{ Chapter Thirteen: A Bird Without Wings but With Pizza is Tamed }

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JANICE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'D EXPECTED, but a quaint little pizza parlor decorated with red banners and petite, glass windows just wasn't one of the small options she'd imagined up of for this evening. James and her had been arguing about one thing or the other their entire ride, but it was a playful type of banter that would send the other one reeling with laughter (or make them shoot lethal glares across the seat). Janice found that she really enjoyed having conversations with the idiot, even if he had some really empty, kind of crazy points. If you asked James, he'd say something more or less around those lines, too.

You see, when you're having a heated discussion about whether Shakespeare was truly gay (because, please, like all those love poems were about just his wife? Old geezer's sense of testosterone made him the biggest phuckboy there is) at around 65mph, you know you're in too deep.

"Robin's uncle owns this place," James said, cutting the engine to the car and walking up to where Janice is standing. At her questioning look, he clarifies that Robin is one of the people inside right now. "We usually come here since everything's on the house. And it doesn't hurt that it's delicious. Still. Free food."

Janice, who's still taking in the gorgeous interior and loving the retro vibe about it all, leans against the outside of the car, letting out a low whistle. "I feel like I've been transported to the fifties or something. This is amazing."

Bright, blinking letters flashing "Vertigo", the pizzaria's name, illuminates the street. The roads seem empty in comparison to the parlour, a gorgeous two story building with funky streamers hanging around the entrance, tables strewn across the area in small groups, and had tiles that met at the front of the gate, which Janice and James are parked in front of.  A huge pizza symbol flickered, blinding in contrast to the night sky in the back.

"If you mentioned food the first time, I'm pretty sure I would've ditched work and came here straight away," Janice said, partially serious.

James just shook his head, a rumbling laugh echoing through him as his Adam's apple rose up and down. "Glad I had enough common sense and didn't. Now, c'mon, I'm starving and you seriously need to meet everyone. They've been dying to meet you."

"Really?" Janice asked, genuinely interested in knowing if he actually meant it.

"Really." James said, before walking over to the large doors and holding it open for Janice, who was a little humbled.

She cocked an eyebrow at the gesture, letting it speak for itself.

"Why are you looking at me like you've never seen me before? I told you! I'm a gentleman!"

Janice just smirked, before she walked in with James behind her. The instant she walked in, she felt the rush of insecurity she'd been trying to suppress the entire day. Grinding her teeth, she let James lead the way, thankful that his large body mostly obscured her from first glance. She did happen to like the two new girls she'd met in the parking lot, and she had a weird truce with Tiffany, but that didn't mean that she wasn't nervous about the rest of the party.

It's really only natural, she guesses, even if it sucks that I keep going through this vicious cycle of angst. God, I feel like a fangirl who just found our their favorite TV show got cancelled.

"James!"

Her thoughts are diverted when she hears a shout, her eyes darting to a short, beautiful South Asian looking girl, a headscarf wrapped around her head, waving her hands to catch their attention. "Dude, over here!"

The entire group, the initial one that went back more than a year, was sitting at a booth, save for Janice and James. There were two boys (here she thought she was immune to good looks; silly girl) sitting at the table, both of them smiling at the South Asian girl's enthusiasm and their approaching friend. They had not yet noticed Janice standing awkwardly to the side.

There were Moira, Reneé, Tiffany and Brielle that she recognized, and two others that she didn't, one being the former girl who had shouted James's name.

"Anha, how you doing?" James said, leaning in to give her a hug, whom returned it gladly. "Hey, guys, sorry it took so long. My car partner decided that my music taste was too mainstream-- yeah, I know right? Biebs all the way -- and fought with me over the radio the entire time. Everyone, meet my very picky melophile, Janice."

Janice stepped up and tried to mask her worry behind a bright smile, thankful that James is handling the introductions. "Janice, this is the group of losers I am ashamed to call my friends."

"Just for that, you're buying your own pizza," a boy with midnight hair and indigo eyes exclaimed, before turning towards Janice with a flirtatious smile. "Hullo. You're even more gorgeous in person, sweetheart."

Everyone let out a groan at his antics, but he pretended to ignore them. Janice just stifled a smile, wanting to see how this would go. "How about we get our own table, just the two of us?"

"How about if that happens, I go to the restroom and never come back?" Janice replied, pleased to hear everyone sniggering.

"Ignore him, Robin's just the type of guy who can't keep it in his pants," James said to her quietly, before moving a little over into the huge reserved booth to make room for her.

