Favorable (Jamilton)

13. Jefferson

"Jane is going to kill you when she finds out that you interrupted my studying, you know that right?" Thomas pointed out as he walked with his sister across the campus. At eight o'clock at night, the sky was already dark and the early October chill was starting to set in. 

Thomas settled deeper into his worn-out letterman jacket that he technically got from a resale store. 

"She can't kill me if you never tell her. And the only studying that you were doing when I called was maybe what happens first hand when sleeping," Mary countered. "Come on, Tommy, it's Friday! Live a little! We don't need another Jane, that stick is far up her ass that I'm not even sure if she's human. Maybe she's a puppet for a secret organization no one knows about." 

Thomas frowned. "Hey, that's not fair, it's not her fault. You know that." 

"I know, it's Mommy Dearest's fault, but jokes are the best medicine so I provide comic relief!" Mary looked at her brother and rolled her eyes when she saw that his frown wasn't letting up. "Tom, I didn't mean it to insult her. She does what she can and I appreciate that! Scout's honor." She crossed her heart for emphasis. "It does kinda suck, though, putting into perspective and all." 

"This is the rare moment where Mary Jefferson is talking serious, the world must be ending," Thomas laughed. Mary let out a small laugh but it was surprisingly humorless. 

"Yeah, yeah, but seriously. She didn't really get a warning to when she had to grow up like we got, you know? She had to just eat a mushroom and grow up, just like that." Mary looked up at the night sky and took a long breath. "When all of this really started she was, what, ten? She got a decade of childhood and the rest of that was used to make sure me and you and everyone else got what she didn't." 

"It kinda makes you wonder how she did all that." 

"When you get us onto Easy Street, she needs her own room. Better yet, her own floor." 

"With a built-in home-theatre where she can watch all the Mom-movies that she forced herself to like without any toddlers to interrupt her." 

"With a popcorn machine!" 

"And soft drinks?" 

"All of the soft drinks!" 

The sound of booming music and shouting young adults pulled the siblings out of their Jane Appreciation conversation and into the fun and easy-going feeling of the bass that would probably be so strong that they'd be able to feel it pounding in the ground. 

They got onto the property and Mary nodded and shouted a greeting at someone leaning on a post. He didn't hear her and was probably too stoned to notice that anyone was trying to get his attention. She waved him off when she figured that he wasn't going to respond. She led Thomas inside the house and the air was already foggy and smelled like things that probably weren't legal. 

"Alright, so do you remember in high school when we would point out who looks the cutest and who needs some work?" Mary asked suddenly, turning on her heel to face her brother. 

"Yes, I do." 

"Wanna play?" 

Thomas didn't have to weigh his options much. It was a fun game that only they played together, and if they found the perfect looking person, they decide amongst each other which one gets the first flirt. That and it was better than wandering around some fraternity house that he didn't know. He shrugged and they continued walking around together. 

They pointed out at least ten girls that would be fine if they didn't try so hard and few boys that would be great if they didn't dress like total douchebags and one or two that just needed a better haircut, not finding any that hit the mark of aesthetic perfection.