Ch. 8
A/N: So I'm almost a day late and a dollar short but I tried to get this posted as soon as I could. I'm extremely sleep-deprived so there is a good chance this chapter made more sense in my head, than it does on screen. I'm glad people enjoyed reading about "high Gail" as much as I enjoyed writing for her. Now it's time for Gail to make good on her bet with Holly. So far in the story the girls keep getting thrown together by chance, which is fun but not really sustainable in the long run. This chapter changes that...
"Kids are like little petri dishes of diseases," Gail muttered from the passenger seat of Holly's car. The brunette had come to pick her up after class that Tuesday, after texting to see how the blonde was feeling. She had had to assure the medical student that she could survive one afternoon multiple times.
Holly chuckled, "They're really not that bad. Who knows? You might even have fun." The brunette emphasized the last word and outright laughed at the grimace that crossed Gail's face.
"I wouldn't go that far, Nerd. This is just me holding up my end of the bet."
"Which you didn't have to do today." Holly pointed out for the third time that car ride. As much as she had enjoyed winning the bet, she wasn't in a rush to cash in. She may not have known the blonde well, but she had a feeling she would actually keep her word.
"I don't like being in debt." Gail explained, to which Holly just nodded along. She could understand that even if she had willingly put herself into debt in order to attend medical school, but then again she had had a full ride for her undergraduate degree so it wasn't too bad.
"How's the arm?" Holly had already asked via text before picking up the other girl but she wanted to check again before they got to the clinic, where they would be volunteering for a few hours.
Gail sighed, "It's fine."
Holly gave a side-glance to the blonde, who looked like she hadn't slept at all the night before. Gail noticed the look, "I'm fine," she repeated.
"Well since you aren't serenading me, can I assume you didn't take any of your pills today?"
"No, I didn't need them. I'm -"
The brunette cut her off, "Fine, I know, you've mentioned it."
They pulled up to the clinic and parked around back. When they entered the building, Holly introduced Gail to the doctors in charge for the day, they had been impressed with how multifaceted Gail was and appreciated her willingness to volunteer to help with the patients. The blonde had to bite her tongue to stop herself from making any of her usual caustic remarks, she knew this was important to Holly and for some reason that seemed to matter to the blonde, even if she didn't know why. So she mostly just smiled and nodded, even when she was handed a stack of paperwork to fill out before she was permitted to work with the patients. There were pages upon pages of questions regarding her personal information, rules about confidentiality, and clinic protocol.
Holly hung back chatting with the nurses and people working the desk as she waited for Gail to finish up. She silently observed the blonde and was surprised that she remained quiet and serious as she filled out the paperwork. Holly had expected way more protests and complaints from the sarcastic girl. Once the paperwork was completed, Holly took Gail on a short tour of the clinic and introduced her to most of the staff. Despite the friendliness of the workers, the blonde still eyed the other people warily; her distrust of humanity was palpable. Maybe she really does hate people, Holly thought to herself as she remembered the other girl's comments that night at the bar. Watching the other girl's apprehension, Holly began to wonder if she had made a mistake asking her to do something she really hadn't wanted to do. Oh well, it was too late now and it was only one visit, she just wouldn't bug her to come back if she hated it.
Luckily it didn't take long before a patient came in in need of Gail's services, thus breaking the blonde's awkwardness as she was forced into action. She may not be a doctor or med student but she had spent the night before brushing up on medical terms in various languages. She figured she should at least put good use to her insomnia, plus she didn't want to look like a fool by not knowing how to say something. She was used to people having high expectations of her and even though she usually disappointed them (and by them really she meant her parents) she didn't want to do the same thing today.
Gail braced herself to deal with whatever sickness the mini-human on the other side of the door had as she followed Holly into the first room.
Inside, a little girl was seated with her grandfather. The girl had a pink cast on her arm and she was in simply to get it removed. The relief that the girl wasn't actually ill was evident on Gail's face and Holly had to stifle a laugh, the blonde really was afraid of germs. Both of the girls greeted the patient and her guardian but the little girl wouldn't look at them, instead she buried her face further into her grandfather's chest. The grandfather explained that she was afraid of doctors, having been to see way too many specialists in her short life due to her hearing impairment.
"Well then it's a good thing I'm not a doctor," Gail joked with the grandfather; she had an idea to help the little girl feel more comfortable. "Hey Dr. Stewart, do you mind taking off your white coat?"
"Umm ok?" Holly looked at the blonde curiously, trying to figure out what she was up to but she removed her coat none-the-less.
