1. set yourself on fire

so undergrad (portrayed by the lovely Rooney Mara) sort of likes her philosophy TA (Andrew Garfield, like ew). they begin dating without each of them knowing what they're getting into. somewhere along the way, she realizes he might be the one (DUNDUNDUNN) and he realizes she might be the one (cue double DUNDUNDUNNN). the thing is, while she's okay with that, though a bit scared, he's scared shitless. because what 18 year-old girl in their right mind would fall for him? he's a cynic, dull, and so freaking sarcastic. she should be with someone who's more optimistic, more vibrant, more alive. someone who embraces the idea of being in love with someone positively instead of outright denying it.
so the two walk in a fine line between i-love-you-s and we-need-space. eventually, he can't take it anymore. he tells her he needs his space, she gets hurt, and they fight. he basically tells her that he's letting her go /Come Back to Me: now playing/ and she's upset that he's not willing to fight for her /Skinny Love: now playing/. they break up with obvious ill-feelings towards the other.
time skip a few years later; she's studying her graduate program in a college somewhere that's not the same one where she met Mr. TA. somehow, the lack of relationships bother her and she tries to date. but she ends up comparing every single one of them to her man (or is it ex-man?). when a chance encounter brings them together once more, she's determined not to let him slip through her fingers. although she's come to peace with the fact that they weren't meant to be, she also realizes that they're just the right thing at the wrong time.
/and this is the part where they presumably fix the burned bridges :)/

2. you go talk to your friends

so tay and bel (haha, kinda like taco bell) are sort of friends but not friends. their parents think they're friends, but they're not actually that close. you know, the sort of friends who you don't consider your closest friend yet you end up telling everything to them? yes that friend. in high school, the tension between them is exacerbated by the fact that they're both straining to be popular. yes, popular.
i'm not a fan of stereotypes, but for the sake of simplicity and the state of my head let's just say that one of them becomes a sort of outcast and the other became a pop queen. they're still friends-not-friends but they're hanging with different groups and it's sorta hard to hang when your friends don't like who you're hanging with.
so let's say there's some big event that both want to join (the school forensic club perhaps?). and they both made it. and they are stuck as partners. and somehow the awkwardness of being a not-friend and hanging with different crews and not liking each other is making everything worse, and that's not what they want. they mend their friendship, form an actual friendship, and actually win the nationals.

Labels: fail, plot bunnies, project, story