Thursday after dinner

[x-crowdofone.livejournal.com]

Jamie drags the whole story out of Doug.



Jamie: After dinner, Jamie nudges Doug back up to their room, which is safe for now since Artie is off with Illyana finding out if tile floors work as well as hardwood ones for marble races. He flops down in a chair and eyes Doug. "So, what was that all about today? I mean, I figured out you ran into Paige on your munchie run, but under what plaid skies is that considered a bad thing?"

Doug: Doug flops onto his bed and stares at the ceiling. "It's a bad thing when she figures out that I might be developing a crush on her, obviously is going to let me down slowly, I freak out and run off to lock myself into the room for the day!" He gets a little agitated towards the end.

Jamie: "Well, yeah, but up until the part where you freak out and lock yourself in the room all day, that's really not so bad. I told you I thought she had a thing for Jono. Look, she obviously doesn't think you're repulsive, right?"

Doug: Doug wrings his hands. "There was this piece of hair hanging over her face. And it was like my hand had a mind of its own. And as soon as she looked at me and opened her mouth, I knew. And I just...I couldn't...I couldn't stay. So I ran." Doug stammers.

Jamie: Jamie blinks and tries very hard to suppress a snicker. "Man, I thought I was supposed to be the outgoing one. I don't think I played with Kitty's hair until after the third date." He shakes his head. "Okay, so one girl would rather be your friend. The sky isn't falling."

Doug: "I just..." Doug continues staring intently at the ceiling. "I made an idiot of myself. I tried too hard. And I don't know how she and I could be friends after that."

Jamie: "Well, for one thing, she's not gonna bring it up ever again if you don't want her to. It'll only bug her if it's bugging you. So figure out how it won't bug you anymore, go horseback riding a couple of times, and bam! Friends."

Doug: "I dunno. I'm just...not very good at this sort of thing."

Jamie: "Well, can I make a suggestion? In my infinite wisdom garnered from having gone out with one girl for two months in my entire life?"

Doug: "Yeah. Sure. You've had better luck than me, anyway."

Jamie: "Being friends isn't second prize." Jamie sits up and gives Doug a look. "Going from complete strangers to madly in love in five minutes is kinda rushing things, you know? I mean, yeah, they're all too pretty to be unleashed on an unsuspecting male gender, but even Kitty I could've been happy just being friends with if we hadn't decided to go on an actual date. And liking you isn't all that far off from liking you, know what I mean?"

Doug: Doug places his hands behind his head. "I guess. I'm just...not very good with girls. In any capacity."

Jamie: "Best way to build up an immunity is exposure. And for not being very good with girls you sure did have a lot of them worried about you today."

Doug: "It's just...it seems a bit...dishonest. To be friends with Paige while part of me still has that crush on her."
Doug: "Like part of me will constantly be hoping for something more."

Jamie: "You rather never speak to her again? I mean . . . look, I get what you're saying, but you've known her maybe what, two days? So who do you have a crush on? Paige, or That Cute Blonde Down The Hall? You don't know if she's got any really irritating habits like scratching herself in public."

Doug: Doug sighs deeply. "You're right, you're right. It's just...I guess maybe I want someone to be interested in me a little too much. And it doesn't ever seem to happen."

Jamie: "Yeah, I know that one. I think the trick is not to try anymore and just see what happens." Jamie shifts into a passable Yoda voice. "Impatience is the path to the Dark Side. And girlfriends the Dark Side has not."

Doug: Doug grins involuntarily. "Much to learn have I, Master Yoda?"

Jamie: "Mm-hm-hm-hm. When nine hundred years old you are, dated as much you will not, hmm? A piece of Yoda does everyone want."

Doug: A snicker escapes from Doug.

Jamie: Jamie sings, still in the Yoda voice, and appallingly tunelessly. "I'm too sexy for my saber, too sexy for my saber, more sexy than Darth Vader, yeah!"

Doug: Doug curls up laughing. "Please, no more. I don't know which is worse, your complete and utter lack of anything resembling tune, or the lyrics."

Jamie: Jamie grins, and drops the Yoda impression. "Smart money's on the singing. But hey, think of it this way, now whenever your hormones start getting away with you, you can picture Yoda boogieing out of his robe, and if that doesn't bring you back to reality there is something seriously wrong inside your brain."

