Jed Bailey (jokerandthief) wrote in the_colony, @ 2010-01-12 02:04:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | ^ week 03, alice munroe, jed bailey, ~ series: nv meetups |
Week 2 - Friday
Characters: Cassidy Raikes, Zoé Brossard, Alice Munroe, and Jed Bailey.
Location: Nevada State Museum.
Summary: After deciding to start scouting around for communal living quarters, the meetup is adjourned. Jed, feeling paranoid, sticks behind to figure out what Alice is up to. Being that it's the first time they've talked in-person since the big fight, naturally it goes over like a sack of dead cats. Part 2/2.
Rating: PG-15 for some swearing.
As the hours ticked by, the conversation had become a lot more relaxed and loose. Alice could definitely tell that Cassidy was more into the topic than Zoé was, though she did provide her thoughts and input accordingly. While Alice certainly knew Las Vegas backwards and forwards, she was unfamiliar with how well stocked the surroundings were. They would need to scout around, which meant more time out in the Nevada summer heat, but the main difference was that she wouldn't have to be doing it alone. Splitting the city into quarters, they each decided to thoroughly investigate the areas and pool information together by the following week.
Soon after, it seemed the meeting was wrapping up. Zoé felt a little disappointed, as most of the talk had been about logistics and she had hardly had any time to speak with Jed alone. Still, she was pragmatic enough to know that there would be other opportunities to socialize, and as such didn't protest when the other three began to gather up their things to go.
Cass felt a little drained, now, actually - this was most certainly the most she'd had to converse actively for a sustained period in what had to be months - probably even a good few before the epidemic, never mind after it. She would be glad to be alone again - although first of course she had to see Zoé home.
"So I'll catch you early on Monday, then," she directed to Alice as she pulled on the light button down shirt she was using to protect her shoulders outside. "I'll bring a map, we can start marking some likely sites."
"Sounds good," Alice said with a nod. "See ya then. Be safe."
Jed watched them go - or rather, watched Zoé go - with a sinking feeling. It'd be much nicer to stick by her, especially considering where their last meeting had gone. But he had to get things straight with Alice. He started folding up the chairs.
Being left alone with him left Alice a little uneasy. While their conversation over the walkie-talkies the other night had smoothed over some of the rough spots in their argument, and while he'd definitely expressed a desire to stick around, she didn't truly know where she stood with him. As no one else had arrived that day, Alice went to the cooler to pull the still-full bottles out in order to return them to the mini fridge in the bathroom. The empty ones would need to be brought back to her house for cleaning and refilling.
As he finished up, he wandered towards her. He took a deep breath, not exactly sure how to start. So he dove in. "The three of you meetin' early, talkin' alone. That how you want things to go now?"
"They just arrived early," Alice replied, her tone caught somewhere between defensive and nonchalant as she put each of the bottles of water in the refrigerator in turn. "What was I supposed to tell 'em? 'Sorry, I can't talk until Jed gets here'?"
"I didn't mean that," he said, his jaw tightening. "I juss ain't real sure right now where we stand, and if yer lookin' to block me out of plans, I wanna know now."
Alice closed the door of the refrigerator, turning to look at him with a serious expression. "I thought we were over this?" she said. "If it were up to me, I'd stay in my house. Remember?"
"Yeah, well you might change yer mind. 'Cause you did once," he said, sounding grumpy.
Alice stared at him a moment, then scowled, easily moving past him to go back and get the cooler. You're so stupid sometimes, she thought irritably, grabbing both of the handholds before lifting it.
"You want help?" he said, his voice still a bit testy, though he reached for one end of the cooler.
"Depends," she said flatly, pulling it out of his reach and giving a grunt as she lifted it. "Do you?"
Without waiting for his response, she started toward the bathroom once again. Jed had to keep himself from growling.
"Yeah, I do. And that's why if yer gonna bail on me, I'd like to know about it," he said, following quick on her heels.
It was almost as though he'd somehow forgotten everything they'd said to each other. Alice hefted the cooler up to rest on the counter next to one of the sink basins, flipping up the tap on the side so the meltwater could drip out. That done, she turned and glared at him. "Why the hell would I even want to do that?" she asked him.
