Original Topic Title: "Cheer Practice"
Location: Field, Franklyn Senior High
Posted by: Megami Jun 4 2006, 11:55 PM
And they say
He do a little this
He do a little that
He always in drama (and I heard)
He's nuthin' but a pimp
He's got a lot of chicks
He's always in the club (and they say)
1, 2, 3, 4...
He think he slick
He's got a lot of Chicks
He's so messed up (And I Heard)
He's been locked up
Find somebody else
He ain't nuthin' But A Thug
... 5, 6, 7, 8...
So What?
So What?
So What?
So What?
"Alright girls, let's wrap it up for today!"
Mrs. Mooney's booming voice echoed over the football field, signifying to Franklyn Senior High's Varsity cheerleading squad that practice was over for the day. A large smile formed on the equally large woman's face as she placed her hands on her hips and proceeded to make her typical wrap-up announcements about the next practice and the upcoming football game and the like. Whitney Acosta could only cast the curly haired brunette an offhand glance, however. She was much more distracted by the ongoings in the not-so-far distance.
PING!
The sound of an aluminum baseball bat connecting soundly with a baseball and likewise hurling it into the air echoed at an almost rhythmical pace. The baseball boys were practicing too, and it had all but distracted Whitney for their entire practice session. It wasn't that she was interested in baseball, not really anyway. It was just a bunch of guys running around in tight pants chasing after a little white ball to her. Rather, it was a certain someone on the baseball team that happened to catch her eye. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted, however, by a high-pitched and giggling voice all but shrieking at her.
"Whitney? WHITNEY!"
Being snapped back to reality all at once, the blonde turned her attention to the petite brunette standing in front of her with the grin of a cheshire cat spread across her face: Alexis "Lexie" Williams. A smile crossed Whitney's face as Alexis all but strained herself to catch a glimpse of what her associate had zoned out on, though somehow remained completely oblivious to the fact. Alexis stared dumbfounded at her companion, then in the general direction she was looking, then once again at her companion, until finally the proverbial lightbulb flashed above her head and she finally "got it."
"Ooh," she exclaimed, leaving it at that.
Of course, Lexie knew all about the crush Whitney had formed on a certain baseball player. However, in an almost kind gesture on her part, she simply decided to leave it at that. As Lexie simply shrugged her shoulders, the pained expression that had formed on Whitney's face slowly faded away. Lexie spun around on her heels, hoping a step as she did with her all but endless amount of energy, and assuming Whitney would follow in tow toward the locker room. Of course, Whitney did, and Lexie slowed her pace as to walk beside her friend.
"Soo... there's going to be a HUGE party this weekend up at Andy Edwards's place... you going?" Lexie inquired tentatively.
Whitney simply cast her friend a "look". She didn't party, pretty much everyone knew that much. Of the girls on the cheerleading squad, Whitney had the reputation of being the "goody-goody". She didn't party, didn't sleep around. In Lexie's own words, she was rather boring.
"You know I don't--" Whitney started, but was quickly interrupted.
"You should go this time, Whit," Lexie insisted, then added as if it were a last minute thought, "And you know... he might be there. A lot of the baseball boys go, Andy's pretty good friends with a few of them. There's the offhand chance they'll drag him out there. Wouldn't it be worth it then?"
"I guess..." Whitney stated slowly.
The prospect that he would be there had never really occurred to her, but there was a definite possibility, especially knowing the party's host. Despite that, Whitney couldn't get overly excited about watching a bunch of eleventh grade students boozing, staggering around, and throwing up. And that's pretty much what any party Andy Edwards threw consisted of. The pleading expression on Lexie's face was unrelenting, though. Whitney wasn't getting out of this.
"I'll... I'll think about it," she finally conceded.
"Awesome!"
The squeal escaped Lexie's mouth in a loud and high-pitched manner, one that would probably leave many people's ears ringing. Trotting off toward the locker room, Lexie all but left Whitney in the dust, and as she came to the door, the blonde couldn't help but turn and cast one last glance toward the baseball field that was currently occupied by Franklyn High's renowned baseball team. A small sigh escaped her lips and she tensed up a bit at the mere thought of running into him at Andy's party. What would she even say? What would she do. Shaking her head, Whitney turned back toward the door leading inside and entered the locker room.
Well, maybe someday.
Posted by: Queen Asshat Jun 6 2006, 09:14 PM
*snap*
You know there was just something totally erotic about observing someone who is seventeen, you could be eight, if you're checking out a seventeen year old you're a pedophile, it didn't matter...something about seventeen year old girls just screamed pedophilia. It was then that the godly Samuel Sorenson finished taking pictures of the cheer squad for the local year book, well good ol' Sorenson while a smart boy was unusually naïve, assuming that the leader of the cheer squad would want to see the candid shots he had taken he found himself walking into the girls locker room (obviously not reading the sign that said "Girls Locker-room") and as he walked in he didn't notice the various changing girls in other forms of undress, he went to the teachers office and placed the camera and wrote down a note saying that this is where the photos where and to pick several that she liked and then he exited from her office only to be greeted with several of his female classmates changing.
"Oh my lord..." he said in awe.
Posted by: kuroiraishu Jun 6 2006, 09:39 PM
Stepping out of the shower area of the locker room came the slender and tall strawberry blond of Franklin with naught but a towel wrapped around her body covering her undergarments. Her hair was still dripping wet and slicked back, but she didn't care as she made her way over to her locker.
Seeing all the cheerleaders now in the locker room, she merely continued changing into her everyday casual clothes. She had dropped out of cheerleading the year before and had picked up volleyball this year. Her reason for doing so was never made real clear to the squad, nor to herself.
"Well, looks like their practices have been well..." She mumbled softly to herself. Whether she'd ever admit it or not, she did indeed miss the squad and the parties she'd go to, but she had her reasons.
Dropping the towel, Kurai pulled out her black jeans and began to pull them on when she saw Samuel Sorenson. Oddly enough, she didn't falter in putting on her clothes. She was quite comfortable with her body and didn't care if one more guy saw her bra and panties. Why should she?
Shaking her head she looked over at Sorenson and buttoned her pants and zippered them up.
"Hey Sorenson! Mind giving us a bit of privacy?"
Posted by: Megami Jun 6 2006, 09:50 PM
"Oh my God!" Lexie Williams shrieked as Sam Sorenson stumbled into the girl's locker room and stopped, clearly awe-strucken by the site he saw before him.
Clearly not thinking, Lexie threw the shirt she had just begun pulling on toward Sorenson in an attempt to get him out, exposing herself in the process. Almost as if on cue, Whitney shrieked as well and pulled her t-shirt up to cover herself as best as possible. Her eyes widened a bit until she suddenly realized who it was. Still refusing to expose herself, Whitney cast him a glare and shook her head slightly before addressing the boy.
"Jesus Christ Sorenson, what in the world are you doing?"
Lexie, who was now fumbling to find some sort of coverage for herself, cast him another glance as she dug furiously through the locker behind her. Meanwhile, Kurai Andre had stepped out of the girl's shower and spoken up, asking the boy to leave. Lexie and Whitney both found themselves nodding in agreement, the latter casting Sorenson one last surprised glance.
"Yeah I... think it'd be best if you left now..."
Whitney began laughing somewhat uncomfortably, while Lexie fell backwards and landed on her rear-end in her urgency to cover herself. Looking up with an embarrassed expression on her face, Lexie nodded in agreement, though after a moment addressed the boy once again.
"Wait on us outside!" she called out in her usual high-pitched voice.
To Lexie Williams, Whitney Acosta, and probably several more of the girls on the cheerleading squad, Sam was like the brother they'd never had. He was the kind of person they told their secrets to, drug shopping and all over the state of New Jersey, and announced personal and intimate secrets to without ever thinking twice about it. In retrospect, Sam Sorenson was probably in a position to be envied by many. Just like any other typical day, school had let out and now Lexie and Whitney had every intention of dragging Sam on their escapades around town.
(Sorry it's short and rushed, I'm in a hurry.)
Posted by: Queen Asshat Jun 6 2006, 10:23 PM
Sorenson's first eyeful was of Whitney Acosta, of course in the brief second, but there was nothing brief of the effect it had on him, then Lexie, god bless her was just a little stupid, throwing her shirt at him Sam got a view of her breasts and blushed furiously, with Kurai Andre he blushed even more, the reaction refusing to calm down.
I just got an eyeful of Whitney Acosta's, Lexie, and Kura's breasts...god please forgive me, but holy shit what do they put in the milk.
"Umm...the camera, candid picture...didn't see the sign..."
However Sorenson just responded with running the fuck out of there and to the outside world, the football team looking at Sorenson oddly, some even giving him thumbs, Sorenson merely just waved back, still the view of his friends...well basically nude not leaving his mind.
Posted by: kuroiraishu Jun 7 2006, 12:49 AM
Kurai Andre couldn't help but begin to laugh as Lexie shrieked and began to make a big deal out of Sorenson's being in the locker room. Of course that's not to say that she thought it was alright, she just didn't think it something to freak out about. After all, it could have been someone far more perverted than Sorenson.
Pulling a pale pink spaghetti tank top over her head, she straightened it and her bra out. When she was satisfied with how her clothes settled upon her, she pulled out a comb and began to gently comb out any knots. Watching Sorenson run out of the locker room only caused her to chuckle softly to herself.
Looking to Lexie and Whitney, she merely shook her head. "Same old Sorenson, huh?" Leaving her hair to air dry, she put the comb away and put on a pair of pink flip flops.
Gathering her stuff together in a duffle bag, Kurai tried to hurry it up. Despite her friendly and joking air, she always felt awkward around the squad since she quit.
Posted by: Megami Jun 7 2006, 01:00 AM
As Sam muttered an incoherent string of words and all but dashed out of the girl's locker room, Whitney found herself exchanging glances with Lexie, who was still trying to regain her standing position after falling on the ground, and then Kurai. Had Sam Sorenson been any other boy at Franklyn Senior High, he'd have gotten the ass-whipping of a lifetime for barging in on the cheer squad's changing room. However, they all knew Sam. He was a good boy, a Christian boy, hell, Sam turned beat-red any time Lexie Williams started advertising her latest sex story. Sam wasn't the kind of guy that would intentionally bust in just to perv on them.
Shrugging her shoulder slightly, Whitney slid on the grey Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt she'd been holding over herself to hide her form and spritzed a bit of perfume on herself, then, after running a comb through her hair to straighten it up a bit, once again turned to Lexie and Kurai, trying to act as though the awkward incident hadn't happened. Turning her attention toward Kurai, whom she had been on the cheer squad with the year before and looked up to greatly, a smile crossed Whitney Acosta's face.
"Hey, Kurai... we're all going to go grab a burger or something, you want to come along?"
The offer had been extended either way, whether or not Kurai would accept, Whitney wasn't really sure. Meanwhile, Lexie'd gone through the routine of flipping her shoulder-length brown hair outward at the bottom and was currently pulling a white tanktop over her head. She also cast Kurai a smile, but just as quickly adjusted her khaki skirt and nudged Whitney toward the door.
"Let's go, I'm starving!"
With a giggle, Lexie was suddenly pulling Whitney out of the locker room door, and Whitney could only hope that Kurai was following in tow. Sorenson stood waiting outside, and Lexie playfully punched him in the shoulder for the incident that had occurred earlier. With that she spun around on her heels, put her hands on her hips, and looked him directly in the eye.
"Jerk."
Whitney Acosta found herself shaking her head and heading off toward the parking lot to retrieve her car as Lexie continued to harrass poor Sorenson about his little mishap. Whitney was far enough out of earshot that she couldn't hear if Lexie had spoken to Sorenson at all. Whitney's flip-flops clicked lightly against the sidewalk as she spotted the black and tan Mustang Convertible sitting a few feet away. Pushing the button on her keyless entry and triggering the alarm, Whitney climbed into the driver's seat and, after a moment, lowered the top on the car and started it up.
With a roar, the car sparked to life, and Whitney proceeded to drive around to where Lexie and company were currently standing. Almost expectedly, Lexie jumped into the front passenger seat and cranked up the radio loudly, singing and dancing in tune, as Whitney simply shook her head and awaited the arrival of the others...
Posted by: Queen Asshat Jun 7 2006, 01:20 AM
"Yeah...well I try..." Sam said in response to the jerk comment, he was really a timid person. Very kind to the girls at school and I mean, let's break it down for you, some guys right now where probably talking about fucking the living shit out of Lexie and Whitney...Sam was the guy that if he asked for sex he'd most likely get it, even if it was pity sex.
Of course having hung out with women all his life Sorenson's ideology was this, women where like elephants...pretty to look at, but he wouldn't want to own one. Of course, Sorenson never said this out loud, because it'd be all over the place that good ol' Sorenson was a sexist, another product of hanging out with women is that you get this strange distrust of women.
"So umm...you really...where cold?" Sorenson told Lexie trying to make conversation.
"Sorenson, one day I'm going to ask a guy what it feels like to have a penis, and then I'll tell you...because I think you really need to figure that out before you try to make small talk with us." Lexie said with a smirk before punching him again, yes that was good ol' Sorenson for you.
"Yeah well...I've spent years studying the female sex...and I still have yet to find the answer to what exactly you guys want..."
"Awww... Sam that would remove the fun in hanging out with us." Lexie said sticking her tongue out at him.
"I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter Lex." he said with a smirk.
"What was that testosterone in that voice? Sorenson you are growing up!"
And with that Sorenson decided not to respond and simply get in the car.
Posted by: kuroiraishu Jun 7 2006, 11:49 PM
Just getting ready to leave herself, Kurai had slung her bag over her shoulder and was heading for the door when she heard Whitney extend an offer to her to join them. It took her a short moment to figure out what she had for homework, absolutely nothing, and to decide. By then though, Lexie was pulling Whitney out of the locker room.
"Hey! Wait up!" Kurai simply shook her head at Lexie's antics as she dashed out of the locker room after them.
When she came to a stop by Lexie and Sorenson, she gave Lexie a humored smirk as she gave the boy trouble. Though Kurai's attention was quickly pulled away from Sorenson and Lexie as she noticed the baseball team.
Looking to Whitney as she pulled up, Kurai had barely blinked and Lexie was already in the passenger sit. It was understandable. Though, despite herself, she couldn't help but look back to the baseball boys who were obviously looking over toward Whitney's car. Shaking her head, she leaned against the side of the car.
"What do you think that group of boys over there are saying?" She didn't indicate where they were, but she was certain Lexie and Whitney would know who she was talking about. It was when they burst out in laughter that she grew suspicious of them.
"Hey, isn't that the new guy with them? Oh, what's his name... Richie, or Ricky? Whatever. Either way, he seems out of place there."
Suddenly remembering why she was there, Kurai shook her head and laughed. "I'll come along for some food, seeing as you did offer and I remarkabely miss going out with you guys." With that she hopped into the backseat of the car. She was one of those people who could walk to school.
Posted by: Megami Jun 10 2006, 07:19 PM
Whitney, too, had grown curious as to what was going on at the baseball field. Obviously, she, Lexie, and the rest of the crew had been the brunt of their joke or something, and Whitney became even more self-conscious as she heard them erupt into laughter even from the distance away they currently were. Feeling her face flush a bright red, Whitney sunk further down into the driver's seat of the car. Meanwhile, happy-go-lucky, clueless Lexie Williams was currently turned around with her knees digging into the tan leather of Whitney's seats, flailing her arm about in a wild wave.
At Kurai's mention of Ricky, Whitney felt her face turn an even brighter shade of red, but simply tried to shrug off the thought. Straining to overhear the boys' conversation from the baseball field, Whitney discovered that it was completely inaudible over the distance. Either way, Sorenson seemed to not be paying attention, and Whitney didn't want to act like she was paying too much heed to a bunch of redneck boys. Casting an almost fake smile at Lexie as she plopped back down in the front seat, she turned to Kurai and Sorenson and after a moment, finally spoke up.
"You're right," she mused quietly, "He does seem out of place... but... forget about them. They aren't important. Anyway ladies... and Sorenson... what do you say we head on down to Benson's and grab a burger?"
Benson's Bar and Grill was, of course, a little rinky-dink ma&pa-esque restaurant local to the New Jersey area with what Whitney Acosta thought to be the best hamburgers this side of the Mississippi. With that Whitney Acosta and company were off, the only remnants of them having ever been in the locker rooms being the tire marks from the black Mustang. As Whitney roared through the parking lot with her friends, she mentally forced all thoughts of Ricky Callahan out of her mind. For now, anyway.
Whitney Acosta
Whitney Acosta
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Megami. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Original Post Title: "A Lone Soul at the Bar and Grill"
Location: Benson's Bar and Grill
Posted by: Megami Jun 10 2006, 11:24 PM
(Continued from http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...#entry1256221.)
The black Mustang convertible had wheeled into the crowded Benson's parking lot without incident, and Whitney and company had piled out of the car and into the restaurant in a rather hurried manner. Stepping inside the crowded restaurant, Whitney scanned the area, searching for an empty table. Lexie, meanwhile, had gone scampering off into the not-so-far distance, apparently having seen someone she knew. At Sorenson's request for she and Kurai to find a table, Whitney simply nodded, continuing to scan the area as Sorenson disappeared somewhere toward the cash wrap.
Catching a glimpse of an empty table toward the window in the back of the restaurant, Whitney motioned to Kurai, Sorenson, and Lexie, assuming they'd all seen her, and headed toward the empty table. Weaving her way between the Bar and Grill patrons the the wait staff proved a task in itself, and Whitney occassionally had to stop and wave hello to this person or that before finally making her way to the back of the room, a few feet from the table. The dark haired boy sitting alone at a table for two caught her eye momentarily, and she found herself placing the face with relative ease.
Tossing her purse on top of the empty table behind him as somewhat of a place holder, Whitney approached the table nonchalantly and drummed her fingertips across the top of it as she walked by, hoping to attract the boy's attention. While she and Matthias sat a few seats apart in Mr. Dolph's homeroom, she hadn't really had a chance to sit and talk to him, what with Lexie constantly bouncing in and out of her conversations. From what she did know of Matthias, though, he seemed like a nice kid, and right now he looked, well, lonely.
"Hey, what's up?" she inquired lightly.
Taking the opportunity, she nonchalantly slid into the seat in front of him for the time being, hoping to keep the boy company and hoping for a bit of company herself until Sorenson returned with the food. Looking back for Lexie and Sam, who were still nowhere in site, Whitney shrugged lightly and turned back toward Matthias with that trademark Whitney Acosta smile plastered on her face. Taking note of the saxophone case sitting near Matthias, Whitney considered inquiring about it, but almost seemed to disregard the thought.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 12 2006, 10:38 AM
Matthias had been lost completely in a contemplative daydream, resting his chin at the base of his palm as his dark eyes wandered thoughtfully about the inside of the restaurant. He was momentarily startled as the presence of Whitney dropped into view, waking him rather suddenly from his contemplative trance.
He returned a warm smile at her in a friendly greeting. He had seen her in class, as well as out and about in school, particularly in cheer practice. Unfortunately they'd never had a solid moment to chat until now, due to the fact that their schedules outside of class never seemed to overlap. He looked round and saw other schoolmates, most likely Whitney's friends no doubt.
He glanced upwards for a brief second. "Literally? Well...there's the ceiling for one, and the one of the fans that ever works. Figuratively, I'm just bored out of my mind, in case you couldn't tell just by looking. Waiting to get a ride home from my Dad, and also waiting for my sis to meet me here. Problem is, neither of them have a reputation for being real punctual, so I'm at least hoping to get out of here before I grow old."
He nodded towards her, reaching down to move the saxophone case so that it wouldn't be anyone's way. "Fancy seeing you here, I could use the company. Brought your friends along with you too?"
Posted by: Megami Jun 13 2006, 10:17 PM
((Ricky and Eric continued from: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...showtopic=891))
A light laugh escaped her lips at Matthias's sarcasm, even more so when he began his declaration about his dad and sister. Musing for a moment on his words about leaving before getting old, Whitney couldn't help but add her own little commentary in as well. Pretending to study his hair scrutinizingly, she finally pointed to a spot on his head and a smile overcame her face.
"Looks like you're too late, I see a grey hair in there."
Upon his inquiry regarding Kurai, Sam, and Lexie, Whitney cast another glance around Bensons in search of the trio she had entered with. Seeing them scattered in various places around the restaurant, she only nodded slightly in regards to his question. Whitney's attention turned to the door as it suddenly swung open, the bright light from outside enshrouding the dark little restaurant for a moment, and the outline of two figures could be seen stepping through the door.
Whitney's face immediately flushed a bright red in color and she cast her attention the other way, hoping no one would notice. Of all the people who could've possibly stepped into the restaurant, it would have to be Ricky Callahan and his frizzy haired companion from the baseball team. Pretending not to see them, Whitney didn't acknowledge their prescence, and instead turned to face Matthias once again.
"So... uh... do you come out here often?"
***
As Ricky Callahan stepped through the doors to the small bar and grill that was somewhat of a local hangout, his eyes travelled across the interior of the building and he immediately noticed her. A faint smile crossed his lips and he almost contemplated walking over to say hello. Instead, he immediately saw the companion she had in the form of Matthias Kovalenko. Sam Sorenson, Ricky could handle. Sam seemed like kind of a girly guy anyway. Matthias was another story, however.
He'd always sort of seemed strange. Sarcastic, cynical, and a complete train-wreck when it came to that little sister of his. Ricky never quite understood that, he didn't worry about his little brother. He could handle himself, right? Then again, Ricky had heard the stories about Matthias. Kids say nasty things, stories get twisted around. Despite that... from what he'd heard, Matthias Kovalenko was quite the weirdo. Why would Whitney Acosta of all people hang out with someone like that?.
Whatever.
It seemed almost stupid to get jealous over her being with some other guy, it wasn't as if Ricky ever really spoke to her anyway. He never had the chance. She was always surrounded by people... people like that loud-mouthed Williams girl and Sorenson. It made her seem... unapproachable, maybe? Well that and the fact that his friends would probably nag him to no end for even talking to her, especially after everything he'd been "forewarned" about. Ricky was immediately thrown back to reality at the sound of his friend's nagging voice.
"Dude, what the hell's your problem? You gonna come back from outer space anytime soon so I can get a damned hamburger?"
"Huh?"
It took the hispanic boy a moment to come back from his reverie and return to the real world, but when he did he simply shrugged his shoulders and motioned for his friend to stand in the line to order. Watching his friend eyeball the menu like it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, Ricky couldn't help but fade back into his own little world. Who would've ever thought that Matthias Kovalenko of all people would be having lunch with Whitney Acosta? Either way, that's certainly what it looked like from Ricky's point of view.
Posted by: MooCow Jun 14 2006, 10:51 AM
Andie Colvin carried the various entrees of her patrons with great dexterity. She hated her waitressing job at Bensons but she was damn good at it, that was for sure. One might have been surprised at the sight of such a tiny, willowy girl balancing what appeared to be at least have a dozen dishes in her arms.
As she carefully manuevered the aisles and boothes Andie noticed several of her classmates scattered throughout the restaurant. The beautiful Whitney Acosta sat at a table with Matthias Kovalenko. Andie found that slightly odd, she didn't know they were friends. Andie thought Matthias was cute in a sort of mysterious way. He seemed so mature for their age.
As she passed them she smiled and said hello. She sighed inside... Matthias probably wasn't even worth dreaming about. Most of the boys seemed to either forget that Andie was a girl, or thought she was a lesbian. She had never been a girly girl. Boys went for girls like Whitney.
Rounding out her classmates seemed to be Sam Sorenson, that girl Lexie who's last name she couldn't recall and Kurai. Just out of the corner of her eye Andie could see Ricky Callahan and one of the other baseball players entering.
She arrived at the table of her customers, a group of middle aged women, and gingerly served them their meals.
"Would you like a refill on that Diet Coke miss?" Andie quipped with her slight southern twang.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 14 2006, 01:31 PM
Matthias tilted his head to one side in slight confusion as Whitney suddenly began staring at him in a rather scrutinizing manner, feeling only vaguely daunted at being studied at so closely by a girl. He observed her as she observed him, subconsciously deciding that she didn't look half bad, actually. She was quite cute, a pretty face and all. He smiled with hidden incredulity at this thought, and laughed, nudging a finger against the spot on his head where she had pointed at.
He tugged at a brown lock of hair. "Aw, man...that makes the third one I've found all year. Sure hope my memory stays intact by the time they get here." He smiled warmly at her, before tilting his head towards the direction of her gaze. From where he was sitting, he could see Kurai, Sorenson, and Lexie where he was sitting, recognizing them immediately as his fellow classmates. It seemed as though they were up and about getting their lunch before finding a table, most likely they had come with Whitney.
"Brought your friends along with you, huh?" Matthias asked her. "Well that's nice, proves your social life over my lack thereof." He shrugged apologetically and laughed a bit. However, Matthias noticed that her attention had suddenly turned elsewhere, towards something that seemed to make her turn somewhat warm and red in the face before she looked away, as though pretending not to have seen anything. Not buying it, Matthias turned his head, having to lean his elbow against the chair in order to see a full 180 degrees behind him.
Matthias raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight of Ricky Callahan entering the restaurant, unmistakeable amongst the rest of the patrons. He frowned slightly, knowing fully well from observation how pompous Callahan could to others, especially in the pre
sence of his fellow teammates. He wasn't a bad guy, Matthias thought to himself, shrugging as he glanced towards Whitney. Just the fact that the attitude he put up seemed more like a front of confidence more than anything, superficial like his good looks.
Matthias remembered the way Whitney had blushed and turned away at the sight of Callahan, drawing up conclusions of his own, but saying nothing. Instead, he smiled and asked her with a subtle wryness in his tone, "Callahan another friend of yours?"
For the sake of not making Whitney uncomfortable, he decided to quickly change the subject. He crossed his arms in contemplation over her question and rested his elbows on the empty table. "Not too often, I'm in jazz band and the school choir, which demands afterschool practice both routinal and overtime. Also, my sis is in this school-sponsored environmental and global issues club, along with the softball team. I'm the one to walk her home, so I don't have much time for outings."
He smiled, not regretfully, but still sadly at this confession. He noted Andie Colvin, also from Franklin, though he didn't know her that well. As she passed by, he waved to her casually as she walked passed, greeting them shyly. Truthfully, he never knew that she worked here. He continued, refocusing on Whitney. "A shame though, this is rather a nice place, not to far from the school either. Where I live is a ways far off though, all the way in the next district, another reason why I rarely come here."
His musings were interrupted abruptly by the sound of his ringtone, a Vivaldi ritornello of some sort, typical of a nerd, Matthias thought with slight embarrassment. He withdrew his cellphone from his pocket, smiling an apology to Whitney. "'Scuse me for a moment." He flipped it open and held it to his ear.
"Hello? ...Oy, Dad, are you even coming to get me, or are you still at the restaurant?" He shook his head incredulously, then suddenly blinked in surprise before groaning in exasperation. "...Not again! Man, I hope you're insured. Mom is going to kill you for trashing her jeep again."
He paused, before sighing and rolling his eyes again. "...what do you mean, JUST the garage door? ....And what am I supposed to do now? ....No way! Do you know how much a taxi costs to get to the next district? .....Okay, okay, nevermind. I'll think of something. .....Yeah, I'll be alright, don't worry about me. ...yeah, I'll take Jodeen with me, think she's still at softball practice. ...'kay, see you. Bye."
With an exasperated mutter, he repocketed his cellphone and shook his head towards Whitney, smiling apologetically at her. "Sorry about that, Dad called to say he punched a hole through our garage door, and the tire got shredded or whatever..." He sighed at leaned back against his chair.
"But that's fine for him, he just has to make sure he gets the thing replaced before Mom finds out, I think I might have to hitch a ride home or something..."
Posted by: MooCow Jun 16 2006, 12:18 AM
As Andie carefully manuevered her territory the stress of so many customers began to grate on her nerves.
"Miss this steak is medium rare," a woman at a table which Andie was not waiting on stated irritably, stopping her, "I ordered my steak medium! First my husbands soup is cold, then we wait an hour for our meal! I demand to speak to the manager."
Andie stepped back nervously, "umm... well miss."
"Don't say 'umm'," the woman hissed rudely.
Andie couldn't believe the nerve of this woman. She hadn't even been waiting on these people.
"Can I help you ma'am?" a voice said from behind Andie.
It was Fritz the manager. Andie heaved a sigh of relief.
"Andie carry on," he said shortly and began to make negotiations with the woman... he'd probably offer her a free dessert or something.
Andie turned and made her way towards her destination, a refill of soda in her hands. Flustered from her dealings with the angry customers she failed to notice the 'WET FLOOR' sign. Needless to say Andie Colvin slipped, the Diet Coke glass flying from her hand and drenching a nearby denizen of Benson's Bar & Grill in cola.
Getting up Andie groaned inside and hurriedly apologized, "I'm so sorry!"
To her horror she realized that the person she had drenched in the sticky liquid was a familiar face, None other than that of Whitney Acosta.
Posted by: Megami Jun 16 2006, 12:46 AM
Unfortunately for Whitney, her acting wasn't exactly top-notch, and it was apparent as Matthias seemed to catch on to her sudden change in mannerisms upon the entrance of Ricky Callahan. As he inquired gently about the guy, Whitney simply shrugged her shoulders, not so willing to divuldge that "secret" to someone she didn't know very well. Instead, she simply cast him a smile and nodded lightly.
"Something like that..."
As Matthias's cell phone rang, Whitney couldn't help but stifle a giggle at the conversation that proceeded to follow him answering. Smiling somewhat, the blonde mused over the one-sided ongoings she could hear over the phone call, finding it all rather amusing. As Matthias hung up the phone with an exasperated look on his face and proceeded to state what had happened, Whitney found herself laughing at the entire matter.
"You know..." she stated thoughtfully after a moment, "I can give you a ride home... if you want. I'll have to take them back to the school anyway when we head home, won't be a big deal to grab Jodeen along the way. I mean, like I said, if you want."
The fair-haired girl had virtually just finished her sentence when out of the corner of her eye she saw the waitress girl she barely knew as Andie Colvin slip and fall on the wet floor of the restaurant. Had Whitney had the reflexes to do so, she would've helped the girl. Instead, she simply looked on as the diet drink the girl was holding went flying from her hand and sprayed her in a sea of caffeine. Whitney held her arms out in a mixture of disgust, embarrassment, and surprise as she was coated in the sticky liquid.
Quickly jumping out of her seat, Whitney slowly looked down to see that indeed, she was completely covered in the sticky mess. She could hear the other girl apologizing profusely in the back of her mind, though it barely registered to Whitney. Instead she cast a glance to Matthias, to her friends who had stopped to stare in awe, and even a one of absolute horror to the guy of her dreams, who just happened to be standing there watching the entire thing. How embarrassing.
"I... It's fine."
That was all she could manage to say to the waitress. Part of Whitney honestly wanted to punch the girl in the face. She was outraged by the entire atrocity. Part of her knew it was just an accident, but she couldn't help but wonder in the back of her mind if perhaps Andie Colvin had dumped the soda on her on purpose. Girls like Andie... they tended to be jealous of Whitney. She saw it on a regular basis. Maybe this girl was just another one of them. Letting the negative thoughts slip out of her mind, Whitney looked down at her soda-drenched outfit once again and sighed.
What now?
Whitney Acosta simply continued to stand there, embarrassed to no end by the situation that had just occurred and unsure of how to handle it. Maybe she should just leave? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the manager staring over there. Honestly, she didn't want the restaurant manager to come over and make a big scene of things. It was just an accident after all, right?
Posted by: MooCow Jun 16 2006, 09:47 AM
Flushing crimson Andie knew it wasn't 'fine'. She had embaressed one of the most popular people at her school in a public place. Not that Andie gave a shit about popularity. She was fairly popular herself being on friendly terms with most.
"Let me help you get cleaned up Whitney," Andie suggested, "I've got my break anyway. I'm so sorry."
Posted by: Megami Jun 20 2006, 08:51 PM
(OOC: I'd planned on waiting for Maka but... mahh, no posts for 4 days make me nervous.)
"No, really, it's fine," Whitney started, "...Really. It's... it's just a little soda, right?"
Mustering the friendliest smile she could, Whitney cast it toward Andie, feeling just as bad for the waitress as she did for herself. Sure, she was drenched in soda, and sure, the guy she liked had probably witnessed the entire ordeal, but it could be worse, right? She could be Andie. It could be her boss standing there with a glare contorting his features because of the incident that had just occurred.
Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, Whitney excused herself from the table she had occupied with Matthias Kovalenko and proceeded to escort herself into the nearby women's restroom. The door to the bathroom creaked open, illuminating the stalls in a pale glow. Making her way to the row of sinks, Whitney did a quick once over of herself in the mirror. It really wasn't all that bad. Yeah, she had a gigantic wet blotch covering her shirt and a good portion of her lap, but what can you do?
After a moment, Whitney reluctantly turned the water on and grabbed a handful of paper towels from the dispenser. After soaking the towels in the water, she proceeded to attempt to blot the coke spill clean. Finding some success, Whitney smiled to herself. However, the fact remained that there was still a wet spot covering the better part of her mid-section. Sighing irritatedly, Whitney held her head in her hands and stared at the reflection looking back at her in the mirror.
What a nightmare...
***
Somewhere between ordering lunch and the events that had recently unfolded, the frizzy-haired baseball player Ricky had been accompanying to the dinner (Eric) had instructed Ricky to find them a seat, and he had inconspicuously seated himself almost within hearing range of the table being occupied by Whitney and Matthias. It wasn't like Ricky made it a habit of eavesdropping on other people's conversations, but something about the couple didn't sit right with him, and he was curious as to what would inspire the two to have lunch together.
Pretending he hadn't noticed either of them, Ricky stared ahead at the other residents of the bar, awaiting Eric's return and fading back into his own world... at least until Andie Colvin proceeded to trip and douse the blonde-haired girl he'd been listening in on in a sea of Coca-Cola. He was taken aback by the incident and found himself just sitting there, an astounded expression on his face. Suddenly he was in an odd predicament. He could be a gentleman and offer to help her, then probably have to put up with Eric later because of it. He could laugh, which was more than likely what his friend would do, and lose any points he had gained in her book, or he could continue to sit there and stare like an idiot.
Ricky opted for the latter. Looking on in awe as the two girls had a rather tense moment, Ricky could hear footsteps approaching the table, followed by the laughter of his companion. Apparently he'd been right, and Eric seemed to find the situation hysterical. The redheaded boy cackled out loud as the blonde girl took off toward the restroom. Suddenly, a sly smile went over his lips and he kicked Ricky to get his attention.
"Man, that was great! Looks like you got to see more than me though, dude, that sucks. It looked like a wet t-shirt contest going on over here! I hope she kicks Andie's ass, I'd love to see a catfight. That'd be fuckin' hot."
Yet again, Ricky found himself divided. He was honestly pretty repulsed by what his friend had just stated, he didn't think of women as objects for his amusement. Not usually, anyway. Not when he wasn't around his friends. Inwardly, he wanted to stand up for the girl he liked, tell his friend to stop being an asshole, tell him to grow up and act like a man.
"Heh... yeah."
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 22 2006, 07:56 PM
Matthias' dark eyes lit up at Whitney's suggestion that she give him a ride home. Leaning an elbow along the table, he asked, "Really? It won't be any trouble at all?"
A wave of relief swept over him as he smiled with gratitude towards her. "That'll be great, Whitney, you don't have to drive all the way to our place you know? It's a ways far off, so you could drop us someplace where we could walk all the way back. And here's hoping that Jodeen will show up real soon-"
The sight of Andie Colvin slipping over on the wet floor came into view as Matthias was abruptly cut short by the splashing sound of flying coke. Indeed, the brown mass of liquid effectively drenched practically the entirety of Whitney's form, staining her clothes and hair in a brown, sticky mess. Matthias could do nothing else but blink and stare at the rather embarrassing situation that had just unfolded. Andie, who had accidentally thrown the drink all over Whitney, was apologizing profusely while Whitney looked on in red-hot shame and disgust.
"Oy..." Matthias' voice stammered weakly, as he stood up, thinking that he ought to help out a bit. But as the shirt doused with coke darkened into blatant transparency, Matthias blinked again, and turned a subtle shade of red. Immediately, he turned away, looking equally embarrassed as he covered his face with a hand. Looking sidelong towards Whitney, trying to look only towards her face, he muttered awkwardly, "Better be cleaning up a bit there..."
Then again, if he was embarrassed....Matthias started to imagine how Whitney must feel, given her current state in the middle of this public environment, in front of so many people she knew from school. Trying to be helpful, he reassured them, "I'll help clean up here, you two go on."
As Whitney Acosta retreated, dripping, into the nearest ladies' room, with Andie in full pursuit, Matthias quickly bypassed the area of wet floor that Andie had slipped on and made his way to the counter, where a napkin dispenser was sitting. Taking the liberty to grab a handful of dry, clean napkins, he made his way back to his table and began wiping it down, first the table surface, then Whitney's seat, both drenched in coke.
He had started cleaning up the floor when his ears suddenly filled with the snickers and hysterical laughter coming from table not too far off. The circular movements of Matthias' arm as he wiped down the floor stopped short as though suddenly frozen, his eyes narrowed slightly as a frown replaced his usually easygoing and good-natured expression.
Demurely, he stood up, ever carefully, at first looking as though he had not heard a word from the group. Then, resting a hand upon the damp table and leaning over a bit, he cast a sidelong glance of disdain towards the group of schoolmates that had made fun of Whitney. Matthias also noted with interest that Ricky Callahan was among them, though he gave no hint that he had noticed Ricky in particular.
"It must be nice, being able to make fun of others without realizing how hurt or embarrassed they might be," he told them in a voice that was casual, yet subtly scathing, making sure that all of them heard his every word perfectly. "Glad to see that you're so amused."
Turning back to his cleaning, he noticed that some of the coke had splattered onto his saxophone case, now sitting in a puddle of coke. He made an irritated noise with his tongue, after all the money and time he had spent getting this repaired, getting it stained with coke was the last thing he needed. Worried, he began to quickly wipe down the outside of the case, making sure it was free from stain. Once that was done, he immediately opened the case, which was in no way water proof, to inspect the well-being of the contents.
Luckily it seemed that little of the coke had made its way inside. Matthias looked over the contents of the saxophone case, his prized alto saxophone, unassembled and neatly lain in the interior of the case, along with basic care equipment, cork grease and polishing cloth. Nevertheless, he set the entire case along the table and began wiping a bit of the inside of the case. Occasionally he cast a glance between the washroom, in case Whitney came out, and the windor, in case Jodeen had finally decided to show up.
Posted by: Megami Jun 22 2006, 09:39 PM
Eric Silvstedt, a.k.a. #17 on Franklyn Senior High School's baseball team, raised his eyebrows in irritation as he was all but scolded by the student who was sitting a few tables away from him. Pushing his chair back and rising to his feet, Eric cast the brown-haired boy an evil glare before looking back at Ricky and motioning for him to follow en suite. Ricky simply cast his companion a questioning glance, but stood up and followed quietly as Eric strode over to the table Matthias was located at.
"You got a problem?" Eric all but shouted, causing a few disgruntled stares from the restaurants other patriots.
"Dude..." Ricky chimed in quietly, "Don't start anything, this isn't the place."
Completely ignoring the hispanic boy's warning, Eric took another step toward the table and placed his hands at the corner, looking Matthias directly in the eye. One thing the majority of the baseball team, as well as probably the rest of the school, knew about Eric Silvstedt was that he had a very, very bad temper. Ricky cowered behind, his mouth somewhat agape, as he watched his friend's immature display of behavior.
"I asked you a question, pansy-fuck. You got a fucking problem or not?"
"Hey Eric, chill out man," Ricky once again interrupted, only to once again be completely and totally ignored by the redhead.
In one fell swoop, the redhead's hand went flying toward Matthias's saxophone case, and in an instant, the open case and all its contents went flying onto the floor, most of the pieces flying out of the case upon impact. A large grin spread across Eric's face as he took another step toward Matthias. Meanwhile, all Ricky could do in the background was hold his hand up in the air and give an apologetic look to Matthias.
Fucking chad.
The thought ran through Eric's mind as he looked at Matthias and he once again smiled, looking down the few inches that divided him from the physically shorter Matthias. If only to put icing on the cake, Eric's foot almost immediately collided with the brown-haired boy's saxophone case once again, this time sending it jumping up in the air upon impact.
"I think we outta fix that problem of yours," Eric mused.
"Eric, seriously man, enough," Ricky spoke up, this time a little louder.
Spinning around momentarily, Eric cast Ricky a hateful glare before shaking his head and glancing back toward Matthias.
"You got a problem too?" he asked nonchalantly, as though he wouldn't think twice about turning on Ricky if the need arose.
"No, no. Just... we don't need to do this here, right?"
"Heh," was all Eric mustered as he looked back toward Matthias once again, as though contemplating his next course of action. He had all but destroyed Matthias's newly renovated saxophone, and all over Matthias reprimanding him for his actions concerning Whitney. Ricky could only look on forelornly, knowing he was completely powerless to do anything to stop Eric's antics.
"You wanna go, little man?" Eric inquired angrily, "You wanna take this outside?"
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 22 2006, 11:38 PM
For the moment being, Matthias had all but forgotten all about the boys sitting together only a few tables away, focusing all his attention onto his prized alto saxophone, making sure that it had not suffered any damage from the coke spillage. Luckily it seemed to be in the same condition as it had been when he'd finished getting it repaired: absolutely no less than perfect. He took a moment to admire it for a moment, fighting the urge to whisk it out and reassemble it, and break into sonorous melo-
Matthias felt his hackles raise slightly as he felt the presence of the two boys, Ricky Callahan and Eric Silvstedt drawing nearer in deliberate strides. He regarded them both with a look of caution and nonchalance, then found himself meeting Eric straight in the eye as the taller boy boldly leaned on his table. Not at all fazed by Eric's scathing remark towards him, nor impressed by his brazenness, Matthias held his gaze, evenly looking straight into Eric's eyes but saying nothing.
Though Matthias expression was stoic and emotionless, inside he felt deeply irritated by the nerve of this boy, one Eric Silvstedt. He cast a brief look of disdain towards Callahan, who was not at all liking how this situation was unfolding, but was remaining passive and compliant to Eric's whims.
Matthias opened his mouth to speak, about to tell Eric politely to leave him in peace and to get his greasy hands off the table he had just cleaned. However, he was interrupted as his eyes caught the moving blur that was Eric's arm as he swept the saxophone case, along with the contents within, clean off the surface of the table and into the air.
Matthias could only stare silently, his gaze cold and frozen, as the contents came lose and went flying in a crashing mess across the floor, the ugly sound of brass hitting against the tiled floor in a jangled chorus. Immediately, Matthias stood up, nearly knocking his chair over for all his abrupt movements, and suddenly he found himself face to face with Eric, standing a good number of inches taller than Matthias himself with a shameless grin. Matthias lifted his chin up slightly, staring back coldly into Eric's eyes. All his easygoing manner, all his casual, good-natured, and good-humoured expression and mannerisms had dissolved into the stoic young man standing aloof in front of Eric and Ricky with a look of pure contempt.
Still saying nothing, Matthias watched with a look of eerie calmness as Eric gave his fallen saxophone case a hard kick, sending it into the air before it skittered away a few feet. Matthias could see the mouthpiece that had just fallen from it, landing hard against the tiled floor with a light, solitary 'clack' before rolling away.
Matthias immediately fell to his knees and began to recollect the scattered componants of his precious alto saxophone, the one he had been given two years ago from a teacher who used to lead the jazz band....before he moved away to Portland a ways off. Though his face remained as hard and emotionless as stone, his heart stung as he surveyed the damage done to each componant as he took hold of them.
The conditions were worse than he had expected. The neck, delicately shaped and only just newly repaired, was in worse shape than it had been before, its tuning mechanism broken and ruined. The mouthpiece only suffered a few scratches, along with a slightly bent ligature. And then, Matthias cradled the body of the saxophone in his hands, examining it thoroughly using both sight and touch.
The keys were jammed. Those that were still functional were bent out of place, and no longer fit. Matthias' heart sank. The body of his precious instrument was ruined. Repair would cost twice....possibly four times as more than he had spent just to repair the neck. And even if it were to be repaired, the sound that it would produce....
Silently, Matthias ran his finger along the bell of the saxophone, now bent and flawed from the horrible impact it had been dealt having fallen to the floor. Carefully, despite the shape it was in now, he laid it among the rest of its fellow componants inside the saxophone case.
Closing it, he slowly rose to his feet, meeting Eric with a cold, steely gaze, though this time, his contempt and anger was quite clear, though contained. He broke into a smile, one that was eerily good-natured and calm.
"Very perceptive," he remarked coolly. "I guess you realized that there was now way I'd let you get off lightly after doing what you did."
He heaved the saxophone case onto his shoulder, reaching into his pocket and leaving a ten dollar bill on the table, more than enough to satisfy the bill for the margarita he had ordered earlier.
He nodded towards Eric. "After you."
Posted by: Megami Jun 23 2006, 02:41 AM
An eerie silence had accumulated on the interior of Benson's Bar and Grill as many of the patrons watched the ongoing confrontation between Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko. Ricky Callahan happened to be one of those patrons. His pleas with Eric had gone completely unheeded, with Eric even turning on him for a point due to his attempt to intercept the quickly brewing fight. Ricky could only look on in shock and a little bit of embarrassment as his companion continued to harrass his fellow classmate.
This can't look good on me...
Despite the thought, Ricky did nothing. As the two young men stood face-to-face, Ricky only felt a sense of foreboding. Whatever the outcome of this battle, it was not going to end well for either party. He looked on as the frizzy-haired Eric Silvstedt flashed a toothy grin to Matthias as he accepted his challenge.
"No, really," Eric stated wryly as he pulled the door open and ushered Matthias outside, "I insist, ladies first."
The hispanic boy couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend's almost childlike remark. However, despite how immature Eric was being, there was nothing childish about what was about to happen outside of the bar. Somebody was about to be seriously hurt, and Ricky inwardly hoped that it wouldn't be Matthias. After all, he'd done nothing wrong. Eric had flipped out on him for standing up for the girl that Ricky didn't have the balls to.
The patrons that had been occupying the restaurant were slowly starting to line up against the glass windows of the restaurant lobby, all waiting in anticipation of the oncoming fight. So, what now? Ricky was almost positive that Eric wanted him to help take Matthias out, but that was way past drawing the line for the dark-haired boy. He wouldn't help Eric fight Matthias, he knew that much. Two-on-one, it just wasn't right. Not to mention, Eric was the one who had picked the fight in the first place.
As Ricky reluctantly pushed open the door to the outside of the restaurant, a sinking feeling made its way into his stomache. Yet again, Ricky Callahan found himself in a lose-lose situation. He saw no reason Matthias should be beaten up for standing up for a friend. In the same respect, he didn't really want to see his friend injured. Besides that, if Matthias beat Eric, Eric would certainly expect Ricky to jump in, right? Sighing loudly, Ricky leaned against the wall of the building and watched with a bit of interest as Eric circled the smaller boy.
"I'm gonna do to you what I did to that saxophone," Eric mused.
Not waiting for a reaction, Eric suddenly lashed out, causing a few of the patrons leaning into the windows to jump back in surprise and causing Ricky to scowl slightly as Eric's fist went flying toward Matthias's face in an almost cheap shot and depserate attempt at a first blow. As Eric attempted to hit the younger boy, it finally clicked in Ricky's mind that Eric Silvstedt wasn't playing around, that he really meant business... over such a trivial, stupid incident.
Posted by: MooCow Jun 23 2006, 07:49 AM
Andie looked on as Eric began to pick a fight with Matthias.
What a jerk... if I haven't already lost my job, I'm definately losing it for this...
"Leave him alone Eric," Andie said as she exited Benson's and glaring at the baseball jock. Andie had been notorious back in their sophomore year for getting into fights but it had been quite a while since she'd thrown in her hat and vowed never to stir up trouble again at risk of expulsion. It appeared she may be coming out of retirement in the minutes that followed though. In fact Andie had been in a physical squabble with Eric in the past although they had both kicked eachother's asses so bad it had been inconcise who came out for the better...
Time for a rematch.
Only this time she just had Matthias's back. Still she figured it was a pretty even match regardless of the numbers... unless Ricky got involved. Andie forced herself to look confident.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 23 2006, 12:11 PM
Matthias looked on silently as Eric opened the door, inviting him to go first with a rather childish remark. At this, Matthias raised his eyebrow at the utter nerve of this guy. For all that he had heard about Eric, 17th in the baseball team, Matthias never thought that he'd be this brazen, nor as immature or impetuous. Inwardly, he sighed and looked about, feeling all eyes upon him and Eric as the patrons and staff looked on in apprehension at the brawl that was about to occur. Not at all what Matthias wanted in the first place, but it couldn't be helped now.
After all, there was no way Matthias could let Eric go for what he had just done. As he thought of the saxophone lying ruined inside of its case, he gritted his teeth, fighting to stay calm. With one hand hefting the saxophone case over his shoulder, he placed the other hand in his pocket, and casually strode out the door without casting so much of a glance towards the gloating Eric.
He did, however, spare a glance towards the apprehensive Ricky Callahan, noting quite clearly the look of worry and uncertainty in the Hispanic boy's face. Matthias locked eyes with him for one piercing moment, looking as though he was accusing the boy for all his passivity. Only a split-second later did Matthias break his stare and looked forward again, shaking his head slightly in what seemed to be disappointment and contempt.
Don't tell me that this is the guy Whitney likes.
Speaking of which, Matthias looked about over his shoulder to see if Whitney was out and about from her trip to the Ladies' room. Matthias personally hoped, as much as he found Ricky's compliance cowardly, that Callahan would just stay out of this. After all, it was between Eric and himself, and he would hate to see Whitney's reaction if Callahan got involved.
He walked out into the open promenade, ready to face his opponent, and in his distraction over the thoughts of Whitney and Ricky, he almost failed completely to notice that Eric had taken to attacking him as soon as the two had stepped out, no doubt eager to deal the first blow in this all-out brawl.
Reacting almost a split-second too late, Matthias turned his shoulder, moving his head back as he did so. The streaking blur that was Eric's arm swung in full force towards him, catching Matthias as he attempted to dodge the cheap and cowardly blow.
Eric's fist grazed ever so lightly against the edge of his cheek bone as it went past, nowhere near enough to make Matthias stagger back, but all the same it left a smarting red mark against the side of his face. Matthias could feel it burning hot and stinging lightly from the moderate impact. Stepping back slightly to steady himself, Matthias lifted his face and gazed calmly into Eric's eyes, shaking his head slightly. Of all things...he should have known that someone like Eric would resort to something this childish, this cowardly. This new knowledge only hardened Matthias' resolve.
"It's alright, Andie," Matthias calmly spoke to his schoolmate who had come to watch, for he had sensed her urge to get involved in this fight. "This is between Silvstedt and me, we're just working out our differences."
Never taking his off of Eric, Matthias carefully set his saxophone case to the side. The hand that had rested inside his pocket pulled itself out to withdraw a pair of black, leather gloves. These he often found eased his hands from strain while drumming, and had other uses as well. Turns out this case would be another useful point to the list.
In a calm manner, he slid both gloves over his callused hands, pulling both of them over his wrists so that they fit snugly over his fingers as he flexed them. Despite his serene manner, he was personally wondering whether or not doing this was a good idea after all. He hadn't taken aikido for a while, and his judo skills weren't quite up to par as he'd like...but at least that was better than nothing. In any case, it wasn't as though he would be able to back down now.
With the image of his broken saxophone in mind, he let out a confident smirk towards Eric. Making an inviting gesture with his hands, as if to say, "Bring it.", he began circling Eric in relaxed, walking movements.
Posted by: Megami Jun 23 2006, 01:48 PM
As Silvstedt's fist connected with Matthias's face, a small grin spread across his lips. Upon noticing the impact had been much lighter than was intended, however, Eric let out a 'tsk' and spat on the ground before the smile once again returned to his face. Looking on in mild amusement, he watched as the physically smaller boy brandished a pair of gloves from inside his pockets and slid them on his fingers. Eric couldn't help but laugh aloud at the gesture, it was quite amusing from his perspective.
Who the hell does this kid think he is anyway, Michael Jackson? What good are those gonna do him when I beat him to a bloody pulp?
As Andie Colvin exited the dinner, Eric caught her out of the corner of his eye, and an audible sigh escaped his lips, more one of annoyance than anything else. Normally, Eric drew the line at hitting a girl. Andie was an exception. They'd been in a brawl not too long ago, and she'd nearly handed him his ass, not that he'd ever admit that to anyone else. What would they think of someone like him being beaten up by a girl? If you could even call her that.
Ricky Callahan hadn't breathed a word since that moment he had locked eyes with Matthias Kovalenko, and the look he had given him had almost sent a chill down his spine. Now, as Andie too made her prescence felt, Ricky could only shake his head in what could best be described as aggravation. Eric would have no qualms about taking out Andie either, Ricky knew that much.
After a stand-offish moment of looking at Andie, Eric turned back to his companion for an instant and nodded to the girl who had made an appearance, his face contorted into a frustrated glare. Sure, he'd expected Ricky to jump in if Matthias handed him his ass, which he somehow highly doubted, but this girl... she had no right to step in to this fight, no right to stand up for this pussy.
