beyond the rift } { you've got a friend in me
Bela: [gives it a few days before she tries to track Parker down. Valentine's Day was ... rough and she wants to try to set the record straight and fix things as oppose to just leaving them where they are. She makes her way to Parker's room and knocks on the door lightly] Parker?
Parker: [has been keeping to herself and is doing so today. She's in her room playing with kitten!Sophie with a string on a stick. She hears the knock and Bela's voice and jumps to her feet quickly. She bites her lip and goes to the door to pull it open.] What?
Bela: [there's a pause before] Can we talk? [and she knows that's not the greatest question because ... Parker doesn't really talk]
Parker: [she's still very confused, so where she might have once moved aside and gone back to what she was doing, she just frowns a bit] We are talking.
Bela: [sigh] I mean talk. About what happened?
Parker: [shrugs and crosses her arms tightly] It was Valentine's Day. The Rift was doing things.
Bela: Still. That's an excuse. [there's a pause, before softly] Let me in. Please?
Parker: [rolls her eyes but moves over anyway] Come in.
Bela: [makes her way inside and wrings her hands, trying to figure out the best place to start, which ... isn't easy] I'm sorry, Parker.
Parker: [moves to sit on her bed, crossing her legs and watching Sophie play on the floor] It wasn't...your fault. [she knows that much. She knows blaming the Rift makes more sense than anything else.]
Bela: But you're upset with me.
Parker: [the childish attitude here] No I'm not.
Bela: Yes, you are.
Parker: [she's quiet for awhile, picking at something on her bedspread. Finally her eyes drop and she speaks up, her voice quiet, scared] You made things confusing.
Bela: I know. And I never wanted to do that to you.
Parker: Now it's not.
Bela: [nods slowly]
Parker: [that may have been a lie, but she's been telling herself the facts. She's trying. She just nods along]
Bela: ... Are we alright, then? I don't want this to be a problem between us. You understand?
Parker: [just nods, curling into herself more. She understands. She understands that for just a moment she was special to someone. She was wanted and special. And then it was over. Even though she hadn't known what to do with it all in the moment, it had still made her feel nice.] You don't have to worry.
Bela: [frowns, because no, it wasn't. she could read that much from Parker's body language] Yes, I do.
Parker: No. You don't. [glances up] I'm not stupid. I know what happened and I know why. I mean...a little why.
Bela: I know you're not stupid, Parker. But ... sometimes you don't understand things the same way.
Parker: [her eyes narrow a bit. Now she just feels like Bela called her stupid after saying she wasn't.] Tell me then.
Bela: You don't think the same way I do. You can probably steal anything which makes you brilliant, but ... feelings can escape the most brilliant people.
Parker: I have feelings.
Bela: I know you do. But how often do you actually acknowledge them?
Parker: What do you mean?
Bela: How did you feel when I kissed you? Honestly.
Parker: [brings her knees up to her chest to hug them] I don't know. Confused.
Bela: Confused. Anything else?
Parker: [looking away now, she's quiet for a bit as she tries to bring back the other senses, and actually say them out loud] Scared.
Bela: Why?
Parker: I don't kiss people very much.
Bela: Neither do I.
Parker: I thought...I'd be bad.
Bela: You weren't.
Parker: Okay. [isn't sure what else to say there, she's still thinking about the things she felt]
Bela: Probably one of the better kisses I had that day.
Parker: [now she smiles a bit with a slight blush]
Bela: [small smile back. good, she's getting somewhere]
Parker: [stays quiet. she's unsure how to continue the conversation without being prompted]
Bela: [moves closer to take her hand] I just want to make sure that we're still friends. Because I like that we're friends.
Parker: You do?
Bela: I do.
Parker: Me too.
Bela: [smiles at that] Good.
Parker: I thought... [here she is, trying to offer thoughts] I thought I wasn't allowed to like it.
Bela: Kissing? Or us being friends?
Parker: Kissing. Friends.
Bela: You're always allowed to like kissing, Parker. Unless the person you're kissing is a terrible kisser.
Parker: [laughs a bit at that]
Bela: [smiles]
Parker: [looks at her, letting her knees down a bit as she loosens up some] Am I really your friend?
Bela: So long as you wish to be.
Parker: Do you wish it?
Bela: I do.
Parker: [moves over a bit now, leaving a spot for Bela to sit if she wants]
Bela: [moves to sit next to her]
Parker: [the kitten jumps up on the bed and weaves around between them a bit, and Parker is quiet again as she tries to gather her thoughts]
Bela: [waits for her to speak this time, trying to figure things out]
Parker: [after awhile] Safe.
Bela: Hmm?
Parker: It's what I felt.
Bela: Oh. [a beat] Good.
Parker: Is that okay, too?
Bela: Yes. That's okay.
Parker: Okay.
Bela: I'm glad you feel safe with me.
Parker: [a slight shrug] I wish Sophie was here, but...you are, so...so that's okay.
Bela: [and that makes her smile. it's nice to be counted on by someone]
Parker: [doesn't really notice that her words meant anything, just pets the kitten]
Bela: [a beat] So are we really alright now?
Parker: [nods] I think so.
Bela: Good.
Parker: You want some candy? [pulls a bag of candy from under her pillow and freezes] ...maybe not.
Bela: [smirks] It probably wouldn't be the best idea.
Parker: [shakes her head and shoves the candy away] No more kissing.
Bela: I think that sounds like a good idea.
Parker: [holds her hand out to shake on it]
Bela: [shakes her hand gently]
Parker: [smirks and sits back]
Bela: [smirks a bit as well, before reaching out to pet Sophie]
Parker: Did we talk okay?
Bela: [nods] We did.
Parker: Good.
Bela: [starts to stand up] I should get back to work.
Parker: Okay.
Bela: I'll see you later?
Parker: [nods]
Bela: [gets up and heads out the door] Goodbye, Parker.
Parker: Bye Bela.
Bela: [leaves]