Gail tapped the girl on the shoulder and crouched down to her level. At her grandfather's prodding she looked up at the blonde who greeted her in sign language. For Holly and the grandfather's benefit, Gail spoke aloud as she signed, "Hi sweetheart, my name is G-A-I-L what's your name?" Even though the girl couldn't hear Gail used a softer tone than she normally did, something that Holly did notice.
The girl still remained shy but she stopped hiding her face so that she could see what the blonde woman was signing. She spelled out "D-A-N-I-E-L-L-E", which Gail translated aloud.
"Well Danielle it's nice to meet you. This is my friend H-O-L-L-Y." The little girl waved to the brunette. Gail knew that as the translator, she was really just supposed to facilitate a conversation between Holly and Danielle and her grandfather but Gail decided that it would be better to build a bit of a rapport with the patient before the doctor came in and she was stuck being professional. Not to mention she was a little rusty with her ASL and needed the practice. "How old are you Danielle?"
The girl held up five fingers on her good hand and then another two.
"Seven, wow. Can you tell me why you're here today?"
The girl pulled her injured arm closer to herself, trying to tuck it out of sight. Gail felt bad for the little girl. When she had practiced signing the night before with her brace on, she realized that it wasn't easy. It must have been even harder for the little girl who's only means of communication was being restrained by the plaster on her one arm.
Gail smiled with genuine empathy, "Look, I have a busted wing too." Gail signed before gesturing to her own bandaged hand. She pointed to Holly, "She helped me fix it. She's very good, very gentle."
"How did you get hurt?" The little girl signed.
Gail contemplated how to answer the question, "I crashed into a wall" Gail made the sign for a bird using her hands and had it crash into Holly, who was supposed to be the wall, eliciting a giggle from the little girl. "How about you?"
"I fell off the swings."
Gail nodded her head in understanding. "Would it be okay if Holly asked you some questions too? She's not a doctor, see no coat, but she wants to grow up to be one. What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A teacher." The girl signed.
"A teacher, oh good, do you want to teach Holly how to be a doctor?" The blonde's hands moved smoothly and quickly in spite of the bulky brace on her left hand.
The girl nodded. For each part of the exam Holly had to perform she let the little girl play with the instruments, using them on Gail, who would make ridiculous faces and comments the whole time. By the time the doctor came in to examine the girl and remove the cast she was laughing with the two older girls and surprisingly didn't go back into hiding. Instead, the girl focused on Gail who continued to make her laugh and distracted her from what the doctor was doing. Once the doctor was finished, Danielle gave both Holly and Gail a hug and promised to teach them more the next time she had to come in. The grandfather thanked the girls profusely for making the visit enjoyable for his precious granddaughter.
The girls followed the family out and were in the hallway waiting to find out what room they were going to next. Holly had been thoroughly impressed by Gail's language skills but even more so by her tenderness with the girl. She really hadn't expected her to be such a natural with the kid.
"What?" Gail snapped with her usual bite, the one that didn't intimidate Holly, when she caught the brunette staring at her with a crooked smile plastered on her face.
"I didn't realize you were so fluffy." Holly poked fun at the acerbic blonde.
"I am not! I'm a total badass." Gail huffed petulantly.
"You are a major goofball, but don't worry it's totally adorkable." The medical student was really pushing her luck. Gail opened her mouth to protest but their banter was cut short when the doctor sent Holly in to work with another patient.
During their shift Gail's services were needed for a surprising amount of patients. Each time Holly was amazed by the transformation in the other girl when she was working with the kids. For the most part, she couldn't understand what the blonde was saying but she could gather that she was being a complete goof in order to make the sick and hurting kids feel better. She was also fairly certain most of the jokes were at the expense of whatever doctor or nurse was in the room, considering the blonde was usually making faces behind the medical professional's back, but whatever she said or did often worked, putting the children at ease and making it easier to examine them. Even kids that Holly had met before, that she knew were scared of the medical staff, were calmer with Gail in the room. But every time they left the room or Gail was forced to speak to the adults she went back to her guarded but polite self. She was never disrespectful to any of them, just cautious and quiet. She was a walking contradiction.
"I think some of the kids took a liking to you." Holly pointed out, as they returned to her car once their shift was done.
"Some of them weren't sooo bad." Gail conceded reluctantly.
The brunette smirked, she knew the blonde had enjoyed herself more than she was letting on, "Think you would be willing to do it again?"
"Maybe, but it depends," the blonde replied with a cryptic smile and mischievous glint in her eyes.
