Diego Morales is a leaky indie folk faucet. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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gooseberryhigh2016-09-10 11:42 am
indiefolk) wrote in gooseberryhigh2016-09-10 11:42 am
Entry tags:
AN OVERDUE TALK
Who: Anuhea Alapai & Diego Morales
When: Saturday, September 10, around 6:00 PM
Where: Goosey Trail
What: Diego and Anuhea briefly discuss what happened last year, and what to do now.
Rating: G
When: Saturday, September 10, around 6:00 PM
Where: Goosey Trail
What: Diego and Anuhea briefly discuss what happened last year, and what to do now.
Rating: G
“Hey, Anuhea, wait up!”
Diego jogged to catch up, quickly outpacing the other students who’d gathered for Outdoor Exploration and were just beginning to disperse. It was the official end of the first full week, and everyone looked tired. Or maybe Diego was projecting, and he was the only one who felt drained. The back and forth between excitement and dread was taking a lot out of him, but things were leveling out. At least Diego thought they were leveling out. Oh please, please be leveling out.
He and Anuhea hadn’t really had a chance to talk. Not in person, anyway. The party hadn’t been a good place for having a heart to heart, and he clearly owed some people a few serious conversations. Tabitha didn’t want to talk, though, and privately Diego feared the reactions of his friends. The news was getting out, though, and although Diego was a cheater, he wasn’t a liar. It was the only scrap of honor he could justify keeping.
This was the first time he’d caught Anuhea with no other Ribbonfins around to give him suspicious looks. Diego slowed as he reached her, easing into a spirited but mellow pace. “Walk you back to Ribbonfin?” he began, and then thought better of it. “Or, maybe like, the edge of Ribbonfin.”
Anuhea heard her name and turned, she knew who it was before she had even turned. It caused her stride to slow to a stop and wait for him as he jogged to catch up. She had a hint of a smile as she watched him. They needed to talk properly eventually, and she knew that. Now, seemed to be good as any.
The first week of school was over and she felt like she had settled in. Though she still wasn’t sure if she was going to manage with her and Tabitha as they were. It was going to be a long year, but she would make it through. Besides, she still had Diego for a friend right? “Yeah, maybe the edge of Ribbonfin is a good idea.” Anuhea tried to laugh but it sounded really forced. “But yeah, thanks.” They needed to talk and now seemed to be the time.
“How are you?” She started awkwardly.
“Good, I guess.” He smiled crookedly back at her as they began walking in step. It was true enough. There had been no big blow up with Anuhea. He hadn’t become a social pariah like Mina had probably been hoping for. The party went off without a hitch. He should be happy, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were on the edge of collapse. It was a delicate balancing game, and Diego was rarely ever trusted with anything delicate.
“How about you? Are you holding up?” Diego’s smile became tight and concerned. “How did the first week bunking with Tabitha go?”
Anuhea nodded her head, looking down at their feet as they walked before looking back up at Diego. “I’m holding up fine, so I guess fine is a good answer.” She shrugged though she thought about the silence between her and Tabitha. The avoidance of being alone with her. “It’s okay. I avoid her as much as I can. I just know she doesn’t really want to see me much.” Anuhea shrugged again. “I guess we have talked as much as saying hello or acknowledging the other person is there.” But she felt like they were going to have a blow up one of these days.It couldn’t be this strained tension forever.
“Yeah,” Diego said, which sounded as thoroughly useless as he felt. His one attempt to get everyone out in the open with Tabitha had been disastrous. After that, he’d tried the ‘just don’t think about it’ method, which wasn’t working well either. He kicked a rock on the path, which skittered through the dirt and into the grass. Trees were beginning to appear around them as they neared the pleasant woods where Ribbonfin was hidden.
