Laurie and Crystal - Out for a Run

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Takes place the day before they went to San Diego. While out for a run, Laurie and Crystal talk about the week, guy-watching, and hot cross buns.



Laurie stretched out her legs and rolled her shoulders as she waited for Crystal to arrive for their morning run. She was breaking in some new runners today so she wanted to start of fairly slow till she got a feel for them.

"Hello, Laurie," Crystal said just moments later. "How are you this morning?"

"Very good." Laurie responded, smiling up at her sometimes friend, more often times fellow mansion resident these days. "You want to go hard today, or take it easy?"

"That is up to you," Crystal replied with a smile. "We will have to do a lot of hard work starting tomorrow, so today we will do whatever you feel is best."

"Taking it easy it is." Laurie replied with a grin of her own and stood from her stretch. "We'll take the south path? I haven't used it in awhile and it goes by this really pretty creek."

Crystal nodded, landing on the ground near Laurie. "The south path it is. On the count of one... two... three!"

Laurie had already taken off at two, however, a wide grin on her face as she raced down the track. She'd slow down into a jog once they'd gotten to the start of the south path but for now it was all about letting the throttle out and enjoying the feel of the path under her feet.

"Come on slow coach!" she called back with a laugh. "Last one to the finish line has to clean the other's laundry for a week!"

Laundry? As if Crystal ever actually did her own laundry... and she wasn't quite sure she'd let Laurie clean it, either. There were quite a few dry clean or hand wash only items in her wardrobe.

Without replying, Crystal ran towards Laurie and raced past her. Conversation would only slow her down.

Laurie was, at heart, a long distance runner, and had been on the cross-country track team at her old school. This did not translate well into a dead sprint and she quickly found herself being outpaced by Crystal. It was with a wry grin that she met her at the finish line, stopping to take in a few deep breaths before she spoke. "Looks like I'm doing your laundry for the week then. I keep forgetting how much harder sprints are to the long distance stuff."

"Do not forgot, Laurie; tomorrow we will be going to San Diego with Red X," Crystal reminded the younger blonde. "Our laundry might be particularly horrid this week, and I would not wish for you to have to deal with extra laundry of this type." Not to mention the fact that she had purchased new clothing for this trip and was not sure she would bother bringing any of it back to the mansion. Her current wardrobe did not include much in the way of t-shirts and jeans, and this wasn't a fact that needed to change.

"True....Hmm, how about I cook you dinner when we get back and we can call it even?" Laurie said with an easy grin, taking up a much more sedate jogging speed now.

With a smile, Crystal nodded, and followed Laurie's lead, matching her slower pace. "Have you had a good week, Laurie?'

Laurie contemplating the question as they jogged, letting her feet hit the ground with a satisfying firmness as she let the distance roll out under them. There had been better weeks, to be sure but there'd also been much worse. She supposed taken as a whole, it hadn't been as bad as it could have been.

"I've had worse," she answered honestly. "At least no one got hurt this week, or blew up."

Crystal nodded. "The last few days have seemed much quieter than the beginning of the week."

Laurie's nose wrinkled slightly in distaste as she was reminded of just how loud and uncomfortable the beginning of the week had been. If she could go a lifetime without having several of her friends angry at her, and in turns either giving her the silent treatment or showing 'disappointed' face at her, she would be a very, very happy person.

"It's been somewhat quieter, yes." Laurie admitted, mind shying away from the conversation she'd had with Jean for a moment before she was reminded of what Dr Samson had told her. She should talk about these things, even if it was hard. "It's not easy to be on the outs with the people you live with, let alone people you live with who are also friends."

Crystal nodded. "I have been concerned about you, Laurie. I am certain that you did not mean to hurt anyone with what you said, and I know that you can be a very nice, cheerful, and friendly person to be around, but that is not the impression people have received from you in the past few weeks. Those who know you to be the bright young woman you are should know that this is not at all how you always behave, but other people will not know this. Speaking from personal experience, I know how much a first impression can affect someone's perception of a person or a place."

"I know they are," Laurie replied softly, watching her feet rather then Crystal. She didn't want this conversation, any more then she'd wanted any of the ones she'd had recently. "I'm trying to be better at things."

"I never doubted that at all," Crystal said, smiling at Laurie even though the younger girl was apparently suddenly very interested in her shoes.

"Maybe I just need to get out more." Laurie said with a rueful grin. "I haven't had much of a life beyond study and training lately. There's got to be time for recreation, right?"

Crystal nodded, still smiling. "While the next week will involve hard work, it is also a good opportunity to interact with others in a different setting. I am sure that the next week will prove to be both interesting and rewarding to everyone who chooses to go."

"That's true! Sun, sand, cute guys." Laurie said, looking at Crystal again, eyes bright. "Cute guys with their shirts off due to sweaty working conditions."

Crystal had to force herself to keep the smile on her face. "I have a boyfriend, Laurie. I do not believe that I will be spending my time looking at other men, but you are more than welcome to... what is it that people say? 'Enjoy the view', yes?"

"Just because you're with Forge, doesn't mean you can't look, Crystal." Laurie replied, "Or that people won't look at you, for that matter. As long as there's no touching involved, it's usually fine. I doubt Forge is going to give you crap if you admire the view. He's not exactly the jealous type, after all. But, if you're more comfortable not looking, then that's cool too."

She looked at Crystal closely, trying to gauge her mood. She always seemed to clam up a little when Laurie talked about Forge and she wondered briefly if Forge had mentioned their long ago, whatever it was, she'd never been able to figure out just what to call it. If so, she wondered how she could reassure her that she only saw Forge as a friend these days.

"I do not wish to look at men I do not know, Laurie," Crystal said. She'd had the same mindset when she'd been a student at the school, and perhaps then she would have been comfortable with having this sort of conversation with Laurie, but right now it was more than a bit disconcerting to be involved in such a talk with her former suitemate. "Whether or not it would bother Forge, well, I will not say that it is not important, but it is not the sole reason for it."

Laurie ran on for awhile without speaking, thinking on what Crystal had said. She wondered if it was a cultural thing or a Crystal thing, not wanting to look at guys like that. She didn't particularly understand it but that didn't mean she disapproved of it. She figured that there were enough people in the world that everyone being the same would be perfectly boring.

"I'm not really sure I understand that," she finally admitted. "But, as long as you're happy. You and Forge doing anything for Easter? I've been thinking of seeing if Lorna would let me make some chocolates for everyone."

"We have not discussed any Easter plans," Crystal said, running next to Laurie. "Have you made any plans, other than making chocolate?"

"Nope, I'm not Christian, so I don't get into the whole 'going to church' thing. I'm just in it for the chocolate." Laurie explained, jumping over a small raised tree root in the path and making a note to let Mr Marko know about it.

Crystal nodded. "I do not see why Lorna would not wish to allow you to make chocolate. Do you have something that you can make to share with those who cannot eat chocolate?"

"Hmm, I could make some hot cross buns as well, those are the ones with fruit that have a little cross on top of them. They're delicious." Laurie pondered, falling into her stride now they've been running for a little while. It was always that way for her when she wasn't racing, a little time to get used to the ground under her feet and then she could almost go forever if need be.

"Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one ha' penny, two ha' penny, hot cross buns," Crystal recited.

"Hot cross buns it is!" Laurie replied, with a large grin.