8/20 Instance: Scenic Route To Reset

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Timelined after [Instance]Not as Expected.


Hope: Hope lay on her bathroom floor, glad that nobody had bothered her so far. Her head was spinning and she had to close her eyes and try to reopen them. No better.

Jessica: Jess dropped her bag by her bed after a long day and started to undress on her way to the bathroom for a shower. She was fortunately still mostly clothed when she gave out a surprised yelp at finding Hope on the floor. "Hope? Are you alright?"

Hope: Well that was a loaded question. She didn't really have an answer for it. "I talked to Johnny."

Jessica: "Oh..." well at least that was progress? "And.... how did that go....?"

Hope: "We're supposed to play Halo later." She closed her eyes again. Could she even go through with that?

Jessica: "That's... good?" she guessed, "Um... why are you on the floor?"

Hope: "Because I can't do it."

Jessica: "Can't do what? Play Halo? But I thought you were awesome at everything?" She figured she was going to be there a while and moved to sit down on the floor beside Hope.

Hope: "I can't go be his friend. I can't sit there... and joke... and laugh... and act like nothing happened."

Jessica: "Well then don't pretend nothing happened?" she offered, "Why would you want to do that anyway? You both know something happened. What's the use pretending otherwise?"

Hope: "Because I can't be that close to him and act like I'm not still in love with him! Because I don't know how to just be his friend now. And to do that, I have to pretend that nothing happened." She sat up so she could hide her face in her hands. "Ignoring him was so much easier."

Jessica: She frowned, "I thought you wanted to get back together with him? What's this just friends nonsense?"

Hope: "Like that's an option." Hope rolled her eyes at Jess. "Why do you think I wanted to leave?"

Jessica: "Of course it's an option... why wouldn't it be?"

Hope: "It's never an option. That never happens. And how long before I have to hear about who all he's sleeping with around school? Or how long before he gets a new girlfriend?"

Jessica: "Well hopefully never or I totally wasted my time trying to talk sense into him." she muttered, "You don't know it's going to be awkward. How was it when you spoke to him before?"

Hope: "...Akward. And what do you mean talking sense into him?"

Jessica: "I told him he needed to talk to you about what happened because you weren't talking to him..." she frowned again, "Was I not supposed to do that? I got impatient... sorry..."

Hope: "No. You shouldn't have. But it's whatever. And that has nothing to do with us getting back together."

Jessica: "Well if it gets you talking again that's the first step, right?" she tried again.

Hope: Hope sighed and his her face in her knees. "I hate him."

Jessica: "Of course you do." Jess reached for her and sat her up, "Theeeere you go."

Hope: "It's exhausting." She whined at Jess. "I can talk to any other guy at this school no problem. Which, by the way, is often just as awkard."

Jessica: "Well that still makes you better at this than me." she rubbed her back a little, "I freak out at the first sign of affection... and the second, third and fourth for good measure."

Hope: "Yeah... when Miles told me he liked me, then kissed me, no way. But you know, he came and apologized for that."

Jessica: "He did? Well that's something...." she gave her a small smile. "I don't know why he'd apologise for that but I guess it's a background thing... or a me thing... is that a normal thing to do?"

Hope: "He had really bad timing... and he told me about how he's been a stupid idiot with you too."

Jessica: "He did?" she frowned a little, wondering which event Hope was refering to because she could think of a few.

Hope: "That kid fails as hard as we do at relationships." She laughed at Jess.

Jessica: "Oh now, let's not be too harsh. No one's that bad."

Hope: "He is though! He's been trying to be something he's not. That's the biggest way to fail at one."

Jessica: "Oh." she frowned. Maybe that was where she went wrong too?

Hope: "I told him he should be telling people about the real him. Who he really is. He's promised to start doing that. I wonder if he can pull it off..."

Jessica: "Just how badly has he been lying? Is he secretly a rich white kid under all that swagger?"

Hope: "Not quite, but close." She grinned a bit. "Just... don't write him off. He seems to really like you and he needs all the friends he can get. Reminds me of somebody else we know..." She gave Jess a look.

Jessica: Jess wrinkled her nose, "Are you talking about me needing friends too? Because I'm totally working on that... and I thought I was friends with Miles... did I miss something? Are we not friends and I didn't notice?"

Hope: "He seemed to think you'd disown him if he messed up or something. It's hard to follow his logic sometimes."

Jessica: "Pfft, that's ridiculous. If I did that then people would do the same to me and I mess up all the time.... I thought that was why people apologised." She frowned, "Friendships are confusing as hell. Why do people bother?"

Hope: Hope laughed a little and shoved her gently. "Because the good outweighs the bad."

Jessica: "Oh... really? Are you sure about that?" she asked with a small smirk, "You're sitting here on the bathroom floor for what reason?"

Hope: "Because I need the world to slow down just a bit... and I can't go look at Johnny."

Jessica: "Sure you can. He's nice to look at," she got to her feet, holding out her hand to Hope. "You just need to relax. Come and have some roof time with me and we can change the subject again for a while... even though I'm not sure to which topic yet."

Hope: Hope wrinkled her nose at Jess. That wasn't awkward at all. "Fine..." She took the hand and got to her feet.

Jessica: She smiled at her. "You should be grateful. I'm in dire need of a shower but I'm giving it all up for you."

Hope: "That's what friends are for." She gave Jess a grin.

Jessica: "Apparently so." She eyed the window and then the door, "Are we taking the express route or the scenic route?"

Hope: "Scenic.... very scenic... sloooow down." Hope still felt like she was tyring to catch her breath.

Jessica: "Okay then, stairs it is." She wrapped an arm around Hope and steered her out into the hall. "And if, at any point, you feel like you're going to throw up... please do it in the direction that doesn't have me standing in the way."

Hope: "Well where's the fun in that?!"