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Whether or not John is present, I’ll leave up to the GM.  With Laney’s luck, the two of them were probably stepping out as someone’s little finger tapped the bell…

…which, judging from how round her eyes grew when she opened the door, surprised Laney more than Sarah.   

There’s a minute of wordless stammering.

Then an awkward, “H-hi, Sarah.  What- Want to come in?” accompanied by a confused but friendly smile.

Sarah has grown accustomed to taking Laney's comments and actions as less than accurate indicators of the girls actual mood or thought process.  She blinks over Laney's surprise at her appearance.  I'm probably not wearing a color I normally wear on a day with an 'A' in it or I'm leaning on the wrong side of the door frame causing a misalignment of ... something.  Hi Laney!  No thanks.  I just dropped by and wanted to see if you'd like to come to the ball game.  If you've got something else going on that's cool.  I just thought you'd like it.  Like I said, if you're busy I'll pop back and get back to snuggling with Colin and whooping it up with Donnie."

The freckled girl in the flowered sundress shivers when a gust of wind pushes the door further open.  She stares at the house across the street while she answers.

Behind her, peering around a corner down the hall is an equally freckled boy of perhaps nine years old.  Where Laney is dark in hair and eye, he is light.   He flashes a familiar grin at Sarah when she spots him, and pops out of view.

"Oh!  Well, we- I was being- "  an antisocial bitch.  What happened to testing limits, coward?   If there weren't so many faces - The sun hasn't set, yet.

"Games...No.  I mean yes!  You should.  I like snuggling.  Oh!  I don't mean- If you think it's alright.  I'd like to watch with you guys, but I-  I should bring a sweater for later and my new camera.  Maybe.  If you'll promise to remind me when it's over. So I-  I'm sorry. That sounds...um...Thanks, but..."

And this is where Laney casts her gaze to the ground or up to John's face (if he's there) for affirmation.

OOC: John is not there.  Mid-week game he's probably home doing homework and reading.

((The ground it is!))

"Grab that sweater and I'll have you there in a jiffy.  Don't worry I won't leave you if you get preoccupied."

Sarah is wearing jeans and a red long sleeve t-shirt.  According to the shirt she is Expendable

Laney opens her mouth to speaks.  Shuts it.  Dashes inside.

While she waits, Sarah can hear voices from within and sees the same boyish visage at the end of the hall again.

Sprinting out, checkered tote in hand, Laney locks the door behind her and turns, flushed and smiling, to say, "Alright!  Thanks for- Oh.  I take it, I'm not driving.  Well...Thanks for the ride, too!"  She reaches for Sarah's hand and giggles excitedly.

Sarah face turns up in an automatic smile at Laney's ebullience.  Thank you word of the day.  "Let me just get the meter started..."  She makes a hand gesture to an imaginary dashboard switch before vanishing a moment later to a quiet nook between locker spaces in one of the school hallways. 
She leans forward examining the dashboard before saying, "That'll be five cents miss.  I've really got to start taking the scenic route if I'm going to make any money as a cabbie." 

She leads Laney off to the gym and their hopefully still reserved seats.  Along the way she asks, "What's your little brother's name?"

"Better rates than your competitor," Laney manages to whisper playfully, once she's settled, a hand resting flat against one of the lockers while the world ceases its slow spiraling descent.


There's a squeak from her rubber soles when she saves herself from stumbling and trots to catch up again with Sarah.

She's still whispering. "My- Two.  Andy and Denny. They-  Oh!  You-  My cousins.  I live with them.  Mikey, Rick, and Joey.  Mikey and Rick are nine and seven.  Joey's five, now. Where they bothering you?  Rick's a pain in the ass."

Sarah covers her mouth in embarrassment.  "Oh, sorry.  Didn't know the kid I saw was your cousin.  Um, he had light hair and was about so high."  She holds her hand out at about shoulder height.  "Looked like he was maybe nine or ten?  Which one's that?  Mikey?  He seemed nice enough.  I have a little brother, Mart.  Well his name is Martin but I call him Mart.  KMart Special when he's doing something dumb.  He's in junior high and add is a total whiz at a lot of stuff."

Laney keeps Sarah's heels targetted as she follows along behind.

"Mikey's the oldest, yeah.  They all look exactly the same.  Funny.  The inbreeding's rumored to be on my mom's side, not- The smart ones are the worst.  That'd be Mikey.  I'm waiting for the day he's arrested so I can laugh and tell him, 'I told you so.'   Do you get along with him mostly?   Boys. All boys.  And Jean swears she didn't do it on purpose, not like mom.  He's a stalker. Gotta watch that.   I'm kinda dreading when they grow up and get brains. What's he call you, Sarah?"

