Who: Bunny & Jack What: Bunny fills Jack in on the stuff that's happened. Where: Bathos 503 When: Super duper backdated to right after this and before this. Warnings: Nope. Jack is behaving.
When Jack studied, it had to be an event. He unplugged the TVs, avoided the radio stations, and the Internet was a No-No in his book. These all proved to be distractions he could not afford to indulge in. He even turned off his phone, which, let’s be honest, was a feat of inhuman proportions for someone his age. So, with loud music blaring from the speakers thanks to his iPod, he hopped and bounced and jammed with a book in his hand. Quiet made for bad studying time. There was something about silence that made him lose focus, but throw on loud sounds and it allowed him to focus. He was painfully aware how ridiculous that was, but it’s how he worked.
With a sigh, he flopped onto the couch, book in one hand, pencil in his mouth, and a furrowed brow, Jack read about yellow journalism and the history of newspaper writing. Frankly, he was bored. He hated history. It was like about as awesome as writing about it, which sucked, and quite frankly he was sorely regretting taking this class. Who knew news writing was like hard stuff?
Glancing at the ceiling, he wondered if Luke was having as hard a time studying as he was. Probably not. Luke had always been a brain. As much as Jack liked to pride himself on being awesome, when it came to the brains department - he was absurdly average. But. At least he was still pretty.
Bunny had just left the hospital. She wanted to stay there longer, but she had other things to do. One of those things was checking up on Jack Hart. She hadn’t thought of him since seeing him at the Brandon dinner at Thanksgiving. And she’d been actively trying to avoid him, not that it was hard, since she’d received the memory she had as him. This was important though. She had an apartment full of friends to take care of her. Mere and Poppy had each other and some of Poppy’s friends had shown up. She didn’t know if Jack had anyone, because she didn’t hang out with him.
Dodging the paps had been pretty intense since they’d decided to stake out the building in hopes of catching a glimpse of Max or something. They’d swarmed her when they realized who she was, but she’d managed to duck into the stairwell and make a clean run for it. Needless to say she was out of breath by the time she’d made it to Jack’s door, not even thinking about how it might look for her to be going into the guy’s house. She’d knocked frantically. “Hurryhurryhurry.”
She rubbed her mitten covered hands together. Winter in Seattle was not as doable as winter in LA.
Luckily, Bunny’s knock happened in between songs otherwise Jack more than likely would have missed it entirely. He debated, for about a millisecond, ignoring the knock. Didn’t they know study time was serious business here? Then again. It might be the neighbor complaining about it. Again. Might as well face the music now, he thought to himself as he turned down the music.
“Okay, okay,” Jack shouted at the door, “music’s turned down. A man needs to think! Silence is like cruelty. Where’s your sense of honor, lady?” He hated when old people got all persnickety at him for enjoying the rousing sounds of ScrEMO and 80s hair bands. A man had a right to rock out in boxers in the comfort of his own home if he wanted to, damn it.
Of course, when he opened the door it wasn’t some lady. It was that blond girl who had a habit of fainting and running away in his presence. It had been funny the first time. “Uh, hey,” he said glancing around the hall wondering if Luke had been with her. They were friends, right? He mustered a smile. “Bunny, right?”
The minute the door open, she shoved past him, closed the door behind her. Crazy people were crazy. Letting out a sigh of relief as her weight sunk against the door, it was then and only then that her eyes settled on the guy in front of her. She was in Jack Hart's apartment. The last time she'd tried to visit, she'd passed out. The last time she had seen him, she was him. The awkward cloud of awkward began to settle on her, before she was able to snap herself out.
Her face was totally red, though. "Hey, yeah." The complete awkwardness of the situation was really starting to dawn upon her, because of their past interactions...one that he wasn't even aware of coupled with the information she was about to give him. "You look well," she was clearly confused by the fact that he seemed fine considering what was happening.
His brows raised as she rushed inside and slammed the door shut behind her. He had a feeling this might go badly, but he chose to remain optimistic. It wouldn’t be the first time a crazed fangirl found her way into his abode and tried to have mindless dirty sexy time with him. Could he blame her really? Could he? Finding himself trying to focus because, to be honest, it’d been some time since he’d last dipped his fingers in some girl’s kool aid, he reminded himself that this was Luke’s girl. So, down boy, he thought to himself.
