Scott and Jeanne-Marie, Sunday afternoon
Oct. 6th, 2013 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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om_mainScott and Jeanne-Marie play catch-up. Scott's a bit pouty at her, but Jeanne-Marie finds it charming. (She would!)
Scott wasn't all that inclined to admit it, at least not without some kind of necessity - knife to the throat, maybe - but he'd missed tutoring Jeanne-Marie. So he'd been oddly looking forward to this afternoon.
Even though, frankly, he wasn't entirely convinced she needed his help anymore.
"I am glad to be done with geometry. I like it in general, but the proofs were too tedious," Jeanne-Marie admitted, finishing her work for one of the remaining few equations with a little flourish of her pencil. "I know, I know, it is natural for you; I just don't like having to write it all out like that, explaining every little step."
He smirked. "I want you to take a minute to reflect on the fact you just said you liked geometry in general."
"It is interesting," she said defensively, then broke into a grin. "Not as interesting as Latin or History, but more interesting than when it was impossible for me."
"It was never impossible for you," Scott corrected. She'd had trouble with math, sure, but she'd never lacked the necessary raw materials. All he'd done, really, was give her some instruction manuals for how to use them. He pulled her work over towards him, to look at it.
It was almost flawless.
"These look good. This one here just got a little whacked out at the end," he indicated the line with his pencil.
"Ohhhh, I see." And she actually did. She made a note of the mistake--and then pushed the paper away and turned to face him. "But let's be finished with math. I want to talk about you."
He blinked behind ruby quartz at the sudden subject change. "About me?"
"Mmm, you. We haven't just--done things together lately. Friend-things." The reason was obvious, at least to her. After he and Lil had broken up, though Jeanne-Marie didn't blame either of them for that, her focus had been on supporting Lil. And then their little affair, and her having her little rebellion, running off to Cananda with Jean-Paul, the coming-out, and then the trip with Bobby for most of fall break. "I miss you. How are you?
Scott was kind of stunned. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed they hadn't hung out much in awhile -- he had. It was that he supposed she'd decided she wanted to spend less time with him. And he didn't want to force his friendship on people. So he was surprised, just a bit, that she was bridging the gap. "I...I'm okay, I guess. How are you?"
"I have just been busy," she admitted. "And self-absorbed. It is a habit of mine, I know. I had a little rebellious phase after the masquerade--well, you know what Bobby did. And more recently I have been dealing with the strangeness of being an object of--ah, of public comment. Having a famous brother is one thing, having people know who I am is another."
He frowned, brow furrowing with concern. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Mmm-hmm. It is just a change, you know? People making up stories about me on the internet and trying to take pictures when I am out. Poor Bobby has to hide his face when it happens, since the police are still looking for him."
Scott still didn't understand her infatuation with DaCosta - she was far and away out of the other teen's league - but if she was already stressed, and given the little difference he suspected it would make, he might as well not bring it up. For now.
"Well, it was very brave of you. To do it, I mean," he offered instead. Even if he still had days where he was uncertain they had gone about this the right way, that didn't take away from the people who had made themselves guinea pigs voluntarily.
"It didn't seem like it at the time. I had my brother and Alison. But thank you." She smiled softly and bumped her shoulder into his. "Come on, tell me what you did over fall break? I left halfway through; Bobby taught me how to surf."
Canadians surfing. French Canadians surfing. It was kind of a funny image, for some reason. "Were you any good at it?"
She laughed again, this time covering her face with one hand and peeking out at him between her fingers in mock-embarrassment. "Terrible, actually."
He chuckled. "Yeah, well. Luckily it doesn't seem like something all that likely to come back to bite you in the ass."
"Probably not, no. But tell me what you did over break; I want to know everything."
Scott shrugged. "Nothing, really. At least, nothing interesting. You know me. Boring as hell all the time. It's a superpower. Or a curse."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on. While I have had my little dramas I know you've had your own--and opinions on mine. All right, let's start with: do I have to drag you to the Halloween party again this year?"
