(2016-10-12) How to be Friends
How to be Friends or You Can't Force Friendship
Summary: Ollie is learning that the hard way
Date: 2016-10-12
Related: Related Logs (Say None if there aren't any; don't leave blank. You have to use full URLs, like http://coralsprings.wikidot.com/logtitle)
NPCs: Players go below, other chars that deserve mention can be listed here
Scene Runner: Who ran this scene, NA if no-one or mutual
Players:
felicia..kaylee..oliver..

Cafeteria

At one time this served as the crow's nest and lighthouse of the fort. About the size of a small land based lighthouse, the bottom floor has been converted to a modern glass structure that serves as the seating of the cafeteria of the school. There are a dozen tables, enough to seat the entire student body of the school. Each table has four or five aluminum chairs around it, each with a view out of one of the glass walls. The stairwell up to the light and crow's nest is in the main room but is marked as off limits to the student body.

Ollie's smile fades at that topic and she looks at her tray before answering, "That was sort of part of the reason. We broke up before and I needed some time to think before coming back. He's not happy with it because he doesn't like girls. But he walked away, so…I guess we're both moving on."

Kaylee frowns as she sits at a table with Ollie. It's just lunch time, so the cafeteria hasn't quite filled up yet- they've apparently hurried and are already eating their meals. At Ollie's response, Kaylee looks up at her and blinks. "… that's not true. He asked ME to kiss him and then blew up at me when I only kissed him onna cheek. And I'M a girl, sooo …." She frowns, her brow furrowing as she shakes her head. "I don't get it. Why are people so caught up on being mad about stuff here? And everyone thinks I'M super weird because I choose to be happy almost all the time."

"I think Grayson is scared," Ollie offers. "And didn't you try to kiss him once before too? Maybe he's confused, but when we were dating he said he didn't like girls. I think he's mad at me because this is who I want to be right now," she shrugs. "We both need to move on and it's not your fault that Grayson's mad all the time. He does it to keep people away because he's scared that he'll end up hurting them." She takes another bite of her salad, "Sometimes people end up hurting you and it's easier to be mad than sad, I guess."

Just arriving to have her lunch, Felicia strolls past the table where Ollie and Kaylee sit, hearing a bit of what Ollie is saying about Grayson. "He's an emo cactus I keep telling you." she throws in her unasked for opinion and then will greet the pair. "Hey guys."

Kaylee just shakes her head again. "Well, I don't get it. But, then, I guess I don't know what they've been through, so. I just don't like not being friends," she says. And then she smirks a little. "And I didn't TRY to kiss him. I tried to find out if he put the flower on my pillow. And when I asked him a little about it, he seemed to really be the kind of guy who would do something like that. He writes poetry, after all! Which is like, totally romantic, which is why I really thought he did it. Plus, he IS pretty hot, so I totally admit that I probably flirted too much. But, he didn't ask me to kiss him until WAY after Violet and I started dating, so."

Felicia's comment gets a smirk and a small giggle. "That wouldn't be too far wrong. Hi, Felicia," she adds.

Ollie looks up and over at Felicia and offers a somewhat hesitant wave, "Hi, Fel…and I understand why he's that way. It's not my choice and I don't think it's the best, but I understand." Especially of late. "Sometimes it's easier to be alone than to keep getting hurt by people." This is said to both Kaylee and Felicia. "He can be pretty romantic, sure. I hope that he's able to find another guy who sees that in him too…maybe one who is a little less social." Not that Ollie's been a butterfly of late, oddly enough.

Felicia wrinkles her nose at the thought of kissing Grayson "Plenty of people write poetry that don't have a romantic bone in their body." she tells the pair "The two aren't mutually exclusive you know." with Grayson being the current topic of conversation she makes a gesture to the food line "I'm going to get something to eat. I'll join you two in a bit." since none of the other people she hangs with are here yet.

Kaylee blinks at Felicia and then glowers a little, ducking her head. "Well … Grayson's poetry is romantic. Even if the one he wrote me wasn't meant to be," she says quietly. She sighs, then, picking at her food some more. "It's funny. I would never have thought I'd have a hard time getting along with people. Boy was I wrong."

