Educated Hearts

Chapter Twelve          

(The Next Day - Dot.Com)

Mimi returned from the bathroom and saw Rory and Chloe with their heads buried in a book, standing in between the shelves. Belle was sitting alone in their booth waiting patiently for her, so Mimi returned and slid into the seat across from her. They were having a girls only afternoon, meeting up later with the rest of the gang to spend some time together.

Mimi motioned towards the other two and grinned. "You know, it's funny... They have the most opposite of personalities. Rory is loud and completely whacked out, and Chloe is more quiet and serious... And yet, they have a lot in common."

Belle nodded in agreement and smiled at her. "I know... Just when you think you're pretty smart, you meet people like those two. They were just going on and on and on about Jane Austen or something, and I was completely lost."

"Me too... I mean, hey, I saw Sense and Sensibility because Hugh Grant is a hottie, but I've never actually read the books. So, I'm only half as smart as them."

"Now, now... It's not that we're stupid, we just don't read as much as the two brains over there."

Mimi shrugged slightly. "Well... It's the same way when Nick is around. Those two can go on all day about science, art, politics, music, literature, history and so on and so on. While Jason and I just sit in the background like a couple of tree stumps."

Belle leaned forward and put her elbows on the table, grinning at Mimi. "You know... Maybe you should like... go out with Nick some time. He's really sweet, and definitely cute."

Mimi sat back in shock. How could she even think that her and Nick would be compatible. Of course, she didn't know about Jason, so Belle just picked the only other guy that Mimi knew at school. "Nick? No way... He's into Rory, and Rory is into him. They just don't know it yet, but trust me, they are. Besides, we're not really each other's types anyway."

"Well, as long as you don't start dating Jason or something..."

Mimi felt her heart sink in her chest. How would she tell Belle? Especially after she could say something like that. Her mouth was open with surprise, knowing that she had to find the root of Belle's unwillingness to trust Jason.

"What do you have against Jason anyway?"

Belle smirked and rolled her eyes. "Only years and years of cruelty and verbal abuse towards everyone."

Mimi frowned at her and shook her head. "People *can* change, Belle."

"Yes, but not all people, Meems. Some people are just destined to remain bad apples."

Mimi exhaled slowly. She didn't want to be angry with her best friend, but she couldn't help herself. Belle was in New York, she had no idea what was going on, no understanding of the person that Jason was gradually changing in to. She put her hands on the table, realizing that her words were about to come out more harshly than she meant them to. "You know, Belle... Not *everybody* can be as perfect as you are."

Belle's jaw dropped in shock. "What? What do you mean by that?"

Mimi spoke with confidence, unleashing a little bit of pent up frustration over her friendship with Belle Black. "What I *mean*, Belle, is that you have this high standard that everybody in your life needs to live up to. And, we can't always do that. Just because you're smart, pretty, confident and you never screw up and you never hurt people... doesn't mean we can all be like you. Believe me, I have tried to be like you, and I can't do it."

Belle sat back, hurt filling her eyes. Was this how people really felt about her? And, why would Mimi want to be like her? "I... I don't expect anyone to be perfect. I'm sorry if I make you feel that way. And, I'm not perfect at all. I'm just as flawed as anyone... I'm so sorry, Meems."

"I just don't understand it. You don't normally have a problem forgiving and giving people second chances. I mean, after what I did to Chloe, you forgave me. And, after Shawn broke your heart and lied to you... you still forgave him. Why can't you do the same for Jason?"

"Why do you care so much?"

Mimi crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her angrily. "Because he is my friend. I care about him. And, the fact that you're not even giving him a chance really hurts him. It shouldn't matter why I care... You're being completely unfair, Belle."

Belle chewed on her lower lip, her forehead wrinkled with frustration. "It's just... I..."

"WHAT? Spit it out, Belle. Please... I can take it."

"I love you, Mimi. You're my best friend... And when you make friends with someone like Jason... I just don't want what happened when you became friends with Jan to happen again. People like that are bad influences. She screwed with your head, and then she moved on to Shawn. And, I don't want you to be hurt like that."

Mimi didn't know if she was hearing her correctly or not, but something about Belle's words made her even angrier. She pushed herself up and out of the booth, shooting daggers at Belle who looked completely in shock. "So, what you're really trying to say is that you're worried that Mimi the weak, Mimi the follower, is going to get in with another bad crowd. Is that what it is?"

