Fire Opal 7, Iceberg 2: Insult

[bookblather]

Author: Kat
Title: Insult
Story: In The Heart
Colors: Fire opal 7 (lusting after), iceberg 2 (ice).
Supplies and Materials: Frame (since Leah's around), seed beads (Leah), oils (next generation).
Word Count: 617
Rating: PG.
Summary: Leah gets hit on.
Warnings: Sexism, sexist insults.
Notes: Leah is Ivy and Gina's daughter.


"Hey, baby!"

At first, Leah didn't even look up from her textbook. Whoever was talking could not possibly be talking to her-- she was clearly occupied with the books and papers and laptop spread out over the table, with her headphones in her ears to muffle background noise, and anyway, who tried to pick somebody up in a coffee shop?

...well, probably lots of people, now that she came to think of it. But surely nobody would try to pick up someone so obviously working.

The mystery person cleared their throat, said, "Hey, baby," again, louder, and when Leah still didn't look up, actually leaned down and pulled her headphones out of her ears.

Leah jumped back, and for half a second was absolutely positive it must be one of her friends. Surely a random stranger wouldn't casually invade her space that way. But no, she had never met the man standing in front of her, grinning and dangling her headphones.

"Hiding?" he asked, with a smarmy grin that made Leah twitch. "These aren't even connected to anything."

She looked at him down her nose. "I use them to muffle the noise when I'm studying," she said, pointedly, and held her hand out.

He looked slightly shamefaced and put the headphones in her hand, but immediately lost whatever points he'd gained when he pulled a chair from another table and sat down across from her. "So you must be concentrating pretty hard, huh. What're you studying?"

"Chemistry," Leah answered, against her better judgment. It was a very big test she was studying for, after all, and she wasn't any good at chemistry but it was a requirement and her mom's heart would be absolutely broken if she flunked. Besides, she was pretty sure the guy wasn't a predator, just socially inept, and it didn't do to be completely rude. One-word answers were just rude enough that even he should get the hint and take himself off.

Alas, it was not to be.

"Chemistry, eh?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows in a parody of charm. It was all Leah could do not to laugh. "I'm pretty good at chemistry. You want me to help you, ah, study?"

Don't laugh, don't laugh. "No, thank you," Leah said. "You're sweet, but I have a boyfriend." Which wasn't true but usually got them off her back.

"I have a gerbil," he said, which was so completely irrelevant that she could only stare at him for a moment. He stared back, expectantly.

"What," she said, at last.

He pretended to look surprised but only succeeded in looking smug. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were talking about things that don't matter."

Leah quit trying to spare his feelings.

"Oh, wow," she said. "Fuck you. Tell me, are you just so inept with women that you parrot crappy pickup lines, or were you actually trying to insult me just then?"

The guy stared at her, his mouth open. "I... I..."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't bother. Look, you just implied that I have no morals and no self-control, and by the way? You are vastly overestimating your own appeal."

The guy shut his mouth with an audible snap and snarled, "Bitch."

"Oh, whatever." Leah glared at him. "You struck out and now you're blaming me for it. Door's to your left; please feel free to fuck off in that direction." She plugged her headphones in and turned on Pink, blasting 'U and Ur Hand' while she pointedly returned to studying.

The guy glared impotently back at her for another minute, then left, stalking out the door.

Leah turned the music down and stared after him, thoughtfully.

A face to remember, she thought. And avoid.

Comments

[five_steps_back]

YOU TELL HIM, LEAH. Ugh what a fucking douche/i>.

[bookblather]

I know, right? Good thing Leah knows her value and her rights. Not saying nuffin' on whether or not he turns up again, though.

Thank you!

[isana]

Oh, man. It's Henry II, "He doesn't have to know" Jr. Hopefully Leah doesn't have to see him again!

[bookblather]

Not sayin' nuffin'...

Thank you!

[ce_jour_la]

Huge high-five to Leah (ending is hysterical); hope he doesn't turn out to be one of those vindictive jackasses...

[bookblather]

Fingers crossed. I suppose it really depends on what I feel like writing, though.

Thank you!

[kay_brooke]

Oh my god, I emphasize so hard (try riding a bus while reading, or sitting at a park bench, or really doing anything when a guy decides it's his god-given right to come over and chat you up even when you're clearly busy). Good on Leah for telling him what's up.

[bookblather]

I KNOW. I take public transportation to school and I get hit on ALL THE TIME. It's like, I am clearly reading, I clearly have my headphones in, I am clearly not interested in speaking to people, WHY ARE YOU HITTING ON ME.

Thank you!

[sarcasticsra]

Go Leah, seriously. What a fucking douchebag.

Good job!

[bookblather]

No kidding. I was researching cheesy pickup lines for that one Henrik fic, and I ran across this one, and I was just so flabbergasted that people would actually use it that I wrote this fic.

Thank you!

[clare_dragonfly]

Ick, what a jerk! Ick ick! Very nicely done jerk-ness :-P And ugh, I so empathize with the desire to be a little bit rude so he'll go away, but you can't be too rude, because you can't be rude. I wish I could have been as quick with a comeback as Leah at any of the times I've met jerks like these! And I applaud her bravery in getting him to leave instead of running away herself!

[bookblather]

Seriously. Leah is braver than most, partly because Ivy is her mother and partly because she grew up in a slightly different world, but even she gets that pressure to not be rude, to be a good girl, and not to offend people.

Thank you.

[shipwreck_light]

I think I went to school with this dude. I mean, some of that was verbatim.

HOW YOU DO THIS XD?

[bookblather]

Suffer through it myself, unfortunately. Dudes, man.

Thank you!

[subluxate]

GO LEAH. God, fuck this guy. What an utter asshole. Good for her, shutting him down, but she shouldn't have had too, goddamn.

[bookblather]

I know right? Some people's children. I actually ran across that pickup line when I was doing research for tanking, and just. Ugh. NO. I couldn't believe it. So I had to write this.

Thank you!