Tea Time & I Love Lucy [Ari]

[Andi Thalis]

The dorm had been quiet the last couple of days; Andi had been out and about, and she wasn’t really close with her roommates, but it was abnormally quiet whenever she was in the common room the four of them shared. She had seen glimpses of the other three; Zaeric was a good-looking boy who tended to be quiet, Jean was a cute little boy, and Ariana…well, Andi had something to say about the other dark brunette. She was utterly gorgeous, but she avoided anyone who showed interest in her, which made making friends with her frustrating.

Andi took a long shower in her bathroom, making sure to wash her hair thoroughly and condition her roots. Despite her badass image, Andi was a girl at heart, making sure she looked good before she went and did anything. The shampoo smelled like strawberries and pineapple, like her body wash smelled like pineapple and coconut. Yeah, the girl liked pineapple, so her body care essentials, lotion, etc. had some pineapple in it. She rinsed her skin clean and got out of the shower, drying her hair while she pulled on her tank top and boxers.

Walking out into the common room with her towel around her shoulders and wet brown hair everywhere, she noticed the TV was on and that the brunette in question was watching “I Love Lucy”, with a smell that hinted at tea in the air. Andi was feeling a bit rumbly in the tumbly and she knew some tea would work, so she walked over to the couch and leaned on the back of it, looking at the hazel-eyed drama girl.

“Hey there, I’m Andi,” she introduced herself, since she had never met the girl, really. “So, I know this is weird, but I’m not feeling good, and the smell of your tea just tickled my fancy. Mind if I have some?”

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[Ariana Simone]

It had been a couple hours since she’d fled from the lake back to her dorm room. She’d gone straight to her room, stripped out of her clothes and changed into her favorite pajama set. Ariana wasn’t planning on going out any time soon. There was enough food in the refrigerator to keep her for the rest of the day at least. As soon as she’d changed, she’d broken into her emergency stash of jasmine tea, putting her special teapot on the stove as she went back to her room for her ‘I Love Lucy’ collection. It looked like the boys were out today, and the door to the girl’s room was closed as the sound of running water filtered through. Ariana didn’t really care right now. All she wanted was to take her mind off of what had happened.

The shrill whistle of the teapot filled her ears as she walked back to the stove, turning it off as she brought out her teacups. She poured herself a cup, placing it on the table as she moved to put in one of her dvds, putting it on ‘play all’ as she curled up with a big pillow in her lap. This was what she needed, something mindless and funny to occupy her mind as she tried her best to just let thoughts of Talen go. As Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez filled the screen, she began to relax, a smile finally breaking over her face. She’d always looked up to Lucille Ball as a role model. She was one of the most famous actresses of her time, and her name was everywhere. Lucy was a brilliant actress and comedian and she was loved by all of America. Ariana could only hope that one day her career would be as bright.

She pulled her messy hair up into a loose bun at the base of her neck, eyes glued to the screen as she took an experimental sip of tea. It had cooled down enough, and it didn’t need anything else. She’d always loved jasmine because its taste by itself was pretty good. After quite a few good laughs, she felt someone lean over the couch beside her, surprise flashing in her eyes as she looked up at what turned out to be her roommate.

Ari had never really gotten to know her roommates besides that one late night encounter with Zaeric. She was still getting used to this new suite and her months of time away made it hard to get to know her roommates. What a shame, though. This girl was beautiful. The random thought slid through her mind as she looked up at the other girl, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. She didn’t know where she stood with Tal, but she had been wanting a distraction. This girl could definitely be a good distraction.

”Ari,” she smiled, tilting her head with a raised brow, ”I don’t usually share my tea… but since you’re not feeling so well, I guess I could make an exception.” Ari smiled slightly, placing her pillow to the side as she stood and walked over to the stove. She took out a new cup and filled it with her tea, turning to peer at Andi over her shoulder. ”Would you like milk or sugar?” she asked, tilting her head curiously as Lucy laughed in the background.

[Andi Thalis]

The girl’s pjs were cute, if Andi had anything to say about them. She looked the girl up and down and noted every nuance about her; the wildly curly near-black hair, the hazel eyes, the button nose with the sprinkling of freckles, the smooth cheeks, the slender neck and the width of her shoulders flowing down into her girly arms. Yes, Andi thought they were girly, simple because the girl was so feminine it made Andi swallow a little. Yes, she liked girls, and she was of a fair height to the other brunette, so if anything happened between them, it would be fine.

To Andi’s conscience, at least.

Andi smiled as the girl got up, unfolding her swan-like self from the couch and walking to the stove to make some more tea. Normally, Andi drank coffee to relieve herself of any ill symptoms, but she was short on the stuff and wanted to save it, and the tea really did smell amazing. “Can I have a little of both? I like my tea on the sweet side,” Andi replied, using the towel around her shoulders to rub against her scalp, towel-drying her hair. “Sorry to ask it of you, really. It’s just that…it’s that time of the month, ya know?” she joked nervously. Andi was a tough girl, almost completely independent, but when it came down to what differentiated her from a boy…she was a lost cause.

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[Ariana Simone]

Ariana nodded her head as she reached into the fridge, taking out the cream and pouring some in before going to the cupboards for sugar. She occasionally liked to bake, so she kept the cupboards stocked with at least flour and sugar at all times when she stayed there. Sprinkling sugar crystals into the tea, she stirred it quietly before turning back to her roommate, smiling slightly. ”Don’t worry about it, I totally understand. Nothing like a good cup of tea to help with cramps.”

