groovygamers.com

Late Friday afternoon, after band practice, Sammy wanders over to the Tasty Dog.  She spots Sarah sitting in a booth.

She tosses her books and her coat onto the bench opposite Sarah and sits down.

"Hiya!  How's it going?"

Sarah sips at her milkshake and waves.  After swallowing she says, "Hi there!  Thanks for making it.  Care to split some fries or a desert or something?"

"Sure, I'm starving!"  Sammy asks the waitress for a chili dog, an extra large order of fries and a chocolate malt.  She plays with the sugar and sweetener packets until the food arrives, making little houses and mazes.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Sarah munches happily and sips more at her milkshake.  "A couple of things... one was.. well you offered maybe helping at math?  Or was that just a invite for quarterbacks only?"  She asks the last with a grin. 

"The other thing is something you said the other night.  Did you really bring your dress back?  You looked really nice in it.  Well, okay that wasn't what I was going to ask you about.  I just wondered when you mentioned being jealous of Megan..."

Before Sammy thinks she's trying to defend her friend she continues quickly.  "Because I understand.  I get it.  I've been really jealous of her as well.  It's hard not to be sometimes.  Bad enough that she's beautiful, rich and brilliant but toss on her new talents and it makes me want to shout 'no fair' every time I see her."  She takes a quick drink and keeps talking.  "With all that stuff plus she's a total outgoing do everything type it's hard to not feel like you are getting run over by the Howell Good Intentions Steamroller."

"I thought I offered my help to you, not to him?  I mean, yeah, he was sitting there, and if he wants help all he has to do is ask, but you were the one I was aiming at.  You're the one who was asking."


"The other thing is something you said the other night.  Did you really bring your dress back?  You looked really nice in it.  Well, okay that wasn't what I was going to ask you about.  I just wondered when you mentioned being jealous of Megan..."

Before Sammy thinks she's trying to defend her friend she continues quickly.  "Because I understand.  I get it.  I've been really jealous of her as well.  It's hard not to be sometimes.  Bad enough that she's beautiful, rich and brilliant but toss on her new talents and it makes me want to shout 'no fair' every time I see her."  She takes a quick drink and keeps talking.  "With all that stuff plus she's a total outgoing do everything type it's hard to not feel like you are getting run over by the Howell Good Intentions Steamroller."
[/quote]

Sammy looks a little embarrassed, and seems to think the sugar packet houses urgently need bridges built between them with straws and coffee stir sticks.  "Uh, yeah, I took back the dress.  I got something else almost as nice, that looks almost as good, that doesn't make me want to rip it up every time I see it hanging up in my closet.  How do you stand it?  I hate the way I feel when I'm around her, like I'm not enough of whatever thing you want to measure, and I don't much like the way I act when I'm feeling like that.  I try to make myself play nice, but its sooooo hard.  I'm beginning to feel like the best thing to do is just stay away from her as much as I can."

"How can you possibly think you don't measure up?  You look amazing... I've seen you in your outfit.. not that dress.. the one you wore that night.  You were like an angel.  A wicked cool angel.  And your a talented musician, good in school, you've got a pile of friends.  So besides that is there something you're jealous of?  Her money?  Big deal it's nothing.  I mean it's kind of cool sometimes but mostly it just gets in the way... like when you want to hang out with friends and you don't realize they feel uncomfortable about you dropping gallons of cash while they are fishing around for a double coupon deal.  So instead of hanging out with us Megan gets isolated to the crowd that measures each other up by their trust funds?  Yeah, okay, being rich is nice.  I was for a little while.  But I got better." 

Sarah reaches behind her and grabs the sweeteners from the next table to let Sammy carry on the great work. 

"If it's money you want... your talent could make you rich in a month I bet.  Mine will just get me a goofball fanbase on the internet.  But I don't feel bad when I'm around Megan.  Wait.. thats not quite true.  I did feel left out of the action when Sylvia, Colin, Seth and I all came huffing up the stairs to take on gunboy only to find you and Velocity had already taken care of business.  You've saved peoples lives!  All I've gotten is soaked in ectoplasmic goo.  Which I can give you the name of that dry cleaner if you ever need to get something like that out.  They are totally genius!"

