WINTER IS COMING

[Gifted]

"Eh... I used to hang out with her because her dad is somebody important, haven't seen her in months." Stephanie laughed nervously, blushing a little. She grabbed her donut.

[Raven]

"Oh. I didn't know that. That's ironic. Well, let's hope this all goes well." He smiled and headed over to the table.

[Doom]

By the time Kailen and Stephanie arrived at the table, Monique had finished her donut, and was now pensively scribbling on a napkin.

[Gifted]

"Hey!" Stephanie sat down with Monique with a big cheery smile. "So, we need to catch up! How've you been? What's been going on with you?"

[Doom]

Monique laid the pen atop the napkin, beaming at Stephanie. "I've been great! I got a hamster last week! Also, since the last time I saw you, I met Kailen." Her beaming smile was suddenly replaced by a confused look. "But apparently you knew Kailen already. Wasn't really expecting that."

[Raven]

"She's a family friend," Kailen said. "We're pretty close."

[Gifted]

"Oh, yeah, he's a good buddy of mine." She answered. "Sorry I haven't seen you in awhile, my life's been super hectic lately and if you know me you know that's saying something." She giggled. Her life had actually gotten considerably less hectic, but Monique didn't need to know that.

[Doom]

"I never would have guessed," mused Monique. "Hectic, huh? What's kept you so busy that you don't have time to come see me?"

[Raven]

"Oh, it's family drama. She won't tell me the details, but she's been half living out of my house," Kailen said, shrugging.

[Doom]

"Yowch," said Monique with a half smile. "'Family drama.' I can relate."

[Gifted]

"Oh geez let's see. I volunteer for a gifted rights group - well I did, I got kicked out like a couple days ago actually, long story - looking for a job because my parents kicked me out of my house and cut my off financially, so now I'm living out of a hotel room, trying to find a cheaper hotel room because like I said, lack of job." She giggled. She'd constructed a careful mix of half-truths and lies all tied together in a logical way - she had volunteered for a gifted rights group, but she had been kicked out several months ago, around the same time she had stopped talking to Monique - but she'd never mentioned it because she was doing it under an alias. She was in fact living out of a hotel room, but she'd always been living out of a hotel room since the day she moved into this city - when she came,her parents had not. She had, however, recently cut all ties from them, and was supporting herself financially with no job at the moment. Of course she wasn't precisely looking for a job, either, having stored up quite a stash of money from her previous activities, helped by eating at Kailens house all the time and never having to pay for food.

[Doom]

Though Monique had resumed her napkin scribbling while Stephanie spoke, she'd actually been listening carefully. She frowned when Stephanie got to the part about the hotel room. "I know a decent place across town," she offered consolingly. "It's a little shady, but the rate is dirt cheap."

[Gifted]

"I might take you up on that. I literally checked in to the first place I saw, where I'm staying is not cheap." She laughed, covering up the fact she was staying in a four and a half star hotel in case Monique ever saw her place.

[Doom]

"The jobless thing sounds tough, too," Monique said, setting aside her pen. "Especially this time of year. Where have you looked?"

[Raven]

"You know, my parents would probably let you stay with us," Kailen said.