two girls in a park

Who: Jenny and Lily
Where: Fontaine Park
When: Afternoon

Lily didn't want to go back to work after her conversation with Brett, her discovery in the archives down at the Echo. She felt rather sick about it actually, so she detoured to the park instead. It was a nice day anyway and Lily could've sworn she saw the sun peaking through the clouds, they were so bright.

She watched the people walk around, enjoying the day and reprieve between the scattered showers. Seeming like for once, they were enjoying life. Lily envied them. But maybe you should stop wishing and stop envying and start doing something about it. Yes, maybe she should.

Purse over her shoulder, Jenny smoothly walked through the afternoon crowds of people who took the short cut through the park on their way to and from work. Today... hadn't been a good day for her. A man dressed as a preacher had gone up to her, shouting at her about the Good Book and the evils of man. She had frozen in shock, literally stopping in mid-step, staring at him. She remembered stammering something at him. She couldn't remember what she had said, but the man had backed off with a pleased nod, returning to his preaching at the other members of the crowd.

She tightened her hold on her purse strap and hastened her steps. Well, she thought, it could have been worse. Abruptly, Jenny paused, spying someone she recognized. With a small smile, she approached the other woman, stopping in front of her. "Hi," she said.

She didn't hear the footsteps approaching and so when Jenny stopped in front of her, she looked up at the blond, startled. "Jenny, uh, hi!" She smiled up at her and patted the empty bench beside her. "What brings you out this fine day?" Guilt rolled in her stomach as she realized then that she hadn't been to see Jenny in awhile. She hadn't even inquired to her well being when she saw Jackson at the ball the other night.

Jenny sat down beside her, setting her purse on her lap. "No reason really. I was heading home from dropping something off at work." She shrugged a little, hands clenching and unclenching from the purse strap, then turned to face her. "What about you? How have you been? It's been a while. Sorry I haven't stopped by lately..."

"No!" Lily shook her head fiercely and grabbed one of Jenny's hands. "I should've stopped by sooner. Things have been so..." Not wonderful. "Oh, but how about you? Are you okay?" She squeezed her friend's hand again, reassuring, because Jenny seemed a tiny bit jumpy still and Lily's concern was clear on her face.

"Some preacher man startled me," she said, tightening her hold on Lily's hand for a moment. "It's fine, he was just yelling about the Bible. Things like that, you know? But, yes. I'm alright. What about you?" She asked, leaning towards Lily, frowning gently. "You look... probably like you need a big hug."

Lily shook her head but leaned against Jenny, just a little bit. "It's been a long week, Jen. A long week. But," she gave her friend a little smile. "I saw Jesse. Three times."

Wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulders, Jenny gave her a firm squeeze. "One of those weeks, huh. Maybe the next week will be better. But," she grinned a little, "did seeing Jesse help?"

She blushed and shrugged. "Sort of? He gave me a lot to think about I guess. And the third time, well, I think we're going to try do something again." Her and Jesse's interactions had been kind of hard to track. They'd opened up a can of worms that Lily didn't realize had to be opened. The way she was. The past. Everything. "It's weird, Jenny. Everything feels like it's changed so much after only a couple of days. Like how everything you thought you understood or knew or didn't know about just... changes." She wouldn't talk to Jenny about what she'd been discovering. No. That wasn't a conversation she'd have with Jenny. "Do you ever feel like that?"

"Hm." She tapped the balls of her heels against the cement beneath her feet, then shrugged her slim shoulders casually. "Sometimes," she said, "I guess. Not often, but yea." Jenny tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, then asked Lily, "Are you happy though, Lily?"

"No." There was no hesitation in her answer. No, she truly wasn't happy and she hadn't been in a long time. She could barely remember what it was like. "I'm trying to change things, though. If I don't change them, I don't know what'll happen." Lily pulled away slowly and stretched her legs out in front of her, looking out over the people in the park. "...What do you think about being roommates, Jenny?" she asked suddenly.

"I think..." she hesitated, briefly stumbling over her words at the realization that her best friend wasn't happy. The fact that Lily wasn't happy made her unhappy. She hid a grimace as she thought about the room mates thing. On one hand, Jackson wouldn't be pleased, but on the other hand, she was an adult, no matter how she felt about it or behaved at times. With a determined nod, she took Lily's hand and stood with her. "I'd like it. A lot."

Relief flooded through Lily's body. The idea had been sudden, but seeing her friend had brought the possibility up. She needed to get out of that house. Lily never felt like she was different around Jenny, money wise. Jenny was there and happy and kind and she didn't feel like she was being judged or looked down upon. So Lily threw her arms around her best friend, hugging her tightly. "Jenny, are you sure?" She knew that it would not be an easy decision. Jenny had a hard time with things and Lily knew it was unfair to suddenly spring it up like that. "I don't want you to say you like the idea just because I'm upset or something."

