The Fortune Cookie, Take 1
Round 13, Prompt #33 : A short saying often contains much wisdom.
215 words.
--
Lassiter knew who he was, and he'd thought other people knew it too. But he wasn't Goochberg. He wasn't anything like her. He wasn't exactly O'Hara, either, but there was a middle ground somewhere. It was just a matter of getting others to see it...but how? Talking to people in a normal context--being friendly to them--wasn't his strong suit. It didn't mean he didn't want to. Like now, for instance. Spencer, Guster, and O'Hara were sitting around her desk, laughing at nothing and eating Chinese.
He used to have friends like that, years ago. People who made him laugh at the stupidest things. He hardly laughed now.
What had happened to him?
"Hey, Lassie!"
Lassiter turned around, reflexively caught what Spencer tossed at him, and blinked warily. A fortune cookie? Guster smiled at him, Spencer shrugged, grinning, and O'Hara was moments away from another fit of giggles.
Still a bit wary, Lassiter turned away. He looked at the fortune cookie in his hands. Smiling to himself, he cracked it in half, reading the fortune as he gnawed on the cookie.
Despite himself, he laughed. He didn't know how, but he had a feeling Spencer had done this intentionally.
"Smart ass."
(Maybe nothing had happened to him after all.)
--
215 words.
--
Lassiter knew who he was, and he'd thought other people knew it too. But he wasn't Goochberg. He wasn't anything like her. He wasn't exactly O'Hara, either, but there was a middle ground somewhere. It was just a matter of getting others to see it...but how? Talking to people in a normal context--being friendly to them--wasn't his strong suit. It didn't mean he didn't want to. Like now, for instance. Spencer, Guster, and O'Hara were sitting around her desk, laughing at nothing and eating Chinese.
He used to have friends like that, years ago. People who made him laugh at the stupidest things. He hardly laughed now.
What had happened to him?
"Hey, Lassie!"
Lassiter turned around, reflexively caught what Spencer tossed at him, and blinked warily. A fortune cookie? Guster smiled at him, Spencer shrugged, grinning, and O'Hara was moments away from another fit of giggles.
Still a bit wary, Lassiter turned away. He looked at the fortune cookie in his hands. Smiling to himself, he cracked it in half, reading the fortune as he gnawed on the cookie.
Despite himself, he laughed. He didn't know how, but he had a feeling Spencer had done this intentionally.
"Smart ass."
(Maybe nothing had happened to him after all.)
--