Note: So I just realized that I've been spelling Joffrey's name wrong, which is really embarrassing, so I apologize. No matter how many times I read his name, I can never remember how to spell it correctly. Don't worry, from now on it'll be right and I'll go back and edit it when I have more time. Also, I apologize for the short length of the chapter. Next one will be longer, promise.
Summary: In which Arya greatly dislikes dress shopping and asks Gendry a very important favor.
"No!"
"Arya please-"
"NO."
"Arya Stark! That's quite enough!"
Arya sighed, shrinking lower in her seat, taking her drink and sipping noisily from her straw as her mother glared at her from across the table at the mall's cafeteria, her gaze enough to send Arya into silence. Sansa stared into her bowl of soup, and though she looked dejected, she also looked annoyed. Guilty, Arya pretended to be very absorbed in her soda.
"Stop being such a child," Sansa snapped. "It's only one night!"
Arya sighed and sat her drink down grumpily.
"I'm not acting like a child," she said, but that even sounded childish to her, "I just don't see why you have to torture me more than you already are."
"I would hardly call asking you to go to the dance with Sansa in your own private limo is torture," Catelyn Stark said sternly, giving her daughter another disappointed look. "Some girls would be thrilled."
"Yeah, some, who don't know what a little jerk Joffrey is," Arya muttered, not daring to look up. Had her mother not been there, Arya would have referred to Jofrrey as a little shit, but seeing as Catelyn Stark was looking prepared for murder as it was, Arya was profoundly glad she had refrained from calling Jeoffry a harsher, yet infinitely more accurate word. She could hear both Sansa and her mother give a sharp intake of breath simultaneously.
"He's my boyfriend Arya!" Sansa said loudly, slamming her spoon down, fed up.
"Yeah, and he's a-"
"Speaking of dates," Catelyn said, cutting them both off before they could get into a fight, "have you gotten one yet, Arya?"
Arya let out another long sigh.
"No," she said through gritted teeth, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, is there anyone you'd like to go with?" Catelyn pressed, nodding encouragingly, a hopeful and almost desperate look on her face.
Yes.
"No."
"You know, the Dane's have a really sweet boy about your age," Catelyn said, giving Arya an encouraging smile. "Maybe I could have a word with his mum and see if he'd go with you."
"If he's so sweet, he probably already has a date," Arya snarled. Catelyn sighed.
"Arya, I am trying, you know," she said, closing her eyes, "but you're trying my patience."
"Fine," Arya said. "I have someone I could go with, but you won't let me go with them."
Across the table, Sansa raised her eyebrows, as if reading Arya's mind.
"Anyone," Catelyn Stark groaned, and Arya assumed that a long and horrible day of dress shopping had worn her down. "Anyone. You could go with Hot Pie for all I care."
"Not Hot Pie," Arya said, wrinkling her nose at the thought. "Gendry."
oooooooooooooo
"What do you want?"
"Who says I want anything?" Arya demanded. "I haven't even said hello yet!"
"You only bring me lunch when you want something," Gendry informed her, taking a bite of the hot sandwich she had brought him. They sat in the Forge parking lot, watching the traffic zoom by.
"Fine," Arya relented, looking miffed.
"What's the matter? You have a bad day?" Gendry asked, taking a sip from the soda she'd brought him. Arya picked at the hole in her jeans.
"I went dress shopping with Sansa and my Mum," she spat out, and then, suddenly, she looked almost nervous.
"Dress shopping?" Gendry asked through a mouthful of sandwich.
"For the dance," she said as way of explanation.
"Ahh," he sighed, taking another bite.
"Actually... I wanted to talk to you about that," she said, picking at her jeans in earnest, ripping out a little thread and then playing with it.
"About what?"
"The dance stupid!" She groaned, annoyed.
"Oh, right," he said, and then he narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling almost... Protective. "Do you have a date?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about-"
"Is it Edric Dane?" Gendry demanded, an unexpected flare of anger sparking in his chest. "I know your mum's been pushing-"
"Will you shut up?" Arya snapped, interrupting him. "I was going to ask you!"
"Me?" Gendry hadn't meant to choke on his sandwich, but he had inhaled sharply, which caused a great deal of coughing and patting on the back.
"I mean, if you don't want to, I totally understand, obviously-"
"No, no!" Gendry said quickly, eyes watering. "I want to."
"Really?" Arya's whole face lit up in a glorious smile. "Sweet! I mean, cool. And don't worry, it's just as friends, obviously."
Gendry felt his heart sink as he gave her what he hoped looked like a relieved smile.
"Obviously.