Post by DarkPhoenix on May 14, 2008 16:37:59 GMT -6
Note: While waiting for the laptop to come in, I'll write a little something to more or less amuse all of us. This is basically an AU version of the story... same characters, but not necessarily the same relationships or situations. Suppose that the characters were a bit younger... and suppose they were attending a different kind of school...
CHAPTER 00, PART 1
ORIENTATION: WELCOME TO OAKDALE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
The sporty blue car roared down the road, windows open to regale all with "One Week" played at a rather obnoxious level. In the driver's seat was an attractive young college student, whose black hair was coated with a great deal of gel to cement it into place, and in the passenger seat was a pretty young adolescent, wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans, with her hair tucked up into a battered New Orleans Saints cap. Her male companion looked over at her, rolled his window up, rolled his eyes a little, and lowered the volume of the music, reducing it to a low murmur.
"What was that for?" the girl complained.
"Charise, just because I agreed to drive you to orientation does not mean you can play such horrible music in my car, not to mention that at that kind of volume, you'll go deaf at an early age, thus eradicating all chances of actually being a success in the music industry."
Charise rolled her eyes. "In other words, I'll go deaf, and my attending this school will be for nothing," she replied. "Jeez, Jeff, you need to use smaller words, or no one will ever understand what you say! How did I get stuck with such a nerd for a stepbrother?"
"Blame our parents," Jeff replied. "If your dad and my mom hadn't gotten married--"
"--Then we wouldn't be having this discussion. Yeah, yeah, I know."
Jeff was silent for several seconds, then said, "You really should have worn something different."
"This is more comfortable."
"You look like a boy."
"Because these are your clothes from when you were around my age. They were just up in the attic, getting dusty, so I figured you wouldn't mind," Charise replied, tucking a few unruly strands of hair back under the cap.
"But why the... the..." Jeff began, indicating the hat.
"When I leave my hair down, I get all hot and sweaty. This keeps me cool."
"You could have put your hair in a braid, you know."
"This is just easier."
Jeff sighed. "You know something, Charise? Sometimes I wonder about you."
"Yeah?" Charise replied. "Well, that makes two of us, Mr. Button-Down Shirts on Weekends."
"Is it illegal to want to look nice?"
"You went to the grocery store last week dressed like you were going on a date!" Charise exclaimed.
"At least I don't look like a slob."
"Just hush up and drive," Charise said sharply, turning the music's volume back up.
Tacita took a last drag from her cigarette before dropping it to the ground. She rubbed her foot on it, making sure it was extinguished, then smoothed her hair back into place. She looked over at her best friend, who was watching her with a worried expression.
"Why the long face, S?" she asked.
"If you get caught smoking, you'll get in trouble. I mean, this school year hasn't even started yet, and already, you're risking--" S began.
"I'm not risking anything, but it was sweet of you to worry about me," Tacita replied. "It's just a cigarette. A regular cigarette."
"You're still underage," S pointed out. "They can punish you for smoking while underage."
Tacita shrugged and replied, "Whatever. If they're going to go and throw me out, it's their loss; I'm sure lots of places would be happy to take me."
"Yeah, if you can get your parents to let you attend an out-of-state school. This is high school, not college, Tacita; your parents would be ticked if you got kicked out. This place isn't cheap."
"I'm on scholarship."
"It'll be a waste of money to whoever pays out scholarship money," S insisted. He tugged at her arm. "Come on, let's get in before the orientation starts."
Tacita relented, but not without making a few more remarks. "You know," she remarked, "you're cute when you worry. But it's pretty stupid that they're making us attend the orientation. I mean, this is our second year here."
"They just want to make sure everyone knows the rules."
"Yeah, yeah," Tacita replied, rolling her eyes as she followed S into the building. "'Ignorance of the law is no excuse,' or however that goes."
As Charise closed the car door, a smaller and older black car skidded to a halt in the parking spot beside her. The occupant of the passenger side opened the car door, and as she exited, strains of "Killing Loneliness" by HIM could be heard. The driver turned the car off, shutting the music off as well, and stepped out of the car. Charise raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly at the sight of the petite girl with black hair and the redheaded boy.
"Well, little cousin," Charise remarked, addressing the girl, "you and Cyrus sure know how to make an entrance properly."
"We got tied up in traffic," Cyrus explained, scratching the back of his neck. "Damn tourists. And then, Ophelia wanted to stop for food."
"I was hungry, and you know if I go too long without eating, I get headaches and sometimes throw up. And, you know, I really don't think any of us wants to deal with that today," the black-haired girl, Ophelia, grumbled.
"Thus the skidding into the parking lot, with a goth fanfare?" Charise asked.
"Better than looking like a redneck game show contestant who's won a brand new car," Ophelia retorted, indicating Charise's attire, which sharply contrasted with Jeff's shiny sports car.
"At least I don't look like I'm--" Charise started.
