Play nice

Posted on Sat May 22nd, 2021 @ 4:50pm by Gavin Lovejoy

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Various on the USS Elysium
Timeline: MD3 - 16h00
1938 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

School was out for the day, and Raye, who normally would have gone straight home lingered outside the school waiting to snag Gavin when he came out. She was planning on going to the gym to practice so she was dressed in tights and a baggy shirt and carried a duffle bag.

Moments later Gavin came out . He saw Raye waiting outside and looked around wondering who she was waiting for. "Who you waiting for Raye?" He asked his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I was waiting for you." she said casually.

"Me? Why? What did I do?" Gavin asked going on alert.

She rolled her eyes. "Nothing, I thought you might like the idea of someone wanting to be friendly."

"That would be a welcomed change." Gavin replied. Then just to mess with Raye, he added, "Where is this person?"

She merely rolled her eyes at him. "Got any other plans for the afternoon Gavin?"

"I don't have any plans for this afternoon Raye except to head to my quarters Why?"

"Well I am heading to the gym. Civilians are allowed to use it between 16h and 20h. Did you want to come along?"

"Sure." Gavin replied. "What are you planning to work on when you get there?"

"I have to do strength training in my legs. And then I am down for swimming laps for an hour or so."

"Hmm. okay. Swimming is good. I like that." Gavin answered. "And the strength training is because your a dancer. Correct?"

"Yes, sometimes you have to hold a pose for a period of time, a pose that could strain your leg muscles." She turned for the turbolift.

"Well, we definitely wouldn't want that to happen." Gavin replied glancing at her legs.

"my teacher insists that I work out 2 times a day. Mornings I do running, and afternoons I am weights and swimming, and in the evenings after dinner 3 times a week I am at class for 2 hours."

Gavin whistled. "Wow. That is a full schedule to be sure. I'm impressed." He said honestly.

"I have goals. I am going to dance in Paris, be a prima ballerina there." She said carefully.

"I remember Raye. I was paying attention when you told me." Gavin replied, "I think that is great."

They entered the turbolift and she ordered it to the required deck. "So what do you do in the Gym?"

"Usually box or swim sometime run. It's good for cardiovascular." Gavin replied.

Raye nodded. "Any good at swimming?"

"Pretty good. Strong." Gavin admitted with smile.

"Cool" Raye waited until they were walking down the hall again. "So learn anything interesting?"

"Learned about Commodore Decker sacrificing himself and his ship the Constellation to stop the doomsday machine with the help of Captain Kirk and the Enterprise. Decker was a hero." He finished.

Raye had to smile at that. "History class huh. I thought you would be for the maths area, you know, going into the fleet and everything."

"I do but I like history has well. It's good to know history so we don't repeat it." Gavin replied with a smile.

"How are you with Science?" she asked

"Not as good as I need to be if I want to go to Starfleet Academy." Gavin admitted with a sigh.

"Well you could always ask the science chief." she said "Or Triston."

Gavin stopped and looked at Raye hard. "No." He said flatly. "Absolutely not."

"Chicken" She said as moved to the Gym door.

"Maybe." He admitted "But I prefer smart as I'm avoiding a fight." Gavin replied.

"Or maybe you are pig headed like him and could be friends if you both would stop being so pig headed."

"Maybe Raye." Gavin admitted easily "However I am not willing to put it to a test."

She clucked at him and vanished into the gym with a laugh.

He laughed in return and followed her into the gym all the while wondering what was going to happen next.

Raye moved to the wall console and hit a button. Music began to pound through the speakers, and she sighed. "Marines have been here" she said as she turned it down.

"Are they deaf?" Gavin asked once Raye had turned the music down to an acceptable level. "That gives me a headache."

"They are Marines." She said as if it explained it all. She paused and placed her bag down. "They like it loud."

"That's deafening Raye." Gavin repeated shaking his head.

"How many Marines do you know?" she asked.

"None." He admitted. "What's that got to do with whether they can hear or not?"

"Its in their personality" She laughed and began to warm up by stretching.

Gavin nodded accepting that explanation. He walked over to a wall and sat down, watching Raye stretch.

"Don't you stretch?" she asked over her shoulder as she finally tied her hair into a pony tail.

"Well sure if I was going to do something like run or swim but I'm just watching you Raye." Gavin explained.

She smirked and kicked her leg up so that she touched her forehead to her knee. "Uh huh. Well unless you are as flexible as me, do not try this." she added.

"Trust me I wasn't planning to." Gavin replied. "Wait a second. Did you bring me here so we could dance?"

"No. I brought you here to talk" She laughed

"Ah. I thought we were. You have a nice laugh. You should do it more often." He stated. "So what are we going to talk about?"

"I don't know. what do boys like to talk about?" she asked curiously.

