Chapter Text
Tricia had originally come over to the Smith Household to hang out with Summer, and was pleasantly surprised when Jerry answered the door. He had told her Summer was in the shower, but if she wanted to, she could wait for her downstairs. Tricia couldn't help but take that as an invitation to place herself near Jerry's current location and get to know him a little more.
"So..." she began, leaning back against the kitchen counter, eyes wandering to the older man that was currently doing the dishes, "What's it like keeping bees?"
The question was genuine, and it nearly gave Jerry whiplash. He hadn't expected Summer's friend to be even remotely interested in anything he was doing, and yet here she was, asking him about something not even his family cared to acknowledge. He smiled, turning off the faucet and reaching for the nearby rag to wipe off his hands, "It's actually a lot easier than I expected," he admitted, turning to face her, "I mean, at first I was pretty nervous," he chuckled, "But once I got the hang of it, it got easier and easier."
Tricia hummed, "What made you want to start it?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly. She liked talking with Jerry, if she was being entirely honest. He was just such a sweet heart, and even when she had tried to flirt with him at the door, he was oblivious, making him all the more adorable. Deep down, a small part of her knew, though, that it would never work out between them. After all, it was obvious how much Jerry loved his wife. He looked at her the way all girls wanted to be looked at, and yet Beth was still so unappreciative of him.
"Oh, well," Jerry began, glancing off to the side, almost as if he was embarrassed, "When I was younger, I had always liked learning new things..." he trailed off, as if he was remembering a passing conversation, "Um..." he rubbed the back of his neck, giving Tricia a forced smile, "It's not really important, I guess," he shrugged, "I just sorta picked it up as a side hobby to make extra money."
The explanation left her feeling somewhat guilty for asking. She may not notice the atmosphere in a room sometimes, but it was never hard for her to see when someone started to feel uncomfortable. She offered an apologetic look, "I'm sorry," she frowned.
"Oh! No," Jerry quickly reassured, holding up his hands, "It's not your fault at all," he felt his stomach tie into knots, nervousness clogging his throat, "I—I just... it's not..." he tried to explain, but his voice seemed to leave him, only sputtering some start to a sentence he couldn't quiet finish.
While Jerry stood tongue tied, Tricia spotted a small, empty bear shaped container that was on the counter beside him. She slowly walked over to it, picking it up, trying desperately to ignore her loud heart beat and the voice in the back of her head repeating how close she was to him, "Were you planning to make more?" she turned to him, holding up the bear, a small smile on her face.
Jerry seemed to pause his movements, almost as if he was thinking over how to reply. It wasn't like she'd be interested, his thoughts reminded him, after all, this was Summer's friend, and she was probably only talking with him out of politeness. He needed an out, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity.
"I was, actually," he replied, clearing his throat and taking the container from her, "Um, it can be a long process, so, I'd better start on it..." he forced another smile before scurrying out of the room, leaving Tricia with a mixed bundle of emotions in her stomach.
"Oh, hey, Tricia," Summer spoke up as she entered the kitchen, almost startled to find her in the house, "My dad let you in?" she tried to hide the mild disgust in her voice at the recollection of the conversation they shared a few days ago.
"Yeah..." her voice trailed off, eyes still staring at the direction Jerry had walked off in, "Um," she coughed into her fist, turning to face Summer, "So, are we going to the mall, or what?" she grinned.