CHAPTER TWO     /     introduction to
faux relations

     Adelaide had dreaded going back to Greendale and reuniting with her new friends, especially with Jeff Winger. The incident from the other day had left a sour taste on her tongue. She hadn't been able to get rid of it since then. But neither had she stopped thinking about Winger's proposal.

Jeff had planted the seed and managed to get her worked up during the weekend. Back at Greendale, retaking her routine, Jeff and Addy met again in the Anthropology classroom. Fearing Jeff's proposal, Addy decided to be straightforward and ask about it.

The smug smirk on his face said it all. How could she believe he would spoil the surprise for her so easily?

At the end of their class, the couple agreed to meet at Greendale's cafeteria, selecting a table for themselves, where they could address the thought that had been tormenting Adelaide for days. However, before she could speak, she gave him the opportunity to express his ideas. He explained the plan he had concocted during the weekend, detailing he envisioned it unfolding in front of their friends.

In the end, everything was done with the goal of getting Britta and Annie off his back.

"Let me get this straight," Addy cleared her throat, tightening her posture, preparing her mind to wrap around Jeff's ideas.

She was trying her hardest to comprehend his intentions. But she found him a lost cause. A mind that was beyond finding redemption, as it would fall short for all the bad things he'd done in the little time she knew him. "You want me to date you, right?" She repeated, making sure she was getting the hang of everything.

While pointing at him, Jeff felt like she was ridiculing him on purpose, rather than making a simple gesture.

"Yes. We already went over this." He groaned, annoyed.

"Let me process this!" Addy exclaimed. The fact that she was going to start seeing Jeff daily, aside from their classes together, was something that she needed some adjusting to do. "It's not every day some mediocre white douche asks you to date him out of the blue." She laughed.

Jeff got incredibly offended by that.

"Mediocre white douche?"

"Don't get butt-hurt so easily." She warned with a scoff. However, Addy couldn't figure but ask, "Why me?" Severely intrigued by why he chased after her, out of all people.

"Why not?" Jeff shrugged, a lighthearted chuckle followed after.

Addy didn't seem amused. She needed more than just a casual "why not?" Those two words didn't fill the doubts that swirled inside her head. "I mean, look at you. You're extremely hot," He drawled, accentuating the word.

Physical attraction was a big requirement for him, as it was for most people. And given her considerable attractiveness, it's what initially caught his eye. "We both know the power we would hold at a place like this,"

"Okay, I may or may not be getting your point," She said with a chuckle, indicating that she still wasn't fully convinced. As she finished her sentence, she found herself unable to suppress a smirk. "But that still doesn't justify why this is happening." Her fingers batted between them, pointing at each other for emphasis.

"You want a reason?" He asked.

Addy shrugged, "Everything has a reason. If you don't want to tell me what it is, fine. Let's just move on to the terms and conditions," She instructed, her voice assertive.

"Terms and conditions? Seriously? Who even bothers with those? It's like reading an instruction manual from a toaster," Jeff retorted.

Addy groaned at his cluelessness. "I need to know what you're into,"

Jeff's eyebrows shot up in surprise, taken aback by her comment but not entirely opposed to laying over the table whatever she wanted. He was prepared for anything. "Ugh, not like that. More like, do we hold hands? Do we kiss yet? Is it too early to ask —"

"Stop." Jeff requested, his tone firm. "You've asked enough questions. You're making me second-guess if we should even go through with this," He shook his head.

"I'm not even getting to the important question here," Addy complained.

"Which is?"

"Who the hell are you trying to impress?" She questioned. Her fingers interlocked, resting upon the surface of the table, her eyes scrutinizing his image. Since he'd shown too much disposal in handing out any needed information, she wanted him to lay the origin of his troubles.

Besides, she thought the entire concept of them dating was dumb. Jeff Winger putting in effort to date a girl he hardly knew just didn't make sense to her. Why even bother to go through all that trouble?

"Can we go back to terms and conditions?" Jeff requested.

"Now you want to go back to terms in conditions," Addy scoffed, "Answer me, Winger." Sass laced her voice.

"Britta." He answered, ashamed that she got him to say her name aloud.

Addy's eyebrows tied in a knot, "I thought this was about the other girl." She slightly frowned, almost like she was disappointed about it, and her guarded demeanor was let down for a moment.

"What other girl?"

"You know, the bug-eyed one." She clarified. To help Jeff figure, Addy proceeded to blink her eyes wide numerous times, just to give him an idea of how big she considered the other girl's eyes to be.

"Are you having a stroke?" Jeff worried.

An annoyed sigh escaped Addy's lips, "No, I'm... demonstrating that she has big eyes. Like, googly eyes, and stares into your soul and probably judges you behind your back." She went on to describe, only the little she perceived from the girl.

"Oh, you mean Annie?" Jeff thought it was a rather odd description of Annie's attributes but it was certainly a creative way to describe her.

