2011-09-08: In Need Of A Friend

Players:

Jeremy_icon.jpg Shane_icon.jpg

Summary: Jeremy meets up with Shane to vent a bit after earlier events.

Date: September 8, 2011

Log Title: In Need of a Friend

Rating: PG


NYC - Wong's Golden Helix

In the window are pictures of Chinese dishes once can get at Wong's Golden Helix along with a Lucky Cat that constantly waves. It's mainly a take out restaurant but there are four round tables and chairs that seat about eight people each, as Wong's encourages strangers to sit and eat together. In the middle of each table is a napkin dispenser, a variety of sauces and a metal container holding forks, knifes and chopsticks. Wong's serves a variety of Cantonese-Chinese cuisine from more American-Chinese to Traditional Chinese. General Tso's, Dim Sum, Suckling Pig, noodle dishes, Mapo Doufu , Congee and more.
Wong's Golden Helix is run by Chinese Twins, one with teleportation and the other with super speed. Ingredients are always fresh from China and made with incredible speed. Both twins have families and their children help in the running of the restaurant.


Sometimes you just need a friend and since Shane called him yesterday he decided to return the phone call. It was a nervous and awkward conversation, at least for Jeremy, but he asked if she could meet him at the little Chinese restaurant in Mutant Town. He sits at one of the tables and waits for her to arrive, looking at a menu in between watching the door. He's dressed in his usual long sleeve shirt, gloves and a scarf, leaving his face the only skin exposed.

Meeting someone for dinner is one of those things that any normal person spends far too much time agonizing over the details for. Thus, Shane spends the better part of the entire day since the phone call stressing out about every possibility and detail, from what she'd want to eat to the color of her hair. In the end, of all that she'd wanted to get right, she only had enough time to dye her hair Tang orange before rushing out the door and attempting not to get lost in New York. Thus, when she finally slinks into view outside the restaurant, it's in baggy jeans, a blank white t-shirt, and an unzipped blue windbreaker.

Jeremy spots the head of orange hair first and he stands up and gives her a wave. "Sorry to ask you out here, just, I, I needed to be away from school for a bit." He says not really sure what else to say, he doesn't really open up to many people. "Don't worry about dinner tonight, I can pay for it. I don't have much to spend it on anymore now that I'm clean." He gives a smile at that statement though as if to say it's a good thing.

Shane nods, dropping into a chair. "S'fine, y'don't need to," she mumbles, eyes lowered. "Sorta have three months' allowance to spend anyway." An eyebrow twitches upward as Jeremy proclaims himself clean, and nods slowly. "…'S good to hear, you stayin' clean. Good reason t'celebrate, I guess…"

"I have been since the overdose. I went to rehab." Jeremy says as he's quite for a bit. He looks at the menu for a bit, flipping it over a for a while before speaking again. "Sorry, I just had a rough day. I know Mr. Daniels didn't mean to be annoying but he was asking too many questions."

Shane flips open the menu, peering at the contents as though looking for something specific, before closing it again, frowning faintly at the change in direction. "….Counselor?"

Jeremy shakes his head. "No, just, a teacher. He want's to…empathize but all he could say is I know it's hard I can't even imagine." He says rolling his eyes with a sigh. "Just because I'm quiet most of the time and don't like conversation doesn't mean I need to see a doctor and get medication for depression." He says resting his head on the table in frustration.

Silence from the other end of the table; the sort of crackling fury one might see right before someone gets a badly deserved punch in the jaw. Finger joints pop quietly, as Shane curls and uncurls her hands, a dark look on her face. "…Dad woulda gotten his ass bounced right outta the school, he said that to me. That's lazy bullshit, and if he ain't a counselor he oughta shut his fucking mouth about doctors."

"I know I have issues, I know I'm a failure but I wasn't feeling that bad until he made it seem like there was something wrong with me." Jeremy says. "Then he tries to get all buddy buddy when I'm about to leave…" He shakes his head. "He's a teacher, I shouldn't disrespect him but, I don't need him reminding me." He says frowning. "Dad…and he kept calling me son." He grumps.

Shane snorts, loud enough to be heard clearly. "Oh bullshit. He acts like that? He gets disrespected. Means he's a worthless teacher. Hell, I *saw* a counselor at my school, and he was a goddamn joke, and I don't see him anymore. Same thing."

The snort from Shane brings a bit of a smile on Jeremy's face. "At least it's not just Mr. Daniels whose like that but it's worse for you, he's supposed to be the guidance councilor. I was sent to this woman for rehab, that actually did help but she didn't pressure me into talking. Not everyone wants to talk about it, nor is it easy. You know how much it hurts to just say, my family hates me?" He says quietly, glancing away from Shane.

