couldbebeautiful | maskormenace inbox

[ Reggie is going the old school route for his next Big Move; he leaves a mixtape in her mailbox, along with a cassette player in case she doesn't have one of those anymore, and a written note that reads: ]

It was either this or boombox under the window.
Think about it. ;)
Text me later.
- Reg

[It takes her thirteen songs, but Veronica decides not to text back.

She calls, instead.]

You included Eddie Money and Queen but you forgot the Runaways and Cyndi Lauper, what kind of prospective boyfriend are you? [Outside, there's the tinny voice of Freddie Mercury crooning can anybody find me somebody to love?] You're sure about this, Reggie? Because there is a lot you don't know about me and my damage.

[ Reggie Mantle isn't really a guy who gets nervous, but he certainly feels a mild flutter of tension in his chest when his phone lights up to indicate a call. All right; it's go time. ]

Is Pat Benetar already not enough of a compromise? You really expect me to have to listen to Cyndi Lauper, too? I mean at least I actually like Queen. [ And making this mixtape as 80s as it already is took a lot out of him. ] I'm not that sure. Not cuz of you, though-- I don't really date a lot. Not like, seriously.

[ He's quiet for a beat or two while he figures out how to finish answering, before finally deciding on honesty. Well, more honesty. What he already just said was harder to admit. Damage... he suppresses a lot of what could probably be considered damage of his own, but most of his Riverdale friends are up to their necks in it. It doesn't bother him, backing them up through it. ]

My hometown's pretty messed up too, though. Damage I can handle. And if it doesn't work out then at least we tried, right?

[ He hears the music faintly, squinting and standing up to get a better sense of where it's coming from. He'd assume the phone, but it sounds too clear for that-- he goes to the window. ]

You’ll notice I didn’t just say Cyndi Lauper. [There’s a silence, during which Freddie Mercury and co. keep going on the other end of the line and also, outside.] I also said Runaways. You know, Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, “Cherry Bomb”?

[There’s a sigh. Then:] My last serious relationship blew up in my face. [Almost literally.] So hey, if you really want to do this—if you’re willing to try? Look out the window.

[Because Veronica is outside, dressed like another 80s icon, and holding a phone to her ear while a boombox blares from the ground beside her. It’s switched over now from Queen to Joan Jett, and she’s turning the volume up now. It’s like a scene from a John Hughes movie, except Veronica isn’t about to hoist the boombox up onto her shoulders. She has standards.]

I’ll go on one date with you, [she says over the noise,] and maybe we can see where it goes from there!

[ Reggie runs the rest of the way to the window and pulls it open, grinning as he leans out to look at her. Now this is not the kind of response he was expecting-- this took effort.

One of the people in the neighboring apartments leans out their window, too, shouting at them to keep it the fuck down. Reggie laughs, holding a hand to his other ear so he can still hear Veronica through the phone.

What can he say about his last "serious" relationship? It didn't blow up (figuratively or literally) but instead ended with not a bang but a port-out, which is one risk of getting close to anyone here. Reggie still has a lot of doubts regarding his competency with dating, but if he can let go of that one, the rest is easier to deal with as it comes. The rest is all just normal, comparatively, not specific to this place; things either within his control if he makes the effort, or things that aren't. ]

Don't worry about mine. It ended, but not cuz of anything I did wrong. Hold on-- wait right there.

[ He hangs up the phone, and a couple minutes later he's outside, too, running over to where she's standing. It's tempting to kiss or embrace her, but he doesn't; just stops a couple feet away, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. ]

Let's do it, then. Let's go on a date.

[To the neighbor, Veronica shouts back, it’s not even that late! Which, true, it’s not. She looks back at Reggie and gives him a wave—yeah, he wanted a romantic gesture, he sure as hell got one. Besides, Veronica’s always kind of liked the idea of the boombox scene, at least, although like hell is she going to pull it up onto her shoulder. She had to haul it all the way here by herself already.

Reggie isn’t JD. That’s something she needs to remember. Reggie’s a jock and something of a dick, but he’s honest at least about it, and she does like him. Enough to decide to at least give this date a try.]

Do I want to know why?

[She doesn’t kiss him when he steps outside. She does smile, though, and bends down to lower the volume so they can actually talk without Joan Jett singing over them. Be grateful, neighbor.]

One date, and no sex by the end of the night. [She crosses her arms over chest.] If it sucks, we can pretend it never happened. If it doesn’t—I guess. I guess I wouldn’t mind going out with you again if the first one goes well.

[A pause.]

Just one condition: no 7/11’s.

Just a port-out. [ Said with a shrug, to emphasize how very Over It he clearly is. ] Lasted about four months. So what we've been doing's actually lasted a lot longer.

[ Because no strings or not, it's still been about six months since they started; Reggie knows because it was right after Archie's port-out in February, and because he hasn't been with anyone else during that time. Except for the one month they took a break.

He should really tell her about Archie eventually. He doesn't know how to, and he doesn't actually want to, but it seems like the kind of thing that'll eventually have to come out. As usual, though, now is not the time. ]

How bad could just one date be? [ He puts his finger under her chin, tilting her head up just enough so he can kiss her cheek. ] And who the hell takes their date to 7/11? I was thinking more like dinner and a movie.

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