Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

by **Andrew** Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:18 pm

Right, left, right, left. It was repetitive and hypnotic and exhilarating, running like this. And doing it through a crowd? That made it even better.

Andrew ducked around another slow moving pedestrian, spinning lightly to keep his momentum. Sure, there would be less obstructions if he took the roofs instead of staying on the street, but he wanted the speed today instead of feeling like he was flying. He didn't have a delivery or anything, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the exertion and the warmth of the day.

Laughing at another bout of cursing aimed after him, he chanced a glance back. Now, see, isn't that sweet? He was playing matchmaker too, if the way that girl was clinging to the guy next to her was any indication.

Ignoring the light, he sprinted across traffic, cheerfully vaulting over the corner of one car's hood and slapping the metal as he went. Yeah, he probably looked insane, but he was having fun and no one was getting hurt so he didn't care.

The only problem with running through crowds was that you couldn't always account for what people would do. Usually it was easy enough to guess, but when someone suddenly steps out of a building or alley or something and right in front of you, you only had a second or two to react before you both were eating pavement. And that's exactly what happened.

Green eyes widened and and Andrew shifted his weight, throwing himself to the side and catching the edge of a mailbox, hauling himself over it with a sharp tug. Landing on the other side, he spun toward the girl he had nearly run over, not completely certain that he had managed to fully avoid her.

"Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Because that would just be all kinds of shittiness there.

by **Ceara** Mon Sep 10, 2012 9:48 pm

“A medium coffee and a plain bagel with cream cheese, please.”

It would’ve been a large coffee and an everything bagel, but Ceara’s money seemed to have deserted her, and not for the first time. But she wasn’t going to steal from this little deli, Mr. and Mrs. Jameson were genuinely nice people, who were struggling as it was. Sliding the money across the counter, she accepted the cup and small paper bag, smiling at the old lady. She called a good bye over her shoulder, tucked the bagel in its wrappings under her arm, and nudged open the door with her free arm. Making a right, the girl removed the cap from the cup, blowing gently in an attempt to cool down the steaming liquid.

The only warning she had was a flash of bright red hair hurling in her direction at top speed. On instinct, she flattened herself against the wall and out of the person’s way. Fuck! Ceara hissed at a sudden burning sensation on her left arm, letting the bag under it fall to the concrete. Her abrupt movement had sloshed her hot drink over the back of her hand and wrist, both of which were turning pink.

Forcing herself to calm down and not cause a scene in public, she turned to the man, who had just landed from an –admittedly- impressive leap over a mailbox. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Ceara shook her head. “No, you didn’t hurt me, but,” she nodded to her wrist, now an angry red. “…Yeah. Don’t worry about it though, it’s fine.” Tossing a forced smile at the redhead, she bent down and picked up the dropped bag.

by **Andrew** Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:39 pm

Eyes flickering down to her wrist, he grimaced at how her skin was burnt, however mild it might be. Well, that kind of killed the high he had going.

"I am so friggin' sorry about that," Andrew said, shoving a hand into one pocket. He was pretty sure he had a couple of credits that he could use to replace her coffee. It was the least he could do since he was the reason she spilled it in the first place. He'd figure out what to do about being broke again later. "Here, let me buy you a new one."

Waiting for her response, he couldn't help but glance over her. She was pretty cute and that was an interesting hair color and... Oh. Well, would you lookit that? She was a harbinger too. He really, really hoped that she wasn't the type to decide to try and kill him for the entire coffee thing - and had the power to back it up. If she was, well, he'd be doing some more running. And as much as he loved to run, that didn't mean that he wanted to run for his life.

by **Ceara** Mon Sep 10, 2012 11:27 pm

She frowned slightly, finally getting a good look at the man’s eyes. So he was a harbinger, too. Even though she was one herself, she had had some bad experiences with harbingers, and if his power had to do anything with his speed and little trick with the mailbox… She probably couldn’t outrun him.

"I am so friggin' sorry about that." Blinking, she snapped out of her thoughts. Well at least he was decent enough to apologize. "Here, let me buy you a new one."

