Chapter Seven
"How exactly do you milk an almond?"
"What?"
Rikku motioned to the milk container in her hand. "Almond milk."
"Oh….I don't know actually." Yuna and Rikku stared at the carton for a second. "I know it's not real milk."
"Well yeah cause almonds don't have nipples."
"What?" Yuna chuckled.
"I thought the rule of thumb was that if it had nipples… you could milk it."
Yuna shook her head slowly. "I don't think so…"
"Well why not?" Rikku asked putting the carton into the cart Yuna was pushing along.
It had become sort of a tradition for them to go grocery shopping together for each of their homes. Both of them only lived with their fathers, and they were never really around to really eat there for more than a couple meals. So Yuna bought her father's favorite coffee and some cool ranch Doritos and Rikku would buy her father's herbal tea and frosted mini wheat's.
"Because you can't just go around milking things with nipples."
"But you could." Rikku laughed.
"No Rikku…" Yuna sighed. "Has Paine given you an answer yet on if she wants to do the show? It's getting pretty close."
Rikku's smile fell. "Uh no… we haven't really talked…"
"Oh." Yuna noted the sadness in her voice. "Well…have you called her?" She wasn't really sure the nature of the relationship between her cousin and the other girl. It seemed Rikku liked her, which was okay with Yuna even though for some it wouldn't be.
Rikku sighed. "Nope."
"Oh." Yuna nodded. "Well maybe you should."
"Maybe."
It was obvious Rikku didn't want to talk about it. They turned down the canned food isle. "I wanted to get Kimahri some baked beans…" She said looking to change the subject.
"Can dogs eat that?"
Yuna shrugged. "He likes it; I'll just keep it as a treat or something."
"Hm."
"C'mon Clasko keep up man." Gippal rounded the corner in his black chefs pants and a white under shirt on. He couldn't believe his frickin' luck! There standing on isle three, dressed in yellow shorts and a white sweater, was his dream girl. He turned around to Clasko who was holding the majority of the things they came for.
"Here, go get the rest of the stuff and meet me at a register."
Gippal turned not waiting for a response and began walking toward Rikku and Yuna.
"Ah great." Rikku groaned when she noticed him approaching.
"What?..Oh." Yuna chuckled. She had found the whole bathroom incident hilarious when Rikku finally told her what happened.
"Ladies, if it isn't my luck." He grinned and tossed the single lemon he was holding in the air and caught it.
"Chef Trent." Yuna smiled.
"You can call me Gippal."
"Okay, Gippal." Yuna giggled and Rikku glared at her. What the hell was her problem? She was almost doing this on purpose.
"Cid's girl how it going?"
"My name is Rikku, and I'm fine."
"I haven't received a call from you."
"I flushed your card."
"That wasn't very nice." Gippal seemed unfazed. "Listen I was wondering with the summer approaching, I was going to close down LapPig for a night and head out to this spot on seventh and Harving, you guys know that club Taboo right? Well I'm renting out some space there, kinda kick off the summer, all my roommates will be there, the Lap Pig family, it'll be open bar, and a real fun time, you ladies are both more than welcome to come and bring a few people."
"Oh when is it?" Yuna asked.
"Not this weekend but next weekend Friday night." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his card again. "This time I'll give you both a copy." He grinned at Rikku. "Hope to see you there."
"That sounds like fun." Yuna commented once Gippal left.
"No way am I going."
"Ah c'mon, it will be right when classes end, we'll be able to drink and it's on seventh and Harving that's not too far from your place right? I wonder if Tidus is doing anything, I haven't really seen him in a party setting…"
"That guy is a creep."
"He's just a tad cocky." Yuna began pushing the cart along. "You should invite Paine," she added as an afterthought.
"I don't think I have to." Rikku mumbled once the realization hit. Her conversations with this Lai guy were all the proof she needed.
"Hm?"
##
Paine didn't do this.