"On?" Holly hesitantly asked.
"On what you feed me as a reward for my services." Gail flashed Holly a big smile showing all her teeth.
Holly barked out a laugh, "I have to feed you?"
"Yes." The blonde said simply, leaving no room for argument.
The brunette just shook her head. She knew that she didn't have to feed the blonde but the girl had done a great job that day at the clinic. She let out a sigh just for posterity's sake before acquiescing, "Alright, what are you in the mood for?"
"Burgers."
"Burgers it is." With that the medical student headed in the direction of the closest burger place she could think of.
The two girls ordered their food and grabbed a booth, waiting for it to be made. Holly had made a few jokes about Gail's insane appetite when the girl ordered the largest burger they had with extra bacon, french fries, onion rings, and a milkshake to wash it all down with. She really wasn't sure where the blonde planned on putting all of it.
After they made themselves comfortable, the conversation drifted back to the clinic and working with the kids. Holly decided to tease the blonde a little more, "I'm pretty sure interpreters aren't supposed to improvise as much as you did."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Really so you didn't tell Danielle that Dr. Gardner had a funny shaped head." At least that was what she thought she had said based on the motions Gail was making behind the doctor's back.
"I plead the fifth."
"You would. So did you have any fun?" The medical student asked, secretly hoping that the girl did. She had enjoyed the company that day and really wouldn't mind if she joined her again.
"It wasn't the worst thing I've ever had to do." The blonde conceded although she made a point of dragging out each word before rolling her eyes for added effect.
Holly smirked and shook her head again, she seemed to be doing that a lot around the other girl, "I think you enjoyed yourself more than you're letting on."
"Well it's certainly better being the translator than the patient," Gail subconsciously moved her left hand a bit in its brace; it was still swollen and hurting but the pain didn't sting quite as much. So either Gail was healing or becoming immune to it.
Holly didn't like the grimace on the girl's face as she moved her left arm. "How's it feeling?"
"I'll live Doc, stop being such a worrywart." Gail didn't want to admit that she actually appreciated the brunette's continued concern. She was used to most people ignoring her or accepting what she said at face value but Holly was different. Every time those big brown eyes looked at Gail it was like she was trying to pierce her soul, weighing out every word the blonde said to determine its validity.
Holly tilted her head to the side, it was move Gail had seen her use on some of the patients and it always seemed to get the other person to talk. She had to figure out how she did that. "Seriously, it's ok, it's just a little sore from using it for so long. I'll ice it when I get home."
Holly contemplated fussing some more about the injury but the waitress arrived with the food and decided to drop the subject.
After inspecting her food for any signs of tomato contamination the blonde tucked into the monstrous pile in front of her.
"Do you breathe at all when you're eating?" Holly had only taken a couple of bites of her burger, while Gail was more than halfway done with hers and had already gobbled down fries and onion rings as well.
"No." The blonde responded between bites.
"No wonder Steve calls you Garbage Pail."
Gail was still chewing as she responded, "That's because my brother is an idiot who thinks he's clever."
"That was really charming, talking with your mouth full. The half-masticated cow was a nice touch."
Gail finally swallowed, "I do what I can. Speaking of the Gingerbread man does he know that we met before the party from Hell?"
The brunette nodded as she chewed her food with her mouth closed like a normal human, swallowing before responding, "I may have mentioned it when he asked about the volunteering."
"And what exactly did you tell him? That you met the better Peck?" Gail was curious about what was said, considering her brother loved to gossip, so whatever he knew tended to spread like herpes.
"Actually it was more along the lines of me kicking the better Peck's ass at pool."
"It was a fluke." Gail grumbled, trying to tamp down the thrill she felt at Holly admitting she was the better Peck. Considering no one ever saw it that way. "I know why I didn't know you two knew each other but did the dumbass really never mention he had an awesome little sister?"
Holly pondered the question for a moment; she was usually really good at piecing together puzzles but this one had stumped her. She had known Steve since her first year at the University. They had talked about a lot of things including family and he had definitely mentioned having a younger sister. But his description hadn't done the girl seated across from her any justice. "He did but the only picture of you he ever showed me, you had black hair in it and were giving the camera the finger. Although, now that I think about it I probably should've recognized you."
Gail grimaced at the thought of the picture. It must have been from her Goth phase her sophomore year of high school. That was before she met Nicholas; actually, it was before a lot of things. Regardless, it had not been a good look for Gail. "God, I thought I burned all those."
Holly chuckled, "You do look better as a blonde. Though, based on your reaction to your brother's hair I gotta wonder if you're secretly a redhead too."
