Ivana- Outnumbered fanfic [INCOMPLETE]

3- Ivana Is Interesting

Wednesday

Karen stirred her bowl of stew again. It had mushrooms in it. She hated mushrooms. Her mum knew that, yet she still put them in. It was moments like this that made Karen wonder if her mum really did love her.

"This stew is delicious."

"Thank you, Pete," Sue said. He nodded in response.

Stoney silence resumed.

"Shame Ivana couldn't join us," commented Sue casually.

Jake's reaction was a hugely exaggerated sigh, which sparked a desire to lecture within his mum. A pointed look from Pete quickly silenced her, though.

Karen observed it all.

Ben, ignoring the warnings, decided to take that moment to open his mouth. "I actually quite like Ivana. She's fun to be around. You know, I think you actually don't hate her, because I don't see why you should. Maybe you just think you're angry at her and you're just angry at something else. Freud says that when we're angry at something, we're really angry about something else, like...your course work or...dad being a bad driving instructor."

Karen watched Jake's knuckles turn white, as he gripped his cutlery tighter and grit his teeth. She watched her father roll his eyes.

"I asked Joey why you didn't like her and he said it was because she was funnier than you in class," Ben continued, oblivious to the storm clouds gathering, "Are you just jealous, because a girl is funnier than you?"

"I'm not jealous of her! I hate her! She is one of the most insufferable people I have ever met and I say 'one of', because right now you're becoming real competition for the top spot!"

"Is that it? She was funnier than you? Because come on, Jake, be a man!" exclaimed his father incredulously.

"No! I am not jealous of her! She is stuck up and self centred. It's not my fault I haven't fallen for her narcissistic, manipulative ways like everyone else!"

There was a quiet moment occupied by Jake fuming and Ben recovering from the shock of being yelled at.

"She's really pretty," Karen stated truthfully, "I like her hair."

"I like her hair too," agreed Ben, "and her nails."

"Yeah, I wish I had hair like that. It's so cool," Karen nodded enthusiastically.

"She was gorgeous, wasn't she? I tell you, I spent so many years wishing I had legs like hers. They went on forever! I'd kill for legs that long," joined in Sue. "What did you think, Pete?"

The whole table turned to Pete, who froze like a rabbit in the headlights. "Well...I only saw her as she left, but yes, I suppose she was very pretty... She had a very...symmetrical face."

Jake laughed a little at his Dad's discomfort.

Sue, seeing her opportunity, grabbed it. "What do you think, Jakey?"

Expectant eyes all glued to him.

"Uh, well, it's difficult to say without bias." He looked like he was swallowing air. "I mean, she's traditionally attractive I suppose, but, from what I know of her, I can never see her that way." He cleared his throat awkwardly and took up a sudden fascination with his stew.

Karen scrunched her eyebrows together, "But you do think she's beautiful."

"When?! When did I say I thought she was beautiful?" he demanded, saying the word 'beautiful' like it took genuine effort to force it out.

"Well, you said she was 'traditionally attractive' and traditionally attractive people are considered beautiful," she stated reasonably.

"Look! Stop trying to put words in my mouth! I said what I said. I don't think she's beautiful," Jake looked very distressed at this point. Ears pink again. "Why do we even need to discuss her anyway?"

"Because she's an interesting and stimulating topic of conversation. Especially the part with you hating her for no reason," stirred Karen.

"I already told you why I hate her and she is not interesting nor, er, stimulating." Jake took up inspecting his food in great detail.

Karen suspected her brother wasn't telling the whole truth and was about to tell him so, when her dad gave her the look. She reluctantly let the topic drop.

"Still, it is a shame she couldn't stay for dinner," Sue repeated.

Jake grunted.

"Luckily she promised she'd stay for tea tomorrow," Sue chirped happily.

Karen smirked at her stew.