Post by Rachel on Apr 17, 2015 8:53:26 GMT -6
[ Totally forgot to post this up months ago. ]
TOBIAS:
...Man, he really needed to work on his sense of direction at this school. Pale blue eyes scanned the grim, old rows of lockers; he didn't see his own anywhere. Must have gotten turned around again. Good thing Robbie and his cohorts were nowhere in sight. Glancing down at his hand, he read 403 scrawled in black Sharpie. A big guy in a Letterman jacket stood in front of the one he needed. Go figure. Gingerly, Tobias reached out and tapped the guy's shoulder. "Hey, excuse me."
Tobias was pretty tall, but this guy was taller. He squinted his small eyes and shoved Tobias square in the chest. "What do you want, freshman?"
Tobias frowned. "I'm...I'm not a freshman," he said with a shake of his head. "It's just that..." He laughed a little. "You see, you're standing in front of my locker. I just need to get my stuff."
"Freshmen are the only ones who look lost around here," argued the taller kid, apparently unconvinced. "And this locker? Is mine. I'm already using it, so you must be mistaken." Before Tobias could step out of the way, the guy had shoved him up against locker 403. For just a second, anger flickered through Tobias' eyes, but he didn't retaliate, just squeezed his palms into fists at his sides.
RACHEL:
Honestly, you'd think Tobias was a damn magnet for the assholic bullies of this school. Yet, if it was any comfort, it usually always happened to the new kid. She remembered first coming in as a freshman- it had been dreadful! Of course, cheerleading seemed to pull her straight out of that stereotype and into another, but she wasn't about to wave that around in everyone's faces. Rachel might have fallen onto the popular side, yet she never forgot who her true friends were.
With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she was quick to approach the scene; a hand at Tobias' shoulder, the other brazenly removed the jock's grip from him as she spoke to her new friend. "There you are. C'mon, I need your help with something." Hopefully it was enough to keep the taller male confused and at bay so that she could lead Tobias away, down the hall to find the staircase. "I thought you were trying to stay out of trouble..." she commented, blue eyes squinting with a bit of amusement.
They'd head down to the floor below and she gestured to a set of lockers. "There ya go." The locker read 304, just two over from her own. It was only a matter of seconds before she had it unlocked, happily shoving her books away to leave her bag empty and light. She managed to get her homework done during free period so that meant a night in front of the TV, worry free. Maybe even a trip to the mall on the way home.
TOBIAS:
"Huh?" The guy didn't look like he was used to being challenged, but why was he going to argue with a pretty blonde girl? Tobias sighed with relief and side-stepped the jerk, even letting out a little more of the feeling in the form of a smile. A reluctant one, maybe, but still a smile nevertheless. "I was trying to," he insisted, the grin faltering when Rachel pointed out his mistake. "I'm...a little dyslexic," he admitted with slight embarrassment. Still, she was a much better locker mate than that guy. Sure enough, his leather jacket was hanging up inside the slim locker right beside Rachel's. "I stick out like a sore thumb, you don't have to tell me. Must have a 'loser' magnet on my forehead." He rolled his eyes, exasperated but still trying to be good-natured about it. The same scene was getting old rather quickly, though.
RACHEL:
She could easily imagine how embarrassing any of it could be. Perhaps it was why she didn't joke about it any more than she already had, not wanting to make him feel insecure. They didn't know each other much, but it wasn't difficult to tell that he didn't deserve all the bullshit these guys were throwing at him. A soft chuckle, she simply shook off the dyslexic comment before shutting the door to her locker, "Standing out isn't such a bad thing. Sets you apart from the simple-minded drones that wander these halls every day..." And just one more day of this crap before the weekend. Like every other kid here, she couldn't wait. "So hey, I think the group of us might be hanging out tomorrow after school. Might catch a movie or something...if you wanna come?" Rachel took a slow step away from the lockers; in the way that she leaned, it was clear that it was an invitation for him to follow out towards the door if he wished.
TOBIAS:
The smile turned into an all-out grin as he was a lot less hesitant to accept Rachel's invitation. Maybe it was because her body language was so casual, not at all pushy. Maybe it was because he knew Rachel and Jake were related, and the apple didn't seem to fall far from the tree, as far as decent apples grew. Hell, maybe it was the simple fact that Rachel was a girl - a very pretty one. Not likely, but it may have had more to do with his acceptance than Tobias would readily admit to anybody. "Sure, why not," he said as he shrugged his jacket on and slung his bag over one shoulder again. "I don't have much else to do. I think my aunt and uncle prefer it when I'm out of the house, anyway." There was no sting of pain or humiliation in this declaration, it was just spoken naturally. He wasn't very close to his relatives. He began to walk alongside Rachel as she headed out, blue eyes already scanning the throngs of kids pouring out of the exits for Jake, Cassie, and...the little wise-ass one. Marco.
RACHEL:
Her grin seemed to match his own, glad he was willing to tag along a little more willingly now. Noting, again, that she preferred when he smiled. When he naturally smiled (Rachel knew all about those fake grins and when they were necessary, unfortunately). However, if he kept this up, more and more people were bound to notice him. And a leather jacket, too? Well...that certainly helped matters.
That smile faltered just a little though as they walked, wondering if she should leave the mention of his relatives be or if she should ask about it. It didn't seem to bother him any, so what was the harm? "And...why would they prefer that?" came the gentle question. Maybe she shouldn't let her curiosity get the best of her, but slight family issues sort of struck home for her.
TOBIAS:
"Things are...tense there, when I'm around." He reached in the pocket of his jacket for the Marlboro Reds he wanted, extracted a cigarette and stashed it behind his left ear. "My parents died when I was real little, so I kinda ping-pong in between two sets of aunts and uncles. They're always arguing over who gets stuck with me, so I get moved around a lot." He shielded his eyes against the bright onslaught of afternoon sunlight, still using that nonchalant tone until his words died off. "I've got a cat," he added. "He goes where I go, but that's about it. Aunt Helen's not going to be wondering where I am when the street lights come on."
RACHEL:
Tense? Yea, she could relate to that...not that she was voicing it out loud. But when she said, "I'm sorry," it wasn't so much out of pity for his situation; it was more sympathy to hear about his parents. Sure, her father couldn't always be in the picture and her mom, with whom she lived with, wasn't often present either because of her job...but she couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have them around at all. The rest of his family didn't seem all that great either, so it was rather intriguing how he appeared to turn out so well, even if he was kind of shy at first and a magnet for trouble.
Rachel eyed the cigarette briefly, not making a comment about it. Smoking was one of those things she struggled with- you know, hot or not? First world, teenager problems and all that. "A cat? What's his name?" A hand rose to shield her eyes against the sun, taking a moment to look around and wonder if the others planned on joining them, not that she'd complain either way. "She won't care, huh? Means you can do whatever it is you please...kinda nice." Yep, instigator. Aunt Helen sounded like a bitch anyway.
