(Jace Norman Fanfic) From P.A To C.A

31

"One time I got this pizza with mushrooms on it," Braydon is telling us.  We are in a very deep conversation.

"So?" Jace asks.  Braydon is doing the best he can to be nice to Jace, but Jace keeps shutting him down.

"I don't like mushrooms," Braydon answers.

"Then, why did you get a pizza with mushrooms on it?"

"Because I was hungry."  Braydon shrugs.  

I giggle, but Jace just rolls his eyes.  "You know you could order the pizza plain."

"Yeah..."  He trails off not knowing what else to say.

I try to keep the conversation going.  "One time I ordered a pizza with squid on it.  It was disgusting."  When no one answers I add, " I like squid, though."

Despite my attempts, the rest of the walk we are silent.  I decide to enjoy the silence.  I listen to the sound of nature.  The birds chirping, the leaves rustling, and in the distance, I hear a lawn mower running.  I know that a lawn mower isn't a sound of nature, but it's still nice I guess.

When we finally get there, the festival is humming with the sound of people talking, bands playing, and ovens dinging.  There is pizza EVERYWHERE!  I love it.

For a while we just walk around, looking at the booths.  Eventually, we stumble upon a pizza eating contest.  There are five people in the contest; a man with blonde hair and has a San Diego Padres jersey on, a teenage boy with black hair that covers half of his face, a grandpa with white hair and a white beard, a girl, probably in her early 20's, with her brown hair tied back in a mess bun, and a middle aged man with brown hair and grey in the roots.  

I hear some one in the crowd yell, "You eat that pizza, Chuck!"  I see the grandpa pump his fist and smile.  I can't help but smile, too.

"Hello everyone!" A boy comes onto the stage.  "Welcome to Pizza Fest!  Are you ready to see people shove their faces with pizza?!"  Everyone in the crowd cheers.  "Everyone will have unlimited time to finish as many slices of pizza as they can.  The person who eats the most wins!  On your mark...Get set... Go!"  

Everyone starts eating.  I'm secretly rooting for the girl.  She's the only girl up there and deserves to win.

I suddenly realize, she's the only not skinny one up there.  

"Come on, Rose.  This could take all day," Jace says while grabbing my arm, and dragging me away from the cheering crowd.

"Okay, so where to now?" Braydon asks, putting his arm around my waist.

"Well, I have to go to the bathroom," I say.

"Let's go." Jace starts walking toward the bathrooms.  I pull away from Braydon and follow Jace.  That is one of the many things I enjoy about Pizza Fest; they have indoor bathrooms.  One's that flush, and have sinks, and is air conditioned.  I walk into the girls room and, you know, do the thing that girls do in bathrooms...

When I'm ready to come out, I hear arguing.  I stay by the door to try to hear it better.  Of course, it's Braydon and Jace.  I roll my eyes.  Can't they learn to get along.

"Have you even ever had a girlfriend?" Braydon is yelling.

"Yes.  Have you?!" Jace shoots back.

"No!  I'm new to this whole girlfriend thing!  I'm trying to make this work, and all you do is keep yelling at me and criticizing me!"

"Because you're doing it wrong!"  Jace yells.  Then he quiets his voice so I can't hear as well.  "You need to actually..."  I can't hear the last part, so I think this is a good time to come out.

"Hey...  Guys?"  I stop dead in my tracks.  Jace looks at me with fear in his eyes.  A single tear running down his cheek.  I don't think I've ever seen him cry before, and that makes me really worried.  What could he have said to make himself cry?  Braydon, on the other hand, looks at me with a fake smile on his face.

"Hi, Rose!"  Braydon comes to greet me, but I push him away.  I can't keep myself from staring at Jace.

"Jace?" I ask.  I know it's really cliche, however, I don't know what else to say.  I feel really bad for both of them.  I mean, Braydon is trying his best to hide whatever he's feeling, and Jace is crying.

Jace glances from me, to Braydon and runs away.

I start to follow him, but Braydon grabs my arm.  "Leave him.  He needs some space."

"Why?  What did he say?"  I realize I just told him that I was ease dropping on them.  

He doesn't seem to notice.  "Nothing.  Listen, I have to go...Bye."

"Okay, bye,"  I wave.  He just walks away, not looking back.

After a while of standing in shock, I decide to go home.

*_*_*_*_*_

I walk right in the front door.  I keep it unlocked now because I figure, if people are going to steal things, it will be less painful to bare than pretty much losing my mom.  I just go upstairs, lie down on my bed, and think about what just happened.

Should I break up with Braydon?  I mean, I love him and all, but I don't think it best for him to be around right now.  He doesn't really understand how to be a good boyfriend.

Or maybe I should get rid of Jace.  He has been really mean to Braydon.  Braydon is trying to be nice to Jace, and he just keeps shooting Braydon down.  But, Jace was my first friend that I made here.  Braydon wanted nothing to do with me until we worked on that project together.  

I realize what I need right now is some advice.  But not just any advice.  The kind of advice only a mother can give.

I take a deep breath and go over to the Norman's to ask if they can take me to see my mom.