"….No," Shane says after a moment, eyes dropping. "…But that's 'bout the only thing doesn't hurt. Still have nightmares 'bout when I got hospitalized. Not so many, now… but 's just 'cos something worse happened."

Jeremy looks up at Shane and furrows his brows in concern. "Something worse, is everything okay? I don't know the details about your being hospitalized but, you don't have to tell me if you don't want. About the worse thing either." After all he doesn't want to pressure her to open up like people seem to do with him.

Shane lifts a shoulder, shaking her head. "Hospital's old news. Back in my old school, buncha kids figured they'd stop the bullshit over having a mutant in the school themselves. Curbstomped me. Few weeks inna hospital, few more in PT."

Jeremy nods. "Yeah, my parents found out I was a mutant, I think before I did. I found out because of my powers they were planning to kill me, public display of it. Friends of Humanity, we got into a fight and I ran away." He says in a voice barely loud enough to hear. "I'm sorry that it happened to you though, how can people…nevermind."

Shane is silent in the face of this admission. Then, finally, she slumps back in her seat. "…Sorry," she mumbles, unsure what else to say. "You landed someplace decent, though, right?"

Jeremy shrugs a shoulder. "It's okay. Eventually I did but I was on the streets for a while. Barnes took me in but to deal with my powers going haywire and I got hooked on heroin, kicked out of the shelter for stealing, things got really hard for a while before I was able to pull myself back up. I just, it's hard Shane and I'm sorry, you don't need my issues. You sound like you've been going through a lot yourself."

Shane grunts. "Not important. Seriously. Tell you about it some other time. You called me, right? So let's order up and eat." She falls silent for a moment, looking down. "…'Sides. Trying not t'be such a selfish bitch anymore. Need the practice."

"Then you make me feel like I'm a selfish ass just focusing on me." Jeremy says smiling every so slightly. "I guess I just needed to get away and talk to someone and I didn't know who. I don't have many friends, it's hard. Especially with my powers, if I were to accidentally touch someone, I see everything. Who wants a friend they can have no secrets with?" He says finally looking at the menu and ordering once the waitress comes over. He orders juicy buns, pork and noodle soup and some beef tripe. "There, finally getting food." He says with a smile.

Shane orders General Tso's, shu mai, and a bowl of fried rice, waiting until the waitress leave to pick the coversation back up. "Meh. 'F y'end up knowin' all my secrets, too late to bitch about it anyway. What's the point? Don't got enough many either, bein' picky about when they're my friends's just stupid."

"Thanks." Jeremy says to Shane giving her a smile. "I hate it. I don't want to know this stuff but most of the time my power has been back lashing in a way lately and as much as I see the past of what I touch, they see my past in return. So, is everything okay at Xavier's lately?"

Shane shrugs. "Still there, so, guess so. Got my powers under control. Thinking about starting another project. You?"

"Okay I guess, classes are okay so far. I still dont' know if I'll ever be able to touch anything without my powers but they're trying to make it so it's easier for me to handle." Jeremy says. "What kind of project?"

"Costumes," Shane grunts, after the waitress returns with their orders and leaves again. Picking up her chopsticks, she pulls them apart. "Anime stuff, mostly. Some games got good looks, though. Something for Comic-Con this year, maybe. Not sure what, though."

"That's cool. I haven't really watched any anime or played any video games since I ran away. I don't know why." Jeremy says. "I just study mostly, I guess I feel like I have to make up for all that time I lost on the streets. I…I guess I'm just lost."

"Me too," Shane says, chopsticks hovering over a steamed dumpling. "Just…. getting back into the costumes cos it makes me happy, y'know? Only ever did it for me. Dunno what I'm s'posed t'do after school. Figure I'll be lucky surviving that long, i guess."

"I never played the violin or ran track for me, I did it because my parents wanted me too and it'd be good for college." Jeremy explains. "I didn't mind, them telling me what to do. I was fine with it. I actually liked those things but now, I don't know what the point is. If it's cool, I'd like to see some of your costumes sometime."

"….Sure," Shane says after a moment, tucking into her food in earnest. "Vincent should be clean enough now, start with that. Next weekend or something, we'll go to the Fabric District."

"Huh?" Jeremy says a bit surprised at the invite. "Oh, okay. Sure." It should be nice to go out and actually make friends and do things with them. "Thanks." He says as the food arrives and he takes a pair of chopsticks so he can dig into his dinner.

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