Alice Munroe (ex_barebones985) wrote in the_colony, @ 2010-04-18 17:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 07, alice munroe, john james searle, | alice and searle |
Week 7 - Monday
Characters: Alice and Searle.
Location: Siena Suites.
Summary: Searle shows Alice the haul for the soon-to-be-built greenhouse. They end up talking about Jack instead, then go on to talk about adults versus kids and the society they’re building. As they part ways, Alice gives Searle a new nickname.
Rating: PG
“This is going to be the bottom.” Searle stood amid numerous pieces of lumber which had been cut down and marked to fit into the design he and Alice had cooked up before production began. There were definite cons to using wood to build a greenhouse, but it was the easiest way for him, and since their stay at Siena was not planned to be permanent, it was a fine choice. “I wasn’t sure if you decided whether it was going to stay in or outside, so I didn’t put anything together just in case we had to move the pieces through doorways and stuff.”
Alice nodded in understanding. She was a little surprised he’d gone with lumber and not lightweight metal, but she wasn’t complaining. At the very least, they could bust it down into pieces and take it with them for material when it all came down, though her next immediate thought was to consider how feasible that would be; she herself had simply left the little lean-to at her old house where it was rather than take it with them when they relocated.
“Outside would be better, just because of the sunlight. It’ll mostly just be used for plants that fit this climate, and starters. The walls’ll keep the moisture from escaping out of the soil easily, too.”
“Okay, that makes it easier.” They wouldn’t have to rig lights on top, and he wouldn’t have to build in a confined space. “I’ve been working mostly in the shade, so I’ll drag this stuff over that way.” He pointed to where he meant. “I’ve been watching the sun while I work and it looks like that’s where most of the sun stays during the day.” The hotel blocked a lot of sun in certain areas. “Does that seem okay to you?”
“Yeah, sure,” Alice replied, nodding again. “You don’t always have to work around midday, you know. That’s when the sun’s the hottest, from one to four. If you work in the morning or evening you’ll be able to beat the heat. We could probably rig up some work lights if you need ‘em; I bet we could find the ones workers used to use when working on the streets.”
The idea of work lights sounded great to him, because the night had potential for being boring sitting indoors, and the weather was at its nicest outside. If he could also see during that time, he would definitely switch up his work schedule. However, Searle knew it would take some work to find and put up the lights, which reminded him of his promise to leave with Jack if she decided to. He couldn’t make anyone go through the trouble of helping him set up a better work area if he was going to leave.
“That sounds great,” he finally answered, sounding less enthusiastic than he meant to. Searle also averted his eyes, knowing he had been working up the courage to talk to Alice about the situation since Friday and he now had his chance.
“Can I change the subject for a second? I need to talk to you about Jack.”
It was a testament to how annoyed Alice was getting that Jack’s name alone made her irritable. She took a moment to close her eyes and calm herself before opening them again. It came to no surprise to her that Jack had spoken to Searle about what had happened, but Alice was also well aware of the slanting most people did when they were upset. Jack had already proved that when it came to Jared.
“Sure, no prob,” she said. “Y’wanna go inside, or just sit on the steps for a bit?”
“The steps are good,” Searle said with a nod, and went over to sit on them. He allowed a short silence to pass between them while he tried to gather his thoughts.
“Jack is really upset. I think that it’s not bad she has to follow rules,” he began, wanting to chose his words carefully, “but she told me you said she has to listen to everything you and Jed says or she has to leave ... and I think that’s too harsh. She’s been pretty responsible. She lectured me about going out by myself a lot.” Searle looked down, feeling guilty again for not getting in trouble over it. “I told her I don’t think you’re really going to kick her out. ... Are you? She’d get hurt by herself.”
“Is that what she’s focusing on? The fact that I said she had to leave if she didn’t do what she was told?” Alice asked, after letting his words sink in.
“She told me she snuck to the museum.” Searle wondered if that’s what Alice meant. “But yeah, she’s really upset about maybe getting kicked out. She thinks you and Jed hate her.”
