#cie qa

"I do have a bunch of thoughts on my favorite movies, yeah... But I can keep things simple, I swear." Jack's shy smile is accompanied by a faint blush. "My favorite movies are Jurassic Park, because it gets better each time you watch it and... Steven Spielberg's just a genius.

"And... I know they're kids movies, but I still love E.T. and The Goonies. They just hold special places in my heart. With The Goonies, I guess I'm a sucker for, like... I don't know. Friends going on adventures? Uncovering mysteries that save the day? Plus the sets are so cool, they make me wish I lived there. Which—doesn't make a lot of sense, considering the plot but... yeah!

"And E.T. is... just... good. Really good." Jack laughs lightly, embarrassed and running out of steam. "I said Spielberg's a genius, right?"

Jack's countenance changes from good-natured to put upon.

"Not that I'm judging!" His face brightens with a smile and his hands rise in a gesture of innocence. "Just wondering, you know? I don't know what your friendship is like. That could be totally normal." His smile persists as he shrugs. "To you."

"I don't keep track of that kind of thing. Comparing relationships would be rude." Curt says this with a happy-go-lucky smile. "Sometimes things just end. You know?"

Curt shudders.

"Clair Bristol," he says, grimacing. "But I didn't say that. …I'll deny it up and down."

"Nope! I'll just have to keep looking."

"Hm. I guess that depends on how you define 'friend' and 'crush' and 'known.' But, uh... if you think the 'bro code' actually exists beyond a concept..." Curt chuckles under his breath a bit. "You must not be from here.

"I guess I am that, huh? Brooke did dub me 'the school mattress' last year, so I suppose that's true. And, I don't know—" He chuckles, his accompanying shrug lazy. "I don't see much of what's wrong with that? I'm a comfy necessity. It's practically a compliment!"

"Curt's the same guy he's always been," says Tyler. "Loves girls. A little weird. Keeps to himself a lot. He doesn't change much."

"Dude used to talk way more." Marcus shrugs and glances elsewhere, either disinterested or distracted. "But yeah, mostly what he said."

"I don't know if I agree with that," Tyler says through a hearty chuckle. "But I appreciate the sentiment. And hey, thanks for supporting the team." The quarterback flashes a smile.

"Go Rams."

Marcus's bored expression twists into one of disgust.

"You chose to antagonize me. Of all people? Are you dumb?" He scoffs. "Or just desperate to feel like anyone should give a shit what you think?"

Marcus closes his eyes and cracks his neck, then settles down a bit. Less disgusted and more irritated.

"Anyway, I wrestle. It's not a varsity thing. Do you have hobbies aside from praying an Emerson will fuck you and being goddamn annoying?" Marcus smirks and it's clear that the question was rhetorical.

"You should come to my next party, though. You'd get to rub elbows with the big dogs, just like you want, and who knows? If we like you, we might keep you. Or at least give you treats if you're good." His grin grows wider.

"More literally, I have my grandmother to thank for introducing me to fashion. I could go on forever about my favorite designers and brands and collections and blah blah—but she is my first inspiration. She's taken me to runway shows my whole life, we go shopping together... Most everything I know about fashion and art is her doing, one way or another.

Vi shrugs brusquely, arms crossed. "I don't know why you're looking at me like that."

"Oh, I'm..." Jack looks up. "Not..."

"I don't dislike anything about living with Jack. It's not him I have a problem with."

"Oh! Seriously?"

"Except for how annoying he can be." Vi's arms cross tighter. "Your turn."

"...So is the problem—"

"No. Just answer the question!"

"Fine..." Jack sighs, put out. "Um, I don’t really dwell on the negative too much, though. My mom and Gavin—uh, that's Vi's dad—say adjusting isn't really supposed to be easy and I think that makes sense." Then Jack smiles. "But Vi is a really good cook! And they’re kind of a fact machine. It feels like you always learn something new just from being around them."

Jack looks to Vi, still smiling, and they just blink back, having totally forgotten that they were supposed to state a thing that they liked too. It's an awkward silence as they wrack their brain for something... well... nice.

