radicalize | (no subject)

Current Location: Doris.

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penny lane

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It was early Thursday afternoon when Lucy stopped by Penny's bus. She still hadn't found a dress yet -- mostly, she got things in fluorescent colors, things that belonged more on the streets in the East Village than at a ball held by Jane Bennet and Anne Boleyn -- and, as a last resort, she figured there would be no harm in seeing if Penny had anything that might be wearable.

The door of the bus was open and there was music playing, so after standing outside for a few seconds, she decided to take the other girl up on her open invitation and just walk right in. "Hey, Penny?" she called out hesitantly as she climbed up the few stairs to the inside. "You here?" It seemed like a fairly nonsensical question to ask, but it was courtesy all the same.

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Penny was, in fact, there, dressed in the clothes she'd been wearing the night before. It had been a weird evening, to say the least, and she was still a little confused on how it had all happened -- and of course, suddenly hearing Lucy's voice over The Doors was no less startling.

"I'm here," she confirmed, standing from where she'd been half laying down on a seat. "What's up?"

Lucy grinned at the sight of Penny, fidgeting with first her skirt, then her hair as she walked down the aisle to greet her. "The ball," she replied, letting out a short laugh at how pathetically sincere she sounded. "I want to go, but I can't get the clothes box to give me a thing to wear, and so...I was wondering if maybe you'd gotten something left over from another party?" She'd had some nice dresses through all the winter parties, Lucy remembered, and they were close enough to the same size that likely anything would have fit her.

Sighing, Penny shook her head. "Not a thing," she said sympathetically, and gestured behind her to the curtains at the back. "Just what I found for myself, which, believe me, took ages."

With that, though, she paused, brushing a stray curl away from her face. "We should talk, though," she added, her demeanor shifting to something more tense, glancing away, shoulders curled slightly forward. "Do you have time to sit for a minute?" It was less that she felt obligated and more that she wanted to, a strange sensation in and of itself.

Instantly, Lucy's smile faded, but she nodded, tucking herself into the closest bus seat. "Okay, I'm sitting," she said expectantly, her voice lilting up at the end of the sentence. For Penny to say something that serious was worrisome, yet Lucy had no idea what could be coming next. Whatever it was, though, she was sure it wasn't good.

Penny exhaled heavily, dropping down into the seat across from Lucy. "Okay," she breathed as she ran a hand down across her face. She was venturing into unfamiliar territory now, with the added disadvantage of not knowing Lucy well enough to guess how she might respond; all in all, it was fairly terrifying.

"So, um," she continued, stammering. Lucy was still just staring at her, which made it no less nerve-wracking. She was still convinced, though, that this was the right thing to do, in as much as doing the right thing had ever mattered to her. Best to just say it quickly and get it over with. "Jude came to see me last night. And we talked for a while, and then...then he kissed me, and we had sex." For a moment, Penny was silent, awaiting Lucy's response, but leaving it like that probably wasn't the best idea, she figured. "I'm sure you probably hate me right now, but - I didn't come on to him, I swear, and the last thing I meant to do was hurt you."

All Lucy could do for what felt like a long time was stare. She'd known things were bad, but for Jude to go that far, after what he'd accused her of -- it was both unexpected and somehow not entirely surprising.

"No," she replied, sounding almost vacant until she shook her head. "No, I...I don't hate you. I probably should, but..." She trailed off, giving Penny something of a fond look. "You came out and told me, and I can respect that. I mean, it's not like I condone you sleeping with my boyfriend, but..." Lifting one shoulder in an awkward shrug, she slid off the seat again, crossing the aisle to drop down next to Penny and wrapping one arm around the other girl's shoulders. "Don't worry about it. We've been having problems, and I wouldn't put you in the middle of that."

Lucy's reaction came as something of a surprise to Penny, and it showed on her face, eyes slightly wide, mouth dropped open. She nodded slowly, though, giving Lucy a solemn look. "Okay," she said, as if that spoke for itself. "Well, like I said, I'm sorry, and...you let me know if you need anything, all right? My bus is always open if you need a place to stay, or whatever. It's the least I can do."

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