Sarah tries to follow along with Laney.  She really tries... and fails.  "Are you actually serious about your cousins being terrible?  I mean are they rotten to you?"  A stalker?  Is she for real or is this just... It's so hard communicating on Laney Frequency sometimes.  If her cousins are horrible maybe a little adjustment could be in order.  No rewriting people.  Well then what's the point?  No idea but if you haven't got a better answer then that you aren't thinking hard enough.  Fine!  Fine.  You used to be cool.  I'm still cool.  Whatever.


"Mostly Sarah but Sis, The Doll... I swear he's nicer to me than I am to him.  He's certainly more talented and he gets better grades.  But yeah, we get along really well."

"Oh, god, no!  No, they're great.  No, see, he gets into things he's not supposed to when he thinks you're not looking. They don't cut me any slack when I babysit.  Like ever.  Doll's cute.  For no other reason except to see if he can get away with it.  Rick's gonna be a monster.  Seriously, though, we get along alright.  So he's really smart, huh?  Where'd that come from?"

At first, Sarah might assume Laney's simply harder to hear, the closer to the crowds they come.  After a moment, however, it seems the other way around; it's her voice that grows softer.

 

"Oh, that's good then," says Sarah as her mind wanders a bit. 

Am I really jumping at that sort of stuff these days?  How bad must it be for John or Alicia?  They can hear every cry for help all day.  Whether it's just joking or some kid getting bullied. They can't be diving for all of them.  Even just the jerks would take all day.  I don't know how, but next year I'm going to make this place better.  Not just keep it safe.  Better.  Can you imagine a class going through here and most of them coming out well adjusted or something?  Buck the curve.  But how do you do that?  Maybe something to think on for the summer.  Reprogram everyone!!! Muhahaha!  They'll all dance to my happy tune! 


Burn!  What?  What?  I just got burned by Laney?  Awww man...

She sticks her tongue out at Laney.  "My parents.  I was dropped off by mutants.  Boring, untalented, not particularly bright mutants.  Which would make sense if it weren't for all the genetic evidence saying that Mom and Dad really are my parents." 


"We're here!  You okay with big screaming crowds this evening?"

Still holding Laney's hand she pulls the girl through the doors and waves at Donnie who looks to be making some sort of story to a couple of parents about the empty seats next to him.  "Hurry before our seats get nabbed!"

"I think if you're a mutant, you don't need talents.  You're special, already.  I guess I'll have to be, huh?   So that's where Doll came from. I thought it was since you're pretty.  Boys are strange.   Too late, now."

The circulation in Sarah's hand is being cut off, but Laney mimics her friendly wave as she's tugged along.

OOC:

Moving back to School Spirit.

Once oriented with the familiar room, Laney settles on the floor to work on removing her heavy shoes and squishy socks.  These she stuffs into her bag and resumes futile attempts to activate her phone.

"Thanks, Sarah.  It's much warmer here.  I like your tattoo.  Did I tell you that? Where's Donnie?"

Sarah shrugs and says, "He who snoozes, loses.  Also I think he was going to go check and see if he couldn't help Sylvia with her wet clothes.  Oh and thanks about the tattoo.  It's lasting a lot longer than I thought, which is pretty cool though I was hoping for the chance to let him touch it up before the nice weather came."

Sarah realizes there's just way to many jokes in what she just said. 

She notices Laney's efforts with the cell phone. "You should probably forget it and let it dry out for a couple of days.  Take the battery out and get as much water as you can out of it then bury it in a closed jar of rice.  That will suck the moisture out."

"Nothing like wet clothing to bring people together.   Funny.  If John were here, I'd ask him to dry us off.   It made a couple sounds when I first hit the power button.  It's alright.  Jean wants to get me one of those child phones.  So she can track where I am.  If I didn't know better, I'd say someone planned it for just that purpose.  Only because of what happened last week.  Thanks for bringing me, Sarah.  I still had a good time."

Sarah laughs, "Ooh that sounds fu... um.. no.  Bad, bad Sarah."  She grins at Laney.  "While John is a fine physical specimen I've barely crossed paths with him this year.  He's all AP classes and planning on being a meta human doctor and always studying.  I sorta think he think's I'm not too bright.  Not that he's entirely wrong but we've never become bff's.  I mean I know he's there if the chips are down but that's just who he is.  He'll come running whether he likes me or not.  He's like one of those super heroes from the forties.  All black and white moral issues and there just in the nick of time."