Addy, however, worried that Jeff had only assimilated she was talking about Annie solely because of her characteristics.

But they weren't the sweet kind of characteristics you'd want listed about you.

They were the ones you tried not to think about, which made Addy realize that Annie was a much bigger problem than Jeff ever acknowledged to be. "Annie's just a pesky pebble in my shoe, but with you, we'll kick her into the curb, and we'll make sure she's history." He suggested.

"What she needs is a little distraction," She shrugged, somewhat agreeing with Jeff.

She found her suggestion more plausible than trying to get rid of Annie all-together, which sounded complicated to execute, given Jeff's hints.

They were already acting like a couple and having their first disagreement: who was the actual cause of Jeff's problems?

"If you can't even identify the real main issue, how are you gonna deal with the subplot?" Addy seemed to express herself more through gestures and movements than words.

And it was distracting.

"Don't use that word. You're starting to sound like Abed." Jeff interjected.

"It's been a long day with him, and surprisingly, he's actually quite pleasant and charming. Unlike you —"

"You're already driving me insane, and our relationship hasn't even begun," He complained with a weary sigh.

"Fake relationship, just to clarify," Addy corrected him.

"Oh, right, fake," Jeff conceded with an eye roll. "Go on, about that subplot I need to identify," He said, gesturing for her to continue, his annoyance thinly veiled beneath his composed demeanor.

"Now you're finally letting me speak," Addy grumbled.

"Just... get to the point," Jeff replied, his patience wearing thin.

"The main issue is Annie. After that big, awful, creepy ceremony, it's obvious she's still got the hots for you, not Britta," She pointed out.

"How would you know?" He asked.

"By the way she looks at you," Addy stated. "She uses those big eyes of hers to look at you every now and then." She cocked her right eyebrow.

"Well, too bad for her because I'm not interested." Jeff chuckled lightly.

"I think you're not brave enough to reject her. You're scared you'll shatter her little high school girl crush fantasy and then she'll stop giving you attention." Addy remarked. "But you know you have to hurt her in the process, and you don't wanna do that, do you?"

With a subtle nod, Jeff conceded Addy's observation, a tinge of shame evident in his demeanor.

In that brief moment, had a Addy glimpse of rare vulnerability in Jeff Winger. It was clear he struggled to muster the courage to outright tell her that he wasn't interested, knowing it would break her heart.

After all, who could say no to Annie? Certainly not him.

"Okay... I'm gonna ignore the fact that you do have feelings," Addy cleared her throat, uncomfortable over the shared glance.

"As I do." Jeff nodded, agreeing.

Addy folded her arms, "What should be our first step?" She asked.

"What couples do." Jeff answered as if it were the most groundbreaking information. Despite having a clear grin on his face, trying to exude confidence, behind it hid a very troubled Jeff Winger.

He lacked the fundamental understanding of being in a relationship. Despite his experience, it mostly stemmed from fleeting encounters and manipulative tactics that got him short-term gains. While he considered his own tactics effective, they failed to equip him with the skills of genuine commitment.

Jeff Winger had tried and failed at relationships, many times.

His knowledge, gained largely and gone to waste from his relationship with Professor Slater, was basic and filled with plenty of misconceptions of adult relationships.

Under Addy's doubtful glare, Jeff panicked, "I don't know!"

"We should start with something simple, like holding hands. Then, we'll see where that leads," Addy suggested, followed by a tight-lipped smile.

"Hold hands?" He gulped.

"Yes. Don't tell me you haven't held hands with anyone before,"

"I have. It's just... been a long time since I've done this. Any of this," Jeff confessed, it felt like an eternity had passed since he and Slater had gone their separate ways.

Without warning, Addy slid from her side of the booth. She stood at his side, watching his eyes peer at her in horror, not knowing what she was going to do. She extended her hand, her fingers finding his as she pulled him out of his seat. Together, they stood up, fingers interlocked with each other, and under the eye of the many students spread around the cafeteria.

He looked around nervously.

Jeff didn't do handholding.

So, how did he end up here? Holding another girl's hand? He felt himself getting judged under everyone's watchful eye.

But he had to set aside his doubts and carry on with the relationship. For practice, Addy guided their way out of the cafeteria, until they reached one of the many hallways.

Luckily, for Jeff, it was empty, and out of everyone's sight. Almost instantly, like it was pure instinct, both of them untangled their fingers from each other.

"I don't think this is going to work out," Jeff said.

Addy shook her hands in repugnance, trying to get rid of its gross feeling. As well as a shiver down her spine, "Your hand is so big, it's grossing me out,"

"Holding hands isn't really my thing," 

"You have to make it 'your thing' if you want to make this seem more believable,"

"Don't make me do that," Jeff protested, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

Jeff's watch rang, a high-pitched whistle echoing through the hallway. It indicated to both of them that their break was up, each having to hop back into their schedules and return to their respective classes.