"You are a hero.  I'm jealous of you half the time.  But I'm not going to stop hanging out with you.  I decided to try not worrying so much about what everyone else has or does and start focusing on what I can do.  I'm also saving all my bad feelings for a handful of girls that messed with Colin.  Sooner or later I'm going to get my chance and I am going to beat three shades of sh..  sugar out of them."

Sarah just sighs, "I don't want to change your mind or tell you how to feel.  I can't do that."  Actually I can but not to Sammy.  Not ever.  Right?  "I'm just telling you I wish we could all get along.  I wish we could be this great team.  And I'm scared for Megan.  She's... she's doing stuff on her own that's just dangerous and yeah she's pretty quick but sooner or later she's going to fall on her face and someone is going to take advantage of that.  And we wont be there to help her.  I don't want to go to any funerals this year."

Sammy looks at Sarah skeptically as the other girl starts listing all of the reasons Sammy should not be jealous of Megan.  The costume is the only time I do look good... the rest of the time I look like I just stumbled off a train wreck... and I'm only good at music and ok in school because I work my butt off to make things that way... its not like it comes easy...


Sammy mutters reluctantly "I don't want to go to her funeral.  I don't particularly want her to get badly hurt either.  I won't let her or any of us get seriously hurt if I can help it.  I'm just jealous, not vindictive."

That still doesn't keep me from wanting to volunteer to have Spark's babies because he actually did manage to tag her...

"I'll try to make things less tense.  Are you going to talk to her too, ask her to maybe step it down a notch or two?"

Sarah's eyes get dramatically big, "Are you crazy?  Tell her majesty to be less than all she can be?"  Sarah shakes her head, "Seriously though, I mentioned something along those lines on the phone to her last night.  I told her I have been feeling kind of the way you have.  I guess not as much though.  I mean, despite everything Megan is still part of my past and my best friend from when I was a little kid so maybe I overlook some of what she says or does."

"She's kind of the way she is because she is on her own.  It wasn't all by her choice.  We all sat around at the usual suspects table and planned and had meetings and meanwhile Megan was sitting over in pompom paradise totally clueless about what was going on.  The cheerleaders are like five tables away.  Is it such a barrier for any of us to walk over their and chat with her?  I mean we're all something more than we used to be right?  So why should we care about these stupid little cliques?  I think if we invite her along more she'll get into the whole sharing toys thing." 

"I mean, what about her really bothers you?  What can she do different?  That's the million dollar question."  

She gets back to her french fries before they cool off.   

"Get comfortable.  This will take a while..."

Sammy starts building a landscape out of glasses, salt and pepper shakers, and silverware.

Two water glasses are connected by a knife.  "I don't care that her parents have money, or that they let her have free access to it.  I do care when somebody tries to buy my friendship and tries to pass it off as generosity.  It was nice of her to pay for lunch, but if I'd known ahead of time how expensive that place was, I'd have pushed for somewhere else.  I know she can afford it, but I felt like I was stealing from her because I had no intentions of giving her what I think she was really trying to buy.  I tried to pay my own way, but it was too late."

A fork bridge is added to connect the water glass structure to the malt mix cup.  "I know she's smart, but it really bugged the hell out of me when she started criticizing the sleeping arrangements for Katie.  It was like she thought she knew best about everything, and I wasn't able to figure out anything without being told.  I started getting pissy that night, trying to play the one up game.  It was stupid."  Coffee stirrers form beams across the top of the malt cup, and they support a stack of sugar packets.  "It would be nice if she let other people have ideas too, if she realized that sometimes there's more than one right way to do something, even if most of those ways aren't the way you'd do it.  I'm not saying she can't suggest anything, ever, just make it a suggestion and not an order."

