10. Regina/janis

10. regina/janis

10. “I won’t let you.”

This is so not Janis's scene. Which is a weird thing to say, considering she's in Damian's house. But things have changed a lot in the last few months.

When Janis decided to forgive Cady at spring fling, she didn't realize she would be inheriting all of Cady's friends, too—people Janis previously found to be profoundly annoying, but most of whom turned out to be okay.

Still, she really has to ask herself how she ended up here, at a rager thrown by Damian, who has somehow become close with Shane Oman, with three-quarters of the North Shore basketball team, the mathletes, Gretchen Wieners, Karen Shetty, and Regina fucking George.

Janis enjoys a good party, but the combination of the jocks chanting chug, chug, chug and Damian and his theater friends belting out showtunes is giving her a headache.

She's looking for her jacket, ready to head home, when she sees Regina, stumbling a little as she tries to jam her foot into her shoe.

"Untying it first might help," Janis tells her, finally locating her jacket thrown over the banister, buried by three other jackets.

Regina makes an annoyed huff, but she does untie her shoe before finally sliding it in and re-lacing it. When she rights herself, the first thing Janis notices is how she sways a little where she stands, face flushed the way it gets sometimes when she's had too much to drink. (How Janis somehow knows this is beyond her.)

The second is that her car keys are in her hand.

"You're not driving yourself home, are you?" Janis asks cautiously.

"What? Yeah, I am," Regina says, rolling her eyes a little as she reaches for the front door.

Janis maneuvers herself so she's blocking Regina's path. "Slow down there, Justin Timberlake. You're drunk. You can't drive."

"I'm fine," Regina insists, irritation starting to color her voice. "Move."

"No."

"Janis! Get out of my way. I'm leaving," Regina says, drawing out the last word, like Janis is stupid.

Janis shakes her head. "I won't let you."

Regina's eyebrows rise. "You won't let me?"

"Nope," Janis tells her. "You know what it's like to get hit by a reckless driver. You want someone else to experience that?"

This seems to give Regina pause. Janis waits as the gears in her brain turn, slowed by alcohol.

"Ugh, fine," Regina grumbles. Then she pulls out her phone and starts clumsily tapping at the screen.

"What are you doing?" Janis asks.

"Calling an Uber, officer," Regina says.

Janis has no idea what possesses her to say, "I'll drive you home."

Regina blinks at her once, twice. "What?"

"I can drive you," Janis tells her. "I'm heading out anyway, and you're on the way, so..."

It's not that she and Regina aren't friends, but they're not exactly friends, either. They're still figuring out how to navigate that awkward space between being everything and nothing to each other. But this shouldn't be weird, right?

Right.

"Okay," Regina says after a moment. "Don't kill me."

Janis rolls her eyes and opens the front door. "Right. You're more of a do-it-yourself kind of girl."

Janis walks slowly to her car, Regina stumbling after her, walking gingerly on the frozen grass, breath curling like smoke in the winter air.

Janis turns on the car and blasts the heat once they're inside, slowly backing out of the driveway, maneuvering between the cars parked at the curb.

"It's cold in here," Regina complains like a petulant child.

"It'll warm up," Janis replies through gritted teeth. She contemplates making a joke about Regina being a frigid bitch, but decides against it.

"My car has heated seats."

"You can take off a star when you write your review."

Regina tilts her head back against the headrest and sighs. "Are you still seeing Grace?"

The question catches Janis completely off guard. "What?"

"Are you still seeing—"

"I heard you," Janis says. "Um, no, not anymore."

"Hmm," Regina hums contemplatively. "Well, there are lots of other girls out there. You'll find someone."

"You sound like my grandmother."

Regina huffs irritably. "I'm trying to be supportive."

"Yeah, and it's freaking me out, honestly," Janis tells her. If someone had told her even half an hour ago that she'd be talking to Regina about girls in her car, she would have laughed.

"Well, fine," Regina says, crossing her arms. She actually sounds a little hurt. And for some crazy reason, Janis doesn't want to hurt Regina's feelings.

"But, um, thanks," Janis says. "It just didn't work out."