Gail's face contorted into mock outrage. "Absolutely not. I know you have a thing for gingers, but I'm just a dirtier blonde."
The emphasis on the one word caused Holly to blush for some reason. She busied herself with her food, avoiding eye contact with the other girl.
"You are the slowest eater known to man." Gail had already finished her burger and shake and was steadily plowing through her sides.
"Some of us actually want to taste our food." Holly sassed back before reaching for one of Gail's fries.
Gail pulled the basket back slightly out of reach. "I've maimed people for less." She warned, she had never been someone who liked sharing.
Holly gave the other girl a pointed look, clearly weighing out her options. She waited a beat before making a quick dive for the food again, successfully retrieving a fry. She smugly popped it into her mouth and let out an exaggerated moan. "They taste better when you've earned them."
The sound the brunette had made had sent a small shock to Gail's system. What the hell is wrong with you Peck? Gail cleared her throat, "That was a dangerous move Stewart."
"What can I say, I laugh in the face of Danger." The self-satisfied smile on Holly's face clearly indicated that she was proud of her play on words.
Gail rolled her eyes at the other girl's corniness, "You're such a nerd." She then pushed the basket of food more towards the center of the table.
The two girls polished off the rest of the food in comfortable silence before making their way back to Holly's car.
"So would you be willing to do it again?" The medical student inquired as they pulled up in front of the blonde's house.
"Maybe if I have some time, I gotta check my busy schedule. I'm an important person ya know." Gail refused to admit that she had actually enjoyed the experience and would definitely be willing to do it again. It had felt good to actually be able to use the languages she knew and loved, something she hadn't really been able to do since returning to Toronto. Going to class didn't count.
"Well like I said, I go every week so the invitation is open if you care to grace us with your presence." Holly quirked one of her crooked smiles before adding, "You did a great job today, in fact the staff asked if my friend would be coming back, apparently you made quite the impression."
Between the smile and the use of the term friend Gail could barely control the butterflies dancing in her stomach but as usual she had to play it cool, "Oh so we're friends now?"
"Of course," The brunette replied easily.
"Well I don't really have 'friends', I'm a lone wolf."
"Tough shit."
Gail rolled her eyes, "So I don't have a say."
"Nope."
"Whatever, I'll consider letting you and the rest of the nerd patrol bask in my awesomeness again, if you're lucky."
"That's all I ask pal." Holly took a quick glance at the time illuminated on her radio. They had been bullshitting for way too long already and she had a mountain of studying to get back to. She let out a grown, "I have a ton of studying tonight."
"Then you should get back to it, Nerd. Those books aren't going to read themselves. Who else is going to keep the libraries in business?"
"Ha...ha...Thanks again for coming today and you have my number if you decide you want to hang out with the cool kids again." The brunette teased as the blonde gathered up her stuff and climbed out of the car.
"Yeah, yeah. Later nerd."
"See ya, Danger." Holly finally pulled away from the curb but not without once last glance in her rearview mirror where she caught the blonde girl watching her car till it was out of sight.
The problem with October was that midterms were fast approaching, which meant the freshmen in both houses were freaking out, except Gail, much to the annoyance of all the others. They had continually tried to pull her into their study sessions everyday that week but she had steadfastly refused. So it was no surprise on Thursday, when they went through the song-and-dance again.
"Don't you need to study too?" Chris genuinely asked as Gail ignored the group and made her way into her kitchen looking for a snack. The boys were over at the girls' house this time, realizing that if they stayed in the mancave they would just play video games the whole time (at least according to the girls).
"Maybe but I'm still not doing it with you losers." Gail wanted no part of the study group, knowing that it would just result in them all goofing around and no studying getting done. Plus, she knew she needed to actually get her work done early, since they were most likely going to try to get her to help them cram right before the test. It had already become clear from their classes that Gail was a cut above the rest, but it really came at no surprise considering how she was raised.
After locating her last bag of cheesepuffs, Gail plopped down on a stool, staying just outside the gang's circle.
"Must be nice being a Peck." Dov commented aloud, continuing to ignore the book he was supposed to be reading in favor of provoking the blonde.
"What's that supposed to mean Epstein?" Ever since they had met, the scrawny boy had been goading her about her name and the special treatment he was sure the girl had gotten and was going to get in the police force.
"All I'm saying is that I wish I was a Peck. If my mom was superintendent I wouldn't even bother going to college."
