Fic: Evolutions

[karatam]

Title: Evolutions
Fandom: Jennifer's Body
Pairing: Jennifer/Needy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not true. All characters belong to Diablo Cody, Karyn Kusama and 20th Century Fox.
Summary: Evolutions in the friendship of Jennifer and Needy
AN: This obviously takes place before the movie, so Jennifer is still very human. Knowledge of the movie is recommended but not really required I guess.
This is a break from my usual, but since its basically the only thing I've written in almost two months...

When Jennifer first met Needy, she was six and Needy was five. The day was a month after Jennifer’s birthday and a month before Needy’s. Jennifer’s mom took her to a different park than normal because she disapproved of the other children in their neighbourhood.

Jennifer looked over the playground with eyes that were just a little too clever and knowing for a six-year-old. She spied a shy-looking blonde sitting by herself in the sandbox and Jennifer decided that she would be Jennifer’s new friend. She bent down and picked up her sand-bucket and shovel and headed over to the sandbox.

Other children, with better clothes and better toys than the blonde sandbox-girl, called out at Jennifer to join their game but she ignored them and continued on her way.

“Hi, I’m Jennifer. Can I play here too?” Jennifer asked while making herself at home on the ground, already scooping up sand and dumping it in her bucket.

The little blonde just stared at Jennifer for a few seconds before stammering, “Um, yeah, sure…Oh, I’m Anita.” She made a face at the name, expressing her apparent dislike.

Jennifer smiled and then cocked her head, considering, “Anita, huh? Don’t like it?” Anita shook her head. “Well, I’m gonna call you…Needy. How’s that?” Satisfied with her choice, she turned her most brilliant smile on the-newly-dubbed-Needy.

Needy ducked her head and smiled, “That’s fine.”

Jennifer smiled serenely and happily offered Needy the use of her shovel in exchange for Needy’s sand sifter.

*~*~*~*~*

When Jennifer and Needy entered junior high, people started wondering how they could be friends. The school had kids from three different elementary schools, so they weren’t used to it always being Jennifer-and-Needy. They just didn’t seem to have anything in common.

Needy started to notice the looks they got while walking to their lockers and classes. She wondered why anybody would notice the two of them, why people would stare at them as they walked down the halls. She had considered that maybe she had been wearing something stupid – since Jennifer would never wear anything less than amazing – but Jennifer usually approved whatever she was wearing that day, so that was out. She had considered that maybe there was a rumour going around about one or both of them, but people didn’t seem vindictive towards them, so not that either.

Then it hit her.

Jennifer was beautiful. Needy wasn’t.

Needy supposed that it should make her feel inferior or make her lose confidence or something else the teachers and parents were spouting the time. She supposed she should resent Jennifer for suddenly becoming the most beautiful girl in school.

She didn’t. Jennifer might be the hottest girl around, but she was still Needy’s best friend. Jennifer still routinely ignored the other junior cheerleaders in order to sit with Needy at lunch. She still saved Needy a seat beside her before class and nearly snarled at anyone who thought about taking it. They still hung out almost every night, giggling about nothing and talking about everything. Jennifer always proudly wore the “BFF” necklace they had bought together for Christmas two years before.

They were the most important people in each other’s lives.

*~*~*~*~*

When Jennifer got her first boyfriend, she was in grade eight. His name was Jason, he was new at school and he was the star of the basketball team and the track team.

Boys had been asking her out for the last year and she was just tired of them. She stopped even responding to them, just walking away and letting Needy explain to the rejects that she wouldn’t go out with them. The first time, Needy had frozen, unable to articulate on Jennifer’s behalf. She had been horribly embarrassed for both herself and poor Michael. But after a while, Needy was hardly able to contain her laughter as she said “No.”

Jason was different though, all mysterious and shit. Well, as mysterious as an eighth grader could be, anyways. He didn’t follow her around or worship the ground she walked on or any of the things she was so used to. They could talk and she would flip her hair or smile her trademarked smile and he never seemed to be affected.

He intrigued her enough that when he finally asked her out in a very casual way and she had to stop herself from just blurting out her answer. Instead she just smiled and gave a slight nod.

They went out to the movies a few times and to the arcade and the local diner; all the normal hangout spots for the kids in town. Contrary to popular belief, she did not lose her virginity to him; she hung on to that for longer than most believed.

As her relationship with Jason got a little more serious, they started hanging out together almost every day. Time she used to reserve only for Needy suddenly disappeared so she could go to the newest movie with Jason. For a while, she didn’t notice the growing distance between her and Needy. Then one day, she turned around and Needy wasn’t there for her to talk to.

