Chapter 4
Some people laugh at the sight of the behemoth that is Winterfell Town Mall's Mega-Shake, thinking it a novelty item on Mr. T's menu. The health-conscious might look at the two doughnuts, fresh from the fryer, glistening golden as they sink into the cloud of hand-whipped cream, and have to turn away. Some naïve beings look at the small words printed next to its picture and think that '1 gallon' must be an exaggeration.
And then are people - reckless, maverick, insane, dangerously ambitious - who look at the sauce dripping and think how beautifully it falls: through the sprinkles, over the pineapple chunks, forcing its way down between the marshmallows, dancing around the dipping dots, surfing on fruit loops. They see the option to add another scoop of ice-cream and think 'yes, I must'. They choose mint chocolate chip because only a fool would go for the bubble-gum when there are full sized gob-smackers already in the jar. They thank the bemused worker - the one slightly sweating, hands shaking, somehow still smiling - and this person holds their mega-shake up like a champion.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
Jon's voice was not a welcome interrupting into Arya's moment. The blessed thing was in her hands and he couldn't just let her enjoy it? She scowled at him,
"Savouring it."
"It'll melt."
"The moment won't."
"Just come and sit down, we've got work to do." He turned away before she could answer, reaching for the pencil and paper in front of him, a sheet full of scribbles that Arya was certain was ninety-percent nonsense.
"You know, I reckon the Cafe On The Corner does a better shake than that." Gendry nodded to the glass bowl Arya was holding in front of her face. She didn't put it down immediately, preferring to see his distorted image than be faced with the cold reality.
"Excuse you? Why does everyone want to ruin this for me."
"Because if this is the best, then you are living a sad life. Honestly, go to the Café and ask Mott to do a double supreme freak-shake and you basically get that without the store-bought gumdrops or runny ice-cream."
"All Ice-cream is runny."
"Yeah, but it should run smooth, not split like it's having an existential crisis."
"Why do you know so much about ice-cream?"
"I used to work for Mott."
"Really? Did you wear the hats? It is that place that has the hats isn't it? Not The Other Place."
"No, The Other Place is up the street by the park and they go for more of a hipster vibe. Little to no tolerance for silliness and excessive enjoyment."
"Duly noted. I'll hold you to your word on the freak-shake, but maybe I'll wait a week or so before getting one, you know, give my pancreas a chance."
Gendry laughed, "Sure, let me know when you're ready to be blown away."
"Speaking of being 'blown away', are we ready for your top tips on how to talk to Sansa?"
Arya turned to her brother who looked away quickly. Jon coughed and shuffled his papers again.
"What?" She looked between the two of them, now both staring resolutely anywhere but at her, "Is it that bad a list? I knew you two couldn't be trusted."
"No, no, it's a fair list. Ahem," Robb turned to Gendry, leaning forward across the table to look him directly in the eye, "What do you already know about handbags?"
Gendry glanced from a stern Robb to Jon, who just shrugged.
Arya just slowly sipped at her milkshake. This would be a long afternoon.
-*-.-
Arya's phone rang, mercifully, at half five.
The food court had closed around them, and more than one cleaner had swept past them with a pointed look.
More significantly, they had reached a point in the conversation where it became abundantly clear that neither Jon nor Robb knew very much about their younger sister, and that if they were not related to her, there would be very little chance they would ever acknowledge each other. Arya had sat back and refused to offer any helpful advice,
"I have already done a full day's work and received my payment for it. You cannot dupe me into helping you. Now, tell us, what do you think Sansa's favourite Disney film is?"
She leant forwards across the table in anticipation. Jon had moments ago failed the test, having shrugged and thrown out, "Frozen?" before turning his attention back to the crossword he thought nobody knew he was doing under the table.
Robb had lines across his forehead, and his hands curled into fists, "It can't be a trick question, surely."
He looked between Arya in all of her smugness and Gendry, sitting and trying not to ask too many questions (not just because Arya was doing enough of that). He had never yet asked a girl about her favourite Disney film, and wasn't convinced that it would be something he would want to bring up to attract an intelligent, multi-faceted young woman, but Arya had insisted. Gendry thought that might be because she had wanted to give them a twelve minute explanation of why her favourite was Mulan, and why that Absolutely Mattered, more than because she believed it relevant to their plot. He found himself smiling a lot more in the company of the younger Stark sister, a nice change from her brothers who mostly elicited a gurgling of fear in the pit of his stomach.