"Yeah, if my mom was your mom you'd be gay." There is no way that boy would've lasted a day in the Peck Family Academy, which made the Police Academy look like a walk in the park, let alone nearly twenty years like Gail had. He had no idea what her name actually meant. While the rest of group had spent their childhoods dreaming of being cops and "preparing" by playing cops and robbers or watching crap like Starsky and Hutch, Gail had had no choice in the matter. Every day had been some form of preparation for her future in law enforcement, every "game" really a test that she couldn't fail.
"Oh does that mean you're -" But the boy was cut off from finishing his sentence as three pillows courtesy of Chloe, Traci, and even Andy pounded him in the face. "Hey, ouch, what'd I do?"
Gail and the rest of the girls glared at the boy causing him to gulp audibly, but at least he kept his mouth shut. Chris did absolutely nothing to defend his thickheaded friend, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the female house's wrath, he already had an annoyed girlfriend to deal with, he didn't need irritated friends as well.
The blonde was already beyond annoyed and she still needed to get her work done before heading to the Penny that night for her shift. Which meant she needed to find somewhere she could go so she could actually be productive and also to get far away from the others before she hurt one of them. She tuned out the group as they went back to bullshitting about their classes and professors in lieu of actually getting anything done.
Instead, she toyed with the idea of asking Holly for help, figuring that the medical student was a professional when it came to studying and therefore could find her somewhere to hideout. She pulled out her phone and drafted a quick text. She decided to send it before she thought too much about it, it wasn't a big deal, they were "friends" right? Friends text.
Officer Danger: I need somewhere to study away from all the stupid people.
She paused for a moment before adding a warning.
Officer Danger: If you say library I'm revoking your nerd privileges.
There, no big deal. Ten minutes went by and when Gail didn't get a response, she began to regret her decision. So far all her interactions with Holly had been spur of the moment and unexpected, with the exception of the volunteering a couple of days prior but that was part of the bet. Neither of the girls had ever really sought out the other one. Maybe she had overstepped. Before her mind could spiral too far out of control, her phone vibrated in her hand.
Nerd Champion: 1519 Kings Street. Bring caffeine.
Gail stared at the text. If her strangely accurate memory was correct (and it usually was) that was the same address as the building Gail had walked Holly to after they left the bar on their "date" night. OK, I was expecting a coffee shop, why is she inviting me to her place? Technically, Gail had asked for a place away from stupid people and Holly certainly was far from stupid. She contemplated making a smartass remark about not buying anyone coffee but she needed the fix too and she had asked for the favor. So instead she just pocketed her phone.
"Alright losers I'm out of here." Gail finished off her snack and grabbed her bag, which still had her books from earlier in the day.
"Hey, you're supposed to be studying with us." Traci pointed out, she had been the only one in the group who had at least been attempting to focus. She also was hoping that if the blonde stuck around, she would be willing to help. Traci was the first in her family to go to college and she had no intention of blowing her opportunity.
"All you're doing is bitching and bullshitting, I actually have shit to do before work."
"Whatever." Traci grumbled. Gail had a feeling the other girl needed her help, but she would talk to her about it later at work. If she was feeling nice, she might even offer her services.
"Hey Gail, we're probably going to go grocery shopping later today or tomorrow if you want to come." Andy offered; she was still trying to get back in the blonde's good graces and recapture a friendship for god knows what reasons.
Gail stared blankly at McNally, did she really look like the type of person who wanted to go group shopping at a grocery store. She may have gotten better about being around the brunette without completely ripping her to shreds but she could still only tolerate her in small doses.
Meanwhile, Chloe chuckled as she held out her hand expectantly. Gail deposited $50 in her outstretched hand. "Don't even think of keeping the change Princess." The blonde warned.
"Shopper's fee Grumpy." Since moving into the house, Gail had yet to pick out or buy her own food, she relied on the redhead for sustenance and the effervescent girl knew it. It had been the only thing to get the blonde to tolerate her those first few days.
The blonde rolled her eyes, "Just don't forget the-"
"Cheesepuffs," all of the girls sang out in unison.
"Exactly." Gail finished grabbing her stuff and headed for the door but was cut off from her exit by the arrival of the two seniors.
"For shit's sake, they're multiplying." Frankie grumbled to Juliet when they entered the house and she noticed it packed with lower classmen.
"How's studying going kids?" Juliet addressed the group with more warmth than her friend.
The group greeted the two girls with a chattering about how much midterms sucked. While Gail just huffed in annoyance and tried again to escape by breezing past the other two but her path was blocked.
"Where are you off to Peck?" Frankie asked stepping right in front of the blonde, purposefully obstructing the doorway.
