Should've Thought This Through

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Really, Zoe should've thought this through a bit more. She'd made the claim to Ezra that she could probably get Quinn to agree to go on their planned photo expedition, but that had almost been her attempting to brag, or possibly attempting to make it seem less like a doubledate to make Alex uncomfortable, or possibly to make herself less comfortable about the fact that Riley was coming along and the thought of having a chaperon alone who wouldn't necessarily be cheering Zoe on toward finally having sex with someone was somewhat reassuring. It might also have been Zoe's almost desperation to include Quinn, who she genuinely liked and wanted to, well, include.

All of which led to her standing in the boys' dorm for the last five minutes staring at the door labeled Quinn Wiley. She licked her lips, raised her hand again, then lowered it. Then she raised it. Then lowered it. And this was pretty much the motion she'd been doing since she walked here. It didn't help that the boys' dorms still made her edgy, as if she expected them all to start leering and ask her if there was a girl around she could make out with for them. Which Zoe knew was ludicrous, as several of her friends were males: LDR, Ezra, even Quinn himself.

Zoe raised her hand to knock again, only to find the door actually opening. She held the hand for a moment before turning it into a wave. "Oh, uh, hi! I, uh, wanted to... ask you something?" She smiled as broad as she could, wishing, yet again, that she'd really thought out this conversation and practiced it perhaps one or two more times in front of the bathroom mirror.

[Quinn Wiley]

“Pips!”

The ferret not liking the tone his master used went back into the hood of Quinn’s sweater. It was too late though. Quinn just caught him drinking into his glass of milk. It was sitting here next to him while he read and just as he turned to get it, he found him with his little head inside the glass, the tongue licking the liquid to drink it. No way would he drink the rest of it now. Who know how long he had been doing this already. Not really caring for Pips, knowing the ferret was used to travelling in the hood or inside the sweater or around Quinn’s neck, he stood up and walked out of his room. He could feel the little mass wiggling behind his head.

“No, get back in there,” he said, pushing Pips as he tried to get back to the glass. There was just way too much milk for the little creature and he didn’t even want to think what might happen if Pips fell head first in the glass. He might save some for his demonic of a pet, he even got little horns to put on the ferret to complete the picture, but not the whole thing. The rest, it would go straight in the sink. He could have done that in his bathroom but he wanted another glass for himself. One Pips had not drank from.

He opened the door only to almost get knocked in the face by Zoe’s fist. He understood she had not been standing there in the hope he would open the door and she could hit him of course but he still froze there, his glass of milk in his hand, staring at her. What was Zoe doing in here? Not just the boys’ dorm but also in front of his room. She mumbled the reason of her visit. “Yes? No, Pips!” he said as Pips, tried once again to go out of the hood and to the glass. It’s only when Quinn grabbed him that the ferret noticed the other person in front of them and wiggled in hope to get out of Quinn’s grasp and onto her. Quinn, however, stuffed him back in the hood. “Sorry,” he told Zoe, being more conscious now of his pet. Pips would not jump on her but he was there and stared at her, completely forgetting about the glass of milk he wanted at first.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

There were several moments where the two of them just stared at each other. Then Quinn exclaimed, Zoe jumped, and a ferret appeared. Zoe now shifted her staring from the boy to his pet for several seconds, nearly gaping at the sight of the little adorable creature. She couldn't seem to quite process it, not really. "He's adorable!" she manged after a while, before shaking her head. "And it's fine, really, I mean, it's not like you were expecting me or anything, and it is his home."

Zoe smiled and reached out toward the ferret. She paused, holding her hand out for the creature to sniff slightly. She tilted her head to get a good look, decidedly surprised that Quinn would care for a creature as adorable as this one. It wasn't as though he'd come to the door with a rabbit or a guinea pig, but this definitely didn't strike Zoe as something she'd have guessed the young man to own. A snake or a reptile perhaps.

"His name is Pips?" she asked, looking from owner to creature. "He seems quite rambunctious," which was totally unlike his owner, really. Who would have thought that Quinn of all people would own such an energetic pet?

[Quinn Wiley]

It seemed like surprising Zoe was something he had to do often, although he was not quite sure he ever made her flinch the way she did now. As usual, it was not intended. But it was true that Quinn was not exactly the kind of person to burst out like he did. Even when angry, his tone seemed to always remain soft, as if it refused to sound as though he was angry at anyone. Venom could seep through it quite easily but that was about it. Yet he exclaimed as Pips got out of the hood to try once again to drink and then see whoever was in front of them. Ferrets might be as smart as any other pets, this one was wiggling bird-brained little creature. Yet Zoe seemed to like him.

