Three-way calls with Regina George are never a good idea.
So, when the phone rings, why do both Gretchen and Karen immediately go to answer it?
"Hey there, girlies," Regina says when she hears them both pick up the phone. "Listen, are you two free this afternoon?"
"Um..." Gretchen weighs the pros and cons of going somewhere with Regina. It's not like she's got anything else to do. "I'm free. But only if Karen comes."
Karen gives an audible sigh of relief. "Me too. But only if Gretch comes. No offense, but..."
"Oh, perfect. And yeah, I totally get it, I know I messed up. Anyway, would you wanna go to a movie?"
"Sure! What are we seeing?"
"Oh, you can pick. Karen?"
"I'll come. Smiley face."
"Wonderful. So you're both free to come to a movie at, say... four o'clock?"
Gretchen and Karen both voice their agreement. "Lovely. Because I'm not! Enjoy your date." Regina hangs up the phone, leaving Gretchen and Karen in mutual silence.
"Did she just-"
"Yes. Blush emoji, nervous emoji."
"You still wanna go?"
"Sure. I mean, it doesn't have to be a date, right? Just two friends going to see a movie, right?" Karen laughs nervously, hoping she doesn't sound too eager to go, but at the same time not too repulsed by it in case Gretchen thinks she doesn't want to go out with her. Wait. Why is she thinking that she wants to go out with Gretchen? She doesn't want to date Gretchen. Does she?
"Definitely." Gretchen isn't sure if she wants to murder or kiss Regina. What was she thinking? More importantly... how did she know?
"Totally. Just two friends, going to see a movie, at four o'clock today."
"Yep."
"Mhm."
"Alright."
"Okay."
"I'm gonna go now."
"Same. Bye. Waving hand emoji."
"Waving hand emoji to you too, Karen," Gretchen laughs as she hangs up the phone. Now what? With five hours until the movie that she's not even sure she'll even go to, she has no idea what to do. If the movie will end at six, she might be able to see if Karen wants to go to dinner with her... maybe come back to her place for ice cream or something...
What is she thinking? Why would she go get dinner with Karen? You know why, hisses a little voice in the back of her head that sounds oddly like Regina. The voice chuckles. You know.
"I refuse to accept this," Gretchen says to the empty apartment. "I refuse to be in love with Karen Smith."
Four hours and thirty minutes later, Karen's standing in her closet, trying to figure out what to wear. The rainbow skirt with the jean jacket? The sparkly pink skirt and V-striped top? Or maybe the rose skirt with the other jean jacket?
Eventually she settles on a dark blue wrap-around skirt with a black crop top that had a neon pink and yellow paint-splattered look. She puts on the other other denim jacket and stares at herself in the mirror. Is it too much? Is it not enough? Too suggestive? Does it cover too much? Show too much? Does it give off a simply platonic vibe? And what shoes to wear?
"You look beautiful," Gretchen breathes. So does she. She's shown up in a periwinkle long-sleeved top with a blue skirt covered in red, yellow, white, lighter blue, and pink hearts. Karen can feel herself blushing.
"So, um, you wanna go see the movie now?"
"Yeah!" Gretchen grins and makes a hesitant grab at the air before giggling awkwardly and setting off toward the doors of the theatre. "So, do you want to see a horror movie, a comedy, something popular..?"
"I don't really care," Karen replied. "I'll get snacks if you get the tickets. What do you want?"
Gretchen glances away from Karen's lips to the candy counter. "Uh... popcorn and a blue slushie."
"Freeze your brain..." sings Karen. "Alright. I'll meet you by the entrance to the auditoriums?"
"Sure. See you in a few minutes!" Gretchen sort of skips over to the ticket counter, and Karen looks after her for a few seconds before heading up to get snacks for whatever they're seeing. Maybe they could go get pizza or something after the movie, so she probably shouldn't get too big of servings. Pizza isn't too datelike, is it? She suddenly remembers what Regina said on the phone. Enjoy your date.
Does Gretchen also think it's a date?
Gretchen, meanwhile, lingers in front of the cashier. Does Karen like horror? Does she like musical movies? Does she like M. Night Shyamalan or Emily Blunt? Eventually she settles on a Christmas special that looks sweet and texts Karen the auditorium number before sitting down by the claw machines. Would this be a good night to ask Karen out on a date? Are they already on one? It all depends on what Karen thinks, honestly. She doesn't want to humiliate herself. As she watches Karen check her phone and start walking to where Gretchen is, she hears Regina's voice again in her head. Lovely! Enjoy your date!
