DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, I'm borrowing them for fantasy purposes. NBC or SONY or some other PTB own the rights.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is un-beta'd so please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Please send any comments you may have to my LJ account: mellosmooth01.livejournal.com. Blair & Jo are Freshman Co-eds at Langley College. The story takes place in present day Peeksill New York, not in the eighties. This is a part canon, but mostly AU story.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To mellosmooth01.livejournal.com
I Wonder You
By Smoothe
Part 1
Blair barged into their dorm room, breathless, with a panicked look on her face.
"She's at it, again, Jo." Blair said, her voice slightly screeching in the process, as she walked over to the desk where Jo was sitting, going over some notes for a class she had later.
"At what again - and who?" Jo responded to Blair without looking up from her notes.
"Christine Jamison. She's on the D.O.C. committee with me; Diversity On Campus. You know the one?" Blair said, nudging the brunette's shoulder; coaxing her to look in her direction then giving her a wink and a small bob of her head.
"No, Blair, I don't know the one?" Jo replied with a raised eyebrow and a shrug. And she did kind of know who Blair was talking about but she just didn't want to give the blonde the satisfaction of agreeing with her. She was also still somewhat shocked that Princess Warner was on such a committee in the first place. She then wondered exactly what Blair was implying with that wink. And although Jo always found it a challenge to figure out what Blair was talking about; most of the time, anyway, somehow, in this particular instance, this whole conversation struck her with a bit more irritability than normal.
"You do know the one, Jo. She goes by the nick name, C.J. - and she's... gay." Blair said in somewhat of a whisper.
"Again, I ask, why would I know her, Blair?" Jo asked in an exasperated tone.
Blair thought about how that statement might have been perceived by Jo. She then started to explain.
"Well, what I meant was that, like C.J., you both kind of have the same style of dress and similar mannerisms. You know - Jo, that tough girl exterior." Blair finished with a flip of her hand and her patented glowing smile. That Jo found hard to resist.
"Now you're comparing me to a lesbian, Blair!" Jo barked, glaring at her roommate. Not that Jo has anything against gay people, it's just that she's not one of them - and to be compared to someone like C.J. who, is after all, the epitome of a butch lesbian, well, that was going too far; in Jo's estimation, anyway. I know I'm not the most feminine woman in the world, but c'mon. She told herself.
Blair started to say something but was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.
"Give me one minute." She held her index finger up at Jo as she said.
"Yeah, okay, cuz I gotta hear whatcha hafta say ta that?!' Jo chirped angrily - hurt was more like it.
"Yes, C.J. Oh, well, I have plans for dinner tonight, ah," looking at Jo, sympathetically, "yes, I'm busy tomorrow too. Oh, next week...?" she crumpled up her nose and mouth, awkwardly; shaking her head no and Jo couldn't help but smile. Blair had the most adorable facial expressions, Jo thought. "I don't think I can...I...okay, bye."
Blair shut her cell phone and sat on the edge of Jo's bed. She stared straight ahead then mumbled something to herself. Jo could have sworn it was an expletive.
"Blair, are ya alright?" Jo queried her best friend, trying to sound irritated.
In a perplexed state, Blair said, "I think I have a date with Christine Jamison or C.J., or whatever her name is, next Tuesday afternoon, for lunch?"
Stunned! "You agreed to a date - with C.J.?! Muhmm, very interesting?" The brunette quipped, tapping her index finger on her chin, trying to suppress a laugh, but not a smile.
"That's not funny, Jo. Do I - look like a lesbian?" The blonde asked her friend, earnestly.
"No. You don't, Blair." She responded honestly.
"So, why does C.J. keep hitting on me?"
"I donno know, Blair, maybe she thi-" Cut off by Blair.
"Oh God, I'm I sending out some kind of gay vibe," she put her hand up toward her mouth at the thought, "um, what's it called, um, um..." snapping her fingers trying to think of the exact phrase.
