Circles ━ Evan Buckley

007: SUPERMAN

CHAPTER SEVEN: SUPERMAN
song of the chapter: superman, taylor swift

Indiana doesn't believe in regrets.

It's a simple belief that she implemented into her life years ago, back when she was offered a job in Chicago with higher pay and better benefits, but she had turned it down to stay in LA with Hugo. Every so often since then, Indiana will think about Chicago, about what her life might be like if she had just gone- but she never regrets.

The thing is, Indiana knows the decisions she makes are made for a reason. Whether it be split second or methodically thought out, she makes them in sound mind and she tries her best not to look back on them. Just because she might have a different opinion on the situation now doesn't mean that she wishes she had changed her mind back then- she makes these decisions with the information that she had at that point in time, and she knows that her life would not be the same if she had made a different one.

And, Indiana really likes her life, so she'd rather it stayed just as it is.

(Even if that means being cornered by Jasmine in the staff room during Wednesday lunch.)

"So," Jasmine starts, loading a spoonful of tomato pasta onto her fork. "How'd your date with Buck go?"

Indiana knew that she would have to answer this question eventually, from Jasmine and from Athena, then from everyone else around her. People are dying to know if Indiana has finally found someone worthy of moving on to. So it's not like she's unprepared, she's just not expecting the question right as she's halfway through a bite of caesar salad.

She holds a hand in front of her face, barely managing to swallow without choking. Then she takes a deep breath, glowering at Jasmine, "You realise I wouldn't have been able to tell you if I had just choked on a crouton?"

Jasmine shrugs, "I know the Heimlich manoeuvre. Now, how was your date with Buck?"

A swallow. A deep breath. A sigh.

It can't be that hard, can it? Lying to her best friend, looking her in the eye and telling her something she knows blatantly isn't true. It's not like she has never lied to Jasmine before, they are both guilty of the odd white lie here and there.

This, however, is far from a white lie. It's a big red banner with a warning sign on.

Still, Indiana sips at her water, and says, "I'm seeing him again on Saturday."

It's not a lie. She is seeing Buck on Saturday, and they're going out for lunch at a place Athena recommended to Indiana months ago. Sure, she's going to fabricate how they got to this point and she's going to lie through her teeth about everything that happens regarding her and Buck past this point, but this part is the truth.

"No shit," Jasmine replies, sounding only a little surprised and a lot breathless. "He charmed you real good, didn't he?"

Indiana chuckles, "He's a nice guy."

"He's a nice guy," Jasmine repeats, mockingly. "That's all you've got to say? You went out with a modern day God and that's all you can give me?"

This part, Indiana came prepared for. She knows Jasmine, knows that her perpetually single friend will thirst until she dies over anything that looks in her general direction before she even dares to make a move. She lived vicariously through Indiana and Hugo's relationship for years, and now that it's finally looking like the drought might be over, she's right back to how she was a few years back.