yo (timeinbetween) wrote in the_dome, @ 2013-05-05 17:38:00 |
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Entry tags: | 03-27-2017, claire, claire and gabe, gabe |
Confusing
Who: Claire and Gabe
Where: Gabe’s house
When: Evening
Claire had been ignoring the hunger pains for awhile. She had homework to finish, and then a lot of dirt and sweat to scrub off in the shower from working in the vegetable farm earlier. Food seemed to be at the bottom of her priority list, but that wasn’t unusual. Eventually her stomach began to actually growl at her, so Claire pulled her back into a ponytail, pulled on a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans and left the house to go next door.
She quickly trekked barefoot across the lawn and, seconds later, found herself at Gabe’s. It wasn’t the first time she showed up to invite herself in for dinner, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Claire couldn’t cook to save her life, nor did she like to cook, and Gabe never seemed to mind it when she wanted him to feed her. So Claire knocked loudly and then stepped back to wait, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet.
Gabe had gotten into the habit of inviting people to dinner, so a knock on his door any time after five wasn’t unusual. Claire was his most common taker, but he’d welcome in anyone, so long as he’d met them at least once. He didn’t like all the time he spent alone with his mom busy at work, but she hadn’t been keen on a gaggle of teenagers under her roof, nor was she willing to let her teenage son go live with his friends just because others could do it. She was still his mother and she was going to continue to raise him until it was time for him to move out... which, according to her, wasn’t quite yet.
He didn’t mind, since he was able to have people over whenever he wanted, so long as he was responsible about it. Gabe was just about to put the chicken on when he heard a knock on the door, and quickly hurried to see who it was. “Hey,” he grinned, opening the door. “Come to join me? We’re having chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes.” All fairly easy things for him to cook.
If Thessaly wanted responsible, then she would probably get it in spades with Claire. She wasn't entirely sure how to be anything else. Occasionally Claire figured that's what made her so boring, and she always promised herself she would break free and do something crazy. Only... that moment hadn't really presented itself yet. Claire lifted a brow at Gabe's offer, feigning surprise. "It's dinner time? I was just coming over to say hi, but hey, since you're offering." Returning his smile, Claire stepped inside, hoping her stomach hadn't gurgled too audibly at the thought of having chicken and mashed potatoes. Yes, please. "Is your mom home?"
“I’m always offering,” he grinned, stepping back to let her inside, then shutting the door behind them. He was telling the truth. Sometimes he offered more than he had, which had gotten him in trouble from time to time. “There was a fight down by the doors and a lot of people were hurt, so she’s working late tonight. I’ll just make her a plate for when she gets home.” The riot worried him more than the fact that the doors wouldn’t open. It spoke of the panic people were feeling, and the last thing they needed to do in this situation was panic. “I wish people would just calm down. This place is meant to be safe. I know it’s annoying that they can’t leave, but it’s not a crisis.” Except the part with the ghosts and the sun going out. That definitely qualified as a crisis.
Claire figured she ought to offer to make him food sometime, but all she could really do was heat up stuff. Instead, she tried to help him out in school and with other things. It seemed like a good enough trade off. Claire turned to look at Gabe, her smile fading a bit at the mention of the riot. That had been pretty big news around the Dome and she probably should have figured that Gabe's mom would be working after it. "As long as the doors open again soon, then it won't be a crisis. If they don't, then I bet some of them start to think there's some big conspiracy surrounding it." Even if there wasn't, it wouldn't matter. People would believe whatever they wanted, right or wrong. Claire slipped her hands into her back pockets and glanced around. “Hopefully the doors will open again and the tension will blow over.”
He didn’t mind making food for Claire, since it meant he had her company. That felt like payment enough on her part, that she’d sit around and talk to him while he cooked and while they ate. “Even if they don’t open again soon, I can’t see why people would think anyone’s doing it on purpose. Why would they?” Gabe asked as he led her into the kitchen. It was a small house, like most in the dome, with only two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. Gabe’s mom wasn’t much in the way of a decorator, so the furnishings were rather plain, but the walls were painted, Gabe’s attempt at bringing color to the house. The kitchen was yellow. “It just seems like a lot of fuss for nothing. I’d be more worried about the sun and the ghosts,” he said, frowning slightly. “Anyways. Sorry. How was your day?”
