InsaneJournal

Who: Abby and Gwen, random encounter
When: Wednesday, before Gwen moved in with 10
Where: Supermarket
What: Random Encounter
Rating: Low
Status: Complete!



Gwen had stocking up to do. She was bound and determined to eat healthy, even though her kitchen was a disaster. The new apartment was so dirty, she was a little afraid of bringing food in, for fear of contaminating it. But she had to eat, right? And since she wasn’t working, she could take a little time to shop smart, rather than just keeping a stock of ready-to-go food in her house for whatever time she didn’t have energy to cook.

She was standing in the dairy aisle, wondering how much scrubbing she was going to have to do in her fridge to make it habitable for cheese.

‘Excuse me,’ came an insistent voice. The words belonged to the shortest, tiniest adult woman imaginable. She was trying to get around Gwen and her shopping cart in order to reach the yogurt.

‘Sorry. I’ll be out of your way in just a moment.’

“Oh, goodness, I’m so sorry,” Gwen said, taking a few steps backward and moving her cart out of the way. “Just... trying to figure out what cheese to go for.” She said, apologetically. Gwen wasn’t that much taller than the white-haired girl, but she had a good few inches. She could reach the yogurt on the top shelf, and lifted her hand up to grab one for the other. “Can I give you a hand?”

Abby shot the woman a sharp look out of the corner of her eyes, staring at her backside as she grabbed the yogurt. By the time the woman turned back around, though, Abby was smiling again; she had to force herself to remember that not every offer of help was a slight against her height.

‘Thank you,’ she said softly, taking the offered yogurt and setting it in her hand basket. And then Abby thought to ask, because it only seemed polite to return the favor, ‘Are you looking for a particular recipe? Or just to have cheese around the house?’

Gwen went slightly pink, turning back to look at the cheeses again. “Well, I was sort of... my kitchen’s a bit of a mess, and I was wondering which of these cheeses would be safe in the disgusting fridge in my crappy apartment.” She said, her tone betraying a hint of bitterness.

“I don’t know a whole lot about cheese.” Gwen added, somewhat sheepishly. “This is my first time living on my own in... years.” She added. “My roommate used to buy the cheese.”

Abby's brows raised even as she tried to smile politely. The expression wound up flat. How could anyone reach adulthood and not know how to stock their own fridge; or worse yet, clean it.

'Well, in that case I suggest cheddar. It goes with just about anything. And you might think about stopping on aisle 8 for some cleaning agents.'

Gwen could tell by the look on the other’s face that what she’d said came out wrong. “I don’t think anything shy of flames will do much against that fridge. So unless aisle 8 has a flamethrower, it’s probably not good enough.” She said, then reached for the cheddar.

Abby was doubtful but she smiled anyway, trying to be polite. Julian ways told her she was a prickly sort, but Abby chalked it up to repressed childhood trauma and looked no further. She didn't really care, but it was good to try now and then to be less judgemental and cold.

So she would try now. A stranger in a market. At worst she'd piss them off and they'd never speak again.

'How is it that bad?'

“You’d have to ask the previous tenant.” Gwen said, giving her shoulder a shrug. “Or the landlord for not cleaning it out before I move in. It feels like an uphill battle. I swear I’ve been cleaning nonstop every day since I moved in, and it’s just not getting any better.” She sighed.

“Think there are gnomes that come into the place every night just to dirty the appliances?”

‘Something like that,’ Abby replied noncommittally. Internally she questioned why someone would accept an apartment in such bad condition in the first place but that line of thought died quickly as she remembered her own situation. She’d likely be homeless right now if it wasn’t for Julian, and a dirty fridge would have been better than no roof over her head at all.

‘Paint helps,’ she added. ‘It covers a whole mess of sins.’

Exactly. It was either spend far too much money on hotels, or sleep in her car, or live in a crappy apartment until she could find something better. And she was on her way to something better. She’d found a roommate and was looking at places... should be in a new place any day now. Thank God.

“I guess so. I don’t want to know what’s behind the paint in my place.” She reached forward and grabbed the cheddar. “Thanks for the advice on the cheese, anyway.”

‘Sure. Yeah, no problem,’ Abby said, ducking her head to check her own basket of groceries. Butter. She needed butter still, and some vegetables. ‘When your fridge is safe again, you should try some herb goat cheese. With crackers and fruit, it’s divine.’

“Hopefully I’ll be in a new place by the end of the week,” Gwen responded. “I’m not giving that slumlord any more of my money.” She added, probably sounding a bit more bitter than she felt.

She nodded a little. “Goat cheese with herbs? I’ll try that.” She gave the other a smile, though it looked tentative and tired. “Thanks again.” She said, then turned to head off out of the cheese aisle.

'Bye,' came Abby's final quiet reply.