sendthemback (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sendthemback) wrote2009-11-23 08:06 pm
sendthemback) wrote2009-11-23 08:06 pm
Day 23
Through that door comes trouble and other things. Singing. Dancing. It's still all falling apart.
Words required: 38,341
Words achieved: 41,418
Words of today: 2,039
Rachel cracks open the door and Ana pushes right past, taking a deep breath of the smokey air.
"So this is what you've been up to," she snorts. "Hi, Jon."
"Hey, A.M. You want some pizza?"
She looks around the apartment, shaking her head. "Maybe some weed. Though..." She glances over at Rachel, taking in her the awkward, dazed look on her face. "Maybe you've already had enough."
"I could smoke more," he answers, turning around to check on Rachel. She's just finally closing the door." "Rachel?"
"Yeah, sure."
Ana drops her bags and her jacket on the table and Jon suddenly realizes how warm he is in his jacket. He strips it off and slings it over the back of the couch before reaching for his weed. Ana moves across the room as Rachel slowly returns to her seat.
"Anybody else hiding in the corners?" Ana asks.
Rachel shakes her head. "Just me and Jon."
"It's so quiet in here," Ana sighs. She takes a quick look at the silent TV. "Where's your iPod?"
"In my bag in the kitchen." Rachel thinks briefly about getting up and finding it for her, but then decides she's happier not moving. Ana smirks and crosses back behind the couch.
"Something tells me I missed something," Jon whispers as soon as Ana has slipped out of the room.
"Yeah," Rachel breathes. "Definitely something."
"Is this dirty underwear I see?" Ana calls from the kitchen. "Where have you been?"
Rachel winces and she's glad Ana's not in the room to see it.
"Keith's," she calls back, leaning against the couch cushions, missing Jon's stolen look up at her. She hears the refrigerator open, followed by the clinking of glass, and closes her eyes.
"Interesting." Ana returns to the living room with a beer under her arm, cycling through Rachel's music on the iPod. She stoops down by the stereo and hooks it up, humming to herself for a few seconds before hitting play.
"Oh, nice," Rachel grunts when she hears the song. "Make the stoned ones listen to Grizzly Bear."
"I always make stoners listen to Grizzly Bear," Ana answers, rising up from her knees and crossing the short distance back to the couch, shoving herself into a seat between Rachel and Jon. He holds up the joint, offering it to her.
"Thank you." She places her beer on the table between theirs and accepts his light, breathing in the smoke before raising an eyebrow at him and passing it over to Rachel.
Rachel smokes and then sends it back. Ana grins and then steals another hit before giving it to Jon.
"Take as many as you want," he says. "You're pretty far behind us."
"True." She slides her feet out of her shoes as Jon takes his drag, crossing her feet at her ankles and then accepting the joint again.
"I know, I know, the doors won't close, the pipes all froze, just let it go," Rachel mumbles along with the music.
"I feel like I'm in college again," Jon laughs.
Ana hands the joint back to Rachel and bends across the table for the bottle opener. "Aren't you always, though? I mean, in spirit at least?"
He laughs. "I guess I am."
When they've smoked the joint down to nothing, Ana sneaks her hand into the pizza box and retrieves a slice. She looks over at Rachel. "You mind if I nuke this?"
"Go ahead," Rachel answers. She's leaning back again, staring up at the ceiling. "Just..."
"I know," Ana laughs, hopping up onto her feet. "I'll make sure to cover it so it doesn't explode all over your preciously clean microwave." She turns to Jon. "Some people..."
And then, she's gone again. Jon leans in a little closer, listening to the soft beeps of the buttons and the hum of mechanics.
"I'm in the lion's den now, aren't I?" he asks.
"And so am I, don't worry."
"At least Stephen and Keith haven't shown up," he says with a slight smile.
Rachel punches him softly in the arm. "Don't say that!"
"Sorry," he giggles.
Rachel tries to frown even as the corners of her mouth curve up. "It's not funny."
"It's kind of funny."
"You think everything is funny," Rachel grins. She starts to lift her head, only to have it immediately crash back against the couch. She groans and then starts to laugh.
Jon joins her. "Everything is funny."
They're both still laughing when Ana returns and she stands on the other side of the coffee table, cramming pizza into her mouth and watching them.
"Do I even want to know?" she asks, her mouth full of bread and cheese.
Jon shrugs, catching his breath. "Everything is funny."
