15: Winter Hats and Mitts: Silent B and Staci
Let it be said that Staci is a compulsive liar, so when she starts talking, it's hard to tell if she's serious or not. Luckily, B has learned to tell the difference over the years, not because she tells him she's truthful, but she has tells that let him know when her lies are starting. For one, the right corner of her lip will turn upwards till she looks like she has a one sided dimple. Her brow will furrow slightly, giving her frown lines. She also starts talking with her hands, waving them in the air like she's swatting flies. She didn't do this much during her very short stay on "Total Drama", but once she became his friend over Facebook and they started to hang out, he noticed it more.
One reason Staci and B got along was B never called her out on her lies. He knew the reason behind them and that made him quieter than usual. Her family wasn't what she made it out to be (obviously). Most of her uncles, cousins, and both sets of grandparents were in federal prison looking at life sentences. Instead of telling people the truth, she started lying from a very young age. Now at eighteen, she was just starting to learn how to break the cycle.
She also didn't have much confidence in herself. That was obvious when on the show, but B noticed it more when they hung out. Sometimes, in large groups of people, she'd go dead quiet and would stand off to the side. She often complained about her body, and these were never lies. B liked her just as she was, but when he tried to show her, she never believed him. For a compulsive liar, she had very obvious trust issues.
Another thing that made their friendship compatible was silent B was a good listener. He could tolerate her long rants, her endless lies, and other things that most didn't like or understand. She got someone who would listen, and B got someone who would tell him stories while he invented. It got lonely in his basement when he tinkered so it was nice to have background noise, even if it sometimes wasn't on the most interesting of topics.
Most of their friends from "Total Drama" didn't take notice of them as anything special until they showed up to a gathering over the summer together, hand in hand to be precise. They weren't dating by any means, but it was something that just naturally developed over the course of their friendship. Staci was freaking out because it was a pool party and she was definitely not summer ready, or so she claimed, and holding her hand kept her steady. She didn't get in the water other than to soak her feet, but she had fun and he could tell by the crinkle of her nose that she wasn't lying when she said she had a good time.
It wasn't until winter that B started to notice a change in her. Instead of calling him every day, he'd hear from her maybe once a week. Instead of going for coffee together for a brain break, he drank tea in his kitchen, alone. She rarely came by his house anymore and he was starting to get concerned. Had something happened in her family? Did they arrest her dad? B was minutes away from calling her on Saturday and using his words for the week to convince her to come over, when he heard the doorbell ring. He stumbled up the basement steps and opened the door to see Staci there with a package in hand. She stood there looking terrified and excited at the same time and he wondered what was going on when she started to ramble.
"In 1523 my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother invented this technique for sewing that made it possible to have intricate mittens and hats with flaps fingerless ends on the gloves and everyone thought it was magic and she was burned for being a witch and-"
B raised an eyebrow, his usual reaction whenever her compulsive lying overcame her, and she stopped mid-sentence. Staci took a deep breath and handed him the package. "I made you mitts and a hat."
He ripped open the wrapping paper and saw fingerless gloves and a hat with ear flaps covered in snowflakes against a blue backdrop. For once, B was honestly lost for words. When he looked at Staci, her eyes wouldn't focus on him and her hands kept kneading together like she was washing them. B reached forward and hugged her tightly. For a moment, she was stiff against him like a board, but she relaxed after a second or two then returned the hug.
When they parted, he slipped on the gloves and hat with a smile then took her hand and led her inside. Staci gave his hand a squeeze and for once, she was silent too.