#(i mean it's the same with gigi who's real full name is georgiana)

[goldoradove]

On that note... we're heading back to the Gen2 Canfield household, where we have a new baby boy, James "Jem" Canfield!

[artificialqueens]

Wasteland, Baby, Chapter 1 (Crygi, Nicky x Jaida) - Metaluna

A/N: Hey, everyone! Here’s chapter two. Just to self plug, I made a tumblr for my writing, and you can find me on ao3 as metaluna. 

chapter summary: Crystal confides her insecurities about the end of the world with a  friend. Gigi and her friends make their own plans, and meet a bubbly blonde along the way

After shutting off the TV and downing her glass of wine, Gigi turned off her tablet. Even though she totally didn’t believe it, because there’s no way the world was ending, she went to the fridge and grabbed an entire bottle. After taking off the cork, she went to pour it into a glass before electing to drink straight from the bottle.

When she returned to the couch, she turned the TV onto the Real Housewives of Some City. Gigi was too numb to pay attention or care which city. She wasn’t sure why, because none of it was real. None of the catty fights were holding her attention. She was just staring at the TV mindlessly chugging wine.

Right as she finished the bottle, she heard a knock on the door. Gigi managed to stumble her way to the door.

“Oh my god, what are you guys doing here?” Gigi slurred.

Standing at the door were her two best friends, Jaida and Nicky.

Nicky raised an eyebrow. “Having fun tonight?”

“Shut up.”

Jaida and Nicky both took one of Gigi’s arms and led her to the couch.

“Did you guys hear the world is ending?” she laughed. “Alexa, play It’s the End of the World as we Know it!”

“Chile, what are you doing?” Jaida questioned, genuinely concerned. She knew her friend enjoyed a glass of wine, but rarely did she get drunk. Gigi was too much of a control freak to ever willingly lose control.

The night that Jaida befriended Gigi was the only night she’d ever seen her drunk. It was at an after party for GG Designs’ first fashion show. Jaida was one of the models who walked in the show. That night, Jaida went into the bathroom to fix an eyelash when she saw a skinny blonde girl fumbling around looking like she was about to be sick. Jaida realized that the skinny blonde girl was the one who gave her a job.

Right as she put her hand on the door to leave Gigi lost her liquor narrowly avoiding Jaida’s Louboutins. She was genuinely concerned at how such a small person could hold so much vomit. Jaida spent the rest of that night holding back Gigi’s hair while she continued to throw up.

Ever since, they were best friends. The bond of a sober girl and a drunk girl in the bathroom knows no bounds.

“The world is ending! Who cares?”

“Gigi,” Nicky began. Her tone harsh. “We don’t know that. We don’t know what any of this is.”

Gigi dramatically took the remote from the couch and flipped until she found a news station.

“—fallout shelters are going to be available. The starting rate will be 10,000 dollars per person. They are available to reserve online.”

“Fallout shelters? Goddamn.” Nicky adjusted herself in her chair. “This has got to be pretty serious.”

“Who knows? It’s not like I pay attention to the news!”

“Gigi shut up,” Jaida lightly swatted her friend’s warms. “Is this something that we should look into?”

Jaida and Nicky discussed the pros and cons. Gigi chimed in occasionally, not adding anything of any value, other than that she was willing to pay for all of it. The three decided that their best option was to stay safe in a shelter just in case. There was one not far from them in LA. Check in was the next day.

—

Jaida and Nicky made it back to their studio apartment. They tucked a very wine drunk Gigi in on the couch. They knew their friend well enough that once she was sober, she would be in a better headspace. Before they left, they packed a bag for her.

Now, they had to the same for themselves.

Nicky sighed. “How are we supposed to pack up our whole lives? How do we even know this is going to happen?”

Jaida kissed her girlfriend’s forehead. “I know, baby. I hope it’s nothing. I really do. But just in case we need to be ready.”

Nicky looked at Jaida while she was packing. She loved her girlfriend so much. The models had Gigi to thank for their relationship. Gigi met Nicky a few months after she’d met Jaida. They met at a fitting Nicky had for an upcoming shoot for GG Designs.