Claire shrugged as she followed Gabe into the kitchen, because she didn't really have the answer to that. She didn't think the doors were purposely being kept shut. But Claire had ready plenty of books on conspiracy theories, and there would always be people who believed in sinister motivations, even if there weren't any. Leaning against the counter, Claire found she had to agree with Gabe, at least in terms of the sun. And spirits. She hadn't seen any, and while she was sure it had been unnerving for those who had, Claire was kind of jealous. She probably would have found it kind of fascinating. Maybe. When Gabe asked about her day, Claire pushed those thoughts away and refocused. "Just another day in the exciting life of Claire Korey," she answered with a faint smile. "Awesome as usual. School, then work, then school work. And self imposed hour of social activity, which you're lucky enough to help me out with tonight. How about yours?"
“Sounds thrilling,” he said with a smile. “Pretty much the same. School, then work. I was out on Riley’s ranch today and helped deliver a baby cow, which was both awesome and gross. It’s like they’re all legs when they’re born. And then I came back and messed with my bee hives. Only got stung once today!” He’d impulsively bought the beehive when the trader’s arrived in town, thinking that it would be good to start making honey. Except Gabe knew nothing about beekeeping. Corey had helped him find a book on the subject, but it was slow going. At least he hadn’t managed to kill them.
She stared at him for a moment, her brain overcome with the mental image of Gabe covered in cow grossness. Claire had been lucky enough to only have to wash dirt from her hands and face earlier. "Okay, so delivering a baby cow is not pretty much the same!" Claire shook her head, laughing. "I'm tending to vegetables and you're bringing life into the world. Pretty much the same, my butt." She crossed her arms against her chest and made it a point to check him over. "On the other hand, I'm not jealous of the bee sting."
“I just meant all I did was work,” laughed Gabe. It had been gross, but also awe inspiring. “It kind of makes me want to consider animal medicine instead of human.” He’d been considering going into medicine for a while, but he’d never considered being a vet. He knew there were vast differences between the two, but that didn’t mean that everything his mother taught him was lost. “I should take you down there in a few days. It’ll be cuter then,” he smiled. “And you might not be jealous of the bee sting, but don’t tell me you’re not gonna want some honey someday soon. Just wait.”
"Well, I think you'd be good at whatever you decided you want to do," Claire said simply, because it was true enough. Actually, it was encouraging that Gabe was thinking ahead to how he could contribute, especially once they were finished with school. Whenever Claire thought ahead, there was nothing. Just... blankness. Followed by a lot of mental flailing and anxiety. Nothing worth thinking about at that particular moment. "You know I'm all about adorable baby animals, so yeah, whenever you want to take me there, just let me know." She nearly continued with a stupidly inappropriate joke about wanting 'honey'. Instead, Claire grinned and pushed away from the counter to check out the food he was preparing. “Duh, of course I’m going to want some honey. I just don’t want the stings that come along with having to make it. You’re tough though, so I’m sure you’re taking them like a man.”
If the world had been the way it used to be, Gabe wouldn’t have been concerned about what he might do with his life quite yet. He’d be thinking about college, except colleges weren’t a thing at the moment. High school was barely a thing. If he wanted to be a vet, a large amount he would learn on the job. “Thanks,” he said. “I’m still not sure of anything, except that I want to work in the medical field. Somewhere. Maybe on a farm,” he laughed. A vet was, after all, just an animal doctor. “Well, you don’t have to worry about the stings, and you don’t get to see me cry like a girl when they get me,” he joked. “But you do have to come up with delicious things for me to make with it. I know it’s a sugar substitute, but I don’t really know how to use it.”
Gabe, on a farm, tending to animals. Strangely enough, Claire could see it happening. And Thessaly would probably be ecstatic if Gabe wanted to work with medicine, even if it was animal medicine. Claire released another laugh before attempting a mock pout. "No, see, I have it in my head that you just flick the bees that sting you away before going about your business. Admitting you cry like a little girl shatters that illusion. But yeah, I can help you figure out what to bake with honey. There's actually a lot you can do with it. Plus, it's healthier than sugar, and junk." Claire pushed a loose strand of hair away from her cheek. "Do you need any help with the food? I could... uh, stir something?"
