[for Shari]

[rhymingdevil]

I've always tried to play it cool when it came to dating and relationships and as a result, I didn't really date around. I always had dates for the requisite high school social scenes: sweet sixteens, proms, homecomings. I didn't really date though, because I always had a hard time letting people close. There's a lot of protection in being

Comments

[broken_brushes]

"I'm in here!" I called from upstairs, where I'd been gathering up a few clothes into a pillowcase so that I could carry them over to the Compound for washing. "I'm taking a load of clothes to be washed, if you have anything that needs to go!" Bounding down the stairs with the case slung over one shoulder, I nearly collided with Peter, a canny sidestep at the last moment avoiding disaster.

"Oh!" I blinked at the flowers, then up to his face with a smile. "That's nice. I think there's a mason jar in the cabinet in the kitchen that'll work for a vase." I gave his cheek a friendly pat and continued into the living room, where I dropped the half-full case onto the tropical approximation of a sofa.

[rhymingdevil]

That...wasn't the reaction I was hoping for but she was busy, so I went to grab the jar and filled it with water, taking my time to settle the flowers inside and arrange them in some semblance of art. I was never going to be a professional, but it looked pretty good to me.

That done, I wandered back out to the living room to see Shari and tried to decide if I had any laundry that needed to be washed. I sort of regretted having done it a couple days prior since my excuse for tagging along wouldn't be as good.

"Need any help getting it to the Compound?"

[broken_brushes]

"Nah, it's not much," replied as I glanced up to him from where I was tying my sneakers. "You know, I used to have fresh flowers in here all the time. I think it's been months since I picked any, though." Finished with my laces, I sat back with a bewildered smile. "It's seriously weird when I stop and think about how much I do everyday. Like, who am I and why am I not laying out on the beach instead? This place has turned me into a productive member of society."

[rhymingdevil]

"I don't know how you keep up with all of it without a personal assistant," I offered, giving her a big smile and deciding to forget about the flowers for a minute. It was stupid to bring them but she seemed to like them all right, especially if she was used to keeping them around. I guess I might have a career in interior decorating after all.

"I would have completely lost it by now. I'm still in the sunbathing stage. I guess by this time next year I'll have built my own boat or something, right?"