Connor's Tale - A Jonnor story

Chapter 11 - Messages from the Other Side

"Well obviously it was okay" Taylor said "because his mom is fine. But I never knew that she had gotten shot."

"Me neither" Daria said. "Jude never mentioned it, even when you were shot. I wonder why?"

"I don't know" Connor replied. "It was probably so different it didn't really connect. I remember that he was busy with family stuff for a while after that. We still hung out at lunch and all, but he was also pulling back too."

"What do you mean" Daria asked him.

"It's hard to describe looking back because things changed so quickly, but it was like he was trying to avoid making plans. I remember talking to him about a new movie coming out at the planetarium. It was really cool with amazing effects, 3D, and all that. I tried to get him to agree to go with me..."

"Like on a date?" Taylor interrupted with a smirk.

"No Taylor" Connor replied making sure he looked at both of them. "We didn't really think like that about each other. Jude was my friend and was quickly becoming my best friend. I was really excited about the movie and knowing how much he liked Star Wars I figured he would like it too, but he wouldn't agree to go. He kept saying he didn't know if he would be around."

"What do mean 'he wouldn't be around'?" Daria asked.

"I didn't know then, but I figured out afterwards that Jude was really nervous about getting sent away. That was around the time that Callie ran away and they had a history of problems and it often meant that Jude got sent to a new foster home. I think he was really scared that Lena and Stef were going to get rid of him because they were mad at Callie" Connor explained.

"That's crazy" Taylor said anger in her voice. "Stef and Lena would never do something like that!" Daria looked less certain as she didn't know Jude's moms that well.

"Of course not" Connor agreed with Taylor. "But remember Jude wasn't adopted then and he had just spent 6 years being treated pretty badly by the foster system. He didn't trust them yet so he was scared and was preparing to be thrown away again."

Daria's breath caught in her throat at Connor's choice of words. He didn't even seem to realize that he had said it but she had heard it: 'thrown away again' and that Jude was prepared for it. She had been loved and treasured all of her life by her parents and family. She couldn't imagine how it would feel to be thrown away and for Jude it was so normal, so regular, that it didn't even upset him anymore. She felt the tears in her eyes as she realized just how hard his life had been before finding the Fosters.

She then thought about how he must have felt about Connor and what it had been like seeing them kiss. She stood up and looked down at Connor. Connor looked confused as to why she stood up and the look on her face. Then she punched him. Not on the face, but in the shoulder, but still pretty hard.

"Ow!" Connor yelped pulling back and looking at her. Daria sat back down still glowering. "Why did you do that?"

Daria looked at him in the eye, "You, Connor Stevens, are a jerk!" Connor rubbed his shoulder and looked down "yeah, I know" he muttered.

Daria looked away crossing her arms and let out a "humph" sound. She was not happy with Connor right now.

Taylor looked at her friend a little amused as well as surprised. She realized that Daria, whether she knew it or not, had basically sided with the Jude over Connor, her ex, over how Connor had acted. She looked over at Connor whose head was still down and looking ashamed. However she could also see from her side of the table something she was sure Daria couldn't: the small smile on Connor's lips.

Taylor had also heard Connor when he talked about Jude being thrown away and she too had thought it was a slip till Daria reacted the way she had and she had seen that secret smile on Connor's face. It was then that she realized that Connor was a lot smarter than she had thought. In one move he had put Daria on the same side as Jude in their breakup - as a wronged party, instead of being seen as a threat or a trespasser. By putting the blame on himself, he had made sure Daria was blaming only him, not Jude. "He really has it bad" Taylor thought with a smile.