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rainbowfic2013-12-06 02:57 pm
kay_brooke) wrote in rainbowfic2013-12-06 02:57 pm
Harvard Crimson #9, Octarine #26, Tango Pink #9
Name: kay_brooke
Story: Unusual Florida
Colors: Harvard Crimson #9 (academia), Octarine #26 (The people who really run organizations are usually found several levels down, where it is still possible to get things done), Tango Pink #9 (waltz)
Styles/Supplies: Miniature Collection, Canvas, Seed Beads
Word Count: 720
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Kevin meets someone special.
Note: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
“Hello?” said Kevin, thumping his fingers against the counter. “Are you listening?”
The secretary angrily held up one finger.
“Is anyone listening to me?” He was making a scene, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t go to class while his paperwork was held up, and no one seemed to want to tell him what the problem was.
“Here,” said a quiet voice at his side. The girl was about his age, her hair up in a bun, her skirt a bit too short for an office job. “Fill out this form. I’ll make sure the dean gets it.”
#
Though his paperwork finally went through, Kevin found himself haunting the administration building in between classes, hoping to oh so nonchalantly bump into the mysterious girl again. His parents would make noise about him dating a secretary (“Beneath you,” his mother would say. “Son, you don’t want one of those career women,” his father would say), but Kevin didn’t care. He was an adult now, and what his parents didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
#
It took two weeks before he ran into her again, and it wasn’t in the administration building. He almost didn’t recognize her at the bar, with her dark blond hair loose, curling over her shoulders and down her back. Her skirt was even shorter, and there were at least three men vying for her attention.
But Kevin wasn’t easily intimidated.
“Hey,” he said, sidling over. “Remember me?”
She regarded him through cool gray eyes. “Should I?”
Despite his confidence, he felt himself blush. “From the school. You helped me out.”
“And?”
“I just wanted to say thank you,” Kevin stuttered.
#
The next time she approached him, plopping down uninvited at table he was trying to study at. Her hair was shorter, her eyes ringed in smoky blue shadow. “You’re doing the film seminar with Dr. Grant,” she said.
“Yeah?” He wondered if she had access to his records as a secretary, and if so, was she looking him up?
“I’m in it, too.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a textbook.
Kevin blinked. “You’re a student?”
“Well, we can’t all live off Daddy’s money while we’re studying,” she snapped.
“I didn’t mean anything by--”
“Yes, you did.”
#
He made sure to linger outside the doors after the next seminar, hoping to catch her. But she and her ring of friends just breezed right past him, didn’t even give him the merest of glances.
He should have said something. But he just watched, mute with dejection, as she disappeared down the hall.
He didn’t even know her name.
#
“How is everything, dear?” his mother asked during their weekly phone call. “Keeping your grades up?”
“Yes,” said Kevin. He fiddled with a pencil and tried not to stare forlornly out the rain-soaked window.
“You sound down,” said his mother. “Is something wrong?”
“No.”
“Is it a girl?”
Kevin sighed. “Maybe. There’s this one girl. I think she hates me.”
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing! Okay, fine, I might have insulted her. Accidentally.”
There was a short silence, then his mother said, “Well, you need to apologize.”
#
Another week, another seminar. “Can we talk?” Kevin asked the girl, trying not to ignore the way her cohort rolled their eyes.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Look, I know our last conversation didn’t go so well, but--”
“You know why I talked to you?” The girl folded her arms. “Because you said thank you. No one thanks the secretaries. I thought I’d met a decent guy for once. But I was wrong.”
“No!” said Kevin. “I mean...I just wanted to apologize. That’s all.”
The girl chewed her lip for a few seconds. Then, finally, “Apology accepted.”
#
He gave her a flower before the next class.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“I don’t care,” said Kevin. “It just made me think of you.”
“Has that line ever worked?”
“You tell me,” said Kevin. “Do you want to get coffee some time?”
She regarded him. “If I say no, will you leave me alone?”
Kevin deflated. “If that’s what you want.”
“No.” She handed him the flower. “I’ll think about it. But I’m not taking that thing to class.”