Rachel snorts and then they're both laughing again. Ana rolls her eyes and finishes her slice, reaching over the table to wipe her hands on Rachel's jeans. Rachel's just stoned enough not to jerk away and Jon's laughter fades as he watches Ana staring down at Rachel's thighs. Then, she's bouncing back over to the stereo, yanking up the iPod and flipping through albums again.
"That's better," she says when a slightly more peppy song comes on. She twirls around the coffee table and Jon is impressed that she makes it all the way between Rachel's knees without knocking into anything.
"Get up."
"I really don't want to," Rachel groans, pressing back against the cushions as hard as she can.
"Come on, I'm not dancing alone."
"Then dance with Jon."
Ana raises an eyebrow at him.
"No," he grins.
"Sorry, Rach, but it's you and me." She bends down, taking Rachel's hands in hers.
"A routine malaise, just like yesterday, I told you I would stay..." Ana sings.
It's one of the few songs Ana can actually almost sing, even though the line ends with a grunt as she yanks Rachel to her feet. Jon watches them, and he can see how remarkably uncomfortable Rachel has suddenly become, standing so close to Ana, wedged between the table and the couch.
It only lasts a second, though, before Ana is dragging Rachel into the one spot in the living room that is big enough for two people to stand comfortably. She drapes her arms around Rachel's neck, but Rachel keeps her arms stretched flat at her sides, hardly moving.
"Come on now," Ana sighs. She runs her hands down from Rachel's shoulders, pressing Rachel's hands into her hips. Then, she returns her own arms around Rachel's neck, stretching up to whisper into her ear.
"See, we're dancing."
Rachel sighs. "Yeah, I see."
"So, what, then? Tell me what you've been up to," Ana purrs. "Did you finally make old grey hair's wettest dream a reality?"
Jon doesn't hear that, but he does hear Rachel's grunted, "Ana, that's gross!"
"Really now?" Ana asks. "See, if I had known you played that way, we could have had a lot more fun."
Rachel pushes away from her, taking the biggest step back the room can afford her.
"Just don't, okay?"
"I think we need to talk," Ana answers. She turns to Jon. "Mind if I steal your buddy for a minute?"
"I--go ahead."
"Thanks." Ana reaches for Rachel's hand, leading her back into the bedroom. The door slams shut behind them and Jon jumps a little at the sound. Then, he lets out a slow sigh and stretches out across the couch, kicking off his shoes when he realizes that he's still wearing them. He's not sure if he should leave or not, especially if there's shouting.
There isn't. Ana sits down on Rachel's bed and Rachel follows, leaving plenty of space between them.
"So," Ana sighs. "Why did you call me?"
It sounds a little too much like, "How did you fuck up this time," but Rachel answers anyway.
"I saw Chris, that's all. I wouldn't have called you otherwise."
"Of course," Ana snorts, "Why would you ever call me otherwise?"
Rachel winces. Ana smirks.
"And where's Susan?"
"Massachusetts."
"Is that why you called Keith?"
Rachel shakes her head. "I didn't call Keith."
"But you did have sex with him."
"I was drunk, okay, I--"
Ana rolls her eyes, dropping to her back with a grunt. "I'm really getting tired of that particular excuse."
"It's not an excuse. It's just the truth. I'm not running around doing things on purpose or anything."
"Oh, Rachel, that doesn't matter." She takes a breath. "You know that."
"Do I?" Rachel stares out into the room, and Ana's not sure if it's because she's thinking or just stoned, if her eyes are red because she's pretending not to cry.
"Come on, Rachel, you've got to figure this out. You're just--you..."
Rachel starts to sway a little, still not looking back at her.
Ana takes a deep breath, pulling herself up onto her elbows. "Oh, come here, all ready."
Ana shifts her body toward the head of the bed and Rachel slides up against her shoulder, stretching away from that one point of contact, their bodies laid parallel until Ana's legs run out.
"For what it's worth, I'm not really mad at you any more," Ana breathes, running her fingers through Rachel's hair. "I know you're just as unhappy as everyone else; I just wish I knew what you were doing, what's going on with you. You can't just keep drinking and fucking up and then drinking because you've fucked up and then fucking up again, because I honestly think that's what you're doing and it isn't going to work out, for you or anyone."
Rachel presses her face against Ana's shoulder. "I know, but I..."
"Maybe you should take a break or something, miss a few days of work and just spend some time alone. Give yourself some time to think."
