((Enter Rhonda Lawson))
Man, she'd lived here for most of her life, but Rhonda still sometimes felt out of the crowd, y'know?
The Glen was pretty full of rich folks, and a lot of them had the 50's-style smoothed-over lawns, casual-but-elitist lunches, and 2.5 children, whatever the decimal meant. And Rhonda wasn't exactly in the slums or anything even before Vance, but she and her mom had never really picked up the fancy stuff. They had a nice lawn, but they didn't hire gardeners for it, they just mowed the lawn and trimmed the pair of shrubs by the door when they got too overgrown.
Mom was pretty social so she had her tea parties and such but they were always at her friends' places, and Rhonda's friends at school weren't all from here. Basically walking through the Glen made Rhonda feel a little conspicuous. These people all seemed put-together and fancy and like, like they were made of something shiny like fine china. Rhonda wasn't that shiny.
At least Sam was here! Rhonda was lucky that one of her teammates and closest friends lived in the same area. Then again, the school mostly drew from this section of the city so it made sense, but she was even within a short walk's distance. Rhonda really admired Sam, honestly. Not only as a player, though God only knew if Sam even had a professional ceiling there with how good she was, but also as a person. Sam came on a little strong to some, but she was always so confident and outgoing. She didn't take shit from anyone, and that was pretty cool.
Rhonda stopped in front of Sam's house, hands on her hips. Frankly, she was trying to psyche herself up a little. She'd been encouraging herself to come by without needing to plan it ahead, since Sam usually didn't mind the surprise. But she always had the worry that either nobody was home, or worse Sam's parents were there but she'd gone off and she had to explain herself to them. Just thinking about that made her feel embarrassed.
Agh, damn it. Rhonda marched up to the front door, ready to give it a good knock. She could always use the doorbell, but this was a little more bold. Confidence came in little steps. Supposedly. Maybe.
Slammin' Jammin' Sam
I regret nothing
A couple of seconds after Rhonda rapped on the front door, there was an explosion of high pitched yapping from within, accompanied by first a scrabbling noise, and then the clattering of something against the back of the door. A muffled voice came next, and then the door opened up.
A little blur of fur promptly darted out of the crack of the door and in a trice, a jack russell terrier was around Rhonda's ankles, doing loops around her, bounding up on its hind legs to paw briefly at Rhonda's knees before returning to racing across the driveway like a lunatic.
"Darn it, Dunk, cool off!" a man emerged part way out of the house, and then the rest as he noticed Rhonda with a smile. Leo Harley was a slim man who most probably wouldn't place as in his forties, clean shaven with his hair pulled back in a bundle of curls. "Rhonda. Good to see you, kid. Dunk! Knock it off!"
The dog, Dunker, reluctantly left Rhonda and disappeared back into the house.
Leo returned his smile to Rhonda. "You here for Sam?"
A little blur of fur promptly darted out of the crack of the door and in a trice, a jack russell terrier was around Rhonda's ankles, doing loops around her, bounding up on its hind legs to paw briefly at Rhonda's knees before returning to racing across the driveway like a lunatic.
"Darn it, Dunk, cool off!" a man emerged part way out of the house, and then the rest as he noticed Rhonda with a smile. Leo Harley was a slim man who most probably wouldn't place as in his forties, clean shaven with his hair pulled back in a bundle of curls. "Rhonda. Good to see you, kid. Dunk! Knock it off!"
The dog, Dunker, reluctantly left Rhonda and disappeared back into the house.
Leo returned his smile to Rhonda. "You here for Sam?"
Rhonda giggled as Dunk ran around her, gently nudging him back when he jumped up. She wasn't always a fan of dogs, really, but the little ones were alright and Dunker was like a ball of crack with legs.
Seeing Mr. Harley was a little less exciting, though. The man was very kind and she liked him a lot, but she always felt awkward in this situation. Luckily, he had, unintentionally or not, thrown her a a bone by asking her upfront. That made things a lot easier since she didn't have to explain herself.
"Yeah, if that's alright. Is she around?" Rhonda resisted the temptation to try to peek past Mr. Harley into the house, which would be really rude. Instead, she looked at him and smiled back. "She said I could stop by so I figured I might as well." It was hard for her to small talk--she could never find the right subject--but at least Sam and her family put Rhonda at ease compared to lots of the other folks around.
Also, admittedly, it made her feel less out-of-place to be around people her height. A lot of people at her school were tall, especially the team, but a lot of them were much smaller. Mr. Harley was almost exactly her height and that made her feel better about the whole eye-contact thing.
Seeing Mr. Harley was a little less exciting, though. The man was very kind and she liked him a lot, but she always felt awkward in this situation. Luckily, he had, unintentionally or not, thrown her a a bone by asking her upfront. That made things a lot easier since she didn't have to explain herself.
