Cooling down

[Tythanin†]

Melissa could help but give a start when she felt a poke on her shoulder. She had been so involved in trying to calculate just how much she needed for food and how she'd use the rest of her money that she didn't realize that someone had come up to her. She turned at the voice and smiled slightly when she saw it was just Aislyn. For a moment she thought it was going to be someone telling her to hurry up or something.

"Ahaha..." She gave out a shaky laugh, feeling a little awkward. She quickly pocketed her wallet, holding tightly to a couple of bills. "Ah sorry...I know, but I couldn't think of anything to say. You guys seemed like you were having fun and I didn't want to butt in."

The line shifted and she moved upwards. 'Almost there...'

"So uh...what do you want to talk about? I'm sorry but I don't really keep up on things. I'm usually too busy with schoolwork and studying." Melissa offered lamely. "Um, do you play an instrument or something?"

[BetaKnight]

"Ah sorry...I know, but I couldn't think of anything to say. You guys seemed like you were having fun and I didn't want to butt in."

Aislyn absently reached up and began twirling and twining the edges of her hair around her fingers as she carefully considered Melissa's statement. Well, Aaron invited her to come along so how on Earth she's come up with this 'I'm an intruder' vibe, I have no clue. Although, seriously, she's so tense I'm kinda afraid she's gonna sprain something. Both girls automatically shuffled forward as the line advanced.

"So uh...what do you want to talk about? I'm sorry but I don't really keep up on things. I'm usually too busy with schoolwork and studying. Um, do you play an instrument or something?"

Feeling a bit like she was dealing with a skittish colt, Aislyn decided that going for the low-stress, common-ground approach would probably work out best in this situation. "I dunno. I didn't really have a topic on my mind when I got into line. Sometimes I just open my mouth and whatever I'm thinking kinda falls out," she confided with little grin. "So please excuse me if my mouth ends up running a little faster than my brain."

"Sadly, I'm still a little jet-lagged on the 'what's trendy' front. You'd think that having been back state-side since August, I'd have gotten all caught up but..." she trailed off with a self-depreciating shrug. "But, no I don't play an instrument. My dad plays the trumpet though. Well," she amended after a moment's pause. "He used to play the trumpet when I was younger. He tried to teach me, but apparently my brain and my fingers don't communicate so well when musical instruments are involved." Aislyn held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers as if to illustrate the point. "But enough about me. Tell me something about you!" She flashed Melissa her most encouraging smile.

[DetectiveArcher†]

Wrinkling his nose at the thought of orange chicken, Roy shook his head. How could people eat such sickly sweet crap? "Thanks for the info, but I think I'll go with kung pao or something." Ordering the more savory dish, Roy grumpily paid the exorbitant fee and took his food.

Watching as Erik paid for his drink, Roy almost had the urge to offer to pay for a real meal. Almost. "Not a problem," he said, slumping into one of the metal chairs, "go ahead and take a seat." Providing Erik with some company would make up for Roy's frugal attitude. After all, conversation was food the soul, wasn't it?

Picking at his food with the provided plastic utensil, he skewered a small piece of chicken and took a bite. A little on the weak side, but what could you expect from a chain restaurant? "So," Roy began, between chews, "what's up with you, guys?"

[Crash†]

After completing the order for his 3-item plate, consisting of orange chicken, mixed vegetables and steamed spring rolls (served on the always complimentary bed of noodles), Aaron handed a $10 over to the cashier as she returned the coke that came with the meal and his change to him. Replacing the coins into his wallet and tucking it away in his pants, he snatched up the tray carrying his food and drink and made room for Erik, just in time to notice him scoop a handful of loose change onto the counter in exchange for a coke.

Almost instantly, Aaron felt a twinge of guilt fill his previously empty stomach.

As if he noticed him staring, Erik proceeded to explain how his siblings had been using him as a bank machine, which resulted in him not having any money. Having just been paid, Aaron wasn't really low on funds, and he was quite tempted to either lend Erik some money or buy him some dinner. It was only good karma, after all, and he had the money to spare. Unfortunately for both of them the line was getting quite long, and he already found himself moving out of the way to accomodate for Roy making his way up to the cashier and order his Kung Pao.

