vanilla #12 + gummies
vanilla 12. a storm + gummy bunnies: "truth" (from 
origfic_bingo card)
story: second chances ; high school. wordcount: 1418. rating: pg.
"So…were you just going to keep acting weird around me and hope I didn't notice? After finding out what Levee told Mike, Darcy tries to clear the air...and rather fails.
notes: Hey, it's the Darcy-and-Mike fight that follows Quidnunc! FINALLY, the missing piece to this arc. Anyway, I've been traveling sans internet for the last four days, so I'm feeling a bit behind on RaTs. This weeks looks pretty busy but I will try to catch up :)
Darcy pulls open her locker and sniffs experimentally. Yeah, her gym clothes could probably use a wash soon.
As she's shaking out her crumpled t-shirt, Levee comes up beside her and drops her gym bag on the bench. "Hey," she says.
Darcy pulls her tank top over her head. "Hey. So that was weird at lunch, huh?"
"What was weird?"
"Mike," Darcy says. She pauses to put on her gym shirt. "I mean, he's gone to sit with Lonnie's friends before but…it seemed like he was kind of avoiding us, didn't it?"
Levee's the middle of that thing she does where she puts on a sport bra over her regular one, then somehow squirms out of the first one. It always looks needlessly complicated to Darcy, who figures just-be-quick-and-hope-no-one-looks-at-you is a sufficient strategy. "You mean," Levee says, pulling a strap over her shoulder, "how he wouldn't make eye contact then just kind of took off?"
"Yeah," Darcy says, "What was up with that?"
Levee tosses her bra back in the bag. "Maybe he's irritated with you."
"Why?" Darcy wrinkles her nose. "What did I do to him?"
"Nothing."
Darcy reaches for her gym shorts. "But?" There had to be a 'but.'
"Well…" Levee picks up a tennis shoe and takes a seat on the bench. "Maybe he's irritated that you didn't tell him about what's been going on between you and Rayn."
Darcy freezes, one leg in her shorts. "What?" she asks carefully, turning to stare at Levee.
"You know what I mean." Levee's avoiding eye contact now, looking down to tie her shoe.
Darcy pulls up her shorts slowly, letting the weight of that comment sink in. "I-" she tries. "How-" She shakes her head, hard enough that she sees stars when she opens her eyes. "And who did tell Mike?" she asks finally.
"I did," Levee said. She looks up and shrugs. "You never said it was a secret. And you and Rayn were like, going at it on your patio, which isn't the most discrete place, so…"
Oh God, the patio. Levee. Darcy clapped a hand to her forehead. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"
"I didn't know you were going to try to keep it a secret forever."
"It hasn't been forever!" She realizes she's raised her voice (to, okay, a shriek) but not before the two other girls at the adjacent lockers are staring. Dropping her voice to an angry whisper, she continues: "Did you ever stop to think there was a reason I didn't tell anyone?"
"Because it makes you look bad?" Levee says.
"What?"
"Well…you're not even dating."
"What?" Darcy shakes her head again. "No! Where did you get that from?"
"Well…why hide it, then?"
"Because I didn't know if it was going anywhere! And I didn't want to make a big deal about it it the meantime." Darcy throws up her hands. "Why am I even explaining this to you? It's none of your business! God!" She slams her locker closed and grabs her sneakers. "Sometimes I wonder why we're even friends!"
As she stomps to the door, she adds, "And you can find yourself a new partner for badminton!"
Darcy tries not to find it foreboding that the rainclouds start gather during gym and that by the time the bell rings the sky is so overcast it looks like it's already evening. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, She puts on a forced smile and dodges the hallway crowd to catch up to Mike.
"Guess who!" she chirps, making a half-hearted attempt to cover his eyes.
"Oh, hi, Darcy." He doesn't seem amused but he didn't seem annoyed exactly either. She'll take it.
"How's it going?"
"All right." He pushes open one of the front doors and motions her ahead.
"Thanks," she says. She tightens her grip on her backpack "So um…how was lunch with Lonnie's friends?"