TOBIAS:
He didn't light the cigarette. Just held it in his hand, and then between his teeth, for a moment. He studied her side profile next to him; the words "I'm sorry" were shrugged off as always. "I didn't know them, really." Or if he had at one point in his life, Tobias had no memories. So, he was more than happy to turn to the subject of his animal companion, instead. "Dude," he admitted after only the slightest pause, and a little self-conscious laugh. "He knows his name, he comes when he's called." With a roll of his eyes, Tobias thought about that and shook his head. "...He comes when he's called, when he feels like it." Let's be real, nobody could force a cat to do anything. He'd taken the cigarette out of his mouth to speak, but then lit up, just made sure to turn his head away from her. "Jake said you wanna be a gymnast." He studied her through a haze of smoke that quickly dispersed in the open air. "That's pretty cool." Gotta love a girl with ambitions, right? Not that he said that out loud. He'd stopped, though, and was staring around with a frown on his face. "Where are these guys? Should we just peace out and let them catch up?"
RACHEL:
Blues squinted, watching him light that cancer stick because she still couldn't decide. Alright, so it was a silly argument to have with herself but...he suddenly had this James Dean thing going on. Dude. Rachel blinked because it took her a moment to realize that he wasn't trying to get her attention but was stating the cat's name, and she was giggling softly in response. "Dude...? That's cute." No, you couldn't make a cat do anything unless it wanted to. Sometimes she wondered if she was a feline in another life.
In this life, however, she wanted to be a gymnast, and apparently her cousin was letting people know. Rach cringed just a little before delaying her response by tucking a loose strand of blonde behind her ear. "Uh...yea, I guess. Not exactly an easy accomplishment. You need to be great to get anywhere with it." Perhaps she'd wind up as a receptionist somewhere when all was said and done. It was hard sometimes to stand next to Cassie, who had all these wonderful dreams and goals, and she had a very unrealistic desire to become an Olympic gymnast. Guess it didn't hurt to dream.
She too glanced around when he mentioned the others, contemplating for a moment before making a gestured cant of her head to start moving again. "Nah, let's go. I'm pretty sure they're old enough to walk themselves home." Or they'd catch up, whichever. "I've got plans to curl up in front of the TV all night."
TOBIAS:
He laughed again when she said that the cat's name was cute. The name kind of made him look like an idiot when Dude got loose and Tobias called for him, though. Not that he was going to bring that up, naturally. He was trying to look less like a complete dork. She'd see that twitch of lips again with her confirmed statement that yes, she did in fact want to try for the gold. "If you don't reach for the stars, then aren't you aiming kinda low?" Rachel was a little easier to talk to than Jake. Tobias liked him, but he didn't feel like he had to measure up standing next to her, or prove anything. It probably wasn't even Jake's fault he made Tobias feel that way. He got the vibe Jake unintentionally made a lot of people feel that way. But Rachel was similar. He could see her confidence in the way she walked and turned her head. Guys were turning their heads, but Tobias marveled when she didn't seem to notice.
They walked off campus together, and he was sure at least some of them were wondering what she was doing with him. "TV sounds fun. My uncle doesn't even have cable. He says it rots out your brain. I'm usually stuck eating Spaghetti O's and flipping through the public access channels." He flicked the butt of his cigarette away and shoved his hand in his pocket for a breath mint. He started smoking to reduce stress, but he still didn't care for the scent that hung around long after he put the cigarette out. "What's your favorite show?"
RACHEL:
Her family didn't own a pet. Despite how much she had wanted a dog when she was younger and her sisters constantly asked for one these days, they still didn't have one to call their own. Mother claimed they were too expensive and there was 'no time' for one. Rachel stopped arguing for awhile, especially when Jake got Homer. That slobbering mutt filled up that small gap in her childish heart whenever she needed it.
A smile, she looked over at him with a slow nod of acknowledgement. Well, he had a point now, didn't he. Rachel had a tendency to think back and forth on her future...which was kind of odd, considering she was always jumping head first into everything else without hesitation. Yet when it came to what she should be doing with her life after school, she drew a blank, or she thought her dreams were silly. With the mention of no cable, those eyes squinted again, almost as though she didn't believe him...but he didn't seem like much of a liar. Rachel didn't address it, when her thoughts were halted with his question. This made her bite down on her bottom lip for a moment, appearing hesitant to answer. Clearly she felt ashamed about it. She was chuckling at herself as they made their way down the sidewalk. "...Buffy." Her face gently contorted in embarrassment. "It's so cheesy and...90's, I know." Sure, she was over a decade late with jumping on that bandwagon, but that was the beauty of Netflix!
TOBIAS:
He was definitely surprised by that answer, enough to laugh again. There was no trace of ridicule in the sound, only amusement. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" He shook his head and considered her again. Rachel's response might have revealed more about her to Tobias than she realized. "Is it about the guys for you? Or the cute, sassy blonde who kicks ass? We're reading Dracula in World Lit, maybe it's a form of protest." His bright eyes crinkled at the corners, yet remained alert to his surroundings. He hesitated slightly, lost in thought for a second. Tobias and Rachel shared at least one class together, but he'd only been noticed - by anybody, really - once Jake pulled his head out of the toilet in the boys' bathroom on the second floor of Hedgeview. It was kind of a shot in the dark, but what the hell. "Bet that's a godsend, you don't even have to deal with commercials." A little late, he was referring to Netflix, but it became clear that his mind was elsewhere when he spoke up again. "If you don't have any plans other than sitting in front of a TV screen, you wanna...you wanna get some pizza with me?" He brushed his fingers through his hair out of nervous habit, cursing its innate inability to lie flat when it needed to. "I mean, if you've got something better to do, that's cool," he hurriedly added, "I just..." And he trailed off and glanced down at his Chucks. Yep, home could be pretty lame.
RACHEL:
"Shut it..." she warned playfully when he laughed. Actually, she expected a lot worse of a reaction. Not many would have guessed that 'Miss Valley Girl' liked something besides those horrible bachelor reality shows or those idiots, the Kardashians. To be honest, she couldn't stand that shit, although she'd be more than willing to go shopping for a few new pairs of shoes, maybe even a couple of tops, get a manicure on top of that. Everything had to match, you know. Besides Cassie of course, Rachel wouldn't have admitted this to anyone...but Tobias seemed cool like that. Jake and Marco? Not so much. "I have this quiet love for the goth and supernatural, I guess. Especially the old horror films. Y'know, like Dracula with Bela Legosi?" So, secretly, she was pretty excited for October.
