picking teams

chapter 15: janis

Janis knows when she's been caught. She inhales heavily and rubs her eyes, staring up at her ceiling. "Does... has she been different with you?"

"Diffe'n 'ow?" Damian responds around what is evidently a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Like... distant, I guess? I don't know," Janis sighs. "It's dumb."

Janis grimaces as she hears him spit out his toothpaste. "No it's not. Where is this coming from?"

"That's what's stupid," Janis mumbles. "I know I always say they're stupid and don't mean anything, but like... she didn't get me a candy cane. I got her one."

"Aww, babe, I would've gotten you one," Damian coos. Janis rolls her eyes.

"You are not my girlfriend. If you got me one I'd have stuck it up your nose."

"Gross," Damian responds.

"Hook your brain out with it like a mummy."

"What the fuck?"

"I don't know! I told you I was losing it," Janis replies. "Is it dumb I'm kind of upset?"

"No. Of course not," Damian scoffs. "I would be too. After you put such a touching note on hers."

"Shut up," Janis chuckles. "But seriously."

"No, that's... kinda shady of her," Damian replies.

"And every time I see her in public and try to talk to her she totally flips out. Even if there's nobody around. Like, I get that she doesn't wanna come out yet. That's fine, but like... when I came to check on her yesterday the first thing she said was like, 'There's people here!' and she seemed like she was actually... mad about it."

"I mean... fear makes people do weird things? She knows what happened to you, she probably just, y'know, wants to avoid something similar. She's still close to Regina."

"I guess. I feel like such a pussy," Janis sighs.

"I have never heard you use that word as a negative thing. Damn," Damian replies. Janis huffs a chuckle.

"It feels like she's... pulling away from me," she mumbles, pulling at a stray thread on her comforter. "I don't wanna lose her, Dame."

"Don't worry too much about that yet. I'm sure she's just worried about coming out. You know how North Shore is. The candy cane is a little shady, but maybe she just forgot. Now come eat, bitch."

"I'll be over in ten. Thanks, babe."

"Anytime, bitch."

Janis rolls her eyes as she hangs up and hauls herself out of bed to get dressed.

————

Janis smiles as she hops the fence into her neighbor's backyard and runs through it to the next street over. Sure, Cady's been acting a little weird, but that doesn't mean Janis can't be excited to see her.

She's knocking on Damian's door in seven minutes flat. His mom pulls it open, clad in a flour-covered apron that says Half Assed, All Good in a flourishing cursive font. She smiles as soon as she lays eyes on Janis and pulls her into a familiar embrace. "Hi, baby! Come in, Damian and that sweet Cady girl are in his room, you go right on in."

"Thanks, Ms. Hubbard," Janis says with a grin, squeezing her back before she heads to Damian's room. Ms. Hubbard goes back to the kitchen humming some country-ish song Janis surprisingly doesn't recognize. Her love for country music is her secret deepest shame.