girl problems with problem girls

who: Tad and Lauren
where: the library
when: early evening

Tad was a little worse for wear, but feeling good about his lesson with Mr. Hunt. There was still plenty to learn, but he'd made improvements over the day. Plus he felt good about asking Hunt about weapons next time they met up. There was still one thing playing on his mind as he pedaled towards the public library. She hadn't really offered to give him relationship advice, but the last time they talked she had a better understanding of his situation than he had and now he was in dire need of help. There'd been multiple moments over the past few days, even before the trip, where it had seemed like Kaysen was just waiting for him to make a move and he'd gone from confident to complete flail mode without blinking.

While Porter was his usual source of advice, he knew what Porter was going to say about the situation. "Just go for it," was all fine and dandy when your girlfriend was someone meek like Medea. It was an entirely different gamble when you were talking about someone who could set a room on fire if she got upset enough. So he was wandering the stacks of the library, looking for another source of advice, hoping she was around somewhere.

Lauren was still being a bit of a mope-y pants, although her chat with Jayo had made her feel marginally better about things, more because it'd been nice to have someone to talk to than because of anything he'd said or done, although really she was never the type of person to pout for long, so mostly? She was over sulking and was starting to try and come up with a more direct plan of action. So when she recognised Tad in amongst the bookshelves she grinned slightly to herself, her appearance flickering to something more closely resembling human, in her jeans & shirt, kinda see-through around the edges but hey, she was dead.

Tad looked a little less battered than he had done last time she'd seen him, which was nice. She floated directly through the bookshelf he was standing next to, forgetting that you kind of weren't meant to do that - but it was the quickest way to get where she was going - and raised her non-gross hand in a friendly wave.
"Hey Tad!"

He unintentionally jumped back half a foot when she just sorta floated through the bookcase and into view. Apparently three days of being chased about by demons had an affect on his nerves. "Jesus, Lauren, you scared me half to death." His look of shock shifted to an awkward smile, and his eyes shifted to his shoes. Of course looking at his shoes made his stomach tie up in knots because between his lesson with Mr. Hunt and riding over here, there wasn't time to change them or wash out blood stains. He shook away the memories and looked up at her again, pleased to see she seemed to be in one of her "happier" forms. "I was looking for you."

Lauren blinked slightly, and then realised what she had done, and laughed slightly at herself. "Sorry! I forget! It's just faster to float through than to wander around, you know how it is. Well, you don't, you're corporeal, but you can probably imagine. Anyway, how nice you've dropped in! I thought you'd forgotten all about me you know."

It had been what, 2 weeks since she'd last seen him? And what with Gabe going missing she had started to think that anyone she began to make friends with was just going to vanish.

"You know I wouldn't forget about you," he told her with a playful smile. "It's just been a crazy week." It had been a crazy week. He'd gotten beat up, again, then had a stupid trip to take for school and then almost died a few times. "Did you hear about our trip for school?"

Lauren rolled her eyes and snorted, that school trip was the source of most of her poutiness, so of course she'd heard about it. "Oh yes, spirit relations, except the only spirit in school wasn't actually allowed to attend. Stupid and hypocritical. Why, was it awful? Did someone get possessed or something?" her tone was uncharacteristically sarcastic, and she couldn't help feeling that maybe that was just the sort of thing they should have expected - dead people didn't like being gawked at.

Tad scowled, but not because of her tone and attitude. Why did people not know about what happened? They were practically killed, shit Skye was killed and no one seemed to be worried. Fuck, the damn rescue people were so nonchalant, they acted like it was a damn dream. Only there was still blood on his shoes.

"Someone getting possessed would have been a cake walk," he told her, his voice quiet. "We were attacked. Seriously attacked. By monsters. I have no idea what they were. A few of the guys thought demons, but they came in onto holy ground to try and kill us and..." His voice trailed off because he was suddenly aware how completely insane he sounded. "I was supposed to be back Friday, and got back this morning."

Lauren immediately felt bad for getting snarky when he told her that. She bit her lip and pressed her hands to her chest, her appearance flashing in it's usual static-y fashion back to her floral dress, more ghostly and upset.