Though he didn’t actually cry when he was stung by the bees, Gabe generally cursed up a storm. It was frustrating that he didn’t have what he needed to protect himself; the best he could do was gloves tucked into a long sleeve shirt. He needed one of those hats that with netting over the top, but where was he supposed to find one? “If I flicked them away, they’d probably just sting me more,” he pointed out, then took a pot off the stove and placed it on the counter in front of her. “You can mash,” he smiled, referring to the potatoes. He had no problems with putting Claire to work when she offered. “I know honey’s healthier, but it doesn’t have the same texture, so I wasn’t sure. What food do you miss more than anything else?”
"Yeah, they would. They'd get super pissed off and sting the crap out of you. But let me have my fantasy, huh?" Claire stuck her tongue out at him before turning to the potatoes to get to work. If she was going to mooch food off of him, then she could help with the preparation. Claire figured she could mash effectively enough. "Yeah the texture is different, and it's richer too so you only use like, a fourth of what you would use for sugar. You can use it in pies, and bread and stuff." And now she was rambling about honey. Claire shook her head before smiling over at him. "Uh, the food I miss? I'd say fajitas, since they were my favorite. And brownies. What about you?"
“Oh, okay,” Gabe grinned. He wasn’t sure why she’d want to fantasize off him triumphing over bees, but he wasn’t going to protest. “I don’t know that I’m ready for making pies or bread, but maybe eventually. Right now I just try to handle the main meal.” He turned the chicken over, letting it continue to cook, then checked the green beans. “I feel like everything so much simpler than it used to be. I think we could make fajitas, except for the tortillas. That’s a little beyond my abilities. But there’s gotta be a recipe somewhere. Brownies require chocolate, unfortunately.” And chocolate was hard to come by. “Me? Probably take-out Chinese food. No clue how to get that again.”
Now Claire was craving brownies and fajitas, instead of chicken and mashed potatoes, but that was okay. At least she was eating something besides canned food, right? "I like the tortillas," Claire said with a small shrug. "I guess it wouldn't be too hard to get some meat and fry some vegetables." She just didn't think it would be the same. "Chinese food might be easier. Rice, meat and veggies, right? You can text me and ask for some, I'll make it for you and bring it over, and there you go, take out." Snickering softly, Claire scraped the potatoes from the edge of the pot before mashing again. "Guess you just have to get creative somehow, if there's something you really want."
“Oh, I love tortillas. I’m just not sure how to make them,” Gabe said. That was the only part of the fajita dinner that he didn’t think he could manage on his own. “I’ll look for a recipe, though. See if we can’t fill your fajita fix.” Now he was craving fajitas, but he knew that would change as soon as he had the chicken in front of him. “Chinese food might just be rice, meat, and veggies, but there’s a flavor to it that I don’t know how to duplicate. It’s all the spices. But if you want to be my personal Chinese take-out chef, I won’t complain,” he grinned. “I think eventually we’ll get those spices back. It’s just going to take time.”
She really had no idea if Gabe would actually find a recipe to make fajitas for her or not, but it was nice to offer. Claire wasn't getting her hopes up though. Expectations were the basis for disappointment. Or something. "Yeah, you're probably right about the flavor. My take on Chinese food would probably be mushy rice, tough meat and overlooked vegetables. The only way it would be Chinese food is if I found you chop sticks to eat it with. I could always give it a try though," Claire said. It was likely she would give him food poisoning, though. The mashing paused and she peered curiously into the pot. "Are all the lumps supposed to be gone?"
“It’s the spices that make it Chinese,” Gabe said. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be that bad. We should try it together sometime, if you’re worried about ruining it.” He didn’t know if she really was a bad cook or not, since he didn’t remember ever having eaten anything of hers. As far as he could tell, Claire stayed away from cooking, supposedly because she was bad at it. Gabe would have never said he was good, but he was confident in his ability to follow directions. “If the lumps are all gone, then you’ve killed it,” he teased. “You can probably stop now. The chicken’s ready.” He didn’t think there was a wrong way to make mashed potatoes.