"Jack's, um." Their arms cross even tighter. "A pretty good baker. So. That’s been pretty cool."

"I'm on track to be valedictorian. Have you seen my grade point average? My permanent record is pristine! Do I look like I need to copy any of these imbeciles' mediocre answers? And—"

Vi takes a giant breath, eyes alight with rage.

"Madison was actually friends with Curtis, originally."

"Ugh, yeah." Madison rolls her eyes. "Until he decided he was too macho to hang out with girls. My dad is their dad's lawyer though, so I still got saddled with hanging out with Heidi."

"Saddled with me," Heidi repeats, flat and offended.

"Oh—! Sorry, sorry," Madison laughs at her own word choice. "We were talking about horses, my brain's stuck in the stables." Jessie giggles as Madison rubs Heidi's back with far too much vigor to be soothing. "You know I love you," is cooed in a sickeningly sweet tone, finally cracking a smile onto Heidi's face. "And I already knew Jessie from school, so the three of us became a trio."

"And I’ve known Brooke for a long time but—"

"We started hanging out freshman year," Brooke finishes. A little fast? But Heidi nods in agreement.

"And then the Coffee Club was complete." Madison sighs, content.

"Great!" Madison chirps. Jessie looks to Madison before her eyes dart over to an oblivious Brooke, who seems bored by the question.

"Mhm," Jessie follows up. "Great."

"Done," Brooke says. "Not like I believe in that crap anyway."

"Gabe's 'girlfriends.'" Madison blows out a laugh and the last word is accompanied by air quotes. She looks to the others, utterly amused. "Since we don't have to be nice..."

"We can still try to be..." Jessie says.

"I have no opinion," Heidi dryly states. "Madison has a theory, though."

"I have a—! Yes, that I do." Madison smiles. "Someone gets paid. I don’t know if it's always Gabriel, I don't know if it's always money, but—if you've ever seen his face when he brings a date to a party, you'll know exactly what I mean."

"I don’t know what you mean," Jessie says, alarmed. "What does his face do at parties?"

"It's like this—Brooke, you be um... what's-her-name, that one time." Brooke looks confused, then laughs with recognition. "I'll be Gabe."

The Madisons take a second to get into character.

"Blah, blah, pathetic schmoozing. Isn't that right, Gabey?" Brooke adds an obnoxious, saccharine tone to her voice. Madison smiles wholeheartedly and leans into the pinch Brooke makes in her cheek.

"You know it is, baby," Madison, as Gabe, answers, just as sweet. Brooke lets go and the second she turns slightly away, Madison's smitten expression drops like lead. In two mechanical motions, she checks an invisible watch and takes a sip from an invisible cup.

Then the girls drop the act and burst out laughing, thoroughly entertained. Even Heidi can't resist a faint chuckle.

"Oh... Yeah, I remember that," Jessie mumbles.

Brooke's laughs die down. "I don't know what opinion there is to be had. They want to date a hot a guy who hangs out with the rich kids. Barely interesting."

"His dating doesn't cause too many ripples," Heidi says, shrugging the topic off with an indifference similar to Brooke's. "That's all I really care about."

"It is Jessie," Madison remarks while Brooke lets out a laugh.

"It is?" Jessie squeaks, eyes rounder than usual.

"Be nice..." Heidi says.

"Yes," Brooke confirms. "It's you. But for the love of Chanel, don't take it personally."

"But why is it me?"

"’Cause your boyfriends all suck, babe," Madison says, an arm around Jessie to console her. "Every one of them."

"Well—" Jessie's frown deepens and her voice pitches higher. "But—"

Heidi cuts in.

"Jessie has a knack for picking boys that view her kindness as a doormat." She looks to the others to see if that’s a fair assessment and Madison nods sagely.

"You seriously need to be less nice to these assholes." Brooke shakes her head. "The more they tolerate bitchiness, the smaller their ego or something. You've got to start vetting them."