The group noticed this gesture, and while it might seem like an insignificant thing normal friends would do, James's mates understood him well enough to know that while he was a nice guy, he couldn't do chivalry even if his life depended on it. He might claim to be a gentleman, but that guy usually caught his finger opening a drawer, stubbed a toe trying to walk on smooth pavement and, this clumsy ox, often banged his head when entering a room -- though he blames the latter on low rise ceilings and bloody genetics).

But it wasn't like Janice was a lady, so it worked (like how Janice didn't notice that James broke a fingernail holding a goddamn door open).

James cleared his throat, drawing everyone back to him. "Now, can we let Janice talk without someone hitting on her next? Reneé, looking at you and your heart eyes. It's not even Woman Crush Wednesday yet."

"Hey!" Reneé exclaimed. "You watch your big mouth, wise guy, or Im'ma drop hot pizza on you."

He dared her with a single look, but remained quiet so that Janice could speak.

Janice took a calming breath to compose herself. "Well, I'm Janice. Short bio of my life, my last name means 'devil' and I plan to live up to that. I have three brother's, I grew up with a Latino culture, I work at Victoria's Secret, and if I ever have to see lace thongs ever again, I'm most definitely going to lose more than my paycheque."

Instantaneously, Janice was liked. She had a sharp mouth but she had this type of mystique vibe about her, its own gravitational pull.

"So, Janice, what made you go for the job at the store, anyways?" Anha asked her, and Janice liked her no-nonsense, straight to the point, arrow-like attitude. "Because I'm going to hope it wasn't the wall to wall model's covering the store, unless you're into that type of thing like Renée."

Renée smacked Anha's head for that, but they were both smiling. 

Janice pretended to shudder, allowing Anha to grin openly at her obvious distaste. "Trust me, that was not it. I just saw the "HIRING" sign and walked in. I didn't even realize what the hell the store was manufacturing until I talked to Brielle and got the job. Probably should've thought about the underwear before I got buried in too quick, though."

"Oh, god. I work in the back, since I actually like to believe I'm more better than all these horn-dogs," Anha told her, earning a couple protests from the "horn-dogs" themselves. "The things I've opened are... let's just say that people should rather wear their saggy, wrinkled birthday suits than whatever the hell comes inside those cardboard boxes."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Janice said. "So, what about you guys? Introductions, greatest fears, biggest ambitions? I'm not going to call you red shirt and blue shirt the entire day, you know."

"Mine's turquoise, actually." Janice noticed that the girl who hadn't spoken yet since she'd walked in had finally broken the ice.

Her doe coffee eyes seemed to smile as much as her lips did. "My name's Talia, by the way. I really like Netflix, Nutella and donuts. My biggest legit fear is that one of you are going to probably kill each other over stupid while I get charged for witnessing third degree murder. Hm, I don't know what I'll do with my life. Maybe see how much Nutella I can consume before I get, like, I don't know, nut poisoning."

Janice nodded slowly. "Nutella is life. I feel your nuttiness. Pun intended."

"We're practically soul sisters or something. Hah. Now this guy," Talia gestured to the handsome boy from before, "is Robin."

It seemed as if the boy player already knew his cue. "Hello, gorgeous. I'm Robin, I'm scared of squirrels because -- rabies -- and I really like cute girls that go by the name of Janic-- ow! Alright. Who kicked me under the table?"

"I'm sorry, that was your leg?" James asked innocently.

After trying to project daggers through his eyes, Robin brought down an arm to massage his sore leg. "Before that moron interrupted me with unnecessary violence, I was going to say I really like cute girls, red heads and going on dates. Especially all three combined. Interesting, isn't that?"

Before Janice could choke an answer, Anha interjected. "Unless you're hitting on Ariel the mermaid, you're going to lead a really sad life. Seriously, do you ever get tired of being shot down?"

"You're the only one shooting me down," Robin retaliated, crossing his arms around his hard chest.

"I'm doing the female population a favour, the hero to fight pathetic pretty boys, and I don't even need a cape."

"See what upsetting unfairness I have to live with everyday, Janice? It's maddening."

"Yes, so very unfair." Janice agreed solemnly.

The other devastatingly handsome boy (because one nor two were not enough) snorted, snapping his forest pine eyes to Janice's amused chocolate.

He sits back coolly, but his voice is inviting. "I'm Lucifer, Janice and what's really unfair is having to play wingman for this guy. Heads up, don't fall for his lack of charms -- Robin uses girls like toys. However, the girls usually dump him once they realize all he's got is free pizza to offer."

