Alright, I've had an idea.
And I'll be honest, I'm not really sure how good it is, but I've decided to go with it. Because I feel it's worth a shot. And I have to do it before Carly tries it, because she hasn't figured out that Ned is more interested in Sam than he is in her
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Okay?
Is that 'okay, I believe you', or 'okay, crazy girl, I'm just waiting for you to leave so I can run and tell my aunt you did something horrible to her and her boyfriend's apartment'?
... Oh God, I feel like Sam. Stop that, right now!
I mentally slapped myself to get it back together, and just smiled at him, hoping we could just leave it at this. I want to get out of here with the cookies I stole, please.
It might not be the best plan I've ever come up with, but I don't want to get busted now by Dan. What's he going to think if he figures out what I just stole? Nothing good!
"What were you borrowing?"
...
Damn!
"Well..." Change the subject? I think so. It might work. If I make it casual, he could forget. Do I remember how to be casual? I never do very well with that around him. It's not fair at all.
Damn it, why am I acting like Sam?!
"What're you doing here anyway?"
There! That was good. I'm proud of myself for that one. I really am. I'll eat one of these cookies if I manage to get out of here with them as a reward. It'll be nice.
"I was just here returning a nutrition textbook,"
Oh, right, college. That thing I want nothing to do with. But he's smart enough for it. More than, from what I know, and what I've seen. He'll make a good lawyer, once he finishes with all that. I can tell.
I'm not qualified to guess about that sort of thing, but I've seen movies, and he looks like he could be in one of them.
That's something, isn't it?
"So..."
So?
"What's in the container?"
... Damn!
"... Nothing, just the thing I'm borrowing." Casual, Arianna, breathe, be casual, stop being so nervous, it's just Dan. He's not going to run and call the police on you. He might not even tell Carly if you wind up having to come clean.
Would he? I don't even know. I've never been caught doing anything wrong by him before. I know what Carly will most likely do, and Sam, and my friends, but this would be a first.
Damn.
Maybe I could be honest. A little bit. Maybe?
"Some cookies. The snacks are all crap at my house thanks to Ned eating everything that's good, and I remembered Sam mentioning Carly'd just made a batch."
The snacks really are all crap at my house. Ned's like a Hoover vaccum or something.
"So I came over and grabbed a few, and I was just going to get back home."
That all sounds right, doesn't it? ... Why am I trying this up against a lawyer in training?!
I have to stick with this. It doesn't make a difference that I'm feeling more and more like I'm not going to win, I can't give it up yet.
...
What if I just ran... I'm fast, he wouldn't catch me... He'd think I was crazy, or crazier than he already does, but...
... Oh, stop it.
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The thing that she's borrowing is in the container. Makes perfect sense. She doesn't want me to know what the thing is. In my experience that means that its either a girl 'thing' or a 'thing' that she doesn't want me to tell Carly about. I think the second option is the more likely one considering that most girl 'things' that I've heard of don't go in containers, but without knowing for sure its hard to figure out what to do.
Generally speaking, if there's a possibility that its a girl 'thing', that should bother me enough to shut me up. I don't want to embarrass myself by making her talk about that, and she shouldn't have to, you know?
But I can't see it being that. I think I can feel my IQ lowering for even entertaining that one.
Its something she doesn't want Carly to know that she's taking.
Something that has to do with Sam, maybe? Or that book that Carly got the spell out of...she could be hiding it to make it look less conspicuous.
Nah. The spell has her busy enough as it is. It could be something for Ned. Carly hasn't really been giving him the time of day since her epiphany, or whatever that was.
"Some cookies. The snacks are all crap at my house thanks to Ned eating everything that's good, and I remembered Sam mentioning Carly'd just made a batch."
Nothing new there. Carly can't be bothered to clean her apartment when there's baking to be done.
She has an interesting set of priorities.
"So I came over and grabbed a few, and I was just going to get back home."
I think I get it now.
Sam has always had an unnatural love for Carly's cookies. If she made them for him he wouldn't willingly give them to anyone else, and Carly wouldn't be happy with having to make more to get him to feel better about the whole thing. So for some reason, Arianna is taking them without their permission instead of just buying her own at the grocery store.
That has to be it.
"Alright." I shrugged, moving forward and setting the book down on the coffee table. "Do you want a ride home?"
I freaked her out enough by showing up while she was trying to make her getaway, the least I can do is offer to help her make up for lost time.
Its aiding and abetting, but whatever. Sam can learn how to share.
