Bobby looked over at Gabriella as they walked through the park.
"Here?" he asked.
"More over there, under the tree, you know what Shayne's like," Gabriella replied, pointing to a large tree a few metres away. "When do they finish up?"
"Um, I think... an hour? They said to just start, they'd bring their lunch over later and hang," he told her.
Bobby pulled the blanket out of the picnic basket and spread it out under the tree, then put his backpack and the basket down on the ground. Gabriella sat down, taking her bag off as she did so, and started rummaging around in it for her book.
"I'm so lost," Bobby said, dramatically sighing as he sat down across from her. He opened the basket and pulled out some food, then settled himself down, laying in her lap as he twirled his apple in his hands.
"I swear, it'll be a miracle if we all make it through this semester," she replied, grabbing an apple for herself. "Even with my power, I'm struggling. I can't imagine not having it at the moment!"
Bobby laughed and then took a bite of his apple. He chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed, one hand reaching for his bag to get his books out.
"So, how are you holding up?" Gabriella asked, pulling more of their food from the basket. She tossed him a sandwich before taking one for herself.
"Good, surprisingly," he said, unwrapping the plastic and looking up at her. "I had a good talk with my friend Gwen and she helped me kinda put it into perspective."
"Well that's good," she replied. "As long as you're ok, that's all we care about. Plus, we can stand to look at you now, because the bruising has almost disappeared."
"Nice, Gab, you really know how to flatter me."
"I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think we all like you or anything."
"So mistreated!"
Julie and Annika
Julie, Annika, Olivia and all seven children were out in the park. They all felt that it wasn't good for them - especially the kids - to be cooped up inside all day every day, hence the excusion.
Brett, B'Elanna and Tom played in the sand pit while Tinga, Josh, Cindy and Dax looked on, and the three women watched them. At one point Annika looked up around the park, looked back at Brett, then looked back up again.
"Funny," she murmered.
"What?" asked Julie.
"There's a guy over there that looks exactly like Bobby."
Julie looked up. She lips tightened as her eyes fell on the man in question.
"That is Bobby," she said coldly.
With another woman.
Before she really knew what she was doing, Julie was up off the park bench and stalking over to Bobby and Gabriella.
Bobby
Bobby rolled off Gabriella's lap and lay on his stomach, unwrapping his sandwich as he looked up at her.
"I can't wait to get away from this place," he said, before taking a bite of his sandwich.
Gabriella nodded and moved to lay down beside him, flipping onto her stomach and opening her text book.
"It'll be good for a break. Shayne and I are going to head out with Lennon to his parents place for the weekend," she said. "I think we're all burning out. Honestly, I don't know how you guys do it without my power."
Bobby chuckled. "We suffer headaches and fatigue, but we do it. Or, we just copy off you."
"Well, yeah, there's that..."
Neither of them noticed Julie approaching.
Julie
Julie stalked up the last few steps to Bobby and Gabriella.
"So this is your idea of having a break, is it, Bobby?" she snarled.
Bobby
"Well, yeah, it's lunch?" Bobby looked confusedly at Julie, as he sat up.
Gabriella, not wanting to be involved, tactfully kept reading her book.
Julie
"Don't play dumb with me," Julie said. "Just how long as this been going on?"
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
Bobby
Bobby stood up so he was at Julie level (or taller, as he was taller) and looked at her evenly.
"Well, if you're referring to lunch, then we just got here. Or if you mean how long have we been lunching together, then it's since we all became friends when we started the course. Or if you're implying that Gab and I are more than friends - and by the way, yes, you've met Gabriella - then no, we aren't."
He looked at her, his eyes slightly icy.
"Not that it would be your business anymore."
Julie
Ahh, she thought she'd seen her before.
"Well, I'm so sorry if by 'having a break' you meant 'license to see other people'," Julie responded, refusing to let go of the matter despite the fact that her assumption had just been revealed as wrong."
