"Hi, Kitty," Emma said when the blonde walked into her office and took a seat. "I'm so glad you scheduled a meeting. Sorry it had to be in the afternoon; my school hours were pretty jam-packed. But now that we're here you want to tell me what's going on?"
Kitty sighed. "I've been thinking a lot about my future," Kitty began. "Like a lot. And I just realized that after I graduate I want to get as far away from Lima as possible. Not to New York—that's so cliché and only Quinn can do it in style. I want to go far, like different time zone far. And I want to do something that'll pull me away from everyone."
"Wow, that's pretty specific," Emma took that all in. "So you want to look at colleges in the west, then?"
Kitty nodded. "Preferably one with a Christian affiliation," she told her. "And maybe a political science option."
"Well, luckily for you," Emma began as she opened her college brochure and shifted through them, "you have a wide range of options. You were a cheerleader, you had glee club, and you have good grades. I think these are good options for you with extended deadlines. And there's a few that are due in December so maybe prioritize those."
Kitty took the pamphlets and thanked Emma, leaving her office and heading home to spend the rest of the afternoon applying to the ones with closer deadlines.
***
"You know how great it is that you cook?" Julie said before taking a bite of her noodles. "Mmh," she said as she swallowed her food and patted the corners of her lips with a napkin. "This is amazing. What is this called?"
"Spaghetti Carbonara," Jake said. "My mom says it's the sexiest food so she taught me to make it when I was a kid."
"It's amazing," Julie said, digging in for more.
"Thank you," he said with a nod as he served her more pink lemonade. Jake tried to eat, too, but his stomach was in knots. He mostly just sat there and pretended to be focused on chewing, though really he was watching her. Julie absentmindedly chatted away, discussing everything from the completion of her Stanford application to their Sectionals duet to the slumber party she was planning after the football game.
"And I think when the Cheerios show up and pump up the crowd," Julie said, "it'll not only help the guys take the win but also reestablish us and just help everything settle back in."
"And Kitty agreed to you being head cheerleader?" Julie asked. "Just like that?"
"Well, sort of," Julie said. "She said she owed me for a lot and I'm not really sure what she meant by it but she said if Bree and I wanted to rule together we could. Can you imagine? Bree handling all of the dirty politics of cheerleading while I ensure that the regime doesn't get out of hand like it has in the past... It'll be the perfect ruling."
"Well, yeah but you already have that power, that team with the presidency," Jake noted. "You and Kitty have glee club, too."
"So what, Kitty and Bree should have this one to themselves?" Julie asked him.
He shook his head. "Not what I meant," he said. "Just that if the squad thing doesn't work out, you can still do all of the things you wanted to do. Help the school."
"Is there something wrong?" Julie asked suddenly, pushing her empty plate aside. "You've been acting really strange and I can tell something's bothering you. But we tell each other everything so there's no reason to—"
"We don't tell each other everything," Jake said, a forced smile on his face.
Julie creased her eyebrow and said, "Umm, I... I tell you everything."
"No you don't," Jake shook his head.
"I do," Julie insisted, a bit upset that she even had to have this argument. "Why do you think I don't?"
"Well because everyone has secrets," he said.
"Not me," she shook her head. "Not with you. Wait, so do you keep secrets from me?"
"Just things that don't matter anymore," he sighed, looking down at the ground and feeling even worse for having said that.
"Ok..?" Julie responded, looking down at her hands and wondering how she should feel about this new information.
"I'd never do anything to purposefully hurt you," Jake offered, though he knew now that they'd hit the subject, there was no making her forget about it.
"Yeah," she muttered, taking a sip from her drink and not meeting his eye. "Yeah, ok."
"Julie," Jake said, reaching a hand over the table and placing it on top of her free hand. "I... There are things you should know. And we can talk about them. But right now we're supposed to be celebrating you. So let's clean up in here, go watch one of those shows you love, and cuddle under a blanket and just be together ok?"
"There's a new episode of The Originals starting in fifteen minutes," she said without meeting his eyes still.
Jake laughed and said, "Ok, we can watch that then." They got up and began to clean up the kitchen, the mood slowly lifting. Although he hadn't had the courage to tell her the truth, he had given himself one last night to enjoy with her before possibly ruining their entire relationship.
***
When Amity hopped into Alex's car, she couldn't stop looking forward. If the nervous fidgeting wasn't enough, she was shivering from the A/C. Alex, who was so used to the cold he hadn't realized it was freezing in there, saw her rubbing her arms and turned up the heat.