Sarah shrugs and adds, "But I'm just guessing because, like I said, we've never really talked."
She ponders something.  "Y'know I don't think he's ever even eaten any of my cookies at lunchtime.  Probably views butter and sugar as moral weakness.  Maybe I can bring him a sugar free bran muffin sometime."

Switching away from John she says, "I'm glad you had fun tonight.  Does your... aunt? worry about you a lot?"

Sarah pushes on her wet jeans in an attempt to force them off.  "Why did I have to wear a tight pair of jeans to a ball game?"  After muttering curses under her breath for a minute she has a moment of clarity.  "Oh.  Duh."
She smiles at Laney.  "I sort of forgot.  Could you turn around a sec?" 

If/When Laney complies Sarah teleports out of all her wet things.  They make a wet flump on the floor.   Sarah grabs the sweatshirt and slides it back on before digging some spare undies out of her top drawer.  A moment later, "Okay.  Thanks."  

"Ohmygod, you can't be serious!  Bran's gross.  Of course, he likes sugar!  Geez, he's not that bad.  Why does everyone assume the worst rather than learn the truth?  He likes hearts. Well, between black and white, you have all the colors.  That's something, isn't it?"

"Jean? Um...Sure she does.  I'm hard to deal with and...they've um...put up with a lot.  Done a lot for me.  Things were um...difficult last year.  She's known me since I was little, so we're close."


Laney complies, obscuring her view with the towel, wringing her wet hair.  Judging from her darkly blushing face when Sarah done, she peeked.

"That's almost as good a trick as invisibility!  You should work on changing sizes, too.  Then you could sortof expand into things.  Like tight jeans."

"That's no trick.  Those jeans weren't tight four months ago.  I haven't been running enough.  If I don't remember to exercise I'm going to be the big fat teleporting blob.  This summer I'm running every day.  I'll ask Alicia to go with me because she's the only only one who'd be persistent enough about it.  And the gym.  I should get back into gymnastics.  I really wish OakPark had a team."

She grins a bit.  "As for John, I'm not assuming the worst.  I'm just making stuff up based on what little interaction I've had with him.  He doesn't exactly open up to people easily does he?  Or maybe it's just me.  Next time he wants to show up for a party and hang I'll try and chat him up."

"I don't think it's you, Sarah.  Your hips are supposed to fill out a bit.  Being female and all.  No, he's shy.  Too different.  Or apart.  That's a good word.  Apart.  You can go bike riding with me- Oh! Better, yet, crash at Jack's place with us.   He's helping me learn how to stay out of trouble.  Maybe that's why we get along as well as we do.  Something in common.  Only opposite.  Is this one alright?"

From the closet, Laney removes a certain purple, hooded fleece and holds it up for Sarah's approval.

"Bike riding would be good.  I've got one I used early winter last year as a courier for extra cash for Christmas.  Well I only used it as a prop but it works fine." 

When Laney shows her the hooded fleece she smiles and nods.  "Grab some sweatpants or pajama pants while you're in there."

"A courier?  What kind of prop is that?  I- Were you spying on someone?  I don't know what Jack has to work with, in the way of gymnastics.  Space is relative, Sarah. But Jean would probably pay you to go riding with me, just so she knows I won't get run over or something.  Thanks!  These'll work.  He knows how to fall.  That's a joke, by the way.   She's not that bad.  Neither am I.  I think dimensions aren't finite.  For you, I mean."

Laney chatters away, while she steps out of her dress and pulls on baggy blue and purple, exhibiting none of Sarah's hesitance undressing.

On a quest for dry socks, she comments with a sly smile, "I'd find ways to fade it prematurely.  So he has to touch it up more often."

"I... no..  I mean I used the bike to make them think I was biking around town to do the work.  Really I just stashed it somewhere, teleported and then grabbed the bike after the runs to ride back into the courier service.  I worked for two places at the same time and so I made money pretty quickly."

?


Dimensions aren't finite for me?    "Dimensions aren't finite for me?  Like maybe I'll be able to hop to alternate time lines some day or travel through time?  That might be cool, as long as I could keep track of where I am."

When Laney strips down Sarah turns to the side for modesty.  She still catches an eyeful but a bit less then had she stood there staring.  "My socks are in that top drawer.  But I tried to fade it a bit.  I think Colin put a lot more oompf into his magic this time.  I mean a normal Henna tattoo should definitely have faded by now.  The best they usually last is a month.  He put this on in February and it's as dark now as it was when it was first on.  I took a picture of myself at the time and I compare it now and then.  If it doesn't fade soon I'm going to start wondering if it's permanent.  Though it was handy with the cold water tonight."

