion and disappointment. Feeling awful that she had caused that look, Annie smiled reassuringly up at him.
"The couch is too crowded," she stated simply.
Excitement and lust crossed his blue eyes with her words, but she found herself missing the soft edge that Abed's dark eyes always placed on those emotions when they kissed. Shaking her head at the thought as Jeff stood up, Annie frowned. Why was she thinking about him? Tonight wasn't about him. Ruthlessly banishing thoughts of the other man, Annie reached out and took Jeff's hand. He instantly pulled her up and into his bedroom.
Once in the dark room, Jeff yanked her around to face him and took her lips with renewed vigor. When he thrust his tongue into her mouth, Annie tried to meet him with equal enthusiasm. Determined to enjoy herself as much as she knew she should, Annie ran her hands down his chest and abs, stopping only to undo each button on his shirt. After she had popped each one, she slid her hands under either side and pushed it off his shoulders. She was tracing her fingers over his arms when he took hold of the hem of her shirt and tugged it up and over her head, making her lose contact with his muscles. Then he just skimmed his gaze over her form.
Despite the dark, Annie felt distinctly uncomfortable standing there in her bra and skirt while he stared at her. She had never been at ease with her body, not even after all of the hard work that she had done to lose weight post-rehab. She wanted Jeff to stop looking at her. With that thought in mind, she set to work on his designer jeans.
After Jeff was out of his pants, his erection prominent in his boxer-briefs, he pushed Annie down onto the bed. Since she didn't like the feeling of lying at the foot of the bed, she scooted up to get more comfortable. Jeff followed her, lying on his side next to her, his eyes lingering on her body.
"I've waited a long time for this, Annie," he muttered quietly, leaning over to trail kisses down her neck.
Unable to say the same thing since she had long ago given up on Jeff and moved on, Annie squirmed guiltily. Luckily he took that as a sign of arousal because he nibbled on the spot that he was kissing when she moved before continuing on. Annie closed her eyes in the hopes that she could fall into what was happening, but instead she saw Abed. The thought that he could be doing this very same thing with Robin at this very moment entered her mind.
Annie gasped as tears filled her eyes. She couldn't do this with Jeff. Not when she wanted Abed. Not when she cared about him so much that the thought of him with Robin was enough to make her cry. It wouldn't be fair to anyone, not Abed, not her, and especially not Jeff.
As Jeff pressed a kiss to the upper curve of her breast...
ooooo
Study Room
Present Day
"And that's all that I remember about that night," Annie admitted, her tone as sincere as she could make it.
Because she was lying. She remembered everything that happened that night, but she didn't want to share the rest with her friends. After the way that she had used Jeff, Annie wanted to leave some of his pride intact. It was the least she owed him.
"It's not like you told us much anyway," Pierce pouted. "That part of the story actually had a chance for nudity and all you tell us is that you kissed him and went into his bedroom? That's crap."
"I'm sorry, Pierce," Annie responded immediately before frowning. "Wait a minute. No, I'm not. I'm not going to give you guys details about what happened. Those are none of your business. All you need to know is that it happened."
"I can't believe you did that, Annie," Troy declared, scowling at her. "How could you do that to Abed?"
"Abed?" Annie asked. "I didn't do anything to him. If you'll remember, he was with his real girlfriend that night. I'm not proud of my actions, but I was single. And I was upset. And a little drunk. And still attracted to Jeff. And that's a highly volatile combination of emotions and circumstances."
"Still," Troy said petulantly, clearly unwilling to let it go.
Ignoring him, Annie turned to her right to address Jeff.
"I'm sorry for that night. It was wrong of me to do what I did simply because I was feeling insecure. I am a really horrible person," she said honestly. "But I really do value your friendship and I don't want to lose that."
He was silent, staring down at his phone although his fingers were still. The crease in his brow and distant expression in his eyes suggested that he was thinking. Terrified, Annie twisted her hands together in her lap and simply waited for him to denounce their friendship. After several long moments, he met her gaze.
"I want to hear the rest of the story," he said, his expression closed off. "And then we'll talk."
Gulping, aware that was the best she could hope for, Annie nodded. "Okay."
"So while all of that was going on," Britta spoke, breaking the tense silence that had fallen, "what were you up to, Abed? You had Robin over, right? And she actually came up to the apartment?"
Along with everyone else, Annie glanced at the object of her affection. It made her uneasy to see the faint pain in his gaze that he was trying to hide. He had been abnormally silent while she talked about that night, appearing not to even listen, but the look in his eyes told her that he had heard every word.
"She did," he agreed, meeting Annie's eyes.
Annie gritted her teeth as she prepared to listen to the difficult story to come -- a story that she had never been brave enough to ask him for.
ooooo
Saturday, January 19, 2013
When there was a knock on the door, Abed stood up and headed over to it. He recognized the blonde woman on the other side through the peephole, so he opened it.
