Work Text:
2001, 5th grade
Penny wasn't used to sleepovers, like at all. She was totally freaking the fuck out currently as she sat on a brown worn out couch.
She only decided to come to one today because it's Ocean's birthday sleepover. She absolutely hated the whole thing though. She was barely able to talk to Ocean. All the other girls would just stare at her whenever she said something. It made her feel icky and gross. Her clothes felt tighter than ever and her eyes felt heavy.
The whole atmosphere made her feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. The funky smell of the air didn't help. She picks at the chipping pieces of leather from the couch. She's the only one in the living room everyone else decided to go make cookies in the kitchen. Which she's very happy about as she's feeling exhausted as her social battery is running out.
Her ears perk up as she hears loud stomping coming her way. She looks towards the arch entrance as she waits. Her orange haired friend stomps in with tears filling her eyes and her nose is scrunched up. Penny's heart pangs with a sudden sadness.
Ocean glares at her for a second and Penny looks down at her now loose braids nervously.
"I didn't know you were here." The girl with freckles says softly. Penny looks up at her. "Yea, the others are kind of a lot right now." She replies with a shrug
"Well why are you here now?" She knitts her brows. Ocean starts staring at her unicorn slippers. Her lips are tightly pressed against each other in a straight line.
"Some of them were saying they were surprised that the cookie dough we had didn't have.." she trails off and makes a hand movement. She starts again ".. I'm tired of my parents ruining my own life. I just want to be viewed as normal. Ever since that situation with my little brother happened everyone just thinks of me as the girl whose brother overdosed on cocaine because her parents were too careless to put it away." More tears started building up in the corners of her eyes.
Penny stared at her with furrowed brows and a frown on her face. "Well they're assholes. You aren't just that. Your parents don't define you as a person unless you make them define you. I'm sorry that happened to your brother, he seemed like a nice kid."
Ocean wiped a tear away. "I just...I don't know I still love them and want them to feel proud of me. Even though they are horrible people and essentially killed my brother. I feel horrible saying that."
"They're your parents they are supposed to feel those ways in the first place. Even if they don't, just know I'm proud of you. I admire you too! That speech you made in front of the classroom about wanting to be president when you're older was so rad!" Penny says with a wide grin trying to comfort her very pretty friend.
"Really? Thank you that means a lot to me." Ocean says with a somewhat more reassured look.
Penny is suddenly filled with a strong urge to hold Ocean's hand and she does just that. Her hand feels warm and soft. She likes it. Her heart felt heavy and she felt her face heating up.
Ocean stares at her with a shocked expression but it quickly morphs into a smile. Penny can still see the redness surrounding her beautiful eyes. Ocean lays her head down on her shoulder.
She smells like a mixture of weed and cookies, but Penny could give zero fucks.
"Thank you." Ocean mumbles into the brunette's hair.
"Of course. Do you want me to get back at the ones making fun of you?"
"That's not nice Penny! But yes." Ocean says with a mischievous grin on her face.
At night.
Penny still feels fuzzy from their earlier conversation. Was this the feeling her peers would talk about when talking about the guys in their classes.
She was confused but she didn't have time to ponder as she had a mission to complete for Ocean.
"Goodnight you guys I'm tired." Penny says with a fake yawn.
"Yea whatever your so lame." Says one of the girls staring at her and side eyeing her friend.
Little did they know.
She 'sleeps' for 5 minutes before shuffling in her sleep.
Ocean stares at her and smiles for second before going back to normal.
Then Penny starts twitching her body a little.
"Oh is she okay?" A girl with purple Kool aid dyed tips asks. Everyone starts slowly looking at her.
She starts saying stuff in a deep voice. She was fighting the urge to start bursting out laughing. She was hoping to scare the other girls by acting possessed. I mean why not make her knowledge of ghosts be useful. As everyone else is distracted Ocean pulls a tiny fan out and turns it on so it's cold.
She started rolling her eyes to the back of her head. "AH WHAT THE FUCK!" One of the girls shout. "Hey no cussing!" Ocean says pointing a finger at the girl.
Huh that's strange. She didn't reprimand me for cussing. Penny thought.
2 of the girls start hugging while crying. "I'm scared!"
Penny decides to give up as she didn't originally want to make anyone cry. "Shit sorry you guys I sleep talk and walk." She decides to come up with that lie.
Everyone just stares at her. Ocean is smiling and she looks heavenly. One of her friends is peeking out from behind her.
"Whatever. That was freaky don't do that." A girl says scanning Penny with a disgusted look on her face.
The next morning
Penny was slowly awaken by warm hands tapping on her head.
She mumbles. She doesn't want to be woken up so early.
As she becomes more aware of her surroundings she realizes that all of the other girls were gone and that the sun was completely out already.
"Hi sleepy head! I totally thought you wouldn't wake up at some point!" Ocean says with a grin.
"Ocean what time is it?" Penny squints as her eyes adjust to the light.
"12:30 am! Your lucky I usually wake up my guests super duper early!"
"Oh? Sorry you probably had stuff scheduled and I'm ruining it." Penny says nervously picking at her curled hair.
"Oh no it's totally fine for what you did yesterday it's the most I could do!" Ocean says while handing her an organic pop tart.
Penny mouths a thank you and starts chowing down on it.
As soon as she finished she got dressed in her regular clothes and so did Ocean. They played with lps and drew for a while before Penny decides she probably has to go back home. She really didn't want to leave Ocean though.
Penny stands outside the door and Ocean is standing in perfect posture like always by the doorway.
"So Ocean see you around!"
"See you around! We should totally hang out with just us!" Ocean says with a flushed expression. Penny nods excitedly and leaps off the stairway while waving bye. She finally had someone