Scene: The Day Before Tomorrow (6)
If Amelia learned anything in the past few days it was to speak up. It was difficult, sometimes nearly impossible, but not saying anything was a mistake. Her father wanted to help her, she had to trust that, and trust him, and keep communication lines open.
"I have a plan."
Peter nodded, and sat back to listen.
"Jake and I had a long talk about my ... mixed feelings ... and we agreed it would be best if we took a break and, and didn't see each other for a while." It was still really hard to say. "And, so, I really don't want to be in New York right now. And I told him I wouldn't be. So. I'm going back to school."
She took a breath. "I'd feel gross about not even finishing the semester anyway and I think if I quit cheer and focus on my classes I'll do well and then I'll be in a good position to transfer."
He nodded, but it was clear she had more to say so he waited to add anything.
"I talked to Colonel Fury, but he wouldn't give me a leave of absence. He said it's only one day of the week and pushing through whatever is bothering me -- that he doesn't want to know about -- will build character."
Peter made a mental note to tell Carol to yell at Fury, though in all likelihood she'd agree with him, and it probably explained her delight that Amelia had been assigned to him in the first place. Peter's mental note turned into a mental sigh.
"So I agreed to stay on the team. And I'm going to move in with Llewellyn since I can't stay at Cheer House if I'm not a cheerleader."
She clasped her hands and waited for his response. She'd been calm as she explained, but now she was clearly fighting her anxiety, and hoping for his approval, like a puppy.
"That's fine," he said. "We'll discuss transferring later, because you may not want to transfer once everything is said and done."
"Okay."
He sighed, because school drama and even superheroing drama was easy compared to whatever was going on with Jake. He took her hand and noted the engagement ring was absent. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay as I can be." She shrugged. "Which is okay."
"Have you seen Henry?" Peter wasn't sure he wanted to know her answer, but he was sure he needed to.
"I saw Henry Mills but I haven't seen Henry Hellrung."
Peter made a face. "You know very well which Henry I meant."
Amelia made a face back. She did know, but she also thought it would have been normal and probably even preferable if she had talked to Henry Hellrung, her therapist, and therefore she had the high ground. Not that it mattered. "We're not together if that's what you're asking."
"That is exactly what I was asking, thank you." She rolled her eyes, and looked like his daughter again. He hugged her close. "I love you no matter what."
"I love you, too, Daddy." She was pretty sad, and his hug was very welcome.
"Shall we get some ice cream?"
She smiled against his chest. "Yes!"
--
Vincent was waiting outside when they exited the ice cream parlor. Peter sighed and said he'd see Amelia at home. As he walked off Amelia fell into Vincent's preternaturally waiting embrace.
"Please tell me I have't screwed up my whole entire life," she implored.
"You haven't screwed up your whole entire life," he obliged. "Plus Henry's totally cute." She looked up to meet his eyes. "Not that Jake isn't. But you're young!"
She gave him the ghost of a smile. She felt better already.
"I wish I could go to Hogwarts." She'd never said, or thought, this before but in the moment it was very attractive to stay with Vincent. "Except my brother hates magic. And my mom."
Vincent shook his head. "Nobody hates magic. It's impossible. They just don't get magic."
Amelia considered. "They don't get me either."
Vincent's expression turned sympathetic. "That happens. Nobody gets me. Not completely!"
"But you don't mind," she countered. "Right?"
"Nope!" He winked. "It makes me interesting."
Amelia kissed his cheek. She envied him. "Did you know what Mal was doing?"
"No." Amelia nodded. She thought she'd feel relieved, but part of her wished he knew something so he could explain it to her. "I don't think Mal is in charge."
She sighed. Instead he just had more questions. "Does that mean it isn't over?"
"I don't know. But I think the tide has turned." He shrugged. "Then again, I have no idea what's really happening. I'm just guessing!"
Amelia frowned. "I'm worried because Ben's really upset. Maybe I shouldn't leave, but... I really feels like I have to." She sighed again. "What do you think people will say about me?"
"Does it really matter what they say about you?"
She met his eyes. "Does it matter to you?"
"Honestly no." He knocked her shoulder. "But I'm not you."