"Fine," Mike says. He pauses on the steps, looking up at the sky. "Is it raining?"
"Um…not yet, I don't think." Darcy tucks her hands into her pockets. They walk in silence for six, seven, eight, paces.
"Well…" Mike says, nodding towards the parking lot. "I should probably get going before it starts pouring."
"Are you avoiding me?" Darcy blurts.
He looks taken aback. "Not…really?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you annoyed at me?" She squints, trying to read his expression. "Is something bothering you?"
"Um…no." He half-laughs. "It's just that my wind-shield wipers kind of need to be replaced? So if it's going to rain, I should probably…"
"Your wind-shield wipers?" Darcy shakes her head. "Come on. Just say it."
"Say what?"
"I know you know!" When that only earns her a blank look, she sighs. "Look…Levee told me that she told you, um…about me and Rayn."
Mike presses his lips together and looks up at the sky again. "Oh," he says finally. "That."
Darcy scratches the back of her leg with her sneaker, waiting for him to say something else. He doesn't. "So…were you just going to keep acting weird around me and hope I didn't notice?
Mike sighs. "I figured you didn't want me to know. So I didn't say anything."
"I didn't not want you to know, I…I was going to tell you!"
"You were going to tell me."
"Yes! Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know," Mike says. He folds his arms. "I just…you know, I didn't think I'd have to hear it from Levee. You're the one always obsessing over how we should tell each other everything."
She folds her arms too, feeling defensive. "I didn't say everything…"
"Yeah, you did," he says. "Ever since I started going out with Lonnie, you've been, like, terrified of being left out of the loop. And it's not like you and Lonnie were even friends to begin with, so-"
"So is that what it is?" She shakes her head. "You're friends with Rayn so I have to stay away from him?"
"That's not what I meant. I just would've liked to know I was being a third wheel."
"Come on! You know you weren't being a third wheel." Darcy feels a drop of water hit the top of her head. "Are you pissed I didn't tell you, or are you pissed because it was Rayn?"
He frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She wraps her arms around her body; the rain's quickly picking up volume, and she kinda wishes they'd thought to do this inside.
"Well?" he says. "If you have something to say, say it."
"Okay." She licks her lips. "Sometimes it seems like you're little more…interested in Rayn than you want to admit."
His expression falters for a second, but then he's back to looking at her like she's an idiot. "So you've been talking to Lonnie then?"
"Come on, it's not just Lonnie. Why do you think Levee told you in the first place?"
"Why is this about me now?" He tugs his hood up over his head and takes a step towards the parking lot. "Look, I have to go. I'm not going to stand in a downpour and argue about this with you."
"Just tell me if it's true!"
With a sigh, he turns back to face her. "All right, fine! You got me!" He throws up his hands. I'm actually super jealous that you had sex with Rayn. Are you happy now?"
Darcy opens her mouth, ready to call him out on hiding behind sarcasm before she catches it. "Wait…we did not have sex."
"Oh, I thought…Levee said…" He stops talking for a second, blushing. "Um, I guess she just said you'd been hooking up."
"And you just assumed we had sex?" She curls her fingers into her palms, struck by a twinge of indignation. No wonder Levee had said, it makes you look bad. "Really, that's what you thought?"
Mike looks more confused than embarrassed now. He still looks like he wants to leave. "Um…are you mad because I thought you had sex?"
"When I so obviously didn't?" She plants her fists on her hips. "Just because you do something, doesn't mean everyone else does."
He stares at her for a second, then gives his head a short shake. "Wow. Okay. I'm leaving now."
"Wait! I, um-"
He waves it off, turning towards the parking lot.
Darcy isn't sure what to say anyway. She shoves her hands in her pockets and watches him go.
OH THE HUMANITY.
Or OH THE SLUT-SHAMING. Or something. Now Mike and Darcy's post reconciliation revenge probably makes more sense at least ;) HEY, IS THIS STORY ARC DONE? I GET THE FEELING IT'S DONE. …Back to working on one of 10 zillion unfinished arcs now.
origfic_bingo card)
story: second chances ; high school. wordcount: 1418. rating: pg.
