Room 209, Wednesday night

[can_be_more]

It might be things brought up when she was little, or the panic the last day at the thought that this planet might actually be frelled up enough to consider marriage between a five-year-old and a seven-year-old legal, or maybe even things she said in the interview with D'Anna, but Aeryn's just feeling quiet. It's not good, it's not bad, just... she's thinking.

And tossing the driver's ed manual in her closet, right by prom's pointy shoes. She's pretty sure she can pass it anyway. As long as they're driving real cars.

Comments

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"You have regrets then?"

[can_be_more]

"I was five."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"You were also Aeryn Sun who was more intelligent than almost every other kid in school, younger or older. What's bothering you so much about this? You know I wouldn't have pushed for this if it was legal," John says.

[can_be_more]

"You're telling me you were fine hearing an announcement saying it was real?" she asks.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I was surprised but not upset. And I knew there had to be more to it. Parental permission wasn't even given here Aeryn and I knew nothing could happen at that age without parental permission," he explains.

[can_be_more]

"Your planet is largely backwards and I'll never have parental permission for anything, so you're a step ahead of me," Aeryn tells him.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Are you upset at me?"

[can_be_more]

She decides on an answer and says, "No. It's just stupid, that's all."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Stupid being married to me or stupid something else?" John asks.

[can_be_more]

"I didn't say that," she says. "Can we stop talking about this?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He nods slowly. "Want me to leave? So you can think?"

[can_be_more]

"I'm perfectly happy with a subject change."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Okay." He nods once. "I'm not going home this summer."

[can_be_more]

She frowns. "You haven't been home since school started. Won't your family be upset?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"They'll understand," he says simply.

[can_be_more]

"Are you sure about that?" she asks, because she remembers Parents Weekend.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

No. "Yes."

[can_be_more]

She really does not want his father to have more reasons to hate her, but at the same time, she knows how this argument goes. So she says, "I don't want to take you away from them." Because it seems like a compromise between pushing and not pushing.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I'm planning on visiting once or twice," John tells her, "but I'm spending summer here. I want to be here. With you. You're not taking me away from anything. This is my decision."

[can_be_more]

Aeryn nods. "Okay," she says, because she knows she isn't going to be able to talk him out of it, and she doesn't want him to go.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Everything okay now?"

[can_be_more]

She's not sure when they got to be a complicated answer again. "Sure," she says. She doesn't know what else to say.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He's still not sure if he believes that.

"Aeryn. What's wrong, honey?"

[can_be_more]

She shakes her head. "Nothing worth discussing," she says. She isn't really sure of the answer, actually.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John sighs and rubs a hand through his hair.

"Anything's worth discussing," he tells her. "Tell me."