"Sure." Claire didn't mind trying new things, even if that meant attempting to cook some more. Spending time with Gabe was always a plus, no matter what they ended up doing. If he saw first hand how easy it was for her to screw something up, maybe he would take pity on her and cook for her all the time. Ha. "I'm assuming that killing the potatoes was what I was aiming for," Claire said with a grin before she set the masher aside. She glanced at the chicken and felt her stomach gurgle again at the sight and smell. Since she wanted to feel more useful, Claire moved to get the plates for them both. "Thanks for feeding me. I promise, I owe you one. Or a dozen."
“I’ve never eaten live potatoes, so sure,” he grinned, forking each of them a chicken breast onto a plate, followed by green beans. When Claire’s stomach growled this time, he heard it and snickered. “You like to wait till the very last minute to eat, don’t you? If you’d told me you were starving, you could have had an apple.” Though who wanted an apple when there were mashed potatoes to be had? He gave them both a hefty portion, then handed her her plate. “How about this-- you can owe me a dozen cookies, not dinners. Sound fair?” For someone that didn’t bake, it sounded delicious.
"I was busy," Claire pointed out with a mildly embarrassed smile. Stupid, loud stomach. She took the plate, ready to dig in. She would probably scrape the thing clean. Hopefully she could pace herself and not get full too fast. Lifting a brow, Claire considered Gabe's offer before she shrugged a shoulder. It was kind of a weird thought, baking cookies for Gabe. But if he wanted cookies, she could attempt cookies. Maybe she would be more successful at baking than cooking. How hard could a dozen cookies be, anyway? "Sure, that's fair. I'll see what I can come up with for you."
“You don’t have to make me cookies,” Gabe told her honestly as he took a seat at the table with her. “I just like your company. I’d rather not eat alone.” He’d feed her every day if it meant not sitting by himself each night, waiting for his mom to get home and wondering what to do with himself. He was always looking for something to keep him busy, but he could only spend so much time reading before he got bored, and Gabe liked to read. He was a social creature by nature and preferred to have people around him, especially the comfort of old friends.
"I like your company too," Claire said. She was lonely at night too. Most of the time anyway. But Gabe was next door, and he never seemed to mind when she came around. He was familiar and comfortable, and Claire didn't often have that in terms of who her friends were. She sat down and scooted in toward the table. "But I want to make you cookies, so be prepared." Grinning, Claire nudged his foot under the table. "You know my door is always open to you too, if you ever get lonely, or something."
“I’ll eat whatever you make me,” he smiled. Even if it was burnt to a crisp. Claire was a good friend to him, had put up with his angry and depressed moods back when the zombies had first attacked. She’d listened to him whine, but then they got to where they could discuss the books they were reading, trade with each other, and enjoy each other’s company. He missed having her sleeping an arm’s length away, where they could whisper until one of them fell asleep. “I know. You just always seem to beat me to it. Besides, if it’s around a meal, I know I can count on you for company.”
He probably would eat what she brought him, even if whatever she made tasted like the bottom of a muddy shoe. Gabe never called her out on her glaringly obvious flaws, even after having known her for years. It was probably one of the reasons Claire had always liked spending time with him, and still did. After forking up some mashed potatoes, Claire felt her cheeks turn hot before she looked at him with a hint of teasing in her grin. "You're my friend, Gabe, which means I like hanging out with you. It just so happens that some of my 'must see Gabe' urges come full force around dinner time. It's all coincidence. I swear I'm not using you for your culinary skills."
“If you’re using me for my culinary skills, then I have to apologize, because you’re the guinea pig when it comes to my cooking,” he smiled. He’d learned most of what he knew on the road. Before that, all he could make was ramen, hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese. Steaming vegetables wasn’t hard, though, and he’d learned how to tell when meat was done. “Now, if you were using me for my body, well, then we’d have to have a talk,” he teased. “A guy should at least know when that’s going on.”
