The Scranton Branch

Part One - Chapter 8

Part One

Chapter 8

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As I pass through lucid dreaming into reality, my senses become groggy and I feel a good amount of pressure against my chest. Startled, I bolt upright, causing the room to spin drastically before settling down once again. A snoring Jim Halpert has his legs thrown over me whilst the rest of him is laid out on the floor below my bed.

"Jim!" I surprised myself by how loud I could be this early in the morning. Jim slowly blinks away despite my scream, sees the current position he's in, blushes, and crawls a good distance away. I huff and attempt to straighten out my hair and remember exactly how last night went. One word comes to mind.

Awful.

"How'd you sleep?" Jim rubs his eyes and leans against the wall opposite me, a lazy half-smile on his face. I shrug and find the clock in my room. Noon already?!

"I slept fine. Unlike you, I had a mattress. Why didn't you go to your bed?" I throw the covers off and make my way around the room, planning the sweats I'd wear today and mentally scrolling through the many items I had to accomplish this afternoon. Grocery shopping, cleaning, prepping for Michael's meeting Monday with corporate, and a GNO with Pam and, unfortunately, Kelly Kapoor. I couldn't believe I slept in so late.

"I must've passed out," Jim smiles sheepishly before walking out without another word. I roll my eyes at his retreating back and return to brushing my hair and teeth and slowly becoming more anxious and stressed about what I had to do tonight.

Usually I wouldn't put so much effort towards the girl's night out or Michael's 'presentation,' but after what Jim told me last night about him and Jan, I was a little more concerned about reading over his discussion points and notes. I guess I could do the shopping tomorrow, but I use Sundays strictly for kicking back and watching whatever was on cable. I wasn't about to mess that up, especially when the atmosphere with Jim has been tense after the introduction of Paul.

By the time I've dragged Jim's basketball shorts-clad body into the car, it was nearly 1:30. I wasn't necessarily excited about shopping with Jim. He usually shopped for whatever he wanted without communicating directly with me. Occasionally he'll surprise me and grab a cart with a kiddie seat in the front and demand I sit in it as he pushes me around... Which is actually really fun.

"What's wrong?" He twists around in the front seat to get a good look at me. I had no idea something was wrong with me, and give him an odd confused face.

"What do you mean?"

"You look like you're thinking about something."

"Uh, just how you always screw around in grocery stores."

"I do not."

"Yes, Jim, you actually act 6 sometimes."

He pouts at this and goes back to staring out the window as Scranton flies by in blurred colors. I wonder if I should ask about Pam or bring up Paul and the party last night. But then I remember how he had apologized, and I suddenly felt very very small for always assuming Jim would snap at the name of another man. I turn into the parking lot and shut the engine off.

"See, something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

"If you say so..." He whispers under his breath and glances down at his phone. "We better get shopping. Aren't you going out tonight?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go!" He flings the car door open and jogs slowly (I say slowly because it's Jim, and he can't run very fast or far) towards the nearest shopping cart, which has a kiddie seat. I can see him through the side mirror with a fat grin on his handsome face, waiting patiently near the entrance of the store for me.

"Hey Jim, can you come here for a second?" I had called Pam and Kelly a few hours ago demanding a night in. What once was going to be drinks at a pub and maybe driving to New York for a club has now turned into playing Yahtzee and sipping wine at my place tonight. It felt oddly simple and unpretentious--but I wasn't arguing, and neither was Jim, knowing that Pam was coming.

He stuck his head through my door, eyebrows raised, ready for another task I had planned for him. He had cleaned up some since this morning. I think he even went for a haircut after the store, while I was working on Michael's presentation. The amount of effort he put forth for Pam squeezed me in a wrong way--pining for an engaged woman was wrong in every way--but I bit my tongue and kept quiet.

"Can you make sure you called Ryan?" His eyes bug out slightly and he steps completely into the room.

"Ryan Howard? From Dunder Mifflin?" I nod.

"You can't be serious."

I sigh heavily. Some deep part of me knew Jim wouldn't want Ryan coming over to our place. But Kelly would be here, and would be complaining the whole night about Ryan. At least when he was here, she would shut up and bother him more than me. Not that I don't love Kelly, I just...she can be a handful, is all.

"Would you rather have Kelly whining about him the whole night or with him the whole night?" I swivel in my seat and raise my eyebrows at him. He purses his lips and nods slowly, thinking it over in his head a bit more before letting out a quick, "You're right," and turning back out the door.

Saturday had gone by too fast. I hated working on the weekends and thinking too much about Michael's personal life always gave me a headache, but I was thoroughly concerned the more I asked Jim about him and Jan. I would never admit to anyone that I considered Michael a friend, but I had no idea how to come in this situation. It sounded like Jim and Pam have tried to ask Michael about this, and nothing more has been said. That it was a mistake that Michael said anything at all.

There's a knock at my bedroom door and I look over my shoulder at my best friend. He smiles lightly and leans against the wall. He waits before he says anything, just a content look on his face, arms crossed, watching me watch him.

"Jim?"

"Oh!" He shakes himself out of whatever thoughts he was thinking and clears his throat. I shake my head slightly and face my closet again, trying to think through Jan and Michael, plan how tonight was going to go, and look for an outfit all at the same time.

"You have thirty minutes before they get here."

"Thanks Jim, I'm well aware," I snap. It's silent before I hear rustling and he's at my side, putting his hand on my closet door and shutting it in front of my face. I scowl up at him, opening my mouth about to complain, but he's already moved between me and the door.

"You've been acting funny since the grocery store. What's up?"

"I'm not acting funny. Can you move?" I reach around him but he slaps my hand away gently. I stare at him.

"Seriously, what are you thinking about it?"

"Nothing!"

"Is this about the party?"

I stop and take a step back from him, not even realizing that Jim was probably still embarrassed by his behavior last night. I hadn't even had a thought about Paul either. Jim looks slightly hurt after registering my reaction and his shoulders drop a bit.

"Oh... Allie, I--"

"No, Jim, it's not last night."

His mouth clamps closed and we stand awkwardly. After some uncouth eye contact, he tries to say something, but it's lost in his throat. He walks out and I'm left to stress more about how the night was going to go.