"He's not a bad guy," Ollie speaks up for Grayson before she looks back to her food and gives a sigh. As Felicia goes off to get her food, she watches before turning back to Kaylee, "I'm learning that sometimes you can't force friendship on others. It ends up being one-sided and you end up getting hurt by it. It's better if you -both- want to be friends."

"Ha!" Kaylee laughs, though she doesn't smile as she nods her agreement. "Yeah, I've found THAT out. At least, about forcing friendship. But, I disagree with the getting hurt part. You only get hurt if you choose to let them hurt you. You can't force someone to like you, but that doesn't mean you can't be nice to them and try to be their friend. That's how I've always handled Grayson, and it only hurt when he snapped at me. But I won't let that stop me from being nice to him. Daxton is about the only person I've ever met that I just can't be nice to. And it's not for lack of trying," she says, shaking her head.

"Well," Ollie clarifies, "It hurts when you realize that what you thought was a two-way friendship might just be one-sided. I guess if they've hurt you then maybe you care about them too much…" she gives another little sigh then. "Daxton also…can we change the subject please?" She's already trying to let go of sadness from yesterday, she doesn't need to revisit it. "Even if it's something boring like classes."

Subject Change: Initiated! Topic Selector: Engaged! Conversation Start in 3 … 2 … 1 … "So … was it weird switching to always having to sit down to pee?" Kaylee asks, after a few seconds of thought of something else to talk about. Ask, and ye shall receive.

Ollie did ask for a change in topic, but she wasn't expecting that! There's a little cough as some of her food goes down the wrong pipe and it takes her a moment before pointing out, "I've been a girl before so it's totally new. Is that really of interest?"

"Oh!" Kaylee chirps, a little surprised at that. But, she smiles and shakes her head. "Oh, no, it's not really a big deal. You just wanted to talk about something else, and that is what popped into my head!" she adds, eating some more of her lunch. "So you probably find the whole bathroom argument pretty silly, huh?"

"Fair enough," Ollie chuckles, "I did and all right." As long as they move away from her personal habits, of course. "Of course I think it's silly. If someone is going to be spying in bathrooms while people just do their business, shouldn't they be the targeted ones rather than the people just trying to do what needs to be done?"

Kaylee nodnoddles and snickers. "I think it's SOOOO dumb. We've been using the restroom perfectly fine for the last several hundred years. I don't see how it's suddenly become an issue NOW. SOOOOoooo dumb," she agrees. "So you're a junior, right? Have you started looking at what you're gonna do when you graduate?"

Kaylee keeps on touching upon sensitive subjects! Ollie winces at the next question but looks at her food before trying to answer. First there's a shrug, "I'm a Junior, yes…and I don't know. I thought about trying to go to college, but I don't know if I'll be able to afford it and even if I went, I don't know what I'd do. Felicia mentioned maybe I should try going to Hollywood, but I feel like I'd be stuck in one body there and…I don't know."

Kaylee blinks as Ollie winces. She grimaces, and furrows her brow, unsure of what else to talk about! They're teenagers! "So … why not just tell everybody you're a shapeshifter? I mean, there are heroes that are … I dunno what you wanna call it. 'Out?' I'll probably eventually have to, once my eyes quit working. Or, I guess, when I just quit using them." She grins and shakes her fist. "Sliding doors will become my arch enemy!"

"Why will your eyes stop working?" is asked, changing the subject yet again! "I don't know that I count as a 'hero' just by being a shapeshifter. If I tell, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but if I explain why I am…I don't want to be caged up in a lab or stuck in Area 54 or something like that. Ollie is able to work on her food some more now, "I wanted to work for the CIA, but then I was told that you have to be Military or something and I don't think I'd like that."

"Oh. Well, it's atrophy. My body just absorbs photons, so instead of going in my eyes and hitting the rods and cones and stuff, light just kinda gets sucked up by everything. So my eyes will get worse and worse over time. I can still see now, but if I take my glasses off, everything gets pretty blurry," Kaylee explains. "And with my spatial awareness- the thingy I can do where I just feel all the photons around me? I can't see glass at all, so I can't tell it's there. Walking into doors is SUPER embarrassing, which is why I wear my glasses almost always when I'm outside the school." She grins sheepishly at that. But the talk turns back to the future and she shrugs her shoulders. "Well, you don't GOTTA be a hero if you don't want to. And I'm almost positive the school could work to get you some kind of amnesty. I mean, that's not saying that you wouldn't have to worry about SOMEbODY trying to grab you for testing. But … that might always be a risk, anyway. And yeah … the CIA is pretty close to the military, so I dunno if you'd like one if you don't like the other."

