Clarice/Tommy, Lunchtime

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Clarice comes to bring Tommy lunch and a stuffed Rhino. Tommy is not amused. They talk about Terry and Tommy insists she leaves.


Clarice toed open the door to Tommy's room awkwardly, trying not to drop the
tray of food. It would have been much easier to just teleport herself in,
but she was attempting to be less-threatening, which was very different from
non-threatening, although unless he had a primal fear of glitter, he
probably shouldn't worry. Yay run on stream-of-consciousness thinking.

"Lunch time!" she sang out cheerfully, heading towards the bed tray.

Tommy rolled his eyes as he groaned. oh no...not the purple perky thing
again... He closed his eyes as he composed himself and moved to slightly
sit up. "If I declined it would you leave?"

"Nope," Clarice was way too cheerful. "I brought you stuff too, since I
thought you might be bored," she sat on the bed and began unloading her
hello kitty bacpack with all sorts of knicknacks, including a game boy
brick, a couple games, a book and a little stuffed rhino.

Tommy tried hard, he really did, but he couldn't stop the disgusted look on
his face. The part he hated most, was the fact that he knew he would use
some of these things. Usually, he wouldn't touch anything given to him by a
mutant, but one could only count the ceiling tiles and replay distarous
conversation in his head so many times. Tommy nudged the rhino with his
cast. "Don't you think I'm a little old for stuffed toys?"

Clarice shot him a withering look that clearly said 'you did not just say
that out loud' before covering the rhino's tiny ears with her fingers, "Shh!
I think he heard you! Now he'll be upset! You better apologize," cuddling
the rhino, she stroked his back and whispered sweet nothings to it."The
silly boy didn't mean any thing, he's just in the world of not-believing,
yes he is, but he'll learn."

Groaning softly, Tommy reached his good hand up to rub his temples. "God, I
know you're a freak but I didn't realize you were retarded too. It's a
freakin stuffed toy!" If Tommy had dated Terry, he'd swear everyone in this
place was crazy...but then again...

Clarice stood up, leaving the rhino on the bed and crossing her arms across
her chest, "Now you listen and you listen good, you got it?" she said,
angry, "No one calls me a freak except me! And you think I don't know what
you're going through? You think you're the only one who ever hated being a
mutant? We've ALL been there, done that and had the t-shirt destroyed by
government goons. Now, Coco the rhino is a good listener and he doesn't get
mad. You think I'm retarded for bringing you a stuffed toy, but right now,
this toy is probably your only friend who ISN'T a mutant or going to beat
you up, so don't piss him off."

Sighing loudly, she pushed his food tray closer to the bed. "You gotta eat,
too."

Tommy looked at the ceiling as he waited patiently for her to finish her
little rant, one he had already heard numerous times. When would they
realize he didn't care? He hated everything mutants did to the world, and
being a mutant hadn't changed anything. The hatred for himself was only a
minor thing and something he planned on taking care of. What he wished is
that he didn't have to put up with these do goody freaks in the mean time.
"Fine, if I promise to be nice to...Coca," he couldn't get the name out
without flinching. "will you leave?"

"No," Clarice shook her head quickly, no longer angry, "You gotta finish
your lunch or Dani will get pissed. And you don't want that girl pissed!"

He raised an eyebrow. "If I promise to eat with you leave?" Tommy picked up
a carrot off the plate and took a dramatic bite.

"Sure," Clarice sat down in the room's lone chair, absently stroking her
backpack, "That's why I'm here. And y'know, to see if you suddenly had a
lobotomy. Guess not."

Tommy groaned softly and began forcing down the food, even though he wasn't
very hungry. Well at least if he was eating, he didn't have to make
conversation.

"You know, Terry's my roommate," Clarice said conversationally, filling that
awkward silence.

Tommy had to take a deep breath to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Ah
fuck no... "And...?" He asked between bites.

"She really liked you. And you made her cry. I don't like it when she
cries."

"I liked her too alright? I didn't want to break up with her...but I had to.
A mutant and a Friend of Humanity...would have never worked. Better to have
ended it when I did. Happy?" He didn't dare look up from his food and betray
the slight pain in his features.

"Of course not," Clarice said softly, "but then, this is real life and not a
modern Romeo and Juliet plot. I just...wanted you to know, I guess. I had
hoped that you would rise above all that hatred. Maybe that's asking too
much right now."

Tommy dropped his fork angrily. "I had to alright! You saw what happened at
the Fair! If I hadn't broke up with her and/or Josh had found out
sooner...Terry might not have surivived what he and Duncan would have done
to her. I was protecting her. Not everything I do is based on FOH ideals"
it wasn't hatred "as much as I'm sure you all like to think it." He
closed his eyes and took a few breaths. "Please get out. Now. I'm not going
to explain myself anymore to you."

Clarice smiled, taking his empty plate, "Thanks. Believe it or not, that's
really reassuring. I'll tell Dani to send you an extra cookie later."

: He couldn't take her smiling. That was it. "Get out." Tommy watched her
her go and once the door closed behind her, Coca the rhino bounced off it.