ic contact (mask or menace)

[hackitude]

"Hey! You've reached Skye. Leave a message. I mean, if you want to. Or uh, don't. Whatever."

Comments

[hackitude]

[Only because she's had a long time to mellow out.]

Yeah. Me too.

[She doesn't offer any more than that. She doesn't want to make the conversation about her. If Ellie wants to talk more about it, she figures she will.]

Hmm. He might be. But I'm sure he'll be secretly happy on the inside, too. You know, in that gruff, man-bear way of his.

[vaccination]

That's cool. I mean--shitty, but you know what I mean. [It's nice to find people with at least somewhat similar backgrounds.

Ellie snorts.]

Yeah. I hope so.

[hackitude]

... Yeah. I know what you mean. It's nice to know someone else who gets it.

So. What do you think I should get for Jesse? Help me brainstorm here. [That is, other than R-rated favors that she's totally not allowed to mention around Ellie or Joel will decapitate her.]

[vaccination]

[It's okay. Ellie assumes there will be some birthday sex. She doesn't even know what song.]

Hmm... maybe something for his car? I mean, ignoring the car, he doesn't seem really materialistic.

Unless.

[CLIFFHANGER.]

[hackitude]

Unless...? What? You can't just leave me hanging like that!

[vaccination]

You should make him a mix tape. CD. Whatever. Anyway, you know what I mean. Share some music with him. I think he'd love that.

[hackitude]

Oh. Wow. That's a really cute idea. But-- I don't know, you don't think that's a bit corny? And what if our tastes in music are totally different...

[vaccination]

It's super corny, but that's the point. [And later down the road, it can be super traumatizing. Ellie's sure that won't happen to them, though.] Just tell him the songs remind you of him or something and he'll be sold.

[hackitude]

I might die from all the cheese. Just saying. If I die, I'm holding you personally responsible.

[vaccination]

[That's not too funny to someone who has immense survivor's guilt, but Ellie musters up a laugh.]

But then you'll miss his reaction.

[hackitude]

Yeah, that's true.

Maybe I should troll him first? Give him a mix full of terribly cheesy top 40 pop stuff. Watch him try to keep a straight face.

1/2

[vaccination]

[Ellie doesn't know what the cheesy top 40 pop stuff is, but she'll take Skye's word for it.]

Oooh, yeah. Yeah, I like that idea. With a dumb gift. Like... underwear. Edible underwear, I saw that in a store in the mall. So weird.

[vaccination]

Unless you guys are into that sort of stuff. Then it can be a real present? [She laughs...]

[hackitude]

I'm worried he'd take it seriously...

But I'll come up with something.

[vaccination]

So how are we gonna do this cake thing? Joel's birthday is the day before so I'm gonna be with him, but we can start our new careers as bakers in the evening. Or the morning of Jesse's. Maybe make him think we forgot.

[hackitude]

Morning works for me.

You're going to need to help me with the guest list, though. I don't actually know who any of his friends are, other than you, me, Joel and Kara.

[vaccination]

[The wince here is audible.] ... that's my entire list, too. Um.

Maybe we invite them and have Jesse call up his other friends once he knows there's a party? I have no idea if that works.

[hackitude]

Hmm. Maybe Kara knows. Anyway, I'll ask around. Or maybe I can create some kind of filter to post something on the network that he can't see.

[vaccination]

He's [MYSTERIOUS, she wants to say, but refrains at the last moment because let's not have Skye think about that.] totally gonna freak.

[hackitude]

I know right? It's gonna be great.

[vaccination]

I hope so. I was only planning on doing one tiny birthday thing, so two? Way outta my league.

[hackitude]

It's cool. I'll help you through it. What else are cool big sisters for, right?

[vaccination]

[Slightly awkward silence? Maybe.]

Cool big sister, huh?

[hackitude]

Yeah. I mean, I'm cool, right?

[vaccination]

Ask me that again after baking.