He froze and stared at her when she said he was adorable. He never thought ferrets would one day become something that might win him points with the ladies. Ferrets smelled, bit, wiggled their way into any hole, no matter how small... And the fur was not exactly the softest to caress, even after a bath. Yet everyone who’d seen him, the girls mind you, not the boys that used to be in his dorm, seemed to like it. Of course, that would have any value had the girls in question not been lesbians.

Zoe even wanted to touch Pips for sure. “It’s ok. It’s toes he prefers to bite, not fingers, and if he does, it doesn’t really hurt,” he assured her, although one might wonder if that could really reassure anyone. Quinn was not so good at the whole reassuring thing obviously. “Yeah...” he said as she called Pips, somehow expecting her to say it was a name fitting a bird more. “I was ready that book, by Dickens. Great Expectations? Just thought he was too lively to be just one pip,” he explained. He didn’t really need to justify the name but still felt like he had to. “That’s ferrets for you,” he added as she talked of his pet’s personality.

Quinn never minded carrying Pips around in his dorm. Usually, he stayed in his room but he knew Pips would not try to run away. If so, he had more chances to find him under a drawer than running for the door. “What do you want?” he asked her as he moved for the kitchen part of the dorm. He found an empty cap of a container of sort he used to pour some of the milk for Pips and let him drink it on the counter while he got rid of the rest. He would then focus his attention back on Zoe, doubting she came here just to see how cute his ferret was.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The thought of the ferret nibbling on toes actually made Zoe giggle slightly. "He probably wouldn't like nibbling me anyway," she pointed out, wiggling her fingers a bit. She hadn't experimented overmuch with being bitten (yet), but she was willing to wager that the whole poisonous skin thing would make the whole experience rather an unpleasant one. Given that Zoe could most definitely paralyze tongues (this she knew from experience) she was willing to bet that she would at least manage that with a nibble, and most likely a good deal more of something transferred in.

The history of the name did seem to fit, and Zoe nodded. "It's a bit strange to name him after a Dickens character, but, well, I guess they're all small and nice and lovely, and he does seem that," Zoe smiled at the creature again, before reaching a tentative finger over to give him a slight pet. She pulled her hand back while Quinn moved away, and followed him a bit further inside the door. The question that came as they ventured in had been more or less expected, but that didn't make addressing it any easier.

"Well, uh, actually, I was, well, I was hoping I could... talk you into doing something? With, ah, me?" Zoe flushed, realizing how that sounded. Quinn would know better, and he would also not want her to get too flustered. "Me and Ezra, you know him, from Photography Club? Anyway, we were, ah, hoping you'd be willing to do something. With us." Hey, progress.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn didn’t mean to imply he would let his ferret eat away her toes. He was merely stating the fact that he knew Pips could do it. Just like he was the best placed to know it didn’t really hurt. Hell, he one managed to lift Pips in the air while the creature was biting on his big toe and he barely felt any pain at all. Zoe seemed to understand it that way too as she merely giggled at the thought. It was kind of weird to see her this happy, even more knowing he was partially responsible for this state, although he would call it all on Pips’ fault if asked. Quinn didn't think it might be best for Pips not to touch Zoe. He sort of forgot about her ability. When you start living in this school long enough, it seemed so normal that you didn’t see those anymore, even when it might be best for you to.

He supposed people didn't call their pets after a character from one of Dickens’ books often. “I’m not really good with names. Plus, I was technically supposed to get a bird before I chose him instead. Pip does fit a bird more, I guess but it’s still better than if I called him Jaggers or Bagwitch,” he said, naming other male characters of the same book. At least he picked the protagonist of the story. Of course, simply by that fact, it made this character the easiest to remember but Quinn was done discussing the reasons behind Pips’ name.