“I tried to get her to see if she’d talk to me in person,” he admitted. “I think she was angry I suggested it at all. I don’t know what to do. Frankly, I’m shocked you’re still talking to me.” Tabitha’s anger was terrible, but Anuhea’s calm acceptance was mystifying. He envied anyone who could keep their head so effortlessly. Maybe if he had that kind of self-control, he wouldn’t have done what he did. But then again, Anuhea hadn’t stopped it either, and insisted on sharing the blame. What a mess. What a fucking mess.
“I could see that.” Anuhea started there. “She doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge us or give us time.” Well perhaps more particularly Diego for doing it, but she had played a role. Anuhea looked overhead a moment as she passed under the trees. “But don’t be shocked. I mean it wouldn’t make it any easier being mad at you. I mean I was, but I am over it mostly. I shouldn’t have done it single or not. I would have pissed her off either way.” Though it would have been less of a slight against the friendship if they hadn’t still been dating, or at least Anuhea thought. She had played a role in it and she wasn’t going to forget that. She definitely could have stopped it and she hadn’t. “I wish I could say we could try and wear her down together, but I doubt that would make things any better.”
Diego sighed heavily. And then sighed again, which turned into a groan.
“We shouldn’t do that. Right?” He turned to Anuhea, looking ragged for a moment. “I don’t want to… I don’t know what I want. I spent all summer thinking about it, and besides writing a bunch of really pathetic songs, not much came out of all that ‘introspection’.”
“No. We shouldn’t try to talk to her together.” Anuhea shook her head. “I don’t have the answers of what we should be doing, but both of us is an awful idea. Particularly, when she doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with either of us.” Anuhea looked a little sad as she shrugged. “The only thing I can think of doing is just letting it go, and letting her do what she needs to do. I am not going to fight to get her forgiveness. I feel bad, but I can’t spend all my time trying to get her accept an apology.” Anuhea realized this was probably not what Diego wanted to hear. “Sorry, that probably wasn’t helpful was it?”
Diego ran a hand back through his hair, and tried to think. This whole situation had been stalled for months. Ever since Tabitha found out, Diego felt like he’d been saying the same things over and over and over. Some friends in the know had accepted the apologies, even as they wilted with disappointment. Diego had spared them having to go over everything a second time. No need to remind the people he loved about what he was really like. Which meant there was only Anuhea to confide in. He wasn’t sure why that made him feel so uncertain.
“It’s okay.” The tension slipped from Diego’s shoulders. Maybe it wasn’t entirely gone, but it was certainly hidden better. “I shouldn’t put this on you. I just don’t know who else to talk to about it, you know? I’m friends with almost all of her friends. They want to stay out of it, and not have to listen to me freak out more. It always turns into me apologizing again, and I can tell it’s getting annoying.”
“No, it’s fine.” Anuhea paused and affirmed her statement with, “Really.” She could understand what he was feeling. She only felt she could really talk to him about it. He was in the same position as she was. “We are in a similar spot, so if we can’t talk to each other.” Anuhea hoped that was some sort of encouragement. “So if you ever need to talk I’m here. You know where to find me.” Anuhea noticed they were getting a little closer. “Maybe I should go from here?” She didn’t want Tabitha to think anything of them walking alone. That was the last thing she needed.
“Yeah, probably,” Diego agreed with an embarrassed smile, tinged with nervousness as he saw a group of Ribbonfins further down the path. None of them appeared to be Tabitha, and Diego exhaled, but took a few steps backwards anyway. This was as close as he wanted to get.
“Anyway, same goes for you, Anuhea,” he said with more solemnity than most people got out of Diego in an entire month. “If you need anything, let me know. After last year, I’ve got a lot to make up to you.”
“Thanks Diego,” she placed her hand on his shoulder. She normally would have gone for a hug but she had thought better of it but one arm had gone up. “And yes, I’ll admit you do have a lot to make up to me.” Anuhea would give him that, but she wouldn’t allow him the take the blame for everything. “We will figure it out. So see you later?” She smiled and dropped her hand realizing she had left it there a little too long.
