asphodelmeadows | [open] monday afternoon

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[open] monday afternoon - something's fishy

Marie didn't mind the cold - at least, she couldn't remember ever minding, and if she got a little chilly she could always just walk even closer to her sister. So while she wore a winter coat for colder days, it usually stayed open, flapping at her sides as she hurried wherever she wanted to go. She didn't give her coat much thought.

Except now it had failed her.

Stomach grumbling, Marie felt the hole in her pocket and pouted. This wasn't fair! Scarlett had given her the extra change from last night's waitress tips and everything, just so she could have a snack before swim practice....Someone else was probably picking it up right now, someone else was going to purchase her snack! It wasn't fair!

Staring longingly down at the rack of candy bars, lost and forlorn in the convenience store, she pulled a small music box out of her other pocket (thank goodness she hadn't lost this) and opened it. Listening closely, she relaxed. Though neither she nor Scarlett could place the tune, they'd both determined these boxes calmed them down. If Marie hummed this music, she'd feel better again.

And new ideas would come. Ideas worth pursuing.

Marie's eyes darted quickly around the store, and she smirked. Brushing past the display, she casually slipped a few candy bars into one pocket, then sighed as if giving up and made her way to the door. Maybe next time, her body posture seemed to say. Today I'm resigned.

Except it took all her self-control to keep from giggling.

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-she knew that laugh.

Nanase hadn't had occasion to hear it as often, since she'd dodged more than one club meeting to- Well, not do much of anything, really, except question why she didn't want to go. But still, it registered enough that Nanase stalled her reluctant trek home from the library, frowning back at the store she had just passed.

Sure enough- One of her fellow swimmers was ducking her way out into the wind, her posture completely at odds with the noise she made. Sign enough that Nanase couldn't help turning full around and calling her out not two steps from the door.

"What are you up to, now?"

And if that came out sounding wrong somehow, she could put it down to how it wasn't near as snappy as she would like. Far too weary.

Oh, lovely. Finally got her prize and she couldn't even pull it out to eat. And it was even somebody who knew her, too. Marie tossed her head and didn't bother giving Nanase the courtesy of meeting her eyes.

"Aren't you rude," she replied, nose in the air. "I'm just heading back so I won't be late. You coming today, or not? I won't make excuses for you if you skip."

And she wouldn't share her chocolate, either. So there! That'd show you, for making her wait. Though since Marie couldn't tell if you'd actually seen her make the heist, she supposed she could risk a bite or two.

Her hand played with the candy in her pocket. Marie wasn't good at waiting for anything.

"What? You've been making excuses for me until now?"

-she was in trouble if that was the best she had, but there it was. She really shouldn't have spoken up at all. What would Marie pass on now, if she didn't show up for the club?

"Why would you leave school, anyways, if you're going today?" A silly question, as soon as the candy came into sight. But it didn't leave her awkward- just frowning at the chocolate, still blocking the girl's path.

Something was up, but what was this if not Marie skipping herself?

As if! That question didn't even merit a response. Marie finished pulling a chocolate bar from her pocket and peeled the wrapper like a banana, then snapped off a piece decisively between her teeth.

"The vending machine's always broken," she pointed out, as if this were the most obvious reason in the world. "You wouldn't want me exercising without a little energy, right? That's harsh, from the star of the team!"

Or well. The would-be star. Marie knew they'd see about that come the next big meet. She fixed Nanase with her very sassiest smile.

"So if you'll excuse me, I've gotta run."

"Just pack something from home, then." She faced the same problem, after all, when she attended... And failed to prepare herself, but she didn't duck out for candy!

Still, she was near set to just let this slide, hoping Marie would drop it and keep quiet if Nanase didn't pry herself. But she doesn't even get a chance to roll her eyes before she's getting egged on.

Nice and successfully, 'hmphs' included. Marie can try and run ahead, but-

"It'll take more than a few skipped meetings to earn that spot!"

"We'll never know if you never show," Marie called back in a sing-song voice, turning around to giggle openly at Nanase before waving farewell. Okay, so maybe she technically preferred it when Little Miss Perfect wasn't around - she'd been so mopey, lately, and it pissed Marie off. What did she have to be upset about? She had two parents and loads of cash! Marie had none of either.

