There’s a Chance

There’s a Chance
(Book-exclusive)
Published	August 3, 2017 (2017-08-03)
Page count	4
Major characters	Jordan, Matt, Tiff
Locations	Roseville High School
Collected in	Volume Five
Appears between
← Total Recall Textual Harassment →

There’s a Chance is a book-exclusive chapter appearing in Bittersweet Candy Bowl: Volume Five. Jordan is back at school after the prom-night car crash, bruised and with his arm in a sling. Roxy rushes over and very nearly confesses her feelings, while Tiff barely manages basic politeness. Guess which one sends Jordan over the moon.

Synopsis

Jordan returns to school after the prom-night car crash a bit worse for wear, with a bruised cheek, sore sides, and an arm in a sling. Matt came out of it with just a bruised forehead, and he waves off Jordan’s thanks, since Jordan’s group “made it out way worse” than him. Roxy hurries over the moment she spots Jordan, and he reassures her that he’s fine, mainly glad that basketball season is over. He thanks her for the dance.

Before she goes, Roxy starts to say something more: “I had a really good time at prom, and..” Her nerve gives out mid-sentence, and she excuses herself to go find her lab partner before class. Once she’s out of sight, Matt gives Jordan a playful shove, and Jordan throws a silent, triumphant fist in the air.

Tiff is chatting by the lockers when she spots Jordan’s bandages and blurts out “You look like shit! What happened?” Jordan says another driver T-boned them on the ride home, and Tiff remarks that she was lucky to have left early. She does soften enough to wish him well.

Jordan’s smile fades for a few steps, but not for long. “She REALLY cares about me!!” he gushes, hand to his blushing cheek. Matt just smiles awkwardly beside him.

Character dynamics

Jordan hears exactly what he wants to hear.

• Jordan and Roxy: Whatever sparked between them at prom, it’s mutual now. Roxy hurries over to check on Jordan after the crash, and she nearly says why outright before scurrying off with a flimsy excuse. Jordan blushes through the whole conversation and celebrates the second she’s gone. Neither of them has said anything definite yet, but they’re both clearly hoping.
• Jordan and Tiff: Still entirely one-sided, and this chapter shows Jordan doing the heavy lifting to keep it that way. Tiff used him for the limo ride to prom and left for another party. Here, her sympathy runs to shock at his bandages, relief that she skipped the crash, and a parting “Hope you get better.” Jordan wilts for a moment, then decides that counts as devotion.

Trivia & observations

• This is Roxy’s second appearance ever, after her debut at the Total Recall prom. It is also her only speaking appearance in the series to date, since later chapters only bring her up by name.
• Jordan is “mainly glad we’re out of basketball season,” confirming he’s a basketball player. His hoops habit goes back at least to Dinner Time, where he keeps a toy hoop hung on his bedroom door.
• Veronica has said that side characters like Matt were deliberately given more room rather than adding new faces to the main cast: “Matt was initially just a friend of Rachel and has become his own guy.”

Related chapters

• Total Recall: The prom night this whole chapter is cleaning up after. Jordan’s dance with Roxy happens off-panel after Paulo shoves him toward her on the floor. Tiff’s early exit and the crash on the drive home in Matt’s car also happen there.
• Take Heart: Matt’s soft spot for Jordan first shows here, when he blushes over helping Jordan gather his dropped books. It puts Matt’s awkward reaction to Jordan’s Tiff-gushing in a rather different light.
• Fair Game: Much later, Jordan is still pining after Tiff, and when Roxy comes up in conversation he only shrugs that “She was nice, I suppose..”