MALIK

[foreversweaterweather]

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w0, sunday

[foreversweaterweather]

[ Let's say it's dinnertime and Mabel's at the cafeteria. She's got a plate full of, idk, spaghetti? that she's aimlessly pushing around. She's also got a bigass bowl of pudding on her tray that she tries to eat a spoonful of to cheer herself up, but that doesn't work either. ]

[godcards]

[ So hey Malik just wanted to eat dinner (which is rice and vegetables because he's lame) and no one told him there'd be sad kids here?? That isn't allowed? THIS IS WEIRD???

ok how does he put this delicately ]

...Do you mind sitting somewhere else?

[ NAILED IT ]

[foreversweaterweather]

[ she sniffles. it's a wretched, heartbreaking sound. ]

...okay.

[ she scooches one seat over, emptying a seat for Malik next to her. Because that's clearly what he meant, right? ]

[godcards]

[ He sits, leaving plenty of distance-- look, he didn't want to see a depressed child while trying to eat. Somehow this is her fault for not knowing exactly what he meant. ]

If you are going to cry, you don't have to do it out here.

[foreversweaterweather]

[ sniffle sniffle, rubs at her eyes with her sleeve ]

...where--where else would I do it?

[godcards]

...Your dorm?

[foreversweaterweather]

...but it's dinnertime.

[ hence, food. cafeteria. sitting here. ]

[godcards]

[ UGH that means he has to ask, doesn't he ]

Then what is so upsetting that you're... like that?

[foreversweaterweather]

[ sniffle, dejected spoonful of pudding. ]

My brother isn't here.

[godcards]

Oh... is that really so bad?

[ he truly can't gauge how serious this is, so this is an actual honest question ]

[foreversweaterweather]

Yes?! He's my twin!

[godcards]

Siblings don't always get along... I was just asking.

[foreversweaterweather]

Well, we do! We're like--yin and yang! Cookies and cream! A rusty playground and a tetanus shot!!

Right now I'm just a rusty old playground that no one wants to play on 'cuz there's no tetanus shot to protect them!!

[godcards]

What is a tetanus shot?

[ wait. that's not the point. ] -- Anyway, are you sure that's the reason? If you sit here by yourself, it stands to reason that no one is going to want to interact with you.

[foreversweaterweather]

What? No, it's not about--I can make plenty of friends just fine!! But I can't just be here going to a neat school without him! We do everything together!

[godcards]

Not this time you don't. It might not be so bad... You won't know until you try.

[foreversweaterweather]

But...for a whole school year? That's so long! What if we're totally different people and don't even know each other by the end of it?!

[godcards]

Then you'll have to get re-acquainted. It's not that hard... So there's nothing to be upset about.

[foreversweaterweather]

But...but what if we end up hating each other's guts for the next like 40 years?!

[godcards]

I don't know why you'd hate each other, when you're clearly very concerned about him.

[foreversweaterweather]

Y-you think?

...do you have any siblings?

[godcards]

Yes. I have an older sister.

[ a pause. ]

We haven't talked in a little while, but that doesn't mean we don't get along. We're on different paths.

[foreversweaterweather]

...do you still know each other like you used to before you...uh, went on different paths?

[godcards]

Different paths means we're not the same. That might not be the case of you and your twin, however... It's just what happened with me and my sister. So don't read too much into it.

[foreversweaterweather]

...I guess you're right. [ she's still a little worried, thinking about her grunkles, but she at least flashes Malik a small smile. ]

Thanks.