Closed How the Turntables

[Van Voclain]

Van's brilliant plan was... well, not going to plan. Nobody liked to be ignored, Van knew. It hurt like hell when the offender was someone you considered a friend. But to feel the pain, you did actually have to notice you were being ignored, and it was starting to look as if Eugene wouldn't notice if he tripped and fell into an alternate reality in which Van didn't exist at all.

She had had enough. She had had enough of being ignored ignoring him ignoring her. She had had enough of Eugene not realising how terrible he ought to feel for neglecting her. More than anything else, she had had enough of playing a mind game in which she was quite clearly the only active participant. And if she had to lose the game, she was going to make him sorry.

An opportunity presented itself on Thursday morning, after Herbology, as the third years marched across the lawn towards the castle. Van raced after Eugene and shoved him firmly on the backs of his shoulders. "Hey! Am I invisible, or what?" she said. "If you've got a problem with me, you can just say it to my face, you know."

 

[Eugene Nestor]

Eugene had been enjoying the end of semester stuff, studying was hard but he was kept busy with Accio and learning all the ropes of that, he was helping Casper too and just had a lot of things that he needed to do. He knew that this was at the expense of his friends whom he had perhaps not done as much with. He had planned to find Ajax and go over the last of the details that they needed to when upon leaving herbology and beginning to head back to the dorm he was shoved. He whipped around with a confused expression and looked at Van. His frown deepened at her words, not sure where this was coming from exactly. "I don't have a problem with you....," he said, "Of course not, you're my friend Van," he was very confused about what had happened to make her thing that he did have a problem. ​

 

[Van Voclain]

"Oh, really?" Van said. “Since when? I hadn't noticed." Poor Eugene. It must have been difficult being so dense. "Why’ve you been ignoring me, then?” She already knew why - Charlie. But she wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth. She wanted Eugene to admit he’d replaced her, so that she could at least feel justified for hating his guts. “We used to sit next to each other all the time. Now you don’t even look at me. I must have done something wrong. So come on - spit it out.”

 

[Eugene Nestor]

Eugene frowned at her words, he thought about it, thought about how much time he'd been spending with people like Charlie and Bella, the boys, even just with Accio and Casper, and yeah, Van...he'd been accidentally ignoring her, and he gave a little noise as if trying to find the words and hating how he had made her feel. "I'm sorry Van...I'm really sorry I made you feel that way. I didn't mean to, but I clearly did," he was apologetic in tone, feeling awful for this, feeling awful for ignoring a friend, making them feel bad, feeling his mother's scrutiny who had always said he should treat everyone with kindness. "I wasn't ignoring you intentionally, but I know that doesn't make it any better," he said, giving his peace but not making excuses about it. "Can I make it up to you?" he asked. ​

 

[Van Voclain]

What kind of lame apology was that? Eugene didn't really care - he just wanted Van to get off his case. He probably didn't even know what he was apologising for. How could he? He hadn't even thought about her for weeks! "You weren't ignoring me on purpose?" she backpedalled. "So you just forgot about me accidentally? That's actually worse." Until now, she'd been determinedly ignoring the signs, all of which pointed in a single direction. It was her. Not something she'd said. Not something she'd done. Just... her. Being herself. She was forgettable. Boring. Annoying. At least if she'd done something to upset Eugene, she could try to be a better person. There was no remedy for being inherently unlikeable. "I don't know," she said. "Can you? Have a go. Make it up to me, Eugene. I'm waiting."

 

[Eugene Nestor]

Eugene floundered as she threw back what he'd just said, and he knew that immediately it was as bad, that if he had been doing it on purpose at least there would've been a reason instead of what it was, that he had just make mistakes, that he'd just been forgetful, he'd been careless, had taken advantage of her by thinking their friendship was a given. "I've...I've..been...busy..," he tried to say but each word was shakily said and felt cheap. [He was then given the words he had in theory asked for and he floundered again, motioning a little with his arms. He frowned, and he sighed. "I'm sorry Van, I want to be friends, I want us to be friends, if you give me a second change, I'll be a better friend, I promise Van," he spoke quickly not sure if he should do anything else, would a gesture of goodwin, a present be enough to help persuade her of his intent. ​