"I don't want to be alone," Rachel mumbles into her chest. "I'm terrified of alone."
"Maybe that means you need it even more."
Rachel sighs, but doesn't say anything.
"Or at least give yourself some time away from all of us crazy people. Maybe you could see some old friends or something, I don't know. I just think you need an escape from this life you're dragging yourself into." Ana squeezes Rachel's shoulder and then pulls her closer. "And you can touch me, you know. It's safe. Nothing's going to happen right now."
"Okay," Rachel whispers. Ana's lips press lightly into Rachel's hair and Rachel closes her eyes.
Rachel has become remarkably sprawled by the time she finally falls asleep and it takes Ana a little maneuvering to sneak out from underneath the web of limbs. She slips quietly across the room, leaving the door cracked instead of shutting it.
Jon is still on the couch, though he's turned on the TV. He's flipping through the basic channels again and again, looking for something worth watching.
"Sorry," he says when he looks up and sees Ana. "The music was kind of depressing me."
"It's fine," Ana smiles. She sits down next to him and starts to deal with her shoes.
"You wanna smoke again?" he asks.
Ana shakes her head. "I've got to go. Can you stay though? I don't really want her to wake up completely alone."
Jon starts to nod, then stops. "You're not... I mean, it's really none of my business, but you didn't--"
Ana laughs. "No, no fuck and run this time. She's just warn out, I think. Too many questions, not enough answers."
"Sorry," Jon repeats. "I'm just... I like to know what I'm dealing with sometimes."
"We all do," Ana answers. "And I don't really know at this point. There's a lot going on in there, but I don't think she even knows what it is."
"So I've noticed," Jon smiles.
Ana stands up, then stoops down again, wrapping Jon in a quick hug. She tosses her jacket over her shoulders and grabs her bags. "I'm sure I'll see you again some day."
"Yeah... Actually, hit me up some time, really."
"I will." She gives him a little wave and then moves toward the door. It opens and closes and then she's gone. Jon turns back to the TV.
Words required: 38,341
Words achieved: 41,418
Words of today: 2,039
Rachel cracks open the door and Ana pushes right past, taking a deep breath of the smokey air.
"So this is what you've been up to," she snorts. "Hi, Jon."
"Hey, A.M. You want some pizza?"
She looks around the apartment, shaking her head. "Maybe some weed. Though..." She glances over at Rachel, taking in her the awkward, dazed look on her face. "Maybe you've already had enough."
"I could smoke more," he answers, turning around to check on Rachel. She's just finally closing the door." "Rachel?"
"Yeah, sure."
Ana drops her bags and her jacket on the table and Jon suddenly realizes how warm he is in his jacket. He strips it off and slings it over the back of the couch before reaching for his weed. Ana moves across the room as Rachel slowly returns to her seat.
"Anybody else hiding in the corners?" Ana asks.
Rachel shakes her head. "Just me and Jon."
"It's so quiet in here," Ana sighs. She takes a quick look at the silent TV. "Where's your iPod?"
"In my bag in the kitchen." Rachel thinks briefly about getting up and finding it for her, but then decides she's happier not moving. Ana smirks and crosses back behind the couch.
"Something tells me I missed something," Jon whispers as soon as Ana has slipped out of the room.
"Yeah," Rachel breathes. "Definitely something."
"Is this dirty underwear I see?" Ana calls from the kitchen. "Where have you been?"
Rachel winces and she's glad Ana's not in the room to see it.
"Keith's," she calls back, leaning against the couch cushions, missing Jon's stolen look up at her. She hears the refrigerator open, followed by the clinking of glass, and closes her eyes.
"Interesting." Ana returns to the living room with a beer under her arm, cycling through Rachel's music on the iPod. She stoops down by the stereo and hooks it up, humming to herself for a few seconds before hitting play.
"Oh, nice," Rachel grunts when she hears the song. "Make the stoned ones listen to Grizzly Bear."
"I always make stoners listen to Grizzly Bear," Ana answers, rising up from her knees and crossing the short distance back to the couch, shoving herself into a seat between Rachel and Jon. He holds up the joint, offering it to her.
"Thank you." She places her beer on the table between theirs and accepts his light, breathing in the smoke before raising an eyebrow at him and passing it over to Rachel.
Rachel smokes and then sends it back. Ana grins and then steals another hit before giving it to Jon.