Laney misses her visual cues while burrowing into the sock drawer, but that doesn't stall her amiable babbling.  "Oh! I didn't-  Dimensions.  Like X, Y, Z.  Space.  Not those dimensions.  Oh, look!  Stripes.  These are so cute.  That's very clever.  They didn't get suspicious?  I guess it wouldn't be so bad, unless you and Colin broke up or something.  Although, that'd be cool, too.  Have you tried to visit Donnie's dragons?"

Pulling the socks on while she stands balanced on one foot, Laney wrinkles her nose at Sarah, quietly musing a moment.

When she's done, she curls up crossed-legged on the bed, chin in hands, and asks, "Does that happen often at this school?"

"No suspicion.  Just happy to have someone willing to go out in crappy weather.  I still got soaked and frozen even if I was only out for a few minutes.  Lousy weather.  But I saved up enough to get Colin a second hand hybrid bike.  He was zooming around on a 10 speed on ice.  I don't care what spirits are watching out for him.  That's crazy.  He needed something with wider tires."

"As for the tattoo.. I never thought about that.  But I don't mind.  Even if Colin and I broke up I think it's okay.  This is like art.  Not like I've got his name tattooed on my butt or something.  And there is no way I'd jump into Donnie's Dragon realm without advance notice.  I don't think I could anyway.  Plus I'm not even entirely sure it's real.  I mean, Dragonland?  Isn't that a kids show on PBS?  I mean Pip seems totally real to me but he's a dragon.  After all the wacky stuff I've seen I still have a problem believing in dragons."

"Does what happen at school often?  Oh, sprinklers going off?  Actually Colin wanted me to ask in a polite way whether or not tonight's sudden shower was your fault.  Pretend I asked that in a really nice way."

Sarah fishes out a couple of brushes and hands one to Laney before joining her on the bed.  She moves her pillow back to make some more room and sits facing Laney before starting to brush through her own hair. "Yuck.  I think I'll take a shower later.  That stale cold water did a number on me."   

Laney sets the bed bouncing with her giggles.  "You'd go with their permission, of course!  As a safe test.  Well...safer than...Um...I like his bike.  You have a boyfriend to exercise with.  Why the hell am I offering?  Ooo, if Alicia has a bike then we can all-  Yeah, stupid idea.  It must be real.  Where else would they come from?"


Laney looks at the brush handed her as if it were a dead hairless guinea pig wearing a tutu:  fascinated, disgusted, but not entirely sure what she's expected to do with it.

After a few seconds, once Laney's methodically detangling her wet hair,  Sarah may realize that look was for what she said, rather than for the innocent brush.

"I...I don't...Things happen.  I...don't know what's normal.  Sorry.  I wasn't interfering with the sprinkler system, if that's what you're...Things always happen around me.  Adrien said it's not...my...fault.  I'm here. Like everything else.  I'm one more thing that happens.   

"I just...exist.  I'm sorry.  I don't know."

Sarah waves away Laney's apology, "Don't apologize.  I don't think you had anything to do with it.  I'd be happy to go biking with you and Colin.  Alicia would want it to be competitive.. which is why I want to go running with her."

"Sarah, why would he...he...think I'd do something to...She..."

Her eyes and nose redden with her efforts to ask without shedding tears.  Upset and headachy, she pulls and fusses with the immobilized brush, until she realizes what the problem is and unravels her matted hair from a clump of bristles which had fallen out.

Laney watches the brush disintegrating in her palm, trying to explain as best she can between hiccups, "She...She said th-the same thing. Why?  Why d-do they think I..I'd hurt someone?  Things h-happen to m-me, not...not...I'm s-sorry!"

Uh-Oh. 

"Laney?  Laney... "  Sarah gently takes her friends hands hoping she doesn't fall apart like the brush.  "Laney... you're okay.  It's all okay.  No one got hurt and nothing bad but a little cold rusty water fell down.  I don't think you did it.  You were watching the game with me at the time right?  You weren't contemplating the water pipes or maybe thinking the floor really needed cleaning or anything?  I know you wouldn't hurt anyone."  Intentionally.

If she can, Sarah will pull Laney closer for a hug.  "It's okay.  Everything and everyone are fine.  Plus this water thing gave us a chance to hang out and talk about boys and clothes and tattoos.  It's like a sleepover except we haven't made fudge or rice krispie treats yet."

Laney nods.  Nods again.  "I w-was w-watching. I d-didn't...I...She..."

The bristle-less brush is swept aside when she curls her arms around Sarah and tries not to cry - which is to say, she does cry, because when does that ever work? 

