[ Julien Leblanc continued from Take Five ]
When Julien gave it a little thought, he really didn't mind shopping at all.
Yes, the plastic digging down into his skin was proving to be an annoyance, but his hands were weathered enough that he didn't fuss too much over it. Lugging around some bags was light work compared to literally pulling his own weight too; besides, a little more exercise didn't hurt, since the bike couldn't exactly handle all this extra weight well and he wouldn't be caught dead behind a steering wheel even if he did have a license.
That and someone had to do it. His parents were out of the house more than in sometimes, it felt like, so naturally it fell to him to do so.
On the other hand, there were downsides too. Those little fumbles that could happen came to mind, like trying to fetch his buzzing phone from the pocket it had been housed in for some reason so that he could try to see who'd texted him and watching it go flipping on along the pavement because of all the fucking bags he had his hands full with. After the inevitable sigh of exasperation left his mouth, he went to go and pick it up.
But of course, life wasn't always pleasantly boring for people all the time. And of course now just so happened to be one of those times, as Julien saw one of the few people he never cared for the misfortune of crossing paths with show up at what was one of the worst possible times for himself.
Adult Education
Tagging Zee
((Myles Roux continued from Those Moments Were Like Flowers to Me))
Work that afternoon had been boring and slow, but the upside was that Myles got to leave before the official end of his shift. Even when he wasn't doing much, bagging organic groceries for people who probably hadn't worked a day in their lives was tiring, in the existential sense.
It was nice outside, though, and Myles was in decent enough spirits, so he decided to wander around a bit before he made his way back home. He had his earbuds in and his music up loud; it was an X-Japan kind of day, so his walk was accompanied by epic guitars and drums that didn't fit the surroundings. The day was uneventful, but good.
Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked, and by the Fire Nation he meant some guy fumbling with a phone up ahead on the sidewalk. Splat. The guy turned, and Myles finally recognized him.
In truth, he intended to walk right by Julien without a backwards glance; he really wasn't worth the effort of engaging most of the time. As he made to pass Julien, though, the phone caught his eye. Myles changed course with barely a pause, intercepting the fallen phone before Julien could reach it.
"Here, let me get that for you," he announced needlessly, as he was already picking it up. He dipped his free hand into his pocket to pause the music playing on his phone and shot Julien a casual smile.
"Is that... Faith on your lock screen?"
Work that afternoon had been boring and slow, but the upside was that Myles got to leave before the official end of his shift. Even when he wasn't doing much, bagging organic groceries for people who probably hadn't worked a day in their lives was tiring, in the existential sense.
It was nice outside, though, and Myles was in decent enough spirits, so he decided to wander around a bit before he made his way back home. He had his earbuds in and his music up loud; it was an X-Japan kind of day, so his walk was accompanied by epic guitars and drums that didn't fit the surroundings. The day was uneventful, but good.
Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked, and by the Fire Nation he meant some guy fumbling with a phone up ahead on the sidewalk. Splat. The guy turned, and Myles finally recognized him.
In truth, he intended to walk right by Julien without a backwards glance; he really wasn't worth the effort of engaging most of the time. As he made to pass Julien, though, the phone caught his eye. Myles changed course with barely a pause, intercepting the fallen phone before Julien could reach it.
"Here, let me get that for you," he announced needlessly, as he was already picking it up. He dipped his free hand into his pocket to pause the music playing on his phone and shot Julien a casual smile.
"Is that... Faith on your lock screen?"
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"Yes, it is," he said.
And now Myles had his phone. Wonderful. Couldn't have just kept on going the other way, could you? No...
It was still locked at least, but it being in someone else's hands at all was bad enough. Julien set the bags down and held a hand out in Myles' direction, very clearly expectant of getting it back soon. "What's it to you?"
He was in no mood to hang around playing 20 questions with the one person who unquestionably had the biggest mouth in all of Tennessee and made it his business to pry into things he had no place concerning himself with when he just wanted to go home in peace. It didn't help that anything Julien might say which might possibly be misconstrued would inevitably wound up spread around everywhere, as was almost typical of anyone associated with Ivy.