"Callahan, if you're gonna stand around, why don't you make yourself useful and get this bitch outta here?"
While the comment would've upset many another student, Ricky was breathing an internal sigh of relief at his latest order. Of course, he hoped Eric didn't mean for him to fight the other girl, that was where Ricky drew the line. It wasn't happening. Instead, Ricky made his way over to where Andie was standing, his arm wrapping around her shoulder lightly in an attempt to steer her away from the fight.
"Just let them be, you of all people should know Eric's not as tough as he claims to be," he mused quietly enough that the redhead wouldn't overhear him.
Eric, meanwhile, had his eyes transfixed on the brown-haired boy who was currently circling him. The black gloves that Matthias had affixed to his hands temporarily distracted Eric, he thought they were absolutely hilarious. Fighting back a snort at the sheer thought of it, Eric began to circle Matthias as well, a grin once again crossing his acne-scarred features. All at once Eric let out an almost primal yell and half-ran, half-dove at Matthias Kovalenko in an attempt to catch the boy offguard and completely knock him off his feet.
***
Meanwhile, in the interior of Benson's Bar and Grill, the door to the women's restroom slowly creaked open, illuminating the floor in a pale light for just a moment before a lean blonde-haired figure exited the doorway. For the most part, Whitney Acosta had managed to clean the soda spill from her clothing, though a wet blotch still occupied a good portion of her clothes. Sighing inwardly, Whitney's attention turned back to the now empty table she had just recently occupied. Where had Matthias gone?
Momentarily, the thought crossed her that he might've just gone to the restroom, or gone outside to meet Jodeen, or something of that nature. However, upon noting that both Ricky and Eric were now gone, as was Andie Colvin, Whitney's heart sank a bit. Something wasn't right. Around that time, she noticed the patrons of the bar that had begun to line the windows of Benson's Bar and Grill, and a curious, albeit wary look passed over her face. Against her better judgement, Whitney proceeded toward the windows and after tapping another customer on the shoulder, couldn't help but inquire.
"What's going on?"
Through all the people that had lined the windows, Whitney couldn't see the exterior of the restaurant, but she knew by the looks on the faces of the other customers that something was about to happen back there. Straining to see outside, she could only catch a glimpse of frizzy red hair standing above the rest of the crowd. What that Eric?
Posted by: MooCow Jun 23 2006, 06:35 PM
Andie knew they were all right... this wasn't her battle to be fought. Andie bit her bottom lip and hoped Matthias could take Eric. Then again Ricky was right, he wasn't that tough... after all he had almost gotten his ass handed to him by a girl, Andie. Andie was tough herself though despite being small and scrappy.
"I guess you guys are right," Andie said smirking at the red head, "we wouldn't want Eric to get his ass beaten too badly now would we. The whipping Matthias is going to dish out to him..."
Unfortunately at this moment Eric dove.
"Oh Matthias watch out," she yelled.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 12:42 AM
Not even once did Matthias take his eyes off of Silvstedt's circling form, noticing fully the taunting expression in the taller boy's eyes as he laughed as a way of ridiculing his opponent. Matthias, on the contrary, disallowed himself completely to become provoked by Silvstedts' mocking jeers. His face and form remained perfectly calm and relaxed, yet poised and at the ready. Inside however, was a tidal storm of mixed emotions: apprehension for the outcome of this brawl, anger at the thought of his destroyed saxophone, and the determination to teach this prick a lesson or two. The old fashioned way.
Matthias raised his eyebrows slightly as Silvstedt snarled orders towards Callahan. With a frown, Matthias watched as Callahan quickly moved from his place against the wall to do as Silvstedt ordered, as though on cue.
Who is this guy? Some kind of puppet? Matthias thought to himself incredulously, his mind drifting briefly to the thoughts of Whitney, and the way she had blushed at the sight of Callahan. Then again, it might have been Matthias' imagination, and all but a misunderstanding on his part. Then again, Matthias trusted his own gut instincts, which were often right on the mark when it came to reading the minds of others.
Once again, he was almost completely distracted by his own thoughts, and immediately, he cursed himself for his foolishness. Once again, Eric had taken to attempting a cheap shot at him, lunging at Matthias in a blatant attempt to tackle him completely. But unlike the punch he had dealt earlier...Mathias could see this one coming practically a mile away.
He reacted almost as soon as Andie yelled out her warning, his heart almost coming to a halt in slight panic as he stepped back slightly, not looking at all as though he was about to resist the on coming attack. As Eric flew towards him, Matthias looked as though he were about to let Eric take him down completely off of his feet, until he lifted both arms just as Eric was about to make contact with him.
Using the momentum of Eric's lunge, Matthias allowed himself to be forced back slightly, catching Matthias wrists with each a gloved hand, pulling him in the same direction he had come. Quickly, Matthias sidestepped and locked his foot against Eric's ankle, and lifted it abruptly allowing the momentum to send Eric flying forward past him.
He winced inwardly at the impact he knew that was to come. He did not like at all hurting others like this...but thinking of the way Eric had nonchalantly swept his saxophone case away and onto the floor was enough to remove any trace of pity within his heart.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 01:22 AM
A wry grin spread across Eric's features as he charged toward his opponent. The grin spread even wider as Eric realized that Matthias was all but frozen in place, not even making an attempt to dodge his attack. He'd expected the younger boy to be weak, but he hadn't expected the fight to be THIS easy -- halfway through the thought, Matthias lashed out and grabbed Eric's wrists with his hands, then swung his foot around toward Eric's leg.
Unfortunately for Eric Silvstedt, he had been dashing toward Matthias Kovalenko with a hell of a lot of momentum. As Matthias's foot wrapped around and tripped the larger boy, it effectively sent Eric flying directly toward the pavement. A loud thud echoed from the pavement as Eric connected, face first, into the cold concrete sidewalk. Momentarily stunned, Eric let out a few coughs from his fetal position on the ground, noting the red subtance that had accumulated in his mouth when he'd bitten his tongue upon impact.
Quickly rising to his feet, Eric ran his tongue through his mouth once again, this time not so much paying attention to the blood that had accumulated inside. Another smile crossed the boy's features, his teeth now stained a light crimson color. So Matthias was faster than he'd expected. Didn't make too much difference. Now, however, Eric was angry. Rapidly stepping back up to his opponent, Eric once again circled him, his eyes never leaving the smaller figure standing inside of the circle.
Running the back of his hand across his upper lip, Eric was jumping up and down gleefully inside at what he was about to do. He was certain Matthias would expect him to attack again, and he most certainly would, but first... let it be known that Eric Silvstedt wasn't a very honorable opponent, and he certainly didn't fight clean. Almost out of nowhere, Eric launched a trail of blood-filled saliva from his mouth directly toward Matthias's eyes.
Not meaning it as a taunt persay, but more of a distraction, Eric almost immediately swung his fist toward Matthias Kovalenko once again, this time attempting to catch his fellow classmate in the gut and at least knock the air out of him. Matthias might have been faster than Eric, but in Eric's mind at least, he was bigger and physically stronger, thus should have no problem ending this fight with a few hits. Guess he'd never heard the story of David and Goliath.
Meanwhile, Ricky Callahan hadn't budged from his spot near Andie Colvin since he had been "ordered" to keep her out of the fight. He had even gotten enough nerve to look on in mild amusement as Eric had all but face-planted on the pavement. While Ricky would never admit it aloud, he honestly thought that Eric had had that one coming for a very long time. Now, however, he was concerned for Matthias.
While it was true that Eric Silvstedt wasn't as tough as the image he conveyed, Ricky was indeed aware that Eric liked to fight dirty. He'd seen it done before, especially during school when Eric had repeatedly picked on some of his fellow classmates. Somehow, Ricky now had the foreboding sense that this would be another one of those instances. Saying his intuition was right on the money would have been a huge understatement, Ricky saw it coming a mile away as Eric launched the liquid substance toward Matthias's eyes.
It was at that point that Ricky finally decided this had gone on long enough. Now, he wanted to speak up and intervene. However, he continued to stand back and look on helplessly as Eric once again attempted to cheap-shot Matthias, this time going for the other boy's stomach. Shaking his head in what could have almost been embarrassment, Ricky actually opened his mouth as if to protest, but seemed to suddenly think better of it and not say anything at all. Instead, he simply let the fight continue on.
Location: Benson's Bar and Grill
Posted by: Megami Jun 10 2006, 11:24 PM
(Continued from http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...#entry1256221.)
The black Mustang convertible had wheeled into the crowded Benson's parking lot without incident, and Whitney and company had piled out of the car and into the restaurant in a rather hurried manner. Stepping inside the crowded restaurant, Whitney scanned the area, searching for an empty table. Lexie, meanwhile, had gone scampering off into the not-so-far distance, apparently having seen someone she knew. At Sorenson's request for she and Kurai to find a table, Whitney simply nodded, continuing to scan the area as Sorenson disappeared somewhere toward the cash wrap.
Catching a glimpse of an empty table toward the window in the back of the restaurant, Whitney motioned to Kurai, Sorenson, and Lexie, assuming they'd all seen her, and headed toward the empty table. Weaving her way between the Bar and Grill patrons the the wait staff proved a task in itself, and Whitney occassionally had to stop and wave hello to this person or that before finally making her way to the back of the room, a few feet from the table. The dark haired boy sitting alone at a table for two caught her eye momentarily, and she found herself placing the face with relative ease.
Tossing her purse on top of the empty table behind him as somewhat of a place holder, Whitney approached the table nonchalantly and drummed her fingertips across the top of it as she walked by, hoping to attract the boy's attention. While she and Matthias sat a few seats apart in Mr. Dolph's homeroom, she hadn't really had a chance to sit and talk to him, what with Lexie constantly bouncing in and out of her conversations. From what she did know of Matthias, though, he seemed like a nice kid, and right now he looked, well, lonely.
"Hey, what's up?" she inquired lightly.
Taking the opportunity, she nonchalantly slid into the seat in front of him for the time being, hoping to keep the boy company and hoping for a bit of company herself until Sorenson returned with the food. Looking back for Lexie and Sam, who were still nowhere in site, Whitney shrugged lightly and turned back toward Matthias with that trademark Whitney Acosta smile plastered on her face. Taking note of the saxophone case sitting near Matthias, Whitney considered inquiring about it, but almost seemed to disregard the thought.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 12 2006, 10:38 AM
Matthias had been lost completely in a contemplative daydream, resting his chin at the base of his palm as his dark eyes wandered thoughtfully about the inside of the restaurant. He was momentarily startled as the presence of Whitney dropped into view, waking him rather suddenly from his contemplative trance.
He returned a warm smile at her in a friendly greeting. He had seen her in class, as well as out and about in school, particularly in cheer practice. Unfortunately they'd never had a solid moment to chat until now, due to the fact that their schedules outside of class never seemed to overlap. He looked round and saw other schoolmates, most likely Whitney's friends no doubt.
He glanced upwards for a brief second. "Literally? Well...there's the ceiling for one, and the one of the fans that ever works. Figuratively, I'm just bored out of my mind, in case you couldn't tell just by looking. Waiting to get a ride home from my Dad, and also waiting for my sis to meet me here. Problem is, neither of them have a reputation for being real punctual, so I'm at least hoping to get out of here before I grow old."
He nodded towards her, reaching down to move the saxophone case so that it wouldn't be anyone's way. "Fancy seeing you here, I could use the company. Brought your friends along with you too?"
Posted by: Megami Jun 13 2006, 10:17 PM
((Ricky and Eric continued from: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...showtopic=891))
A light laugh escaped her lips at Matthias's sarcasm, even more so when he began his declaration about his dad and sister. Musing for a moment on his words about leaving before getting old, Whitney couldn't help but add her own little commentary in as well. Pretending to study his hair scrutinizingly, she finally pointed to a spot on his head and a smile overcame her face.
"Looks like you're too late, I see a grey hair in there."
Upon his inquiry regarding Kurai, Sam, and Lexie, Whitney cast another glance around Bensons in search of the trio she had entered with. Seeing them scattered in various places around the restaurant, she only nodded slightly in regards to his question. Whitney's attention turned to the door as it suddenly swung open, the bright light from outside enshrouding the dark little restaurant for a moment, and the outline of two figures could be seen stepping through the door.
Whitney's face immediately flushed a bright red in color and she cast her attention the other way, hoping no one would notice. Of all the people who could've possibly stepped into the restaurant, it would have to be Ricky Callahan and his frizzy haired companion from the baseball team. Pretending not to see them, Whitney didn't acknowledge their prescence, and instead turned to face Matthias once again.
"So... uh... do you come out here often?"
***
As Ricky Callahan stepped through the doors to the small bar and grill that was somewhat of a local hangout, his eyes travelled across the interior of the building and he immediately noticed her. A faint smile crossed his lips and he almost contemplated walking over to say hello. Instead, he immediately saw the companion she had in the form of Matthias Kovalenko. Sam Sorenson, Ricky could handle. Sam seemed like kind of a girly guy anyway. Matthias was another story, however.
He'd always sort of seemed strange. Sarcastic, cynical, and a complete train-wreck when it came to that little sister of his. Ricky never quite understood that, he didn't worry about his little brother. He could handle himself, right? Then again, Ricky had heard the stories about Matthias. Kids say nasty things, stories get twisted around. Despite that... from what he'd heard, Matthias Kovalenko was quite the weirdo. Why would Whitney Acosta of all people hang out with someone like that?.
Whatever.
It seemed almost stupid to get jealous over her being with some other guy, it wasn't as if Ricky ever really spoke to her anyway. He never had the chance. She was always surrounded by people... people like that loud-mouthed Williams girl and Sorenson. It made her seem... unapproachable, maybe? Well that and the fact that his friends would probably nag him to no end for even talking to her, especially after everything he'd been "forewarned" about. Ricky was immediately thrown back to reality at the sound of his friend's nagging voice.
"Dude, what the hell's your problem? You gonna come back from outer space anytime soon so I can get a damned hamburger?"
"Huh?"
It took the hispanic boy a moment to come back from his reverie and return to the real world, but when he did he simply shrugged his shoulders and motioned for his friend to stand in the line to order. Watching his friend eyeball the menu like it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, Ricky couldn't help but fade back into his own little world. Who would've ever thought that Matthias Kovalenko of all people would be having lunch with Whitney Acosta? Either way, that's certainly what it looked like from Ricky's point of view.
Posted by: MooCow Jun 14 2006, 10:51 AM
Andie Colvin carried the various entrees of her patrons with great dexterity. She hated her waitressing job at Bensons but she was damn good at it, that was for sure. One might have been surprised at the sight of such a tiny, willowy girl balancing what appeared to be at least have a dozen dishes in her arms.
As she carefully manuevered the aisles and boothes Andie noticed several of her classmates scattered throughout the restaurant. The beautiful Whitney Acosta sat at a table with Matthias Kovalenko. Andie found that slightly odd, she didn't know they were friends. Andie thought Matthias was cute in a sort of mysterious way. He seemed so mature for their age.
As she passed them she smiled and said hello. She sighed inside... Matthias probably wasn't even worth dreaming about. Most of the boys seemed to either forget that Andie was a girl, or thought she was a lesbian. She had never been a girly girl. Boys went for girls like Whitney.
Rounding out her classmates seemed to be Sam Sorenson, that girl Lexie who's last name she couldn't recall and Kurai. Just out of the corner of her eye Andie could see Ricky Callahan and one of the other baseball players entering.
She arrived at the table of her customers, a group of middle aged women, and gingerly served them their meals.
"Would you like a refill on that Diet Coke miss?" Andie quipped with her slight southern twang.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 14 2006, 01:31 PM
Matthias tilted his head to one side in slight confusion as Whitney suddenly began staring at him in a rather scrutinizing manner, feeling only vaguely daunted at being studied at so closely by a girl. He observed her as she observed him, subconsciously deciding that she didn't look half bad, actually. She was quite cute, a pretty face and all. He smiled with hidden incredulity at this thought, and laughed, nudging a finger against the spot on his head where she had pointed at.
He tugged at a brown lock of hair. "Aw, man...that makes the third one I've found all year. Sure hope my memory stays intact by the time they get here." He smiled warmly at her, before tilting his head towards the direction of her gaze. From where he was sitting, he could see Kurai, Sorenson, and Lexie where he was sitting, recognizing them immediately as his fellow classmates. It seemed as though they were up and about getting their lunch before finding a table, most likely they had come with Whitney.
"Brought your friends along with you, huh?" Matthias asked her. "Well that's nice, proves your social life over my lack thereof." He shrugged apologetically and laughed a bit. However, Matthias noticed that her attention had suddenly turned elsewhere, towards something that seemed to make her turn somewhat warm and red in the face before she looked away, as though pretending not to have seen anything. Not buying it, Matthias turned his head, having to lean his elbow against the chair in order to see a full 180 degrees behind him.
Matthias raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight of Ricky Callahan entering the restaurant, unmistakeable amongst the rest of the patrons. He frowned slightly, knowing fully well from observation how pompous Callahan could to others, especially in the pre
sence of his fellow teammates. He wasn't a bad guy, Matthias thought to himself, shrugging as he glanced towards Whitney. Just the fact that the attitude he put up seemed more like a front of confidence more than anything, superficial like his good looks.
Matthias remembered the way Whitney had blushed and turned away at the sight of Callahan, drawing up conclusions of his own, but saying nothing. Instead, he smiled and asked her with a subtle wryness in his tone, "Callahan another friend of yours?"
For the sake of not making Whitney uncomfortable, he decided to quickly change the subject. He crossed his arms in contemplation over her question and rested his elbows on the empty table. "Not too often, I'm in jazz band and the school choir, which demands afterschool practice both routinal and overtime. Also, my sis is in this school-sponsored environmental and global issues club, along with the softball team. I'm the one to walk her home, so I don't have much time for outings."
He smiled, not regretfully, but still sadly at this confession. He noted Andie Colvin, also from Franklin, though he didn't know her that well. As she passed by, he waved to her casually as she walked passed, greeting them shyly. Truthfully, he never knew that she worked here. He continued, refocusing on Whitney. "A shame though, this is rather a nice place, not to far from the school either. Where I live is a ways far off though, all the way in the next district, another reason why I rarely come here."
His musings were interrupted abruptly by the sound of his ringtone, a Vivaldi ritornello of some sort, typical of a nerd, Matthias thought with slight embarrassment. He withdrew his cellphone from his pocket, smiling an apology to Whitney. "'Scuse me for a moment." He flipped it open and held it to his ear.
"Hello? ...Oy, Dad, are you even coming to get me, or are you still at the restaurant?" He shook his head incredulously, then suddenly blinked in surprise before groaning in exasperation. "...Not again! Man, I hope you're insured. Mom is going to kill you for trashing her jeep again."
He paused, before sighing and rolling his eyes again. "...what do you mean, JUST the garage door? ....And what am I supposed to do now? ....No way! Do you know how much a taxi costs to get to the next district? .....Okay, okay, nevermind. I'll think of something. .....Yeah, I'll be alright, don't worry about me. ...yeah, I'll take Jodeen with me, think she's still at softball practice. ...'kay, see you. Bye."
With an exasperated mutter, he repocketed his cellphone and shook his head towards Whitney, smiling apologetically at her. "Sorry about that, Dad called to say he punched a hole through our garage door, and the tire got shredded or whatever..." He sighed at leaned back against his chair.
"But that's fine for him, he just has to make sure he gets the thing replaced before Mom finds out, I think I might have to hitch a ride home or something..."
Posted by: MooCow Jun 16 2006, 12:18 AM
As Andie carefully manuevered her territory the stress of so many customers began to grate on her nerves.
"Miss this steak is medium rare," a woman at a table which Andie was not waiting on stated irritably, stopping her, "I ordered my steak medium! First my husbands soup is cold, then we wait an hour for our meal! I demand to speak to the manager."
Andie stepped back nervously, "umm... well miss."
"Don't say 'umm'," the woman hissed rudely.
Andie couldn't believe the nerve of this woman. She hadn't even been waiting on these people.
"Can I help you ma'am?" a voice said from behind Andie.
It was Fritz the manager. Andie heaved a sigh of relief.
"Andie carry on," he said shortly and began to make negotiations with the woman... he'd probably offer her a free dessert or something.
Andie turned and made her way towards her destination, a refill of soda in her hands. Flustered from her dealings with the angry customers she failed to notice the 'WET FLOOR' sign. Needless to say Andie Colvin slipped, the Diet Coke glass flying from her hand and drenching a nearby denizen of Benson's Bar & Grill in cola.
Getting up Andie groaned inside and hurriedly apologized, "I'm so sorry!"
To her horror she realized that the person she had drenched in the sticky liquid was a familiar face, None other than that of Whitney Acosta.
Posted by: Megami Jun 16 2006, 12:46 AM
Unfortunately for Whitney, her acting wasn't exactly top-notch, and it was apparent as Matthias seemed to catch on to her sudden change in mannerisms upon the entrance of Ricky Callahan. As he inquired gently about the guy, Whitney simply shrugged her shoulders, not so willing to divuldge that "secret" to someone she didn't know very well. Instead, she simply cast him a smile and nodded lightly.
"Something like that..."
As Matthias's cell phone rang, Whitney couldn't help but stifle a giggle at the conversation that proceeded to follow him answering. Smiling somewhat, the blonde mused over the one-sided ongoings she could hear over the phone call, finding it all rather amusing. As Matthias hung up the phone with an exasperated look on his face and proceeded to state what had happened, Whitney found herself laughing at the entire matter.
"You know..." she stated thoughtfully after a moment, "I can give you a ride home... if you want. I'll have to take them back to the school anyway when we head home, won't be a big deal to grab Jodeen along the way. I mean, like I said, if you want."
The fair-haired girl had virtually just finished her sentence when out of the corner of her eye she saw the waitress girl she barely knew as Andie Colvin slip and fall on the wet floor of the restaurant. Had Whitney had the reflexes to do so, she would've helped the girl. Instead, she simply looked on as the diet drink the girl was holding went flying from her hand and sprayed her in a sea of caffeine. Whitney held her arms out in a mixture of disgust, embarrassment, and surprise as she was coated in the sticky liquid.
Quickly jumping out of her seat, Whitney slowly looked down to see that indeed, she was completely covered in the sticky mess. She could hear the other girl apologizing profusely in the back of her mind, though it barely registered to Whitney. Instead she cast a glance to Matthias, to her friends who had stopped to stare in awe, and even a one of absolute horror to the guy of her dreams, who just happened to be standing there watching the entire thing. How embarrassing.
"I... It's fine."
That was all she could manage to say to the waitress. Part of Whitney honestly wanted to punch the girl in the face. She was outraged by the entire atrocity. Part of her knew it was just an accident, but she couldn't help but wonder in the back of her mind if perhaps Andie Colvin had dumped the soda on her on purpose. Girls like Andie... they tended to be jealous of Whitney. She saw it on a regular basis. Maybe this girl was just another one of them. Letting the negative thoughts slip out of her mind, Whitney looked down at her soda-drenched outfit once again and sighed.
What now?
Whitney Acosta simply continued to stand there, embarrassed to no end by the situation that had just occurred and unsure of how to handle it. Maybe she should just leave? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the manager staring over there. Honestly, she didn't want the restaurant manager to come over and make a big scene of things. It was just an accident after all, right?
Posted by: MooCow Jun 16 2006, 09:47 AM
Flushing crimson Andie knew it wasn't 'fine'. She had embaressed one of the most popular people at her school in a public place. Not that Andie gave a shit about popularity. She was fairly popular herself being on friendly terms with most.
"Let me help you get cleaned up Whitney," Andie suggested, "I've got my break anyway. I'm so sorry."
Posted by: Megami Jun 20 2006, 08:51 PM
(OOC: I'd planned on waiting for Maka but... mahh, no posts for 4 days make me nervous.)
"No, really, it's fine," Whitney started, "...Really. It's... it's just a little soda, right?"
Mustering the friendliest smile she could, Whitney cast it toward Andie, feeling just as bad for the waitress as she did for herself. Sure, she was drenched in soda, and sure, the guy she liked had probably witnessed the entire ordeal, but it could be worse, right? She could be Andie. It could be her boss standing there with a glare contorting his features because of the incident that had just occurred.
Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, Whitney excused herself from the table she had occupied with Matthias Kovalenko and proceeded to escort herself into the nearby women's restroom. The door to the bathroom creaked open, illuminating the stalls in a pale glow. Making her way to the row of sinks, Whitney did a quick once over of herself in the mirror. It really wasn't all that bad. Yeah, she had a gigantic wet blotch covering her shirt and a good portion of her lap, but what can you do?
After a moment, Whitney reluctantly turned the water on and grabbed a handful of paper towels from the dispenser. After soaking the towels in the water, she proceeded to attempt to blot the coke spill clean. Finding some success, Whitney smiled to herself. However, the fact remained that there was still a wet spot covering the better part of her mid-section. Sighing irritatedly, Whitney held her head in her hands and stared at the reflection looking back at her in the mirror.
What a nightmare...
***
Somewhere between ordering lunch and the events that had recently unfolded, the frizzy-haired baseball player Ricky had been accompanying to the dinner (Eric) had instructed Ricky to find them a seat, and he had inconspicuously seated himself almost within hearing range of the table being occupied by Whitney and Matthias. It wasn't like Ricky made it a habit of eavesdropping on other people's conversations, but something about the couple didn't sit right with him, and he was curious as to what would inspire the two to have lunch together.
Pretending he hadn't noticed either of them, Ricky stared ahead at the other residents of the bar, awaiting Eric's return and fading back into his own world... at least until Andie Colvin proceeded to trip and douse the blonde-haired girl he'd been listening in on in a sea of Coca-Cola. He was taken aback by the incident and found himself just sitting there, an astounded expression on his face. Suddenly he was in an odd predicament. He could be a gentleman and offer to help her, then probably have to put up with Eric later because of it. He could laugh, which was more than likely what his friend would do, and lose any points he had gained in her book, or he could continue to sit there and stare like an idiot.
Ricky opted for the latter. Looking on in awe as the two girls had a rather tense moment, Ricky could hear footsteps approaching the table, followed by the laughter of his companion. Apparently he'd been right, and Eric seemed to find the situation hysterical. The redheaded boy cackled out loud as the blonde girl took off toward the restroom. Suddenly, a sly smile went over his lips and he kicked Ricky to get his attention.
"Man, that was great! Looks like you got to see more than me though, dude, that sucks. It looked like a wet t-shirt contest going on over here! I hope she kicks Andie's ass, I'd love to see a catfight. That'd be fuckin' hot."
Yet again, Ricky found himself divided. He was honestly pretty repulsed by what his friend had just stated, he didn't think of women as objects for his amusement. Not usually, anyway. Not when he wasn't around his friends. Inwardly, he wanted to stand up for the girl he liked, tell his friend to stop being an asshole, tell him to grow up and act like a man.
"Heh... yeah."
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 22 2006, 07:56 PM
Matthias' dark eyes lit up at Whitney's suggestion that she give him a ride home. Leaning an elbow along the table, he asked, "Really? It won't be any trouble at all?"
A wave of relief swept over him as he smiled with gratitude towards her. "That'll be great, Whitney, you don't have to drive all the way to our place you know? It's a ways far off, so you could drop us someplace where we could walk all the way back. And here's hoping that Jodeen will show up real soon-"
The sight of Andie Colvin slipping over on the wet floor came into view as Matthias was abruptly cut short by the splashing sound of flying coke. Indeed, the brown mass of liquid effectively drenched practically the entirety of Whitney's form, staining her clothes and hair in a brown, sticky mess. Matthias could do nothing else but blink and stare at the rather embarrassing situation that had just unfolded. Andie, who had accidentally thrown the drink all over Whitney, was apologizing profusely while Whitney looked on in red-hot shame and disgust.
"Oy..." Matthias' voice stammered weakly, as he stood up, thinking that he ought to help out a bit. But as the shirt doused with coke darkened into blatant transparency, Matthias blinked again, and turned a subtle shade of red. Immediately, he turned away, looking equally embarrassed as he covered his face with a hand. Looking sidelong towards Whitney, trying to look only towards her face, he muttered awkwardly, "Better be cleaning up a bit there..."
Then again, if he was embarrassed....Matthias started to imagine how Whitney must feel, given her current state in the middle of this public environment, in front of so many people she knew from school. Trying to be helpful, he reassured them, "I'll help clean up here, you two go on."
As Whitney Acosta retreated, dripping, into the nearest ladies' room, with Andie in full pursuit, Matthias quickly bypassed the area of wet floor that Andie had slipped on and made his way to the counter, where a napkin dispenser was sitting. Taking the liberty to grab a handful of dry, clean napkins, he made his way back to his table and began wiping it down, first the table surface, then Whitney's seat, both drenched in coke.
He had started cleaning up the floor when his ears suddenly filled with the snickers and hysterical laughter coming from table not too far off. The circular movements of Matthias' arm as he wiped down the floor stopped short as though suddenly frozen, his eyes narrowed slightly as a frown replaced his usually easygoing and good-natured expression.
Demurely, he stood up, ever carefully, at first looking as though he had not heard a word from the group. Then, resting a hand upon the damp table and leaning over a bit, he cast a sidelong glance of disdain towards the group of schoolmates that had made fun of Whitney. Matthias also noted with interest that Ricky Callahan was among them, though he gave no hint that he had noticed Ricky in particular.
"It must be nice, being able to make fun of others without realizing how hurt or embarrassed they might be," he told them in a voice that was casual, yet subtly scathing, making sure that all of them heard his every word perfectly. "Glad to see that you're so amused."
Turning back to his cleaning, he noticed that some of the coke had splattered onto his saxophone case, now sitting in a puddle of coke. He made an irritated noise with his tongue, after all the money and time he had spent getting this repaired, getting it stained with coke was the last thing he needed. Worried, he began to quickly wipe down the outside of the case, making sure it was free from stain. Once that was done, he immediately opened the case, which was in no way water proof, to inspect the well-being of the contents.
Luckily it seemed that little of the coke had made its way inside. Matthias looked over the contents of the saxophone case, his prized alto saxophone, unassembled and neatly lain in the interior of the case, along with basic care equipment, cork grease and polishing cloth. Nevertheless, he set the entire case along the table and began wiping a bit of the inside of the case. Occasionally he cast a glance between the washroom, in case Whitney came out, and the windor, in case Jodeen had finally decided to show up.
Posted by: Megami Jun 22 2006, 09:39 PM
Eric Silvstedt, a.k.a. #17 on Franklyn Senior High School's baseball team, raised his eyebrows in irritation as he was all but scolded by the student who was sitting a few tables away from him. Pushing his chair back and rising to his feet, Eric cast the brown-haired boy an evil glare before looking back at Ricky and motioning for him to follow en suite. Ricky simply cast his companion a questioning glance, but stood up and followed quietly as Eric strode over to the table Matthias was located at.
"You got a problem?" Eric all but shouted, causing a few disgruntled stares from the restaurants other patriots.
"Dude..." Ricky chimed in quietly, "Don't start anything, this isn't the place."
Completely ignoring the hispanic boy's warning, Eric took another step toward the table and placed his hands at the corner, looking Matthias directly in the eye. One thing the majority of the baseball team, as well as probably the rest of the school, knew about Eric Silvstedt was that he had a very, very bad temper. Ricky cowered behind, his mouth somewhat agape, as he watched his friend's immature display of behavior.
"I asked you a question, pansy-fuck. You got a fucking problem or not?"
"Hey Eric, chill out man," Ricky once again interrupted, only to once again be completely and totally ignored by the redhead.
In one fell swoop, the redhead's hand went flying toward Matthias's saxophone case, and in an instant, the open case and all its contents went flying onto the floor, most of the pieces flying out of the case upon impact. A large grin spread across Eric's face as he took another step toward Matthias. Meanwhile, all Ricky could do in the background was hold his hand up in the air and give an apologetic look to Matthias.
Fucking chad.
The thought ran through Eric's mind as he looked at Matthias and he once again smiled, looking down the few inches that divided him from the physically shorter Matthias. If only to put icing on the cake, Eric's foot almost immediately collided with the brown-haired boy's saxophone case once again, this time sending it jumping up in the air upon impact.
"I think we outta fix that problem of yours," Eric mused.
"Eric, seriously man, enough," Ricky spoke up, this time a little louder.
Spinning around momentarily, Eric cast Ricky a hateful glare before shaking his head and glancing back toward Matthias.
"You got a problem too?" he asked nonchalantly, as though he wouldn't think twice about turning on Ricky if the need arose.
"No, no. Just... we don't need to do this here, right?"
"Heh," was all Eric mustered as he looked back toward Matthias once again, as though contemplating his next course of action. He had all but destroyed Matthias's newly renovated saxophone, and all over Matthias reprimanding him for his actions concerning Whitney. Ricky could only look on forelornly, knowing he was completely powerless to do anything to stop Eric's antics.
"You wanna go, little man?" Eric inquired angrily, "You wanna take this outside?"
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 22 2006, 11:38 PM
For the moment being, Matthias had all but forgotten all about the boys sitting together only a few tables away, focusing all his attention onto his prized alto saxophone, making sure that it had not suffered any damage from the coke spillage. Luckily it seemed to be in the same condition as it had been when he'd finished getting it repaired: absolutely no less than perfect. He took a moment to admire it for a moment, fighting the urge to whisk it out and reassemble it, and break into sonorous melo-
Matthias felt his hackles raise slightly as he felt the presence of the two boys, Ricky Callahan and Eric Silvstedt drawing nearer in deliberate strides. He regarded them both with a look of caution and nonchalance, then found himself meeting Eric straight in the eye as the taller boy boldly leaned on his table. Not at all fazed by Eric's scathing remark towards him, nor impressed by his brazenness, Matthias held his gaze, evenly looking straight into Eric's eyes but saying nothing.
Though Matthias expression was stoic and emotionless, inside he felt deeply irritated by the nerve of this boy, one Eric Silvstedt. He cast a brief look of disdain towards Callahan, who was not at all liking how this situation was unfolding, but was remaining passive and compliant to Eric's whims.
Matthias opened his mouth to speak, about to tell Eric politely to leave him in peace and to get his greasy hands off the table he had just cleaned. However, he was interrupted as his eyes caught the moving blur that was Eric's arm as he swept the saxophone case, along with the contents within, clean off the surface of the table and into the air.
Matthias could only stare silently, his gaze cold and frozen, as the contents came lose and went flying in a crashing mess across the floor, the ugly sound of brass hitting against the tiled floor in a jangled chorus. Immediately, Matthias stood up, nearly knocking his chair over for all his abrupt movements, and suddenly he found himself face to face with Eric, standing a good number of inches taller than Matthias himself with a shameless grin. Matthias lifted his chin up slightly, staring back coldly into Eric's eyes. All his easygoing manner, all his casual, good-natured, and good-humoured expression and mannerisms had dissolved into the stoic young man standing aloof in front of Eric and Ricky with a look of pure contempt.
Still saying nothing, Matthias watched with a look of eerie calmness as Eric gave his fallen saxophone case a hard kick, sending it into the air before it skittered away a few feet. Matthias could see the mouthpiece that had just fallen from it, landing hard against the tiled floor with a light, solitary 'clack' before rolling away.
Matthias immediately fell to his knees and began to recollect the scattered componants of his precious alto saxophone, the one he had been given two years ago from a teacher who used to lead the jazz band....before he moved away to Portland a ways off. Though his face remained as hard and emotionless as stone, his heart stung as he surveyed the damage done to each componant as he took hold of them.
The conditions were worse than he had expected. The neck, delicately shaped and only just newly repaired, was in worse shape than it had been before, its tuning mechanism broken and ruined. The mouthpiece only suffered a few scratches, along with a slightly bent ligature. And then, Matthias cradled the body of the saxophone in his hands, examining it thoroughly using both sight and touch.
The keys were jammed. Those that were still functional were bent out of place, and no longer fit. Matthias' heart sank. The body of his precious instrument was ruined. Repair would cost twice....possibly four times as more than he had spent just to repair the neck. And even if it were to be repaired, the sound that it would produce....
Silently, Matthias ran his finger along the bell of the saxophone, now bent and flawed from the horrible impact it had been dealt having fallen to the floor. Carefully, despite the shape it was in now, he laid it among the rest of its fellow componants inside the saxophone case.
Closing it, he slowly rose to his feet, meeting Eric with a cold, steely gaze, though this time, his contempt and anger was quite clear, though contained. He broke into a smile, one that was eerily good-natured and calm.
"Very perceptive," he remarked coolly. "I guess you realized that there was now way I'd let you get off lightly after doing what you did."
He heaved the saxophone case onto his shoulder, reaching into his pocket and leaving a ten dollar bill on the table, more than enough to satisfy the bill for the margarita he had ordered earlier.
He nodded towards Eric. "After you."
Posted by: Megami Jun 23 2006, 02:41 AM
An eerie silence had accumulated on the interior of Benson's Bar and Grill as many of the patrons watched the ongoing confrontation between Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko. Ricky Callahan happened to be one of those patrons. His pleas with Eric had gone completely unheeded, with Eric even turning on him for a point due to his attempt to intercept the quickly brewing fight. Ricky could only look on in shock and a little bit of embarrassment as his companion continued to harrass his fellow classmate.
This can't look good on me...
Despite the thought, Ricky did nothing. As the two young men stood face-to-face, Ricky only felt a sense of foreboding. Whatever the outcome of this battle, it was not going to end well for either party. He looked on as the frizzy-haired Eric Silvstedt flashed a toothy grin to Matthias as he accepted his challenge.
"No, really," Eric stated wryly as he pulled the door open and ushered Matthias outside, "I insist, ladies first."
The hispanic boy couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend's almost childlike remark. However, despite how immature Eric was being, there was nothing childish about what was about to happen outside of the bar. Somebody was about to be seriously hurt, and Ricky inwardly hoped that it wouldn't be Matthias. After all, he'd done nothing wrong. Eric had flipped out on him for standing up for the girl that Ricky didn't have the balls to.
The patrons that had been occupying the restaurant were slowly starting to line up against the glass windows of the restaurant lobby, all waiting in anticipation of the oncoming fight. So, what now? Ricky was almost positive that Eric wanted him to help take Matthias out, but that was way past drawing the line for the dark-haired boy. He wouldn't help Eric fight Matthias, he knew that much. Two-on-one, it just wasn't right. Not to mention, Eric was the one who had picked the fight in the first place.
As Ricky reluctantly pushed open the door to the outside of the restaurant, a sinking feeling made its way into his stomache. Yet again, Ricky Callahan found himself in a lose-lose situation. He saw no reason Matthias should be beaten up for standing up for a friend. In the same respect, he didn't really want to see his friend injured. Besides that, if Matthias beat Eric, Eric would certainly expect Ricky to jump in, right? Sighing loudly, Ricky leaned against the wall of the building and watched with a bit of interest as Eric circled the smaller boy.
"I'm gonna do to you what I did to that saxophone," Eric mused.
Not waiting for a reaction, Eric suddenly lashed out, causing a few of the patrons leaning into the windows to jump back in surprise and causing Ricky to scowl slightly as Eric's fist went flying toward Matthias's face in an almost cheap shot and depserate attempt at a first blow. As Eric attempted to hit the younger boy, it finally clicked in Ricky's mind that Eric Silvstedt wasn't playing around, that he really meant business... over such a trivial, stupid incident.
Posted by: MooCow Jun 23 2006, 07:49 AM
Andie looked on as Eric began to pick a fight with Matthias.
What a jerk... if I haven't already lost my job, I'm definately losing it for this...
"Leave him alone Eric," Andie said as she exited Benson's and glaring at the baseball jock. Andie had been notorious back in their sophomore year for getting into fights but it had been quite a while since she'd thrown in her hat and vowed never to stir up trouble again at risk of expulsion. It appeared she may be coming out of retirement in the minutes that followed though. In fact Andie had been in a physical squabble with Eric in the past although they had both kicked eachother's asses so bad it had been inconcise who came out for the better...
Time for a rematch.
Only this time she just had Matthias's back. Still she figured it was a pretty even match regardless of the numbers... unless Ricky got involved. Andie forced herself to look confident.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 23 2006, 12:11 PM
Matthias looked on silently as Eric opened the door, inviting him to go first with a rather childish remark. At this, Matthias raised his eyebrow at the utter nerve of this guy. For all that he had heard about Eric, 17th in the baseball team, Matthias never thought that he'd be this brazen, nor as immature or impetuous. Inwardly, he sighed and looked about, feeling all eyes upon him and Eric as the patrons and staff looked on in apprehension at the brawl that was about to occur. Not at all what Matthias wanted in the first place, but it couldn't be helped now.
After all, there was no way Matthias could let Eric go for what he had just done. As he thought of the saxophone lying ruined inside of its case, he gritted his teeth, fighting to stay calm. With one hand hefting the saxophone case over his shoulder, he placed the other hand in his pocket, and casually strode out the door without casting so much of a glance towards the gloating Eric.
He did, however, spare a glance towards the apprehensive Ricky Callahan, noting quite clearly the look of worry and uncertainty in the Hispanic boy's face. Matthias locked eyes with him for one piercing moment, looking as though he was accusing the boy for all his passivity. Only a split-second later did Matthias break his stare and looked forward again, shaking his head slightly in what seemed to be disappointment and contempt.
Don't tell me that this is the guy Whitney likes.
Speaking of which, Matthias looked about over his shoulder to see if Whitney was out and about from her trip to the Ladies' room. Matthias personally hoped, as much as he found Ricky's compliance cowardly, that Callahan would just stay out of this. After all, it was between Eric and himself, and he would hate to see Whitney's reaction if Callahan got involved.
He walked out into the open promenade, ready to face his opponent, and in his distraction over the thoughts of Whitney and Ricky, he almost failed completely to notice that Eric had taken to attacking him as soon as the two had stepped out, no doubt eager to deal the first blow in this all-out brawl.
Reacting almost a split-second too late, Matthias turned his shoulder, moving his head back as he did so. The streaking blur that was Eric's arm swung in full force towards him, catching Matthias as he attempted to dodge the cheap and cowardly blow.
Eric's fist grazed ever so lightly against the edge of his cheek bone as it went past, nowhere near enough to make Matthias stagger back, but all the same it left a smarting red mark against the side of his face. Matthias could feel it burning hot and stinging lightly from the moderate impact. Stepping back slightly to steady himself, Matthias lifted his face and gazed calmly into Eric's eyes, shaking his head slightly. Of all things...he should have known that someone like Eric would resort to something this childish, this cowardly. This new knowledge only hardened Matthias' resolve.
"It's alright, Andie," Matthias calmly spoke to his schoolmate who had come to watch, for he had sensed her urge to get involved in this fight. "This is between Silvstedt and me, we're just working out our differences."
Never taking his off of Eric, Matthias carefully set his saxophone case to the side. The hand that had rested inside his pocket pulled itself out to withdraw a pair of black, leather gloves. These he often found eased his hands from strain while drumming, and had other uses as well. Turns out this case would be another useful point to the list.
In a calm manner, he slid both gloves over his callused hands, pulling both of them over his wrists so that they fit snugly over his fingers as he flexed them. Despite his serene manner, he was personally wondering whether or not doing this was a good idea after all. He hadn't taken aikido for a while, and his judo skills weren't quite up to par as he'd like...but at least that was better than nothing. In any case, it wasn't as though he would be able to back down now.
With the image of his broken saxophone in mind, he let out a confident smirk towards Eric. Making an inviting gesture with his hands, as if to say, "Bring it.", he began circling Eric in relaxed, walking movements.
Posted by: Megami Jun 23 2006, 01:48 PM
As Silvstedt's fist connected with Matthias's face, a small grin spread across his lips. Upon noticing the impact had been much lighter than was intended, however, Eric let out a 'tsk' and spat on the ground before the smile once again returned to his face. Looking on in mild amusement, he watched as the physically smaller boy brandished a pair of gloves from inside his pockets and slid them on his fingers. Eric couldn't help but laugh aloud at the gesture, it was quite amusing from his perspective.
Who the hell does this kid think he is anyway, Michael Jackson? What good are those gonna do him when I beat him to a bloody pulp?
As Andie Colvin exited the dinner, Eric caught her out of the corner of his eye, and an audible sigh escaped his lips, more one of annoyance than anything else. Normally, Eric drew the line at hitting a girl. Andie was an exception. They'd been in a brawl not too long ago, and she'd nearly handed him his ass, not that he'd ever admit that to anyone else. What would they think of someone like him being beaten up by a girl? If you could even call her that.
Ricky Callahan hadn't breathed a word since that moment he had locked eyes with Matthias Kovalenko, and the look he had given him had almost sent a chill down his spine. Now, as Andie too made her prescence felt, Ricky could only shake his head in what could best be described as aggravation. Eric would have no qualms about taking out Andie either, Ricky knew that much.
After a stand-offish moment of looking at Andie, Eric turned back to his companion for an instant and nodded to the girl who had made an appearance, his face contorted into a frustrated glare. Sure, he'd expected Ricky to jump in if Matthias handed him his ass, which he somehow highly doubted, but this girl... she had no right to step in to this fight, no right to stand up for this pussy.
"Callahan, if you're gonna stand around, why don't you make yourself useful and get this bitch outta here?"
While the comment would've upset many another student, Ricky was breathing an internal sigh of relief at his latest order. Of course, he hoped Eric didn't mean for him to fight the other girl, that was where Ricky drew the line. It wasn't happening. Instead, Ricky made his way over to where Andie was standing, his arm wrapping around her shoulder lightly in an attempt to steer her away from the fight.
"Just let them be, you of all people should know Eric's not as tough as he claims to be," he mused quietly enough that the redhead wouldn't overhear him.
Eric, meanwhile, had his eyes transfixed on the brown-haired boy who was currently circling him. The black gloves that Matthias had affixed to his hands temporarily distracted Eric, he thought they were absolutely hilarious. Fighting back a snort at the sheer thought of it, Eric began to circle Matthias as well, a grin once again crossing his acne-scarred features. All at once Eric let out an almost primal yell and half-ran, half-dove at Matthias Kovalenko in an attempt to catch the boy offguard and completely knock him off his feet.
***
Meanwhile, in the interior of Benson's Bar and Grill, the door to the women's restroom slowly creaked open, illuminating the floor in a pale light for just a moment before a lean blonde-haired figure exited the doorway. For the most part, Whitney Acosta had managed to clean the soda spill from her clothing, though a wet blotch still occupied a good portion of her clothes. Sighing inwardly, Whitney's attention turned back to the now empty table she had just recently occupied. Where had Matthias gone?
Momentarily, the thought crossed her that he might've just gone to the restroom, or gone outside to meet Jodeen, or something of that nature. However, upon noting that both Ricky and Eric were now gone, as was Andie Colvin, Whitney's heart sank a bit. Something wasn't right. Around that time, she noticed the patrons of the bar that had begun to line the windows of Benson's Bar and Grill, and a curious, albeit wary look passed over her face. Against her better judgement, Whitney proceeded toward the windows and after tapping another customer on the shoulder, couldn't help but inquire.
"What's going on?"
Through all the people that had lined the windows, Whitney couldn't see the exterior of the restaurant, but she knew by the looks on the faces of the other customers that something was about to happen back there. Straining to see outside, she could only catch a glimpse of frizzy red hair standing above the rest of the crowd. What that Eric?
Posted by: MooCow Jun 23 2006, 06:35 PM
Andie knew they were all right... this wasn't her battle to be fought. Andie bit her bottom lip and hoped Matthias could take Eric. Then again Ricky was right, he wasn't that tough... after all he had almost gotten his ass handed to him by a girl, Andie. Andie was tough herself though despite being small and scrappy.
"I guess you guys are right," Andie said smirking at the red head, "we wouldn't want Eric to get his ass beaten too badly now would we. The whipping Matthias is going to dish out to him..."
Unfortunately at this moment Eric dove.
"Oh Matthias watch out," she yelled.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 12:42 AM
Not even once did Matthias take his eyes off of Silvstedt's circling form, noticing fully the taunting expression in the taller boy's eyes as he laughed as a way of ridiculing his opponent. Matthias, on the contrary, disallowed himself completely to become provoked by Silvstedts' mocking jeers. His face and form remained perfectly calm and relaxed, yet poised and at the ready. Inside however, was a tidal storm of mixed emotions: apprehension for the outcome of this brawl, anger at the thought of his destroyed saxophone, and the determination to teach this prick a lesson or two. The old fashioned way.
Matthias raised his eyebrows slightly as Silvstedt snarled orders towards Callahan. With a frown, Matthias watched as Callahan quickly moved from his place against the wall to do as Silvstedt ordered, as though on cue.
Who is this guy? Some kind of puppet? Matthias thought to himself incredulously, his mind drifting briefly to the thoughts of Whitney, and the way she had blushed at the sight of Callahan. Then again, it might have been Matthias' imagination, and all but a misunderstanding on his part. Then again, Matthias trusted his own gut instincts, which were often right on the mark when it came to reading the minds of others.
Once again, he was almost completely distracted by his own thoughts, and immediately, he cursed himself for his foolishness. Once again, Eric had taken to attempting a cheap shot at him, lunging at Matthias in a blatant attempt to tackle him completely. But unlike the punch he had dealt earlier...Mathias could see this one coming practically a mile away.
He reacted almost as soon as Andie yelled out her warning, his heart almost coming to a halt in slight panic as he stepped back slightly, not looking at all as though he was about to resist the on coming attack. As Eric flew towards him, Matthias looked as though he were about to let Eric take him down completely off of his feet, until he lifted both arms just as Eric was about to make contact with him.
Using the momentum of Eric's lunge, Matthias allowed himself to be forced back slightly, catching Matthias wrists with each a gloved hand, pulling him in the same direction he had come. Quickly, Matthias sidestepped and locked his foot against Eric's ankle, and lifted it abruptly allowing the momentum to send Eric flying forward past him.
He winced inwardly at the impact he knew that was to come. He did not like at all hurting others like this...but thinking of the way Eric had nonchalantly swept his saxophone case away and onto the floor was enough to remove any trace of pity within his heart.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 01:22 AM
A wry grin spread across Eric's features as he charged toward his opponent. The grin spread even wider as Eric realized that Matthias was all but frozen in place, not even making an attempt to dodge his attack. He'd expected the younger boy to be weak, but he hadn't expected the fight to be THIS easy -- halfway through the thought, Matthias lashed out and grabbed Eric's wrists with his hands, then swung his foot around toward Eric's leg.
Unfortunately for Eric Silvstedt, he had been dashing toward Matthias Kovalenko with a hell of a lot of momentum. As Matthias's foot wrapped around and tripped the larger boy, it effectively sent Eric flying directly toward the pavement. A loud thud echoed from the pavement as Eric connected, face first, into the cold concrete sidewalk. Momentarily stunned, Eric let out a few coughs from his fetal position on the ground, noting the red subtance that had accumulated in his mouth when he'd bitten his tongue upon impact.
Quickly rising to his feet, Eric ran his tongue through his mouth once again, this time not so much paying attention to the blood that had accumulated inside. Another smile crossed the boy's features, his teeth now stained a light crimson color. So Matthias was faster than he'd expected. Didn't make too much difference. Now, however, Eric was angry. Rapidly stepping back up to his opponent, Eric once again circled him, his eyes never leaving the smaller figure standing inside of the circle.
Running the back of his hand across his upper lip, Eric was jumping up and down gleefully inside at what he was about to do. He was certain Matthias would expect him to attack again, and he most certainly would, but first... let it be known that Eric Silvstedt wasn't a very honorable opponent, and he certainly didn't fight clean. Almost out of nowhere, Eric launched a trail of blood-filled saliva from his mouth directly toward Matthias's eyes.
Not meaning it as a taunt persay, but more of a distraction, Eric almost immediately swung his fist toward Matthias Kovalenko once again, this time attempting to catch his fellow classmate in the gut and at least knock the air out of him. Matthias might have been faster than Eric, but in Eric's mind at least, he was bigger and physically stronger, thus should have no problem ending this fight with a few hits. Guess he'd never heard the story of David and Goliath.
Meanwhile, Ricky Callahan hadn't budged from his spot near Andie Colvin since he had been "ordered" to keep her out of the fight. He had even gotten enough nerve to look on in mild amusement as Eric had all but face-planted on the pavement. While Ricky would never admit it aloud, he honestly thought that Eric had had that one coming for a very long time. Now, however, he was concerned for Matthias.
While it was true that Eric Silvstedt wasn't as tough as the image he conveyed, Ricky was indeed aware that Eric liked to fight dirty. He'd seen it done before, especially during school when Eric had repeatedly picked on some of his fellow classmates. Somehow, Ricky now had the foreboding sense that this would be another one of those instances. Saying his intuition was right on the money would have been a huge understatement, Ricky saw it coming a mile away as Eric launched the liquid substance toward Matthias's eyes.
It was at that point that Ricky finally decided this had gone on long enough. Now, he wanted to speak up and intervene. However, he continued to stand back and look on helplessly as Eric once again attempted to cheap-shot Matthias, this time going for the other boy's stomach. Shaking his head in what could have almost been embarrassment, Ricky actually opened his mouth as if to protest, but seemed to suddenly think better of it and not say anything at all. Instead, he simply let the fight continue on.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Megami. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
(("A Lone Soul at the Bar and Grill" continued))
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 02:17 PM
Matthias had to admit to himself, at the sight of Silvstedt sent flying to smash face first into the promenade, Matthias could not help but feel a sense of sick satisfied. The feeling, mixed with conscientious guilt at causing someone this much pain, tasted bitter in his mouth, giving him a cold and sickening feeling. Matthias found himself telling himself without conviction that it was not his fault, the jerk had it coming, and Matthias was just trying to defend himself. But as he watched Silvstedt rise slowly from the pavement, Matthias remained thus far unconvinced. As Matthias watched on, he inwardly hoped that Eric would just give up and call it quits, not only for Matthias' sake, but for the sake of the other boy as well.
