Alice ✧ [a. karev]

2. spilled beans

The bar was as chatty as it usually was. Loud doctors and nurses occupying every corner, unwinding after long shifts. Lights twinkled and darts were thrown as stories were shared and ice clinked in glasses.

The five interns surrounded a small table that was cluttered with quickly emptying glasses and fragments of peanuts as they gossiped with each other.

"He's just really great. I know it was a little weird at first because of the whole boss thing but now that it's out things are great," Meredith practically gushed as she talked about Derek.

"That's great, Mer" George said, somewhat emotionlessly but Meredith was too lovestruck to care as Izzie gently patted his shoulder.

It was still really weird for Jade to listen to her talk about Derek considering she talked to his wife back home every day. She tried to tell her, and she had the chance to on multiple occasions but she always ended up chickening out.

The guilt did eat away at her for a little bit. The lying to Meredith about her McDreamy boyfriend being married. They really had become good friends, they all had, and Jade knew that once she found out it would all come crashing down.

But she would listen to her talk about him and see the way that she looked at him and she'd think 'I'll let her live in this blissful ignorance for one more day, just one more day'. 

One day turned into two and then two turned into one week then two and now here they were. So yeah, the guilt ate at her for a little bit but then it sort of just became second nature to lie, to act like she had no idea at all.

The thought that they weren't the best of friends made it easier. Meredith had Cristina and Izzie had George and Jade was kind of just there. The fifth wheel friend.

She had them all but in a weird way she was sort of alone. She reminded herself she was there to work and not make friends but it didn't help to see them click so easily when she already missed Addison and Mark.

But then there was Alex. He was crude and a bit crass but he was also funny and smart and he was nice enough to Jade so by default he was kind of her person even if neither of them knew it. Plus it didn't hurt that he was cute.

Overall Jade had found her place in Seattle, her fresh start going as well as she could've hoped. Finding good enough friends and excelling in the program. She was right where she needed to be.

But, then agin, isn't that always when everything started to fall apart?

✧

The locker room was dead silent other than Jade's quiet voice as she talked to Alex about a medical journal she'd read the other day about a successful sextuplet birth and surgeries.

He was only half-listening, giving small input here and there as a steady hand held a scissor to his nostrils.

She was about to continue when the door to the locker room opened, George closing it quietly behind him and glancing around warily. He walked towards the pair, checking in-between the aisles of lockers before approaching them.

"Hi, George," Jade greeted him slowly, noting his strange behavior.

"Hi, Jade" he started, not looking her in the eye. "Do you think you could give Alex and I a second alone."

Jade pulled a face at him and Alex gave him a weird look through the mirror. "Why?" She laughed.

"I need to ask him something," George shifted uncomfortably. "It's a guy thing you wouldn't understand. Could you just.." he trailed off, desperate for her to leave.