And now Myles had his phone. Wonderful. Couldn't have just kept on going the other way, could you? No...
It was still locked at least, but it being in someone else's hands at all was bad enough. Julien set the bags down and held a hand out in Myles' direction, very clearly expectant of getting it back soon. "What's it to you?"
He was in no mood to hang around playing 20 questions with the one person who unquestionably had the biggest mouth in all of Tennessee and made it his business to pry into things he had no place concerning himself with when he just wanted to go home in peace. It didn't help that anything Julien might say which might possibly be misconstrued would inevitably wound up spread around everywhere, as was almost typical of anyone associated with Ivy.
Ooh, defensive.
"Hm? Nothing," Myles said, blinking innocently at Julien. Honestly, it wasn't. He knew Faith and Julien were friends, and it wasn't weird to have pictures of your friends on your phone. Julien as a person wasn't especially interesting, nor was he very important in the circles Myles ran in. He was kind of a jerk and seemed to dislike Myles for no reason, but so what? That was half the school.
Of course Julien, who had no social skills to speak of, couldn't work out that acting like there was something to hide was basically catnip to Myles whether Myles had a real interest in his life or not.
He raised one eyebrow at Julien, half-smiling still, not holding the phone out of reach or anything, but making no move to hand it back just yet.
"Should it be something to me?"
"Hm? Nothing," Myles said, blinking innocently at Julien. Honestly, it wasn't. He knew Faith and Julien were friends, and it wasn't weird to have pictures of your friends on your phone. Julien as a person wasn't especially interesting, nor was he very important in the circles Myles ran in. He was kind of a jerk and seemed to dislike Myles for no reason, but so what? That was half the school.
Of course Julien, who had no social skills to speak of, couldn't work out that acting like there was something to hide was basically catnip to Myles whether Myles had a real interest in his life or not.
He raised one eyebrow at Julien, half-smiling still, not holding the phone out of reach or anything, but making no move to hand it back just yet.
"Should it be something to me?"
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"Hm."
Well, shit. So much for not hanging around.
"Speaks for itself, don't you think?" The hand Julien was holding out lowered as he said it, and he opted to move a little closer. It wasn't lost on him that whatever he said wasn't liable to be a very good choice, and the half-smile on Myles' face was grating on him a little, which just further illustrated exactly why he didn't want to be here.
"Now, I would prefer not to need to continually ask so my phone, if you would."
Fortunately, that much couldn't be used against him, by his reckoning at least.
Well, shit. So much for not hanging around.
"Speaks for itself, don't you think?" The hand Julien was holding out lowered as he said it, and he opted to move a little closer. It wasn't lost on him that whatever he said wasn't liable to be a very good choice, and the half-smile on Myles' face was grating on him a little, which just further illustrated exactly why he didn't want to be here.
"Now, I would prefer not to need to continually ask so my phone, if you would."
Fortunately, that much couldn't be used against him, by his reckoning at least.
Myles shrugged, smile fading to be replaced with a look of faint irritation that was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by neutral indifference. "You don't have to be rude about it. I did stop to help you and all."
Julien closed in a bit, and Myles opted to offer the phone instead of continuing to hold it hostage. They weren't in middle school; he wasn't about to run off with it and climb a tree, or whatever kiddie stuff Julien probably thought he'd try.
"I dunno, if someone saw a picture of me and Ivy on my phone, I wouldn't be all 'urg, it's none of your business'. Makes it seem like you've got something going on. Just saying."
Having actual friends was probably such a weird and unusual thing for Julien that he didn't know how to act normal about it. Honestly, he should be thankful for the advice and take it to heart before he went off and made things weird with Faith.
Julien closed in a bit, and Myles opted to offer the phone instead of continuing to hold it hostage. They weren't in middle school; he wasn't about to run off with it and climb a tree, or whatever kiddie stuff Julien probably thought he'd try.
"I dunno, if someone saw a picture of me and Ivy on my phone, I wouldn't be all 'urg, it's none of your business'. Makes it seem like you've got something going on. Just saying."