Regina rests her head against the window, breath fogging the glass as she speaks. "You're hot and smart. You'll be okay."

Janis is grateful that she's pulling into Regina's driveway, because her instinct is to slam on the brakes. "What?"

Regina looks at her. She looks exhausted. "What?"

"What did you just say?" Janis needs to hear it again, for some reason.

Regina pauses to think. "You'll be okay."

"No, before—you know what? Never mind." Janis cuts the ignition. "Here you are, Cinderella."

Regina frowns. "Does that make you the pumpkin?"

Janis ignores the question. "Good night."

But Regina doesn't get out. She looks down at her hands, twisted in her lap. "Thanks for driving me home."

"Well, I didn't want to be an accessory to vehicular homicide. I'm applying to colleges, and that would look bad."

"Right," Regina says. She looks at Janis again, searching her face for something.

Janis isn't sure why the air in the car suddenly feels so charged, and it occurs to her that this is the longest she's been alone with Regina since middle school. She has the crazy thought that she's missed Regina, actually.

Finally, Regina pops open her door. "Well, thank you," she says quietly. "Good night."

"Night," Janis echoes, watching Regina disappear into her house.

Janis sits for a few minutes in her car in the driveway, trying to untangle the strange feeling in her stomach. Finally, she turns on her car, resolving to tuck this weird night in the file in the back of her brain labeled times Regina seemed human.

I’m ok, how are youuuuu :)

Heyyyy

HIIIII :D how are yaa

💞💞💞 love ya *hugs*

You’re a cutie patootie 💞

*gasps* Silly, sweet lil goose ☺️✨🩷

I did eventually fall asleep

GOOD MORNING

SO WHAT IF ITS ALMOST 4 AM

Um im literally just a girl (gender neutral)

AAAAAAAAHHHH FUCK CAFFEINE

Stupid mtn dew

Awwww (Janis is so me tbh, I be forgetting about food)

i need buff reader x janis, who carries janis and places her on her lap when janis doesn’t wanna eat 😫😫

Where else would I be, baby?

Janis ‘Imi’ike x fem! reader

Warnings: coarse language, fluff, bad eating habits

In which Janis sometimes gets so busy she doesn’t even think about eating and reader has eventually come up with ways to have her eat something

“Oh, my God.” The second you stepped into the house, you saw Janis out in the backyard, art supplies sprawled all over the floor. You rushed over to her, “Janis. You’re still here?”

“Where else would I be, baby?” She asks, barely glancing at you.

“Have you been sitting here all day?” You crouched down to talk to her, then just sat down.

“I did get up to use the bathroom.” She tells you, eyes completely focused on her art piece.

You raised your brows, perplexed. “Did you eat anything at all?”

“Didn’t you even think about it.” She mutters.

“I’ve been gone six hours, Janis.” You looked at her, horrified.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Because you’ve been here, engrossed in your art.” You sighed, “Come on, let’s go out for dinner.”

“No, I need to get this done.” She says dismissively, “And you just got back from work, so…”

“So, we need to eat.” You stated.

“You go.”

You scoffed, “Janis.”

“y/n.” She mocks.

You exhaled, a little frustrated, “Janis, come on. It’s dinner time and you barely ate anything at breakfast.”

“Yeah, being on a period will do that to ya.” She laughs dryly.

“You know what I’ll do.”

“Try it, I don’t care.” She replies, tongue sticking out slightly between her lips in concentration. “I need to finish this tonight. I’ve been putting this off doing nothing for like two weeks.”

“I’m literally about to pick you up off the floor so you will sit at the table while I make dinner. If I have to spoon feed you so you’ll eat something, I will do it too.”

“Sure.” Janis chuckles. “Please do that.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” You nearly snorted, standing up. Easily, you picked her up when she least expected it and walked into the dining area then placed her on the stool by the island.

She sulked, clearly defeated. Janis groans, resting her head on folded arms. “I know you like working on your art, but you gotta remember to take care of yourself, baby.”

“I know, I know.” She sighs softly, “I just forget. If I busy myself with something I don’t even feel hunger, it’s like the last thing on my mind.”