"Sports, fights, historical fights, Perhaps i should say battles. Um girls. Girls a lot of the time." He answered.

"Girls huh, and what do you know of Girls?"

"Not much." He admitted "But at least I admit it."

"hmm that is true." She rolled her shoulders and then bent backwards and into a backwalk over. Her jumper dropped to reveal a toned torso with sports tank top before it covered her back up again when she stood. She took off the jumper absently.

Gavin averted his eyes not that Raye had revealed anything but it somehow just felt proper to do so.

She saw him and giggled. "Oh come on Gavin, I am not trying to seduce you, you know."

"Well drat." Gavin replied with a smile. "Might have been fun."

She eyed him for a moment. "My mother is a security officer, I dont think your idea of fun would amuse her." she added lightly.

"It was a joke Raye, lighten up."

"I am light," she said with a smirk. "You need to lighten up a bit Gavin."'

"Well, I think I'm light as well. I guess it depends on your point of view." He replied.

"A lot in life is dependant on that. Or so I am told." She smiled almost evilly. "So, a virgin are we Gavin?" she teased as she held a pose with one leg at a 90degree angle from her body.

Gavin blushed furiously at her teasing. Giving Raye her answer. He stood up and pushed off the wall, getting ready to leave, he didn't need this.

"oh come on Gavin, It was just a question. You don't have to answer" she lowered her leg.

He didn't answer. Raye seemed to delight in pushing his buttons. he didn't know if they were really friends or not.

"you know if you jump at every question Gavin, you wont make friends." She walked over to him.

"We must have different concepts of friends Raye." Gavin replied simply. "You didn't see me asking you questions like you asked me."

"So ask them" She said calmly.

"Your missing the point Raye. I was brought up to respect women. Treat them with respect, be courteous, polite. Asking you a question like you asked me isn't being respectful. You aren't one of the boys Raye! Your a beautiful young woman and you should be treated like one." Gavin finished.

"I am not a fragile flower Gavin." She replied. "You can ask questions"

"It wouldn't be right Raye." Young men don't ask those questions to young ladies."

She shrugged. "Guess I am not used to well bred young men" she replied.

"Guess not." He agreed.

Raye gave a shrug. "I have about thirty more minutes here before hitting the pool. You can stick around it you want."

Gavin just nodded by way of reply and sat back down. He didn't understand what Raye didn't understand. He was being respectful to her and she was giving him a hard time. *Women!* He thought angrily.

Raye went and changed the music as she moved to the weight bench for leg work. She set the weights expertly and sat down to do lifts and raises.

Gavin watched as Raye worked with the weights. Finally after several moments of silence he spoke. 'I do have a question for you Raye. Are you my friend?"

"Sure if you want me to be" She replied as she continued her reps.

Gavin remained seated on the floor while he had a silent debate with himself. After several seconds, a decision reached he walked over to Raye. He thrust his right hand out and said, " My name is Gavin Lovejoy."

She smiled and held out her hand to shake his. "Pleased to meet you Gavin, I am Raye."

He gave her a firm handshake, a smile on his lips. "I am pleased to meet you Raye." He said honestly.

"So are you sure you want to be friends with me?" she asked impishly.

Gavin didn't hesitate with his answer. "Yes Raye, I'm sure." His voice firm, his eyes on her as he ratcheted up his nerve and asked "So, are you?"

"yes" she replied honestly.

Gavin nodded at Raye's answer. He didn't feel great about asking it seemed liked he was invading her privacy but he wanted to prove to her and to himself he could ask the question.

"Its nothing to be ashamed of Gavin. No one on this ship expects people to jump into bed once they hit 16. Not unlike other places." Raye said calmly. "Though I am sure other boys at school will make it sound like it is a fate worse than death."

Gavin gave her a relieved smile. "Thanks Raye." He said honestly. "I'm not ashamed but others try to make me feel ashamed. and that it is worth than death."

"no, being locked in a cell in the Mirror universe, and raped daily is worse than death, you can get over embarrassment" Raye replied.

"No argument there Raye. No argument at all." Gavin agreed with the girl. "I'm glad your here and not there. No one deserves a fate like that."

"My point is, Gavin, something are worse than Embarrassment. And those, who would try to embarrass others do not see that." She calmly wiped down the weights machine. "I need to get to the pool so I can get home. I should let you get home before your father comes looking."

"That is a very wise and very mature way to think Raye. I will remember that." Gavin replied. "so. lets get to the pool. No, it's okay, I have time."

Raye nodded and grabbed her swim bag. "ok.. as long as your parents are ok with it."

"They are. They trust me. I'm fortunate to have parents that do." Gavin answered as he waited to walk with Raye over to the pool where she could do her laps.

She joined him and they walked together to the pool.

OFF