Having actual friends was probably such a weird and unusual thing for Julien that he didn't know how to act normal about it. Honestly, he should be thankful for the advice and take it to heart before he went off and made things weird with Faith.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
On that, he did have a point. "Fair enough... thanks." It wasn't as if he was about to trust Myles. But he had given him his phone back, so that certainly counted for something alri—
The look on his face stayed the same when he heard it, at least; it was his eyes that changed, widening just enough to belie a hint of mild internal panic. He snapped back to the usual countenance after a moment, but it wasn't nearly soon enough and Julien knew right away that the hole he'd just dropped himself in wasn't one even he could claw up out of. Of course it had to be here of all the times and all the places in the world that he'd slip that badly.
With Lorenzo, he'd already given in to his temper, it had been a reasonable guess that his little secret would stay just that given how much he hated Faith... Really, there'd been a great deal going on with that whole thing. But Myles? No... no, the cat was out of the bag now.
In the past, just the idea of how all that inevitably ended might have been enough to make him burst out in anger. He'd learned to hold his nerve a little better than that since then, fortunately.
As it was, he simply stared at Myles and opted to wait and see what he said or did next. But Julien wasn't exactly filled with hope that it would go over his head and things would continue as normal like he wished they would.
The look on his face stayed the same when he heard it, at least; it was his eyes that changed, widening just enough to belie a hint of mild internal panic. He snapped back to the usual countenance after a moment, but it wasn't nearly soon enough and Julien knew right away that the hole he'd just dropped himself in wasn't one even he could claw up out of. Of course it had to be here of all the times and all the places in the world that he'd slip that badly.
With Lorenzo, he'd already given in to his temper, it had been a reasonable guess that his little secret would stay just that given how much he hated Faith... Really, there'd been a great deal going on with that whole thing. But Myles? No... no, the cat was out of the bag now.
In the past, just the idea of how all that inevitably ended might have been enough to make him burst out in anger. He'd learned to hold his nerve a little better than that since then, fortunately.
As it was, he simply stared at Myles and opted to wait and see what he said or did next. But Julien wasn't exactly filled with hope that it would go over his head and things would continue as normal like he wished they would.
Okay, honestly? Myles hadn't really expected to get a reaction. He only really noticed because Julien was right there, and because pretty much the only expression ever on Julien's face screamed "bluh bluh I'm a huge buzzkill".
Except for just a second ago.
No, a second ago, Myles had caught panic, and that was like danging catnip in front of Ivy's horrible monster cat.
The moment had passed, and now Julien was just giving him the evil eye as though Myles was somehow at fault for something here. Myles just gave him a sweetly practiced smile.
"What's wrong? Did I say something?"
Except for just a second ago.
No, a second ago, Myles had caught panic, and that was like danging catnip in front of Ivy's horrible monster cat.
The moment had passed, and now Julien was just giving him the evil eye as though Myles was somehow at fault for something here. Myles just gave him a sweetly practiced smile.
"What's wrong? Did I say something?"
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"Well, of course. Personally, I feel like the better question is if what you said actually holds any value. In this case no, it doesn't."
Julien wasn't really feeling the whole 'turn the other cheek' approach. The look on Myles' face was still calling to him, telling him that it wanted to be wiped away, but funnily enough losing his temper had made him that much better at controlling it.
The idle thought of what led the pastel fuckboy in front of him to do this sort of thing did cross his mind, but it wasn't one he gave credence for very long. Only a particular sort of person found it to be a point of pride, and he didn't care to gave any weight to people who were assholes just for the sake of being.
Julien wasn't really feeling the whole 'turn the other cheek' approach. The look on Myles' face was still calling to him, telling him that it wanted to be wiped away, but funnily enough losing his temper had made him that much better at controlling it.
The idle thought of what led the pastel fuckboy in front of him to do this sort of thing did cross his mind, but it wasn't one he gave credence for very long. Only a particular sort of person found it to be a point of pride, and he didn't care to gave any weight to people who were assholes just for the sake of being.
Myles's lip curled. "One minute it's 'thanks', and the next, I've said nothing of value? I'm getting some mixed signals here."
Yep. Defensive. He had been right on the money the first time. Should have known not to doubt his instincts.
