Beginning of a New Year-Part 2
Written by: Juana
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in my story: They belong to the brilliant writers and creators of the hit WB show.
Story summary: Noel and Elena have a major falling out and Felicity is forced to deal with the possibility that Ben is keeping secrets from her… Secrets, which could alter their future together.
INT: FELICITY’S ROOM: DAY
FELICITY IS SITTING ON HER BED SWITCHING OUT THE TAPE IN HER TAPE RECORDER. AFTER SHE FINISHES SWITCHING THE TAPES SHE SINKS BACK DOWN ON TO HER BED AND PUSHES PLAY. THE TEARS SHE HAS BEEN SHEDDING STREAK HER FACE.
FELICITY: (VO) I can’t believe this tape has become a two-parter, but I guess that’s what is to be expected when your life becomes irreversibly screwed up. I really thought we had gotten everything back to normal Sal… Ben and me that is. I mean after that fight at the loft, we had a night of unbelievable passion. I felt so completely connected to him that night… and I honestly believed he felt that connection too. Maybe he did, but even if that was the case, it didn’t stop the train wreck our relationship was about to become.
BEN IS WALKING FELICITY TO CLASS. THEY STOP IN FRONT OF HER CLASSROOM AND EXCHANGED A SWEET TENDER KISS.
BEN: Bye.
FELICITY: So… will I see you later?
BEN: I have a lot of things to do before the party tomorrow, but yeah… I’d like that.
FELICITY: Good.
BEN GIVES FELICITY A KISS ON THE CHEEK AND WALKS AWAY, LEAVING HER SMILING. NOEL AND ELENA WALK UP NEXT TO HER.
ELENA: Now that is more like it.
FELICITY: Yeah… it feels good to have everything back to normal.
NOEL: So things are good then?
FELICITY: Couldn’t be better.
NOEL: (unenthusiastic) That’s good…
ELENA: Don’t sound so thrilled.
NOEL: No… I am… thrilled… I mean… it’s just that… okay never mind this is none of my business.
FELICITY: What is none of your business?
NOEL: It’s nothing… I shouldn’t have said anything… it’s just that… well I care about you and I don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all.
ELENA: Okay cryptic man… spill. You obviously know something that you think Felicity doesn’t.
FELICITY: Noel?
NOEL: We should get to class.
FELICITY: Noel please… if you know something…
NOEL: It’s just… well you won’t like what it is.
ELENA: Enough suspense Noel… just give her a break.
NOEL: Fine… I’m pretty sure Ben is seeing someone else.
FELICITY: What?
ELENA: Why would you say that?
NOEL: Because it’s the truth.
FELICITY: Who?
NOEL: Bliss.
FELICITY: No… this isn’t true… Ben would never do that to me… I would know if he were seeing someone else… wouldn’t I?
ELENA: I’m sure Noel has it all screwed up… you shouldn’t worry.
FELICITY: I have to go find Ben.
NOEL: Felicity… I’m sorry. I just thought that you should know.
FELICITY: I have to go.
FELICITY TAKES OFF LEAVING ELENA AND NOEL STANDING THERE.
ELENA: Well that was just brilliant Noel.
NOEL: What?
ELENA: Why did you tell her that? You have absolutely no proof that Ben is two-timing her.
NOEL: And how do you know that?
ELENA: Because… this is what you do… you jump to conclusions and you take matters into your own hands without a shred of concern for who you might be hurting.
NOEL: Without a shred of concern? I told her because I was concerned… because she needed to know.
ELENA: And who gave you the right to decide that?
NOEL: So you think I should have just stood back and watched her get her heart broken yet again by Ben’s lack of commitment to her?
ELENA: Ben’s lack of commitment to her? Please… any girl would give her most prized possession up to have even a tenth of the commitment that that man shows to her.
NOEL: What are you saying? I don’t show you that type of commitment?
ELENA: This is not about us… but yes… while we are on the subject… you do tend to lag in that particular category.
NOEL: Really? So then why are you here if I’m so uncommitted to you?
ELENA: You know… I don’t know.
ELENA’S RESPONSE STUNS NOEL.
NOEL: Excuse me?
ELENA: I never really thought about it before… but let’s face it Noel… why am I here? You don’t love me… you wouldn’t run after me if I decided to leave… would you?
NOEL: Elena… this is silly.