Tobias wouldn't have to finish his sentence even if he intended to, because after his initial question, she was forgetting all about her embarrassment and grinning again. "That'd be great." Sure, she could head to the mall or go home, climb in bed to watch a cute, little blonde slay vampires...but it would all be alone. She kind of gathered that he wasn't too thrilled with that prospect either and the emptiness that awaited him at home. "But only if you tell me your favorite show." Cable or no cable, he had to have one, right?
TOBIAS:
He laughed again, but just once, he really wasn't making fun of her. Hell, he had no room to talk. His face brightened when she accepted his invitation rather than doing what he thought she would. Rachel wasn't all that she appeared to be on the surface, he could tell that about her right away. And, he thought he liked it. Even if he didn't necessarily like the deal they'd just made.
"Uhstartrekhuhhum." Tobias' favorite was admitted in a faux-cough of semi-embarrassment. He knew he was a nerd, he just wasn't always proud of it. "Don't judge me," he quickly added. He'd fit right in at all those conventions, probably...if he could ever afford to go to one. "...What's your favorite way to eat pizza?" Hopefully Rachel wouldn't see this for what it was, an attempt to deflect the subject.
RACHEL:
That whole time, walking alongside him, she thought she was the biggest dork after admitting to her small love for horror. It wasn't ideal for a girl such as her to like such things, and she unfortunately fell into the groove of mostly lying at school to fit in with the 'popular' crowd. Rach felt she was a damn good gymnast and a half decent cheerleader, and actually enjoyed doing these things...but they'd mock her if they knew everything. Yet, even though Tobias was laughing, it wasn't exactly in a mocking way.
Rachel paused in step; just for a second before rushing to turn and face him, bringing him involuntarily to a halt. That grin of hers was devious, dark even, and he'd be able to tell that she wanted to laugh badly, ignoring his attempt at changing the subject. "You're...a Trekkie?" She bit down on her bottom lip again, but just when it looked like she might laugh in his face, she turned to begin walking once more. "You have no idea how hard Jake and Marco tried to get me into that. I just couldn't, though." A glance over to him, her look was innocently teasing, maybe even appreciative. "Now I know you're as big of a nerd as they are." But clearly, she liked nerds. She found herself hanging out with them every day.
TOBIAS:
He stopped when she halted him. He had to, or risk plowing straight into the girl. "Live long and prosper," he admitted, in spite of her reckless and devious smile. It was a beautiful thing, he noted somewhere in the back of his mind. "Marco does not strike me as a Star Trek fan," said Tobias with some surprise. Still, he was glad to know he was in good company! He considered Rachel again for a second as they kept going. "...what about the pizza thing?" Blue eyes crinkled at the corners, but he didn't laugh at her again. They'd reached Pizza Overlord, though, and he held the door open for her without much thought, then frowned, wondering if Rachel was the sort of feminist girl who preferred to open doors for herself.
RACHEL:
His response had her rolling her eyes with heavy emphasis, but she was laughing at the same time. Seriously, she was surrounded by dorks! And yet...she didn't seem to mind more than half the time. This little group of friends were perhaps the only people she could really be herself with. Everyone else just judged her like typical high school kids often did. "I think he might be the worst one," she commented about Marco. "He's always talking like the...Scottish one?" She didn't know the character names and usually just tuned out the "Trek talk". Rachel gave him a gleeful thanks as he held open the door for her, and she'd stroll right on in to answer his pizza question. "I'm a sausage and onion kinda girl. Or plain is always good."
TOBIAS:
"Montgomery Scott," he said automatically. "Chief engineer on the USS Enterprise." And then he wished he hadn't, because he could feel his face reddening a bit. Even though Rachel didn't seem to mind, he was still self-conscious. He didn't think he'd ever really grow out of it. He smiled when she responded to his gesture of holding the door open with a "thank you." It was unexpected and unneeded, but he still replied with an equally gleeful, "You're welcome." Ooh, sausage and onion? He raised his eyebrows, already scanning the place for a clear table. "You want a booth? I'm a pepperoni and black olive man," he added with a shrug and a still-lingering grin. "We might just have to split it right down the middle."
The place was packed with kids who'd just got out of school; pizza was close by campus and crazy-delicious. Tobias pointed out an empty booth in the back of the room and headed over to it. For once, he made it all the way there without being insulted or assaulted by somebody. The others were too busy enjoying the rest of their day and getting grease spots on their homework to care what this one was up to. It wasn't easy, but he managed to flag down a harried-looking waitress. "I think we want half sausage and onion, and half pepperoni and black olive. And...a cherry Coke."
"And what'll it be for you?" the waitress asked Rachel with a smile that said she was only smiling because her job made her do it. She looked a little too old to be working at Pizza Overlord, but of course Tobias didn't say that out loud.
When the waitress walked away, he drummed his fingers on the table for a second, then caught Rachel's eye again as he looked up. "I come here a lot and lose all my money on the games," Tobias confessed. What else was a previously friendless new kid going to do after school? "Jake's really good, though." Despite what he'd said earlier, for all his uncertainty, a bit of admiration could be heard in his voice for Jake. He'd watched him play Dead Zone III with Marco and been pretty impressed. "Are you a gamer, or more of a button masher?"
RACHEL:
Oh my.
Lips instantly pressed together tightly, a clear indication that she was trying so hard not to laugh at the nerdiness that was just dripping off of him. But it was admirable and adorable all at the same time. Tobias was still somewhat subtle about it...unlike the other two, of whom she swore purposely acted extra geeky just to annoy or embarrass her. Regardless, they were her friends and she loved them anyway.
As always, the favored pizza joint was packed with kids, and she had to zigzag her way through the crowd towards that empty booth, lazily tossing her bag on the seat beside her. "Can't really say I've ever tried black olives before..." It hadn't ever appealed to her, then add pepperoni to that? It was a rather interesting combination. Perhaps she was about to voice that comment when he managed to flag down a not-so-happy waitress and placed the order. "A cherry Coke actually sounds good. Thank you," she replied, putting on her own obnoxiously fake smile for the woman. Her voice had even been a little extra cheery, just not on the sickening level.
Nearly chuckling at herself, she leaned forward to place her chin upon her knuckles. "Jake's good at a lot of things, apparently." Was that a frown? Okay, just a brief, little one before it was replaced with that genuine grin again. Her cousin was very good at many things she'd admit, and just like with Cassie, she found herself envying him for it. Wouldn't those two just make the perfect babies...? "A little bit of both," she confessed. "I think I pretend to be a gamer, but..." She shrugged. It was more like, when she began to lose, the desperation kicked in and made her smash those buttons like crazy. Competition was in her blood; she couldn't help it all the time. "Why? You challenging me?" Despite that drive, her question was innocently teasing.
