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Post by Jenny on May 13, 2007 12:12:24 GMT -5
Lemony folded his arms, almost sulking.
'I don't care what she thinks,' he insisted, missing the point of Beatrice's whole speech entirely.
She sighed again. 'I know you don't. But I do. Let's just leave it at that.'
She stepped in closer to him, trying to be affectionate and make up for not telling anyone about them. Lemony forgot about it until they had walked down a few quiet little lanes on their way into the heart of the town, before eventually he blurted out:
'She isn't much of a friend if she doesn't let you see who you want, is she?'
It was obvious he'd thought in depth about the matter since they'd left. Beatrice rolled her eyes and smiled up at him. She kissed him because that usually shut him up.
'Please can we not talk about it,' she begged, opening the door of a coffee shop so that they could go sit inside.
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Post by freeeagle on May 13, 2007 14:36:38 GMT -5
Lemony was fixing her with a look that sh had to respond to. "It's just that Esme is so sure of her own opinions that she often forces them upon others. She feels as though she's protecting us, although really she might not be. Esme's opinion is that there's nothing dangerous or sexy about books, or the men who read them." she answered flirtatiously, grasping his hand, reassuring him. "That's the difference between us."
Lemony blushed. "But she shouldn't be able to control you. You should do what you want." He said, touching her nose with his fingertip.
"I am, I'm just not telling her about it. Why create the unnecessary drama?"
"You have a point there. But still - " he said, probably disappointed that he wasn't winning her over.
"Come on," said Beatrice "Lighten up. You're out on the town with a beautiful girl, and all you can do is mope. I could have invited another cute boy out you know..." she teased lightheartedly. She grabbed a table for them.
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Post by Jenny on May 13, 2007 15:03:24 GMT -5
'Someone's very full of themselves this afternoon,' Lemony commented as they both sat down. She gasped as if he'd insulted her, before she realised someone was waiting to ask them if they wanted to order anything.
'I'm sorry, I didn't know this was a sad occasion,' the waiter said.
Beatrice waved her hands. 'No thank you,' she said simply.
'That wasn't very coded, Bea,' Lemony said, catching another waiters attention for some tea for the two of them.
'I'm not in the mood to play word games with waiters right now, Lemony,' she chuckled.
Lemony was the first of them to see someone they recognized enter the shop...
(You can choose =). Celebrating the fact that we've managed to keep an rp going!)
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Post by freeeagle on May 13, 2007 15:11:05 GMT -5
"Don't we know him?" said Lemony, seconds after the bell over the door jingled. Beatrice turned her head instictively, heart racing.
It was just Jerome, whom Esme often referred to as a "sweater vest nerd". She breathed a sigh of relief. Beatrice was surprised that he was skipping class. He seemed like the type who avoided any and all conflict. He probably wouldn't tell anyone anyway if he found out about Beatrice and Lemony. Not that he would get the chance.
Beatrice found herself waving him over. "Jerome, hey!" She dropped Lemony's hand quickly. Shooting him a quick smile.
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Post by Jenny on May 13, 2007 15:44:25 GMT -5
Jerome smiled a little shyly, pleased that someone knew him as he hadn't wanted to sit on his own. When he saw it was Beatrice another wave of relief shot over him.
He sat down at their table, nodding at Beatrice happily and then smiling back at Lemony.
'You're skipping class?' Beatrice asked, eyebrow raised.
'Me, what about you?' Jerome laughed in reply. Beatrice nearly said 'yes, but I'm with someone,' before she realized how hurtful that might seem.
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Post by freeeagle on May 13, 2007 15:51:35 GMT -5
"Who does like code class? I find it much easier when Lemony tutors me." she said.
Lemony nearly laughed out loud at that one. He knew for a fact that Beatrice was great at codes.
The waiter arrived with their tea. Beatrice took a liberal amount of sugar from the bowl, and took a long drink.
She noticed that Jerome's eyes were lingering on her bare stomach. She also saw that Lemony had noticed and was looking pretty annoyed about it. She quickly undid the knot in her blouse and buttoned it back up at the bottom.
"So, any particular reason why you're skipping class today?" asked Lemony.
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Post by Jenny on May 13, 2007 16:22:49 GMT -5
Jerome paused a moment and then answered.
'I.....I suppose I just wanted to miss our theatre lesson. I've never been much good at speaking in front of people.'
That wasn't the reason, and Beatrice knew it.
'So, you don't want to do theatre because Esmé's in theatre,' she concluded. Jerome stuttered for a moment, but then sighed and gave in.
'I thought you liked her,' said Beatrice.
'Of course I like her,' Jerome said. 'I haven't met many people who don't like her.'
'I'm one of them,' Lemony said. 'I understand exactly how you feel.'