"Uh, I'm not really sure." And he wasn't. Scott hadn't asked Lydia yet, really, if she cared one way or the other. Of course, they had some history of a sort, with school parties, but maybe she didn't care either way. Alisha had wanted to costume him, and seemed convinced she could force him to dance. "Probably not?"
"Is that your way of telling me it will be impossible this year, or has someone else already threatened to do the job for me?" Yes, she was fishing to see if he was dating someone else. Namely Lydia. Jeanne-Marie had mixed feelings about it, of course, but mostly she wanted Scott to be happy and at was all that mattered, right then.
"Honestly, I'm beginning to think all of you women are running a con," Scott told her dryly. "Did you hold some sort of meeting? Do you win money if I go?"
"This will shock and awe you." Jeanne-Marie schooled her expression into absolute seriousness. She turned to face him more, resting one hand against his arm at the inner elbow and meeting what she assumed was his gaze through his shades. "You will call me mad for it, I know. But I have to tell you:
"Some people just like the pleasure of your company."
It was still hard to believe sometimes. But Jeanne-Marie had never tried to manipulate him, and so she had earned her spot among the three or four people whose opinions he actually took seriously. "As long as you know I'll call you crazy."
"I am used to it," Jeanne-Marie replied easily. "Now, tell me who else is on you to go to this party. I am digging for information about the other women in your life."
He smirked. "Jealous?" It was nice to be able to joke like that with her, since she had never been threatening in that way. Never made him nervous.
"Sooooo much." She made a mock-pained face and propped one elbow on the table, her chin held up on that hand, looking towards him.
It wasn't that Scott wasn't excited about Lydia, or didn't want to admit to being friends with Alisha, but he hesitated in telling Jeanne-Marie. The Lydia thing, especially. She was friends with Lil, and Lil had....well, she'd been pissed as fuck when she'd found out. It would only put the French-Canadian in an awkward position.
Hell, maybe that's why she'd been keeping her distance. She'd picked her side, and it was Lil's.
He tried not to let that sting. "It's nothing. Forget about it."
Jeanne-Marie sighed; that had answered her question well enough. "It's Lydia, then. Scott, she is my friend, too. Well, she's Jean-Paul's friend, but she looks out for me for his sake.
"I love Lil, but I want you to be happy, too."
"Which is why you've avoided me ever since." It was out before he could stop it, and goddamn it that was frustrating. Scott was possessive of his friends. He knew that, now that he had some. He knew it was dickish, too. But he couldn't quite help it.
Jeanne-Marie raised both eyebrows, picking up her head and letting her hand fall down to the table. "After everything I just said about all I've been going through, you choose to believe that we haven't spent real friend-time together since because of that?
"I am sorry if I wasn't there when you needed me, but I was not avoiding you."
It was nice that she believed that. He guessed. And it was true, he supposed. She hadn't been avoiding him in that active kind of sense. At least it made it less spiteful, or something. But Scott also knew she'd seen some of the others.
She'd made time for what was important to her. Scott wasn't. It happened. And, when he thought about it, he didn't know that he would've prioritized it any other way, if he were her.
He needed to suck it up. Shut it down. Stop caring, like some kind of whining toddler.
"I know you weren't. Sorry."
"Well if I had thought for a moment it would bother you, I would've been more careful," she admitted, softening just a touch. It was nice, in a way, really. She hadn't expected that at all.
Scott waved it off. "It shouldn't bother me, and you shouldn't have been more careful. I'm just being an asshole. Forget it."
"No, it's sweet, really." She smiled and threaded her arm through his, pulling herself and her chair nearer. "But we can put it behind us, anyhow, and I will do better.
"I am happy for you and Lydia--if I am understanding right. It's a good match."
He really hoped that warming sensation was just his imagination, and not him blushing at all. "Uh...thanks. Hopefully she agrees with you, once she's tested it out."