Spoons connect the malt cup to the salt and the pepper shaker, adding satellites to the malt cup. "She needs to get over herself.  Everybody knows for a stone cold fact that she's very pretty, that she's very smart, that she has super powers, that the whole friggin world is practically bending over backwards to carry out her every wish once she says the wish out loud.  Maybe if she pretended a little bit that she actually had to work for something instead of it just falling into her lap -- or shocker, didn't pretend, and showed a little bit of real vulnerability somewhere.  That could go far.  I felt sorry for her when she showed me... aw cr*p, I'm not supposed to talk about that.  Let's just say she got some slack the other day because she was being a real person, not some sparkly Barbie cheerleader princess with a pink pony doll."

Teepees of coffee stirrers are constructed inside built up walls of sugar packets.  "She's a show off, and I think she gets her jollies by pushing limits.  That's where I get pissy again, because when she starts, I can't help but want to show off too, and then later I just feel all embarrassed about it, like I was caught playing dress up in my mommy's shoes and makeup or something.  Showing off is how supers get hurt and killed.  They get cocky and arrogant and all 'my sh*t doesn't stink', and BAM! along comes somebody mean and smart, or even just mean and stupid and lucky, and then its Game Over time, except there's no restart button."

She eats more fries.  "That enough to start with?"

Sarah nods mutely pondering Sammy's words. 
She stirs the remains of her shake.

"Does Sylvia upset you like this too?"

"A little.  When I first met her, it seemed like Sylvia was trying to make up her mind between Kel and Donnie.  Kel seemed all hung up on Megan, so I couldn't figure out why she was still messing with Donnie's head.  I mean, go out with him or don't, its not that big a deal.  They seemed to come to an agreement though, but I'm watching.  I have two sisters, and well, lets just say that one of them is a game player.  I've seen what she does to boys and its ugly.  I like Donnie too much to sit and watch someone do that to him.  But overall, she doesn't get to me anywhere near as much as Megan.  She has chinks in her armor, and they show, so its more like she needs friends,  like they're not just another thing on the checklist of high school Must Have's."

 Sammy slurps her milkshake.   "You, on the other hand, have nothing to worry about.  You're real.  You don't put on an act, and you're nice but not too nice.  You're not afraid to admit when you don't know something.  If we had to pick a team  leader, I'd pick you.  You get along with everybody, and you seem to be the kind of person that pulls people together, kind of a people super glue.  I would have said that even before this."

Sarah splutters out, "Are you insane?  Me?"  Then she remembers to let her brain catch up to her mouth.  "Okay. I'm gonna get back to that one later.."

She takes a deep breath.  Lets it out with a sigh.  "I am just not smart enough to figure this stuff out. All I know is the only way to hammer out a difference is to confront it.  Tell her whats bugging you and maybe you two can find a solution.  Otherwise the problem really isn't Megan.  It's you.  So maybe Megan doesn't see a problem, but with calm... quiet words... don't invite Sylvia... maybe you can work something out or come to an understanding or maybe just end up pulling each other's hair and calling names."  Sarah rubs her temples.  "Oh Forget Megan..." NO!!! "Wait.. I don't mean that!  I mean... um... Never mind talking about her anymore.  It's just giving me a headache.  I like you both and I'm only struggling with it all because I want everyone to be my friend cause I'm so self centered and I don't want to have to try and think about who to say hello to in the hall or which table to sit at or any of that other stupid crap." 

"But that other stuff.  Me with no problems?  Well other than I may flunk ninth grade I guess I'm pretty good.  I've got a power that makes me look like the star wars kid but thats not so bad.  Everything else is sort of a group problem with you and all the rest with a dozen or so terrible things going on that we have no clues to.  So my life is pretty good.  Hasn't stopped me from being in a total funk for a while." 

Sarah eats another french fry.  "As for the leader thing... I really like the idea of a team but I don't think I could lead... that would mean standing up to Megan and Sylvia all the time... that is if they wanted to join a team.  I don't know if I could do that.  I mean, I can stand up for myself but I might cave on a group decision.  And then Sylvia and Megan could have a knife fight to see who's right or something.  Kel would probably just say 'screw this' and go off on his own.  Donnie would get irrate, Seth .. well who knows, and Colin would be on my side but that would just give Sylvia another reason to argue." 