Ollie eats while Kaylee explains how her powers work and she just sort of blinks. "Oh. Uh. I can't wear cotton…" not that it's the same thing at all. "I'm glad the glasses help." She looks at her food again before shrugging, "I just thought I'd be a good spy since I can turn into anyone. But that's why Hollywood was suggested, too."

Kaylee clicks her tongue and reaches over to give Ollie's forearm an affectionate pat. "Don't you hear what you just said? You can turn into anyone. You can be anything. So why worry? Just remember to be yourself, and I'm sure it'll all work out," Kaylee says. Somebody must have been reading the school pamphlets or something. >_>

Ollie tilts her head at Kaylee, "Just because I can turn into anyone doesn't mean I can do everything…or that I automatically earn money or have a place to live or friends to hang out with." She does smile some though at the affectionate pat on her arm, "Thanks, though. I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it too much," but it's sort of a default mindset lately.

And Felicia is back, after getting food and wasting time chatting with other people. Now she is a social butterfly. Setting her tray down she pulls the can of Monster from her pocket, upsizing it as she does and sits next to Ollie. In deference to Ollie there is no dead animal flesh on her plate, she's thoughtful like that "You'll always have freinds to hang out with." she assures him "Or at least me." what prompted that statement from the turqouise haired girl though she has no idea.

Kaylee just smiles and goes back to eating her lunch. "Hey. I'm going blind and my girlfriend is worried that she won't be able to grow old with me. But those are things that are way in the future that we can't even control right now. So I choose not to worry about them. Only thing I'm worried about, right now, is giving Violet the best birthday ever in the history of birthdays, and trying to pass my English exam next Friday. We're in HIGH SCHOOL. We should make the most of it!" Felicia's return gets a smile as well and Kaylee nods in agreement. "Not to mention, I'm sure the faculty would love to help you if you're worried about it, too. Most of them are super nice. Like it's part of their powers or something." She grins.

Ollie looks over at Felicia when she sits at the table with her own tray and offers some reassurance. She doesn't look entirely convinced though, but she does offer a quiet, "Thanks." Kaylee's commentary has her blinking for a moment before she looks back to her own tray, "I'm not sure that the Faculty will be able to do much. It's a nice thought though."

Felicia noms on some fries as she listens to what Kaylee has to say. Using a fry she points to Kaylee while she shakes her head at Ollie "Dude…" she drawls out "The staff here has been guiding countless teens through life choices for years now. I'm pretty they know what they are doing. /You/ just have to give them and yourself a chance."

Kaylee grins and nods at Felicia's words. "Absolutely! Plus, it's not like there's so many students here that they don't really have a chance to get to know us. We have the same teachers all four years. Give them a shot!" she encourages. "How are you, Felicia?" she asks, since they haven't talked about THAT yet.

Ollie just looks between Felicia and Kaylee before she falls silent and just eats her food. She doesn't look at all convinced, but doesn't want to start yet another argument.

Felicia gives Kaylee a grin at the agreement then looks to Ollie and her negative attitude "This…" she circles a finger at Ollie, "Is not how to get to get done. Attitude is everything." and Ollie's has been up and down a lot lately. The question from Kaylee has her giving a shrug "I'm good. My calndar is full." of detentions probably "How's things with you Kaylee?"

"I'm … good," Kaylee answers, pausing to think about it just a little. "Getting ready for Violet's birthday. Otherwise, just school and stuff! Do you know if they do homecoming here?" she asks.

"Attitude hasn't gotten me anywhere lately, Felicia, so I'm just going to stay quiet," Ollie points out. Thankfully, Kaylee changes the question again, "It's usually parents visiting and stuff like that." Yet another weekend she'll try to be super busy at work.