Diego didn’t pull away, but he did put his hands in his pockets as Anuhea drew near. It cut down on the temptation to do anything stupid in response. Fractured memories of the night they spent together were always in the back of his mind, and they were enough to make him cautious. Guilt was a very effective leash.
“Yeah,” he agreed, although he wasn’t sure if they actually would ‘figure it out’. Diego smiled anyway, even as he turned to make a retreat from the Ribbonfin camp. “See you later.”
Diego jogged to catch up, quickly outpacing the other students who’d gathered for Outdoor Exploration and were just beginning to disperse. It was the official end of the first full week, and everyone looked tired. Or maybe Diego was projecting, and he was the only one who felt drained. The back and forth between excitement and dread was taking a lot out of him, but things were leveling out. At least Diego thought they were leveling out. Oh please, please be leveling out.
He and Anuhea hadn’t really had a chance to talk. Not in person, anyway. The party hadn’t been a good place for having a heart to heart, and he clearly owed some people a few serious conversations. Tabitha didn’t want to talk, though, and privately Diego feared the reactions of his friends. The news was getting out, though, and although Diego was a cheater, he wasn’t a liar. It was the only scrap of honor he could justify keeping.
This was the first time he’d caught Anuhea with no other Ribbonfins around to give him suspicious looks. Diego slowed as he reached her, easing into a spirited but mellow pace. “Walk you back to Ribbonfin?” he began, and then thought better of it. “Or, maybe like, the edge of Ribbonfin.”
Anuhea heard her name and turned, she knew who it was before she had even turned. It caused her stride to slow to a stop and wait for him as he jogged to catch up. She had a hint of a smile as she watched him. They needed to talk properly eventually, and she knew that. Now, seemed to be good as any.
The first week of school was over and she felt like she had settled in. Though she still wasn’t sure if she was going to manage with her and Tabitha as they were. It was going to be a long year, but she would make it through. Besides, she still had Diego for a friend right? “Yeah, maybe the edge of Ribbonfin is a good idea.” Anuhea tried to laugh but it sounded really forced. “But yeah, thanks.” They needed to talk and now seemed to be the time.
“How are you?” She started awkwardly.
“Good, I guess.” He smiled crookedly back at her as they began walking in step. It was true enough. There had been no big blow up with Anuhea. He hadn’t become a social pariah like Mina had probably been hoping for. The party went off without a hitch. He should be happy, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were on the edge of collapse. It was a delicate balancing game, and Diego was rarely ever trusted with anything delicate.
“How about you? Are you holding up?” Diego’s smile became tight and concerned. “How did the first week bunking with Tabitha go?”
Anuhea nodded her head, looking down at their feet as they walked before looking back up at Diego. “I’m holding up fine, so I guess fine is a good answer.” She shrugged though she thought about the silence between her and Tabitha. The avoidance of being alone with her. “It’s okay. I avoid her as much as I can. I just know she doesn’t really want to see me much.” Anuhea shrugged again. “I guess we have talked as much as saying hello or acknowledging the other person is there.” But she felt like they were going to have a blow up one of these days.It couldn’t be this strained tension forever.
“Yeah,” Diego said, which sounded as thoroughly useless as he felt. His one attempt to get everyone out in the open with Tabitha had been disastrous. After that, he’d tried the ‘just don’t think about it’ method, which wasn’t working well either. He kicked a rock on the path, which skittered through the dirt and into the grass. Trees were beginning to appear around them as they neared the pleasant woods where Ribbonfin was hidden.
“I tried to get her to see if she’d talk to me in person,” he admitted. “I think she was angry I suggested it at all. I don’t know what to do. Frankly, I’m shocked you’re still talking to me.” Tabitha’s anger was terrible, but Anuhea’s calm acceptance was mystifying. He envied anyone who could keep their head so effortlessly. Maybe if he had that kind of self-control, he wouldn’t have done what he did. But then again, Anuhea hadn’t stopped it either, and insisted on sharing the blame. What a mess. What a fucking mess.
