62Hey guys!
I am so so so so so so so so so so SORRY about how freakishly long this took to update. I am DEFINATELY back on track now.
I apologise for such a long-wonded chapter, but I needed to give this information, so this chapter is a bit dramatic, a bit out of character and rather dialogue driven. The next chapter will be a definate improvement.
xx
SATURDAY NIGHT
"So you and Jack, of all people, dated for four whole months?"
Where's the 'Candid Camera' crew? Anytime now…
The image of Jack being, well, intimate with a female still kept trying to form in Will's mind, but truthfully, he was having a difficult time picturing it. Jack, taking a girl to the movies, Jack, standing on the doorstep of Becky's house with flowers, Jack leaning in and nervously kissing her, Jack…touching a woman with the believed intentions of a straight man.
The thought provoked an internal shudder.
"You know Will, asking it more that once doesn't make it less true."
MONDAY
"Hold on, Jack…how do you know what Becky and Will were talking about while you weren't with them?" Phillippe inquired.
Jack rolled his eyes. "I have always had this weird psychic ability…"
Eliza's eyes grew gullibly wide. "Really, wow! What is it? What did you do?"
"I rang her yesterday and threatened her to tell me everything she said to Will or I would tell everyone that she stuffed her bra in the eighth grade. Duh."
Will was beginning to feel tipsy, and from the way Becky threw her hands around and slurred a little, she was evidently rather drunk.
"And let me guess, he came out to you when you guys nearly did…it, and he broke your heart and you didn't speak for a year." Story of my life…literally.
"Nope!" Becky sang cheerily. "We did almost do it, but he was so petrified that he just kept talking about the mismatched pillows on my bed and how he wanted to give himself a 'Cure' – like makeover. Then I sat him down on the couch and told him that he was gay. I said, Jack, I have something to tell you…just remember that I still love you…"
TOLD Jack that he was gay? Will's head was spinning.
A woman with badly dyed red hair approached the two at the table. "Becky! Who's your friend here?"
Will shook her spidery, manicured hand. "Will Truman."
The fakely polite woman squinted her eyes. "Now why is that name so familiar? Ooooooh right. THE Will Truman? Jack's Will? How exciting! Too bad I have to go over there and stand in that spare space right now to pretend that I wasn't going to hit on you. Toodles."
After watching the woman slink away, Will leaned in towards Becky. "That's it! That is like the fifth person that has referred to me as either 'THE Will Truman' , 'Jack's Will' or 'Jeff'. Actually, the 'Jeff' one only happened once…but you get the idea. I didn't expect to come to somebody else's reunion and be known. It feels like 'The Truman Show'. My surname is even in the title." He paused for a drunken moment. "Whoa…what do you think that means? No…wait…Jack. Tell me about Jack!"
Becky's mouth dropped as she searched her brain for the requested information. "You didn't know? How can you not know when you break someone's heart? Oh ha-ha, Jack didn't tell you. I get it now!" She slurred. "Alright, Jeff, listen up…"
"Hold on, hold on …if you can. Break someone's heart? Whose?"
To increase dramatic emphasis, Becky aimed to slap her hand down on Will's arm, but her intoxicated perception threw her off target and she ended up hitting his chest.
Will winced and rubbed the place of contact.
"Ow. I thought I could have escaped the bruising and physical abuse by being away from Grace this weekend. Did she put you up to this?
Ignoring Will's comment, Becky continued "Look, Now I am not saying it was Jack's heart that you broke, but it was in fact, Jack's heart that you broke."
Will's head shook in disbelief. "Jack's heart? Impossible!" He smirked. "It takes a failed fall line, ice cream that's too cold, a guy that won't sleep with him and the axing of a TV soap to get him at least half- way to heartbreak."
"So from your super-cool attitude, I take it you don't know about the prom fiasco, Mr. Sensitive?"
"Prom…fiasco? Proms are fiascos! Especially ones that were unfortunate enough to take place in the 80's? What happened? Let me guess, the decorations didn't match Jack's pantyhose?
"Shhhhh" Becky hushed, placing her hand over Will's mouth. "Becky is talking now."
"Becky is also speaking in the third person."
"We were young…"
Will covered his face with his hands. "Oh I can just tell that this is going to be a tale of epic proportions."
"…and we liked to be young…we were free, and we liked to be free, to live our lives the way that we wan…"
"Enough lyrics! Finish the story!" Will impatiently demanded.
"…anyway, in a nutshell, Jack wanted to take a boy to prom. The school said 'Good one, Jack'. Jack battled…he told everyone that he was going to win Prom King, even though he'd prefer Queen, AND dance in the middle of the floor with the man that he loved. Can you guess who?"
"Uhhh Rick Springfield?"
Becky swiped and hit Will on the back of the head. "Idiot! You! Well, the school wouldn't have a piece of it, but Jack…such a hero…he didn't give up."
"You are the first person…well…ever to call Jack McFarland a hero. Don't tell him though, I think he would enjoy the spandex a little too much, Lord knows he owns too much of it already."
Becky picked up her story with a dramatic tone. "He went to every member of the school: Jocks, Geeks, Janitors, Wierdos and he got them all to sign a giant petition saying that gay love is still love and that he should be able to take a male date to the prom. Everyone signed, and the teachers caved. It marked the beginning of the school's policy of allowing people to bring same-sex partners to the prom. Even today, the kids know of the great Jack McFarland who fought…and won."
Will allowed the information to sink into his currently sponge-like mind. "Sounds like a happy story…so where do I and the apparent heartbreak come in?"