“Hey! Look at that. We’ve made progress. Whole sentences and not a fainting spell in sight.” He paused and leaned forward. “Right?” Because he wasn’t sure if he had enough space on his couch at the moment for her, he’d have to stash her in the bedroom. See? Jack could pre-plan or whatever. Take that high school counselor! Back to Bunny. “Thanks,” he said as he glanced down at his... Well, his red and blue plaid boxers, and his long sleeve blue shirt, wriggling his toes. “I try to keep looking good, but I’m feeling really under dressed.” Which considering he was in his own home was kind of an amazing feat.
He titled his head. “You okay?” He glanced back toward the kitchen. “Do you want some sex hot chocolate to warm you up?” He paused. “I also have some pie. This really nice guy from upstairs keeps bringing me pie his,” and he used air quotes this time, “‘best friend’ makes. It’s a little weird, but he seems nice enough.” This was probably the longest conversation he had with a girl he wasn’t intending to sleeping with. Not counting Juliet. He behaved himself out of respect for Kylie and Luke and Ms. Likes to Faint here.
Yeah, everyone was getting more and more awkward the more he spoke to her. She was very aware of his state of undress, but it didn't register properly. Any other time, she'd be blushing like mad or making those eyes like 'why yes, I am single. feel free to touch me up wherever you like mr. hot teen idol i've loved since forever man', but right now she just started frowning. "You have no idea, do you?" He might have. Maybe he was just taking this a lot better than she was.
"Uhm," she wasn't sure how to say this, but she took his hands and led him over to the couch. "I think you might want to sit down." She sat down and waited for him to follow her. Bunny took a deep breath and was wondering how she was going to break this news to him. Also, she was totally touching Jack Hart.
Focus. Focus.
Confusing, Jack’s brow furrowed. “Know what?” He glanced at his couch. “That my finals are a complete time suck? Because I’m pretty sure I’ve got that on lock down.” Clearly, though, Bunny was here to talk about serious business and not let him touch her inappropriately. When she grabbed his hands and took him to the couch, he knew things were going to be taking a severe turn for the worse. He wasn’t sure how. She wasn’t a doctor about to tell him that he had cancer of the penis. He didn’t have family here. Friends was a loose term considering he’d just met her and her friends.
Well, except...
Then everything started to feel heavy on his chest. Sure, he and Luke had just reconnected but he’d never been as close to someone as they had been. Even if it had been through old school pen palship and then eventually through e-mail and telephone calls. Sometimes people had a funny way of influencing your life. “You’re starting to freak me out here, blondie. What gives?”
Also, if she was just doing this to touch him, it’d be really fucked up. He’d still bang her, but he’d totally kick her out right after.
Right, she had been able to pull herself into focus again, without too much trouble after he said that she needed to tell him why she was there. She took in a deep breath and exhaled to prep herself. “Luke was kidnapped,” she said slowly, “but!” She had to cut him off, “but they found him and he’s fine now. He’s been gone for the past few days, but everyone is saying he’s okay now, that he’s fine.” She didn’t bother to say anything about the letter or clothes she’d been sent, because it wasn’t important.
She kept a hold on his hands, just in case. She wasn’t really good at this whole breaking bad news thing, and she was worried, but she waited regardless.
Jack blinked and raised his eyebrows. He was... Well, stunned. The moment she had said that Luke had been kidnapped, his chest felt heavy and there was a pressure he’d never felt before. Lucky for him, Bunny gave him the good news. Who knows where his mind would’ve wandered if she hadn’t had that good news to follow it up with.
Jack hadn’t realized that, for the moment he was in shock, he had stopped breathing. So, it was oddly surprising when he let out a slow breath. “So, he’s okay.” He nodded slowly and rubbed his face. Of all the days to shut off all communication with the rest of the world. His brow furrowed, though.
“Everyone is saying...?” He tilted his head. “What do you mean everyone is saying? You haven’t been able to speak to him?” He wasn’t accusing her of being a bad friend-slash-girlfriend. He was more shocked that people were telling her things and not actually having talked to him.
"Well.........no," she said making a face. "They've hidden him away somewhere to rest and keep him away from the cameras and stuff, like the ones flooding the front of the apartment complex. That's why I rushed in here." She was still holding his hands. She was still in his apartment. She was having an actual conversation with Jack Hart. Who knew a crisis could make a girl get over her awkward approach to guys she'd been idolizing from a tender age? "I've been checking my phone like crazy, because usually he contacts me, and I sent him a message to ask him to tell me if he's okay. I don't care if it's like a blank e-mail, or text, just something you know? I don't even know if he has a phone."
