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Feb. 16th, 2011 11:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuJenny flops down in their favourite hang-out spot (a book cupboard near the sixth form classrooms). Zara is already there, looking a bit on the grumpy side.
"I've got a bone to pick with you." Zara says to Coral, as the latter sits down.
"Why, what's up?" Coral asks, looking concerned.
"You're trying too hard with the teachers; you're making me look bad." Zara complains.
Jenny and Em start laughing at Coral's bewildered face.
"It's true Col, you're a dreadful teacher's pet." Jenny says. "We know you're not doing it because you're trying to suck up, but if you carry on you're probably going to get picked on."
Coral sags a bit. Trying to be really nice to people has been her failsafe social strategy for... well, forever. It used to work too. But since secondary school, it's won her teachers over but gets her funny looks from most of her classmates.
"I don't want to be mean to anyone, even teachers." she says.
"It's not about being mean." Zara says. "Just... teachers are teachers, they're not your friends."
Jenny looks at her thoughtfully, then shifts over to give her a hug.
"Being a teacher's pet is okay when you're little." she says. "And you're like a year younger than some of us because of you being all premmie the wrong side of the date line and that. We just need to... teenager you a bit."
Coral looks a bit wary at that.
"I don't want to stop being nice." she says. "It's the only way I've learned to survive when things get socially awkward. If you're nice to people they don't go for you."
"We're your friends, we won't let them go for you. And being extra nice will make people go for you at our age." Em says, shifting to Coral's other side. "So you don't need to ally everyone, so you can stop worrying."
"In the meantime, it's time we got you coming across a bit more like an eleven year old and less like an eight year old." Jenny says. "Not that we don't like you the way you are, just..." she sighs. "Other girls in our year aren't as nice as you are."
She pulls Coral's hair out of its bunches and starts tugging it back into a half ponytail.
"I've got a bone to pick with you." Zara says to Coral, as the latter sits down.
"Why, what's up?" Coral asks, looking concerned.
"You're trying too hard with the teachers; you're making me look bad." Zara complains.
Jenny and Em start laughing at Coral's bewildered face.
"It's true Col, you're a dreadful teacher's pet." Jenny says. "We know you're not doing it because you're trying to suck up, but if you carry on you're probably going to get picked on."
Coral sags a bit. Trying to be really nice to people has been her failsafe social strategy for... well, forever. It used to work too. But since secondary school, it's won her teachers over but gets her funny looks from most of her classmates.
"I don't want to be mean to anyone, even teachers." she says.
"It's not about being mean." Zara says. "Just... teachers are teachers, they're not your friends."
Jenny looks at her thoughtfully, then shifts over to give her a hug.
"Being a teacher's pet is okay when you're little." she says. "And you're like a year younger than some of us because of you being all premmie the wrong side of the date line and that. We just need to... teenager you a bit."
Coral looks a bit wary at that.
"I don't want to stop being nice." she says. "It's the only way I've learned to survive when things get socially awkward. If you're nice to people they don't go for you."
"We're your friends, we won't let them go for you. And being extra nice will make people go for you at our age." Em says, shifting to Coral's other side. "So you don't need to ally everyone, so you can stop worrying."
"In the meantime, it's time we got you coming across a bit more like an eleven year old and less like an eight year old." Jenny says. "Not that we don't like you the way you are, just..." she sighs. "Other girls in our year aren't as nice as you are."
She pulls Coral's hair out of its bunches and starts tugging it back into a half ponytail.
