Easy Come, Easy Go
Chasing Pavements (Should I Give Up?)
Ever since their conversation Christmas Eve…a conversation Adelaine clearly didn’t remember…Jesse had wondered exactly who Adelaine’s ex was. He hadn’t brought it up again, instead just focusing on the problem of Vocal Adrenaline, because he was hoping to allow her to forget about…whomever it was…at least for a week.
He cast a sideways glance at her. He had driven to a beach near L.A. She was sunbathing, and seemed peaceful for the first time in days. Yesterday, after the plane had landed, all she hadn’t wanted to talk at all. It was enough to make him almost regret bringing up Vocal Adrenaline, but he had to tell her.
She seemed to have put the conversation out of her mind though. She was reading the book again and she seemed…relaxed, for once. That was nice.
He returned to his thoughts, wondering just who that person she had spoken about was. She said the boy had told her he loved her, and that she didn’t know if she loved him back.
But she cared deeply for him.
To be honest, though, he was worried. This boy was probably someone from Vocal Adrenaline, and there was a part of him that was worried he could be manipulating her in some way.
Maybe he was just being paranoid.
But he’d been in VA. They were good at manipulating people.
He told her Christmas Eve to talk to the kid. If she actually remembered that conversation, and she actually did…well, he’d keep an eye out and see if he couldn’t discover who that person was. Maybe ask around VA if he got a chance.
If she didn’t remember that conversation and didn’t talk to him…
He’d ask around anyway. He wanted to protect his little sister. He hated seeing her as vulnerable as he’d seen her the other night.
Now that he had a semblance of a plan, he settled back. He would enjoy the rest of his vacation for now, and work on everything else afterwards.
~*~*~
They spent the rest of vacation exploring various places Jesse had already been to around L.A. They spent one day touring UCLA, since Adelaine pretty much figured she’d be going there next year. They spent another two days at the L.A. Theatre, watching Les Mis one day and Wicked the next. Adelaine dragged him back the third day to watch Funny Girl.
Any time she had a chance, Adelaine spent reading her Harry Potter books. It seemed to relax her, so Jesse didn’t say anything about it.
He debated asking her about the guy instead of going straight to VA, especially knowing what they were like. But he didn’t want to cause Adelaine pain by bringing it up, and besides, they would know. Especially since it was probably one of them.
Besides, they practically worshipped him. They would tell him anything he wanted to know.
~*~*~
The day before they had to leave Jesse drove back to the beach. Adelaine asked to go back. Apparently she wanted to see the ocean before she was confined to Lima again.
Well, he didn’t know if she paid much attention to the ocean while reading her book, but if she was happy he was fine with it.
He was writing in his notebook, working on a mashup for the UCLA equivalent of a Glee club, when Adelaine suddenly spoke.
“Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.”
“What?” He looked at her, confused.
She raised her head, meeting his eyes, a look on her face as if she had been in her own little world and only just realized he was there. “In the book. Dumbledore says that.” She said, only confusing him further.
“Okay…” He said slowly, looking blankly at her copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
She didn’t respond, marking he page and setting down her book, looking out at the ocean, obviously deep in thought. He still hadn’t decided whether or not to question her further, or leave her be and return to his work, when she addressed him.
“Jesse? Remember when you moved in with Uncle Patrick?”
When he had transferred to McKinley. Of course he remembered. “Yeah…” He studied her, unsure of where she was going with this.
“You think he’d let me move in?”
“Well…I mean probably, he loves you. But why?”
She finally looked away from the ocean, meeting his gaze again.
“I want to transfer to McKinley High School.”
He cast a sideways glance at her. He had driven to a beach near L.A. She was sunbathing, and seemed peaceful for the first time in days. Yesterday, after the plane had landed, all she hadn’t wanted to talk at all. It was enough to make him almost regret bringing up Vocal Adrenaline, but he had to tell her.
She seemed to have put the conversation out of her mind though. She was reading the book again and she seemed…relaxed, for once. That was nice.
He returned to his thoughts, wondering just who that person she had spoken about was. She said the boy had told her he loved her, and that she didn’t know if she loved him back.
But she cared deeply for him.
To be honest, though, he was worried. This boy was probably someone from Vocal Adrenaline, and there was a part of him that was worried he could be manipulating her in some way.
Maybe he was just being paranoid.
But he’d been in VA. They were good at manipulating people.
He told her Christmas Eve to talk to the kid. If she actually remembered that conversation, and she actually did…well, he’d keep an eye out and see if he couldn’t discover who that person was. Maybe ask around VA if he got a chance.
If she didn’t remember that conversation and didn’t talk to him…
He’d ask around anyway. He wanted to protect his little sister. He hated seeing her as vulnerable as he’d seen her the other night.
Now that he had a semblance of a plan, he settled back. He would enjoy the rest of his vacation for now, and work on everything else afterwards.
~*~*~
They spent the rest of vacation exploring various places Jesse had already been to around L.A. They spent one day touring UCLA, since Adelaine pretty much figured she’d be going there next year. They spent another two days at the L.A. Theatre, watching Les Mis one day and Wicked the next. Adelaine dragged him back the third day to watch Funny Girl.
Any time she had a chance, Adelaine spent reading her Harry Potter books. It seemed to relax her, so Jesse didn’t say anything about it.
He debated asking her about the guy instead of going straight to VA, especially knowing what they were like. But he didn’t want to cause Adelaine pain by bringing it up, and besides, they would know. Especially since it was probably one of them.
Besides, they practically worshipped him. They would tell him anything he wanted to know.
~*~*~
The day before they had to leave Jesse drove back to the beach. Adelaine asked to go back. Apparently she wanted to see the ocean before she was confined to Lima again.
Well, he didn’t know if she paid much attention to the ocean while reading her book, but if she was happy he was fine with it.
He was writing in his notebook, working on a mashup for the UCLA equivalent of a Glee club, when Adelaine suddenly spoke.
“Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.”
“What?” He looked at her, confused.
She raised her head, meeting his eyes, a look on her face as if she had been in her own little world and only just realized he was there. “In the book. Dumbledore says that.” She said, only confusing him further.
“Okay…” He said slowly, looking blankly at her copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
She didn’t respond, marking he page and setting down her book, looking out at the ocean, obviously deep in thought. He still hadn’t decided whether or not to question her further, or leave her be and return to his work, when she addressed him.
“Jesse? Remember when you moved in with Uncle Patrick?”
When he had transferred to McKinley. Of course he remembered. “Yeah…” He studied her, unsure of where she was going with this.
“You think he’d let me move in?”
“Well…I mean probably, he loves you. But why?”
She finally looked away from the ocean, meeting his gaze again.
“I want to transfer to McKinley High School.”