Robin grimaced. "Free pizza is more than enough. Still unfair that people go for him when they could clearly go for me."

"What's really unfair is that you get a job modelling and I get stuck behind the counter," said Reneé. "Don't know how that happened because, I mean, we all know I'm the hotter one out of the two of us."

"Hey! I don't see you doing any catalogues, desk lady!" Robin shot back.

Janice turned her head to James with a raised eyebrow, as if to say, 'catalogues? is Tyra Banks suddenly going to pop up out of our pizza box?'.

James just rolled his shoulders up and down. 'Don't ask; still waiting for the hidden camera's'. Janice just snorted, tuning back to the heated discussion.

"If anything, I think I'm the hottest," cut in Tiffany, who flipped her platinum blonde hair behind her.

Everyone released a guttural groan at that, making Tiffany narrow her eyes. "I dare any of you to challenge that. Deny it and you will have a three inch heel up your ass."

No one commented, except Brielle, who just leaned back in her chair. "Why don't you take the one stuck up yours first?" But there was a frolicsome glint in her eyes that showed she was only teasing.

"I'm hottest. End up discussion." Janice suddenly burst through, biting her lip as nine baffled faces snapped her way, openly discombobulated. "I already said end of discussion. Now, where's the pizza? I didn't drive all the way over here with really bad music to stay hungry."

"Right, right," Robin said, "wouldn't want to keep the one and only beautiful girl waiting."

Almost immediately, Robin realized what he'd said and quickly tried to backtrack when six other girls abruptly angled their heads to intensely glower at him. Or throw culinary knives. And three inch heels.

"I-I mean all you beautiful girls. So gorgeous, so hot, so pretty -- not mean or rude or want to kick my butt at all. Oh, my god, even Jesus Christ is shining a ray at y'all blessings. You know, I think my uncles calling me? Y-yeah, be right back!"

Robin dashed, and Janice could hardly contain her laughter as she watched all the girl's, all in unison, slowly turn their heads back to the table.

Lucifer is already laughing, along with James at their poor friends expense. I always knew his pick up lines would be the death of him, James snorted, the image of Robin's face full of horror preserved in the depths of his mind forever.

Everyone began to converse light-heartedly amongst themselves again as they waited for the order. James kept filling in Janice about the inside jokes that were happening, and Janice lapped up everything that came out of his mouth. She's struggling hard to deny the fact that she enjoyed his company a little too much, rather than confronting it head on.

Finally Robin appears, both arms filled with party pizza's as peace offerings. Celebration erupts as everyone takes a slice onto their plates. Janice is a sloppy eater, so it's a sight to see her pigging out, taking bites twice her mouth capacity and chewing a minimum of three times before she swallowed. But she couldn't bring herself to care the slightest about it, either.

"Girl, you can eat," Brielle said to her, impressed by how carefree her friend Janice seemed.

Brielle is also surprised by the casual reception from Janice, especially since Janice had been a bundle of fried nerves just a couple hours prior. Quickly, Janice began to inject herself into the group, getting the patterns of the friendships, learning what to and not say. But what she enjoyed the most about Janice (other than their work meetings, of course), would be how much of a difference she brought in James. A radder James. 

Version 2.0 of six-foot two sexiness + includes extra sensitive smiles and soft gazing at particular short people with tomato sauce smeared like poorly applied lipstick.

But that was James's story to explain. And right now, all he could think about was if Janice kept up her pace, he'd be left with cardboard boxes for supper.

"Sweetheart, are you going to leave any for us?" James said impishly.

Janice just took another arrogant bite of the pizza to prove a point, closing her eyes at the taste, the flavor attacking her mercilessly, muffling out the conversation around her as she induced this pleasure.

"It's like ecstasy on crusts, ain't it? Who needs sex when you could have Vertigo pizza?"

Tiffany choked on her own slice, the only one daring to snatch one up. "If you make that a slogan, I will literally end you."

"Bet the only end you want is this long pizza slice, sure will be a worthy ride."

James groaned, smacking his forehead. "Robin, holy of all things holy, don't ruin pizza for me, please."

"What? May God bless this pizza and bring it to the highest level of heaven, man. Beyond cloud nine."

She had to hand it to Robin's uncle, this was like euphoria in her mouth; she might even ask him for the recipe afterwards. After feeling like she couldn't take another gulp, she leaned back and moaned quietly.

