Fortunately — or unfortunately? — for George, Allie wasn't the type to give up easily, at least not where matters of conversation were concerned. Chatting simply came easily to her, no matter who she was talking to. Whereas people were put off by George's refusal to engage in chattery? Those same people were just as inclined to feel the same about Allie whenever she became overly chatty. The pair shouldn't have been able to mesh as well as they were, but, well, here they were.
George seemed genuinely interested now, the book in her lap not exactly going ignored, but no longer the entire source of her attention. It gave her a burst of optimism. At present, she wasn't being sneered at for looking like the star of a horror film — somewhat dirty, but in a way that gave the impression she had a clever makeup artist to thank. Someone was actually looking past her appearance to engage in a discussion.
Upon witnessing George's laughter to her not-at-all absurd supposition, Allie added her giggle to the chorus. She'd gotten the girl to laugh. That right there was a worthy bonus. "Desperate sexual needs call for desperate sexual measures," she responded wisely between bouts of laughter. "Personally, I'd choose the roof over the closet. At least the rain helps keep the roof fairly clean. It doesn't allow for much privacy, though, and it basically means instant hypothermia during the winter." She shrugged. "Must be why so many people prefer the closet."
Oh. Allie sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. She hadn't considered the possibility that George's birth name may be a sore topic. Two steps forward, one step back, she inwardly berated herself, when the other girl's attention returned to her book. "I—I'm sorry, George. I didn't mean... I... George is a nice name, is all."
For her part, Allie was surprised at the unselfish track her thoughts had chosen to follow. Losing her figure because someone else made the decision for her, wasn't at the top of her bucket list. She highly approved of George's feministic opinion on the matter, smiling and nodding. "They won't approve of that plan, of course. Takes too long to meet and fall in love with someone. And if it's an accidental pregnancy, it has the potential of making the poor woman embittered toward everyone, instead of the government."