Still, she considered herself luckier in just about every other way. (Even parents sounded like a drag most of the time, but their absence raised her stakes in misery poker.) And winning their competition by omission felt sort of empty. If Nanase wasn't around, Marie couldn't gloat.

"It's not the practices that-" Guh, what did that girl mean by challenging her and then walking off? Did she think she couldn't win the exchange or something?!

Still. She didn't have anything else to do for a while, whatever her doubts, and if her reputation was starting to flounder in her absence, well. That could be her reasoning to go!

"-wait up!" she has heft her bag up her arm (and wonder if she even remembered to pack her swim things this morning) before Nanase can run to catch her.

Edited 2013-01-29 16:00 (UTC)

"Ohhhh~?" Marie's voice trilled in the back of her throat; she bit off another piece of chocolate. Hit a nerve, had she? And this way if she did end up being late, she could just blame Nanase for dragging her feet!

She refused, however, to slow down, instead picking up the pace with her head held high. "Guess somebody finally got her----aaaahhh!!"

Okay, whose bright idea had it been to leave water lying around on the sidewalk in the middle of winter? Didn't they know it would freeze?! And didn't they further know that innocent middle-school girls might be hurrying somewhere and shouldn't be required to look where they were going?!

And didn't they know it'd probably look pretty darn bad when her stolen candy bars came scattering out of her pockets while she sat sprawled on the ground, rubbing her poor, mistreated behind? Yes, Marie's life was definitely worse than Nanase's. This absolutely clinched it.

Nanase's growing glare completely blanks out as Marie cuts herself off by landing on a patch of mostly-frozen ice, leaving her jolting to a stop, lest she get pulled down, too.

"What, can't move without problems on land eith-" her jeer and subtle inspection of the fallen girl both come up short when she leans over and finds a bunch of candy has popped out of Marie like confetti. Too much candy.

"-where did you get all of this?!" There was no way- Even Marie wouldn't spend this kind of money, right? And that meant- Gaaah, she was not looking for more trouble today!

"I told you I was hungryyyy," Marie replied, unable to keep the whine out of her voice left over from her smarting bottom. Glancing about, she gathers up her chocolate and stuffs it back into her pockets (though a new bar ends up stuffed into her mouth instead). "I'll work it all off later anyway..."

And that's apparently all Nanase was going to hear on the subject: Marie gingerly picked herself up, patting herself over to see if anything else'd been hurt. A single tear budded on the corner of each eye.

Maybe she wouldn't go to practice after all. It wasn't far to the model shop, and Scarlett would be there. Why did this stupid girl have to be following her? It was all her fault!

Her nose shot straight in the air. "Aren't you going to apologize?" she asked. "I fell over from talking to you!"

"That's not the point!" she near shrieked- though not quite as fiercely as she might like. It didn't matter, though, the girl was just grabbing her prize and half-weeping, half-eating, leaving Nanase to give a loud 'argh!' as she scratched her head.

She should just walk. Just walk away and not look back and leave this Marie to go to club or get arrested or whatever it might be. And she'd contemplating just that when, instead, she falls victim to accusations. Her!

The-! That little-!

"Oh no!" She actually jabs a finger at her, right towards that upturned sniffer. "If you're looking for apologies you can go ahead and go give your own!"

"So now I've done something wrong, just because I actually want to be somewhere today?!" Marie raises a hand to jab a finger right back. "I don't want to hear that from a no-energy grumpy self-important slacker like you!"

Fine, whatever. Maybe she really wouldn't go to practice! Or maybe she and Nanase should have a little practice of their own, somewhere - swim until this was finally settled, as if the outcome could be left in doubt. Marie wouldn't let herself lose to someone like this. Stuck-up, self-important girls were the worst!

"What do you think I am, an idiot?!" She allowed herself nothing more than a quick glare, knowing anymore and the troublemaker would have the gull to answer, or add to her insults. "Say whatever you want, but you think they don't have cameras in there? What did you do, get someone else to grab them for you?"

Unlikely, she knew, but that was just her point. Did Marie somehow dodge getting caught, or did she somehow get all that without stealing? It had to be one or the other, right? No one was coming after them yet, so unless the security was lax...

Grant it, her holding her up and yelling in front of the store wasn't helping, but after the name calling? Sympathy wasn't high on her list.