She had been pacing in her room for a good five minutes. The half a joint she just shared with Nooj didn't help like she thought it would, if anything it had made her nerves worse.
"Fuck." She cursed to herself.
She was pacing over Rikku
Pacing!
Paine sat down on her twin size bed and took a breath. She picked up and phone, and then put it down again.
It was around 11pm on Thursday night and Paine had been busying herself all day by studying, grocery shopping, laundry, and a whole bunch of other domestic tasks. She even helped Wakka make a box cake!
She was a regular Betty fucking Crocker.
All because she was nervous about speaking to Rikku.
"Grow a pair Kerrigan." She said to herself and finally dialed Rikku's number. As far as situations went, she knew she shouldn't have left things the way she did. They always spent Monday's together and this Monday shouldn't have been an exception. Hell Paine was even looking forward to it. Auron had thrown her for a loop though. It seemed she had been underestimating the size of his balls.
It rang twice and then picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey."
Paine slapped her face. Could she sound any higher?
"Paine?"
"Yeah uh it's me."
"…Nice to hear from you."
"Yeah um, I've been really busy I'm…" she chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry…."
"Its fine, you're not obligated to talk to me y'know."
"I know but I want to, and Monday I just kinda left without really saying anything…"
"Are you ready to say something?"
Paine ran a nervous hand through her hair, "yeah, I should tell you some things."
"Yeah well me too, a lot has happened in the last four days."
"Really?" Paine sat back on her bed to lean her back on the wall. The hard part was over
"Did you know that almonds have nipples?"
Paine chuckled. "No I didn't."
##
It had been raining all morning making the day seem long to Paine. She wasn't exactly sure what time it was and she didn't feel like guessing; she had too much on her mind. Paine knew it couldn't be past five, but the darkened skies and chill winds begged to differ.
All around her students were rushing to get off campus, cries of freedom and plans for later days were being made.
"Is anyone sitting here?"
Paine looked up and frowned when she realized it wasn't who she was expecting.
"I'm meeting Rikku…" Paine explained pushing her hands into her pocket and grabbing at the lint there.
Lulu sat down anyway.
The student Union reminded Paine most of the mall, or even an airport, with all store fronts and random seating arrangements. Paine asked Rikku to meet her near the Coffee-bean; random little windows around campus that sold the basics. She knew by now the blonde had to be crashing from her usual noon time coffee or sugar fix and would need a boost. There was a plethora of two seater tables around the corner from the Coffee-bean service window. The large two story aquarium styled windows in the student union gave Paine a good view of the front pathway and the storm brewing outside.
Lulu ignored Paine's comment. Instead she reached toward one of the small coffee cups closest to her and then to the pile of random sugars, stirs, and creamers in front of her.
Paine didn't know how Rikku liked her coffee.
"You can't take a hint can you?" Paine asked, she was starting to get upset now. "What the fuck are you doing?" She asked when Lulu opened the lid and started adding sugar to the hot coffee.
"I've known Rikku for seven years." Her voice was calm and she didn't speak louder than she had to, this was just her way. Lulu picked up the creamer and expertly peeled off the plastic lid with her long purple nails. "You'd do well to remember that she only likes half the creamer in her coffee."
Paine sighed. "What do you want?"
"I want a lot of things Paine, I think we both do."
"You and I are nothing alike."
"Oh?" Lulu asked looking up at Paine for the first time since she started making Rikku's coffee. She capped the lid back onto it and put it where she found it. "What makes you so sure?"
Paine leaned forward. "Don't come over here and try to call us the same person, you don't even know me."
"But aren't we? We both have feelings for someone we shouldn't."
"What are you talking about?"
Lulu let up a low laugh. "Hm, well she..." She shook her head lightly as if chiding herself. "It isn't my place."
Paine shook her head. "Is there a reason you came over here? Or are you just trying to piss me off."
Lulu looked up at her, her stoic features turning a bit soft around the edges. "He isn't returning my calls." She admitted in her usual unaffected tone.