"Out." The blonde replied furtively.
"So informative."
"You're not my keeper. Places to go and people to see Anderson."
"People like Holly." Frankie had heard about Gail's friend the medical student from the bouncy Chloe when the freshmen got home on Monday. She also knew that Gail had gone to the clinic earlier that week, and that Holly had come home nonstop rambling about it (she had been "visiting" Lisa at the time). But this was the first chance she had gotten to call the blonde out on it.
"I don't know what you're talking about." But the glare Gail threw Frankie's way warned her to stop poking around.
"Sure you don't." She contemplated pushing her luck a bit more but after receiving a tug from Juliet, she moved out of the way and let the blonde finally escape the chaotic house.
"Why do you always push everyone's buttons?" Juliet asked the brunette after the blonde left.
"It's part of my charm." Frankie cockily responded until she glanced around the room. Her smile faded as she watched Dov whisper something in Chloe's ear and the redhead's bubbly laugh erupted across the room. "And I'm not the only one who does it," Frankie grumbled as she crossed the house and stomped up the stairs.
The look hadn't gone unnoticed by Juliet, but she was going to have to give Frankie shit about it later, since the brunette was clearly not in the mood. After offering to help the kids out if they needed anything, she headed up the stairs after her friend.
Gail stopped at the coffee shop not far from the apartment and sent a quick text asking for the other girl's order, before making her way over to the address Holly had texted. She shot off another text letting Holly know she was outside as she approached the building. It didn't take long for the brunette to pop out the front door.
"Come on Danger, we're losing valuable daylight." Gail had no idea what that meant but she followed the brunette in.
"Would've been here sooner if I wasn't being someone's servant." She defended herself as she sauntered in after the brunette.
As Holly lifted a coffee off of Gail, she gave the blonde a look of genuine gratitude, "Thanks for the coffee, I desperately needed it. How much do I owe you?"
"That depends on how awesome your study space is," Gail fully expected to be heading to Holly's apartment but the brunette had something else in mind.
They headed up to the top floor before getting off the elevator. Holly pushed open the door beside it leading to the stairwell. She climbed the last flight of stairs leading up the roof. She quickly jiggled the lock open in a way that made Gail certain that she did it often.
"What?" Holly asked as she saw the incredulous look on the blonde face.
"I didn't take you for a criminal, Nerd."
"You going to arrest me officer?"
"I think you just want me to put you in handcuffs."
Holly rolled her eyes in lieu of a response and headed out onto the roof. Gail noticed a small table and bench; it appeared that going onto the roof was a regular thing in the building. Holly already had her books spread all over it and she shifted some of her work over making room for Gail. The blonde deposited her bag as the other girl grabbed a seat.
A thought suddenly dawned on Gail, "Weren't you supposed to be volunteering today?"
"I went in this morning, since I had class only in the afternoon." Holly explained and she flipped back open one of her texts.
Gail nodded in acknowledgement. Instead of sitting she walked over to the edge and checked out the view. It wasn't really quiet, the wind, the sounds of traffic below, and of the generator on the roof all mingled together, creating a busy white noise, but Gail realized that the combination was actually more soothing than silence would've been.
"What do you think?" Holly asked after giving Gail some time to take her surroundings as she studied the blonde from where she sat.
Gail shrugged, "Not bad." It really was better than not bad. The view was amazing, giving a great outlook of the city. But she was never one to admit anything unless under duress.
"You aren't easily impressed are you?"
"What gave it away?" Gail deadpanned.
Holly snorted, "So how much do I owe for the coffee?"
"This one's on me, you can always repay me next time."
"Ooo what makes you think there will be a next time?" She teased the blonde for her presumption; she might not let her come back if she continued to be a distraction.
"I'm irresistible." Gail responded easily.
"And egotistical."
"Eh it's one of my better qualities."
Holly got up and made her way over to where the blonde was still standing, enraptured by the view. She looked out over the skyline too.
Noticing the look on her new friend's face, Gail figured this spot was pretty special to the brunette, "So do you bring a lot of people up here Nerd?"
Holly readjusted her glasses on her face, "No, actually you're the only person I've ever invited up. Some of the other students told me about it when I moved in but I usually come up here alone to get away from the crazy stress that emanates off my classmates."
"Not even your girlfriend." It was like a reflex for Gail to mention the annoying redhead every time she was around Holly, but she didn't know if it was to serve as a reminder to the brunette or to herself.