"Some people matter," she said, quietly. "But I'll try to be a duck." Her eyes flashed suddenly. "Please don't turn me into a duck. That's not cute."
"But ducks are adorable!" argued Vincent.
"I don't want to be a duck! I have enough complexes!"
They shared a welcome laugh.
"Fine, no duck."
Amelia considered a moment. "I'd let you turn me into a duck for next Halloween but I think I'm not allowed to celebrate it ever again." She started to go through the verses of The 12 Days of Christmas in her head to see if there were any ducks. She realized she was mouthing the words and stopped, blushing.
"There are no ducks, but there should be!"
Amelia smiled, of course he wouldn't think it dumb. "There are swans," she offered. "I could be an ugly duckling."
Vincent shook his head. "But there's no such thing as an ugly duckling. That's the moral of the story."
Amelia scrunched her nose. "I thought the moral of the story was don't try to be something you're not because what you are is better."
"Well. That's certainly not how I took it."
"That probably says a lot about us both." Her eyes were sad. "Thank you for coming to find me."
"Of course." He put an arm around her shoulders. "You can invite Henry to the Yule Ball this year if you want. It's a good first date."
She raised her eyes, smiling shyly "...Do you think he would come?"
"I don't see why not."
She closed her arms around him in another big hug. "That sounds lovely. But if Anthony would get upset I won't. I don't want to cause you any trouble."
"I'll talk to Anthony. Maybe it'll be fine." She bit her lip. "And maybe I can live without my boyfriend at the Yule Ball this year. But Anthony is Anthony, so it'll probably be okay."
Amelia blinked back tears. He's such a good friend to her.
"It's okay to cry if you want," Vincent said with kindness.
"I'm tired of crying." Her voice broke with the tears she couldn't hold back. Vincent pulled her back into his arms and she clung to him like a giant teddy bear, and let the tears fall. "Thank you," she said again. "I hope I can be as good a friend to you... but I don't want you to go through heartache.. or nearly die... so..."
Vincent held her even closer. "You are just as good a friend to me, you just doesn't realize it right now. But you will! I know!"
She breathed him and felt warm, and safe. "Thank you for believing in me."
"Always!"
The tide was turning.
"I have a plan."
Peter nodded, and sat back to listen.
"Jake and I had a long talk about my ... mixed feelings ... and we agreed it would be best if we took a break and, and didn't see each other for a while." It was still really hard to say. "And, so, I really don't want to be in New York right now. And I told him I wouldn't be. So. I'm going back to school."
She took a breath. "I'd feel gross about not even finishing the semester anyway and I think if I quit cheer and focus on my classes I'll do well and then I'll be in a good position to transfer."
He nodded, but it was clear she had more to say so he waited to add anything.
"I talked to Colonel Fury, but he wouldn't give me a leave of absence. He said it's only one day of the week and pushing through whatever is bothering me -- that he doesn't want to know about -- will build character."
Peter made a mental note to tell Carol to yell at Fury, though in all likelihood she'd agree with him, and it probably explained her delight that Amelia had been assigned to him in the first place. Peter's mental note turned into a mental sigh.
"So I agreed to stay on the team. And I'm going to move in with Llewellyn since I can't stay at Cheer House if I'm not a cheerleader."
She clasped her hands and waited for his response. She'd been calm as she explained, but now she was clearly fighting her anxiety, and hoping for his approval, like a puppy.
"That's fine," he said. "We'll discuss transferring later, because you may not want to transfer once everything is said and done."
"Okay."
He sighed, because school drama and even superheroing drama was easy compared to whatever was going on with Jake. He took her hand and noted the engagement ring was absent. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay as I can be." She shrugged. "Which is okay."
"Have you seen Henry?" Peter wasn't sure he wanted to know her answer, but he was sure he needed to.
"I saw Henry Mills but I haven't seen Henry Hellrung."
Peter made a face. "You know very well which Henry I meant."
Amelia made a face back. She did know, but she also thought it would have been normal and probably even preferable if she had talked to Henry Hellrung, her therapist, and therefore she had the high ground. Not that it mattered. "We're not together if that's what you're asking."
