Issue 1 Downtime

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

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?"

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

"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."

"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."

"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.

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

"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?"

"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."

"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?"

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

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

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

"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."

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

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

"I'm Mars, by the way."

"Christie"

"Good to meet you," Mars says.

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

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

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

"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."

"Why is that?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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."

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

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."

"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."

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

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

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

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