Seems About Right

[Ciel†]

((James Mulzet continued from No Talent for Certainty))

James had a very bad feeling in his chest as he swung the door leading to the bus stop open. Debate Club was not meeting today - and of course he didnt find this out until the end of the day. So he had to catch the bus before it left. As he stepped outside he looked at his watch. Oh no! He gulped. I'm going to miss my bus, I just know it! James took off into a sprint towards the sidewalk just in time to see HIS bus pull away. He stopped on a dime and slumped forward to catch his breath.

"Damn it..." He said, out of breath.

It wasn't his day it seemed. Just one sting of bad luck after another was piling on top of him and he couldn't stand it. First no sleep the night before, then his terrible work on the quiz in English and now this. Bad things really did come in threes... or was that celebrity deaths?

Now he was going to have to find a ride. James had a license but why drive yourself to and from the school when they're willing to drive you back? Seemed logical enough for him but it was times like these where he wished he drove here. He turned around and gave an annoyed sigh. While it wasn't entirely impossible for him to get a ride off of Thea, he really didn't want to bother her. Besides today she was at cheerleading practice and he didn't know when she would be finished with that. He could be waiting for two hours for all he knows but he had to try.

He sighed again and turned around to head back to the school. His hair was a mess. He didn't even need a mirror to see the kind of cataclysmic shape it was in right now. He ran a hand through it, moving his fingers back and forth to at least get it presentable – or at least somewhat presentable. His hair usually was messy, he didn't touch it after he woke up and never carried around a comb but today it was terrible. He walked ahead without really keeping his eyes on where he was walking. He rubbed at his hair back and forth hoping maybe he could fix it. Just in case he really had to ask Thea for a ride because he really didn't want to look like a nutjob to the girl you were taking out to the prom.

[ifnotwinter†]

(Winsome Clark start)

Winnie, in direct contrast, was having a pretty good day. The test she'd had in English had gone off without a hitch, the library had a new shipment of books in which included a couple of the Harlequin novels she was so fond of, and Tom and Anna had promised to make a special dinner tonight. The weather was fairly nice, too, meaning that the forty minute or so walk home was going to be a breeze.

She moved her beige messenger bag a little higher up onto her shoulder, momentarily distracted by the soft buzz of a phone vibrating in the outer pocket. Off balance and fishing for the cell, she took her eyes off the path in front of her in order to dig in her bag.

The phone was hooked up on something, refusing to come loose. Unconsciously walking faster, Winsome tried to detangle it, aware only of the fact that it was probably Anna phoning her and that if she didn't answer the phone, her adoptive mother was probably going to imagine all sorts of horrible fates befalling her.

Of course, what should have been on her mind was the fact that she was walking quickly along a path where other people were, and not entirely paying attention to her surroundings. Which, in accordance with the law of karma everywhere, meant that she glanced up too late to stop herself from slamming full-tilt into one James Mulzet.

She had a fleeting moment in which to consider the fact that, while she had just walked into someone, at least it was a decidedly cute someone before her bag swung backward and pulled her off-balance, toppling her over so that she caught herself with her elbows on the hard concrete of the path.

[Ciel†]

James felt at his hair just a bit more. It seemed straight enough at least for his tastes, it didn't have to be a perfectly straight. He smiled to himself and turned his attention back to paying attention to where he was going. Unfortunately this was the exact moment when he collided with someone else.

James stumbled backward as he bumped into Winnie, the weight of his book bag almost sending him over as well. He somehow managed to avoid falling but unfortunately noticed that the girl he had just bumped into wasn't so lucky. He gulped slightly, frozen for a moment as he tried to register what had just happened. When he did he let out a nervous sigh.

"O-Oh," he said, holding a hand to his head. "Oh jeez. I am SO sorry!"

James nervously held out a hand to help the girl up, although in his mind he didn't know whether this would help or not. It wasn't usual that he pushed someone or even hurt anyone, and causing this girl to fall down made him feel terrible.

[ifnotwinter†]

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Winnie stayed on the ground for a moment, blinking up at the boy who was frantically apologizing and extending a hand to her. Then, a blush creeping up her cheeks, she extended her arm and grasped his hand, allowing herself to be helped up.

"It's okay," she muttered, flushing a dull crimson and avoiding his eyes as she brushed at her elbows. "I should've - I wasn't watching. Um, are you okay?"