Belle sighed and put her face in her hands, shaking her head with worry. "No, Mimi... I didn't mean it like that. I'm afraid that you're going to get attached to Jason and he'll hurt you. I mean, it is *JASON*, after all."

"You really have no idea what's going on, Belle. I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself. You don't have to treat me like an idiot anymore. I'm a lot smarter about people than I used to be. And, I *will* be friends with Jason whether you like it or not."

Belle tried to speak again but Mimi just shook her head and stormed out of Dot.Com. She needed fresh air. She needed to be away from Belle to clear her head. Mimi couldn't believe it, Belle was one of the most forgiving and understanding people she had ever known, and yet she was being far too bullheaded about giving Jason a chance.

Inside, Belle stared off in shock as she watched Mimi walk away from her. The last thing she had meant to do was hurt her best friend, but somehow she had. Rory and Chloe came over after witnessing Mimi bursting through the doors angrily.

Chloe had both eyebrows raised curiously. "Uhm... What just happened here?"

Belle sighed deeply and shrugged in confusion. "I said some things about Jason, and Mimi just... freaked out. She tried to defend him, but I'm such an idiot... I didn't even try to listen to her."

Belle had a couple of tears falling from her eyes, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. "I should... I should go after her."

She tried to stand but Chloe put out her hand to stop her. "No, don't. She's obviously not happy with you. Let me go."

Chloe walked off quickly to find Mimi, and Rory slid into the booth across from Belle. She crossed her arms and stared down the petite blonde, hoping to put the fear of God into her. Nobody made Mimi upset and got away with it, not even her best friend of thirteen years. "Alright... Tell me exactly what happened."

Belle sighed and began tearfully recounting her argument with Mimi to Rory, who was listening very intently.

Outside, Mimi was pacing angrily, mulling over the things she said to Belle. She didn't want this to end up as a choice she would have to make. She couldn't choose one over the other, she just couldn't. Mimi loved Belle and the rest of her friends, but she needed Jason too. She wanted all of the above.

Chloe tapped her on the shoulder and Mimi turned around, tears in her eyes. Chloe looked at her with worry and led her over to the bench outside Dot.Com. "Mimi... What's going on? Why are you fighting with Belle all of a sudden?"

"Because... she's being... so... stubborn. And, I can't deal with that. I mean, maybe she's right... Maybe Jason doesn't deserve a second chance after what he did. What do you think?"

Chloe paused thoughtfully and then shrugged. "I don't know... Jason has never been nice to me, so maybe I'm not the best judge of that."

Mimi nodded in understanding. "I know, I know. But, he really has tried to change, Chloe. He's not the way he used to be... at all. If you guys were around him as much as I am, then maybe you would be able to see what I see. Belle thinks he's just going to revert back to his old ways eventually. I mean, maybe he will. I don't think he will, but it could happen. But, if someone doesn't give him a second chance, he won't have a reason to change. That's why I became friends with him... He needed me; like I needed Belle after all of the horrible things I did to you. I needed reasons to be a better person, and that's what my friends were to me."

Chloe sighed and wrapped her arm around Mimi's shoulder. "But, Mimi... you could have changed, even without Belle's help... You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"I... I know that. But, still, nobody should have to be alone, right? Not even Jason Masters..."

"You're right. I guess... You and I, we gave each other a second chance. And, I'm glad I did, because now we're really good friends... I should be fair and do the same for Jason. We all should."

Mimi smiled slightly and nodded. "Well, I'm glad you understand that. But, Belle... she just..."

Chloe interrupted her and looked her in the eyes. "She's just worried about you, especially with her not around to be there for you when you need her. She doesn't want you to be hurt..."

"I don't need Belle to be my protector. I tried to tell her that. I lived my whole life in the shadow of her, and I don't want to do that anymore. I love her, but I'm not going to be her mindless follower and her tag-a-long, like I used to be. I can take care of myself. I can make my own decisions, and even if it gets me hurt... well, you're supposed to make mistakes and learn from them when you're young. You're not supposed to hide under the bed and be afraid of making mistakes. I'm in college; I'm living my life and trying to figure out my identity... And sometimes, I might get hurt but there's nothing she can do about that. It's just a part of life."

Chloe looked at her suspiciously, having suddenly figured out exactly why Mimi was so sensitive about the Jason issue. "Meems... You're falling in love with him, aren't you?"

Mimi tried to look away, but couldn't. She just smiled slightly and nodded. "We've been dating... since around Halloween."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell Belle?"