Bobby
Bobby looked her in the eyes, his expression unreadable.
"I'm not getting into this now."
Julie
Julie's lips tightened.
"Fine. Whatever," she dismissed, her voice thick. "I'm going back to my kids. They might be a handful, but at least they're honest."
She turned on her heel.
Bobby
"Hey, lovers in the park!" Lennon called out, as he and Shayne approached.
"Are we the lovers, or are they?" Shayne laughed, oblivious to the tense situation.
"We're all lovers, man! You're a hippie - "
"Free spirit," she corrected.
"Sorry, free spirit," Lennon amended. "So don't the 'free spirits' believe in shared love and stuff?"
Shayne laughed and then in unison with Lennon, they cried out "Shared love!"
Gabriella looked up at them, thinking that conversation could've come at a better time.
"Bobby, my man," Shayne greeted, shaking his hand. "Long time no see. Not since you had your face improved."
"Hey, I was in a lot of pain, thanks," Bobby protested.
"Yeah, but you looked better as a pulp. Oh... are we interrupting?" Lennon looked at the group awkwardly.
Julie
Julie glanced over her shoulder at them, then sauntered over and slipped her arms around Lennon and Shayne.
"No, you're not interupting. you're just in time for the love-fest," she said sweetly.
She was a little surprised at just how quickly her well-developed flirting skills came back to her.
Bobby
Lennon disentangled himself from Julie, and gave a look to Bobby, who merely shrugged, and settled himself back on Gabriella.
"Are we studying?" he asked.
"Oh man, you will not believe the amount of crap I have to do," Lennon replied.
Shayne was still standing awkwardly with Julie, wondering how to make her friend's ex not feel bad if she sat down as well.
Julie
Julie smirked to herself, although she was careful not to let the expressed move to her face where people could see it.
"You're cute," she said to Shayne.
Bobby
"Yeah, and you're my best friend's ex, I don't think so, even if the thought of going down on a girl didn't freak me out," Shayne said, disentangling herself.
Gabriella laughed. "Shayne, don't be a bitch."
"Hey, I'm hungry, I'm allowed to be bitchy!"
"Here Shay," Bobby said, throwing ehr a sandwich. "I made it just for you. It has my - "
"Don't you dare, Bobby!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Or I will beat your mutant face in!"
"I knew you'd bring up the mutant thing, you racist!"
Gabriella snickered.
Lennon looked between Bobby and Julie and half shrugged. "So..."
Julie
Julie was somewhat annoyed with herself for getting so jealous like 'those girls' she had always despised before (usually when she had been the one stealing their boyfriends away). A part of her was rather smug that she had freaked out one of Bobby's girl friends, another part rebuked her for taking out her frustrations on someone who had nothing to do with it.
"It's okay, honey," Julie said, patting Lennon on the head, which was just within reach. "Bobby and I just seem to have very different definitions of the term 'having a break'."
Bobby
"Hey!" Shayne clicked her fingers. "We've got that dance thing coming up. Are we going to go as the awesome foursome again?"
"Um, yes," Bobby said, looking at her like she was an idiot. "Of course. I'm bagsing Lennon!"
"No way man, you promised me way back when!" Gabriella protested.
"But but but," Lennon turned on Gabriella. "We were going to go as Starsky and Hutch!"
Shayne laughed. "Weirdos."
Bobby looked at Julie slightly. "Julie, can we discuss this later? I really don't have much to say to you at the moment."
Julie
"No, of course you don't," Julie replied. "And no doubt as soon as I'm out of earshot you're probably all going to enjoy a little bitch fest about me and my hanging around being annoying right now. Or laugh. Let's face it, we all know I'm making a fool of myself just by staying here. Well, I'm so sorry if I still love you Bobby."
She stepped back.
"So really, very sorry," she said regretfully.
She turned and fled.
Bobby
"You should go after her," Gabriella said softly.
"Yeah... I should."
But still, Bobby stayed put.