Chapter 7

Sansa Stark POV

I'm finally hanging out with Dany, Margaery and Myrcella again. It's been a while, and I haven't gotten the chance to see them since I came home from camp. Myrcella are hanging out with Arya at my place first.

"So how was camp?" Myrcella asks while we're in my room waiting for Dany and Margaery to pick us up.

"It was so much fun," I say. "I really had the time of my life, I didn't want to leave."

"I want to go next year," Myrcella says. "I'm trying to convince my dad."

"You should," I say. "If we could go together next year, that would be the best."

There's a pause, I can tell Myrcella wants to say something. "I heard about what happened with you and Gendry," she says to Arya. "Podrick told me."

"Oh, yeah," Arya says. "We're still friends, I just didn't want to hold him back or lead him on when I couldn't reciprocate his feelings for me."

"I get it," Myrcella says. "That makes total sense."

"I hope we can still hook up," Arya says. "That part of our relationship was really good, but I'm not sure he'd be into that."

"I honestly doubt that," Myrcella says. "I know Gendry is really broken up about the break up, he cried to Podrick on the phone."

Wow, I didn't know he was that upset. It makes me feel bad for him. Arya shouldn't keep dating someone if she doesn't want to, but I feel like she let go of a really good one.

…

Dany and Margaery pick us up and we head to a place that sells smoothies and snacks where we can just sit and talk. I need to catch up on any relevant gossip that happened while I was gone.

"So did you have fun at camp?" Dany asks me while we're waiting for our snacks and drinks. I'm getting asked about it a lot, but I expected that.

"I really did," I say. "But I really want to know what I missed while I was gone, what's the newest gossip I need to know?"

"Marge would know more about that than me," Dany says. "Right, Marge?"

"There isn't a whole lot," Margaery says. "We missed you, I know that."

"I missed you guys too," I say. "I actually have a little gossip, but I was hesitant to share it."

"What is it?" Dany asks.

"Arya broke up with Gendry," I say. "She felt like she was holding him back now that he's graduated."

Dany and Margaery look really surprised, especially Dany. "Woah, really?" Dany asks.

"Is that the whole reason?" Margaery asks. "Or did she also realize Gendry's a creep?"

I don't argue, I know that's how Margaery feels. I disagree, but I can see how some people would question the age difference.

"Apparently he also told her he loved her a lot, and she was never ready to say it back," I say. "She felt bad not saying it, and she told me she figured if she was going to feel it she would by now."

"That's very mature," Dany says. "But she honestly has a point."

"He shouldn't have pressured her to say it," Margaery says. "She doesn't even know what love is, she's basically in middle school."

"Hey stop," I say. "Arya is 15, and I don't think he pressured her. He was just being honest with her about how he felt. They're still friends, though. I don't think it was a bad breakup."

"Still," Margaery says. "It was probably a lot for her when he said that."

I think it was a lot for Arya, but I wish Margaery wouldn't go out of her way to talk shit about Gendry so much. I know she was hurt by him and she really cared about him, but I actually like Gendry and I feel caught in the middle.

I also wish she wouldn't infantalize Arya. I know she's young and I see her as my baby sister, but Margaery met me when I was 14 and never treated me like that. I know she isn't Arya's biggest fan, but I still don't like the way she talks about her.

Daenerys Targaryen POV

I'm surprised Arya and Gendry broke up, but I also told her that I was wary about her dating a senior as a freshman.

"So how are things with Podrick?" Sansa asks Myrcella, changing the subject. I think she's uncomfortable talking too much about Arya and Gendry around Margaery.

"Things are so good," Myrcella says. "I love him so much. We want to maybe take a weekend trip together, if my dad will let me."

"He probably won't," Sansa says. "But if you want, you can say you're with me."

"I might take you up on that," Myrcella says. "It's something I definitely want to do."

Our smoothies and snacks that we ordered get brought to us, we were so lost in conversation that we forgot about all that. There's so much to update on, I didn't even realize.

"Oh, before I forget," I say. "Cersei wants to have a party with the high school gang this weekend, her dad left town earlier than expected."

"Oh that sounds fun," Sansa says. "I haven't partied in a while."

"And we're all invited?" Margaery asks.

"Yeah," I say. "She would've said certain people can't come if she felt like that."

"I won't be there," Myrcella says. "I don't know Cersei."

"She probably wouldn't care if you showed up," I say. "Especially if you brought Podrick, I honestly think she would like you."

"I'll think about it," Myrcella says. "I don't think Podrick was really friends with Cersei."

"He wasn't," Margaery says. "But it was a Lannister party he crashed that made him a legend, so I think he's welcome there for life."

Sansa snickers at that, and Myrcella blushes. I don't know how Margaery thought that was appropriate to bring up, I know she made Myrcella feel awkward.

"So have you and Jon found a place yet?" Myrcella asks me.