TOBIAS / CASSIE:
Tobias said "thanks" to the waitress, but she didn't seem to hear him. In any case, she was back with their sodas within a few minutes...and then immediately off again, presumably to clean something up or wait on someone else. He nodded in agreement when she said Jake was good at a lot of things. He didn't exactly know like that, but Jake just seemed like that kind of guy. Tobias grinned again when Rachel confessed to being "a little bit of both." She could admit not being the best at something - and being Jake's cousin, that probably wasn't an easy thing to do. "Maybe. I utterly suck, but why not?" He wasn't as bad as he claimed to be, but Tobias had a habit of being a little harder on himself than on others.
The waitress was just coming to the table with their pizza when Cassie came weaving through; she'd spotted Rachel and made a beeline for her bestie, but as soon as Cassie noticed she was with a boy, she hesitated. Maybe Rach preferred to be left alone? It wouldn't hurt to come over for just a minute, would it? She approached the table, looking from Tobias to Rachel and back again. "Hey, Rachel," she said, "I missed you when the bell rang. Drama ran late. Are you...busy?" She studied Tobias for a minute, and when he looked at her, she smiled. "I'm Cassie, nice to meet you." She'd stuck her hand out, just like that. No BS with her, and any friend of Rachel's was a friend of hers.
RACHEL:
Rachel laughed, drawing her soda closer when the waitress dropped it off. "Uh huh..." Taking a couple sips from that straw, she didn't believe him for one second. It was almost as though guys were born with the "gaming gene"...which totally wasn't fair, by the way. "How about...we place a bit of a wager?" Both brows lifted in excited gesture. There she went again, letting the need for challenge take over. Still, she could be friendly about it and was hoping it would help him open up a bit more. Rachel didn't have a prize in mind just yet, but it was clear it wasn't money. There was no fun in that.
The delicious smell of melted cheese traveled over to the booth as their pizza was delivered...along with Cassie. For a second, she actually looked surprised to see her. "Hey...Cass..." Busy? Honestly, she wasn't sure how to answer that one, and it left her stammering awkwardly. "Yea...we, um, actually waited for you guys. Got hungry, ya know," she added with a smile and a shrug. Now she wondered if the boys were somewhere nearby as well. When her friend introduced herself, she drew her eyes from the crowd and back to the pair. "You remember Tobias, right? He walked home with us the other day..." Then again, Cass had been so preoccupied with those lovely heels and the very fact that Jake seemed to like them that perhaps she didn't remember. That left a wry grin on her face suddenly.
TOBIAS CASSIE:
"What kind of wager?" he asked, brow quirked. Then Cassie came over and introduced herself, and Tobias wasn't smiling anymore. "I know, Jake introduced me to everybody the other day..." Bully magnet or forgettable. Great.
It seemed to dawn on Cassie that she had met him before, and she couldn't help the blush that crept up her face or the embarrassment she felt for forgetting. "Oh, you're right, I'm sorry! That was just...such a hectic day for me..." She took notice of Rachel's sly smile and made her brown eyes into slits as if to say Don't even go there. Still, she'd had some alone time with Jake yesterday when he walked her home. It looked like these two didn't expect to be interrupted, and Cassie lifted her hand to her hair, feeling suddenly out of place. "Well, um...I should probably get going. I bet my dad needs me at home."
Tobias frowned, feeling guilty for the way he'd responded to her. Who was he to get upset that she didn't remember him? Especially if her mind had been focused on other things. "Unless..." he spoke up, "...you like sausage and onion? Or pepperoni and olive?" He was no stranger to feeling awkward and out of place, and didn't really want to make Cassie feel that way if he could help it.
RACHEL:
What kind of wager...well, she better think on that quick, but Cassie provided a sudden but much needed distraction. That smile on her face managed to widen with her friend's glare, that silent warning she was just so amused by. Maybe she shouldn't have confided in Rachel about her little crush, because it was just all too easy to joke with her...not that she would tell anyone, of course. However, she noted Tobias' reaction and her grin seemed to wither away just as quickly.
Now this got really awkward.
Lips parted to speak, although she wasn't quite sure what she was about to say; it was Tobias that figured it out and offered for Cassie to stay. Another smile, she patted the seat next to her. "Plenty to go around. Then after, he and I have a friendly competition...just need to decide on the rest of the bet." Halloween was around the corner...could be fun to play off of that. Yet, should she actually win, Rachel couldn't find it in her to make him dress in some horrid costume, only to have those assholes taunting him again.
TOBIAS / CASSIE:
Cassie felt about an inch tall, until Tobias spoke up about pizza, and she glanced down to the big pie on the table. "You know...I hadn't realized it, but I'm starving!" She settled down when Rachel patted the spot at her side, feeling better. "A wager, huh? Well, you know me, I just push buttons. I've never been much of a gamer, so I'll just watch? Let me just let my dad know what's up..." Cass was a good girl, she'd never just pull that "bad apple" business and leave her parents hanging. Besides, they'd kill her - and they both tangoed with wild animals every single day. It was from them that their daughter learned everything she knew. Her mind was on the injured animals at the barn, until the crazy scent of that pizza forced her head up again and made her temporarily forget. She reached out for a slice of the sausage and onion, figuring she wasn't gonna be kissed anytime soon, no matter who she liked.
"Aw, come on, you're out?" His face fell when Cassie said she'd just watch. Of course, he was fine with the bet with just Rachel, but adding somebody sort of upped the stakes, didn't it? "Well, I'm still down. I think we're stuck with Deadzone Two, though, until they get Three in here. Unless you wanted to play something else?" He reached for a piping hot slice of pepperoni and olive pizza and let it droop in his hand for a second while he considered. A homework wager seemed way too bland for somebody like Rachel. She'd probably want to engage in some kind of dare, or other risky thing. What the hell, Tobias, why not? Tick, tick, boom.
"...Ladies first." Could he take what Rachel dished out? He didn't know for sure, but the grin was back anyway!
RACHEL:
She let the ideas sink in as she reached for a slice of pizza. As Cassie busied herself with messaging home, she could feel Tobias' eyes on her, eagerly awaiting the dare. Dammit, it had to be a good one now! "Nah, Deadzone Two is fine..." Not that she really knew how to play it. She was fairly good, she supposed, but not as good as Jake and Marco. Rachel had this big love for competition, unable to back down from any sort of challenge if she could help it. And Tobias seemed harmless enough.
Lifting her eyes from the food on her plate, taking a few sips of her soda, she finally looked to him with a slight grin. "Well, there's this construction site over on Harper...been that way for awhile now. I think it was supposed to be a new mall?" She waved off the question with a small, dismissing shake of her head. "Kids have claimed some weird things happening there. So." Sitting up a little straighter as she took her slice of pizza in hand. "Loser has to go in there alone." Break in, that is.