“Which is why I told you…you gotta take a break every now and then, get up and stretch, walk, drink some water, have a snack.” You turned around to face her completely for a moment. “You need to eat to survive.”

Janis sighs, “It’s a bad habit, I’m sorry.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m helping you out with that.” You shrug. There was leftover rice in the fridge from last night so you took that out and opened up a can of Spam, along with the half-used bag of frozen vegetables. All that in a pan, dinner was settled and ready soon enough.

“Are you gonna try to avoid me now that the food’s done?” You eyed her suspiciously. She struggled with it sometimes. She’s never said it, but her actions spoke louder than words.

She doesn’t say anything but sulked and raised her brows. A sigh then falls from her lips as you plated the food. You left your portion in the pan though, literally instructing her to sit in your lap so she couldn’t go anywhere until she’s had her food. You weren’t eating anything until you knew she’s eaten. You’ve had your lunch, she hadn’t. So, you know, she had to eat. You could wait a few minutes more.

But of course, Janis was a little shit sometimes. Refusing to even sit down beside you now. “Ipo.” You exhaled harshly, “It’s like you want me to put you in my lap just so you’ll stay put and eat.”

She grins, “Maybe I do. Be my guest.”

Without a second thought, you grabbed her off her feet, away from the fridge. Closing its door in the process, “That was too easy.”

“Yeah, you’re jacked.” A chuckle falls from her lips.

“Okay, now— eat up.” You handed her the spoon. Janis jokingly groans but still dug into the food. You rested your chin on her shoulder with an arm wrapped around her waist.

“How was work?”

“I smell like popcorn, and I got new blisters. And a customer yelled at me today, so…same old, same old.” You laughed, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

“Ouch.” She turned her head slightly, seething at your revelation. Then, she spots the red bumps on your hand. “That looks…painful.”

“Eh.”

“Aren’t you gonna eat?”

“My head hurts, so I think I’m gonna go take a hot shower afterwards first before I eat.”

“You can go now.” Janis tells you, shoving a spoonful of the fried rice into her mouth.

“I kinda don’t want to.” You said quietly, arm tightening around her waist.

“Hm, why’s that?” She asked, a cheeky smile forming on her face.

You let out a sharp exhale through your nose, trying not to chuckle, “I just wanna spend some time with you, is that so bad?”

“Aww.” Janis teases, “Go drink some water. Maybe you’ll feel better.”

“No way. You’ll run away from here and we both know that’s a fact.” You gasped, “You’re my prisoner until you finish this plate.”

“Oh wow.” She replies, bored.

“Excuse me?” She played along, “Janis ‘Imi’ike. Just trying to make sure you stop this unhealthy habit eventually.”

She ends up giggling, “Sorry, baby. I know.” Janis turned to look at you, beaming. You sighed, “You’re so fucking cute, you know that?”

“Oh, I am?”

You pressed a kiss to her cheek, reaching your hand up to squeeze her chin, “Yes. Yes, you are.”

🏷️ Tag list

@ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @ludoesartnstuffs @pda128

💭A/N

I’m actually giggling at my screen reading back on this drabble lmao.

Bitch go to sleep (text style)

(Y/n is sleep deprived and a little delirious)

Y/n: heyyy

J(bae): hi?

J(bae): why are u awake

Y/n: I can’t

J(bae): oh god

J(bae): it’s almost 4 am

Y/n: oopsie

J(bae): baby go to bed pls

Y/n: I CANT

Y/n: my body is awake but my brain is honk shoo honk shoo sleepy

J(bae): wtf

Y/n: 🐈

J(bae): is that a fucking cat?

Y/n: his name is Jeffrey

J(bae): go to fucking sleep

Y/n: okieeeeee

J(bae): I mean it

Y/n: yeah yeah whatever grumpy pants I’m gonna go honk shoo honk shoo mimis

J(bae): good

J(bae): I love you

Y/n: OMG I LOVE YOU EEEEE

J(bae): bitch go to sleep

Y/n: mhm ok 💤🫡