a/n: I'm getting such a damn kick out of writing these. I swear it'll slow down soon enough, but for now I'm going to keep spamming this story with weird little moments.
Enjoy,
EQT.95
"Where are you off to so early?"
"Blood drive."
"There's a blood drive?" Sophie asked quizzically, causing Kate to let out a small chuckle of amusement.
"What?" Sophie pressed self-consciously.
"Do you need some help?"
"With what?
"Packing."
"I… I don't follow."
"So you can just make the move to the library official."
"What are you talking about?"
"At this point you just come back here each night as a formality."
"I don't always..." Sophie began, annoyed at Kate's teasing but faded as she began recounting the last two weeks of evenings spent in the library.
"When was the last time you went anywhere except class, the mess hall, and the library."
"I… can't."
"Name three things happening on campus this week."
"I… I don't know."
Midterms were coming up, and Sophie had let her schedule be consumed by logging hours upon hours at the library. Even Kate couldn't take the intensity and had tapped out most nights, leaving Sophie to her own devices. One benefit of having Kate as a study partner was that she knew when to call it a night and generally did a good job of convincing Sophie of the same. Now that Kate wasn't there as a little voice pleading for breaks or distractions or food, Sophie had fallen into a habit of working well into the night before realizing the hour.
"You should come with me," Kate offered, slipping on her jacket.
"To the blood drive?"
"Yea."
Sophie hesitated.
"Oh, come on Soph. You've been studying day in and day out for weeks."
"I… I don't think that's a good idea."
"You need to take a break. You're already this close to turning into a walking encyclopedia," Kate said, setting her thumb and forefinger a fraction of an inch apart for emphasis. "Save your soul, Sophie Moore, because once you cross over, there's no going back, and we mortals can't have that kind of super power walking around."
"Think they'd let me join the Justice League?" Sophie mused.
"Doubtful. They have this thing called the internet now. Encyclopedias are so 1990s."
"So you're saying I need a time machine to go back to when my superpowers would be at their prime."
"Basically," Kate grinned. "So you coming?"
"No, I'm good."
"What? After all that?
"Yea, you go ahead."
"Ok, no," Kate said, taking Sophie's denial as a challenge.
"What?"
"Get your stuff. You're coming with me."
"Kate, I really don't-"
"Think of the people you're helping," Kate said, layering on the guilt.
"I know, but-"
"They even give you a cookie after you donate."
Sophie opened her mouth to argue but saw the committed stare from Kate and folded. "Fine."
Kate grinned before turning toward the door, a string of words lost under her breath.
"What was that?" Sophie asked, begrudgingly reaching for her bag.
"Hm? Oh, I was just saying that I didn't realize cookies would be the selling point. What are lives compared to a chocolate chip cookie," Kate remarked haughtily, opening the door.
"That isn't what happened," Sophie gaped, letting her hand swat at Kate who quickly dodged it before breaking into another round of laughter.
"You have all your information?"
"Yep."
"ID? Know your blood type?"
"O negative."
"We don't get many of you around here."
"You hear that?" Kate smirked at Sophie, "I'm special."
"I don't think that's what she meant."
"Fill these out," the lady said, handing a clipboard to Kate. "And you?"
"Uh… I don't know," Sophie answered uncomfortably.
"You don't know your name?" the woman asked in confusion.
"Oh, no, I meant my blood type."
"First timer?"
"Uh, yea."
"Hold on," the woman said, reaching for a different form.
"Really?" Kate gaped in slight surprise. "Sophie Moore's first blood drive?"
"Here, fill this out and bring it back," the woman said after collating all the necessary forms.
They took a seat and Kate observed with a curiosity how flustered Sophie suddenly appeared at the blank forms in front of her.
"It's not a test, Soph," she whispered encouragingly with a wink.
"I know, I'm… I just…"
"Here, I'll help. The answer for 'surname' is M-O-O-R-E," Kate joked.
"Kate-"
"And under 'first name' you should write S-"
"I hate needles."
"O," Kate froze, suddenly catching up to the subtle ways Sophie had been nervously trying to get out of going. "Like, all needles?"
"Wh-what?"
"Because there's like… knitting needles, tattoo needles, surgical needles…"
Sophie gaped back, her face blank of expression. "I mean I hate anything designed to penetrate the skin."
Now it was Kate's turn to stare. "But you go to a Military Academy."
"What's that got to do with being afraid of needles? It's not like I enrolled in medical school."
"But what about knives?"
"What?"
"Or bullets," Kate pondered aloud. "Now those penetrate skin."
"I… that's not the same."
"How come?"
"Because… because it isn't."
"So if I had a gun in one hand and a needle in the other-"
"Gun. I pick the gun."
"I didn't even finish my question!"
