“Bea and me, anyway. Boring days equal Random Knock Knock Joke Hour with Rae and Bea. Don't tell me you already forgot,” Rae wagged her eyebrows and grinned at him. “I've been working on a list of doozies, just for you guys!” She winked and grabbed another small cup of punch, sipping at it and eying him playfully from the corner of her eye. She didn't know what she was doing, but it was erring dangerously close to flirting. She hoped he didn't get the wrong idea. She hoped she didn't get the wrong idea.
Rae missed the days of constant parties. “I used to organize parties all the time,” she said with a small, sad half-smile. “Holiday parties for the big holidays and a couple random celebratory parties for good things that happened.” She just... didn't feel like partying since Elliot died. “Maybe I should work on some sort of Thanksgiving shindig. See if Evan will put together some kind of hunting trip and make a nice dinner with the spoils. Could be fun, and I bet people would be more than psyched to have a real Thanksgiving dinner.” She crossed her legs at the ankle and shrugged. “What do you think?” she asked him.
That was a fact. “I've never thought anyone was better than anyone else, you know?” she asked. “People are people, no matter what life they used to live. And now...” she chuckled a little, “well, the apocalypse is a hell of an equalizer, isn't it? People who used to think they were better than everyone else have no proof anymore.” She chuckled a little bit, then the chuckle turned into a laugh when he continued the talk of Brandon in hipster pants. “Oh man. There was this prank last year that Leah pulled on Brandon that spiraled out of control so quick... I bet this would be another one of those. I'd still like to see it though.” She paused and looked him over, grinning a little. “That, I can agree with,” she said of how he looked in the pants. And that sounded dangerously like flirting, too.
She caught the near-slip and gave him another pursed-lipped smile. “Good save,” she said, chuckling. “And yeah, it is a little sci-fi. But... they say moms can communicate with their kids when they're in there. He's a pretty vocal one. Just like his mama,” she smiled.
“Yeah. Smart thinking and a little depressing thinking on my part. She used to be my best friend.” Her eyes turned downward. “It still... it surprises me that she went with them. And I'd say I don't know why, but I do.” She sighed. “Her twin brother died. They were those... you know, stereotypical twins who were ridiculously close? They were those times about a thousand. So she was desperate for acceptance and afraid to come back here alone. It doesn't make it right, that she went with them, but... I can understand it.” Even if it still felt like kind of a knife in the back. “She's been manipulating a few of us, I think.”
She looked at him. “Well, like I said... I'm glad you're here.” Everyone else seemed content to be off with whoever they'd shown up here with, be it family or friends. She'd have been alone, and having him here made her feel slightly less so. “Now, it's both for the sake of not being bored and for the sake of you not killing your liver,” she joked.
“It's okay,” she mused, “I forget about the stress level, too.” She chuckled a little. “Besides, can't say the night was a total bust. I'm having a pretty good time right now, which is totally awkward to say about a children's party, isn't it?” she ducked her head and smiled sheepishly.