"Why is it not the Little Mermaid?"
Robb had been guessing for about ten minutes now.
"Because she's not so simple as 'that lady has red hair. She is my hero.' Pick another."
"But I really think it could be the Little Mermaid."
Gendry was slowly forming the opinion that Robb had never seen a single Disney film, and only knew about the Little Mermaid because he himself had red hair and was in fact that simple.
"And I think you're an idiot."
Jon looked up quickly and shot Gendry a look that told him the opinion was a common one at that table. Gendry bit back a smile.
"For fuck's sake, just tell me."
Arya smiled.
Gendry had only known Arya for a day (or more, depending on who you asked) but already he thought he could tell which sort of smile might be a good one, and which might be a smug, tormenting, merciless smile. Three guesses which was plastered across Arya's face.
"It just wouldn't be fair to spill such sought after information for such a small price."
"I'm not getting you a copy of my car keys, that was ruled out already. Stop asking for it."
"I'm not asking, I am suggesting you may wish to offer it."
"And I'm suggesting you shove-"
Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.
"Hello?"
Arya held a finger out in front of her, stopping her brother mid-sentence.
"Why, yes dear sister, that sounds delightful," her eyes lit up as Sansa spoke, and she turned to look at the boys with a grin. This smile Gendry interpreted as cunning yet excited. There was quite some range in those twitching lips.
"I'm actually with the Robb and Jon at the mall. How far away are you? Uh-huh, yeah, if that's okay," she started pointing at them and gesturing at the papers on the table. When nobody made any effort to move she threw in a few other less sanitary gestures. Robb looked quickly at Jon, but his cousin just rolled his eyes. Robb turned back to Arya with a stern look that she ignored.
"Great, we'll see you then. Yep, will do."
"Arya, that's really not appro-" Robb began, trying his best to be firm in the face of Arya's unbridled glee, but she cut him off before he could finish.
"Who wants to go the movies?"
-*-.-
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you guys."
Sansa breathed a sigh of relief. There was plenty of time before the movie started, but there was also a long line at the ticket kiosk and Sansa Stark was not one for tardiness. She wouldn't have admitted it, but she was slightly annoyed at being the first one to arrive. She hadn't rushed through straightening her hair only to wait around while the others dawdled in the mall.
"Sorry, someone had to stop for 'snacks'," Arya shot daggers at Robb, her air-quotes accompanied by mimed gagging.
"What? Are we not doing M&M popcorn?" Sansa asked, her smile slipping a little. M&M popcorn was a family tradition. She was physically incapable of sitting through a full movie unless there were M&M's on her salted popcorn.
"Oh no, we are, but Robb's part hamster, and so only eats carrots and nuts." Arya glowered at Robb, who looked nonplussed, clutching his bag of what Sansa guessed were very sensible nibbles.
She laughed, noting the serious line of Arya's mouth and the tension in her shoulders. It must have been a long day. Sansa wondered briefly if the boys had mentioned Arya and Sansa's argument last week, it had been one of their more epic disagreements, but she didn't want to dwell on it, not now when they were talking again and doing their best not to upset each other.
"You know, just because someone wants to look after themselves, it doesn't mean they're not human, Arya." Sansa smiled as Robb shook his head at her. The look on his face said 'don't even try'.
"No, it makes them stupid. You're literally never going to be in this shape again, enjoy how your body bounces back from sugar. Chocolate isn't going to hurt you. He's wasting his opportunities."
Jon coughed. Sansa watched as he raised his eyebrows at Arya, looking pointedly at the stain on her shirt that Sansa dearly hoped was chocolate.
"I do not want to hear anything from you, matey," She glowered at Jon before turning in her heel and sending a stunning smile over Robb's shoulder, "You agree with me, don't you, Gendry? One can never have too much sugar."
Somehow, Sansa hadn't noticed the boy standing behind Robb. Even towering over her brothers, he managed to give off the air of someone who wanted to be overlooked. He shrugged at Arya, a small smile quirking at his lips.
"Why, of course, when have I ever disagreed with you?" his tone was drier than Sansa had expected, with more humour than his expression had led her to believe was in hi. But even with all that, Arya still scowled.
"Literally all day. Sansa," she turned back around with a dramatic flip of her hair, "I was roped into prom shopping and I think now I'm ready to hurl myself off a cliff. You would have loved it."
