Read-a-holic

[ghostlygeorge]

"YOU WOULDN"T...I mean... it's rude to start rumors about other people..."

"Well, well the bird's out of the bag..." George grinned to herself. It wasn't really a rumor anymore seeing as how the little Mockingbird confirmed it with her squawking. She opened up her book again and leaned back in her chair.

She peered at Lily over the top of the book. "You know what you have to say. If you do, then you have my word, that I will not interfere with that if you don't want me to." George smirked. That wasn't completely true. She wouldn't overtly interfere. But she would create situations that would force the two together.

But then again George would do that to with every guy Lily spoke to, looked at, and went to school with. That was her gift to the introverted girl...

[Lily]

"You know what you have to say. If you do, then you have my word, that I will not interfere with that if you don't want me to." George said with a smirk.

Lily shook her head. "That's just mean George! I mean. I really dunno if I like him for sure yet...... it's just all weird...Could you at least let me figure things out before going and blabbing to h im?" she asked. She wasn't mad.... she just was concerned. She really didn't want George to do anything rash, and she knew she would if given the chance.

[ghostlygeorge]

George saw the concern on Lily's face. And the joke was finished. "That's just mean George! I mean. I really dunno if I like him for sure yet...... it's just all weird...Could you at least let me figure things out before going and blabbing to him?"

She chuckled. "I was just trying to get a rise out of you, Birdie" Winking at her uptight friend. "I promise I won't go out of my way to embarrass you. I'll just make up for it when I'm with you..."

[Lily]

"I was just trying to get a rise out of you, Birdie" She said with a wink and a chuckle. "I promise I won't go out of my way to embarrass you. I'll just make up for it when I'm with you..."

She sighed, rather relieved. "You're going to give me a heartattack one of these days George..... you know that?!" she joked, but her face grew serious as there was a more pressing matter to attend to.

"Besides, I really dunno who I like at the moment.... I mean why do alot of guys have to be so nice? I'm really sorry for kissing James in front of you though.... I dunno what came over me, it was just... odd." she sighed. "And I met yet another guy who my heart seems to have fallen for.... which makes a total of four. I"m afraid I'm going to explode!!!!!!!! I haven't the slightest clue which one I like the most.... I hate deciding things." she shlumped in her chair sadly. Though she couldn't help but feel as if she were acting a little self centered. She had hardly heard anything that had gone on in George's life since the other day.

[ghostlygeorge]

George grinned. Lily's social life had blossomed in such a short time....it was unreal! George listened quietly.

"Don't apologize!" George started when Birdie had run out of steam. "We both know I have no business ever being in the Library. Romance I am not an expert in." She grinned. "I'm playing for the wrong team anyway. All I can tell you is to go with what feels right."

George sat back and smiled. She was happy for Lily. She was out of the emo shy girl shell and now had four different guys vying for her. "Who says you have to choose?" George smirked.

[Lily]

"Don't apologize! We both know I have no business ever being in the Library. Romance I am not an expert in. I'm playing for the wrong team anyway. All I can tell you is to go with what feels right." she said, grinning. And then relaxed a bit more.

"Who says you have to choose?" George's grin turned into a smirk.

Lily shook her head. "Because..... Because I already have." she sighed. "I really really like him alot. I can't believe I did.... and it took quite a bit of thinking.... But I decided to choose him..." she smiled slightly, and then sat back in her chair. Her bright blue eyes seemed to have a happy, energetic look to them. Her life had been going great since the year started.

"Guess what..... He likes me back.." she said, smiling still. She played absentmindedly with her gloves as she sat there.

[Kat]

Kat wandered into the coffee shop... she was starting to make this a second home, or at least a third. She headed for the counter, and ordered an apple drink and a poppyseed muffin.. she had money, for once.

Looking for a place to sit, she noticed a couple of teenagers that looked familiar, so she headed in that direction to make sure.

"Uh, hi." she said, a bit unsure if she was interrupting something private. They seemed to be in a good mood, anyway.

[ghostlygeorge]

"Uh, hi."

George had heard, as Lily played with her gloves. Astounded that Birdie was smiling as much as she was. Looking up she saw Kat, a girl she had met before at this very location. George smiled. Another friend for Lily. "Hey, Kat!" Pushing out a chair with her foot, George expected her to sit down. "Care to join us?"

Looking to Lily, George contemplated whether or not the conversation would continue without her friend blushing. Not likely. So she plowed on anyway. "We were just talking about Lily's sudden influx of male counterparts. She recently had to pick from four guys. She made a decision though. I'm pretty sure it's Jimmy Crack Corn."

George nodded. "I approve. Though I might have to work on getting you banned from the Library. Anyway, Kat, once you meet me, your life gets interesting fast..."

