“But he was great at it. I guess he spent a lot of time in his own head, and he'd gotten a hell of an imagination to go with it. He was pretty smart too. Not a super-genius or anything, but he usually got high results on his work, and he had his nose in a book as often as he did his sketchpad. So," Janette started to check off items on her fingers, “he's hot as hell, smart, and talented. I'm thinking how the hell is this guy not drowning in girls? And wouldn't you know it? That question started going around a few other girls heads not long after.”

“So I kinda panicked. I mean, by this point I'm pretty much circling Greg like a hungry shark, but I have no idea how to approach the guy. I want to say sorry about what I said in the park, but I don't want to say it in front of people... which is not a remotely fucking easy task when you're constantly surrounded by people every day. I'd gotten pretty damn popular to the point where I couldn't take a step away from anyone without someone offering to follow me, and I could hardly say that I wanted to go chat with Mr. Loner without getting fucking verbally crucified."

"So I needed to buy myself some time, and I figured that since he'd soon be getting all of this if my plan worked,” she paused to sarcastically gesture to herself. "A little sabotage of his love life in the mean time wouldn't hurt. Urgh! I was such a fucking asshole!" She stomped her feet on the floor and dug her fingers into her hair to tug on the crimson strands in frustration.

Valise saw the girl's pain and reached down to wordlessly pick up the bottle of fire-water and nudge her arm with it. She took it gratefully and without remembering the strength of the stuff, she took a big gulp. After that it took her a while before she could successfully form sentences again, but Valise waited patiently whilst patting her on the back.

"Thanks, I needed that." Janette grunted before taking another, smaller, sip of the drink. "So I started to talk about how much of a freak Greg was, and put it out there that anyone dating him would face my immediate displeasure. I meant to be subtle about it, but I guess I became a victim of my own success. People wanted to impress me, especially other guys, and when they learned that I didn't Like Greg, they started to target him. Shit! I mean, not many of them actually managed to hurt him, but I figured that was just how it was. Boys being idiots. I figured it was probably just some name calling, but I never knew he was such a badass. Fuck!" Janette yelled and bolted to her feet, only just realising something clearly important.

“I never thought things got that far, but what if they did? What if they tried to hurt him because of me, and I never knew about it because he just knew how to handle himself? Shit! How many times do you think-"

"Janette," Valise cautiously but firmly interjected as she saw the beginnings of the girl spiralling down into a full-on panic attack.

“Just stop. Continue your story if it is something you wish to do, but continue with what you know to have happened. I too have made great mistakes, and though I do not compare us, I know that the imagination can be cruel in conjuring up the absolute worst it's capable of when ignorance is all you have to go on. Whatever things were between you and Gregory then, they are different now. If it troubles you so much, then I would advise you to ask him about it."

“That's the freakin' sage-like wisdom that you're so bloody famous for!? I should ask him about all the shit I put him through!?"

“I don't know him as well as you," Valise conceded.

“But I do know that you have a deeper connection with him than me. Any idiot could tell he loves you simply by the way he looks at you. Fears such as yours can sabotage even the deepest loves, and so I would say that honesty between you is the best route to your success.”

Janette's shoulders slumped slightly. Ok, when she put it Like that...

"Honesty is the best policy, huh?"

Exactly." Valise nodded. "Until you can ask him about the damage you actually caused him in the past, try to put it out of your mind, and focus on what happiness you may have with him in the present.“

“It's not that easy, Valise."

“I know, but it's better than having you collapse into hysteria with only me to console you. I'm normally quite good at consoling, but I fear you might find me more annoying.“ A small trace of a smile loitered momentarily on Valise's Lips

Having not expected the dose of self-aware humour right then, Janette actually laughed. Though her laughter was short-lived, it was an extremely welcome respite from the tension that she'd felt growing inside her ever since she'd begun the story. Finally, she decided that since she'd started, she would have to finish. Taking back her seat, she wiped her eyes and took another shot of fire-water that was becoming less and less painful to drink with every swig. She hoped that it was because she was rapidly developing a tolerance rather than the alternative theory that the stuff had stripped her mouth and throat of all sensation. In either case, she continued.

“Anyway, I guess ‘Operation: Keep Greg for Myself’ worked wonders. Only problem was that every time I tried to move on it, I screwed up. Every time I even tried to talk to him he just shuffled off. It didn‘t help that he genuinely didn't seem to give a shit about having friends, or even talking to anyone. And I'd shot myself in the damn foot with what I'd said to him before, so anytime he saw me coming toward him he must have figured: ‘Well there's some shit I don't need to put myself through this morning’ and just left. And yet again, Jan deals with this in the worst way imaginable. I was angry with myself, but there was more than enough anger to go around, and guess who it usually Landed on? Hell, I think that's how me and Freddie got started up. He saw me yelling at Greg and decided to join in. Fuck, there's another great dawning realisation.“

She clapped her hand to her forehead, more from shame than sorrow this time.

“after that Freddie wouldn't stop bugging me, and guess what he did to show me just how much he cared? If you guessed: Made Greg's life miserable, then ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! Eventually, I decided to go out with him just so he'd stop, but he never did. Freddie was always a bit sadistic, but he had all the right friends, and before I knew it a few dates had turned us into a freakin’ couple. I just fell sideways into it, I guess. And he kinda freaked me out a little. He was one of those guys who was nice and every guy‘s friend in public, and then turned into a freakin' insecure head case behind closed doors. At one point, I think I considered gouging out my own fucking eyeballs so he couldn't accuse me of looking at other guys anymore. I mean, ok, he was right in that I was checking out Greg all the time, and later on I was fucking a few other guys too, but never the one's he thought I was."

Janette stopped for a moment and gave Valise a glance out of the corner of her eye to see if the other woman appeared to be remotely critical of that. The naturally serene features betrayed no judgment, but were otherwise frustratingly difficult to pierce. Janette flung her arms up into the air and stood up again to face the other woman.

“Hey! It's not my fault the asshole was a crappy Lay!" She practically growled those words, and then began pacing back and forth. "I mean, for such a dumbass, he really should have studied history more. He'd have got on really well with this woman from our world called Queen Victoria, because she had this whole ‘lie back and think of England’ policy that would have suited him down to the ground. Not that any of it mattered anyway. Although coming into my freakin’ sexual prime made me realise that I had a lot to give in that regard. And I liked it. And for the first fucking time in forever I found a way to actually get Greg's attention.

I started teasing him. Not with words, but with other stuff. Like, I once wore a pretty damn short skirt and pressed my butt against him after we got stuck together in a crowded lift at the local shopping centre. And I once came over to him when we were doing some work after class and asked him for help after unbuttoning my shirt. It was so sweet, the way he tried to keep eye-contact whilst I was practically shoving his nose in my cleavage.

I liked the attention. I especially Liked the attention from him, and I figured I had a way in with him for the first time. I'd strip down in that fucking park he liked so much if I had to, and then I'd go over and maul him. I think it turned me into a bit of an exhibitionist if I'm honest, and I started looking into doing it professionally. Figured it might get me through university since I didn't have that much money that my parents hadn‘t pissed away for me.

Oh yeah, did I mention? I had a pretty damn shitty home life. Parents might as well have been a couple of drones, no aunts, uncles or even a nice grandma to make up for it. Most of the friends I'd made were more scared of me than friendly with me. Shit, I didn't even realise how fucking lonely I was until I Landed here and actually found some people who seemed to genuinely give a crap. Not to mention me finally letting go of a shitload of baggage and just jumping on Greg and Algra. That felt pretty good, like a new start.”