The Squeaky Clean Legacy, Chapter 17.2 “The truth shall make you fret” Part Two

Elaine:Nausicaa!Nausicaa!

Elaine:Wegotengaged!Oh,I’msoexcited.Willyoubemybridesmaid?

Elaine:Isn’titwonderful?Iamsohappy.

Elaine:Well,toAngus,ofcourse!You’regoingtolovehim,Daddy.

Elaine:Ian!Youcameover!Thankyou!

Ian:OfcourseIcameover.I’moneofyourbestfriends,andyousaiditwassomethingbig.

Elaine:Igotengaged!

Ian:Oh.Well,that’sgreat.

Elaine:I’vealwaysdreamedofthisday.Ithinkeverygirldoes,don’tyou?

Ian:Ireallydon’tknow.I’veneverbeenagirl.Butaslongasyou’rehappy,that’sallthatmaIers.

Elaine:AndIwantedtotellyourightaway,Ian,becauseyou’retheonlyonewhowassosupporJveandIjustknewwewerebothright.IsJlldon’tthinkmybrothersaregoingtolikeit,especiallynotPalomides,butI’mgladyoudecidedtobemyfriendevenifyoudon’tthinkI’mpreIy.

Ian:Ineversaidthat.YouknowIneversaidthat.

Elaine:Really?

Ian:You’realwaysfishingforcompliments,aren’tyou?Whydoyoudothat?Itdrivesmeoutofmymind.Whydoyoualwayshavetoask?You’reobjecJvelyoneofthemostbeauJfulwomenI’veeverseen,andyouwreckitbyaskingalltheJme.Whycan’tyoulookinamirroronceinawhile?

Ian:Oh,forgetit.I’mreallyhappyforyou,Elaine.

Gawaine:ThisCounciloftheRoundTableisnowinsession.Parsifal:Thisisn’taroundtable,Gawaine.It’soblong.Gawaine:Shutup,Percy.

Gawaine:Asyouallknow,ElainehasgoIenherselfengagedtoaMaxispre‐madeplayable,thusgivingusalluntoldgriefandbringingonearlygrayhair.We’reherbrothers.We’resworntoprotecther.Whatdowedonow?

Parsifal:Do?Wehavetosupporther,Isuppose.

Gawaine:What?

Parsifal:Brother,ifyouhadpaJenceandpurityofheart,youwouldhavehadthewisdomto—

WhatI’mtryingtosayisthatthismightnothavehappenedifyouhadn’tcomedownonElainelikeatonofbricks.

Gawaine:Oh.

Palomides:Whatwerewesupposedtodo?Wecan’tlieandtellherit’sallright.Youknowitisn’t.

Gawaine:IDOknowitisn’t,butPercy’sright.ConfronJngherdoesn’twork.We’llhavetothinkofsomething,butrightnowIhavenoideawhatthatisandyoudon’tknowhowmuchIhatesayingthat.

Palomides:Sowhatyou’resayingisthatwe’regoingtowussout.

ParsifalandGawaine:Agreed.

Parsifal:I’msohappyforyou,babysister,andIknowyou’regoingtobe...

Parsifal:HNNNGH.

Gawaine:It’sreallypreIy,Elaine.

Elaine:Thankyou!Angushaswonderfultaste.

Elaine:Thankyou,Parsifal,I’mgladyoulikeit,too.

Palomides:Idon’tlikehim,Elaine.YouknowIdon’tandyouknowifIsaidIdid,itwouldbealie.ButI’lltrytolikehimbeIer.

Elaine:Thankyou,Palomides,becauseIreallyneedyourhelp.Ineedyoutohelpmefigureoutsomewayaroundtherules.

Palomides:Haveyoulostyourmind?

Palomides:Ican’tmakeitbeallright!Youknowit’snotright.Thoushaltnotmarryaplayable.What’snext,Elaine?Motherlode?MaxmoJves?Weallfollowtherules,eventhespares,andyouwanttobreakthembecauseyou’retheheiress?Thatmakesnosensetome.Sorry,itdoesn’t.

Palomides:I’mnotgoingtotellyouwhotolove.Iwon’ttellyouwhoyoucanmarry.Butdon’taskmetohelpyoudosomethingIthinkiswrong.

Backathisdorm,Anguswriteshistermpaper.NoJcesomethinginteresJng?

Noring.

Angus:Dusty?Areyoubusy?

Angus:DoyouhaveJmeforme?Ihaven’ttalkedtoyouinweeks.Dusty:I’vebeenreallybusy.Itisn’tanythingpersonal.Angus:Imean,you’reprobablydaJngsomeoneelsebynowandIdon’tevenknow.Dusty:No,Ireallyhavebeenbusy.I’vebeenatworkandthelibraryandthenIcrash.TheonlyJmeIgooutiswhenItendbar.

