edanwinters (edanwinters) wrote in rrinitiative, @ 2013-02-05 23:20:00 |
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Entry tags: | day eleven, edan, edan and evan, evan |
Awkward
Characters: Edan and Evan
Setting: B Block
She’d gotten her request to move and then Edan had set about carrying her things over to room forty, pleased that she actually managed to get almost everything in the first box, leaving only the basket she’d borrowed from the laundry room for the rest. I had mostly her clothes and what was left of the candles in it, and while it was heavy, it wasn’t something she couldn’t handle on her own. It also worked out well that for the most part, it looked more like she was doing laundry than actually moving. At least until someone who actually lived on B Block realized that she didn’t live there as well.
Even though she was new, she was doing her best to seem like she belonged there as she walked from the elevator towards her new room, like she’d always been there and wasn’t running away from everything else. Running seemed childish now that she was in the middle of it. Her brother wouldn’t have expected her to run, despite the sound of his voice in her head telling her to be cautious. But then again, cautious and running weren’t the same thing.
After the lunch with Wu and the other members of the Lollypop Guild, Evan wasn't in that great a mood. He wasn't even positive why he went in the first place, or why he'd been suggested for Governor either. Seemed random to him. Though, who the fuck knew. Maybe he'd tested high in something on his psych eval. Either way, he was thinking this happy horseshit was going to be crashing and burning. As he was heading for his room, he noticed Edan carrying...what, laundry? He stopped, not quite sure what to do. Ignore her?
Edan's reaction to glancing up and seeing Evan there wasn't all that different from his. She slowed to a stop, shifting the basket in her arms and giving away the weight of it despite not looking like anything more than laundry. She wasn't sure what to say to him either, though there was a swirl of everything at the sight of him. Mojo's advice had been to figure out what Edan wanted with him, and Edan had laid awake staring at the ceiling trying to come up with good answers, but they were forgotten when she saw him. "Hey," she started, not looking at him, but her shoulders were squarer today, more sure of herself.
He nodded in her direction, thinking this was fucking awkward. Sort of massively so. "Hey. What's with the basket?" he asked, since that was the obvious question. If she was doing laundry, why was she lugging it around block B?
Edan shifted the basket again, then took a step to start her back towards her destination. She wasn't leaving yet, just giving him a chance to get away. Before answering she glanced around just to be sure. "Moving," she said, voice low, just for him. He was going to find out. He lived over here. And she also guessed he was likely going to be angry about it.
"Moving." Evan repeated. "...like, you skipped block A, and now you're here?" he asked, just to clarify that. He knew one of the rooms next to his was open and was ever so slightly apprehensive about the idea of her sharing a wall with him. He couldn't even pinpoint why. But there it was, a thread of anxiety.
"Like I asked for a new room and they put me here," Edan said, clarifying slightly. "So yes. Room forty." It wasn't near his, a good few steps away, which she somewhat hated. She took another small step towards her room, but her eyes were on him.
He hadn't moved, and he nodded. Okay, so she wasn't directly next to him. That was probably a good thing. At least it would make the potential for awkwardness slightly less prominent. "Alright." he said, not sure what else to say. And since she seemed to be backing towards her room, he figured that was his cue to turn towards his own room and head in that direction. She was in the middle of moving her shit, so...right. He should let her do that.
Why was it so weird now? It wasn't him dodging her or saying she should stay away, it was just as if things had gone to completely over the edge into uncomfortable. She really hadn't been in a situation like this in a long while, probably high school, but then again, Evan really hadn't been anywhere else beyond jail since then. Putting it in the high school context though helped and Edan was able to spy the way out of it. Shifting the basket again, though this time less for something to do and more to be comfortable, she gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks for last night," she said, completely ignoring the feeling of awkwardness and jumping on the sense that she wanted to fix things between them. "For all of yesterday. You really didn't have to do half of what you did and I appreciate it. I owe you one. Maybe I'll make you dinner or buy you a drink or something."
Evan glanced back at her when she spoke, and was again stuck with the fact that he didn't quite know what to say. But, he figured something out. "You're welcome, and you don't owe me anything." he told her, meaning that. "Just...don't do insane shit, and we'll call it even." Insane like being sleepover buddies with someone who terrified her.
Edan bit her lip against another smile, not wanting him to think she wasn't taking his warning seriously, but she set things on fire for fun. Not doing anything insane was sort of a wasted warning, but she realized what he meant. "We can call it even but I still want to do something. If only to prove that I can actually be normal. Pick a meal and maybe I can make you something. To start over. I'm no Carmel, but I'm really not a bad cook."
Evan wasn't positive he wanted to sign on for that, but some part of him recognized one solid fact--they were, for the forseeable future, both living here. Not just in the same facility anymore, but the same block. So, he was going to need to be able to interact with her without it being completely crazy. That got him nodding. "...Okay," he said, clearly hesitant, but oh well. "And don't have me pick something. I don't have that wide a pallet. I've been in jail for pretty much ever. So, pick something you want?" he suggested.
The obvious hesitation cut deep, but Edan did her best not to let it show. Maybe that was what she was looking for, that sensation that the last thing she wanted was to have everything end between them. That was more than, as Mojo had put it, wanting to know what he tasted like. When she smiled, she looked amused. "I meant pick which meal you wanted me to cook from breakfast, lunch, dinner. I wasn't going to make you choose what I cooked. But knowing if there's anything you won't eat is good information."
"Oh. Er...not breakfast?" Evan said, thinking he wasn't really a morning person. So best not to set that up for failure immediately. If he was going to go through with this he was going to put in effort. He just couldn't shake the feeling that the signs all pointed to them not being great for each other to be around. "Lunch." he decided.
Edan nodded, smile still on her features even if she was starting to fake it now. She was struggling, but she didn't want to give up on it. "Lunch it is. Tomorrow." She made that decision for him, too worried he'd say 'at some point' and they'd never see one another.
He nodded, accepting that. It wasn't like he figured he had tons of plans or anything. And hopefully, no one was going to be in lock up already, so he wouldn't be in for Detention duty. "Tomorrow." he agreed. "Got a time for me? Or just going to let me know then?"
"Noon works," Edan said with a smile. She wasn't sure what her job would entail either, but she would make the time work. After a moment the smile faded and she looked up at him again. "I'm sorry Asher, for all of it."
Noon then. He would have to remember that. Shouldn't be too difficult, however. He wasn't quite sure what 'all of it' entailed. But he also figured now wasn't the time to get into it. So instead of asking, he shrugged. He was thinking the less he said the less he'd be able to fuck this up some more. He was still just unsure how to deal with her. She seemed just...batshit sometimes. Like she couldn't get her shit together even if she tried, and she needed basic self preservation instincts spelled out for her. And hell, even then, she seemed resistant to roll with it. He had trouble dealing with someone who was that willfully putting herself into situations that were ill advised at best. And if that was how she saw the world, if that shit was okay with her, then all he was going to do was feel like he was beating his head against the wall every time he talked to her. So, he left it as it was, turning back to walk toward his room again.
Edan didn't know what to say either, not when he didn't even answer her. Maybe this was a bad idea, but it was too late now wasn't it? She watched him go until the ache in her arms pressed her back towards her own room, not able to stand there doing nothing and holding a heavy basket for much longer.