Alice scoffed immediately. “I don’t hate anyone,” she said, her tone bordering on incredulous. “And I’m pretty sure even though she’s not living with him anymore that Jed would still willingly give her the shirt off his back and the food off his plate.” She ran a hand over the top of her hair, tugging on the end of her braid once she got to it. “What she did, sneaking into the museum after she was told no? That was dangerous. Just because nothing happened doesn’t mean nothing wouldn’t happen. It’s like driving without a helmet on; just because you don’t bite it doesn’t mean you’re not gonna one day. Y’know what I’m sayin’?”
“Yeah,” Searle admitted, though his voice was cautious. He felt as though he were in a difficult situation because he did want to be on Jack’s side first and foremost, but he liked and admired Alice as well. It was also easy to see her logic. “I know, but not worth getting kicked out over.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Searle,” Alice said, her voice even and serious. “I have no authority over anyone here. Absolutely none. So far, everyone I’ve spoken to only listens to me because I make sense, and because I’m organized. If someone here were to steal from us, or hurt us, how would I stop them? By simply telling them ‘no, don’t do that’?”
“No.” Searle went back to staring at the ground.
“What I did to Jack was give her two choices and a consequence if she chose neither,” she explained. “I knew fully well that she was going to pick one. She doesn’t wanna leave. If she continues to not listen though, I’m gonna have to do what I said I would. My word is the only thing I have. If I start lettin’ people undermine me and not do anything about it, then people’ll just see me as weak.”
“What about giving her space? She’s young, but she’s not that young. I did stuff that I shouldn’t, like went out on my own, and I didn’t get in trouble.” Not that Searle really wanted to shine a light on his own misdoings, but to prove a point for Jack he would. “I think she should have more freedom, and I think ... telling her she’d have to leave hurt her more than anything. There has to be a way to make sure everyone stays safe, but not control everything they do.”
“Nothing else worked, Searle,” Alice said more insistently. “I watched Jed try’n make her listen, and she fought him right in front of me more times than I liked. And that’s just what I’ve seen; I dunno how things work when it comes to everything else she does with Jed.” With a snort, she continued on. “To be honest, it’s not my problem. My problem is her attitude, and the fact that she likes to talk back.
“As for you,” she frowned a little, “I figured you wouldda known better’n goin’ out by yourself. Jack might’a taught you a thing or two, but that don’t make her more responsible than you. Goin’ out alone, unless you’re strong enough and fast enough, is dangerous. And even then, it isn’t a guarantee you’ll be safe. Sneakin’ around? If she was my daughter, I wouldda slapped her and grounded her for a month. I don’t tolerate sneakin’. Sneakin’s as bad as lyin’, and if y’wanna piss me off fast, that’s the perfect way t’do it.
“Everyone here works together not because they have to, but because they want to. We all have that choice. Not only that, but everyone else here is old enough to be responsible of themselves and take care of themselves for the most part. Jack is thirteen. Yeah, she lived alone for a few months before Jed found her. Yeah, she managed not to get herself killed and remembered to eat and stay hydrated and whatever. She also makes dumb decisions. Believe it or not, I fought with Jed in the beginning not to treat her like a kid. I thought she had a lotta moxie, bein’ able to survive as long as she did. Now all I really see is that she just hid. That ain’t bein’ responsible, it’s bein’ scared. Nothing wrong with that, but they’re not the same thing. She’s got her own suite now, and a list of guidelines I gave her. Now she can try’n learn what bein’ responsible means.”
Even after Alice was finished speaking, Searle remained quiet for several seconds to take it all in. What she said made sense, and Searle had known even before talking to her it would, because he’d never experienced her doing anything less than that. As it was, the situation seemed to be at least partially solved. Jack would have a chance to strike it out on her own without Jed, and they all had to follow unspoken rules. He’d just wanted to make sure Alice really wasn’t on the verge of tossing Jack out of the community, and he’d accomplished that. Whatever Alice and Jack felt for each other was something he wasn’t going to get involved with, though it was a good sign Alice told him she didn’t hate anyone - which meant she didn’t hate Jack.