Jenny wrapped her arms around Lily, palms spread against her back. She squeezed her tight, shaking her head against the shorter girl's shoulder. In all honesty, it made her a little nervous because Lily hadn't seen Jenny on one of her bad days, when she'd get sick or too scared to leave the apartment. Those days were getting further and further apart, but they still happened and she did not want Lily to look at her differently for them. She hated the pity and even Jackson got that sad look in his eyes when she had one of those days. "It's been getting lonely at my apartment all by myself. Jackson doesn't stop by as much as he used to and I was thinking about moving in with my mother, so you'd be helping me, too."

She nodded seriously. "We should get a pet. Like a dog or cat or something." Lily only knew that Jenny was attacked as a girl and that things had been difficult ever since. Mrs. Haas had naturally not divulged any details and Lily hadn't asked. It was bad enough that Jenny had hard days sometimes and that wasn't any of Lily's business. Ever since Jenny moved out on her own, the younger girl had been doing better and Lily was envious of it. Jenny was able to go out in the world and yet she was unable to.

"Cat," Jenny said, grinning widely. "I've always wanted a cat, but my daddy was allergic. They also hated Jackson." Her grin turned mischievous. "I brought one home when I was ten. Let's just say I think it left an impression on Jack." And probably a lot of thin scars up and down his arms. "When do you want to move in?"

The idea of Jenny's older brother being terrorized by a kitten was a rather interesting visual and Lily couldn't help the grin that spread on her face at that thought, but it was tempered at Jenny's obvious question. That's right. Talking about being roommates meant that they would actually become roommates. Which meant that she'd have to move her things out. And that meant that she'd inevitably have to tell her grandmother.

"This weekend," she said hesitantly. "I can pack and make arrangements. Bed and things." Jenny's apartment was such a contrast to the house that she grew up in, but really, Lily didn't have all that much, all things considered. "What do you think?"

Tapping pursed lips with her index finger, Jenny hummed, then nodded. "That works. I can have some time to clear out the other bedroom. I'll ask Jackson to do it for my birthday tomorrow." She frowned slightly, then grimaced. "I got to tell Jackson you're moving in. He'll probably do that freak-out thing he does sometimes when he thinks I'm not paying attention." But anyway. "Do you need some help? Carrying things, stuff like that?" Telling your grandmother, she wanted to say, but held her tongue.

"Jackson loves you, that's why he freaks out." She hadn't been around Jenny's brother often and never for a long period of time, but he very clearly adored his sister. "Besides," Lily added with a little grin. "It could be worse. I could be a showgirl or a boy or something. Then he'd really have something to freak out about." She thought of what she'd be packing to bring. Books and clothes, for the most part. She'd be purchasing new furniture for her room. It would just be so much easier anyway. "Packing wise no, I should be fine, but a hand carrying it to your apartment wouldn't go amiss." Right. Jenny's birthday. "What do you want for your birthday, anyway? Anything your heart desires. My treat."

"I think he'd have a heart attack," Jenny muttered. As much as he loved her brother, he could be a little overprotective in ways that both endeared him to her and drove her to do insane things - like getting a tattoo on her wrist. He still hadn't quite gotten over it, she thinks sometimes. "I don't want anything," she said with a wave of her hand at the question about her birthday gift, shaking her head. "I don't need anything, either. I've got books, my typewriter, new clothes. I'm okay. Thank you, though."

"But I want to do something for you, Jenny. Your my friend. Well, more than my friend." She wrapped an arm around Jenny's shoulder, smiling up at her genuinely. "Come on. I'll take you to do something fun. My treat." Because she wanted to do something for Jenny. Jenny was, well, like a sister to her sometimes. She was a wonderful person. Kind and sweet and just... just so much better than anyone Lily knew. "If you don't pick something, I'm going to pick it and you might not like it."

Jenny slipped an arm around the older woman's waist, grinning cheerfully. "I'd like anything you got me. You have good taste and you know what I like." The feeling of sisterhood was mutual. Jenny had no female siblings, though she had always wanted one, even as a little girl. Meeting Lily was a blessing she never questioned, just enjoyed happily. A friend and family all in one. "So surprise me."

"Well, first thing is first." Lily was honestly surprised at how much her mood lightened while talking with Jenny. Maybe because suddenly, it felt like so much had been accomplished. That suddenly, for these very moments, her father being murdered by the mob didn't matter. Her mother leaving didn't matter. She was leaving. Leaving and living with her friend. And they'd have a cat or two. And she'd be away from her grandmother. "We need to celebrate. How about some ice cream?"

Hooking her arm through Lily's, Jenny hoisted her purse up around her free arm. "Ice cream sounds lovely," she said and began to move arm-in-arm with Lily towards the exit of the park, a small bounce in her step. Turns out today hadn't been so bad. "What do you want?"

"Vanilla and fudge and sprinkles and cherries. You?" She too adjusted her bag strap over her shoulder, glancing up at the sky. It didn't look like it was going to rain but in this city, you could never be sure.

"Vanilla and hot caramel," Jenny returned, glancing up at the sky as well. No, she thought, it won't rain today. Today was a good day, it had better not rain. So, together, the two headed towards their destination with smiles on their faces.