TOBIAS:
...Man, he really needed to work on his sense of direction at this school. Pale blue eyes scanned the grim, old rows of lockers; he didn't see his own anywhere. Must have gotten turned around again. Good thing Robbie and his cohorts were nowhere in sight. Glancing down at his hand, he read 403 scrawled in black Sharpie. A big guy in a Letterman jacket stood in front of the one he needed. Go figure. Gingerly, Tobias reached out and tapped the guy's shoulder. "Hey, excuse me."
Tobias was pretty tall, but this guy was taller. He squinted his small eyes and shoved Tobias square in the chest. "What do you want, freshman?"
Tobias frowned. "I'm...I'm not a freshman," he said with a shake of his head. "It's just that..." He laughed a little. "You see, you're standing in front of my locker. I just need to get my stuff."
"Freshmen are the only ones who look lost around here," argued the taller kid, apparently unconvinced. "And this locker? Is mine. I'm already using it, so you must be mistaken." Before Tobias could step out of the way, the guy had shoved him up against locker 403. For just a second, anger flickered through Tobias' eyes, but he didn't retaliate, just squeezed his palms into fists at his sides.
RACHEL:
Honestly, you'd think Tobias was a damn magnet for the assholic bullies of this school. Yet, if it was any comfort, it usually always happened to the new kid. She remembered first coming in as a freshman- it had been dreadful! Of course, cheerleading seemed to pull her straight out of that stereotype and into another, but she wasn't about to wave that around in everyone's faces. Rachel might have fallen onto the popular side, yet she never forgot who her true friends were.
With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she was quick to approach the scene; a hand at Tobias' shoulder, the other brazenly removed the jock's grip from him as she spoke to her new friend. "There you are. C'mon, I need your help with something." Hopefully it was enough to keep the taller male confused and at bay so that she could lead Tobias away, down the hall to find the staircase. "I thought you were trying to stay out of trouble..." she commented, blue eyes squinting with a bit of amusement.
They'd head down to the floor below and she gestured to a set of lockers. "There ya go." The locker read 304, just two over from her own. It was only a matter of seconds before she had it unlocked, happily shoving her books away to leave her bag empty and light. She managed to get her homework done during free period so that meant a night in front of the TV, worry free. Maybe even a trip to the mall on the way home.
TOBIAS:
"Huh?" The guy didn't look like he was used to being challenged, but why was he going to argue with a pretty blonde girl? Tobias sighed with relief and side-stepped the jerk, even letting out a little more of the feeling in the form of a smile. A reluctant one, maybe, but still a smile nevertheless. "I was trying to," he insisted, the grin faltering when Rachel pointed out his mistake. "I'm...a little dyslexic," he admitted with slight embarrassment. Still, she was a much better locker mate than that guy. Sure enough, his leather jacket was hanging up inside the slim locker right beside Rachel's. "I stick out like a sore thumb, you don't have to tell me. Must have a 'loser' magnet on my forehead." He rolled his eyes, exasperated but still trying to be good-natured about it. The same scene was getting old rather quickly, though.
RACHEL:
She could easily imagine how embarrassing any of it could be. Perhaps it was why she didn't joke about it any more than she already had, not wanting to make him feel insecure. They didn't know each other much, but it wasn't difficult to tell that he didn't deserve all the bullshit these guys were throwing at him. A soft chuckle, she simply shook off the dyslexic comment before shutting the door to her locker, "Standing out isn't such a bad thing. Sets you apart from the simple-minded drones that wander these halls every day..." And just one more day of this crap before the weekend. Like every other kid here, she couldn't wait. "So hey, I think the group of us might be hanging out tomorrow after school. Might catch a movie or something...if you wanna come?" Rachel took a slow step away from the lockers; in the way that she leaned, it was clear that it was an invitation for him to follow out towards the door if he wished.
TOBIAS:
The smile turned into an all-out grin as he was a lot less hesitant to accept Rachel's invitation. Maybe it was because her body language was so casual, not at all pushy. Maybe it was because he knew Rachel and Jake were related, and the apple didn't seem to fall far from the tree, as far as decent apples grew. Hell, maybe it was the simple fact that Rachel was a girl - a very pretty one. Not likely, but it may have had more to do with his acceptance than Tobias would readily admit to anybody. "Sure, why not," he said as he shrugged his jacket on and slung his bag over one shoulder again. "I don't have much else to do. I think my aunt and uncle prefer it when I'm out of the house, anyway." There was no sting of pain or humiliation in this declaration, it was just spoken naturally. He wasn't very close to his relatives. He began to walk alongside Rachel as she headed out, blue eyes already scanning the throngs of kids pouring out of the exits for Jake, Cassie, and...the little wise-ass one. Marco.
RACHEL:
Her grin seemed to match his own, glad he was willing to tag along a little more willingly now. Noting, again, that she preferred when he smiled. When he naturally smiled (Rachel knew all about those fake grins and when they were necessary, unfortunately). However, if he kept this up, more and more people were bound to notice him. And a leather jacket, too? Well...that certainly helped matters.
That smile faltered just a little though as they walked, wondering if she should leave the mention of his relatives be or if she should ask about it. It didn't seem to bother him any, so what was the harm? "And...why would they prefer that?" came the gentle question. Maybe she shouldn't let her curiosity get the best of her, but slight family issues sort of struck home for her.
TOBIAS:
"Things are...tense there, when I'm around." He reached in the pocket of his jacket for the Marlboro Reds he wanted, extracted a cigarette and stashed it behind his left ear. "My parents died when I was real little, so I kinda ping-pong in between two sets of aunts and uncles. They're always arguing over who gets stuck with me, so I get moved around a lot." He shielded his eyes against the bright onslaught of afternoon sunlight, still using that nonchalant tone until his words died off. "I've got a cat," he added. "He goes where I go, but that's about it. Aunt Helen's not going to be wondering where I am when the street lights come on."
RACHEL:
Tense? Yea, she could relate to that...not that she was voicing it out loud. But when she said, "I'm sorry," it wasn't so much out of pity for his situation; it was more sympathy to hear about his parents. Sure, her father couldn't always be in the picture and her mom, with whom she lived with, wasn't often present either because of her job...but she couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have them around at all. The rest of his family didn't seem all that great either, so it was rather intriguing how he appeared to turn out so well, even if he was kind of shy at first and a magnet for trouble.
Rachel eyed the cigarette briefly, not making a comment about it. Smoking was one of those things she struggled with- you know, hot or not? First world, teenager problems and all that. "A cat? What's his name?" A hand rose to shield her eyes against the sun, taking a moment to look around and wonder if the others planned on joining them, not that she'd complain either way. "She won't care, huh? Means you can do whatever it is you please...kinda nice." Yep, instigator. Aunt Helen sounded like a bitch anyway.
