gleefulgideon:

          ❝ Come now,    it ain’t good for the soul to say things
                                                                      you don’t mean. ❞

And he does feel a jab, a surge of disappointment, but
nothing worth pitying.  No, he didn’t wallow. He immer-
sed himself in the waters   and changed the tide by his
own accord.

          ❝ I ain’t asking for a date. I’m askin’ for the simplest of
              things, of which being your time.   Don’t you see enough
                                                                           of your brother? ❞

                                           ‘but i do mean that.’ 

                     she does feel a TWINGE     of guilt & for a moment she almost
                     reaches out     & places her hand on his shoulder & apologizes.
                     & for a moment she does see in him what she used to—-    the
                     sad little boy looking for a ( FRIEND ).          there’s a sigh given,
                     because she knows that the little boy gideon had been was only
                     a RUSE, & her           hand lowers to find its way into her pocket. 

             ‘listen, gideon. i really think you should start getting over me.
             ‘cause i’m, like, CLEARLY not interested. but hey !  don’t let that
              get you down. i’m sure there are tons of other willing girls who’d
              LOVE to be your… queen.’