Triggers

Annie has issues with Jeff's emotional ineptitude, among other things. Opens at last group meeting of Season 2, but primarily set during summer after Season 2. I do not own Community, but I wish I did.

Chapter One

"Um, he was my ride," Troy said as the study group looked at each other after Pierce declined their invitation to join them in the fall. Annie declared "I'm going after him," and started to stand when Britta and Jeff convinced her that Pierce would "come slinking back in five…four…three…two…one…"

Annie waited a few extra beats, then got up and started briskly for the door - only to be brought to a sudden stop by Jeff's hand grabbing her arm. "Annie, I think it's pretty clear-cut that he doesn't want us to go after him. He's made his choice." The rest of the group started to speak up, murmuring their agreement, and Annie felt a slow burn work it's way onto her face as she yanked her arm out of his grasp to glare at all of them before settling on Jeff. Her eyes are even more beautiful when they flash like that, he thought to himself. Stop it. You can't think like that. You've got to ignore things like that. You're never going to convince her it's all in her mind if she catches you drooling over her. "Actually, Jeff, I think it's you who doesn't want me to go after him. Admit it, this is what you wanted and you got it, as usual, because what you want is all that really matters to you."

Jeff stared at her, taken aback by her sudden display of anger. "Why are you surprised, Annie? We've talked about this. The guy is a racist, misogynist tool, and just because you're his fav -" Jeff's voice trailed off as he looked at Annie, seeing her fury grow until she was shaking and quivering. "He's one of us Jeff. You've offended everyone here at one time or another, and we didn't take a vote on you!"

She seems to get angrier more easily nowadays, he thought. Especially with me. This didn't start with our vote to kick Pierce out of the study group. She has been more on edge and tightly wound for awhile now.

"Annie, calm down. Why do you always defend him? You're the only one who voted to keep him in, y'know." Jeff paused, and was relieved that Annie returned to her chair. Although she did sit down with authority, Jeff thought to himself with a tiny grin. After a few moments of heavy silence, Shirley piped up with a high-pitched "So-oo, what's everyone doing this summer? I'll be going to Six Flags with Andre and the boys."

"I'll be protesting logging in Washington with some fellow activists I found on Facebook," Britta said, resulting in a groan from Shirley, an epic eye-roll from Jeff, one of my best, he thought, and a glare from Britta.

"Troy and I are going to Hawaii to remake the last season of Lost."

"Yeah, and we'll get it right!" Troy announced, getting a solemn nod in agreement from Abed before doing their patented hand slap.

"I'll be consulting for my old law firm and working on my tan, not that it needs much work," Jeff said, looking around the room and seeing amusement from the others at his announcement before glancing at Annie, whose mouth was set in a straight line as she ignored him, focusing on some of the orange paint on her fingers. Boy, she's really mad about this, Jeff thought. Maybe a friendly conversation starter would help…

"So, Annie, what are you gonna do this summer? Be the first person in history to pass an online course while simultaneously nailing shingles on a roof for Habitat for Humanity?" Jeff asked with a grin. Any hopes for an instant solution to Annie's anger died pretty quickly, as his comments hung in the air, unanswered, for several long seconds before Annie said "working" without even glancing at him. An awkward, uncomfortable silence descended over the table until Shirley spoke up.

"Well, I should get home. I have to get dinner ready for Andre and my boys. Stay in touch! See you next se-mes-ter!" Shirley cooed as she stood.

"We can't go yet. There's too much unresolved tension, and leaving things like this will have a profound negative effect on the group dynamic," Abed monotoned.

"Yeah, I don't want anyone hurting our dynamic. I don't have medical insurance," Troy wailed.

"Guys, relax. There's nothing wrong that three months away from Greendale won't fix. If I could bottle time away from Greendale and sell it, I'd be rich," Jeff said, trying to calm them down.

"Yeah," Britta chimed in. "Summer, here we come!"

