𓈊 A Poppy By Any Other Name

Act XII

"What on Earth is going on here?" he asked, just now putting his glasses on. "What in the-"

Lizzie was stood behind Jimmy, holding both of his hands behind his back while having a can of her hairspray in the other as he whined and tried his hardest to pull away. "Jimmy, stand still!"

"Let go," Jimmy whined, wiggling about. "I don't want to smell like aerosols!"

"Scott wears perfume," Lizzie said, and she yanked Jimmy backwards. "And the strong kind, too. He'll be smelling himself over the little bit of hairspray on your head."

Jimmy groaned. "Yeah, but-"

"Quiet." Finally able to fix his hair, Lizzie took the chance to spray his hair, and Jimmy wasn't afraid to let out a fake, mock wail. She let go of him and he fell dramatically to his hands and knees.

"I've been defeated," the blonde on the floor said. "I smell like Barbie now."

Lizzie scoffed and nudged him with her foot. "Oh, get over it," she said with half-hearted annoyance. "Now, come on. It takes, like, twenty minutes to get there."

Grian blinked, almost scarred by the scene that just pkayed out in front of him, and cleared his throat to get the other two's attention. "Um... what just happened?" he asked, looking between them.

Jimmy groaned as he rose to his feet again. "I've been attacked and violated," he pouted, Lizzie laughing in the background. "She trapped me and forced me into submission-"

"And I thought Joel was dramatic," Grian grumbled. "Are you guys going somewhere?"

Scoffing again as she set her hairspray down on her vanity, Lizzie said, "Oh, no. We are not going anywhere. I'm just taking him to the diner so he can hang out with Sco- Mmph!" She squirmed as Jimmy covered her mouth with his palm. "Mmm!"

Jimmy let out a nervous laugh. "Grown-up things," he said before letting Lizzie go and earning a whack on the arm from her.

Grian rose a brow in suspicion. "Oh, really?"

"Yep!" Jimmy grabbed Lizzie's hand and started for the door, almost pushing Grian as he walked passed through the doorway. "We should be leaving now, though, goodbye!"

"Wha-" Grian watched in confusion as Jimmy and Lizzie rushed down the stairs and out the front door, slamming it behind them as they left. Sighing, he went back downstairs and into the guest- or, rather his -room to arrange the pillows and blankets into something that resembled a nest, and he planned to stay there all day, sleeping.

Meanwhile, the ride from the house to the diner was a very comfortably quiet one. Neither of them said much, letting whatever come on the radio fill the void of silence for them. Before Jimmy knew it, they were pulling into the parking lot.

"Have fun," Lizzie said as Jimmy unbuckled. "I love you."

Jimmy smiled at her. "Love you, Liz," he said, and shut the car door and walked inside.

The diner was a 1950s, Amerikan style restaurant, and it almost didn't surprise Jimmy when Scott had told him this was his favorite restaurant. The style of it alone made Jimmy think immediately of Scott, with his bright cyan hair, skinny jeans, white Converse high-tops, and the fact that he always wore Zach's letterman jacket. Seeing Scott in the back corner booth of the diner, just like how he did in Jimmy's dream, made Jimmy's stomach turn somersaults.

Oh, boy.

"Oh, hey, Jimmy!" Scott waved Jimmy over, and the blonde stepped forward.

It's not even busy, Jimmy noted, looking around. It's almost exactly like my dream.

"Hi," replied the blonde nervously as he sat down across from Scott. "Uh, how are you?"

Scott flashed a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm... well," he answered, though it was anything but plausible. "How are you?"

Jimmy took a deep breath, tapping his fingers on the table. "I'm alright," he said awkwardly, Scott nodding. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, before each saying others names at the same time.

Laughing, they both said, "You can go ahead," before looking at each other, almost shocked.

Scott let out a little, joyless chuckle and hesitated for a moment, his demeanor changing and his eyes no longer trying to uphold their happy look. "Jimmy, I..." He sighed. "I really need to talk to you..." Reaching over the table, Scott took Jimmy's hands in his own.

Jimmy's chest felt a little too tight with anxiety and his stomach a little too excited with nervousness. Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god, oh, god- He felt like he was going to be sick again, and being trapped with his hands in Scott's, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to make it to the restroom in time.

"And it's about... well, us."

And suddenly, Jimmy wasn't just worried about his stomach anymore.