Rum Raisin 8: Gossip Chain
Title: Gossip Chain
Main Story: In The Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Rum raisin 8 (friend), malt (subluxate's stocking prompt: Paint a rumour/(What's it gonna spread?)/Paint a rumour/(See the place go red) --Eurythmics, "Paint a Rumour"), pocky chain, cherry (all the dialogue).
Word Count: 800
Rating: PG
Summary: Word spreads.
Notes: Follows Luck and All I Ever Wanted. As God is my witness, I will finish this flavor.
1. Gina to Ivy
"You're never going believe this."
"Uh, hi, Gina. What am I not believing?"
"Olivia's father is here!"
"..."
"Her father, Ivy!"
"Her father. The one she hasn't seen for like a decade. That father?"
"She doesn't have any others."
"Oh, shut up. He's at the reunion? Seriously?"
"Seriously! Or actually, her stepmother-- I think she's her stepmother, anyway, I'm not sure-- whoever she is, she came, and she recognized Olivia, so she called Olivia's father and now he's here. They're crying all over each other out front. It's amazing!"
"Oh my God. That's fantastic!"
"I know, right?"
2. Ivy to Aaron
"What were you shrieking about on the phone?"
"Guess. Guess!"
"Um... Gina's pregnant."
"Aaron."
"Dad finally agreed to buy you that pony?"
"Aaron."
"The world got together and declared you boss of it? I don't know."
"Someday I'm gonna beat you like your mother should have."
"Hey, don't ask me to guess if you don't want me to."
"Olivia's found her father!"
"...you're joking."
"At the damn reunion, of all things. I guess reunions really are good for something besides rubbing your jerkass classmates' noses in how awesome you are."
"I'm sensing unresolved hostility."
"Oh, you think?"
3. Aaron to Danny
"...wow. Really?"
"I can hardly believe it myself. I mean, Ivy just told me."
"That's... pretty cool, I guess."
"You guess? Danny, it's a really incredible coincidence. The universe has arranged itself precisely so Olivia could have her father back and you guess that it's pretty cool?"
"Look, I am happy for her, but all I have to go off is my own experience. And I'd be pretty fucking pissed if my dad tried to waltz back into my life."
"Her dad didn't--"
"I know. I get it. I'm happy for her, okay?"
"Okay, okay."
"Jeez."
4. Danny to Lars
"Fucking Aaron."
"Really? I thought he didn't."
"Oh, shut up."
"You love it. What's Aaron done now?"
"Nothing much. Not really. I'm just pissy."
"Okay. What excuse has he given you to take your pissiness out on him?"
"Seriously, it's nothing."
"Danny, spill."
"Okay, okay, fine. He just comes up to me and starts telling me that Olivia's father's back, and I'm not real thrilled, because God knows I don't want my dad back, and he seems to think that means I'm not happy for her. I am. I just... what?"
"..."
"Lars?"
"Olivia's father is what?"
5. Lars to Summer
"Hey, sweetheart. Whatcha doing?"
"Biology homework."
"..."
"What?"
"How do you have homework? It's August."
"Summer school, remember? I want to graduate a year early, like Olivia did, so I'm going to summer school."
"Oh, right, I thought you were crazy when you told me that the first time, too. Speaking of Olivia, I've got news."
"You already knew that I'm crazy. What news?"
"According to Danny, who heard it from Aaron, who I'm guessing heard it from Ivy, who I presume got it from Gina, who's at the scene of the crime, so to speak..."
"Lars..."
6. Summer to Nathan
"Olivia's father is back."
"Really? Was he gone?"
"Daddy. Remember, she hadn't seen him since she was thirteen. Remember? Ivy said that Jake said she used to cry sometimes?"
"..."
"Ivy also said I wasn't supposed to say that she said that but that was a long time ago so that's all right."
"...I ...oh, I see. Well, I'm glad they've found each other."
"Uh-huh. Daddy, you won't ever leave me, right?"
"Of course not! Where would you get that idea?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to ask."
"No. I won't ever leave you."
"Okay. Good."
7. Nathan to Gail
"Is there a particular reason that Summer would be insecure about my sticking around?"
"Not that I'm aware of. Why?"
"She asked. She started by telling me Olivia's father was back, and then asked me if I'd ever leave her."
"And you said no."
"Of course I said no. I don't leave my kids."
"Unlike some people we know?"
"...I'm sorry, Gail, I didn't mean it like that."
"I wasn't offended. I actually thought Summer might have meant it like that."
"Oh, maybe. I didn't think of it."
"It's a possibility. Now, what's this about Olivia's father?"
8. Gail to Jake
Olivia's father was back. He should be happy.
Well, no, that was wrong. Technically speaking, Olivia's father wasn't back, it was Olivia who was back. And he was happy. Ninety percent of her neuroses over the years could be traced directly back to losing her father; maybe now some of those could start to heal.
Yes. She had her father back, it made her happy, therefore he was happy. QED.
"You all right, Jake?" Mrs. Hirschfeld asked.
"Fine," he said, and tried not to think about how much it hurt that he hadn't heard it from Olivia.