"Sorry," he muttered. "Umm, so I was thinking we could stop by the park on the way to drop you off. You know, talk a little?"
She nodded. "I just can't take too long," she forced herself to tell him. "My mom has a night shift tonight and I'm sure by now my sisters have destroyed my room so I should go clean up and make them dinner."
Alex agreed to a quick conversation, having always admired the responsibility Amity took on in her home life. They rode in silence all the way to the park, where they got off of his car and nervously walked to a bench.
"So let's just get to it since you have to go soon," Alex began, making her heart speed up. "I really want another chance, Amity. I've been trying to do everything in my power to work up to this moment. I've been nice to Dan, I've been focusing in class, I haven't gotten into trouble. I've even cut down on my smoking."
She looked up at him but when she opened her mouth to speak, he continued.
"Now, I know that doesn't seem like much," he went on. "It's not. It'll probably never be enough but I love you and you love me and I'm trying, ok? I want to quit, the smoking and the lying and the acting out. I do. But it's not easy to change who you've been for years and so it's going to take some time, Amity. Baby steps. So if you'll take me back, I swear I'll be honest with you no matter what."
Breathless and cold, Amity shivered as she said, "I can work back up to trusting you. I can. But... You have to promise that... You'll just be there for me, ok? What happened back in September, it uh... It changed both of us. I'm not some naive, stupid girl anymore and—"
"You never were," Alex said, reaching for her hand and leaning closer, almost desperately. "You never have been any of that. You trusted me, you put all of your trust in me. And that's not a bad thing on you. It was on me for letting you down so I'm sorry. But I'll never do that again. I've been working on me a lot and..."
[Now as Alex's voice trails off, Amity's considering things and we get an awesome montage featuring an awesome song... Wait for it... "Say Ok" by Vanessa Hudgens! :D]
Amity: Ooh oh ooh oh. You are fine. You are sweet. But I'm still a bit naive with my heart... When you're close I don't breathe. I can't find the words to speak. I feel sparks...
Alex continued to talk and Amity listened, nodding silently as she continued to sing.
Amity: But I don't want to be into you if you're not looking for true love. No I don't wanna start seein' you. If I can't be your only one...
It was hard not to trust in him; he seemed so innocent and sincere for once. She had her guard up from the moment she'd began speaking to him again, but the walls came tumbling down when he looked at her like that.
Amity: So tell me when it's not alright. When it's not OK. Will you try to make me feel better? Will you say alright? Will you say OK? Will you stick with me through whatever? Or run away...
She thought back to their relationship, which had never been perfect. It had never been explosive or dramatic.
Amity: (Say that it's gonna be alright. That it's gonna be OK) Say OK...
As they talked, Jake and Julie called it a night, ready to say goodbye for the night. He walked with her to her front steps, taking in these last few good moments before she inevitably decided he had messed up beyond repair.
Amity: Let me know if it's gonna be you. Boy, you've got some things to prove. Let me know that you'll keep me safe. I don't want you to run away so. Let me know that you'll call on time. Let me know that you'll help me shine. Will you wipe my tears away? Will you hold me close and say..?
When Alex finally stood up, Amity did the same, a smile forming on her face. It seemed as though they were both on the same page about where they stood. Now all it took was putting all of her faith—and she had plenty—on the only boy to ever break her heart. This terrified her, but as he wrapped his arms around her, she knew she was making the right choice.
Amity: When it's not alright. When it's not OK. Will you try to make me feel better? Will you say alright? Will you say OK? Will you stick with me through whatever? Or run away... (Say that it's gonna be alright. That it's gonna be OK). Say OK (Don't run away, don't run away). (Say that it's gonna be alright. That it's gonna be OK, don't run away). Will you say OK (Say that it's gonna be alright. That it's gonna be OK).
***
"So this is goodbye then," Julie grinned as she got ready to go inside her house.
Hearing her say the words, Jake choked out, "Yeah, yeah it is..." He stepped forward and hugged her. At first she thought this to be pleasantly warm, but when it lasted more than five seconds it weirded her out.
"Ok, what's going on?" she asked, trying to hide her frustration with a smile as she pulled away. "You've been acting weird all night and I'm getting kind of—"
Jake blurted out suddenly, "I love you."
Julie's eyes widened and her mouth was slightly ajar as she struggled to come up with a response.