As everyone filed out of Study Room F, Jeff noticed that Annie was lagging behind, glancing forlornly at Pierce's chair. Jeff pretended to be checking texts on his phone, waiting until the others were well down the hall, talking happily about their upcoming adventures before looking over at Annie. He was slowly realizing he had clearly gone too far, remembering her comment during the latest paintball debacle that the group was "her family," and that it wasn't just a figure of speech. Her real family, using the term loosely, stood by while she got hooked on Adderall, hadn't wanted her to go to rehab, then cut her off when she went on her own.

He smiled to himself. He really admired her toughness. It was one of the top things on a long list of what he liked about her, except for those times where she used it on him. Then, he admitted, it was downright nasty.

I should really head this off before it gets out of hand, Jeff thought.

"Look, if it helps, you were right. I shouldn't have been so adamant to kick Pierce out of the study group."

Annie's only response was to bite her bottom lip momentarily before standing and putting on her "determined" face and heading for the door.

"Annie -" Jeff began, only to stop in surprise again as she whirled on him.

"It doesn't help, Jeff. You do whatever you have to to get what you want, no matter how selfish it is. Then you try to talk enough to make it okay after the fact. But this," she gestured at Pierce's chair "is not okay. And neither are we."

What does that mean?

"What does that mean?" Jeff asked softly, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"It means summer couldn't have come at a better time. I need some space to figure some things out."

"So, what, you're going away for the summer?"

"No. I'm going to be working, remember? Unlike you, I say what I mean. I just need you to leave me alone this summer."

"The entire summer? Are you serious?" Jeff asked incredulously.

"It shouldn't be a problem for you, Jeff. You ignored me our entire summer break last year easily enough." Ouch. That one hurt.

"Come on Annie, don't be like this."

"At least for the first month. Then we'll see," she replied.

"What is this about, Annie? And don't tell me it's over the whole Pierce thing," he shot back.

Annie stared at him, disbelieving, before responding.

"No Jeff, it's not only about Pierce. That was just the last straw. You are too reckless with other people and their feelings, and I don't want to be around that."

"Wait a second," Jeff said. "This is about you and me, isn't it? I told you Annie, you were reading into some things. There is no you and me. Not the way you think there is."

As soon as he uttered the words, he wished he could take them back. He saw Annie flinch as if he'd slapped her. And I may as well have. Way to prove her right, Big Mouth.

"Fine, Jeff. There's no 'you and me.' I'm totally imagining everything. That's good though, right? Children are supposed to have active imaginations, and that's clearly how you see me!"

Jeff started to respond, but Annie was just getting ramped up, and kept on going.

"Why do you do this?" she asked, her voice getting louder and shakier with every sentence she uttered. "You and I have these moments where there is clearly more than friendship involved, then you try to take it back by pretending they, and I, by implication, don't mean anything to you! I deserve better than that, Jeff, as your friend if nothing else!" The last few sentences were broken up by a few small sobs as Annie wiped her glistening cheeks.

It's not your imagination. I think about you all the time. About being more than friends, about holding you flush to me, kissing you while you sleep, softly inhaling the scent of your hair as I stroke it. But I can't. I have to be cruel to be kind - don't you see? Jeff wanted desperately to say all of these things and more, but he couldn't. He wasn't ready for that kind of relationship, no matter how much he wanted it.

Jeff snapped out of it in time to see Annie stalking past him and out of the study room. "Annie, please, just wait."

She took a few steps and stopped, Jeff felt the sinking sensation start to dissipate when Annie turned to face him and said "One month Jeff. I mean it."

"What if a month's not long enough?" Jeff asked, barely a whisper.

"Then I guess you'll have to find someone else to take notes for you and do your homework. That's evidently all I'm good for," she said as she turned and continued towards the parking lot. Jeff tried to will himself to chase her down, but, in spite of his endless crunches and careful diet, his body didn't respond. All he could do was look down the hallway in the direction she'd gone, flinching as he heard the exit door slam shut behind her.