Claire was grateful that she didn't have any food in her mouth, because she would have choked on it. Instead, she laughed and kept her eyes on the food she was pushing around the plate. "Well, I don't mind being a culinary guinea pig," Claire said, wishing she could think of something clever to say in response. At least she didn't think her cheeks were flushing too badly. Not enough for Gabe to notice anyway. "If I decide to use you for anything else, I promise I'll give you a head's up." Even that sounded lame in her head, and Claire decided to shut her mouth up by shoving more food into it.
Gabe watched her face for a reaction, unable to help from smirking. They’d never been anything more than friends, but sometimes it was fun to joke. He couldn’t imagine her seeing him as anything other than a brother, though. “That’s only because my dishes have been successful thus far. I want to try meatloaf sometime soon. Mashed potatoes would also go with that.” He only had so many side dishes he could make and potatoes were one of his stapes. “You know, it all depends on what it is. Target practice I’d have to say no to.”
Claire lifted a brow and finally looked up from her plate. She felt like she got the heat in her cheeks under control. "I'd say you're doing pretty well, if all your meals have been successful enough to keep me coming around. I'll give you a pass if you ruin one or two of them." She hated meatloaf with a passion, but that wasn't likely to stop her from knocking on his door to have dinner with him anyway. "But don't worry about potentially being target practice. Although if I attempted that, I don't think you would have anything to worry about. I bet I'm a lousy shot. I was thinking more if I ever needed your body for anything. Like, experimentation, or whatever. Would you donate your body for science?" Claire asked playfully while spearing a few pieces of green beans with her fork. "I guess I would need your permission for that."
“What kind of experiments, Claire? Anything I should get excited about?” he teased. He doubted her mind had gone there, but he couldn’t help it when his own strayed. She was probably thinking more along the lines of Frankenstien’s monster, if she was talking about donating his body to science. Didn’t people only do that when they died? Gabe was sure there were enough dead bodies out there that no one needed his.
As long as she didn't give it a lot of thought, Claire found it easy to fall into a teasing banter with Gabe. She wasn't entirely sure she could call it flirting, because it never occurred to her that Gabe would want to do that with her. But she had always found it easy enough to joke around with him. Again, as long as she didn't give it a lot of thought beforehand. Otherwise she blushed, her mind went blank and she tended to change the subject to something less intimidating. "Well, yeah, obviously. You should always be excited if I decide I want to experiment on your body," Claire replied simply, though amusement danced in her eyes as she studied him. "I'm guessing there's a lot that can be learned from it, you know?"
“It’s a mystery even I can’t comprehend,” he laughed. While he was joking, there were definitely things Gabe hadn’t experienced, primarily anything that involved a girl. Getting sucked into a zombie apocalypse and traveling with his mother 24-7 didn’t help his situation, even though he’d had girls with him, including Claire. It wasn’t that he hadn’t noticed her, but that at this point he wasn’t sure how to separate the difference between romantic interest and friendship. Nor did he see a reason why he should push it, at least not yet. What if he was wrong? “And here I thought you wouldn’t be interested,” he smiled, watching her carefully.
"That's what experimentation is for, so we all can unravel the mystery together," Claire pointed out, finding this conversation more than a little entertaining. It was so much better than worrying about the dome doors, or ghosts, or anything else that carried an ominous kind of weight. His comment about her interest in him prompted a sliver of panic to form inside of her. Was he still teasing her? Was she supposed to make another joke? Claire had known Gabe for a long time, and yes, she had noticed him too, and definitely not in a brotherly way. It was hard to ignore teenage hormones from time to time, especially when the person you considered one of your closest friends was a guy. But Gabe was... Gabe. And she was just Claire. She knew that, and it was likely he knew that. With her heart thudding away inside of her chest, Claire forced herself to stop overanalyzing everything. She always had to make things more difficult than they had to be. Her teasing smile shifted into something softer, and Claire shrugged one shoulder before nudging his foot gently under the table again. "Yeah, well, I can be unpredictable sometimes," she pointed out.
He smiled as her foot brushed against his, responding in kind. This was generally the most that went on between them-- a brush of feet, a nudge of shoulders, or a little poke in the ribs. Gabe considered it mild flirting, but didn’t want to do any more than that. He didn’t want to lead her on. Claire meant more to him than that. “Very true,” he said. “I think that’s all girls, isn’t it? Like some kind of right of passage?” It seemed safer to talk about girls in general, rather than the two of them. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Claire. He did. He just didn’t know if he liked her like that. Had he fantasized about her? Yes, but that was true of almost every pretty girl in a five mile radius.
