Who: Thomas and Brenda Where: Apartment When: Recently What: Brenda got girlified Status: Complete
Brenda kind of had fun on her shopping trip with Tea. She hadn’t spent all of the money she’d snitched from that rich guy, so she’d been able to come home with things for the guys. It kept the attention off the bags she took into her room. They were stashed away under her bed. If she stayed in her room to fuss with the new dresses and shorts the guys would come looking for her to see what was wrong. She could wait.
It wasn’t until later the next day that she had the chance to try them on again. Thomas and Newt had gone out at different times for whatever reason. Brenda figured she’d have the apartment to herself for a while. She had bought a small stereo and was blasting some music she’d heard and bought the cd. The unfortunate part of that was she wasn’t able to hear the front door open when someone came home.
*
Thomas had decided to go out and explore a little since he really hadn’t been able to do that lately. Not only that, but he was kind of tired of seeing the same four walls. He had needed to get the hell out of the apartment or he would’ve gone mad.
He had only stayed out for a few hours. He still couldn’t push himself too much. He still wasn’t one hundred percent healed. And he didn’t need Brenda on him again for doing more than he should be doing. So, it wasn’t long before he was standing in front of the apartment door. He only didn’t walk in right away because he heard the music.
A moment later and he was finally walking in and that’s when he saw Brenda. At least he thought it was Brenda. This person was wearing a dress and dancing around the living room. Something he didn’t think he’d ever see Brenda do.
*
What she was doing probably couldn’t even be called dancing. Brenda had never danced in her life so this was two firsts at the same time. It was a good thing she had shorts on under that sundress since every time she bounced or spun it lifted up high enough that if those shorts hadn’t been there this would be a much different show.
One particular spin turned her in Thomas direction, and she just about fell over with a shriek. “OH MY GOD MAKE A NOISE OR SOMETHING!”
*
Thomas didn’t make a noise. Didn’t say anything. He just stood there, by the door, watching as Brenda went on with her dancing. Well, her version of dancing. It was weird seeing her act like this, but it wasn’t bad.
He had been wondering how long he could just stand and watch the little show, but that’s when Brenda finally caught sight of him and almost fell. “Would you even have heard me if I did?” he asked as he finally stepped further into the apartment. The music was kind of loud and he was having to talk pretty damn loudly over it just so Brenda could even hear him.
*
The band was called The Doors. Brenda had been told that they were an old band that didn’t exist anymore. The lead singer had died like all the greats had. Whatever that meant. Brenda just knew she liked their sound so had bought what the sales guy had called their greatest hits.
Brenda was kind of panting for breath as she turned the music off. “How long were you standing there?” Unconsciously, she began to tug at the hem of the dress as if she could make it grow.
*
It wasn’t like Thomas knew the music. And if he had, he wouldn’t know since he couldn’t remember.
“Five seconds before the twirling started,” he told her. He really hadn’t been standing there for too long. So, he didn’t catch the whole dance show. He did notice how she started to tug on the dress. Should he say something or leave it alone? “Nice…dress. I thought you weren’t into that stuff.” Isn’t that what she had been saying over the network or was he remembering it all wrong?
*
To her frustration, a burning sensation crept into her cheeks and she just knew she was blushing. OF ALL THINGS! Brenda could imagine how much Jorge would be laughing at her now saying I told you so. Damn it!
This was just getting awkward. Brenda frowned being caught out in her own words, and it seemed like Thomas...not so much making fun of her...but didn’t seem to like what he saw. Brenda turned sharply to head for her bedroom. “...gonna change…”
*
Okay, that wasn’t the reaction he thought he would get. “Why?” Thomas asked as he started to follow her. Did he say or do something wrong? He wasn’t really sure. It was just weird that she was wearing it and now all of a sudden she wanted to change out of it. “It’s not because of me…is it?” He had to ask because he wanted to know. It would be kind of dumb for her to not wear something just because of…well, he wasn’t sure. He was confused about all of this.