"So…were you just going to keep acting weird around me and hope I didn't notice? After finding out what Levee told Mike, Darcy tries to clear the air...and rather fails.
notes: Hey, it's the Darcy-and-Mike fight that follows Quidnunc! FINALLY, the missing piece to this arc. Anyway, I've been traveling sans internet for the last four days, so I'm feeling a bit behind on RaTs. This weeks looks pretty busy but I will try to catch up :)
Darcy pulls open her locker and sniffs experimentally. Yeah, her gym clothes could probably use a wash soon.
As she's shaking out her crumpled t-shirt, Levee comes up beside her and drops her gym bag on the bench. "Hey," she says.
Darcy pulls her tank top over her head. "Hey. So that was weird at lunch, huh?"
"What was weird?"
"Mike," Darcy says. She pauses to put on her gym shirt. "I mean, he's gone to sit with Lonnie's friends before but…it seemed like he was kind of avoiding us, didn't it?"
Levee's the middle of that thing she does where she puts on a sport bra over her regular one, then somehow squirms out of the first one. It always looks needlessly complicated to Darcy, who figures just-be-quick-and-hope-no-one-looks-at-you is a sufficient strategy. "You mean," Levee says, pulling a strap over her shoulder, "how he wouldn't make eye contact then just kind of took off?"
"Yeah," Darcy says, "What was up with that?"
Levee tosses her bra back in the bag. "Maybe he's irritated with you."
"Why?" Darcy wrinkles her nose. "What did I do to him?"
"Nothing."
Darcy reaches for her gym shorts. "But?" There had to be a 'but.'
"Well…" Levee picks up a tennis shoe and takes a seat on the bench. "Maybe he's irritated that you didn't tell him about what's been going on between you and Rayn."
Darcy freezes, one leg in her shorts. "What?" she asks carefully, turning to stare at Levee.
"You know what I mean." Levee's avoiding eye contact now, looking down to tie her shoe.
Darcy pulls up her shorts slowly, letting the weight of that comment sink in. "I-" she tries. "How-" She shakes her head, hard enough that she sees stars when she opens her eyes. "And who did tell Mike?" she asks finally.
"I did," Levee said. She looks up and shrugs. "You never said it was a secret. And you and Rayn were like, going at it on your patio, which isn't the most discrete place, so…"
Oh God, the patio. Levee. Darcy clapped a hand to her forehead. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"
"I didn't know you were going to try to keep it a secret forever."
"It hasn't been forever!" She realizes she's raised her voice (to, okay, a shriek) but not before the two other girls at the adjacent lockers are staring. Dropping her voice to an angry whisper, she continues: "Did you ever stop to think there was a reason I didn't tell anyone?"
"Because it makes you look bad?" Levee says.
"What?"
"Well…you're not even dating."
"What?" Darcy shakes her head again. "No! Where did you get that from?"
"Well…why hide it, then?"
"Because I didn't know if it was going anywhere! And I didn't want to make a big deal about it it the meantime." Darcy throws up her hands. "Why am I even explaining this to you? It's none of your business! God!" She slams her locker closed and grabs her sneakers. "Sometimes I wonder why we're even friends!"
As she stomps to the door, she adds, "And you can find yourself a new partner for badminton!"
Darcy tries not to find it foreboding that the rainclouds start gather during gym and that by the time the bell rings the sky is so overcast it looks like it's already evening. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, She puts on a forced smile and dodges the hallway crowd to catch up to Mike.
"Guess who!" she chirps, making a half-hearted attempt to cover his eyes.
"Oh, hi, Darcy." He doesn't seem amused but he didn't seem annoyed exactly either. She'll take it.
"How's it going?"
"All right." He pushes open one of the front doors and motions her ahead.
"Thanks," she says. She tightens her grip on her backpack "So um…how was lunch with Lonnie's friends?"