"Robin," he greeted the Secret Service agent blankly.
"Abed," she responded, equally emotionless.
Stepping aside, he let her into the apartment. He noticed that she scanned the room carefully as she entered, a trait that was no doubt ingrained into her because of her job. It was part of the reason why she was a good match for him; she saw the details just as he did. Unlike Annie. She wouldn't notice the large grease spot on the left arm of his recliner from where he had dropped a forkful of buttered noodles earlier that night, but Robin would.
No, Annie didn't see the factual flaws the way that he and Robin both did. She didn't possess their objectivity. Instead, she let her emotions color her judgment on everything. It was highly in character for her, and thinking about that quirk of her personality gave him the odd urge to smile.
"Why have you called me up here?" Robin asked, drawing Abed's attention immediately. "This is outside of normal protocol."
Abed was aware of that. He hadn't wanted to break routine, but every scenario that he had run had insisted that he had to if he wanted to achieve the desired outcome.
"I am aware of that," he confirmed. "However, it was unavoidable."
"Why?" she questioned. "What circumstance would necessitate my physical presence?"
Abed hesitated momentarily to gather his thoughts and choose an appropriate approach to the conversation that he had decided was vital to the current story arc. He knew that Robin would understand whatever manner he chose to communicate his feelings, but he wasn't as relaxed in discussing private matters with her as he would be with others. Specifically, Annie, who obviously didn't always understand him but who always took the time to listen when others would get frustrated with his inability to communicate clearly. The corners of his lips turned down ever-so-slightly, Abed chose the best place to start.
"I plan to be a director," he stated frankly.
Robin nodded. "You are a film student."
"Yes. I plan to be a director someday. However, I have come to realize that the best directors are willing to grow and change. They learn new techniques to include in their movies and introduce innovations into the field."
"The audience would get bored if every movie was the same," Robin summarized concisely.
"Precisely," Abed agreed. "When a director is no longer willing to take risks, the value of his work dies. It becomes formulaic and is no longer valuable to the overall art form." Abed's voice sped up as he warmed to his topic. "But there's another aspect that I never considered in what makes a movie truly great. Some of the best movies in some of the best directors' repertoires are the ones that they fought the hardest for -- the ones they invested the most in personally. Lucas contributed to the budget for Star Wars when the studio threatened to shut it down after multiple production problems increased the costs by over three million dollars. Production on Jaws took far longer than initially expected, the leads fought, and the mechanical shark malfunctioned repeatedly, but Spielberg struggled through. Even John Hughes had to fight the studio to direct The Breakfast Club since he was inexperienced, and several of the roles had to be recast before production even began."
He came to a halt. He needed to ensure that she was listening because what he had just said was highly crucial to the objective of this conversation. Studying her closely, he saw that her expression was blank but her eyes were alert. Satisfied, he continued.
"But in spite of those problems, or maybe even because of them, all three movies marked the film sphere permanently and launched their directors' careers like nothing else had previously. Star Wars made science fiction a viable cinema option. Jaws is widely considered a masterpiece of suspense, and The Breakfast Club is still one of the best high school movies ever made."
Abed paused here. He wasn't sure how to continue on. It had taken hours of running scenarios in the mini-Dreamatorium before he had been able to decide on his course of action. He still wasn't sure what his exact feelings were, but he had noticed an increase in his desire to spend time with Annie. The hitch in his breathing when he saw her and the skip in his heart when she smiled at him hadn't gone away, so he now had a theory that the cause wasn't physical, but Annie herself. He liked kissing her a lot, and when she had said that he would be a great father on Christmas Eve, he had felt warmth in his chest. Initially, he believed it was heartburn, but now he knew differently since it was present every time he thought about her. Even though he didn't understand all of the data that he had accumulated, when he pieced it together, there was only one scenario that had been acceptable.
It was time for him to pursue a story arc of his own.
He was aware that he had broken something between them earlier this month when she had stopped kissing him and he had walked out of the auditorium without replying to her. He knew this because she was clearly avoiding him, and based on what she had said that night, it was because he was technically in a relationship with Robin. Once he had decided to accept the offered plot line, Abed had known what the logical first step was. He had to break up with his observer. He just wasn't sure what words to use. He had never ended a relationship of any kind before. The other person always abandoned him first.
"You wish to pursue your roommate."
Robin's words brought his thought process to a standstill.
"What?" he asked, posture frozen in rare surprise.
"Annie Edison. Age 22. Brown hair, blue eyes. Height: 5'3". Clean criminal record. A high school dropout and former prescription pill addict. Suffered a mental breakdown that led her to rehab. Currently attending Greendale Community College as a Health Administration major."
Robin reeled off the facts with an ease that Abed appreciated. He had known that she was excellent at what she did, but he hadn't realized that she had investigated Annie.