*
“Because it was a stupid idea,” Brenda said as she tried to walk without making the dress sway too much. “No!,” But the protest was followed up quickly by, “Kinda. You think it’s stupid too so I’m gonna change back into my normal clothes.”
Was her feelings hurt? Hell, yeah. Some part of her had hoped that Thomas would like the dress. It was the same part she tried to ignore. He was still hooked on and mourning Teresa the bitch betrayer. Brenda didn’t want to take that away from him in any way.
*
“It wasn’t a stupid idea.” Thomas didn’t see how it was a stupid idea. Then again, he was still confused about all of this. It was just a dress. That’s all it was. He just hadn’t expected to see Brenda wearing one. He was used to her wearing pants and long sleeved shirts. It didn’t mean it was a bad change for her, though. “I never said it was stupid.” He hadn’t said much of anything, really.
He was still following Brenda. Only stopping when Brenda went into her bedroom. “Do you want me to leave you alone?” It kind of felt that way.
*
“You sounded like it was stupid,” she called back as she went into the bedroom. The door was left open, however, so Thomas would be able to see at least seven other dresses of various colors and styles laid out on the bed...which Brenda sat with a flop among the clothes. The way she looked at them was as if she were already thinking about returning them and not liking the idea.
“No, it’s fine,” she answered as she rubbed the fabric of a nearby dress between her fingers.”
*
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He really didn’t mean to make her think that or feel any other way about the dress. It took a moment, but he did notice the rainbow of dresses on the bed. So, it wasn’t just the one dress Brenda had one. There were multiples of them.
He leaned against the doorframe. “You’re the one that has to wear it. Who cares what I think or didn’t think.” He wasn’t sure where he was going with this. This was not a conversation he was used to having.
*
“It’s okay,” Brenda muttered. Sitting on the bed like she was, once again the shorts were a lifesaver. There would probably never be a time when Brenda would be able to dress up and not flash the world. She was just not that kind of female.
Then Thomas asked that. Really? Could he really be that thick? Brenda could hear Jorge in her mind shouting YES! THEY ARE! She rolled her eyes before shrugging again. “You’re my friend. Your opinion matters. And before you ask why, it just does.” No, she wouldn’t tell him that his opinion mattered because she Liked him. Capital L.
*
“It doesn’t seem like it.” The muttered acceptance of the apology spoke volumes. Thomas pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked all the way into Brenda’s room. He moved some of the dresses and sat down on the corner of the bed.
“Okay. Well. You don’t look bad in it. I was just…I never seen you in anything like that before.” It caught him a little off guard. That’s all that was. He still didn’t mean to hurt her feelings or anything. “It makes sense you would want to try this stuff.” They didn’t need to wear clothes that were practical since they weren’t running and fighting for their lives at every turn while living on this new planet. “You should try normal things. We all should.”
*
There was no way she could explain to Thomas why she sounded like she did. You’re not her. Drugged or not that stuck in her memory like a thorn. You’re not her. Yeah. Brenda had gotten the hint. She let the conversation drop like a stone. Instead, she pulled her legs up to sit in a lotus to give Thomas space.
“I know,” she said. “I’ve been seeing a lot of things when I got out. Ice cream. Coffee. Good coffee. Even hot dogs from some gross looking street vendor. I saw these dresses and…” one shoulder hitched up, “...I thought they looked nice. Something totally opposite of where we were and had to do.”
*
Whatever was going on in Brenda’s head, Thomas wasn’t going to get a hint of it. He already noticed how she dropped the subject. It probably wasn’t the best thing to do. Especially if she had something to say, but he wasn’t going to push her into telling him. If it were that important, she’d say it.
“You’ve seen a lot more than I have.” He really needed to stop being cooped up in the apartment and get a good look around at their new home world. “As long as you like them. Isn’t that what matters?”
