Hearts Don't Break Around Here

Chapter 5 - Lemon Tart

11th Grade

"You sure you don't want to come along?" Roseanne asks, smoothening out her dress in the mirror before turning to Jennie, who is sitting cross-legged on her bed with a physics textbook in her lap. "Could be really fun!"

Jennie snorts. "Prom seems more like your thing than mine, I think." She says blatantly. "And I wouldn't wanna third wheel with you and Eric. I don't even have a date."

"Aw, come on. You wouldn't be third-wheeling."

Jennie raises an eyebrow at her.

"You wouldn't be third-wheeling that much." Roseanne corrects, smirking. "Anyway, how do I look?" She holds out her arms in presentation. Jennie studies her, looking unamused.

"You'd look great if you didn't pull your hair back like that." She says.

Roseanne frowns. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"It's not..." Jennie waves a hand like she's searching for the word. "... Fluffy enough. It's stuck to your head." She points to Roseanne's head. "It makes your ears look bigger."

"What?" Roseanne says, feeling panicked. "Well, what do I do?"

Jennie sighs, dropping her textbook to the side and walking over to where Roseanne is standing. "Just, like..." She reaches up and digs her fingers into Roseanne's hair, messing it up. "Fluff it up a bit."

Roseanne raises an eyebrow at her reflection in the mirror. Jennie steps back, studying the disheveled mess on Roseanne's head. "There, like that."

"But now it just looks like it usually does," Roseanne says, confused. She's come to learn that Jennie has weird taste in things, but usually makes the right call when it comes down to it.

"Exactly." Jennie says flatly. "And it usually looks good."

Roseanne hums. "Whatever you say." And wow, her ears do look more proportional now. "Okay, cool. So I'm gonna meet Eric in about twenty minutes. And then we'll probably get dinner..." Roseanne mumbles to herself, listing her plans off with her fingers. "Apparently after-prom ends at like 2 or 3 AM so, are you staying over? Or will you be at your place when I get back?"

Jennie hums in consideration, looking down at the textbook. "I don't know. I haven't decided yet."

"Okay, well, text me if you stay so I know to expect you."

"Cool, sounds good." Jennie looks like she wants to say something else, but she doesn't. Roseanne sends her a questioning look.

"What is it?"

Jennie opens her mouth and closes it again. Then she shrugs. "Just. You know. Have fun."

Roseanne grins. "You know I will."

xxx

Eric is Roseanne's current boyfriend and they've been together longer than Roseanne has been with anyone else. Jason, in eighth grade, only lasted three months. Marcus at the beginning of tenth grade, kissed him twice and then decided she...wasn't interested. Finn in tenth only lasted two months before she...wasn't interested anymore, either. But now, she and Eric are spending their six-month anniversary at junior prom, and she is so fucking excited.

Eric has big brown eyes and freckles on the bridge of his nose. He smells like cologne and his skin is always soft. His laugh makes her heart flutter and he always wears the nicest jeans with a flame embroidered on the right pocket. They hang out often. They do homework together, talk about anime and watch movies. They make out. Sometimes they go even further than that. Roseanne blushes just thinking about it. He's so hot. She loves him. She knows she does. This has got to be what love feels like. What else could it possibly be? But she hasn't said it yet. She's waiting for the best moment, and she feels like tonight is going to be the night.