Not even someone with superpowered hearing could make sense of her garbled words.  Something about water, the game, boys, someone named Nan, Sammy, rice treats, and burning.       And lots of sorries.

Sarah holds on to Laney until the tears and apologies fade away.  Finally she lets go of Laney and leans back.  She smiles warmly and says, "I'll be right back."

She goes out the door and hurries down the stairs.  Some muted conversation below and a laugh or two before Sarah comes running back up the stairs.  She comes in and closes the door to the room. 

Sarah sits back down next to Laney and puts a slim cordless phone in her hands.  "Here.  Call your aunt and tell her you're staying over at my place for a sleepover.  I've got a sleeping bag in that closet and we have everything we need for treats or a bunch of other stuff.  We can rent a movie or just paint our nails or whatever you like.  Sound good?"

In the end, even with Laney's repeated vows that her homework wouldn't suffer for the delay and that she'd stop by the house before school to take her meds, Jean Davis didn't give permission until she had spoken with Sarah's mother.

Through this ordeal, Laney sat patiently, occasionally glancing at Sarah and smiling; and afterwards she flops back on the bed, holding her arm straight up, fingers spread wide.

"I think green.  You said fudge, right?  For my nails, I mean."

OOC: I can't remember if Laney met Sarah's parents at the party at (was it Sammy's house?)  If so please ignore the nice to meet you's. 

Sarah thanks her mom and kisses her on the cheek.  Along the way she also introduces Laney to her parents. 
Sarah's mom, Diane, is an attractive woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes in her early forties.  She asks Laney a slew of the usual parent questions, "How she's enjoying school at Oak Park; Does she have a lot of family in the area; Does she know many of Sarah's other friends..." 
Sarah's Dad, Robert has dark brown hair and comfortable grown up good looks.  He just says, "It's always nice to meet a friend of Sarah's.  You girls have a good time and don't stay up too late."

After the welcomes and small chat Sarah leads Laney back towards her bedroom when Mart comes flying in the house.  "Mom, Dad can I get an advance on my allowance?  Derrick's parents are willing to take us down to Virginia for the East Coast Surfing competition and there's a bike competition going on as well.  I'm totally in the zone this year and I could win enough for... "  He spots Laney and smiles.  "Oh hey.  I didn't notice you.  You're a friend of Sarah's?  Nice to meet you.  I'm Mart." 
"Our son Martin," clarifies Diane.  "Martin this is Laney."  Martin is a rugged looking thirteen year old going on twenty-five.  He's got sandy blond hair, green eyes and a mischievous smile that is about the only feature that relates him to Sarah.  He's dressed in typical teen boy disaster but he seems to carry it the way they try to advertise it in the magazines. 

Eventually

((Well, Sarah's mother has now a better idea of how to handle Laney than Sarah herself, thanks to the aunt.  Laney met her briefly when the group met for nachos and discussed Hamilton and cheerleaders, I think...))

...and with flawless etiquette she fields the standardized questions with the confidence of someone rehearsed.

Her poise falters - collapses, more like - on Martin.   The boy initiates a devolution of Laney's focus, and to his polite greeting all she's able to reply is a mumbled, "I thought you'd be taller,"  as she stares vacantly past him.

Sarah smiles at Mart and says, "See?  I always say you know how to charm girls.  She's practically speechless.  We're gonna do our nails now kay by thanks." 
Martin waves.
Sarah's parents look slightly perplexed. 

Sarah tugs Laney out of the conversation.  "Thanks again Mom and Dad."
Back in the room Sarah asks, "What nail polish did you want?" 

Sarah digs in a bin for a bit.  "Ah-ha!"  She holds up two small bottles.  "I've got Moss Green or Cucumber Green.  They look better than they sound."

Only half the Cucumber Green dribbles down Laney's leg when she opens the cap and the brush detaches, the last little mishap Sarah witnesses that evening.  The girl seems more comfortable, the longer she's nested in their home, more coherent, almost normal.    Almost.



((And now I have a mad craving for chocolate fudge.  Thanks for that. Close this one up before a freak earthquake hits their house and only their house?))

OOC:  But what about the playful licks of sticky fudge mess and the pillow fight that leads to unexpected results?  Nah you're right.  No one would be interested in any of that. 

IC: 
Sarah lets the rest of the night be normal, not saying a word about the disintegrated brush.  Lying on the bedroom floor in the sleeping bag, just before the light turns off, Laney looks up to see a ceiling marked with faded stickers of all the Disney Princesses.

((And the steamy shared shower scene? Yeah, I guess you're right.))


Who knows what patterns Laney sees?  Whatever they may be, she's smiling when she falls asleep.