To his relief, the taller boy didn't seem to be in any excruciating pain. On the other hand, Matthias realized with panic that Eric was not at all ready to call an end to this brawl, contrary to what Matthias had hoped. He waited, in case Eric was about to attack again. This time, he would be more than ready. This time, he would simply-
Matthias was caught entirely by surprise as a spray of blood and saliva caught him in the face, temporarily blinding him. It took him a full second to realize what Eric had just done as a cheap, literally dirty trick to distract him, and it was enough to make Matthias, inexperienced as he was in street-fighting, to be caught off guard.
He felt the blow to his gut coming before it even hit him. Once again, Eric had caught him completely off guard, the dirty fighter that he was. Matthias reeled at the impact, staggering back slightly as he felt all the air forced out of his lungs, giving way to a dull pain in his stomach. However, not once did he utter a groan of pain as he stepped back in the recoil, his hand over his eyes. As he backed against the wall, where his saxophone case was, his hand moved behind him.
By now, Matthias had realized just exactly what people often meant when they said, "All's fair in love and war." If that's the case, then there's no reason he should fight dirty with an equally dirty fighter. After all, it was the only fair thing in this sort of brawl, after all.
Face hidden behind a blood covered hand, he smiled inwardly, knowing how vulnerable he looked and what a perfect target he might pose to Eric, who had likely without a doubt gained even more confidence with the successful blow, and will become even more brazen as a result.
That's right, just come, Matthias hissed silently in his mind in grim satisfaction, knowing that from where he was, Eric wouldn't see that he had wrapped his hand around the handle of the saxophone case while staggering back in pain.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 02:41 PM
Beaming with satisfaction as is shot to Matthias's stomach sent him wheeling backward against the brick wall of the exterior of Benson's, Eric couldn't help but be overcome with glee at the successful execution of his punch. As Matthias covered his eyes, Eric continued to grin, feeling pretty good about himself right now. His diversion had worked perfectly, and it had caused him to score another hit in this brawl.
Once again Eric stalked toward his smaller counterpart, this time stopping short a few feet away from him. Anyone who had ever seen Eric fight before would know that by now he was feeling pretty confident, even confident enough to toy with his opponent a bit, and this was exactly what he was doing to Matthias. Had Eric considered this a real fight, and Matthias a real opponent, he would've long since lashed out with a series of attacks against the brown-haired boy.
Yawning loudly, Eric tilted his head to the side in a cocky and egotistical manner and surveyed the opponent he now had cornered. From here on out, it would be easy picking. Even going so far as to take a moment to crack his neck and pop his knuckles, Eric finally stopped toying with his opponent long enough to approach him and once again attempt to drive his fist into Matthias's gut.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 03:06 PM
As Matthias feigned helplessness and resignation as he leaned heavily against the brick wall of the restaurant, coughing and wiping his eyes, he waited. By now he knew exactly what to predict from Eric, having gotten well acquainted with that bold and shameless attitude after such a remarkably short time. Now, Matthias was anticipating his big moment, the drastic turnaround of this brawl.
He felt the presence of the taller boy as Eric approached him, confident and no doubt self-assured with what he thought would be his victory. As Eric took the time to gloat, giving Matthias more than enough time to brace himself for the opportunity he was about to take, the smaller, brown-haired boy smiled slightly at the antics Silvstedt was pulling off, yet again.
Don't you know, friend? Matthias thought as Eric stepped towards again, his hand once again curling up into a fist and poised to strike again. They say cometh pride before a fall. And the higher you fly...
At the same time Eric launched yet another punch aimed towards the smaller boy's gut, Matthias' hand moved away from his face, swiftly thrusting his arm outward. Matthias knew he had successfully blocked the punch when his palm met Eric's fist, effectively absorbing the punch and diverting away from its original target.
Matthias squeezed Eric's fist, making sure that he had nowhere to go. He stood up, and his other arm swung out from behind him, and a large shape of massive weight followed in its wake. It was the saxophone case, and with a slight grunt, Matthias swung the case, allowing the momentum to carry its weight in a half-circle so that it collided square into the side of Eric's head.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 03:43 PM
Eric's dark-colored eyes widened in a look of sheer surprise as his opponent thrust his palm forward and Eric's fist slammed into it, harmlessly avoiding the boy's stomach. With a growl Eric lurched forward and attempted to clock Matthias square in the head with his other fist in an almost desperate move. Unfortunately for Eric, Matthias was much faster. Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw the black case of the saxophone he'd destroyed earlier swinging for his head. Without the speed and agility to dodge it, Eric was helpless as the large object slammed into the side of his skull, once again sending him flying into the nearby pavement.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
Eric let out a primal roar as he forced himself back to his feet, but, overcome by a wave of dizziness, he was forced to lean against the brick wall of the building. Wheezing slightly as he breathed, Eric cast a hateful glare toward Matthias, than a frustrated one toward Callahan. What the hell was he doing, anyway?
"Callahan, what're you doin' you asshole? GET HIM!"
As he belted out the order, Eric Silvstedt made another desperate move. He began to unfasten his belt from its position within his belt loops, purely with the intention of choking the other boy into submission. Ricky caught this out of the corner of his eye and finally, he made the decision that this fight had to end now before someone got seriously hurt.
Leaving Andie in her spot where she was presumably still observing the ongoing fight, Ricky made a bee-line for the middle of the brawl. Certain he could stop his fellow baseball player if need be, Ricky turned to face Matthias, unsure of what the smaller boy would do. Meanwhile, Eric cracked the leather belt he had been wearing, casting Ricky a condescending look as he stepped into the middle of the brawl.
"That's enough," he muttered, his feigning confidence, "This needs to end before somebody gets seriously hurt."
Feeling a knock to the back of his head, it only took Ricky a second to realize that Eric had slapped him in the back of the head, clearly irritated that he had attempted to stop the ongoing fist fight. Glaring at his companion with a renewed anger, Eric nearly growled out the next sentence.
"If you're not gonna help, get out of the fucking way."
Shaking his head warily, Ricky simply looked to his so-called friend with a look of utter disappointment. The fight itself had been over a ridiculous matter, and Eric had taken it way past the point of going too far. Now, Ricky was honestly concerned that Matthias might get hurt, or if not, certainly put a hurting on Eric. Still acting as a barrier between Matthias and Eric, and once again turning to face Matthias, Ricky gave the boy an apologetic look before once again addressing the frizzy-haired boy.
"Seriously man, this has gone way too far."
In the blink of an eye Ricky Callahan was sent reeling toward Matthias Kovalenko as Eric used a lot more force than neccessary to literally shove his companion out of the way. From the other point of view that had just witnessed the incident, however, it didn't look like Eric had shoved Ricky, but rather, like Ricky was attempting to tackle Matthias into the wall.
"HEY!"
The feminine voice yelled out over the sounds of traffic and the echoing thud made as Ricky impacted the wall. Whitney had been attempting to force her way through the crowd of patrons inside of Bensons for quite a while now, and when she'd finally gotten close enough to discover the brawl that was ensuing outside, she'd rushed through the door just in time to see Ricky go flying into Matthias. Of course, from her perspective, it looked like Ricky had just jumped into the fight, making it an obvious two-on-one.
The blonde-haired girl pushed her way past Eric Silvstedt, casting him an angry glare as she took a standing position next to Matthias Kovalenko. Inwardly, she knew it was a very bad idea to be standing in the middle of a fight, especially a two-on-one. After all, she was pretty much powerless to do anything. Despite that, Whitney forced a look of confidence on her face and stared at Eric.
"I don't know what your problem is..." her eyes traced over to Ricky and a pained expression crossed her face for only half a second before she continued, "Or yours, for that matter, but this is ridiculous. You need to back off."
Eric couldn't help but smirk once again as he was reprimanded by the blonde for fighting with Matthias. Casting a glance toward Ricky, his smirk became an all-out grin as he looked at her, then toward Matthias, then back at the blonde once again. For a moment, Eric actually looked amused by the sudden turn of events.
"What're you gonna do if I don't? Spank me? I might like that."
The rude remark caused Ricky to stare at his companion in a mixture of awe and anger at the fact that Eric had enough nerve to speak to anyone in such a tone, let alone her. Despite that, he'd already felt the brunt of the brick wall for standing up for Matthias, he was in no hurry to do it again. After all, she probably hated him now anyway. Shaking his head in frustration, Ricky simply turned and walked away, unsure of how to handle what had just transpired. Eric, meanwhile, didn't seem to be finished quite yet.
"Pansy-fuck, you wanna get your bitch out of the way so we can fight like men or am I gonna have to remove her?"
(Ricky continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 04:32 PM
Having recovered quite well from having been punched hard in the gut, Matthias stood up with an expression of grim triumph and satisfaction as he watched Eric writhed, forcing himself upwards once again from the sidewalk. This time, holding the case in which his destroyed saxophone was contained, Matthias felt no sense of remorse whatsoever for the impact that he had dealt. After all, if Matthias hasn't reacted, he likely wouldn't have lasted the rest of the brawl.
Still, Matthias watched calmly, though looking slightly unsettled and discontented, as Eric leaned against the wall of the building in an effort to catch his balance, meeting Matthias' forlorn eyes with a glare.
Whatever sense of pride and triumph Matthias felt at clocking Eric a good one with the sax case evaporated as Eric snarled more orders once again to Ricky Callahan, this time inciting him to join the fight against Matthias.
Shit... Matthias thought to himself, watching helplessly as Eric began removing his belt. Fear and apprehension taking over him yet again, he hid his nervousness with a stoic expression on his face as Callahan suddenly approached. More than ever Matthias dreaded the outcome of this battle. No doubt Callahan, being the lackey that he was, would obey Eric's whims and join in. Matthias regarded the Hispanic boy with narrowed eyes, bracing himself slightly as he lifted his gloved fists in a defensive stance.
It's no use... Matthias thought to himself hopelessly as he exchanged glances between the two boys standing before him. There's no way I can take on two of them at once....
His nervousness dissolved completely into utter surprise and confusion as Callahan suddenly spoke up, only to reprimand Eric in an attempt to stop the brawl here and now. Matthias lowered his fists slightly, though this was beyond what he'd expected from a puppet like Callahan. With an inquiring look, Matthias looked into Callahan's eyes, though unable to decipher any ulterior motive or hidden emotion.
Unable to say anything, Matthias watched silently as Ricky and Eric began exchanging looks...and harsh words. Genuinely, Matthias was plainly caught in astonishment at the sight of Callahan just calling for a ceasefire, if not outright sticking up for Matthias. He remained a silent speculator to the heated exchanged...until Silvstedt suddenly have Callahan a forceful shove that sent him reeling towards Matthias himself.
Once again caught entirely off guard, Matthias had absolutely no time to react as Ricky flew into him, knocking him with a hard impact into the wall. Matthias dropped the saxophone case in the recoil, and fell over against the floor.
Damn it, he thought, seriously on the verge of utter frustration. I've just about had it with that jerk....
He blinked at the sound of Whitney's clear voice making itself heard audibly over the ambient noise of the audience and the traffic. Sure enough, the blonde girl was approaching the three boys, with a look of sheer anger and contempt on her face. More than ever, Matthias was surprised to see her reprimanding not only Eric, but Callahan as well, for picking a fight with Matthias. In fact, Matthias knew perfectly well that this was completely far from the truth, given the way Callahan had stuck up for him earlier.
And it was at this point that Matthias felt the need to quickly speak up to shed light on the manner, for Whitney's sake and also for Callahan's. "Actually, you've got it wrong, the fight was just between Silvstedt and me, Callahan was only trying to hel-"
Matthias watched in amazement as Ricky said nothing, and resorted to silence as he walked away, as though in complete resignation over what had just transpired. However, his attention turned back towards Eric, who was in no way satisfied with the way the brawl had unfolded.
Anger flared inside him as Eric made yet another slur towards Whitney. Compelled to stand up for her yet again, Matthias lifted his chin with a look of pure scorn towards Eric. About to reprimand Eric yet again for referring to Whitney in such a manner, Matthias opened his mouth to speak, and was interrupted by a clear, brassy voice calling out above the noise of the traffic, and the murmurs of the audience they had somehow attracted.
"Oy, Matt! What's going on here?"
Matt stared silently as the lean, energetic form of his thirteen-year-old sister fought her way through the crowd and into the clearing where the brawl had been taking place.
Jodeen Kovalenko took a moment to brush at the dust she had collected on her capris, looking around with clear, brown eyes and noting both site and situation as she did so. Her eyes widened as she noted Eric's slightly bloodied form, as well as the gloves Matthias was wearing, and the state of his clothes having collided with the brick wall twice.
"Don't tell me...you got into a fight, didn't you?" Jodeen asked him in a slightly accusing voice.
At this point, Matthias was suddenly more aware of himself than he had been for the past hour, realizing what he had just done and the state he was in now. Disgracefully, he had just been involved in an all-out street brawl with another student, without civility nor sense of graciousness, and now his sister was here to make note of all of this.
"Don't worry about it, Jodeen," Matthias told her quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked towards Whitney with an apologetic look. "Hey...this is my sister, Jodeen. I think its time that we should leave now." Jodeen, however, was not about to let go of the matter so lightly and jabbed at Matt's shoulder with a finger.
"Come on, don't fool yourself into thinking I don't know," Jodeen persisted, tugging at Matt's sleeve. "What's gotten into you, Matt? You NEVER get into fights." She gave a curious look towards Whitney, tilting her head to one side. Never before had she seen Matthias with this particular person before.
"Hello, there," she said cheerfully, before turning on Matthias yet again. "Oy, Matt...I want an explanation already."
Matthias shook her head, wanting more than anything to just forget about the fight, and the fact that Jodeen had to be there to witness part of the dispute that had just unfolded between him, Eric, Callahan, and Whitney. More than anything, he just wanted to get back to his normal daily life and forget about all this as soon as possible.
"Don't worry about it, Jo. It's under control."
"That's NOT what I mean, Matt," Jodeen shook her head, plainly frustrated with her overprotective brother's obstinate attitude.
As Matthias began to lead her away from the clearing, he turned towards Eric, with an almost apologetic look. Quietly, he said, "Listen....I'd like to end this now. Let's not give each other anymore trouble and forget about this before someone gets hurt."
He lifted the saxophone case onto his shoulder, ready to leave...wanting to leave, more than anything.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 05:02 PM
Whitney's eyebrows raised slightly as Matthias attempted to clear Ricky Callahan's name of the incident that had just transpired. However, Ricky seemed rather nonchalant about the entire ordeal, and instead of defending himself or his actions, he simply turned and walked away. Whitney's stomach sank a little as she walked the Hispanic boy place his hands in his pockets and walk placidly down the sidewalk, his eyes seemingly glued to the concrete in front of him. Eric, meanwhile, was angered at the sight of Ricky leaving him on foot. Shaking his head in annoyance, he couldn't help but spit the next words out of his mouth.
"Pussy. Fuckin' coward."
The fight had all but dissolved for everyone except Eric, who was still itching to fight and no longer had the nuisance of Ricky Callahan holding him back. However, the cries of what almost sounded like a little girl broke through the commotion outside of the restaurant, causing even Eric to stop and turn his attention on the form of Jodeen Kovalenko, which had just appeared on the scene. Eric simply watched in irritation as the younger girl approached. Whitney, too, had focused her attention on the newcomer as well, and a faint smile traced across her lips as Matthias hurridly introduced the two.
"Alright," she mused at Matthias's request to leave, "Let's go then... I told you I'd give you a ride home, remember?"
Apparently, the discussion was far from over, however. Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit as Jodeen poked and prodded Matthias for answers as to what had just occured. Truthfully, Whitney was quite curious as well. After all, she'd been in the ladies room trying to clean the wet spill off of her clothes since way before the fight had started. She hadn't even heard the utterances of the duo that had started it all.
Noting that Matthias all but refused to talk about what had occured in front of Jodeen, however, Whitney repressed her questions, at least for now. It was plainly obvious that now was not the time or the place to discuss the events that had unfolded, especially not while Jodeen was around. Still watching Eric out of the corner of her eye, she was almost surprised as Matthias walked past him and mumbled something completely inaudible to her. Curious though she was, her question was promptly answered as Eric retorted in a rage.
"What're you, scared? You would've got your ass handed to ya, you know that, don'tcha? Of course you do, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE WALKING AWAY! COWARD!"
Eric's voice gradually grew louder and louder, echoing out over the crowd that had gathered around. Sighing somewhat, Whitney cast the frizzy-haired boy one final look before turning back toward Jodeen and Matthias. Today had been interesting, to say the least. Eric's taunting and yelling wasn't helping matters, but at this point, the best thing Whitney Acosta could think of to do was to simply walk away. Placing her hand on Matthias's shoulder momentarily, she gave him a sympathetic glance.
"You okay?"
In the background, Eric continued to howl and curse, taunting Matthias to come back and continue on with the fight, acting as though he'd had the upper hand all along. Shaking her head slightly, she nodded toward the direction of the parking lot, having every intention of giving the two a ride home. Especially after all the trouble that had started at the restaurant. Her attention momentarily turned back to the fact that Lexie, Sorenson, and Kurai were presumably still somewhere inside, but it seemed of little consequence now. The school was less than two blocks from the restaurant, they could all walk if need be.
"We really should get going," she warned, her eyes tracing back to Eric every so often to make sure he wouldn't run up for one final cheap shot.
Posted by: Lien Jun 24 2006, 07:23 PM
Clanging loudly through the dented trash cans and mustering up all the balance she had while staying upright amongst the black bags, Danielle was in essence annoyed that once again, she was having a bad day. The introverted teen wasn't exactly selfish, persay, but her welfare and emotions were most definately not far from her mind as she threw open the back door of Benson's to the safety of the kitchen once more after taking out another bag of trash that her coworker, Andie, was supposed to have taken care of. Sliding across the spill on the tiles, past her cousin's grill as he flipped more patties onto it, she caught herself on the spray hose and regained balance just before she made it to the front counter of the bar. Which she couldn't help but get the slightest gut feeling that it wasn't right that the customers were utilizing quite a small amount of space on the opposite side of where they kept the booze. Something was up.
With the newly acquired wall of human bodies in front of the window, Danielle could only guess that another monkey vendor had found his drunken self to the front of their store -long story- or that there was a fight. Secretly hoping for the former, as it was just something that would become entirely undesirable to watch after the vendor started peeing on a pole, she knew it had to be the latter that was keeping the potential dollar signs from accumulating in the cash box. Her rather silent nature was simply the only thing keeping her from screaming obscenities at Andie for not being around when she needed her. Hell, it could be her out there with the reputation she had.
Things like this, now, had to be taken care of with the utmost care, and Danielle knew full well that if she didn't do it, her ass would be yelled at for the scene taking up so much time that bills weren't being paid. There wasn't a second thought as she pulled the cordless phone of the wall, hopped over the empty bar, and walked rather stiffly to the mass of bodies that decided being in her way wasn't going to have her entertain the idea of spitting in their food.
"Excuse me, pardon me," she mumbled the classic lines that others used when they really wanted to say, 'Get the fuck outta my way before I rhino-horn you so hard you won't be able to sit for weeks,' as she squeezed her not-so-little body through the open door.
Sure enough, it seemed she caught either the end or the beginning of the fight, but upon seeing her classmate Eric bloody and pissed, guessed he was looking for redemption for getting a beating he probably deserved. Danielle had to refrain from letting out a snort in her amusement at the situation. She caught sight of two other classmates walking away from the scene, obviously annoyed at the screaming hypocrite who thought that he wasn't the textbook example of the word "coward."
"Fuckin'," Danielle sighed as she let the word out under her breath, preparing to say something other than, 'Do you want fries with that?' as she waved the telephone in the air.
"I just called the cops, just to let you know, so maybe you want to stop the shit-disturbing enough to high tail it outta here?"
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...howtopic=1180))
Posted by: MooCow Jun 25 2006, 02:31 PM
Smiling inwardly it took all Andie had to keep from erupting in laughter at Eric and the whole display. The whole 'fight' had made her admire Matthias even more. Looking to Danielle she spoke, "her listen I'm sorry for disappearing on ya'... look my shift's over so..."
She was interupted as Fritz exited the building, the heavy set manager's face was a deeper shade of red than usual, "what in the hell is going on out here?"
He looked to the teens and spoke once more, "y'all are makin' customers leave. I want you all off Benson's grounds, same goes for you Andie, you're fired!"
Andie looked at Fritz not totally surprised, still she wasn't going to give up without a fight, "but Fritz! I need this job..."
She was cut off again by the gruff voice of her shift manager, "you should have thought about that before you left your customers high and dry to have a little fist fight. Now get before the police come and I have y'all arrested."
Putting her hand on her brow, Andie Colvin felt dispair. She really did need this job, she was saving up for college.
Oh well, there are other jobs... or community college... damnit I just got a pay raise too... damnit I've gotta stop getting in fights.
Looking in the direction of Whitney Acosta and Matthias and Jodeen Kovalenko, Andie called out, "hey, wait up!"
Ripping off her Benson's name tag, ugly thing, she threw it into the dumpster, never one to throw trash on the ground, and ran after the three figures.
Posted by: Kris Jun 27 2006, 01:36 PM
After a no show at the Butterfly Club she decided she was a little hungry. She made her way over to the famous Bar and Grill near school. Marimar skipped along to the resteraunt and pushed open the double doors walking in. Her brown curls went down to her shoulders, she wore a black shredded hat which looks familiar to a jester's hat. Marimar wore a lightblue plaid dress with magenta as the plaid part. her usualy white knee socks were on as well as black mary jane shoes. Her attire maybe a little weird but she was as sweet as can be.
The girl looked around seeing so many people from her school, she didn't really know where to sit. She saw an empty table up ahead. None of the people she saw was one of her friends, at least thats what she thuoght. But she is always in the mood for making new ones if theiri ntrested. Then again who would want to be friends with a poor girl.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 27 2006, 05:32 PM
Matthias smiled in appreciation as Whitney suggested that they leave immediately, knowing more than anything that he just wanted to but all that had happened today behind him. He nodded at her warmly, despite all the bleakness he was feeling right now, happy to avoid the discussion of what had just gone on between him and Silvstedt for the time being. Of course, Jodeen, sharp in both mind and tongue, would always bring it up soon after, something that he would no doubt have to answer to. And to be honest, he was not at all looking forward to such in particular.
For now, Jodeen was keeping her mouth shut in a tight-lipped pout, plainly on the verge of bursting at the seams with questions she no doubt wanted answered. Trying not to look so guilty at the face of her accusing stare, Matthias looked only ahead, about to walk away with the two girls with the saxophone case in tow over his shoulder. However, he closed his eyes yet again in exasperation, as the taunting voice of Eric Silvstedt rung in his ears yet again.
The hooked-nosed boy was yelling after him in rage and triumph, jeering at him for walking away from a fight that Matthias might have lost, spitting enraged curses and yells from afar. Matthias did his best to ignore them, though it did nothing to ease the stormy tides in his heart. His pride was shaken, and now, in the aftermath of this brawl, he felt ashamed, as though he truly were a coward.
He looked towards Whitney at the feeling of her comforting hand against his free shoulder, and forced an apologetic smile, trying to shrug off that bleak, weary feeling that was plaguing him.
"I'm alright," he reassured her, trying to make it sound as though the matter was of little inconvenience to him. "Just tired is all."
Tired of everything, it seemed.
At Matthias' placidity to Eric's curses and taunts, Jodeen drew her lips together into an even tighter pout, plainly far from convinced that Matthias would brush this matter aside as easily as he tried to show he would. It was just like her older brother, trying to take all of the burden onto himself, putting up a front of confidence instead of letting those who cared about him know how he really felt. Of course, Matthias himself thought it was the mature thing to do, but plainly, Jodeen tired quickly of it. It was hardly the natural thing to do, just letting people walk all over you like a doormat without complaint or retribution.
What irritated her to the point of utter frustration was listening to Eric continue to insult and belittle her older brother, who was doing nothing to defend himself any longer. With her temper getting the best of her, she swirled around to face Eric, staring off in the distance, a look of pure contempt on her small, rounded face.
Matthias inner thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a bout of horror as Jodeen suddenly unleashed a tirade of insults of her own at Eric.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Calling Matt a coward! You can't even fight him one-on-one! Consider yourself lucky that I showed up, else Matt would have beaten you into a bloody, slimy pulp!! You jerk! You dirty Cro-Magnon!? You Neanderthal!"
"That's enough, Jodeen!" Matthias shouted firmly, though more than anything he feared for Jodeen's safety at the moment, as well as Eric's possible reaction to Jodeen's onslaught of insults. He placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her away, but as Jodeen was pulled back, she continued to pelt Eric mercilessly with her verbal abuse, shaking her fist in the air.
"Go buy yourself a clue and look in the mirror why don't you!? You could do with a face wash once a year you know! I hope you shrivel up and die, you asswipe!"
"Language, Jo," Matthias muttered in utter exasperation as he began to walk faster with Whitney with Jodeen well in tow, not wanting to instigate the situation any further what with Jodeen's temper and sharp tongue getting the better of her. Seeing Andie, he waved wearily towards her with a slight smile. "You coming with us?"
Posted by: Megami Jun 27 2006, 07:29 PM
Whitney's eyes widened in an expression filled with both astonishment and sheer horror, and she lashed her arm out as if to grab Jodeen as she began to slur insults right back toward the pompous jerk who had been harrassing Matthias nonstop, but it was too little, too late. As Jodeen began spouting off insults toward her brother's tormentor, Whitney could only hold her breath to see what fate awaited the small girl for her retorts. She looked on as Eric pushed his way back in front of the crowd that was still looking on in shock, his eyes piercing the young girl as she berated him in public.
Eric Silvstedt looked on at the young girl who was verbally assaulting him from afar, a bemused expression forming on his lips as she ranted, raved, and shouted. What the hell's a... what'd she call me? A cro-what? Continuing to watch the girl, feeling more and more amused by the second, Eric Silvstedt did what none of the onlookers had expected him to do: he started laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder as he continued to watch the fiery-eyed girl, Eric even letting out a snort of amusement at her retorts.
"Weak, dude," he addressed toward Matthias, "This's the kind of person you are? You're such a god damned pussy that your guard-dog of a little sister has to come stand up for you? Hahaha, dude, that's really, really weak. She looks like a fucking chihuahua. What's she gonna do, bite my ankles?"
Snickering even more at the thought of Jodeen actually trying anything against him, Eric glared toward the small girl, then toward the older brother standing behind her. This just kept getting better and better. As Danielle Tysl's words rang out through the crowd, followed by Fritz's warning that the trouble-makers needed to get off of store property, Eric changed his tune somewhat, confident that he had won both the fight and the argument that had followed.
"You know what, dude? Go on. Take your little bitch girls and your miniature pit bull there and leave. Obviously, you don't think you're a big man anyway. You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"
Sensing the cold stares he was receiving from behind when he verbalized the thoughts of dropping Jodeen in her tracks, and hearing the cop sirens echo out in the distance, Eric made the internal decision that it was long past time to get out of dodge. However, he wasn't quite finished yet, he still had a bit to say. Looking directly at Matthias, he spit on the ground, aiming toward Jodeen's feet, and flashed a grin.
"Just know this, my man, it ain't over. People like you, you disgust me. You wanna start shit and then you don't wanna back it up. I call you out to fight, and you pussy out and drag a bunch of little girls out here with ya. You think they're gonna protect you? You're wrong. This ain't over by a long shot. I'll be seein' ya at school tomorrow."
His final words having been said, Eric swiftly turned around and began forcing his way through the now dispersing crowd. Smiling to himself at the way he'd handled the conflict, Eric took off at a jogging pace, presumably going after the friend that had left him several minutes before hand. As if it were an afterthought, Eric turned back toward the quartet standing there.
"Oh, and by the way," he mused nonchalantly, "Next time, you really outta keep your attack dog on a leash. And buy it a muzzle or something."
As Eric once again turned around and continued his jog away from the restaurant, Whitney Acosta also took notice of the sirens echoing in the distance. She'd always though restaurant employees calling police was a bluff to get rid of unwanted customers. Perhaps they really had crossed the line, and Danielle or Fritz had indeed called the police. She dispersed it from her thoughtss momentarily and placed her hands on Jodeen's shoulders, leaning down so that she could speak into the younger girl's ear.
"There's no point in even stooping down to his level, Jo," she mused cheerfully into the other girl's ear, "That's what he wants you to do. He wants you to get upset, and he wants to get under your skin. If you let him do that, he's won. He knows he lost, he knows all those people are looking at him thinking he's an idiot, and he's just trying to redeem himself. Don't let him do that."
Letting a smile form on her lips, Whitney winked at the younger girl before standing up to her full height. Looking toward Matthias and Andie, who had just recently joined them, she shrugged her shoulders lightly as if the whole ordeal hadn't been anything to concern themselves over. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she just couldn't get Eric's final words out of her head. She feared for Matthias, she feared for Jodeen, and quite honestly, she also sort of feared for herself. She'd watched Eric bully other students before, and he was relentless in his efforts. Sighing inwardly, that faux smile formed on her lips again as she placed a hand on both Matthias's and Jodeen's shoulders, then nodded toward the back parking lot of Benson's Grill.
"Let's just go, before the cops show up and we all get in trouble, alright?"
(Eric continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: Croco Jun 29 2006, 10:04 AM
As the situation started to dissolve and everyone began returning to their normal activities, a set of blue eyes watched Eric as he left the restaurant. Those eyes had been peering back and forth between the fight, a history textbook, and a BLT sandwich that he had ordered just as everything went down. He was not a loner, but just about everyone knew who he was...and either kept clear of him, or showed at least some kind of respect, for few had the nerve or the physical ability to contend with Vesa Turunen. Most of the students at Franklyn High knew Vesa; they knew he was an exchange student from Finland and that while he enjoyed company, he often preferred to be alone when things got particularly rough. And this was one of those situations as Vesa took a bite out of his sandwich...he had watched Eric belittle, then charge at Matthias and while he wanted to keep his nose clean of this, he had grown rather disdained toward Eric.
Wiping his hands with a napkin first, Vesa cleared the long strands of blonde hair out from in front of his eyes. He then wiped his mouth off and tossed the napkin on his plate as he sat back and closed his book; he had been studying for a test at the end of the week until the fight started. Vesa had been pondering whether or not to confront Eric over a multitude of issues...most notably when he and Eric bumped shoulders in the hallway, to which the young Finn's gender was questioned.
Vesa also knew Matthias quite well as they were in a couple classes together. He nodded toward him, then to the seat in front of him.
"Hey, Matthias," he called out, but to his dismay, he saw him, Jodeen and Whitney heading for the door, "Perkele..." (Damn it...)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 29 2006, 11:03 PM
Jodeen only ignored Whitney's retraining arm and Matthias' panicked protests and continued to simply glare venom towards Eric as he continued to insult her brother mercilessly, ignoring the jeers she treated him with. What angered her was how Eric seemed to think of her standing up for Matthias as some kind of joke, and further proof that her older brother was nothing but a coward, something that Jodeen knew couldn't be further than the truth. Furthermore, she looked on in disgust as Eric aimed a bit of spittle towards her feet, missing by several inches, though irritating her further nonetheless.
"See if I don't, you jerk! You think I won't fight you myself? You insult my brother again, I'll smack you one real good! I swear it!" she hollered at him as Matthias struggled to restrain her, pulling away from the scene before she broke away and launched herself in full force at Eric. "And I'm not a little kid! Not like you! I hope it rots and falls off!!"
"Jodeen!" Matthias could not help but let out the exasperation in a much harsher tone than he had intended. Instead of feeling chastised, Jodeen pouted and turned away from Eric huffily, crossing her arms. Silently, she continued to fume.
As the older girl Whitney stooped over to whisper some words of advice into Jodeen's ear, the young, thirteen-year-old brunette seemed to calm down ever so slightly. Gradually, she relaxed, her more good-natured expression coming back into formation, though she still looked rather vexed at all that had happened. Looking at Whitney, she tilted her head to one side in slight contemplation over what the older girl had told her, about how she shouldn't give Eric a sense of victory by stooping to his level.
"But," she replied in an honest tone. "It's true, the way he looks is enough to give a ten-year-old nightmares. Did you see his face? I don't think even the moon has that many craters. Makes you wonder...just where was he when they were handing out looks?" Feeling somewhat reassured at being able to bash at Eric from afar, Jodeen relaxed as she walked cheerfully with Matthias and Whitney. Of course she couldn't be afraid of some ape like Eric. People like that were all talk. That jerk Eric couldn't do a thing to hurt her or Matthias.
Of course, Matthias had more sense than his younger sister, still a middle-school student. By now, he had a rather good idea as to what Eric was capable of, though what truly worried him was that he likely hadn't seen the very worst Eric could do. His insides churned with uneasiness and trepidation over the very thought...even more so once Matthias milled over what he had just said.
"You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?""
Upon hearing these words, Matthias had froze in place for a moment, his mind only able to think about the very insinuation behind those words....was it just an empty threat, he had wondered. Knowing Eric, the threat could be very well real. The very prospect was enough to silence Matthias completely, taking him completely by shock as he found himself unable to respond to Eric's words as he walked away.
Matthias expression by now had turned dark and grim. His insides had gone cold with a feeling of unease over what Eric had said. Over and over again, he struggled to convince himself, He was just trying to intimidate you Matt... He didn't mean it. He wouldn't do something like that.
But after what Matthias had seen and experience today....there was nothing he could do but think otherwise. There was no knowing to what lows Eric would stop at, and if it meant harm to Jodeen, Matthias didn't know what he could do to prevent it. Nor did he know what he would do if Eric did something to intentionally cause harm to Jodeen. But no matter what...Matthias would never let that happen. He couldn't. He had to take responsibility of Jodeen's safety, regardless of what happened to him. It was the only thing to do.
With a stoic expression, he glanced towards Whitney, struggling to smile in agreement at her suggestion that they hurry up before the arrival of the cops made the situation even more uncomfortable, even more unbearable. Immersed in the darkness of his thoughts, he only barely heard a voice calling out his name, but ignored it with silence, thinking that Eric had settled to insulting him from afar yet again.
"Yeah...we'd better hurry up then," he said quietly, picking up the pace in unison with his words. As Jodeen quickened her own strides to keep up with him, she began tugging at his sleeve again, as though she were a small child scouring for answers from a reluctant adult.
"So, Matt," she began, in a tone that was more curious than accusing. "How DID you start getting into that fight? Don't tell me he did something. You never get mad when people make fun of you. What did he do exactly? ....Hey, Matt, aren't you going to tell me?"
At Jodeen's bombardment of questions, Matthias took to looking down at the ground as he walked, hiding the expression of pain on his face. Of course he knew why he had gotten into the fight in the first place. As soon as he remembered, his mind began wandering back to the saxophone case that rested against his shoulder, and the destroyed contents therein.
Posted by: Megami Jun 30 2006, 10:44 AM
It appeared that, for now at least, the warzone in front of Benson's Bar and Grill had been cleared out. The patrons who had gathered around to watch the action had all but dispersed, only a select few still lingering to watch the aftermath of the fight. Whitney couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The ordeal had been dragged out far too long, and even now, Whitney didn't know what the beginnings of the conflict had been. Hearing Jodeen's pleading voice trailing behind Matt, Whitney couldn't help but ponder the same questions in her own mind.
Though Matthias never verbally answered the questions, Whitney looked on as his eyes lowered to the ground, following the sidewalk instead of looking at either of the people in his company. The saddened and pained expression on his face wasn't nearly as well hidden as he'd have liked it to be, and although Whitney had caught this subtle little hint of what had happened prior, she wouldn't press the matter further. At least, not in front of Jodeen.
Now, it was a matter of getting Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story. Maybe he'd be more willing to talk once his sister was out of earshot. The facade that he was putting on now wasn't unusual, she'd seen it before in other people at different times in their lives. It was apparent that he was trying to shelter Jodeen, trying to protect her both physically and mentally from the truth about what happened in front of the restaurant. It was respectable, almost commendable on his part. Somehow, though, she didn't think the thirteen-year-old would quite agree with her on that part.
As the black and tan Mustang Convertible that had been left, top down, in the back parking lot of Benson's came into view, Whitney smiled to herself. Inwardly, she was formulating an idea, simply a little diversion. Although she hated having to go about this so underhandedly, Jodeen really didn't need to know the truth, and judging by the anguished expression that had passed over Matthias's features mere moments before, the truth might very well have been harsh and cruel. Almost as though it were an afterthought, Whitney directed her attention toward Jodeen as the blonde opened the driver's side door and flopped down into the seat.
"Say, Jo. You never got to get anything to eat, did you?," she mused, "How about me, you, and your brother go grab some ice cream or something before I take you guys home?"
Turning to Matthias momentarily, the same reassuring smile crossed her face as she nodded toward him. The tone of her voice would say that she was doing this on a whim, though nothing could be more true. It had it's purpose, and if everything went as she'd planned, Whitney would no longer be left in the dark about the events that had just unfolded.
"What do you say, Matt? You up for it?"
Biting on her lower lip somewhat, Whitney awaited his reaction somewhat suspensefully. There was always the factor that perhaps Matthias had had all the fun he could tolerate for one day, and simply wished to go home. The fair-haired girl couldn't say she would blame him in the slightest, after the rough and overdramatic events this evening had had in store for him.
The engine of the Mustang Convertible roared to life and the radio burst out in an excruciatingly loud tone, taking Whitney by surprise momentarily. She had forgotten that Lexie had been in the passenger's seat on the trip over to the dinner, thus, she had pretty much taken over Whitney's radio. Her face blushed red as she quickly dove for the dial, turning the radio down to a manageable level. Shrugging her shoulders and laughing somewhat, she took a moment to look into the rear-view mirror and adjust her hair and makeup, all the while pondering their next destination.
Posted by: Croco Jun 30 2006, 08:21 PM
Stomping his foot in disgust, Vesa finished off his sandwich and closed the book he had opened. His mind ran amok with ways that he could deal with Eric as the waitress set his bill at the edge of the table, and he was about to put it in his backpack when he heard his phone ring. A soft grunt of disgust escaped Vesa's lips as he reached into his backpack to pick up his phone; he knew the FHS policy that banned cell phones anywhere on the premises except in a student's locker. So that's where he kept it most of the day...and now, he was flipping it open.
"Yo..." he muttered, thinking it was one of his friends.
"Vesa! Where are you?" replied the voice on the other end...an obviously higher, younger boy on the other end.
"I'm at Benson's, Otter...something happened..." Vesa knew the voice immediately...it was Olli Soranen, the ten-year-old son of the adoptive family he was living with. He called him "Otter" due to the fact that he loved to swim, especially when his parents took him and his younger sister, Emma, to their lakeside cottage in upstate New York for a month over the summer. And like his bigger 'brother', Olli was a hockey fanatic and played for the local youth team, but unlike Vesa, who played center and scored goals left and right, Olli was his team's starting goaltender. When that was revealed, Vesa took him under his wing and began coaching him on the tendencies of shooters as well as his mechanics so he would be in tune for the upcoming season.
None of that mattered, just Olli's curiosity as he wanted to know what went down. "What happened?"
"There was a fight..."
"A fight?!?" Olli's voice lit up. "Anyone I know?"
"Nah, just a couple kids at the senior school..." A fifth-grader at Franklyn Elementary, Olli needed to know as he knew quite a few kids with older siblings.
"Who, Vesa...who?"
"Oh, all right...it was Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko..."
"Matthias fought him? I'm pretty sure his spaz of a sister was there too...one of my classmates' sisters is friends with her..." Apparently, he knew of Jodeen as well, even if it was just a friend-of-a-friend deal.
"Yeah, she was there...and boy, did she lay into Eric when it was over! I'll tell ya about it when I get home...I just stopped to grab a sandwich and see if anyone I knew was there."
Though Vesa was unable to see it, Olli's face lit up at the prospect of hearing all about the fight and confrontation. "Cool...I'll see ya then..."
"All right...see ya, Otter..." Vesa hung up the phone and put it in the front left pocket of the blue jeans he was wearing before leaving a ten-dollar bill on the table and sauntering off. The car he drove was nothing extraordinary...a red late-model Toyota Camry that had seen better days as evident by the damage on the right front quarterpanel, a result of Vesa clipping a curb. He opened the door behind the driver's seat and tossed his backpack into the back, then the driver's door itself and turned the key, taking a deep breath before backing out and driving off, the sound of one of his favorite metal bands filling the surrounding area.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 30 2006, 08:47 PM
It was just funny, how quickly a person's mood can change at the sound of one word, erasing all unpleasant memories of anything and everything that happened prior, and turning their attitude and outward demeanor a total 180 degrees. If there was anything to which Jodeen Kovalenko ever reacted readily, it just had to be Whitney's offhanded mention of 'ice cream'.
All at once her eyes seem to lit up in a sunlit sparkle, and Matthias could only look on in amusement as Jodeen all but forgot about her irritation, as well as the fact that Matthias had been involved in a fight with Eric. As she slid into the backseat, her expression melted into one of ecstatic delight and enthusiasm, looking as though Christmas had come early.
"Ice cream!" she echoed the word with a tone of sheer glee. At once she leaned all the way over to the front seat where Matthias had just settled beside Whitney, suddenly rounding up on her older brother and tugging at his arm plaintively, suddenly adopting the mannerisms of a small child using all assets of cuteness and innocence to appeal to an adult. "Oh, can we Matt? Can we go for ice cream? Please? Please, please, pretty like me, please?"
If there was anything Matthias couldn't resist, it was the pleading, doll-like quality in his younger sister's eyes, plainly tugging at the depths of his heart, compelling him to go with her demands. Once again, Matthias was unable to resist, nor did he intend to in the first place. He smiled warmly at Jodeen as she clung to his arm with that ever present expression of innocence, though he had a vague idea that she was neither as naïve nor guileless as she looked most of the time.
"Alright," he told her finally, unable to help but laugh a bit as Jodeen let out a joyful whoop of glee and jumped back into her seat. He turned to Whitney, looking plainly grateful for distracting Jodeen momentarily from the events of the past hour. "I know this convenience store that sells it by the lot, I take Jodeen there from time to time. Think I might pick up a few things there."
He smiled warmly at Whitney, and for a moment, his natural, good-natured and cheerful demeanor returned, and despite all that he'd been through today, he looked perfectly content now that they were able to enjoy themselves for once. Though surprised at the sudden blare of music that had come up when Whitney started the engine, he brushed it off with full-throated laughter as he sat back and relaxed for a moment, glad to do so for once today.
Looking towards Whitney, he pointed off towards the distance in the eastern direction. "Convenience store is a ways past on the other side of the school, at Venables and Windermere. It's a long ways off, but if you keep to this avenue for a while, you'll eventually get to Venables..."
Cradling the saxophone case in his arms, he sat back and relaxed in his seat, letting out a tired sigh that seemed to reveal his weariness, despite his cheerful and relaxed outward appearance. "Again...gotta thank you for this, it would have been a pain having to wait for the bus at this hour. Plus Jodeen will be happy."
Indeed, Jodeen was humming a cheerful tone to herself as she allowed the window to slide down fully, letting in a mild afternoon breeze as she stuck her nose out of the window towards the street outside. By now, all memories of Eric and the knowledge that Matthias had been caught in a brawl with the person in question had settled to the back of her mind, replaced by only by the prospect of ice cream in her mind.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: Megami Jul 1 2006, 11:49 AM
As the duo of Kovalenkos settled down in the seats of the car, Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit at the two, moreso when Jodeen began her pleas for the ice cream Whitney had offered to get her. A satisfied look came over her features as Matthias agreed to the offering. The fair-haired girl listened intently to Matthias's directions on where to find the convenience store, seeing as she lived on the opposite side of town from where they were going, but that was no matter.
Casting a small grin toward Matthias as he once again thanked her for the ride home, she simply nodded her head slightly, catching the look of gratefulness that his features currently possessed, she could only assume for getting Jodeen's mind off the events that had gone on during the past hour or so.
"Anytime."
While she may have purged Jodeen's mind of the countless questions running about inside, she hadn't purged her own, and in fact still had a lot she wanted to ask Matthias. Of course, that would have to wait until later, once Jodeen was suitably distracted. Putting the car into drive, the black and tan convertible rolled out of the parking lot of Benson's Bar and Grill and made an eastbound turn, heading in the direction Matthias had pointed.
(Continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...showtopic=1037)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 02:17 PM
Matthias had to admit to himself, at the sight of Silvstedt sent flying to smash face first into the promenade, Matthias could not help but feel a sense of sick satisfied. The feeling, mixed with conscientious guilt at causing someone this much pain, tasted bitter in his mouth, giving him a cold and sickening feeling. Matthias found himself telling himself without conviction that it was not his fault, the jerk had it coming, and Matthias was just trying to defend himself. But as he watched Silvstedt rise slowly from the pavement, Matthias remained thus far unconvinced. As Matthias watched on, he inwardly hoped that Eric would just give up and call it quits, not only for Matthias' sake, but for the sake of the other boy as well.
To his relief, the taller boy didn't seem to be in any excruciating pain. On the other hand, Matthias realized with panic that Eric was not at all ready to call an end to this brawl, contrary to what Matthias had hoped. He waited, in case Eric was about to attack again. This time, he would be more than ready. This time, he would simply-
Matthias was caught entirely by surprise as a spray of blood and saliva caught him in the face, temporarily blinding him. It took him a full second to realize what Eric had just done as a cheap, literally dirty trick to distract him, and it was enough to make Matthias, inexperienced as he was in street-fighting, to be caught off guard.
He felt the blow to his gut coming before it even hit him. Once again, Eric had caught him completely off guard, the dirty fighter that he was. Matthias reeled at the impact, staggering back slightly as he felt all the air forced out of his lungs, giving way to a dull pain in his stomach. However, not once did he utter a groan of pain as he stepped back in the recoil, his hand over his eyes. As he backed against the wall, where his saxophone case was, his hand moved behind him.
By now, Matthias had realized just exactly what people often meant when they said, "All's fair in love and war." If that's the case, then there's no reason he should fight dirty with an equally dirty fighter. After all, it was the only fair thing in this sort of brawl, after all.
Face hidden behind a blood covered hand, he smiled inwardly, knowing how vulnerable he looked and what a perfect target he might pose to Eric, who had likely without a doubt gained even more confidence with the successful blow, and will become even more brazen as a result.
That's right, just come, Matthias hissed silently in his mind in grim satisfaction, knowing that from where he was, Eric wouldn't see that he had wrapped his hand around the handle of the saxophone case while staggering back in pain.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 02:41 PM
Beaming with satisfaction as is shot to Matthias's stomach sent him wheeling backward against the brick wall of the exterior of Benson's, Eric couldn't help but be overcome with glee at the successful execution of his punch. As Matthias covered his eyes, Eric continued to grin, feeling pretty good about himself right now. His diversion had worked perfectly, and it had caused him to score another hit in this brawl.
Once again Eric stalked toward his smaller counterpart, this time stopping short a few feet away from him. Anyone who had ever seen Eric fight before would know that by now he was feeling pretty confident, even confident enough to toy with his opponent a bit, and this was exactly what he was doing to Matthias. Had Eric considered this a real fight, and Matthias a real opponent, he would've long since lashed out with a series of attacks against the brown-haired boy.
Yawning loudly, Eric tilted his head to the side in a cocky and egotistical manner and surveyed the opponent he now had cornered. From here on out, it would be easy picking. Even going so far as to take a moment to crack his neck and pop his knuckles, Eric finally stopped toying with his opponent long enough to approach him and once again attempt to drive his fist into Matthias's gut.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 03:06 PM
As Matthias feigned helplessness and resignation as he leaned heavily against the brick wall of the restaurant, coughing and wiping his eyes, he waited. By now he knew exactly what to predict from Eric, having gotten well acquainted with that bold and shameless attitude after such a remarkably short time. Now, Matthias was anticipating his big moment, the drastic turnaround of this brawl.
He felt the presence of the taller boy as Eric approached him, confident and no doubt self-assured with what he thought would be his victory. As Eric took the time to gloat, giving Matthias more than enough time to brace himself for the opportunity he was about to take, the smaller, brown-haired boy smiled slightly at the antics Silvstedt was pulling off, yet again.
Don't you know, friend? Matthias thought as Eric stepped towards again, his hand once again curling up into a fist and poised to strike again. They say cometh pride before a fall. And the higher you fly...
At the same time Eric launched yet another punch aimed towards the smaller boy's gut, Matthias' hand moved away from his face, swiftly thrusting his arm outward. Matthias knew he had successfully blocked the punch when his palm met Eric's fist, effectively absorbing the punch and diverting away from its original target.
Matthias squeezed Eric's fist, making sure that he had nowhere to go. He stood up, and his other arm swung out from behind him, and a large shape of massive weight followed in its wake. It was the saxophone case, and with a slight grunt, Matthias swung the case, allowing the momentum to carry its weight in a half-circle so that it collided square into the side of Eric's head.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 03:43 PM
Eric's dark-colored eyes widened in a look of sheer surprise as his opponent thrust his palm forward and Eric's fist slammed into it, harmlessly avoiding the boy's stomach. With a growl Eric lurched forward and attempted to clock Matthias square in the head with his other fist in an almost desperate move. Unfortunately for Eric, Matthias was much faster. Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw the black case of the saxophone he'd destroyed earlier swinging for his head. Without the speed and agility to dodge it, Eric was helpless as the large object slammed into the side of his skull, once again sending him flying into the nearby pavement.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
Eric let out a primal roar as he forced himself back to his feet, but, overcome by a wave of dizziness, he was forced to lean against the brick wall of the building. Wheezing slightly as he breathed, Eric cast a hateful glare toward Matthias, than a frustrated one toward Callahan. What the hell was he doing, anyway?
"Callahan, what're you doin' you asshole? GET HIM!"
As he belted out the order, Eric Silvstedt made another desperate move. He began to unfasten his belt from its position within his belt loops, purely with the intention of choking the other boy into submission. Ricky caught this out of the corner of his eye and finally, he made the decision that this fight had to end now before someone got seriously hurt.
Leaving Andie in her spot where she was presumably still observing the ongoing fight, Ricky made a bee-line for the middle of the brawl. Certain he could stop his fellow baseball player if need be, Ricky turned to face Matthias, unsure of what the smaller boy would do. Meanwhile, Eric cracked the leather belt he had been wearing, casting Ricky a condescending look as he stepped into the middle of the brawl.
"That's enough," he muttered, his feigning confidence, "This needs to end before somebody gets seriously hurt."
Feeling a knock to the back of his head, it only took Ricky a second to realize that Eric had slapped him in the back of the head, clearly irritated that he had attempted to stop the ongoing fist fight. Glaring at his companion with a renewed anger, Eric nearly growled out the next sentence.
"If you're not gonna help, get out of the fucking way."
Shaking his head warily, Ricky simply looked to his so-called friend with a look of utter disappointment. The fight itself had been over a ridiculous matter, and Eric had taken it way past the point of going too far. Now, Ricky was honestly concerned that Matthias might get hurt, or if not, certainly put a hurting on Eric. Still acting as a barrier between Matthias and Eric, and once again turning to face Matthias, Ricky gave the boy an apologetic look before once again addressing the frizzy-haired boy.
"Seriously man, this has gone way too far."
In the blink of an eye Ricky Callahan was sent reeling toward Matthias Kovalenko as Eric used a lot more force than neccessary to literally shove his companion out of the way. From the other point of view that had just witnessed the incident, however, it didn't look like Eric had shoved Ricky, but rather, like Ricky was attempting to tackle Matthias into the wall.
"HEY!"
The feminine voice yelled out over the sounds of traffic and the echoing thud made as Ricky impacted the wall. Whitney had been attempting to force her way through the crowd of patrons inside of Bensons for quite a while now, and when she'd finally gotten close enough to discover the brawl that was ensuing outside, she'd rushed through the door just in time to see Ricky go flying into Matthias. Of course, from her perspective, it looked like Ricky had just jumped into the fight, making it an obvious two-on-one.
The blonde-haired girl pushed her way past Eric Silvstedt, casting him an angry glare as she took a standing position next to Matthias Kovalenko. Inwardly, she knew it was a very bad idea to be standing in the middle of a fight, especially a two-on-one. After all, she was pretty much powerless to do anything. Despite that, Whitney forced a look of confidence on her face and stared at Eric.
"I don't know what your problem is..." her eyes traced over to Ricky and a pained expression crossed her face for only half a second before she continued, "Or yours, for that matter, but this is ridiculous. You need to back off."
Eric couldn't help but smirk once again as he was reprimanded by the blonde for fighting with Matthias. Casting a glance toward Ricky, his smirk became an all-out grin as he looked at her, then toward Matthias, then back at the blonde once again. For a moment, Eric actually looked amused by the sudden turn of events.
"What're you gonna do if I don't? Spank me? I might like that."