"Oh Tad, I'm sorry. I had no idea. I don't really watch the news or anything," she paused, thinking that if they were really attacked by monsters (something which she had no trouble believing. She was a ghost. Scepticism sort of died along with... well... her. She'd had no problems believing Gabe was a Werewolf, or that Jayo was a voodoo practitioner, after all) that maybe it wouldn't actually be on the news - or it would be, but all covered up and sensationalised and messed with, "Although I doubt they're reporting it, are they? The news people? Or they're saying it was a rogue bear or something? Oh dear. Well at least you're okay - you are okay, aren't you?"

Tad let the worry on his face fall away and masked it with his lopsided grin. "Yea I'm fine." It wasn't entirely truthful, his hands were a little torn up from his weapon of the week being an old chair leg and his ribs were battered on one side from where he fell, but otherwise he was in one piece. It was more than could be said for most. "And no, they aren't really saying much of anything. I dunno. It was just weird."

Lauren resisted the urge to reach out and pat Tad on the shoulder, because she didn't want to hurt him with her spooky-cold paws, but she gave him a very sympathetic look, tipping her head and smiling in a wry fashion.

"Well, okay. Good. Do you need to talk about it, though? We can go sit in one of the computer rooms through the back, then the Librarian won't be up on our backs with all the 'shush'ing, you know?"

Lauren thought Tad might have come looking for her because he needed to talk to someone without being judged, and she figured that the kid maybe didn't have many friends, what with all his adorable awkwardness issues. That was okay. She liked being needed.

Tad's hand was in his jean's pocket, fiddling with the card the paramedic had given him. It had a help line to call, someone to talk to about the whole thing. He'd thought it was stupid at the time, and even now he wasn't ready to burden Lauren with something so heavy. "No, I'm cool. Thanks though. I did have something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"Sure thing kiddo," said Lauren shrugging. Lauren sometimes kind of forgot that she was technically only 18 and her calling Tad 'kiddo' was a bit ridiculous, but she felt a heck of a lot older, "Back room's still probably a good idea though. We're getting the stink-eye from Lady of the Library over there." She said this in a mock whisper, indicating over her shoulder to the librarian, who was indeed peering at them in a murderous fashion from behind the front desk.

The "kiddo" made Tad chuckle a little. He'd forgotten that Lauren was notorious for acting her death age rather than her life age. "Sounds good, lead the way. I've been here like three times since I was ten." He glanced back at the librarian and gave her a snarky teenaged boy look, the type that really pissed off authority figures and then followed after Lauren. "Remember I can't walk through things."

"Well I can't touch things, so you're gonna have to deal with the door handle yourself, Mr Snarkypants" said Lauren with mock-annoyance, floating through the door to the computer room and settling herself on a wheelie chair. Well - kind of hovering a fraction above it with her legs crossed. This made the bone in her leg a little less obvious and it meant that she could sap the energy from the adjacent computer. She didn't want to start going all filmy and whispery in the middle of a conversation.

He chuckled again, and pushed the door open for himself, following her into the room and closing it behind him. "So..." he started, obviously a little embarrassed. "Remember last time we talked we talked about my best friend, the girl?"

Lauren cocked an eyebrow and smiled knowingly, "Ahh yes, the mysterious girl who you don't have a crush on," said Lauren with a grin, "Was she on the monster filled school trip? Are you upset that her boyfriend didn't get eaten?" Lauren paused for a moment and stopped grinning, realising that under the circumstances that was probably a horribly tactless comment "...umm, he didn't did he? Get eaten? No-one got eaten, right?"

"No Chance didn't get eaten. He's been MIA for a week or so but he wasn't with us." Tad opted not to tell Lauren about Skye, so he just sorta blazed past the comment. He was pacing a little in the small room, obviously nervous, hating that he had to start this whole story from the beginning. "But yea, they broke up, like last week? I dunno. But we hung out a few days later and it sorta came out that I like her and we've just sorta been dealing. She's not ready for something or whatever, so I'm not like pushing it." Tad stopped pacing and lookd up at her. "But while we were on the set of a horror flick for three days, it was different ya know? Like she wasn't so Kaysen and it made it waaay easier to talk to her and be kinda... boyfriend-like?"