All of a sudden, with a simple question, they were back to what their relationship seemed to be. Quinn wondering what Zoe was doing and Zoe stuttering away her explanations. It always made it so long until he could understand what she really wanted to say but Quinn never stopped her or tried to finish her sentences for her. He just waited for her to come out with it on her own. Doing something with her. He already did things with her and since he knew she was into girls, he was not sure why she had to blush so much. It was not like someone was there ready to tease her about those ‘things’ they could do. He nodded as she mentioned Ezra. So now he was involved too. “Something with you. Like what?” He supposed it had to do with photography as it really was the only thing they had in common but who knows. He could easily see Ezra and Zoe being friends and just wanting to include him in their activities. Because, reasons.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Oh how tempting it was to follow the conversation thread about the ferret and about Dickens. Zoe had definitely read the book, enough that considering a ferret with those names made her lips twitch slightly. Plus, literature would be a safe topic, unlike what she actually had come here to talk to him about. But no, she had to move forward. Quinn practically demanded that with his own comments, and Zoe knew that he wouldn't appreciate her stumbling about in the hopes of somehow accidentally knocking over the right conversation topic.

"Well, ah, you don't have to say yes if you don't want to, but, well," Zoe chewed her cheek for a moment, shifting her feet. No, just say it. Zoe really did want Quinn to come along, after all, so she should just buckle down and actually offer as much. "We were planning this road trip. For a weekend. We'd drive around and see some areas of the state, mostly parks and other scenic things, and stop every once in a while, take some pictures, sort of get to know each other.

"And I'd really like you to come along. I, well, my girlfriend's coming, and Ezra's inviting a friend, but I really want you along not because of that, but because, well, we've got this... photography thing together and I know you don't care what people think of you but, well, I happen to like you. As a friend. But you know that, and I did literally mention a girlfriend about five seconds ago. But, well, it's just: it would mean a lot to me if you'd agree to come along on this road trip with us. Not that you have to." Zoe finished the big spiel, probably the most words she'd said to Quinn since their meeting, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Odd, but she felt... almost confident, though she was certain that if anyone could quash that, Quinn could.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn’s imagination when it came to names was not that great. He just picked the name of the protagonist from the book he read, not caring if the personality matched or anything like that. But, at the same time, who cared? Pips sure didn’t mind. He read that ferrets were supposed to recognize their names, kind of like dogs. Pips seemed to. When it suited him. He doubted that when he paid no attention to Quinn calling him out it had anything to do with the fact he didn't appreciate his lack of imagination. He was done talking about Pips anyway, or at least to justify the ferret’s name.

He was more interested in what Zoe was doing here. It was not that he really minded her presence but he didn't ask for it either. She came here and there had to be a reason. Knowing Zoe, it would take a while until she’d be able to word it out so it was best to go straight to the point. Quinn never trusted when someone started with ‘you don’t have to say yes but’. It usually meant they wanted you to say yes and would try to convince you and possibly hold it against you if you said no. This was why Quinn usually said no, or grumbled all the way when forced. It was weird that she’d ask him anything though and he decided to wait for her to explain what it was before just turning his back at her.

He was about to ask if that was a bit like what she did during summer but another question came to him first. “We? Who’s we?” The answer came soon after. So her girlfriend was coming. And Ezra and some friend of his. He did remember Ezra from the photography club and even if the road trip was allegedly to take pictures of parks and sceneries this sounded already more like a road trip amongst friends, making him wonder why she’d think of him. But she wanted him, she insisted on that point.

It did surprise Quinn that she bluntly said she liked him. She didn't need to add as a friend, he got that one. That didn't make it less surprising. What was it with him and lesbians that made them all want to be his friend? The fact she blurted it all out when she normally stuttered her way through a five-word sentence was also surprising so she could take her pick on what made him stare straight at her right now. “Why is it so important to you?” he finally asked after a moment. He was not saying it to insult her or argue with her, he just wanted to know. “That Ezra’s friend... he likes her? It’s not just so I can hold the candle for you four right?” Did he want to leave on a road trip for a weekend? He didn’t know, he never thought much about that when he was not even driving. How far can you go during a weekend? That too he had no idea. But he never did well around people and Zoe pretty much just asked him to come with four others in one car. Two of them being lovers and probably hoping for some intimacy at some point and the two others being people he didn’t really know too well. He didn’t even know who Zoe was dating and who was that friend she mentioned. This sounded so much like a bad idea he didn’t even know why he bothered asking her this and not just say no to her right now.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Why was it so important? Zoe paused to think, and before she could really formulate a response, let alone vocalize it, Quinn had continued, asking about Ezra's friend. Did Ezra like Alex? She wasn't sure. "Well, ah, no, that's not---that's not the only reason," Zoe said. She winced as soon as the words crossed her mouth: there was no denial there. Zoe took another breath, trying to figure out how to word this.