Main Story: In The Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Rum raisin 8 (friend), malt (subluxate's stocking prompt: Paint a rumour/(What's it gonna spread?)/Paint a rumour/(See the place go red) --Eurythmics, "Paint a Rumour"), pocky chain, cherry (all the dialogue).
Word Count: 800
Rating: PG
Summary: Word spreads.
Notes: Follows Luck and All I Ever Wanted. As God is my witness, I will finish this flavor.
1. Gina to Ivy
"You're never going believe this."
"Uh, hi, Gina. What am I not believing?"
"Olivia's father is here!"
"..."
"Her father, Ivy!"
"Her father. The one she hasn't seen for like a decade. That father?"
"She doesn't have any others."
"Oh, shut up. He's at the reunion? Seriously?"
"Seriously! Or actually, her stepmother-- I think she's her stepmother, anyway, I'm not sure-- whoever she is, she came, and she recognized Olivia, so she called Olivia's father and now he's here. They're crying all over each other out front. It's amazing!"
"Oh my God. That's fantastic!"
"I know, right?"
2. Ivy to Aaron
"What were you shrieking about on the phone?"
"Guess. Guess!"
"Um... Gina's pregnant."
"Aaron."
"Dad finally agreed to buy you that pony?"
"Aaron."
"The world got together and declared you boss of it? I don't know."
"Someday I'm gonna beat you like your mother should have."
"Hey, don't ask me to guess if you don't want me to."
"Olivia's found her father!"
"...you're joking."
"At the damn reunion, of all things. I guess reunions really are good for something besides rubbing your jerkass classmates' noses in how awesome you are."
"I'm sensing unresolved hostility."
"Oh, you think?"
3. Aaron to Danny
"...wow. Really?"
"I can hardly believe it myself. I mean, Ivy just told me."
"That's... pretty cool, I guess."
"You guess? Danny, it's a really incredible coincidence. The universe has arranged itself precisely so Olivia could have her father back and you guess that it's pretty cool?"
"Look, I am happy for her, but all I have to go off is my own experience. And I'd be pretty fucking pissed if my dad tried to waltz back into my life."
"Her dad didn't--"
"I know. I get it. I'm happy for her, okay?"
"Okay, okay."
"Jeez."
4. Danny to Lars
"Fucking Aaron."
"Really? I thought he didn't."
"Oh, shut up."
"You love it. What's Aaron done now?"
"Nothing much. Not really. I'm just pissy."
"Okay. What excuse has he given you to take your pissiness out on him?"
"Seriously, it's nothing."
"Danny, spill."
"Okay, okay, fine. He just comes up to me and starts telling me that Olivia's father's back, and I'm not real thrilled, because God knows I don't want my dad back, and he seems to think that means I'm not happy for her. I am. I just... what?"
"..."
"Lars?"
"Olivia's father is what?"
5. Lars to Summer
"Hey, sweetheart. Whatcha doing?"
"Biology homework."
"..."
"What?"
"How do you have homework? It's August."
"Summer school, remember? I want to graduate a year early, like Olivia did, so I'm going to summer school."
"Oh, right, I thought you were crazy when you told me that the first time, too. Speaking of Olivia, I've got news."
"You already knew that I'm crazy. What news?"
"According to Danny, who heard it from Aaron, who I'm guessing heard it from Ivy, who I presume got it from Gina, who's at the scene of the crime, so to speak..."
"Lars..."
6. Summer to Nathan
"Olivia's father is back."
"Really? Was he gone?"
"Daddy. Remember, she hadn't seen him since she was thirteen. Remember? Ivy said that Jake said she used to cry sometimes?"
"..."
"Ivy also said I wasn't supposed to say that she said that but that was a long time ago so that's all right."
"...I ...oh, I see. Well, I'm glad they've found each other."
"Uh-huh. Daddy, you won't ever leave me, right?"
"Of course not! Where would you get that idea?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to ask."
"No. I won't ever leave you."
"Okay. Good."
7. Nathan to Gail
"Is there a particular reason that Summer would be insecure about my sticking around?"
"Not that I'm aware of. Why?"
"She asked. She started by telling me Olivia's father was back, and then asked me if I'd ever leave her."
"And you said no."
"Of course I said no. I don't leave my kids."
"Unlike some people we know?"
"...I'm sorry, Gail, I didn't mean it like that."
"I wasn't offended. I actually thought Summer might have meant it like that."
"Oh, maybe. I didn't think of it."
"It's a possibility. Now, what's this about Olivia's father?"
8. Gail to Jake
Olivia's father was back. He should be happy.
Well, no, that was wrong. Technically speaking, Olivia's father wasn't back, it was Olivia who was back. And he was happy. Ninety percent of her neuroses over the years could be traced directly back to losing her father; maybe now some of those could start to heal.
Yes. She had her father back, it made her happy, therefore he was happy. QED.
"You all right, Jake?" Mrs. Hirschfeld asked.
"Fine," he said, and tried not to think about how much it hurt that he hadn't heard it from Olivia.