"You've got cheese on your upper lip, Janice," teased Moira, who usually kept to herself unless she wanted to add her opinion.

James just chuckled at the goofy expression on Janice's face as she crossed her eyes to try and locate the cheese that Moira was talking about. He shook his head, and before knowing his impulse, he had gotten a napkin and gently wiped it off her face.

"T-thanks," Janice stammers, the heat of James's palm making a faint pink rise in her cheeks.

"You owe me a napkin," James said simply, already crumpling up the paper in his hands.

Twenty minutes later, after they cleared the boxes, courtesy of teenage metabolism, the numbers ticked closer to closing time, and the place seemed to spill out.

"You guys, it's getting kind of late," Anha said, the attention on her as she stood up. "I have work tomorrow and I'm dead tired. Thank God it's Friday, to be honest."

"Yeah, and the parlors going to close in a couple minutes, so we might as well take our leave," Robin put in his two cents, already piling the empty boxes and chucking it into the disposal can behind him.

After that, everyone started to get ready, buzzing with energy that their three hour meal had brought out of them.

"You're driving with me, yeah?" James inquired from Janice, his car keys in one hand.

"Unless you're getting me a subway ticket or a loud enough dog whistle for my brother, Karlo, I don't think we have any other option," Janice sassed. "I'm just going to go say bye to everyone and get their numbers."

"The only number you need is mine, Dia," James said, smirking as he saw Janice pause in her walking and do a 180 degree back to scowl at him.

"Dia?"

"Diablo? Dia. Jane sounds too plain."

"Don't call me Dia." Janice prompted, squinting her tawny eyes.

Too late, James thought. "You love it."

"I'm called Janice, you dimwit. That's my name. I advise you use it."

"I advise you walk home by yourself."

"... Ruth, you're going to be really infuriating, aren't you?"

"Last name basis should've been a dead giveaway," James smirked, before waving to everyone, followed by a chorus of farewells. "now go say bye. I'll be in the car."

After brainstorming their new get together and getting some type of social connection from everyone, -- Robin practically shoved an entire list over to her -- she got into the blue car where James was waiting.

Five minutes before he dropped her off, he looked to her. The street lamps made the coffee in her eyes stand out, and he couldn't seem to remember what the hell he was saying until she blinked at him. "Er, how'd you like it?"

He was rewarded with a content sigh. "Love would be too weak a word. I already like them all."

"That's good. But I'm still best friend?"

"My only best friend is Robin's uncle because he fed me. The way to the heart is through the stomach," Janice said, before continuing a little more tentatively. "Thanks for inviting me, James. It really was amazing. I don't usually get out that often and it's nice to finally do so."

"Don't thank me, Dia," at his exasperating petname, Janice exhaled, but didn't say anything, detecting he was going to say more. "I want to thank you."

"Wait, for what?"

"Because if I had to sit through another meal with all of them with someone flirting, arguing or remaining silent, I think I would've gone crazy."

"I'm already three steps ahead of you," Janice winked. Her street finally came into view, and Janice is crestfallen to see her night come to an end. When James parked and Janice went to open the knob, he quickly caught her arm.

"Do you need anything?" Janice asked him curiously, her heart thrumming in her throat.

"You know that women's project you're doing?" he said, so fast that Janice almost couldn't decipher what he'd announced. "Well, I was searching online and there's this Woman's Day appreciation festival on the the 8th of March. It's next week. I got two tickets, and I was wondering if you wanted to go together to help out with your project?"

Janice crossed her arms, as if it would stop he butterflies in her stomach. "My, my, are you asking me out on a date, James?"

"No," he blurted, before wincing at how gruff he sounded. "I mean, it's something that can benefit you, and I have a break, and--" James is babbling and he doesn't know how to stop, grumbling internally at how much of a influence Janice must've been to him.

"James?" He finally bit his tongue.

Janice is still a little flustered, but she manages to respond. "Text me the time and when you're picking me up and everything. I really should get going, but thanks. Seriously."

My pleasure, Dia, thought James, before he gave her his stunning smile, reversed his car and disappeared into a dust of gas. Janice walked up the porch, still overwhelmed with the chain of change happening in such a short span of time. Janice had never felt more free, more alive, more exuberant.

As she close the door behind her on the way up, she doesn't think she ever wants to stop.

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A/N: Thank you to everyone voting and commenting! I love your replies and please tell me your thoughts and suggestions! I hope you love my characters as much as I do, and that the writing is up to standard; thank you, all of you. I appreciate you all so much.

Regards, Sarena x