"Huh. When's her birthday?" Felicia doesn't get much chances to hang out with Violet, but she likes the hardcore girl. There is a sigh, "That's cause you are throwing it around at the wrong time, at the wrong people for the wrong reasons." Felicia tells Ollie "Like with Daxton the other day. You just assumed about the weekend and got all irate when he already had plans. What you should of done is actually ask, be like "Hey Dax, wanna hang out this weekend." And then he could have been all 'Thanks man, I'm going to do this thing but we can get together for burgers on Saturday night if you want.'" this is Felicia trying to be helpful…and being very straight with the girl "The way you got all pissed, he was asking if you had a crush on him."

"It's the 26th," Kaylee answers, grinning. Buuuut … then they're talking about Daxton again, and Kaylee goes quiet. But at least she doesn't make any faces. Unfortunately, she's running out of lunch to busy herself with. These will be the last few bites she can use as an excuse to not talk!

"You guys don't get it…and it's my thing to deal with anyhow," Ollie sighs. "I don't have a crush on Daxton, but I feel like I'm a third wheel whenever I try to do anything with you guys anymore. You two hang out with his Unit and you know everyone and if I try to ask about it, I get looked at as if I don't belong there. So…I probably pushed him into a friendship he didn't want in the first place, so I'm just going to back off." She gives a glance to Kaylee…this is why she mentioned not pushing friendships earlier. "I don't want to be the annoying person, hanging around and not wanted. It actually had nothing to do with the weekend."

"That's what I told him." though Felicia isn't sure he believed if or not "Correction. He hangs out with them. I've meet them, that's about it. One of them helped me pick a motorcycle, but that was a favor for Dax and had nothing to do with me." an arm is put around Ollie's shoulders "If we made you feel like a third wheel I'm sorry, that wasn't our intention." talking about people not getting it. Instead of pursuing the topic further and getting Ollie more in a funk she drops her arm and addresses Kaylee "In a couple weeks than. If you need any help with party plans just ask."

Kaylee just smiles and shakes her head as she starts collecting her lunch stuff. "Oh, trust me. I've got more plans than I know what to do with. But, I might ask for a little help on the day of, just getting everything set up, if you're willing. I can tell you all about it, later, but I really should get over to the art room to get back to work on it," she explains.

"Thanks," is offered to Felicia before Ollie looks back to Kaylee, "What are you doing to the Art room? And count me in for helping with the party, even if it's just setting up." If they want. The offer is there and she won't force it. She then looks over to Felicia, "I don't think Daxton likes me like this, so I don't want to push it. I probably pushed him into friendship anyhow…like I pushed Grayson. So…it's ok. I get it."

Felicia nods to Kaylee "Heavy lifting is my specialty." quite literally really. She is going to have to go birthday present shopping now. She gives a shake of her head at Ollie "I don't think Dax cares what gender you are." actually she knows that for a fact, but also knows that convincing Ollie of it without giving examples would be impossible. She can't help but wonder if Ollie spent to long as a boy that now she just can't handle all the girly hormones and it is affecting her mentally. But she doesn't say that out loud, her filter does work that well!

"Oh, I'm just making decorations for our dorm with stuff from me and Violet," Kaylee explains to Ollie as she stands up. "Plus, I'm making like SOOO many streamers," she adds, grinning. "And really, my plan is to like, TOTALLY fill our room with balloons, like alla way up. So, if you could maybe help by shrinking them all down while we carry them from the art room to our dorm room? That might actually make it so I don't have to skip a whole half-day of classes." But, then they're talking about Daxton again! Seriously, that guy ruins more people's day …. Okay, so this time maybe Kaylee can't help but to glower a little.

"Wait, you two are dating and you're sharing the same dorm room?" That might come before the Daxton conversation. "Wow…and they made me leave my room with Max…" interesting! "If you need any help blowing up balloons or hanging those streamers, I'm happy to help." She then looks back to Felicia, "I don't know. He was freaked out even last year when I offered to be his prom date."

A thumbs up is given to Kaylee "I can do that." one mass balloon shrinkage coming up…later…when it is needed. Dax doesn't ruin Felicia's day(s), the pair get along just fine really. there is an eye roll "That's only cause you are a girl now…that has nothing to do with dating." then another shake of her head "He would have freaked out if anyone asked to be his date." maybe Felicia tried, who knows.

