Thirty-Fourth Theory [Voice]

[i_speak_softly]

Filtered to Raine Sage || Unhackable

Professor Sage... I won't be coming back to school in January.

Comments

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Raph drifts off for a while between the worlds of sleeping and waking, a whole mess of memories and emotion running through his head. But eventually, his mind traces its way back to that day by the lake, eating salami sandwiches in the rough grass, the feel of her skin against his lips.

He opens his eyes, swallows, tries to quiet his racing heart. For a while, he lays there studying his brother's silhouette in the window.

Finally, he works up the courage to say something.]

Can I ask you somethin'?

[i_speak_softly]

[It takes him a while to register that someone is talking to him. He doesn't know how much time has already passed.]

Hm?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

First, you gotta promise you're not gonna act weird about this.

[i_speak_softly]

[He sighs heavily.] I'll do my best.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

All right. Here goes.

[He clears his throat.]

Have you ever uh...you know, us livin' like we are...have you ever thought about gettin' yourself a girl? I mean, you think it might be possible there's some chick out there might actually not scream if you asked her out?

[i_speak_softly]

Hardly anyone has screamed at me at all. Then again, I don't usually ask questions like that. [Mostly avoiding the other half of the question? Maybe.]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, what if I told you that I did?

[i_speak_softly]

Did what? Ask a girl out?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Sorta.

[i_speak_softly]

Am I right in thinking that it didn't go well?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

How'd you guess?

[i_speak_softly]

If it had gone well, you wouldn't have asked me about it in such a hypothetical and roundabout way.

[He moves to sit on the corner of the bed.]

Are you okay?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[He sits up a little against the wall.] Yeah. I guess I'm over it. At least past the point of feelin' sorry for myself.

[i_speak_softly]

It was a while ago. [Mostly a statement.]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[He nods.] Last summer.

[i_speak_softly]

[He's quiet a while before saying:] Hypothetically, I think the answer is yes.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

Yes for what?

[i_speak_softly]

Yes, I think it's possible that a girl might like it if you asked her out.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

Now if you could only tell me who.

[i_speak_softly]

Insufficient data, sorry.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[He grunts something of a laugh, then sighs.]

But you know, I was thinkin' today. Lookin' back on it, I'm glad she said no. I don't think I was good enough for her, turtle or not.

[i_speak_softly]

[He frowns.] What do you mean?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

I don't know. What kinda girl would wanna put up with me?

[i_speak_softly]

April likes you. [She even lets you live in her house. If that's not putting up with, Don doesn't know what is.]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but not like that. And I know I push it with her sometimes.