Marathon!

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya had trained faithfully, just like she promised (and despite her period starting a few months after that promise. Really? She didn't need that!). The weights had been added by about the second month of training and she was really, really proud of her stamina!

And the marathon they'd chosen as their first was coming up this weekend, with fund raising as done by Elcy...and yeah. "Don't tell me you have to cancel!" she said into the phone, pulling one foot up to stretch out her thighs. "Don't! I can't go and do this alone!"

Comments

[sliceitwithwind]

"I know where that is." Braig said cheerfully.

Dilan eyed Braig and said, "I think we're past that, thank you."

[mitochondriaaya]

"If it would make you happy I'll wear it," Aya shrugged. Her dignity did not rely on never being seen in a monkey backpack! "But not when we're dancing? Pleeeeeease?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Nah. I think we're good...I'd get a very different rep than I want if I led a fourteen year old around on a leash."

[mitochondriaaya]

"That's fair," Aya grinned. Yeah, she hadn't actually thought he'd pull the leash out again after all these years? She'd have stuck by her promise if he did though! "It'll be a lot easier to pretend to be a bit more grownup without it."

[sliceitwithwind]

"You'll do fine." Braig promised, "As long as you remember that if someone ogles you, you're to call them a pervert and point me at them."

[mitochondriaaya]

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Aya snorted. "But sure. You'll probably notice before I do though? I've really only seen moogles ogle each other in soaps." And if she'd been ogled at the school she didn't pick up on it!

[sliceitwithwind]

"You've seen Katzu ogle each other all the time." Dilan countered, "Every summer, and on the soaps."

[mitochondriaaya]

Blink. Bliiink. "Katzu always watch people. Is this a dating thing I'll learn?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Yeah." Dilan said, "Ogling is kind of ... like ..." No, he couldn't ogle her. He could ogle a waitress, though. Briefly!

And have Braig smack him, "Don't ogle people at work, dude. It's not on."

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya headtilted and watched Dilan and...yeah, looked like hungry katzu staring with a smile? "Do you think Haran can teach me if I ask?" He was katzu so he'd have some clue what Dilan was talking about right?!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Probably." Dilan said, shrugging, "I know he'd try?"

[mitochondriaaya]

"Good enough! Maybe I'll figure it out this summer then!" Maybe indeed! Oooo, chicken pie was coming out! With smaller plate to dish onto!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Wait, what?" said Braig, "What? I missed something."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Dilan thinks I should date Haran since I'll be fourteen this summer." That about summed it up right? "So I can learn how to date where it doesn't matter that I don't have breasts yet and everyone's not afraid of you." Okay, now he was entirely caught up!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Oh." Braig said, "Okay." Don't mind him. He was just going to devote himself to eating pretty much everything on the table. And. Not imagine her kissing someone else because then he'd have to pre-emptively kill Haran which would be bad because Haran was a good kid.

"I like Haran, and Haran likes Aya." Dilan pointed out, oblivious.

[mitochondriaaya]

"Yeah, Dilan says it's more fun to date instead of try to study and figure things out?" Aya sighed, a little annoyed at that dead end. "What if I piss him off?!"

Also? Still weird to be liked like that! "I said I'd think about it."

[sliceitwithwind]

"It is." Braig agreed because he had to let her figure things out on her own. He had to. He just wanted her to ask him about kissing. "You won't piss him off, monkey. Any guy'd be lucky to be your first kiss."

"Yeah!" Dilan agreed, enthusiastically, "You're awesome."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Still gonna worry." She mumbled into her drink. Still going to worry so much because dating guys! "I'll write and ask him. And I know I don't talk like girls normally do! Am I suppose to talk differently?!!" FLAIL!

This was why she wanted to research!

"Being a girl is hard."

[sliceitwithwind]

"Aya," Braig said seriously, because she trusted him and he was not going to screw her up. He wasn't. "If anyone, ever, tries to change how you talk, how you look, how you think, how you dress, anything about you...they. Are. Wrong. You're a perfect Aya."

[mitochondriaaya]

Aya looked at him when he said her name, then immediately fell into the 'I am listening intently' expression. Aya didn't hang on words so much as she absorbed them when they came from someone who mattered! "What if they don't like me?"

[sliceitwithwind]

"Then you shouldn't be kissing them." Braig said, simply, "Only kiss people who like you, that you like. Don't kiss people who don't like you, and don't kiss people you don't like."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Okay." Simple as that? Was it? "How do you know if they like really or just like the fact you're a girl, or guy in your case."

[sliceitwithwind]

"It can be hard to tell." Braig admitted, "A little of it is guesswork. If you're not sure..." yeah, giving in just a little, "if you're not sure, don't kiss them."

"Yeah." Dilan agreed, "You should only kiss people if you're sure."

[mitochondriaaya]

"Okay. And you're not suppose to be a good kisser when you start right? Because that's a skill?" Like running, it took practice right? She could accept that if no one laughed at her!

[sliceitwithwind]

"Right." Dilan said, Braig settling back into silently stewing with jealousy. "You'll start out kinda bad, but you'll get better."