Sansa sent an uneasy look to Jon – the only one who seemed to have any sort of sense left, "How much sugar has she had today."
"A lot."
"And yet still not enough somehow." Arya piped up, glancing towards the people lining up for popcorn.
"She should not be allowed near the treats counter, she'll only convince you to buy her more. I'll supervise her back here," Jon said with a firm hand on Arya's shoulder.
"Well, Robb's not allowed to be snack captain, he'll only be a bad influence – Gendry, do you think you can carry this burden?" It was with great ease Arya called to Gendry, apparently. Sansa wondered about it. She hadn't known they were friends.
"Somehow, I think my shoulders might bear the weight, if only for a short time."
"Then I dub thee Lord of Snacks. Bring us back might bounty."
"Yes, m'lady," he nod ded solemnly but when he turned to Sansa she saw a look of great patience and much restraint on his face. There were many eye-rolls given that day, she imagined.
There was a decent sized queue at the counter, with a group of boisterous youths just in front of them. Sansa turned from the children and to the friend who had tagged along seemingly out of nowhere.
"So how did you get roped into Prom shopping?" she asked Gendry, hoping the question was taken as casually as she meant it.
"I have a deep passion for department stores."
Laughter bubbled out of her, and she found herself playing along,
"The fluorescent lighting, the over-eager shop clerks. I can only imagine how much you enjoyed it. Particularly with Arya tagging along. How did she end up with you guys?" she glanced over his shoulder to where Arya was still ragging on Robb, probably questioning more basic life choices. Sansa thought he looked tired.
"She wanted to get a dress, I think."
"Really?" Sansa span back to Gendry, searching his face for the joke. Arya didn't do sparkly dresses, she had said as much last week, "did she actually?"
Gendry shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed to be put on the spot "Well, she ended up getting one, and I can't imagine her being forced to do anything she didn't want to, so she must have."
"Oh." Sansa watched a couple at the front of the queue take their time deciding on which colour slushies they wanted, talking over each other. The girl was twisting her scarf around her fingers, and the boy kept blinking his blonde fringe out of his eyes. They were so awkward it could only be a first date. "What's it like?"
"Uh – it's green?"
"That'd look nice." She watched as the awkward couple took their drinks and moved away. The boy let his hand hang down at his side, surely in the hopes that his date might happen to drop hers and grab hold of it. Sansa couldn't help thinking how sweet they looked, clearly so excited to be out together. She remember being like that with Joffrey.
"Yeah, I like green," Gendry was still talking, and Sansa forced herself to turn back and listen to him, "I tried on a green suit because Arya told me to, but I just looked like I was super keen for St Patrick's day," he laughed, maybe hoping it would clear some of their own awkwardness away. Something clicked in Sansa's brain – that was why Arya was so at ease around him.
"Oh! So you two are going to Prom together?" she felt like she finally had a grip on the situation.
"What? Oh! No, no, no, she's just super bossy. She's been having a go all day." His face had turned bright red, and Sansa couldn't help but feel a twist of guilt at his embarrassment.
"Yeah, she does that." She gave him a tight smile. He looked at her with pity and it took her a minute to realise that if the boys had spoken to Arya about her today, Gendry would likely know about her most recent argument with her sister. The thought of being so laid bare made her own face turn red and she reached up to brush her hair out from behind her ear.
Whether Gendry took the hint or not, she wasn't sure because he carried on talking about Arya, "She seems to have a lot of opinions, doesn't pull her punches, and then doesn't understand why people get offended."
Sansa gave a short nod, "she can be a bit harsh sometimes." The line was moving too slowly, she thought. This conversation had been going on too long. She fixed a glare on the slow-servers.
"Hey, you don't have to tell me, I've just spent the whole day with her," he let out a short laugh, shaking his head in what Sansa could only assume was exhaustion, "She's been trying to change my dress sense. I tried on a pastel polo shirt and I thought she was going to vomit. I haven't seen a person look that disgusted since I showed my mum by broken finger. It was bent sideways and she nearly passed out. Wasn't great since she was driving me to the hospital at the time."
"Oh my god, what happened?" she blinked her glower away in surprise.
"Football. In the Lions game last month some guy went to tackle Pip so I blocked him but we both when down and – well. He got the better of that exchange." He looked so nonchalant but she noticed how he kept his left hand in his pocket. Maybe trying not to freak her out. Maybe just an unconscious thing, and not thinking about her at all.