Peering shyly up at James, she retrieved her bookbag from the ground for something to hold onto. The taller boy was in a few of her classes, and was one of the boys she found herself decidedly attracted too. He had a girlfriend though, she thought. Or at least a special someone.

Pity.

[Ciel†]

James helped the girl up to her feet quite easily. She was rather small and while James wasn't that strong he didn't find it that hard to help her up to her feet. He let out another loud sigh and smiled at her sadly. All in all this was just a bad day in general but he was just glad he didn't hurt the girl. For all he knew she could have been scratched up on the concrete.

"I'm okay," he responded vaguely. James looked at the girl's arms, checking to see whether she scraped them or not. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, it's my fault. Are you hurt? You took a pretty bad tumble there."

At first glance she didn't appear to be hurt at all, but James really wasn't willing to take that at face value. The idea of getting a ride home was put in the back of his head for the moment being as now he was focusing on Winnie. His smile grew cheerful as he brushed some dirt off of the bottom of his pants near his heamline.

"You're in one of my classes right?" He asked Winnie. "I'm sorry but I don't think I remember you're name, haha."

[ifnotwinter†]

"Yeah, uh, English. And I think we have Bio together." Flushing again, she tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and glanced at the ground, embarrassed to be seen flustered by one of the (okay, many) guys she liked."It's Winsome - Winnie."

Refastening the clasp of her bookbag which had apparently opened on impact, she slung the leather strap over her shoulder. "Um, I'm fine." Momentarily tongue-tied, she searched for something to say that would break the now-awkward silence. She'd never been great at carrying a conversation - in her detailed fantasies, either they wouldn't be talking much or she would somehow, magically know the perfect thing to say.

It was a pity that didn't seem to work in real life.

"I'll - I'll look where I''m going next time. Can't go round bumping into people, right?" Laughing nervously, she flattened the same strand of hair again.

[Ciel†]

"Oh - Oh right!" James laughed softly, feeling a little embarrassed himself. "Ahh jeez, I'm sorry. We have two classes together and I didn't recognize you. How silly of me!"

James had never been the kind of person who would openly force himself to learn every name of every person he has ever met. Besides, he was much better at remembering faces than names though he barely remembered who Winsome was. Of course Winsome wasn't like any name James had ever heard before so it'd be pretty easy to recall that from now on. That still didn't excuse him for not knowing.

"Ahh, okay Winnie." James gave her a small smile. "It's nice to meet you! I'm James and - no, its' alright. I should be the one who's sorry, I wasn't really paying attention. It's not your fault that my head floats into the clouds now and again."

James looked behind him for a second, brushing his pants off with the palm of his hand. "So did you miss the bus too? First I was thinking you where here for some sort of club but none of the clubs meet nearby the bus stop - unless if they're going on a trip somewhere."

[ifnotwinter†]

He was sweet, Winnie found herself thinking delightedly. Really nice, really sweet. And good looking - was he going to prom with anyone? Maybe she could ask...but no, that'd be too bold. And besides, if he was just being polite then it would be embarrassing.

When he introduced herself, however, she had to laugh, covering her mouth with one hand. "Yeah, um, I remember you. It's okay. I think we both kind of messed up there."

Shaking her head, she indicated the street in front of her with a wave of her hand. "I walk home, usually. Did you miss the bus?"

A pause and then, "Oh no - did I make you miss the bus?"

[Ciel†]

He felt a little strange when Winnie started laughing. He was trying to be funny but she didn't seem to type to... well it didn't matter did it. He laughed a little himself as he let the odd thought fall to the back of his head.

He nodded when she asked him if he missed the bus. "That I have..."

Winnie has assumed that she had been the cause of his missing the bus. It was wrong - James wanted to us absurd but she had all the right in the world to think. Besides the word absurd was way too negative.

James shook his head and let out a deep sigh. "No - I made myself miss the bus. They just left actually. I live around like a few miles away from here. I was thinking that maybe someone would be willing to give me a lift home."

He thought of assuring her that it had not been her fault but it seemed unnecessary. He just smiled at her again and shrugged. "You walk home? I wish I was close to school or I wouldn't have problems like this, I swear. When things like this happen," he let out a stressed shiver though he tried to mask it as best he could. "I swear I want to rip all my hairs out!"

