Valentine's Day: Part Two
Lindy met Ben at the dorm because she had a gift for his roommate. "From Amelia."
Judd's eyes lit up as he accepted the box with a cupcake frosted in the brightest pink he'd ever seen and a Spider-Man Valentine signed with a heart over the i. "She gives those to everyone," Ben said, with a hint of exasperation.
Judd's parents were from India and determined to give their son an American childhood. They settled in Texas and named him Judd but he didn't turn out to be much of a cowboy. He was unassuming, good with numbers, and great with video games. He played the violin. He'd been initially intimidated to be rooming with a minor celebrity but he liked Ben. And he really liked Ben's cute kid sister.
"I know, I know. Dating Sniper Guy." Judd pinned the card to his bulletin board which prompted Ben to shake his head and make the distinction.
"Marrying Sniper Guy."
"I know."
Ben shook his head again and suggested -- again -- Judd go to one of the twelve parties on campus instead of hanging in the room with Amelia's cupcake. Judd snickered. Ben scowled. Lindy blinked.
Judd didn't go out. He texted a thanks to Amelia and settled to read a book. And wait. Slash hope. But he was rewarded with a response.
Since the ball Judd had been exchanging text messages with Amelia almost daily. She'd started it and Judd couldn't explain why. He'd never said or done anything about his crush. He was shy and she was taken. They got along when she came to visit her brother. Talked math a couple times. Had a friendly Mario Kart competition going. Then they'd spoken briefly at the ball and she had seemed upset... Her texts made it clear she needed someone to talk to who didn't have a lot of assumptions getting in the way of really listening to her.
Maybe Sniper Guy wasn't as perfect for her as everybody thought.
"What's up?"
"Hm?"
"Who's texting? On our date!"
"Oh." Mal grimaced and slipped the offending phone into her bag. "The Richards are really ... hands on. About parenting. Sorry."
Meredith waved her hand. "Naw, I just want all your attention a minute."
Mal grinned. "You got it, girl."
Meredith grinned back and placed a box in festive Valentine's wrapping on the plate in front of her girlfriend. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"I thought we weren't ...doing this."
"We weren't." Meredith's eyes twinkled. "I did."
Mal frowned. She hadn't anticipated this and it made her uncomfortable. Meredith shook her head, eyes still twinkling.
"Don't look like that. Just open it."
Mal sighed, sat up, and opened the box. Two pounds of Valentine colored M&M candies.
"Get it?" Meredith picked a piece up between two fingers and held it up to her cheek.
"...No?"
"M--" Meredith pointed to Mal. "--and M." She indicated herself.
Mal stared. Her mind scrambled to find a way to play the moment but she came up blank. She wasn't prepared and her instincts were silent. Maybe she didn't have instincts for this. What would that mean?
Meredith giggled, kissed her fingers and popped the candy into her mouth. She leaned over, plucked another and held it out to Mal.
"...Thanks." Meredith wagged her fingersful of chocolate. Mal broke into a goofy smile and let her drop it into her mouth.
Mayday, Becky typed into her phone.
If you want to leave, tell your boyfriend. was the quick response.
Becky frowned. Ugh. Stop calling him that. Not a relationship.
E! says you're engaged.
Becky made some kind of squealing noise through her teeth that translated to "I hate you Henry Hellrung." But he wasn't there to hear it and she put her phone away rather than continue the nonversation.
"You okay, babe?" Johnny passed her a glass. The drink was red and probably sickly sweet but at this point she wanted to be drunk. It was exhausting to be one half of a Hot It Couple. Becky hadn't been the center of a publicity storm (ha ha) in years and she didn't like it now any more than she had then.
"I feel like someone's watching me."
"Everyone's watching you."
"Because I'm with you?"
Johnny shook his head. "Because you're beautiful." Becky rolled her eyes but stuff like that was why she was still doing this. Relationship. Ugh.
"Ugh." Johnny frowned. Oops. "Sorry. Thank you." She downed her red sickly sweet drink and plunked the empty glass on the table.
Johnny leaned over and grabbed her hands. "Let's dance."
