Room 417, Thursday night

[fates_jaye]

Jaye's spent a lot of time frowning at her closet. The door's closed. She can't see anything. She's still frowning. It's probably just as well she can't see inside, because then she'll just start thinking the dress is pretty and forget the feeling of "WTF" for a while.

So she picks up the phone.



"Long time, no hear from," Mahandra greets her.

"I got nominated for the homecoming court," Jaye grumbles.

Mahandra doesn't fail to disappoint her, and cracks up laughing.

After a minute, Jaye asks, "Done yet?"

"No."

After another minute, Jaye asks, "Now?"

By now Mahandra is coughing into the phone. "Yeah. Seriously?"

"Seriously. There was an announcement and everything. Don't start laughing again."

She snickers instead. "And you're not oh-so giddy and thrilled that hanging out with Gretchen wore off on you?"

"It did not!" Jaye says, offended. "I can't help it the school hates me!"

"Got a date yet?" Mahandra asks. "Besides BOB?"

"BOB and I are done."

"No!" That's genuine shock on Mahandra's part. "What happened?"

"Eight shots of tequila happened. There were restraining orders involved. It's all bad."

"Are you avoiding telling me about your date?"

"It's not exactly a date," says Jaye. "We're going together. The guy I met at speed dating."

"So you're not dating the guy you met at speed dating," Mahandra says slowly.

"Nope."

"...Um. Why?"

"Because that would be weird."

"Let me rephrase the question. Uh, why?"

"Because I'm still kinda hanging out with my ex."

"So you can't date."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"You're frustrating."

"Yep."

"Again, why?"

"Because I don't know, but it would feel weird and I'm not ready for more weird," Jaye says. "I've had nothing but weird since January."

"There were a few months this summer I remember you going on and on and on about," Mahandra points out.

"But afterwards it got weird."

"But you're still hanging out."

"We shopped for homecoming together."

"...You're so weird."

"No! Avoiding weird!"

"Too late!"

Jaye sighs at her. "So what's new with you?"

"Nothing. Avoiding my homecoming like the plague. And half the school has, like, the plague. They've all got the flu and it's disgusting."

"You should go just to take bets on when the first ambulance shows up," Jaye suggests.

There's a pause, and Mahandra says, "...You may have something there. And now I'm going to freak out and try to hit the mall for shopping."

"You're getting a new dress to watch paramedics?"

"They could be cute. Talk to you later?"

"I'll be here," Jaye says. "Later."

"Bye. Tell me how it goes!" Mahandra says, and hangs up.


[Mostly just establishy. Cuz I hadn't written Mahandra in far too long. *g*]