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'Alright'?
That's it?
He's not going to tell me to put them back? Or tell me that I shouldn't be stealing cookies? Some sort of moral thing, because that's what he's known for, and that's what's expected of him, and I think he probably knows that?
Not even a small little 'this is bad and you know it' thing. Wow. This is really new for him.
"Do you want a ride home?"
... And I love it.
He might not like this as much if he knew the reason why I was doing this. I'm not even sure I like it as much anymore. But I am getting away with it. Why should I put the cookies back now? I've been caught, and Dan'll think it's weird.
He's already pretty much okayed me doing it, hasn't he? I think so. Which is great.
But if I take these home with the Hoover vaccum around, he might take them before I can get them to Joe. And then the whole point of it will be ruined. So it won't be just a bad point, it'll be a dead point as well.
...
You know what? Why am I stealing cookies for Joe? Why does it make any kind of difference? I'm the girl that brought him to the future, he has a reputation for liking a lot of women, I could get what I want without this. Why didn't I think of this before?
Forget the cookies. I don't even want them anymore. They have no point at all.
"You know what? I'll take the ride, but I'm going to leave the cookies." I went back in the kitchen, dropping them back in the cookie jar. And I felt stupid, but I also felt like I was chickening out or some sort of thing. I can't even tell anymore.
I think I'll just forget this whole thing. Dan might be nice and never mention it again.
He was already nice enough not to run out and tell Carly on me. I really like that.
"I don't really have a reason for them anymore, I'll... You know, get my own or something like that." Granted, those won't impress Joe, but I've already impressed Joe. Right? Of course I have.
And you know, I don't think anyone can blame me for this. I think it's only natural to want to stop being a virgin. And I think it's even more natural to want to have an outlaw help you with that. Especially when they're pretty.
And the only other guy you've ever thought about having help you with that, well, come on. I'm better off with the guy who can't stay, he won't be scared off or anything.
I feel confident about this. It's a good idea.
... Right?
I sort of want to stick around a little bit longer and try talking to Dan for a good amount of time without messing something up and making a complete fool out of myself, but I should just take the ride, so I'm going to.
"Okay." I walked out of the kitchen, and forced a smile, because that's what I always have to do when I'm getting nervous. Which, now that I'm back in the same room with him, I am. "Let's go."
Good thing I'm just taking the ride.
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"Sure." I grinned. I can't pretend that I know what's going through Arianna's head, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Carly has said a few times that Arianna isn't like most girls. I'm guessing that this is one of the things she meant by that, and if she did, its not a bad thing.
Most girls do a lot of logical, self destructive things. Liz tends to stay away from most of that because she has me, Seth, and Tom, but the temptation's always there. We've gotten into it with guys who've wanted to take advantage of that before, and we might have to again someday. I think its harder to be different for girls than it is for guys.
Generally speaking, we don't care.
"I don't really have a reason for them anymore, I'll... You know, get my own or something like that."
"I wouldn't mind a trip to the grocery store if you need something. I've got time."
I don't think that's it, but it doesn't hurt to throw that out there just in case she was telling part of the truth. Even though it didn't seem like it to me. I don't know a lot about Arianna, just what I hear from Carly, and I don't mind being around here. Our families are most likely stuck together for life.
"Okay. Let's go."
I nodded, following Arianna out and locking the door behind us. Carly doesn't talk about her neighbors so I doubt she trusts them enough for me to leave it open without getting scolded. We walked down the steps in silence, and I unlocked the car and opened the door on Arianna's side before getting in myself, putting my seatbelt on.
"Cheap Trick or ACDC?"
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The grocery store. That's where I should have gone, and completely forgotten about all of this. To pick up something to stash away so Ned doesn't find it. And some ice cream. Plenty of ice cream.
I should tell Dawn about this whole thing later. She'd think it was hysterical. And then come up with all the ways I could have done this better, and then all the things I should be saying to Dan right now, and it'd go for hours and hours...
... Maybe I shouldn't tell Dawn.
"Really?" Is it bad I sort of want to know why he's asking? The ride's enough... It's just Dan. I need to stop it. He's just being a nice person, it doesn't mean anything, I need to go downstairs and get in the car.
Why does it always have to be like this?
"Sure, I guess." I walked out the door, and looked back at him. "I mean... Just as a quick thing, I don't want to take up too much of your time or anything like that. A few things to hide from Ned so he doesn't get to them like a raccoon hunting for food or something."