*
“That’s because I’m not healing a gun shot wound,” Brenda pointed out in a tone that said she knew he wasn’t healed up entirely and him moving around here was enough. “I bet when you don’t have a hole in your gut we won’t see you for hours if not days.”
Hadn’t she already answered this? She could have sworn she had. Geez! Pushy boys! “You and Newt are all I got. I can look in a mirror and think something looks ok, but you guys see what’s real. If I look stupid I’d expect you guys would tell me.” She pulled one of the dresses into her lap. It was a shade of blue they had never seen in any sky back home. “The tags are still on so I’ll take them back tomorrow.”
*
“Do you really think I’m going to disappear for a few days at a time?” He wouldn’t do that. There would be no reason to do that. He would always find his way back to the apartment since that’s where Newt and Brenda were.
“Do we?” He wasn’t quite so sure about that. Especially when it came to fashion. Fashion wasn’t exactly a thing. And it wasn’t like he could remember when it was a thing. “Okay, you’re right about that.” If she did look stupid, he was pretty sure that they would tell her so. He looked down at the blue dress she now had in her lap and then looked back up at her. “Don’t. You don’t look stupid in it. Only take them back if you don’t like them.”
*
A smile pulled Brenda’s lips to one side. “When you see what all is out there? Maybe. You’d probably get caught up in your overactive curiosity and forget to come home.” One of those large tv like billboards could do it. She’d gotten stuck watching one once.
Brenda chanced a look at Thomas when he said to keep them. She honestly did like the dresses. They felt like freedom for various reasons. No armor. Nothing constricting. They were a symbol that they didn’t need to be aware all the time. The smile that came to her face was honest and reflected all of those thoughts...and maybe a hint of more. “I like them.”
*
It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen some of what was out there. But he never really got the chance to really take it in. He did smile a little since she might be half right. He was curious. Way too curious. It was why he hardly listened to the rules when he showed up in the Glade. “I won’t forget to come home.”
He hoped what he had said to her would change her mind. And when he saw the smile finally show on her face, he was glad to see that she was changing her mind and getting past the mood he somehow put her in. “So keep them.”
*
“I will,” she said more firmly. “Just you watch, and if you let Newt laugh at me I will punch you in the neck.” She was joking. Not about Newt laughing at her. That was still a very real possibility. But she wouldn’t punch Thomas.
Hit him with a pillow? Yes. Like now.
*
“Why am I getting punished for something that Newt does?” He had no control over how Newt might react. Although, he did want to be there for it. He just hoped that Newt didn’t say something stupid like, see she is a girl once he saw her in one of the dresses. Thomas couldn’t imagine that going down very well.
He was about to say something else, but that was when he got smacked with the pillow. He quickly grabbed the other pillow and smacked her right back with it.
*
Brenda let out with a squawk that turned into laughter as the pillow fight began. She gave as good as she got, and it was a good thing those dresses were made of hardy material for as rumpled as they were probably getting from all the bouncing around on the bed.
She would never really be able to say how it happened. The bed could have bounced her too far as she swung at Thomas. He might have been it coming and ducked at just the right time. Whatever it was, Brenda missed her swing and her momentum along with the bouncing of the bed lurched her forward, and if Thomas was on his game they were both going to hit the floor.
*
Thomas got Brenda a few more times with the pillow. And he took hits of his own. He ducked a few of them. Too bad when she swung again and he tried to move it seemed to have set off their balance because before he knew it, he was dropping the pillow and grabbing Brenda while also trying to stop them from falling off of the bed.
*
She grabbed hold of Thomas automatically to keep from falling. They had both fallen from much greater heights, been in far scarier situations, and during those times there had been holding onto each other, helping each other out. This time, however, Brenda was almost painfully aware of being in Thomas’ personal space.
Breathless chuckles diminished as things suddenly went awkward. “That was almost a disaster,” she said as she pushed strands of her hair out of her face. When she could see clearly again she made to squirm to be free.
