Deviating from the Norm (A "Freaks and Geeks" Fanfic)

Chapter 11 - Promise

Author's Note: So, I did my best to not break up my chapters and have the same amount as I had before my revisions, but this is where that plan fell apart :p. On the upside, this is a completely new chapter for my faithful readers. This does mean, however, that all of the reviews from this chapter on will be out of place from where we actually are in the story now. Also, I purposefully altered the time-line of episode 10 here, extending the events by a few days when, in actuality, Lindsay and Kim get over their snit the same day Fredricks calls the geeks in to read his script. 

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"Hey, Lindsay," I half-greeted, half-beckoned as I neared my friend at her locker.

"Oh, hey Donovan," she returned, sounding friendly. It had been a couple of days since the rift developed between Lindsay and Kim, but the ex-mathlete had at least realized that I wasn't trying to be spiteful in my efforts to distance myself from the clash the two were having and respectfully quit trying to pull me into the ordeal. Linds was a lot more mature than Kim in that regard, as she knew the proper steps of getting over an angering situation. Blondie just let it fester inside of her for days, growing more and more irate over whatever the problem was with each passing minute. It was a side of Kim that I didn't like at all, a side that easily pushed me away from wanting to be around her whenever it reared its ugly head. The girl definitely needed some anger management, but the prospects of her getting any legitimate help in that area were around the same as a snowball's chance in hell.

"Did you take notes during History today?" I asked, feeling stupid for not even paying attention in class at all. Ever since talking with Fredricks, my brain had been slightly fried to anything else. Sleep, focus, my mood... it was all messed up. "I was a little zoned out."

"Yeah, I noticed," she chucked. "I tried getting your attention like five times, space cadet." She proceeded to root around in her locker for a moment longer before pulling out a few pieces of paper. "Here."

"Thanks," I praised, flipping my backpack over my shoulder and gently placing the notes in the sole folder occupying the bag. If the notes were mine, I would have just stuffed the damn things in the sack without a moment's hesitation, but considering how nice and pristine they were when she handed them over, I figured I should be respectful.

She smiled. "No problem. And don't worry about giving 'em back; I've already memorized them."

"Of course you have," I said with a grin and rolled my eyes, causing both of us to crack up.

"Hey, Lindsay," Daniel called, clomping his way over to us; his new-ish, Goodwill-acquired Doc Martens Creepers were thick and heavy, thumping against the tiled floor with every step he took. "I can't take it anymore," he admitted with a sigh as the brunette finished putting her locker back in order after fishing out the History notes for me. "You gotta talk to Kim."

"Why?" Lindsay asked, pulling a black notebook from the top portion of her locker. "Does she want to talk to me?"

I was eager to exit the conversation, as I was sure that Daniel must have had enough of being involved in it himself, but the brown-haired boy had cornered me in in his rush to speak with Lindsay.

"I dunno, but you gotta do somethin'," Daniel continued to lament, and after getting a really good look at him, I could see that he looked tired and unkempt, as if Kim's sour mood was affecting him as well. "She's drivin' me nuts."

Well, there's my answer to that, now if I can just squeeze my way passed-

"I mean she's bitchin' nonstop about her mom, you, your parents... I'm dyin'." He sounded so hopeless, and the look he was giving Lindsay was a notch below begging for the girl's help.