Raccoons have the 'masks', 'masks' make them like little outlaws, it's a good analogy, leave me alone.
... I'm just going to get in the car.
I went down and figured out which one was Dan's, and stopped when he opened the door for me. Why does he have to make it so hard for me to relax? I smiled as a thank you, and got in, closing the car door.
And while he was going around to the other side, I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
There. Better. A little.
"Cheap Trick or ACDC?"
"ACDC."
I stayed quiet for a little of the drive, because I knew if I opened my mouth, I'd start babbling. And although he's seen that before, doing it every time I run into him for one reason or another isn't a good thing.
Maybe I'll tell Billy about this. He might get it. And only make fun of me slightly. And give me a hug and tell me it's going to be okay, which I think is what I need right now, because he's so calm and I'm fidgeting like a lunatic.
"... Thanks again for this."
No more after that, otherwise, I'll just keep saying it. It's Sam's fault for ingraining all these stupid little manners in when I was little. Now I use them to fill up silent spaces, and I sound like an idiot every time.
"What do you think of Joe and Ned?"
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"Good choice."
I leaned over and grabbed Dirt Deeds Done Cheap out of the case in the dashboard and put it in. When I asked Arianna which one she would prefer, I had a feeling that it might be ACDC, and I'm glad it was. I haven't listened to this one in a while. Tom has been asking a lot of favors lately, and when he's in my car I catch hell for the classics. It shouldn't be that way, but he's like that.
The music took care of the silence for the most part. I would have said something to Arianna, but I didn't know what to talk to her about. She works at a bookstore, and that's interesting to me, but people probably ask her about that all the time. Sometimes, when you have to discuss your work repeatedly, it turns into the last thing you want to have to explain to someone you don't know very well. Its better that I just leave it alone.
"... Thanks again for this."
"Anytime." I glanced over at her for a minute, and then back at the road. "I mean that. I know we don't see each other a lot, but if you ever need anything, feel free to give me a call."
I like Arianna. So what if she has made a few bad calls with the historical figures. I can't imagine how she pulled that one off in the first place, and I don't think I want to know. She has a good personality. Carly has told me enough for me to know that she and Sam haven't had things easy. Its cool that she's become who she is in spite of that. Funny, smart, appreciative, and pretty unique.
Honestly, I just wouldn't mind seeing her more.
"What do you think of Joe and Ned?"
There's the end of that. If I'm honest with her, we're going to run into trouble here. And since she asked, I have to be honest.
"They're alright guys."
I get the idea that in their time they're regular men who ended up in a situation that they couldn't control. Here, they're impressive for what they fought for. I can see why people like their story, but they're people, just like the rest of us.
"I don't mind talking to them, but they don't belong here, you know?"
That was stupid. If she thought of it that way, she wouldn't be keeping them around. But she did ask, and it is how I feel.
"Its not real to them. All of this..." I stopped at the light and looked back to her again. "This will never been real for them. Its kind of a tease, and just..not all that fair to me."
What if they like it here? Then they have to go back anyway, and they know what they're without.
"But, I don't have any experience in time travel. That's just my opinion. ...Sorry."
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"They are."
One of them being a lot more than 'alright' as far as I'm concerned, but Dan wouldn't have that viewpoint. ... Unless... No, nothing's changed. I think I would know somehow. I would wake up feeling like everything's gone right to hell and want to kill things for the rest of the day.
... More than I usually do.
"I don't mind talking to them, but they don't belong here, you know?"
...
Oh.
"Its not real to them. All of this... This will never been real for them. Its kind of a tease, and just..not all that fair to me."
...
Well when he puts it that way...
But they're having fun here. And they know that they're going back soon, and Joe they likes me us anyway. It's... It can't be that bad, can it?
No, I... No, it's not.
"But, I don't have any experience in time travel. That's just my opinion. ...Sorry."
That was depressing.
"Well, no, I understand what you're saying..." But I don't think it's true. It can't be as bad as he's making it out to be, because then I've we've done something wrong by keeping them here, and Joe's they're going to hate me us.
"But it can't be as bad as that. I don't think they're that interested in staying, it's sort of just fun to them for a while." At least, as far as I've seen.
So it's alright.
Isn't it?
"I don't know." I'm not as smart as he is, but as far as I know, it makes sense. "I sort of thought it might be doing them a little bit of a favor, since they probably won't be alive that much longer. Something special before everything that's going to happen to them, you know?"
Why does he have to make it sound like anything else?
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