Paine laughed shortly. "Why would he?"
"You don't know him like I do. I still worry even though I shouldn't."
"Don't."
Lulu stood. She went to walk away but then paused. "I'll make you a deal."
Paine scuffed and looked back out the window.
"You help Yuna and I, and I will help you." Paine heard her say as she watched a particularly large rain drop slide slowly down the glass.
"I don't need your help."
"You will." She said cryptically before her clinking hair ornaments could be heard fading.
Seriously who did their hair like that every day? It wasn't practical and it bothered the hell out of Paine that she could pull it off with such ease.
Who did she think she was coming over here like that? Saying those things?
Paine furrowed a brow and took a sip from her black coffee. Lulu was just talking. She made her point for coming over clear.
Wakka.
Everything else was just talk.
"Hey am I late? Were you here long? What's that look for? Oh you got me coffee!"
That would be Rikku.
She seemed to be a little wet from the rain as she took off her red jacket with the black lining and back pack and placed them on the chair behind her. She looked very dressed down today Paine noticed. She was wearing a black turtle neck short sleeve sweater and a pair of khaki pants. Her usual multi colored bangles were still in place and her hair was a damp version of its usual braided free self.
"That's really nice of you, oh it's pouring outside, look…" She sat down and showed Paine the bottom of her pant leg on her right foot. "I almost drowned in the puddle!"
Paine smiled. She seemed frazzled today, that's what it was. She continued to watch as Rikku took a sip of the hot coffee and smiled. "Just right." She nodded. "How did you know?"
She thought about lying, saying it was a lucky guess. "I had a little help from my best friend."
"Leblanc was here?" Rikku looked around confused.
"No my other best friend."
Rikku made a face. "Um…oh Lulu!" Paine nodded. "Oh I don't know why you don't like her Pai, she's really a sweet person y'know…under all that hair." Rikku chuckled.
"Sweet? Lulu Moore is not sweet."
"I know she doesn't look all soft and cuddly but she means well, some people would say the same about you y'know, just give her a chance."
"She's a—"
"I know I know, a bitch. But she's my friend alright? Don't be a meanie."
Paine sighed. Rikku had just given her the official warning to lay off Lulu. "Yeah okay."
"Did she come to bother you about the show? Yunie's been asking me too…"
"I know, I never said id do it…"
Rikku took a sip from her coffee cup. "Aha but you never said that you wouldn't do it, that's where ya went wrong Dr.P."
Paine shook her head. "Yeah I guess so….wait what?"
"What?" Rikku asked looking innocent.
Paine narrowed her eyes playfully. Something had just seemed off to her. "Nothing nothing…um so, how was class?" Paine began tapping her fingers lightly on the table.
"It was alright, nothing to important… just reviews for….Pai stop it."
"Stop what?"
"You're making me nervous when you do that."
"Do what?"
Rikku began tapping her fingers on the table; her actions were a bit more dramatized to get point across. "Oh." Paine pulled her hand off the table and rested it on her lap.
Rikku sent her a curious look to which Paine sat up from leaning back in her chair and rested her forearms on the table surrounding her coffee cup. "So you were right about one thing."
"What's that?"
"Auron does in fact hate me." Paine chuckled a little to herself. "Probably more now."
Rikku sighed. "What happed?" She asked a little quieter than normal. She too scooted her chair further in so she could hear Paine better.
Paine averted her eyes. "He, he well…" She bit the inside of her mouth, how could she say this without giving too much of her side of the conversation away? "He doesn't want us hanging around each other anymore, because I know that you guys…"
"We don't…not…." Rikku shook her head trying to find words. "I haven't been to see him in a while… he keeps texting me but I just y'know ignore." She wrapped her right hand around her coffee cup, she needed to hold onto something. Sure she had told Paine, but talking about it with anyone was still hard. Rikku looked down as she spoke. "I was kind of hoping that it would just go away y'know?"