Beatrice glared at him playfully across the table.
'It's not a matter of whether I like her or not, more so one of whether she could ever bear to be seen in the same room as me.'
'Have you seen her today?' Beatrice enquired.
'I ate lunch with her today.'
Beatrice was taken aback. 'She must like you, then. If she sat with you. She won't even sit with me and we used to share a room.'
Lemony had been trying to forget the fact. 'I don't think you picked the Esme disease up while you were there,' he said. This time the glare he recieved was quite real and he was immediately sorry for it.
'Well....that's not the case,' Jerome continued to Beatrice. 'I sat with her, not the other way around.'
Beatrice sat back, excitement fading. She already knew the story-- obviously Esme had been unpleasant to him at lunch and he was hurt by something she'd said.
'In front of her friends?' Beatrice asked, hoping the answer wasn'y yes.
'....Some of them....'
Beatrice flinched, and held her hand up to tell him she didn't need to hear any more. Making her own mistake she held Jeromes hand affectionately for a moment.
'I'm sure one day Esmé will regret that she never saw anything in the boys she thinks are geeks,' Beatrice laughed. 'Just ignore her. Jerome, plenty of girls would feel lucky to be with you. With Esme, though.....you picked the one that doesn't, yet.'
(Sorry! I didn't realize I'd wrtten that much....I'm going to sleep soon so I'll see you maybe during the week or at some other point.)
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Post by freeeagle on May 14, 2007 15:41:46 GMT -5
She felt guilty for talking so harshly against one of her best friends, but knew it was the truth. She let her hand linger on his under the table. He was such a sweet, smart guy. Too sweet for Esme. Her heart broke a little for him then.
"I don't think you should waste your time with her, if you don't mind me saying. Find a girl who cares about you as much as you care about her."
Beatrice's eyes never left his as she said this, and a sweet, warm feeling washed through her. And then her stomach flipped. For Jerome. Quickly she pulled her hand away, gripping the table so tightly the knuckles turned white. What had just happened?
"Are you okay Beatrice?" asked Lemony.
"Fine..." she replied, but inside her heart was beating at a crazy pace. What had just happened?
Lemony knew there was something wrong. Badly wrong. But he kept quiet. Wouldn't she have said something?
"Maybe we should continue our code lesson somewhere else." she suggested through gritted teeth. "I'm having trouble concentrating."
She hoped she wasn't hurting Jerome's feelings, but she needed to get away from him. Now.
"Okay," said Lemony, finishing the rest of his tea, "Why don't we go to the library?"
"I'll see you later Jerome." she said apologetically. Air, she needed air.
"Bye Beatrice. Thanks for the advice." he said to her turned back.
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Post by Jenny on May 14, 2007 15:57:58 GMT -5
Lemony escorted her ouitside like a perfect gentleman with her arm entwined in his, even waving to Jerome happily as he was served whatever he had ordered. Once they were outside, though, Lemony hastily let go of her.
She was breathing slowly in and out, holding her chest a little because she felt so out of breath.
'What was that?' asked Lemony quickly. He wanted to make sure she was ok, but he also wanted a quick answer to his question.
'Nothing,' she replied, too instantly for it to be true. 'I just needed some air. It was hot in there, wasn't it? Shall we go back, I don't want to miss research cl---'
'I don't believe you,' said Lemony, taking her arm again as they walked off.
'You'll have to,' Beatrice said simply, dragging him along behind her.
x
Meanwhile back at the shop, Jerome hadn't touched his scone or his coffee. He was sure Beatrice didn't like him, not like that--after all, she was already interested in Lemony. He hoped the feeling wouldn't return next time he saw her.
It seemed like he was falling for everyone nowadays-- Beatrice for her personality, Esmé for....well, he wasn't sure, but he bet it was most likely her skirt length....he hoped that was the end of it and he wouldn't start liking someone like.....Kit. He chuckled at the thought and took a bite of his scone.
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Post by freeeagle on May 14, 2007 16:45:49 GMT -5
They came back to the school, and Beatrice was feeling a lot calmer, or at least she seemed to be. Her clammy hand was clasped in Lemony's, but her mind was on what had just happened with Jerome. She sat down on a wooden bench for a moment, feeling vaguely dizzy.
Maybe I'm just coming down with something.
Yeah, sure you are.
It was probably just sympathy for Jerome's situation. You do gave some experience with Esme's standards for boyfriends.
Or maybe you're falling for him.
That's crazy, you like Lemony, care about Lemony.
These high school romances come and go.
Nonsense. You love Lemony and that's all there is to it.
Think that if you want, but you know what you felt back there.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" asked Lemony. Beatrice realised she had dropped his hand.
"Nothing." she said, a little too loud, as if she'd been spooked.
