Room 406, evening

[izzyalienqueen]

Fortunately work had been quiet and Isabel was able to get a significant amount of work done on her applications. That's why she didn't feel guilty when she grabbed her laptop and answered an email, then flipped on the TV to look for something cheesy to watch.

The door was open.

Comments

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"I already bought some stuff for my family." Meg admitted.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Me to," she replied. "I want to get it done now so that I can go to the mall and just enjoy the crowds in December. Yes. I'm strange. I know it."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg laughed. "That is the first time I've heard someone liking the Christmas crowds."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"They're fun, at least at the beginning. Everyone's still cheerful and happy," Isabel explained. "But even I'll admit they get scary the closer you get to Christmas."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Like those people who fight over dolls?" Meg said. "Yeah, that's scary."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Very scary. I don't think I've ever wanted anything that badly." And even if she did, that was what alien-fu was for.

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Me either. And if I was a kid I wouldn't be devestated if I didn't get the popular toy of the month." she said. Of course Meg never had that problem since her family was well off. "Some parents are nuts."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I think the thing I wanted the most was a leather jacket when I was fourteen. I was so disappointed when it wasn't under the tree," Isabel told her, making a face. "But mom had it hidden and brought it out at the last minute."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Aw, that's so cute!" Meg said. "I've never been surprised like that before. Well...okay, this one time when this guy wanted to ask me out."

Ah, that was before Duncan turned into an ass.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh? Romantic gestures?" she grinned. "Come sit! Tell me about it." Yes, Isabel was a sucker for romantic gestures.

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg walked over and sat down on Isabel's bed. She still liked to tell the story, even if the relationship ended badly.

"There was this 80's themed dance at this school and I didn't have a date so I was just going to skip out on the whole thing. But someone kept sending me text messages telling me to go. And then the text messages turned into anonymous flowers being sent to my locker." she said. "So I show up to the dance dressed up like Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink, determined to have fun even if my secret admirer didn't show up."

"But next thing I know Duncan was there, dressed up like Ducky from that movie." she said. "And then he asked me to dance and after that we started going out."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's so sweet," Isabel said. "It's nice when guys make the effort to show they're interested and not just assume that you'll go out with them because they're god's gift or something."

[*crashing now* SP?]

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Oh god, Neptune is full of those guys." Meg said. "You've met Dick."

[Fine by me!]

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh Dick's nice," she laughed. "But I know what you mean. In Roswell we had the football team. Just because they could score on the field didn't mean they were required to score off the field if you know what I mean. That was when heels became a weapon."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg had no idea how Dick tricked so many people into think he's nice. But kudos for him.

"Sadly, I'm friends with all those obnoxious guys. We're, uh, sorta called '09ers." Meg said. "I try to be the voice of reason but you can imagine how well that works."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, they listen, pat you on the head and then do what the hell they want," Isabel replied, rolling her eyes.

"I was friends with the football team. After all, I was pretty, popular and blonde, it was required." The face she made should indicate what Isabel thought of that now. She still boggled at everything she did just to appear normal.

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Yep, know all about that. Except our boys were far too rich and sophisticated to play something like football." Meg said sarcastically. "They mainly stuck to surfing and drinking."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Football? Surfing? What's the difference. It's all about the displays of testosterone." Isabel sat back and shook her head. "I'm so glad, for so many reasons that I came here. People are so much nicer. I know my little brother Andrew still boggles that people like me," she said with air quotes. "Will talk to him."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, people don't seem to really care about class or popularity. That's a nice change." she said. "In Neptune if you didn't have money you're pretty much screwed."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Roswell wasn't that bad with the class differences." Granted, Isabel's parents weren't rich, but they were well off enough that she'd never lacked for anything. "It was more jocks, geeks, and well, the alien freaks that are my brothers. They always did their own thing."

"I think the thing here is that so many of us have had to deal with real life or death issues," she said slowly. "In that case, money and popularity really don't matter. You just want someone you can trust at your back."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"That's a good point." Meg said. "I hardly know anybody who came here just for the hell of it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, we've all got our stories," she nodded. "I came looking for a nice normal boarding school to hide at. Instead I found this place and people that turned out to be the best friends I've ever had. I got lucky."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"I came to hide out too." she said. "Seems a lot of people came here to do that."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It's a good place for hiding. People look out for one another," Isabel told her. "It gives you a chance to figure out what you want, and to gather your strength to do what you have to do."

"Can I ask what you're hiding from?"

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"This is going to sound so stupid..." she said, running a hand through her hair. "My Neptune friends, sort of? That guy, Duncan, left me for someone else in June and they all sort of took his side instead of mine. And I really couldn't stand to watch him and Veronica together."