Rule #18: Learn how to sew so you can mend your costume. Also, try to only rip it while doing impressive things, it helps your street cred.
A day or two after Ike kicked me out and after Rachel had proclaimed that all boys were idiots, I was back to training. I was still very sullen and moody but at least I was making some kind of effort to get back to normal. Training itself was calming in a way, it gave me something to think about other than Ike and all of that stuff. But it wasn't so calming that I was able to stop being so pouty and annoying, which neither Dan or Rachel appreciated. They left me alone for a few days but then Rachel decided that she had had enough of it and showed up to tell me so.
She showed up just as I was starting up again after lunch. At least, I guess you could call it lunch. It was mainly just me standing over the sink and stuffing chips into my mouth before training again, feeling a little nauseous as I did so. Rachel didn't knock or anything when she came in, she just burst in with a scary look on her face.
"Yes, my dear sister?" I asked, not bothering to stop training.
"This has to stop."
"What does? My training? That seems a little shortsighted."
"No, not your training."
"Then what am I stopping? You're being very cryptic, Rach. It's making me very worried about you."
"Oh please, you're too busy being angsty to worry about me."
"So is that it? You want me to be stop being angsty?"
"Exactly," she said.
"And how do you suggest that I stop being so angsty? I feel like it might be dependent on my DNA."
"We share the same DNA so I highly doubt that."
"Don't worry, there's still time for you to become angsty like me. I can teach you if you'd like."
"There's no need for that, I assure you."
I paused the simulation, sensing something about her tone that worried me. "What are you planning?"
"Nothing."
"But there is something going on."
"Of course. I'm just not planning it anymore, it's already planned."
"Would you care to enlighten me?"
She smirked. "Give me a second."
"Sure."
She left the room for a moment before stomping back in with someone in tow. I almost fainted when I realized that Ike was the one with her, looking just as surprised as I was.
"What the fuck is happening?" he said.
"Hell if I know," I said.
"This is an intervention," Rachel said. "This whole mess has been going on long enough."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"She's fucking crazy, you know that?" Ike said. "She showed up at my house and then forced me to drive her over here, it's ridiculous."
"Hey, I'm really sorry about this, I didn't know."
"Whatever."
"You guys better start being nicer to each other or you're going to be in here a while," Rachel said.
"What?" Ike said.
"I don't understand," I said.
"Too bad," she said, pushing Ike into the room before locking us in the training room with her on the outside.
"RACHEL!" I yelled, banging on the door.
"I told you! She's fucking crazy!"
The two of us banged on the door to no avail until Rachel opened it a crack.
"You're not getting out of here until you make up," she said. "So start getting along already. Oh, and I forgot this."
She tossed a bag into the room and locked the door again.
"Come on, Rachel," I whined. "I have to pee and there's no bathroom in here."
"Then you better make up before you pee yourself cause I'm not letting you out!" she yelled through the door.
"But what if I pee myself!"
"Then you pee yourself!"
Rachel then went silent, not bothering to give us any more instruction. I kept standing by the door, hoping she would change her mind and let us out but Ike was already pacing the room in frustration. It was clear that neither of us knew what to say to each other and that we wouldn't be making up anytime soon. Rachel could throw us in a room all she wanted but that didn't mean that her plan would actually work.
"I really am sorry about this," I said to him.
"Whatever."
"I didn't know she was going to do something like this, it's ridiculous."
"I know it's ridiculous."
"Do you at least want to see what's in the bag?" I said, pointing to the bag Rachel had thrown into the room.
"Nope."
"At least we can have something to do while we wait. She'll give up eventually."
"NO SHE WON'T." Rachel yelled.
"SHUT UP." I yelled back.
"You can look, I don't want to," Ike said.
"Suit yourself." I sat in one of the chairs scattered around the room, Dan liked to sit while he watched me progress, and opened the bag.
Rachel may have locked us in a room but she had been thoughtful when she had put our supplied together. She had thrown in a few sandwiches, a couple of juice boxes, and even my Star Wars DVDs. This showed how much planning really had gone into this, she remembered that I had my Xbox plugged into the training room TV. She really was too smart for her own good.
"She gave us Star Wars," I said.
"Whatever."
"Are you really saying whatever to Star Wars? You even are you?"
"Oh grow up."
"There's sandwiches and juice boxes in here too, if you want one."
"I'm fine."
"Whatever. I'll have all of them then."
"Oh come on, you fuckers," Rachel said. "Get started on making up, I'm getting bored out here."
"Shut up, Rachel."
"No."
Shaking my head, I dragged one of the chairs in front of the TV and turned on Episode IV, wasting no time in stuffing a whole sandwich into my mouth. After a few minutes, to my surprise, Ike sat down in a chair next to me and grabbed his own sandwich. I said nothing, not wanting to annoy him any more than this event already had.
We were halfway through Episode IV when Ike, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke:
"I'm sorry for flipping out at you at my house. It was unfair of me."
"Don't worry about it," I said.
"But that doesn't mean I forgive you."
"I know."
"I don't think I'll ever forgive you."
"I hope that isn't true."
"It might not be. But I doubt it," he said, sipping his juice box.
"All right."
We were silent for a little while longer, watching as Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi met Han Solo in the cantina, when I said:
"So what does this mean for the project?"
"The project?"
"The one we're supposed to do together. What are we going to do?"
"I don't know."
"You know, the best option would be-"
"No."
"Why not?" I asked.
"I'm not ready to spend that much time with you."
"Okay, if you're sure."
He sighed. "But it would probably be better for our grades if we work together."
"Probably."
"We'll work together but spend as little time as possible together, all right?"
"Of course."
"Good," he said. "We can figure it all out later."
"Okay."
We paused as the training room door creaked open behind us.
"It's not what I was looking for," Rachel said, smirking. "But it's good enough for now. You're free to leave."
"Nah, we're good," Ike said, grabbing another juice box.
"Let us finish the movie first," I said. Rachel rolled her eyes and left the room once again, but this time leaving the door open.