"Gaydor?"
"Yeah, gaydor. See?"
"See - what?" Jo scowled as she responded.
"You know the lingo and everything." Blair said with a smile.
"Yeah, and I woulda also known how ta say no ta a date I didn't wanna be on." Jo countered with a satisfied smirk to the blonde, her arms folded across her chest, as she now stood, leaning against her desk.
"Touche`."
"So, whatta ya gonna wear on ya date, Blair?" Jo said teasingly.
"Ha ha, very funny. I'm not going on a date with her." Blair said pointedly.
"Howa gettin' outta it then?"
"Why, you're going to help me, of course." The pretty blonde stated matter-of-factly. Getting up from Jo's bed and walking toward the brunette, her smile widening as she came closer.
"Ah uh, no way, Blondie, I ain't gettin' mixed-up in any scheme ya might have brewin' in that dye#12 brain ah yours." Stepping around Blair to sit on her bed.
"Now Jo, you know good and well that I'm a natural blonde." Blair said, as she flung her golden tresses slightly, her eyes fluttering as she continued. "Anyway, I can't go on a date with C.J. She's gay and for some strange reason she must think I'm gay too?"
"Blair, how do ya know she thinks that - maybe she just thinks you're pretty or somethin'." Jo regretted saying the words as soon as they fell from her lips.
"Well, of course she thinks that Jo, everyone does. That's just a given." The blonde said sincerely, a warm smile gracing her face.
Jo just rolled her eyes before responding. "Blair," an agitated sigh, "agh, nevamin', ya woulden undastan' even if I explained it ta ya." Jo said with some hesitation in her voice.
"No, Jo. I want to know - what you think, please, tell me." Blair then sat on the bed next to Jo and waitied for her answer, patiently. Her warm dark browns penetrating - cutting clear through to the brunette's very soul.
Jo sat there for a minute, trying to catch her breath, as she pondered what and exactly how to tell Blair the way she effects people, men... and women, herself in particular. Although most people are taken with Blair's overt charm, Jo knows better. She has first hand knowledge that the Blair people see is really just a cover for a much deeper, more complex and somewhat wounded soul that makes up the totality of this beautiful woman that is Blair. The brunette leaned back, her elbows supporting herself on the bed, trying to get comfortable enough to say what she wanted - needed to say to her roommate of four years.
"Blair, I... You... ah shit, Blair - ya ain't God's gift ta mankind, ya know." That did not come out at all the way Jo had planned it in her a head. She wanted to tell the blonde exactly how she felt about her - and how she made her feel, but then that, whatever that was, came out, and it came out a lot harsher than she'd ever intended it to at that.
"Oh, I see. So, you took all that time to insult me, Jo. You're losing your edge there girl." Blair said in kind of a disconcerted way, only managing a weak smile in the process as she lifted herself from the bed, her eyes starting to water at Jo's words, as she headed toward the door.
'SHIT!' Jo thought to herself, 'Now I've hurt her feelin's, way ta go Polniaczek. Score one for tha Bronx.'
Jo jolted off the bed and caught up with the dark blonde, gently touching her on the shoulder as she said, "Hey, ah, Princess, that's not what I meanta say ta ya... I jus' got - I donno, Blair, screwed up in my head with what I wanted ta tell ya is all. Ya know me - always sayin' tha stupidest things at tha wrong time." Jo finished, hoping Blair would accept her heart felt, yet, unpolished apology.
Blair stood there at the door a second, her right hand on the knob; she couldn't turn around because she would have revealed that her eyes were still glistening from the impact of what Jo had said to her a few minutes ago.
"Blair, say somethin' why doncha, please." Jo pleaded for Blair to - scream at her, give her one of her incredulously wicked put-downs that only Blair could, but nothing prepared Jo for what the blonde was about to say.
"I guess I hadn't realized just how little I meant to you, Jo," her shoulders slumped a bit before continuing, "I'll leave you to your studying now." Blair said with defeat as she turned the knob, opened the door and somberly walked out.