"Yeah, if that's alright. Is she around?" Rhonda resisted the temptation to try to peek past Mr. Harley into the house, which would be really rude. Instead, she looked at him and smiled back. "She said I could stop by so I figured I might as well." It was hard for her to small talk--she could never find the right subject--but at least Sam and her family put Rhonda at ease compared to lots of the other folks around.
Also, admittedly, it made her feel less out-of-place to be around people her height. A lot of people at her school were tall, especially the team, but a lot of them were much smaller. Mr. Harley was almost exactly her height and that made her feel better about the whole eye-contact thing.
"Yeah. Just a second," he stepped back and called. "Sam! Rhonda's here!"
He gave her a small smile in the slightly awkward pause that ensued, and then there was a thundering clatter of someone very large racing down some stairs.
Sam appearing in the doorway struck a pretty uncanny resemblance to what it had been like to see the dog bursting out of the house, albeit on the opposite size extreme. She was wearing a baggy tanktop and track pants, but was wearing her hair up.
"Rhoooonda!" Sam went in for a hand clasp, tugging in to shoulder-bump with Rhonda if she allowed it (and probably attempting it anyway, honestly). "Sup, girl?"
He gave her a small smile in the slightly awkward pause that ensued, and then there was a thundering clatter of someone very large racing down some stairs.
Sam appearing in the doorway struck a pretty uncanny resemblance to what it had been like to see the dog bursting out of the house, albeit on the opposite size extreme. She was wearing a baggy tanktop and track pants, but was wearing her hair up.
"Rhoooonda!" Sam went in for a hand clasp, tugging in to shoulder-bump with Rhonda if she allowed it (and probably attempting it anyway, honestly). "Sup, girl?"
And there she was, making all the awkward go poof.
Rhonda was happy to follow up on the hug. She was kind of touchy herself, so it was nice and easy to go along with other people getting close. "Hey, thanks!" She nodded politely to Sam's dad, then turned back to her friend.
"Ah, nothing much. I just thought I'd stop by, see what's up over here." She hadn't really had anything planned, honestly, so much as just wanting to say hi and see what happened.
"I figured if you're cool with it we could just hang out, y'know." Geez, what was one of those things Sam was into? "You could try to show me one of those tabletop things. That always goes well." Rhonda laughed. It wasn't that it was anything but fun as hell, but those games were just over her head.
Rhonda was happy to follow up on the hug. She was kind of touchy herself, so it was nice and easy to go along with other people getting close. "Hey, thanks!" She nodded politely to Sam's dad, then turned back to her friend.
"Ah, nothing much. I just thought I'd stop by, see what's up over here." She hadn't really had anything planned, honestly, so much as just wanting to say hi and see what happened.
"I figured if you're cool with it we could just hang out, y'know." Geez, what was one of those things Sam was into? "You could try to show me one of those tabletop things. That always goes well." Rhonda laughed. It wasn't that it was anything but fun as hell, but those games were just over her head.
Leo returned inside in short order, leaving the two of them alone.
"Hanging out's good. Dunno if there's much gamewise we can do though. I'm not really real good at it unless someone's there to run things," Sam paused, considering if that had made much of any sense. Rhonda didn't always seem to 'get' the games, which was maybe just as much how Sam explained them as anything with Rhonda getting it. "Like you can play most things with two but probably not if I'm in charge of the two."
Running the game was work, and not that like Sam didn't like it or anything, but whenever she tried to come up with ideas for anything like that she just got sidetracked with the NPCs or way way too fixed on one specific aspect of the world she was coming up with and you could only improvise so much before it became clear you had absolutely no idea what you were doing.
"Could always grab a ball," she jerked her head towards the hoop set up in the driveway. "1v1?"
"Hanging out's good. Dunno if there's much gamewise we can do though. I'm not really real good at it unless someone's there to run things," Sam paused, considering if that had made much of any sense. Rhonda didn't always seem to 'get' the games, which was maybe just as much how Sam explained them as anything with Rhonda getting it. "Like you can play most things with two but probably not if I'm in charge of the two."
Running the game was work, and not that like Sam didn't like it or anything, but whenever she tried to come up with ideas for anything like that she just got sidetracked with the NPCs or way way too fixed on one specific aspect of the world she was coming up with and you could only improvise so much before it became clear you had absolutely no idea what you were doing.
"Could always grab a ball," she jerked her head towards the hoop set up in the driveway. "1v1?"
Riiight, right. These games with two people was like, Go Fish or something, it kind of worked, but not really? Something like that. But that was okay, Rhonda could never really say no to some free play.