Mimi looked at her in surprise. "As if you don't know... I mean, you saw how she reacts just to the idea of us being friends. I couldn't bring myself to tell her. Everything is going so good right now, and I didn't want a Belle Black lecture. I want to follow my heart, and not listen to what other people are telling me to do... For once..."

Chloe blinked her eyes in rapid succession, still in disbelief. "But... how... how did this happen? I never would have thought that you and Jason..."

"Me either. It's weird though, Chloe. It's like we just seem to know what the other one is going through. He's learned from his mistakes, he's still learning and just trying to find his place in the world. And, I'm doing the same thing... Trying to find my way. We have so much more in common that I ever thought we did. We're both finding ourselves, and learning about life, love, and friendship... everything. It just seems to fit... It's unexpected, but it really works."

"Are you happy? Does... Does he make you happy?"

Mimi smiled widely and nodded. "He does. I've never felt this way before... It's fun, exciting and scary, all at the same time. Kevin never made me feel like this... I don't think he ever could have. I never thought I was good enough to be loved, but Jason makes me feel like I am."

Chloe smiled back at her and hugged her tightly. "Oh Meems... You ARE good enough to be loved, and if Jason loves you, and you love him... Well... I'm really happy for you. You deserve some happiness in your life. Besides, if you and I can be friends without hell freezing over, then surely you and Jason can fall in love."

Mimi let go of her and wiped the tears off of her face. "You're happy for me?"

"Of course I am... And, maybe if Belle could see what I see in your eyes right now, she would be too. Now, give me all the details... I want to hear how you two ended up together."

Mimi smiled gratefully and leaned against the bench, confessing all of the best details of how her friendship with Jason was turning into love.

Meanwhile, back inside, Rory had gotten an earful about the tiff between Belle and Mimi. She sat back in her seat and nodded as she listened, remaining uncharacteristically quiet until Belle was finished. When Belle got to the part where Mimi stormed out, Rory leaned forward and looked her straight in the eye.

"Belle... Let me tell you a few things. And, before I do, I don't mean any of this to offend you, I really don't. You're a nice person, and you've been a great friend to Mimi for a very long time. But, there are a few things you don't understand..."

Belle nodded and sniffled slightly. "I... I would like to though."

"Good. Because this is how it is. I don't know you that well. I didn't grow up with you like Mimi did, so I really can't say any of this from my own experience. I can only tell you what I know based on things that she's told me, and things that I just sort of figured out. Mimi loves you to death, and she's always looked up to you... And for a very long time, she's been in your shadow, Belle. I don't want to say that she's 'jealous' of you, because that isn't what it's about. But, instead of being just herself, she's been trying to be you for a long time. Trying to live up to your image, to feel worthy of even being your friend."

Belle's face was contorted with confusion. All this time she was hurting her best friend and she hadn't even realized it. "But why me? Why would she want to be like me?"

Rory raised her eyebrows and looked at her doubtfully. "You mean you can't figure it out? Because, in her eyes, whether it's justified or not... You're everything she isn't. Beautiful, rich, smart, talented, popular. You have a perfect life, something she's never had."

"But -- But, I don't. I don't have a perfect life, and I am, in no way, better than Mimi."

"I'm sure you aren't. But, it doesn't matter... She's felt like your sidekick for so long, and it's kind of been bad for her self-esteem."

Belle buried her face in her hands and cried softly. "I -- I knew that she has always kind of looked down on herself... But, I didn't know that it had so much to do with me. Oh God, Rory... What have I done? I came here and I treated her like a child, and I questioned her like she had no clue how to take care of herself... I can't believe I did that. How do I ever fix that? How do I tell her that I'm not perfect and I'm not better than her? She is worth so much more than she gives herself credit for."

Rory nodded in agreement and passed a stack of napkins towards the crying blonde girl. Belle gladly took them and dabbed at her tears. "You're right. Mimi is worth a lot more than she thinks she is. And, I think she's starting to learn that. To Nick and I, she's not just 'Belle's Friend', she's just Mimi, she's just herself. And, I think, at least I *hope* because of us she understands that people can love her for who she really is. Not that she doesn't think you guys love her or anything... But, you know... It's tough for her to feel loved outside of your little clique that you guys have had. And, it's not just you that she feels she pales in comparison to... It's Shawn, Phillip, Chloe... all of you."

"Well... I figured that she felt that way about Chloe, considering everything they used to put each other through. But... I guess I was too oblivious to realize that maybe I was part of the problem too."