"I don't think Lydia gets into a thing like this without first running many--ah, simulations in her head first. I am sure it will come out well." Maybe not forever, no, but Jeanne-Marie was certain Lydia had thought this through completely.
... possibly even engineered the break-up, but. Well. That had been coming anyhow, most likely.
Scott knew Lydia thought things out. She was scheming, which was hot as fuck. Smart. It was one of the things he liked most about her. But sometimes he had to wonder if she'd really fooled everyone so much that they thought she was incapable of being wrong.
Her time value had been off, the first time he'd met her. Not that he was going to be the one who ratted her out for being human.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence," he said. Hell, Jeanne-Marie's belief in them didn't hurt, really.
Jeanne-Marie grinned. "I'm glad she's making you come. Do you know what you two are wearing?"
He blinked. "Uh...clothes?"
She pursed her lips at him. He knew what she meant!
Scott shrugged slightly, unperturbed by her chastising look. "You remember last year, right? I don't really do the costume, dress-up thing."
She made a 'oh is that so?' face. "I assumed Lydia would have some ideas about that."
He gave her mildly horrified look. "You're not implying that you think she wants to do some kind of horrifically sacchrine matching shit, are you?"
"That seems more like something I would do than something Lydia would do," Jeanne-Marie said with a laugh. "But I am suggesting that she would suggest you put a touch more effort into your costume than last year, yes."
Scott still didn't look overly impressed, but he shrugged. "Well, I guess we'll wait and see. And we'll see if I agree to wear whatever it is." Though, truth be told, he was pretty damn sure he'd given in. Unless it was completely and totally stupid. Which didn't sound like Lydia.
"Lydia seems like she'd be difficult to refuse." Jeanne-Marie smirked.
He raised his eyebrows. "Are you suggesting something about me?"
She cocked one of hers. "About you, no. About Lydia, yes."
He smirked and leaned back, balancing his chair on its back two legs. Scott crossed his arms over his chest, and gave her a long and thoughtful look. "And what're you suggesting?"
"Exactly what I said: I wouldn't want to tell Lydia no if she had her mind set on something." She laughed. "You think everything is some sort of code."
"It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you."
Scott wasn't all that inclined to admit it, at least not without some kind of necessity - knife to the throat, maybe - but he'd missed tutoring Jeanne-Marie. So he'd been oddly looking forward to this afternoon.
Even though, frankly, he wasn't entirely convinced she needed his help anymore.
"I am glad to be done with geometry. I like it in general, but the proofs were too tedious," Jeanne-Marie admitted, finishing her work for one of the remaining few equations with a little flourish of her pencil. "I know, I know, it is natural for you; I just don't like having to write it all out like that, explaining every little step."
He smirked. "I want you to take a minute to reflect on the fact you just said you liked geometry in general."
"It is interesting," she said defensively, then broke into a grin. "Not as interesting as Latin or History, but more interesting than when it was impossible for me."
"It was never impossible for you," Scott corrected. She'd had trouble with math, sure, but she'd never lacked the necessary raw materials. All he'd done, really, was give her some instruction manuals for how to use them. He pulled her work over towards him, to look at it.
It was almost flawless.
"These look good. This one here just got a little whacked out at the end," he indicated the line with his pencil.
"Ohhhh, I see." And she actually did. She made a note of the mistake--and then pushed the paper away and turned to face him. "But let's be finished with math. I want to talk about you."
He blinked behind ruby quartz at the sudden subject change. "About me?"
"Mmm, you. We haven't just--done things together lately. Friend-things." The reason was obvious, at least to her. After he and Lil had broken up, though Jeanne-Marie didn't blame either of them for that, her focus had been on supporting Lil. And then their little affair, and her having her little rebellion, running off to Cananda with Jean-Paul, the coming-out, and then the trip with Bobby for most of fall break. "I miss you. How are you?
Scott was kind of stunned. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed they hadn't hung out much in awhile -- he had. It was that he supposed she'd decided she wanted to spend less time with him. And he didn't want to force his friendship on people. So he was surprised, just a bit, that she was bridging the gap. "I...I'm okay, I guess. How are you?"
