Room 323 [Tuesday, After Classes]

[comeoutwrong]

This was just exactly the reason that Effy avoided phone calls home, (except for the ones to Tony) like the plague. Couldn't manage one sodding five minute conversation without going off on one about something.



... "Now Elizabeth, it's important for you to remember, your mother and I still love each other--" Like she was five. Seriously.

"No, we don't." Her mother's quieter offering from the background.

"... No, that's right. We don't." At least they were being honest, right? Effy shook her head, even if they couldn't see that.

"And that's why you're leaving."

"That's why I'm leaving. That's why I am fucking out of here, woman." Ah, there was the yelling and swearing. Right on cue. They didn't even need her for this. "I am on a fucking plane, you're dead right.... So little imagination you have to shag my fucking boss. Could've fucked the turd from Tesco, but no--"

Didn't take much of that back and forth before Effy deliberately hung up and threw her phone down onto her bed and cranked up some music in the hope that might drown out her thoughts. Ten quid said it took them a good twenty minutes to even notice she wasn't on the line anymore.

Just when she thought she was four thousand miles away and they couldn't keep fucking with her emotions. Just fantastic.

[[NFB on the contents of the parental conversation, which once again was taken with some modification from Skins 3x05, because I can't just let her be yet. Door's cracked, and the post can be open, sure, if someone actually wants to deal with her emo.]]

Comments

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Aren't you the optimistic one tonight," he remarked even if that wasn't the case, really. "Wake up on the right side of the bed?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy rolled her eyes and reconsidered throwing him out, just for the hell of it. Probably wouldn't help at all.

"Right side is the only one I've got," she said, taking the comment very literally for the moment. Distract distract.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Ah, we're playing the 'I'm so literal' game today," he said, nodding his understanding. "Must come along with all this optimism that I'm seeing."

Yeah, he could tell there wasn't optimism there but he couldn't very well just ask. She probably wouldn't tell him.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Package deal," she agreed, shrugging. "Can't really help myself." Okay, she probably could, but didn't particularly want to.

"Not appreciating my humour today?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Is that what this is?" he asked, feigning surprise. "I thought it was a weak attempt at being a smartass. My mistake. However could I have missed that?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Everyone has their off days." Until a half hour or so ago, Effy's hadn't been going badly at all. "I can wait for you to catch up."

For once, she didn't really have the energy to throw her all into being on top of her smartass game.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure I'll get there soon enough, Coach," he said, mock pep in his voice before he shook his head. "What's your deal today? Last time I saw you, you were pretty okay. Missing your roommate?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Like I said, off days." Effy shook her head. "Not roommate related." Although, there was always the possibility his cheerful was infectious, she supposed.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You're just having an off day?" he asked, not quite believing her but not completely sure. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed and just decided to brood in your room and listen to shitty music?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"The music is not shitty." Did at least move to wander over and flick it off, though. "And I have been out today." Not like she'd sat here the whole time. Just the last little while.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Music's pretty shitty," he pressed, taking a small walk around the room for the moment. "And I never said you didn't go out. You really do like sticking words in my mouth, don't you? Make me say shit I never said."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"You like subtly implying other shit," she said, watching him take his little stroll. "Just clarifying."

"You are allowed to sit." Just in case he hadn't realised.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

That wasn't false and he just shrugged and ignored the vague invitation to sit. If she was out of sorts, he'd just try to make it increase enough that her 'off day' might explained.

Wasn't the most typical way of getting to the root of issues but it was the way he tended to use. He hadn't been brought up very well.

"This is twice in just a few weeks that I've seen you off your game," he said, glancing at from over his shoulder. "Didn't know you had so many off days. That must be that vulnerability I mentioned awhile ago."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Well, if he wasn't going to sit, she was, and dropped down onto her bed, snagging the phone she'd chucked there earlier to move it.

"You took that back." Well, no, he apologised. It wasn't quite the same thing, but close enough that she'd try and use it.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"That was before I knew I was right," he said, making a path over to her desk and leaning against her chair. "Because I'm right, aren't I? I said it, I took it back and now I can reissue it. If the shoe fits and all."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"I am not fucking vulnerable." Less convincing today that it might've been before, but she still wasn't going to agree that she might be a little more like that than she let on.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Bullshit, yes you are," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not that fucking stupid, I know what I can see. Denying it isn't going to do a damn thing."

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

All that was going to get him was a dirty look. True it may be, but she really didn't like hearing it, all the same.

"Basing this off two days?" Was the best comeback she had.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"For you?" He considered it and then nodded. "Yeah, because I'm not a fucking idiot and I've been around you enough to pick up a thing here or there. You don't think you'd be able to pick up on some shit mood I'm in even if he hadn't seen it before?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy actually thought about that a moment, still fiddling with that phone of hers. "Probably," she allowed. "I'm not a fucking idiot either."

"Obviously spend far too much time with you," she said, throwing him a quirk of a smile.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Don't act like you don't like it," he said idly, finally pushing towards her bed and sitting next to her. "What's the deal here, Effy? I don't think this is some random off day. Your phone break or something? Get a text message from a secret lover? Lose badly at Tetris?"

[i sleeeeeeeeep!]

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, being shit at Tetris really cuts me deep." Or not. Effy sighed, a little frustrated, and shook her head. "Just your average call home. Always a picnic."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Ah." Hey, phone calls home tended to make him moody too. He should have guessed that. "Not to your brother, I assume. What'd your parents say?"

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

"To me?" Effy shrugged. "Not much. Got bored and hung up somewhere between dad saying he was leaving, and the yelling about sending each other's shit to 'cunting Oxfam'."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Nice. Good to know that parents still liked to stick kids in the middle of shit to this day. Stupid.

"What a pleasant conversation that sounds like," he said sourly, shaking his head. After a moment's silence, he asked, "You all right?"

Didn't really expect an honest answer but it was one of those questions that just had to be asked for the most part. It was mandated somewhere.