*
They were kind of tangled up on the bed, but it was better than being a big lump on the floor. “Almost?” he question, a tiny smile crossing his lips. “No more pillow swinging for you. You’re dangerous.” Once Brenda moved, he sat up once again.
*
Brenda went back to her original position, taking the pillow with her to place in her lap. “And don’t you forget it,” she said. But there was little emphasis behind it. In fact, that blush was coloring her cheeks again, and she wouldn’t really look Thomas in the face. To cover, she starts gathering dresses to fold.
*
“I’ll never forget it,” he told her as he played along with this little…whatever it was. He glanced down at the rumpled dresses before looking back up at Brenda again. He noticed the blush creeping into her cheeks. He could say something. Did he want to say something? No, not really. It could make things weird. And he didn’t want that. They already had their little weird moment. He didn’t want another happening.
He grabbed the pillows and propped them up against the headboard and then leaned back against them. “Next time you go out, I should go with you.”
*
“How’s your gut doing?” she asked as she jerked her chin in that direction. To be honest she knew how he was doing since she watched for telltale signs of fatigue or pain when Thomas thought no one was watching. He was ready to wander.
“I’ll probably go out tomorrow if you’re feeling up to it.” The dresses were becoming a neat little stack. “Show you how I do things here.”
*
Thomas glanced down before answering. “It’s better.” A lot better than it had been when they first showed up on this planet. He was able to do a lot more now without it bothering him. He still could only push himself so far, but it wasn’t like before. “I think I’ll be up for it.” Even if he weren’t, he’d still say so and go. He wanted out of this damn apartment. He couldn’t sit around and do nothing anymore. He needed out. And he wanted to help Brenda.
*
Brenda knew he was better since he held his own in the pillow fight. She didn’t even bother looking at his stomach. He would have flinched and yelped a few times if things were still tender. So she just smiled as she nodded.
“All right,” she said. “But I go out early so no sleeping in.”
*
Well, that was easy. He thought for sure that she might try to make him stay home. “Wake me up when you get up.” Getting up early didn’t bother him one bit. It wasn’t like they slept in at the Glade or had time to do that either in the Scorch. “Did you buy anything else?”
*
Brenda shook her head as she looked at the small stack of clothes. “Just the dresses and a couple pair of shorts.” She bit at her lower lip for a moment then skittered off the bed to her dresser. “Hang on,” she said as she pulled open a small top drawer then reached her arm in. It was obviously rigged somehow because she was able to reach in farther than she should be able to. A moment later her arm came back out, the drawer was shut again, then Brenda came back to Thomas.
“Here,” she said then held out a rolled up bundle of bills. “I’ve been squirreling away a bit from every score I’ve made. It’s not much, but it should get you some new shirts and stuff.”
*
“Okay.” Thomas watched as Brenda got up and went to the dresser. He wondered what he was going to show her now. Hopefully not another piece of clothing. He didn’t want to give her the wrong look or say the wrong thing just to have them go back to the weirdness again. But that wasn’t what she pulled out. It was money.
When it was handed to him, he took it and looked it over. “Thanks, Brenda.” He wasn’t going to ask her exactly how did she get it because he honestly didn’t care. She had it and now he could get some more clothes, which he kind of needed. “I should probably put it away,” he said as he stood up.
*
“No problem,” Brenda said as she took a couple of steps back from Thomas. “Don’t spend it all on crap food.” That tense smile was back on her face as she found herself with nothing more to say. This sucked. Newt can go fuck himself.
She smiled again, shrugged then turned to start putting the dresses away.
*
“Do I look like Newt?” thomas was going to buy clothes not five tons of junk food. If Newt had control of the money, he was pretty sure they’d be eating doughnuts for a month.
He watched Brenda for a moment before mentally sighing and leaving. Thing swere weird again. He hated it. But he wasn’t sure how to fix it.