These moments were rare for Paine, the moments in which she wished she had the ability to make things okay with just words, her words. She would watch cop shows and marvel to herself at how someone, some stranger could come out and talk someone down from a building, or talk someone out of ending many other lives including their own, with just words. Was it the human connection that did it? The ability to inevitably connect with someone else just because they were capable of feeling the way you were? To sympathize. Even if they had never known true sadness before they could talk you through it like they had. They could turn things around.
Paine didn't know how to do that, and she never noticed until now.
"I know…" Was all she could say, and she didn't think it was enough, she knew it wasn't enough. "But.. you stopped right you haven't…that's good."
"No." Rikku said more firmly. "And he can't tell me who to hang out with!"
"Yeah well he made it very clear that I should hang out with my own kind." Paine rolled her eyes. "This guy is an ass."
"But you listened to him."
Paine sighed. "I did. I needed time to think.."
"About if being my friend was worth it, worth whatever he said." Rikku read her face. Paine only nodded, a little ashamed at how she handled it. "But now you are here."
"I am."
Rikku let up a small smile.
Paine busied herself with drinking coffee. Rikku chuckled a little and looked down to her coffee cup.
Paine rested her cup down and rubbed the back of her neck gently. "No on pushes me around but… you don't think he's really capable of things?"
"What kinds of things?"
"Well… I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for some stupid things I may have said…"
Rikku studied Paine for a second. The first thing she had ever learned about the girl was that she was a hot head; quick to say whatever came to mind with not a care for the consequences or others feelings, it was her defense mechanism.
The second was that she didn't like Iced caramel frappecinos, especially as a permanent accessory.
Rikku sighed and tried to make light of the conversation. "Were you trying to be all tough again?"
Paine nodded twice. "Yeah."
Rikku couldn't help but chuckle at her honesty. "What I tell you about that?"
"I don't like him, he took advantage of a situation, and now he thinks he can scare me quiet." Paine shook her head no. "I have to take his course over online now."
"He's really going to fail you?"
"If he walks by and see's us having coffee." Paine motioned to the larger windows. "Plus he isn't going to take my term paper."
"I'll talk to him –"
"No," Paine said firmly.
"But this has nothing to do with you! I don't see why he feels the need to pull you in it."
"He's just using me to get to you, you said you were ignoring him right?" Rikku nodded. "Well there, he would have found a way to talk to me anyway, I just gave him an opportunity to by talking in class."
Rikku pouted. "It's not fair."
"Life isn't fair Princess."Rikku rolled her eyes but went back to her pouting face. Paine frowned a little. "Hey.." Rikku looked up. "It's gonna be okay."
That's all Rikku needed to hear today. For this thing she was fighting, she could only handle one day at a time.
##
"Paine…."
"Don't give me that look I'll be fine."
"But I'm going to feel bad." Rikku whined.
"You need to learn how to control your emotions." Paine chuckled. An hour had passed and it was still raining. They had moved from their table in the student union to the grand foyer where the carpet was stained with rain water tracking in from students shoes.
It was still raining hard outside.
Rikku gave Paine a look that made her laugh a little more. "It's just water Rikku..if anything I should be worried about you driving, you can barely see over the steering wheel." Paine put her hand right above Rikku's head.
She slapped it away playfully. "I'm not even that short!"
"Too short to walk in the fashion show." Paine teased.
"Yeah well you couldn't even do it, so that means nothing to me."
"I can do it, but I just don't want to."
"You can't do it. What's up Pai afraid someone from your crew might see you?"
"My crew….. yeah you need to stop watching so much tv."
"Oh I forgot, you're a lone wolf." Rikku began to giggle.
"And you are an idiot." Paine chuckled. She glanced outside again trying to calculate her route.
"Let me take you home." Rikku asked again, her voice softer.
"What not even going to buy me a drink first? Wow."
Rikku nudged her arm. "I'm serious Pai."
Paine thought on it for a second, something suddenly coming to mind. "I think I'm going to stay."
"Stay! Here, on a Friday?"