The rude remark caused Ricky to stare at his companion in a mixture of awe and anger at the fact that Eric had enough nerve to speak to anyone in such a tone, let alone her. Despite that, he'd already felt the brunt of the brick wall for standing up for Matthias, he was in no hurry to do it again. After all, she probably hated him now anyway. Shaking his head in frustration, Ricky simply turned and walked away, unsure of how to handle what had just transpired. Eric, meanwhile, didn't seem to be finished quite yet.
"Pansy-fuck, you wanna get your bitch out of the way so we can fight like men or am I gonna have to remove her?"
(Ricky continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 04:32 PM
Having recovered quite well from having been punched hard in the gut, Matthias stood up with an expression of grim triumph and satisfaction as he watched Eric writhed, forcing himself upwards once again from the sidewalk. This time, holding the case in which his destroyed saxophone was contained, Matthias felt no sense of remorse whatsoever for the impact that he had dealt. After all, if Matthias hasn't reacted, he likely wouldn't have lasted the rest of the brawl.
Still, Matthias watched calmly, though looking slightly unsettled and discontented, as Eric leaned against the wall of the building in an effort to catch his balance, meeting Matthias' forlorn eyes with a glare.
Whatever sense of pride and triumph Matthias felt at clocking Eric a good one with the sax case evaporated as Eric snarled more orders once again to Ricky Callahan, this time inciting him to join the fight against Matthias.
Shit... Matthias thought to himself, watching helplessly as Eric began removing his belt. Fear and apprehension taking over him yet again, he hid his nervousness with a stoic expression on his face as Callahan suddenly approached. More than ever Matthias dreaded the outcome of this battle. No doubt Callahan, being the lackey that he was, would obey Eric's whims and join in. Matthias regarded the Hispanic boy with narrowed eyes, bracing himself slightly as he lifted his gloved fists in a defensive stance.
It's no use... Matthias thought to himself hopelessly as he exchanged glances between the two boys standing before him. There's no way I can take on two of them at once....
His nervousness dissolved completely into utter surprise and confusion as Callahan suddenly spoke up, only to reprimand Eric in an attempt to stop the brawl here and now. Matthias lowered his fists slightly, though this was beyond what he'd expected from a puppet like Callahan. With an inquiring look, Matthias looked into Callahan's eyes, though unable to decipher any ulterior motive or hidden emotion.
Unable to say anything, Matthias watched silently as Ricky and Eric began exchanging looks...and harsh words. Genuinely, Matthias was plainly caught in astonishment at the sight of Callahan just calling for a ceasefire, if not outright sticking up for Matthias. He remained a silent speculator to the heated exchanged...until Silvstedt suddenly have Callahan a forceful shove that sent him reeling towards Matthias himself.
Once again caught entirely off guard, Matthias had absolutely no time to react as Ricky flew into him, knocking him with a hard impact into the wall. Matthias dropped the saxophone case in the recoil, and fell over against the floor.
Damn it, he thought, seriously on the verge of utter frustration. I've just about had it with that jerk....
He blinked at the sound of Whitney's clear voice making itself heard audibly over the ambient noise of the audience and the traffic. Sure enough, the blonde girl was approaching the three boys, with a look of sheer anger and contempt on her face. More than ever, Matthias was surprised to see her reprimanding not only Eric, but Callahan as well, for picking a fight with Matthias. In fact, Matthias knew perfectly well that this was completely far from the truth, given the way Callahan had stuck up for him earlier.
And it was at this point that Matthias felt the need to quickly speak up to shed light on the manner, for Whitney's sake and also for Callahan's. "Actually, you've got it wrong, the fight was just between Silvstedt and me, Callahan was only trying to hel-"
Matthias watched in amazement as Ricky said nothing, and resorted to silence as he walked away, as though in complete resignation over what had just transpired. However, his attention turned back towards Eric, who was in no way satisfied with the way the brawl had unfolded.
Anger flared inside him as Eric made yet another slur towards Whitney. Compelled to stand up for her yet again, Matthias lifted his chin with a look of pure scorn towards Eric. About to reprimand Eric yet again for referring to Whitney in such a manner, Matthias opened his mouth to speak, and was interrupted by a clear, brassy voice calling out above the noise of the traffic, and the murmurs of the audience they had somehow attracted.
"Oy, Matt! What's going on here?"
Matt stared silently as the lean, energetic form of his thirteen-year-old sister fought her way through the crowd and into the clearing where the brawl had been taking place.
Jodeen Kovalenko took a moment to brush at the dust she had collected on her capris, looking around with clear, brown eyes and noting both site and situation as she did so. Her eyes widened as she noted Eric's slightly bloodied form, as well as the gloves Matthias was wearing, and the state of his clothes having collided with the brick wall twice.
"Don't tell me...you got into a fight, didn't you?" Jodeen asked him in a slightly accusing voice.
At this point, Matthias was suddenly more aware of himself than he had been for the past hour, realizing what he had just done and the state he was in now. Disgracefully, he had just been involved in an all-out street brawl with another student, without civility nor sense of graciousness, and now his sister was here to make note of all of this.
"Don't worry about it, Jodeen," Matthias told her quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked towards Whitney with an apologetic look. "Hey...this is my sister, Jodeen. I think its time that we should leave now." Jodeen, however, was not about to let go of the matter so lightly and jabbed at Matt's shoulder with a finger.
"Come on, don't fool yourself into thinking I don't know," Jodeen persisted, tugging at Matt's sleeve. "What's gotten into you, Matt? You NEVER get into fights." She gave a curious look towards Whitney, tilting her head to one side. Never before had she seen Matthias with this particular person before.
"Hello, there," she said cheerfully, before turning on Matthias yet again. "Oy, Matt...I want an explanation already."
Matthias shook her head, wanting more than anything to just forget about the fight, and the fact that Jodeen had to be there to witness part of the dispute that had just unfolded between him, Eric, Callahan, and Whitney. More than anything, he just wanted to get back to his normal daily life and forget about all this as soon as possible.
"Don't worry about it, Jo. It's under control."
"That's NOT what I mean, Matt," Jodeen shook her head, plainly frustrated with her overprotective brother's obstinate attitude.
As Matthias began to lead her away from the clearing, he turned towards Eric, with an almost apologetic look. Quietly, he said, "Listen....I'd like to end this now. Let's not give each other anymore trouble and forget about this before someone gets hurt."
He lifted the saxophone case onto his shoulder, ready to leave...wanting to leave, more than anything.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 05:02 PM
Whitney's eyebrows raised slightly as Matthias attempted to clear Ricky Callahan's name of the incident that had just transpired. However, Ricky seemed rather nonchalant about the entire ordeal, and instead of defending himself or his actions, he simply turned and walked away. Whitney's stomach sank a little as she walked the Hispanic boy place his hands in his pockets and walk placidly down the sidewalk, his eyes seemingly glued to the concrete in front of him. Eric, meanwhile, was angered at the sight of Ricky leaving him on foot. Shaking his head in annoyance, he couldn't help but spit the next words out of his mouth.
"Pussy. Fuckin' coward."
The fight had all but dissolved for everyone except Eric, who was still itching to fight and no longer had the nuisance of Ricky Callahan holding him back. However, the cries of what almost sounded like a little girl broke through the commotion outside of the restaurant, causing even Eric to stop and turn his attention on the form of Jodeen Kovalenko, which had just appeared on the scene. Eric simply watched in irritation as the younger girl approached. Whitney, too, had focused her attention on the newcomer as well, and a faint smile traced across her lips as Matthias hurridly introduced the two.
"Alright," she mused at Matthias's request to leave, "Let's go then... I told you I'd give you a ride home, remember?"
Apparently, the discussion was far from over, however. Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit as Jodeen poked and prodded Matthias for answers as to what had just occured. Truthfully, Whitney was quite curious as well. After all, she'd been in the ladies room trying to clean the wet spill off of her clothes since way before the fight had started. She hadn't even heard the utterances of the duo that had started it all.
Noting that Matthias all but refused to talk about what had occured in front of Jodeen, however, Whitney repressed her questions, at least for now. It was plainly obvious that now was not the time or the place to discuss the events that had unfolded, especially not while Jodeen was around. Still watching Eric out of the corner of her eye, she was almost surprised as Matthias walked past him and mumbled something completely inaudible to her. Curious though she was, her question was promptly answered as Eric retorted in a rage.
"What're you, scared? You would've got your ass handed to ya, you know that, don'tcha? Of course you do, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE WALKING AWAY! COWARD!"
Eric's voice gradually grew louder and louder, echoing out over the crowd that had gathered around. Sighing somewhat, Whitney cast the frizzy-haired boy one final look before turning back toward Jodeen and Matthias. Today had been interesting, to say the least. Eric's taunting and yelling wasn't helping matters, but at this point, the best thing Whitney Acosta could think of to do was to simply walk away. Placing her hand on Matthias's shoulder momentarily, she gave him a sympathetic glance.
"You okay?"
In the background, Eric continued to howl and curse, taunting Matthias to come back and continue on with the fight, acting as though he'd had the upper hand all along. Shaking her head slightly, she nodded toward the direction of the parking lot, having every intention of giving the two a ride home. Especially after all the trouble that had started at the restaurant. Her attention momentarily turned back to the fact that Lexie, Sorenson, and Kurai were presumably still somewhere inside, but it seemed of little consequence now. The school was less than two blocks from the restaurant, they could all walk if need be.
"We really should get going," she warned, her eyes tracing back to Eric every so often to make sure he wouldn't run up for one final cheap shot.
Posted by: Lien Jun 24 2006, 07:23 PM
Clanging loudly through the dented trash cans and mustering up all the balance she had while staying upright amongst the black bags, Danielle was in essence annoyed that once again, she was having a bad day. The introverted teen wasn't exactly selfish, persay, but her welfare and emotions were most definately not far from her mind as she threw open the back door of Benson's to the safety of the kitchen once more after taking out another bag of trash that her coworker, Andie, was supposed to have taken care of. Sliding across the spill on the tiles, past her cousin's grill as he flipped more patties onto it, she caught herself on the spray hose and regained balance just before she made it to the front counter of the bar. Which she couldn't help but get the slightest gut feeling that it wasn't right that the customers were utilizing quite a small amount of space on the opposite side of where they kept the booze. Something was up.
With the newly acquired wall of human bodies in front of the window, Danielle could only guess that another monkey vendor had found his drunken self to the front of their store -long story- or that there was a fight. Secretly hoping for the former, as it was just something that would become entirely undesirable to watch after the vendor started peeing on a pole, she knew it had to be the latter that was keeping the potential dollar signs from accumulating in the cash box. Her rather silent nature was simply the only thing keeping her from screaming obscenities at Andie for not being around when she needed her. Hell, it could be her out there with the reputation she had.
Things like this, now, had to be taken care of with the utmost care, and Danielle knew full well that if she didn't do it, her ass would be yelled at for the scene taking up so much time that bills weren't being paid. There wasn't a second thought as she pulled the cordless phone of the wall, hopped over the empty bar, and walked rather stiffly to the mass of bodies that decided being in her way wasn't going to have her entertain the idea of spitting in their food.
"Excuse me, pardon me," she mumbled the classic lines that others used when they really wanted to say, 'Get the fuck outta my way before I rhino-horn you so hard you won't be able to sit for weeks,' as she squeezed her not-so-little body through the open door.
Sure enough, it seemed she caught either the end or the beginning of the fight, but upon seeing her classmate Eric bloody and pissed, guessed he was looking for redemption for getting a beating he probably deserved. Danielle had to refrain from letting out a snort in her amusement at the situation. She caught sight of two other classmates walking away from the scene, obviously annoyed at the screaming hypocrite who thought that he wasn't the textbook example of the word "coward."
"Fuckin'," Danielle sighed as she let the word out under her breath, preparing to say something other than, 'Do you want fries with that?' as she waved the telephone in the air.
"I just called the cops, just to let you know, so maybe you want to stop the shit-disturbing enough to high tail it outta here?"
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...howtopic=1180))
Posted by: MooCow Jun 25 2006, 02:31 PM
Smiling inwardly it took all Andie had to keep from erupting in laughter at Eric and the whole display. The whole 'fight' had made her admire Matthias even more. Looking to Danielle she spoke, "her listen I'm sorry for disappearing on ya'... look my shift's over so..."
She was interupted as Fritz exited the building, the heavy set manager's face was a deeper shade of red than usual, "what in the hell is going on out here?"
He looked to the teens and spoke once more, "y'all are makin' customers leave. I want you all off Benson's grounds, same goes for you Andie, you're fired!"
Andie looked at Fritz not totally surprised, still she wasn't going to give up without a fight, "but Fritz! I need this job..."
She was cut off again by the gruff voice of her shift manager, "you should have thought about that before you left your customers high and dry to have a little fist fight. Now get before the police come and I have y'all arrested."
Putting her hand on her brow, Andie Colvin felt dispair. She really did need this job, she was saving up for college.
Oh well, there are other jobs... or community college... damnit I just got a pay raise too... damnit I've gotta stop getting in fights.
Looking in the direction of Whitney Acosta and Matthias and Jodeen Kovalenko, Andie called out, "hey, wait up!"
Ripping off her Benson's name tag, ugly thing, she threw it into the dumpster, never one to throw trash on the ground, and ran after the three figures.
Posted by: Kris Jun 27 2006, 01:36 PM
After a no show at the Butterfly Club she decided she was a little hungry. She made her way over to the famous Bar and Grill near school. Marimar skipped along to the resteraunt and pushed open the double doors walking in. Her brown curls went down to her shoulders, she wore a black shredded hat which looks familiar to a jester's hat. Marimar wore a lightblue plaid dress with magenta as the plaid part. her usualy white knee socks were on as well as black mary jane shoes. Her attire maybe a little weird but she was as sweet as can be.
The girl looked around seeing so many people from her school, she didn't really know where to sit. She saw an empty table up ahead. None of the people she saw was one of her friends, at least thats what she thuoght. But she is always in the mood for making new ones if theiri ntrested. Then again who would want to be friends with a poor girl.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 27 2006, 05:32 PM
Matthias smiled in appreciation as Whitney suggested that they leave immediately, knowing more than anything that he just wanted to but all that had happened today behind him. He nodded at her warmly, despite all the bleakness he was feeling right now, happy to avoid the discussion of what had just gone on between him and Silvstedt for the time being. Of course, Jodeen, sharp in both mind and tongue, would always bring it up soon after, something that he would no doubt have to answer to. And to be honest, he was not at all looking forward to such in particular.
For now, Jodeen was keeping her mouth shut in a tight-lipped pout, plainly on the verge of bursting at the seams with questions she no doubt wanted answered. Trying not to look so guilty at the face of her accusing stare, Matthias looked only ahead, about to walk away with the two girls with the saxophone case in tow over his shoulder. However, he closed his eyes yet again in exasperation, as the taunting voice of Eric Silvstedt rung in his ears yet again.
The hooked-nosed boy was yelling after him in rage and triumph, jeering at him for walking away from a fight that Matthias might have lost, spitting enraged curses and yells from afar. Matthias did his best to ignore them, though it did nothing to ease the stormy tides in his heart. His pride was shaken, and now, in the aftermath of this brawl, he felt ashamed, as though he truly were a coward.
He looked towards Whitney at the feeling of her comforting hand against his free shoulder, and forced an apologetic smile, trying to shrug off that bleak, weary feeling that was plaguing him.
"I'm alright," he reassured her, trying to make it sound as though the matter was of little inconvenience to him. "Just tired is all."
Tired of everything, it seemed.
At Matthias' placidity to Eric's curses and taunts, Jodeen drew her lips together into an even tighter pout, plainly far from convinced that Matthias would brush this matter aside as easily as he tried to show he would. It was just like her older brother, trying to take all of the burden onto himself, putting up a front of confidence instead of letting those who cared about him know how he really felt. Of course, Matthias himself thought it was the mature thing to do, but plainly, Jodeen tired quickly of it. It was hardly the natural thing to do, just letting people walk all over you like a doormat without complaint or retribution.
What irritated her to the point of utter frustration was listening to Eric continue to insult and belittle her older brother, who was doing nothing to defend himself any longer. With her temper getting the best of her, she swirled around to face Eric, staring off in the distance, a look of pure contempt on her small, rounded face.
Matthias inner thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a bout of horror as Jodeen suddenly unleashed a tirade of insults of her own at Eric.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Calling Matt a coward! You can't even fight him one-on-one! Consider yourself lucky that I showed up, else Matt would have beaten you into a bloody, slimy pulp!! You jerk! You dirty Cro-Magnon!? You Neanderthal!"
"That's enough, Jodeen!" Matthias shouted firmly, though more than anything he feared for Jodeen's safety at the moment, as well as Eric's possible reaction to Jodeen's onslaught of insults. He placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her away, but as Jodeen was pulled back, she continued to pelt Eric mercilessly with her verbal abuse, shaking her fist in the air.
"Go buy yourself a clue and look in the mirror why don't you!? You could do with a face wash once a year you know! I hope you shrivel up and die, you asswipe!"
"Language, Jo," Matthias muttered in utter exasperation as he began to walk faster with Whitney with Jodeen well in tow, not wanting to instigate the situation any further what with Jodeen's temper and sharp tongue getting the better of her. Seeing Andie, he waved wearily towards her with a slight smile. "You coming with us?"
Posted by: Megami Jun 27 2006, 07:29 PM
Whitney's eyes widened in an expression filled with both astonishment and sheer horror, and she lashed her arm out as if to grab Jodeen as she began to slur insults right back toward the pompous jerk who had been harrassing Matthias nonstop, but it was too little, too late. As Jodeen began spouting off insults toward her brother's tormentor, Whitney could only hold her breath to see what fate awaited the small girl for her retorts. She looked on as Eric pushed his way back in front of the crowd that was still looking on in shock, his eyes piercing the young girl as she berated him in public.
Eric Silvstedt looked on at the young girl who was verbally assaulting him from afar, a bemused expression forming on his lips as she ranted, raved, and shouted. What the hell's a... what'd she call me? A cro-what? Continuing to watch the girl, feeling more and more amused by the second, Eric Silvstedt did what none of the onlookers had expected him to do: he started laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder as he continued to watch the fiery-eyed girl, Eric even letting out a snort of amusement at her retorts.
"Weak, dude," he addressed toward Matthias, "This's the kind of person you are? You're such a god damned pussy that your guard-dog of a little sister has to come stand up for you? Hahaha, dude, that's really, really weak. She looks like a fucking chihuahua. What's she gonna do, bite my ankles?"
Snickering even more at the thought of Jodeen actually trying anything against him, Eric glared toward the small girl, then toward the older brother standing behind her. This just kept getting better and better. As Danielle Tysl's words rang out through the crowd, followed by Fritz's warning that the trouble-makers needed to get off of store property, Eric changed his tune somewhat, confident that he had won both the fight and the argument that had followed.
"You know what, dude? Go on. Take your little bitch girls and your miniature pit bull there and leave. Obviously, you don't think you're a big man anyway. You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"
Sensing the cold stares he was receiving from behind when he verbalized the thoughts of dropping Jodeen in her tracks, and hearing the cop sirens echo out in the distance, Eric made the internal decision that it was long past time to get out of dodge. However, he wasn't quite finished yet, he still had a bit to say. Looking directly at Matthias, he spit on the ground, aiming toward Jodeen's feet, and flashed a grin.
"Just know this, my man, it ain't over. People like you, you disgust me. You wanna start shit and then you don't wanna back it up. I call you out to fight, and you pussy out and drag a bunch of little girls out here with ya. You think they're gonna protect you? You're wrong. This ain't over by a long shot. I'll be seein' ya at school tomorrow."
His final words having been said, Eric swiftly turned around and began forcing his way through the now dispersing crowd. Smiling to himself at the way he'd handled the conflict, Eric took off at a jogging pace, presumably going after the friend that had left him several minutes before hand. As if it were an afterthought, Eric turned back toward the quartet standing there.
"Oh, and by the way," he mused nonchalantly, "Next time, you really outta keep your attack dog on a leash. And buy it a muzzle or something."
As Eric once again turned around and continued his jog away from the restaurant, Whitney Acosta also took notice of the sirens echoing in the distance. She'd always though restaurant employees calling police was a bluff to get rid of unwanted customers. Perhaps they really had crossed the line, and Danielle or Fritz had indeed called the police. She dispersed it from her thoughtss momentarily and placed her hands on Jodeen's shoulders, leaning down so that she could speak into the younger girl's ear.
"There's no point in even stooping down to his level, Jo," she mused cheerfully into the other girl's ear, "That's what he wants you to do. He wants you to get upset, and he wants to get under your skin. If you let him do that, he's won. He knows he lost, he knows all those people are looking at him thinking he's an idiot, and he's just trying to redeem himself. Don't let him do that."
Letting a smile form on her lips, Whitney winked at the younger girl before standing up to her full height. Looking toward Matthias and Andie, who had just recently joined them, she shrugged her shoulders lightly as if the whole ordeal hadn't been anything to concern themselves over. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she just couldn't get Eric's final words out of her head. She feared for Matthias, she feared for Jodeen, and quite honestly, she also sort of feared for herself. She'd watched Eric bully other students before, and he was relentless in his efforts. Sighing inwardly, that faux smile formed on her lips again as she placed a hand on both Matthias's and Jodeen's shoulders, then nodded toward the back parking lot of Benson's Grill.
"Let's just go, before the cops show up and we all get in trouble, alright?"
(Eric continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: Croco Jun 29 2006, 10:04 AM
As the situation started to dissolve and everyone began returning to their normal activities, a set of blue eyes watched Eric as he left the restaurant. Those eyes had been peering back and forth between the fight, a history textbook, and a BLT sandwich that he had ordered just as everything went down. He was not a loner, but just about everyone knew who he was...and either kept clear of him, or showed at least some kind of respect, for few had the nerve or the physical ability to contend with Vesa Turunen. Most of the students at Franklyn High knew Vesa; they knew he was an exchange student from Finland and that while he enjoyed company, he often preferred to be alone when things got particularly rough. And this was one of those situations as Vesa took a bite out of his sandwich...he had watched Eric belittle, then charge at Matthias and while he wanted to keep his nose clean of this, he had grown rather disdained toward Eric.
Wiping his hands with a napkin first, Vesa cleared the long strands of blonde hair out from in front of his eyes. He then wiped his mouth off and tossed the napkin on his plate as he sat back and closed his book; he had been studying for a test at the end of the week until the fight started. Vesa had been pondering whether or not to confront Eric over a multitude of issues...most notably when he and Eric bumped shoulders in the hallway, to which the young Finn's gender was questioned.
Vesa also knew Matthias quite well as they were in a couple classes together. He nodded toward him, then to the seat in front of him.
"Hey, Matthias," he called out, but to his dismay, he saw him, Jodeen and Whitney heading for the door, "Perkele..." (Damn it...)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 29 2006, 11:03 PM
Jodeen only ignored Whitney's retraining arm and Matthias' panicked protests and continued to simply glare venom towards Eric as he continued to insult her brother mercilessly, ignoring the jeers she treated him with. What angered her was how Eric seemed to think of her standing up for Matthias as some kind of joke, and further proof that her older brother was nothing but a coward, something that Jodeen knew couldn't be further than the truth. Furthermore, she looked on in disgust as Eric aimed a bit of spittle towards her feet, missing by several inches, though irritating her further nonetheless.
"See if I don't, you jerk! You think I won't fight you myself? You insult my brother again, I'll smack you one real good! I swear it!" she hollered at him as Matthias struggled to restrain her, pulling away from the scene before she broke away and launched herself in full force at Eric. "And I'm not a little kid! Not like you! I hope it rots and falls off!!"
"Jodeen!" Matthias could not help but let out the exasperation in a much harsher tone than he had intended. Instead of feeling chastised, Jodeen pouted and turned away from Eric huffily, crossing her arms. Silently, she continued to fume.
As the older girl Whitney stooped over to whisper some words of advice into Jodeen's ear, the young, thirteen-year-old brunette seemed to calm down ever so slightly. Gradually, she relaxed, her more good-natured expression coming back into formation, though she still looked rather vexed at all that had happened. Looking at Whitney, she tilted her head to one side in slight contemplation over what the older girl had told her, about how she shouldn't give Eric a sense of victory by stooping to his level.
"But," she replied in an honest tone. "It's true, the way he looks is enough to give a ten-year-old nightmares. Did you see his face? I don't think even the moon has that many craters. Makes you wonder...just where was he when they were handing out looks?" Feeling somewhat reassured at being able to bash at Eric from afar, Jodeen relaxed as she walked cheerfully with Matthias and Whitney. Of course she couldn't be afraid of some ape like Eric. People like that were all talk. That jerk Eric couldn't do a thing to hurt her or Matthias.
Of course, Matthias had more sense than his younger sister, still a middle-school student. By now, he had a rather good idea as to what Eric was capable of, though what truly worried him was that he likely hadn't seen the very worst Eric could do. His insides churned with uneasiness and trepidation over the very thought...even more so once Matthias milled over what he had just said.
"You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?""
Upon hearing these words, Matthias had froze in place for a moment, his mind only able to think about the very insinuation behind those words....was it just an empty threat, he had wondered. Knowing Eric, the threat could be very well real. The very prospect was enough to silence Matthias completely, taking him completely by shock as he found himself unable to respond to Eric's words as he walked away.
Matthias expression by now had turned dark and grim. His insides had gone cold with a feeling of unease over what Eric had said. Over and over again, he struggled to convince himself, He was just trying to intimidate you Matt... He didn't mean it. He wouldn't do something like that.
But after what Matthias had seen and experience today....there was nothing he could do but think otherwise. There was no knowing to what lows Eric would stop at, and if it meant harm to Jodeen, Matthias didn't know what he could do to prevent it. Nor did he know what he would do if Eric did something to intentionally cause harm to Jodeen. But no matter what...Matthias would never let that happen. He couldn't. He had to take responsibility of Jodeen's safety, regardless of what happened to him. It was the only thing to do.
With a stoic expression, he glanced towards Whitney, struggling to smile in agreement at her suggestion that they hurry up before the arrival of the cops made the situation even more uncomfortable, even more unbearable. Immersed in the darkness of his thoughts, he only barely heard a voice calling out his name, but ignored it with silence, thinking that Eric had settled to insulting him from afar yet again.
"Yeah...we'd better hurry up then," he said quietly, picking up the pace in unison with his words. As Jodeen quickened her own strides to keep up with him, she began tugging at his sleeve again, as though she were a small child scouring for answers from a reluctant adult.
"So, Matt," she began, in a tone that was more curious than accusing. "How DID you start getting into that fight? Don't tell me he did something. You never get mad when people make fun of you. What did he do exactly? ....Hey, Matt, aren't you going to tell me?"
At Jodeen's bombardment of questions, Matthias took to looking down at the ground as he walked, hiding the expression of pain on his face. Of course he knew why he had gotten into the fight in the first place. As soon as he remembered, his mind began wandering back to the saxophone case that rested against his shoulder, and the destroyed contents therein.
Posted by: Megami Jun 30 2006, 10:44 AM
It appeared that, for now at least, the warzone in front of Benson's Bar and Grill had been cleared out. The patrons who had gathered around to watch the action had all but dispersed, only a select few still lingering to watch the aftermath of the fight. Whitney couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The ordeal had been dragged out far too long, and even now, Whitney didn't know what the beginnings of the conflict had been. Hearing Jodeen's pleading voice trailing behind Matt, Whitney couldn't help but ponder the same questions in her own mind.
Though Matthias never verbally answered the questions, Whitney looked on as his eyes lowered to the ground, following the sidewalk instead of looking at either of the people in his company. The saddened and pained expression on his face wasn't nearly as well hidden as he'd have liked it to be, and although Whitney had caught this subtle little hint of what had happened prior, she wouldn't press the matter further. At least, not in front of Jodeen.
Now, it was a matter of getting Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story. Maybe he'd be more willing to talk once his sister was out of earshot. The facade that he was putting on now wasn't unusual, she'd seen it before in other people at different times in their lives. It was apparent that he was trying to shelter Jodeen, trying to protect her both physically and mentally from the truth about what happened in front of the restaurant. It was respectable, almost commendable on his part. Somehow, though, she didn't think the thirteen-year-old would quite agree with her on that part.
As the black and tan Mustang Convertible that had been left, top down, in the back parking lot of Benson's came into view, Whitney smiled to herself. Inwardly, she was formulating an idea, simply a little diversion. Although she hated having to go about this so underhandedly, Jodeen really didn't need to know the truth, and judging by the anguished expression that had passed over Matthias's features mere moments before, the truth might very well have been harsh and cruel. Almost as though it were an afterthought, Whitney directed her attention toward Jodeen as the blonde opened the driver's side door and flopped down into the seat.
"Say, Jo. You never got to get anything to eat, did you?," she mused, "How about me, you, and your brother go grab some ice cream or something before I take you guys home?"
Turning to Matthias momentarily, the same reassuring smile crossed her face as she nodded toward him. The tone of her voice would say that she was doing this on a whim, though nothing could be more true. It had it's purpose, and if everything went as she'd planned, Whitney would no longer be left in the dark about the events that had just unfolded.
"What do you say, Matt? You up for it?"
Biting on her lower lip somewhat, Whitney awaited his reaction somewhat suspensefully. There was always the factor that perhaps Matthias had had all the fun he could tolerate for one day, and simply wished to go home. The fair-haired girl couldn't say she would blame him in the slightest, after the rough and overdramatic events this evening had had in store for him.
The engine of the Mustang Convertible roared to life and the radio burst out in an excruciatingly loud tone, taking Whitney by surprise momentarily. She had forgotten that Lexie had been in the passenger's seat on the trip over to the dinner, thus, she had pretty much taken over Whitney's radio. Her face blushed red as she quickly dove for the dial, turning the radio down to a manageable level. Shrugging her shoulders and laughing somewhat, she took a moment to look into the rear-view mirror and adjust her hair and makeup, all the while pondering their next destination.
Posted by: Croco Jun 30 2006, 08:21 PM
Stomping his foot in disgust, Vesa finished off his sandwich and closed the book he had opened. His mind ran amok with ways that he could deal with Eric as the waitress set his bill at the edge of the table, and he was about to put it in his backpack when he heard his phone ring. A soft grunt of disgust escaped Vesa's lips as he reached into his backpack to pick up his phone; he knew the FHS policy that banned cell phones anywhere on the premises except in a student's locker. So that's where he kept it most of the day...and now, he was flipping it open.
"Yo..." he muttered, thinking it was one of his friends.
"Vesa! Where are you?" replied the voice on the other end...an obviously higher, younger boy on the other end.
"I'm at Benson's, Otter...something happened..." Vesa knew the voice immediately...it was Olli Soranen, the ten-year-old son of the adoptive family he was living with. He called him "Otter" due to the fact that he loved to swim, especially when his parents took him and his younger sister, Emma, to their lakeside cottage in upstate New York for a month over the summer. And like his bigger 'brother', Olli was a hockey fanatic and played for the local youth team, but unlike Vesa, who played center and scored goals left and right, Olli was his team's starting goaltender. When that was revealed, Vesa took him under his wing and began coaching him on the tendencies of shooters as well as his mechanics so he would be in tune for the upcoming season.
None of that mattered, just Olli's curiosity as he wanted to know what went down. "What happened?"
"There was a fight..."
"A fight?!?" Olli's voice lit up. "Anyone I know?"
"Nah, just a couple kids at the senior school..." A fifth-grader at Franklyn Elementary, Olli needed to know as he knew quite a few kids with older siblings.
"Who, Vesa...who?"
"Oh, all right...it was Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko..."
"Matthias fought him? I'm pretty sure his spaz of a sister was there too...one of my classmates' sisters is friends with her..." Apparently, he knew of Jodeen as well, even if it was just a friend-of-a-friend deal.
"Yeah, she was there...and boy, did she lay into Eric when it was over! I'll tell ya about it when I get home...I just stopped to grab a sandwich and see if anyone I knew was there."
Though Vesa was unable to see it, Olli's face lit up at the prospect of hearing all about the fight and confrontation. "Cool...I'll see ya then..."
"All right...see ya, Otter..." Vesa hung up the phone and put it in the front left pocket of the blue jeans he was wearing before leaving a ten-dollar bill on the table and sauntering off. The car he drove was nothing extraordinary...a red late-model Toyota Camry that had seen better days as evident by the damage on the right front quarterpanel, a result of Vesa clipping a curb. He opened the door behind the driver's seat and tossed his backpack into the back, then the driver's door itself and turned the key, taking a deep breath before backing out and driving off, the sound of one of his favorite metal bands filling the surrounding area.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 30 2006, 08:47 PM
It was just funny, how quickly a person's mood can change at the sound of one word, erasing all unpleasant memories of anything and everything that happened prior, and turning their attitude and outward demeanor a total 180 degrees. If there was anything to which Jodeen Kovalenko ever reacted readily, it just had to be Whitney's offhanded mention of 'ice cream'.
All at once her eyes seem to lit up in a sunlit sparkle, and Matthias could only look on in amusement as Jodeen all but forgot about her irritation, as well as the fact that Matthias had been involved in a fight with Eric. As she slid into the backseat, her expression melted into one of ecstatic delight and enthusiasm, looking as though Christmas had come early.
"Ice cream!" she echoed the word with a tone of sheer glee. At once she leaned all the way over to the front seat where Matthias had just settled beside Whitney, suddenly rounding up on her older brother and tugging at his arm plaintively, suddenly adopting the mannerisms of a small child using all assets of cuteness and innocence to appeal to an adult. "Oh, can we Matt? Can we go for ice cream? Please? Please, please, pretty like me, please?"
If there was anything Matthias couldn't resist, it was the pleading, doll-like quality in his younger sister's eyes, plainly tugging at the depths of his heart, compelling him to go with her demands. Once again, Matthias was unable to resist, nor did he intend to in the first place. He smiled warmly at Jodeen as she clung to his arm with that ever present expression of innocence, though he had a vague idea that she was neither as naïve nor guileless as she looked most of the time.
"Alright," he told her finally, unable to help but laugh a bit as Jodeen let out a joyful whoop of glee and jumped back into her seat. He turned to Whitney, looking plainly grateful for distracting Jodeen momentarily from the events of the past hour. "I know this convenience store that sells it by the lot, I take Jodeen there from time to time. Think I might pick up a few things there."
He smiled warmly at Whitney, and for a moment, his natural, good-natured and cheerful demeanor returned, and despite all that he'd been through today, he looked perfectly content now that they were able to enjoy themselves for once. Though surprised at the sudden blare of music that had come up when Whitney started the engine, he brushed it off with full-throated laughter as he sat back and relaxed for a moment, glad to do so for once today.
Looking towards Whitney, he pointed off towards the distance in the eastern direction. "Convenience store is a ways past on the other side of the school, at Venables and Windermere. It's a long ways off, but if you keep to this avenue for a while, you'll eventually get to Venables..."
Cradling the saxophone case in his arms, he sat back and relaxed in his seat, letting out a tired sigh that seemed to reveal his weariness, despite his cheerful and relaxed outward appearance. "Again...gotta thank you for this, it would have been a pain having to wait for the bus at this hour. Plus Jodeen will be happy."
Indeed, Jodeen was humming a cheerful tone to herself as she allowed the window to slide down fully, letting in a mild afternoon breeze as she stuck her nose out of the window towards the street outside. By now, all memories of Eric and the knowledge that Matthias had been caught in a brawl with the person in question had settled to the back of her mind, replaced by only by the prospect of ice cream in her mind.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: Megami Jul 1 2006, 11:49 AM
As the duo of Kovalenkos settled down in the seats of the car, Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit at the two, moreso when Jodeen began her pleas for the ice cream Whitney had offered to get her. A satisfied look came over her features as Matthias agreed to the offering. The fair-haired girl listened intently to Matthias's directions on where to find the convenience store, seeing as she lived on the opposite side of town from where they were going, but that was no matter.
Casting a small grin toward Matthias as he once again thanked her for the ride home, she simply nodded her head slightly, catching the look of gratefulness that his features currently possessed, she could only assume for getting Jodeen's mind off the events that had gone on during the past hour or so.
"Anytime."
While she may have purged Jodeen's mind of the countless questions running about inside, she hadn't purged her own, and in fact still had a lot she wanted to ask Matthias. Of course, that would have to wait until later, once Jodeen was suitably distracted. Putting the car into drive, the black and tan convertible rolled out of the parking lot of Benson's Bar and Grill and made an eastbound turn, heading in the direction Matthias had pointed.
(Continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...showtopic=1037)
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Megami. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 02:17 PM
Matthias had to admit to himself, at the sight of Silvstedt sent flying to smash face first into the promenade, Matthias could not help but feel a sense of sick satisfied. The feeling, mixed with conscientious guilt at causing someone this much pain, tasted bitter in his mouth, giving him a cold and sickening feeling. Matthias found himself telling himself without conviction that it was not his fault, the jerk had it coming, and Matthias was just trying to defend himself. But as he watched Silvstedt rise slowly from the pavement, Matthias remained thus far unconvinced. As Matthias watched on, he inwardly hoped that Eric would just give up and call it quits, not only for Matthias' sake, but for the sake of the other boy as well.
To his relief, the taller boy didn't seem to be in any excruciating pain. On the other hand, Matthias realized with panic that Eric was not at all ready to call an end to this brawl, contrary to what Matthias had hoped. He waited, in case Eric was about to attack again. This time, he would be more than ready. This time, he would simply-
Matthias was caught entirely by surprise as a spray of blood and saliva caught him in the face, temporarily blinding him. It took him a full second to realize what Eric had just done as a cheap, literally dirty trick to distract him, and it was enough to make Matthias, inexperienced as he was in street-fighting, to be caught off guard.
He felt the blow to his gut coming before it even hit him. Once again, Eric had caught him completely off guard, the dirty fighter that he was. Matthias reeled at the impact, staggering back slightly as he felt all the air forced out of his lungs, giving way to a dull pain in his stomach. However, not once did he utter a groan of pain as he stepped back in the recoil, his hand over his eyes. As he backed against the wall, where his saxophone case was, his hand moved behind him.
By now, Matthias had realized just exactly what people often meant when they said, "All's fair in love and war." If that's the case, then there's no reason he should fight dirty with an equally dirty fighter. After all, it was the only fair thing in this sort of brawl, after all.
Face hidden behind a blood covered hand, he smiled inwardly, knowing how vulnerable he looked and what a perfect target he might pose to Eric, who had likely without a doubt gained even more confidence with the successful blow, and will become even more brazen as a result.
That's right, just come, Matthias hissed silently in his mind in grim satisfaction, knowing that from where he was, Eric wouldn't see that he had wrapped his hand around the handle of the saxophone case while staggering back in pain.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 02:41 PM
Beaming with satisfaction as is shot to Matthias's stomach sent him wheeling backward against the brick wall of the exterior of Benson's, Eric couldn't help but be overcome with glee at the successful execution of his punch. As Matthias covered his eyes, Eric continued to grin, feeling pretty good about himself right now. His diversion had worked perfectly, and it had caused him to score another hit in this brawl.
Once again Eric stalked toward his smaller counterpart, this time stopping short a few feet away from him. Anyone who had ever seen Eric fight before would know that by now he was feeling pretty confident, even confident enough to toy with his opponent a bit, and this was exactly what he was doing to Matthias. Had Eric considered this a real fight, and Matthias a real opponent, he would've long since lashed out with a series of attacks against the brown-haired boy.
Yawning loudly, Eric tilted his head to the side in a cocky and egotistical manner and surveyed the opponent he now had cornered. From here on out, it would be easy picking. Even going so far as to take a moment to crack his neck and pop his knuckles, Eric finally stopped toying with his opponent long enough to approach him and once again attempt to drive his fist into Matthias's gut.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 03:06 PM
As Matthias feigned helplessness and resignation as he leaned heavily against the brick wall of the restaurant, coughing and wiping his eyes, he waited. By now he knew exactly what to predict from Eric, having gotten well acquainted with that bold and shameless attitude after such a remarkably short time. Now, Matthias was anticipating his big moment, the drastic turnaround of this brawl.
He felt the presence of the taller boy as Eric approached him, confident and no doubt self-assured with what he thought would be his victory. As Eric took the time to gloat, giving Matthias more than enough time to brace himself for the opportunity he was about to take, the smaller, brown-haired boy smiled slightly at the antics Silvstedt was pulling off, yet again.
Don't you know, friend? Matthias thought as Eric stepped towards again, his hand once again curling up into a fist and poised to strike again. They say cometh pride before a fall. And the higher you fly...
At the same time Eric launched yet another punch aimed towards the smaller boy's gut, Matthias' hand moved away from his face, swiftly thrusting his arm outward. Matthias knew he had successfully blocked the punch when his palm met Eric's fist, effectively absorbing the punch and diverting away from its original target.
Matthias squeezed Eric's fist, making sure that he had nowhere to go. He stood up, and his other arm swung out from behind him, and a large shape of massive weight followed in its wake. It was the saxophone case, and with a slight grunt, Matthias swung the case, allowing the momentum to carry its weight in a half-circle so that it collided square into the side of Eric's head.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 03:43 PM
Eric's dark-colored eyes widened in a look of sheer surprise as his opponent thrust his palm forward and Eric's fist slammed into it, harmlessly avoiding the boy's stomach. With a growl Eric lurched forward and attempted to clock Matthias square in the head with his other fist in an almost desperate move. Unfortunately for Eric, Matthias was much faster. Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw the black case of the saxophone he'd destroyed earlier swinging for his head. Without the speed and agility to dodge it, Eric was helpless as the large object slammed into the side of his skull, once again sending him flying into the nearby pavement.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
Eric let out a primal roar as he forced himself back to his feet, but, overcome by a wave of dizziness, he was forced to lean against the brick wall of the building. Wheezing slightly as he breathed, Eric cast a hateful glare toward Matthias, than a frustrated one toward Callahan. What the hell was he doing, anyway?
"Callahan, what're you doin' you asshole? GET HIM!"
As he belted out the order, Eric Silvstedt made another desperate move. He began to unfasten his belt from its position within his belt loops, purely with the intention of choking the other boy into submission. Ricky caught this out of the corner of his eye and finally, he made the decision that this fight had to end now before someone got seriously hurt.
Leaving Andie in her spot where she was presumably still observing the ongoing fight, Ricky made a bee-line for the middle of the brawl. Certain he could stop his fellow baseball player if need be, Ricky turned to face Matthias, unsure of what the smaller boy would do. Meanwhile, Eric cracked the leather belt he had been wearing, casting Ricky a condescending look as he stepped into the middle of the brawl.
"That's enough," he muttered, his feigning confidence, "This needs to end before somebody gets seriously hurt."
Feeling a knock to the back of his head, it only took Ricky a second to realize that Eric had slapped him in the back of the head, clearly irritated that he had attempted to stop the ongoing fist fight. Glaring at his companion with a renewed anger, Eric nearly growled out the next sentence.
"If you're not gonna help, get out of the fucking way."
Shaking his head warily, Ricky simply looked to his so-called friend with a look of utter disappointment. The fight itself had been over a ridiculous matter, and Eric had taken it way past the point of going too far. Now, Ricky was honestly concerned that Matthias might get hurt, or if not, certainly put a hurting on Eric. Still acting as a barrier between Matthias and Eric, and once again turning to face Matthias, Ricky gave the boy an apologetic look before once again addressing the frizzy-haired boy.
"Seriously man, this has gone way too far."
In the blink of an eye Ricky Callahan was sent reeling toward Matthias Kovalenko as Eric used a lot more force than neccessary to literally shove his companion out of the way. From the other point of view that had just witnessed the incident, however, it didn't look like Eric had shoved Ricky, but rather, like Ricky was attempting to tackle Matthias into the wall.
"HEY!"
The feminine voice yelled out over the sounds of traffic and the echoing thud made as Ricky impacted the wall. Whitney had been attempting to force her way through the crowd of patrons inside of Bensons for quite a while now, and when she'd finally gotten close enough to discover the brawl that was ensuing outside, she'd rushed through the door just in time to see Ricky go flying into Matthias. Of course, from her perspective, it looked like Ricky had just jumped into the fight, making it an obvious two-on-one.
The blonde-haired girl pushed her way past Eric Silvstedt, casting him an angry glare as she took a standing position next to Matthias Kovalenko. Inwardly, she knew it was a very bad idea to be standing in the middle of a fight, especially a two-on-one. After all, she was pretty much powerless to do anything. Despite that, Whitney forced a look of confidence on her face and stared at Eric.
"I don't know what your problem is..." her eyes traced over to Ricky and a pained expression crossed her face for only half a second before she continued, "Or yours, for that matter, but this is ridiculous. You need to back off."
Eric couldn't help but smirk once again as he was reprimanded by the blonde for fighting with Matthias. Casting a glance toward Ricky, his smirk became an all-out grin as he looked at her, then toward Matthias, then back at the blonde once again. For a moment, Eric actually looked amused by the sudden turn of events.
"What're you gonna do if I don't? Spank me? I might like that."
The rude remark caused Ricky to stare at his companion in a mixture of awe and anger at the fact that Eric had enough nerve to speak to anyone in such a tone, let alone her. Despite that, he'd already felt the brunt of the brick wall for standing up for Matthias, he was in no hurry to do it again. After all, she probably hated him now anyway. Shaking his head in frustration, Ricky simply turned and walked away, unsure of how to handle what had just transpired. Eric, meanwhile, didn't seem to be finished quite yet.
"Pansy-fuck, you wanna get your bitch out of the way so we can fight like men or am I gonna have to remove her?"
(Ricky continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 04:32 PM
Having recovered quite well from having been punched hard in the gut, Matthias stood up with an expression of grim triumph and satisfaction as he watched Eric writhed, forcing himself upwards once again from the sidewalk. This time, holding the case in which his destroyed saxophone was contained, Matthias felt no sense of remorse whatsoever for the impact that he had dealt. After all, if Matthias hasn't reacted, he likely wouldn't have lasted the rest of the brawl.
Still, Matthias watched calmly, though looking slightly unsettled and discontented, as Eric leaned against the wall of the building in an effort to catch his balance, meeting Matthias' forlorn eyes with a glare.
Whatever sense of pride and triumph Matthias felt at clocking Eric a good one with the sax case evaporated as Eric snarled more orders once again to Ricky Callahan, this time inciting him to join the fight against Matthias.
Shit... Matthias thought to himself, watching helplessly as Eric began removing his belt. Fear and apprehension taking over him yet again, he hid his nervousness with a stoic expression on his face as Callahan suddenly approached. More than ever Matthias dreaded the outcome of this battle. No doubt Callahan, being the lackey that he was, would obey Eric's whims and join in. Matthias regarded the Hispanic boy with narrowed eyes, bracing himself slightly as he lifted his gloved fists in a defensive stance.
It's no use... Matthias thought to himself hopelessly as he exchanged glances between the two boys standing before him. There's no way I can take on two of them at once....
His nervousness dissolved completely into utter surprise and confusion as Callahan suddenly spoke up, only to reprimand Eric in an attempt to stop the brawl here and now. Matthias lowered his fists slightly, though this was beyond what he'd expected from a puppet like Callahan. With an inquiring look, Matthias looked into Callahan's eyes, though unable to decipher any ulterior motive or hidden emotion.
Unable to say anything, Matthias watched silently as Ricky and Eric began exchanging looks...and harsh words. Genuinely, Matthias was plainly caught in astonishment at the sight of Callahan just calling for a ceasefire, if not outright sticking up for Matthias. He remained a silent speculator to the heated exchanged...until Silvstedt suddenly have Callahan a forceful shove that sent him reeling towards Matthias himself.
Once again caught entirely off guard, Matthias had absolutely no time to react as Ricky flew into him, knocking him with a hard impact into the wall. Matthias dropped the saxophone case in the recoil, and fell over against the floor.
Damn it, he thought, seriously on the verge of utter frustration. I've just about had it with that jerk....
He blinked at the sound of Whitney's clear voice making itself heard audibly over the ambient noise of the audience and the traffic. Sure enough, the blonde girl was approaching the three boys, with a look of sheer anger and contempt on her face. More than ever, Matthias was surprised to see her reprimanding not only Eric, but Callahan as well, for picking a fight with Matthias. In fact, Matthias knew perfectly well that this was completely far from the truth, given the way Callahan had stuck up for him earlier.
And it was at this point that Matthias felt the need to quickly speak up to shed light on the manner, for Whitney's sake and also for Callahan's. "Actually, you've got it wrong, the fight was just between Silvstedt and me, Callahan was only trying to hel-"
Matthias watched in amazement as Ricky said nothing, and resorted to silence as he walked away, as though in complete resignation over what had just transpired. However, his attention turned back towards Eric, who was in no way satisfied with the way the brawl had unfolded.
Anger flared inside him as Eric made yet another slur towards Whitney. Compelled to stand up for her yet again, Matthias lifted his chin with a look of pure scorn towards Eric. About to reprimand Eric yet again for referring to Whitney in such a manner, Matthias opened his mouth to speak, and was interrupted by a clear, brassy voice calling out above the noise of the traffic, and the murmurs of the audience they had somehow attracted.
"Oy, Matt! What's going on here?"
Matt stared silently as the lean, energetic form of his thirteen-year-old sister fought her way through the crowd and into the clearing where the brawl had been taking place.
Jodeen Kovalenko took a moment to brush at the dust she had collected on her capris, looking around with clear, brown eyes and noting both site and situation as she did so. Her eyes widened as she noted Eric's slightly bloodied form, as well as the gloves Matthias was wearing, and the state of his clothes having collided with the brick wall twice.
"Don't tell me...you got into a fight, didn't you?" Jodeen asked him in a slightly accusing voice.
At this point, Matthias was suddenly more aware of himself than he had been for the past hour, realizing what he had just done and the state he was in now. Disgracefully, he had just been involved in an all-out street brawl with another student, without civility nor sense of graciousness, and now his sister was here to make note of all of this.
"Don't worry about it, Jodeen," Matthias told her quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked towards Whitney with an apologetic look. "Hey...this is my sister, Jodeen. I think its time that we should leave now." Jodeen, however, was not about to let go of the matter so lightly and jabbed at Matt's shoulder with a finger.
"Come on, don't fool yourself into thinking I don't know," Jodeen persisted, tugging at Matt's sleeve. "What's gotten into you, Matt? You NEVER get into fights." She gave a curious look towards Whitney, tilting her head to one side. Never before had she seen Matthias with this particular person before.
"Hello, there," she said cheerfully, before turning on Matthias yet again. "Oy, Matt...I want an explanation already."
Matthias shook her head, wanting more than anything to just forget about the fight, and the fact that Jodeen had to be there to witness part of the dispute that had just unfolded between him, Eric, Callahan, and Whitney. More than anything, he just wanted to get back to his normal daily life and forget about all this as soon as possible.
"Don't worry about it, Jo. It's under control."
"That's NOT what I mean, Matt," Jodeen shook her head, plainly frustrated with her overprotective brother's obstinate attitude.
As Matthias began to lead her away from the clearing, he turned towards Eric, with an almost apologetic look. Quietly, he said, "Listen....I'd like to end this now. Let's not give each other anymore trouble and forget about this before someone gets hurt."
He lifted the saxophone case onto his shoulder, ready to leave...wanting to leave, more than anything.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 05:02 PM
Whitney's eyebrows raised slightly as Matthias attempted to clear Ricky Callahan's name of the incident that had just transpired. However, Ricky seemed rather nonchalant about the entire ordeal, and instead of defending himself or his actions, he simply turned and walked away. Whitney's stomach sank a little as she walked the Hispanic boy place his hands in his pockets and walk placidly down the sidewalk, his eyes seemingly glued to the concrete in front of him. Eric, meanwhile, was angered at the sight of Ricky leaving him on foot. Shaking his head in annoyance, he couldn't help but spit the next words out of his mouth.
"Pussy. Fuckin' coward."
The fight had all but dissolved for everyone except Eric, who was still itching to fight and no longer had the nuisance of Ricky Callahan holding him back. However, the cries of what almost sounded like a little girl broke through the commotion outside of the restaurant, causing even Eric to stop and turn his attention on the form of Jodeen Kovalenko, which had just appeared on the scene. Eric simply watched in irritation as the younger girl approached. Whitney, too, had focused her attention on the newcomer as well, and a faint smile traced across her lips as Matthias hurridly introduced the two.
"Alright," she mused at Matthias's request to leave, "Let's go then... I told you I'd give you a ride home, remember?"
Apparently, the discussion was far from over, however. Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit as Jodeen poked and prodded Matthias for answers as to what had just occured. Truthfully, Whitney was quite curious as well. After all, she'd been in the ladies room trying to clean the wet spill off of her clothes since way before the fight had started. She hadn't even heard the utterances of the duo that had started it all.
Noting that Matthias all but refused to talk about what had occured in front of Jodeen, however, Whitney repressed her questions, at least for now. It was plainly obvious that now was not the time or the place to discuss the events that had unfolded, especially not while Jodeen was around. Still watching Eric out of the corner of her eye, she was almost surprised as Matthias walked past him and mumbled something completely inaudible to her. Curious though she was, her question was promptly answered as Eric retorted in a rage.
"What're you, scared? You would've got your ass handed to ya, you know that, don'tcha? Of course you do, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE WALKING AWAY! COWARD!"