After they talked, Gigi realized that she and Jaida would be a good match. After a month of protesting from both sides, they finally agreed to meet. The chemistry was instantaneous, and they started dating a couple of weeks later.

Once they finished packing, they sat on the couch together. Jaida rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. They sat and said nothing. Both of them were trying to take in their surroundings. Neither of them wanted to forget what a single inch of that tiny apartment looked like.

A month into dating, Nicky’s lease ended, and Jaida couldn’t stand living with her roommates for another minute. The two of them became a stereotype and moved in together. There were so many memories in that apartment. The first meal they cooked together. The first time Jaida said she loved Nicky. The time they almost set their kitchen on fire. The walls were lined with memories that were about to be left behind.

Nicky and Jaida sat together for as long as they could.

Nicky nudged Jaida. “Babe, we have to go eventually.”

Jaida felt a tear run down her face. “Okay.”

“I know that this is home. I thought France was home. Home is when we are together.” She wiped Jaida’s tear. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

With one last look, the couple left their apartment for the last time.

Gigi didn’t know what to expect with the fallout shelter. It was beyond anything she would have imagined. The whole area was surrounded by a large barb wired fence. There were armed guards at each of the doors. The exterior looked like an army barracks. She could only imagine what the inside looked like.

They walked up to a scary looking man who was checking people in at the gates.

“Name?”

“It should be three for Georgiana Goode?”

“Go ahead. Here’s a map. I marked your room. It’s a four person bedroom. You will have a random roommate who is also female. There’s an itinerary as well. Do not miss orientation tonight.”

The shelter was bigger than Gigi thought it would be. There were four different buildings, and each building had 25 rooms. Each building had a community bathroom, a common area, a gym, and a dining hall. Their room was next to the dining hall. The bedroom was very cramped. Gigi’s dorm in college felt like it had more space. There were two bunk beds. The furniture looked like what would be at a cheap roadside motel, a stark contrast to Gigi’s chic home. She tried her hardest to hide her disgust for the place.

“I knew it was not going to be much but wow,” Nicky said, testing the cheap mattress.

“I mean…” Jaida trailed off looking at the furniture.

Both Nicky and Jaida came from a comfortable life. Their life was not as extravagant as Gigi’s, they lived in a one bedroom studio apartment, but they were used to a nicely furnished and decorated space. None of them were used to a cramped space primarily decorated with beige and army green.

Gigi sighed, sitting on a bed. “I can’t do this. This is a nightmare.”

“G. Calm down. It’s not great but we’re going to have to deal. Jaida and I aren’t happy either, but we’ll get through it together.”

Before Gigi could reply, the door opened. A bubbly looking blonde came through the door struggling to lug two large purple suitcases.

“Oh my god hi! I’m Jan. I really have no idea what’s going on. Oh my gosh, you guys are so pretty how are you? ” Gigi blinked and didn’t say anything.

“Excuse Miss Gigi here, she doesn’t know how to act.” Jaida gave Gigi side eye. “I’m Jaida. Nice to meet you.”

“My name’s Nicky.”

“Oh wow, are you from France? That’s so cool! I went to France when I was sixteen and it was really cool. What brought you to LA?”

“I moved over here to model.”

“A model? That’s awesome! Are you all models?”

“Nicky and I are,” Jaida explained. “Miss Gigi over here is a designer.”

“Wait. Wait a minute. Are you Gigi Goode? Like GG Designs?” Jan’s expression is stunned.

“Uh, yeah, I am.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m such a huge fan. I wore one of your dresses to the opening of a show I was in back when I was in New York a few months ago. The purple A-line? It was gorgeous. Wow this is an honor!”

“Thank you so much.” Gigi’s mood instantly improved. She loved all forms of attention, especially when she was being praised about something that she worked so hard on. People thought that Gigi was conceited, when in all actuality she was proud of her work. She’d worked so hard that she felt as though she deserved to be the way that she was.

“So Jan,” Jaida began. “What’s your story?”