"Hey, Polniaczek, wait up," someone with kind of gruff voice shouted, "I need to talk to you... it's about your roommate?"
Jo stopped and turned around; she'd forgotten that "she" was in Mr. Trunkdall's Poli-Sci class with her. It's a huge class room; over 75 students, that's a lot for a Langley class. It's actually more of a small lecture hall than the regular size classrooms, plus it's a staggering 3 and half hour once a week class so it's easy to skip over people; especially people you didn't really want to notice in the first place.
Jo gave the tall spiked cut redhead in the black biker jacket and dark blue jeans a hurry-up already - I gotta go kind of stare then replied with directness. "I got anotha class, across campus, C.J. whatta want to know about Blair?" Jo asked wondering why the thought of Blair with this woman - having a date with this woman bugged her so much?
Blair sat on a bench situated right outside the Fulton Building, where her next class was scheduled. She thought about the events of the morning; her being accosted, well, not accosted so much as she was cornered into accepting a date with one of her classmates, who happened to be a woman, albeit the wrong woman. Blair Warner, what the hell are you thinking... and why did what Jo said to you earlier hurt you so much?
Jo braced herself as C.J. approached, "I just wanted to know what kind of flowers Blair liked - you know so I can pick her up some for our date next week." The redhead asked trying to gage what Jo's reaction would be. But what she really wanted to know was if Jo and Blair were a couple? Why tha hell is she askin' me about this kinda thing, it ain't my cuppa tea? Then Jo thought about it. She's askin' ya becuz you're Blair's best friend, ya idiot, the same best friend that hurt her earlier. It was rare but at times Blair and Jo's combative sparring matches would get out of hand and some things would be said that shouldn't be said and what Jo said to Blair earlier was one of those things. Jo knew that what she had said hurt the blonde to the quick but before she could stop herself those acidic words had just rolled off of her tongue and landed right onto Blair's heart.
Jo caught up with her roommate later at the student union. Blair was sitting at the center table all alone, which struck her as odd since the blonde was always the center of attention at Eastland, hell, anywhere they went Blair garnered a crowd, but now looking at the beautiful blonde sitting there all by herself, the woman seemed out of place, sort of, and that just made her feel even worse about what she'd said to her earlier.
"Hey."
"Hi."
"Do ya min' if I sit down," Jo asked with some trepidation.
"Sure, it's a free country - It's not like I'm God's gift to mankind or anything," Blair said. The words stinging the brunette a little, which is what the blonde wanted, or what she thought she wanted. She wasn't so sure after seeing the wounded expression on Jo's face, though.
"Blair, from tha bottom of my heart, I'm sorry about what I said ta ya this mornin'. I really donno why I said it, honest. And if you still want my help gettin' outta that date with C.J., then, I'm all yours." Jo spoke with a sincerity in her tone that Blair knew was genuine.
The blonde just looked at the brunette in that special knowing way, her hands clasped together, her thumbs encircling each other as she went on to say, "I believe you, Jo. But, if truth be told, that remark did hurt me a little more than your usual quips do."
Jo was painfully aware that the statement she made earlier hurt the blonde deeply but she was more surprised that Blair would be so quick to admit it. The Princess liked to concede to a loss or any huge set-back just about as much as the sometimes irritatingly proud and stubborn, yet always interesting tough girl from the Bronx did, which was never.
Blair watched Jo squirm in her seat a little before gathering up the nerve to ask why she was so effected by her comments today?
"So, why do ya think that is, Blair - I mean we rag on each otha all tha time, what was so different about today?"
The debutant looked down at her restless fingers then back up into the most piercing soft blue-green eyes imaginable and her heart skipped about twenty beats.
"I - I... suppose it was because..." stopping suddenly, realizing that they weren't alone anymore, "Oh, hi, C.J. What beautiful flowers."