"It was, well, it's supposed to be about photography, and I really want to just spend some time with my friends, and you're one of my friends who likes photography. But yes," Zoe said, letting out a slight sigh, "I am asking you to go along with me and my girlfriend on a trip with a friend and someone I very strongly suspect he likes. So there's a fairly high chance that it will be awkward and--and I really am not good at convincing people to do things."

Zoe took another breath, using the time to stop and think. Why was it so important to her that Quinn go along? She looked at him while she released the breath, thinking. He'd already figured out that this probably would be awkward, that it would be a bad idea, that there were several reasons not to go.

"I think this is going to be an experience we won't forget, and I really want to have one of those with you," Zoe finally said, realizing it even as she said it. "Because we're friends, and, well, we don't do as much together to celebrate that. And, um, I'm also hoping that maybe, ah, maybe you'll meet my other friends and we'll all be friends... together?" That sounded horrible, and it also felt like she'd just ended with her weakest argument. She definitely should've thought this through more before bringing it to Quinn. No way was he going to agree now.

[Quinn Wiley]

Not the only reason uh? But he could already get that Ezra liked this girl and whatever they intended to do during that road trip, Quinn felt like he was invited only so it would not look like some sort of double date. If she wanted such a friend, she didn’t pick the right one to ask it to. This only made him want to say no. Why would she ask him to hold the candle between them, to be their third wheel? As if he didn’t live enough of his life on the sideline! He was not interested to join them just because they didn’t want it to look too staged. He was a moody enough character as it was. He saw no reason to be even so more.

She tried to recover it by saying it was supposed to be about photography. It might be so but Quinn had the feeling it ended up more as an excuse to be alone with the ones they liked. If so, he had no reason to be there. He couldn’t deny that it was somehow appealing to him, the idea to leave for a weekend on a road trip. He never did that before and he certainly would not on his own. Taking pictures while doing so also interested him. But he really was not the one you’d ask to join you, that he was sure of, and it was strange for him that she’d want him to be there.

He offered no sign of surprise as she called him her friend. It was a little but she was not the first who decided that without him knowing they changed their status from ‘acquaintance with common passion’ to ‘friend who likes photography’. “Obviously,” he let out when she admitted not being good at convincing people. If that was supposed to convince him, he had to agree with her, she was not good. She just confirmed what he suspected yet still wished he’d say yes.

He was more surprise however when she said she wanted to have this experience with him. It had to just be pity. And that was rather humiliating, to be pitied by her. A lot of people were soft on her, kind of pitied her, so what did that make him? “I’m... I’m not good, with people. You think you are not either but you are. You go talk to them, and do things with them. I don’t.” It sounded so pathetic, just bringing more fuel to this pity she felt for him than anything else. It frustrated him and he forced himself to take a deep breath. “Does Ezra even know about this?” He barely ever talked to Ezra except for what two people at the same school and in the same club might have to say to each other. He’d be surprised if the guy even knew he existed.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"You're good with me," Zoe countered almost immediately. Strangely, the more Quinn pushed her, the more she could feel herself rallying, thinking this was important. She didn't pity Quinn: she'd admired him nearly since their first meeting. And she saw this as a chance to include him, to let him know that very important fact, that someone actually cared about him and would go out of their way to make sure that everything went well.

"And yes, Ezra knows about this," Zoe said. She had to smile a bit. It wasn't hard to figure that perhaps Zoe had set up this part of the whole thing on her own. She was the type who'd try to include people like that. "We were talking in the dark room about photography and having a chance to do it, and that's why I thought of you," she gestured at Quinn, nodding. "You say you're not great at people, but you are great with photography, and you're better with them then you think."

Zoe nodded again, trying to rally herself up a little more, straightening as she met Quinn's eyes. "You should come with us." There, flatly stated, and with about as much authority as Zoe could possibly muster.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn opened his mouth, ready to argue but he found himself at a loss for words. He just closed his mouth in the end. Was he good with her? He didn’t think he was that good but she was able to endure it more than people it seemed. No, it was not right. It was more that she chose to deal with him and somehow, no matter how much he apparently intimidated her at first, she chose to stick around. He didn’t get why. He never understood when people decided he was worth sticking around, putting some more efforts, when they pushed him because they thought he could do so much.

She claimed Ezra was aware she was asking him. And he agreed? Probably to make it look indeed like a photography road trip or whatever title they wanted to give it and less like a double date. This left a sour taste in his mouth. He found it hard to believe anyone might want to invite him on their own. Doing so with a purpose in mind made more sense but that didn’t make it any better on him. Only reminded him he was good only at being the third wheel.