Addy looked down at his watch, "Saved by the bell," She raised her gaze, a small grin on her face. "When class is over, let's meet at this exact spot, hold hands, and show up to your little group of friends, deal?" She instructed, but seeking his understanding.

"I hate you so much," Jeff mumbled under his breath, his eyes rolling in annoyance.

"Jeff, holding hands is mandatory. Or did you miss the basics with your Professor?"

"How'd you know I dated Slater?" He quirked a brow, momentarily surprised by the mention of Slater. Then, his gaze softened, realizing, "I always forget you existed before meeting you." He remembered.

𐙚

           "I can't believe I talked you into doing this," Addy whispered, almost excitedly, while her hands were intertwined with Jeff's. To say the least, she was proud that she had Jeff bent down and at her mercy. Lacking any true expertise in relationships, Jeff was willing to do anything she said to make it more realistic.

Jeff feigned a smile, "Well, that means I'm stuck with you now," He said through his pearly whites. Whoever walked past him, would get fake smiles from him. Pretending he was in a happy, and new, relationship with Adelaide Santiago.

"Is that a problem?" Addy asked in a teasing manner.

"Very,"

The two of them continued their path beside each other, having as their mission to arrive at the study room, together. They knew his friends were waiting for them, expectant on what they portrayed that would either incite an interesting conversation or silence.

Suddenly, Jeff couldn't take the pressure. A few feet away from the room, he stopped in his tracks, his fingers untangling rapidly. Addy's head whipped behind her, watching a nervous Jeff fidgeting.

"You're chickening out now?" She panicked, while also acknowledging how worried he looked all of a sudden.

"You don't know how tough this is for me,"

"Boo-hoo Winger!" She mocked, "You're just another white man crying about his first-world problems. We already have plenty of those,"

She felt Jeff cast a glare over her, which she didn't mind acknowledging.

He began to second guess the whole idea of pretending to date Addy, was it really worth it? "Let's get this over with, please," She pleaded, slightly embarrassed she was putting up with him to begin with.

If it wasn't for the deal, she wouldn't date a guy like Jeff in a million years. Not even if she lived in an alternate timeline. She simply wouldn't do it.

"You're right. Let's do this," Jeff collected himself, mustering the courage to continue their little path left to finally confront his friends.

Regaining his composure, Jeff and Addy's fingers were interlocked, again. The two entered the room, feeling the ambience a little heavy. The group had been expecting them for a while now, and when the couple finally arrived, they didn't seem all that happy.

It was like he could feel the judgment emanating from his friends, or at least some of them.

Out of courtesy, Jeff pulled the chair next to him for Addy to sit down. A chair that had never been used since the origins of the study group. The use of this chair let everyone know that Jeff was aiming for something serious with Addy if she was going to start filling that space. Addy gave him a soft smile in gratitude, sitting down as Jeff did the same.

It was bad luck for Addy having to sit next to Annie. Jeff ran with the same amount of bad luck, having to sit next to Britta.

"Jeff, I didn't know we were recruiting new members for the study group," Annie said, her voice sounding bothered.

Her discomfort was more than obvious to everyone in the room.

"Yeah, I thought Chang was our only eligible option. And by eligible, I mean our only option," Britta interjected.

Contrary to Annie, Britta didn't seem all that annoyed. Or at least, Addy hadn't perceived it as so. Maybe Britta was better at hiding her emotions than she estimated, or was she misreading her?

Jeff sighed, "You guys are being close-minded. I thought Addy would make a good addition to the study group, besides being my obvious new girlfriend," He grinned after his sentence.

As proposed to himself, he was trying to sell their relationship as much as he could.

"It's obvious you guys need to spice it up a bit," Addy interjected as she wiggled her fingers.

"She's right." Abed chimed in, hits tone matter-of-fact as always.

"But... Abed, won't Addy ruin the dynamic of the group?" Britta asked. With her chest faced toward him, she tried to get Abed on her side by trying to relate to his terms.

Abed shook his head, "Not really. Addy's a great addition. She might keep things interesting for a while and even bring new storylines for us," He disagreed.

"Uh-huh... but what about her dating Jeff? Do you think that could ruin the group dynamic?" Britta raised her eyebrows at him.

"Guys, enough!" Jeff yelled, putting a halt to Britta's arguing, "Quit trying to get Abed on your side," He instantly picked on the blonde, which caused her to frown in response.

"Just making a point," Britta said in her defense.

"Which is?" Jeff asked.

"Nothing. You've got nothing to prove," Addy interjected. "They're just mad at me 'cause I took your man, who wasn't even yours to begin with," She shrugged, totally unapologetic.

Annie gasped, "I'm sorry, but I won't tolerate you talking to us like this. Jeff, do something!" She implored, feeling helpless in Addy's presence.