“Okay. Well. I’m an actress and singer. I actually got my break being an understudy for Jenna in Waitress on Broadway. After that, I opened a Go-Go’s jukebox musical. It didn’t last long. We barely made it out of previews. That wasn’t great. Then, I moved out to LA for the out of town tryout of a revival of Anything Goes. I’m actually playing Reno. It’s so much fun! Well, uh, it was fun… before the president decided he’s going to end the world.” Jan laughed nervously.

The four girls continued becoming acquainted. Gigi, Jaida, and Nicky all liked Jan, even if she was a little over enthusiastic. Jan liked just about anyone who would talk to her, so a fast friendship was forming. They talked for so long, they lost track of time and almost forgot to go to the orientation.

The dining hall looked like what prisons looked like in movies. There were steel tables that looked cold. The linoleum was impeccably clean. The entire shelter was, even the tiny living spaces. The space was already packed. All the tables were full, so the girls elected to stand against the wall in the back.

An extremely intimidating woman who started speaking. Gigi realized that it was the woman who made the report on the news.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Michelle Visage. You all have been selected, or have paid, to survive the looming threat of nuclear war. This shelter has enough supplies for a year. You must now all say goodbye to your lives. After this meeting, the shelter is going to be sealed. No entering or leaving. If that is not something you can commit to for a full year, please let one of the guards in the back of the room know. By now you should have gotten your rooms and roommate assignments. If you have conflicts with your roommates, settle it like adults. We aren’t here to solve your roommate qualms. Meals are at 7, 12, and 6 and last one hour. Don’t be late. There is a common room that will have the news as up to date as possible. Other than that, you are free to roam about the shelter. I know that it’s not going to be easy. It doesn’t feel like home, and it won’t. But it’s the best we have. Welcome.”

On the way back to their room, Michelle’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Now beginning lockdown procedures.”

There was a loud buzzing that filled the air. It was loud enough that Jan covered her ears. Gigi’s ears began to ring. There were loud slams as the lead walls came over the shelter. Even though the shelter looked the same as it did on the inside, Gigi felt a wave of claustrophobia envelop her. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

“Well,” she began. “I guess if the world’s ending I’m glad I’m with all of you.” — Crystal was angry at herself. She had no reason to be so stressed. This was something she was waiting the majority of her life for. Almost any situation that could happen, she was ready for. But yet, a part of her had always hoped that she had been preparing for something that would never happened. She didn’t want the world to end.

Her mind wandered, thinking of what could have been. There were so many scenarios that played in her mind. What if she would have went to the art school that offered her scholarships? What if she decided to move to Chicago with Jackie? What if she didn’t let her aunt have control over her life? None of it mattered. It was all going to end, and she hadn’t even lived her life. She knew nothing beyond her town.

The pit of her stomach felt like it had dropped to her feet. It is a feeling that she had felt many times throughout her life. She felt it right after the accident that killed her parents. She felt it when she had to tell the psychologist about the accident. The time that she felt it the most were the nights that her aunt drank too much and lashed out. The very first time she took solace in the basement is when she first moved.

The basement was her sanctuary. It is where she felt the safest, which is a feeling she longed for, ever since the accident. Ever since the day her parents died, she didn’t feel safe. But, when she spent time alone in the basement, she felt safe, if only for a moment. When she was younger, she and Jackie played in the basement. It is also where she worked on her art projects. When she was fifteen, she asked her aunt if she could paint the walls of the basement. For once, her aunt was agreeable, and let her.

As she stood in the basement, she admired her paintings. Painting the walls is what made her fall in love with painting. When she was first sent to live with her aunt, Crystal was mandated to see a child psychologist. The psychologist recommended that she draw how she felt. Ever since, she turned to painting as an emotional outlet. It was the one thing that she felt that she was good at.

In the corner of the basement, there was a makeshift bed Crystal made out of pillows. There were many times where Crystal fell asleep in the basement. Even though she now slept in the bed, she couldn’t bring herself to disassemble the pillows.

At some point, she’d fallen asleep. Around 2 A.M., she woke up from an incoming FaceTime. It was her best friend, her only friend, really, Jackie. Jackie had been around since Crystal first moved to Missouri. They became friends because they were both outcasts. Jackie’s mom was extremely strict, and didn’t let Jackie do a lot of the things that everyone else got to do. Because Jackie had no friends, she introduced herself to the new girl back in the seventh grade. They became friends and never looked back.