Lauren nodded sagely. He was pretty sweet, in a dorky nervous way. She also felt vaguely sorry for him, that his advice point for relationship problems was a dead girl.
"Well, if you ignore the horror movie business, which I honestly think might be more pressing but there we go, it sounds like you're making all the right steps. Respecting her space and letting her know how you feel at the same time. What's the problem?"
She got the distinct feeling he wasn't telling her the whole story, but he was probably all trauma-filled and issue-y so she was prepared to be patient with him.

"See before now, whenever I was...affectionate," Tad cringed at the word cause it sounded so stupid, but plowed on. "She just sorta looked at me like I was a little nuts, but dealt with it ya know? Lately she's just sort stopped, and stared at me like I'm supposed to do something and I have no idea what."

Ah. Lauren raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat in a slightly uncomfortable fashion. Lauren wasn't exactly equipped to give the most surreal birds & bees conversation of the century. She'd died before she'd got a chance to much other than kiss, and even then, she'd been a good, chaste Catholic girl. Tips on making the moves weren't exactly going to be her forte.

"Tad, um, have you... ever had a girlfriend before?" Lauren asked, trying to sound friendly rather than awkward, blushing slightly.

This stopped him and he turned to look at her. "Lauren, seriously, look at me. I've got two female friends: the one I'm talking about and you. What do you think the answer to that question is?" Defeated he slumped into an open chair near him. "I'm a complete loser and scared shitless that if I do something she'll hate me. Not to mention I don't even know what I'm doing."

Lauren laughed brightly and her appearance flickered accordingly to her most "alive" setting, her death pallor easing off slightly. He had called her his friend which was really a rarity for her and she was quite glad of it.

"Oh, honey! Don't worry! Why would she hate you?" said Lauren, leaning forward and reaching out, but again stopping herself before she touched him because of the frostiness, "You told her you like her and she didn't tell you to get lost, right? So I figure she must have a couple warm snuggly feelings for you, too. If some boy I thought was a loser-dork told me he liked me, I would avoid him. Not that, y'know, that'll ever be a problem ever again. But anyway - she's not avoiding? She likes you back. Even if it's just a tiny bit."

Tad looked up from his sullen state. He wasn't sure he believed Lauren, but her positive attitude was a little contagious. "I just don't know what I should do? Should I go for it on a whim or wait for some fantastic moment like in 'Paris When it Sizzles' where they're by the fountain and everything just comes together..." It was the oldest romantic movie he could think of and it was another of Grams' favorite. He must have seen ten times, which he realized was completely uncool.

"As impressed as I am that you've actually seen a movie old enough for me to have heard of it, those fantastic fountain moments don't tend to happen in real life, and so you might be waiting for a really long time."

Well, it was true. Real life wasn't a romantic comedy. There weren't happily-ever afters and flawless men with witty one-liners. It was just getting by as best as you could with what you had. She couldn't believe she was giving him dating advice. It gave her a funny little pang, that no-one would ever want a fountain-moment with her ever again. All that stuff was past. Now she was just advice girl. But okay, she could do that, it was enough that Tad counted her as a friend and not some oddity.

"Okay look. Forget how she might react for the moment, and just - think about what you actually want to do, not what you should do in order to be Mr. Smooth. You're very sweet, but you don't exactly strike me as a strapping Hollywood hero, and sweet is good. Really it is."

"I don't want her to hit me." With Kaysen it was always a possibility, but he knew Lauren was asking for more than that. "She's had the one boyfriend and he hurt her pretty bad when he broke up with her and I just want her to know I won't hurt her. Ever. Or at least not on purpose."

Lauren smiled, gave a squealy laugh like she was watching a kitten fall over and clasped her hands to her chest. It was about as close to having a "teenage girl" moment she'd had since, uh, ever.

"Oh, you are just ridiculously adorable, do you know that? Teenage boys are meant to be all hormonal and mean, and you're just like....button boy! But seriously, the proof is in the pudding. Just be exactly like you are, there's no way she's going to think you'll hurt her. Unless she's queen of paranoia town. Is she? Queen of paranoia town? Either way, I'm sure after bad ditching-town boyfriend you'll be a breath of fresh air."

