Got the Fish-Girl Don't Love Me Blues I12DT

[Christine Bowen]

Christie was sitting on a bench in a obscure corner of the hedgemaze, crying.

[Marcie Tiboldt]

Oh, man. This was awkward.

Mars had been exploring the hedgemaze when she accidentally spotted Christie and she didn't feel right about just leaving her there to bawl her eyes out...

"I'm really sorry to bother you," Mars says, "But are you all right?"

[Christine Bowen]

"Yeah, I'm fine." Christie said "Just freaking awesome."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Right," Mars says, "Ask a stupid question and all..."

"If you want to be alone or something, that's cool," Mars continues, "Just thought I'd make sure you weren't...in trouble or anything. Maybe see if you wanted someone to talk to."

[Christine Bowen]

"Not in the kind of trouble you can do anything about." Christie said "My girlfriend dumped me. Well, not really. She wasn't my girlfriend, really, but I liked her, and we were going on a date. Then Regan acted like a bitch and she decided that she just wanted to be friends."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Your...girlfriend?" Mars asked, looking confused for a moment before the realization strikes her, "Oh. Okay. RIght. Duh. Not that I mean...duh."

Mars pauses, collects herself, and continues, "That sounds like it sucks. Like, a lot."

Nailed it.

[Christine Bowen]

"Yeah, it really does." Christie said "And yes, I'm gay. In case you were wondering."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Neat," Mars says, not sure what else to say to that, "...Congratulations?"

That probably wasn't it.

"She might just be angry right now," Mars says, quickly trying to change the subject from her terrible response, "Maybe she'll change her mind later. I mean, she liked you, right?"

[Christine Bowen]

"I don't know." Christie said, deciding to ignore the 'congrats' for a bit "Enough to go out on a date, maybe. But she never said she was into me. I don't know what the hell. Anyway, I don't need to be making you uncomfortable, so yeah."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"You're not making me uncomfortable," Mars protests, "I think it's great! I just...well, I don't want to say the wrong thing and offend you or make things worse. I have a bit of a tendency to stick my foot in my mouth."

"Look, I think it sounds like she likes you. And I don't know what this 'Regan' person did, but someone like that doesn't stand a chance of getting in the way of two people that really like each other, y'know?"

[Christine Bowen]

"What color is the sky on your world?" Christie asked.

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"A bright shade of optimism," Mars says, "You should move here. It's awesome."

[Christine Bowen]

"Yeah, whatever." Christie said "Life sucks"

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Yeah, I know how that feels," Mars says, sitting on the ground, "Look, I know I'm not going to make everything, or anything better, and I know you can't just 'be happy' but,,,"

"...Well, when I put it that way I kind of realize how much I'm probably annoying you," Mars says, "Sorry about that."

[Christine Bowen]

"Its ok." Christie said "Its a crap day anyway, you aren't making it any worse."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Well, I'm glad I'm not adding to your problems at least," Mars says happily.

"I'm Mars, by the way."

[Christine Bowen]

"Christie"

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Good to meet you," Mars says.

[Christine Bowen]

"Likewise." Christie said, pushing her hurt feelings off to the side for a bit "You new here?"

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Yeah," Mars says, "Just got here a few days ago."

[Christine Bowen]

"Cool." Christie said "You settling in ok?"

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Well, my first day here a girl nearly took my head off with an alphabet block," Mars says, "I'm failing like, all of my classes."

"But I'm actually really liking it."

[Christine Bowen]

"Why is that?"

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Well, the people are really nice, even when I make a total ass of myself..."

[Christine Bowen]

"We've got a pretty high tolerance for weird behavior, yeah." Christie said "We've all been through a lot."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"That's good," Mars says, "I can be pretty weird sometimes."

[Christine Bowen]

"I think that weird is everyone's secondary mutation." Christie said "Where are you from?"

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"All over the place," Mars says, "My family moves a lot. I've lived almost everywhere in Europe and America."

[Christine Bowen]

"Cool." Christie said "I haven't gotten around much, it must be cool to get to travel."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"It's pretty cool," Mars says, "It kind of sucks not to have any roots though. To be an outsider everywhere you go?"

"It gets old fast."

[Christine Bowen]

"Yeah, I can see that." Christie said "At least you had your family, though."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

Mars smiles, "Yeah. I did."

"And my family is huge. I lived with all my aunts and uncles and their kids. One big happy family."

[Christine Bowen]

"Thats good." Christie said "Its just me and my dad and my brothers, but we're super-close. Even if my brothers are dorks sometimes."

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"That's great!" Mars says, "I never had any brother or sisters. I always wanted one."

"Can I steal one of yours?" Mars teases.

[Christine Bowen]

"Nope!" Christie said, teasing back "All mine!"

[Marcie Tiboldt]

"Dang it, foiled again," Mars says, shaking her fist at Christie, "I'm going to be a lousy single child forever at this rate."