"Well, we weren't dating when we moved in together," Kaylee points out. "Plus, it's not like she could get me pregnant if we aren't careful." And then, she realizes what she's just said and hurriedly adds, "But we're not even doing that kinda stuff!" Cue blushing. Yup. Definitely time to take her tray away. "But thanks for the offer for help, guys. I'll let you know if I come up with needing anything. And we're probably going to start having monthly birthday parties in Prometheus, since I felt kinda terrible trying to throw a party for Violet when not everybody else gets one. So, if we do get that started, you'll be totally welcome to come to that!"

"I could have been a girl then," Ollie points out, "But he was all freaked. I honestly don't see the difference." But this is also Ollie, who can shapechange at will. She blinks back at Kaylee when the younger girl talks about her dating life, "Uhm…" and back to birthday parties, "Ok, that's a fun idea. Maybe Metis will borrow it." The girl gets a smile and a wave before she turns back to Felicia, "I don't want to date Daxton. Maybe I thought about it when I first met him, but he wasn't into me, so there we go. I was just trying to help by being someone familiar at Prom…I would have gone with you too, you know."

Oh the sniggering fit that Felicia has when Kaylee admits to what her and Violet has been up to…and then tries to reneg on it "Yeah right Kaylee, pull the other one, it's got bells on it." she gives a nod at the idea. She is all for more parties, even if they aren't for her! "He wasn't the only one." so was Felicia, she didn't want to have anything to do with prom especially being voted prom princess and neither did Dax. "But you didn't say anything to me at the time."

"Kaylee's eyebrows shoot up and she shakes her head adamantly. "No, really! We haven't. Not even once. ALMOST, once, but … I …," she pauses and looks askance for a second. She bites her bottom lip and then decides just to go ahead and say it out loud. "I'm scared, okay! So we haven't!" And then she turns around and hurries to put her tray away and flee the lunch room. Because that's what you do when you're scared, right?

Ollie just sort of blinks at Kaylee before she runs off. She then turns to look at Felicia, "Uh. Ok…I…wow." There's a shake of her head before she points out, "I was going to offer last year but I never got a chance to say anything to you. I hinted…but then I kept on being told that you weren't going at all. I didn't know until after that you actually went."

It takes a few moments for Felicia to get over her sniggering fit "Wow is right." she looks after Kaylee shaking her head in disbelief a moment "I don't do hints well. It's best if you just tell me. Then I will know for sure." there is a bit of a sigh "Yeah, it was a last minute decision. I couldn't let Dax stand up there all by himself on the off chance we both won. Want kind of friend is that?"

"I wasn't allowed or I would have just gone, too…" Ollie points out. This year, however, is a different ballgame. "I still don't know that he likes it though. I guess it doesn't matter in the long run since he's probably just going to be spending a lot of time with the Unit guys. It's just a little sad, that's all."

"How about focusing on what you like instead of what everyone else does." Felicia advises her as she polishes off her french fries "I mean gotta like yourself so others can do the same. Right?

"I know what I like, Felicia," Ollie offers. "And I do like myself. It just seems like others aren't too thrilled with my choices. I don't really want to be losing friends over it, but I think I already have."

"Uh-Huh." Felicia tells her as she takes a sip of her drink "Is it just the one choice you think they are unhappy with or multiple choices?"

Ollie sighs, "Gray is unhappy because I'm a girl. But he also doesn't think that he was the one who walked out on me. Daxton…I don't know. I can't read him. I think I pushed friendship on him that he didn't really feel so that's why I'm all upset when he blows me off. I'm reading more into the friendship than he is. You…I don't know. You haven't told me if you're unhappy with any choices I've made."

"Who walked away from who really doesn't matter in the big picture." but Felicia has never been in that kind of relationship, so what does she know. "Just don't give up. That's how you know who your friends are." she reaches over to pat Ollie's arm "If you are happy with your decisions I'm happy with them."

The pat and the words get a smile, "Thanks, Felicia. That means a lot. I guess…I mean, I don't want to force someone into being friends with me just because I'm scared of being along. That's not right for anyone, you know?" Ollie gives a sigh, "I don't want to be an extra wheel, but I also don't want to push a friendship. Should I just stay away for a little?

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