"Yeah, we want to move into a studio apartment by campus," I say. "He put in an application, we're just waiting to hear back from the leasing office to see if we got approved."

"You don't seem too excited about it," Margaery says. "Are you second guessing your choice to move in with him?"

"No, it's not that," I say. "I just was hoping we could live in the one-bedroom apartment we looked at, but it was out of our price range."

"He should find a way to make it work," Margaery says. "If he wants you to be happy."

"I get it," I say. "Our first place was never going to be our dream place. We don't have to live there forever. If it's not in our budget, it's not in our budget."

"I can't wait to live with Podrick," Myrcella says. "I want to see him every second."

"Aww," Sansa says. "I'm jealous, I wish I had someone. All the guys I've dated have been massive jerks."

"Oh, speaking of," I say. "Jaime said he wanted to invite Ramsay and Theon to the party."

There's a pause, I can tell Sansa is really upset at that idea. "I really don't want to see him," Sansa says. "I haven't seen him in at least a year, I was hoping I never would again."

"I told him he shouldn't," I say. "I understand if you don't want to come because of that, and I feel really bad. I can't stop Jaime from inviting him, but I can make sure he stays away from you."

"Thanks," Sansa says. "I know it isn't your house and you can't help who's invited, but I still wish Jaime had considered that more."

"I'll definitely be there," Margaery says. "I have my own history with Ramsay, and I can handle it."

There's a pause. "I'll be there too," Sansa says. "I won't let him hold me back."

I'm not sure if Margaery meant that to be condescending, but it definitely sounded like it was. Not that it matters, but I feel like what Sansa went through with Ramsay was much worse than Margaery's case. I wish Margaery could be more understanding about that, but then again I'm not sure what I expected.

I'm glad everyone seems to be doing well, and I'm glad I got some time with the girls considering how long it's been. Hanging out with Jon is always nice, but I can't forget about my high school friends that are less toxic than Cersei. I'm actually kind of looking forward to the party. Surely there will be drama, but it'll still be nice to see everyone.

Arya Stark POV

I'm reading a book on the couch when Jon walks in. "Hey, Arya," he says. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," I say, closing my book. I have no idea why he would want to talk to me. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry about you and Gendry," he says, sitting next to me. "I know it's really hard when your first relationship ends."

"Why do you care?" I ask. "I thought you hated him now."

"I'm not happy that he went after you and I still don't trust him," Jon says. "But he seemed really broken up about it, and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm perfectly fine," I say. "I'm the one who broke up with him, you know."

"I know, that's what he told me. That doesn't mean you can't still be hurt, you obviously had a reason to end things with him."

I know he's trying to get information out of me, which is weird because I'm sure Gendry told him what happened. I'm surprised they're hanging out again, but at least that's a good thing that came out of this.

"Everything is fine, Jon," I say. "Gendry and I are still friends, I just think we work better that way as opposed to as a couple."

"Okay," he says. "That's fair."

I can tell he wants to say more, but luckily my dad walks downstairs with Bran and Rickon before he can.

"Jon, Arya," my dad says. "We have an idea we want to run by you."

"What is it?" Jon asks.

"What if we all took a trip to go camping as a family for Fourth of July?" My dad asks. "It's been a while since we've taken a family trip, your mom and I thought it would be fun."

"I think it would be fun," Jon says. "Do you really mean all of us?"

"Well, maybe not Robb and Talisa," my dad says. "I'll ask them, I'm not sure they'd be able to manage that with a baby."

"Okay," Arya says. "Ask Sansa, though. I'm not sure she'd be down for it."

"Well, she's outvoted," my dad says. "We'll start planning for it soon."

They go back upstairs, my brothers seem really excited about this.

"That was random," Jon says. "Do you think that'll be fun?"

"Going camping?" I ask, he nods. "I guess. Why are you suddenly talking to me so much?"

"I feel bad that I got onto you so much about Gendry," Jon says. "I should've gone to him and only him, not you."

"What do you mean?"

"You were the victim in that situation," he says. "I'm glad I made you tell dad, but I should've lashed out at him and not you."

I'm glad he's apologizing, but I still don't like being referred to as a victim when I definitely wasn't. I was the more dominant one in Gendry and I's relationship.

"I wasn't a victim," I say. "I promise you that."

"It makes sense you wouldn't see it that way," he says. "Either way, I'm glad you're out of that situation. I'm also glad mom and dad supervised it heavily so you wouldn't go too far with him."

I just nod and he goes up to his room. I will never tell him that Gendry and I had sex, he would kill him if he knew. Both he and Robb would, I just know it. Gendry didn't deserve to be treated that way by Jon, it definitely made me think differently about him.

At least in Sansa's case when Jon beat up Ramsay, she was actually being hurt. I definitely wasn't, I was a willing participant in everything Gendry and I did. I was even the instigator, and Jon still went after him. It's making me think he just doesn't want Sansa and I to date at all and no one would be good for us.