"Ladies, please," Cyrus interrupted, placing a hand on each girl's arm. "We need to get in to orientation." He remained between them as they headed up to the building, in order to curtail any potential skirmishes that might arise.
_____________________________________
CHAPTER 00, PART 1
ORIENTATION: WELCOME TO OAKDALE SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
The sporty blue car roared down the road, windows open to regale all with "One Week" played at a rather obnoxious level. In the driver's seat was an attractive young college student, whose black hair was coated with a great deal of gel to cement it into place, and in the passenger seat was a pretty young adolescent, wearing a baggy t-shirt and jeans, with her hair tucked up into a battered New Orleans Saints cap. Her male companion looked over at her, rolled his window up, rolled his eyes a little, and lowered the volume of the music, reducing it to a low murmur.
"What was that for?" the girl complained.
"Charise, just because I agreed to drive you to orientation does not mean you can play such horrible music in my car, not to mention that at that kind of volume, you'll go deaf at an early age, thus eradicating all chances of actually being a success in the music industry."
Charise rolled her eyes. "In other words, I'll go deaf, and my attending this school will be for nothing," she replied. "Jeez, Jeff, you need to use smaller words, or no one will ever understand what you say! How did I get stuck with such a nerd for a stepbrother?"
"Blame our parents," Jeff replied. "If your dad and my mom hadn't gotten married--"
"--Then we wouldn't be having this discussion. Yeah, yeah, I know."
Jeff was silent for several seconds, then said, "You really should have worn something different."
"This is more comfortable."
"You look like a boy."
"Because these are your clothes from when you were around my age. They were just up in the attic, getting dusty, so I figured you wouldn't mind," Charise replied, tucking a few unruly strands of hair back under the cap.
"But why the... the..." Jeff began, indicating the hat.
"When I leave my hair down, I get all hot and sweaty. This keeps me cool."
"You could have put your hair in a braid, you know."
"This is just easier."
Jeff sighed. "You know something, Charise? Sometimes I wonder about you."
"Yeah?" Charise replied. "Well, that makes two of us, Mr. Button-Down Shirts on Weekends."
"Is it illegal to want to look nice?"
"You went to the grocery store last week dressed like you were going on a date!" Charise exclaimed.
"At least I don't look like a slob."
"Just hush up and drive," Charise said sharply, turning the music's volume back up.
____________________________________
Tacita took a last drag from her cigarette before dropping it to the ground. She rubbed her foot on it, making sure it was extinguished, then smoothed her hair back into place. She looked over at her best friend, who was watching her with a worried expression.
"Why the long face, S?" she asked.
"If you get caught smoking, you'll get in trouble. I mean, this school year hasn't even started yet, and already, you're risking--" S began.
"I'm not risking anything, but it was sweet of you to worry about me," Tacita replied. "It's just a cigarette. A regular cigarette."
"You're still underage," S pointed out. "They can punish you for smoking while underage."
Tacita shrugged and replied, "Whatever. If they're going to go and throw me out, it's their loss; I'm sure lots of places would be happy to take me."
"Yeah, if you can get your parents to let you attend an out-of-state school. This is high school, not college, Tacita; your parents would be ticked if you got kicked out. This place isn't cheap."
"I'm on scholarship."
"It'll be a waste of money to whoever pays out scholarship money," S insisted. He tugged at her arm. "Come on, let's get in before the orientation starts."
Tacita relented, but not without making a few more remarks. "You know," she remarked, "you're cute when you worry. But it's pretty stupid that they're making us attend the orientation. I mean, this is our second year here."
"They just want to make sure everyone knows the rules."
"Yeah, yeah," Tacita replied, rolling her eyes as she followed S into the building. "'Ignorance of the law is no excuse,' or however that goes."
_______________________________
As Charise closed the car door, a smaller and older black car skidded to a halt in the parking spot beside her. The occupant of the passenger side opened the car door, and as she exited, strains of "Killing Loneliness" by HIM could be heard. The driver turned the car off, shutting the music off as well, and stepped out of the car. Charise raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly at the sight of the petite girl with black hair and the redheaded boy.
"Well, little cousin," Charise remarked, addressing the girl, "you and Cyrus sure know how to make an entrance properly."
"We got tied up in traffic," Cyrus explained, scratching the back of his neck. "Damn tourists. And then, Ophelia wanted to stop for food."
"I was hungry, and you know if I go too long without eating, I get headaches and sometimes throw up. And, you know, I really don't think any of us wants to deal with that today," the black-haired girl, Ophelia, grumbled.
"Thus the skidding into the parking lot, with a goth fanfare?" Charise asked.
"Better than looking like a redneck game show contestant who's won a brand new car," Ophelia retorted, indicating Charise's attire, which sharply contrasted with Jeff's shiny sports car.
"At least I don't look like I'm--" Charise started.
"Ladies, please," Cyrus interrupted, placing a hand on each girl's arm. "We need to get in to orientation." He remained between them as they headed up to the building, in order to curtail any potential skirmishes that might arise.