[Lily]

"Uh, hi." she heard someone say. She looked up and saw a girl she had never met before.

But obviously George had. She smiled and pulled out a chair for her. "Hey, Kat! Care to join us?" George asked. Lily sighed. She hoped George wouldn't be as stupid as keep discussing their last subject. She really didn't want to tell the whole world just yet.

"Hello.." she said softly. It would've been impolite to just sit there and not greet her. Even if she didn't know her.

"We were just talking about Lily's sudden influx of male counterparts. She recently had to pick from four guys. She made a decision though. I'm pretty sure it's Jimmy Crack Corn." Lily sighed. She had basically told her life story as of two weeks, to this girl Lily had never met. And though she was glad George used the nickname, because no one would know who it was.... It sounded like she liked a crack addict.

George nodded and then continued to embarass her more. Lily was beginning to think that that was George's favorite thing to do. "I approve. Though I might have to work on getting you banned from the Library. Anyway, Kat, once you meet me, your life gets interesting fast..."

Lily laughed softly. "Well thanks for your approval...... But don't you dare get us banned from the library. We both love to read." she emphasized the both. She wanted to show George that some people in the world, really did like to read alot. "And Kat, you might want to stay away.... Once you've met her, George never leaves you alone.." she joked, a small smile on her lips.

[Kat]

Hey, Kat!" George had said, and offered a seat.

She wrinkled her nose. "Male parts, huh? Why are you talking about that?" She laughed, realizing she probably misheard. Actually, it wouldn't have been such a bad topic, just not in a coffee shop. In public. In front of everyone.
"Oh, sorry. Four guys, huh?"

"Hello." came Lily's soft voice... she didn't seem thrilled to have another tablemate, especially as George continued to talk. Luckily, she seemed to lighten up a bit after a little while.

'... once you meet me, your life gets interesting fast." George had promised.
"And Kat, you might want to stay away.... Once you've met her, George never leaves you alone." Lily responded.

"That won't be so bad, so long as she doesn't get anyone banned from the library, as you said... we need more people for the study club that Lana and I are talking about forming... and we might want to be able to use the library when the common room is too noisy."

"Oh! That reminds me... did you two hear that the kitchen blew up? All the pipes and stufff, and some kids got frozen? I think a coach got sick too... that's what I heard, anyway." That was all old news to George and Lily, but Kat was proud of herself at being able to pass on important gossip like that.

She sat after a moment. "Anyone want some muffin? It's pretty big... I can share."

[ghostlygeorge]

George grinned. Kat was quite likeable. Her timidness was endearing and good for a chuckle. At least she was much more sociable than Mopey.

"Male parts, huh? Why are you talking about that?" George chuckled. "And Kat, you might want to stay away.... Once you've met her, George never leaves you alone.."

She gave Lily a playful pout. "Aw, it's not that bad, is it?" George grinned. Embarrassing was the best way to get Lily out of her shell, or so George thought. It did force Birdie to actually engage in a conversation about private thing in public. Once you become immune to that, people calling you names doesn't really bother you that much. She turned back to Kat. "You got your mind in the gutter, haven't you?" George teased.

Kat said something about school, and George's mind sort glazed over. Not that school wasn't a priority for her, but school was quite boring. Eight hours of listening to people talk, mostly about things that don't interested. Then they have the nerve to test her on it. Educators double as sadist.

"Oh! That reminds me... did you two hear that the kitchen blew up? All the pipes and stufff, and some kids got frozen? I think a coach got sick too... that's what I heard, anyway." George stopped laughing.

"It didn't blow up," she mumbled. "The pipes got pulled out of the wall. That's it." It was sort of annoying to have everyone think the kitchen blew up. She would kill to have that kind of power. But water could be just as destructive...

"Anyone want some muffin? It's pretty big... I can share."

George felt that she might regret saying it but it was the explanation of why she didn't want the muffin. She normally never turned down food. "Poppyseed feels weird in my mouth."

[Lily]

As soon as they began to elaborate on what Kat thought they were talking about, Lily's mind flew a few miles away..... One part was wondering what James was doing at the moment... and where she could find him. She would have loved it if he were here... Or, on second though, Maybe not. Now that George knew alot, she was sure to cause some trouble. And she knew that she scared him a little. Which wasn't anything normal... George scared everyone.

The other part was worrying about Warner. She knew he was probably off somewhere with lana taking a tour... but the way he was the other night, was just.... sad. She could tell something was wrong.. It just took her forever to put her finger on it.

"That won't be so bad, so long as she doesn't get anyone banned from the library, as you said... we need more people for the study club that Lana and I are talking about forming... and we might want to be able to use the library when the common room is too noisy." Kat's word's broke her thoughts, and she was pulled back to where she sat.