"I didn't get a work out in this week." The more she thought about it, the more her body itched to hit something. Was that strange? Paine didn't think so.
"Are you sure?"
Paine nodded. "Yeah."
Rikku bit her bottom lip then shrugged. "Okay. What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah as in….the day after today?"
Paine shrugged. "Nothing much, why you wanna play blitz this weekend?"
Rikku chuckled. "Come over to my place."
Paine weighed her options. She liked spending time with Rikku, she had come to terms with this. It was just that at her house it was just them two, she couldn't risk feeling those feelings again. Paine tried to think of a way out of it.
Seeing this Rikku grabbed hold of Paine's forearm leaned a little closer and began jumping up and down. "Pleeeaseee, c'mon I don't even know why I'm begging you know you want to."
Paine chuckled. "Alright alright. Gee come down."
"Good!" Rikku hoped away from Paine a foot or two. "You can help me rearrange my bedroom, I was thinking about moving my desk area—"
"And here I thought it was because we were friends."
"That's what friends do, I know you wouldn't know."
"Ouch."
"It's okay I'm willing to teach you." Rikku chuckled.
##
Rikku wasn't kidding when she said she wanted to rearrange her room. Paine saw that now.
"You drew this all last night?" Paine furrowed a brow as she sat at the formal dining room chair the next morning. A bowl of finished frosted mini wheat's practically force fed to her a few minutes ago sat empty at her side. Paine was wearing her skinny jeans, socks, and a plain black shirt, a pair of sunglasses sat atop of her styled hair.
"Yeah while we were on the phone, is it not clear?" Rikku asked from in the kitchen.
Paine shook her head at the detail of the large blueprint like sketches. "No it's clear."
"Good." Rikku clapped excitedly as she entered the dining room barefoot and in white shorts and an orange tank top.
Paine glanced at her then back to the drawings. "Did you really do the measurements? Rikku we aren't building a freaking house here."
Rikku came over and stood behind Paine's chair infecting her entire area with her floral scented perfume. It made it hard for Paine to focus on the things Rikku was pointing to.
She smelt like spring
"… and plus I just got a little carried away." Rikku shrugged.
Paine chuckled picturing Rikku, phone to her ear, getting on her hands and knees to measure her room.
In the kitchen the kettle began to whistle telling Rikku her tea was ready. The blonde disappeared.
"These are really impressive." Paine called.
"Thanks."
"Have you ever thought about architecture?"
"No, why?" Rikku said coming back into the dining room hugging a large soup cup full of green tea with her two hands.
"Uh cause you are an amazing artist…and because you hate law."
Rikku smiled at the compliments. "I don't hate law."
"But wouldn't you rather be doing something like this with your time instead of studying old case files?"
Rikku tilted her head cutely. "Well duh but, there are hobbies and then there are careers right? That's what Pops always says."
"You can't believe that."
Rikku didn't say anything; she just disappeared into the kitchen again only to return a few minutes later with a new campaign. "If we start now we can be done in time for Strange Addictions."
##
"No…no to the left…no Paine my left…too far."
Paine sighed in frustration as she set the heavy for size trunk down. "Rikku…"
Rikku pouted looking at the large blueprint she had created. "Y'know it says I would put it over here… but I just…I just don't like the way that looks now." Rikku placed a finger to her bottom lip and pressed down in thought. "The lighting… I forgot all about the lighting.." She murmured to herself.
"Fucking-A" Paine muttered.
She had to applaud herself on how patient Rikku was making her, two months ago she would have lost it and given up when Rikku claimed that she changed her mind about something particularly heavy.
##
"It doesn't make sense."
"It makes complete sense!"
"No it does not!" Paine nudged the bed with her knee. "Who gives a fuck if it's two more inches to the right?"
"The book!" Rikku waved the fung shui booklet in her right hand about. They were on either side of Rikku's bed trying to decide which way they wanted to move it.
"That book is full of crap! It's been here for how long and you haven't gotten run over by a bus or something yet?"
