orange_boy (orange_boy) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-11-28 21:15:00 |
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Entry tags: | !completed gdoc, !log, !match-up, ~2017 november, ~50 points, ~~ian gallagher (orange_boy), ~~sam goode (begoode) |
Who: Ian Gallagher and Sam Goode
What: Match up
When: Lunchtime, sometime last week before Thanksgiving
Where: School caffeteria
Warnings: Nah
Status: Completed gdoc
Lunch hours at Madison Valley Consolidated High School were always bustling. Students of all ages swarmed into the cafeteria, the noise of chatter and laughter filling the halls, but among it all there was, even years after people had started arriving in Madison Valley, a very clear divide among the students. Natives of the town tended to stick to one side of the room, those still harbouring the greatest prejudice against the so-called refugees preferring to sit at one table tucked away at the far side from the door. These days, most students were friendly enough, as friendly as teenagers could be, but there would always be those who hated and people still tended to stick to their own.
Luckily, problems were rare and students could generally eat their lunches in peace.
Today the lines were long, the tables crowded, somehow giving the impression there were more people in the cafeteria than usual. Maybe it had something to do with the weather turning poor, cold and not really good for eating outside. Maybe it was just the imagination. Whatever it was, there were very few seats open, most of the few that were at already filled tables.
***
As one of the normal, non-powered, human kids you would have thought that Ian could blend in and be accepted by the local kids better than most of the other refugees, but ever since the fight he had gotten in a few weeks ago that was definitely not true. At all. If anything, Ian felt the divide more keenly than most, because he knew that some of the friends of the guy who’s nose he’d broken still had it in for him. So staying away from the locals side of the cafeteria was priority number one for him. He couldn’t afford to get in any more fights. Even if he didn’t start it and only defended himself he was sure the discipline would be worse for a second offense.
After he finally made it through the line and got his food, he started looking for an open table on the refugees side. This was the day that his schedule was weird, and he had had lunch at a different time than the friends he usually sat with. He looked for an empty table, but there weren’t any. The best he could do was an empty chair at a table with someone he knew, that didn’t look like it was being saved for anyone. They weren’t close friends or anything, but he’d met Sam before and seen him around, and he seemed like a cool enough guy. “Hey,” he said, standing behind the chair with his tray in his hands. “Is this seat taken? Mind if I sit here?”
***
Sam smiled as he saw Ian and edged over more. “Absolutely. Join me! Its crazy today. They had good food for once.” He grinned at the other guy. He liked Ian, thinking the man was a nice guy and not giving a damn about orientation, fighting, or anything. All he carfed about was that the guy seemed cool.
Sam had been taking notes on possible pictures to take and subjects to take them of. He was trying to figure out what he was doing, photography wise. But he gladly packed it away as he made room for Ian.
***
Ian set his tray down and took a seat gratefully. “Thanks! Yeah, it’s super crowded. Maybe because it’s pizza day.” The school pizza wasn’t the greatest, but it was still pizza, which meant it was better than most of the cafeteria food. Ian thought it was pretty great and had sprung for an extra piece, so he had two of the weird rectangular pieces piled on his tray.
He saw the notebook Sam was putting away. “So what were you working on? I’m not interrupting some homework you have to get done for next period or anything, am I?”
***
“Probably so.” Sam smiled and nodded. He too had two slices of the mystery pizza on his tray along with milk and an apple. Better than nothing and he just needed to struggle through classes. Winter break was so close now!
“Some notes for pictures I want to take. I’m anamateur photographer.”
***
Ian opened his milk and took a drink, before starting on the pizza. “You are? That’s cool. Can I see some of your pictures?” Photography interested Ian. Lately, it seemed that everything interested him. He had a million ideas and a million projects he wanted to do, half of which he started but didn’t finish and the other half never got started at all. “Do you do digital, or film? I always thought it would be cool to do real film photography and learn to use a dark room and everything.”
***
“Sure, yeah.” Sam reached down into his bag and pulled out a small single photo a page album and put it between them as he started on his next piece of pizza. “I’m still learning shadow, but I like what I have learned so far.”
He grinned at the other guy. “How’s life been for you, lately?”
***
Ian looked at the pictures. “These are really cool. Have you been doing it long?”
After he was done looking through the photos he set the book down so that he could pick up his pizza. He managed to get about half the slice in his mouth at one time. He was starving, but he was often hungrier than usual these days.
“Oh, I’ve been great. School kind of sucks right now, but I’ve got a lot of other stuff going on. Work, projects I’ve been working on. I’m thinking about buying a car and fixing it up.” He had so many ideas that it was hard to finish one thing before he got an even better idea that he wanted start on right away. He was also talking a little too fast, but he wasn’t really aware of that.
“So how have you been?” He asked after a pause.
***
“Yeah? I’m sorry school sucks.” he nodded, listening, and nibbling his pizza. Life had been pretty crazy lately. “Been okay, I think. Working, going to school, avoiding the crazy as much as possible.”
He nodded.
“Did you do the speed date thing?”
***
Ian crammed the rest of his first piece of pizza into his mouth while he listened. Avoiding the crazy always seemed to be an issue here. But then it was always an issue for Ian back home as well, just a different sort of crazy.
“Yeah, I did.” Speed dating had been fairly easy and painless, although he kind of wished he hadn’t gone because he had seen Magnus there and now he had all sorts of questions about that
“It was fine.” He continued with a slight shrug. “I was mostly paired up with people I already knew, so I didn’t really make any new friends and find anyone to date out of it, but it was fun.” It made sense that he had known his matches. After all, there were only so many gay guys in Madison Valley.
“Did you do it?” Ian couldn’t remember if he’d seen Sam there, because he’d mostly been focused on his own matches, and Magnus’.
***
Sam nodded. “I did. It was odd, but not terrible. I’m pretty sure I met no one who is going to want to date me, for sure.” He chuckled.
“I’m sorry yours was just reruns, though.” Seemed like a waste, really.
“Hopefully, Madison will be quiet for a little while, and we can just enjoy life before the next crazy thing.”
***
“But it's not just what they want, it matters if you want them too. Did you meet anyone you want to date?”
Ian finished his pizza. “The reruns weren't so bad.” Ian said with a shrug. “Talking to a friend for a few minutes is fine.” Really the only one that he wouldn't consider a friend was Sebastian. Breaking up with him at speed dating had been kind of a dick move on Ian's part, but the guy thoroughly deserved it, and Ian was just glad it was over.
“Yeah, it would be great if we could make it through the holidays without any major disasters.” But you never knew in Madison Valley.
***
“Maybe? I’m not sure. I like several people but whether or not it will get anymore serious, I don’t know. Things are weird here.” He nodded. He felt odd about relationships in town.
“Friends are good, true.” He smiled. “Maybe we will. Could be a first.” he chuckled.
“Either way, we should hang out some time. Do something other than schoolwork.”
***
“Yeah, we should.” Ian said with a nod. “Maybe play videogames, or go to Hinkle's.” Ian loved their milkshakes and little burgers, and he was always hungry.
“I've got to run. My next class is on the other side of the school. I'll catch you later.” He gathered up his things and put them in his backpack.
***