"A study group? Cool.... Sounds like fun. Do you have room for one more?" she asked, rather glad that they had moved onto the subject of school. She loved to learn... For some odd reason it was like Lily's escape from the world. That and reading.... The more knowledge she could get.. The happier Lily was.


But then the conversation took a turn for the worse. "Oh! That reminds me... did you two hear that the kitchen blew up? All the pipes and stufff, and some kids got frozen? I think a coach got sick too... that's what I heard, anyway." Kat said.. Obviously enthraled by the fact of juicy gossip. But it wasn't new to Lily or George. They had a first hand encounter.

"It didn't blow up. The pipes got pulled out of the wall. That's it." She heard George mumble. She didn't seem too happy that everyone blamed the kitchen's mess to something blowing up, rather than her pulling the pipes out of the walls.

But the part that the kitchen blew up didn't bother her.... But when she talked about the Coach getting sick..... She felt horrid. "He wasn't sick.. He almost died." she said, probably in the softest voice anyones ever heard. She wasn't one to go pronounce to the world that she almost killed the gym teacher, but she didn't want Kat to think it was just some mishap.. and he got sick because of it.

"Anyone want some muffin? It's pretty big... I can share." Kat offered a little later. George had already declined, saying that she didn't like poppyseeds... Lily just shook her head. Her appetite had been severely spoiled. Besides.... She was more of a cereal person for breakfast.. Or crepes when the opportunity presented itself....

[Kat]

"A study group? Cool.... Sounds like fun. Do you have room for one more?" Lily had asked.
"Oh, of course. Right now it's just Lana and me. She thought we should name it 'The Brainiacs' 'cause she says everything has a code name around here. At the school, I mean. Not here, of course." Kat blathered for a bit.

It didn't blow up. The pipes got pulled out of the wall. That's it." George had said.

"Huh? Did someone do it on purpose then? Was there a fire or something? Maybe that was it... the kids caught on fire, and someone put them out with the water and froze them in case they were really hurt?" Kat may get nervous, but she's an optomistic little git.

"He wasn't sick.. He almost died. Lily added when Kat stopped chattering.

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine now. It's not like it was your fault." If only she knew what she was saying, Kat would probably crawl under the table. She may yet.

Noone wanted her muffin. "Ok, more for me. They always look so good, but I never have enough to have something and still get a drink."

She looked at George as the other girl mentioned poppy seeds feeling funny in her mouth. "Like Pop-Rocks, only they don't burn?" Sometimes, even Kat was surprised at the things that slipped past her lips before her brain could stop them.

[ghostlygeorge]

"Huh? Did someone do it on purpose then? Was there a fire or something? Maybe that was it... the kids caught on fire, and someone put them out with the water and froze them in case they were really hurt?"

George stopped herself from bristling. What happened in the kitchen was not done on purpose...but it wasn't an accident either. It was hard to explain. "He wasn't sick.. He almost died."

Her jaw clenched at her Lily's barely audible voice. It wasn't Lily's fault. It was George's. If she had just let it go, if she hadn't felt the need to cause so much drama within the first few days of arriving at the school, they would have never got in trouble with that loud-mouthed wannabe drill sergeant.

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine now. It's not like it was your fault." Kat had said.

George fought the urge to slap her own forehead. "You're right it's not her fault." She said pointedly to Lily. "Stuff happens, you can't control it." George then made herself happy. She'd figure out what was going on in her head later.

"Like Pop-Rocks, only they don't burn?"

George had forgotten about her turmoil and laughed at that. "I haven't had Pop-Rocks, since I was little. They banned them at my Primary. Something about a danger to the health of students." George grinned at the memories of her wild childhood. "Which is probably why I was the next thing that was banned...I've calmed down a lot since then" She shook her head. "Anyway, it feels more like ants crawling in my mouth." She prayed they didn't ask her how she what that felt like...

[Lily]

"Oh, of course. Right now it's just Lana and me. She thought we should name it 'The Brainiacs' 'cause she says everything has a code name around here. At the school, I mean. Not here, of course." Kat explained.

"Well I'd love to join I suposse... If it is alright with you and Lana..." she said, a small smile on her lips.

But it vanished instantaneously as Kat spoke more... She hadn't the slightest clue who she was talking to, did she? "Oh, I'm sure he's fine now. It's not like it was your fault." Kat continued.

"You're right it's not her fault, Stuff happens, you can't control it."

Lily shook her head. "Stop blaming yourself George! We both know exactly what happened the other night..." Lily said, angry that George kept trying to take the blame. It was Lily's fault.. end of story.

Lily was far too annoyed to listen to the rest of the conversation.. They were talking about Poppyseeds... Lily had never had them. And Kat compared them to Pop Rocks, which were another thing Lily had never tasted. "I haven't had either of those..." she commented quietly, not caring if they paid attention or not.