As he stared down at his tray regretfully, however, Aaron came up with just as good a solution.

Grabbing a couple salt and pepper packages, a straw for his drink, and two forks, he moved out of the line's way and back towards the table with Erik. He expressed a desire to join them, which worked conveniently well for Aaron, who was just about to invite him.

"Yeah, the more the merrier," he greeted, taking a seat and putting his tray on the table. He put one of the forks on the other side of his tray, picking his own up and nonchalantly digging it into the pile of vegetables before turning over to Erik in somewhat feigned exasperation.

"I think I ordered too much," he started, which wasn't entirely a lie. The three-item plate was a generous helping, even though Aaron was hungry enough to finish it on his own. "Help yourself, man. I probably won't finish it all."

Satisfied with himself, Aaron returned to a piece of his orange chicken as Roy joined them at the table, attempting to fire up a conversation. Aaron was grateful for the interruption; he didn't want Erik to make too big a deal over the favour he'd just been paid.

"I missed class today...slept through almost every period. I think my workload's getting a bit too heavy," he admitted honestly, turning his attention back to his plate.

[ifnotwinter†]

Moving over to the table with the other boys, Erik took a seat, leaning forwards and idly propping up his chin on his hand. However when Aaron turned to him, explaining that he'd gotten too much food and asking if Erik wanted to share he sat up straight again, blushing faintly and bringing one hand up to rub uncomfortably at the back of his neck.

"Thanks, but...honestly, I'm not that hungry - was mostly just joking around." Still, there was quite a lot of food on Aaron's tray, and it looked good. Really good. And okay, so he was hungry, a bit, but still, he shouldn't just...eat someone's food. Right?

Only it did look nice.

"...I might have a little bit though. If you're sure."

Breaking up the slightly awkward moment was Roy, plopping down and inquiring about how they were doing. Awkwardly snagging the extra fork on Aaron's tray, Erik glanced up just in time to hear the other boy noting that he'd slept through class.

"If you're sleeping through the day then yeah, I'd say that's probably just a little indication that you might be working too hard." He grinned crookedly, and attempted to stealthily stab a chunk of broccoli. Given that it seemed to be doing its best to avoid his fork, though, it wasn't nearly as ninja-like as he had hoped.

[Tythanin†]

Melissa laughed when Aislyn replied to her question, this time with a lot more feeling and less awkwardness. It had only been a little while, but she was beginning to loosen up. Aislyn seemed to be making a genuine attempt to get to know her and there really was no point in remaining silent and nervous the whole time. Wasn't the reason she came along with them because she wanted to have fun instead of worry about the consequences of being late?

She quickly ordered a pepperoni and sausage pizza and water before waiting for Aislyn to complete her own order. She felt it would be rude to just walk off to the table without offering anything about herself in return, so when the two of them got their respective meals, she talked about herself as they headed back to the table.

"I'm really nothing special." She said with a slightly self-depreciating smile. "Study hard, make my parents proud...stuff like that. I play the piano at home and I play the clarinet in the school band. I like writing random snippets of things when I'm bored...you know, nothing that exciting."

She arrived at the table and set her tray down. "So what's it like to be on the swim team?"

[BetaKnight]

Aislyn smiled when Melissa finally let out a real laugh. Good. Now maybe she can actually enjoy being here with us, she thought with some satisfaction. As soon as Melissa had placed her order, Aislyn was ready with hers, ordering a slice of supreme pizza, a side of pasta, and a large Pepsi. She was pleased to see Melissa standing off to the side, waiting for her rather than making her walk back to the table all alone. As they headed back towards the boys, balancing their trays while wending their way through the other patrons, Melissa finally decided to open up about herself a bit.

"I'm really nothing special. Study hard, make my parents proud...stuff like that. I play the piano at home and I play the clarinet in the school band. I like writing random snippets of things when I'm bored...you know, nothing that exciting."

Aislyn nodded and make appropriate 'I'm listening' noises, encouraging Melissa to talk further. She noticed the boys had already returned to the table with a third guy in tow. She couldn't make out who their fifth was, but she would be sure to make him welcome.

"So what's it like to be on the swim team?"