"It's bad luck!"
"Rikku it's fake!"
"Prove it!"
"Prove that it's real."
"It's in a book Paine…duh." Paine gritted her teeth. This was going nowhere and she knew it. Seeing that Paine was tiring Rikku put up her best pouty face. "C'mon." She pleaded quietly, fluttering her lashes for effect.
Paine groaned. "Fine."
"Yay!" Rikku grinned as she readied to move the bed two inches to the left so it wasn't directly in front of the door.
##
Paine made a face. "She eats…dirt?"
It was now a little after noon and Paine found herself deeply engrossed by the woman on the screen.
"Just a little sprinkle here and there." Rikku joked as she reached her hand into the bag of tortilla chips and pulled out one that she deemed perfect for dipping, so like a pro Rikku leaned forward to the coffee table and dipped her chip in the spicy salsa and quickly pulled it back to her mouth without a spot of tomato going anywhere.
"Mud pie."
Rikku giggled. "Mmm."
They were sitting close on the couch with only the bag of chips as a separator. Their shoulders were just barely touching.
"It's probably a form of Pica…" Paine said as she reached her hand in the bag for another chip.
"Nutrition!"
She laughed. "No, but I thought about it."
"Pai….I guess ill figure it out when you graduate." Rikku shook her head.
"I'm surprised you haven't guessed it by now. I guessed yours like the second day I saw you."
"Uh yeah because I had a textbook with me."
"Ah, see all mine are in my room."
"Then that's where I need to look."
Paine chuckled. "You don't want to hang out at my place."
"Why not?"
"Well for one three guys live there…well and Elma, but she's always in her room unless we have family time."
Rikku laughed. "Still not seeing the big picture. You have your own room right, and what's so wrong with family time? I wish we had more of that around here."
Paine shrugged. "My room is tiny, and my roommates can be bit much." she shook her head thinking of one morning that week. She swore she saw Nooj naked as much as he saw himself naked. It was disturbingly normal by now.
"So about Gippal…" Rikku didn't know where to begin.
"What about him?" Paine asked pulling her attention away from the woman packing her dirt filled tupperware containers for work.
"I think I know him…"
Paine made a face. "How he doesn't go to NLU, I don't even think he can spell NLU."
"Well he works at Lap Pig, he's a chef isn't he?"
"Yeah…."
"That's where Pops took Yunie and I, he gave us a tasting menu which was cool, the food was great and he seemed nice in the beginning but then I had to pee and he was being real creepy, practically cornered me!"
"Wait… You're her…." Paine sat back on the couch. She had to let this sink in.
"Her who?"
"He's like in love with you." Paine pointed out.
"So it is your Gippal? Ew he talks about me?"
"He's not that bad…" Paine winced.
"Then you date him." Rikku chuckled a little. "What's up with that face?"
"He talks about you a lot. I didn't know it was you or else I would have…" Paine shook her head.
"I kept hearing you mention him here and there…and then that Baralai guy showed up and he—"
Paine sat up quickly. "What?"
"What what?"
"Baralai? As in Baralai Montgomery?"
"I…I guess so..snowy hair, tan, he's a sweetie…"
"What the fuck is he doing talking to you?"
"People talk to me!"
Paine sighed. "No I meant like… where did he see you?" She wasn't sure how she felt about this. Rikku was defiantly dropping bombs on her today.
"Well remember when you went all that time of the month on me and just left Monday?"
Paine rolled her eyes but nodded.
"He just came up to me right after and asked if your name was Paine, to which I said yes, because it is….isn't it?"
Paine ran a hand through her hair. "What in the….so what did he want?"
Rikku shrugged. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see the family preparing for a dirt intervention. "He just asked how you were Paine, he seemed really sweet."
"Yeah of course he does." Paine sat back into the couch again, this time making no attempt at going back to watching tv.