Rory took a deep breath in and locked her fingers together. All she wanted to do was to help Mimi. It was obvious that Belle cared a great deal for her, and didn't want to hurt her. And, Rory was going to do everything in her power to make sure that neither of them got hurt. But, she took a moment of pause because the shift in subjects was probably going to be a little bit sticky.

"Which... Well, it brings me to the subject of Jason. You know, the whole thing that started this argument in the first place."

Belle shrugged slightly, she was still trying to absorb all of this new insight into Mimi, and she didn't know if she could wrap her brain around the Jason problem at this point. "Rory... I don't know... Am I being so unfair and terrible to not trust Jason?"

Rory paused thoughtfully and shook her head. "Yes, and no... I'm an outsider, and I wasn't around when Jason used to pull all of his juvenile antics. I've heard about them, and I don't approve of that kind of behavior, but I do believe he's changed. He doesn't act like that anymore... I'm very picky about the people I choose to spend time with, and I would have never hung out with jerkweed high school Jason... But college Jason happens to be a very good friend of mine."

"But, why is Mimi so worried about what I think of him?"

"Because, your support means a lot to her. She wants to prove that she's not a weak follower anymore, and to do that, you have to let her know that you trust her to make her own decisions. You have to trust that Mimi knows what's best for her, and what's bad for her. And Jason... he's good for her, Belle. I wish you could be around to see what I see."

Belle raised her eyebrows in confusion. "He's good for her? Good how?"

Rory smiled knowingly and continued. "Because he gets her, and she gets him. They understand each other, and all of their problems. And, they're both sort of on this same journey together. Trying to figure out who they are, and where they fit in. Mimi's finally striking out on her own, independent of all of the things she had to deal with in high school. And, Jase is changing, becoming a better person, trying not to live in the shadow of his older brother."

"Does he... care about her? I mean... Do you think he's being trustworthy?"

"Belle... he doesn't just care about her... he *loves* her."

Belle's blue eyes went wide with shock and Rory immediately realized what she had said. Apparently, the flaw of blurting out the wrong thing at the wrong time had been passed from Mimi to her. "He... He what? He loves her? Well... Does she love him too?"

Rory cringed and sunk in her seat. "I... I really... I shouldn't say. Oh Belle... geez... I can't believe I said what I said."

Belle nodded, finally coming to an understanding of what Mimi was really trying to tell her earlier. She may have the tendency to be oblivious, but Belle Black never lacked in intelligence. "She does... She does love him. And, I was the worst kind of friend possible."

"No, you just wanted to look out for her. But, she doesn't need you to take care of her anymore. She can do it on her own. And, I swear to you on everything that I hold dear, if Jason Masters ever does anything to hurt her, then I will destroy him. I may be petite, but I'm extremely lethal when I need to be."

Belle chuckled softly, glad for something to break the seriousness up. "I don't doubt that. I've heard you can be pretty dangerous. So... What do I do? How do I fix things with her?"

Rory hopped out of the booth and grabbed Belle's hand, yanking her out of her seat. "You go out there, and you tell her you're sorry, and that you support her in whatever decision she makes. And, that all you want is for her to be happy. You are her best friend. It won't take much for her to forgive you. Believe me."

Belle smiled and impulsively hugged Rory. "How do you know so much?"

"It's a gift... a talent... My calling in life, if you will. Now come on..."

Rory dragged Belle outside where Mimi and Chloe were sitting together on the bench. Apparently, whatever Chloe had said to her improved her mood greatly; they were both laughing over something, and turned in surprise when they saw Rory and Belle. Mimi stood up and walked towards Belle, taking a deep breath in. "Belle... I..."

"No, Meems... let me go first. I... I am so sorry. I've just been awful. I'm terrible." Belle already had tears rolling down her face as she pleaded for Mimi's forgiveness. "I'm not perfect, and you should know that. In fact, this is proof positive that I am not perfect. I am so stupidly self-absorbed and I spend so much time whining about own problems that I don't listen to yours. I'm sorry, Meems. I love you, and I support whatever decision you make. I trust you to take care of yourself, I really do. I'm so so sorry, please forgive me."

Mimi smiled and hugged her best friend tightly, her own tears dripping down her face. "It's okay, Belle. I forgive you... I know you would never hurt me. It's okay. And, I'm -- I'm sorry too. I'm sorry because I never told you how I felt before."

"About Jason... Mimi, I..."

"Belle, wait... There's something else about us that you need to know about me and Jason."