She was complimenting him and the sound of it was so odd at his ears. He was not sued to that. People just started to acknowledge his existence and he was still not so sure it was a good thing. This was her argument. He was great at photography and better than he thought at people so he should come. “I’ll think about it. When you want to do that anyway?” Please, let it not be this weekend for he didn’t know if he could find a good excuse not to go. Oh, he’d regret it later but all his life he had done just that, not doing anything and regret it later. You’d think it was enough of a reason to change but he could not. “Those two girls coming too... they are interested in any way to photography or art or you invited them just as an excuse to spend time with them?”

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Think about it: that was probably as good as Zoe could get. She nodded, more than willing to go along with it. "We're still trying to find a weekend that works for everyone. It's going to be fairly soon though, before fall really starts and things get a little rougher on everyone," the idea had been to leave at least a little wiggle room, to allow them to come up with tentative dates and to make it as easy as possible to include Quinn.

Though the next question had Zoe flushing. "Well, ah, Alex might be?" she gave him a tentative smile. "I know Riley would certainly like to try, but she's more of a musician than a photographer," though Zoe knew without a doubt that if she asked Riley to focus on photography then she would. "Look, I realize how this sounds, I really do. But this is really a chance for us to go take photographs of something we wouldn't otherwise. I went on that trip in June, remember? And, yes, it was awkward sometimes, but I also got brilliant photos I never would have gotten if I'd just stayed in one place."

Zoe shrugged. "And isn't art about suffering anyway?" she gave him another nervous smile, fully aware that she'd just played her last card, and even that felt like something of a major bluff.

[Quinn Wiley]

As expected, it was a date. One where his presence would be required only if things go awkward with the one they had a crush on. That is, if it was not just to put said crush at ease by pointing out it was an artistic road trip. That this Alex might be interested in photography only sounded like she was interested in the photographer, in other words Ezra. At the same time, the only thing more awkward than being invited to cover the whole ‘dating’ aspect of this trip would be if they invited someone for him also. Should he be glad Zoe had no tried that yet?

He was aware it was an opportunity not to miss. But Quinn was more interested in people than sceneries. Yet there would be people with him. He was so not used to the idea of having fun that the prospect it would be bad took over all the rest. “Where you intend to go exactly? You guys thought about it or we’re just going to ride and stop whenever we find something interesting?” Then another question popped in his mind and he frowned at the thought. “You guys got a car right?” Because he sure knew he didn’t. Nor did he know how to drive.

Slowly though, the idea that they’d be stuck together, meaning he’d have models that could not go away or call him a creep for not telling them he was taking their pictures, came to his mind. It was actually hard for him to find people interested in taking pictures for him. One might argue it would be easier if he asked but he was not thinking about that. More that he might have people willing to take pictures for him. “Your friends... if they don’t take pictures, do they model?” No need to be a fashion one but he failed to see a point in going if all he could snap was rocks and trees and every time he pulled his camera towards one of them they’d just cover their face or something.

Not that he was about to go though. That was far from decided. He had a little smirk at her comment on art and suffering. But he said nothing. He was not sure he was ready to suffer that much. He’ll have to think about it, as he told her.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"Well, like I said, the various local sights," Zoe offered. "I mentioned Glacial National Park, so we might drive through there. We both know there's certainly enough to photograph in that area. Plus there are some other interesting spots around Montana. We could even head for the city if that's something you'd be interested in."

Zoe would've been find spending the whole trip just around the park, really. She could still quite vividly recall how beautiful it was, and she'd love to have some more pleasant memories to attach to the place than what she already had. Actually, she was fairly certain there were places to sleep there too, places that weren't camping sites. So that was always a possibility, assuming everyone was alright with it.

There was one thing that Zoe could definitely see being alright: "Well, I can't promise anything for Alex," she admitted, shrugging slightly. "But I know for a fact that Riley's modeled for both me and Ezra before, and she'd definitely be willing. And I'm willing to model, and I bet Ezra would pose too," so that was at least a few models, admittedly lots of girls. Zoe paused, chewing her cheek, wondering if she should try to invite someone else. The vehicle was already going to be a bit...

Oh, right! Vehicle: "Well, we can either barrow one of the school's," Zoe said, ticking it off on a finger, "or Riley can rent us something nicer. She's got some contacts around," Zoe was almost surprised at how well she'd actually thought all this through. Then again, a lot of this was more or less just falling into place.