"I have just been busy," she admitted. "And self-absorbed. It is a habit of mine, I know. I had a little rebellious phase after the masquerade--well, you know what Bobby did. And more recently I have been dealing with the strangeness of being an object of--ah, of public comment. Having a famous brother is one thing, having people know who I am is another."
He frowned, brow furrowing with concern. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Mmm-hmm. It is just a change, you know? People making up stories about me on the internet and trying to take pictures when I am out. Poor Bobby has to hide his face when it happens, since the police are still looking for him."
Scott still didn't understand her infatuation with DaCosta - she was far and away out of the other teen's league - but if she was already stressed, and given the little difference he suspected it would make, he might as well not bring it up. For now.
"Well, it was very brave of you. To do it, I mean," he offered instead. Even if he still had days where he was uncertain they had gone about this the right way, that didn't take away from the people who had made themselves guinea pigs voluntarily.
"It didn't seem like it at the time. I had my brother and Alison. But thank you." She smiled softly and bumped her shoulder into his. "Come on, tell me what you did over fall break? I left halfway through; Bobby taught me how to surf."
Canadians surfing. French Canadians surfing. It was kind of a funny image, for some reason. "Were you any good at it?"
She laughed again, this time covering her face with one hand and peeking out at him between her fingers in mock-embarrassment. "Terrible, actually."
He chuckled. "Yeah, well. Luckily it doesn't seem like something all that likely to come back to bite you in the ass."
"Probably not, no. But tell me what you did over break; I want to know everything."
Scott shrugged. "Nothing, really. At least, nothing interesting. You know me. Boring as hell all the time. It's a superpower. Or a curse."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on. While I have had my little dramas I know you've had your own--and opinions on mine. All right, let's start with: do I have to drag you to the Halloween party again this year?"
"Uh, I'm not really sure." And he wasn't. Scott hadn't asked Lydia yet, really, if she cared one way or the other. Of course, they had some history of a sort, with school parties, but maybe she didn't care either way. Alisha had wanted to costume him, and seemed convinced she could force him to dance. "Probably not?"
"Is that your way of telling me it will be impossible this year, or has someone else already threatened to do the job for me?" Yes, she was fishing to see if he was dating someone else. Namely Lydia. Jeanne-Marie had mixed feelings about it, of course, but mostly she wanted Scott to be happy and at was all that mattered, right then.
"Honestly, I'm beginning to think all of you women are running a con," Scott told her dryly. "Did you hold some sort of meeting? Do you win money if I go?"
"This will shock and awe you." Jeanne-Marie schooled her expression into absolute seriousness. She turned to face him more, resting one hand against his arm at the inner elbow and meeting what she assumed was his gaze through his shades. "You will call me mad for it, I know. But I have to tell you:
"Some people just like the pleasure of your company."
It was still hard to believe sometimes. But Jeanne-Marie had never tried to manipulate him, and so she had earned her spot among the three or four people whose opinions he actually took seriously. "As long as you know I'll call you crazy."
"I am used to it," Jeanne-Marie replied easily. "Now, tell me who else is on you to go to this party. I am digging for information about the other women in your life."
He smirked. "Jealous?" It was nice to be able to joke like that with her, since she had never been threatening in that way. Never made him nervous.
"Sooooo much." She made a mock-pained face and propped one elbow on the table, her chin held up on that hand, looking towards him.
It wasn't that Scott wasn't excited about Lydia, or didn't want to admit to being friends with Alisha, but he hesitated in telling Jeanne-Marie. The Lydia thing, especially. She was friends with Lil, and Lil had....well, she'd been pissed as fuck when she'd found out. It would only put the French-Canadian in an awkward position.
Hell, maybe that's why she'd been keeping her distance. She'd picked her side, and it was Lil's.
He tried not to let that sting. "It's nothing. Forget about it."
