There isn’t much Aggie can do apart from helplessly watching Stan be pulled off with Carla. Beautiful, mature, Carla. She can’t bring herself to be mad at Stan- it’s not like he seemed to have much of a choice. But she’s mad at just about everything else.
And she’s stuck with Thistle, who’d been in the middle of insulting her when Carla appeared to sweep Stan away. She’s in no mood for any of the is.
“Unbe-fucking-lievable.” Thistle growls, “I oughta tears beg that twerps face-“
“What are you so ticked at him for?” Baggie snaps at him. He jumps, almost as if he forgot she was there. “Carla’s the one being drunk and stupid.” She folds her thin arms, her nails digging into her skin to counterbalance her rage. “If you’re gonna be a jerk at least be a jerk to the right person.”
“You shut your mouth, woods-girl.” Thistle snarls at her but she doesn’t even flinch. Stan isn’t the only one who’s grown a lot since they were kids. Aggie wasn’t afraid of Thistle either.
She’s almost afraid to look over at Stan and Carla, afraid of seeing Stan looking at the older girl with that same googoo eyed expression he’d worn at 12. But she has to look, and she’s glad she does because as she does their eyes meet straight away. She sees his mouth move, and he might as well have yelled the word from across the room. Help. She nods at him, and tries to head his way but Thistle steps directly in front of her.
“Where do you think you’re off to?” He asks, and she shoves him.
“I gotta go help my friend. Your girlfriend’s bugging him.” She says cooly, black eyes glaring up at him. For a moment his expression reads as pure rage but then it levels out into something else that Aggie can’t quite identify but it’s familiar. It isn’t until he touches her arm, grabs it really- does she recognize it. It’s how he usually looks at Carla.
“Look here, weirdo.” He growls, “My girl’s trying to make me jealous. And Pines ditched you. Maybe we can help each other out here.” He looks her over, “You’re not that bad looking, we could make this work.” Thr hand in her shoulder slips down her arm and tries to snake around her waist.
The way he’s looking at her, talking to her- touching her- it makes her stomach turn over. It’s like how Jesse tries to talk to her, but it’s even more disgusting somehow. Jesse was a creep, and she hates him- but at least he was her age and regretfully to his credit, he actually liked her. But whatever it is that Thistle is getting at, it’s gross.
She makes a disgusted face and without really thinking, she winds her hand back and slaps him as hard as she can. It makes such a nasty cracking noise that a fair number of people look their way. Thistle stumbles back from her, his hand going to the angry red mark on his cheek.
“You’re disgusting.” Aggie barks at him, “It ain’t my fault or Stan’s fault that Carla’s bored with how much you suck. Maybe try getting a better personality or being a better guy n’ she’ll actually wanna stick with you.” He stares at her, embarrassed and angry but she turns on her heel and runs off, ignoring him entirely. She can’t go using magic right now, not with her Ma running around somewhere, but she knows how she can get her friend out of this love triangle he clearly has no interest in being a part of.
It’s in the aftermath of a very public slap and verbal berating from a fifteen year old social outcast that brings Thistle over to his girlfriend and the young boy she’s trying to wrap around her finger.
When Thistle appears, Carla actually looks bored. She lets Stan go and she folds her arms, glaring at her boyfriend.
“God, Thistle! We’re just dancing! Why do you have to turn every little thing into a fight?” She pouts. He glares at her.
“I’ll deal with you later.” Her says cooly. She rolls her eyes but then squints at him.
“What happened to your cheek? It’s all red.”
The rest of him turns red too.
“None of your business- This ain’t about- Now you listen here-!” He wrenches his attention back to Stan. “You had your hands on my girl, and for that, I’m gonna rearrange your face. I’ll hit ya double since your little freak girlfriend thought she could get a swipe in at me too.
“Oh my God, Aggie hit you?” Carla says, “Jeez, Thistle. Playing with fire, much?”
“Can it!” Thistle barks at her before turning back to Stan. He looks absolutely livid. He grabs Dtan by the front and and pulls his fist back. But that’s when the fire alarm goes off. A few seconds later, the sprinklers turn on, sending a deluge of water down to the partygoers below. There’s frightened shrieks and yelps as people try to figure out what’s going on. In the confusion, Thistle let go of Stan.
“Over here!” Aggies voice calls in his head, and when he looks towards one of the side exits out of the gym, there she is peeking out and beckoning him over frantically. “C’Mon!”