Should also have known that Julien was bound to have near-suicidal taste in women. If Faith didn't kill him, Wyatt probably would.
"I have to say, I don't feel very appreciated for having stopped to help you out. If that's how you treat everybody who tries to be nice to you, I wouldn't be surprised if Faith..." Myles trailed off, let his expression turn thoughtful. "But you don't want my advice, right? Nevermind, then."
With that, he turned, tossing a short wave back over his shoulder. "Catch you later."
Try that on for size, you smug jerk.
Yep. Defensive. He had been right on the money the first time. Should have known not to doubt his instincts.
Should also have known that Julien was bound to have near-suicidal taste in women. If Faith didn't kill him, Wyatt probably would.
"I have to say, I don't feel very appreciated for having stopped to help you out. If that's how you treat everybody who tries to be nice to you, I wouldn't be surprised if Faith..." Myles trailed off, let his expression turn thoughtful. "But you don't want my advice, right? Nevermind, then."
With that, he turned, tossing a short wave back over his shoulder. "Catch you later."
Try that on for size, you smug jerk.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"You're getting mixed signals because I was happy to just thank you and move on until you dragged this up, you ass."
How dare he do that? Just waltz on in and act like he knew anything at all about what Julien was like and what was going on in his head regarding him and Faith and where they didn't stand?
This was one of the problems with this place as he knew it. People were too worried about being trashed by morons like this because they crossed some absurd line and wound up thrown in front of the gossip train speeding along at a hundred miles per hour to splatter what had been their reputation across half of Chattanooga, so clearly the likes of Myles had found themselves believing that they could just say this shit and have a little laugh about it later.
Of course, Julien knew he only had himself to blame for allowing this to get under his skin like it had and ending up where he was right now. To say otherwise was a fairly good way to start on the road to becoming like the eyesore gracing him with its presence. But that hardly meant he intended to let Myles walk on away like he didn't think anything would happen to him.
And if he couldn't punch him in the face, the ribs that had just been so helpfully exposed would do just fine.
How dare he do that? Just waltz on in and act like he knew anything at all about what Julien was like and what was going on in his head regarding him and Faith and where they didn't stand?
This was one of the problems with this place as he knew it. People were too worried about being trashed by morons like this because they crossed some absurd line and wound up thrown in front of the gossip train speeding along at a hundred miles per hour to splatter what had been their reputation across half of Chattanooga, so clearly the likes of Myles had found themselves believing that they could just say this shit and have a little laugh about it later.
Of course, Julien knew he only had himself to blame for allowing this to get under his skin like it had and ending up where he was right now. To say otherwise was a fairly good way to start on the road to becoming like the eyesore gracing him with its presence. But that hardly meant he intended to let Myles walk on away like he didn't think anything would happen to him.
And if he couldn't punch him in the face, the ribs that had just been so helpfully exposed would do just fine.
Julien tried it on for size, and it turned out he didn't like it. So, in true sore loser fashion, he decided to throw a tantrum and make things physical.
Myles half heard and half felt Julien move, but he wasn't fast enough to turn back and see what was up before a fist nailed him right in the ribs, drawing a guh! in response. Myles staggered away with the momentum of the blow, slapping back at the general area of Julien's face and shoulders with the hand that had been raised in a wave.
He stumbled, but managed not to lose his balance, and quickly turned while clutching his side and taking a few more steps back to put distance between himself and Julien.
"What the hell!?" He wheezed, voice up half an octave and eyes wide with shock and offense. "What did I do to you, you psycho!?"
Myles half heard and half felt Julien move, but he wasn't fast enough to turn back and see what was up before a fist nailed him right in the ribs, drawing a guh! in response. Myles staggered away with the momentum of the blow, slapping back at the general area of Julien's face and shoulders with the hand that had been raised in a wave.
He stumbled, but managed not to lose his balance, and quickly turned while clutching his side and taking a few more steps back to put distance between himself and Julien.
"What the hell!?" He wheezed, voice up half an octave and eyes wide with shock and offense. "What did I do to you, you psycho!?"
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Being slapped in the face did sting some, but about the worst thing that it did was knock Julien's glasses off his face. And that was what the chain was for, so no harm was actually done.