"Take as many as you want," he says. "You're pretty far behind us."
"True." She slides her feet out of her shoes as Jon takes his drag, crossing her feet at her ankles and then accepting the joint again.
"I know, I know, the doors won't close, the pipes all froze, just let it go," Rachel mumbles along with the music.
"I feel like I'm in college again," Jon laughs.
Ana hands the joint back to Rachel and bends across the table for the bottle opener. "Aren't you always, though? I mean, in spirit at least?"
He laughs. "I guess I am."
When they've smoked the joint down to nothing, Ana sneaks her hand into the pizza box and retrieves a slice. She looks over at Rachel. "You mind if I nuke this?"
"Go ahead," Rachel answers. She's leaning back again, staring up at the ceiling. "Just..."
"I know," Ana laughs, hopping up onto her feet. "I'll make sure to cover it so it doesn't explode all over your preciously clean microwave." She turns to Jon. "Some people..."
And then, she's gone again. Jon leans in a little closer, listening to the soft beeps of the buttons and the hum of mechanics.
"I'm in the lion's den now, aren't I?" he asks.
"And so am I, don't worry."
"At least Stephen and Keith haven't shown up," he says with a slight smile.
Rachel punches him softly in the arm. "Don't say that!"
"Sorry," he giggles.
Rachel tries to frown even as the corners of her mouth curve up. "It's not funny."
"It's kind of funny."
"You think everything is funny," Rachel grins. She starts to lift her head, only to have it immediately crash back against the couch. She groans and then starts to laugh.
Jon joins her. "Everything is funny."
They're both still laughing when Ana returns and she stands on the other side of the coffee table, cramming pizza into her mouth and watching them.
"Do I even want to know?" she asks, her mouth full of bread and cheese.
Jon shrugs, catching his breath. "Everything is funny."
Rachel snorts and then they're both laughing again. Ana rolls her eyes and finishes her slice, reaching over the table to wipe her hands on Rachel's jeans. Rachel's just stoned enough not to jerk away and Jon's laughter fades as he watches Ana staring down at Rachel's thighs. Then, she's bouncing back over to the stereo, yanking up the iPod and flipping through albums again.
"That's better," she says when a slightly more peppy song comes on. She twirls around the coffee table and Jon is impressed that she makes it all the way between Rachel's knees without knocking into anything.
"Get up."
"I really don't want to," Rachel groans, pressing back against the cushions as hard as she can.
"Come on, I'm not dancing alone."
"Then dance with Jon."
Ana raises an eyebrow at him.
"No," he grins.
"Sorry, Rach, but it's you and me." She bends down, taking Rachel's hands in hers.
"A routine malaise, just like yesterday, I told you I would stay..." Ana sings.
It's one of the few songs Ana can actually almost sing, even though the line ends with a grunt as she yanks Rachel to her feet. Jon watches them, and he can see how remarkably uncomfortable Rachel has suddenly become, standing so close to Ana, wedged between the table and the couch.
It only lasts a second, though, before Ana is dragging Rachel into the one spot in the living room that is big enough for two people to stand comfortably. She drapes her arms around Rachel's neck, but Rachel keeps her arms stretched flat at her sides, hardly moving.
"Come on now," Ana sighs. She runs her hands down from Rachel's shoulders, pressing Rachel's hands into her hips. Then, she returns her own arms around Rachel's neck, stretching up to whisper into her ear.
"See, we're dancing."
Rachel sighs. "Yeah, I see."
"So, what, then? Tell me what you've been up to," Ana purrs. "Did you finally make old grey hair's wettest dream a reality?"
Jon doesn't hear that, but he does hear Rachel's grunted, "Ana, that's gross!"
"Really now?" Ana asks. "See, if I had known you played that way, we could have had a lot more fun."
Rachel pushes away from her, taking the biggest step back the room can afford her.
"Just don't, okay?"
"I think we need to talk," Ana answers. She turns to Jon. "Mind if I steal your buddy for a minute?"
"I--go ahead."
"Thanks." Ana reaches for Rachel's hand, leading her back into the bedroom. The door slams shut behind them and Jon jumps a little at the sound. Then, he lets out a slow sigh and stretches out across the couch, kicking off his shoes when he realizes that he's still wearing them. He's not sure if he should leave or not, especially if there's shouting.
There isn't. Ana sits down on Rachel's bed and Rachel follows, leaving plenty of space between them.