She was supposed to be the one not worrying here, but she couldn't help it. The last time something bad had happened to him, she was immediately in the room with him the next morning. Thomas had contacted her then. He hadn't contacted her this time, and she figured it was because Luke seriously had to rest, but he was alive and that's really all that mattered. He was alive and so help her, if he died, she was probably going to murder someone.
She took in a deep breath and exhaled sharply, "I'm sure he's fine. The lady who works for Thomas said he was fine and resting. They wouldn't lie, right? She wouldn't lie to me, would she?" She looked up at Jack. Thomas had lied to her. "He's not at a hospital. I don't know where he is."
This was all kinds of ridiculously fucked. He shook his head. “I doubt that they’d lie like that,” he said. “That’s...cruel. If anything, they’re trying to limit the exposure. Shit like this happens and everyone’s on it like rabid dogs.” He wore a sad but reassuring smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “He’ll call when he can. Luke’s not the type to sit around and keep you freaking out. Something tells me he has a fairly good idea how bad that would be, right?”
Not at the hospital? That was. Well, that was a good thing, right? It meant no serious injuries? “You know those Brandon types. They probably have Doctors On call 24/7 when shit like this goes down. I mean. Remember Michael Jackson?” Okay, so not the best analogy, but he had one. He was sure that if Brandon’s private doctor was at all incompetent, he’d have his balls. A man that fit and pretty wasn’t about to spend his millions of dollars on a quack, right?
Another breathe, and a quick squeeze, Jack quickly repeated, “He’s okay.” Because he had to be, and at this point, even he had to think the best because God help anyone who didn’t take care of Luke.
Ah! Jack knew Luke better than she thought he did, or he was being extra super nice to make her feel better. Either way! This was helping to wash away the negative image that she had gained from the memory of him. The one that made her turn a bright red when he put his arm around her, while she thought of it. He wasn’t a bad guy, even if he did have a bad boy image.
Bunny just leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder with a pout, before sitting up abruptly. “You’re right! They probably do have a doctor on call! They are like super rich! How did you get so smart?” It was a terrible question, but everyone knew that Jack Hart wasn’t known so much for his brains as well...look at him. When he squeezed her shoulder, she gave him a hug. “You are totally not a douche like everyone says you are. I know that tabloids get it wrong all the time, but oh em gee, they were so wrong about you. I’ll never trust them again.” It wouldn’t have made sense for him and Luke to be friends if he wasn’t a nice guy right?
Bunny was feeling better already. Luke was going to be fine. Things could really only get better from now on, at least for her. She wasn’t sure how Poppy and Mere were going to do without Hazel, but she’d be able to figure out something for them too. With worry of Luke suppressed for the time being, she’d be able to focus more on them and their needs, but not for today. Today she was going to go home and get some much needed rest.
Her switch in mood was... Well, he wasn’t quite sure there was a word for it, but hey at least he’d helped or something. He smiled at the compliment about being so smart, but eventually the conversation was a series of ego blows to the nads. So, by the time Bunny was done speaking, Jack was off the couch and off to the kitchen. She meant well, but God damn.
“Do you want some pie for the road? I have an obscene amount left over.” Yes. Please. Get fat. “Maybe you could take some to Luke if you get to see him in the next day or two.” He made a note to let some time pass before reaching out. No doubt Luke will have been bombarded by messages of hope, get well soons, and crazed paparazzi types trying to get his picture. Oh, life in the limelight.
"Oh no! Juliet's got the kitchen fully stocked with sweet goodness." It was totally true, because she hadn't been eating any of it. She was beginning to wonder how bad it made Juliet feel that she hadn't been devouring her cooking as of late. The thought made her frown. "I think I should get home and start on that." Being depressed and worried built up an appetite and she now had enough energy to eat!
She was thinking about all the delicious foods she'd passed up, or rather was trying to remember what they were when Jack mentioned taking some pie to Luke. "I think it'd be better if you gave him some yourself," she said with a nod. "I have to go now, but I'm sure we'll hang out together again soon!" She was halfway to the door before she turned around and went to poke her head in the kitchen. "Thank you for being awesome," she said sincerely. Feeling rejuvenated, she exited the apartment, having completely forgotten the people outside.