"It's pretty simple, actually. This is how it ends up when you, you know, keep on talking shit about people until you wind up trying it with someone who's not really so bothered about letting you know they don't plan on putting up with it."
He was surprised that Myles was still standing up, even if he had stumbled a little. Julien had expected him to just crumple away when the pressure started, but clearly it wouldn't be that easy. It wasn't a big deal though; sometimes trash took a while to wind up where it belonged. Perhaps another punch in the ribs would do the trick.
There was only one way to find out. So he took a few steps forward to get up close to Myles again and went for it.
"It's pretty simple, actually. This is how it ends up when you, you know, keep on talking shit about people until you wind up trying it with someone who's not really so bothered about letting you know they don't plan on putting up with it."
He was surprised that Myles was still standing up, even if he had stumbled a little. Julien had expected him to just crumple away when the pressure started, but clearly it wouldn't be that easy. It wasn't a big deal though; sometimes trash took a while to wind up where it belonged. Perhaps another punch in the ribs would do the trick.
There was only one way to find out. So he took a few steps forward to get up close to Myles again and went for it.
Nope nope nope nope nope this wasn't going down. Myles started backpedaling as soon as Julien moved, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid another hit grazing him, winding him slightly.
"Get away from me!" Really? Really!? Myles finally had the presence of mind to bring his hands up, shoving hard at Julien's chest when he was in reach. "Get off! What the hell is wrong with you!? Oh man, I was rude to somebody so they were rude back, that's definitely worth straight-up assaulting them!"
He honestly didn't know what to do besides keep trying to fend Julien off and yell as much as he could in hopes of attracting the attention of someone who wasn't a complete psychopath. He was already slightly out of breath and edging towards panic.
Julien took another swing, and this time made contact, doubling Myles over. Myles did the only thing he could think of and grabbed at the grocery bags hanging from Julien's other arm, yanking hard at the plastic as he stumbled back once more. Satisfyingly, it tore and sent a few items tumbling out.
"You think you're so-" Myles couldn't finish his sentence, still out of breath and in flight mode now, more focused on getting away from Julien as fast as possible than anything else.
"Get away from me!" Really? Really!? Myles finally had the presence of mind to bring his hands up, shoving hard at Julien's chest when he was in reach. "Get off! What the hell is wrong with you!? Oh man, I was rude to somebody so they were rude back, that's definitely worth straight-up assaulting them!"
He honestly didn't know what to do besides keep trying to fend Julien off and yell as much as he could in hopes of attracting the attention of someone who wasn't a complete psychopath. He was already slightly out of breath and edging towards panic.
Julien took another swing, and this time made contact, doubling Myles over. Myles did the only thing he could think of and grabbed at the grocery bags hanging from Julien's other arm, yanking hard at the plastic as he stumbled back once more. Satisfyingly, it tore and sent a few items tumbling out.
"You think you're so-" Myles couldn't finish his sentence, still out of breath and in flight mode now, more focused on getting away from Julien as fast as possible than anything else.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"So what? So broke I need to try and rip food out of other people's shopping bags? I think you got us mixed up!"
The bags tearing open was a real pain in the ass, and of course it was the only response Myles could come up with other than running away because so much for facing up to what you started, right?
Julien could hear him starting to strain already. It would be one of the easiest things he did all week to chase him down if he really wanted to, but it wouldn't benefit him enough to make the effort worth it however good it'd feel to lay some more punches into Myles. He did have a good enough idea of what to do in lieu of that, fortunately...
"You need generosity so bad, huh? Well, here you fucking go!" Julien tossed some money his way as he spat the words out at him.
The bags tearing open was a real pain in the ass, and of course it was the only response Myles could come up with other than running away because so much for facing up to what you started, right?
Julien could hear him starting to strain already. It would be one of the easiest things he did all week to chase him down if he really wanted to, but it wouldn't benefit him enough to make the effort worth it however good it'd feel to lay some more punches into Myles. He did have a good enough idea of what to do in lieu of that, fortunately...
"You need generosity so bad, huh? Well, here you fucking go!" Julien tossed some money his way as he spat the words out at him.