“Hi, babe,” Crystal said groggily.

Jackie’s eyes were red and puffy. “This is fucked.”

“Do you think this is actually going to happen?”

Because she studied political science with a concentration in foreign affairs, if anyone were to understand, it would be Jackie. Jackie wasn’t much of a crier, so the fact that Jackie looked so stressed, Crystal already knew the answer.

“Yeah. Yeah I do. I feel like this was going to happen eventually. I just happened after we were dead. The relations between us and North Korea have just went downhill ever since the president was elected. Unfortunately, because the way the president has completely managed to the checks and balances that we learned about in grade school, as much as the senate and house have tried, they can’t do much.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

After a silence, Crystal said, “So what are your plans about… all of this?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to my mother in six years, and my dad died two years ago. I don’t really have anyone to be honest.”

“Do you want to come here? I think that I can do this. My aunt has been prepping me for this for the past ten years. But, like, what if it’s not enough? What if I’ve been waiting for this to happen all for nothing? I’m so afraid that I’m not ready for this.”

“Hey. Hey. Listen. If anyone can survive this, it’s you. I know that you don’t really like to talk about what she’s all taught you, but I know it’s a lot. And yes, I’d love to come over. It’s like a three hour drive, so it shouldn’t take too long. I think that traffic is going to probably be pretty bad because everyone is panicking. If I leave in about an hour I should be able to make the drive in probably four with traffic.”

“I don’t want the world to end. I always thought I turned into her, but I don’t think I did. She was sitting and waiting every day for this. I always hoped that it wasn’t going to happen. I wasted my whole life on this. I haven’t even left this damn town. There’s so much stuff in life that I’ve never gotten to do. Shit, Jackie, I’ve never even been kissed.”

“Crystal. Stop. You’re spiraling. You aren’t her. Even if you are know so much about all of this and could single handedly survive this, you never lost yourself. You’re still such a kind soul. You’re funny and put others before yourself constantly. You didn’t leave town just to take care of your aunt, and she was terrible to you.”

“Thanks, it’s the anxiety.”

“I mean it. Seriously. You’re one of the best people I’ve ever known.”

“Thanks, Jack.”

“Anyway, I better pack. I’ll see you soon.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Crystal was so thankful for Jackie. She was the only one who could talk her out of spiraling. Somehow, Jackie always knew what to say. Even though she was an only child, she always thought that her friendship with Jackie is what it would be like to have a sister.

After managing to fall back asleep, Crystal was jolted awake by a knock at the door. She had barely managed to open the door before Jackie nearly tackled her to the ground with a hug. They hadn’t seen each other in about a year.

“It’s so good to see you.” Jackie’s voice was muffled, as her face was pressed into Crystal’s shoulder. “You too.”

“So.”

“So?”

“So what all do we need to do to… get ready?”

“Honestly?” Crystal started to absentmindedly play with her hair. “I have everything done. I check all the supplies about every month, and I just did it a couple weeks ago. The artillery is loaded, there’s enough food and supplies for a year. I also have a lot of honey. Honey is good because it’s something that is hard to come by, and can be bartered for. It also doesn’t really ever go bad. Oh. Do you know how to shoot?”

Jackie had no idea how she was so calm about all of this. Crystal was talking about the end of the world and playing with her hair, talking about guns? She knew that her friend was well versed in this, but she had no idea how nonchalant she was about it. It was like a switch was flipped. The normally anxious girl had never looked so self-assured.

“Uh, no. I’ve never shot a gun.”

“Would you be willing to learn?”

Guns made Jackie nervous. Going to her town’s Memorial Day celebration made her nervous because the gunshots made her scream. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay. Cool. So I think all we have to do is teach you how to shoot. Don’t really it’s really easy. I’ve been doing it for like ten years. Also; would you be willing to learn how to use a Kearny meter?” Crystal saw how confused Jackie looked. “Oh, it’s just a radiation meter. It’s made out of a coffee can. Super easy, I promise.”

“I barely have any idea what you’re talking about, but I’m glad I’m spending the end of the world with a doomsday prepper.”