Dinner Gone Wrong

[Quinnlan Arielle]

Quinnlan Keeley Arielle was a nervous wreck. It's not that she'd never cooked for a guy before, if River counted which she was sure he did. It was just that she'd never cooked for this particular man before. River didn't count now, he'd eaten her food already. She bit her nails then remembered she had just painted them a pretty shade of pink. Her hand flew out of her mouth and she closely examined the paint job making sure that it was still good. It was. She sighed softly and worriedly looked in the oven at the chicken she was cooking. She hoped he liked chicken. What person didn't like chicken? Oh crap! River didn't like chicken! He was a vegetarian! She hit herself in the forehead. How could she forget that?! She bit her lip now instead in of her finger and thought she should make something special for him but what could he eat? She'd just make him a big salad or something. She rushed to the fridge and looked at the clock, checking the time. It was 4:15. She needed to relax, she had plenty of time. Or so she thought. As she was piling stuff on the counter from the fridge for River's salad her buzzer from downstairs echoed loudly throughout the quiet apartment. Her heart suddenly started beating louder in her ears. She was being stupid. He wouldn't arrive so early, would he?

[James Dean]

James didn't know when he'd been more anxious in his life. He had smoked maybe two packs of cigarettes on the way over here. He now shifted from foot to foot as he waited for Quinn to answer the buzzer. He had purposely come so early so he could have some time alone with her. The heavy security door in front of him clicked and he swung it open. He walked up the stairs slowly so he wouldn't miss where her apartment was. Finally he saw her standing in her doorway and he smiled. He pulled the daisies he had bought from behind his back and handed them to her as he blushed slightly. "I know this isn't a date or anything... I just thought you would like them." He mumbled and resisted the urge to fiddle and smoke a cigarette.

[Quinnlan Arielle]

"Thank you they're beautiful." She blushed and took the daises from him. "Come on in." She told him her voice surprisingly steady as she moved to the side and gestured into her apartment. "It's nothing fancy like you're probably used to but... it's home." She didn't know if she just offended him... probably, she had a habit of insulting people without meaning to. Once he walked in she closed the door behind him. She walked silently to the kitchen and set the flowers on the counter so she could dig in a cabinet under the sink for a vase. She didn't know what to say to him, she wasn't in the habit of entertaining men.

[River Phoenix]

River stopped in front of Quinn's apartment building and got off of his bike. It was nice out so he decided to cycle over. It wasn't that far from his place anyway. He still couldn't believe that she'd invited that Dean guy. What the hell! When did they meet and become all chummy and what not? It got under his skin like no one could know. After he walked Quinn home he started thinking of ways he could break them up if they got serious. He didn't know what had come over him. He really wasn't like this. She was supposed to be his best friend and he should be happy that she was happy right? Well what if he wanted her to be happy with him and not some chain smoking, hot rod racing Hollywood boy? He frowned and pressed the button next to her name. About a minute later he was let up and he carried his bike up the stairs. When he got to her floor he was a little miffed that she wasn't there to open the door for him. But he got over it as he set his blue 10 speed mountain bike against the wall next to her door. He brushed himself off and knocked on the door. Usually when he came over and she knew about it she'd fling the door open for him before he could even get to her floor and continue on with her business. Was she really trying to empress this guy? His face took on a scowl as he thought about it and waited for her to open the door. What the hell was taking her so long? He knocked again. He wanted to make himself comfortable before James got there.

[James Dean]

"Uh... Quinnlan there's someone at your door." James told her as the second knock resounded on the wooden door. When the buzzer sounded throughout the apartment she rushed out of the kitchen to press a button to obviously let whomever that was up. Then she rushed back into the kitchen and seemed to forget about the person she let up. He heard her mumble something in the kitchen and smirked as she stood up from her rather comfortable couch. He would just get it himself since she seemed so busy. Walking to the door he opened it.