Rikku frowned. Maybe she shouldn't have been so friendly to this Lai guy. "Wait right here." She jumped off the couch and ran upstairs only to return with her school bag. Paine watched from her slouched position on the sofa as Rikku began pulling things out in search of something. Paine couldn't help but chuckle as a number of multi colored Jambi Juice straws were gifted to her by a distracted Rikku. "He gave me his number…"
"Why….?"
Rikku looked up at Paine. "To give to you silly."
"Oh." She sat up a little and leaned over the couch to pick up a wayward straw.
"Here it is." Rikku pulled out the folded napkin and gave it to Paine. She watched as Paine stared at it for a second or two before balling it up. "Paine."
"He shouldn't have just approached you like that right when I left."
"He seemed really nervous, give the guy a chance."
"You don't know him Rikku." She said dismissively. It was starting to irk Rikku.
"Well I think I have a pretty good impression of people. Unlike you…"Paine looked up at her words. She knew she was referring to the first time they met. "Or do you really still think I'm some slut."
"Rikku."
"You haven't seen him in years how do you know what he's like now? You can't hold grudges for things when you were kids, whatever they were. That's not practical and it's not fair. I'm sure you've done things in your past that you would like people to forget and see you as you are now." Rikku huffed and began throwing her things back into her bag, even the bendy straws.
Then she got up and left.
Paine sat there stunned for a second. She had never really seen that side of Rikku. Though it pissed her off a little how she had just called her out, she knew the blonde was right. She had no ligament reason to dislike Baralai, he had been nothing but a friend to her in the past. Something in her was hesitating though. She didn't want to need a reason to not like someone. If she were still going to therapy Martha would say that she felt resentment towards Baralai because she felt he abandoned her.
Maybe she should start going again.
Surly it would help clear up some of this fog Rikku brought with her.
No, not fog.
Rikku was like sunlight, bright bright sunlight; warm on your skin, prompting growth, like the sunny days of summer each day was something new and exciting but still blinding. Paine couldn't see at all, it was something she never had to deal with: having a female friend like this, it just seemed different. Too different.
Paine un-balled the napkin and stared down at the number. She wondered what he looked like now.
Rikku smiled at the thoughtful look on Paine's face, she hadn't even noticed her slip back into the living room. She didn't like people assuming things about others, maybe because deep down she feared that people did it when they looked at her.
The shifted weight of the couch caused Paine to look up. They stared at each other for a second. Rikku reached out and rubbed Paine's mid back lightly, if it weren't for the fact that they were looking at each other then Paine would have closed her eyes.
"Just see what he wants."
Paine nodded.
##
"Heey Dr. P! Check this out, some lady is on here eating dirt!" Gippal chuckled to himself when he heard the front door opening.
Paine nodded even though Gippal was still facing the tv. It was around 9 at night, she left Rikku's about 7 and then just walked around for a while. She needed to wrap her head around several things and coming straight home or being around Rikku wouldn't help. Paine went into the kitchen to get a beer.
"Where ya been all day anyway, aren't you gonna help me with this party planning bullshit." Giipal was sitting on the couch with his feet up clad in a dark blue sleeveless shirt and some cargo shorts.
Paine slipped out of her jacket and planted herself on the sofa beside him. "Aren't you supposed to be at work? Here." She handed him her beer bottle and Gippal fished his pockets for his key chain where his bottle opener was.
"I took the day off thinkin you would be around to check this place out with me."
Paine grabbed the bottle back before he was able to take a sip. "Why didn't you call me?"
"I did! Check your phone, went straight to voicemail every time, so again where were you today?"
"I was out."
Gippal eyed her for a second then shrugged going back to the tv. Probably some girl thing he wouldn't understand, and Paine wouldn't explain.
Paine sat there in thought, deep deep thought. The kind where all your senses get dulled and all you can really do is hear yourself think. She had three people on her mind; Rikku, Baralai, and Gippal, and in some twisted way they were all related.
Paine took a sip of her cold beer. She was glad she went grocery shopping on Thursday; she didn't even feel like moving from her spot on the couch.
