Ironic Take Out

Jocelyn leaned against the door to her apartment with a bag in her hand. It was the last package of the evening that she was bringing into her place. After she had left Lan, she had punched the number into her phone and speedily thumbed a text telling the girl to start packing as soon as she got home. Jocelyn herself spent most of the evening picking up. She'd left her apartment in a bit of a squalor lately, though usually she was quite the hygienic girl, she had let things go a lot.

That night, Jocelyn once again had trouble sleeping. She didn't drink, but still tossed and turned in her bed. When the sun broke, and the new day began, she got ready and called Lan to wake her up. She wanted to get everything sorted in one day and during the course of the moving process, she said very little. She was grateful that Lan didn't seem to have many things and she wouldn't have to take any of the furniture or appliances. Jocelyn's apartment was fully stocked. Quite well, actually, considering she was a diplomat's daughter.

Lan was, hopefully, putting away her things while Jocelyn got food. She was worn out from moving all day and and just picked up some takeout. She pushed the door open and closed it. Without even wondering about Lan, she plopped the food onto the kitchen table and began to start getting out plates for the two of them while she fetched beer for herself.

Lan didnâ€t have much to pack. She wasnâ€t going to take any of her furniture, of course—Jocelyn certainly had her apartment fully furnished, as her family was just as well off as Lanâ€s and had just as much disposable income. Lan would pack a pair of suitcases with all of the clothing she wanted to bring, and packed two more suitcases with toiletries, blankets, a few of her favorite snack foods that she couldnâ€t live without, and a collection of books, DVDs, and other important items.

She hadnâ€t slept very well at all, either, and was grateful when Jocelyn texted her early that morning. It meant that the day could begin. The big day. Moving day. While Lan had no idea how long she and Jocelyn would be living together, it was still an incredible, anxiety-inducing moment for the ashen-haired girl.

It actually went off without a hitch. In fact, she and Jocelyn didnâ€t speak too much as they hauled Lanâ€s suitcases across Tokyo and into Jocelynâ€s apartment. While Jocelyn went to pick up some takeout, Lan would put her clothes away and try to find some shelf space for the rest of her things. Once she was done, she would walk into the kitchen and smile at Jocelyn as she saw the Chinese-Australian girl setting the table. “I think Iâ€m all settled in…” Lan would say.

"Ripper."

That was all Jocelyn said when she heard Lan's voice. She piled the noodles onto one plate and then shoved it at Lan. She did the same with her other plate and then sat down, picking up the chopsticks and deftly spooning noodles into her mouth.

After taking a few bites, she looked up at Lan and began to stare at the girl. She'd gotten the ahsen haired Chinese girl in her home. She LIKED Yi Lan, thatw as for sure. She was attracted to the girl for a variety of reasons but now that she was actually here,

<So, what do you want to know, Yi?> She asked in Mandarin. Jocelyn figured she might as well get it out of the way before Lan got annoying about having a dumb conversation.

“Ummm…ripper?” Lan repeated, a little confused by what the word was supposed to mean. It had to be Australian slang, which Lan was very unfamiliar with. She didnâ€t really expect Jocelyn to explain it, though, and, when a plate of noodles was shoved in her direction, Lan would sit down opposite of Jocelyn and begin to deftly spoon noodles into her mouth, mirroring Jocelyn.

They sat in silence for a while. Lanâ€s eyes were focused on her noodles as she tried not to stare at her new roommate. She stole a glance upwards here and there, though, and, after a minute or two, she got the sense that Jocelyn was staring at her. Finally, the Chinese-Australian girl would break the silence and ask Lan what she wanted to know. Lan would set down her chopsticks and smile up at Jocelyn.

<Umm…is it stupid if I say ‘everything?â€> she would ask, risking a small joke to start off. <Well…firstly, you can call me Lan, instead of Yi. No need to be, uh, so formal with each other now that weâ€re living under the same roof…w-what would you like me to call you? Jocelyn?>

She would continue: <I…I want to hear about you, and your life. Where youâ€re from, what youâ€ve done. And I thought that, umm, we could talk about what living together here might be like.>

<Yes.> Jocelyn said, annoyed by Lan's attempt at a joke. She didn't even respond when Lan asked what ripper meant.

<It's fine.> She said again. Actually she was glad. She didn't really know why she was calling Lan Yi but she just decided to. She could call her Lan now and that would be just fine. Jocelyn took another few bites of noodles while she figured out what to say to Lan. Her cheeks were red and her brow remained creased with frustration. She really didn't like to talk about her personal life but she could give Lan the bullet points, she supposed. After a deep drink of her beer, she looked at Lan.

<I was born in Sydney. Raised there too. My father works in the Chinese consulate in Canberra. He's a Chinese ambassador to Australia. I hate him.> She stated plainly. <He had a fling with my mother when he was getting into politics and married her when he found out she was pregnant. He says he loves her, but I can't understand how. It pisses me off.>

Jocelyn took another drink of her beer and found it to be empty. So soon? She got up and fetched another one from her fridge and sat back in her chair, reclining in it in an unladylike way. <I don't know what else you want to know. I got these tattoos to piss him off. I fuck girls to piss him off. I came here to piss him off.> It was pretty much what drove her existence. <I haven't been back home in a while. I have a baby sister I've never seen but I write my mother letters all the time. Or, I did.>

Jocelyn scooped a large bite of take out into her mouth and then chased it with a big gulp of beer before she stood up. She looked at Lan. <Are you sleeping in your room or with me?> She said casually, as if it wasn't a big deal. She hated the way Lan picked at things and just made everything a big deal. Jocelyn's cheeks were red as she said the question but it could have been because of annoyance or beer, rather than embarrassment. right now it was hard to tell.

