Deviating from the Norm (A "Freaks and Geeks" Fanfic)

Chapter 31 - Through thick... (Part 1)

"Jeez, what a day," Kim droned as she walked in from the balcony, returning from her needed nicotine fix. She practically toppled over onto the couch next to me and released a long, tired sigh. Even though we were stuffed from earlier, we still took the last four pieces of pizza, basically allowing us to just veg out in the living room. There was another impressive sound system in the room as well as a pretty big TV. There was a cable box attached to the television, but it really just confused the shit out of both of us since our shared knowledge of how to work it was nil. Nonetheless, we were able to trial-and-error our way through it, finding that we were even allowed to access some of the fancier pay-channels like HBO and Showtime. The humble abode was actually very well furnished with new stuff everywhere and I couldn't help but think that someone in Kim's family actually had it made.

"We totally need to get Sara out of the picture. I mean, I'm not the only who thinks she's annoying, right? I don't even get what Nick sees in her anyway... it's not like she can teach him how to foxtrot out of a foxhole."

I laughed at her articulate assessment of Sara's boogie-oogie-oogie knowledge being completely useless on a battlefield.

"He is totally screwed, ya know? I don't even think brainiac Lindsay can save him from an army future. It's nice what you're trying to do, though."

I winced as my laughter quickly died out, feeling uncomfortable about the situation all over again. Was I the only one who had faith in him? Hell, I still hadn't even told her the catch in my plan, the one where I could be stuck next to Andopolis, peeling potatoes while on kitchen patrol in the army. With all of the negativity, I was beginning to have doubts myself. It was my future I was playing with as well, and I suddenly might have had more than just a potential football prospect to lose if it all went south. I decided to quickly change the subject and bring it up at a better time, preferably after Lindsay and I had talked the Colonel out of his decision.

"Your cousin must have a nice job," I noted, not being able to help but admire just how new the place looked and felt.

She rested against me and shrugged at my statement. "Yeah, but Erica's boyfriend also just so happens to be the manager of the bank she works at and I guess he likes to spoil her. He buys her new stuff all the time... and they even go on trips. Like, every weekend..."

"Wow."

"Mmm," she hummed in agreement. "But I think she's just kind of using him for his money. He's way older than her, she never talks about him and all she seems to care about is the things he gets her."

"Well that's a little unscrupulous..."

Kim scrunched up her face and looked at me. "Un-what? Don't get all smart on me."

"Um, immoral," I laughed. "Sounds like she's definitely just using him."

"Told ya. What are we even watching?" Kim asked, snorting out the question through her laughter as she began to pay attention to what was showing on television. My little outing to the library had made me slightly nostalgic of my childhood and when I switched to HBO and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown was on, I decided it was an appropriate place to stop while she was enjoying a cigarette.

My cheeks grew hot and I could only imagine they were glowing red. "It's a Charlie Brown show. It might be new, I dunno. Never saw it before."

"Oh my God, you're such a manchild!" she declared, going into an all-out cackle.

This must be payback for all of the hippie talk earlier. I smirked at the thought and responded, "Okay, okay, we'll change it," before trying to stand.

Kim latched onto my arm and pulled me back down onto the couch. "No, it's okay. I kinda want to watch it now." There was an innocent bounciness in her voice that I had been hearing a lot more in the hours we had spent together.