“Maybe being in her own room will help,” he responded slowly, and looked over at Alice. “I think you’re doing a good job, I just hate seeing Jack upset.” Thinking about their car ride made him feel sad all over again. “It’s weird, you know ... listening to adults who aren’t your parents. Jack told me she was stupid to go around like Jed was her dad.” Searle’s eyebrows drew together. “That’s gotta be hard for her.”
For the first time since they started speaking, Alice’s forehead wrinkled in sympathy. “I know,” she replied. “And I understand why she did it. We’re all a little broken, lookin’ for pieces to make us feel put together and not like junk. I don’t think bad of her for leanin’ on Jed, and I definitely don’t feel like she did wrong lookin’ up to him like a dad. As far as listening to adults that aren’t parents goes, that’s not true and you know it. If you were at school, or at a store, or in a building, there were always people in charge. Did you just do whatever the hell you wanted to, or were you a good citizen?”
With Alice putting it that way, Searle came to a realization. “I guess you’re right.” His focus on parents was likely more an extension of him missing them so much, rather than society working differently. “I’ll have to tell that to Molly next time I see her. We ran into her on the book raid Sunday and she didn’t like Bridget telling her to be careful.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d heard the girl’s name in the last few days. Alice bit her lip thoughtfully before speaking. “I think that’s got more to do with ‘who the hell are you?’ than with listening to an adult. She doesn’t know Bridget. If it was someone she knew, she’d probably care more.”
“True. I wish she’d come over here.” That was meant more for himself than Alice; just thinking out loud.
Searle got up from the stairs. “Thanks for talking to me.” Something told him Alice had enough on her plate without having to explain her every action, but it was important to him, and hopefully when he told Jack about their talk, it would ease her fears a little.
“Anytime,” Alice replied, standing as well and running her hands down the front of her skirt. She paused for a moment, tilting her head a little in thought before speaking. “Now it’s time for me to ask a random question.”
“Okay.” Searle gave Alice his full attention.
“Why ‘Searle’?” She slid her hands on the back of her hips, momentarily hating the lack of pockets. It was one of the few downsides to the skirts she owned.
“My name?” At first he didn’t understand, but after a moment he remembered very few actually knew his full name. “Oh -- because, ‘Searle’ sounds tougher than John James,” he said, his mouth twisting into something of an embarrassed smile.
“What is this obsession with sounding tough?” Alice replied, a wry smile pulling at her mouth. “Or looking tough? I can understand looking tough a little, but action speaks louder than words, verbal or not.” She gave a breath of a laugh. “Does ‘Alice’ sound like a tough name?”
“No,” Searle laughed. “And it’s not that I’m not tough or anything, but I’d rather not have to prove it to anyone. So, the faster they can get the picture the better.”
“John James,” Alice said, trying the name out. It was a mouthful, that much was true. She had no real problem calling him by his surname, but it seemed so impersonal, like back when she was in track at school and her coach called her ‘Santelises.’ “How about this: If we’re out in front of strangers I call you Searle, but when we’re here I call you Jay. Or JJ.”
“JJ is embarrassing,” he whined. He could definitely see someone making fun of him for being JJ, and his mother had called him that when she was trying to be cutesy - or when he was very young. Then again, if anyone was going to be calling him JJ, Alice wasn’t the worst choice. “A lot of people around here have J names, so Jay might get confusing.” He smiled. “No one’s ever called me that before. Even at school or around town, most people called me Searle.”
“I really doubt that. Nobody here’s named John or James.” She smirked playfully, rocking on her feet. “I could just call you Johnny. I like the sound of it. Johnny or Jay. Whether or not you answer to ‘em is your choice, but I’m gonna pick one of those.”
“I guess Johnny sounds kinda tough.” What Searle was really thinking was how strange it felt to be called by his first name. “You can call me whatever you want.” He spread his hands with his palms up, offering Alice a smile. If she wanted to be more personal with him, he wasn’t going to stop her. That answer alone was enough to bring a genuine smile to Alice’s face.
“I’ll let you get back to workin’ then. See you around, Johnny.”
“See you later.” Searle turned to head back to the wood piled on the ground, unable to stop smiling even as he hoisted up the first piece and began carrying it over to the sunny patch past the hotel building.