Freaks: Year One

Rejected

Jasper scoffed. "Good! I don't want him setting my house on fire again."

Penelope looked over alarmed, while Harry replied, "It was your stove, and owls can't set things on fire."

"Yes they can." Quinn said, putting down the feather-like cat toy. "Your owl set Jasper's stove on fire, he told me."

Harry shook his head, as Penelope said, "Owls can't set things on fire Quinn." She looked over to Jasper. "It was something else."

Jasper shook his head. "Nope."

Penelope chuckled. "Stubborn."

"No." Jasper said, crossing his arms. "Oto was the only one there."

"Edgar was too." Harry put in.

Jasper gave a look to Harry. "My brother did not set the oven on fire, he can't even reach the controls."

"Well maybe–" Penelope started, but she was interrupted when they saw Gifford come into the compartment.

"Hey guys!" He exclaimed.

"Hey." Harry said, giving him a small wave, and noticed Jonathan wasn't with him. "Where's your brother?"

"Sitting with some other girl." He replied, rolling his eyes. "And he always says I am the one who has a girlfriend..." He sat down beside Quinn. "Hi."

Quinn gave a small smile. "Hello, how was your holiday?"

"It was good." Gifford replied, and he paused. "I want to ask you something."

Harry, Jasper, and Penelope looked at the two of them curiously.

"And what may that be?" Quinn asked.

Gifford took a deep breath. "We've known each other for a long time."

Penelope did a little gasp, as Harry, and Jasper just stared at the two of them wondering where this could be going.

"Well a couple months." Quinn corrected.

Gifford nodded. "And it has been a great couple months."

"What is he doing?" Jasper whispered to Harry, and Penelope.

"Isn't it obvious?" Penelope whispered back, excitedly. "He is going to ask Quinn out!"

Jasper gasped. "How cute!" He exclaimed a bit too loudly for whispering, so Quinn looked at Jasper for a couple seconds, raising an eyebrow, before turning back to Gifford.

Quinn nodded, continuing the conversation with Gifford. "Yeah, it has."

"Yeah." Gifford said. "And we have talked about potions, even though I don't get it, like potions are kind of dumb – er, I mean, um...it is kind of silly to talk about."

Harry made a face at this. "Gifford you love potions–" He started, but he was interrupted by Penelope, and Jasper going shhhhh.

"And I was wondering..." Gifford continued. "If you want to go out with me?"

Penelope, and Jasper watched Quinn waiting for the answer, while Harry just looked a bit confused.

"No." Quinn replied.

Penelope looked stunned. "Awww."

"Wow, that was forward." Jasper said.

Gifford looked confused. "Well, why not?"

"Because I said no." Quinn told him, and they paused, contemplating something. "And...I have a crush on someone else."

"Who?" They all asked.

Quinn stared at Gifford. "Your brother."

Penelope, Jasper, and Harry gasped. "Wow." Jasper whispered. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Me either." Penelope whispered.

Harry looked between the two of them, lost. "I'm so confused..."

Gifford looked shocked, and waved his hands, like he couldn't properly process this information. "Wait, wait, wait...you have a crush on...Jonathan?"

Quinn nodded.

Gifford stared at Quinn. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Oh wow..." Gifford said, slowly. "Um..." He hopped up, and nervously laughed. "I'll - I'll go tell him." He ran out of the compartment.

Harry stared after him, and then looked over to Quinn. "What was that about?"

"Why did you reject him?" Penelope asked. "I thought you got along."

"That doesn't mean I want to date him." Quinn said.

"Do you really have a crush on Jonathan?" Jasper asked.

Quinn burst out laughing at this, and the others stared, confused by this. "No!"

Jasper cocked his head to the side. "But then why did you say to Gifford that you did have a crush on Jon?"

Quinn shook their head, still laughing. "That was Jonathan."

"It was?" Penelope asked, surprised.

"Yes!" Quinn exclaimed. "I thought you would be able to tell them apart." Quinn looked back, and forth at the two boys, disbelief in their eyes. "You room with them!"

"We usually can." Harry said, and suddenly the comment about potions made a lot more sense. "But why did you tell Jonathan that you had a crush on...him?"

Quinn laughed. "To mess with him!" Quinn shrugged. "He really needs to stop the teasing that me, and Gifford are a couple. It is quite annoying."

All of a sudden Gifford, the real Gifford slid so he was right in front of their compartment door. He looked over to Quinn, aghast. "You have a crush on my brother?!"