Doug: Doug sobers. "Sometimes I think there already is."
Doug: "Besides, I thought we had already established that we reside in your coma dream, not reality."

Jamie: "If this were my coma dream I would've kicked your butt all over Unreal Tournament. Maybe it's your coma dream."

Doug: "If it were my coma dream, I think I'd be dating Paige instead of freaking out and making a fool of myself."

Jamie: "Damn. Must be reality, then. But, you know, the upside to reality? You're not in a coma."

Doug: "But if I could be dating Paige in my coma dream..."

Jamie: "Then you could have a medical miracle any minute and wake up to find yourself thirty-seven years old with a beard down to your knees and wrinkly old nurses giving you sponge baths."

Doug: Doug wrinkles his nose. "Ewwwww."

Jamie: "This is what I'm saying. At least around here if you ever end up needing a sponge bath, chances are really good whoever does it will be cute."

Doug: Doug whimpers slightly.

Jamie: "But if you go trying to put yourself into a coma, I will personally make sure there's a wrinkly old nurse on hand. I don't get sponge baths, so you can't have one either."

Doug: "No, it's just...I'm just...a bit overwhelmed. And scared."
Doug: "I just...I guess I should try to get to know her. But it's hard to let go of all the stuff that's already happened."

Jamie: Jamie nods, expression serious. "Well . . . yeah. But at least you didn't hurt her feelings, or break school rules, or do anything unethical, or anything like that that'd really kill your chance to get to know her. All you did was act like an idiot over a girl, and I'm pretty sure guys are allowed a few freebies on that one."

Doug: "Maybe so, but I just...don't know how to do this. I wish I could just take it all back and try again."

Jamie: "So do that. Tomorrow morning pretend you just met her."

Doug: "But...I..."

Jamie: "Just let it go. I mean, who's it hurting when you beat yourself up about it, right?"

Doug: "Yeah. Me."
Doug: "I'm not that good at letting go."

Jamie: "How you gonna get better at it if you don't practice?"

Doug: "Yeah. I...yeah." Doug rolls over to look at Jamie. "Thanks, man. For everything."

Jamie: Jamie grins. "Roommate code, man. Section 1 is communal munchies, Section 2 is talking about stuff."

Doug: Doug grins back. "Gotcha. What about section 3?"

Jamie: "Quit locking us out of the freaking room. I think Kitty ran cable modem lines to all the broom closets for when she wanted to go hide somewhere."

Doug: Doug sobers. "I'm sorry about that. Really really sorry."
Doug: "I just didn't feel like I could face anyone, especially Paige."

Jamie: "Hey, joke." Jamie grins. "I mean, I had my key, and I can understand not wanting to face people. I didn't get worried until it went into the fifteenth hour and you were on the same CD, hadn't slept, hadn't eaten. I mean, it just gets silly after a while."

Doug: Doug yawns prodigously. "Speaking of sleep, I'm thinking I need to sleep this thing off, and then try and salvage the shreds of my self-dignity some time tomorrow. Thanks again, man."

Jamie: "No problem. Sleep well."

Doug: Doug rolls over and finally falls asleep, worry lines smoothing away.

Comments

[x-kitten.livejournal.com]

*refrains from offering sponge bath*

I think Kitty ran cable modem lines to all the broom closets for when she wanted to go hide somewhere.

This is true. There are also outlets on the roof, out in the garden (both near benches and not,) and one cable that winds its way up a tree. It makes it harder for people to find me if they have to attempt to follow 30 seperate cables on the off chance that I'm at the end of one of them. Well, unless they're you, in which case it takes you an extra 6 minutes. :p

[x-crowdofone.livejournal.com]

I put the "party" in "search party." :)

[x-kitten.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes you do. *grin*

[x-rahne.livejournal.com]

Hey, at least he hasn't jumped on his crush object in a desperate attempt to look like he's cooperating in combat class and been accused in cruder terms of trying to mate. In the Danger Room.

*coughs*

On another note, Darth Vader doing the Macarena is also an excellent way to get unwanted mental images out of one's head. At least if one doesn't mind that one.

[x-foliate.livejournal.com]

I have nothing intelligent to say about this as I'm laughing too hard.

I think I've gone and exploded a lung.

Drat.