"So," Ana sighs. "Why did you call me?"
It sounds a little too much like, "How did you fuck up this time," but Rachel answers anyway.
"I saw Chris, that's all. I wouldn't have called you otherwise."
"Of course," Ana snorts, "Why would you ever call me otherwise?"
Rachel winces. Ana smirks.
"And where's Susan?"
"Massachusetts."
"Is that why you called Keith?"
Rachel shakes her head. "I didn't call Keith."
"But you did have sex with him."
"I was drunk, okay, I--"
Ana rolls her eyes, dropping to her back with a grunt. "I'm really getting tired of that particular excuse."
"It's not an excuse. It's just the truth. I'm not running around doing things on purpose or anything."
"Oh, Rachel, that doesn't matter." She takes a breath. "You know that."
"Do I?" Rachel stares out into the room, and Ana's not sure if it's because she's thinking or just stoned, if her eyes are red because she's pretending not to cry.
"Come on, Rachel, you've got to figure this out. You're just--you..."
Rachel starts to sway a little, still not looking back at her.
Ana takes a deep breath, pulling herself up onto her elbows. "Oh, come here, all ready."
Ana shifts her body toward the head of the bed and Rachel slides up against her shoulder, stretching away from that one point of contact, their bodies laid parallel until Ana's legs run out.
"For what it's worth, I'm not really mad at you any more," Ana breathes, running her fingers through Rachel's hair. "I know you're just as unhappy as everyone else; I just wish I knew what you were doing, what's going on with you. You can't just keep drinking and fucking up and then drinking because you've fucked up and then fucking up again, because I honestly think that's what you're doing and it isn't going to work out, for you or anyone."
Rachel presses her face against Ana's shoulder. "I know, but I..."
"Maybe you should take a break or something, miss a few days of work and just spend some time alone. Give yourself some time to think."
"I don't want to be alone," Rachel mumbles into her chest. "I'm terrified of alone."
"Maybe that means you need it even more."
Rachel sighs, but doesn't say anything.
"Or at least give yourself some time away from all of us crazy people. Maybe you could see some old friends or something, I don't know. I just think you need an escape from this life you're dragging yourself into." Ana squeezes Rachel's shoulder and then pulls her closer. "And you can touch me, you know. It's safe. Nothing's going to happen right now."
"Okay," Rachel whispers. Ana's lips press lightly into Rachel's hair and Rachel closes her eyes.
Rachel has become remarkably sprawled by the time she finally falls asleep and it takes Ana a little maneuvering to sneak out from underneath the web of limbs. She slips quietly across the room, leaving the door cracked instead of shutting it.
Jon is still on the couch, though he's turned on the TV. He's flipping through the basic channels again and again, looking for something worth watching.
"Sorry," he says when he looks up and sees Ana. "The music was kind of depressing me."
"It's fine," Ana smiles. She sits down next to him and starts to deal with her shoes.
"You wanna smoke again?" he asks.
Ana shakes her head. "I've got to go. Can you stay though? I don't really want her to wake up completely alone."
Jon starts to nod, then stops. "You're not... I mean, it's really none of my business, but you didn't--"
Ana laughs. "No, no fuck and run this time. She's just warn out, I think. Too many questions, not enough answers."
"Sorry," Jon repeats. "I'm just... I like to know what I'm dealing with sometimes."
"We all do," Ana answers. "And I don't really know at this point. There's a lot going on in there, but I don't think she even knows what it is."
"So I've noticed," Jon smiles.
Ana stands up, then stoops down again, wrapping Jon in a quick hug. She tosses her jacket over her shoulders and grabs her bags. "I'm sure I'll see you again some day."
"Yeah... Actually, hit me up some time, really."
"I will." She gives him a little wave and then moves toward the door. It opens and closes and then she's gone. Jon turns back to the TV.
no subject
Jesus, Ana. Although, really, I think Rachel needs so good, old-fashioned bluntness.
It sounds a little too much like, "How did you fuck up this time," but Rachel answers anyway.
Ouch.
no subject
no subject
kind of feel bad for Jon being the babysitter XD
no subject
no subject
I'm caught up again, and perfectly in love with stoned!Jon.
Give us some more of your mad skillz, bb!
no subject
And the world needs more stoned!Jon. He makes spontaneous rainbow appear everywhere. Okay, maybe not really, but you know...
<3
no subject