Eric's voice gradually grew louder and louder, echoing out over the crowd that had gathered around. Sighing somewhat, Whitney cast the frizzy-haired boy one final look before turning back toward Jodeen and Matthias. Today had been interesting, to say the least. Eric's taunting and yelling wasn't helping matters, but at this point, the best thing Whitney Acosta could think of to do was to simply walk away. Placing her hand on Matthias's shoulder momentarily, she gave him a sympathetic glance.
"You okay?"
In the background, Eric continued to howl and curse, taunting Matthias to come back and continue on with the fight, acting as though he'd had the upper hand all along. Shaking her head slightly, she nodded toward the direction of the parking lot, having every intention of giving the two a ride home. Especially after all the trouble that had started at the restaurant. Her attention momentarily turned back to the fact that Lexie, Sorenson, and Kurai were presumably still somewhere inside, but it seemed of little consequence now. The school was less than two blocks from the restaurant, they could all walk if need be.
"We really should get going," she warned, her eyes tracing back to Eric every so often to make sure he wouldn't run up for one final cheap shot.
Posted by: Lien Jun 24 2006, 07:23 PM
Clanging loudly through the dented trash cans and mustering up all the balance she had while staying upright amongst the black bags, Danielle was in essence annoyed that once again, she was having a bad day. The introverted teen wasn't exactly selfish, persay, but her welfare and emotions were most definately not far from her mind as she threw open the back door of Benson's to the safety of the kitchen once more after taking out another bag of trash that her coworker, Andie, was supposed to have taken care of. Sliding across the spill on the tiles, past her cousin's grill as he flipped more patties onto it, she caught herself on the spray hose and regained balance just before she made it to the front counter of the bar. Which she couldn't help but get the slightest gut feeling that it wasn't right that the customers were utilizing quite a small amount of space on the opposite side of where they kept the booze. Something was up.
With the newly acquired wall of human bodies in front of the window, Danielle could only guess that another monkey vendor had found his drunken self to the front of their store -long story- or that there was a fight. Secretly hoping for the former, as it was just something that would become entirely undesirable to watch after the vendor started peeing on a pole, she knew it had to be the latter that was keeping the potential dollar signs from accumulating in the cash box. Her rather silent nature was simply the only thing keeping her from screaming obscenities at Andie for not being around when she needed her. Hell, it could be her out there with the reputation she had.
Things like this, now, had to be taken care of with the utmost care, and Danielle knew full well that if she didn't do it, her ass would be yelled at for the scene taking up so much time that bills weren't being paid. There wasn't a second thought as she pulled the cordless phone of the wall, hopped over the empty bar, and walked rather stiffly to the mass of bodies that decided being in her way wasn't going to have her entertain the idea of spitting in their food.
"Excuse me, pardon me," she mumbled the classic lines that others used when they really wanted to say, 'Get the fuck outta my way before I rhino-horn you so hard you won't be able to sit for weeks,' as she squeezed her not-so-little body through the open door.
Sure enough, it seemed she caught either the end or the beginning of the fight, but upon seeing her classmate Eric bloody and pissed, guessed he was looking for redemption for getting a beating he probably deserved. Danielle had to refrain from letting out a snort in her amusement at the situation. She caught sight of two other classmates walking away from the scene, obviously annoyed at the screaming hypocrite who thought that he wasn't the textbook example of the word "coward."
"Fuckin'," Danielle sighed as she let the word out under her breath, preparing to say something other than, 'Do you want fries with that?' as she waved the telephone in the air.
"I just called the cops, just to let you know, so maybe you want to stop the shit-disturbing enough to high tail it outta here?"
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...howtopic=1180))
Posted by: MooCow Jun 25 2006, 02:31 PM
Smiling inwardly it took all Andie had to keep from erupting in laughter at Eric and the whole display. The whole 'fight' had made her admire Matthias even more. Looking to Danielle she spoke, "her listen I'm sorry for disappearing on ya'... look my shift's over so..."
She was interupted as Fritz exited the building, the heavy set manager's face was a deeper shade of red than usual, "what in the hell is going on out here?"
He looked to the teens and spoke once more, "y'all are makin' customers leave. I want you all off Benson's grounds, same goes for you Andie, you're fired!"
Andie looked at Fritz not totally surprised, still she wasn't going to give up without a fight, "but Fritz! I need this job..."
She was cut off again by the gruff voice of her shift manager, "you should have thought about that before you left your customers high and dry to have a little fist fight. Now get before the police come and I have y'all arrested."
Putting her hand on her brow, Andie Colvin felt dispair. She really did need this job, she was saving up for college.
Oh well, there are other jobs... or community college... damnit I just got a pay raise too... damnit I've gotta stop getting in fights.
Looking in the direction of Whitney Acosta and Matthias and Jodeen Kovalenko, Andie called out, "hey, wait up!"
Ripping off her Benson's name tag, ugly thing, she threw it into the dumpster, never one to throw trash on the ground, and ran after the three figures.
Posted by: Kris Jun 27 2006, 01:36 PM
After a no show at the Butterfly Club she decided she was a little hungry. She made her way over to the famous Bar and Grill near school. Marimar skipped along to the resteraunt and pushed open the double doors walking in. Her brown curls went down to her shoulders, she wore a black shredded hat which looks familiar to a jester's hat. Marimar wore a lightblue plaid dress with magenta as the plaid part. her usualy white knee socks were on as well as black mary jane shoes. Her attire maybe a little weird but she was as sweet as can be.
The girl looked around seeing so many people from her school, she didn't really know where to sit. She saw an empty table up ahead. None of the people she saw was one of her friends, at least thats what she thuoght. But she is always in the mood for making new ones if theiri ntrested. Then again who would want to be friends with a poor girl.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 27 2006, 05:32 PM
Matthias smiled in appreciation as Whitney suggested that they leave immediately, knowing more than anything that he just wanted to but all that had happened today behind him. He nodded at her warmly, despite all the bleakness he was feeling right now, happy to avoid the discussion of what had just gone on between him and Silvstedt for the time being. Of course, Jodeen, sharp in both mind and tongue, would always bring it up soon after, something that he would no doubt have to answer to. And to be honest, he was not at all looking forward to such in particular.
For now, Jodeen was keeping her mouth shut in a tight-lipped pout, plainly on the verge of bursting at the seams with questions she no doubt wanted answered. Trying not to look so guilty at the face of her accusing stare, Matthias looked only ahead, about to walk away with the two girls with the saxophone case in tow over his shoulder. However, he closed his eyes yet again in exasperation, as the taunting voice of Eric Silvstedt rung in his ears yet again.
The hooked-nosed boy was yelling after him in rage and triumph, jeering at him for walking away from a fight that Matthias might have lost, spitting enraged curses and yells from afar. Matthias did his best to ignore them, though it did nothing to ease the stormy tides in his heart. His pride was shaken, and now, in the aftermath of this brawl, he felt ashamed, as though he truly were a coward.
He looked towards Whitney at the feeling of her comforting hand against his free shoulder, and forced an apologetic smile, trying to shrug off that bleak, weary feeling that was plaguing him.
"I'm alright," he reassured her, trying to make it sound as though the matter was of little inconvenience to him. "Just tired is all."
Tired of everything, it seemed.
At Matthias' placidity to Eric's curses and taunts, Jodeen drew her lips together into an even tighter pout, plainly far from convinced that Matthias would brush this matter aside as easily as he tried to show he would. It was just like her older brother, trying to take all of the burden onto himself, putting up a front of confidence instead of letting those who cared about him know how he really felt. Of course, Matthias himself thought it was the mature thing to do, but plainly, Jodeen tired quickly of it. It was hardly the natural thing to do, just letting people walk all over you like a doormat without complaint or retribution.
What irritated her to the point of utter frustration was listening to Eric continue to insult and belittle her older brother, who was doing nothing to defend himself any longer. With her temper getting the best of her, she swirled around to face Eric, staring off in the distance, a look of pure contempt on her small, rounded face.
Matthias inner thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a bout of horror as Jodeen suddenly unleashed a tirade of insults of her own at Eric.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Calling Matt a coward! You can't even fight him one-on-one! Consider yourself lucky that I showed up, else Matt would have beaten you into a bloody, slimy pulp!! You jerk! You dirty Cro-Magnon!? You Neanderthal!"
"That's enough, Jodeen!" Matthias shouted firmly, though more than anything he feared for Jodeen's safety at the moment, as well as Eric's possible reaction to Jodeen's onslaught of insults. He placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her away, but as Jodeen was pulled back, she continued to pelt Eric mercilessly with her verbal abuse, shaking her fist in the air.
"Go buy yourself a clue and look in the mirror why don't you!? You could do with a face wash once a year you know! I hope you shrivel up and die, you asswipe!"
"Language, Jo," Matthias muttered in utter exasperation as he began to walk faster with Whitney with Jodeen well in tow, not wanting to instigate the situation any further what with Jodeen's temper and sharp tongue getting the better of her. Seeing Andie, he waved wearily towards her with a slight smile. "You coming with us?"
Posted by: Megami Jun 27 2006, 07:29 PM
Whitney's eyes widened in an expression filled with both astonishment and sheer horror, and she lashed her arm out as if to grab Jodeen as she began to slur insults right back toward the pompous jerk who had been harrassing Matthias nonstop, but it was too little, too late. As Jodeen began spouting off insults toward her brother's tormentor, Whitney could only hold her breath to see what fate awaited the small girl for her retorts. She looked on as Eric pushed his way back in front of the crowd that was still looking on in shock, his eyes piercing the young girl as she berated him in public.
Eric Silvstedt looked on at the young girl who was verbally assaulting him from afar, a bemused expression forming on his lips as she ranted, raved, and shouted. What the hell's a... what'd she call me? A cro-what? Continuing to watch the girl, feeling more and more amused by the second, Eric Silvstedt did what none of the onlookers had expected him to do: he started laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder as he continued to watch the fiery-eyed girl, Eric even letting out a snort of amusement at her retorts.
"Weak, dude," he addressed toward Matthias, "This's the kind of person you are? You're such a god damned pussy that your guard-dog of a little sister has to come stand up for you? Hahaha, dude, that's really, really weak. She looks like a fucking chihuahua. What's she gonna do, bite my ankles?"
Snickering even more at the thought of Jodeen actually trying anything against him, Eric glared toward the small girl, then toward the older brother standing behind her. This just kept getting better and better. As Danielle Tysl's words rang out through the crowd, followed by Fritz's warning that the trouble-makers needed to get off of store property, Eric changed his tune somewhat, confident that he had won both the fight and the argument that had followed.
"You know what, dude? Go on. Take your little bitch girls and your miniature pit bull there and leave. Obviously, you don't think you're a big man anyway. You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"
Sensing the cold stares he was receiving from behind when he verbalized the thoughts of dropping Jodeen in her tracks, and hearing the cop sirens echo out in the distance, Eric made the internal decision that it was long past time to get out of dodge. However, he wasn't quite finished yet, he still had a bit to say. Looking directly at Matthias, he spit on the ground, aiming toward Jodeen's feet, and flashed a grin.
"Just know this, my man, it ain't over. People like you, you disgust me. You wanna start shit and then you don't wanna back it up. I call you out to fight, and you pussy out and drag a bunch of little girls out here with ya. You think they're gonna protect you? You're wrong. This ain't over by a long shot. I'll be seein' ya at school tomorrow."
His final words having been said, Eric swiftly turned around and began forcing his way through the now dispersing crowd. Smiling to himself at the way he'd handled the conflict, Eric took off at a jogging pace, presumably going after the friend that had left him several minutes before hand. As if it were an afterthought, Eric turned back toward the quartet standing there.
"Oh, and by the way," he mused nonchalantly, "Next time, you really outta keep your attack dog on a leash. And buy it a muzzle or something."
As Eric once again turned around and continued his jog away from the restaurant, Whitney Acosta also took notice of the sirens echoing in the distance. She'd always though restaurant employees calling police was a bluff to get rid of unwanted customers. Perhaps they really had crossed the line, and Danielle or Fritz had indeed called the police. She dispersed it from her thoughtss momentarily and placed her hands on Jodeen's shoulders, leaning down so that she could speak into the younger girl's ear.
"There's no point in even stooping down to his level, Jo," she mused cheerfully into the other girl's ear, "That's what he wants you to do. He wants you to get upset, and he wants to get under your skin. If you let him do that, he's won. He knows he lost, he knows all those people are looking at him thinking he's an idiot, and he's just trying to redeem himself. Don't let him do that."
Letting a smile form on her lips, Whitney winked at the younger girl before standing up to her full height. Looking toward Matthias and Andie, who had just recently joined them, she shrugged her shoulders lightly as if the whole ordeal hadn't been anything to concern themselves over. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she just couldn't get Eric's final words out of her head. She feared for Matthias, she feared for Jodeen, and quite honestly, she also sort of feared for herself. She'd watched Eric bully other students before, and he was relentless in his efforts. Sighing inwardly, that faux smile formed on her lips again as she placed a hand on both Matthias's and Jodeen's shoulders, then nodded toward the back parking lot of Benson's Grill.
"Let's just go, before the cops show up and we all get in trouble, alright?"
(Eric continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: Croco Jun 29 2006, 10:04 AM
As the situation started to dissolve and everyone began returning to their normal activities, a set of blue eyes watched Eric as he left the restaurant. Those eyes had been peering back and forth between the fight, a history textbook, and a BLT sandwich that he had ordered just as everything went down. He was not a loner, but just about everyone knew who he was...and either kept clear of him, or showed at least some kind of respect, for few had the nerve or the physical ability to contend with Vesa Turunen. Most of the students at Franklyn High knew Vesa; they knew he was an exchange student from Finland and that while he enjoyed company, he often preferred to be alone when things got particularly rough. And this was one of those situations as Vesa took a bite out of his sandwich...he had watched Eric belittle, then charge at Matthias and while he wanted to keep his nose clean of this, he had grown rather disdained toward Eric.
Wiping his hands with a napkin first, Vesa cleared the long strands of blonde hair out from in front of his eyes. He then wiped his mouth off and tossed the napkin on his plate as he sat back and closed his book; he had been studying for a test at the end of the week until the fight started. Vesa had been pondering whether or not to confront Eric over a multitude of issues...most notably when he and Eric bumped shoulders in the hallway, to which the young Finn's gender was questioned.
Vesa also knew Matthias quite well as they were in a couple classes together. He nodded toward him, then to the seat in front of him.
"Hey, Matthias," he called out, but to his dismay, he saw him, Jodeen and Whitney heading for the door, "Perkele..." (Damn it...)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 29 2006, 11:03 PM
Jodeen only ignored Whitney's retraining arm and Matthias' panicked protests and continued to simply glare venom towards Eric as he continued to insult her brother mercilessly, ignoring the jeers she treated him with. What angered her was how Eric seemed to think of her standing up for Matthias as some kind of joke, and further proof that her older brother was nothing but a coward, something that Jodeen knew couldn't be further than the truth. Furthermore, she looked on in disgust as Eric aimed a bit of spittle towards her feet, missing by several inches, though irritating her further nonetheless.
"See if I don't, you jerk! You think I won't fight you myself? You insult my brother again, I'll smack you one real good! I swear it!" she hollered at him as Matthias struggled to restrain her, pulling away from the scene before she broke away and launched herself in full force at Eric. "And I'm not a little kid! Not like you! I hope it rots and falls off!!"
"Jodeen!" Matthias could not help but let out the exasperation in a much harsher tone than he had intended. Instead of feeling chastised, Jodeen pouted and turned away from Eric huffily, crossing her arms. Silently, she continued to fume.
As the older girl Whitney stooped over to whisper some words of advice into Jodeen's ear, the young, thirteen-year-old brunette seemed to calm down ever so slightly. Gradually, she relaxed, her more good-natured expression coming back into formation, though she still looked rather vexed at all that had happened. Looking at Whitney, she tilted her head to one side in slight contemplation over what the older girl had told her, about how she shouldn't give Eric a sense of victory by stooping to his level.
"But," she replied in an honest tone. "It's true, the way he looks is enough to give a ten-year-old nightmares. Did you see his face? I don't think even the moon has that many craters. Makes you wonder...just where was he when they were handing out looks?" Feeling somewhat reassured at being able to bash at Eric from afar, Jodeen relaxed as she walked cheerfully with Matthias and Whitney. Of course she couldn't be afraid of some ape like Eric. People like that were all talk. That jerk Eric couldn't do a thing to hurt her or Matthias.
Of course, Matthias had more sense than his younger sister, still a middle-school student. By now, he had a rather good idea as to what Eric was capable of, though what truly worried him was that he likely hadn't seen the very worst Eric could do. His insides churned with uneasiness and trepidation over the very thought...even more so once Matthias milled over what he had just said.
"You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?""
Upon hearing these words, Matthias had froze in place for a moment, his mind only able to think about the very insinuation behind those words....was it just an empty threat, he had wondered. Knowing Eric, the threat could be very well real. The very prospect was enough to silence Matthias completely, taking him completely by shock as he found himself unable to respond to Eric's words as he walked away.
Matthias expression by now had turned dark and grim. His insides had gone cold with a feeling of unease over what Eric had said. Over and over again, he struggled to convince himself, He was just trying to intimidate you Matt... He didn't mean it. He wouldn't do something like that.
But after what Matthias had seen and experience today....there was nothing he could do but think otherwise. There was no knowing to what lows Eric would stop at, and if it meant harm to Jodeen, Matthias didn't know what he could do to prevent it. Nor did he know what he would do if Eric did something to intentionally cause harm to Jodeen. But no matter what...Matthias would never let that happen. He couldn't. He had to take responsibility of Jodeen's safety, regardless of what happened to him. It was the only thing to do.
With a stoic expression, he glanced towards Whitney, struggling to smile in agreement at her suggestion that they hurry up before the arrival of the cops made the situation even more uncomfortable, even more unbearable. Immersed in the darkness of his thoughts, he only barely heard a voice calling out his name, but ignored it with silence, thinking that Eric had settled to insulting him from afar yet again.
"Yeah...we'd better hurry up then," he said quietly, picking up the pace in unison with his words. As Jodeen quickened her own strides to keep up with him, she began tugging at his sleeve again, as though she were a small child scouring for answers from a reluctant adult.
"So, Matt," she began, in a tone that was more curious than accusing. "How DID you start getting into that fight? Don't tell me he did something. You never get mad when people make fun of you. What did he do exactly? ....Hey, Matt, aren't you going to tell me?"
At Jodeen's bombardment of questions, Matthias took to looking down at the ground as he walked, hiding the expression of pain on his face. Of course he knew why he had gotten into the fight in the first place. As soon as he remembered, his mind began wandering back to the saxophone case that rested against his shoulder, and the destroyed contents therein.
Posted by: Megami Jun 30 2006, 10:44 AM
It appeared that, for now at least, the warzone in front of Benson's Bar and Grill had been cleared out. The patrons who had gathered around to watch the action had all but dispersed, only a select few still lingering to watch the aftermath of the fight. Whitney couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The ordeal had been dragged out far too long, and even now, Whitney didn't know what the beginnings of the conflict had been. Hearing Jodeen's pleading voice trailing behind Matt, Whitney couldn't help but ponder the same questions in her own mind.
Though Matthias never verbally answered the questions, Whitney looked on as his eyes lowered to the ground, following the sidewalk instead of looking at either of the people in his company. The saddened and pained expression on his face wasn't nearly as well hidden as he'd have liked it to be, and although Whitney had caught this subtle little hint of what had happened prior, she wouldn't press the matter further. At least, not in front of Jodeen.
Now, it was a matter of getting Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story. Maybe he'd be more willing to talk once his sister was out of earshot. The facade that he was putting on now wasn't unusual, she'd seen it before in other people at different times in their lives. It was apparent that he was trying to shelter Jodeen, trying to protect her both physically and mentally from the truth about what happened in front of the restaurant. It was respectable, almost commendable on his part. Somehow, though, she didn't think the thirteen-year-old would quite agree with her on that part.
As the black and tan Mustang Convertible that had been left, top down, in the back parking lot of Benson's came into view, Whitney smiled to herself. Inwardly, she was formulating an idea, simply a little diversion. Although she hated having to go about this so underhandedly, Jodeen really didn't need to know the truth, and judging by the anguished expression that had passed over Matthias's features mere moments before, the truth might very well have been harsh and cruel. Almost as though it were an afterthought, Whitney directed her attention toward Jodeen as the blonde opened the driver's side door and flopped down into the seat.
"Say, Jo. You never got to get anything to eat, did you?," she mused, "How about me, you, and your brother go grab some ice cream or something before I take you guys home?"
Turning to Matthias momentarily, the same reassuring smile crossed her face as she nodded toward him. The tone of her voice would say that she was doing this on a whim, though nothing could be more true. It had it's purpose, and if everything went as she'd planned, Whitney would no longer be left in the dark about the events that had just unfolded.
"What do you say, Matt? You up for it?"
Biting on her lower lip somewhat, Whitney awaited his reaction somewhat suspensefully. There was always the factor that perhaps Matthias had had all the fun he could tolerate for one day, and simply wished to go home. The fair-haired girl couldn't say she would blame him in the slightest, after the rough and overdramatic events this evening had had in store for him.
The engine of the Mustang Convertible roared to life and the radio burst out in an excruciatingly loud tone, taking Whitney by surprise momentarily. She had forgotten that Lexie had been in the passenger's seat on the trip over to the dinner, thus, she had pretty much taken over Whitney's radio. Her face blushed red as she quickly dove for the dial, turning the radio down to a manageable level. Shrugging her shoulders and laughing somewhat, she took a moment to look into the rear-view mirror and adjust her hair and makeup, all the while pondering their next destination.
Posted by: Croco Jun 30 2006, 08:21 PM
Stomping his foot in disgust, Vesa finished off his sandwich and closed the book he had opened. His mind ran amok with ways that he could deal with Eric as the waitress set his bill at the edge of the table, and he was about to put it in his backpack when he heard his phone ring. A soft grunt of disgust escaped Vesa's lips as he reached into his backpack to pick up his phone; he knew the FHS policy that banned cell phones anywhere on the premises except in a student's locker. So that's where he kept it most of the day...and now, he was flipping it open.
"Yo..." he muttered, thinking it was one of his friends.
"Vesa! Where are you?" replied the voice on the other end...an obviously higher, younger boy on the other end.
"I'm at Benson's, Otter...something happened..." Vesa knew the voice immediately...it was Olli Soranen, the ten-year-old son of the adoptive family he was living with. He called him "Otter" due to the fact that he loved to swim, especially when his parents took him and his younger sister, Emma, to their lakeside cottage in upstate New York for a month over the summer. And like his bigger 'brother', Olli was a hockey fanatic and played for the local youth team, but unlike Vesa, who played center and scored goals left and right, Olli was his team's starting goaltender. When that was revealed, Vesa took him under his wing and began coaching him on the tendencies of shooters as well as his mechanics so he would be in tune for the upcoming season.
None of that mattered, just Olli's curiosity as he wanted to know what went down. "What happened?"
"There was a fight..."
"A fight?!?" Olli's voice lit up. "Anyone I know?"
"Nah, just a couple kids at the senior school..." A fifth-grader at Franklyn Elementary, Olli needed to know as he knew quite a few kids with older siblings.
"Who, Vesa...who?"
"Oh, all right...it was Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko..."
"Matthias fought him? I'm pretty sure his spaz of a sister was there too...one of my classmates' sisters is friends with her..." Apparently, he knew of Jodeen as well, even if it was just a friend-of-a-friend deal.
"Yeah, she was there...and boy, did she lay into Eric when it was over! I'll tell ya about it when I get home...I just stopped to grab a sandwich and see if anyone I knew was there."
Though Vesa was unable to see it, Olli's face lit up at the prospect of hearing all about the fight and confrontation. "Cool...I'll see ya then..."
"All right...see ya, Otter..." Vesa hung up the phone and put it in the front left pocket of the blue jeans he was wearing before leaving a ten-dollar bill on the table and sauntering off. The car he drove was nothing extraordinary...a red late-model Toyota Camry that had seen better days as evident by the damage on the right front quarterpanel, a result of Vesa clipping a curb. He opened the door behind the driver's seat and tossed his backpack into the back, then the driver's door itself and turned the key, taking a deep breath before backing out and driving off, the sound of one of his favorite metal bands filling the surrounding area.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 30 2006, 08:47 PM
It was just funny, how quickly a person's mood can change at the sound of one word, erasing all unpleasant memories of anything and everything that happened prior, and turning their attitude and outward demeanor a total 180 degrees. If there was anything to which Jodeen Kovalenko ever reacted readily, it just had to be Whitney's offhanded mention of 'ice cream'.
All at once her eyes seem to lit up in a sunlit sparkle, and Matthias could only look on in amusement as Jodeen all but forgot about her irritation, as well as the fact that Matthias had been involved in a fight with Eric. As she slid into the backseat, her expression melted into one of ecstatic delight and enthusiasm, looking as though Christmas had come early.
"Ice cream!" she echoed the word with a tone of sheer glee. At once she leaned all the way over to the front seat where Matthias had just settled beside Whitney, suddenly rounding up on her older brother and tugging at his arm plaintively, suddenly adopting the mannerisms of a small child using all assets of cuteness and innocence to appeal to an adult. "Oh, can we Matt? Can we go for ice cream? Please? Please, please, pretty like me, please?"
If there was anything Matthias couldn't resist, it was the pleading, doll-like quality in his younger sister's eyes, plainly tugging at the depths of his heart, compelling him to go with her demands. Once again, Matthias was unable to resist, nor did he intend to in the first place. He smiled warmly at Jodeen as she clung to his arm with that ever present expression of innocence, though he had a vague idea that she was neither as naïve nor guileless as she looked most of the time.
"Alright," he told her finally, unable to help but laugh a bit as Jodeen let out a joyful whoop of glee and jumped back into her seat. He turned to Whitney, looking plainly grateful for distracting Jodeen momentarily from the events of the past hour. "I know this convenience store that sells it by the lot, I take Jodeen there from time to time. Think I might pick up a few things there."
He smiled warmly at Whitney, and for a moment, his natural, good-natured and cheerful demeanor returned, and despite all that he'd been through today, he looked perfectly content now that they were able to enjoy themselves for once. Though surprised at the sudden blare of music that had come up when Whitney started the engine, he brushed it off with full-throated laughter as he sat back and relaxed for a moment, glad to do so for once today.
Looking towards Whitney, he pointed off towards the distance in the eastern direction. "Convenience store is a ways past on the other side of the school, at Venables and Windermere. It's a long ways off, but if you keep to this avenue for a while, you'll eventually get to Venables..."
Cradling the saxophone case in his arms, he sat back and relaxed in his seat, letting out a tired sigh that seemed to reveal his weariness, despite his cheerful and relaxed outward appearance. "Again...gotta thank you for this, it would have been a pain having to wait for the bus at this hour. Plus Jodeen will be happy."
Indeed, Jodeen was humming a cheerful tone to herself as she allowed the window to slide down fully, letting in a mild afternoon breeze as she stuck her nose out of the window towards the street outside. By now, all memories of Eric and the knowledge that Matthias had been caught in a brawl with the person in question had settled to the back of her mind, replaced by only by the prospect of ice cream in her mind.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: Megami Jul 1 2006, 11:49 AM
As the duo of Kovalenkos settled down in the seats of the car, Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit at the two, moreso when Jodeen began her pleas for the ice cream Whitney had offered to get her. A satisfied look came over her features as Matthias agreed to the offering. The fair-haired girl listened intently to Matthias's directions on where to find the convenience store, seeing as she lived on the opposite side of town from where they were going, but that was no matter.
Casting a small grin toward Matthias as he once again thanked her for the ride home, she simply nodded her head slightly, catching the look of gratefulness that his features currently possessed, she could only assume for getting Jodeen's mind off the events that had gone on during the past hour or so.
"Anytime."
While she may have purged Jodeen's mind of the countless questions running about inside, she hadn't purged her own, and in fact still had a lot she wanted to ask Matthias. Of course, that would have to wait until later, once Jodeen was suitably distracted. Putting the car into drive, the black and tan convertible rolled out of the parking lot of Benson's Bar and Grill and made an eastbound turn, heading in the direction Matthias had pointed.
(Continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...showtopic=1037)
Matthias had to admit to himself, at the sight of Silvstedt sent flying to smash face first into the promenade, Matthias could not help but feel a sense of sick satisfied. The feeling, mixed with conscientious guilt at causing someone this much pain, tasted bitter in his mouth, giving him a cold and sickening feeling. Matthias found himself telling himself without conviction that it was not his fault, the jerk had it coming, and Matthias was just trying to defend himself. But as he watched Silvstedt rise slowly from the pavement, Matthias remained thus far unconvinced. As Matthias watched on, he inwardly hoped that Eric would just give up and call it quits, not only for Matthias' sake, but for the sake of the other boy as well.
To his relief, the taller boy didn't seem to be in any excruciating pain. On the other hand, Matthias realized with panic that Eric was not at all ready to call an end to this brawl, contrary to what Matthias had hoped. He waited, in case Eric was about to attack again. This time, he would be more than ready. This time, he would simply-
Matthias was caught entirely by surprise as a spray of blood and saliva caught him in the face, temporarily blinding him. It took him a full second to realize what Eric had just done as a cheap, literally dirty trick to distract him, and it was enough to make Matthias, inexperienced as he was in street-fighting, to be caught off guard.
He felt the blow to his gut coming before it even hit him. Once again, Eric had caught him completely off guard, the dirty fighter that he was. Matthias reeled at the impact, staggering back slightly as he felt all the air forced out of his lungs, giving way to a dull pain in his stomach. However, not once did he utter a groan of pain as he stepped back in the recoil, his hand over his eyes. As he backed against the wall, where his saxophone case was, his hand moved behind him.
By now, Matthias had realized just exactly what people often meant when they said, "All's fair in love and war." If that's the case, then there's no reason he should fight dirty with an equally dirty fighter. After all, it was the only fair thing in this sort of brawl, after all.
Face hidden behind a blood covered hand, he smiled inwardly, knowing how vulnerable he looked and what a perfect target he might pose to Eric, who had likely without a doubt gained even more confidence with the successful blow, and will become even more brazen as a result.
That's right, just come, Matthias hissed silently in his mind in grim satisfaction, knowing that from where he was, Eric wouldn't see that he had wrapped his hand around the handle of the saxophone case while staggering back in pain.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 02:41 PM
Beaming with satisfaction as is shot to Matthias's stomach sent him wheeling backward against the brick wall of the exterior of Benson's, Eric couldn't help but be overcome with glee at the successful execution of his punch. As Matthias covered his eyes, Eric continued to grin, feeling pretty good about himself right now. His diversion had worked perfectly, and it had caused him to score another hit in this brawl.
Once again Eric stalked toward his smaller counterpart, this time stopping short a few feet away from him. Anyone who had ever seen Eric fight before would know that by now he was feeling pretty confident, even confident enough to toy with his opponent a bit, and this was exactly what he was doing to Matthias. Had Eric considered this a real fight, and Matthias a real opponent, he would've long since lashed out with a series of attacks against the brown-haired boy.
Yawning loudly, Eric tilted his head to the side in a cocky and egotistical manner and surveyed the opponent he now had cornered. From here on out, it would be easy picking. Even going so far as to take a moment to crack his neck and pop his knuckles, Eric finally stopped toying with his opponent long enough to approach him and once again attempt to drive his fist into Matthias's gut.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 03:06 PM
As Matthias feigned helplessness and resignation as he leaned heavily against the brick wall of the restaurant, coughing and wiping his eyes, he waited. By now he knew exactly what to predict from Eric, having gotten well acquainted with that bold and shameless attitude after such a remarkably short time. Now, Matthias was anticipating his big moment, the drastic turnaround of this brawl.
He felt the presence of the taller boy as Eric approached him, confident and no doubt self-assured with what he thought would be his victory. As Eric took the time to gloat, giving Matthias more than enough time to brace himself for the opportunity he was about to take, the smaller, brown-haired boy smiled slightly at the antics Silvstedt was pulling off, yet again.
Don't you know, friend? Matthias thought as Eric stepped towards again, his hand once again curling up into a fist and poised to strike again. They say cometh pride before a fall. And the higher you fly...
At the same time Eric launched yet another punch aimed towards the smaller boy's gut, Matthias' hand moved away from his face, swiftly thrusting his arm outward. Matthias knew he had successfully blocked the punch when his palm met Eric's fist, effectively absorbing the punch and diverting away from its original target.
Matthias squeezed Eric's fist, making sure that he had nowhere to go. He stood up, and his other arm swung out from behind him, and a large shape of massive weight followed in its wake. It was the saxophone case, and with a slight grunt, Matthias swung the case, allowing the momentum to carry its weight in a half-circle so that it collided square into the side of Eric's head.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 03:43 PM
Eric's dark-colored eyes widened in a look of sheer surprise as his opponent thrust his palm forward and Eric's fist slammed into it, harmlessly avoiding the boy's stomach. With a growl Eric lurched forward and attempted to clock Matthias square in the head with his other fist in an almost desperate move. Unfortunately for Eric, Matthias was much faster. Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw the black case of the saxophone he'd destroyed earlier swinging for his head. Without the speed and agility to dodge it, Eric was helpless as the large object slammed into the side of his skull, once again sending him flying into the nearby pavement.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
Eric let out a primal roar as he forced himself back to his feet, but, overcome by a wave of dizziness, he was forced to lean against the brick wall of the building. Wheezing slightly as he breathed, Eric cast a hateful glare toward Matthias, than a frustrated one toward Callahan. What the hell was he doing, anyway?
"Callahan, what're you doin' you asshole? GET HIM!"
As he belted out the order, Eric Silvstedt made another desperate move. He began to unfasten his belt from its position within his belt loops, purely with the intention of choking the other boy into submission. Ricky caught this out of the corner of his eye and finally, he made the decision that this fight had to end now before someone got seriously hurt.
Leaving Andie in her spot where she was presumably still observing the ongoing fight, Ricky made a bee-line for the middle of the brawl. Certain he could stop his fellow baseball player if need be, Ricky turned to face Matthias, unsure of what the smaller boy would do. Meanwhile, Eric cracked the leather belt he had been wearing, casting Ricky a condescending look as he stepped into the middle of the brawl.
"That's enough," he muttered, his feigning confidence, "This needs to end before somebody gets seriously hurt."
Feeling a knock to the back of his head, it only took Ricky a second to realize that Eric had slapped him in the back of the head, clearly irritated that he had attempted to stop the ongoing fist fight. Glaring at his companion with a renewed anger, Eric nearly growled out the next sentence.
"If you're not gonna help, get out of the fucking way."
Shaking his head warily, Ricky simply looked to his so-called friend with a look of utter disappointment. The fight itself had been over a ridiculous matter, and Eric had taken it way past the point of going too far. Now, Ricky was honestly concerned that Matthias might get hurt, or if not, certainly put a hurting on Eric. Still acting as a barrier between Matthias and Eric, and once again turning to face Matthias, Ricky gave the boy an apologetic look before once again addressing the frizzy-haired boy.
"Seriously man, this has gone way too far."
In the blink of an eye Ricky Callahan was sent reeling toward Matthias Kovalenko as Eric used a lot more force than neccessary to literally shove his companion out of the way. From the other point of view that had just witnessed the incident, however, it didn't look like Eric had shoved Ricky, but rather, like Ricky was attempting to tackle Matthias into the wall.
"HEY!"
The feminine voice yelled out over the sounds of traffic and the echoing thud made as Ricky impacted the wall. Whitney had been attempting to force her way through the crowd of patrons inside of Bensons for quite a while now, and when she'd finally gotten close enough to discover the brawl that was ensuing outside, she'd rushed through the door just in time to see Ricky go flying into Matthias. Of course, from her perspective, it looked like Ricky had just jumped into the fight, making it an obvious two-on-one.
The blonde-haired girl pushed her way past Eric Silvstedt, casting him an angry glare as she took a standing position next to Matthias Kovalenko. Inwardly, she knew it was a very bad idea to be standing in the middle of a fight, especially a two-on-one. After all, she was pretty much powerless to do anything. Despite that, Whitney forced a look of confidence on her face and stared at Eric.
"I don't know what your problem is..." her eyes traced over to Ricky and a pained expression crossed her face for only half a second before she continued, "Or yours, for that matter, but this is ridiculous. You need to back off."
Eric couldn't help but smirk once again as he was reprimanded by the blonde for fighting with Matthias. Casting a glance toward Ricky, his smirk became an all-out grin as he looked at her, then toward Matthias, then back at the blonde once again. For a moment, Eric actually looked amused by the sudden turn of events.
"What're you gonna do if I don't? Spank me? I might like that."
The rude remark caused Ricky to stare at his companion in a mixture of awe and anger at the fact that Eric had enough nerve to speak to anyone in such a tone, let alone her. Despite that, he'd already felt the brunt of the brick wall for standing up for Matthias, he was in no hurry to do it again. After all, she probably hated him now anyway. Shaking his head in frustration, Ricky simply turned and walked away, unsure of how to handle what had just transpired. Eric, meanwhile, didn't seem to be finished quite yet.
"Pansy-fuck, you wanna get your bitch out of the way so we can fight like men or am I gonna have to remove her?"
(Ricky continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 24 2006, 04:32 PM
Having recovered quite well from having been punched hard in the gut, Matthias stood up with an expression of grim triumph and satisfaction as he watched Eric writhed, forcing himself upwards once again from the sidewalk. This time, holding the case in which his destroyed saxophone was contained, Matthias felt no sense of remorse whatsoever for the impact that he had dealt. After all, if Matthias hasn't reacted, he likely wouldn't have lasted the rest of the brawl.
Still, Matthias watched calmly, though looking slightly unsettled and discontented, as Eric leaned against the wall of the building in an effort to catch his balance, meeting Matthias' forlorn eyes with a glare.
Whatever sense of pride and triumph Matthias felt at clocking Eric a good one with the sax case evaporated as Eric snarled more orders once again to Ricky Callahan, this time inciting him to join the fight against Matthias.
Shit... Matthias thought to himself, watching helplessly as Eric began removing his belt. Fear and apprehension taking over him yet again, he hid his nervousness with a stoic expression on his face as Callahan suddenly approached. More than ever Matthias dreaded the outcome of this battle. No doubt Callahan, being the lackey that he was, would obey Eric's whims and join in. Matthias regarded the Hispanic boy with narrowed eyes, bracing himself slightly as he lifted his gloved fists in a defensive stance.
It's no use... Matthias thought to himself hopelessly as he exchanged glances between the two boys standing before him. There's no way I can take on two of them at once....
His nervousness dissolved completely into utter surprise and confusion as Callahan suddenly spoke up, only to reprimand Eric in an attempt to stop the brawl here and now. Matthias lowered his fists slightly, though this was beyond what he'd expected from a puppet like Callahan. With an inquiring look, Matthias looked into Callahan's eyes, though unable to decipher any ulterior motive or hidden emotion.
Unable to say anything, Matthias watched silently as Ricky and Eric began exchanging looks...and harsh words. Genuinely, Matthias was plainly caught in astonishment at the sight of Callahan just calling for a ceasefire, if not outright sticking up for Matthias. He remained a silent speculator to the heated exchanged...until Silvstedt suddenly have Callahan a forceful shove that sent him reeling towards Matthias himself.
Once again caught entirely off guard, Matthias had absolutely no time to react as Ricky flew into him, knocking him with a hard impact into the wall. Matthias dropped the saxophone case in the recoil, and fell over against the floor.
Damn it, he thought, seriously on the verge of utter frustration. I've just about had it with that jerk....
He blinked at the sound of Whitney's clear voice making itself heard audibly over the ambient noise of the audience and the traffic. Sure enough, the blonde girl was approaching the three boys, with a look of sheer anger and contempt on her face. More than ever, Matthias was surprised to see her reprimanding not only Eric, but Callahan as well, for picking a fight with Matthias. In fact, Matthias knew perfectly well that this was completely far from the truth, given the way Callahan had stuck up for him earlier.
And it was at this point that Matthias felt the need to quickly speak up to shed light on the manner, for Whitney's sake and also for Callahan's. "Actually, you've got it wrong, the fight was just between Silvstedt and me, Callahan was only trying to hel-"
Matthias watched in amazement as Ricky said nothing, and resorted to silence as he walked away, as though in complete resignation over what had just transpired. However, his attention turned back towards Eric, who was in no way satisfied with the way the brawl had unfolded.
Anger flared inside him as Eric made yet another slur towards Whitney. Compelled to stand up for her yet again, Matthias lifted his chin with a look of pure scorn towards Eric. About to reprimand Eric yet again for referring to Whitney in such a manner, Matthias opened his mouth to speak, and was interrupted by a clear, brassy voice calling out above the noise of the traffic, and the murmurs of the audience they had somehow attracted.
"Oy, Matt! What's going on here?"
Matt stared silently as the lean, energetic form of his thirteen-year-old sister fought her way through the crowd and into the clearing where the brawl had been taking place.
Jodeen Kovalenko took a moment to brush at the dust she had collected on her capris, looking around with clear, brown eyes and noting both site and situation as she did so. Her eyes widened as she noted Eric's slightly bloodied form, as well as the gloves Matthias was wearing, and the state of his clothes having collided with the brick wall twice.
"Don't tell me...you got into a fight, didn't you?" Jodeen asked him in a slightly accusing voice.
At this point, Matthias was suddenly more aware of himself than he had been for the past hour, realizing what he had just done and the state he was in now. Disgracefully, he had just been involved in an all-out street brawl with another student, without civility nor sense of graciousness, and now his sister was here to make note of all of this.
"Don't worry about it, Jodeen," Matthias told her quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked towards Whitney with an apologetic look. "Hey...this is my sister, Jodeen. I think its time that we should leave now." Jodeen, however, was not about to let go of the matter so lightly and jabbed at Matt's shoulder with a finger.
"Come on, don't fool yourself into thinking I don't know," Jodeen persisted, tugging at Matt's sleeve. "What's gotten into you, Matt? You NEVER get into fights." She gave a curious look towards Whitney, tilting her head to one side. Never before had she seen Matthias with this particular person before.
"Hello, there," she said cheerfully, before turning on Matthias yet again. "Oy, Matt...I want an explanation already."
Matthias shook her head, wanting more than anything to just forget about the fight, and the fact that Jodeen had to be there to witness part of the dispute that had just unfolded between him, Eric, Callahan, and Whitney. More than anything, he just wanted to get back to his normal daily life and forget about all this as soon as possible.
"Don't worry about it, Jo. It's under control."
"That's NOT what I mean, Matt," Jodeen shook her head, plainly frustrated with her overprotective brother's obstinate attitude.
As Matthias began to lead her away from the clearing, he turned towards Eric, with an almost apologetic look. Quietly, he said, "Listen....I'd like to end this now. Let's not give each other anymore trouble and forget about this before someone gets hurt."
He lifted the saxophone case onto his shoulder, ready to leave...wanting to leave, more than anything.
Posted by: Megami Jun 24 2006, 05:02 PM
Whitney's eyebrows raised slightly as Matthias attempted to clear Ricky Callahan's name of the incident that had just transpired. However, Ricky seemed rather nonchalant about the entire ordeal, and instead of defending himself or his actions, he simply turned and walked away. Whitney's stomach sank a little as she walked the Hispanic boy place his hands in his pockets and walk placidly down the sidewalk, his eyes seemingly glued to the concrete in front of him. Eric, meanwhile, was angered at the sight of Ricky leaving him on foot. Shaking his head in annoyance, he couldn't help but spit the next words out of his mouth.
"Pussy. Fuckin' coward."
The fight had all but dissolved for everyone except Eric, who was still itching to fight and no longer had the nuisance of Ricky Callahan holding him back. However, the cries of what almost sounded like a little girl broke through the commotion outside of the restaurant, causing even Eric to stop and turn his attention on the form of Jodeen Kovalenko, which had just appeared on the scene. Eric simply watched in irritation as the younger girl approached. Whitney, too, had focused her attention on the newcomer as well, and a faint smile traced across her lips as Matthias hurridly introduced the two.
"Alright," she mused at Matthias's request to leave, "Let's go then... I told you I'd give you a ride home, remember?"
Apparently, the discussion was far from over, however. Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit as Jodeen poked and prodded Matthias for answers as to what had just occured. Truthfully, Whitney was quite curious as well. After all, she'd been in the ladies room trying to clean the wet spill off of her clothes since way before the fight had started. She hadn't even heard the utterances of the duo that had started it all.
Noting that Matthias all but refused to talk about what had occured in front of Jodeen, however, Whitney repressed her questions, at least for now. It was plainly obvious that now was not the time or the place to discuss the events that had unfolded, especially not while Jodeen was around. Still watching Eric out of the corner of her eye, she was almost surprised as Matthias walked past him and mumbled something completely inaudible to her. Curious though she was, her question was promptly answered as Eric retorted in a rage.
"What're you, scared? You would've got your ass handed to ya, you know that, don'tcha? Of course you do, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE WALKING AWAY! COWARD!"
Eric's voice gradually grew louder and louder, echoing out over the crowd that had gathered around. Sighing somewhat, Whitney cast the frizzy-haired boy one final look before turning back toward Jodeen and Matthias. Today had been interesting, to say the least. Eric's taunting and yelling wasn't helping matters, but at this point, the best thing Whitney Acosta could think of to do was to simply walk away. Placing her hand on Matthias's shoulder momentarily, she gave him a sympathetic glance.
"You okay?"
In the background, Eric continued to howl and curse, taunting Matthias to come back and continue on with the fight, acting as though he'd had the upper hand all along. Shaking her head slightly, she nodded toward the direction of the parking lot, having every intention of giving the two a ride home. Especially after all the trouble that had started at the restaurant. Her attention momentarily turned back to the fact that Lexie, Sorenson, and Kurai were presumably still somewhere inside, but it seemed of little consequence now. The school was less than two blocks from the restaurant, they could all walk if need be.
"We really should get going," she warned, her eyes tracing back to Eric every so often to make sure he wouldn't run up for one final cheap shot.
Posted by: Lien Jun 24 2006, 07:23 PM
Clanging loudly through the dented trash cans and mustering up all the balance she had while staying upright amongst the black bags, Danielle was in essence annoyed that once again, she was having a bad day. The introverted teen wasn't exactly selfish, persay, but her welfare and emotions were most definately not far from her mind as she threw open the back door of Benson's to the safety of the kitchen once more after taking out another bag of trash that her coworker, Andie, was supposed to have taken care of. Sliding across the spill on the tiles, past her cousin's grill as he flipped more patties onto it, she caught herself on the spray hose and regained balance just before she made it to the front counter of the bar. Which she couldn't help but get the slightest gut feeling that it wasn't right that the customers were utilizing quite a small amount of space on the opposite side of where they kept the booze. Something was up.
With the newly acquired wall of human bodies in front of the window, Danielle could only guess that another monkey vendor had found his drunken self to the front of their store -long story- or that there was a fight. Secretly hoping for the former, as it was just something that would become entirely undesirable to watch after the vendor started peeing on a pole, she knew it had to be the latter that was keeping the potential dollar signs from accumulating in the cash box. Her rather silent nature was simply the only thing keeping her from screaming obscenities at Andie for not being around when she needed her. Hell, it could be her out there with the reputation she had.
Things like this, now, had to be taken care of with the utmost care, and Danielle knew full well that if she didn't do it, her ass would be yelled at for the scene taking up so much time that bills weren't being paid. There wasn't a second thought as she pulled the cordless phone of the wall, hopped over the empty bar, and walked rather stiffly to the mass of bodies that decided being in her way wasn't going to have her entertain the idea of spitting in their food.
"Excuse me, pardon me," she mumbled the classic lines that others used when they really wanted to say, 'Get the fuck outta my way before I rhino-horn you so hard you won't be able to sit for weeks,' as she squeezed her not-so-little body through the open door.
Sure enough, it seemed she caught either the end or the beginning of the fight, but upon seeing her classmate Eric bloody and pissed, guessed he was looking for redemption for getting a beating he probably deserved. Danielle had to refrain from letting out a snort in her amusement at the situation. She caught sight of two other classmates walking away from the scene, obviously annoyed at the screaming hypocrite who thought that he wasn't the textbook example of the word "coward."
"Fuckin'," Danielle sighed as she let the word out under her breath, preparing to say something other than, 'Do you want fries with that?' as she waved the telephone in the air.
"I just called the cops, just to let you know, so maybe you want to stop the shit-disturbing enough to high tail it outta here?"
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...howtopic=1180))
Posted by: MooCow Jun 25 2006, 02:31 PM
Smiling inwardly it took all Andie had to keep from erupting in laughter at Eric and the whole display. The whole 'fight' had made her admire Matthias even more. Looking to Danielle she spoke, "her listen I'm sorry for disappearing on ya'... look my shift's over so..."
She was interupted as Fritz exited the building, the heavy set manager's face was a deeper shade of red than usual, "what in the hell is going on out here?"
He looked to the teens and spoke once more, "y'all are makin' customers leave. I want you all off Benson's grounds, same goes for you Andie, you're fired!"
Andie looked at Fritz not totally surprised, still she wasn't going to give up without a fight, "but Fritz! I need this job..."
She was cut off again by the gruff voice of her shift manager, "you should have thought about that before you left your customers high and dry to have a little fist fight. Now get before the police come and I have y'all arrested."
Putting her hand on her brow, Andie Colvin felt dispair. She really did need this job, she was saving up for college.
Oh well, there are other jobs... or community college... damnit I just got a pay raise too... damnit I've gotta stop getting in fights.
Looking in the direction of Whitney Acosta and Matthias and Jodeen Kovalenko, Andie called out, "hey, wait up!"
Ripping off her Benson's name tag, ugly thing, she threw it into the dumpster, never one to throw trash on the ground, and ran after the three figures.
Posted by: Kris Jun 27 2006, 01:36 PM
After a no show at the Butterfly Club she decided she was a little hungry. She made her way over to the famous Bar and Grill near school. Marimar skipped along to the resteraunt and pushed open the double doors walking in. Her brown curls went down to her shoulders, she wore a black shredded hat which looks familiar to a jester's hat. Marimar wore a lightblue plaid dress with magenta as the plaid part. her usualy white knee socks were on as well as black mary jane shoes. Her attire maybe a little weird but she was as sweet as can be.
The girl looked around seeing so many people from her school, she didn't really know where to sit. She saw an empty table up ahead. None of the people she saw was one of her friends, at least thats what she thuoght. But she is always in the mood for making new ones if theiri ntrested. Then again who would want to be friends with a poor girl.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 27 2006, 05:32 PM
Matthias smiled in appreciation as Whitney suggested that they leave immediately, knowing more than anything that he just wanted to but all that had happened today behind him. He nodded at her warmly, despite all the bleakness he was feeling right now, happy to avoid the discussion of what had just gone on between him and Silvstedt for the time being. Of course, Jodeen, sharp in both mind and tongue, would always bring it up soon after, something that he would no doubt have to answer to. And to be honest, he was not at all looking forward to such in particular.
For now, Jodeen was keeping her mouth shut in a tight-lipped pout, plainly on the verge of bursting at the seams with questions she no doubt wanted answered. Trying not to look so guilty at the face of her accusing stare, Matthias looked only ahead, about to walk away with the two girls with the saxophone case in tow over his shoulder. However, he closed his eyes yet again in exasperation, as the taunting voice of Eric Silvstedt rung in his ears yet again.
The hooked-nosed boy was yelling after him in rage and triumph, jeering at him for walking away from a fight that Matthias might have lost, spitting enraged curses and yells from afar. Matthias did his best to ignore them, though it did nothing to ease the stormy tides in his heart. His pride was shaken, and now, in the aftermath of this brawl, he felt ashamed, as though he truly were a coward.
He looked towards Whitney at the feeling of her comforting hand against his free shoulder, and forced an apologetic smile, trying to shrug off that bleak, weary feeling that was plaguing him.
"I'm alright," he reassured her, trying to make it sound as though the matter was of little inconvenience to him. "Just tired is all."
Tired of everything, it seemed.
At Matthias' placidity to Eric's curses and taunts, Jodeen drew her lips together into an even tighter pout, plainly far from convinced that Matthias would brush this matter aside as easily as he tried to show he would. It was just like her older brother, trying to take all of the burden onto himself, putting up a front of confidence instead of letting those who cared about him know how he really felt. Of course, Matthias himself thought it was the mature thing to do, but plainly, Jodeen tired quickly of it. It was hardly the natural thing to do, just letting people walk all over you like a doormat without complaint or retribution.
What irritated her to the point of utter frustration was listening to Eric continue to insult and belittle her older brother, who was doing nothing to defend himself any longer. With her temper getting the best of her, she swirled around to face Eric, staring off in the distance, a look of pure contempt on her small, rounded face.
Matthias inner thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a bout of horror as Jodeen suddenly unleashed a tirade of insults of her own at Eric.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Calling Matt a coward! You can't even fight him one-on-one! Consider yourself lucky that I showed up, else Matt would have beaten you into a bloody, slimy pulp!! You jerk! You dirty Cro-Magnon!? You Neanderthal!"
"That's enough, Jodeen!" Matthias shouted firmly, though more than anything he feared for Jodeen's safety at the moment, as well as Eric's possible reaction to Jodeen's onslaught of insults. He placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her away, but as Jodeen was pulled back, she continued to pelt Eric mercilessly with her verbal abuse, shaking her fist in the air.
"Go buy yourself a clue and look in the mirror why don't you!? You could do with a face wash once a year you know! I hope you shrivel up and die, you asswipe!"
