#jenpop

Jenna read from the book, "The fifth most popular flower in the world,Gerbera daisies can mean innocence, purity, and cheerfulness."  She gave him a look, "All things that relate to you, lemme tell ya..."  

He frowned and reminded her, "They aren't for me."

"Right.  They are for...?"

"Lauren!"  He snapped.

"How was I supposed to know that?  You kick it with a lot of girls.  I thought that maybe you two had ended things.  You seem all soggy, lately.  I thought you were sad about breaking up."

"Yeah..." to the woman at the counter, he said, "I need to order a gerbera daisy and tulip arrangement, please?"

Jenna flipped through the book and read, "It's said that the tulip's velvety black center represents a lover's heart, darkened by the heat of passion. With the power to rival roses in their red variety and the sweet charm to express simple joy when yellow, it's no wonder that in addition to all its other symbolism, in the language of flowers, a tulip bouquet represents elegance and grace..."  She lowered it and looked at Joe, "Class. E."

"These are her favorite flowers," he said.

"Awww.  You remember her favorite flowers?"

"I remember yours too.  Bat flower, which I thought you made up, spider flower, likewise, and the Venus Fly Trap, which isn't a flower."  

Jenna grinned widely and shook her head, "You have this ability to always win me back, even though you're such a jerk hole."  She threw the book on the counter, "You oughtta get this for her, too.  It'll help when you want to say something to her and don't know how, because you're all about that tight lipped life, and apparently, I have just learned that flowers never fucking stop talking."  Joe frowned and she noticed it and said, "How about I get it for you, for her?  Like... we can find a flower that says, 'Sorry that you fell in love with a douche," she joked, crinkling her nose in a hard smile.

He smiled at her smile and nudged his head at her arm warmers, "Not too hot for those?"  She knew that was his way of wondering if she had cut herself.  Deflection.  She'd hit too close to home with her joke, even though she was legit joking, now he ha to turn things around.

"No.  Temperature's all good.  I just don't wanna show off everything to everyone.  Summer's gonna be a bitch.  My folks thought me being here would help with this, but I feel like I've had better access than ever before at home.  My arms look like The Passion of the Christ, after the third day."  He didn't mean to, but he chuckled and she smiled, "I'm SO glad that you laughed instead of attacked me for 'making light' of my condition."  She sighed, "I always feel like so many people are judging me."

"And you feel like I'm not?"  he asked, still chuckling.

"I know that you ARE, Mr. Judgy Pants.  But I like that you judge for the wrong reasons entirely.  Like, other people would have been judging that I made a Christ joke and a self harm joke in one stroke.  You're just judging me, because you're that way."

"That always delights me to hear.  I have no idea why I come off that way."

"Because when you don't understand something, while you're trying to gain that understanding, you totally handle the topic insensitively.  Like... show interest in stuff with some empathy, that way it makes you seem like one human being, seeing another human being about an issue.  You tend to always seem like one human being who thinks he's studying an exotic creature for the ways of it's kind.  People don't like that, usually.  I just enjoy the attention," she told him with a shrug.  "And I waited all this time to let you in on the problem with you because I love that confused face you put on when you've agitated the beast you're studying for social research."  She laughed, because he was making said face as she spoke.  "It's okay, Spydah.  I mean - you met a girl who can take you beyond that, and that's awesome.  I want something like that, but I never go for it, because I know that sooner or later I'll ruin it."

He nodded in agreement, "But going for the superficial stuff doesn't seem to make you happy, either."

"I don't suppose anything would.  But little spurts here and there to tap into when I'm lousy and defeated and running from the rush of... doing it... they matter more than I like to give them credit for.  I think that they matter more to you than you give them credit for, too."  She reached into her bag for some cash and paid for the book, passing it to him as she did.  "Are we going to get the stuff for our project?"

"Yeah.  I just had to order these.  I have a feeling that I'll have to send them to her soon, with an apology note," he said.

"That's morbid."

"I've got bad news for her and it might cost me her.  We're gonna talk tomorrow night..."  He sighed and paid for the order, then they left.

Jenna was quiet for a time, then she hugged him tightly and said, "She would be crazy to break up with you.  I've seen you together.  If she can't tell what she has, then..."  she let go of him and watched him eye her suspiciously calmly.  He had his shields up.  She wasn't getting a peep nor reaction out of him.  "So, art supplies?"