chapter 3 -- for fear

Dannie California was so thrilled, they were walking on air, and physically looked like it, too. Smiling wide, they thought that THIS time, they must finally have it in the bag.

There is NO way Will won't believe me now, Dannie gloated to themselves. I mean, I can't understand how he claims he never catches Ellie when she stares at him for solid minutes at a time, but he always wants to talk 'reason' with me anyway. Well, I've got logic on my side now!

Twenty minutes later, facing off across a table in the dining hall, logic was definitely not on anyone's side, and reason was very clearly out the window.

"Will. I'm telling you, I'm absolutely certain. Ellie only stands at the wall if you've been talking a while during that class period, and she always has her phone out the minute she gets out the door, and she's always blushing. This time I heard her big saying over the phone that she literally noticed this same pattern. And that they were meeting at lunch for advice. What the hell ELSE would the advice be about than YOU??"

"I dunno Dannie, it's just not very convinc-- you know, one day your eyes are gonna roll right out of your head, stop being so dramatic! It could be about anything. Maybe she needs help with the class!"

"Her big is a CHEM major, Will! What the hell's she gonna know about Greek History that Ellie wouldn't know already, on her own?! She's the queen of everything freaking 'pre-Classical,' after all." The term got heavy air quotes from the theater major, who considered themselves at least as much of an expert on the time period as Ellie would be.

"Maybe when I'm talking, she stares at someone else, Dannie! Like you! Or anyone else?! I just don't understand why you claim this has anything to do with me..." Will continued.

Covering their face with their hands, a very frustrated Dannie realized that this conversation was no different than their usual wing-person talks, and was going south just as quickly.

"Will, you are ignoring my logic on purpose- "

"Oh, am I doing this Will-fully again, huh?"

"Stop making puns when I'm trying to help you!"

"I dunno, I think my reasoning is quite Ellie-vated, don't you?"

"Goddammit, I've lost you-- Look, Will, you've been enthralled with this girl since you saw her in Much Ado -- and she wasn't even that good, y'know, she was much better in-- "

"But she was Beatrice, Dannie! She never speaks up in class, but she can really hold her own on stage!"

"To each their own, dude, but she can also 'hold her own' at those parties we've been to. She basically turns the whole house into a one-woman show!" Dannie rolled their eyes again, but knowingly hid the gesture from Will. "Anyway, my point is, why are you wasting your time arguing with ME when you could be saying something -- anything! -- to HER?"

Finally, Dannie had found something to say that stopped Will in his tracks.

Frantically pressing their new-found advantage, Dannie continued, "Yeah, Will, why don't you include Ellie in all that talking you do? Who cares if you're at a party? It's all the same words, right?"

Will was still shell-shocked. "I- I guess I could??" he squeaked.

"She'd love it, Will. You know she answers everything Professor Alender asks her. She knows the stuff like the back of her hand, and she really enjoys it, she's just gets distr- I mean, she's just bored?" led Dannie, carefully.

"She's bored, yeah, she must be, being ahead of the class most of the time... well... I'm good at fixing boredom, right?"

Dannie made a frantic and very compassionate effort to stifle the obnoxious scoff they would have loosed on anyone else but their lovably and sincerely clueless best friend. It was so nice to have a person in their life who would never turn on them, but it wasn't always easy to adjust for Will's soft side.

"Yeah dude, you are good at that." Dannie swallowed, managing to sound convincing. Will stared into space and went back to eating a meal that seemed to Dannie to be somehow less convincing than the glaringly obvious white lie they'd just told.

You'd be good with her, Will... Dannie thought. Ellie obviously thinks you make the earth spin, and every word you speak is just a bonus. Actually... maybe you'd be better off by yourself with this one...? She did act like I'd dug her an early grave this morning. Huh. Heh, I wonder if you'll even let me leave you on your own...?

Dannie smiled kindly, picturing Will, wide-eyed, realizing he was alone at a party. He never knew what to do with the attention -- and he did get attention. Ellie wasn't the only girl -- or guy -- or person -- who noticed Will.

But Ellie's honestly the person I'd MOST expect to succeed, Dannie thought. I've watched that girl take about two seconds to snag somebody to take home when she's done ogling you, Will.

So why doesn't she just sweep you away?