Fourth Floor Common Room | Friday Late Evening | 9/4

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Hayley was having trouble sleeping again. She'd tried everything. Counting jumping sheep, counting sheep jumping in a minefield, the usual sort of thing. None of it was working. So Hayley padded out to the common room in her bright pink pajamas (thank you, Elle).

She turned on the TV, only to discover late night re-runs of Vanessa Saturn. Wow, TV had change a lot since her time...

[[Open to one and all]]

[[eta: collapsing asleep now, folks. Will pick up SP tags tomorrow, if that's okay.]]

Comments

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"Only that show you couldn't find the other day?" Hayley said, grinning.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"I hear the second season's on DVD" Cal admitted, glancing her way to return the grin crookedly. "I might have to track it down. Anyone explain DVDs to you yet?"

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Hayley shook her head. "Are they like CDs?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"They're actually a lot like CDs," Cal said with a laugh. "Only instead of playing music, they play movies and TV shows on that right there," he pointed to a box by the TV, "a DVD player. Or a computer, if you have one."

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"You can put TV shows on a disc?" Hayley said. "Wow." Her eyes got big again. "You gotta show me that."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

God, those eyes. Cal hoped that this girl never found out everything there was about the future and things like that, just so he could keep telling her things and see that look again and again.

"I could get that show?" he offered, trying not to think of insomnia turned into long, tension filled hours on the couch as the show played on, trying to avoid noticing the other there during the racier parts but being entirely unable to. "It's the only the I really have on DVD right now. Or I could see if I can find anything a little less cheesy and we could get together...some other time?"

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"Whenever you want," Hayley said. "Just... show me? Promise?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

One of these days, this girl was going to make Cal's frog-heart leap so erratically that it burst right out of his chest, leaving splinters of rib and sinew as it flopped wetly onto the floor, wasn't she?

"Promise," Cal said, surprised that he was able to manage a little smile there. I'll see if I can find something really good to show you with."

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure whatever you pick will be great," Hayley said, grinning.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. This one could be trouble, in the best sense of the word. With a statement like that, Cal also figured she was probably insane, which was even better.

"Hope so," he said, returning the grin as everything inside him felt like it turned to mush. "It should be. To...celebrate you surviving the first week. Congratulations."

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Most of what was inside Hayley was also mush. Not the same kind, however.

"Didja think I wouldn't make it?" she said.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Well," Cal said, shrugging a little, "I wouldn't say that. But I've been here long enough to have general doubts. Most people do get it through the first week fine enough."

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"But you thought I might be special?" Hayley said, grinning at him.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

She was special, all right. Cal snorted, shaking his head.

"Just take the damn congratulations, or I'm taking it back."

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

Hayley laughed. "I'll take whatever you give me!" she aid, cheery.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Part of Cal had to wonder if she was saying some of this stuff on purpose. And if she really meant it, because he did sort of have something to give that no one else on his island had. That he was aware of.

"Good," he said. "And you really did survive right? Any close calls?"

[onlysmokesnics.livejournal.com]

"Not a one," Hayley said. "I mean, even the school shrink didn't make a fuss with me."