She stared at him for a moment, realizing just how inept she was at flirting. And reading boys, apparently. But that wasn't surprising. They didn't have books on this particular subject. Or maybe they did, and she just hadn't found them yet. It didn't matter, anyway. She had more important things to do and worry about than a silly crush that would eventually fade. Gabe was her friend and she didn't want to lose that. She just had to stop reading into every little flirtation and then feeling silly when it never amounted to anything. After a moment, Claire shrugged and shifted her gaze back to her food, sliding her foot back underneath her chair. "Yeah, maybe." She ought to be eating more, given how hungry she was earlier. "You know how girls can be."
And this was why girls confused him. Because something had just happened and she’d pulled away and Gabe couldn’t tell if it was something he did, something he said, or if she wasn’t even interested and they were just playing around. “You’re not just some girl though,” he said, then took a bite of potatoes. That should shut him up for a minute, at least long enough to not put his foot in his mouth. “Maybe I like unpredictable,” he said when he finished. It wasn’t giving away too much, but hopefully he could win back that smile.
She wasn't just some girl, but Claire wasn't entirely sure what kind of girl she was. No, that wasn't true. She did know. She was fully ensconced in the 'Friend Zone'. And that was okay. Totally okay. Again, there were more important things to worry about than a crush, especially these days. And Claire didn't want Gabe thinking he had done or said something wrong. Her problems were just that. Hers. Eventually the sound of her dad's voice in her head would fade away completely and things would be okay. Pushing her potatoes around some more with her fork, Claire managed a smile, because she didn't want him thinking she was upset or disappointed. His comment was confusing, but probably only because Claire was making it that way. She decided to just take it the way he probably meant it. "Then I guess you'll have a wide range of girls to choose from, huh?" Since all girls were just that, apparently. "Just make sure they get my stamp of approval first."
It didn’t occur to Gabe that he was sending mixed signals, though it only made sense considering he couldn’t make up his mind on what he wanted. He felt like it should be easy, that he should know, but right now things just felt like they’d always been. And he liked that. It seemed like a bad idea to mess with a good thing, at least on most days. “I guess,” Gabe said, finishing off his mashed potatoes. “I think I’m just confusing myself. Ignore me. Well, not completely, just my babbling about girls.” Of which he knew nothing about, even if his best friend was one. “Read anything good lately?” he asked, changing over to a subject they could both enjoy with far less confusion.
Claire said nothing, but focused on eating, because she was confused too. It just didn't seem like a good idea to talk about the confusion. Ignoring the confusion seemed like a better idea, actually. She swallowed down a piece of chicken and glanced at him, comfortable enough with the topic change. Licking her lips, Claire nodded and returned to her plate of food. "I got a couple books from the library. I'm reading American Gods right now, which is pretty good so far. And It? I read it already, but it's scary as Hell, so I want to read it again. What about you? Anything you want to suggest for me?" Claire liked to be the one to bring books over to Gabe after she finished, but sometimes he surprised her with something she hadn't read yet. It was actually kind of nice that he did read, since it gave them something to talk about that wasn't confusing.
Gabe was glad to find them both on safer ground, conversation wise. Being awkward was something he generally tried to avoid. “I’ve heard of IT, but not American Gods. You’ll have to let me know which one you’d recommend more. I’m almost done with Jurassic Park, which I didn’t realize was a book until I found it at the library. And I think I might actually like it better than the movie.” Though he did miss movies in general. He’d thought about buying them, but the money he’d have to spend on a tv, then a dvd player, and then the movies themselves was ridiculous. Course, he’d be the most popular kid in town if he did have them, mostly because no one else did.
Her lips quirked into an easier smile, now that she pushed away the insecurities that had risen while she and Gabe were talking about... girls. Or them. Or the lack of them? She wasn't sure. There was that confusion again, and Claire mentally rolled her eyes. Seriously, why couldn't she turn her brain off? "Jurassic Park's a great book. The sequel's pretty good too, although I didn't really care for the movie." Which, honestly, she didn't remember much of since she had been young when she watched it on television with her mom. Claire grinned and set her fork down on her almost empty plate. "It still feels pretty nice that I'm not the only book nerd around here anymore. Not that you're a nerd, but I think I can get you on that level soon enough."