"I forget how dangerous football can be. I try not to watch too much of it." She wrinkled her nose, and Gendry laughed. It was a little delighted sound, softer than his grating chuckle.
"You're a cheerleader though, aren't you? Don't you watch the games?"
Sansa looked at him. She couldn't remember ever having seen him before today, how come he was so aware of her?
"I'm at the games, but it freaks me out when people get knocked down. I don't want to see Robb or Jon get floored. I can't imagine what I'd do if they got really hurt."
"It's not normally that bad. The Lions game was a nasty one, but normally it's okay. I'll miss it next year." He threw the last bit in casually, but Sansa wondered if he was trying to be intriguing. Genuine or not, Sansa was curious.
"Why? Where'll you be?"
"Still at school, but I can't do with any distractions. Gotta focus, get ready to fly high in the world and all that." He gestured into the misty future, eyes raised high, but Sansa caught a whiff of sarcasm in his dreaming.
"But if you're good, couldn't you get a football scholarship or something? Play at collegiate level?"
He sniffed and focused on shuffling forwards, "Nah, my dad's said he'll pay for college so long as I get in somewhere decent."
"Oh, that's good of him." She said absently. She had recently begun thinking about how her parents were going to afford to pay for all six of them to go to school, and it wasn't a pretty picture.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"
The bitterness in his voice made her turn and look at him, but before she could answer, the crowd of youths moved aside and the girl at the kiosk was calling them forward.
-*-.-
It was a good movie. Sansa would probably go see it again. Maybe take Joffrey, see if Margery wanted to come with them. She'd been seeing some older guy and hadn't hung out with Sansa much recently, but maybe she would want to spend some time with her school-friends at the movies. Sansa thought that would be good for her.
Arya couldn't care less. She sat and listened to her sister talk, knowing that it was all just filler. They both knew what was in the air between them, and neither of them had the balls to bring it up. It was made worse by the fact that Arya knew she was lying – although passively - to her sister.
"Would Margery want to see a superhero film though? I thought she hated action." Arya had always thought Margery frilly and boring.
Sansa shrugged, "Maybe. I don't know. It's just an idea." She sighed, and Arya tried to sneak a glance at her. She looked tired, but not as emotionally exhausted as she had seemed last week. That had been a bad week.
"It might be a good idea." Arya murmured. She was trying not to be so negative. She wasn't succeeding, but she was trying.
"Hm."
They drove in silence for a few minutes, Arya watching the street-lights flash by. She hadn't wanted to drive home with Sansa but Robb had stepped on her foot as they were leaving and nodded significantly towards the car. He had then mouthed something about 'girl-talk' before looking pleased with himself.
He really thought he was pulling this plan off seamlessly, but Arya had seen Sansa frowning at him more than a few times, and really it didn't take a genius to notice how he kept pushing Gendry towards her. He had made a fuss about seating in the movie theatre, insisting that he sit between Jon and Arya, leaving Gendry wedged between the two girls. Gendry had turned red again (more of a soft rose this time), and Sansa had looked a little hurt at being pushed to the end of the row.
"So what do think of Gendry?"
Even with Robb's total lack of subtly in mind, the question took her by surprise. Of all of the things that could have come out of her sister's mouth, she hadn't been expecting that. But then, Arya had a strong track-record of underestimating her sister.
"He's a good sport." Arya replied carefully.
Sansa threw a quick sideways glance at her, "He let you eat half his popcorn."
"And he let us drag him around today. He's nice." she nodded. That was the appropriate amount of positivity for your sister's potential-next-boyfriend.
"I didn't know he knew Robb that well." There was something in Sansa's tone that made Arya think she wasn't the only one watching her words. Arya tried to keep her tone as casual as she could.
"I think he's better friends with Jon. From football."
She snorted, "Sure, that's why he spent the whole day with you guys."
Arya frowned, the prickling of heat growing in her stomach. Had Sansa guessed this quickly? She silently cursed Robb and his lack of tact. A whole day of shaping and preparing, all struck down by- by- by what? But Robb wanting to sit in the middle? By Gendry chatting politely with Sansa? Terrible as the boys may be at forming a dastardly plan, Arya was struggling to think of one particular event that might have tipped Sansa off. There wasn't anything that she couldn't shrug off as paranoia. She tried not to think about the morals of lying to her sister were in this situation. Was it still gas-lighting if it was for her own good?
Arya tried to keep her voice level as she asked, "What do you mean?"
