The Not-so-abandoned Warehouse: Monday

[badassprodigy]

Barry was feeling pretty relaxed today.

Which of course meant he was doing three things at once. The first two seemed to involve headgear while the third was the continued work on the gremlin trap.

And in the middle of it all he called out to his cell phone and called an old friend from home.

"Call Jeremy," he said over his shoulder as he continued to tighten down a couple of the cage bars.

A few seconds later the call was connected and the friendly face of Jeremy Ramirez appeared. "Dude? What the fuck? I was about to get level up on meta for Assassin's Creed!"

"Well excuse the fuck out of me," Barry replied in greeting. "I just thought maybe I'd see how my best friend is doing but if you're going to be that way then fuck off."

"Whatever dude. And thanks for getting me in deep shit with Roxie."

"Roxie?" Barry said looking up from his work. "What the fuck did I do with her?"

"Ass rocket."

"You did that to yourself, asshole," Barry shot back. "Don't blame me for the powder burns on your ass."

"Yeah, well we're good now but no thanks to you," Jeremy muttered. "Only I'm not allowed near fireworks anymore."

"It's for your own fucking good," Barry said rolling his eyes. "How are things back home?"

"Good," Jeremy said. "Just spending the summer playing video games and working shifts at Subway. I see Roxie and Sara about every day. And fucking Nelson."

"Hmm," Barry said suddenly returning to his work. "So they're still seeing each other."

"Yeah and he's a total fucking tool," Jeremy groaned. "No fucking sense of humor whatsoever."

"Well it is what it is," Barry said with a shrug. "If Sara can't see that then it's her own problem."

Jeremy gave his friend a long look over the monitor. "All right dude. Spill it."

"Spill what?" Barry said looking over his shoulder.

"You usually have about twenty different things to say about Nelson and none of them good and usually with a good amount of swear words. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Barry said. "Why the fuck should I care who Sara is dating?"

"You always care who Sara is dating," Jeremy countered. "You gave the last guy leprosy for fucks sake."

"Hey I fucking cured him!" Barry shouted defensively.

"After I fucking lectured you for a fucking day," Jeremy shot back. "What gives? You've been obsessed with Sara since fucking middle school."

"Whatever," Barry growled. "I've just fucking moved on, okay?"

"Oh, yeah? With who?" Jeremy said now with a leering grin.

"With no one, fuck off!"

"Is it one of the girls you've been telling me about?"

"We're all just friends," Barry said firmly.

"Yeah, like you and Sara were just friends," Jeremy shot back sarcastically. "Did you give another class food poisoning just so you could hang out with any of them?"

"Fuck you! I was eleven when I did that," Barry snarled back. "And as a matter fact we all had a party the other night which included a sleepover. We all had a good time. I didn't poison anyone and I'm not dating anyone so fuck you and fuck off and leave me the fuck alone."

"Oh, yeah!" Jeremy said sticking out his tongue and throwing up his fists of rock. "That's my man! Having a fucking orgy at private school!"

"Oh shut the fuck up," Barry said. "I don't know why I'm fucking talking to you."

"Because I'm your best friend and you love me for calling you on your bullshit," Jeremy said with a smirk. "Hey! You're coming home for my birthday party right? Whole fucking school is going to be there."

"Yeah, sure, I'll make it," Barry muttered.

"Good!" Jeremy grinned. "I'm getting fireworks."

Barry groaned. "You are one dumb motherfucker, you know that?"

"Love you too, bitch," Jeremy replied with the same grin and hung up before Barry could shoot back another insult.

"That idiot is going to fucking blow himself up," Barry grumbled to himself and returned his full attention to his experiments.

[OOC: That got longer than I intended. Open doors and open post.]

Comments

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Be nice to me," Barry joked. "Or right in the middle of a fight I'll have your clothes turn translucent."

[spin_kick_snap]

In another lifetime, there would be a Kathy who was cool and savvy enough to respond with something like 'Big words from the guy who couldn't even look at a sports bra!' or 'And then I'd come back with translucent clothes to murder you.'

Those Kathys were not this Kathy, however, and the best she could manage was clapping her hands over her mouth and issuing a squeaked "You wouldn't dare!" with wide eyes.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Or maybe I'll do it the next time Anders happens to be around," he teased.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Who said--That's not even--Why would you--" There was just sputtering. Lots and lots of sputtering.

And then Kathy was tapping her receiver three times to go invisible. Now he couldn't see her blush. Or try to kick him in the shin.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry was laughing until he felt that kick connect.

"Ow! Fuck! Okay, I'll stop!" he shouted as he hopped back. "Leave my shins alone! They've got nothing to do with social injustice."