Aisly slid her own tray onto the table and took her seat. "Absolutely awesome. I've met some really great people at school, thanks to the team. Plus, I love swimming. It's one of the few things that stays exactly the same no matter where we're stationed. The smell of the pool water when you first walk up. The grip of the blocks under you feet as you settle in for a race. The rush you get when you hit the wall, knowing that's the signal for someone else to take off on their leg of the relay. It's fantastic. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Right, Roy?" Aislyn turned to her teammate with a wide grin.

[DetectiveArcher†]

Roy watched as Erik chased the elusive greenery around Aaron's tray. Never missed a chance to be the nice guy, did Aaron. It hadn't even occurred to Roy that he should share his own food. He supposed that was the difference between himself and the more altruistic boy.

Both were in good physical shape. They both did well in their classes, Aaron doing slightly better, loathe though Roy was to admit it. They both had their own manner of being charming and were generally well liked. It just seemed that when it came to really going that extra mile with other people, Aaron was naturally willing to take that step. Roy respected that in a man.

"Seriously, man. If you're going to crash in class, you need to think about easing off a bit. We're seniors, right?" Taking a large bite of his noodles, Roy continued with his mouth full, "Supposed to be all parties and slacking off." Not that Roy would ever slack off. He might talk a big game, but keeping up on his math and science classes took up more time than he'd care to admit.

He sipped at his Coke, refusing to yield the floor, "But at the same time, I guess if you're gonna slack off, sleeping through a class or two is the way to go, isn't it?" Realizing he was probably speaking out of turn, Roy let the sentiment hang for the others to pick up on.

Vaguely embarrassed, Roy shrugged off the minor social rudeness discourtesy as he speared a bit of zucchini. Just needed to watch out he didn't run roughshod over the conversation. He always did have trouble in letting others have equal time to speak. People generally didn't like that, so Roy usually had to fight to reign himself in. Chewing solemnly on the vegetable he looked to the others.

A few seconds ticked by, before Roy realized he'd completely ignored Aislyn's question. "Huh? Oh! Right, yeah, totally." In truth, he'd been so involved with himself, he'd missed what she'd said entirely. Nodding and hoping to look like he understood what he'd just agreed to, he took another long sip on his Coke to avoid any more embarrassment.

[Crash†]

Aaron looked up as both Aislyn and Melissa returned from the pizza place, and was slightly surprised to hear the latter engaging the former with a question. It was a pleasant surprise, for sure, given that Melissa didn't really seem one for conversation often. The two of them were stand partners for first chair, and even then he didn't find himself talking to her much.

...Of course, he supposed that could be attributed to the clarinet reed they both had shoved halfway to their tonsils every time an opportunity for conversation presented itself.

Nonetheless, between musings about the swim team and Erik and Roy's friendly advice for him to take better care of himself, Aaron found himself quite enjoying the dinner company. It helped that the dish he'd ordered proved to be extremely delicious, especially for fast food, and in the back of his mind he hoped Erik was enjoying it half as much as he was.

As Aaron turned his attention back to his plate, he found Erik attacking a piece of broccoli that seemed to dodge his fork. "Crafty little bugger, ain't he?" Aaron observed in an uncharacteristically English manner, chuckling a bit as the mini-javelin finally pierced its victim.

"Score, ten points!"

He smiled at Erik, hoping the boy didn't feel quite so nervous now about needing the bit of help.

"So..." Aaron wondered after a good twenty seconds pass with everyone seeming to enjoy their respective meals thoroughly through silent consumption, "Are you guys going to prom with anyone?"

[ifnotwinter†]

Erik was still trying to spear the bit of broccoli when Aislyn and Melissa sat down. He gave them half a distracted wave before turning back to the plate, letting out a small cheer when he finally managed to impale the offending vegetable.

At Aaron's comment he laughed, one hand covering his mouth so he didn't flash the entire table a view of half-chewed greenery. "Which puts Erik Laurin and his Culinary Cads in second place, with only fifteen points to go..." Gesturing the fork at Aaron, he flashed a smile. "Providing he can make this next shot, of course."

Going back in for a piece of water chestnut which fortunately proved much less dexterous then the broccoli, Erik finally took the time to give the girls a proper smile and greeting after Roy's reply to Aislyn. "Hey - I asked the guys here if I could tag along for a few minutes, hope you don't mind."