TOBIAS:
He didn't light the cigarette. Just held it in his hand, and then between his teeth, for a moment. He studied her side profile next to him; the words "I'm sorry" were shrugged off as always. "I didn't know them, really." Or if he had at one point in his life, Tobias had no memories. So, he was more than happy to turn to the subject of his animal companion, instead. "Dude," he admitted after only the slightest pause, and a little self-conscious laugh. "He knows his name, he comes when he's called." With a roll of his eyes, Tobias thought about that and shook his head. "...He comes when he's called, when he feels like it." Let's be real, nobody could force a cat to do anything. He'd taken the cigarette out of his mouth to speak, but then lit up, just made sure to turn his head away from her. "Jake said you wanna be a gymnast." He studied her through a haze of smoke that quickly dispersed in the open air. "That's pretty cool." Gotta love a girl with ambitions, right? Not that he said that out loud. He'd stopped, though, and was staring around with a frown on his face. "Where are these guys? Should we just peace out and let them catch up?"
RACHEL:
Blues squinted, watching him light that cancer stick because she still couldn't decide. Alright, so it was a silly argument to have with herself but...he suddenly had this James Dean thing going on. Dude. Rachel blinked because it took her a moment to realize that he wasn't trying to get her attention but was stating the cat's name, and she was giggling softly in response. "Dude...? That's cute." No, you couldn't make a cat do anything unless it wanted to. Sometimes she wondered if she was a feline in another life.
In this life, however, she wanted to be a gymnast, and apparently her cousin was letting people know. Rach cringed just a little before delaying her response by tucking a loose strand of blonde behind her ear. "Uh...yea, I guess. Not exactly an easy accomplishment. You need to be great to get anywhere with it." Perhaps she'd wind up as a receptionist somewhere when all was said and done. It was hard sometimes to stand next to Cassie, who had all these wonderful dreams and goals, and she had a very unrealistic desire to become an Olympic gymnast. Guess it didn't hurt to dream.
She too glanced around when he mentioned the others, contemplating for a moment before making a gestured cant of her head to start moving again. "Nah, let's go. I'm pretty sure they're old enough to walk themselves home." Or they'd catch up, whichever. "I've got plans to curl up in front of the TV all night."
TOBIAS:
He laughed again when she said that the cat's name was cute. The name kind of made him look like an idiot when Dude got loose and Tobias called for him, though. Not that he was going to bring that up, naturally. He was trying to look less like a complete dork. She'd see that twitch of lips again with her confirmed statement that yes, she did in fact want to try for the gold. "If you don't reach for the stars, then aren't you aiming kinda low?" Rachel was a little easier to talk to than Jake. Tobias liked him, but he didn't feel like he had to measure up standing next to her, or prove anything. It probably wasn't even Jake's fault he made Tobias feel that way. He got the vibe Jake unintentionally made a lot of people feel that way. But Rachel was similar. He could see her confidence in the way she walked and turned her head. Guys were turning their heads, but Tobias marveled when she didn't seem to notice.
They walked off campus together, and he was sure at least some of them were wondering what she was doing with him. "TV sounds fun. My uncle doesn't even have cable. He says it rots out your brain. I'm usually stuck eating Spaghetti O's and flipping through the public access channels." He flicked the butt of his cigarette away and shoved his hand in his pocket for a breath mint. He started smoking to reduce stress, but he still didn't care for the scent that hung around long after he put the cigarette out. "What's your favorite show?"
RACHEL:
Her family didn't own a pet. Despite how much she had wanted a dog when she was younger and her sisters constantly asked for one these days, they still didn't have one to call their own. Mother claimed they were too expensive and there was 'no time' for one. Rachel stopped arguing for awhile, especially when Jake got Homer. That slobbering mutt filled up that small gap in her childish heart whenever she needed it.
A smile, she looked over at him with a slow nod of acknowledgement. Well, he had a point now, didn't he. Rachel had a tendency to think back and forth on her future...which was kind of odd, considering she was always jumping head first into everything else without hesitation. Yet when it came to what she should be doing with her life after school, she drew a blank, or she thought her dreams were silly. With the mention of no cable, those eyes squinted again, almost as though she didn't believe him...but he didn't seem like much of a liar. Rachel didn't address it, when her thoughts were halted with his question. This made her bite down on her bottom lip for a moment, appearing hesitant to answer. Clearly she felt ashamed about it. She was chuckling at herself as they made their way down the sidewalk. "...Buffy." Her face gently contorted in embarrassment. "It's so cheesy and...90's, I know." Sure, she was over a decade late with jumping on that bandwagon, but that was the beauty of Netflix!
TOBIAS:
He was definitely surprised by that answer, enough to laugh again. There was no trace of ridicule in the sound, only amusement. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" He shook his head and considered her again. Rachel's response might have revealed more about her to Tobias than she realized. "Is it about the guys for you? Or the cute, sassy blonde who kicks ass? We're reading Dracula in World Lit, maybe it's a form of protest." His bright eyes crinkled at the corners, yet remained alert to his surroundings. He hesitated slightly, lost in thought for a second. Tobias and Rachel shared at least one class together, but he'd only been noticed - by anybody, really - once Jake pulled his head out of the toilet in the boys' bathroom on the second floor of Hedgeview. It was kind of a shot in the dark, but what the hell. "Bet that's a godsend, you don't even have to deal with commercials." A little late, he was referring to Netflix, but it became clear that his mind was elsewhere when he spoke up again. "If you don't have any plans other than sitting in front of a TV screen, you wanna...you wanna get some pizza with me?" He brushed his fingers through his hair out of nervous habit, cursing its innate inability to lie flat when it needed to. "I mean, if you've got something better to do, that's cool," he hurriedly added, "I just..." And he trailed off and glanced down at his Chucks. Yep, home could be pretty lame.
RACHEL:
"Shut it..." she warned playfully when he laughed. Actually, she expected a lot worse of a reaction. Not many would have guessed that 'Miss Valley Girl' liked something besides those horrible bachelor reality shows or those idiots, the Kardashians. To be honest, she couldn't stand that shit, although she'd be more than willing to go shopping for a few new pairs of shoes, maybe even a couple of tops, get a manicure on top of that. Everything had to match, you know. Besides Cassie of course, Rachel wouldn't have admitted this to anyone...but Tobias seemed cool like that. Jake and Marco? Not so much. "I have this quiet love for the goth and supernatural, I guess. Especially the old horror films. Y'know, like Dracula with Bela Legosi?" So, secretly, she was pretty excited for October.