Well, if he was offering… She felt his eyes on her as he waited for her response. Lifting up her eyes to meet his, she concentrated for a brief moment, pulling his aura into focus. He was genuine, if not a bit nervous. Maybe he thought she would attack him? If they weren’t in public she might’ve, for nearly running her over. But he was offering to pay for a new cup, so that won him some points in her book. Suddenly her vision swam and she squeezed her eyes closed, forcing out a “Yeah, that’ll be great” through a grimace.

Shaking her head to clear it, she smiled again, hoping that he thought that her expression before was from her wrist, not her restitution. She looked back down at the now half full cup of coffee in her hand. “I’ll just ask for the lady to top this off, no use paying for a whole new cup.” Just looking at him, Ceara knew he was probably in the same situation that she was in herself; barely having enough credits for a decent meal everyday. Tucking the bag with the -luckily still there- bagel under her arm again, she walked back to the deli door, pulled it open, and requested for a refill.

Turning back to the man, she said, “Thanks again, you really didn’t have to do this.” Ceara held out the hand not slightly sticky from the coffee. “I’m Haze, by the way. That was pretty cool, what you did with that mailbox.”

by **Andrew** Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:31 am

Andrew frowned lightly at how her voice tightened and she closed her eyes. Was her wrist really that bad off to make her almost pass out? He put out his hands, ready to catch her if she collapsed. And wouldn't that make him feel shittier?

He dropped his hands again, moving back that half step he had taken toward her, and smiled in response. "Alright," he nodded, and followed her through the door, gently taking it from her and holding it open, half-bowing her through with a teasing smile.

He paid for the refill and turned toward the girl, Haze (and if that wasn't an alias, then he had a loving father), as she spoke. Accepting her hand, he shook it firmly, long fingers wrapping around her hand in a gentle grip. "Andrew, just Andrew," he said with a laugh, slipping his hands into his pockets and settling his weight on his left leg. "And that? That was no big deal. I do more than that normally."

Glancing down at her hand again, he turned toward the woman behind the counter. "Excuse me ma'am, but could we get a bit of ice for her hand? It would be greatly appreciated."

by **Ceara** Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:14 pm

"And that? That was no big deal. I do more than that normally."

Ceara grinned, lowering her hand. He was probably bragging, if his smug smirk meant anything at all. “More than that, huh?” She paused as Mrs. Jameson placed her coffee and a small bag of ice on the counter, and gave the lady a small nod and smile in thanks. Glancing at the bag under her arm, the coffee cup, and the ice bag, she frowned. How the hell was she going to do this? Deciding to eat her bagel later, she shoved it into one of her deeper pockets. The ice pack was balanced between the injured wrist and the back of the hand holding her coffee.

Slightly smiling in triumph at her solution, Ceara turned back to Andrew. “Would you ever show me your normal stuff, then? Seems pretty awesome, heh.” She usually wasn’t that type of person; if he had done anything else, she would’ve just walked out of the deli with only a thank you. All she was doing now was probably inflating his ego, but in all honesty, she was legitimately interested.

by **Andrew** Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:23 pm

Andrew hummed in thought, pursing his lips and looking at the ceiling. Where was a good place that was near...? Ah! There was a park with a fountain and some playground equipment just a handful of blocks to the west. And plenty of empty buildings since this was South district, but he didn't really want to go sneaking or breaking into anything if a park would work just as well.

"Sure. Why not?" It wasn't often he got to show off. Usually he did it just so he could get that burst of adrenaline or was working. "There's a park that way we can use. That work for you?" he asked as he held the door open for her.

Andrew made sure to modify his pace so as not to leave her behind since his legs and stride were longer, but he couldn't help bouncing slightly as he walked. He almost always had an excess of energy and he was looking forward to this. Now, the question to ask himself was, how much should he push it?

by **Ceara** Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:55 pm

"Sure. Why not? There's a park that way we can use. That work for you?"

Ceara nodded, knowing exactly what park he was talking about. It had actually been the park where she first saw someone do… whatever Andrew did, back when she was a kid. Smiling a little when he opened the door for her, she walked out the deli and made a left. Andrew was obviously trying to slow down for her, but the bounce in his step made it clear he was excited. It was funny, seeing the redhead act with an almost childlike enthusiasm.

