Room 406, evening

[izzyalienqueen]

After a weekend of fun and a surprisingly deep conversation, Monday brought workshops of insanity and brain-breaking. Isabel was still chuckling when she returned to her room after workshops. With nothing pressing to do, Isabel opened her laptop and started to search for some decent Supers fanfic.

Comments

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie nodded a little, and said, "Really? And yeah, chocolate would be nice." She'd only picked at her dinner, appetite tied up in knots. Isabel was older, and had had a real boyfriend, maybe she'd understand what Charlie was trying to figure out. "Do you know Johnny Storm? I can't remember if you said, the last time we talked."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel snorted as she got to her feet and went to her desk. "Oh yeah, definitely chocolate." Returning to her bedm, she sat down and crossed her legs, then offered the bag of chocolate pieces to Charlie. "I know Johnny, yes."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"We were dating. Are dating?" Charlie took a piece of chocolate, feeling confused again. "He was gone for a week or so, and I haven't talked to him since he got back, and... Turtle said he told her that he kissed G-- Annette. And Annette has a boyfriend." She's still not okay with that. "And now, I don't know what to do. Or how. Or why. Or anything."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"He told me about that last night," she nodded. "Not one of his smarter moves. But he admitted that." Isabel reached for a chocolate and slowly unwrapped it. "So if you were dating, it wasn't exclusive right?"

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"No," Charlie admitted, feeling even more young now. "I mean. We started dating the first week or so I was here, and we just kind of went out once a week, and-- I knew he was seeing other people, and I didn't know him all that well. And you can't tell guys not to date other people. Right? If they're okay with you dating other people?" She frowned. "It just kind of worked out like that."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I don't see anything wrong with that," Isabel told her. "If you were both okay with it that is."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"I thought I was." Charlie shook her head. "But, I didn't really think of what I'd say if I wasn't, later? Which I guess was dumb. Except for kissing girls who are taken, I'm really not okay with that. That's just mean, and wrong. I don't want to go out with someone who'd do that."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Well then tell him," she said, nibbling the chocolate. "He'll just have to deal. I'm pretty sure his ego can handle it. I feel like like I should add a disclaimer to this whole conversation though."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"A disclaimer? What kind of disclaimer?" Charlie asked, taking another chocolate and unwrapping it. "And see, if it were that simple, if I just wanted to date only him, I guess it would be. Except for possibly being rejected. Which is simple, but sucks."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Just that we kind of kissed once," Isabel said in a rush. "But it was only once and it won't happen again." Annie jumped up on the bed and Isabel scooped her up, grateful for the distraction. "Do you want to date someone else? Besides him?"

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Oh," Charlie said blankly. Okay, this was weird. But... it was only once, and she'd known he was kissing other people, and... Don't be stupid. "I didn't, I mean." She blew out a breath, and looked at the cat, not able to meet Isabel's eyes. "I do. But. He's got someone. He's totally and completely not interested in me at all. Except as a friend."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry," she said. "I should have known better but my brain sort of disengaged that night." Holding Annie out, Isabel offered her to Charlie, knowing how nice fuzzy comfort was. "Who? If you want to tell me that is. I won't say anything to anyone."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie took Annie, and buried her face in her fur for a second, then wistfully asked, "Promise? Turtle already knows, but I really don't want it getting back to him. It's incredibly awkward and it makes everything more complicated." She smiled a little. "I don't mind you kissing Johnny. At least, I don't mind you doing it, or, I don't know. Maybe I don't have the right to mind, when I'm crushing on someone else."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I promise," Isabel replied solemnly. "Well me kissing Johnny is a moot point. It won't happen again." No matter how much she'd been tempted to on the roof last nigth. "Since you were only casually dating, I really can't see it being a problem."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"See, yes." Charlie frowned, then said in a tiny voice, "Dean Winchester."

There. That wasn't so hard was it? But no, she wasn't going to let go of Annie any time soon.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh he's a really nice guy," she said. "I can totally see where you're coming from."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Charlie said, feeling less stupid, but more hopeless. "So. I like kissing Johnny, but the kissing everyone else is getting... weird. And I really, really like Dean, but that's not going to happen, and Turtle said I deserved better, and I don't know what I'm doing, Isabel. I'm so confused."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I don't have any easy answers for you," Isabel said quietly. "I mean Dean and Alec are Dean and Alec and have this thing that works for them. I can't see that changing any time soon. As for Johnny, I guess it's your call. If you can deal with being one of a crowd, then why change it. If you can't? There's nothing wrong with being single."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

Charlie thought about that, stroking Annie's fur, then sighed. "It doesn't make me really lame and immature that I can't deal, when I thought I could? If I like him as much as I liked Dean, I could just say that, I think. But I don't. I like him, he's funny and sweet, but...."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Absolutely not," she replied firmly. "I couldn't deal. No way." Reaching for another chocolate, Isabel nodded. "He's funny and sweet, but yeah, Romeo and Juliet you're not. I do have to say though, he is a nice guy. Just...flashy."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Charlie said in relief, since this was closer to how she felt about him than Turtle's upset. "He's got more experience than me, and I don't want to keep wondering, and I want to be friends, you know? Even though I'm going to miss the kissing." She reached for another chocolate, smiling a little. "If I could be a friend he kisses, that would be nice, but I don't think any guy wants that."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Did he push you at all?" Isabel asked, frowning. She'd kick his ass if he did. "Don't let anyone push you into anything you don't think you're ready for."

She sat back, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand. "I know what you mean. I miss kissing. And I honestly don't think he'd have a problem with you being a friend he occasionally kisses. Again with the, if you're okay with that."

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"No, he didn't push. He just kind of-- assumed? No, that's not even it." Charlie frowned, trying to explain it to herself as well as Isabel. "It was just obvious that he thought there'd be more eventually. And I was too embarrassed to actually talk about it." She blushed a little. "I'm not ready. I mean, not for the whole actual real sex thing. Maybe some other stuff, but not that." Clearing her throat, she said, "And this part's dumb, but I kept wondering if he was comparing me to other people."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"If you're not ready, you're not ready," she shrugged. "He's a big boy. He can cope. I'll be honest, Greg was the first, and the only person I ever slept with. Well okay, I slept with Jack, but we really did just sleep. But it took time before Greg and I took that step. We waited till we were both ready." Isabel couldn't stop herself from staring off into the distance for a moment, remembering that trip to the woods.

[girlzippo.livejournal.com]

"Was it nice?" Charlie asked hopefully. "The first time? I've always read it's no fun, the first time it happens." She turned red. "And you don't have to answer that, it's so none of my business."