Sansa waited until they pulled up at a red light before turning to look at her sister, "Arya," she began calmly, "there are only so many reasons why a guy puts up with his friends' little sister, and fashion advice is not one of them." Arya watched as she shook her head. Her hair was falling out of its clip, but she didn't seem to notice.
"What are you-"
"Oh my god, Arya, he obviously likes you!" Her smile was so wide that Arya almost wanted to agree with her, just to keep her looking that happy. Instead she found embarrassment bubbling up into laughter.
"No he doesn't he was just bein-"
"Arya, don't be thick." Sansa rolled her eyes, ignoring the green light in favour of watching her sister struggle with emotions. Perhaps it was the genuine battle happening in Arya's mind, but Sansa looked fully convinced that she had hit the nail on the head. There was a romantic entanglement afoot and she was close to sniffing it out. Arya had to put a stop to it.
"No, seriously, Sansa, it's not me he likes." She would never make it as an actress. Even she could hear the false ring to her words. It was a little high-pitched, and maybe there was a touch too much enthusiasm. Sansa blinked, still staring at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he spent half the day asking about you."
A car pulled up behind them, honking. They both jumped. Arya had forgotten they were essentially parked in the middle of a main road.
Neither one offered any further words as Sansa drove off, using the silence to process.
"Are you sure he meant me?" Sansa's voice was small when it finally broke the quiet.
Arya felt the weight of her gaze again.
"Yes, Sansa I'm sure."
She considered it for a minute, glancing at her sister whenever the road allowed. Arya arranged her face carefully into something gentle, but encouraging. She thought of Jon earlier, when Robb had tried to name different types of handbags. She had an inkling that the attempt at exasperated humour was more a pained sneer. Maybe Jon hadn't actually been that sincere in his urging. Robb really didn't know anything about fashion.
"But we've never really talked before. I mean, I think we had Physics together, but that was it." Sansa was frowning. Hopefully she was lost in the past, wondering about longing glances she didn't see, thinking of what might have been. She was probably trying to remember anything besides Gendry's first name, Arya realised when she sighed finally. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
"Well you must have left an impression. And who knows? Maybe that's a good thing." Arya positioned her smile so it was the maximum amount of hopeful and impartial. The last thing they wanted was for her to be a roadblock in this operation.
"I'm with Joffrey." She sounded tired, Arya thought.
"You don't have to be." She was tired, she thought. Tired of this. Tired of trying to convince Sansa of something everyone could see. Tired of pretending.
"So you don't like him at all?"
The question caught her off-guard.
"Joffrey?"
"Gendry!"
"Oh," sense finally clicked its way back into Arya's brain, "No. No, definitely no. He's just Jon's friend. Cute but really antagonistic, doesn't do anything he's told to."
"Huh."
"What?" Arya was too tired for this girl-talk malarkey. Why weren't girls allowed to speak plainly? Why were they expected to be masters of this double-speaking, of the dark arts as Arya saw it, as well as all dealing with all the misogynistic bullshit men forced on them?
"Nothing."
"Sansa just-"
"I have nothing to say, Arya."
"Right." She took a breath, and the exhale was the only sound in the long pause that followed. She considered for a minute whether she had any motivation left in her to finish this. It had been a long day after all.
And then she thought of a long day last week, when Sansa's eyes had sparkled as she span around in her blue prom dress. Excited, sparkling eyes, even while red from a day of tears.
Arya tried to soften her voice, tried to push into her words as much affection, as much apology, as much hope as she could,
"Sansa, I'm not saying you should jump his bones and ride off into the sunset, I just think it's important you know you have options. Options beyond Joffrey."
"I know." There was something in her voice that made Arya wonder if her sister was far cannier than she was letting on. Maybe she didn't need a twelve point plan to sort herself out. Maybe the seeds of her resurrection were already planted.
Neither one said anything else for the rest of the drive home, but Arya watched her sister out of the corner of her eye. She didn't seem upset, just pensive. Something in their conversation had stuck to her. She was just hoping it was the right thing.
Sorry this was so slow in being updated, life got busy really quickly! I haven't finished chapter 5 yet, but it is more complete than it was a week ago, so that's progress, right?
I would love it if you could comment and let me know what you think of how the story's doing, where it's headed, etc. I have got a plan, but honestly, the Starks have a life of their own, so who knows where we'll end up?
Thank you for reading, I look forward to hearing from you!
xoxo