Before she can stress too much about it, Karen appears beside her holding two small popcorns, a blue slushie, a Fanta, and a chocolate bar. "What are we seeing?" she asks.
"It's called Love Hard. It's a Christmas movie. Came out last month. Looks like it'll probably be pretty good."
"Ooh, sounds super fun!" Karen suddenly has the urge to kiss Gretchen on the cheek or the nose. Just a little peck. Instead, she hands off the slushie and a popcorn and takes her by the shoulder. "Let's go!"
Love Hard is fine. It's not the most interesting story. Gretchen and Karen spend more time staring at each other and trying not to get caught staring at each other than they do watching the movie. Also known as the writer not having seen it yet due to the fact that it comes out in November and they're writing this in September so they have no way of knowing what the movie's actually like. "So-" they say at the same time.
"You go first. Smiley face." At least Karen's using emoji-speak again.
"No, you go."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, yeah." The longer she can put it off, the better.
"Would you want to go out for pizza and frozen yogurt? We could meet up there, or... yeah, we'd have to take separate cars, so yeah, we'd have to meet up there."
Gretchen grins. "I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go out to dinner, but that's a much better idea. Would you be interested in coming to my house for a board game or something after?"
Bold move. Gretchen wasn't even aware she was going to ask Karen to come over.
"Yeah!" Karen nods almost too fast. "Party emoji, grin emoji. Can't wait."
"See you soon!" Gretchen and Karen both head to their cars, smiling to themselves. Karen was coming to her apartment! And they were going out for pizza and frozen yogurt together!
Before long, Karen realizes that Gretchen probably has no idea what pizza place she had in mind. And judging by the fact that Gretchen's car is nowhere in the parking lot, telepathy didn't come through in their hour of need.
"Gretchen," she says upon the phone being picked up.
"Yeah?" Gretchen asks.
"I think I forgot to tell you where we were going..."
"You did. But I followed you. Once I figured out that we were probably going to Abby's- we are going to Abby's, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I decided to stop and get some water at Starbucks. I'm right around the corner."
Gretchen blushes and grins. "Bye, Carrie. See you in a few."
"What do you want to get?" asks Gretchen, staring up at the menu.
"I'm cool with whatever. I'm allergic to pineapple though."
"How are you allergic to pineapple?"
"Genetics? Shrug emoji."
"Fair." Gretchen nods and leans over the counter. "A medium half pepperoni half cheese please?" She turns to Karen. "I'm paying. Ah." She holds up a hand to Karen's protest and gently touches her finger to Karen's lips. "You got the snacks. And I'm gonna make you get the yogurt." She smiles as she hands her money to the cashier. "Thanks!"
They head over to a table and Karen can't help thinking of how beautiful Gretchen looks and how far she's come from being Regina's nervous right hand man back in high school.
"Oh shoot, were you saying something?"
Gretchen giggles. "Yeah," she says, the smile lighting up her entire face. "Pizza's here." No sooner does she say that than an employee leans over Karen and places the pizza between them.
"Oh." Karen takes a piece from each side of the pizza and watches as Gretchen does the same. "So..."
"So."
"You look really nice."
"Awww. You look nicer."
"Impossible."
"Uhuh. You were always prettier than I was."
"No!" Karen looks almost offended at Gretchen's lies, who smiles over her pizza at her.
"It's true. You had the best hair in the whole school. And the prettiest outfits. I guess I was always jealous of you."
"You were jealous of me? How? You're, like, the most amazing person. You're so funny and cute and you're, especially now, just so undeniably yourself. It's been so good to watch you grow into your own you, especially after Regina."
"Aww, you're so sweet."
"It's true." Suddenly embarrassed, Karen grabs a piece of pizza and shoves it into her mouth. "Hug emoji, sparkly heart emoji."
Gretchen laughs a bit at that, but it's a nice laugh, not a mean one. Karen can tell she's not trying to laugh at her, which is a nice change from high school.
"So," says Karen, standing up from the table and offering her hand to Gretchen, "shall we go for yogurt?"
Gretchen places her hand in Karen's and grins at her. "We shall."