She smiles at Sammy, "I'm glad to know that maybe I'd have you on my side once in a while."
 
She admires the construction that has been steadily building on the table.  "That's pretty good are you planning on being an architect or something in college?"


OOC: Sorry this post took all day... crazy busy and then after being gone for an hour I have to come back and try and get the same thought stream only to have the phone ring again.. Grr.. 

Sammy looks surprised by the architect question.  "I dunno.  Maybe?  With everything that's going on, I don't know what I want to be anymore."

She drowns a fat french fry in ketchup, eats it and says "I'll try to figure out what to say to Megan, or at least try to make myself less sensitive to whatever it is driving me nuts, ok?  So no more about that for now.  But... I still think you're the best choice for a leader, if we ever get around to having one.  Being self-centered and not wanting to have to think about some things are good traits for that; you'd be in a position to call down anybody who disturbs your inner peace with certain kinds of nonsense.  Besides, because Megan and Sylvia would be at each other's throats, neither one would be happy with the other one in charge.  Kel runs off half-cocked most of the time, and likes doing things on his own or with small groups; don't get me wrong, I like him, but he's one of the ones who's going to get himself really hurt if he's not careful, and I wouldn't be comfortable with him as the group leader.  Colin is too sensitive; any disruption in the group would be taken very personally, whereas you could get away with saying "I don't CARE!  Settle it!"  Donnie might be able to do it if he mends some fences, but I think Megan would object to him, and to me for that matter.  Seth... who knows.  That, friend Jedi, leaves you.  Tag!  You're it!  Come up with a hero name, so we can be Blurchette and friends for the news reporters.  I need one too for that matter... you really think that costume makes me look like some kind of angel?  I was aiming for a greek mythology look, but I could live with angelic." 

She chomps another fry. 

"Ask Colin to show you the photos he asked me to pose for last night with that big fat full moon lighting up the sky; maybe inspiration will strike then.  I need to apologize to him too; I'm pretty sure I said or did something to upset him, but I don't have a clue what that was."

"Colin is running around taking pictures of you at night?  Maybe he realized if I found out I'd get all jealous and kick his butt!" Sarah smiles, "Nah.  Probably not.  I'm not sure.  Maybe he had another vision or a bad memory or.. who knows?  It's a little difficult to hang out with him sometimes but I like it.  He sees the world from a different angle and I like that.  I would like to see those pictures.  I don't know a whole lot about greek mythology.  Well I watched Disney's Hercules a few times as a kid but I don't think that it was very accurate."  Her voice goes a bit shy.  "I just know you looked amazing, all flowing and free.  Can I... would you take me for a ride some time?"

 Sammy grins and nods enthusiastically.  "Definitely!  Everybody should try it.  Just say when."   Then she wrinkles her nose.  "Don't be jealous either; Colin adores you.  I think if it were possible, he'd tattoo your image onto the inside of his eyelids so he could look at you while he slept.  You have nothing to worry about."

Sarah smiles, "Well the weather is supposed to get nasty this weekend.  Would you be up for a spin around some time tonight?  Otherwise maybe I'll bug you next week."


Sarah blanches, "That is so not an attractive image."

Sammy agrees to taking Sarah up tonight, after the sun has set.  If Sarah just wants to spin around in the air, they can do that.  If she wants a grand tour of Oak Park from the sky, that's possible too.  Sarah gets her very own cushion of air to hold her up; Sammy will face her and hold her hands just to make sure its safe.

"One of these days I'm going to ask Pip to come and play with me.  This is so much more fun with somebody else.  Maybe Pip has a friend big enough to carry someone, wouldn't that be cool?"

"Can Pip fly?  I just thought he was a food disposal with wings."  Sarah grins at the thought of Donnie's little friend.  "I don't know about flying on a big dragon... that might be a little much for me.  Sounds good in the stories but one rollover and it's pancake city." 