She smiled softly and sighed, reigning in the gushing "Okay look, you're asking for advice from a dead girl. I was pretty much your age when I died, unexpectedly. That could happen to anyone. You want motivation to make with the kisses? Tomorrow you could be all spooky and translucent."

Tad didn't enjoy being squealed at. Actually when she made the noise he twisted his face up in disgust. She war right though, he didn't know how to be mean. He'd spent too long avoiding the meaner parts of his personaility and now he was stuck as is. If only she wasn't paranoid? That was adjective number two when describing Kaysen, it came in right after firey. But he couldn't argue with the "here today, gone tomorrow bit." Hell if things had gone wrong he might have lost her just the day before, or he might have lost himself.

"Ok so you make a point, but don't make that noise again," he warned her with a smile. Mostly he didn't fault her because she seemed so happy. Rubbing the side of his head in mock frustration he looked at her closely. "So I just go for it?"

She grinned in form of an apology for the squealing, and made a goofy face. It was weird, how something so simple as a visit could cheer her so much. But it was nice, not being alone all the time. Plus, she figured Tad was in her year at school, maybe he could help her out with some of her problems. If they really were friends.

"Yes, silly, go for it. Unless you don't want to. To me it doesn't sound like she's grossed out by you or anything. The only thing standing in your way is nerves. And I think giving you kissing tips might have to be where I draw the line - ask the webby thing about that one." she said, pointing at a computer and inadvertently making it flicker, a couple little sparks of energy flowing down her fingertip and making her hand glow.

Tad smiled in spite of himself. "I wouldn't push it that far. I think I can figure that part out on my own." It helped that it wasn't jut Porter who thought he had a chance. Maybe Kaysen would understand, and maybe Lauren was right. Maybe she did like him back. "Thanks Lauren. Sorry again it took so long for me to run into you."

"Well don't worry about it, just don't it again! No, I'm kidding, I guess you've had a lot on your plate what with monsters and cute girls. I loose track of the time anyway," that much was true - Lauren wasn't great at keeping track. What felt like hours could actually quite be 2 days, and vice versa. It came from the whole 'not sleeping' thing.

"Oh, but it's good that you did come to see me because I need your help too! We're in the same year at school, aren't we? You're a senior? Because look, it'd be nice if people...sort of...didn't freak out when I came into class. And if maybe, you spoke to people...well, just Kaysen I guess. If you get a chance between the hot-hot makeouts. Whoever you hang with, I don't know. Just, like, a couple words about how non-ooky and Poltergeisty I am, I'll have a better chance? At actually y'know, being allowed to finish?"

Her face slipped from it's previous glee into something more serious. She'd been thinking about it, and maybe getting some of the other kids in school on her side would be enough to get the people in charge to see sense and let her get her stupid diploma.

"Not a problem," Tad told her, blushing when she referenced the make out sessions. "I don't have a ton a of friends, but I'll be glad to point out who they are, and introduce you. They are cool people. I can't see them not liking you." He rolled closer to her, suffering on his own accord because he couldn't touch her. "We'll get it figured out. If there's anything I can do, I'll do it."

"I would hug you, but I don't think you're a big fan of frostbite," she said as he rolled closer - probably close enough to feel how cold the air turned around her - and smiled slightly "But thank-you. I appreciate that. I kind of... freak people out. Which isn't nice, but yeah, the more folks who know I'm not about to start getting all Stephen King on them, the better. I'm sick of being told that I disturb people, it's not exactly wonderful for the confidence."

He really was a sweetheart. It was weird, how some kids just didn't seem to do well with people, especially people like Tad who probably deserved to be liked. She'd never had to worry about it when she was alive - she'd been pretty popular - but now she was dead and gross and mangled, she kind of understood where he was coming from with the not many friends thing.

