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Surprisingly, it was Jeff’s idea. He lets Britta take the credit because he can’t let people know he cares, but seeing it come to fruition makes a weird warm feeling grow in his heart that he’d like to go away.
Abed once mentioned offhandedly how autism speaks was more of a hate group than an organization that wanted to help people. It rubbed Jeff the wrong way, especially since his former firm once represented them in a case.
So he did some research, thinking the whole time that Abed would be saying something about an out-of-character moment . The more he read the more heated he got about it too, in the same way, Britta does about injured cats and Troy does about people who diss early 2000s cartoons.
He can’t help but think of how much Abed hates doctors and wonder if it has anything to do with ABA therapy, with the film Abed made in his first year and how he sometimes sits on his hands.
So Jeff makes a plan, hoping, praying to a god he doesn’t even believe in, it’ll make up for his past mistakes.
But now that it was actually April 2nd he was nervous, especially for Abed’s reaction. The group was already in the study room and waiting for him to get out of How To Watch Television. (Jeff was waiting to see who would have a breakdown first, Abed or the Professor. His bet was on the Professor).
Abed finally walks in, head down as he hums what sounds like that smooth Jazz song he and Troy love so much. Jeff forces himself to relax as his friend pulls out his chair and takes his normal seat.
When Abed looks up his brows furrow in confusion. He takes in each member of the study group one by one stopping to land on Jeff who is wearing a slick red button-up and an expensive suit jacket to go with.
“You’re all wearing red,” Abed states, pointing around the table. Abed’s in his typical graphic tee and skinny jeans, wearing neither red nor blue, but rather a lot of green, black, and purple.
“Yeah,” Troy says, beaming. He has on a red sweater and burgundy pants.
“Is this some kind of late April fool's day joke?” Abed asks. “Or a social cue I’m missing?”
Britta takes his hand in her own, a red bracelet glistening in the light. “No,” she assures. “It’s-”
“Dean-a-ling,” Dean Pelton sticks his head through the doorway getting everyone's attention. He’s dressed head to toe in blue and his shirt has rainbow puzzle pieces across the front that makes Jeff’s blood boil. Even his pants have tiny puzzle pieces on them and Jeff wonders if he made them himself, then decides he’d rather not think about it.
“I see I missed the message that everyone’s wearing red today,” he says somberly, sounding like he might be about to cry. “I feel so blue. Even Pierce is in on it.” He anguishes, motioning towards the red turtle neck Pierce has.
The dean takes a deep breath to compose himself and puts a hand on Jeff’s shoulder. Jeff rolls his eyes, allowing Craig whatever moment of comfort he needs.
“I made red bracelets for everyone if you want!” Annie speaks up, pulling out a beaded bracelet from her bag.
“No,” The dean says, shaking his head. “I don't want your pity.” He takes a deep, steadying breath. “At least I’m not the only one left out,” he sniffs, nodding at Abed. He gently slaps Jeff’s shoulder and Jeff feels his patience waning.
Then, the dean glares at the whole table in a rare moment of anger. “And of all days… I thought you guys would be wearing blue.” He looks at Abed and shakes his head. “It’s like they don’t even care.”
Abed cocks his head to the side. “Care about what?”
Troy is glaring at Craig, daring him to continue. Jeff feels the same anger deep in his veins.
“Autism awareness day! Autism speaks! And to think they call you their friends!”
“Okay,” Jeff snaps, standing up and dislodging Craig’s hand. The dean seems to be a little into that, but Jeff ignores it. “I think that you should leave, and I also think you should do some actual research by some actual autistic people on world autism day and the color blue.”
The dean frowns. “Oh, Jeffrey…” he says, using his patented disappointed voice. Jeff has had enough. He’s seeing red, and not just because almost everyone is wearing it.
“Get out!” Jeff yells, pointing towards the door.
“Well, I see where I’m not wanted,” Craig leaves moping on his way out the door.
Jeff turns to look at Abed as he slowly sits down. The other man is fiddling with a pencil and looking at him with an expression Jeff can’t figure out.
“Is it world autism day?” He finally asks.
“Yeah,” Troy replies, smiling a little sheepishly.
“Oh,” Abed mutters. “I tend to try and forget about that. People like to be mean about it. One year my friends locked me in the art room closet and painted the word freak over it.” Jeff doesn't say that those people don’t sound like friends, but he does think it.
“And people are mean without realizing it,” Abed continues. Both Annie and Shirley aww and Jeff wishes they wouldn’t so often, especially after learning about what infantilization is. Abed ignores it, however, and talks right over them.”
“Like the dean. But I think he’s just ignorant.”
Abed looks around the room, taking everyone in one by one. “I like the red though,” he says and finally lands on Jeff with an approving nod. “Thanks.”
“Let’s study,” Jeff replies, because he’s ill-equipped for a highly emotional moment right now, just like he always is. Everyone opens their books and gets started.
Jeff catches Abed on his way out the door once the study group disbands for the day and starts leaving for their own obligations.
“I stole the socks from Annie but I already owned the red sweater!” Jeff gives Troy a pointed look, asking for some alone time and effectively cutting him off.
“Am I interrupting something important?” Jeff asks.
“No,” Abed replies, blunt and stoic as always. Jeff clears his throat.
“Abed, can I talk to you? Alone?”
“Yeah,”
Troy gives Jeff a wary look but nods at them both. “See you at home?”
“Pew pew,” Abed replies in lieu of an answer, although in a way that’s Abed’s equivalent of a yes. Then the two of them do their not-so-secret-secret handshake and part ways.
Abed looks at him, a question written across his face. As much as everyone says Abed is unreadable, it can be shockingly easy to figure him out. Or, at least it is for Jeff.
“Look, Abed,” he starts, awkwardly running the back of his neck. “I just… I want to apologize.” The words feel weird in his mouth but he pushes on even as Abed cocks his head to the side.
“Why?”
“When, at the first study session, I said you had Aspergers. That wasn’t cool of me.”
Abed purses his lips and then straightens up. “It wasn’t,” he says. “And Asperger’s is an outdated term that’s going to be replaced in the newest version of the Diagnosis Statistic Manual. I’m sure Britta will have a field day with that. But it’s okay now. You’ve more than made up for it.”
Abed smiles softly, just quick enough to miss it, and Jeff can’t stop himself from pulling Abed into a hug.
Abed uncharacteristically wraps his arms around Jeff. It catches Jeff off guard, even if only for a few seconds. The older man holds on for a little longer, melting into the hug.
When he pulls back, Jeff claps an arm on Abed’s shoulder. Abed nods back. Jeff’s heart gives a weird twist. He’s proud of how far they’ve both come since first meeting.
“Thanks for today, by the way,” Abed says. “It was cool. Cool, cool, cool.”
Jeff pauses. “How did you know it was me?” He asks, even though he shouldn’t be that surprised. Abed always has a way of figuring things out in the end.
“Well, there’s no way it would have been Pierce,” Abed starts. “Shirley’s too busy to plan all this, Troy would have just talked to me, and Britta or Annie would have probably turned it into this big thing, like a party or school-wide event. So that just leaves you.”
Jeff squirms under Abed’s all-knowing eyes and shrugs. “Guilty as charged,”
Abed nods once and adjusts his messenger bag over his shoulder. “Thanks for being a good friend,” he says. Jeff follows him out of the study room. “Can we get frozen yogurt? Your treat?”
That sounds more like the Abed Jeff knows. He rolls his eyes but nods. “Yeah, sure, whatever,” Jeff replies. “Love you too.”