"She doesn't like heights," that was only part of the reason she had never brought Jessie up. The other had simply been that this was Holly's hideout, even from her significant other, and she didn't feel like sharing it with anyone. Well, until now.
Gail and Holly were standing closely together, which the blonde noticed when she glanced at the other girl to the side of her as she spoke. As the wind blew, Holly shifted to brush her hair out of her face, and the sun caught the glinting metal of Holly's necklace again. It was still buried for the most part under Holly's shirt and once again Gail found herself wondering what it was.
Without asking permission she reached for the chain. She felt Holly breath catch as Gail's fingers gently traced the beaded metal across Holly's chest, her hand gently brushing against Holly's soft skin but pausing before they reached the charm's hideaway. She looked at the brunette's eyes, which had been watching the blonde intently, unsure of what she was doing, as she moved silently but the brunette did nothing to stop her. She tugged slightly, lifting the charm from it's hiding place.
"Dogtags?" The metal was still warm from where it had rested against Holly's body.
Holly cleared her throat before responding quietly, which seemed appropriate for the moment, "They're my grandfather's. He was a medic in World War II. Saved lots of lives, and then when he came home, he became a trauma surgeon. He gave them to me the day I told him I had applied to medical school. I'm the only one in my family to follow in his footsteps."
Gail nodded, she understood following the family path, although it seemed Holly was doing it by choice. She also became uncomfortably aware of the intimate bubble she had created by invading the brunette's space. She let go of the chain and took a step back. "So you want to become a surgeon?"
Holly simply shrugged, seeming nonplussed about being so close to the blonde. (Maybe it was only Gail who constantly felt off-kilter when the two were together). "Haven't really decided yet."
A troubled expression crossed the brunette's face as looked down at the tags. "What's wrong?" Gail asked, the last time she had seen this particular look was when she only knew Holly as the girl running in the park, the one with the bitchy girlfriend.
Holly let out a deep sigh, she didn't know why she was about to share this with someone who was still practically a stranger, but talking to the blonde just came easy. Something about her was innately comfortable, which was weird considering her caustic nature. But Holly had also been bottling this in for awhile so maybe it was just time it came bubbling out, "He got sick about a month ago, and ended up in the hospital. No one told me about it till he was out and I was pissed. Everyone said they didn't want to worry me because I was in school. They keep saying he's fine but I don't know, he doesn't sound it over the phone. I can tell something's wrong but no one wants to tell me what."
The brunette had Gail's full attention, the piercing blue eyes studying her features carefully, "I take it you two are close?"
"Very, even though my grandparents live in Vancouver. I spent every summer growing up at their house and most holidays. He's my hero, and I don't know, I'm sure I'm just being stupid. But I didn't get the chance to see him this summer like I usually do so it's been months and I guess I'm just worried. Everyone keeps saying to just wait till Christmas but him and my grandma aren't exactly getting any younger, and I don't know it's just a feeling I can't shake." The words were quickly spilling from the medical student's lips, she was rambling a bit.
"So why don't you go see them?" It seemed like a simple enough solution to Gail, it was only a five-hour flight, which wasn't too bad.
Holly scoffed at the suggestion, "I can't just go."
"Why not?" She didn't have to go for long but if it gave her piece of mind, surely it would be worth it.
"School, money, responsibilities. I can't just take off across the country on a whim." These were the reasons she kept telling herself but the truth was that when Holly had first found out her grandfather was sick she had wanted to see him, but everyone had told her not to worry and to just focus on school. They said there was nothing she could do and it wasn't worth risking everything she had been working for. No one seemed to understand that just finding out he had been in the hospital had been enough to throw Holly off her game and she had been struggling to get her head in the right place every time she sat down to study.
"Are your lectures mandatory?" Gail ignored the brunette's protests, instead focusing her attention on a creating a reasonable plan.
"Well no...but..."
"Can someone record them?" Holly nodded cautiously; she could always ask Rachel to do it if she needed it. Lisa was less trustworthy.
"So what exactly do you have that's required of you?"
"I don't know..." Holly thought about it for a second, her schedule changed weekly. In fact the upcoming week was a relatively light one as far as requirements went, which meant the professors were giving them extra time to study. "I guess not much this week."
"For what you do have to attend, can you get an excused absence for family reasons?"
"Probably, but Gail, I have to study. I seriously can't just leave."
"Last time I checked Nerd, books were allowed on planes. So are computers. Are you really telling me you won't be able to get any studying done at your grandparents' house? Don't they go to sleep by like 6pm?"
Holly chuckled a little at the inaccuracy of that one, "More like 8pm."