"Language, Jo," Matthias muttered in utter exasperation as he began to walk faster with Whitney with Jodeen well in tow, not wanting to instigate the situation any further what with Jodeen's temper and sharp tongue getting the better of her. Seeing Andie, he waved wearily towards her with a slight smile. "You coming with us?"
Posted by: Megami Jun 27 2006, 07:29 PM
Whitney's eyes widened in an expression filled with both astonishment and sheer horror, and she lashed her arm out as if to grab Jodeen as she began to slur insults right back toward the pompous jerk who had been harrassing Matthias nonstop, but it was too little, too late. As Jodeen began spouting off insults toward her brother's tormentor, Whitney could only hold her breath to see what fate awaited the small girl for her retorts. She looked on as Eric pushed his way back in front of the crowd that was still looking on in shock, his eyes piercing the young girl as she berated him in public.
Eric Silvstedt looked on at the young girl who was verbally assaulting him from afar, a bemused expression forming on his lips as she ranted, raved, and shouted. What the hell's a... what'd she call me? A cro-what? Continuing to watch the girl, feeling more and more amused by the second, Eric Silvstedt did what none of the onlookers had expected him to do: he started laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder as he continued to watch the fiery-eyed girl, Eric even letting out a snort of amusement at her retorts.
"Weak, dude," he addressed toward Matthias, "This's the kind of person you are? You're such a god damned pussy that your guard-dog of a little sister has to come stand up for you? Hahaha, dude, that's really, really weak. She looks like a fucking chihuahua. What's she gonna do, bite my ankles?"
Snickering even more at the thought of Jodeen actually trying anything against him, Eric glared toward the small girl, then toward the older brother standing behind her. This just kept getting better and better. As Danielle Tysl's words rang out through the crowd, followed by Fritz's warning that the trouble-makers needed to get off of store property, Eric changed his tune somewhat, confident that he had won both the fight and the argument that had followed.
"You know what, dude? Go on. Take your little bitch girls and your miniature pit bull there and leave. Obviously, you don't think you're a big man anyway. You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"
Sensing the cold stares he was receiving from behind when he verbalized the thoughts of dropping Jodeen in her tracks, and hearing the cop sirens echo out in the distance, Eric made the internal decision that it was long past time to get out of dodge. However, he wasn't quite finished yet, he still had a bit to say. Looking directly at Matthias, he spit on the ground, aiming toward Jodeen's feet, and flashed a grin.
"Just know this, my man, it ain't over. People like you, you disgust me. You wanna start shit and then you don't wanna back it up. I call you out to fight, and you pussy out and drag a bunch of little girls out here with ya. You think they're gonna protect you? You're wrong. This ain't over by a long shot. I'll be seein' ya at school tomorrow."
His final words having been said, Eric swiftly turned around and began forcing his way through the now dispersing crowd. Smiling to himself at the way he'd handled the conflict, Eric took off at a jogging pace, presumably going after the friend that had left him several minutes before hand. As if it were an afterthought, Eric turned back toward the quartet standing there.
"Oh, and by the way," he mused nonchalantly, "Next time, you really outta keep your attack dog on a leash. And buy it a muzzle or something."
As Eric once again turned around and continued his jog away from the restaurant, Whitney Acosta also took notice of the sirens echoing in the distance. She'd always though restaurant employees calling police was a bluff to get rid of unwanted customers. Perhaps they really had crossed the line, and Danielle or Fritz had indeed called the police. She dispersed it from her thoughtss momentarily and placed her hands on Jodeen's shoulders, leaning down so that she could speak into the younger girl's ear.
"There's no point in even stooping down to his level, Jo," she mused cheerfully into the other girl's ear, "That's what he wants you to do. He wants you to get upset, and he wants to get under your skin. If you let him do that, he's won. He knows he lost, he knows all those people are looking at him thinking he's an idiot, and he's just trying to redeem himself. Don't let him do that."
Letting a smile form on her lips, Whitney winked at the younger girl before standing up to her full height. Looking toward Matthias and Andie, who had just recently joined them, she shrugged her shoulders lightly as if the whole ordeal hadn't been anything to concern themselves over. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she just couldn't get Eric's final words out of her head. She feared for Matthias, she feared for Jodeen, and quite honestly, she also sort of feared for herself. She'd watched Eric bully other students before, and he was relentless in his efforts. Sighing inwardly, that faux smile formed on her lips again as she placed a hand on both Matthias's and Jodeen's shoulders, then nodded toward the back parking lot of Benson's Grill.
"Let's just go, before the cops show up and we all get in trouble, alright?"
(Eric continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...07entry1285507)
Posted by: Croco Jun 29 2006, 10:04 AM
As the situation started to dissolve and everyone began returning to their normal activities, a set of blue eyes watched Eric as he left the restaurant. Those eyes had been peering back and forth between the fight, a history textbook, and a BLT sandwich that he had ordered just as everything went down. He was not a loner, but just about everyone knew who he was...and either kept clear of him, or showed at least some kind of respect, for few had the nerve or the physical ability to contend with Vesa Turunen. Most of the students at Franklyn High knew Vesa; they knew he was an exchange student from Finland and that while he enjoyed company, he often preferred to be alone when things got particularly rough. And this was one of those situations as Vesa took a bite out of his sandwich...he had watched Eric belittle, then charge at Matthias and while he wanted to keep his nose clean of this, he had grown rather disdained toward Eric.
Wiping his hands with a napkin first, Vesa cleared the long strands of blonde hair out from in front of his eyes. He then wiped his mouth off and tossed the napkin on his plate as he sat back and closed his book; he had been studying for a test at the end of the week until the fight started. Vesa had been pondering whether or not to confront Eric over a multitude of issues...most notably when he and Eric bumped shoulders in the hallway, to which the young Finn's gender was questioned.
Vesa also knew Matthias quite well as they were in a couple classes together. He nodded toward him, then to the seat in front of him.
"Hey, Matthias," he called out, but to his dismay, he saw him, Jodeen and Whitney heading for the door, "Perkele..." (Damn it...)
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 29 2006, 11:03 PM
Jodeen only ignored Whitney's retraining arm and Matthias' panicked protests and continued to simply glare venom towards Eric as he continued to insult her brother mercilessly, ignoring the jeers she treated him with. What angered her was how Eric seemed to think of her standing up for Matthias as some kind of joke, and further proof that her older brother was nothing but a coward, something that Jodeen knew couldn't be further than the truth. Furthermore, she looked on in disgust as Eric aimed a bit of spittle towards her feet, missing by several inches, though irritating her further nonetheless.
"See if I don't, you jerk! You think I won't fight you myself? You insult my brother again, I'll smack you one real good! I swear it!" she hollered at him as Matthias struggled to restrain her, pulling away from the scene before she broke away and launched herself in full force at Eric. "And I'm not a little kid! Not like you! I hope it rots and falls off!!"
"Jodeen!" Matthias could not help but let out the exasperation in a much harsher tone than he had intended. Instead of feeling chastised, Jodeen pouted and turned away from Eric huffily, crossing her arms. Silently, she continued to fume.
As the older girl Whitney stooped over to whisper some words of advice into Jodeen's ear, the young, thirteen-year-old brunette seemed to calm down ever so slightly. Gradually, she relaxed, her more good-natured expression coming back into formation, though she still looked rather vexed at all that had happened. Looking at Whitney, she tilted her head to one side in slight contemplation over what the older girl had told her, about how she shouldn't give Eric a sense of victory by stooping to his level.
"But," she replied in an honest tone. "It's true, the way he looks is enough to give a ten-year-old nightmares. Did you see his face? I don't think even the moon has that many craters. Makes you wonder...just where was he when they were handing out looks?" Feeling somewhat reassured at being able to bash at Eric from afar, Jodeen relaxed as she walked cheerfully with Matthias and Whitney. Of course she couldn't be afraid of some ape like Eric. People like that were all talk. That jerk Eric couldn't do a thing to hurt her or Matthias.
Of course, Matthias had more sense than his younger sister, still a middle-school student. By now, he had a rather good idea as to what Eric was capable of, though what truly worried him was that he likely hadn't seen the very worst Eric could do. His insides churned with uneasiness and trepidation over the very thought...even more so once Matthias milled over what he had just said.
"You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?""
Upon hearing these words, Matthias had froze in place for a moment, his mind only able to think about the very insinuation behind those words....was it just an empty threat, he had wondered. Knowing Eric, the threat could be very well real. The very prospect was enough to silence Matthias completely, taking him completely by shock as he found himself unable to respond to Eric's words as he walked away.
Matthias expression by now had turned dark and grim. His insides had gone cold with a feeling of unease over what Eric had said. Over and over again, he struggled to convince himself, He was just trying to intimidate you Matt... He didn't mean it. He wouldn't do something like that.
But after what Matthias had seen and experience today....there was nothing he could do but think otherwise. There was no knowing to what lows Eric would stop at, and if it meant harm to Jodeen, Matthias didn't know what he could do to prevent it. Nor did he know what he would do if Eric did something to intentionally cause harm to Jodeen. But no matter what...Matthias would never let that happen. He couldn't. He had to take responsibility of Jodeen's safety, regardless of what happened to him. It was the only thing to do.
With a stoic expression, he glanced towards Whitney, struggling to smile in agreement at her suggestion that they hurry up before the arrival of the cops made the situation even more uncomfortable, even more unbearable. Immersed in the darkness of his thoughts, he only barely heard a voice calling out his name, but ignored it with silence, thinking that Eric had settled to insulting him from afar yet again.
"Yeah...we'd better hurry up then," he said quietly, picking up the pace in unison with his words. As Jodeen quickened her own strides to keep up with him, she began tugging at his sleeve again, as though she were a small child scouring for answers from a reluctant adult.
"So, Matt," she began, in a tone that was more curious than accusing. "How DID you start getting into that fight? Don't tell me he did something. You never get mad when people make fun of you. What did he do exactly? ....Hey, Matt, aren't you going to tell me?"
At Jodeen's bombardment of questions, Matthias took to looking down at the ground as he walked, hiding the expression of pain on his face. Of course he knew why he had gotten into the fight in the first place. As soon as he remembered, his mind began wandering back to the saxophone case that rested against his shoulder, and the destroyed contents therein.
Posted by: Megami Jun 30 2006, 10:44 AM
It appeared that, for now at least, the warzone in front of Benson's Bar and Grill had been cleared out. The patrons who had gathered around to watch the action had all but dispersed, only a select few still lingering to watch the aftermath of the fight. Whitney couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The ordeal had been dragged out far too long, and even now, Whitney didn't know what the beginnings of the conflict had been. Hearing Jodeen's pleading voice trailing behind Matt, Whitney couldn't help but ponder the same questions in her own mind.
Though Matthias never verbally answered the questions, Whitney looked on as his eyes lowered to the ground, following the sidewalk instead of looking at either of the people in his company. The saddened and pained expression on his face wasn't nearly as well hidden as he'd have liked it to be, and although Whitney had caught this subtle little hint of what had happened prior, she wouldn't press the matter further. At least, not in front of Jodeen.
Now, it was a matter of getting Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story. Maybe he'd be more willing to talk once his sister was out of earshot. The facade that he was putting on now wasn't unusual, she'd seen it before in other people at different times in their lives. It was apparent that he was trying to shelter Jodeen, trying to protect her both physically and mentally from the truth about what happened in front of the restaurant. It was respectable, almost commendable on his part. Somehow, though, she didn't think the thirteen-year-old would quite agree with her on that part.
As the black and tan Mustang Convertible that had been left, top down, in the back parking lot of Benson's came into view, Whitney smiled to herself. Inwardly, she was formulating an idea, simply a little diversion. Although she hated having to go about this so underhandedly, Jodeen really didn't need to know the truth, and judging by the anguished expression that had passed over Matthias's features mere moments before, the truth might very well have been harsh and cruel. Almost as though it were an afterthought, Whitney directed her attention toward Jodeen as the blonde opened the driver's side door and flopped down into the seat.
"Say, Jo. You never got to get anything to eat, did you?," she mused, "How about me, you, and your brother go grab some ice cream or something before I take you guys home?"
Turning to Matthias momentarily, the same reassuring smile crossed her face as she nodded toward him. The tone of her voice would say that she was doing this on a whim, though nothing could be more true. It had it's purpose, and if everything went as she'd planned, Whitney would no longer be left in the dark about the events that had just unfolded.
"What do you say, Matt? You up for it?"
Biting on her lower lip somewhat, Whitney awaited his reaction somewhat suspensefully. There was always the factor that perhaps Matthias had had all the fun he could tolerate for one day, and simply wished to go home. The fair-haired girl couldn't say she would blame him in the slightest, after the rough and overdramatic events this evening had had in store for him.
The engine of the Mustang Convertible roared to life and the radio burst out in an excruciatingly loud tone, taking Whitney by surprise momentarily. She had forgotten that Lexie had been in the passenger's seat on the trip over to the dinner, thus, she had pretty much taken over Whitney's radio. Her face blushed red as she quickly dove for the dial, turning the radio down to a manageable level. Shrugging her shoulders and laughing somewhat, she took a moment to look into the rear-view mirror and adjust her hair and makeup, all the while pondering their next destination.
Posted by: Croco Jun 30 2006, 08:21 PM
Stomping his foot in disgust, Vesa finished off his sandwich and closed the book he had opened. His mind ran amok with ways that he could deal with Eric as the waitress set his bill at the edge of the table, and he was about to put it in his backpack when he heard his phone ring. A soft grunt of disgust escaped Vesa's lips as he reached into his backpack to pick up his phone; he knew the FHS policy that banned cell phones anywhere on the premises except in a student's locker. So that's where he kept it most of the day...and now, he was flipping it open.
"Yo..." he muttered, thinking it was one of his friends.
"Vesa! Where are you?" replied the voice on the other end...an obviously higher, younger boy on the other end.
"I'm at Benson's, Otter...something happened..." Vesa knew the voice immediately...it was Olli Soranen, the ten-year-old son of the adoptive family he was living with. He called him "Otter" due to the fact that he loved to swim, especially when his parents took him and his younger sister, Emma, to their lakeside cottage in upstate New York for a month over the summer. And like his bigger 'brother', Olli was a hockey fanatic and played for the local youth team, but unlike Vesa, who played center and scored goals left and right, Olli was his team's starting goaltender. When that was revealed, Vesa took him under his wing and began coaching him on the tendencies of shooters as well as his mechanics so he would be in tune for the upcoming season.
None of that mattered, just Olli's curiosity as he wanted to know what went down. "What happened?"
"There was a fight..."
"A fight?!?" Olli's voice lit up. "Anyone I know?"
"Nah, just a couple kids at the senior school..." A fifth-grader at Franklyn Elementary, Olli needed to know as he knew quite a few kids with older siblings.
"Who, Vesa...who?"
"Oh, all right...it was Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko..."
"Matthias fought him? I'm pretty sure his spaz of a sister was there too...one of my classmates' sisters is friends with her..." Apparently, he knew of Jodeen as well, even if it was just a friend-of-a-friend deal.
"Yeah, she was there...and boy, did she lay into Eric when it was over! I'll tell ya about it when I get home...I just stopped to grab a sandwich and see if anyone I knew was there."
Though Vesa was unable to see it, Olli's face lit up at the prospect of hearing all about the fight and confrontation. "Cool...I'll see ya then..."
"All right...see ya, Otter..." Vesa hung up the phone and put it in the front left pocket of the blue jeans he was wearing before leaving a ten-dollar bill on the table and sauntering off. The car he drove was nothing extraordinary...a red late-model Toyota Camry that had seen better days as evident by the damage on the right front quarterpanel, a result of Vesa clipping a curb. He opened the door behind the driver's seat and tossed his backpack into the back, then the driver's door itself and turned the key, taking a deep breath before backing out and driving off, the sound of one of his favorite metal bands filling the surrounding area.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jun 30 2006, 08:47 PM
It was just funny, how quickly a person's mood can change at the sound of one word, erasing all unpleasant memories of anything and everything that happened prior, and turning their attitude and outward demeanor a total 180 degrees. If there was anything to which Jodeen Kovalenko ever reacted readily, it just had to be Whitney's offhanded mention of 'ice cream'.
All at once her eyes seem to lit up in a sunlit sparkle, and Matthias could only look on in amusement as Jodeen all but forgot about her irritation, as well as the fact that Matthias had been involved in a fight with Eric. As she slid into the backseat, her expression melted into one of ecstatic delight and enthusiasm, looking as though Christmas had come early.
"Ice cream!" she echoed the word with a tone of sheer glee. At once she leaned all the way over to the front seat where Matthias had just settled beside Whitney, suddenly rounding up on her older brother and tugging at his arm plaintively, suddenly adopting the mannerisms of a small child using all assets of cuteness and innocence to appeal to an adult. "Oh, can we Matt? Can we go for ice cream? Please? Please, please, pretty like me, please?"
If there was anything Matthias couldn't resist, it was the pleading, doll-like quality in his younger sister's eyes, plainly tugging at the depths of his heart, compelling him to go with her demands. Once again, Matthias was unable to resist, nor did he intend to in the first place. He smiled warmly at Jodeen as she clung to his arm with that ever present expression of innocence, though he had a vague idea that she was neither as naïve nor guileless as she looked most of the time.
"Alright," he told her finally, unable to help but laugh a bit as Jodeen let out a joyful whoop of glee and jumped back into her seat. He turned to Whitney, looking plainly grateful for distracting Jodeen momentarily from the events of the past hour. "I know this convenience store that sells it by the lot, I take Jodeen there from time to time. Think I might pick up a few things there."
He smiled warmly at Whitney, and for a moment, his natural, good-natured and cheerful demeanor returned, and despite all that he'd been through today, he looked perfectly content now that they were able to enjoy themselves for once. Though surprised at the sudden blare of music that had come up when Whitney started the engine, he brushed it off with full-throated laughter as he sat back and relaxed for a moment, glad to do so for once today.
Looking towards Whitney, he pointed off towards the distance in the eastern direction. "Convenience store is a ways past on the other side of the school, at Venables and Windermere. It's a long ways off, but if you keep to this avenue for a while, you'll eventually get to Venables..."
Cradling the saxophone case in his arms, he sat back and relaxed in his seat, letting out a tired sigh that seemed to reveal his weariness, despite his cheerful and relaxed outward appearance. "Again...gotta thank you for this, it would have been a pain having to wait for the bus at this hour. Plus Jodeen will be happy."
Indeed, Jodeen was humming a cheerful tone to herself as she allowed the window to slide down fully, letting in a mild afternoon breeze as she stuck her nose out of the window towards the street outside. By now, all memories of Eric and the knowledge that Matthias had been caught in a brawl with the person in question had settled to the back of her mind, replaced by only by the prospect of ice cream in her mind.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...pic=1037&st=0))
Posted by: Megami Jul 1 2006, 11:49 AM
As the duo of Kovalenkos settled down in the seats of the car, Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit at the two, moreso when Jodeen began her pleas for the ice cream Whitney had offered to get her. A satisfied look came over her features as Matthias agreed to the offering. The fair-haired girl listened intently to Matthias's directions on where to find the convenience store, seeing as she lived on the opposite side of town from where they were going, but that was no matter.
Casting a small grin toward Matthias as he once again thanked her for the ride home, she simply nodded her head slightly, catching the look of gratefulness that his features currently possessed, she could only assume for getting Jodeen's mind off the events that had gone on during the past hour or so.
"Anytime."
While she may have purged Jodeen's mind of the countless questions running about inside, she hadn't purged her own, and in fact still had a lot she wanted to ask Matthias. Of course, that would have to wait until later, once Jodeen was suitably distracted. Putting the car into drive, the black and tan convertible rolled out of the parking lot of Benson's Bar and Grill and made an eastbound turn, heading in the direction Matthias had pointed.
(Continued in: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...showtopic=1037)
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Megami. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Original Post Title: "A Matter of Convenience"
Location: Convenience Store, East Denton
Posted by: Megami Jul 1 2006, 12:04 PM
(Continued from: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...?showtopic=946)
The somewhat lengthy car ride from Benson's Bar and Grill to this small convenience store had been relatively quiet for all the persons involved, and Whitney had had a lot of time to muse over her thoughts once again, unable to express any of them lest she revert Jodeen to all thoughts and feelings before the word "ice cream" escaped her lips. The wheels of the car turned into a suitable parking lot in front of the store and the blonde-haired girl put the car in park, killing the engine after a moment.
Reaching around behind her to retrieve her purse from its half-toppled over position in the back seat of the car, she dug around momentarily before a twenty dollar bill protruded from the top of her purse. Handing it to Jodeen, she cast a warm smile at the younger girl. Somehow, she couldn't help but feel at least partially responsible for the ongoings that had occurred at Benson's, and this was sort of her way of trying to make it up to both Jodeen and Matthias.
"This one's on me," she mused cheerfully, "Just grab whatever you want."
Hitting the button on the side of the door to unlock the car, Whitney unbuckled her seatbelt, and swung the door open, stepping out and reshutting it, but not heading into the convenience store quite yet. If she timed it right, she could get Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story on what had happened at the bar and grill, and hopefully spare him the incident of being reprimanded by his younger sibling.
Leaning against the driver's side door of the car, she eyed the convenience store with a bit of curiosity, having never been here before. It wasn't often that she came to this side of town. She had a few friends scattered here and there that she went to go see on occassion, but for the most part, she had no reason to venture too far from the Kensington Heights subdivision on the south side of town where their home was located.
Her musings over the little store were cut short as her attention turned back to the Kovalenko siblings. Momentarily, Whitney locked eyes with Matthias, casting him that signature look that ran across her face when she wanted something. After all, the whole point of this little endeavor had been to talk to him in privacy, if only for a moment. And slowly but surely, her curiosity was getting the better of her, and she just had to know.
Both hoping and assuming that Jodeen would probably run ahead of them into the store, Whitney slowly made her way around the small sports car toward where Matthias was standing. In a low, almost hushed voice, she finally vocalized her thoughts on the matter, hoping no one outside of the two would hear the oncoming conversation. Inwardly though, she couldn't help but wonder if he would even be willing to talk to her about today's events.
"Hey Matt..." the blonde mused quietly, "You wanna tell me what happened back there?"
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jul 1 2006, 03:12 PM
((Matthias and Jodeen continued from: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...opic=946&st=0))
For the duration of the car ride, Matthias had taken to silence, relaxing at the front passenger seat and calmly watching the ever changing scenery of buildings, cars, streetlamps, and trees as they drove through the district. After all that excitement, Matthias finally had a chance to relax and recollect, putting himself back in a state of ease. Though after a rather meditative car ride, they finally reached the parking lot before the convenience store, at which Matthias waited until the engine quieted down before exciting with a relieved sigh.
Jodeen, on the other hand, was on the verge of bursting out excitedly almost as soon as Whitney stopped the engine, though she blinked in sudden surprised as Whitney addressed her with the twenty dollar bill she had dug up, offering it to her with a cheerful smile. Jodeen stared at it with an open mouth for a moment, her eyes alighting in what could undoubtedly be sheer glee.
"Really? Anything at all?" She gasped in pure delight, and grasped the bill tightly in her hand. Smiling gratefully at the other girl, she told her, "This is great, thanks a bunch! Wow..."
As Matthias looked back to see what in the world Whitney had given her that Jodeen had to be all excited about, his eyes caught the twenty dollar bill, and he blinked in surprise. Quickly, trying to be gracious, he reassured Whitney, "Hey, you don't have to do that, you know? You really don't." He smiled a bit awkwardly. "I can pay for it, you know? I think I have enough...."
"Don't make her change her mind, Matt!" Jodeen told him simply, sticking her tongue out at him. "It's not like I'm gonna spend the whole thing....not all of it anyways." Without allowing Matthias to let in another word of protest, she burst out of the car, opening the door to jump out onto the parking lot, practically dancing on her feet in energetic excitement.
"Hurry up, you slow pokes!" she called to them in an impatient voice before running off on her own, disappearing within the convenience store in only a matter of seconds before Matthias could even say, "Wait."
Sighing at the incredulity, he shook his head, smiling in slight affection for his younger sister as he unlatched his seatbelt and opened the car door, exiting the car and walking around a bit to stretch his legs a bit. It was then that he noticed Whitney standing nearby, having not followed Jodeen into the convenience store, rather stopping to give Matthias a look of interest and inquiry.
Matthias sighed again, before she even asked, he knew perfectly well that she wanted to know exactly what happened back at the bar and grill. For all her curiously, Matthias could understand, and despite wanting to push it as far back in his mind as it would allow him, Matthias decided that talking about it and getting it off his chest wouldn't be too bad. In any case, Matthias appreciate Whitney's sense of tact, for not bringing up the subject in front of Jodeen.
"Yeah, I guess you do want to know what went on back there, huh?" Matthias asked her with a weary smile. He leaned against the wall of the convenience store, resting his back against it with arms crossed over his saxophone case as he began his recollection.
"Well, it was after...just after you went off into the ladies' room. Silvstedt and Callahan...or maybe it was just Silvstedt doing all the talking, he was basically making some crude comment towards you about how you got your shirt wet. When I had something to say about it, he went over the top and went ahead and picked a fight."
He looked down for a moment, kicking his shoe against the dusty sidewalk.
"I'm not one to pick a fight for a reason as trivial as that. Just pointless, you know? But in my defense, he basically trashed my alto sax." He held up the saxophone case in his arms a bit. "I'd just gotten it repaired today too, and now that it's completely wrecked, I don't even know if it's even playable anymore..."
He sighed, silently mourning his loss for a moment, before brushing the image of his destroyed instrument off into the back of his mind.
"So I guess you can see why I was willing to fight him," he told her with an apologetic smile. "Or maybe it's as stupid as any other reason to pick a fight in the public...but I just couldn't let it go, you know? The way he was acting, it's enough to make anybody sick." He sighed yet again.
"To tell you the truth, if you or Callahan hadn't upped and interrupted the fight, I don't think any of it would have ended up pretty. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt. Even though I didn't want to hurt Eric, I had to at least defend myself, you know? And for a moment, I thought he really wanted to kill me."
He shook his head, closing his eyes in contemplative silence as he leaned his head back against the wall of the building.
"And now, after all's been said and done, I feel just pathetic."
Posted by: Megami Jul 2 2006, 06:11 PM
Looking on with interest as Matthias leaned against the wall of the convenience store and began to recollect on the day's events, a sympathetic smile formed on the fair-haired girl's lips. She knew internally that this discussion was not one that Matthias cared to be having, but she was grateful that he'd at least go over the basics of the events leading up to the fight with her. At the mention of herself, though, she began wishing she'd never asked.
"So then... all that started because of me?" she mused quietly.
It wasn't a good feeling, for certain, to know that if Matthias had never stood up for her against the snide remarks of Eric Silvstedt that he would have left Benson's Bar and Grill with both his prized saxophone and his dignity still in tact, not to mention the fact that he never would have had to explain to his sister all the ongoings that had occurred and how an argument had escalated into a public display of violent acts.
As Matthias continued his story, Whitney listened on, now only halfway paying attention to the other details of the story. It's not like it was her fault that Matthias stood up to Eric, or that Eric had a bad temper. However, she couldn't help but feel guilty that in a roundabout way she had caused all the drama that had unfolded at the restaurant. Overall, she just felt bad. She felt bad that Matthias's chivalry had cost him his pride, his prized alto saxophone, and had caused him the stress and frustration of contending with his little sister, and, quite possibly, having to contend with Eric later on.
"You know... you didn't have to do that. It's sort of silly, really. They can say whatever they want about me... Eric Silvstedt's opinion of me as a person doesn't really count for much, you know? You could've saved yourself a headache if you hadn't stood up to them."
Casting her companion a faint smile before returning her glance to the ground, Whitney couldn't help but smile inwardly at the situation as well.
"But... thank you."
Taking a few steps away from her former position of leaning against the car, and instead heading toward the door of the convenience store, Whitney stopped short of the door and turned back toward Matt, her arms folded loosely across her chest.
"I feel bad about what happened to your sax... is there anything I can do?"
While the Acosta family was rather well-off, certainly not as wealthy as some of the other local families here and in the nearby towns and cities, they still had quite a bit of money. Whitney felt partially responsible for the destruction of Matthias's prized saxophone, and as such, she couldn't help but feel somewhat obliged to at least offer some sort of assistance in repairing the instrument.
She could see Jodeen inside the convenience store from the corner of her eye, and after a moment, she motioned inside the store, indicating that they should probably enter before Jodeen became suspicious as to why they had fallen so far behind in the short distance to the door. She'd certainly caused Matthias more than his fair share of problems on this day, and didn't feel like causing any more trouble, especially in the form of raising more questions from his younger sibling.
Posted by: Theseus Jul 3 2006, 02:41 PM
Sam was standing in the back of the convenience store, shuffling a pack of playing cards mindlessly as he was looking over some snacks. He continued to shuffle, listening to the sound of his cards. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt that advertised the magic shop he worked at. He didn't see the trio pull up to the convenience store, but he heard the door ring as Jodeen came in.
Quickly putting the deck in its case and putting it in his pocket, he grabbed a king sized snickers bar and walked towards the counter. He looked at Jodeen for a brief moment, just to see if he recognized the girl. Looking outside he saw Matthias Kovalenko and Whitney Dawn Acosta. The basketball player and a cheerleader.
Not usually the crowd Sam hung out with, he just focused his attention back to paying for his snickers. Once bought, he went to the end of the counter, and leaned against it. He really wasn't in the mood to drive back home, he just felt like standing here, eating his snickers bar.
((Sorry for the short post, I didn't really know what to have him do, him being a new character and all))
Posted by: Croco Jul 3 2006, 05:08 PM
((Continued from: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...5entry1286065))
The red Toyota that Vesa was driving pulled into a parking space nearby and the pilot hesitated for a moment before shutting down the car and getting out. He didn't know that the three kids he saw down at Benson's were in there; nor did he care. All he knew was that Olli, his "little brother," kept bugging him on the phone, saying that he wanted something before his adoptive mother, a middle-aged woman named Carola Soranen, picked up the phone and told him to get a gallon of milk while he was out. So he figured that since it was along the way, he would stop in and get the things he needed and get out quickly.
Once inside, Vesa quickly recognized Whitney when he turned back, one of the few students in the school that had longer hair than he did. He already knew she was taken, but still wanted to see if he could at least talk to her as a friend, but knowing that he had to not make it look like he was trying to hit on her. The young Finn made his way to the back of the store and picked up the must-get, which was a jug of milk; soon, a 2-liter bottle of A&W root beer and a bag of Doritos ended up in his hands, which would be split among himself and Olli. Vesa took a long time to think about whether or not he wanted to say something or just let it be, having already set in his mind that he would confront Eric the next day. But when he got to the counter, he made up his mind as he put the items up and handed the cashier another ten-dollar bill.
After collecting his change and his items, Vesa quickly made his way to his car, put the bags on the back floorboard nearest to him and turned back to approach Whitney, Matthias and Jodeen.
"Hey..." he said in a somewhat nervous tone, though his promenent accent was unmistakeable, "I saw what happened back at the restaurant...and what Eric did was totally uncalled for."
((Sorry for the short post...I'm on a limited time frame at the library here. Maybe next time I'll be able to start, recharge my minutes, and pick up my future posts until I get online at my new place.))
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jul 6 2006, 07:32 PM
Matthias shrugged at Whitney's remark over the story, trying to look as though he wasn't at all bothered by the events, though likely with little conviction. He smiled at her, a wistful, weary smile he put on whenever things didn't go his way. It was his way of saying outwardly, 'It's nothing', when really he was hiding the pain inside of him. Such was a fascade he felt the need to put on as he listened to Whitney's sympathetic words as well as those of gratitude. Blushing slightly, Matthias rubbed the back of his neatly cropped hair, casting a sidelong glance to the street beyond Whitney.
"Eh, I couldn't let it go, you know?" Matthias told her, trying to brush off the serious matter. "I'm not trying to be chivalrous, that's just the right thing to do. I don't regret actually standing up to him. Picking an all out fight with him over a broken saxophone..." His voice trailed off. He just couldn't bring himself to say that it wasn't a big deal, when really, the instrument had meant the world to him.
He looked towards Whitney in surprise as she approached, his eyebrows raised slightly in confusion as she asked if there was anything that she could do.
"Something that you can do?" Matthias inquired, before he understood what she meant. "You mean about the sax? Well..." He scratched the head in contemplation, slightly unsure as to how to answer the question. "...Really, you don't have to do anything. That aside, I'm not sure if there's anything that can be done. If it can't be repaired...I can always buy a new one, but those things are hella expensive. I'd really like to get it repaired, but it won't be worth the trouble if its not as playable anymore..." He smiled apologetically at her.
"It's nothing, really," he told her. "But I appreciate it, really."
Just as Matthias was about to walk inside the store, he caught the sight of Vesa, a casual acquaintance from Franklyn, who appeared to have just finished his shopping at the convenience store. Smiling a bit at his words, Matthias shrugged again and said, "Yeah, that guy sure has nerve, I'll give him that much." He shifted uncomfortably. "So you saw that, huh? Man...I wonder how many other people saw that. Hope this doesn't get around the rest of the school."
Meanwhile, Jodeen had long since tired of waiting for Whitney and her older brother since she had made her way alone inside the convenience store, eagerly looking over the frozen food section at the various selection of ice cream and frozen sweets they sold here. Though she wondered just what Matt and Whitney were doing, taking their time outside the store like that. Was Whitney Matt's girlfriend? If that's the case, that was certainly a first for Matthias, Jodeen knew that much.
They'd better not be making out by the time I get out of here, she thought to herself, selecting a chocolate and raspberry ripple cream bar and making her way over to the counter, Whitney's twenty dollar bill in hand. You just couldn't go wrong with Haagen Dazs.
It seemed as though there was a line up...or else some weird guy was just standing around the counter, conveniently in Jodeen's way, just munching on a Snickers bar. Anxious to pay for her ice cream, Jodeen found herself getting impatient, speaking up in a slightly irritated voice.
"You just standing around, or are you waiting to pay? Mind moving before my ice cream melts?"
Posted by: Theseus Jul 6 2006, 08:31 PM
Sam was lost in thought, not so much concentrating on the snickers bar he was currently eating, but about other things. School, work, his magic career which wasn't taking off anytime soon. He just stood there when he heard a girl's voice.
"You just standing around, or are you waiting to pay? Mind moving before my ice cream melts?"
Sam just looked at the girl and smiled and said, "Yeah sure sorry." Sam stepped aside and looked at the ice cream bar she held in her hand. He smiled, seeing an oppurtunity to perform one of his favorite magic tricks.
He watched the girl with the 20 dollar bill in hand, and knew that the change she got back, if she got any coins back, he could perform his trick. Sam was definately one to love being the center of attention, and even if in most situations this would be ackward, Sam didn't find it ackward at all. He just said to the girl, "Do you like magic tricks?"
Posted by: Megami Jul 7 2006, 12:46 PM
Only halfway listening to Matthias's reassuring words about the destruction of his saxophone, Whitney had instead taken to focusing her attention on the concrete parking lot of the convenience store, noting it to be littered with cigarette butts and dirt. Kicking absent-mindedly at a pebble near her foot, the feelings of guilt still had not really surpassed, but Whitney tried to shrug it off the best she could.
It was not until she and Matthias were approached by the large Finnish boy that Whitney fully snapped back to reality. Naturally, the large figure that was Vesa Turunen had just inquired about the events at Benson's as well. Whitney had somehow not noticed Vesa amongst all the patrons at the restaurant, which was quite a feat in itself considering the sheer size of the boy in question.
So, needless to say, his comments about Eric Silvstedt and his horrendous temper had taken Whitney completely offguard. Tilting her head to the side curiously, she couldn't help but note the seemingly uncomfortable expression on Matthias's face as he responded to the Finn's remarks. News about the fight seemed quite wide-spread, especially for the small amount of time it had been resolved in.
Then again, Whitney couldn't help but muse to herself, Benson's was a popular hangout for many of the Franklyn kids. Several of them worked there or ate there on a regular basis. Even kids from other schools came in to enjoy the food sometimes. It was only natural that news of the brawl that had occurred just outside the restaurant would spread like wildfire around town. People gossiped about the silliest things.
A polite smile formed on Whitney's features as she took in the large boy standing in front of she and Matthias. She'd seen him around, knew him to be a big sports fanatic, namely hockey. Couldn't really say they were friends, which was a shame, Whitney found she didn't really seem to have all that many friends outside of the cheersquad. Just casual acquaintances. Turning toward Matthias once again, Whitney couldn't help but respond to his nervous statement with a more ridiculous one of her own.
"You don't want the story of Matthias the War Hero, Wielder of the Almighty Saxophone Case to spread around school?" She laughed aloud at the thought, before continuing, "Really Matt, I can't imagine why."
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the interior of the small convenience store. Jodeen had already gone up to the counter to pay, and Whitney found it amusing that indeed the girl had had no intentions whatsoever of waiting on herself or her older brother. Watching subconsciously through the corner of her eye as Jodeen approached a figure standing out the counter, she couldn't help but think the boy with the Snickers bar looked familiar.
After a moment she placed a name with the face she was looking at, his name was Sam Mervin? Merlin? ... Myron! Her attention turned to face the glass door of the convenience store as she watched the boy. She didn't quite know him, but rather, knew of him. He was the magician boy from school. Aspired to be the next David Blaine or something. He was quite good, at least, from what she'd heard. He and Jodeen seemed to be talking inside, something Whitney found harmless enough.
Looking on curiously at the events going on in the interior of the store, she had now noticeably stopped paying attention to the conversation both Matthias and Vesa were entangled in. She had to admit, she was rather curious as to what Sam Myron could possibly be talking to Jodeen about. Then again, from what she knew of him, he was quite popular amongst the student body, especially for his magic tricks, so really, randomly striking up a conversation with a 13-year-old girl didn't seem so weird. Maybe he knew the family or something.
Posted by: Croco Jul 7 2006, 04:35 PM
A coy grin formed on Vesa's face as Whitney made that proclamation, deciding that he had a few more minutes to kill before he had to go...either that or Carola would be calling his phone wondering where he was and what was taking him so long. He leaned against the large window, looking over the other three, then glancing back at Sam as he stood by the counter. After a moment of thought, Vesa looked down at Matthias before glancing back at Whitney, taking a moment to study her inconspicuously. He knew she was already taken, but still felt she was attractive and he definitely wanted to get to know her a little better...maybe this was the break he was looking for.
"Nah..." he said softly, "I didn't see anyone I knew, though that doesn't mean anyone else from school was there. If there was, then it could get out of hand...in that case..." Vesa took a deep breath, then let it out in a contemplative sigh as he ran his left hand through his hair. "...someone's gonna have to finish it, one way or another."
Vesa then took the time to regard Matthias again...for starters, he knew that he was on the basketball team and had seen the FHS basketball team play before. He also knew he was in the band, but that was after Whitney had revealed the incident with the saxophone case and the destroyed instrument, which happened just before he stepped in the door. Once again, he smiled as he continued to lean idly against the window.
"It's not the saxophone I have an issue with...but rather the kid who trashed it. I..." He was interrupted when he heard his phone ringing. A soft growl came from Vesa, muttering an obscenity in his native tongue to himself as he looked at the display, then sighed when there was no number. So he did what came naturally...he opened it and took the call, holding up a finger to excuse himself. "Hello?"
It didn't take long for the long-haired Finn to light up when he heard the voice on the other end. "Hey, Hannu! Kuinka aari te aikana paikalla taaksepäin kotona Suomi?" (How are you over there back in Finland?) The voice on the other end was that of Hannu Setanen, Vesa's best friend back in his hometown of Kerava, Finland...he was a year older than Vesa, but the two were always together in everything they did. And it was no surprise that they were on Finland's top line at the world junior hockey championships in Vancouver; Hannu played right wing and wore number 14 while Vesa centered the line, his hair coming down to the top of the number 23 on the back of his jersey.
"Hienosti...kuinka on se kotona Amerikka?" (Fine...how is it in America?) asked Hannu, the voice audible to Whitney and Matthias.
"Se on aivan aivan, ainoastaan kanisteri minun herättää te taaksepäin vähäinen määrä myöhempi? Minun heimo astuva jotta hankkia masentaa aikana minun pöytäkirja..." (It's all right, but can I call you back a little later? My family's going to have a cow over my minutes...) Vesa replied.
"Ei arvoitus...juoruta jotta te myöhempi, Vesa!" (No problem...talk to ya later, Vesa!) Vesa then hung up and smiled at the two kids he was with before the call interrupted him. "That was my best friend back in Finland," he explained, "He's a year older than me and we were on the same line at worlds...but that's enough of that. Where were we again?"
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jul 11 2006, 02:20 AM
"Thanks," Jodeen muttered as she stepped aside the boy who had been daydreaming whilst snacking on a Snickers bar, making her way over to the counter to purchase her ice cream. As she lay her selected ice cream bar and the twenty dollar bill Whitney had given her on the counter, the burly teen at the counter frowned slightly as he began to irritably count out the respective change. Jodeen gave him a look that said plainly, Deal with it, and began to unwrap her ice cream and bite at it happily as she waited for her change to be handed back to her.
As she collected her change in bills and coins, Sam's voice caught her attention, and while she regarded him with a look of caution, the expression on her face said clearly that she was appealing to his question with a bit of interest. She nodded eagerly as she took another bite out of her ice cream bar.
"Yeah, I do!" she said, before asking curiously, her head tilted to one side. "What, you know any good ones?"
Meanwhile, Matthias had taken to pausing yet again in front of the convenience store, laughing yet again as Whitney made her own remark on the prospect of the whole brawl becoming known to the whole school. War hero? he thought sardonically, relaxed enough by now to see some humour in the whole matter. Yeah, real likely.
It was a while before he could recover himself, holding a hand over his aching stomach to keep from laughing himself into utter exhaustion. He stood up straight yet again, regaining his composure while still chuckling at Whitney's remark. "War Hero, huh?" In a mock act, he began to take up a defensive stance, holding his saxophone case two-handed as though he were wielding a heavy weapon. "Have at thee, fiendish rogue! Taste six-ply hardwood, and know that only one shall leave the grill alive!"
He set his saxophone case down and shook his head incredulously with wry grin on his face. "Honestly, I don't think I'd be able to handle all the glorification. A hero like me has got to keep a low profile, you know?" He chuckled a bit, suddenly sobering up a bit as he regarded Vesa's suddenly serious remark with a solemn expression on his mature face. Out of hand, huh? he thought to himself, mulling over his newfound situation to himself. Well there's something to worry about...
He shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant about it. After all, there was no point in complaining in front of his friends, right? Whatever happened between him and Eric Silvedst was for Matthias himself to deal with. Though he didn't ask for this sort of burden, he did get himself into a fight that cost him his saxophone, his pride, and overall just caused him a whole lot of trouble. As for the aftermath...it was just one other thing he would have to deal with later, by himself. It wasn't fair to get everyone else involved.
""It's alright," he reassured Vesa, putting on a friendly, calm smile to hide the feeling of unease that had welled up inside him. "Y-you know, I'll handle it when the time comes. People who come round asking for trouble usually get more than they'd bargained for, you know? But whether it's glorifying me or the opposite, I can handle it myself."
Yeah... he thought to himself wearily. I'm no Hero. I'm just an ordinary kid who fell for some dirty trick and got into a fight over nothing. Is that what a Hero is? Ridiculous.
For all the stormy tides of unease and discomfort that raged in his heart, he covered up with a cheerful smile, as he often did whenever he was upset or unhappy. After all, no use ruining the mood right? You just had to move on, no matter how bad things got. Move on, and hope things turn out for the better from here on.
As he stepped into the store with Meg and Vesa, he listened with mild curiosity to Vesa's side of the phone conversation, though it quite obvious that he did not understand a single word of it. Wondering briefly what could Vesa and his friend were talking about, he turned his attention towards the counter, where Jodeen was. From where Matthias was standing, in the somewhat cramped aisle of the convenience store directly perpendicular to the counter, he could see quite clearly that another person...older, and taller, had approached her, and was striking up a conversation with her.
His eyes narrowed in sudden caution, and immediately, in brisk, meaningful strides, he quickly made his way over to the counter to where Jodeen was standing. He could not yet see the stranger's face, and thus regarded the situation with a look of caution, suddenly concerned for Jodeen's safety and well being.
"Everything alright there, Jo?" he called out to her, moving to stand protectively alongside her as he warily regarded the stranger who had brazenly approached her. Immediately, all sense of pretense fell as Matthias recognized with relief the familiar figure of Sam, yet another schoolmate from Franklyn. Relaxing a bit, and smiling awkwardly, more at his foolishness than anything, he greeted Sam with a friendly voice.
"Hey...fancy seeing you here, I see you've met my sister."
Posted by: Croco Jul 11 2006, 10:32 AM
"Okay, okay," said Vesa as he put his hands up, "I'll let you handle it in your own way...but Eric'll still have some explaining to do if I see him tomorrow." He looked at the phone and his eyes went wide as if he were staring at an empty net. "Voi, paska!" (Oh, shit!) he growled, "I gotta get going...if I'm not back home soon, it'll be my ass." He gave Whitney a smile and a nod while heading back to his car. "See ya tomorrow in Dolph's hellhole..." Vesa got into his car and was about to start it up when he heard his phone ringing again. Grumbling something to himself as he had a feeling of who was on the other line, Vesa wasted no time in picking up.
"Hello?" he said before bracing himself for the onslaught that soon followed, "I'm at the store...yes, I got the milk you told me to get as well as a couple other things that Olli wanted...no, he called me first and told me to get them...oi, whatever!" If they could hear the conversation, they might be able to tell that a parental figure was on the line as it continued. "Kohtuullinen...minun jälkisäädös olla koti- kotona koiranvitjat pöytäkirja, Carola...hyvä, hyvästi..." (Just...I'll be home in a couple minutes, Carola...okay, goodbye...) Then he flipped the phone back up and muttered a few Finnish obscenities to himself before starting the car and backing away.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...howtopic=1172))
Posted by: Theseus Jul 11 2006, 05:45 PM
Sam looked at everyone who was entering the convencience store. Jeeze, the gangs all here. Sam eyes everyone, wondering why everyone from his school chose this time of the day to come to this store. He shrugged and looked at Matthias Kovalenko. Basketball team, and saxophone player, the kid was pretty well known.
Sam did not know however, that the girl he was talking to was his sister. That would explain the protectiveness. Sam smiled at the Matthias and said, "oh I didn't she was your sister man. Actually I was just about to show her a magic trick, you can watch it too if you want."
Sam then focused his attention on the 13-year old girl and said, "Could you please hand me one of your coins?" Sam held out his hand. This was one of his favorite tricks, one that he watched his uncle perform hundreds of times, but like all magic tricks, the end result was almost unbelievable, but to get the result was so simple.
Sam really wouldn't say he was friends with Matthias, only a good acquantence. Then again, Sam didn't really have any "friends". He just knew mostly everyone in the school, more or less because of his showman attitude, and how he would walk up to random people, like Jodeed today, and ask to perform magic tricks.
Since Sam wasn't the normal geeky kid with big thick black glasses, so cliche, but since he looked decent, they would accept, and Sam eventually built up a reputation around school, and he liked that. He liked to be able to perform small tricks for people, because in the end, Sam loved to perform for people. Pure and simple, that is what he loved. He loved to watch people be amazed, and smile, and wonder how he did what he did. That is what pushed Sam to talk to people he didn't know like Jodeen, and that is what will continue to push Sam, until one day his name is world famous, and there will be magic tricks named after him. Sam smiled as his hand was still outstretched, awaiting one of Jodeen's coins.
Posted by: Megami Jul 12 2006, 02:05 PM
Whitney couldn't help but laugh aloud at Matthias's display of "heroism". In a way though, the events that had unfolded at the Bar and Grill really were the very basics of fairy-tale and folklore. The brave knight had rode up on his galliant steed to save the Princess from the perile that had befallen her. When the hero had suddenly found himself in a dangerous predicament, the Princess had saved him right back. Laughing at the comical and somewhat childish idea that had popped into her mind, she had slowly begun to find the entire ordeal somewhat amusing.
That is, until Vesa spoke up once again, a serious tone overtaking his formerly cheerful and friendly voice. By now, Eric's threats of more trouble to come had completely subsided from Whitney's mind, but they quickly found their way back as Vesa brought the subject up once more. Sighing under her breath, she didn't really feel the need to speak up about the incident. It wasn't her place, and in a way, Whitney couldn't help but feel as though it wasn't really her problem either... not that she wasn't concerned about Matthias's well-being, but she had simply found herself put in the roll of "onlooker" throughout the spat anyway.
And besides, Matthias had already proven once that he could hold his own against Eric.
The blonde couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the display between Matthias and Vesa that was unfolding in front of her. Matt was adamant about the fact that he didn't want Vesa fighting his battles for him, and it showed. Vesa even seemed to pick up on it as he threw his arms up into the air in response to Matthias's remarks. Tilting her head to the side lightly, Whitney couldn't help but imagine that it must be a male pride thing or something. That was the thing about guys, all of them seemed to put on this faux macho act and pretend to be tough. Personally, Whitney would've let the Finnish boy handle the entire situation, had it been her. Then again, it wasn't her, and she wasn't Matthias.
It was about that time that Vesa's cell phone rang and he bid the duo who had been conversing with him adieu in a rather hasty manner. Smiling a bit, Whitney waved goodbye to the Finnish boy absent-mindedly. Almost instantly thereafter, she was brought back from her daydream as Matthias seemed to catch sight of the boy who had been conversing with Jodeen at the counter of the convenience store, and just like that, he was gone.
"H-hey, Matt?" the blonde called after him, following at a jogging pace in an attempt to keep up as Matthias made a bee-line for his sister and the new person in question.
Matthias seemed to relax visibly at the discovery that it was simply Sam Myron, and Whitney couldn't help but crack a smile at the situation. She supposed the things she'd heard about Matthias being extremely overprotective of his little sister were indeed true. Then again, judging by the time she'd spent with the duo, the fact didn't really surprise Whitney much. The two seemed very close. Following up behind Matthias, she cast a curt wave toward Sam as she approached, just in time to hear Sam mention that he was going to perform a magic trick.
Looking on in curiosity, Whitney couldn't help but muse over how many of her fellow classmates she'd bumped into today, especially in this tiny little convenience store of all places. Then again, they all probably lived in this general area. Whitney had a longer commute than most from her parents' residence on the south side of town. Really, it shouldn't have been that surprising.
As Sam requested a coin from Jodeen, Whitney glanced down at the pink screened Fossil watch that adorned her wrist. It was a lot later than she'd thought, she should probably be getting home soon. Rather than interrupt Sam, however, Whitney smiled and looked on politely, somewhat curious as to what the magician had in store. She had always been amused by magic, from the corny coin-behind-the-ear tricks to the spectacular magic performances that were often put on in nearby Atlantic City. Thus, Whitney was rather intrigued by what Sam might have in store for them.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Aug 16 2006, 11:50 AM
[Fuck...it's been a whole month already. *bows repeatedly* Sorry muchs for letting it slow down for this long @_@]
He'd always been protective of Jodeen, often up to the point where it was impossible to hide. Even those who did not know him could tell the way he stood near his sister, the way he spoke, and the suddenly serious and slightly tense expression on his normally good-natured and relaxed visage. Of course, Matthias had long since gotten over seeing the obviousness of it all as a source of embarrassment. After all, what was it compared to his younger sister's safety?
Of course, that wasn't saying that Matthias didn't have any pride, being a given that just about everyone in the world did, to varying degrees. But he could tolerate a bit of embarrassment and awkwardness every now and then. After all, he had given up plenty of his dignity at the face of Eric Silvstedt and the fight that unfolded between them. All of it over a saxophone...
Damn, my saxophone... He thought gloomily, before dismissing the thought entirely.
In any case, unlike what the Finnish boy Vesa(whom Matthias bade farewell with a wave) probably had in mind when he made his offer and was met with a refusal, Matthias wasn't looking for another fight. Far from it in fact, and even Matthias knew that he'd be asking too much simply to hope for one like Eric Silvstedt to forgive and forget about the whole ordeal overnight. Rather, it was simply a responsibility he had to take for himself. It was his burden. It was his...well, 'punishment' was a bit of a strong word, but to some degree it seemed fitting. After all, the cause of the fight was partially his fault. It wasn't Whitney's, it wasn't Jodeen's, and it wasn't Vesa's. It was his own. It was the only thing Matthias could accept. After all, it had been his fault Jodeen nearly had something horrible happen to her. Just what kind of person Matthias was to not owe up to his actions?
But there was no reason to dwell on the past now, and the future Matthias was more than willing to deal with later. Much later. For now, he turned his attention back towards Sam Myron. Shrugging casually, though more to relax his nerves a bit than anything, Matthias nodded towards Sam before replying casually, "Well, why not? I've heard about you, but I've never gotten a chance to see any of your tricks. Why not show us what you can do?" He gave a friendly grin as always, though he lingered closer towards his younger sister, who had cast a glance towards him in acknowledgement.
Matthias returned the smile before looking back towards Sam with a curious, observant glance. He had seen Sam around from time to time, and from what he had heard and seen of him, he was quite the entertainer, known particularly for his sleight of hand and magic tricks. Matthias had never gotten to know him particularly well...but at face value, he seemed like a friendly, yet decent and harmless guy. He cast a glance towards Whitney, murmuring with a grin, "This ought to be something." Though really he was looking to stay by Jodeen's side, he couldn't help but feel a sense of genuine curiosity for what Sam had in store, having a slight interest for sleight-of-hand tricks himself.