"Yeah, sounds good!" Rhonda cheerfully replied, bounding off the doorstep into the driveway in front of the hoop. She paused and turned around. "Oh, if you need a minute, I don't mind!" She wasn't sure if she'd caught Sam like, mid-morning routine; it was pretty late to be sleeping in, but it was also a weekend.
Oh, wait, where was the ball? Not in the driveway, of course, but probably in the garage? Rhonda looked to Sam, then the garage door. "You got a ball in there?" That was a dumb question, honestly; where else would the Harleys keep a basketball, the bathroom? Rhonda chuckled quietly.
"Ready when you are, though."
"Yeah, sounds good!" Rhonda cheerfully replied, bounding off the doorstep into the driveway in front of the hoop. She paused and turned around. "Oh, if you need a minute, I don't mind!" She wasn't sure if she'd caught Sam like, mid-morning routine; it was pretty late to be sleeping in, but it was also a weekend.
Oh, wait, where was the ball? Not in the driveway, of course, but probably in the garage? Rhonda looked to Sam, then the garage door. "You got a ball in there?" That was a dumb question, honestly; where else would the Harleys keep a basketball, the bathroom? Rhonda chuckled quietly.
"Ready when you are, though."
"Mm? Naw naw naw, I'm good."
Did Sam look like she needed a minute? She didn't think so before but now she wasn't sure. She was dressed and all, had clothes--oh wait she wasn't wearing shoes.
She held up a hand. "Nevermind."
Half a minute later, Sam returned with sneakers, and as an added bonus had picked up one of the half dozen basketballs which lay around the Harley residence and occasionally got assaulted by Dunk whenever he forgot that he was a tiny dog and did not have jaws bigger than his own head.
She bounced the ball a couple of times, more or less absently thanks to muscle memory. She could probably sleep dribble if she went to bed thinking of ball. Ball dribble, not drool. Everyone could do that.
"Y'ready?"
Sam didn't wait for a reply, loping forward with the ball, getting right up in on Rhonda and going straight for a simple lay-up.
Did Sam look like she needed a minute? She didn't think so before but now she wasn't sure. She was dressed and all, had clothes--oh wait she wasn't wearing shoes.
She held up a hand. "Nevermind."
Half a minute later, Sam returned with sneakers, and as an added bonus had picked up one of the half dozen basketballs which lay around the Harley residence and occasionally got assaulted by Dunk whenever he forgot that he was a tiny dog and did not have jaws bigger than his own head.
She bounced the ball a couple of times, more or less absently thanks to muscle memory. She could probably sleep dribble if she went to bed thinking of ball. Ball dribble, not drool. Everyone could do that.
"Y'ready?"
Sam didn't wait for a reply, loping forward with the ball, getting right up in on Rhonda and going straight for a simple lay-up.
Sam was quick to affirm her readiness and just as quick to take it back. Rhonda grinned as she hurried into the house and back out, the added benefit of having gotten a ball for them.
"I-" Rhonda was only slightly taken off-guard; she was used to Sam being cheeky like this, but the exact timing of when they'd start threw her off sometimes. In this case, the sudden lay-up was quick enough for Rhonda to react a bit slow, but she managed to get a finger on the ball and it bounced out of the hoop.
"Hey, no fair. I call foul." Rhonda smiled and laughed, picking up the ball and bouncing it.
"C'mon, go easy on me, please?" Pouting dramatically, Rhonda tossed the ball back, a motion so practiced she barely even realized she'd done it. Darn it, now she had to defend again.
((Rhonda Lawson continued in Dreaming of Futures Ahead))
"I-" Rhonda was only slightly taken off-guard; she was used to Sam being cheeky like this, but the exact timing of when they'd start threw her off sometimes. In this case, the sudden lay-up was quick enough for Rhonda to react a bit slow, but she managed to get a finger on the ball and it bounced out of the hoop.
"Hey, no fair. I call foul." Rhonda smiled and laughed, picking up the ball and bouncing it.
"C'mon, go easy on me, please?" Pouting dramatically, Rhonda tossed the ball back, a motion so practiced she barely even realized she'd done it. Darn it, now she had to defend again.
((Rhonda Lawson continued in Dreaming of Futures Ahead))
Sam's face broke into a broad smile as she caught the ball.
"Shyeah right. You play with 'Zona and you call that a foul?"
The grin, if anything, got even wider as Sam slowly, menacingly started to bounce the ball on the driveway.
"Girl ima posterize you."
Wrecking ball incoming.
((Sam continued elsewhere))
"Shyeah right. You play with 'Zona and you call that a foul?"
The grin, if anything, got even wider as Sam slowly, menacingly started to bounce the ball on the driveway.
"Girl ima posterize you."
Wrecking ball incoming.
((Sam continued elsewhere))