[OTA] Cramming

[itsybitsyrigby]

She had an English test tomorrow, and she was worried. At sixteen, what else was there to be worried about, really? She didn't have a girlfriend to be concerned with. Most of her friends were already in bed, or dealing with their respective significant others. But Karisa? Pff. Karisa was sitting at the bar inside MacKinnon's, feet swinging while she pored over textbooks and manuals and notes. She had goals, and that meant keeping her grades up. Even one bad test could be disastrous for her GPA.

But her Sprite was nearing empty and she'd need another round of fried batter crispies soon. And probably a break, but she might have to be forced to take one of those, even though she already had her head in her hands and a frown rather than her usual sunny grin.

Save her brain before it starts leaking out her ears please.

Comments

[standlikestone]

"You don't have to. You just want to. Crazy, man. Totally not what girls your age should be doing in pubs at night."

[itsybitsyrigby]

"You're right. I could choose to not study, and fail instead. Good change?" No. Not a good change. Not even close. But she shrugged again and finished the last of her fried batter bits with a yawn. "What should I be doing, then?"

[standlikestone]

"Definitely a good change. You haven't lived until you fail a test." She takes a long drink of beer with a smile. "What should you be doing? Picking up the dudes or the chicks. Let's be real."

[itsybitsyrigby]

"My GPA can't afford a failed test. I can't and I won't do it." But she will, however, sip from her Sprite and rub her eyes again. "I don't have a girlfriend. I wouldn't know how to pick a girl up if I wanted to." Which she doesn't. Because she has a test.

[standlikestone]

"Oh, really. You'll drop for a 4.0 to a 3.9? How sad." She mock-pouts, then leans forward. "That's what I'm here for, stupid. Come on. Let's go have some fun."

[itsybitsyrigby]

With a huff, she shakes her head. "You don't understand, Riley. My grades are my only ticket out and up." She has her skills, but they're all intellectual, at the moment. She hasn't trained anything else.

"Maybe just...a few minutes. Half an hour at most." She gives Ben a look and closes her books up; she trusts him to hide them away for her.

[standlikestone]

"See, that's the thing. Why would you want to leave?" She winks, then gets to her feet. "Okay, so who do you want to hit on? Besides me; I know everyone wants to do me but I'm hopefully trying out this monogamy thing for a bit."

[itsybitsyrigby]

Shaking her head, Karisa snorts. "I have to go to college to be a librarian, you know. That means I need the grades to go to college." But she shrugs. "Do your monogamy thing. I'm pretty sure no one here is looking at a sixteen-year-old."

[standlikestone]

"I'm pretty sure college will take you with a 3.9. Just saying. Unless you want a library degree from, like, Harvard." She snorts. "C'mon. Don't tell me you're too scared to flirt a little."

[itsybitsyrigby]

"Harvard wouldn't be a bad choice," she huffed.

"I'm not scared, I just...don't see the point if it's going to be a straight up no, you know?" Basically, yes, she's a little scared.

[standlikestone]

"For becoming a librarian? Honey, I don't think you should be slaving away to get into that school when you could learn the same stuff at a cheaper place. So you'll become a successful librarian after 22 years of having your nose to the grindstone, but what sort of life will that leave you with?"

She laughs a little, reaching out to tug on her hair. "Assuming people are going to say no is basically the definition of being scared. Come on. You're a cutie. And even if the chicks are blind, are you going to let rejection get you down? You're a strong independent woman who don't need no woman. Let's be real."

[itsybitsyrigby]

She shrugged. "It's something I'm passionate about. What else am I supposed to do? Study, work hard, and get it done." And she didn't like being told what to do with her life, much. Like, it wasn't anyone else's choice, and no one else had to pay for it. Ugh.

"I don't need a woman, no," she agreed. But still, it might be nice to have one. The problem was that the pretty girls her age were looking at the pretty boys her age, and not at her, which was disappointing as could be. Sort of. "And I'm not down, Riley. I just don't want to waste anyone's time with my mindless drivel."

[standlikestone]

"Okay, okay. Don't let me persuade you from what you want to do." She holds her hands up.

"And automatically thinking you're wasting people's time... sounds pretty down to me. Where's the confidence, lady?"

[itsybitsyrigby]

With a roll of her eyes, Karisa muttered, "Probably leaked onto the bar along with the rest of my brain about four hours ago." But that was rude, so she stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"Fine, I'll make a deal with you. For the next..." Her pause was so that she could check the time. "Four hours, I'm yours. I will do whatever it is you tell me to do for the next four hours. The rules are that I have to be awake and capable of getting an A on my test in the morning. Deal?"

[standlikestone]

"Four hours?" Riley snorts in disbelief. "Go hook up with someone, honey."

[itsybitsyrigby]

"Still have to get up in the morning," she chided, but at the command, she frowned. "But...who?"

There had to be social rules against that.

[standlikestone]

"Hun, this is a bar. Anyone who's hot? Go for it." She nudges Karisa in the side. "What's your taste?"

[itsybitsyrigby]

She shrugs, pushing her hands in her pockets. "Female with pretty eyes, a great smile, and an engaging conversational ability. Beyond that, I'm not overly picky." Believe it or not. Karisa, though very outgoing, can sometimes be a little shy when it comes to approaching people for romantic interaction.

"Closer to my age is good, too."