Angus:Ifyou’rethatbusy,youprobablydon’thaveJmetoletmebuyyoudinner,butit’stheonlywayI’mgoingtocatchupwithyou,so...

Dusty:Maybejustthisonce.

Lenore:HUH.

Zane:Isn’tthatAngusPleasant?

Lenore:Yes.Zane:Isn’theengagedtoyourfriendElaine?Lenore:YES.

Zane:Soifhe’sengagedtoyourfriendElaine,whyisheouthavingdinnerwithanothergirl?

Lenore:Blessyourheart,youreallyhavenoidea,doyou,Zane?

Zane:No,Idon’t.ShouldI?Itmakesnosensetome.

Lenore:Oh,Zane.Neverchange,OK?

Zane:Idon’tunderstandhim,but...Idon’tdeserveyou,Lenore.

Lenore:Whatonearthareyoutalkingabout?

Lenore:Oh,GOD,thisisjustgross.

Lenore:Excusemeasec,Zane.There’ssomethingIhavetodo.

Lenore:Hi,Angus.Youdon’tknowme...

Lenore:Butnowyoudo.Comeon,Zane.We’regeZngoutofhere.

Lionel:Hi.Youmustbemybrother’sfiancée.

Elaine:Idon’tknowifIshouldbehappytomeetyouornot,Lionel.AngustellsmeyoubuIeredthestairswhenyouwereinhighschool.

Lionel:IbuIeredthestairs,huh?Angushasavery...interesJngrelaJonshipwiththetruth.

He’sprobablyinside,ifyou’resureyouwanttoseehim.

Dusty:Angus?Who’sthisgirl?

Angus:Wait!Wait,Elaine!

Angus:Itwasjustdinner.Dusty’sanoldfriend.Itshouldn’tbesuchabigdeal.

Dusty:Please,do,goondiscussingmeasthoughIwasn’teventhere.

Elaine:Butitshouldhavebeenabigdeal,Angus.We’reengagedtobemarried.Youloveme.Youshouldn’tevenwantto.

Angus:Look,youreallydon’tunderstand.It’snotmyfault!

Dusty:Idon’thavetheJmeforthisstuff.I’vegototherthingstodo.

Angus:YouseemeandDusty‐‐Dustyandme—we’reMaxispremades.We’resupposedtogettogether.Weweregoingsteadyinhighschool.Ishouldn’tevenhavebeenadatedrop.IguessImetyouwhenIwasontherebound.

Elaine:Ontherebound?

Angus:AndIjustwantedtofindoutwhetherornotI’msJllphysicallyaIractedtoher.WhichI’mnot.Well,notalot.Andthat’sagoodthing,right,becauseatleastIknowanditwon’thappenagain.

Elaine:HowcanIbelievethat?HowcanIpossiblybelievethat?

Angus:Look,itwasyourideatogetengaged,notmine.It’snotmyfault.

Angus:Ididn’tmeanthat.Oh,God,Ididn’tmeanthat,Elaine,notthatway.YouHAVEtoforgiveme.Isoundlikemymother.Idon’tWANTtobemymother.

Ipromiseyouitwillnever,everhappenagain.Iloveyou,Princess.

Elaine:Hedidn’t,hedidn’t,heneverdid,Iamsostupid.Hedidn’thedidn’theneverdidI’msostupidhedidn’theneverdid...

Angus:Areyougoingtoforgiveme?Pleasesayyou’regoingtoforgiveme.Icouldn’tstanditifyoudidn’tforgiveme.

Elaine:Didn’tneverdidI’msostupid...

Angus:IpromiseI’llcomebytomorrow.I’llmakeituptoyousomehow.

Elaine:ExcusemeAngusIhavetogohomenow,bye.

Angus:How’smygirl?

Elaine:Angus,letgo.

Angus:What?WhatdidIdo?

Elaine:Whatdidyoudo?WhatdidyouDO?It’snotallbeIernow.Youcan’tcheatyesterdayandthencomeheretodayand...touchme.Itmakesmesicktothinkofitohgodsostupidsostupidsostupid,ohgodyouneverdid.

Elaine:Getawayfromme.Don’tcall,don’twrite,don’tletmeever,everseeyouagain.Away,now,beforebeforebefore..

Angus:Elaine,wait,no.Itwillnever,everhappenagain.IjustneedsomeJmeandsomespace.

Elaine:Well,you’regoingtohavePLENTYOFIT.

Max:A_ermidnight.Andnothinghashappened,asIknewitwouldnot.

Max:P...Papa?

To be continued . . . Openingpicture,“SJtchingtheStandard,”FredericLeighton.

Closingpicture,“Ophelia,”ArthurHughes.Thanksto:Orikes,IanLegacina;DoctorSupremeNerd,CassidyandSpiderJerusalemVeJnariandhersimself;Peasant007,ZaneDevereaux.PicturesfromtheVeJnariDualegacyandtheDevereauxLegacy.