All Russ had wanted to do was replace his missing lighter, but it was hard to get into the store with two young women arguing in the front. Normally he wouldn't get involved, but it seemed that security wasn't going to do their jobs any time soon.

"Is there a problem?"

This was just what she needed. Now there was some busybody adult involved, in addition to Nanase's...not entirely inaccurate...accusations. Marie'd swallowed unconsciously at the mention of cameras: that hadn't occurred to her, and now who should come along but somebody people might actually listen to if he came in and told them to check the tapes!

It was just a few dollars' worth of candy, seriously! Why did the world have to gang up on her like this?!

"She's just being mean to me," Marie offered as an excuse, trying to bite back her temper (and sound a little plaintive, instead). "This happens a lot, so don't worry about it."

That should do it. Let her try and point fingers now!

-it was that guy. The one Nanase ran into on the street. Did he recognize her, too? That would be perfect- She didn't want anyone she knew catching this, especially if Marie was caught and the word "accomplish" started floating around.

But oh, oh no. It might not be the candy, but Marie was just happy to stick her with the trouble. Typical- And begging for a big enough "hmph!" to make anyone proud.

"Why you- Don't even think about pinning all this on me! -sorry," she started, a lot quieter as she turned at Russ. "If you need through, we'll move. Some of us need to finish admitting to some things."

Russ arched an eyebrow at the both of them, but at the same time, had to bite back a smile. It was almost cute what terrible liars they were.

"Perhaps it would be helpful to have a mediator," he said. "Sometimes the thing you need most is a little outside perspective."

"And you're offering?" Marie guessed, before catching on that taking out her temper on this man would only, in fact, make her situation worse. On the other hand, if she could get him on her side - she was the injured party here, after all! In so many ways!

But if Nanase actually voiced her suspicions....why wasn't Scarlett here?! She was so good at taking care of this kind of thing! She'd have this man eating out of the palm of her hand, and Nanase packed off to jail for shoplifting instead! Yet without Scarlett here, Marie'd have to manage alone...

She swallowed nervously and hoped that didn't make her look like the guilty party. "It's just a little thing, that's all," she pointed out, and tried to loop an arm through Nanase's. "We're really good friends beneath it all, so you don't have to worry! Even if she always picks on me. And says I did things I didn't. I can forgive all that, because she's my friend!"

Sniffing, she smiled. Friend. Yeah. Oh, she was gonna get Nanase back for this but good.

Nanase considered Russ's offer, but didn't look exactly convinced. "Offer what? No offense, but this isn't hard to work out." Not as far as she was concerned. Marie was trying to cry her way out of trouble, Nanase wasn't buying it. Didn't everyone else see through this?

-except Marie wasn't done digging her hole, and if she expected Nanase to do anything but stiffen, jolt as far from the grabby girl as she can? Well, she didn't know her at all.

"Since when have- You think any that will stop me from walking right into that store?"

"If it's not hard to work out, why have you spent the past ten minutes arguing about it?" Russ asked - quite reasonably, he thought. "Clearly there's more going on here than meets the eye." A wry grin at the little joke.

Marie, not being a particularly perceptive soul, missed the reference. All she could tell was that this man had determined to meddle in a private matter, and if an adult and not a fellow schoolgirl went into that store and demanded they review the footage - would there be footage - or even asked the clerk if she'd bought anything - though they couldn't prove those candy bars came from that store, could they -

"Simple! She's a little hardheaded," Marie retorted, and decided that if digging her heels in wouldn't help she'd just have to try something else. "Go anywhere you want, Shimizu. I've got a record to break."

And she attempted to push past the man, pulling out another candy bar and chomping down on it. Couldn't really prove anything. But all the same, better destroy the evidence.

Why that- Gah! She couldn't just let Marie go skipping off to club, eating her prize and showing her up in her absence! And it didn't really matter, did it? Either the shop would catch her and come running, or she could come back and rat her out later!

You know, if Nanase felt like it. Maybe she'd see how she behaved in club first. Yeah.

But she can't help one last dig by grumbling to Russ- "If the shop staff come running out here, tell them it was her, will you?" With the candy bars, that is, but. Well- again, she'd see.

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[open] monday afternoon - something's fishy

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and then i noticed something-