Third Floor Common Room, Thursday Evening

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So, Kathy's grand plan to go trick-or-treating in the dorms to meet people had kind of been a bust, but an important discovery had been made nevertheless: Theo had never seen Mister What.Not a single episode. Hadn't even heard of the show. On the eve of the fiftieth anniversary, even

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[theoplustwo]

So, Theo was apparently going to get an education in science fiction tonight. He didn't mind that too much since it sounded like something he'd actually enjoy.

Ange and Dev couldn't even argue about this since they both agreed it sounded like a good time. He found his way into the common room a little bit after Kathy had arrived.

"Something smells good," he said, rubbing his stomach.

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"Please help yourself to lots of it," Kathy said, her own plate almost overflowing. "I have no idea how much I ordered, but I know I can't eat it all."

Seriously, Theo. Help yourself.

"I grabbed Chinese because it heats up really well. If we do end up watching the whole series, I wanted something that made for good leftovers to pick at and that we won't get sick of halfway through."

Like, pizza. Pizza always tasted like pizza, even with a bunch of different toppings.

"Dig in!"

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"I'm kinda glad I missed lunch," Theo joked, coming over and taking a look at the spread. "I used to live off Hot Pockets back home. If you don't know what they are, consider yourself lucky."

"Hey, Hot Pockets are good!" Dev grumbled. "Easy and cheesy!"

Theo would have groaned but he didn't. Instead, he went for a plate to get some Chinese together.

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"I do, but never met my mom catch me saying that," Kathy laughed, picking up a spring roll. "I'm pretty sure she thinks Hot Pockets are the driving force behind cancer, heart disease, and gingivitis. She acts like they are, anyway."

Her mother was a woman of very strong opinions on a variety of subjects. Kathy usually ended up disagreeing with most of them.

"But tonight, we have meat and veggies and all the good stuff. Can't have you crashing halfway through the Tenth Mister's run."

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"Hey, I won't crash!" Theo told her confidently. "I've pulled all nighters before."

It typically wasn't for a television show but he was totally open for experiences.

"I slept late today and I am an expert at watching television watching. Seriously, they gave me a medal back home."

Not really.

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"Well, I brought lots of soda, too, just in case," Kathy said with a grin, pulling out a can for herself and offering him one. "I've never medaled, but I'm pretty sure I've gotten an honorable mention a time or two."

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"You planned this really quickly," said Theo, taking the drink and toasting her with it. "You work fast."

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"Well..." And now Kathy was looking down at her lap, trying not to blush. "I've sorta been planning something like this for a long time. I mean, not this, exactly, but some kind of fun night where people could come in and hang out all night long and just watch TV or movies or chat or something."

It was something she'd been hoping to do one day, but had never really had the social life to make happen. Which was why it was so great that Theo had agreed to watch Mister What with her!

"I mean, it's not really all that different from what you need to pull an all nighter for school or something, just on a bigger scale. And, y'know, more fun."

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"Hey, that's pretty cool of you," Theo said, heaping food on his plate as he talked. "I mean, not something I would ever do because I'm not great when it comes to planning stuff like that. I just forget about it and put it off."

He finished with the food and came over to one of the couches. "And I've heard people can't resist free food here. I bet more people than just boring me will come around."

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"You're not boring!" Kathy protested. "You're one of the few friends I have, you know."

Not even one of the few she had here. Just in general.

"One of the reasons I never did this before was because I didn't think anyone would show up and the idea of being all alone in the common room surrounded by a ton of snacks was just...ugh."

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"And see, that's how I spent a lot of time back home," Theo told her, kicking back and settling his food on his lap. "Well, unless Thom or Kiori came over. Those are the only two friends I really have back home."

He didn't count Ange and Dev since they lived in his head and all.

"So, we're alike when it comes to the small amount of friends. If people don't show up, they're just missing out."

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"Another reason we're wallflower buddies," Kathy said wryly. "I was really shy as a little kid, so I never really made friends and by the time I grew out of it, I was pretty much stuck as the quiet girl in the corner."

Only in movies did people have a giant makeover sometime over one summer and come back to school a completely different person. In Kathy's experience, you got shoved into a niche pretty early on and then you stayed there, no matter what.

"I'm trying to shake some of that now, but old habits die hard, you know?"

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"I get that," Theo said, nodding. He smiled over at her. "For what it's worth, I think you're excellent at making friends."

Ange was busily contemplating his manners and his honest. And Dev...well, he was pretty pleased with things as well. Because she was a girl and Dev was always supportive there.

"I wasn't really shy, I don't think. Maybe a little different and isolated but it's tough to make friends sometimes."

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Theo wasn't helping Kathy stop blushing any.

"Thanks," she murmured, then shoved a gyoza in her mouth. Because she wouldn't be able to say anything stupid with food in her mouth, which made it the best plan ever.

Once she'd figured out the next thing to say and made absolutely sure it wouldn't sound really stupid when she said it, she swallowed. "It helps that you're excellent company." There! Returned compliment without it sounding too...well, stupid. "And I think that, yeah, it's easier sometimes just being by yourself. Then you don't have to worry about what anyone else is thinking. You just do your own thing and that's it. But it doesn't really lend itself to socializing and popularity and stuff."

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Theo thought about calling attention to the blushing but he figured he'd be embarrassed if someone did that to him so he didn't. He just smiled briefly.

"I'm not big on popularity." The guy with the voices in his head was doomed not to be popular, he guessed. "I like the friends I have, small though they are. It just means I get more time with them. Don't have to spread them around."

He was selfish when it came to the few people that stuck around.

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If he drew attention to it, she'd probably end up choking on some lo mein and that would just end poorly for everyone except Kathy, who would have expired with gratitude.

"That's a good way to look at it," she agreed. "It sounds a lot nicer, anyway. Though I'm still glad to be here with the possibility to make a few more."

Back home, she felt like she knew everyone and just hadn't really meshed with any of them. Sure, she'd gotten along well enough with the other kids at school, but in the most superficial ways possible.

"Do your friends come and visit you here at the school?"