faun

[shesepankh]

Saturday morning sees Bella with her notebooks about magic all in her knapsack, her medallion safety-pinned by its chain to her bra just in case she trips the wrong way, waiting with Charlie for pickup for the Avalon trip.

Comments

[castmyown]

Darren stares at Mike, for a little while. Then he growls, "You're acting like she is a prize to be won. Like if you had gotten there first she would have fallen into your arms like some plush doll you win at a carnival and you're upset with me because I got there first. She is not either, she has preferences and it seems like you don't know any of them. There is no clever subterfuge or me treating her like you seem to think I am. I was nice to her, she was nice to me, I got a crush, and then I asked her out. Simple as that."

[alicornucopia]

"Wh- I didn't say it'd be definite it'd be me, maybe it'd have been Eric or somebody, I'm saying it wasn't fair. You didn't just get there first, you had like - a perimeter defense."

[castmyown]

"No, I'd asked her what she wanted me to do, and she wanted people to leave her alone, so Savannah and I helped with that. Frankly I don't care if you think it's fair or not, it was based on what she wanted, which is important and you seem to be ignoring it entirely."

[alicornucopia]

"She wanted people to leave her alone and you didn't leave her alone," Mike says stubbornly.

[morethanimaginary]

"Actually," says Savannah, "he did. He didn't pry in the slightest, avoided the entire subject of her mom, and did not expect her to be buddy-buddy, he did jack shit except give her some notes and show her to where her classes were, then invite her to sit with him at lunch. She became buddy-buddy 'cause my brother's not a fuckwad. Unlike some people I could mention."

[alicornucopia]

"If you hadn't been running interference for him I would've invited her to sit at my table at lunch, too, since apparently that was allowed after all, if she even asked you to tell everybody about her mom after all."

[morethanimaginary]

"She totally did."

[castmyown]

"You have absolutely no basis in what she wants or doesn't want," says Darren. "You continue to miss the point. It is not about 'fairness' on some kind of deranged romantic battlefield, it is about Bella's preferences. She did not want to answer lots of questions, so she spent time with people that did not ask them. That is that, none of this - manipulative high school drama that you seem to be crafting in your head."

[alicornucopia]

"You know we are in high school, right?"

[castmyown]

"Yes," says Darren, rolling his eyes. "I am aware."

[alicornucopia]

"Why should I take your word on Bella's preferences, anyhow?"

[castmyown]

Ugh. On one hand, he does not want to send this horrible - person Bella-ward. On the other hand, he is entirely justified in wanting to take Bella's direct word for it and Darren can't fault him for that. Darren does not like the idea of speaking for Bella, so - he's sorry she has to put up with him, but...

"If you want to ask her and be sure, go ahead," he says, coldly. "She'll just say exactly what I have been saying. Do try not to treat her like a carnival prize, Mike, difficult as it might be for you. She takes offense to that sort of thing."

[alicornucopia]

"Maybe I will," says Mike.

[castmyown]

"To asking her about her preferences, rather than treating her like she is not a person, I hope."

[alicornucopia]

"I know perfectly well she's a person, idiot."

[castmyown]

"You have yet to act like it."

[alicornucopia]

"I'm not the one who hoarded her. I gave her space like I thought she wanted and then it turned out it was kind of suspiciously helpful to you."

[castmyown]

Darren rolls his eyes. "There you go. Again. Do you know what the word 'hoarding' has the connotation of? An item to be prized. Stop using it. She is a person, she has preferences, it is impossible to hoard her. If you've exchanged even the briefest of conversations with her you would understand that, because she has some very strong opinions and is not the meek, shy waif you're acting like she is. She would not allow herself to be 'hoarded.'"

[alicornucopia]

"It's not impossible to cut her off from everybody else so she'd go out with you."

The history teacher sure is late, huh.

[castmyown]

Really, really late.

"Yes. It is, actually! Because she is Bella Swan and she would not tolerate someone doing that. Literally none of my actions were so she would go out with me! Oh, wait, there was one - asking her out. That is it!"

[alicornucopia]

"Why would I know that? You were telling everyone to leave her alone and then not leaving her alone! Are you even listening to me?"

[castmyown]

Deep breaths, Darren. Deep breaths. If he wavers in this Savannah will punch Mike and he does not want that.

"Yes, I am. No, you would not know that. But rather than trying to be certain whether what happened is what she wants or not you start trying to get me to back off. Behind her back. Frankly I'm disgusted we're even having this conversation without her present. Do you respect her as a person at all?"

[alicornucopia]

"If I didn't respect her wouldn't I have gone straight to her in spite of the dead mom thing?" asks Mike sarcastically.

[castmyown]

Darren rolls his eyes. "I'm sure telling yourself that and soothing the pathetic excuse you call a conscience is the only way you can sleep at night. No, you are perfectly capable of not respecting her and giving her space. The two are not mutually exclusive."

[alicornucopia]

"And you're perfectly capable of hoarding her and preaching about what an awful thing that would be to do to a person."