"Don't you get it? Everyone was expecting 'the guy Jack loved' aka. Will Truman aka YOU! To be at the prom to make his giant statement. Let me ask you, did Jack even ask you to prom?"
"Not that I remember… he mentioned it but I thought he was joking. So did he take some other guy for the night?"
"Nope. He didn't even show. It was you or nobody. He won prom King, and the silence that filled the hall when they called his name, will never be forgotten."
Becky looked into the distance, remembering the moment. Will leaned next to her and attempted to direct his gaze the same way as Becky's. He gave up and sipped his wine.
MONDAY
"You won prom King? High five!" Phillippe said.
"Uh Phillippe, have you learnt nothing from your sexual orientation? We don't do that!"
"There's an action to it? I just thought it was something people said at the end of good things!"
The lack of customers in the salon created a peaceful atmosphere, an atmosphere that Jack wished he could linger in a little while longer. He knew that his appointment was nearly over therefore his story was coming to a close, and he was going to have to deal with consequences that he didn't quite know how to handle.
SATURDAY NIGHT
"Jack did tell me once that he was in love with me." Will remembered aloud, breaking the brief silence that was created by their thoughts. "But when I told him that I didn't feel that way, he just kind of brushed it off, you know? But we've been fine ever since."
Becky sighed melodramatically. She closed her eyes for a moment before turning to Will once more and placing a hand on his shoulder, mainly for her own support.
"Fine? Are you an idiot?"
"That's the second time you've called me an idiot…stop it, my fragile ego is starting to actually believe it."
"How can you not see that he is still in love with you?"
Will snickered at the woman.
"Laugh all you want, Jeff, but answer me this. Does Jack still mooch off you?"
"Yes."
"Does he make fun of your appearance and your love life?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Does he spend every free moment of his time making plans with you?"
"No."
The woman raised an eyebrow "Really?"
"No…he does."
"He did all those things before you turned him down too. If those traits haven't changed, then neither has he. As much as it sucks, feelings don't switch off."
Swimming in his muddled thoughts, Will slowly placed his glass back down on the table. His eyes remained fixated on the dreadful centerpiece of streamers and wire and contemplated the received information.
Becky took his hand in hers. "Still feel like laughing, funny guy?"
MONDAY
"So Jack, what happened next?"
"Geez your breed of human is so impatient, Eliza! Now shut up and let me go on!"
It couldn't really be said that Will's heart or soul drove him to walk over to Jack, but more so his numbed state of mind, and his legs that seemed to have turned guerilla from the rest of his body.
He approached Jack and Christoff.
"…and I should really take you out in my yacht some time Christopher, I am a pro at sailing."
Will tapped Jack's shoulder.
Jack flinched. "Not now…er…honey…I'm talking."
Honey? You've got to be kidding me! How drunk is he? Will looked down at his loosened tie, the patterns blending to give him a headache. Forget him! How drunk am I!
"No, you aren't talking. And do you know why, Mr McFarland?"
"Can't you see I'm bragging right now? This better be good or I will dry shave your chest in your sleep" He muttered through gritted teeth.
"I said…Do. You. Know. Why. Mr. McFarland?"
"Why?"
"Because we are dancing. I am not going to ruin another moment for you."
And with that, Will forced Jack to link arms with him and he led him to the floor.
Jack rested his hand on Will's shoulder as intuitively, Will gripped Jacks waist to lead. As they began dancing, Jack questioned. "Moment? What moment?"
"You know what I'm talking about, you ol' prom King you! Sorry, I think my feet keep stepping on your toes, even though I'm telling them not to."
Jack froze mid spin. His mouth became suddenly dry. "Sarah Michelle Prinze jnr! My throat's a little dry which means…I can't possibly dance because I…need my throat." Fantastic excuse, Jack!
Jack shrunk away from Will's hold. His eyes focused on everything besides the face of his closest friend. He slowly backed away, before collecting a half-full champagne bottle off somebody's table and heading into the men's bathrooms leaving Will standing alone on a floor full of dancing spectators.
Thankyou to those of you who have read this far, and thanks to my reviewers!
B-Elanna: No, sorry to confuse you, but Jack actually answers 'yes' in the chapter that Will asks about everyone knowing that he's gay. Thanks for the review and i apologise for the really long wait on this chapter it won't happen again! xx
Amatospr: Thanks! Grace and Karen definately make an appearance in the later chapters, I can't leave them out of a story! I'm just going over what happened at the reunion at the moment. :) xx
All4Christ0398: glad to hear you still enjoy it hun! xx
WalnutWhip: Thank you so much! its really flatteringthat you think my characterization is good!xx
The Tango Maureen: Are your hunches correct? Sorry aboutsplitting this chapter, but as a reader of my previous story, youMUST know by now that I love my splitchapters!And of course I still love your novels! Thank you! xx
LaDiDaaniFan:Hehe yesI have finally continued! thanks for trying to crack the whip down on me:) xx
Shadowcat15: Thanks a bunch for your sweet words! This chapter is a great deal longer than the last. Thanks for your advice! xx
benandjerrys: Thankyou! xx
The big blue: Thanks for reviewing, and I apologise for the late update. xx
Next Chapter: Jack eventually emerges from the bathroom, but due to a certain circumstance, ends up leaving the reunion. In their non-sober state, Jack and Will fall into an argument. Their Sunday morning shock leaves their friendship and their feelings hanging on a tightrope.
xx