"Exactly."
"Still it costs money to travel and flights are more expensive when you book them last minute." The brunette reasoned.
"Please, you're talking to the queen of travel, how do you think I survived a year on my savings? Give me a sec" Gail pulled out her phone and started pacing on the other side of the roof before Holly could even ask her what she was up to. The blonde wondered back over with her phone still pressed to her ear. "Alright, I can get you a seat heading out tomorrow in the late afternoon for $300 and you'll get back on Wednesday night, this way you can still go to the clinic and whatever else you do. What do you say?"
That price was less than half of what Holly thought it would cost, "How...?" She started to question but she was kind of speechless.
"Peck," was the only explanation Gail gave and she tapped her foot impatiently, "Do you want it?"
Holly hesitated for a moment, this was crazy but she really did want to go and clearly the blonde was pulling strings to help her out, "Yeah, yes, I'll take it."
"Good, problem solved." After telling some guy named Johnny Holly's information for the ticket, Gail told the brunette that the ticket would be waiting for her at the counter when she got there and just to ask for the her boy Johnny if there were any problems.
"You know this is insane right?" The medical student still looked slightly dazed at how quickly everything had fallen together, all she really had to do was email the University for an absence for something on Tuesday and ask Rachel to record the lectures, which wasn't a big deal.
"You know that if you keep saying that I'm going to develop a complex. Maybe you should hold off on diagnosing mental disorders till you complete your psych rotation, Doc." The blonde snarked with her usual bite.
"Sorry," After hesitating for a moment, she reached out and pulled the blonde into a heartfelt hug trying to express her gratitude, "Thank you," she quietly murmured into the blonde's hair.
Holly's hug was warm and comfortable. In fact, it was probably the best hug Gail had ever had but that wasn't saying much since her family had never been the affectionate type. The blonde felt slightly awkward, "Don't mention it but just so you know, this isn't really how I communicate."
Hadn't Holly heard her say the same thing to the redhead that had come sprinting over to her when she picked her up from the hospital earlier that week? Had it really only been 4 days since that had happened? Holly couldn't believe that after only knowing the girl for a couple of weeks and hanging out a few times she had been able to help her so much, so she just squeezed a little tighter before letting go.
"Sorry. Alright, well if I'm leaving tomorrow I really need to get back to studying for tonight."
Gail nodded and joined Holly at the bench, pulling out her own books to read.
The two girls studied together in a companionable silence focusing on their own work. Gail occasionally stole glances at the brunette and tried not to laugh at the look of concentration on the medical student's face as she devoured whatever learning material was in front of her. After a couple of hours of actual productive work, Gail checked the time on her phone and realized she had to leave, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Alright Nerd, I have to get to work." Gail said as she gathered up her belongings. The brunette looked a little dazed when she finally looked up from her books, but she simply nodded, and got up and stretched. She walked the blonde back down to the ground.
Once they got downstairs, Gail surprised even herself by offering to help the brunette out even more. "Do you need a ride tomorrow I'm working the closing shift so I could drop you off if you need it?" You're getting soft in your old age, Peck, Gail mentally chastised herself.
"I thought you didn't have a car," Holly pointed out; she had been planning on just forcing Rachel or Lisa to take her. She knew better than to ask Jessie, since she was already sure she was not going to take the news of Holly's impromptu trip well. After all, she had been one of the most vocal about how it would be academic suicide to miss school when she was just starting. This impetuous decision was not going to go over well.
"I don't but I'm sure I can borrow one if I need it." She could easily con Chris or Chloe into giving her a set of wheels. If push really came to shove, she could probably even get Frankie to hand over her keys by name-dropping Holly.
Holly thought it was too much to ask of the other girl, "It's ok. You've already done more than enough. Seriously, thank you." The brunette beamed a smile right at Gail.
"Don't mention it." Gail got a shy look on her face, one Holly hadn't really seen on her before, "Thanks for letting me crash your space today."
Holly's smile quirked to the side, "Well you are more than welcome to escape the 'stupid people' up here anytime you want. I'm glad you texted. Have a good shift, Danger."
"Have a good flight, Nerd." At that, Gail headed back to the henhouse to drop off her stuff and to grab her work shirt and apron.
Holly watched the blonde walk off. She still couldn't believe how quickly the girl she crashed into at the park a couple of months ago had infiltrated her life, but she didn't regret it. Gail was proving to be an awesome friend.
A/N: Next chapter is Oliver's birthday and his friends have something special planned to celebrate...besides birthday doughnuts...