Author's Disclaimer:
Alright. I do not own Radio Free Roscoe or any of the characters, and so
basically I own practically nothing central to the story. The lucky people
who do will not be in any way endangered by my fic. First-timer here.
And another thing. I know people have used this basic scenario before, and I'm sorry if anyone thinks I'm stealing their ideas, because I haven't read every single fic based on this and I really did come up with this outcome by myself.
She stood there with the chalkboard in her hand, holding it like a weapon. Her other hand was on her hip, and her gaze was challenging. I looked at her helplessly. Why had she come back? After releasing the frog, I'd come to erase it and collect my stuff. I'd opened the door, expecting an empty station. Instead I came in and I saw Lily bent over the words. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have erased it first.
"Ray?" Her voice pierced the silence. I tried not to look at the board in her hands, at the Good Luck Ray scrawled on it in Travis's writing. "I asked you a question." I didn't know what I could say. What was I supposed to say? She thought I was being juvenile when I was trying to show her I cared. Would she really believe me if I told her the truth? The look in her eyes said no. "What is this, Ray?"
She was mad and curious at the same time. I could see the lingering resentment in her eyes – resentment at the fact that she'd shared something with me. I wished then I could have called her back. Now I had the chance to tell her.
She wouldn't believe me. She'd assume I was making fun of her again. I made non-committal noises as I edged towards my bags. I tried to think of how to phrase it. I wanted her to know that I liked her. From the looks of it, romance was the last thing on Lily's mind.
"What was Travis wishing you good luck for? Is this why he asked you to check the switches?" She wasn't stupid at all, my friend Lily. "I can't believe it. He knew that you were going to play that infantile trick too? And he let you?" She practically threw the board down onto the table. "That is sick. I should have expected it from you, Ray."
What? I was frozen, impaled by her words. She really believed I was trying to hurt her? She "should have expected it"? What had I done? I forced myself to say something. "You don't understand, Lily, I just..."
She raised her eyebrows, flipping her hair and scooping up a notebook. "I think I understand perfectly." She headed for the door.
I reached out mutely for her, touching her arm. She turned on me. "I can't believe you did this." I searched her eyes, and tried to find some way to let her know I didn't mean to hurt her. I couldn't find words. I couldn't figure out how to tell her I really didn't mean it at all. The frog had survived, Lily, I wanted to say. It was alive. I got it for you, to show you I do listen, I do care. I tried to show you I was beyond what you think of me. I wanted to tell her that I've cared for her for a long time, now, let her know that I didn't try to take any of her happiness away.
I looked into her eyes and I saw how useless it all was. I did what I've always done when faced with Lily. I took the easy way out.
"I'm sorry, Lily, I guess I wasn't thinking." I said the words slowly, as my heart sank and my brain berated me. Good job, Ray. Your one shot. Bye-bye. "I really, really am so sorry."
Lily's disgust was clear. She swept her gaze away from me and ran up the stairs to the outside world, into the sun. I watched her go, and I still couldn't tell the truth.
And another thing. I know people have used this basic scenario before, and I'm sorry if anyone thinks I'm stealing their ideas, because I haven't read every single fic based on this and I really did come up with this outcome by myself.
She stood there with the chalkboard in her hand, holding it like a weapon. Her other hand was on her hip, and her gaze was challenging. I looked at her helplessly. Why had she come back? After releasing the frog, I'd come to erase it and collect my stuff. I'd opened the door, expecting an empty station. Instead I came in and I saw Lily bent over the words. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have erased it first.
"Ray?" Her voice pierced the silence. I tried not to look at the board in her hands, at the Good Luck Ray scrawled on it in Travis's writing. "I asked you a question." I didn't know what I could say. What was I supposed to say? She thought I was being juvenile when I was trying to show her I cared. Would she really believe me if I told her the truth? The look in her eyes said no. "What is this, Ray?"
She was mad and curious at the same time. I could see the lingering resentment in her eyes – resentment at the fact that she'd shared something with me. I wished then I could have called her back. Now I had the chance to tell her.
She wouldn't believe me. She'd assume I was making fun of her again. I made non-committal noises as I edged towards my bags. I tried to think of how to phrase it. I wanted her to know that I liked her. From the looks of it, romance was the last thing on Lily's mind.
"What was Travis wishing you good luck for? Is this why he asked you to check the switches?" She wasn't stupid at all, my friend Lily. "I can't believe it. He knew that you were going to play that infantile trick too? And he let you?" She practically threw the board down onto the table. "That is sick. I should have expected it from you, Ray."
What? I was frozen, impaled by her words. She really believed I was trying to hurt her? She "should have expected it"? What had I done? I forced myself to say something. "You don't understand, Lily, I just..."
She raised her eyebrows, flipping her hair and scooping up a notebook. "I think I understand perfectly." She headed for the door.
I reached out mutely for her, touching her arm. She turned on me. "I can't believe you did this." I searched her eyes, and tried to find some way to let her know I didn't mean to hurt her. I couldn't find words. I couldn't figure out how to tell her I really didn't mean it at all. The frog had survived, Lily, I wanted to say. It was alive. I got it for you, to show you I do listen, I do care. I tried to show you I was beyond what you think of me. I wanted to tell her that I've cared for her for a long time, now, let her know that I didn't try to take any of her happiness away.
I looked into her eyes and I saw how useless it all was. I did what I've always done when faced with Lily. I took the easy way out.
"I'm sorry, Lily, I guess I wasn't thinking." I said the words slowly, as my heart sank and my brain berated me. Good job, Ray. Your one shot. Bye-bye. "I really, really am so sorry."
Lily's disgust was clear. She swept her gaze away from me and ran up the stairs to the outside world, into the sun. I watched her go, and I still couldn't tell the truth.