ELENA: No…Noel… I need to know… would you fight to get me back if I decided to leave or would you breath a sigh of relief?
NOEL: I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. That’s just such a what-if question… you know I don’t deal in the hypothetical.
ELENA: Fine… then deal with the reality… I think we should call *this* quits.
NOEL: You don’t mean that.
ELENA: Yes… I do.
NOEL: Why? Just because we had some silly argument?
ELENA: No… it’s more than that. I didn’t realize it till just now… but I’ve been unhappy for a long time. It’s why I’ve been so wrapped up in trying to fix everybody else’s relationships… because then I wouldn’t have to deal with the fact that mine wasn’t working.
NOEL: You’re not happy?
ELENA: The fact that this catches you so off-guard just goes to show how unimportant I’ve become to you.
NOEL: Is this because of your friends?
ELENA: The fact that you never wanted to meet my old neighborhood friends was just a symptom of a much bigger problem. I tried to ignore it for a long time, but the fact of the matter is that you have never gotten over Felicity… not fully.
NOEL: That’s insane.
ELENA: No… actually it all makes sense now. It’s why you told Ben about the baby, after I specifically told you not to. You thought Ben would run, because that’s what you would have done. And it’s why you told Felicity that Ben is cheating on her.
NOEL: You don’t even know how wrong you are. I could have had Felicity back if I wanted her… I chose to be with you.
ELENA: Dream on Noel… Felicity will always be Ben’s. The only choice you made was not to be alone.
NOEL: You really believe that? You think I’ve stayed with you all this time because I couldn’t have Felicity?
ELENA: And because I could keep you close to her.
NOEL: Elena… come on… where are you getting this stuff? Felicity was a long time ago for me. I have moved on… believe me.
ELENA: Then why can’t you tell me that you love me?
NOEL: I… I just… I….
ELENA: Let me help you out here… you can’t say it, because you don’t. And honestly why should I stick around in a relationship that has no potential to end up there?
NOEL: I care about you… I do.
ELENA: As a friend… right?
NOEL: No… it’s more than that… it is.
ELENA: Face it Noel… I, like every other girl on this planet, want what Felicity has… someone who is in love with me, someone who will go out of his way to make me happy, someone who spends his days and nights thinking about me… someone to fall in love with. Can you give me that?
NOEL: Elena…
ELENA: Can you?
NOEL: I can’t answer that… I’m sorry.
ELENA: I didn’t really expect you to. I have to go now.
NOEL: So that’s it? You’re just going to leave without resolving this?
ELENA: It’s over Noel… there’s nothing left to resolve.
NOEL: Over?
ELENA: Yes.
ELENA WALKS AWAY LEAVING A STUNNED NOEL STANDING THERE.
NOEL: Over?
INT: SCHOOL: DAY
FELICITY IS STANDING IN FRONT OF BEN’S CLASSROOM. WAITING FOR HIM TO COME OUT. AS THE STUDENT’S EXIT ONE BY ONE THERE IS NO SIGN OF BEN. FELICITY STOPS A YOUNG GIRL COMING OUT OF THE CLASS.
FELICITY: Excuse me.
GIRL: Yes?
FELICITY: I was wondering if you knew Ben Covington?
GIRL: Um… yeah… real cute… usually sits towards the back. Why?
FELICITY: Was he… did he come to class today?
GIRL: Uh… no… I don’t think so.
FELICITY: Oh… thanks.
AS THE GIRL WALKS AWAY FELICITY MAKES A DECISION AND HEADS OUT THE DOOR.
INT: CAFETERIA: DAY
JULIE AND ELENA ARE SITTING TOGETHER. ELENA IS OBVIOULSY UPSET.
JULIE: I can’t believe you broke up with him.
ELENA: I can’t either. I mean what was I thinking? I just… I wanted him to tell me not to… but maybe my instincts were right… maybe he wasn’t happy either.
JULIE: He’ll come around… you’ll see.
ELENA: I’m not so sure about that.
EXT: LUCKY LADY: DAY
FELICITY IS STANDING ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LUCKY LADY… WATCHING… AS SHE STARTS TO FEEL STUPID AND TURNS TO LEAVE A CAR DRIVES INTO THE PARKING LOT. BLISS GETS OUT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE AND BEN EXITS THE PASSENGER SIDE. FELICITY CAN’T HEAR WHAT’S BEING SAID, BUT SHE DIES A LITTLE INSIDE WHEN SHE SEES BLISS AND BEN HUG. BEN WATCHES AS BLISS GOES INSIDE THE CLUB AND THEN HE TURNS AND STARTS WALKING DOWN THE STREET. FELICITY WATCHES HIM GO AND THEN SHE CROSSES THE STREET AND ENTERS THE CLUB.