Tad shrugged and leaned back in the chair again. "I dunno, I can't blame people for being scared of stuff. I mean I know most ghosts freak me out. You don't, cause I know you, and I figure I'd feel the same way if I got to know others, but..." He paused thinking about how best to put it. "You ever have nightmares? Well I guess not now since you don't sleep, but do you remember having them? I think for some people, me included, they have spirits in their nightmares. So you aren't scary, but the concept is."

Lauren blinked. Okay. That would be where the not-many-friends thing came from, then. The kid had a particularly amazing skill for saying exactly the wrong thing. She knew he probably didn't mean it as horrible as it had sounded, but she couldn't help but feel pretty aghast.

"Wow. Tad I.... do you know how hurtful that is? That's like... it's like saying you're not a racist, but hey, black people just freak you out. Do you get that? You just said I'm a nightmare, and even if you didn't mean me personally that's... that's just a really mean thing to say. I'm just a person. All of us. Dead people. Ghosts. We're just people who happen to be dead. We still have feelings and everything the same as you. I'm sorry if the concept of me being different scares you, but if we're really friends and you're not just... turning up because you don't have anyone else to talk to and I'm some sort of novelty or something.... well you shouldn't be thinking in that way."

Her appearance blinked into her most ghostly form, her eyes white and lifeless, her skin lined with veins and not quite fitting her bones right. It wasn't a concious choice, but then again neither was the flickering and sparking that was happening with the computers behind her, causing a weird blue energy to flow through parts of Lauren's form. Right now? Lauren probably did look pretty nightmarish. But she couldn't help it. He'd touched a really, really raw nerve.

If it was another ghost, he'd probably be freaked out, but it was Lauren. "C'mon, you know I didn't mean it like that." Tad's cheeks flushed a little. "It's just...I dunno." There wasn't a way he could explain himself out of this one. He'd tried before with Lauren, and then with Eben and he was always wrong. They didn't get that whole, nightmares come true, even if they were people. Just like he was sure vampires and werewolves were people, but that wasn't stopping them from being hunted. "Sorry," he mumbled, closing into himself. "And just cause I don't have many other friends doesn't mean I don't like you or think you're a novelty or whatever."

"Well just think about what you say little more, please? For me. It's that kind of attitude, like I'm unnatural and I shouldn't be here, that makes everything so hard. I am here. We're all here, spirits, and people need to get their heads out of their sandpit and realise that. We're not inferior and it's not fair for you or anyone else to call us nightmares okay? That's just really hurtful, even if you don't mean it to be."

She was ranting slightly, although she didn't sound angry, more upset and kind of disappointed. She fizzled out a little bit and the computer monitors stopped sparking, but her death-mask appearance still stuck. She kind of felt sorry for Tad, what with all his "issues" and having just been attacked my crazy monsters in the wilderness or whatever - but it wasn't spirits who had done that, was it? It was definitely something a little more corporeal. His half-mumbled apology also stung slightly, as it didn't sound like he got it, how bad it made her feel when she was viewed as something subhuman.

"I'm not exactly known for thinking about what I'm saying. It happens when you don't really talk to people often. Or when you're a moron. I happen to meet both requirements." If there was anything Tad excelled in it was putting his foot in his mouth. "I never said you were inferior either. Or think of you that way. You know that right?"

"Well maybe you should start," said Lauren, although not unkindly, her appearance blurring again, less The Ring and more Casper, "You're not a moron, you just... lack tact? I'm glad you don't think I'm inferior - but if you can stop talking about me like I'm a different species or something that'd be really great."

She smiled sadly. If even Tad, who she wanted to help her be seen as less freaky-deaky saw her as some sort of bizarre aomally, she didn't stand much chance. Oh well, she was trying. "So hey," she said changing the subject, "Was Gabe on this school trip of horror and doom? I haven't seen him around for a while.."

"I'm trying," he offered, knowing it wasn't much. She looked sad and he knew it was his fault, but he couldn't think of any way to cheer her up. Thankfully she changed the subject and he was able to run with it. "Gabe was not there, but I've not seen him around either. Not that I try and see the hockey team much on purpose." Tad motioned to the healing cut above his eye. It would definitely leave a scar. "The JV team permanently branded me as a loser last week for fun."