After refilling her own cup, she plopped back down on the couch, sipping as she turned to peek over her shoulder at the other girl. They looked to be about the same age or so. Their rooms were situated right across the hall from each other, or so she’d gathered when she’d passed by not too long ago. Andi looked pretty cool, as far as girls went. She was quite a looker too, which wasn’t a bad thing at all. Ari wasn’t afraid to say that she swung both ways. Honestly, she wasn’t very picky when it came to people in general. No wonder she’d once been friends with Zachary LaRousse.

”Want to watch I Love Lucy with me? I could use some good company,” she offered, looking up at the other girl with her wide hazel eyes. She honestly didn’t feel like being alone right now. Maybe if she talked things out with someone, the whole deal with Tal and her misplaced fear of commitment, maybe she could get a better view of things. And since she didn’t know Andi that well, perhaps she’d be able to give an unbiased opinion on things. It would definitely be helpful, since on her own she was pretty confused. This was why she usually didn’t meddle with emotions. They were too unpredictable and made her head ache.

[Andi Thalis]

Andi watched as the girl moved about the tiny kitchen like she owned it. She made it look so natural, so homemade, it reminded Andi of her own mother. Granted, Stephanie had not been a natural in the kitchen like Andi’s father was, but she knew how to comfort her only child. Andi’s mother had died before she began this cycle of becoming a woman, and every month, Andi missed her mother more and more, simply because she wasn’t here to help her.

She smiled when she took the cup and held it under her nose, inhaling the steam happily. Tea always calmed her stomach when she was in her cycle; the smell of jasmine combined with cold cream made her skin shiver happily. She followed the girl onto the couch, laying her towel on the back of the couch so it could air-dry; her own hair was well on its way to completely drying, seeing as the dry strands had started scrunching into the waves her mother had given her. She watched a bit of the show on the TV and laughed at a funny part.

“My mom used to watch this show,” she told the other girl, looking at her with hazel eyes more green than brown. “I could never understand why she liked it so much…but it’s pretty funny.”

[Ariana Simone]

Her arms wrapped around the oversized pillow as she curled up on the couch again, getting her petite body comfy as the sitcom played out on the television. This show always made her happy. It was one of those shows that her mother would watch when she was little, before the accident. They’d curl up together and watch Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for an hour every day when it came on, spending the rare quality time they had together when her mother wasn’t grading papers or making class schedules. It had been the highlight of her day back then. Now that she was gone…well, it was a way to try to reconnect, even with her no longer there.

Her eyes slipped to Andi as she laughed, enjoying the sound. It was carefree, pleasant on the ears. It wasn’t forced, which was always a plus. So rare were genuine laughs nowadays. Everything was much more serious now, but there were still those rare moments when people could just let their guards drop and have fun. This was one of them, and Ari found that she liked it. ”I don’t know why, but it’s usually the moms that watched this show. It’s just one of those sitcoms that don’t have to be taken seriously. You can relax and just laugh, you know?” she said, smiling as she watched yet another one of Lucy’s hilarious plots unravel.

”It’s sad. Comedy nowadays is so trashy. What happened to the classics like Lucy? They were funny, but they still had class,” she mused, her eyes thoughtful. Of course, she still loved Comedy Central, but the classics still held a good place in her heart. Those were the days when people could be funny without trash talking and cussing every other word. They were actually creative then instead of just being plain stupid.

[Andi Thalis]

“Time nowadays doesn’t give you the capacity to relax and laugh,” Andi replied as she sipped her tea. The flavors exploded on her tongue and sent a warm feeling through her like a blanket wrapped around her. She appreciated the tea and snuggled closer into the couch, her eyes locked on the TV screen. “Thanks for the tea again, I really appreciate it,” Andi told Ariana, smiling at her for a brief moment. “My mom died when I was nine, so she never got to take care of me like this.” Just talking about her mother made her sad, so she stopped talking and went back to watching the TV show.

She alternated between watching the show and sipping her tea, until the cup was empty. She sighed softly and gazed down at the empty cup before leaning forward and putting the cup on the coffee table. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and sat in a way that showed the girl’s vulnerable side, battling cramps by herself while watching the television. Andi didn’t like to think she was vulnerable; she was quite strong, but when homesickness hit her, it hit her hard.

“So I haven’t seen you around for a while,” Andi said after a while, her voice soft. “Some people said you went to New York. Is that true?”

[Ariana Simone]

”They should make more time for relaxation and laughter. Laughter is natural healing, after all,” she replied with a smile. She had always been told that laughter was the best medicine, and she had to agree with that. The bright sound would burst forth, and the world seemed absolutely fine for that moment in time. A giggle or a chuckle could make her day better. It was simple magic. She looked over at Andi, resting her chin on the top of her pillow as she nodded her head. ”Of course, chica. Tea is always a great solution to taking care of cramps. If it doesn’t help with the pain, it makes you feel a little bit better,” she replied, her eyes glued to the TV.

Her eyes turned understanding as she spoke of her mother, her head bowing as she thought. So… they’d both lost mothers at a young age. Not many other people could sympathize with her situation. It was nice to know that there was someone close by who could. ”I empathize. I lost both my parents when I was that age too,” she replied softly, her grip on her pillows tightening. Ari didn’t like to dwell, and it didn’t look like Andi did either. Swell enough, they headed into their next topic.

”Yeah, I was away in New York for quite a while. I went for an acting seminar. Second one was free room and board, so it would have been silly not to go,” she replied, her tone almost flippant. To her, seminars and hard work were ordinary. She had worked her butt off for years to get there, and the fact that the thespian society had selected her to get the scholarship made her internally proud. It let her know that her work was appreciated, and that was really what she wanted. She knew she was good, she just wanted other people to acknowledge the fact as well.