She picked up her pace, his eagerness a little contagious. They walked for a few more blocks in silence, Ceara trying not to spill her coffee again, and when the park came into few, she finally opened her mouth. “How long have you been doing this, anyway?” She stole a glance at the taller man. “I’m sorry. It’s just that… I’ve always wanted to try as a kid, you know? Thought it was pretty damn awesome.” Reaching a row of benches overlooking the park, she set down her coffee, pulled out the bagel, and sat, looking up expectantly at Andrew.

by **Andrew** Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:16 am

Andrew had to think about her question. It felt like he had always been doing parkour, but that wasn't quite true, was it? "Hm...Seven years I think? Maybe eight. Something like that," he said with a laugh and a shrug. Eying the equipment and benches and other things scattered around, he made sure to stretch lightly as he spoke again. "And you don't need to apologize. If I didn't want to answer, I wouldn't." He flashed her a teasing smile and a wink and was off, sprinting toward one of the slides.

He ran up it about half way before practically throwing himself off the side, catching one of the safety railings several feet away and pulling himself up to balance on it. Leaning forward, he caught the opposing railing and kicked his feet into the air, twisting 180 degrees when he was fully vertical, weight balanced on a single hand, and he just let go, his momentum taking him away from the structure and enabling him to drop his feet under himself again. Rolling through his landing, Andrew was moving again, enjoying the activity as he ran and dove, jumped and climbed.

It was a few minutes of this later, that he made his way back to Haze, finishing by setting a hand on the back of her bench and flip over her, flopping back to sit next to her once his feet were firmly on the ground again. He grinned at her, breathing faster than normal, but it was quickly evening out again.

"So, what'dya think?"

by **Ceara** Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:23 pm

Taking a bite out of her bagel, Ceara watched him as he took off towards the playground, climbing up the slide before doing some jump and spin off a nearby bar. He made it look a little too easy. She was almost a little jealous, seeing him be so damn happy to about something. Quickly polishing off the rest of her meal before washing it down with her coffee, she stood up and tossed her garbage in a nearby can. She frowned a bit before throwing out her ice pack; the redness had gone down a lot already, she didn’t need it anymore. Walking back to her bench, she returned her attention to the redhead, who had just finished a flip and was sprinting back to her.

Her only visible reaction, when she realized he wasn’t going to stop, was a slight widening of her eyes, but her body tensed, ready to get out of the way. She rolled her eyes and relaxed, however, when he flipped over her and the bench, and sat down next to her, his breathing barely labored.

“So, what'dya think?"

She chuckled a little. “I think you-” Reaching out, she punched him on his upper arm. “Are a show off. But yes, I was impressed.” She turned her whole body towards him, pouting slightly. “I wish I could do some fancy shit like that. You make it look like it’s effortless, it’s a little unfair." Ceara gestured at his oddly green eyes. "I'm guessing you're a harbinger, so if your power has anything to do with that, then that’s really not fair.”

by **Andrew** Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:00 am

Andrew laughed at the punch, just firm enough to be felt - and tell him that she was no delicate flower - and light enough to not hurt. She was pretty cute with that pout, made her look lighter.

"Well, I suppose I kind of do. At this point, it is. I've been practicing enough. If you want to learn, a good place to start is by learning tumbling - you know, gymnastics. When you can do that without moving too much, it isn't much of a stretch to turn it into free-running." He shrugged, draping his arms along the back of the bench. Tilting his head to look at her, he smiled widely. "And my power doesn't help me run or jump. That's all completely natural, if a bit beyond what most people can do or would be able to reach."

Reaching a hand out, he lightly tapped the tip of her nose to remove the pout, laughing as he did so. "But really, it's all practice. And the important thing is to have fun while you're doing it, but that's the case with most things."

by **Ceara** Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:17 pm

"But really, it's all practice. And the important thing is to have fun while you're doing it, but that's the case with most things."

She stuck her bottom lip out even further when he tapped her on the nose, and swatted at his hand before grinning. “Doesn’t matter unless you have fun? That’s the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard, seriously.”

Pulling her legs up onto the bench, she fell silent, grin slipping off her face and head quirked slightly to the side to look at Andrew. If she really thought about it, she really didn’t find many things fun. The closest she ever got to feeling real excitement for the past few years was when she successfully escaped from pursuers, or if she finally found a good book, but really, she couldn’t remember the last time she was truly having fun.

