Why donât we usually talk about the Georgie half of the JonGeorgie relationship?
Discussions of their dynamic always feel so Jon-centric. And like, yes, he is the protagonist, but itâs just⌠weird. I went on my rambling before about how sheâs written off by the fandom as like. A segway to jmart and a plot device for Jonâs character but come on. Sheâs got her own thing going
Itâs also the fact that any discussion I see of how their uni relationship ended 99% of the time blames Jon for how it fell apart. Did we forget that Georgie, at the time of meeting Jon, was only just getting most of her emotions back after like, a year of being numbed-out by the End? That she was probably grappling with fits of different bursts of emotion completely unrelated to Jon? Jon is a chronic under-communicator, and that likely wasnât helped by the fact that a lot of her behavior at the time was probably unexplainable and impulsive as she relearned feeling
And this isnât me pointing and going âit was all her fault boohooâ because it wasnât. But it also wasnât all on Jon in the way a lot of people seem to frame it.
I could see their relationship being literally founded on a lack of clear communication. Georgie getting a rush of energy and dragging him out on some night of activities, Jon not knowing whether the intention is romantic or platonic when sheâs holding his hand and laughing but not speaking up to clarify, and too many of those nights blurring together until neither of them truly knows when their first âofficialâ date was, only that at some point along the way cuddling on the couch and nitpicking the special effects in old horror movies became normal
It was never meant to be a serious commitment on either of their ends, and Jon didnât realize heâd entered what she considered a proper relationship until suddenly sheâs adopted a cat thatâs supposedly theirs and is saying he should move in. And, well, he likes Georgie, has talked about wanting to own a cat, and was looking for a place for the next semester anyway, so yeah, might as well. Thatâs what people in relationships do, and theyâre two people in a relationship. It doesnât phase either of them too much when he spends most nights in what was supposedly their guest room.
Their relationship is casual. Easy love. Sheâs often the one initiating, and heâs happy to reciprocate. But from both of their ends, it lacks proper communication.
Georgie will find herself sobbing at random stupid things, or getting angry over trivial mistakes. Because sheâs still not used to feeling so strongly. And it gets taken out on Jon, who, instead of trying to clarify whatâs really wrong, assumes he must have done something if sheâs this worked up, and shuts himself away until she calms down, because thatâs the only way heâs really learned to deal with his issues. Which only makes her feel worse, because she didnât really mean to get snippy with him, and then leads to frustration when she tries to clarify that later and he dodges around the subject
He never comes to her with problems. She wants him to, and struggles to understand why he wonât despite her repeated offers of help and reminders she wonât judge whateverâs going on. Because at this point, fear is lost to her, and despite knowing it has to be nervousness holding him back, and trying to be sympathetic to that, his constant unease is just a reminder of the part of herself sheâll never have again
She wants to be able to take his fear and soothe it. Help him work towards overcoming it. But when he wonât even take the first step in addressing it, itâs useless
I donât think their breakup was anything dramatic. Jon wouldnât want a confrontation, and potentially even just said a quick goodbye when the lease was up and ghosted her, thinking it a less painful end
For a while, she just sends him periodic cat photos, and heâd like them. But when he doesnât return the effort of staying in contact, she eventually stops.
And when he shows up on her doorstep years later, a disheveled mess, for potentially the first time directly asking for her help, a favor, just a night, he swears- she isnât about to turn him away
Of course, when he starts shutting off again, she knows fighting him on it wonât get her anywhere, so she stops
And when Melanie starts going through a similar strife, but where Jon shut away, she is actively pushing herself to open up, thatâs where Georgie finds her genuine connection. In someone who she doesnât have to push so hard with to talk to her, in someone who wants to let her help, even if she isnât sure how
In the end, itâs why Georgie knows that despite all of Jonâs claims heâll follow what they planned, she knows she has to have his lighter in hand as insurance. Because heâs always dealt with his conflicts internally, even with the people he cares for most. And Martin might have managed to get through more walls than her, but Jon is still Jon
She wishes she could be surprised when they find no evidence of either of them in the aftermath. Wishes she didnât have to doubt him. But in the end, she knows him, and she was right
Her knowledge of him inadvertently was as crucial to âsaving the worldâ as Martinâs dedication to him. And thatâs not talked about enough