“I could see that.” Anuhea started there. “She doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge us or give us time.” Well perhaps more particularly Diego for doing it, but she had played a role. Anuhea looked overhead a moment as she passed under the trees. “But don’t be shocked. I mean it wouldn’t make it any easier being mad at you. I mean I was, but I am over it mostly. I shouldn’t have done it single or not. I would have pissed her off either way.” Though it would have been less of a slight against the friendship if they hadn’t still been dating, or at least Anuhea thought. She had played a role in it and she wasn’t going to forget that. She definitely could have stopped it and she hadn’t. “I wish I could say we could try and wear her down together, but I doubt that would make things any better.”
Diego sighed heavily. And then sighed again, which turned into a groan.
“We shouldn’t do that. Right?” He turned to Anuhea, looking ragged for a moment. “I don’t want to… I don’t know what I want. I spent all summer thinking about it, and besides writing a bunch of really pathetic songs, not much came out of all that ‘introspection’.”
“No. We shouldn’t try to talk to her together.” Anuhea shook her head. “I don’t have the answers of what we should be doing, but both of us is an awful idea. Particularly, when she doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with either of us.” Anuhea looked a little sad as she shrugged. “The only thing I can think of doing is just letting it go, and letting her do what she needs to do. I am not going to fight to get her forgiveness. I feel bad, but I can’t spend all my time trying to get her accept an apology.” Anuhea realized this was probably not what Diego wanted to hear. “Sorry, that probably wasn’t helpful was it?”
Diego ran a hand back through his hair, and tried to think. This whole situation had been stalled for months. Ever since Tabitha found out, Diego felt like he’d been saying the same things over and over and over. Some friends in the know had accepted the apologies, even as they wilted with disappointment. Diego had spared them having to go over everything a second time. No need to remind the people he loved about what he was really like. Which meant there was only Anuhea to confide in. He wasn’t sure why that made him feel so uncertain.
“It’s okay.” The tension slipped from Diego’s shoulders. Maybe it wasn’t entirely gone, but it was certainly hidden better. “I shouldn’t put this on you. I just don’t know who else to talk to about it, you know? I’m friends with almost all of her friends. They want to stay out of it, and not have to listen to me freak out more. It always turns into me apologizing again, and I can tell it’s getting annoying.”
“No, it’s fine.” Anuhea paused and affirmed her statement with, “Really.” She could understand what he was feeling. She only felt she could really talk to him about it. He was in the same position as she was. “We are in a similar spot, so if we can’t talk to each other.” Anuhea hoped that was some sort of encouragement. “So if you ever need to talk I’m here. You know where to find me.” Anuhea noticed they were getting a little closer. “Maybe I should go from here?” She didn’t want Tabitha to think anything of them walking alone. That was the last thing she needed.
“Yeah, probably,” Diego agreed with an embarrassed smile, tinged with nervousness as he saw a group of Ribbonfins further down the path. None of them appeared to be Tabitha, and Diego exhaled, but took a few steps backwards anyway. This was as close as he wanted to get.
“Anyway, same goes for you, Anuhea,” he said with more solemnity than most people got out of Diego in an entire month. “If you need anything, let me know. After last year, I’ve got a lot to make up to you.”
“Thanks Diego,” she placed her hand on his shoulder. She normally would have gone for a hug but she had thought better of it but one arm had gone up. “And yes, I’ll admit you do have a lot to make up to me.” Anuhea would give him that, but she wouldn’t allow him the take the blame for everything. “We will figure it out. So see you later?” She smiled and dropped her hand realizing she had left it there a little too long.
Diego didn’t pull away, but he did put his hands in his pockets as Anuhea drew near. It cut down on the temptation to do anything stupid in response. Fractured memories of the night they spent together were always in the back of his mind, and they were enough to make him cautious. Guilt was a very effective leash.
“Yeah,” he agreed, although he wasn’t sure if they actually would ‘figure it out’. Diego smiled anyway, even as he turned to make a retreat from the Ribbonfin camp. “See you later.”