8/21 Instance: Kill Count Rises

[tears~fall~like~glass]

timeline: after Bowled Over

Hope: Hope faked a yawn as she propped her feet up on the coffee table. "You still suck at this game." She had won the past 2 rounds and as the clock in the current one timed out, that made 3 in a row.

Johnny: "I don't suck," Johnny grumbled, tossing his controller to the coffee table and reaching for one of the brownies. He was fairly pleased that these ones were far less burned than the ones he'd watched her make earlier.

Hope: "On the contrary... I have footage to show otherwise." She smirked at him.

Johnny: "Uh huh," he got out through the brownie.

Hope: She sighed a bit and scrubbed her face with her hand. What was she supposed to say now? She opted for taking the rest of his brownie.

Johnny: "Hey, that's mine!"

Hope: Hope shoved it into her mouth. "Mot mow!"

Johnny: Johnny pouted, "There's a tray full, and you took mine."

Hope: "Yours was closer." She reasoned after swallowing.

Johnny: "Lazy."

Hope: "Says the guy who sleeps through class." She laughed at him, shoving him a little.

Johnny: "Says the one who doesn't go to class," he shot back with a shove of his own.

Hope: "I'm too smart for class." She shoved back.

Johnny: "Pffft," Johnny scoffed, giving another push.

Hope: Hope was ok until she caught his eyes. She swallowed hard and went for another brownie. She broke it in half and offered him the bigger piece.

Johnny: He looked between her and the brownie half, putting on a thoughtful expression, "Is this a peace offering?"

Hope: She gave him a bit of a smile. "Yeah. Peace offering." She took a bite of her own brownie.

Johnny: Johnny returned the smile and munched on his half.

Hope: Hope focused on keeping her emotions in check as she ate it. "I don't even know what to wager with you on a game of Halo."

Johnny: "I don't want to wager anything," he muttered, "I always lose to you."

Hope: "Not-" She stopped. The last time he had won, they had kissed for the first time. She took another bite of brownie instead. "I can't help it I'm so awesome."

Johnny: Johnny sighed a bit at that and shook his head, "I suppose not."

Hope: Hope eyed him a bit from the corner of her eye at that. She didn't know what to say to that so she offered him a whole brownie.

Johnny: He took the offering and pulled a piece off, popping it in his mouth because he had no idea what to say from here. Everything was so awkward.

Hope: Hope pressed the length of her index finger under her nose, trying to keep herself from crying. "So... how are the brownies?"

Johnny: "They're, um..." Johnny turned the brownie over in his hand, "They're good."

Hope: "Need anything from the kitchen?" She got up quickly. She needed a moment.

Johnny: "Tea?" he requested.

Hope: "Yeah. Sure thing." She smiled, though forced, and hurried to the kitchen.

Johnny: Johnny waited for what he thought was an acceptable time to wait for tea before he got up and headed for the kitchen himself.

Hope: The kettle was screaming, but Hope wasn't paying any attention to it. She had her face buried in her hands, sobbing into them.

Johnny: He moved to shut the kettle off because they definitely didn't need a fire (not that he couldn't deal with one) and frowned over at Hope, debating what he was supposed to say or do.

Hope: The moment the sound stopped it brought Hope back. She bit her tongue to stop the trying, moving to pour the water into the mugs. She kept her eyes down, trying to act like nothing had happened. She was betrayed by a sniffle.

Johnny: Johnny hesitantly reached out to put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Hope: That made Hope lose it completely again. She covered her face with her hands and let herself cry.

Johnny: He raked his free hand through his hair, eventually pullng her into a hug... which he found incredibly awkward.

Hope: Hope didn't fight him. She hugged him back and cried against him. "I'm sorry..."

Johnny: "It's fine," Johnny replied.

Hope: "I didn't get help because I didn't want this to happen. And it happened anyway."

Johnny: "You didn't want me to awkwardly hug you...?"

Hope: "No." She told him, exasperated. "I didn't want us to be over. And now everything's weird and messed up and I just.. I'm sorry!" She cried against him again.

Johnny: "That's because I said some stupid things..." he muttered.

Hope: "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." It was still so easy to talk to him. It hurt her brain.

Johnny: "Me neither," Johnny sighed.

Hope: She pulled away from him to finish fixing their tea. "I should have left when I had the chance." She thought she thought to herself.

Johnny: He blinked, "What?"

Hope: Hope cringed. She hadn't meant to say that aloud. "I was going to leave. Before you got back."

Johnny: "...Oh."

Hope: She pushed him his mug and took her's to the floor. It was beyond her as to why that made everything slow down, but she sat there and leaned her head back against the counter. "I

Hope: "I'm not ok."

Johnny: "So I've noticed..."

Hope: "You were my best friend too..."

Johnny: "Well, I still could be..."

Hope: Hope pressed her face into her knees. Yeah no.

Johnny: He wasn't really sure what to make of the silence and found a spot to stare at.

Hope: Jess was clearly wrong. This wasn't going to happen. Hope shook a bit and drank her tea. "So you'd be ok with that?"

Johnny: Johnny blinked, "Be okay with what?"

Hope: "Just being friends."

Johnny: "I, um... Well, I mean... It's better than nothing..."

Hope: A quote flashed through Hope's mind about how you didn't pick up the pieces, you leave them and walk away. She cringed at that thought too. "Yeah well, your options suck."

Johnny: He cringed.

Hope: Hope got to her feet and went for the flour and mixing bowls. She didn't want to think anymore. Thinking caused problems.

Johnny: Johnny eyed her for a few moments before setting his mug aside. He debated between trying to stop her again and heading for the door. He settled for heading for the door.

Hope: Thinking Johnny was out of earshot, Hope muttered to herself, "Stupid Jess. Stupid, stupid, stupid." She shook as she got to baking muffins. There would be so many muffins!

[Ult_Sm86]

Miles wants a muffin....
>_>

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