Log: Maddie and Sarah, Sunday evening (backdated to January 20th)

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Maddie pays Sarah a visit to see how she's doing, bringing donuts and a plan along with her.


University was both an exciting and a scary new thing for Sarah. She'd had a semester off from school and studying in general, spending the majority of her time working, but now she had to reintroduce herself to the world of academia. The fact that her girlfriend had left to spend a semester abroad really wasn't helping either, and as much as she tried not to think about it that was kind of a hard thing not to do. They still had lots of contact of course but it was weird not having Layla around to just be with, without having to say anything. That was something that she discovered she sorely missed.

Sighing, Sarah told herself to stop thinking about that for the millionth time that day, and turned back to her text books, flipping through a few more pages as she tried to concentrate on her studies.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

~Hey Sarah?~ Maddie wasn't sure exactly where in the suite Sarah was currently located and if she would hear the knock on the outer door. It had really been way too long since they had hung out, and now that Layla was gone, she figured the older girl was probably a bit lonely. Well, she did have her twin sister, but from what others had told her over the years about their siblings, no one ever wanted to spend all their time with someone else who had time-shared in the same womb. Maddie could see it actually being worse, what with the two girls having had to fight for premium hot tub space for nine months.

Built in best friend, or de facto foe? Maddie still wasn't sure.

~Yo. I feel you in there. I come bearing donuts.~

Hearing the knock at the door, and then receiving Maddie's mental message, Sarah closed her textbook, getting to her feet and then going to the door. "Coming!"

She opened the door and smiled as she saw Maddie and the gift she was bearing. "Hi there, how are you? Come on in, please!" The brunette stepped to the side to allow her friend entrance.

"Pistachio cake with rosewater icing, lavender regular with chocolate glaze," Maddie ticked off the flavors as she entered the suite and held out the box she was carrying. "Matcha, baklava, masala chai, and powdered with red bean filling?" She shrugged. "They had a mix of like international flavors at The Count's today. And the flavors seem pretty safe. Well maybe not the red bean, but I'm totally game if you are. And I thought you could use some sugar."

"You know. For studying purposes. Ms. College Girl."

Lifting the lid, Sarah peered at its contents, her eyebrows raised as Maddie rattled off all of the different varieties. "Ooh, wow, you weren't kidding about the international part huh?" The one thing all Count Donutula donuts had in common however was that they were completely and totally awesome, so there was little to no risk in being adventurous. Quite the opposite, actually, as Sarah had found several different kinds of donuts she loved which she'd never have otherwise dreamed to have tried thanks to the shop.

Sarah reached in and, after a couple more seconds of deliberation, plucked one of the delicious delicacies from the box. "Thanks man, awesome." Nodding over towards the bed, she went over to sit down and motioned for Maddie to join her. "Just reading for a bit, trying not to fall too far behind off of the bat, you know?"

"Oh." Maddie had meant in general, since Sarah would be bound to study at some time. She didn't know that "some time" was "now". "Doooo you... want me to leave? So you can read?"

"Oh no, I totally need a break, please stay!" Truth be told she was starting to get a little tired from the monotony of it all, especially since her studying skills were very rusty at best. Sarah patted a space on the bed next to her. "You're actually saving me with your presence, and your presents, heh." She took a big bite out of her donut, holding her hand underneath to catch any errant filling that might have escaped.

"Okay great." The younger girl ceremoniously sat the box down on the closest flat surface (which just happened to be on top of several of Sarah's books, just in case she started having second thoughts about studying for the moment) and plopped down next to Sarah on the bed. Reaching into the box, she tore the pistachio donut in half so that the two of them could both experience it, and settled down to munch and dish. "Cause I wasn't planning on leaving. Mandated study break. That's one of the keys to success. Your brain can only absorb so much information at one time. Small breaks help your brain process everything. It's true."

Maddie's gesture made Sarah re-evaluate her own and she carefully broke the donut she'd already taken a bite out of into two pieces, keeping the half from which she'd already eaten a portion, naturally, and placing the other half back into the box. "That makes complete and total sense to me. I'm highly in favour of breaks whenever I can get them." She nodded and took another mouthful of donut, wiping her mouth before continuing. "These are really good, wow. Just what I needed." Sarah pulled her legs up under her and shifted herself onto the bed to better face Maddie. "So, what's new with you?"