Lauren made a sympathetic face for Tad's sake, he was kind of a goof, but he didn't deserve a beating, but couldn't help but feel worried. She had promised Gabe she would sit with him on the full moon - which was tonight. She hoped he was okay. But of course, it was more likely that the cute hockey player had decided he could do better than a girl who was pretty far past her prime.

"That's horrible, Tad, it really sucks. Gabe didn't beat you up though, right? He's a sweet guy, he was very accepting of y'know, how I am. You should try and talk to him - his friends aren't very nice though - he got beaten up himself not that long ago. Highschool politics, huh? Who can fathom them."

"You have no idea, but no I don't think he was with them." Tad didn't offer to make friends with the guy though. He wasn't the type to walk into a burning building just for kicks. "More like who can survive them. I totally understand why you want to graduate so bad."

Lauren smiled wryly. She didn't think Tad understood at all why she wanted to graduate. "Well, I didn't survive a couple other things, never mind high school. I want to graduate because I can. I... I was awesome at high school. I had a 4.0. I was in the choir. I had a future. Now, I don't. No more future. I just... I need to finish. I deserve it. I worked hard for my diploma, and I still am working hard. It's a lot harder now, though, y'know?" She sighed and gave Tad a very old look. "Just don't take things for granted, kiddo, you don't know when it could all be snatched away."

She was making him think of Kaysen again but he let the thoughts just linger in the back of his mind. "You think that might be why you're still here? You're 'unfinished business' or whatever?" Tad asked hoping she wouldn't yell at him again for being insensitive.

"I don't know why I'm here," said Lauren, seriously considering the question like she always did - absent mindedly rubbing the cross around her throat, too, "I guess I just decided to do the whole school thing once everyone could see me 'cause it was like, why not, you know? I knew I had the ability to do it if only they'd let me. But as far as unfinished business goes? No, I don't know. I think it's just random. I'm just here. There doesn't seem to be any logic or reason behind it."

Lauren made a face and rolled her eyes at herself, "Anyway whatever, am I the singularly most depressing person you've spoken to today? I bet I am. When're you going to see your girl? You have to tell me how it goes, kay? I promise not to be all..." Lauren mimed hanging herself with a comedy gagging noise "...what's the word? Emu kid? I dunno. I won't be such a downer anyway."

The thought of Lauren moving on was sad, but he realized it would probably be for the best in the end. Sure she was here, and still a person, but being a ghost meant she was in some sort of in between stage right? "No idea what it could be? I fiugredd that might be something that's always on your mind." He did chuckle when she got the term wrong. "I think you mean 'emo' kid. It's short for emotional or something."

Lauren flapped her hands at Tad and made scoffing noises, "One letter off, not too bad, I'm still learning the lingo you know," she was sounding more chipper at least, but wasn't quite selling it perfectly, "Ugh I talk like someone's mother. Ok! Here's the deal. You come back and see me after you've seen Kaysen - and make sure in between all your smooching you talk to her about me not being oogy and spectre-y - and if I find Gabe maybe I can speak to him about his friends not giving you a hard time any more? If you want? It'll be like, our own special awesome friend thing, fighting each other's battles and what not. We can attempt to reform our social outcastness together, it will be marvy!"

Tad grinned, laughing a little. "I'll come find you after I talk to Kaysen again, promise. And I'll mention the whole, you're not scary bit, but I doubt she'd think that. She's a good person. Rough around the edges but a good person." He stood up, grabbing his bag and swinging it on his back. "Don't worry about talking to Gabe, I think I got that under control. But I do hope you run into him." Tad crossed the small room and pushed the door open a little. "I'll see you later Lauren, and thanks."

Lauren gave Tad a small smile and wave with the non-deformed hand (don't want to give him more nightmare fuel after all, she thought somewhat bitterly) and sighed to herself once he was gone. He was a sweet kid, heart in the right place despite the foot-in-mouth syndrome, and she hoped it worked out with his girl that he liked. That'd be cute. Her mind wasn't one hundred percent on it, though. It would be getting dark soon. Maybe she'd go for a walk - just to see if Gabe was anywhere to be found. Just to make sure.