"'Cause you juss wanna stay at your house? 'Cause you keep sayin' you'd rather be on your own?" he said, returning her glare. "'Cause you sure like gettin' pissed at me and I don't see why you'd want me around if that's all I'm good for."
"The only reason I'm even here is for you," she said heatedly. The words held a powerful double-meaning, which she seemed to notice herself and quickly clarified: "You're the one who said you wanted me here. If you don't trust me, then fine, I'll leave, but I don't have any other damn ulterior motives, all right?"
"I do want you here. And I trust you, alright. But I don't know you," he said, scowling. "I don't know, if you're gonna stick it out. One little thing, and you rip me a new one and threaten to go. Don't blame me for takin' you serious."
"It wasn't little," she all but growled, moving back out into the foyer again to get her rucksack for the empty bottles. "First you say I'm tryin' to... what... steal your dating pool out from under you? And then you're askin' me if I'm even serious about bein' here? You need to get your shit sorted."
"You mean keep my trap shut," he said with a humorous laugh. "Alright, Alice, I'll shut up. Juss tell me, plain and simple, that you're seein' this through."
The fact that he laughed at her made her neck burn with a blush. She grabbed her bag and moved past him again, back into the bathroom one final time to load the empty bottles from the cooler back into it. Do I even want to? she asked herself. She wasn't sure she could trust anyone anymore not to leave. The idea of becoming attached to all these people scared her, though she was afraid to admit it out loud. "That's the plan," she said at last.
He let out a long breath, though his expression ended in a scowl. "Yeah, and you wonder why I don't think yer serious about bein' here," he said, turning around.
"If you make me wanna leave, that ruins the plan, doesn't it!?" she snapped, shoving the bottles into her bag with unnecessary vigor. "I'm not going to sign your contract in blood, so deal! I gotta take care of me first. Who's to say you aren't gonna bolt on me, huh?!" She zipped the bag up hastily, throwing it over her shoulders. "You just don't get it."
"Apparently I don't," he said with a shrug. "Juss don' get mad at me fer doubtin' whether or not you'll stick around when you don't even know yerself, alright?"
Alice stared at him again, this time rendered speechless. She felt her eyes sting and quickly moved past him again, heading with purpose toward where she had her bike parked. Who the hell would miss me anyway? she thought angrily, pushing the door open wide enough that the auto-lock kicked in, propping it open. I don't mean nothin' to nobody livin'.
Jed grabbed her arm before she could get on the bike. "Stop, alright?" he said firmly. "Juss-- Don't run off on me. I can't-- Don't fuckin' run off on me."
"What?" she said, not pulling out of the hold but turning her head to stare pointedly up at him. "You can't what? The hell's it matter if I'm here or not, huh?"
"I can't do this without you!" he snapped. "I don't want to! But if you're takin' off on me, then I gotta know, 'cause I gotta figure out a way to get on without you."
Maybe it was the way he'd worded it, but it pulled such a gut reaction out of her that she had to drop her gaze entirely. It was almost as though he'd somehow stolen her mantra from inside her head, the thing she'd been telling herself since Peter had died. What made it worse that he'd said it today; the day before his birthday.
"Don't say it like that," she said, her voice betraying her. "You don't-- I'm not--"
He quickly let go, half afraid he'd been holding too hard. "Look-- Don't-- I'm sorry," he said. "I just... Are you comin' tomorrow? Can I pick you up?"
If he'd asked her prior to saying what he'd said before, she would have thought nothing of it. Now it sounded like it was more than just a meetup; it sounded like a date. Her stomach gave an awkward sort of twist. "Yeah," she said after a long pause, suddenly speeding up again as she bent at the waist to pick up her helmet.
And that would have to be enough for him, for now. "Alright, sure," he said, nodding and backing up.
Alice put the helmet on without looking at him, still not trusting herself to break down a little. Whether or not he was completely aware of it, his words had consoled her, even if they were poorly timed. She flipped up the kickstand, then looked up at him through the flipped-down visor. "Be safe, yeah?"
"Yeah, you, too," he said, looking uncertainly at her. Yet again, he wasn't sure where he stood with Alice. Day by day. He heaved a sigh.
"See you tomorrow," she said. Afraid of blowing his eardrums out in the acoustical place, she walked the bike out through the door and a few feet away before sitting astride it and keying up the ignition. Within moments, she was gone.