Jocelyn went over to her plush couch and sank into it. She'd do the dishes later.

Jocelyn obviously wasnâ€t in the mood for jokes. Lan withered a little and sank into her seat after asking Jocelyn her questions, focusing on her food again and eating quickly as she waited for her countrywomanâ€s answer. She had to wonder if Jocelyn was ever happy. Even in the comfort of her own home, Jocelyn seemed as depressed as she always was. Lan wondered if the nice girl she saw a glimmer of when the two of them had first met was ever going to come to the surface.

That was the girl that Lan really wanted to be with, after all.

At least the two of them were talking now, though. Jocelyn was giving Lan her life story, or at least a truncated version of it. Her life, it seemed, revolved primarily around her father. In that way, she and Lan were very similar. But in Jocelynâ€s case, she did everything she could to disobey her father—to piss him off. Lan had always done what her father wanted, acquiesced to his demands. Until he died, that was.

<I…I understand what you mean. I mean, uh, about y-your father and all. My father was pretty controlling when I was a kid…I mean, I still did love him, but, you know, I…umm…> She trailed off again, as she often did. Then, Jocelyn asked her a question. Where was Lan sleeping tonight?

<Umm…I g-guess…you can tell me where, uh, where I should s-sleep,> Lan said, her own cheeks turning a deep red as she would pick her plate up and set it in the sink before walking over to sit on the couch beside Jocelyn, looking rather uncomfortable as she waited for Jocelynâ€s decision. <I…I d-donâ€t want to b-bother you.>

Jocelyn peered at Lan from her position on the couch when Lan sat next to her. <You really can't make any decision on your own, can you? Why are you so pathetic?> She asked. <I thought you liked me and you can't even say you want to sleep with me?> "Tch." She shook her head and picked up the remote to her television. It was on some Chinese station that she had ordered and there was a soap opera on it at the moment. She wasn't really interested.

<Did?> Jocelyn asked suddenly, looking at Lan. <So, then, why did you stop?> She asked, curious about what Lan's answer might be.

Lan frowned and averted her gaze again when Jocelyn called her pathetic. <I…I do like you. But, you know, Iâ€ve never, uh, done anything like that before, s-so I guess I didnâ€t know if you…if you wanted me to sleep, umm, with you or sleep w-with you. I…I k-kind of want to date before doing anything like that. But…sharing a bed is okay. I-itâ€s up to you.>

That part of the conversation had become very, very awkward, and Lan was actually relieved that Jocelyn asked about her relationship with her father. <Umm…well, my father died about three years ago. I was p-pretty sad for a while, but, you know, Iâ€ve been okay. I hadnâ€t seen him too often, anyway, after I went, uh, went off to university. My family is…is interesting, I guess you could say.>

Jocelyn just growled at Lan's words. She was full of 'I don't knows' and 'only if you want tos.' Jocelyn just wanted her to have a backbone for once in her life. Lan's timidity was disgusting and her ideals of wanting a to live in some kind of fairy tail were almost insulting.

Jocelyn turned and straddled Lan's lap. She put her hands on either side of Lan's head and gripped the couch. "Fairy Tails're dead, Lan. We aren't little ankle biters with happy little dreams anymore. We're adults so start acting like one. You wanna to be here? You want to be with me? You want to sleep in the same bed but you don't wanna get ya end wet? Tch."

Jocelyn's almond eyes stared at Lan's but she didn't budge from her position. <Tell me about your family if they're so interesting.>

Lan didnâ€t know what Jocelynâ€s reaction would be. Honestly, she expected her countrywoman to either yell at her or hit her. Jocelyn did seem plenty frustrated with what Lan told her, but she didnâ€t do either of those things. She would, instead, plant herself on Lanâ€s lap, straddling the ashen-haired girlâ€s legs and staring into her eyes. Lanâ€s mouth opened hesitantly, and her lips quivered as she stared up into Jocelynâ€s face.

“But…b-but I just c-canâ€t go that far…that fast,” Lan would say, switching to English after hearing Jocelyn berate her in that foreign language. “I…I r-really want to date before I…before I d-do something like that…Iâ€ll sleep in, umm, in the room you gave me, I guess…I w-wonâ€t bother you in your b-bed…”

When Jocelyn switched back to Mandarin, Lan would do the same. <Well…I had my mother, my father, and three older sisters. M-my father was very well-acquainted with a lot of party leaders in government, so after Deng Xiaoping reformed the economy it was…it was easy for him to m-make money. We g-grew up wealthy…my two oldest sisters are both married and still living in China. My third sister, Xiuying, well…I, uh, donâ€t like her that much. She was always very self-centered. I donâ€t know where she is now. The…the only one I still talk to is my mother, a-and only sometimes. Just so she knows Iâ€m okay.>