Jodeen, meanwhile, grinned and replied a cheerful, "Okay." She sorted through her handful of change, handling her ice cream bar at the same time with a bit of difficulty, and then with a light smirk, she flipped up a single dime, letting it fly through the air towards him. Obviously enough she was quite interested and eager to see what Sam had to show for his reputation. She, herself, had not noticed how pensive her older brother Matthias had become over the last few moments, though she did notice the protective nature of his presence standing by her.
Not that she didn't appreciate his concern for her well-being...but more for the sake of Matthias himself, she thought to herself.
Come on. Lighten up a little, won't you? I'm not a little kid anymore.
Somehow, if she said this out loud, Jodeen didn't think that Matthias would be quickly willing to accept this plain and simple fact.
Location: Convenience Store, East Denton
Posted by: Megami Jul 1 2006, 12:04 PM
(Continued from: http://s10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...?showtopic=946)
The somewhat lengthy car ride from Benson's Bar and Grill to this small convenience store had been relatively quiet for all the persons involved, and Whitney had had a lot of time to muse over her thoughts once again, unable to express any of them lest she revert Jodeen to all thoughts and feelings before the word "ice cream" escaped her lips. The wheels of the car turned into a suitable parking lot in front of the store and the blonde-haired girl put the car in park, killing the engine after a moment.
Reaching around behind her to retrieve her purse from its half-toppled over position in the back seat of the car, she dug around momentarily before a twenty dollar bill protruded from the top of her purse. Handing it to Jodeen, she cast a warm smile at the younger girl. Somehow, she couldn't help but feel at least partially responsible for the ongoings that had occurred at Benson's, and this was sort of her way of trying to make it up to both Jodeen and Matthias.
"This one's on me," she mused cheerfully, "Just grab whatever you want."
Hitting the button on the side of the door to unlock the car, Whitney unbuckled her seatbelt, and swung the door open, stepping out and reshutting it, but not heading into the convenience store quite yet. If she timed it right, she could get Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story on what had happened at the bar and grill, and hopefully spare him the incident of being reprimanded by his younger sibling.
Leaning against the driver's side door of the car, she eyed the convenience store with a bit of curiosity, having never been here before. It wasn't often that she came to this side of town. She had a few friends scattered here and there that she went to go see on occassion, but for the most part, she had no reason to venture too far from the Kensington Heights subdivision on the south side of town where their home was located.
Her musings over the little store were cut short as her attention turned back to the Kovalenko siblings. Momentarily, Whitney locked eyes with Matthias, casting him that signature look that ran across her face when she wanted something. After all, the whole point of this little endeavor had been to talk to him in privacy, if only for a moment. And slowly but surely, her curiosity was getting the better of her, and she just had to know.
Both hoping and assuming that Jodeen would probably run ahead of them into the store, Whitney slowly made her way around the small sports car toward where Matthias was standing. In a low, almost hushed voice, she finally vocalized her thoughts on the matter, hoping no one outside of the two would hear the oncoming conversation. Inwardly though, she couldn't help but wonder if he would even be willing to talk to her about today's events.
"Hey Matt..." the blonde mused quietly, "You wanna tell me what happened back there?"
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jul 1 2006, 03:12 PM
((Matthias and Jodeen continued from: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...opic=946&st=0))
For the duration of the car ride, Matthias had taken to silence, relaxing at the front passenger seat and calmly watching the ever changing scenery of buildings, cars, streetlamps, and trees as they drove through the district. After all that excitement, Matthias finally had a chance to relax and recollect, putting himself back in a state of ease. Though after a rather meditative car ride, they finally reached the parking lot before the convenience store, at which Matthias waited until the engine quieted down before exciting with a relieved sigh.
Jodeen, on the other hand, was on the verge of bursting out excitedly almost as soon as Whitney stopped the engine, though she blinked in sudden surprised as Whitney addressed her with the twenty dollar bill she had dug up, offering it to her with a cheerful smile. Jodeen stared at it with an open mouth for a moment, her eyes alighting in what could undoubtedly be sheer glee.
"Really? Anything at all?" She gasped in pure delight, and grasped the bill tightly in her hand. Smiling gratefully at the other girl, she told her, "This is great, thanks a bunch! Wow..."
As Matthias looked back to see what in the world Whitney had given her that Jodeen had to be all excited about, his eyes caught the twenty dollar bill, and he blinked in surprise. Quickly, trying to be gracious, he reassured Whitney, "Hey, you don't have to do that, you know? You really don't." He smiled a bit awkwardly. "I can pay for it, you know? I think I have enough...."
"Don't make her change her mind, Matt!" Jodeen told him simply, sticking her tongue out at him. "It's not like I'm gonna spend the whole thing....not all of it anyways." Without allowing Matthias to let in another word of protest, she burst out of the car, opening the door to jump out onto the parking lot, practically dancing on her feet in energetic excitement.
"Hurry up, you slow pokes!" she called to them in an impatient voice before running off on her own, disappearing within the convenience store in only a matter of seconds before Matthias could even say, "Wait."
Sighing at the incredulity, he shook his head, smiling in slight affection for his younger sister as he unlatched his seatbelt and opened the car door, exiting the car and walking around a bit to stretch his legs a bit. It was then that he noticed Whitney standing nearby, having not followed Jodeen into the convenience store, rather stopping to give Matthias a look of interest and inquiry.
Matthias sighed again, before she even asked, he knew perfectly well that she wanted to know exactly what happened back at the bar and grill. For all her curiously, Matthias could understand, and despite wanting to push it as far back in his mind as it would allow him, Matthias decided that talking about it and getting it off his chest wouldn't be too bad. In any case, Matthias appreciate Whitney's sense of tact, for not bringing up the subject in front of Jodeen.
"Yeah, I guess you do want to know what went on back there, huh?" Matthias asked her with a weary smile. He leaned against the wall of the convenience store, resting his back against it with arms crossed over his saxophone case as he began his recollection.
"Well, it was after...just after you went off into the ladies' room. Silvstedt and Callahan...or maybe it was just Silvstedt doing all the talking, he was basically making some crude comment towards you about how you got your shirt wet. When I had something to say about it, he went over the top and went ahead and picked a fight."
He looked down for a moment, kicking his shoe against the dusty sidewalk.
"I'm not one to pick a fight for a reason as trivial as that. Just pointless, you know? But in my defense, he basically trashed my alto sax." He held up the saxophone case in his arms a bit. "I'd just gotten it repaired today too, and now that it's completely wrecked, I don't even know if it's even playable anymore..."
He sighed, silently mourning his loss for a moment, before brushing the image of his destroyed instrument off into the back of his mind.
"So I guess you can see why I was willing to fight him," he told her with an apologetic smile. "Or maybe it's as stupid as any other reason to pick a fight in the public...but I just couldn't let it go, you know? The way he was acting, it's enough to make anybody sick." He sighed yet again.
"To tell you the truth, if you or Callahan hadn't upped and interrupted the fight, I don't think any of it would have ended up pretty. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt. Even though I didn't want to hurt Eric, I had to at least defend myself, you know? And for a moment, I thought he really wanted to kill me."
He shook his head, closing his eyes in contemplative silence as he leaned his head back against the wall of the building.
"And now, after all's been said and done, I feel just pathetic."
Posted by: Megami Jul 2 2006, 06:11 PM
Looking on with interest as Matthias leaned against the wall of the convenience store and began to recollect on the day's events, a sympathetic smile formed on the fair-haired girl's lips. She knew internally that this discussion was not one that Matthias cared to be having, but she was grateful that he'd at least go over the basics of the events leading up to the fight with her. At the mention of herself, though, she began wishing she'd never asked.
"So then... all that started because of me?" she mused quietly.
It wasn't a good feeling, for certain, to know that if Matthias had never stood up for her against the snide remarks of Eric Silvstedt that he would have left Benson's Bar and Grill with both his prized saxophone and his dignity still in tact, not to mention the fact that he never would have had to explain to his sister all the ongoings that had occurred and how an argument had escalated into a public display of violent acts.
As Matthias continued his story, Whitney listened on, now only halfway paying attention to the other details of the story. It's not like it was her fault that Matthias stood up to Eric, or that Eric had a bad temper. However, she couldn't help but feel guilty that in a roundabout way she had caused all the drama that had unfolded at the restaurant. Overall, she just felt bad. She felt bad that Matthias's chivalry had cost him his pride, his prized alto saxophone, and had caused him the stress and frustration of contending with his little sister, and, quite possibly, having to contend with Eric later on.
"You know... you didn't have to do that. It's sort of silly, really. They can say whatever they want about me... Eric Silvstedt's opinion of me as a person doesn't really count for much, you know? You could've saved yourself a headache if you hadn't stood up to them."
Casting her companion a faint smile before returning her glance to the ground, Whitney couldn't help but smile inwardly at the situation as well.
"But... thank you."
Taking a few steps away from her former position of leaning against the car, and instead heading toward the door of the convenience store, Whitney stopped short of the door and turned back toward Matt, her arms folded loosely across her chest.
"I feel bad about what happened to your sax... is there anything I can do?"
While the Acosta family was rather well-off, certainly not as wealthy as some of the other local families here and in the nearby towns and cities, they still had quite a bit of money. Whitney felt partially responsible for the destruction of Matthias's prized saxophone, and as such, she couldn't help but feel somewhat obliged to at least offer some sort of assistance in repairing the instrument.
She could see Jodeen inside the convenience store from the corner of her eye, and after a moment, she motioned inside the store, indicating that they should probably enter before Jodeen became suspicious as to why they had fallen so far behind in the short distance to the door. She'd certainly caused Matthias more than his fair share of problems on this day, and didn't feel like causing any more trouble, especially in the form of raising more questions from his younger sibling.
Posted by: Theseus Jul 3 2006, 02:41 PM
Sam was standing in the back of the convenience store, shuffling a pack of playing cards mindlessly as he was looking over some snacks. He continued to shuffle, listening to the sound of his cards. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt that advertised the magic shop he worked at. He didn't see the trio pull up to the convenience store, but he heard the door ring as Jodeen came in.
Quickly putting the deck in its case and putting it in his pocket, he grabbed a king sized snickers bar and walked towards the counter. He looked at Jodeen for a brief moment, just to see if he recognized the girl. Looking outside he saw Matthias Kovalenko and Whitney Dawn Acosta. The basketball player and a cheerleader.
Not usually the crowd Sam hung out with, he just focused his attention back to paying for his snickers. Once bought, he went to the end of the counter, and leaned against it. He really wasn't in the mood to drive back home, he just felt like standing here, eating his snickers bar.
((Sorry for the short post, I didn't really know what to have him do, him being a new character and all))
Posted by: Croco Jul 3 2006, 05:08 PM
((Continued from: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...5entry1286065))
The red Toyota that Vesa was driving pulled into a parking space nearby and the pilot hesitated for a moment before shutting down the car and getting out. He didn't know that the three kids he saw down at Benson's were in there; nor did he care. All he knew was that Olli, his "little brother," kept bugging him on the phone, saying that he wanted something before his adoptive mother, a middle-aged woman named Carola Soranen, picked up the phone and told him to get a gallon of milk while he was out. So he figured that since it was along the way, he would stop in and get the things he needed and get out quickly.
Once inside, Vesa quickly recognized Whitney when he turned back, one of the few students in the school that had longer hair than he did. He already knew she was taken, but still wanted to see if he could at least talk to her as a friend, but knowing that he had to not make it look like he was trying to hit on her. The young Finn made his way to the back of the store and picked up the must-get, which was a jug of milk; soon, a 2-liter bottle of A&W root beer and a bag of Doritos ended up in his hands, which would be split among himself and Olli. Vesa took a long time to think about whether or not he wanted to say something or just let it be, having already set in his mind that he would confront Eric the next day. But when he got to the counter, he made up his mind as he put the items up and handed the cashier another ten-dollar bill.
After collecting his change and his items, Vesa quickly made his way to his car, put the bags on the back floorboard nearest to him and turned back to approach Whitney, Matthias and Jodeen.
"Hey..." he said in a somewhat nervous tone, though his promenent accent was unmistakeable, "I saw what happened back at the restaurant...and what Eric did was totally uncalled for."
((Sorry for the short post...I'm on a limited time frame at the library here. Maybe next time I'll be able to start, recharge my minutes, and pick up my future posts until I get online at my new place.))
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jul 6 2006, 07:32 PM
Matthias shrugged at Whitney's remark over the story, trying to look as though he wasn't at all bothered by the events, though likely with little conviction. He smiled at her, a wistful, weary smile he put on whenever things didn't go his way. It was his way of saying outwardly, 'It's nothing', when really he was hiding the pain inside of him. Such was a fascade he felt the need to put on as he listened to Whitney's sympathetic words as well as those of gratitude. Blushing slightly, Matthias rubbed the back of his neatly cropped hair, casting a sidelong glance to the street beyond Whitney.
"Eh, I couldn't let it go, you know?" Matthias told her, trying to brush off the serious matter. "I'm not trying to be chivalrous, that's just the right thing to do. I don't regret actually standing up to him. Picking an all out fight with him over a broken saxophone..." His voice trailed off. He just couldn't bring himself to say that it wasn't a big deal, when really, the instrument had meant the world to him.
He looked towards Whitney in surprise as she approached, his eyebrows raised slightly in confusion as she asked if there was anything that she could do.
"Something that you can do?" Matthias inquired, before he understood what she meant. "You mean about the sax? Well..." He scratched the head in contemplation, slightly unsure as to how to answer the question. "...Really, you don't have to do anything. That aside, I'm not sure if there's anything that can be done. If it can't be repaired...I can always buy a new one, but those things are hella expensive. I'd really like to get it repaired, but it won't be worth the trouble if its not as playable anymore..." He smiled apologetically at her.
"It's nothing, really," he told her. "But I appreciate it, really."
Just as Matthias was about to walk inside the store, he caught the sight of Vesa, a casual acquaintance from Franklyn, who appeared to have just finished his shopping at the convenience store. Smiling a bit at his words, Matthias shrugged again and said, "Yeah, that guy sure has nerve, I'll give him that much." He shifted uncomfortably. "So you saw that, huh? Man...I wonder how many other people saw that. Hope this doesn't get around the rest of the school."
Meanwhile, Jodeen had long since tired of waiting for Whitney and her older brother since she had made her way alone inside the convenience store, eagerly looking over the frozen food section at the various selection of ice cream and frozen sweets they sold here. Though she wondered just what Matt and Whitney were doing, taking their time outside the store like that. Was Whitney Matt's girlfriend? If that's the case, that was certainly a first for Matthias, Jodeen knew that much.
They'd better not be making out by the time I get out of here, she thought to herself, selecting a chocolate and raspberry ripple cream bar and making her way over to the counter, Whitney's twenty dollar bill in hand. You just couldn't go wrong with Haagen Dazs.
It seemed as though there was a line up...or else some weird guy was just standing around the counter, conveniently in Jodeen's way, just munching on a Snickers bar. Anxious to pay for her ice cream, Jodeen found herself getting impatient, speaking up in a slightly irritated voice.
"You just standing around, or are you waiting to pay? Mind moving before my ice cream melts?"
Posted by: Theseus Jul 6 2006, 08:31 PM
Sam was lost in thought, not so much concentrating on the snickers bar he was currently eating, but about other things. School, work, his magic career which wasn't taking off anytime soon. He just stood there when he heard a girl's voice.
"You just standing around, or are you waiting to pay? Mind moving before my ice cream melts?"
Sam just looked at the girl and smiled and said, "Yeah sure sorry." Sam stepped aside and looked at the ice cream bar she held in her hand. He smiled, seeing an oppurtunity to perform one of his favorite magic tricks.
He watched the girl with the 20 dollar bill in hand, and knew that the change she got back, if she got any coins back, he could perform his trick. Sam was definately one to love being the center of attention, and even if in most situations this would be ackward, Sam didn't find it ackward at all. He just said to the girl, "Do you like magic tricks?"
Posted by: Megami Jul 7 2006, 12:46 PM
Only halfway listening to Matthias's reassuring words about the destruction of his saxophone, Whitney had instead taken to focusing her attention on the concrete parking lot of the convenience store, noting it to be littered with cigarette butts and dirt. Kicking absent-mindedly at a pebble near her foot, the feelings of guilt still had not really surpassed, but Whitney tried to shrug it off the best she could.
It was not until she and Matthias were approached by the large Finnish boy that Whitney fully snapped back to reality. Naturally, the large figure that was Vesa Turunen had just inquired about the events at Benson's as well. Whitney had somehow not noticed Vesa amongst all the patrons at the restaurant, which was quite a feat in itself considering the sheer size of the boy in question.
So, needless to say, his comments about Eric Silvstedt and his horrendous temper had taken Whitney completely offguard. Tilting her head to the side curiously, she couldn't help but note the seemingly uncomfortable expression on Matthias's face as he responded to the Finn's remarks. News about the fight seemed quite wide-spread, especially for the small amount of time it had been resolved in.
Then again, Whitney couldn't help but muse to herself, Benson's was a popular hangout for many of the Franklyn kids. Several of them worked there or ate there on a regular basis. Even kids from other schools came in to enjoy the food sometimes. It was only natural that news of the brawl that had occurred just outside the restaurant would spread like wildfire around town. People gossiped about the silliest things.
A polite smile formed on Whitney's features as she took in the large boy standing in front of she and Matthias. She'd seen him around, knew him to be a big sports fanatic, namely hockey. Couldn't really say they were friends, which was a shame, Whitney found she didn't really seem to have all that many friends outside of the cheersquad. Just casual acquaintances. Turning toward Matthias once again, Whitney couldn't help but respond to his nervous statement with a more ridiculous one of her own.
"You don't want the story of Matthias the War Hero, Wielder of the Almighty Saxophone Case to spread around school?" She laughed aloud at the thought, before continuing, "Really Matt, I can't imagine why."
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the interior of the small convenience store. Jodeen had already gone up to the counter to pay, and Whitney found it amusing that indeed the girl had had no intentions whatsoever of waiting on herself or her older brother. Watching subconsciously through the corner of her eye as Jodeen approached a figure standing out the counter, she couldn't help but think the boy with the Snickers bar looked familiar.
After a moment she placed a name with the face she was looking at, his name was Sam Mervin? Merlin? ... Myron! Her attention turned to face the glass door of the convenience store as she watched the boy. She didn't quite know him, but rather, knew of him. He was the magician boy from school. Aspired to be the next David Blaine or something. He was quite good, at least, from what she'd heard. He and Jodeen seemed to be talking inside, something Whitney found harmless enough.
Looking on curiously at the events going on in the interior of the store, she had now noticeably stopped paying attention to the conversation both Matthias and Vesa were entangled in. She had to admit, she was rather curious as to what Sam Myron could possibly be talking to Jodeen about. Then again, from what she knew of him, he was quite popular amongst the student body, especially for his magic tricks, so really, randomly striking up a conversation with a 13-year-old girl didn't seem so weird. Maybe he knew the family or something.
Posted by: Croco Jul 7 2006, 04:35 PM
A coy grin formed on Vesa's face as Whitney made that proclamation, deciding that he had a few more minutes to kill before he had to go...either that or Carola would be calling his phone wondering where he was and what was taking him so long. He leaned against the large window, looking over the other three, then glancing back at Sam as he stood by the counter. After a moment of thought, Vesa looked down at Matthias before glancing back at Whitney, taking a moment to study her inconspicuously. He knew she was already taken, but still felt she was attractive and he definitely wanted to get to know her a little better...maybe this was the break he was looking for.
"Nah..." he said softly, "I didn't see anyone I knew, though that doesn't mean anyone else from school was there. If there was, then it could get out of hand...in that case..." Vesa took a deep breath, then let it out in a contemplative sigh as he ran his left hand through his hair. "...someone's gonna have to finish it, one way or another."
Vesa then took the time to regard Matthias again...for starters, he knew that he was on the basketball team and had seen the FHS basketball team play before. He also knew he was in the band, but that was after Whitney had revealed the incident with the saxophone case and the destroyed instrument, which happened just before he stepped in the door. Once again, he smiled as he continued to lean idly against the window.
"It's not the saxophone I have an issue with...but rather the kid who trashed it. I..." He was interrupted when he heard his phone ringing. A soft growl came from Vesa, muttering an obscenity in his native tongue to himself as he looked at the display, then sighed when there was no number. So he did what came naturally...he opened it and took the call, holding up a finger to excuse himself. "Hello?"
It didn't take long for the long-haired Finn to light up when he heard the voice on the other end. "Hey, Hannu! Kuinka aari te aikana paikalla taaksepäin kotona Suomi?" (How are you over there back in Finland?) The voice on the other end was that of Hannu Setanen, Vesa's best friend back in his hometown of Kerava, Finland...he was a year older than Vesa, but the two were always together in everything they did. And it was no surprise that they were on Finland's top line at the world junior hockey championships in Vancouver; Hannu played right wing and wore number 14 while Vesa centered the line, his hair coming down to the top of the number 23 on the back of his jersey.
"Hienosti...kuinka on se kotona Amerikka?" (Fine...how is it in America?) asked Hannu, the voice audible to Whitney and Matthias.
"Se on aivan aivan, ainoastaan kanisteri minun herättää te taaksepäin vähäinen määrä myöhempi? Minun heimo astuva jotta hankkia masentaa aikana minun pöytäkirja..." (It's all right, but can I call you back a little later? My family's going to have a cow over my minutes...) Vesa replied.
"Ei arvoitus...juoruta jotta te myöhempi, Vesa!" (No problem...talk to ya later, Vesa!) Vesa then hung up and smiled at the two kids he was with before the call interrupted him. "That was my best friend back in Finland," he explained, "He's a year older than me and we were on the same line at worlds...but that's enough of that. Where were we again?"
Posted by: LadyMakaze Jul 11 2006, 02:20 AM
"Thanks," Jodeen muttered as she stepped aside the boy who had been daydreaming whilst snacking on a Snickers bar, making her way over to the counter to purchase her ice cream. As she lay her selected ice cream bar and the twenty dollar bill Whitney had given her on the counter, the burly teen at the counter frowned slightly as he began to irritably count out the respective change. Jodeen gave him a look that said plainly, Deal with it, and began to unwrap her ice cream and bite at it happily as she waited for her change to be handed back to her.
As she collected her change in bills and coins, Sam's voice caught her attention, and while she regarded him with a look of caution, the expression on her face said clearly that she was appealing to his question with a bit of interest. She nodded eagerly as she took another bite out of her ice cream bar.
"Yeah, I do!" she said, before asking curiously, her head tilted to one side. "What, you know any good ones?"
Meanwhile, Matthias had taken to pausing yet again in front of the convenience store, laughing yet again as Whitney made her own remark on the prospect of the whole brawl becoming known to the whole school. War hero? he thought sardonically, relaxed enough by now to see some humour in the whole matter. Yeah, real likely.
It was a while before he could recover himself, holding a hand over his aching stomach to keep from laughing himself into utter exhaustion. He stood up straight yet again, regaining his composure while still chuckling at Whitney's remark. "War Hero, huh?" In a mock act, he began to take up a defensive stance, holding his saxophone case two-handed as though he were wielding a heavy weapon. "Have at thee, fiendish rogue! Taste six-ply hardwood, and know that only one shall leave the grill alive!"
He set his saxophone case down and shook his head incredulously with wry grin on his face. "Honestly, I don't think I'd be able to handle all the glorification. A hero like me has got to keep a low profile, you know?" He chuckled a bit, suddenly sobering up a bit as he regarded Vesa's suddenly serious remark with a solemn expression on his mature face. Out of hand, huh? he thought to himself, mulling over his newfound situation to himself. Well there's something to worry about...
He shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant about it. After all, there was no point in complaining in front of his friends, right? Whatever happened between him and Eric Silvedst was for Matthias himself to deal with. Though he didn't ask for this sort of burden, he did get himself into a fight that cost him his saxophone, his pride, and overall just caused him a whole lot of trouble. As for the aftermath...it was just one other thing he would have to deal with later, by himself. It wasn't fair to get everyone else involved.
""It's alright," he reassured Vesa, putting on a friendly, calm smile to hide the feeling of unease that had welled up inside him. "Y-you know, I'll handle it when the time comes. People who come round asking for trouble usually get more than they'd bargained for, you know? But whether it's glorifying me or the opposite, I can handle it myself."
Yeah... he thought to himself wearily. I'm no Hero. I'm just an ordinary kid who fell for some dirty trick and got into a fight over nothing. Is that what a Hero is? Ridiculous.
For all the stormy tides of unease and discomfort that raged in his heart, he covered up with a cheerful smile, as he often did whenever he was upset or unhappy. After all, no use ruining the mood right? You just had to move on, no matter how bad things got. Move on, and hope things turn out for the better from here on.
As he stepped into the store with Meg and Vesa, he listened with mild curiosity to Vesa's side of the phone conversation, though it quite obvious that he did not understand a single word of it. Wondering briefly what could Vesa and his friend were talking about, he turned his attention towards the counter, where Jodeen was. From where Matthias was standing, in the somewhat cramped aisle of the convenience store directly perpendicular to the counter, he could see quite clearly that another person...older, and taller, had approached her, and was striking up a conversation with her.
His eyes narrowed in sudden caution, and immediately, in brisk, meaningful strides, he quickly made his way over to the counter to where Jodeen was standing. He could not yet see the stranger's face, and thus regarded the situation with a look of caution, suddenly concerned for Jodeen's safety and well being.
"Everything alright there, Jo?" he called out to her, moving to stand protectively alongside her as he warily regarded the stranger who had brazenly approached her. Immediately, all sense of pretense fell as Matthias recognized with relief the familiar figure of Sam, yet another schoolmate from Franklyn. Relaxing a bit, and smiling awkwardly, more at his foolishness than anything, he greeted Sam with a friendly voice.
"Hey...fancy seeing you here, I see you've met my sister."
Posted by: Croco Jul 11 2006, 10:32 AM
"Okay, okay," said Vesa as he put his hands up, "I'll let you handle it in your own way...but Eric'll still have some explaining to do if I see him tomorrow." He looked at the phone and his eyes went wide as if he were staring at an empty net. "Voi, paska!" (Oh, shit!) he growled, "I gotta get going...if I'm not back home soon, it'll be my ass." He gave Whitney a smile and a nod while heading back to his car. "See ya tomorrow in Dolph's hellhole..." Vesa got into his car and was about to start it up when he heard his phone ringing again. Grumbling something to himself as he had a feeling of who was on the other line, Vesa wasted no time in picking up.
"Hello?" he said before bracing himself for the onslaught that soon followed, "I'm at the store...yes, I got the milk you told me to get as well as a couple other things that Olli wanted...no, he called me first and told me to get them...oi, whatever!" If they could hear the conversation, they might be able to tell that a parental figure was on the line as it continued. "Kohtuullinen...minun jälkisäädös olla koti- kotona koiranvitjat pöytäkirja, Carola...hyvä, hyvästi..." (Just...I'll be home in a couple minutes, Carola...okay, goodbye...) Then he flipped the phone back up and muttered a few Finnish obscenities to himself before starting the car and backing away.
((Continued in: http://z10.DEFUNCT_IF_LINK/SurvivalOfTheF...howtopic=1172))
Posted by: Theseus Jul 11 2006, 05:45 PM
Sam looked at everyone who was entering the convencience store. Jeeze, the gangs all here. Sam eyes everyone, wondering why everyone from his school chose this time of the day to come to this store. He shrugged and looked at Matthias Kovalenko. Basketball team, and saxophone player, the kid was pretty well known.
Sam did not know however, that the girl he was talking to was his sister. That would explain the protectiveness. Sam smiled at the Matthias and said, "oh I didn't she was your sister man. Actually I was just about to show her a magic trick, you can watch it too if you want."
Sam then focused his attention on the 13-year old girl and said, "Could you please hand me one of your coins?" Sam held out his hand. This was one of his favorite tricks, one that he watched his uncle perform hundreds of times, but like all magic tricks, the end result was almost unbelievable, but to get the result was so simple.
Sam really wouldn't say he was friends with Matthias, only a good acquantence. Then again, Sam didn't really have any "friends". He just knew mostly everyone in the school, more or less because of his showman attitude, and how he would walk up to random people, like Jodeed today, and ask to perform magic tricks.
Since Sam wasn't the normal geeky kid with big thick black glasses, so cliche, but since he looked decent, they would accept, and Sam eventually built up a reputation around school, and he liked that. He liked to be able to perform small tricks for people, because in the end, Sam loved to perform for people. Pure and simple, that is what he loved. He loved to watch people be amazed, and smile, and wonder how he did what he did. That is what pushed Sam to talk to people he didn't know like Jodeen, and that is what will continue to push Sam, until one day his name is world famous, and there will be magic tricks named after him. Sam smiled as his hand was still outstretched, awaiting one of Jodeen's coins.
Posted by: Megami Jul 12 2006, 02:05 PM
Whitney couldn't help but laugh aloud at Matthias's display of "heroism". In a way though, the events that had unfolded at the Bar and Grill really were the very basics of fairy-tale and folklore. The brave knight had rode up on his galliant steed to save the Princess from the perile that had befallen her. When the hero had suddenly found himself in a dangerous predicament, the Princess had saved him right back. Laughing at the comical and somewhat childish idea that had popped into her mind, she had slowly begun to find the entire ordeal somewhat amusing.
That is, until Vesa spoke up once again, a serious tone overtaking his formerly cheerful and friendly voice. By now, Eric's threats of more trouble to come had completely subsided from Whitney's mind, but they quickly found their way back as Vesa brought the subject up once more. Sighing under her breath, she didn't really feel the need to speak up about the incident. It wasn't her place, and in a way, Whitney couldn't help but feel as though it wasn't really her problem either... not that she wasn't concerned about Matthias's well-being, but she had simply found herself put in the roll of "onlooker" throughout the spat anyway.
And besides, Matthias had already proven once that he could hold his own against Eric.
The blonde couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the display between Matthias and Vesa that was unfolding in front of her. Matt was adamant about the fact that he didn't want Vesa fighting his battles for him, and it showed. Vesa even seemed to pick up on it as he threw his arms up into the air in response to Matthias's remarks. Tilting her head to the side lightly, Whitney couldn't help but imagine that it must be a male pride thing or something. That was the thing about guys, all of them seemed to put on this faux macho act and pretend to be tough. Personally, Whitney would've let the Finnish boy handle the entire situation, had it been her. Then again, it wasn't her, and she wasn't Matthias.
It was about that time that Vesa's cell phone rang and he bid the duo who had been conversing with him adieu in a rather hasty manner. Smiling a bit, Whitney waved goodbye to the Finnish boy absent-mindedly. Almost instantly thereafter, she was brought back from her daydream as Matthias seemed to catch sight of the boy who had been conversing with Jodeen at the counter of the convenience store, and just like that, he was gone.
"H-hey, Matt?" the blonde called after him, following at a jogging pace in an attempt to keep up as Matthias made a bee-line for his sister and the new person in question.
Matthias seemed to relax visibly at the discovery that it was simply Sam Myron, and Whitney couldn't help but crack a smile at the situation. She supposed the things she'd heard about Matthias being extremely overprotective of his little sister were indeed true. Then again, judging by the time she'd spent with the duo, the fact didn't really surprise Whitney much. The two seemed very close. Following up behind Matthias, she cast a curt wave toward Sam as she approached, just in time to hear Sam mention that he was going to perform a magic trick.
Looking on in curiosity, Whitney couldn't help but muse over how many of her fellow classmates she'd bumped into today, especially in this tiny little convenience store of all places. Then again, they all probably lived in this general area. Whitney had a longer commute than most from her parents' residence on the south side of town. Really, it shouldn't have been that surprising.
As Sam requested a coin from Jodeen, Whitney glanced down at the pink screened Fossil watch that adorned her wrist. It was a lot later than she'd thought, she should probably be getting home soon. Rather than interrupt Sam, however, Whitney smiled and looked on politely, somewhat curious as to what the magician had in store. She had always been amused by magic, from the corny coin-behind-the-ear tricks to the spectacular magic performances that were often put on in nearby Atlantic City. Thus, Whitney was rather intrigued by what Sam might have in store for them.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Aug 16 2006, 11:50 AM
[Fuck...it's been a whole month already. *bows repeatedly* Sorry muchs for letting it slow down for this long @_@]
He'd always been protective of Jodeen, often up to the point where it was impossible to hide. Even those who did not know him could tell the way he stood near his sister, the way he spoke, and the suddenly serious and slightly tense expression on his normally good-natured and relaxed visage. Of course, Matthias had long since gotten over seeing the obviousness of it all as a source of embarrassment. After all, what was it compared to his younger sister's safety?
Of course, that wasn't saying that Matthias didn't have any pride, being a given that just about everyone in the world did, to varying degrees. But he could tolerate a bit of embarrassment and awkwardness every now and then. After all, he had given up plenty of his dignity at the face of Eric Silvstedt and the fight that unfolded between them. All of it over a saxophone...
Damn, my saxophone... He thought gloomily, before dismissing the thought entirely.
In any case, unlike what the Finnish boy Vesa(whom Matthias bade farewell with a wave) probably had in mind when he made his offer and was met with a refusal, Matthias wasn't looking for another fight. Far from it in fact, and even Matthias knew that he'd be asking too much simply to hope for one like Eric Silvstedt to forgive and forget about the whole ordeal overnight. Rather, it was simply a responsibility he had to take for himself. It was his burden. It was his...well, 'punishment' was a bit of a strong word, but to some degree it seemed fitting. After all, the cause of the fight was partially his fault. It wasn't Whitney's, it wasn't Jodeen's, and it wasn't Vesa's. It was his own. It was the only thing Matthias could accept. After all, it had been his fault Jodeen nearly had something horrible happen to her. Just what kind of person Matthias was to not owe up to his actions?
But there was no reason to dwell on the past now, and the future Matthias was more than willing to deal with later. Much later. For now, he turned his attention back towards Sam Myron. Shrugging casually, though more to relax his nerves a bit than anything, Matthias nodded towards Sam before replying casually, "Well, why not? I've heard about you, but I've never gotten a chance to see any of your tricks. Why not show us what you can do?" He gave a friendly grin as always, though he lingered closer towards his younger sister, who had cast a glance towards him in acknowledgement.
Matthias returned the smile before looking back towards Sam with a curious, observant glance. He had seen Sam around from time to time, and from what he had heard and seen of him, he was quite the entertainer, known particularly for his sleight of hand and magic tricks. Matthias had never gotten to know him particularly well...but at face value, he seemed like a friendly, yet decent and harmless guy. He cast a glance towards Whitney, murmuring with a grin, "This ought to be something." Though really he was looking to stay by Jodeen's side, he couldn't help but feel a sense of genuine curiosity for what Sam had in store, having a slight interest for sleight-of-hand tricks himself.
Jodeen, meanwhile, grinned and replied a cheerful, "Okay." She sorted through her handful of change, handling her ice cream bar at the same time with a bit of difficulty, and then with a light smirk, she flipped up a single dime, letting it fly through the air towards him. Obviously enough she was quite interested and eager to see what Sam had to show for his reputation. She, herself, had not noticed how pensive her older brother Matthias had become over the last few moments, though she did notice the protective nature of his presence standing by her.
Not that she didn't appreciate his concern for her well-being...but more for the sake of Matthias himself, she thought to herself.
Come on. Lighten up a little, won't you? I'm not a little kid anymore.
Somehow, if she said this out loud, Jodeen didn't think that Matthias would be quickly willing to accept this plain and simple fact.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Megami. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
(("A Matter of Convenience" continued))
Posted by: Theseus Aug 16 2006, 08:14 PM
Sam smiled as the girl flipped the dime at him, and he caught it with his left hand and smiled. He looked at Matthius, who was obviously being protective of his sister, and Sam respected that. He didn't have any siblings to look out for, and he found it noble that Matthius was so protective of Jodeen.
Sam was also happy to have a bit of a group to watch now. He was planning on just one trick, but now he had a couple of ideas spinning around in his mind to impress the group. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt, so there was no need to roll up the sleeves. He held both hands out in front of him, palm up. In his left lay the dime, in his right lay nothing.
He made eye contact with everyone and said, adding on to the show, "Well, on my many travels across the land I met an old monk. He taught me that everything was just a giant illusion, and the skilled could manipulate the laws of Earth and bend them to their will. Like this."
Sam closed his left and right hand. Both hands were still out in front of him, far away from his body. His left hand traveled to his right, He visibly showed everyone he was stuffing the dime into his right fist. After what looked like a struggle he opened both hands, and the dime was gone. He moved both empty hands in front of his audience showing them the dime was gone, and his hands never once came close to his body.
Smiling he said, "I also learned another trick by him, a way to multiply common objects." Placing his hands in his pockets he brought out what appeared as a red sponge ball, about 1 and a half inches thick. He pulled the sponge ball into two sponge balls right in front of the group. Of course that was for beginners. He smiled and placed both spongeballs in his left hand, and closed his fist. Just like the dime, he brought his left hand over to his right, and visibly stuffed the two sponge balls into his balled up fist.
When he opened both hands both sponge balls were gone. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out another sponge ball and said to Jodeen, "Could you please hold this for me, and hold very tightly." Placing the sponge ball in her hand he smiled and made one of the two spongeballs appear in his right hand, which was empty just moments before. He frowned and said, "I had another one...Jodeen please open your hand for me." When Jodeen opened her hand, she would find two spongeballs in it, and not just one.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Aug 17 2006, 12:20 PM
Matthias, having had seen plenty of various sleight of hand shows in his time due to his interest in them, had figured out for one thing that there were various common techniques that all magician's used to perform their tricks. He knew that one was to focus the line of vision of the audience in order to distract their attention from what he was really doing, like an optical illusion that made the eye focus on certain aspects and details instead of the big picture. That was why, sometimes even the eyes lie.
Such a concept had always fascinated Matthias, and it was because of this, he watched intently, trying to see exactly what Sam was doing with the coin. It was quite difficult, following the movements of his hand as well as his commentary while at the same time trying to crack the illusion he was making. And before Matthias knew it, Sam had stuffed the dime into his right palm....only when he opened both hands, it was completely gone.
Matthias had trouble hiding his bewilderment. No matter how hard he tried to figure out just what the tricksters themselves were doing, no show ever failed in having him end up asking the same question over and over again. Just how did he do that? Jodeen, meanwhile, was just as amazed, as her eyes widened as she looked over his hands, trying to find the elusive coin that was supposed to be there...but wasn't.
"Wo-ow..." She murmured softly, just as Sam began wasting no time moving onto the next part of the show. Once again, Matthias was just as determined to uncover the very guile and craft of this particular trick, moreso out of fascination than anything else. But of course, his efforts turned up fruitless as Sam's hands moved quickly, pulling out a single sponge into two without any sort of explanation involved, then likewise stuffing them into his right fist and opening both hands to show that both were gone.
Matthias covered his mouth slightly, too awed to comment, as Jodeen let out a small gasp in surprise yet again at the disappearance of the two spongeballs. As Sam handed her the sponge ball, she smiled at him.
"Sure!" she remarked excitedly as she tightly clenched the sponge ball in her free hand with vigour. She was distracted from it though, as she and Matthias watched intently as one of the spongeballs appeared in Sam again. At first it seemed as though something was wrong when Sam frowned with a scrutinizing look, though when Jodeen was prompted to open her hand, the pair were once again caught at a loss for words when not one, but two sponge balls popped up in her open palm.
"Wow, Jodeen," he murmured quietly, before he added in a joking tone. "Did you do that?"
At this, Jodeen shook her head vigorously. "No! I didn't do anything at all!" She stared at the two spongeballs in her hand, still binking in utter amazement. Matthias likewise did the same and gave an impressed whistle, murmuring lightly, "That's really something..." He looked towards Sam Myron with a wry look on his face.
"That's really amazing," he remarked. "You know, I would ask you, 'How did you do that?' But I know you're probably gonna turn up with the usual, 'a magician never gives away his tricks.' But really...that's really something."
Posted by: Megami Aug 17 2006, 12:47 PM
The placid look that remained fixated on Whitney Acosta's features belied her intrigue and amazement over the somewhat simple tricks that Sam Myron performed effortlessly in front of them. Although she was not visibly awestruck like Matthias and Jodeen were from the events, the fact remained, she was quite impressed. From what she knew about Sam, he took his work as a magician very seriously, almost as though it was a form of artwork for him. In a way, she supposed, it was. It was his passion, his life. And honestly, he was good. Quite good.
Smiling warmly at the excitedness that had overtaken the younger Kovalenko sibling, Whitney remained lingering somewhat behind the duo, her head tilted to the side ever so slightly in mild curiosity. As Matthias inquired as to the technique behind the magic, Whitney couldn't help but laugh quietly. Of course a magician wasn't supposed to tell his secrets, then the entire illusion would be ruined. Overall, Whitney wasn't really curious as to how Sam had managed the tricks, seemingly on the spot, on a whim. It was quite impressive.
Though absent-mindedly, she couldn't help but wander what ever happened to the coin that had seemingly vanished without a trace in the palm of Sam's hand. She mused over the fact that he'd probably pull it out from behind Jodeen's ear eventually, and laughed inwardly at the thought. Her eyes cast down to her watch once more, she knowing full well that she had to be home relatively soon. She was enjoying herself though, and her parents would understand if she was a little late. They never seemed to mind too much.
Then again, if her father found out the reason why she was late, that she'd spent the afternoon with one of her classmates who just happened to be a guy – his understanding demeanor might come to an abrupt halt. He always was a bit overprotective about Whitney, especially when it came to her being around other guys. She never quite understood why, perhaps because she was the only child of the family and his little girl to boot, but her father was notorious for treating her like a child at times.
Sighing a bit at the downhearted thought, she quickly shook it from the back of her mind, determined to ensure that the thoughts of her father getting angry over something so trivial wouldn't ruin the enjoyable time that she was currently having with the trio. Besides, Matthias and Sam were both nice boys. It wasn't as though her father had anything to worry about, right? Really though, the only classmate of hers that her father ever seemed to warm up to well was Sam Sorenson, and that probably had a lot to do with the fact that before her father got his position on the EMS squad, he attended church with the Sorensons on a regular basis.
The brooding thoughts inevitably vanished from her mind, with a bit of effort on Whitney's part. No sense brooding over such things, no good ever seemed to come of it. Besides, her father was a good man. A bit overprotective, sure, but after the incident with the fourty-year-old man following her two and from school several months prior, he had a right to be, really. Besides, he was just looking out for her, ensuring that no harm came to his baby girl. The thoughts subsided from her mind once again as the cell phone located in her back pocket began to vibrate, and she could only imagine that it was one of her parents calling to inquire about her location.
Choosing to ignore the phone call she was receiving, Whitney's thoughts returned to the here and now, and she looked on with a smile at Sam, Jodeen, and Matthias. Clearly, the Kovalenko siblings were enjoying the show which Sam had provided, and she wandered quite curiously what else the Myron boy had up his sleeve. She'd never really watched him illustrate his prowress in magic before, and she was quite impressed by what she'd seen so far.
Posted by: Theseus Aug 19 2006, 06:46 AM
Sam smiled at his audiences reaction to his tricks. This was the best part in his opinion, watching the reaction of everyone. He looked at them all, taking in their amazement. He collected the two sponge balls from Jodeen and said to Matthius, "Well you're right, a good magician never reveals his secrets." Sam knew he had to go home soon, and he wanted to do something impressing, go out with a bang.
First he walked over to Jodeen and, unknowingly did what Whitney had thought of, he pulled her dime out of her ear, of course after flashing that his hands were empty before hand. He handed the dime to her and started to walk to the door, putting some distance between him and the trio.
Looking at them all he said, "Well, I have to start heading home now, but I have one last trick to show you." Sam watched them closely, and took his time with this one. After about twenty seconds of just standing there, it appeared that he was hovering about a foot off the ground. It took Sam long hours and hard work to master this one, but it was great for just like most of his tricks, it required no work before. He could do it on the spot. He thanked David Blain quietly in his head for making this trick famous.
After about ten seconds of hovering, his feet made contact with the ground. He smiled and just said, "Later guys." He turned around, and walked out the door. He loved to leave the show keeping people in amazement, and leaving right after a finale was his way of adding mystery to himself. As he walked outside he looked back inside, and glanced at the trio one last time. Then he made his way to his car.
All in another days work he thought to himself.
((continued elsewhere))
Posted by: Megami Aug 23 2006, 11:21 PM
Once again, Whitney Acosta consciously hid the sense of awe she felt at Sam's illusions. He was quite good, she once again reiterated in her mind. She'd seen the dime trick coming, but at the very least it should amuse Jodeen. At Sam's seemingly magical ability to levitate, however, Whitney was truly impressed. She hadn't seen that one coming, nor did she understand how he'd managed to do it with no setup or anything. Her eyebrows raised slightly in the air and a visibly impressed expression overtook her features. Sam Myron turned and exited the doorway of the convenience store, leaving as quickly as he had come, and presumably leaving the trio standing at the counter in awe.
Cool exit.
It was a subconscious, almost juvenile thought on Whitney's part, but it was still there. Turning toward Matthias and Jodeen, Whitney attempted to gauge the expression on the features of the duo before allowing the trademark Whitney Acosta smile she almost always bore to once again dissolve her impressed, if not a little confused, look from before.
"Wow, Jo. You even got your dime back," she mused, "What did you think?"
The two were, of course, visibly impressed by Sam's artistic ability as an illusionist. That much was evident even to Whitney. Whitney was interrupted, however, as the back pocket of her jeans once again began vibrating, causing an annoyed look to pass over her features. She could only assume that once again, her father was calling. This was the second time he'd called in a matter of minutes, so it was probably in her best interests to answer the phone. Sighing audibly, Whitney held up her hand, signalling the duo to hold on for a moment before turning away and flipping the phone open.
"Hello?" her voice held a tense, almost fearful tone to it. There had to have been a reason why her father kept calling, and Whitney was fearing the worst.
"Where are you?" the voice on the other end of the line sounded tired, if not a bit irritated.
"I'm out with Matt and Jo," she responded quietly, not stopping to think that from her father's end of the line, it sounded like she was out with two guys.
"You're supposed to be home, Whit. Your mother just flew in from Denver, I'm not on call tonight, we were supposed to spend the evening as a family. You're not supposed to be running around with two guys I don't even know. Are they more important than your own family now?" The voice wasn't angry, but more disappointed. That, apparently, got under the skin of the blonde girl.
"I'm sorry Daddy, I didn't realize... I'll be home soon, okay? I'm gonna take Matt home, and then I'll come home."
"Where's this boy live?" The interrogation was immenent, Whitney could tell even now.
"Carrington Pointe. I gotta go, Dad. I'll be home as soon as I can, okay?"
The resigned sigh and click of the phone on the other end hanging up left a disappointed, if not a bit upset, look on Whitney's face. How could she have forgotten that her mother had flown in tonight? Most of the time it was just her, cooped up in that big, extravagant house all by herself. Tonight was supposed to have been spent with her family, and her father was obviously annoyed by the fact that she'd all but blown them off. Casting a resigned look at the duo, she forced a smile -- probably fake to all of those in the immediate area.
"Hey, we need to go, okay?"
She didn't say anything further and she didn't plan on it. How do you tell your friends that you'd completely forgotten about a family affair with the family you never get to see and that your father was angry about it -- as well as the fact that you were out with a guy -- and wanted you home pronto? It was better to leave the details as vague as possible, at least in her own opinion. Nudging Matthias lightly as she walked passed him, Whitney slowly headed toward the class doors of the convenience store and toward the car outside, assuming the two would follow en suite.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Aug 26 2006, 01:40 AM
As Sam's hand moved towards her ear, Jodeen blinked in surprise with an expression of inquiry, though a look of silent amazement took over her when she saw that Sam had pulled the dime she had given him out of her ear. Wordlessly, she cupped her hands and stared at the dime being handed back to her, now in her open palms. A look of surprise and astonishment still adorned her features as Sam concluded his little magic show by levitating into the air a good foot off the floor, and once again she was left staring in wonder as he calmly made his exit to retire to his home for the evening.
By now, not only was Jodeen thoroughly entertained and amazed at Sam's almost impossible talent, but she was left wondering just how in the world did he manage to do all of that. Everything had to have an explanation, didn't it? Like most magic tricks, it just had to be something so obvious, yet something so elusive that no matter how obvious it was, you had to have someone else point it out to you for you to notice it. And no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't come up with any explanation for the feats that Sam Myron had demonstrated today.
Even as she looked towards Whitney, the look of amazement on her face was still quite apparent. "That was....so cool! You saw it too, right Matt? He was pratically floating in the air! That was just brilliant! I wonder how he did that though. It just seems too amazing to be real, but at the same time-"
"Jodeen, your ice cream is starting to drip a bit," Matthias interrupted her gently with an amused smile.
"Huh? Oh!" Jodeen let out a shout of exclamation when she saw that the soft ice cream of her bar was indeed starting to drip in a white line down her wrist. Immediately, she exchanged the dripping stick of ice cream to her other hand and began licking the melted stain off her fingers to prevent the mess from running down the length of her arm. Becoming more aware of herself, and how she must look doing such a thing, she blushed furiously and continued to suck quietly at her ice cream bar, deciding that the counter advertisements were interesting enough to look at for the moment.
Matthias shook his head as he glanced at her and shook his head in an apologetic expression towards Whitney.
"That was quite impressive," he remarked, as a sort of afterthought to Sam Myron's performance. "If there's anything I wouldn't do to learn a trick or two like that...."
He found himself being interrupted however, by the sound of Whitney's cellphone vibrating in her jeans. Politely, he left her to her phone conversation for the moment, though he could not help but listen to the one side of it that happened to be audible on his end. Noting what she was saying, it seemed as though she were speaking to a parent, though with an almost apprehensive tone in her voice. At this, Matthias could not help but frown slightly, more in concern and for a bit of curiosity as to what Whitney had to be tentative in her speech about.
He adjusted his grip on the saxophone case slung over his shoulder as Whitney announced that the three of them needed to leave. Noting the rather upset expression on her face, he met her with a slight smile as a way of cheering her up.
"Sure, not a problem," he reassured her. He looked towards Jodeen, who was for the moment occupied with her ice cream bar in blissful silence, and had been oblivious to Whitney's reaction to the phone call. "Hey, we're gonna go now."
Jodeen nodded in reply, the ice cream bar still in her mouth, turning to follow Matthias, as he likewise picked up his pace to catch up with Whitney.
"That was your Dad, right?" Matthias asked her, though it seemed a more awkward question than anything, given Whitney's reaction to having him call her so suddenly. He shifted his hold on the saxophone case resting against his shoulder blade. "Is he worried that you're out this late?"
Posted by: Megami Aug 28 2006, 07:56 PM
Hearing the concerned voice of Matthias behind her, Whitney slowed her pace drastically, waiting on him, and Jodeen who was presumably tagging in tow, to catch up. All but coming to a halt, the blonde-headed girl turned back toward her counterpart, all the while making a vain attempt at hiding the frustration and annoyance toward the recent turn of events with her parents. Of course, even through the artificial smile and emotionless expression that the blonde attempted to convey, her features were clearly readable.
From a young age onward, Whitney Acosta had always been one of those people who wore their emotions on their sleeves. Despite the fronts she always tried to put up, her true emotions always shined through without remorse. Perhaps that was why Matthias so easily seemed to read between the lines when Ricky Callahan had appeared at Benson's earlier in the evening. It was always something Whitney silently ridiculed about herself, she despised the fact that she was an open book to nearly everyone who encountered her.
Perhaps that was part of the reason she had come to admire Matthias over the course of the evening. Not crush on, persay, but she did admire the fact that he was able to conceal his true emotions with what seemed to be little effort. After everything that had happened to her companion over the course of the short evening, Whitney could only imagine that if she had been in a similar position, she would have broken down into tears long ago. Matthias, however, seemed to take it all in stride, and through the thick and thin of the evening seemed ever calm, ever confident... something Whitney wished that she herself was capable of doing.
At Matthias's inquiry, she could only look back and smile through the forelorn look that plagued her expressions like a nuisance, "Yeah, that was my dad."
Averting her gaze to the ground at the next question to come from Matthias's lips, she sighed inadvertantly and began rubbing her arm as though she were mulling over something. Of course, the fact that her mother had flown in and she'd missed spending the better part of the evening with the family that she never got to see in the first place was weighing on her conscience. When she got home, her mother would smile and give her an understanding hug, but in the morning she'd be off again until God knows when, and Whitney would have wasted the time that could have been spent with her.
Her father... well, her father would probably just be disappointed. The tone of his voice when she'd spoken to him on the phone earlier clarified that much. While in a sense, she and her father were very close, his constant overprotectiveness and incessant need to treat her as if she were a child had driven a stake between them during the course of the last few years. After all, since a young age, Whitney's mother had unintentionally instilled a fear of being disliked and ridiculed in the blonde's head. It wasn't helping that even though she was sixteen years old, her father all but forbade her to date, and that fact in itself had the potential to make her an outcast in school.