Kate watched the stress written all over Sophie; her face was strained, eyes dilated, and her hands were shaking beneath the weight of the clipboard and pen.
"Ok, ok," Kate said, her demeanor pivoting at the sight of Sophie's fear. "I'm sorry. You don't have to do this, ok?"
"It's such a dumb fear."
"I agree," Kate replied, earning a quick glare,"and I get it."
"Really?" Sophie said, suddenly hopeful Kate understood her reaction.
"Oh, no, not at all," Kate answered easily. "I'm not afraid of anything- ow, hey." This time Sophie's swat landed, interrupting Kate's nonsense before a glare of disapproval silenced her entirely.
An awkward silence fell between them, Sophie glancing hesitantly at the blank pages in front of her.
"You really don't have to-"
"No, I'm going to."
"You sure?"
"Yes, but only because you made fun of me."
"That is… twisted and makes no sense," Kate replied. Kate glanced at Sophie's change in focus, her hand quickly darting across the forms. "I didn't mean to guilt you-"
"You didn't," Sophie answered, her resolve guiding her response.
"Ehh, I kind feel like I did…"
"Oh, no, I mean, you totally did…" Sophie glanced up with a sly smirk. "But obviously I'm never going to get over it if I don't force myself, so… I'm gonna do it."
A small smile of pride broke across Kate's face as Sophie raced to finish the forms before her nerves could catch up to her. Kate volunteered to bring them back to the woman working the main table before they began their wait.
It didn't take long. Kate was called back first, and in no time at all the cuff was wrapped around her arm, the needle was plunged into her skin, and the temporary tourniquet was released, leaving her squeezing a stress ball in relative silence.
The part of her crushing on Sophie, which, if she was honest, was all of her, wanted to stay back and sit with her while she faced her irrational fear. She knew it wouldn't necessarily land well. She also being around would only stress Sophie out more. It's not that she thought she had that kind of pull with Sophie; she just understood that half of Sophie's stress came from her own self-imposed ideals about who or what she was supposed to be.
She nearly chuckled at the thought of Sophie swallowing her fears to prove a point. It was a unique quality shared between them. Kate couldn't think of the last time she stood down from a challenge, and generally her fears pushed her to confront it in the same way Sophie did.
Before she knew it, the bags were full and the needle was extracted from her arm. As a reward she received a cotton swab and lime green masking tape over the inside of her elbow. She imagined Sophie would follow shortly after as she navigated from the private stall she'd been held in toward the waiting area where sugary treats and drinks awaited donors. Kate figured she'd post up there until Sophie arrived, swiping a snack while she waited.
"Katherine Kane?"
"Yes?" Kate said, turning toward the voice calling after her.
"You came with Sophia Moore, right?"
"...yes?" Kate said, curiosity followed by a small panic shooting through her at the unknown woman's tone.
"Uhm, well, there was a small problem."
"Is she ok?" Kate asked, the small panic beating against her restrained reply.
"Maybe you could come with me."
Kate followed the woman back toward the small row of cubicles set up for privacy when she paused at the third stall from the end.
"I'm sure she'll come around in a few minutes, but we thought it best if someone was with her."
Kate popped her head around the makeshift doorway and her eyes fell on Sophie. She was passed out lying under a generic blue blanket with an attendant standing watch.
"Is she ok?" Kate repeated. "Wh-what's wrong?"
"Sometimes these things happen," the woman explained.
"Sometimes? What do you mean 'these things happen'?" Kate asked, her voice now strained with concern.
"Oh, no, nothing serious. Some people just don't take well to needles."
"What?" Kate gaped back, her concern turned to surprise."Wait… what?"
"She passed out before I could get the needle in," the attendant explained with practiced professionalism. "Are you ok to stay, or should we get someone else?"
"Wh-no, no, I… I can stay," Kate said, her mind buzzing at the sudden change of tone her imagination was taking.
"Great. Grab a seat here, and when she wakes up, make sure she eats something; it'll help get her going again."
"Uh, sure," Kate said. The woman said a few more words Kate barely paid attention to before she ushered herself and the attendant out of the tiny space.
"Hey champ."
Sophie's eyes blinked in confusion before she registered her surroundings and her memory came flooding back.
"Oh, no."
"Oh, yes," Kate smirked back.
"This isn't funny."
"It kind of is."
"Did they at least take my blood?"
Kate broke into a soft chuckle as she shook her head. "I don't think they're legally allowed to draw blood from an unconscious person."
"Why not? At least it would have made this worth it," Sophie sighed.
"Well you're in luck."
"Why?"
"Because it was still worth it."
"Oh? Because you got a kick out of me passing out?"
"Nope," Kate said, shaking her head. "Because I got you a cookie."