Jeanne-Marie sighed; that had answered her question well enough. "It's Lydia, then. Scott, she is my friend, too. Well, she's Jean-Paul's friend, but she looks out for me for his sake.
"I love Lil, but I want you to be happy, too."
"Which is why you've avoided me ever since." It was out before he could stop it, and goddamn it that was frustrating. Scott was possessive of his friends. He knew that, now that he had some. He knew it was dickish, too. But he couldn't quite help it.
Jeanne-Marie raised both eyebrows, picking up her head and letting her hand fall down to the table. "After everything I just said about all I've been going through, you choose to believe that we haven't spent real friend-time together since because of that?
"I am sorry if I wasn't there when you needed me, but I was not avoiding you."
It was nice that she believed that. He guessed. And it was true, he supposed. She hadn't been avoiding him in that active kind of sense. At least it made it less spiteful, or something. But Scott also knew she'd seen some of the others.
She'd made time for what was important to her. Scott wasn't. It happened. And, when he thought about it, he didn't know that he would've prioritized it any other way, if he were her.
He needed to suck it up. Shut it down. Stop caring, like some kind of whining toddler.
"I know you weren't. Sorry."
"Well if I had thought for a moment it would bother you, I would've been more careful," she admitted, softening just a touch. It was nice, in a way, really. She hadn't expected that at all.
Scott waved it off. "It shouldn't bother me, and you shouldn't have been more careful. I'm just being an asshole. Forget it."
"No, it's sweet, really." She smiled and threaded her arm through his, pulling herself and her chair nearer. "But we can put it behind us, anyhow, and I will do better.
"I am happy for you and Lydia--if I am understanding right. It's a good match."
He really hoped that warming sensation was just his imagination, and not him blushing at all. "Uh...thanks. Hopefully she agrees with you, once she's tested it out."
"I don't think Lydia gets into a thing like this without first running many--ah, simulations in her head first. I am sure it will come out well." Maybe not forever, no, but Jeanne-Marie was certain Lydia had thought this through completely.
... possibly even engineered the break-up, but. Well. That had been coming anyhow, most likely.
Scott knew Lydia thought things out. She was scheming, which was hot as fuck. Smart. It was one of the things he liked most about her. But sometimes he had to wonder if she'd really fooled everyone so much that they thought she was incapable of being wrong.
Her time value had been off, the first time he'd met her. Not that he was going to be the one who ratted her out for being human.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence," he said. Hell, Jeanne-Marie's belief in them didn't hurt, really.
Jeanne-Marie grinned. "I'm glad she's making you come. Do you know what you two are wearing?"
He blinked. "Uh...clothes?"
She pursed her lips at him. He knew what she meant!
Scott shrugged slightly, unperturbed by her chastising look. "You remember last year, right? I don't really do the costume, dress-up thing."
She made a 'oh is that so?' face. "I assumed Lydia would have some ideas about that."
He gave her mildly horrified look. "You're not implying that you think she wants to do some kind of horrifically sacchrine matching shit, are you?"
"That seems more like something I would do than something Lydia would do," Jeanne-Marie said with a laugh. "But I am suggesting that she would suggest you put a touch more effort into your costume than last year, yes."
Scott still didn't look overly impressed, but he shrugged. "Well, I guess we'll wait and see. And we'll see if I agree to wear whatever it is." Though, truth be told, he was pretty damn sure he'd given in. Unless it was completely and totally stupid. Which didn't sound like Lydia.
"Lydia seems like she'd be difficult to refuse." Jeanne-Marie smirked.
He raised his eyebrows. "Are you suggesting something about me?"
She cocked one of hers. "About you, no. About Lydia, yes."
He smirked and leaned back, balancing his chair on its back two legs. Scott crossed his arms over his chest, and gave her a long and thoughtful look. "And what're you suggesting?"
"Exactly what I said: I wouldn't want to tell Lydia no if she had her mind set on something." She laughed. "You think everything is some sort of code."
"It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you."