"Again, guys, you two need to accept that this is official," Jeff felt ridiculous for having to repeat himself.

"There's not much you guys can do about it at this point. I'm part of this group now," Addy announced.

To Jeff's surprise, half of the study group, meaning Annie and Britta, were unhappy with her self-made decision. He thought they would be more welcoming of her, instead of fighting him on her inclusion.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group weren't bothered by her.

Surprisingly, the only person Jeff thought might have grudges against Addy, hadn't said anything against her. "Pierce, I'm surprised you haven't said anything borderline racist about me," Addy noticed.

"That's odd." Jeff turned his confused gaze to Pierce.

"I don't even know where you're from," Pierce said with a scoff.

For him, that felt like important information he needed to know if he was going to offend anyone. How could he pull off an offensive joke if he didn't know the basics of his opponent? At this, Addy felt like it was an invitation to dare Pierce into saying something about her.

She narrowed her eyes at the old man, her mind swirling with various outcomes from a simple conversation with Pierce. Jeff saw it in her eyes, the intention to start trouble, just because she could.

"Don't. You'll give him the power to say something racist," Jeff interjected before she dared to say anything.

His warnings fell on deaf ears, "Puertorican," Addy answered, puffing her chest proudly.

Pierce chuckled, his laughter building anticipation as if he were charging up to unleash a particularly clever joke. While doing so, the group leaned in, their anticipation palpable.

"I bet it's just another one of those tropical places with nothing interesting going on," He quipped.

The group signed collectively. They had anticipated Pierce's jab to be sharper. Yet, this meant that he would likely escalate in the future; she'd just caught him off-guard and unprepared this time.

Addy arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips, satisfied with her opponents weak response.

Troy, however, felt a similar reaction rising within him, "At least he acknowledged it was tropical," He remarked with a nonchalant shrug.

With Pierce's underwhelming comment hanging in the air, Shirley seized the opportunity to join the conversation in a different direction, hoping to shift the focus away from him.

"Jeffrey, I think it's lovely to have Addy here," She reflected, her warm smile radiating genuine kindness. In response, Jeff couldn't help but offer a grateful smile of his own.

He knew he could always count with Shirley's support.

"Thank you, Shirley." Addy replied with a reciprocal smile, touched by Shirley's welcoming gesture.

Addy appreciated Shirley's welcoming words and couldn't help but hope that she would continue to be treated kindly for the duration of her "relationship" with Jeff.

However, the thought of Shirley discovering their stunt sent a chill down Addy's spine. She shuddered at the idea of facing Shirley's if their deception were to be uncovered.

"We haven't heard much from Troy's opinion, have we?" Jeff said, redirecting the group's attention toward the young man.

"He's taking a vow of silence against this injustice," Britta said.

"Oh, I'm totally sure it's because he's against it," Addy chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm, earning an eye roll from Britta.

"Well, I think he is. Aren't you, Troy?" Annie and Britta turned their heads toward him, awaiting his response to validate their suspicions.

Troy cleared his throat, feeling the weight of Annie and Britta's gazes, along with everyone else's, fixated on him. It wasn't easy being thrust into the spotlight, especially when he hadn't asked for it.

"Man, I'm just glad to have another hot girl around," Troy said casually, unaware of the potential implications of his words. But the gasps from Britta and Annie made him break a nervous sweat.

Yet, for Addy, she received it as a compliment, despite the general agreement that he might've misspoken. "I-I mean- average-looking woman." He corrected himself awkwardly, uncertain if he'd made a difference.

"Okay..." Jeff interjected, breaking the silence following Troy's awkward comment. "with that said, Addy officially joins our group." He grinned, eliciting a few cheers from his friends.

By officially solidifying Addy's place within the group, Jeff noted that more than half of the members were in favor of her presence. Nonetheless, there were still others who needed some time to warm up to her.

Regardless, Jeff was relieved that the interaction had taken a positive turn and that Britta and Annie's objections hadn't influenced the rest of the group.

As for Pierce, Jeff didn't expect anything different from him.

As the cheers died down, Addy offered a smile to her new friends. However, smiling didn't necessarily equate to happiness. Internally, she didn't feel all that excited about being part of the study group.

Despite the majority favoring her inclusion, she worried about the others who weren't as welcoming.

It seemed that dating Jeff Winger was going to be more challenging than she anticipated.

If she couldn't win over his friends, what was the point of pretending to date him?

aubrey speaks. Yes... I love you Community fanfic writers. We're all single handedly keeping this fandom alive!!! Can't wait for us to freak out about the movie together when it comes out. #sixseasonsandamovie

side note. This isn't my favorite chapter but I'll try to keep myself consistent with the uploads. The book is literally completed, I just have to rewrite some things and make sure it's coherent for y'all to read and enjoy <333