[River Phoenix]

River raised his hand to knock a third time when the door swung open. He tried to let the shock not show on his face. He defiantly did not expect to see James Dean already here. And obviously at home enough to open Quinn's doors for her. He mumbled something at James and pushed past him into the apartment. "So where's Quinn?" He wondered, looking around the living room.

[James Dean]

James's eyebrows raised and he slowly closed the door. He turned around to face the other man in front of him and his fingers itched for a cigarette. "She's doing something in the kitchen." James mumbled the answer to River's question. Was he supposed to make conversation with a man who didn't like him for some strange unknown reason. Well that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

[Quinnlan Arielle]

Quinn rushed out of the kitchen with the daises in a crystal vase that was her grandmothers. She smiled at River. "Hey. Seems both of you came earlier then I said so dinner's not ready yet." She informed them. "Have a seat." She gestured with her free hand to the couch. She sat on the arm of the chair opposite of the couch. She dully thought that the furniture didn't match. Crap she hated that. She softly sighed then snapped out of it and smiled at the two men in front of her. "So... This is where we insert the small talk huh?" She looked to her floor and ran her front teeth over her bottom lip. "Well I've never been good at that anyway, why don't you both just tell me what's new with you." She commented looking up at them. She then remembered her chicken in the oven and had to check on it so it wouldn't be dry. It would really suck to serve dry chicken. She stood to her feet abrubtly. "Be right back!" She rushed out of the room leaving the two boys alone once again.

[River Phoenix]

River sighed heavily and looked over the other man with distain. "I know your type." He spoke up finally sick of staying silent about this whole thing. "I know you're only hanging around to get into Quinn's pants so I should warn you right now she's not like the hussy's you're probably used to. So maybe you should take your phoney self far away from her."

[James Dean]

"You're talking like she's something you own." James stood to his feet. He wasn't about to stand here and let this punk ass kid talk down about a woman. He was raised by his mom right. To respect women and their rights. So it pissed him off to hear River talk about Quinn as if she was his to posses.

[River Phoenix]

River stood to his feet also. So now the men were standing toe to toe. "Well I was here first. Before you ever came into this picture I was here. We've been friends for a very long time. In fact I'm her only friend. So if you think that you're just gonna slide on in and take over then you've got another thing coming." He told James resisting the urge to reach out and push him. He heard the phone ringing and saw Quinn run out of the kitchen to grab the phone.

[Quinnlan Arielle]

"Hello?" She answered looking suspiciously at the two men in her living room. They looked like they were having a heated conversation when she walked in but now they both had hushed and turned to stare at her. The female voice on the other end of the phone brought her back to reality. She couldn't believe what she was hearing through the phone. She knew her emotions must be showing on her face because both guys took a step toward her at the same time. She was in shock. Her grandmother, the only person she had left on the face of the world that would stand by her no matter what. The woman who raised her, who taught her everything was now gone. She dropped the phone and it hit the floor with a loud thud as the cord bounced around. She fell to her knees and cried like she'd die right then and there, burring her face in her hands.

[James Dean]

James had never heard anyone cry like that ever before. He was sure that he had sounded like that when no one was around when his mother died but he didn't quite know. He was too caught up in his own grief to notice what he sounded like and what he did. Snapping out of his memories he walked up to Quinn and knelt in front of her. "Quinn? What's the matter? What's wrong?" He questioned her, holding on to her shoulders.

[River Phoenix]

River had grabbed the phone off the floor and talked to the woman on the other end who had all but hung up. When he was finished he hung up the phone slowly with a saddened look upon his face. "Quinn I'm so sorry about your grandmother." He went to lay a hand on her back but noticed she was all but in James' arms. "Quinn's grandmother raised her. She just passed." He told James then walked past the two. Suddenly he felt like he wasn't needed. He walked into the kitchen, turned off the stove. He heard her sobs all the way in the other room. He got a glass of water for her and set it on the small table in the living room then walked out the door. He was sure they wouldn't miss him anyway.