Maddie shrugged. "You know, same old, same old," she replied nonchalantly. "School, boys, fighting evil monsters, the use." Only at Xavier's would "fighting evil monsters" fall under the category of the mundane. She broke off another piece of donut and popped it in her mouth. ~I'm sorry I haven't been to see you more.~ Her mother always told her not to talk with her mouth full, but telepathy was a nifty trick to get around that.

~How have you been?~

Sarah shrugged in response as she chewed her own donut. Once her mouth was empty she spoke. "It's ok, I've been keeping busy, working in my spare time and studying now too. Which is good, it distracts me from, you know." Her eyes darted to a framed picture she had near her bed of her and Layla and she sighed. "Things." She shook her head and looked for a different donut to try. "It's ok though, it'll be ok, right? Right."

"You want honest or you want me to say what you're 'supposed' to say in times like this?"

"Honest," replied Sarah without really thinking about it. "I mean, honesty is the best policy, after all. Or something." She bit her lip, not sure she wanted the truth but it was too late for that now, really. "What're you thinking?"

Maddie shifted on the bed, positioning herself to turn toward Sarah. "No. Probably not." She tried to be as gentle as possible knowing what a delicate situation this was. Sarah was sensitive, and it wouldn't do to approach this with the same bluntness she usually did. So she needed to smooth the edges a bit. "Look. You guys are young. I mean, you're 18. Chances are that you aren't going to be together forever."

"You're not the same person you were six months ago. And six months from now you're going to change, and Layla's going to change. It's easier when you're in the same circles, experiencing the same things. She's going to be experiencing totally different things than you while she's over there. Your lives are going in two totally different directions now at a time when you both are trying to figure out who you are. It's the way life works. You know?"

"Well, yeah, change can... can change things, I know. But it doesn't always have to be for the worst, right?" Sarah bit her lip and brushed some of her hair back, eyebrows raised a little at Maddie. "I mean, it's... there wasn't... we didn't change anything between us. It's not like we broke up or anything." It was true they were in very different situations now, however, and it was certainly going to be difficult being so far apart, but that didn't mean Sarah was just going to give up on Layla. That wasn't what Maddie was saying, she knew, but it was what she was repeating to herself in her mind.

Maddie shrugged and licked off some of the glaze that was sticky-fying her fingers. "Just don't like put your whole life on pause just because she's gone. I mean, you have your sister, you have me, tons of other people to do things with, right? Ooh! I know!" She bounced in place excitedly. "We should go ice skating!"

"I won't, I promise." Sarah was grateful for friends like Maddie, and for having her twin sister there now as well. While it was going to be extremely hard living without Layla, having a support network like that certainly made things a lot easier than they otherwise could have been. "Ice skating huh? I've never actually been, but it sounds like it could be fun!" She was game to give it a shot anyway, it couldn't be that hard after all, could it?

"You've never been!?!" That was just too much for the redhead to process. She froze in shock and stared at the other girl for several moments. That was like, never going swimming. Ice rinks had to exist in D.C.. "That settles it then! We're going ice skating. You, me, Megan, Meggan, Jess. Maybe some of the 'new' girls? I know they're younger and you don't know them really, but they're cool. Mostly. It'll be a girls' night! Or afternoon. Whatever."

Sarah's eyes went wide at Maddie's reaction. "O... ok then, we will!" She grinned as her friend outlined her plans for a girl's night out. "That would actually be really nice, I think. I've been kinda, I dunno." Waving her hands around her, she looked around the inside of her room and then back to Maddie. "Isolated is the word, I guess? Keeping to myself or whatever." Other than work and school, she rarely went outside of her room those days unless necessary. "A night or afternoon out could be just what the doctor ordered."

"Well, there you go," Maddie proclaimed, waving her half eaten donut in the air in excitement. "I'll check my calendar and see when I have an opening (rehearsals are a total time suck) and get back to you on a date. But until then, what do you say to watching a movie? As in, right now."

"Awesome! And yes, please, that sounds like a great idea! I've missed the whole movie watching thing a bit." Sarah smiled, getting to her feet. "As long as we can bring the donuts." Because mmm, donuts.

"Abandon tasty foodstuffs? Me?" The redhead looked taken aback, and mildly offended by the mere suggestion. "Um. Have you met me?" She jumped off the bed, grabbing the box and pulling it to her abdomen. "I will gather the required tasties if you will work your awesome Technopath mojo to set up the movie in the rec room? How's that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Clapping her hands together, Sarah headed for the door. "Meet you there in five!"