[ifnotwinter†]

"Oh - well, I'm glad I didn't make you miss it. That'd just be...I'd be really really sorry." She let out another small laugh, this one sounding almost a little nervous - was she being too obvious? Too over the top? He was cute, sure, and - okay so she had a little crush on him (along with a good half the attractive boys in her class) but it wasn't like she knew anything about him.

And now he probably thought she was weird. Trying to drown out the negative thoughts in her head, she smiled and started twisting her hair again.

"Oh, well, I hope you find someone! I, uh, live pretty close. About a forty minute walk. But the weather's so nice..."

She trailed off, blushing again. "But. uh, I should let you go? I don't want you to miss anyone who might be able to help!"

[Ciel†]

James just stared at the girl. Forty minutes seemed like a long distance, at least to him. He could remember in middle school that he had to walked to his friend Jake's house in like a hour, so forty minutes wasn't that bad. However he couldn't really imagine what it would be like to walk that sort of distance every day.

He didn't see anything wrong with Winnie. She certainly was nervous but he figured she was just very shy, and didn't expect him to start talking to her. It wasn't something he would see as strange. In fact, in a platonic way he saw it as a little cute. James ran a hand through his hair again, letting out a sigh as he listened to her speak. She trailed off suddenly and laughed slightly. He shook his head.

"Oh no!" He told her quickly, shrugging his shoulders. "There's no rush! My ride's at practice right now so it might take some time so, yeah, you're not holding me up!" James looked at her for a moment before smiling. "In fact I was thinking that I was holding you up! You have to walk home right now and all, right? I bet you've got homework or something planned and I'm just keeping you waiting for hours as I gab at you."

James was teasing her of course. It was rare of him to act playful, especially to someone he just met. He just wanted to lift up the fog of tension that surrounded them. If he made her laugh then his job was complete.

[ifnotwinter†]

He was being so nice. It didn't help that Winnie had all of zero male friends, and in fact honestly never really talked to guys. The blush was, by now, firmly stuck to her cheeks as she fiddled with the loose pieces of hair floating around her neck.

"I don't - I don't have that much homework." She smiled, glancing up shyly from under her eyelashes. "My grandparents - they might worry though. I usually come home right after school."

She didn't want to leave, given that she was having an apparently successful conversation, but...Tom especially worried a lot if she was late. She could probably tell them she'd been held up in class, but still...

[Ciel†]

James looked at Winnie, especially at her blush. She must be very nervous talking to him but he really didn't see why. He laughed a little, standing up straight as he looked at her. It was good to see her smile like that - he didn't like making people nervous, it tended to make him nervous too.

"Ahh, really?" He said, brightening up quickly as she said no. "Oh well I'm glad for that. I don't want to be a bother, though I certainly don't want to keep your grandparents worried." He looks down at his watch, sighing. "Well, if you want I could get you a ride home. If Thea gets out of practice early I think we can mooch a ride off of her."

James really didn't have anywhere else to be at the time. He'd have to wait for Thea to finish cheer-leading practice anyway, but if he just left Winnie to walk THAT far home then he'd feel bad.

[ifnotwinter†]

"Oh, no!" She surprised even herself with how vehement the response was, but she honestly couldn't do that. Even if she had felt somehow remotely comfortable with accepting a ride home - therefore inconveniencing people - Tom and Anna wouldn't be happy that she'd come home with a boy.

Not that there was anything wrong with that, as they always told her, but she knew how they felt and despite the deep-down resentment she accepted it. Besides, she'd just feel uncomfortable having to make conversation.

"I don't think - I mean, they might not - thanks for the offer, but, no." She tightened her grip on her bag, and offered him a quick smile. "I - should get going."

[Ciel†]

"Alright then, that's fine." James said, quite undeterred by the loud reply. He smiled, shrugging his shoulders. He understood, completely! James had a nagging feeling that she was going to decline the offer anyway but it was in his nature to ask.

He shook his head, and gave her a wave. "Well then, I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow. Have a nice day Winnie!"

James wasn't sure what to make of Winnie. It wasn't really in his nature to think about someone he had just met, and Winnie was no exception of course, but he was wondering about how she seemed nervous. Shy? Definitely. She certainly wasn't antisocial. Someone he would definitely get along with. But he wasn't sure. He stopped himself when he realized that he was over-thinking a situation again. A nasty habit that he wanted desperately to be rid off. He sighed loudly and made his way towards the gym, hoping Thea was there.

(James continued in The Big Night)