Sighing audibly at the fleeting thoughts that drifted through her mind, she looked back at Matthias before finally speaking in a quiet tone of voice, "It's... no, it's just... my mom flew home today," she explained, "Mom's a CEO for Globo-Tech, so she's out of town a lot. Usually it's just me at the house, what with Dad out on patrol and mom going here or there for this conference or that business meeting, you know? She wanted to spend tonight as a family and it just completely slipped my mind."
Shrugging somewhat, she did her best to smile again, "I just don't get to spend a lot of time with her anymore."
The awkward silence that followed momentarily made the blonde shift uncomfortably, and soon a nervous laugh escaped her lips as though it were a cue to end the confrontation over the subject. Of course, ending the subject was the furthest thing from Whitney's mind at the given moment -- instead, her mind was rushing with the disappointed look on her father's face and the mock satisfaction her mother would portray when she walked through the door. Her mother always understood situations like these, she always understood when something slipped Whitney's mind or when she accidentally overlooked something.
At one point, so did her father... but that was a long time ago. Now, Whitney almost felt as though she could never please him, no matter what she did. He was a good man, always kind to her and her mother, never spoke a harsh word to either of them. What never failed to get under her skin was the sense of failure and disappointment that reigned in his voice when he was dissatisfied with something. More often than not, it seemed like that dissatisfaction was directed toward his only child as of late. She didn't drink, she didn't party, she didn't go around having sex with every boy who looked twice at her -- hell, she didn't even date. Regardless, her father seemed to overlook all the bad and only convey his disapproval at the things she neglected to do -- such as tonight, when she had neglected to come home and spend the evening with her parents.
Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she held the auto-lock up to the black sports car sitting in the convenience store parking lock and pressed the green button causing the car to beep and its lights to flash before the door unlocked. Rounding her way to the driver's side of the vehicle, she opened the door and stood waiting for Matthias and Jodeen to enter on the passenger's side. Forcing another plastered-on smile, Whitney tried to think about the scenario that would inevitably unfold after she took the two home and headed back to her place of residence in the Kensington Heights subdivision. Actually, she'd rather not think about it. Whitney Acosta was one of those people who was easily guilted over, and always aiming to please her parents. The two aspects of her personality hadn't proved to be a very nice combination so far. Sighing a muffled sigh, Whitney drummed her fingernails on the top of the car lightly as she awaited the entrance of her companions.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Sep 1 2006, 09:57 PM
Matthias strode over to match his pace with Whitney's, though he kept at something of a speedwalk in case the other girl was that anxious to return home to her family. Though she seemed calm on the surface, Matthias could not help but sense an underlying tension in the air, as though she were either not looking forward to seeing her parents again, or that she couldn't wait another minute to just get home. But that was only a presumption on Matthias' part. He was no expert when it came to reading people. All that he did was make guesses on his own based on what he saw, and heard. And as much as he didn't want to seem a braggart, he had to admit...more often than not he was almost right on the mark.
Not that he would ever make assumptions aloud, of course. Who knows just what sort of trouble he'll get himself into asking Whitney if she really liked that boy Callahan. In any case, his big mouth had gotten into more than enough trouble for the day...including the loss of his prized instrument and a good deal of his pride. But to be honest, he sort of felt better about it now, as though time had worn off all the tension and allowed him to be his normal self again.
Which was what allowed him to pay more attention to the people around him than just himself, and his own troubles. And from what Matthias could see at face-value, Whitney seemed to have enough troubles of her own, as she explained to him wearily of the reason as to why she'd recieved the phone-call, giving something of a hint as to why she seemed to have fallen into a gloomy mood all of a sudden. From what Matthias took from her explanation, it looked as though her father had given her a bit of trouble for being out so late when the whole family had planned to spend time together. Yeah....that seemed to be the reason why she looked somewhat troubled at the moment. Of course, leave it to parents to be harsh over little things to their children, Matthias himself understood that well from his own experience.
"I see," He replied as he walked alongside her, lugging the weight of the saxophone case over his shoulder. "Well you know, spending quality time with your family is pretty important no matter how old you are. I mean, sure, we're at the age where the friends we meet and grow close to become important, but we shouldn't forget about the family too. I guess parents in general go through some sort of phase when their kids become teens. They find it hard to believe that they'll be out on their own in the world, all grown up and living their own lives. Guess that's why they stress so much over how much, or how little quality time the family spends together."
He nodded as he spoke, as though agreeing with himself, casting something of a smile towards Whitney, as though to cheer her up. Though leave it to his sister to make the moment awkward as her voice popped up beside him.
"Matt. You're babbling again."
At this, Matthias became more aware of himself, as well as of the 'speech' he just made. "Ah." His smile became somewhat awkward and embarrassed, and he gave an apologetic look towards Whitney. This was before flashing a glare towards Jodeen, which plainly said, 'did you have to mention that?'
But he shrugged it off, trying to return to the casual mood from before. "Well, I dunno, that's just me and what I think about parents and their kids in general. Of course, parents can be real ....well, bull-headed at times...which is why it's up to the kids themselves to make themselves understood. But as you can see, I'm just talking aimlessly again...." He shrugged and let out a bit of a laugh as he opened the car door of the back seat, holding it for Jodeen as she slid in, still holding her dripping ice cream.
"Better not make a mess with that," Matthias told her in a surprisingly stern voice as he placed the saxophone case next to her, slamming the door shut.
Had he left the backseat door open for a second or two longer, he would have caught his sister mumbling in a simple voice as she clipped on her seatbelt, "You're the bull-headed one..."
Casting a smile towards Whitney as he slid into the front seat alongside her, Matthias reassured her, "It's not that far from here, just three blocks over that way and turn right before you get to the intersection. It's the house at the corner with the driveway, I'll point it out to you."
Posted by: Megami Sep 2 2006, 07:11 PM
The incessant rambling on Matthias's part had almost become white noise to Whitney -- she had been so deep in thought that it swept right past her and went almost completely unheard. The blonde-headed girl cast him a faint smile as a means of acknowledging that she indeed heard him speaking, but his words fell on deaf ears. Instead, she'd taken to watching Jodeen maneuver to slide into the backseat of the compact sports car. As Matthias sternly warned his sister not to make a mess, Whitney couldn't help but smile and shake her head slightly.
"It's okay, it happens."
It was true. Whitney herself was notorious for dropping this and that in the floorboard of the car. Once, Lexie had accidentally stepped on a ketchup packet that had fallen from a fast-food bag and smeared it deep into the carpet on the passenger's side. And Whitney herself had knocked over a soda or other object on more than one occassion and spilled the substance all over the interior of the car. A couple drips from an ice cream weren't going to hurt this car -- Whitney had to admit, it was pretty durable.
While Jodeen's sarcastic remark fell on deaf ears with her brother, Whitney slid into the front seat as the younger Kovalenko sibling stated the fact and couldn't help but laugh slightly at the comment. Tempted though she was to side with Jodeen and harrass her companion a little, she eventually thought better of it, quickly remembering that Matthias had probably had more than his fair share of excitement and cynicism for the day.
Glancing over haphazardly to catch the smile radiating from her companion in the front seat, she returned the smile, though couldn't help but still feel a bit forelorn over the inevitable fate that awaited her at her own home. The guilt trip that would follow would be worse than any punishment or beating her father could have possibly inflicted on her had he been capable of doing so, as it was the disappointment in his eyes and the disheartened look on his face that tore into her deeper than any physical wound ever could.
Nodding slightly at Matthias's directions toward the Kovalenko abode, Whitney wheeled the vehicle around to the exit of the parking lot they currently occupied and, after waiting on a dark green suburban to pass, pulled out onto the road. Three blocks and turn right, huh? It shouldn't be too bad. Still, although she was grateful that she was within minutes of Matthias and Jodeen's house, she couldn't help but think that it would probably take her fifteen or twenty minutes to reach her own subdivision, and that was assuming traffic wasn't too bad.
Pulling up to a stoplight on the corner of Wedgewood Drive and Flintwood Avenue, Whitney looked around, noticing the apparent lack of motorists on the road at this time of the evening. She had to admit, it was nice. Her thoughts remained preoccupied, however, as she drummed her fingernails lightly on the steering wheel of the car. Given the lack of traffic, she should be home relatively quickly, but even then, Whitney wasn't sure if she wanted to go home.
The stoplight lingering above her turned green, and Whitney proceeded to pull out into the intersection. That was when she saw it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the large truck barreling through the stoplight it had just ran and straight toward the vehicle that she currently occupied with the Kovalenko siblings. Slamming on her breaks, Whitney could feel the tires squeal and the car spin slightly as it attempted to come to an abrupt halt. She could hear the horn of her own vehicle that she subconsciously hit as the truck continued to barrel toward them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the truck, which had also apparently come to a stop and had, astonishingly enough, narrowly missed her vehicle.
"That... that idiot just ran the light," she stated warily.
Looking down at her hands, even she could tell that she was trembling noticeably. Trying desperately to hold in the emotional outburst of tears that was welling up inside from narrowly escaping a potentially horrendous accident, she could only sit there in pure astonishment and fear for several moments before finally regaining her composure enough to come to her senses.
"Are--are you guys okay?"
By this point, Whitney could see the driver of the maroon truck that had nearly plowed into her car stepping out, stumbling around, then falling to the ground. She could see the beer bottle he held in his hand, as well as the confused and disoriented expression that was clearly plastered to the balding man's features. Even though the two vehicles had miraculously not collided, Whitney couldn't help but still feel nauseated at the entire incident. Her breathing returned to a normal pace momentarily, and although her hands were still trembling at the shock of it all, she cupped them over her face and closed her eyes briefly.
"I'm sorry," she stated quietly, "I'm so sorry."
Within moments, she could hear the police sirens bellowing down the nearby road, and out of the corner of her eye, the figure of an older woman -- probably in her fourties with long blonde hair worn in a ponytail and an overall soccer mom-ish look to her -- tentatively approaching the sportscar that was still sitting sideways in the middle of the road. Seeing the woman approach, Whitney reluctantly rolled down the window to speak to the newcomer, who had apparently witnessed the events that had just unfolded and taken it upon herself to call the police.
"Are you okay?" the woman inquired softly, receiving only a nod from the blonde in the driver's seat as a response on her part.
Within seconds the cop cars arrived, most of the officers making a bee-line to the drunkard plastered to the asphalt. One officer meandered in Whitney's direction, eyeing the car lightly in an effort to see if they'd been hit. Noting that the car really had no damage to it, there was nothing that could be done. The officer approached the car window along with the woman and a kind smile formed on his lips.
"Everyone okay in here?" he inquired.
"We're fine..." Whitney stated simply, "Can... can I go now? I just want to go home."
The officer cast the blonde girl a compassionate smile and nodded his head. After all, they hadn't been hit, so at this point, there was little else that could be done on their part. No one had been injured, and for that, Whitney was thankful. The woman and the officer both waved her off as she tentatively pulled back out on the road. Trying to push the incident from the back of her mind, Whitney could see from her rear-view mirror the policemen handcuffing the driver of the maroon truck -- probably for driving under the influence.
Coming to her turn, Whitney slid the black mustang into the turn line and made a right down the street on which the Kovalenkos lived. At Matt's direction, Whitney pulled into the driveway of the house before quickly waving the two siblings off. Had she not nearly been in a potentially fatal accident, she might have been more talkative, but at this point, all Whitney Acosta wanted to do was go home. Besides, she'd see Matt in class on Monday, she could talk to him then.
After the siblings exited her vehicle and closed the door, Whitney sighed to herself. Looking behind her and making extra sure that nothing was coming, she tentatively pulled out of the Kovalenkos driveway and took off down the street. From here, it would probably take her fifteen or twenty minutes to get to the other side of town, and as much as she didn't want to drive at this point, she couldn't wait to be home -- even if it did mean condescending looks from her father. All she'd have to do is tell him about the incident that had transpired on her way to Matt's house, and his sour mood would fade into one of worry and concern.
((Continued elsewhere.))
Posted by: Theseus Aug 16 2006, 08:14 PM
Sam smiled as the girl flipped the dime at him, and he caught it with his left hand and smiled. He looked at Matthius, who was obviously being protective of his sister, and Sam respected that. He didn't have any siblings to look out for, and he found it noble that Matthius was so protective of Jodeen.
Sam was also happy to have a bit of a group to watch now. He was planning on just one trick, but now he had a couple of ideas spinning around in his mind to impress the group. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt, so there was no need to roll up the sleeves. He held both hands out in front of him, palm up. In his left lay the dime, in his right lay nothing.
He made eye contact with everyone and said, adding on to the show, "Well, on my many travels across the land I met an old monk. He taught me that everything was just a giant illusion, and the skilled could manipulate the laws of Earth and bend them to their will. Like this."
Sam closed his left and right hand. Both hands were still out in front of him, far away from his body. His left hand traveled to his right, He visibly showed everyone he was stuffing the dime into his right fist. After what looked like a struggle he opened both hands, and the dime was gone. He moved both empty hands in front of his audience showing them the dime was gone, and his hands never once came close to his body.
Smiling he said, "I also learned another trick by him, a way to multiply common objects." Placing his hands in his pockets he brought out what appeared as a red sponge ball, about 1 and a half inches thick. He pulled the sponge ball into two sponge balls right in front of the group. Of course that was for beginners. He smiled and placed both spongeballs in his left hand, and closed his fist. Just like the dime, he brought his left hand over to his right, and visibly stuffed the two sponge balls into his balled up fist.
When he opened both hands both sponge balls were gone. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out another sponge ball and said to Jodeen, "Could you please hold this for me, and hold very tightly." Placing the sponge ball in her hand he smiled and made one of the two spongeballs appear in his right hand, which was empty just moments before. He frowned and said, "I had another one...Jodeen please open your hand for me." When Jodeen opened her hand, she would find two spongeballs in it, and not just one.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Aug 17 2006, 12:20 PM
Matthias, having had seen plenty of various sleight of hand shows in his time due to his interest in them, had figured out for one thing that there were various common techniques that all magician's used to perform their tricks. He knew that one was to focus the line of vision of the audience in order to distract their attention from what he was really doing, like an optical illusion that made the eye focus on certain aspects and details instead of the big picture. That was why, sometimes even the eyes lie.
Such a concept had always fascinated Matthias, and it was because of this, he watched intently, trying to see exactly what Sam was doing with the coin. It was quite difficult, following the movements of his hand as well as his commentary while at the same time trying to crack the illusion he was making. And before Matthias knew it, Sam had stuffed the dime into his right palm....only when he opened both hands, it was completely gone.
Matthias had trouble hiding his bewilderment. No matter how hard he tried to figure out just what the tricksters themselves were doing, no show ever failed in having him end up asking the same question over and over again. Just how did he do that? Jodeen, meanwhile, was just as amazed, as her eyes widened as she looked over his hands, trying to find the elusive coin that was supposed to be there...but wasn't.
"Wo-ow..." She murmured softly, just as Sam began wasting no time moving onto the next part of the show. Once again, Matthias was just as determined to uncover the very guile and craft of this particular trick, moreso out of fascination than anything else. But of course, his efforts turned up fruitless as Sam's hands moved quickly, pulling out a single sponge into two without any sort of explanation involved, then likewise stuffing them into his right fist and opening both hands to show that both were gone.
Matthias covered his mouth slightly, too awed to comment, as Jodeen let out a small gasp in surprise yet again at the disappearance of the two spongeballs. As Sam handed her the sponge ball, she smiled at him.
"Sure!" she remarked excitedly as she tightly clenched the sponge ball in her free hand with vigour. She was distracted from it though, as she and Matthias watched intently as one of the spongeballs appeared in Sam again. At first it seemed as though something was wrong when Sam frowned with a scrutinizing look, though when Jodeen was prompted to open her hand, the pair were once again caught at a loss for words when not one, but two sponge balls popped up in her open palm.
"Wow, Jodeen," he murmured quietly, before he added in a joking tone. "Did you do that?"
At this, Jodeen shook her head vigorously. "No! I didn't do anything at all!" She stared at the two spongeballs in her hand, still binking in utter amazement. Matthias likewise did the same and gave an impressed whistle, murmuring lightly, "That's really something..." He looked towards Sam Myron with a wry look on his face.
"That's really amazing," he remarked. "You know, I would ask you, 'How did you do that?' But I know you're probably gonna turn up with the usual, 'a magician never gives away his tricks.' But really...that's really something."
Posted by: Megami Aug 17 2006, 12:47 PM
The placid look that remained fixated on Whitney Acosta's features belied her intrigue and amazement over the somewhat simple tricks that Sam Myron performed effortlessly in front of them. Although she was not visibly awestruck like Matthias and Jodeen were from the events, the fact remained, she was quite impressed. From what she knew about Sam, he took his work as a magician very seriously, almost as though it was a form of artwork for him. In a way, she supposed, it was. It was his passion, his life. And honestly, he was good. Quite good.
Smiling warmly at the excitedness that had overtaken the younger Kovalenko sibling, Whitney remained lingering somewhat behind the duo, her head tilted to the side ever so slightly in mild curiosity. As Matthias inquired as to the technique behind the magic, Whitney couldn't help but laugh quietly. Of course a magician wasn't supposed to tell his secrets, then the entire illusion would be ruined. Overall, Whitney wasn't really curious as to how Sam had managed the tricks, seemingly on the spot, on a whim. It was quite impressive.
Though absent-mindedly, she couldn't help but wander what ever happened to the coin that had seemingly vanished without a trace in the palm of Sam's hand. She mused over the fact that he'd probably pull it out from behind Jodeen's ear eventually, and laughed inwardly at the thought. Her eyes cast down to her watch once more, she knowing full well that she had to be home relatively soon. She was enjoying herself though, and her parents would understand if she was a little late. They never seemed to mind too much.
Then again, if her father found out the reason why she was late, that she'd spent the afternoon with one of her classmates who just happened to be a guy – his understanding demeanor might come to an abrupt halt. He always was a bit overprotective about Whitney, especially when it came to her being around other guys. She never quite understood why, perhaps because she was the only child of the family and his little girl to boot, but her father was notorious for treating her like a child at times.
Sighing a bit at the downhearted thought, she quickly shook it from the back of her mind, determined to ensure that the thoughts of her father getting angry over something so trivial wouldn't ruin the enjoyable time that she was currently having with the trio. Besides, Matthias and Sam were both nice boys. It wasn't as though her father had anything to worry about, right? Really though, the only classmate of hers that her father ever seemed to warm up to well was Sam Sorenson, and that probably had a lot to do with the fact that before her father got his position on the EMS squad, he attended church with the Sorensons on a regular basis.
The brooding thoughts inevitably vanished from her mind, with a bit of effort on Whitney's part. No sense brooding over such things, no good ever seemed to come of it. Besides, her father was a good man. A bit overprotective, sure, but after the incident with the fourty-year-old man following her two and from school several months prior, he had a right to be, really. Besides, he was just looking out for her, ensuring that no harm came to his baby girl. The thoughts subsided from her mind once again as the cell phone located in her back pocket began to vibrate, and she could only imagine that it was one of her parents calling to inquire about her location.
Choosing to ignore the phone call she was receiving, Whitney's thoughts returned to the here and now, and she looked on with a smile at Sam, Jodeen, and Matthias. Clearly, the Kovalenko siblings were enjoying the show which Sam had provided, and she wandered quite curiously what else the Myron boy had up his sleeve. She'd never really watched him illustrate his prowress in magic before, and she was quite impressed by what she'd seen so far.
Posted by: Theseus Aug 19 2006, 06:46 AM
Sam smiled at his audiences reaction to his tricks. This was the best part in his opinion, watching the reaction of everyone. He looked at them all, taking in their amazement. He collected the two sponge balls from Jodeen and said to Matthius, "Well you're right, a good magician never reveals his secrets." Sam knew he had to go home soon, and he wanted to do something impressing, go out with a bang.
First he walked over to Jodeen and, unknowingly did what Whitney had thought of, he pulled her dime out of her ear, of course after flashing that his hands were empty before hand. He handed the dime to her and started to walk to the door, putting some distance between him and the trio.
Looking at them all he said, "Well, I have to start heading home now, but I have one last trick to show you." Sam watched them closely, and took his time with this one. After about twenty seconds of just standing there, it appeared that he was hovering about a foot off the ground. It took Sam long hours and hard work to master this one, but it was great for just like most of his tricks, it required no work before. He could do it on the spot. He thanked David Blain quietly in his head for making this trick famous.
After about ten seconds of hovering, his feet made contact with the ground. He smiled and just said, "Later guys." He turned around, and walked out the door. He loved to leave the show keeping people in amazement, and leaving right after a finale was his way of adding mystery to himself. As he walked outside he looked back inside, and glanced at the trio one last time. Then he made his way to his car.
All in another days work he thought to himself.
((continued elsewhere))
Posted by: Megami Aug 23 2006, 11:21 PM
Once again, Whitney Acosta consciously hid the sense of awe she felt at Sam's illusions. He was quite good, she once again reiterated in her mind. She'd seen the dime trick coming, but at the very least it should amuse Jodeen. At Sam's seemingly magical ability to levitate, however, Whitney was truly impressed. She hadn't seen that one coming, nor did she understand how he'd managed to do it with no setup or anything. Her eyebrows raised slightly in the air and a visibly impressed expression overtook her features. Sam Myron turned and exited the doorway of the convenience store, leaving as quickly as he had come, and presumably leaving the trio standing at the counter in awe.
Cool exit.
It was a subconscious, almost juvenile thought on Whitney's part, but it was still there. Turning toward Matthias and Jodeen, Whitney attempted to gauge the expression on the features of the duo before allowing the trademark Whitney Acosta smile she almost always bore to once again dissolve her impressed, if not a little confused, look from before.
"Wow, Jo. You even got your dime back," she mused, "What did you think?"
The two were, of course, visibly impressed by Sam's artistic ability as an illusionist. That much was evident even to Whitney. Whitney was interrupted, however, as the back pocket of her jeans once again began vibrating, causing an annoyed look to pass over her features. She could only assume that once again, her father was calling. This was the second time he'd called in a matter of minutes, so it was probably in her best interests to answer the phone. Sighing audibly, Whitney held up her hand, signalling the duo to hold on for a moment before turning away and flipping the phone open.
"Hello?" her voice held a tense, almost fearful tone to it. There had to have been a reason why her father kept calling, and Whitney was fearing the worst.
"Where are you?" the voice on the other end of the line sounded tired, if not a bit irritated.
"I'm out with Matt and Jo," she responded quietly, not stopping to think that from her father's end of the line, it sounded like she was out with two guys.
"You're supposed to be home, Whit. Your mother just flew in from Denver, I'm not on call tonight, we were supposed to spend the evening as a family. You're not supposed to be running around with two guys I don't even know. Are they more important than your own family now?" The voice wasn't angry, but more disappointed. That, apparently, got under the skin of the blonde girl.
"I'm sorry Daddy, I didn't realize... I'll be home soon, okay? I'm gonna take Matt home, and then I'll come home."
"Where's this boy live?" The interrogation was immenent, Whitney could tell even now.
"Carrington Pointe. I gotta go, Dad. I'll be home as soon as I can, okay?"
The resigned sigh and click of the phone on the other end hanging up left a disappointed, if not a bit upset, look on Whitney's face. How could she have forgotten that her mother had flown in tonight? Most of the time it was just her, cooped up in that big, extravagant house all by herself. Tonight was supposed to have been spent with her family, and her father was obviously annoyed by the fact that she'd all but blown them off. Casting a resigned look at the duo, she forced a smile -- probably fake to all of those in the immediate area.
"Hey, we need to go, okay?"
She didn't say anything further and she didn't plan on it. How do you tell your friends that you'd completely forgotten about a family affair with the family you never get to see and that your father was angry about it -- as well as the fact that you were out with a guy -- and wanted you home pronto? It was better to leave the details as vague as possible, at least in her own opinion. Nudging Matthias lightly as she walked passed him, Whitney slowly headed toward the class doors of the convenience store and toward the car outside, assuming the two would follow en suite.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Aug 26 2006, 01:40 AM
As Sam's hand moved towards her ear, Jodeen blinked in surprise with an expression of inquiry, though a look of silent amazement took over her when she saw that Sam had pulled the dime she had given him out of her ear. Wordlessly, she cupped her hands and stared at the dime being handed back to her, now in her open palms. A look of surprise and astonishment still adorned her features as Sam concluded his little magic show by levitating into the air a good foot off the floor, and once again she was left staring in wonder as he calmly made his exit to retire to his home for the evening.
By now, not only was Jodeen thoroughly entertained and amazed at Sam's almost impossible talent, but she was left wondering just how in the world did he manage to do all of that. Everything had to have an explanation, didn't it? Like most magic tricks, it just had to be something so obvious, yet something so elusive that no matter how obvious it was, you had to have someone else point it out to you for you to notice it. And no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't come up with any explanation for the feats that Sam Myron had demonstrated today.
Even as she looked towards Whitney, the look of amazement on her face was still quite apparent. "That was....so cool! You saw it too, right Matt? He was pratically floating in the air! That was just brilliant! I wonder how he did that though. It just seems too amazing to be real, but at the same time-"
"Jodeen, your ice cream is starting to drip a bit," Matthias interrupted her gently with an amused smile.
"Huh? Oh!" Jodeen let out a shout of exclamation when she saw that the soft ice cream of her bar was indeed starting to drip in a white line down her wrist. Immediately, she exchanged the dripping stick of ice cream to her other hand and began licking the melted stain off her fingers to prevent the mess from running down the length of her arm. Becoming more aware of herself, and how she must look doing such a thing, she blushed furiously and continued to suck quietly at her ice cream bar, deciding that the counter advertisements were interesting enough to look at for the moment.
Matthias shook his head as he glanced at her and shook his head in an apologetic expression towards Whitney.
"That was quite impressive," he remarked, as a sort of afterthought to Sam Myron's performance. "If there's anything I wouldn't do to learn a trick or two like that...."
He found himself being interrupted however, by the sound of Whitney's cellphone vibrating in her jeans. Politely, he left her to her phone conversation for the moment, though he could not help but listen to the one side of it that happened to be audible on his end. Noting what she was saying, it seemed as though she were speaking to a parent, though with an almost apprehensive tone in her voice. At this, Matthias could not help but frown slightly, more in concern and for a bit of curiosity as to what Whitney had to be tentative in her speech about.
He adjusted his grip on the saxophone case slung over his shoulder as Whitney announced that the three of them needed to leave. Noting the rather upset expression on her face, he met her with a slight smile as a way of cheering her up.
"Sure, not a problem," he reassured her. He looked towards Jodeen, who was for the moment occupied with her ice cream bar in blissful silence, and had been oblivious to Whitney's reaction to the phone call. "Hey, we're gonna go now."
Jodeen nodded in reply, the ice cream bar still in her mouth, turning to follow Matthias, as he likewise picked up his pace to catch up with Whitney.
"That was your Dad, right?" Matthias asked her, though it seemed a more awkward question than anything, given Whitney's reaction to having him call her so suddenly. He shifted his hold on the saxophone case resting against his shoulder blade. "Is he worried that you're out this late?"
Posted by: Megami Aug 28 2006, 07:56 PM
Hearing the concerned voice of Matthias behind her, Whitney slowed her pace drastically, waiting on him, and Jodeen who was presumably tagging in tow, to catch up. All but coming to a halt, the blonde-headed girl turned back toward her counterpart, all the while making a vain attempt at hiding the frustration and annoyance toward the recent turn of events with her parents. Of course, even through the artificial smile and emotionless expression that the blonde attempted to convey, her features were clearly readable.
From a young age onward, Whitney Acosta had always been one of those people who wore their emotions on their sleeves. Despite the fronts she always tried to put up, her true emotions always shined through without remorse. Perhaps that was why Matthias so easily seemed to read between the lines when Ricky Callahan had appeared at Benson's earlier in the evening. It was always something Whitney silently ridiculed about herself, she despised the fact that she was an open book to nearly everyone who encountered her.
Perhaps that was part of the reason she had come to admire Matthias over the course of the evening. Not crush on, persay, but she did admire the fact that he was able to conceal his true emotions with what seemed to be little effort. After everything that had happened to her companion over the course of the short evening, Whitney could only imagine that if she had been in a similar position, she would have broken down into tears long ago. Matthias, however, seemed to take it all in stride, and through the thick and thin of the evening seemed ever calm, ever confident... something Whitney wished that she herself was capable of doing.
At Matthias's inquiry, she could only look back and smile through the forelorn look that plagued her expressions like a nuisance, "Yeah, that was my dad."
Averting her gaze to the ground at the next question to come from Matthias's lips, she sighed inadvertantly and began rubbing her arm as though she were mulling over something. Of course, the fact that her mother had flown in and she'd missed spending the better part of the evening with the family that she never got to see in the first place was weighing on her conscience. When she got home, her mother would smile and give her an understanding hug, but in the morning she'd be off again until God knows when, and Whitney would have wasted the time that could have been spent with her.
Her father... well, her father would probably just be disappointed. The tone of his voice when she'd spoken to him on the phone earlier clarified that much. While in a sense, she and her father were very close, his constant overprotectiveness and incessant need to treat her as if she were a child had driven a stake between them during the course of the last few years. After all, since a young age, Whitney's mother had unintentionally instilled a fear of being disliked and ridiculed in the blonde's head. It wasn't helping that even though she was sixteen years old, her father all but forbade her to date, and that fact in itself had the potential to make her an outcast in school.
Sighing audibly at the fleeting thoughts that drifted through her mind, she looked back at Matthias before finally speaking in a quiet tone of voice, "It's... no, it's just... my mom flew home today," she explained, "Mom's a CEO for Globo-Tech, so she's out of town a lot. Usually it's just me at the house, what with Dad out on patrol and mom going here or there for this conference or that business meeting, you know? She wanted to spend tonight as a family and it just completely slipped my mind."
Shrugging somewhat, she did her best to smile again, "I just don't get to spend a lot of time with her anymore."
The awkward silence that followed momentarily made the blonde shift uncomfortably, and soon a nervous laugh escaped her lips as though it were a cue to end the confrontation over the subject. Of course, ending the subject was the furthest thing from Whitney's mind at the given moment -- instead, her mind was rushing with the disappointed look on her father's face and the mock satisfaction her mother would portray when she walked through the door. Her mother always understood situations like these, she always understood when something slipped Whitney's mind or when she accidentally overlooked something.
At one point, so did her father... but that was a long time ago. Now, Whitney almost felt as though she could never please him, no matter what she did. He was a good man, always kind to her and her mother, never spoke a harsh word to either of them. What never failed to get under her skin was the sense of failure and disappointment that reigned in his voice when he was dissatisfied with something. More often than not, it seemed like that dissatisfaction was directed toward his only child as of late. She didn't drink, she didn't party, she didn't go around having sex with every boy who looked twice at her -- hell, she didn't even date. Regardless, her father seemed to overlook all the bad and only convey his disapproval at the things she neglected to do -- such as tonight, when she had neglected to come home and spend the evening with her parents.
Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she held the auto-lock up to the black sports car sitting in the convenience store parking lock and pressed the green button causing the car to beep and its lights to flash before the door unlocked. Rounding her way to the driver's side of the vehicle, she opened the door and stood waiting for Matthias and Jodeen to enter on the passenger's side. Forcing another plastered-on smile, Whitney tried to think about the scenario that would inevitably unfold after she took the two home and headed back to her place of residence in the Kensington Heights subdivision. Actually, she'd rather not think about it. Whitney Acosta was one of those people who was easily guilted over, and always aiming to please her parents. The two aspects of her personality hadn't proved to be a very nice combination so far. Sighing a muffled sigh, Whitney drummed her fingernails on the top of the car lightly as she awaited the entrance of her companions.
Posted by: LadyMakaze Sep 1 2006, 09:57 PM
Matthias strode over to match his pace with Whitney's, though he kept at something of a speedwalk in case the other girl was that anxious to return home to her family. Though she seemed calm on the surface, Matthias could not help but sense an underlying tension in the air, as though she were either not looking forward to seeing her parents again, or that she couldn't wait another minute to just get home. But that was only a presumption on Matthias' part. He was no expert when it came to reading people. All that he did was make guesses on his own based on what he saw, and heard. And as much as he didn't want to seem a braggart, he had to admit...more often than not he was almost right on the mark.
Not that he would ever make assumptions aloud, of course. Who knows just what sort of trouble he'll get himself into asking Whitney if she really liked that boy Callahan. In any case, his big mouth had gotten into more than enough trouble for the day...including the loss of his prized instrument and a good deal of his pride. But to be honest, he sort of felt better about it now, as though time had worn off all the tension and allowed him to be his normal self again.
Which was what allowed him to pay more attention to the people around him than just himself, and his own troubles. And from what Matthias could see at face-value, Whitney seemed to have enough troubles of her own, as she explained to him wearily of the reason as to why she'd recieved the phone-call, giving something of a hint as to why she seemed to have fallen into a gloomy mood all of a sudden. From what Matthias took from her explanation, it looked as though her father had given her a bit of trouble for being out so late when the whole family had planned to spend time together. Yeah....that seemed to be the reason why she looked somewhat troubled at the moment. Of course, leave it to parents to be harsh over little things to their children, Matthias himself understood that well from his own experience.
"I see," He replied as he walked alongside her, lugging the weight of the saxophone case over his shoulder. "Well you know, spending quality time with your family is pretty important no matter how old you are. I mean, sure, we're at the age where the friends we meet and grow close to become important, but we shouldn't forget about the family too. I guess parents in general go through some sort of phase when their kids become teens. They find it hard to believe that they'll be out on their own in the world, all grown up and living their own lives. Guess that's why they stress so much over how much, or how little quality time the family spends together."
He nodded as he spoke, as though agreeing with himself, casting something of a smile towards Whitney, as though to cheer her up. Though leave it to his sister to make the moment awkward as her voice popped up beside him.
"Matt. You're babbling again."
At this, Matthias became more aware of himself, as well as of the 'speech' he just made. "Ah." His smile became somewhat awkward and embarrassed, and he gave an apologetic look towards Whitney. This was before flashing a glare towards Jodeen, which plainly said, 'did you have to mention that?'
But he shrugged it off, trying to return to the casual mood from before. "Well, I dunno, that's just me and what I think about parents and their kids in general. Of course, parents can be real ....well, bull-headed at times...which is why it's up to the kids themselves to make themselves understood. But as you can see, I'm just talking aimlessly again...." He shrugged and let out a bit of a laugh as he opened the car door of the back seat, holding it for Jodeen as she slid in, still holding her dripping ice cream.
"Better not make a mess with that," Matthias told her in a surprisingly stern voice as he placed the saxophone case next to her, slamming the door shut.
Had he left the backseat door open for a second or two longer, he would have caught his sister mumbling in a simple voice as she clipped on her seatbelt, "You're the bull-headed one..."
Casting a smile towards Whitney as he slid into the front seat alongside her, Matthias reassured her, "It's not that far from here, just three blocks over that way and turn right before you get to the intersection. It's the house at the corner with the driveway, I'll point it out to you."
Posted by: Megami Sep 2 2006, 07:11 PM
The incessant rambling on Matthias's part had almost become white noise to Whitney -- she had been so deep in thought that it swept right past her and went almost completely unheard. The blonde-headed girl cast him a faint smile as a means of acknowledging that she indeed heard him speaking, but his words fell on deaf ears. Instead, she'd taken to watching Jodeen maneuver to slide into the backseat of the compact sports car. As Matthias sternly warned his sister not to make a mess, Whitney couldn't help but smile and shake her head slightly.
"It's okay, it happens."
It was true. Whitney herself was notorious for dropping this and that in the floorboard of the car. Once, Lexie had accidentally stepped on a ketchup packet that had fallen from a fast-food bag and smeared it deep into the carpet on the passenger's side. And Whitney herself had knocked over a soda or other object on more than one occassion and spilled the substance all over the interior of the car. A couple drips from an ice cream weren't going to hurt this car -- Whitney had to admit, it was pretty durable.
While Jodeen's sarcastic remark fell on deaf ears with her brother, Whitney slid into the front seat as the younger Kovalenko sibling stated the fact and couldn't help but laugh slightly at the comment. Tempted though she was to side with Jodeen and harrass her companion a little, she eventually thought better of it, quickly remembering that Matthias had probably had more than his fair share of excitement and cynicism for the day.
Glancing over haphazardly to catch the smile radiating from her companion in the front seat, she returned the smile, though couldn't help but still feel a bit forelorn over the inevitable fate that awaited her at her own home. The guilt trip that would follow would be worse than any punishment or beating her father could have possibly inflicted on her had he been capable of doing so, as it was the disappointment in his eyes and the disheartened look on his face that tore into her deeper than any physical wound ever could.
Nodding slightly at Matthias's directions toward the Kovalenko abode, Whitney wheeled the vehicle around to the exit of the parking lot they currently occupied and, after waiting on a dark green suburban to pass, pulled out onto the road. Three blocks and turn right, huh? It shouldn't be too bad. Still, although she was grateful that she was within minutes of Matthias and Jodeen's house, she couldn't help but think that it would probably take her fifteen or twenty minutes to reach her own subdivision, and that was assuming traffic wasn't too bad.
Pulling up to a stoplight on the corner of Wedgewood Drive and Flintwood Avenue, Whitney looked around, noticing the apparent lack of motorists on the road at this time of the evening. She had to admit, it was nice. Her thoughts remained preoccupied, however, as she drummed her fingernails lightly on the steering wheel of the car. Given the lack of traffic, she should be home relatively quickly, but even then, Whitney wasn't sure if she wanted to go home.
The stoplight lingering above her turned green, and Whitney proceeded to pull out into the intersection. That was when she saw it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the large truck barreling through the stoplight it had just ran and straight toward the vehicle that she currently occupied with the Kovalenko siblings. Slamming on her breaks, Whitney could feel the tires squeal and the car spin slightly as it attempted to come to an abrupt halt. She could hear the horn of her own vehicle that she subconsciously hit as the truck continued to barrel toward them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the truck, which had also apparently come to a stop and had, astonishingly enough, narrowly missed her vehicle.
"That... that idiot just ran the light," she stated warily.
Looking down at her hands, even she could tell that she was trembling noticeably. Trying desperately to hold in the emotional outburst of tears that was welling up inside from narrowly escaping a potentially horrendous accident, she could only sit there in pure astonishment and fear for several moments before finally regaining her composure enough to come to her senses.
"Are--are you guys okay?"
By this point, Whitney could see the driver of the maroon truck that had nearly plowed into her car stepping out, stumbling around, then falling to the ground. She could see the beer bottle he held in his hand, as well as the confused and disoriented expression that was clearly plastered to the balding man's features. Even though the two vehicles had miraculously not collided, Whitney couldn't help but still feel nauseated at the entire incident. Her breathing returned to a normal pace momentarily, and although her hands were still trembling at the shock of it all, she cupped them over her face and closed her eyes briefly.
"I'm sorry," she stated quietly, "I'm so sorry."
Within moments, she could hear the police sirens bellowing down the nearby road, and out of the corner of her eye, the figure of an older woman -- probably in her fourties with long blonde hair worn in a ponytail and an overall soccer mom-ish look to her -- tentatively approaching the sportscar that was still sitting sideways in the middle of the road. Seeing the woman approach, Whitney reluctantly rolled down the window to speak to the newcomer, who had apparently witnessed the events that had just unfolded and taken it upon herself to call the police.
"Are you okay?" the woman inquired softly, receiving only a nod from the blonde in the driver's seat as a response on her part.
Within seconds the cop cars arrived, most of the officers making a bee-line to the drunkard plastered to the asphalt. One officer meandered in Whitney's direction, eyeing the car lightly in an effort to see if they'd been hit. Noting that the car really had no damage to it, there was nothing that could be done. The officer approached the car window along with the woman and a kind smile formed on his lips.
"Everyone okay in here?" he inquired.
"We're fine..." Whitney stated simply, "Can... can I go now? I just want to go home."
The officer cast the blonde girl a compassionate smile and nodded his head. After all, they hadn't been hit, so at this point, there was little else that could be done on their part. No one had been injured, and for that, Whitney was thankful. The woman and the officer both waved her off as she tentatively pulled back out on the road. Trying to push the incident from the back of her mind, Whitney could see from her rear-view mirror the policemen handcuffing the driver of the maroon truck -- probably for driving under the influence.
Coming to her turn, Whitney slid the black mustang into the turn line and made a right down the street on which the Kovalenkos lived. At Matt's direction, Whitney pulled into the driveway of the house before quickly waving the two siblings off. Had she not nearly been in a potentially fatal accident, she might have been more talkative, but at this point, all Whitney Acosta wanted to do was go home. Besides, she'd see Matt in class on Monday, she could talk to him then.
After the siblings exited her vehicle and closed the door, Whitney sighed to herself. Looking behind her and making extra sure that nothing was coming, she tentatively pulled out of the Kovalenkos driveway and took off down the street. From here, it would probably take her fifteen or twenty minutes to get to the other side of town, and as much as she didn't want to drive at this point, she couldn't wait to be home -- even if it did mean condescending looks from her father. All she'd have to do is tell him about the incident that had transpired on her way to Matt's house, and his sour mood would fade into one of worry and concern.
((Continued elsewhere.))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Megami. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Original Post Title: "Dancing with the Devil"
Location: Acosta Residence, Kensington Heights
((Whitney continued from: A Matter of Convenience))
((Colton continued from: A Side Lesser Shown))
While the only child of the Acosta household had gotten across town fairly quickly due to the lack of traffic -- especially in the residential districts of town -- on this Friday night, the near-collision she'd had earlier in the evening with Matt and Jodeen in the car had shaken her up somewhat, and she was still feeling the after-affects. As the jet-black Mustang Convertible wheeled down Brooken Hill Drive and the two-story Acosta estate came into view, a sigh escaped the blonde's lips. She had been driving in silence since she had dropped Matthias and Jodeen off roughly twenty minutes prior. The incident at the stoplight had shaken her up considerably, so much so that she hadn't even bothered to turn the radio up on her drive home.
Making a left-hand turn into the driveway of their not-so-humble abode, Whitney killed the engine of the vehicle and closed her eyes momentarily. The thoughts about her father being disappointed in her being out so late with friends had all but slipped the blonde-headed girl's mind. Now, all she could think about was the truck barreling toward her car. Being someone with a pretty much spotless driving record, perhaps attributed to the fact that she was only sixteen, after all, near-collisions weren't something that Whitney was especially used to. Overall, the ordeal had been scary, and it was something she was almost afraid to inform her parents about. Knowing them, they'd probably refuse to allow her to drive anymore on the grounds that she could get hurt. They always did like to blow things out of proportion.
The roaring sound of a motorcycle engine blistering down the streets of Kensington Heights reached Whitney's ears as she reluctantly exited the car. Blowing the noise off, her attention focused on the fact that her home appeared to be rather devoid of life at the moment. Surely her parents hadn't gone to bed yet, it wasn't that late. Shrugging it off on the assumption that they had probably just run to the store or something and would most likely be right back, she grabbed her purse from the back seat of the compact sports car and closed the door. A resounding thud echoed from just behind the privacy fence surrounding the Acosta household, and Whitney smiled slightly as the family dog -- a humongous Bernese mountain dog by the name of Drake -- popped his head over the top of the privacy fence.
Completely ignoring the sound of the motorcyclist pulling into the driveway next door, Whitney meandered over to the gate and began petting the large companion. Drake may have been a massive dog, but he was a big cuddlebug as well. They'd had the dog for roughly the past six years -- he'd been a birthday present for Whitney on her first double-digit birthday -- and he'd been a loyal companion to the family ever since. Absent-mindedly running her fingers through the dogs long, soft fur, she was taken a bit offguard as the figure of the cyclist next door addressed her.
"I think that dog's bigger than you are," the boy stated almost teasingly as he removed his helmet to reveal his dark black hair.
Turning to face her neighbor, who had moved in just recently -- within the last month, to be precise -- and who she also attended school with, Whitney cast a friendly, if not a bit forelorn, smile at Colton Valero. Colt returned the smile before carelessly sitting his helmet on the motorcycle and letting it teeter back and forth on the seat and dropping the backpack that had been strapped to his back for the duration of the motorcycle ride onto the ground. He couldn't believe that Kallie had actually bought into the ole' "I have to study" excuse, especially on a Friday night when he had the entire weekend to study. Or maybe she hadn't bought in at all, maybe she wanted the extra tip money without having to work for it. Either way, Colt didn't really care.
"I think you might be right," Whitney mused, turning back to the dog, "I'd say he outgrew me."
Meandering his way over to where his blonde-headed neighbor stood, he tried to cover the fact that he was obviously more interested in her than the furry companion that was currently in her company. Reaching up to pet the dog himself, and grinning a bit when he found Drake to be more than willingly recipient of the attention, he turned toward the blonde again, this time being a bit bolder in his intentions.
"You spend every Friday night with Fido here?" he inquired playfully.
"His name's Drake," Whitney mused, before adding, "And actually, I've spent many Friday nights with him, if you must know." Laughing a bit, she threw in, "Actually, both my parents are home tonight, and that's pretty much a rarity around here, so we all thought it best if I spent some time with them."
Nodding slightly, though immediately scowling a bit as he cast his attention toward the rather dark abode of the Acosta family, Colt couldn't help but give her a bit of a hard time for her answer, "They don't look like they're home to me."
This got him an irritated glance from the blonde, though once Colt cracked a smile, she seemed to lighten up a bit. Seemed to. It was all in the Colton Valero charm -- or so he thought. In reality, Whitney was a bit amused, if not slightly annoyed, at the all-too-obvious observation her current company had made. Shaking her head a bit at the remark he'd made before smiling and turning her attention back to Drake, she couldn't help but counter with a question of her own.
"I could ask you what you're doing home on a Friday night, too."
"Well," Colton responded lightly, rubbing the back of his head and grinning coyly, "Would you believe me if I told you I was doing homework?"
"No," Whitney stated simply, a grin playing across her features.
"Damn," he mused, "Guess that excuse is only good once a day."
"I guess so," Whitney echoed, mildly amused by the exchange.
Out of the corner of his eye, Colt could see the yellow Dodge Ram that so often took up the occupancy of the Acosta's driveway wheeling down the avenue. Motioning toward the truck with his head, Whitney's gaze followed the dark-headed boy's to the vehicle.
"Looks like your parents are back," he mused with another grin, "Guess that's my cue to exit."
"Yeah..." Whitney mused, knowing subconsciously that he had to be referring to her father's overprotective nature, "I think that might be best... you know, unless you're interested in seeing my dad's gun collection."
"I might have to take him up on that one sometime," Colton retorted with a bit of laughter, "But... you know, not tonight. I'll see ya around."
Waving off her companion and watching lightly as Colton headed back into his own driveway to retrieve his belongings and head inside, Whitney subconsciously continued stroking the dog as her parents pulled into the driveway. As expected, they had just run down the street -- her mom appeared to be carrying a bag with a few videos in it. While the exchange with her neighbor had momentarily taken her thoughts off of all of the day's events, her parents' homecoming had sent Whitney's mind right back to them. Now, she was at a loss. Should she grin and bear her father's disappointment in her running late, or should she tell him about the incident near Matt's house? However, as her eyes interlocked with her father's, and his face conveyed a sense of concern, Whitney couldn't help but think that somebody had already relayed the message to him. Then again, maybe that was a good thing. Smiling, she greeted the two and they all headed inside.
Location: Acosta Residence, Kensington Heights
((Whitney continued from: A Matter of Convenience))
((Colton continued from: A Side Lesser Shown))
While the only child of the Acosta household had gotten across town fairly quickly due to the lack of traffic -- especially in the residential districts of town -- on this Friday night, the near-collision she'd had earlier in the evening with Matt and Jodeen in the car had shaken her up somewhat, and she was still feeling the after-affects. As the jet-black Mustang Convertible wheeled down Brooken Hill Drive and the two-story Acosta estate came into view, a sigh escaped the blonde's lips. She had been driving in silence since she had dropped Matthias and Jodeen off roughly twenty minutes prior. The incident at the stoplight had shaken her up considerably, so much so that she hadn't even bothered to turn the radio up on her drive home.
Making a left-hand turn into the driveway of their not-so-humble abode, Whitney killed the engine of the vehicle and closed her eyes momentarily. The thoughts about her father being disappointed in her being out so late with friends had all but slipped the blonde-headed girl's mind. Now, all she could think about was the truck barreling toward her car. Being someone with a pretty much spotless driving record, perhaps attributed to the fact that she was only sixteen, after all, near-collisions weren't something that Whitney was especially used to. Overall, the ordeal had been scary, and it was something she was almost afraid to inform her parents about. Knowing them, they'd probably refuse to allow her to drive anymore on the grounds that she could get hurt. They always did like to blow things out of proportion.
The roaring sound of a motorcycle engine blistering down the streets of Kensington Heights reached Whitney's ears as she reluctantly exited the car. Blowing the noise off, her attention focused on the fact that her home appeared to be rather devoid of life at the moment. Surely her parents hadn't gone to bed yet, it wasn't that late. Shrugging it off on the assumption that they had probably just run to the store or something and would most likely be right back, she grabbed her purse from the back seat of the compact sports car and closed the door. A resounding thud echoed from just behind the privacy fence surrounding the Acosta household, and Whitney smiled slightly as the family dog -- a humongous Bernese mountain dog by the name of Drake -- popped his head over the top of the privacy fence.
Completely ignoring the sound of the motorcyclist pulling into the driveway next door, Whitney meandered over to the gate and began petting the large companion. Drake may have been a massive dog, but he was a big cuddlebug as well. They'd had the dog for roughly the past six years -- he'd been a birthday present for Whitney on her first double-digit birthday -- and he'd been a loyal companion to the family ever since. Absent-mindedly running her fingers through the dogs long, soft fur, she was taken a bit offguard as the figure of the cyclist next door addressed her.
"I think that dog's bigger than you are," the boy stated almost teasingly as he removed his helmet to reveal his dark black hair.
Turning to face her neighbor, who had moved in just recently -- within the last month, to be precise -- and who she also attended school with, Whitney cast a friendly, if not a bit forelorn, smile at Colton Valero. Colt returned the smile before carelessly sitting his helmet on the motorcycle and letting it teeter back and forth on the seat and dropping the backpack that had been strapped to his back for the duration of the motorcycle ride onto the ground. He couldn't believe that Kallie had actually bought into the ole' "I have to study" excuse, especially on a Friday night when he had the entire weekend to study. Or maybe she hadn't bought in at all, maybe she wanted the extra tip money without having to work for it. Either way, Colt didn't really care.
"I think you might be right," Whitney mused, turning back to the dog, "I'd say he outgrew me."
Meandering his way over to where his blonde-headed neighbor stood, he tried to cover the fact that he was obviously more interested in her than the furry companion that was currently in her company. Reaching up to pet the dog himself, and grinning a bit when he found Drake to be more than willingly recipient of the attention, he turned toward the blonde again, this time being a bit bolder in his intentions.
"You spend every Friday night with Fido here?" he inquired playfully.
"His name's Drake," Whitney mused, before adding, "And actually, I've spent many Friday nights with him, if you must know." Laughing a bit, she threw in, "Actually, both my parents are home tonight, and that's pretty much a rarity around here, so we all thought it best if I spent some time with them."
Nodding slightly, though immediately scowling a bit as he cast his attention toward the rather dark abode of the Acosta family, Colt couldn't help but give her a bit of a hard time for her answer, "They don't look like they're home to me."
This got him an irritated glance from the blonde, though once Colt cracked a smile, she seemed to lighten up a bit. Seemed to. It was all in the Colton Valero charm -- or so he thought. In reality, Whitney was a bit amused, if not slightly annoyed, at the all-too-obvious observation her current company had made. Shaking her head a bit at the remark he'd made before smiling and turning her attention back to Drake, she couldn't help but counter with a question of her own.
"I could ask you what you're doing home on a Friday night, too."
"Well," Colton responded lightly, rubbing the back of his head and grinning coyly, "Would you believe me if I told you I was doing homework?"
"No," Whitney stated simply, a grin playing across her features.
"Damn," he mused, "Guess that excuse is only good once a day."
"I guess so," Whitney echoed, mildly amused by the exchange.
Out of the corner of his eye, Colt could see the yellow Dodge Ram that so often took up the occupancy of the Acosta's driveway wheeling down the avenue. Motioning toward the truck with his head, Whitney's gaze followed the dark-headed boy's to the vehicle.
"Looks like your parents are back," he mused with another grin, "Guess that's my cue to exit."
"Yeah..." Whitney mused, knowing subconsciously that he had to be referring to her father's overprotective nature, "I think that might be best... you know, unless you're interested in seeing my dad's gun collection."
"I might have to take him up on that one sometime," Colton retorted with a bit of laughter, "But... you know, not tonight. I'll see ya around."
Waving off her companion and watching lightly as Colton headed back into his own driveway to retrieve his belongings and head inside, Whitney subconsciously continued stroking the dog as her parents pulled into the driveway. As expected, they had just run down the street -- her mom appeared to be carrying a bag with a few videos in it. While the exchange with her neighbor had momentarily taken her thoughts off of all of the day's events, her parents' homecoming had sent Whitney's mind right back to them. Now, she was at a loss. Should she grin and bear her father's disappointment in her running late, or should she tell him about the incident near Matt's house? However, as her eyes interlocked with her father's, and his face conveyed a sense of concern, Whitney couldn't help but think that somebody had already relayed the message to him. Then again, maybe that was a good thing. Smiling, she greeted the two and they all headed inside.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Megami. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.