"Fine," Mike says. He pauses on the steps, looking up at the sky. "Is it raining?"
"Um…not yet, I don't think." Darcy tucks her hands into her pockets. They walk in silence for six, seven, eight, paces.
"Well…" Mike says, nodding towards the parking lot. "I should probably get going before it starts pouring."
"Are you avoiding me?" Darcy blurts.
He looks taken aback. "Not…really?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you annoyed at me?" She squints, trying to read his expression. "Is something bothering you?"
"Um…no." He half-laughs. "It's just that my wind-shield wipers kind of need to be replaced? So if it's going to rain, I should probably…"
"Your wind-shield wipers?" Darcy shakes her head. "Come on. Just say it."
"Say what?"
"I know you know!" When that only earns her a blank look, she sighs. "Look…Levee told me that she told you, um…about me and Rayn."
Mike presses his lips together and looks up at the sky again. "Oh," he says finally. "That."
Darcy scratches the back of her leg with her sneaker, waiting for him to say something else. He doesn't. "So…were you just going to keep acting weird around me and hope I didn't notice?
Mike sighs. "I figured you didn't want me to know. So I didn't say anything."
"I didn't not want you to know, I…I was going to tell you!"
"You were going to tell me."
"Yes! Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know," Mike says. He folds his arms. "I just…you know, I didn't think I'd have to hear it from Levee. You're the one always obsessing over how we should tell each other everything."
She folds her arms too, feeling defensive. "I didn't say everything…"
"Yeah, you did," he says. "Ever since I started going out with Lonnie, you've been, like, terrified of being left out of the loop. And it's not like you and Lonnie were even friends to begin with, so-"
"So is that what it is?" She shakes her head. "You're friends with Rayn so I have to stay away from him?"
"That's not what I meant. I just would've liked to know I was being a third wheel."
"Come on! You know you weren't being a third wheel." Darcy feels a drop of water hit the top of her head. "Are you pissed I didn't tell you, or are you pissed because it was Rayn?"
He frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She wraps her arms around her body; the rain's quickly picking up volume, and she kinda wishes they'd thought to do this inside.
"Well?" he says. "If you have something to say, say it."
"Okay." She licks her lips. "Sometimes it seems like you're little more…interested in Rayn than you want to admit."
His expression falters for a second, but then he's back to looking at her like she's an idiot. "So you've been talking to Lonnie then?"
"Come on, it's not just Lonnie. Why do you think Levee told you in the first place?"
"Why is this about me now?" He tugs his hood up over his head and takes a step towards the parking lot. "Look, I have to go. I'm not going to stand in a downpour and argue about this with you."
"Just tell me if it's true!"
With a sigh, he turns back to face her. "All right, fine! You got me!" He throws up his hands. I'm actually super jealous that you had sex with Rayn. Are you happy now?"
Darcy opens her mouth, ready to call him out on hiding behind sarcasm before she catches it. "Wait…we did not have sex."
"Oh, I thought…Levee said…" He stops talking for a second, blushing. "Um, I guess she just said you'd been hooking up."
"And you just assumed we had sex?" She curls her fingers into her palms, struck by a twinge of indignation. No wonder Levee had said, it makes you look bad. "Really, that's what you thought?"
Mike looks more confused than embarrassed now. He still looks like he wants to leave. "Um…are you mad because I thought you had sex?"
"When I so obviously didn't?" She plants her fists on her hips. "Just because you do something, doesn't mean everyone else does."
He stares at her for a second, then gives his head a short shake. "Wow. Okay. I'm leaving now."
"Wait! I, um-"
He waves it off, turning towards the parking lot.
Darcy isn't sure what to say anyway. She shoves her hands in her pockets and watches him go.
OH THE HUMANITY.
Or OH THE SLUT-SHAMING. Or something. Now Mike and Darcy's post reconciliation revenge probably makes more sense at least ;) HEY, IS THIS STORY ARC DONE? I GET THE FEELING IT'S DONE. …Back to working on one of 10 zillion unfinished arcs now.