The next few minutes were devoted to the much more serious business of eating. It felt strange to Erik, given that mealtimes in his family had a tendency to be loud and chaotic. He generally forced his brothers and sisters to have a family dinnertime with him, despite their father typically working through the dinner rush at the restaurant and their mother being decidedly laid-back, to use a polite term, about her eating and sleeping times. However, that of course led straight into the fact that it was almost impossible to cook a meal that all five of them would like, meaning that meals tended to consist of several different easy, quick dishes that together would make up a complete meal for everyone.

Sometimes, he felt like a mother. But honestly, he had to admit that he enjoyed it. He loved his family, and it was usually the one time of day that they were all in the same room at the same time, meaning it was a good chance to get caught up on their lives. So the simple fact that people were eating rather then talking mad him feel almost obliged to fill the silence.

Fortunately, Aaron got there first, asking about prom. Gesturing cheerfully with his fork, Erik jumped right in. "So far, it doesn't look like it. Seems that a lot of the gents around here already have boyfriends, sadly."

[Outfoxd]

Teo had already left as people were filing into the food court, and Ray found himself more or less alone once more. He was starting to feel a little better now that the sandwich had had a little more time to digest, but he still didn't feel that up to roaming around the mall anymore.. The present could wait; it wasn't like Alicia's birthday was the next day or something.

All of his trash properly disposed of, Ray headed out of the food court, seeming a good deal calmer than he did when he came in.

((continued in Flaws))

[Tythanin†]

Melissa listened with a smile as Aislyn answered her question, giving a small nod to the other people sitting around the table. She recognized the newcomer as someone from Bayview she had seen in the halls a couple of times, but beyond that she had nothing. Not a surprise. Besides her attempts to become friends with the more ostracized members of high school society, she didn't actively try to make friends. Still, the environment was friendly and she was beginning to feel more and more at ease with the group.

She was about halfway through her pizza and was about to take another bite when Aaron asked about senior prom. She paused and put the slice back on her plate, frowning a little. The senior prom was, without a doubt, one of the most important (if not the most) events in the life of a high schooler and she had completely forgotten about it. She would be going, of course, but whether or not she would go with anyone...probably not.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go with someone, it was just...she wasn't too concerned about it. As her parents were wont to tell her, high school was just a stepping stone to college. She didn't need to get involved with anyone at such a young age, let alone one of the white kids (her parents loved their racial superiority complex).

She looked up when Erik answered in the negative, a faint smile on her lips. "I don't think I'll be going with anyone either. Not all that interested, unfortunately..."

[BetaKnight]

Aislyn let the boys' conversation wash over her as she made quick work of her slice of pizza. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she cringed slightly at the crumbs and fragments of crust that littered her plate. Way to be a total pig, she chastised herself. I know you're hungry, but you don't have to inhale your food. The guys and Melissa are probably appalled by your lack of table manners. Blushing a bit, she set down her napkin and daintily sipped at her soda.

"So.... Are you guys going to prom with anyone?"

Aislyn looked up at Aaron, a little surprised by the change in topic. Grabbing her fork, she wound up a bite of spaghetti as she mulled over the question. She was saved from an immediate answer by Aaron's new friend's answer.

"So far, it doesn't look like it. Seems that a lot of the gents around here already have boyfriends, sadly."

She put her fork in her mouth and chewed as Melissa answered Aaron's question.

"I don't think I'll be going with anyone either. Not all that interested, unfortunately..."

Aislyn ground down on her food a little harder than was necessary. After finally getting Melissa to open up, there she goes, shutting down again. Swallowing quickly, she gave her answer. "Well, nobody's asked yet, so I can't say if I'll be going with a date, but I'm definitely going." Turning to Melissa, Aislyn gave the girl an encouraging smile. "Hey, if neither of us ends up with dates, wanna go stag? I'm sure we could round up a couple of other girls and go as a group. We can go to dinner, then the prom, then probably do a sleep-over at my house. Eat a ton of ice cream, watch some movies. You know, do girl stuff. I'm sure it'll be a blast."'

[CJanosi†]

"Ugh, I hate mall parking."