Tobias wouldn't have to finish his sentence even if he intended to, because after his initial question, she was forgetting all about her embarrassment and grinning again. "That'd be great." Sure, she could head to the mall or go home, climb in bed to watch a cute, little blonde slay vampires...but it would all be alone. She kind of gathered that he wasn't too thrilled with that prospect either and the emptiness that awaited him at home. "But only if you tell me your favorite show." Cable or no cable, he had to have one, right?
TOBIAS:
He laughed again, but just once, he really wasn't making fun of her. Hell, he had no room to talk. His face brightened when she accepted his invitation rather than doing what he thought she would. Rachel wasn't all that she appeared to be on the surface, he could tell that about her right away. And, he thought he liked it. Even if he didn't necessarily like the deal they'd just made.
"Uhstartrekhuhhum." Tobias' favorite was admitted in a faux-cough of semi-embarrassment. He knew he was a nerd, he just wasn't always proud of it. "Don't judge me," he quickly added. He'd fit right in at all those conventions, probably...if he could ever afford to go to one. "...What's your favorite way to eat pizza?" Hopefully Rachel wouldn't see this for what it was, an attempt to deflect the subject.
RACHEL:
That whole time, walking alongside him, she thought she was the biggest dork after admitting to her small love for horror. It wasn't ideal for a girl such as her to like such things, and she unfortunately fell into the groove of mostly lying at school to fit in with the 'popular' crowd. Rach felt she was a damn good gymnast and a half decent cheerleader, and actually enjoyed doing these things...but they'd mock her if they knew everything. Yet, even though Tobias was laughing, it wasn't exactly in a mocking way.
Rachel paused in step; just for a second before rushing to turn and face him, bringing him involuntarily to a halt. That grin of hers was devious, dark even, and he'd be able to tell that she wanted to laugh badly, ignoring his attempt at changing the subject. "You're...a Trekkie?" She bit down on her bottom lip again, but just when it looked like she might laugh in his face, she turned to begin walking once more. "You have no idea how hard Jake and Marco tried to get me into that. I just couldn't, though." A glance over to him, her look was innocently teasing, maybe even appreciative. "Now I know you're as big of a nerd as they are." But clearly, she liked nerds. She found herself hanging out with them every day.
TOBIAS:
He stopped when she halted him. He had to, or risk plowing straight into the girl. "Live long and prosper," he admitted, in spite of her reckless and devious smile. It was a beautiful thing, he noted somewhere in the back of his mind. "Marco does not strike me as a Star Trek fan," said Tobias with some surprise. Still, he was glad to know he was in good company! He considered Rachel again for a second as they kept going. "...what about the pizza thing?" Blue eyes crinkled at the corners, but he didn't laugh at her again. They'd reached Pizza Overlord, though, and he held the door open for her without much thought, then frowned, wondering if Rachel was the sort of feminist girl who preferred to open doors for herself.
RACHEL:
His response had her rolling her eyes with heavy emphasis, but she was laughing at the same time. Seriously, she was surrounded by dorks! And yet...she didn't seem to mind more than half the time. This little group of friends were perhaps the only people she could really be herself with. Everyone else just judged her like typical high school kids often did. "I think he might be the worst one," she commented about Marco. "He's always talking like the...Scottish one?" She didn't know the character names and usually just tuned out the "Trek talk". Rachel gave him a gleeful thanks as he held open the door for her, and she'd stroll right on in to answer his pizza question. "I'm a sausage and onion kinda girl. Or plain is always good."
TOBIAS:
"Montgomery Scott," he said automatically. "Chief engineer on the USS Enterprise." And then he wished he hadn't, because he could feel his face reddening a bit. Even though Rachel didn't seem to mind, he was still self-conscious. He didn't think he'd ever really grow out of it. He smiled when she responded to his gesture of holding the door open with a "thank you." It was unexpected and unneeded, but he still replied with an equally gleeful, "You're welcome." Ooh, sausage and onion? He raised his eyebrows, already scanning the place for a clear table. "You want a booth? I'm a pepperoni and black olive man," he added with a shrug and a still-lingering grin. "We might just have to split it right down the middle."
The place was packed with kids who'd just got out of school; pizza was close by campus and crazy-delicious. Tobias pointed out an empty booth in the back of the room and headed over to it. For once, he made it all the way there without being insulted or assaulted by somebody. The others were too busy enjoying the rest of their day and getting grease spots on their homework to care what this one was up to. It wasn't easy, but he managed to flag down a harried-looking waitress. "I think we want half sausage and onion, and half pepperoni and black olive. And...a cherry Coke."
"And what'll it be for you?" the waitress asked Rachel with a smile that said she was only smiling because her job made her do it. She looked a little too old to be working at Pizza Overlord, but of course Tobias didn't say that out loud.
When the waitress walked away, he drummed his fingers on the table for a second, then caught Rachel's eye again as he looked up. "I come here a lot and lose all my money on the games," Tobias confessed. What else was a previously friendless new kid going to do after school? "Jake's really good, though." Despite what he'd said earlier, for all his uncertainty, a bit of admiration could be heard in his voice for Jake. He'd watched him play Dead Zone III with Marco and been pretty impressed. "Are you a gamer, or more of a button masher?"
RACHEL:
Oh my.
Lips instantly pressed together tightly, a clear indication that she was trying so hard not to laugh at the nerdiness that was just dripping off of him. But it was admirable and adorable all at the same time. Tobias was still somewhat subtle about it...unlike the other two, of whom she swore purposely acted extra geeky just to annoy or embarrass her. Regardless, they were her friends and she loved them anyway.
As always, the favored pizza joint was packed with kids, and she had to zigzag her way through the crowd towards that empty booth, lazily tossing her bag on the seat beside her. "Can't really say I've ever tried black olives before..." It hadn't ever appealed to her, then add pepperoni to that? It was a rather interesting combination. Perhaps she was about to voice that comment when he managed to flag down a not-so-happy waitress and placed the order. "A cherry Coke actually sounds good. Thank you," she replied, putting on her own obnoxiously fake smile for the woman. Her voice had even been a little extra cheery, just not on the sickening level.
Nearly chuckling at herself, she leaned forward to place her chin upon her knuckles. "Jake's good at a lot of things, apparently." Was that a frown? Okay, just a brief, little one before it was replaced with that genuine grin again. Her cousin was very good at many things she'd admit, and just like with Cassie, she found herself envying him for it. Wouldn't those two just make the perfect babies...? "A little bit of both," she confessed. "I think I pretend to be a gamer, but..." She shrugged. It was more like, when she began to lose, the desperation kicked in and made her smash those buttons like crazy. Competition was in her blood; she couldn't help it all the time. "Why? You challenging me?" Despite that drive, her question was innocently teasing.