Lemony saw her putting up walls, pulling on the reigns, blocking herself off. "Beatrice, there's something going on with you. I want to help."
He said it so sweetly that she almost wanted to tell him everything. Almost.
"I'm just worried about Esme. She's been getting so many detentions lately. Especially with our drama teacher. I don't want her to get in trouble." she lied. It would pass, she told herself, it would pass.
"Are you sure?" he asked, seeing through her lies, and trying to get her to let him in.
"Yes." she said sullenly, tracing a ring on the wooden bench with her finger.
Lemony pulled her in closer to him, kissing the top of her head. "Alright." he said, hoping that, in time, she would be ready to tell him.
She flinched at his touch and realized instantly what she had done. She turned her head, and took in the hurt expression in his eyes.
"Lemony - " she started.
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Post by Hanna Squalor on May 14, 2007 19:39:32 GMT -5
((Ah! Left in dust after two days. I've read all of that and I'm impressed. Hopefully we can keep that up.))
Blissfully unaware of the drama going on outside of the drama classroom she pushed the sandwich back at Olaf. "I ate in the cafeteria. It was true. she had had a salad.
"Oh....fine then...." Olaf mocked offense, putting his newspaper up high enough so that she couldn't see it.
"Professor....." That teasingly sweet voice always made him want to look. Why did that tone make him think that went he put down his paper she would be undressed magically? He stopped himself and kept the paper up at full height. He really shouldn't let her manipulate him. after all she was just a teenager.
"Ollie...." The damn pet name that she had started calling him.
"Wha-at?" he answered back in two tones, mimicking her.
"Pay attention to me." she said melodically.She slipped of her shoes and placed her stocking feet on his knees.
"No." He answered, grinning to himself. She wiggled her toes, rubbing up one of his thighs. He laughed for a moment before she dared to go too far and he slapped her foot away.
Esme laughed, covering her mouth in over dramatic shock.
"You are a pain in the ass." he said plainly.
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Post by Jenny on May 15, 2007 1:31:46 GMT -5
=D
Lemony held up a hand to silence Beatrice, sitting opposite her on the bench and getting them both a book.
'Here,' he said kindly. 'Whatver's the matter, I'm sure reading something uninteresting will take your mind off it.'
She smiled and opened it at the third chapter, reading it for a moment and a few lines before she looked up again.
'....Did you like Jerome?' she asked strangely.
Lemony paused and smiled, but said, 'No, not really.'
x
She took the newspaper away from him after a moment of him paying no attention to her and put it down on the desk.
She climbed onto his knee as he sighed, smiling a little.
'Go away,' he told her, but he was soft and too nice to mean it.
'No,' she replied simply. 'You may as well accept it. I'm not going away to sit with the nerds. Besides, I have a free this aftenoon and I want us to go out.'
'You know I'm probably teaching,' he told her, wondering if she had forgotten.
'I know. Make someone cover for you.' he laughed and shook his head in disbelief, but agreed.
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Post by Hanna Squalor on May 15, 2007 17:51:52 GMT -5
Esme looked at him and assessed where they could go in the clothes they were in. "We're dressed nicely enough for the cafe on the corner." she commented.
"Too close to the school." he said. "I'll drive you out to the beach and we can eat up there."
"I'll go change." she said, getting up.
"If you're taking the time to change you better looked damn good when I see you next." He headed for the cafeteria to snag some sandwiches and the cook's hidden bottle of cooking wine.
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Post by Jenny on May 16, 2007 13:10:36 GMT -5
(I'm sorry for my reduced posting and stuff right now, I probably won't be replying to anything else but this until Sunday, or Monday, even. I'm having a very busy week.....)
It took Olaf less than 10 minutes to fetch the wine and various picnic foods for their meal on the beach, and it took Esme over 40 minutes to change.
'Where the hell have you been?' Olaf practically growled when she strolled in.
'Changing, like I said.' she replied simply. 'Are we ready now?'
'You can't have spent 40 minues on figuring out which outfit to wear,' he said sceptically. She was currenly wearing a black vest top and white short skirt, looking completely casual.
'And besides, I thought you were going to dress up, not dress down.'
'You said we were headed for the beach,' she reminded him. 'I'm hardly going to go dressed up to the bech. It's hot outside.'
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Post by Hanna Squalor on May 16, 2007 15:38:25 GMT -5
Olaf sighed. He looked her up and down a few times. He spun for him. "Okay I'm settling for it. but next time I'm coming up to your room and picking the outfit." he asessed.
"REally? You in my room. To pick outfits? That's weird I always thought you would be in my room for other reaosns." she grinned.
"I can arrange that. Make sure your roommates are alseep my 12:00, wear something blue. I'll see you then." he joked but half heartedly considered... The danger was always a turn on for him.
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