"That is exactly what I was asking, thank you." She rolled her eyes, and looked like his daughter again. He hugged her close. "I love you no matter what."
"I love you, too, Daddy." She was pretty sad, and his hug was very welcome.
"Shall we get some ice cream?"
She smiled against his chest. "Yes!"
--
Vincent was waiting outside when they exited the ice cream parlor. Peter sighed and said he'd see Amelia at home. As he walked off Amelia fell into Vincent's preternaturally waiting embrace.
"Please tell me I have't screwed up my whole entire life," she implored.
"You haven't screwed up your whole entire life," he obliged. "Plus Henry's totally cute." She looked up to meet his eyes. "Not that Jake isn't. But you're young!"
She gave him the ghost of a smile. She felt better already.
"I wish I could go to Hogwarts." She'd never said, or thought, this before but in the moment it was very attractive to stay with Vincent. "Except my brother hates magic. And my mom."
Vincent shook his head. "Nobody hates magic. It's impossible. They just don't get magic."
Amelia considered. "They don't get me either."
Vincent's expression turned sympathetic. "That happens. Nobody gets me. Not completely!"
"But you don't mind," she countered. "Right?"
"Nope!" He winked. "It makes me interesting."
Amelia kissed his cheek. She envied him. "Did you know what Mal was doing?"
"No." Amelia nodded. She thought she'd feel relieved, but part of her wished he knew something so he could explain it to her. "I don't think Mal is in charge."
She sighed. Instead he just had more questions. "Does that mean it isn't over?"
"I don't know. But I think the tide has turned." He shrugged. "Then again, I have no idea what's really happening. I'm just guessing!"
Amelia frowned. "I'm worried because Ben's really upset. Maybe I shouldn't leave, but... I really feels like I have to." She sighed again. "What do you think people will say about me?"
"Does it really matter what they say about you?"
She met his eyes. "Does it matter to you?"
"Honestly no." He knocked her shoulder. "But I'm not you."
"Some people matter," she said, quietly. "But I'll try to be a duck." Her eyes flashed suddenly. "Please don't turn me into a duck. That's not cute."
"But ducks are adorable!" argued Vincent.
"I don't want to be a duck! I have enough complexes!"
They shared a welcome laugh.
"Fine, no duck."
Amelia considered a moment. "I'd let you turn me into a duck for next Halloween but I think I'm not allowed to celebrate it ever again." She started to go through the verses of The 12 Days of Christmas in her head to see if there were any ducks. She realized she was mouthing the words and stopped, blushing.
"There are no ducks, but there should be!"
Amelia smiled, of course he wouldn't think it dumb. "There are swans," she offered. "I could be an ugly duckling."
Vincent shook his head. "But there's no such thing as an ugly duckling. That's the moral of the story."
Amelia scrunched her nose. "I thought the moral of the story was don't try to be something you're not because what you are is better."
"Well. That's certainly not how I took it."
"That probably says a lot about us both." Her eyes were sad. "Thank you for coming to find me."
"Of course." He put an arm around her shoulders. "You can invite Henry to the Yule Ball this year if you want. It's a good first date."
She raised her eyes, smiling shyly "...Do you think he would come?"
"I don't see why not."
She closed her arms around him in another big hug. "That sounds lovely. But if Anthony would get upset I won't. I don't want to cause you any trouble."
"I'll talk to Anthony. Maybe it'll be fine." She bit her lip. "And maybe I can live without my boyfriend at the Yule Ball this year. But Anthony is Anthony, so it'll probably be okay."
Amelia blinked back tears. He's such a good friend to her.
"It's okay to cry if you want," Vincent said with kindness.
"I'm tired of crying." Her voice broke with the tears she couldn't hold back. Vincent pulled her back into his arms and she clung to him like a giant teddy bear, and let the tears fall. "Thank you," she said again. "I hope I can be as good a friend to you... but I don't want you to go through heartache.. or nearly die... so..."
Vincent held her even closer. "You are just as good a friend to me, you just doesn't realize it right now. But you will! I know!"
She breathed him and felt warm, and safe. "Thank you for believing in me."
"Always!"
The tide was turning.