Fighting a grin, he said, “I’m Kevin.”
“Karen,” she answered, and she gave him a smile.
kay_brookeStory: Unusual Florida
Colors: Harvard Crimson #9 (academia), Octarine #26 (The people who really run organizations are usually found several levels down, where it is still possible to get things done), Tango Pink #9 (waltz)
Styles/Supplies: Miniature Collection, Canvas, Seed Beads
Word Count: 720
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Kevin meets someone special.
Note: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
“Hello?” said Kevin, thumping his fingers against the counter. “Are you listening?”
The secretary angrily held up one finger.
“Is anyone listening to me?” He was making a scene, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t go to class while his paperwork was held up, and no one seemed to want to tell him what the problem was.
“Here,” said a quiet voice at his side. The girl was about his age, her hair up in a bun, her skirt a bit too short for an office job. “Fill out this form. I’ll make sure the dean gets it.”
#
Though his paperwork finally went through, Kevin found himself haunting the administration building in between classes, hoping to oh so nonchalantly bump into the mysterious girl again. His parents would make noise about him dating a secretary (“Beneath you,” his mother would say. “Son, you don’t want one of those career women,” his father would say), but Kevin didn’t care. He was an adult now, and what his parents didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
#
It took two weeks before he ran into her again, and it wasn’t in the administration building. He almost didn’t recognize her at the bar, with her dark blond hair loose, curling over her shoulders and down her back. Her skirt was even shorter, and there were at least three men vying for her attention.
But Kevin wasn’t easily intimidated.
“Hey,” he said, sidling over. “Remember me?”
She regarded him through cool gray eyes. “Should I?”
Despite his confidence, he felt himself blush. “From the school. You helped me out.”
“And?”
“I just wanted to say thank you,” Kevin stuttered.
#
The next time she approached him, plopping down uninvited at table he was trying to study at. Her hair was shorter, her eyes ringed in smoky blue shadow. “You’re doing the film seminar with Dr. Grant,” she said.
“Yeah?” He wondered if she had access to his records as a secretary, and if so, was she looking him up?
“I’m in it, too.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a textbook.
Kevin blinked. “You’re a student?”
“Well, we can’t all live off Daddy’s money while we’re studying,” she snapped.
“I didn’t mean anything by--”
“Yes, you did.”
#
He made sure to linger outside the doors after the next seminar, hoping to catch her. But she and her ring of friends just breezed right past him, didn’t even give him the merest of glances.
He should have said something. But he just watched, mute with dejection, as she disappeared down the hall.
He didn’t even know her name.
#
“How is everything, dear?” his mother asked during their weekly phone call. “Keeping your grades up?”
“Yes,” said Kevin. He fiddled with a pencil and tried not to stare forlornly out the rain-soaked window.
“You sound down,” said his mother. “Is something wrong?”
“No.”
“Is it a girl?”
Kevin sighed. “Maybe. There’s this one girl. I think she hates me.”
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing! Okay, fine, I might have insulted her. Accidentally.”
There was a short silence, then his mother said, “Well, you need to apologize.”
#
Another week, another seminar. “Can we talk?” Kevin asked the girl, trying not to ignore the way her cohort rolled their eyes.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Look, I know our last conversation didn’t go so well, but--”
“You know why I talked to you?” The girl folded her arms. “Because you said thank you. No one thanks the secretaries. I thought I’d met a decent guy for once. But I was wrong.”
“No!” said Kevin. “I mean...I just wanted to apologize. That’s all.”
The girl chewed her lip for a few seconds. Then, finally, “Apology accepted.”
#
He gave her a flower before the next class.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“I don’t care,” said Kevin. “It just made me think of you.”
“Has that line ever worked?”
“You tell me,” said Kevin. “Do you want to get coffee some time?”
She regarded him. “If I say no, will you leave me alone?”
Kevin deflated. “If that’s what you want.”
“No.” She handed him the flower. “I’ll think about it. But I’m not taking that thing to class.”
Fighting a grin, he said, “I’m Kevin.”
“Karen,” she answered, and she gave him a smile.