TOBIAS / CASSIE:
Tobias said "thanks" to the waitress, but she didn't seem to hear him. In any case, she was back with their sodas within a few minutes...and then immediately off again, presumably to clean something up or wait on someone else. He nodded in agreement when she said Jake was good at a lot of things. He didn't exactly know like that, but Jake just seemed like that kind of guy. Tobias grinned again when Rachel confessed to being "a little bit of both." She could admit not being the best at something - and being Jake's cousin, that probably wasn't an easy thing to do. "Maybe. I utterly suck, but why not?" He wasn't as bad as he claimed to be, but Tobias had a habit of being a little harder on himself than on others.
The waitress was just coming to the table with their pizza when Cassie came weaving through; she'd spotted Rachel and made a beeline for her bestie, but as soon as Cassie noticed she was with a boy, she hesitated. Maybe Rach preferred to be left alone? It wouldn't hurt to come over for just a minute, would it? She approached the table, looking from Tobias to Rachel and back again. "Hey, Rachel," she said, "I missed you when the bell rang. Drama ran late. Are you...busy?" She studied Tobias for a minute, and when he looked at her, she smiled. "I'm Cassie, nice to meet you." She'd stuck her hand out, just like that. No BS with her, and any friend of Rachel's was a friend of hers.
RACHEL:
Rachel laughed, drawing her soda closer when the waitress dropped it off. "Uh huh..." Taking a couple sips from that straw, she didn't believe him for one second. It was almost as though guys were born with the "gaming gene"...which totally wasn't fair, by the way. "How about...we place a bit of a wager?" Both brows lifted in excited gesture. There she went again, letting the need for challenge take over. Still, she could be friendly about it and was hoping it would help him open up a bit more. Rachel didn't have a prize in mind just yet, but it was clear it wasn't money. There was no fun in that.
The delicious smell of melted cheese traveled over to the booth as their pizza was delivered...along with Cassie. For a second, she actually looked surprised to see her. "Hey...Cass..." Busy? Honestly, she wasn't sure how to answer that one, and it left her stammering awkwardly. "Yea...we, um, actually waited for you guys. Got hungry, ya know," she added with a smile and a shrug. Now she wondered if the boys were somewhere nearby as well. When her friend introduced herself, she drew her eyes from the crowd and back to the pair. "You remember Tobias, right? He walked home with us the other day..." Then again, Cass had been so preoccupied with those lovely heels and the very fact that Jake seemed to like them that perhaps she didn't remember. That left a wry grin on her face suddenly.
TOBIAS CASSIE:
"What kind of wager?" he asked, brow quirked. Then Cassie came over and introduced herself, and Tobias wasn't smiling anymore. "I know, Jake introduced me to everybody the other day..." Bully magnet or forgettable. Great.
It seemed to dawn on Cassie that she had met him before, and she couldn't help the blush that crept up her face or the embarrassment she felt for forgetting. "Oh, you're right, I'm sorry! That was just...such a hectic day for me..." She took notice of Rachel's sly smile and made her brown eyes into slits as if to say Don't even go there. Still, she'd had some alone time with Jake yesterday when he walked her home. It looked like these two didn't expect to be interrupted, and Cassie lifted her hand to her hair, feeling suddenly out of place. "Well, um...I should probably get going. I bet my dad needs me at home."
Tobias frowned, feeling guilty for the way he'd responded to her. Who was he to get upset that she didn't remember him? Especially if her mind had been focused on other things. "Unless..." he spoke up, "...you like sausage and onion? Or pepperoni and olive?" He was no stranger to feeling awkward and out of place, and didn't really want to make Cassie feel that way if he could help it.
RACHEL:
What kind of wager...well, she better think on that quick, but Cassie provided a sudden but much needed distraction. That smile on her face managed to widen with her friend's glare, that silent warning she was just so amused by. Maybe she shouldn't have confided in Rachel about her little crush, because it was just all too easy to joke with her...not that she would tell anyone, of course. However, she noted Tobias' reaction and her grin seemed to wither away just as quickly.
Now this got really awkward.
Lips parted to speak, although she wasn't quite sure what she was about to say; it was Tobias that figured it out and offered for Cassie to stay. Another smile, she patted the seat next to her. "Plenty to go around. Then after, he and I have a friendly competition...just need to decide on the rest of the bet." Halloween was around the corner...could be fun to play off of that. Yet, should she actually win, Rachel couldn't find it in her to make him dress in some horrid costume, only to have those assholes taunting him again.
TOBIAS / CASSIE:
Cassie felt about an inch tall, until Tobias spoke up about pizza, and she glanced down to the big pie on the table. "You know...I hadn't realized it, but I'm starving!" She settled down when Rachel patted the spot at her side, feeling better. "A wager, huh? Well, you know me, I just push buttons. I've never been much of a gamer, so I'll just watch? Let me just let my dad know what's up..." Cass was a good girl, she'd never just pull that "bad apple" business and leave her parents hanging. Besides, they'd kill her - and they both tangoed with wild animals every single day. It was from them that their daughter learned everything she knew. Her mind was on the injured animals at the barn, until the crazy scent of that pizza forced her head up again and made her temporarily forget. She reached out for a slice of the sausage and onion, figuring she wasn't gonna be kissed anytime soon, no matter who she liked.
"Aw, come on, you're out?" His face fell when Cassie said she'd just watch. Of course, he was fine with the bet with just Rachel, but adding somebody sort of upped the stakes, didn't it? "Well, I'm still down. I think we're stuck with Deadzone Two, though, until they get Three in here. Unless you wanted to play something else?" He reached for a piping hot slice of pepperoni and olive pizza and let it droop in his hand for a second while he considered. A homework wager seemed way too bland for somebody like Rachel. She'd probably want to engage in some kind of dare, or other risky thing. What the hell, Tobias, why not? Tick, tick, boom.
"...Ladies first." Could he take what Rachel dished out? He didn't know for sure, but the grin was back anyway!
RACHEL:
She let the ideas sink in as she reached for a slice of pizza. As Cassie busied herself with messaging home, she could feel Tobias' eyes on her, eagerly awaiting the dare. Dammit, it had to be a good one now! "Nah, Deadzone Two is fine..." Not that she really knew how to play it. She was fairly good, she supposed, but not as good as Jake and Marco. Rachel had this big love for competition, unable to back down from any sort of challenge if she could help it. And Tobias seemed harmless enough.
Lifting her eyes from the food on her plate, taking a few sips of her soda, she finally looked to him with a slight grin. "Well, there's this construction site over on Harper...been that way for awhile now. I think it was supposed to be a new mall?" She waved off the question with a small, dismissing shake of her head. "Kids have claimed some weird things happening there. So." Sitting up a little straighter as she took her slice of pizza in hand. "Loser has to go in there alone." Break in, that is.
