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“So,” Kara began conversationally as they stepped out of her loft. “You’ve got yourself a three-day weekend – are you going to call James?”
Lena rolled her eyes. She’d been hoping to avoid this conversation. She wasn’t particularly fond of having to explain why she didn’t want to call James Olsen. All of the flaws she mentioned lightly hadn’t been enough. What, did her friends want her to finally admit that she doesn’t do men (... anymore) – especially him? She tried to break down her explanation so that Kara and Sam and even Jess could understand but it was no use.
“No,” Lena said with a tone that leaves no discussion. “I’m not going to call James, Kara. There’s a possibility I will still have work to do. Even if I didn’t have any paperwork, I’m going to lay in my bed, watch a cheesy romance movie, and go to sleep.”
“Woah,” Kara commented, eyebrows raised in surprise. She hadn’t expected Lena to be so straightforward with her.
Lena twirled her hair with her pointer finger and frowned. “Have you ever been the new girl at a school and people look at you like you’re strange? Or, have you suddenly realized that you didn’t want that dull-looking backpack, but instead you wanted the colorful one – perhaps the one with the sparkles?”
“Uh, I was the new girl... multiple times.” Kara chuckled nervously. “And... backpacks? We’ve never had any of those on Kry– yeah, none of those.”
Lena shook her head, concentrated on the metaphors and allusions she’s trying to make pair, that she hadn’t heard Kara’s slip up.
“There was this girl that was sent to a boarding school recently. She was fairly quiet, stayed to herself, didn’t go out and party or break the rules as the ones around her did. There was another girl: she was the opposite of the new girl. She was extroverted, went out, and partied even though she was underage, drunk a lot. Although the introvert didn’t know why the extrovert wanted to talk to her, let alone become friends with her, they did and it was a great fit. They were a great fit. The extrovert offered to buy the introvert a drink at a bar downtown and she accepted.
The point I’m trying to make of all of this is that having extroverted friends are great, but sometimes you don’t want to break out of your shell as they will make you. As nice as going out to places, hanging out with groups of people, spreading your wings is, you’re not that type of person. You’d rather go to a library or stay at home, in your bedroom.”
Kara had a look of confusion on her face. “Sorry? Where is this coming from?” A crinkle formed in between her eyebrows.
Lena gave a slight shrug – so unlike her, out of character, unprofessionally. The metaphor had gotten away from her a little. “James is the extrovert. I don’t want to settle for going out to big places or having to stay right by his side while we go to fundraisers while I know there are going to be many people at once asking ‘who’s that?’ and I’d have to go in full depth.”
“ ‘Kay,” Kara nodded her head in understanding, “what is stopping you from finding an introvert?”
“Sometimes introverts aren’t all the same. I might find one that has the same work schedule as I do, who understands what I do.”
“That’s rare, isn’t it?” Kara asked, and Lena shook her head again.
“Me and you, we’re alike.”
Kara smiled heartwarmingly.
“You want my advice?” she directed the question towards Lena before turning her body to fish her car keys out of the brunette’s purse. Lena lifted her head in regard. “People around you could be introverts or extroverts. What you have to do is find the introvert fit for you. Find someone you know who isn’t going to resent you for being away so often. It’s all you can do.”
Lena smiled and nodded her head. Later, when it was almost midnight, Jess asked her all about her plans and what she was going to do for her time off. Absentmindedly, Lena responded, “ask Kara if she’d like to come over to my place and order takeout.”