"You wish to pursue her romantically," Robin continued. "It's obvious. You haven't noticed my recent visits to town because you are always with her. She is a suitable candidate, I suppose, though not as compatible with you as I am. She will certainly help you to grow and change, and due to your differences, the path is sure to be long and difficult. However, I can see the potential of great reward if the two of you can acclimate to each other properly."
Abed recognized the emotion that he was feeling as relief. He had known that Robin would understand if he found the right words. He hadn't been aware that she had seen him with Annie, though. Apparently he had lost his objectivity as a director long before he had made his decision to involve himself in the plot.
"I am aware of all of that. I examined the issue from all angles before coming to this conclusion," he explained.
She nodded. "I would expect nothing less."
They stood there quietly for a moment. Abed was aware that she was objectively perfect for him, so he was admittedly confused about why he wanted Annie more than Robin. It wasn't logical, but he could no longer ignore the truth.
"I have to go. I have another national peril to check up on," Robin finally said.
"Will you continue to observe me as a threat?" Abed asked, curious on whether he would finally be cleared of being a hazard.
She shook her head. "That part of our relationship is over, Abed Nadir. Your name will be removed from the list. I have come to the official conclusion that you are a simple, harmless film student with no ties to terrorist organizations."
Nodding a goodbye to him, the Secret Service agent exited the apartment. As soon as she was gone, Abed locked the door behind her and settled into his chair to watch the first season of Cougar Town. He just needed to wait for Annie to return home so that he could tell her that he had fixed things.
When the apartment door opened around two in the morning, Abed perked up.
"Where's Annie?" he asked when he realized that only two of his roommates had returned.
Britta paused as Troy entered their bedroom. She was tapping her foot impatiently, unmistakably eager to follow her boyfriend.
"Annie wanted to stay until the bar closed. Jeff said that he'd get her home safely," she explained before disappearing and closing their door behind her.
Abed frowned as he considered her words. The thought that Jeff and Annie were alone was unsettling. He tried not to dwell on the knowledge; he knew that Annie didn't love Jeff. Surely she would come straight home when the bar closed. It didn't matter that she would be late; he would wait for her.
When three o'clock rolled around, Abed accepted that Annie wasn't coming home. She had clearly gone home with Jeff just as the original plot had demanded. When he felt his physiology change with the realization, Abed decided to borrow Annie's anatomy textbook when she came home.
He hadn't known that it was physically possible for his heart to fall into his stomach.
ooooo
Study Room
Present Day
"Oh, Abed. That wasn't a physical response. Not really," Britta said sympathetically.
Annie ignored Britta, Shirley, and Troy as they comforted Abed. She couldn't take her eyes off of him, and her heart was racing with this new knowledge. She had known that he had eventually broken up with the other woman, but she hadn't known that he had done it that night. To pursue her. Even then, he had wanted her, complications and all, more than the simplicity of his no-romance romance.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to break up with her that night?" Annie asked, stunned by the discovery.
"I did. I told you that I was going to fix things," he replied simply.
Thoughts of wasted time danced through Annie's head.
"Like I said earlier, I thought that you were fixing things between you and Robin," she reminded him frantically. "But you actually meant that you were fixing things between us?"
"Yes. So that we could be together," he answered, a soft edge to his usual monotone.
Amazed, Annie had to fight back the urge to circle the table and kiss him. She hadn't known. She simply hadn't known that he had chosen her that far back. He had never told her, and she had never asked.
"Then..." she spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully, "it really was all a misunderstanding. I truly did jump to conclusions. I was just being insecure, and I nearly ruined everything because of it."
"It was partly my fault," Abed volunteered simply. "Miscommunication is at the root of most romantic obstacles in TV and movies. I should have seen the complications on the horizon based on that knowledge and made my intentions clearer."
"No, Abed. You don't bare any blame for my actions. I was jealous and upset, and I acted like a truly awful person. If I hadn't been avoiding you, if I had simply talked to you like the mature adult that I always want everyone to see me as..." she trailed off, weary and drained.
She had been such a fool, and it had cost her so much. She had hurt two of the people she cared about the most.
"Please say there's more to the story, Annie."
Troy's pleading voice reminded her that the rest of the study group was still in the room. She felt her cheeks heat as she realized that she and Abed had been working out what were definitely private issues in front of everyone. Pulling her eyes away from Abed, she focused on Troy.
"There's more to the story, Troy."
A/N 2: Don't hate me, please! Also, to those of you who believe that Annie was OOC, remember her words. Alcohol, heartbreak, and a lingering attraction to the man who didn't cause said heartbreak is one hell of a combination. And, yes, I do know what happened after Annie cut off her story (and, eventually, you guys will too).
Chapter Ten: Opposing Plans