My Funny Valentine

Johnny visibly frowned as Gum flashed the Joker. "Yeah, man. It wasn't that card at all." He gave Jamie a shrug that silently said "Maybe next time?"

"Oh, I was supposed to take those out of the deck..." Jamie said, and put a hand on her hip and a finger to her lips in deep contemplation of where it could possibly have gone wrong.

"Well... Just keep picking up cards until you find yours. I don't want to have to pick up all these cards. I mean, I've got skates, so it's hard, and if they find me making a mess and stuff they'll probably just throw me out and I'll be right back on the..."

She gestured out one of the big cafe windows at the front of the building, and paused. She leaned forward and squinted at the window.

"Wait, I said the one that went the FARTHEST, stupid. As in, THAT one!"

She pointed dramatically.

Out the window, just visible through heavy traffic, on the far side of the street, stuck to a parking street sign, was a card. The back of it faced out, so there was no way to tell from a distance whether the trick had worked or not.

"Go quick, before someone steals it! The magic only works if you're the one who gets it, because it's your card!"

Gum let the Joker drop back to the floor, looking at Jamie with a growing expression of annoyance. "I already told you! I'm not going to pick up your cards!" She started back towards the booth, shaking her head again. "Your trick is dumb and you're dumb, you do-"

She was cut off, as Jamie spoke up again, pointing outside. She turned to look out the window, and let another groan pass through her lips. Really? Did she really think she could get rid of Gum that easily?

She turned back towards Jamie and Johnny, looking at Jamie with a frown then at Johnny with a hopeless look. "Do I really have to go out there?" she whined, knowing good and well that Johnny was going to urge her to do it. He was nice, and cute as can be, but he seemed kind of dense, getting completely caught up in Jamie's little magician act.

Two could play at that game though.

"It's getting dark, and there's a lot of traffic. I could get hurt, or even worse!" The blonde met Johnny's gaze again, staring right into his eyes, giving him her best puppy dog look. "And it's just sooo far away! Anything could happen to a girl like me out there when it's this late!"

Jamie flailed her limbs in exasperation.

"ARE YOU NOT EVEN A LITTLE IMPRESSED WITH HOW I THREW A CARD THROUGH A WINDOW AND ACROSS THE STREET? COME ON!"

She was shushed by a waitress, and quieted down. She compensated by waving her arms at Gum indignantly.

Johnny watched as Jamie insisted Gum keep picking up cards. Well, he'd just pick them up if the two were going to groan over everything. But Jamie began pointing out the door. Johnny blinked and narrowed his eyes, trying to look.

He looked up as Gum began to bat her lashes again. He blushed at her cute face but shook his head. "C'mon, dude! I can see it from here! Just go get it, don't ya wanna see if it's the real thing?" He said. "If you grab it and it's real, then it's pretty amazing. If you grab it and it's fake, then you can..."

Johnny paused. What COULD she do?

"Well, I guess you can ..." Johnny paused and raised his finger. "Make her give you your rollerblade back!" He looked at Jamie. "if it's not the card, then you gotta tell her where you put it dude, ok?"

"I'm going to make her give that back anyway," Gum grumbled, then turned away from the pair, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Fine! I'll go risk life and limb playing in traffic to go get the card!"

She took two steps away, then looked back over her shoulder, glaring daggers at Jamie. "Better be ready to give my 'blade back," she snapped at her, then turned away again, starting to head out of the cafe and back onto the street.

Jamie swallowed hard and and knelt down on the floor to scrape up some cards while she carefully watched Gum's exit. She didn't want to get beat up. She wasn't sure that she could get away if she was trapped in the cafe.

Still, she took a triumphant bow to Johnny once Gum was out of the building. "You're welcome! I have made one stupid dufus-brain... disappear!" She waved her arms like a magician, and then leaned in to grab Johnny's wrist.

"C'mon! Before she gets back!" She began tugging up to make their escape, though she hadn't decided if she wanted to risk the front door or try to find a back door. That would mean having to go into the kitchen, which would definitely make people mad, and she liked this cafe, so she didn't want to get banned.

Johnny blinked as Jamie took a bow. What was she saying? He looked out the window. Gum was out of site a bit but Jamie was tugging at his hand. "huh?" She was pulling at him and looking around.

"Before she gets back? Dude, i gotta pay..." he said even though nothing had arrived. He began to fish for his wallet when Jamie tugged at him some more. "What the heck, dude!" He said but Jamie already had him halfway out the front door. He managed to slap some cash on the entrance podium and quickly muttered an excuse in Japanese to the hostess before Jamie had him out the door.

"You can pay when you're dead!" Jamie shouted as she tried her best to drag Johnny with her with wheels attached to her feet. It was even harder than it looked. "And we can find another place. I've got alllllll daaaay!"

Once out the door, she craned her neck to see where Gum was. Hopefully the traffic would keep her stuck on the far side while they made their exciting getaway. Handsome-boy wouldn't have to deal with that drip anymore!

"C'monc'monc'mon, quick, before she comes and beats me up! I hate getting beat up, that's why I'm so quick! Run!"

It had taken a couple minutes waiting for the right opportunity, but Gum soon cleared the busy road, stepping up to the street sign and yanking Jamie's card down. She flipped it over, and sighed. Of course it wasn't her card. Of course it wasn't. This was dumb. This was dumb and Jamie was stupid.

She turned back around, ready to look for an opportunity to cross the street again, when she saw it, Jamie and Johnny trying to run away!

Her eyes went wide, and a look of complete indignation covered her face. That dork! She was going to pay for this trick!

"HEY!" Gum screamed, jumping up and down, waving her arms around as she anxiously waited for a break in traffic. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU DORK?! DON'T YOU EVEN DARE THINK ABOUT LEAVING!"