Jennifer didn’t know what to do, so she thought back and found what seemed to be the root of her problems. She called Jason and broke up with him over the phone – a bitchy thing to do, but that didn’t matter, Needy did. As soon as she hung up, she nearly ran over to Needy’s house, just walking in though the front door since Needy’s parents were so used to having her over. Jennifer ran into Needy’s room and nearly burst into tears at the sight of Needy sitting on the bed, books spread around her and her glasses nearly slipping off her nose.

Jennifer moved to the bed and sniffed just once before reaching and pushing Needy’s glasses back up her nose. She gave a small apologetic smile and just said, “I’m back. I’m sorry, Needy.” She looked down when she felt tears well up in her eyes unexpectedly.

Needy titled her head up and brushed a tear off Jennifer’s cheek with her thumb. “It’s alright, Jen. It’s alright, just don’t forget me, okay?” She quirked up one side of her mouth in the half smile that made Jennifer’s heart melt.

“It’s not alright, Needy. It’s won’t happen again, I promise. I’ll never forget you.” Jennifer bit out fiercely. Needy’s eyes widened and Jennifer could see the slightest bit of doubt remaining in her eyes. She was willing to do anything to have Needy trust in her again.

She tilted her head slightly and leaned forward just enough to brush her lips against Needy’s. She pulled back just enough to see Needy’s eyelids flutter closed. Feeling more confident – feeling unconfident was not a feeling she was familiar with – she closed the gap between them again, kissing Needy a bit more surely this time.

When the kiss ended and Jennifer sat back, Needy opened her eyes and just smiled, shy and yet thrilled. Jennifer lifted a hand to gently stroke Needy’s cheek.

“I’ll never forget you, Needy. You’re my number one.”

*~*~*~*~*

Jennifer had many more boyfriends after they entered high school; she dated quarterbacks, basketball stars, whoever she wanted to.

It was different though. No one else knew, but Needy had to approve anyone Jennifer dated and those she didn’t, were unceremoniously dumped. Even those who did get to go steady with Jennifer were made to understand that they always came second to Needy and any time the two girls wanted to spend together.

And some nights, when Jennifer was feeling especially sweet or when she noticed that Needy needed her more than usual, they would quietly lock to door to either of their rooms and move to the bed. Jennifer would slowly and gently lean Needy back into the pillows and kiss her more tenderly than she had ever kissed a boy. They had never even gone as far as taking their shirts off, and never really felt the need.

It all changed when Needy started dating Chip.

Jennifer didn’t even hear it from Needy herself, but from one of the other cheerleaders in the locker-room after practice. At first she didn’t believe it, didn’t believe that Needy wouldn’t tell her something this big. She snapped at the offending cheerleader and left the locker-room in a foul mood.

She went straight to Needy’s locker and leaned against the cool metal, waiting for Needy to shut her locker door and notice her.

Needy closed her locker and nearly jumped when she saw Jennifer staring at her intently. “Hey Jen, what’s up? You scared the shit out of me.” She laughed nervously.

Jennifer stared for another long moment, then, “So you’re dating Chip now? Am I the last to know?” She was aiming for bitchy and disinterested, but Needy could hear the undercurrent of hurt and vulnerability.

Needy stammered and nearly tripped over nothing in her haste to reply, “No, no, no, um, well, you see,” she took a deep calming breathe. “It’s just that I know you two don’t really get along, and I’m not even sure if I’ll like him very much and I didn’t want to annoy you by telling you if nothing even happens.” Needy looked at her best friend beseechingly.

Jennifer’s eyebrows contracted slightly, leaving a furrow between them that made Needy want to kiss them away. “You thought…” She trailed off, her chest feeling like it was tightening at the thought that Needy no longer thought they could talk about everything. “I’m not the bitch everyone thinks I am. I though you of all people would understand that.” She turned quickly on her heel and walked away, blinking rapidly to get rid of her threatening tears before anyone noticed.

Needy stood motionless, shocked, until the bell rang, signalling the one class that she didn’t share with Jennifer. She decided to just explain everything in biology later.

Needy made it though her class, annoying the teacher by always being off in her own world, and nearly sprinted to the biology room. She sat down in her normal seat and leaned down to get her books out of her bag. When she looked up, Chip had just sat down next to her with a big smile on his face. She opened her mouth to tell him to move when Jennifer walked in the door, eyes searching, and saw Chip sitting in her normal seat. Her face fell before her normal bitchy mask slid into place. Jennifer walked to the back of the class and dropped into a seat next to another cheerleader, who looked ecstatic that Jennifer Check was sitting next to her and flashed a smug look in Needy’s direction. Needy spent the rest of class on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

When school ended, Jennifer was out the door before the bell even finished ringing and Needy had to run to catch her before she got in her car.