She felt protective over Rikku. If this week had proved anything it had proved that. She didn't know why though, she just didn't like the idea of Auron touching her, or Gippal perving on her, or even Baralai giving her his number. She knew she shouldn't feel this way, it was irrational.
A lot of things with Rikku felt irrational or maybe irrational weren't the right word. Was it so irrational to enjoy being around someone so much? To smile like an idiot whenever they texted you, or spend extra time making sure look presentable when you knew you were going to see them? Paine rolled her eyes when she remembered how long it took her to pick a damn shirt and jeans this mooring.
And she felt sad when they parted that evening. Paine had actually identified that she was sad about it. This was huge!
So maybe Paine was a little irrational about Rikku.
No one else put her in her place and lived to tell the tale. Paine had started fights before from people just looking at her the wrong way. Then this afternoon she had done so and all Paine could do was nod. It did piss her off, but it surprised her more than anything.
Rikku had been right.
Could she really hold such an insignificant grudge over someone she had shared so much with? It had only turned to the Paine and Gippal show because of Baralai's absence. They were so young and lost that now as Paine sat finishing her second beer it all seemed stupid. Baralai hadn't changed. He may drink 50 year old cognac now or spend weekends on his father's boat, but she knew that he had to be the same boy he was before.
Beside her Gippal began chuckling to himself. She glanced at him, the tv gleam brightening up his amused features.
She loved that fool, but he could be so single minded sometimes.
Paine wondered which would be more of a surprise to him, telling him she actually knew and hung out with his "dream girl" or that somehow Baralai had found her and was reaching out, or worse, that she was reaching back because of his dream girl, who she was irrational about.
Paine sighed to herself.
Could this get any more complicated?
##
"Oh… it looks different in here." Yuna noticed looking around Rikku's room.
Rikku followed in after her cousin holding a few bags of goodies. "Yeah Paine came over today and helped me."
Yuna watched her cousin empty the contents of the plastic bags onto her bed. Rikku began sorting through the junk food by sweet and salty. They were about to go out to see a movie together just for the hell of it and needed to appropriately hide their snacks on their persons. "Are you two like…"
Rikku stopped what she was doing and looked up at Yuna's curious face. "We're just friends Yunie."
"Oh…okay." Yuna nodded. "Well I still think you like her."
Rikku shrugged. "I do."
She did.
"I just y'know… I like being her friend too."
Yuna wished sometimes that she thought like Rikku. Even though the blonde seemed to get confused over things some times, abstract thoughts or reasoning was a cake walk. She had a very strong sense of self, meaning she knew how she felt about things, bad or good.
"What does that mean though?" Yuna chuckled, just for the sake of hearing her answer.
Rikku shrugged. "I don't know… okay like today she upset me… and she always runs from things… and well she curses a fucking lot." Yuna laughed and Rikku smiled but then got a thoughtful look on her face. " and she's a girl… but… I dunno Yunie I…feel….happy when I make her smile, cause like she never does and I just….I don't wanna scare away the only person I can talk to who doesn't just… I don't feel like a failure when I'm around her…" Rikku admitted aloud surprising both her and Yuna.
The room was quiet.
Rikku sighed and looked down to the chocolate covered pretzels in her hand, were these salty or sweet?
"You've had something on your mind for a while now." Yuna stated knowing her cousins facial expressions quite well by this point. She felt terrible. She sat down on Rikku's bed.
Rikku nodded. "I—"
Just then downstairs the front door could be heard opening. Soon loud male voices filled the downstairs.
"Rikku! Girl you here!" Rikku knew right away it was her father and uncle Braska.
"C'mon." She looked to a conflicted Yuna. "Let's go say hi."
AN: Just thought I would thank everyone who has been reading up until this point, and a special thank you to all my reviewers, you know who you are. I honestly wouldn't have gotten this far without your kind words !
Now that all the mushy stuff is out of the way, what do you guys think?
KathleenDee