[spin_kick_snap]

"You had it coming," Kathy retorted, coming back into view. "Just what was that supposed to mean anyhow?"

Like you didn't know, Kathy. Please.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"What? At one point I saw you two being all cute and shit and talking about bendy straws and watching TV together," Barry said rubbing his shin. "And by the way, no, I can't turn your clothes translucent. Well, I could but I won't."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Lots of people watch TV together!"

Welp. There was terror and excitement in equal measures. Excitement because there might be more to Anders' suggestion than just watching TV. Terror because, well, there might be more to Anders' suggestion than just watching TV. Even a little bit of concern because maybe Barry thought there might be more to Anders' suggestion than just watching TV.

The trials and tribulations of being sixteen. With multiple crushes. Everything was so hard!

Suddenly, talking about fighting with her clothes translucent was the lesser of two evils. "I didn't actually think you would," she said quickly. "You still deserved a kick, though."

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"I probably did," Barry said with a grin. "And hey, I like watching TV sometimes. Maybe I should join you guys!"

Then he started laughing.

He was really asking to be kicked again.

[spin_kick_snap]

And she was one thousand percent tempted to give him one.

Instead though, she was going to fight fire with fire and say, "You know, I bet Elsa would love to be introduced to TV, too. You could always ask her and see what she says!"

You weren't the only one who could notice awkward flirting, Barry.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

And if Kathy was expecting a reaction to that... well, yep she'd be right.

Barry froze and his eyes almost got as large as Elsa's and Rapunzel's if they were shown on a IMAX screen.

"Uh..."

...

...

Yeah, that might be it for another moment or two.

[spin_kick_snap]

Victory.

"Funny how you decided to sing about liking butts after she shook hers at you," she observed. Innocently.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Oh... fuck me," Barry groaned as he covered his face. "Am I that fucking obvious?"

He did look up for a second to scowl though.

"And for the record I did that to see her reaction. Not because of the-"

He groaned and started pulling on his hair.

"I'm such a fucking idiot."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Hey, hey!" Kathy said, feeling instantly guilty for teasing. "I'm sorry! I'm just a jerk, Barry, it's cool! You're not an idiot, Elsa is really sweet and really pretty! Everyone knows she's awesome. And I doubt anyone else really noticed."

She had for...reasons. Reasons that she was never, ever going to mention, thank you.

"I'm really sorry, I never should have said that."

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry sat for a moment and then shook his head.

"Nah. It's okay. I was giving you shit too," he said apologetically. "I shouldn't dish it out if I couldn't fucking take it, too."

[spin_kick_snap]

She offered him a smile. "Friends still?"

Look, that was important. Kathy didn't have so many friends she could ill-afford to lose one because she was being a brat.

"Umm, do you wanna talk about it?"

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"What? That I like a girl and I don't know how to deal with it?" Barry asked with a sigh. "Shit. It's like I'm the fourth grade again dealing with Sara Tan."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Welcome to the club," Kathy sighed, plunking herself down on the floor next to Barry's chair. "You think the rest of us got manuals or something? I wouldn't know how to tell a guy I liked him if you offered to pay me for it."

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry looked at Kathy and shook his head. "A guy doesn't stand around and talk about bendy straws if he's not interested, Kathy. I think it's safe to say he likes you. And if you're watching TV and not with anyone else it's a date."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Well, we were just joking around," Kathy said feebly. She hugged her knees to her chest. "I've never been on a date before. Heck, if you're right, Anders is the first guy who's ever even liked me before."

If Barry was right. Which Kathy wasn't sure he was. Not entirely.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Joking around is a good sign, ya dork," Barry said in a joking manner. "And whose idea was thee TV watching to begin with?"

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy raised a finger, debating bringing up all the joking around they had done just a little earlier, then dropped it. Bringing that up might sound like she was...pushing...or something.

"I guess it was sorta mine?" she said. "He was confused when I mentioned Revengers and Mister What, so I offered to show it to him. But then he made the actual...plan."

Not date, plan.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Barry said nodding to Kathy with a leading look. "A guy made plans to watch TV with you because it's confusing. Have you noticed how easy it is to turn on a TV? Three year olds can do it."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Well, I had mentioned the movies that we're now going to watch," Kathy said, earnest as always. "So it just makes sense to watch together..."

Rather than asking to borrow the movies. Hmm.

"So, you really think this is a date?" She was blushing again. "I'm not sure how to react to that. I like the idea! I just...this is all new to me."

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Well if you really want to know if he likes you just show up naked," Barry joked. "That'll settle the matter."