Becky scrunched her nose. "It's an arcade...."
"Come on."
Judd's eyes lit up as he accepted the box with a cupcake frosted in the brightest pink he'd ever seen and a Spider-Man Valentine signed with a heart over the i. "She gives those to everyone," Ben said, with a hint of exasperation.
Judd's parents were from India and determined to give their son an American childhood. They settled in Texas and named him Judd but he didn't turn out to be much of a cowboy. He was unassuming, good with numbers, and great with video games. He played the violin. He'd been initially intimidated to be rooming with a minor celebrity but he liked Ben. And he really liked Ben's cute kid sister.
"I know, I know. Dating Sniper Guy." Judd pinned the card to his bulletin board which prompted Ben to shake his head and make the distinction.
"Marrying Sniper Guy."
"I know."
Ben shook his head again and suggested -- again -- Judd go to one of the twelve parties on campus instead of hanging in the room with Amelia's cupcake. Judd snickered. Ben scowled. Lindy blinked.
Judd didn't go out. He texted a thanks to Amelia and settled to read a book. And wait. Slash hope. But he was rewarded with a response.
Since the ball Judd had been exchanging text messages with Amelia almost daily. She'd started it and Judd couldn't explain why. He'd never said or done anything about his crush. He was shy and she was taken. They got along when she came to visit her brother. Talked math a couple times. Had a friendly Mario Kart competition going. Then they'd spoken briefly at the ball and she had seemed upset... Her texts made it clear she needed someone to talk to who didn't have a lot of assumptions getting in the way of really listening to her.
Maybe Sniper Guy wasn't as perfect for her as everybody thought.
"What's up?"
"Hm?"
"Who's texting? On our date!"
"Oh." Mal grimaced and slipped the offending phone into her bag. "The Richards are really ... hands on. About parenting. Sorry."
Meredith waved her hand. "Naw, I just want all your attention a minute."
Mal grinned. "You got it, girl."
Meredith grinned back and placed a box in festive Valentine's wrapping on the plate in front of her girlfriend. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"I thought we weren't ...doing this."
"We weren't." Meredith's eyes twinkled. "I did."
Mal frowned. She hadn't anticipated this and it made her uncomfortable. Meredith shook her head, eyes still twinkling.
"Don't look like that. Just open it."
Mal sighed, sat up, and opened the box. Two pounds of Valentine colored M&M candies.
"Get it?" Meredith picked a piece up between two fingers and held it up to her cheek.
"...No?"
"M--" Meredith pointed to Mal. "--and M." She indicated herself.
Mal stared. Her mind scrambled to find a way to play the moment but she came up blank. She wasn't prepared and her instincts were silent. Maybe she didn't have instincts for this. What would that mean?
Meredith giggled, kissed her fingers and popped the candy into her mouth. She leaned over, plucked another and held it out to Mal.
"...Thanks." Meredith wagged her fingersful of chocolate. Mal broke into a goofy smile and let her drop it into her mouth.
Mayday, Becky typed into her phone.
If you want to leave, tell your boyfriend. was the quick response.
Becky frowned. Ugh. Stop calling him that. Not a relationship.
E! says you're engaged.
Becky made some kind of squealing noise through her teeth that translated to "I hate you Henry Hellrung." But he wasn't there to hear it and she put her phone away rather than continue the nonversation.
"You okay, babe?" Johnny passed her a glass. The drink was red and probably sickly sweet but at this point she wanted to be drunk. It was exhausting to be one half of a Hot It Couple. Becky hadn't been the center of a publicity storm (ha ha) in years and she didn't like it now any more than she had then.
"I feel like someone's watching me."
"Everyone's watching you."
"Because I'm with you?"
Johnny shook his head. "Because you're beautiful." Becky rolled her eyes but stuff like that was why she was still doing this. Relationship. Ugh.
"Ugh." Johnny frowned. Oops. "Sorry. Thank you." She downed her red sickly sweet drink and plunked the empty glass on the table.
Johnny leaned over and grabbed her hands. "Let's dance."
Becky scrunched her nose. "It's an arcade...."
"Come on."