Belle let go of her and shook her head. "I -- I kind of already know."

Mimi snapped her head around to glare at Rory. "You didn't? You told her?"

Rory took a step backwards and smiled innocently. "Well, not in so many words... I just sort of... She figured it out mostly on her own."

Mimi looked back at Belle with worry, and Belle continued. "She's right, Rory kind of let part of it slip, but I figured out the rest. Don't be mad at her, I'm glad she told me. I feel like an even bigger idiot now that I know."

"Belle, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Don't be. It's obvious by my reaction today that I really wouldn't have taken it very well. I just want to know... Does he treat you good? Does he care about you as much as Rory says he does?"

Mimi nodded and smiled shyly. "He does... And, I swear to you Belle, I'm not going to let myself get hurt. Not by Jason, not by anyone..."

Belle smiled back at her and hugged her again. "Then I'm okay with it... I promise I'll keep an open mind and I'll give him a chance. If he's okay with Mimi Lockhart, then he's okay with me."

Mimi squealed with joy and squeezed her best friend tightly. All she wanted was for Belle to be happy for her, happy that she was finally finding some sort of happiness and security in her life. Belle squealed happily along with her, and they jumped around in celebration just like they would have done when they were little girls.

Rory and Chloe glanced at each other and shrugged simultaneously. Chloe laughed softly and spoke to Rory. "Sometimes I think they're still in the fourth grade."

Rory nodded in agreement and crossed her arms. "I think it's sweet... I moved around a lot when I was a kid so I don't really have any friends I've known since I still had training wheels on my bike."

"Yeah... Me either." Chloe frowned kind of sadly, and Rory did the same. Both a little saddened because they never had the kind of lifelong friendship that Belle and Mimi shared.

They both impulsively rushed towards the others and joined in on the hug as Rory gleefully shouted. "Group hug!!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Later that Evening)

The four guys, Jason, Nick, Brady and Shawn had joined up with the girls a little later in the day. All of them attended an early movie together and then made their way to the Brady Pub. Caroline was more than happy to push two tables together so that the eight of them could sit together. Belle and Chloe had stuck to their word, they were nothing but nice to Jason throughout the evening, and Mimi couldn't have been more happy about it.

Their waitress was clearing their empty dinner plates when Jason leaned over and spoke softly to Mimi. "Mimi, do you know how many death threats I received tonight?"

Mimi looked at him in surprise. "Death threats?"

"Yes, I heard from four separate people something like, 'If you ever dare hurt Mimi, I will hunt you down and kill you. And, I'll make sure it's painful and torturous.'"

Mimi laughed softly and looked around the table at her friends. Belle, Shawn and Chloe were her best friends, and Brady was like an older brother to her, protecting her as he would have protected his real sister. "I think that's kinda sweet of them..."

"Well, I reassured them that no harm would come to you as long as I'm around."

Mimi smiled happily and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you... I appreciate that."

She looked back at the group in time to see Rory lean back in her seat with a loud groan. She patted her stomach and undid the top button of her jeans for relief. "Oh my..."

Shawn looked at her in surprise. "Are you done now?"

"Oh no. There's still dessert. And, only then, will I be done."

Belle giggled and shook her head. "If you eat like that all the time, how do you stay so skinny?"

"It's maaaaaaagic." Rory grinned wickedly, knowing that she was blessed with a metabolism to make anyone jealous.

Chloe laughed with a snort and rolled her eyes. "Finally, we've found someone who can eat more than Brady in one sitting."

Brady nodded in agreement, but he wasn't completely willing to give up his title as the human garbage disposal. "Yeah, I never thought I'd see the day that I'd meet someone who could compete with me. I don't know if she'd win, but it would be a pretty close fight."

Nick's eyes widened and he looked at Brady with fear. "Please, Brady... Whatever you do. Do not turn this into a competition. Rory *will* find a way to destroy you and then she'll do that stupid victory dance."

Rory sat up in her seat and winked at him. "He means my extremely sexy victory dance... He's just too shy to admit it here in front of all of you."

Mimi laid her head on Jason's shoulder as she watched the people around her. She loved them all; more than they even realized, and she couldn't have been happier to see them all get along so well. She knew she was lucky to have them in her life, and truly blessed.

Jason kissed her on the forehead and spoke softly to her. "You okay, Meems?"

Mimi nodded and sighed softly, filled with a sudden rush of contentment thanks to all of people that surrounded her. "I'm more than okay. I feel... perfect."

And for once, she really did feel perfect.

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