"Did you notice that Pip bit Donnie last night when he was going off?  It seemed a little strange.  I mean he was really out of whack.  For a little while I was worried that someone was messing with his emotions like with what happened to Rob.  Colin took a good look at him and said he was fine.  I still wonder." 

The last vestages of milkshake disappear with a slurp.  "About tonight.  I'd love a tour of the area...hey maybe we'll see a bad guy?  I should wear something..."  She throws her hands up in disgust, "See this is why it never pays to procrastinate.  It's been getting cooler so maybe I'll just wear something warm and wrap a scarf around my face or something."  She shakes her head.  This is where I wouldn't be a good leader.  Poor planning skills." 

"Oh!  I almost forgot.  Sylvia asked if we could get together and dig for information on Candice Bell and Laticia Culver.  They were a couple of unusual cheerleader tryouts and they might be involved with the cheerleader traumas."  Sarah passes on the details she got from Sylvia.

http://groovygamers.com/forum/index.php?topic=2782.msg82927#msg82927 (http://groovygamers.com/forum/index.php?topic=2782.msg82927#msg82927)

"What do you think?  We put them in separate rooms and interrogate them and see if their stories match?"

"Oooh, shiny idea." Sammy grins conspiratorially.  "Or, we could just get up a petition protesting something; not enough girls bathrooms? and try to get them to sign it.  They might start riffing on things that are bothering them if we come up with something close.  Its that whole 'misery loves company' saying.  Miserable people really open up when they think you're more miserable than they are, or when they're trying to make you as miserable as they already are."

"That's a really good idea.  Would the bathrooms thing work?  Is there anything more... urgent or important?  Even if we don't snare them we might end up doing something useful.  Naturally I have no actual better idea to go along with my suggestion."  Sarah pauses feeling foolish.  "So... bathrooms?"  After another pause she changes angles, "You've got the inside track on the miserable persons mindset?  Doesn't seem like things are going that bad these days?  You're a superhero, you've got friends and should the city ever need to rebuilt after a natural disaster you have the sugar packet stacking knowhow to step in and save lives.  Though I lack your skill at sweeteners I have to say life is... good.  Complicated but good."

Sammy replies, "Nah, I'm fine.  The misery thing is just something I've noticed, that's all.  My old dog got sick and had to be put down this summer, and I almost got smothered by people who wanted to cheer me up by explaining how much worse it could be by telling me their own horror stories.  But I'm good right now, no worries.  I'm feeling warm and fuzzy and full of love for the world."  Sarcasm aside, she sounds like she's telling the truth.  "But about restrooms; restrooms can be urgent when you really need to use one and the line is 20 people long." Sammy continues.  "Haven't you ever noticed how most restrooms are symmetrical?  For every women's restroom there is a men's?  But the men's lines always go faster? We have to sit; they don't always, and so they have more options and less clothing to take off and put on.  So, we wind up losing huge chunks of time just waiting in line for the ones in front of us to go through the process, and we wind up missing things or being late because of it.  Its something every girl can relate to, because we've all been in that impossibly long line."  She shrugs.  "Or we can try something else.  Its just an excuse to talk to strangers.  'Hi, even though you tried out for the squad and failed, I was wondering if you hate cheerleaders enough to want to hurt them' is kind of abrupt, know what I mean?"

"I know what you mean.  And now I totally have to pee.  Thanks."  Sarah races away and cuts off a pair of chatting juniors closing the door behind her.  A line forms...

A little while later she returns, "Yeah okay so your idea has merit.  Hopefully we can draw them in.  Or at least get another bathroom.  Should we dig into their other activities?  I mean find out if either of them have the tech skills for the camera stuff or maybe some science knowledge for the makeouts.  But it makes me wonder if we're not just chasing down a dead end.  I mean, the camera thing might be tied in with whoever was taking pictures in the locker room.  The make out stuff is probably tied in with the love goo.  I don't know."

"I don't know either.  I'm just here for the ride."