“I don’t know that our library has the sequel, but I’ll check.” Gabe felt like he’d been spending more time at the library lately, researching one thing or another. It helped that Corey was there to keep him company, but he knew Claire loved the place as well. “I’ve never considered you a nerd. I’d say you’re more of a book lover, and luckily books are something you can share. It also helps that we don’t have movies or video games,” he grinned. If she was a nerd, Gabe hadn’t really noticed, though that was Gabe. Plus, it had been middle school. Everyone was awkward then, in one way or another. It was hard to maintain nerd status, or even popular kid status, when running from zombies.
Unable to help herself, Claire laughed, her head falling back for a moment. "A book lover. That's like, a sophisticated way of saying book nerd. But that's cool. I'm proud of my nerd status, most of the time." She smiled and stretched her legs out beneath the table. "But yeah, you're right. No movies or games means... books. Reading. Not the worst thing, though. Maybe we'll all end up a ridiculously cultured society because of it?" Doubtful, but it was fun to imagine. "Or a more creative one, anyway. Without certain things, like movies or whatever, you've got to find new forms of entertainment."
“I don’t think I would have realized how much I enjoy reading if movies, gaming, and the internet hadn’t been taken away,” Gabe said. “And while I’d love it if all those things could return, I’m glad I’ve had the chance to appreciate what else is out there. Maybe we did spend too much time wired. It’s interesting how the internet was supposed to connect us to everyone, but I feel more connected to the people around me now than I ever did then.” He found himself out and meeting new people every day, wandering around town, talking to almost everyone he met. He realized that not everyone did this, but it was how he operated. He wanted to meet everyone he crossed paths with. “I think it’s also important we don’t forget things, though. That’s why libraries are so important. They’re documentation of all the knowledge we’ve acquired and we don’t want to forget.”
Claire’s smile widened as she listened to him, and she pushed her plate away before folding her arms on top of the table. “Wow, look at you, sounding so wise,” she said playfully. “You’re right though. I miss computers, but really, I think the internet isolated people more than it connected them. But hey, look, people are surviving without all that stuff, aren’t they? It just means they actually have to get out and talk to people.” Herself included, although Claire wasn’t as outgoing as Gabe tended to be. She had a couple of friends, and that was enough for now. Talking to strangers tended to make her a little anxious, as she was always wondering if they were judging her. It was stupid, sure, but she couldn’t help it.
“I’m getting wise in my old age,” Gabe quipped back at her, finishing his green beans as she continued talking. They’d lost so much with the zombies taking over, but he thought that maybe they’d gained some too. Most people just didn’t care to recognize it. “It feels wrong to say so, but I think there are some great inventions that we might be better off without. Like, I’m pretty sure the world is significantly healthier without fast food restaurants, even if I’d occasionally kill for a big mac.” There were a lot of little things he missed, but knew weren’t especially good for him. Soda was also pretty high on the list. Realizing they’d both finished, Gabe picked up his plate. “You done?” he asked, making sure before he took her plate. “Can I get you anything else? We have strawberries and whipped cream for dessert if you want it.”
"Big Macs," Claire sighed, thinking of the McDonald's that had been near her house. Big Macs and greasy french fries and chicken nuggets. It had always tasted good at the time she craved it, though her stomach hated her for it later. So maybe Gabe was right about not missing fast food chains. "I'm done," Claire said, though she nudged his hand away and reached out for her plate as she stood. She didn't want Gabe to have to clean up after her after feeding her. "But... yeah, whipped cream and strawberries sound really good, if you don't mind sharing them."
Some manners had been installed in Gabe at such a young age that he didn’t even realize he did them. Cleaning the table after a meal, including that of his guests, was one of those, and he didn’t even think about it till Claire took the plate herself. “I wouldn’t have offered if I minded,” he told her. “Come help me do the dishes and then we’ll have dessert,” he smiled. Only good friends would be put to work in his house and Claire was up there with the best of them.