“Jen, wait! Just let me explain.” Jennifer just unlocked the car and got in. Needy’s heart squeezed in a way it hadn’t in years.

“Get in.” Needy jerked out of her near-daze and opened the door, sliding into the passenger seat. Jennifer shifted the car into gear and peeled out of the parking lot.

They rode in silence until they got to Jennifer’s house and Needy couldn’t bring herself to make a noise until she was sitting on the bed with the door to Jennifer’s room closed behind her.

“Well?” Needy looked up to see Jennifer standing in front of her, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

“I just…I just wanted to know what all the fuss was about. It was at that party two days ago, you know, the one you didn’t want to go to. Well, I guess I got a little drunk and before I knew it we were making out and then he drove me home and asked me out and I said yes and…I’m sorry, Jen.” She finally screwed up the courage to look up at Jennifer.

Jennifer was watching Needy with a strange look on her face. “What fuss? Kissing? We’ve done that. Making out? We’ve done that. Dating? Not all that great anyways. I don’t get it.”

Needy twisted her fingers as she tried to explain. “I wanted to know what it felt like to be wanted, you know? I wanted to know what it would feel like to have someone fall in love with me, not that I’m expecting Chip to fall for me or anything-” She was cut off by the feeling of Jennifer’s fingers pressing against her lips.

“Wanted? I want you, Needy. And haven’t you noticed that I’ve been in love with you for years?” Jennifer just barely restrained herself at rolling her eyes at Needy’s apparent obliviousness. “You’re my number one.”

“Really?” Needy couldn’t help but feel ridiculously happy, a grin blossoming on her face.

“Of course, really. God, you think I just say that to anybody?” This time Jennifer couldn’t stop from rolling her eyes, but all the sting was taken out by the affectionate smile on her lips. She reached out and tucked an unruly strand of hair behind Needy’s ear, trailing her finger down Needy’s jaw line. “You’re my best friend, Needy, and you always will be.”

Needy beamed up at her before lifting her hand to the back of Jennifer’s neck and pulling sharply. Their lips collided and Jennifer lost her balance, pushing both of them back onto the bed. Jennifer stretched out leisurely above Needy, stomach muscles twitching as Needy ran her fingers along the washboard abs.

Jennifer felt a light tugging on her hair and she lifted her head enough to look into Needy’s eyes. “I love you, Jen. I just wanted you to know, before we…” she trailed off with a blush.

Jennifer’s normally sharp eyes softened and she murmured into Needy’s ear, “Love you too, Needy. Now, lay back and enjoy the ride.” She smirked at the blush that was working its way down Needy’s neck and below the neckline of her shirt.

Jennifer gently touched the heart necklace that encircled Needy’s throat and Needy’s gaze was drawn to the one that was dangling off of Jennifer’s neck. “Always, Jen,” Needy felt that the moment was weighty, but didn’t quite know what to say.

Jennifer smiled and leaned down to kiss her again.

“Always, Needy. Always.”

Nothing else needed to be said.

 

Comments

[funkix10.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen this yet, but now I feel I ought to.

This was great. :)

[starbuck-river.livejournal.com]

Well, obviously you should go see it! I already told you this *shakes head*

Thanks :D

[khase-fan09.livejournal.com]

There was just so much sweetness in this... it made my teeth hurt, I think. Lol! Wonderful piece, dear. Jennifer/Needy are totally my new OTP. :)

[starbuck-river.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Thats kinda what I was aiming for ;)

They might be my new OTP too :D

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

Aww! This was a really sweet story. Schmoopy!Jennifer makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! It was really nice seeing the development of their story from the time they were little as well. They had a beautifully star-crossed feel in this.

*goes into a happy Needifer bubble*

[starbuck-river.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much!

I rather adore Jennifer when she's being uncommonly sweet with Needy. It just makes me melt a little inside.

[devilduckieee.livejournal.com]

So great! Oh, I love that fic is starting to show up for this pairing!! Well written and thoughtful fic no less. I totally enjoyed the backstory you gave them, and glimpses into who they were as a unit. The two of them have such an amazing dynamic working for them... oh I hope more and more fics come about.

♥ thanks for this :)

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Like fembuck said, very star-crossed feel to this. I love how you gave Jennifer and Needy this relationship where they're really in love, but it still fits in with the movie and how they have boyfriends. Because Jennifer so cares more about Needy than boys.

[boy-prodigy.livejournal.com]

God, it's a shame this movie didn't end like this. stupid movie director, he/she should learn a thing or two from you