Categories > Movies > Mean Girls > Idioteque
16
There's one last spat between them, the last week of summer, right before Cady, right before everything got kicked into higher gear.
(And with hindsight it was probably the catalyst.)
********
It's a muggy summer evening, right at the end of the holidays and Regina's in Janis' dingy little basement while Janis makes excuses to Damian in the washroom. She doesn't know why she came, sitting gingerly on the edge of a couch that came from only god knows where, knowing the other girl.
(It had never been enough they missed each other.)
Janis comes in looking mussed and flustered and snaps at her, sitting on her couch like it's going to give her the plague or something. "You've got a half hour, if you need it, now why the hell are you here?" Regina smoothes down her skirt and straightens her posture. "After everything we've been through the past two years, I've decided it's time to extend an olive branch and end this silly feud." She smiles, brittle as broken glass and with just the same hint of danger.
(The truth is Regina's never had a clue why she went.)
There's a moment in which Janis looks terribly angry and whether it's because she can't believe Regina's audacity to "extend an olive branch" or her obvious expectation of an apology on her part, she's not quite sure herself. Regina politely averts her eyes, but when she sees a painting of two little girls on a beach, obviously younger versions of themselves, her gaze jumps back like she's been scalded. Janis mouth twists in a cruel smile.
(It didn't suit her, Regina had thought, horrified that in trying to be Janis she'd turned them both into herself.)
"See something you'd rather forget?" She asks mockingly and Regina shakes her head. "Something I didn't realise I'd missed quite as much as I did." And Janis looks like she's been struck. "Can't we please just forget this silly fight? It's not like either of us even remember what caused it." Regina pleads.
(And the pleading note in her voice had sounded as if she was begging Janis to forget.)
Janis' lips thin and she gives Regina a long look. "You wish." She answers and her voice is full of dark promise.
(And she knew Regina wished, because she wished she could forget too.)
"What did I do that was so wrong, anyway?" She sounds accusing, because they both know it was all Regina's fault, in the end. Her voice is shrill when she jumps up from the couch, skirt flaring. "You know exactly what you did!" And Janis' face is all sombre, just like before, full of the understanding that at once soothed and riled her before. 'How dare she be alright with this! It's not right!' Rages Regina in her head.
(Because it wasn't fair that she could never feel at ease with it.)
"You broke the rules! Girls aren't supposed to like girls!" And she sounds like the thirteen year old she was before, when all this started. Janis' voice is quiet and steady. "You liked it too."
(I know, she thought.)
She stops suddenly, smoothes her skirt down and glances at an indeterminate spot for a few seconds, regaining her composure. "I don't know why I bothered quite honestly."
(Because you're still scared, just like me. Janis yearned to say.)
"Then leave." Regina glares at her once more before she walks past her, perfectly controlled. Janis doesn't look back as she closes the door with a quiet click. The finality of the soft sound echoes through the room like a smack.
(She leaves and another little bit of Janis breaks.)
There's one last spat between them, the last week of summer, right before Cady, right before everything got kicked into higher gear.
(And with hindsight it was probably the catalyst.)
********
It's a muggy summer evening, right at the end of the holidays and Regina's in Janis' dingy little basement while Janis makes excuses to Damian in the washroom. She doesn't know why she came, sitting gingerly on the edge of a couch that came from only god knows where, knowing the other girl.
(It had never been enough they missed each other.)
Janis comes in looking mussed and flustered and snaps at her, sitting on her couch like it's going to give her the plague or something. "You've got a half hour, if you need it, now why the hell are you here?" Regina smoothes down her skirt and straightens her posture. "After everything we've been through the past two years, I've decided it's time to extend an olive branch and end this silly feud." She smiles, brittle as broken glass and with just the same hint of danger.
(The truth is Regina's never had a clue why she went.)
There's a moment in which Janis looks terribly angry and whether it's because she can't believe Regina's audacity to "extend an olive branch" or her obvious expectation of an apology on her part, she's not quite sure herself. Regina politely averts her eyes, but when she sees a painting of two little girls on a beach, obviously younger versions of themselves, her gaze jumps back like she's been scalded. Janis mouth twists in a cruel smile.
(It didn't suit her, Regina had thought, horrified that in trying to be Janis she'd turned them both into herself.)
"See something you'd rather forget?" She asks mockingly and Regina shakes her head. "Something I didn't realise I'd missed quite as much as I did." And Janis looks like she's been struck. "Can't we please just forget this silly fight? It's not like either of us even remember what caused it." Regina pleads.
(And the pleading note in her voice had sounded as if she was begging Janis to forget.)
Janis' lips thin and she gives Regina a long look. "You wish." She answers and her voice is full of dark promise.
(And she knew Regina wished, because she wished she could forget too.)
"What did I do that was so wrong, anyway?" She sounds accusing, because they both know it was all Regina's fault, in the end. Her voice is shrill when she jumps up from the couch, skirt flaring. "You know exactly what you did!" And Janis' face is all sombre, just like before, full of the understanding that at once soothed and riled her before. 'How dare she be alright with this! It's not right!' Rages Regina in her head.
(Because it wasn't fair that she could never feel at ease with it.)
"You broke the rules! Girls aren't supposed to like girls!" And she sounds like the thirteen year old she was before, when all this started. Janis' voice is quiet and steady. "You liked it too."
(I know, she thought.)
She stops suddenly, smoothes her skirt down and glances at an indeterminate spot for a few seconds, regaining her composure. "I don't know why I bothered quite honestly."
(Because you're still scared, just like me. Janis yearned to say.)
"Then leave." Regina glares at her once more before she walks past her, perfectly controlled. Janis doesn't look back as she closes the door with a quiet click. The finality of the soft sound echoes through the room like a smack.
(She leaves and another little bit of Janis breaks.)
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