KIKI IS STANDING BY THE DOOR AND NOTICES HER RIGHT AS SHE COMES IN.
KIKI: Felicity… hey… long time no see.
FELICITY: Yeah… is Bliss here?
KIKI: Bliss?
FELICITY: Your boss.
KIKI: Uh… yeah…sure. I’ll go get here.
KIKI WALKS INTO THE BACK ROOM TO GET BLISS AND LYNN COMES OVER TO FELICITY.
LYNN: Hey… what are you doing here?
FELICITY: I came to talk to Bliss.
LYNN: I don’t think that’s such a good idea.
FELICITY: Really? And why is that?
LYNN: It’s just the last time you two were together… I got the impression you didn’t really like each other.
BLISS COMES WALKING OVER.
BLISS: It’s okay Lynn… I can handle this.
LYNN: (To Felicity) Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
LYNN WALKS AWAY.
BLISS: What can I help you with?
FELICITY: I want you to tell me what’s going on with you and Ben.
BLISS: Sorry… I can’t do that.
FELICITY: Are you seeing Ben?
BLISS: Look… I owe you exactly… nothing. So that’s what you get… nothing. If you can’t keep tabs on your boy… that’s your problem… not mine. Now leave.
FELICITY: I’m not going anywhere until you tell me the truth.
BLISS: You want the truth? Fine. What is going on between Ben and I is my business.
FELICITY: So the fact that he has a girlfriend means nothing to you?
BLISS: Ironic… isn’t it? How does it feel to have the shoe on the other foot?
FELICITY: I didn’t plot to take Ben away from you.
BLISS: No… but you were around every corner just waiting for your chance to move in.
FELICITY: Ben and I… we had history. Neither one of us knew that it was a history we were going to be unable to forget or let go of.
BLISS: Yeah… my heart bleeds for you. So now if there’s nothing else I can do for you… I have a ton of paperwork to take care of.
BLISS STARTS TO WALK AWAY BUT FELICITY GRABS HER ARM.
FELICITY: Wait… please… can’t you just tell me what he was doing here today?
BLISS: What… were you following him?
FELICITY: I don’t think that’s the point here.
BLISS: You’ve got some real problems Felicity… if you don’t even trust him…
FELICITY: I trust him.
BLISS: Then why are you here?
FELICITY DOESN’T ANSWER.
BLISS: (cont.) You should go.
BLISS TURNS AND WALKS AWAY. FELICITY LEAVES THE CLUB AND HEADS BACK TOWARDS SCHOOL.
FELICITY: (VO) So… now Bliss was back in Ben’s life… in what capacity I wasn’t really sure but if Noel was right… maybe Ben was cheating on me. No I can’t believe that Sally… not my Ben… not the Ben I know… but come to think of it ever since he started the therapy… he wasn’t really the same Ben… he was different.
INT: FELICITY’S ROOM: NIGHT
FELICITY IS LAYING ON HER BED… ALL THE TRAUMA OF THE DAY WEIGHING HEAVY ON HER. THE PHONE RINGS AND INSTEAD OF ANSWERING IT SHE LETS THE MACHINE CLICK ON.
MACHINE: (VO) Felicity… it’s Ben. It’s about 10: 30 pm and I still haven’t heard anything from you… I’m starting to get a little worried. I’ve left you like ten messages so you’re either not home or not picking up… which would be weird. I guess… I just thought we were going to get together tonight… maybe something came up… Okay well you’re obviously not there. Please… call me when you get in or I’ll be up all night worrying about you. I hope everything is okay.
PHONE HANGS UP AND THE MACHINE CLICKS OFF.
SALLY: (VO) Dear Felicity… I’m sure Ben is undoubtedly going through some major changes with all that is being revealed to him. The emotional level he is being forced to dredge up to deal with the past is going to take it’s toll… just be patient with him and let him come to you when he is ready… but be prepared for him to be different… because it’s like Marc said, therapy changes people… Remember when you entered in to this relationship it was for better or worse.