(Untitled)

Apr 18, 2009 23:54

Jordie,

It's been weeks. Are you still willing to call a do-over?

Simon

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walk_ins April 20 2009, 02:35:59 UTC
Wednesday at seven-thirteen.

Jordie has heavy, dark circles under his eyes.

He's sitting in a booth, smoking. A slice of pie is in front of him, untouched.

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 02:33:02 UTC
He hasn't stood up yet.

"Is there something else you have to say?"

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walk_ins April 22 2009, 02:40:25 UTC
"You don't think you're owed?"

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 02:50:12 UTC
"I don't think I want to be offered your company as a way to repay some obligation."

Still cold, and there's hurt under it.

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walk_ins April 22 2009, 02:54:56 UTC
"If that's all there was to it," Jordie says, and picks up his cigarette again with spindly deliberation, "just the last five years, and nothing else -- "

Slowly he lifts his head. Simon's cold; Jordie is bitter.

"I wouldn't be here. What do you take me for?"

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 03:36:29 UTC
Evenly: "I was inclined to take you at your word. Should I not have?"

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walk_ins April 22 2009, 03:38:02 UTC
"Shall we wipe undergrad from the record?"

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 04:09:34 UTC
"You tell me."

The coldness is dissipating, slowly.

"If that's not what you meant when you said you wouldn't be here but for feeling you owed a debt --"

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walk_ins April 22 2009, 04:20:44 UTC
"Because we've been friends for the entirety of our adult lives." Beat. 'You idiot. It means something. You think I'd be here if it were Dunash? No. I'd be holed up at home. As usual."

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 04:38:39 UTC
Simon takes a long breath, and lets it out slowly.

"I meant what I said." Quiet. "About what you should do if you think you owe me anything."

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walk_ins April 22 2009, 04:52:50 UTC
"I didn't think you lied." He looks away.

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 04:59:59 UTC
"Are you still going to tell me I'm being melodramatic?"

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walk_ins April 22 2009, 05:03:04 UTC
"...that was a little on the afternoon-drama side." Jordie stubs out his cigarette. "You have to admit that."

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 05:12:28 UTC
"And therefore false?" he asks again, with an underlying wryness.

It's an old logical fallacy, as much a mainstay of their old late-night arguments as ad hominem or correlation-causation.

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walk_ins April 22 2009, 05:14:20 UTC
"I didn't say that."

No more cigarette. He'll try -- try -- to last out the conversation.

Jordie picks up his fork and starts playing with that instead.

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simon_doctor April 22 2009, 05:30:23 UTC
"No."

Simon picks up his own fork, and carefully cuts a bite of pie.

"I don't imagine this is the time or place to discuss that in any more detail," he says, and his tone's a little tentative.

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