Stephanie Henderson adjusted her white sweater, a rather idle gesture that she often used. She was dressed for a walking day- flat, sensible brown flip-flops and a staid pink dress, an outfit that in her opinion was both classy and laid-back. She and her brother Richard stood just 'outside' the food court(in that they weren't near any tables), counting their money. "We have...one, five, six, sixteen..." Richard trailed off, leaving the sound of flicking bills and other voices to fill in for the silent siblings.

After they finished their money counting, Richard and Stephanie entered the food court proper and made a B-line for the pizza. It was a short line, but they'd be there for at least a moment, so Stephanie lounged slightly against the counter. "So, we have enough for dinner. We need to get you some new clothes, along with the stuff Michael asked for." she said. Richard's nose scrunched for a moment. He liked his current clothes, no matter how much Steph criticized them. So maybe he wasn't dressed up; it's not like he was constantly looking for someone to impress, unlike his starry-eyed sister.

Pizza was arguably the worst possible thing they could've gotten, what with Stephanie's paranoia about stains on her pristine white sweater, but the meal was paid for and they were hungry. It was done. Richard looked around the food court for an empty table, somewhere for a duo to eat in peace. The elder sibling, though, immediately spotted an acquaintance and marched off, leaving her brother momentarily alone until he realized where she had gone off to.

"Come on now, scoot over a bit." Stephanie said, patting Aislyn McCreery on the shoulder. She dragged a chair next to the girl and set her paper plate on the table with a broad smile. "You said you were gonna text me about the next Spirit Club activity like, forever ago. I told you how badly I wanted to check one of those meetings out." Stephanie's voice had assumed a whining, nasally tone, the type she always used when trying to convey discontent. She shrugged off her sweater and let it drape over her seat and smiled at the other people at the table. "But enough of that. I see some people I've never met before! I'm Stephanie Henderson, and this is my darling baby brother Richard." Next to her, Rich gave a minor nod, not wanting to get sucked into his sister's dramatic introductions- which, as anyone close to her would point out, were frequent.

[DetectiveArcher†]

Roy shifted in his seat as the question of prom came up. Busying himself with his food, he waited for the conversation to come around to him, thinking what he should say. He couldn't just say that he didn't have a date yet. That would be...mortifying. Quickly taking an exceptionally large bite of noodles, he chewed slowly.

"So far, it doesn't look like it," Erik commented. That was a relief. At least Roy wasn't alone in being solo so late in the game. "Seems that a lot of the gents around here already have boyfriends, sadly." The comment almost made him choke. Snatching up his drink, he forced down the last of the noodles. Roy cleared his throat, "Went down the wrong pipe."

He didn't have a problem with...people like that, but it did seem a rather bold statement to make in front of barely familiar people. Spearing more chicken, Roy flicked his eyes toward the girls. Seemingly satisfied with his explanation, they gave their own answers. Melissa expressed her own lack of interest in the whole affair. Aislyn, unsurprisingly, offered to go stag to draw the meek Chinese girl out of her shell.

"Oh, come on," Roy said. "Why would you not want to go? It's not like either of you would have much trouble landing dates. And besides, you've got to go. It's not like this sort of thing happens all the time, yeah? But, you know, I don't suppose going stag would be bad either. Nothing wrong with not having someone to go with. After all, it's about the experience, right? So, I guess not having a date isn't such a big deal."

The table was quiet a moment. Oh, great job. Say something, now. Not anything like "Oh, I've totally got a date!" but, something. Just a hint that someone already said yes. Nothing too dramatic.

Roy pulled a confident smile as he absently shrugged his shoulders. He hoped the gesture came off as cocky and unflappable. He was Roy Archer, dammit, king of all he surveyed. If he didn't believe it nobody else would either. Opening his mouth to speak, a shrill demand cut him off.

"Come on now, scoot over a bit." Plopping down entirely uninvited, Stephanie Henderson stormed into a conversation she'd had no part in and completely changed the subject. Even though it saved Roy from a potentially embarrassing series of half truths, he didn't have to like the nosy girl poking into places where she had no business.

"Hey," Roy said, "nice to meet you, man." Roy felt a stab of sympathy for the boy, returning the short nod. Propping his elbow on the table, he set his eyes on the blond girl. "We were just talking about prom. So, what about it, Stephanie? Going with someone?"