Sighing, she leaned an elbow on her knee, propping up her head. Andrew seemed to be completely on the other side of the spectrum. The teen seemed perpetually high off the moment, eternally cheerful, always smiling. Normally people like that would piss Ceara off, but she couldn’t bring herself to be irritated when he was so damn charming all the time. Didn’t hurt that he was pretty cute, too.

Realizing she was staring at him, Ceara blinked. “Oh… Sorry.” Unfolding her legs, she stood up and stretched, arms raised high over her head, before she turned back to Andrew.

by **Andrew** Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:41 pm

Andrew couldn't help laughing at being called cheesy. He couldn't say that that had happened before. "Even if it's 'cheesy', that doesn't mean it isn't true," he retorted with a grin. And yes, he did just use finger quotes to help emphasize that.

Even with as cheerful as he usually was, even when it was an act, that didn't mean he was oblivious. He wondered what had put that melancholy look in Haze's eyes. He also wondered why she was staring at him. Had he gotten covered with dust again and not realized it?

He shrugged when she apologized. He really didn't mind all that much - she wasn't looking at him in fear or hate so it was all good for him. "It's cool."

Pushing to his feet again, he tried to think of something that might cheer her up and put another smile on her lips. He almost always preferred others to be smiling, especially when they were cute like she was. Well, she had mentioned that she was a bit envious so, why not?

"You wanna try?"

by **Ceara** Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:16 pm

Ceara looked up at Andrew when he stood up as well. "You wanna try?"

She stared at him. He seriously didn’t think that she would be able to do that, did he? “Wha… You can’t… I mean… What? No!” She gestured to the park, then to him, then to herself, before letting out a shaky laugh. “When I said I wished I could do that, I was kidding! Well… Not really, but still. I really won’t be able to do all those flips and stuff. I can’t even run like five blocks without collapsing, I have that terrible stamina, seriously.”

Realizing she was talking a bit too much, Ceara bit her lip. Looking down at the ground, she crossed her arms over her chest, a small crease forming between her brows. It would be pretty awesome if she learned how to do that - no flips or anything, though. The last time she tried to do a backflip, it was messy. But if she learned to free-run - go over obstacles, maybe even learn the roof-jump or whatever – it would help her a lot in her line of ‘work’.

She looked back up. “Fine. No flips though. And I die or something I’m coming back to eat your soul.”

by **Andrew** Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:12 am

Andrew laughed again. "Don't feel bad, most people can't go five blocks without collapsing either. I mean, you do know how long a block is, right?"

He put a hand against her back to gently nudge her toward the equipment, dropping his hand again as he said, "Nah, flips come later. The first thing you have to work on is being able to modulate your stride and pace without losing your speed. And sure, you can eat my soul if you die. If you can catch me," he added with a wink.

He took off his backpack when they reached the wood chips, dropping it against one of the supports before turning toward Haze again. "There’s a few reasons to learn here the first of which is, no concrete. Yeah, a face full of wood chips sucks, but it’s better than road rash. A second reason is that they aren’t too far apart and there’s plenty of stuff to go around and under. Reason three has two parts - the first being that it’s a good place to work on your standing jumps, but those are a bit more advanced. Not on the same level as flips and all that, but it’s definitely easier to get a good start. Which brings me to three point two, running jumps. Normally I recommend at least twenty feet straight for beginners. This will help you learn to keep your momentum with turns and stairs as a general thing, not just for jumping. And number four, these aren’t too tall so if you do miss a landing or slip, you’re not likely to get hurt too badly." Not that this was something he had ever had to worry about considering.

by **Ceara** Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:29 pm

She did know what a block was, but it was hard to judge distances when you were twisting and turning into alleys, trying to lose someone.

Ceara felt his hand on her back as he led her to the playground area. "Nah, flips come later. The first thing you have to work on is being able to modulate your stride and pace without losing your speed. And sure, you can eat my soul if you die. If you can catch me."

She laughed at that, and they reached the wood chips before a thought struck her. Andrew was talking about the reasons why they were doing this at a kid’s playground, but his words barely registered. He said ‘later’, didn’t he? Implying that he would teach her. And teaching requires meeting up multiple times, and that would lead to some sort of friendship. And Ceara couldn’t have that. She didn’t really need to learn how to free run, anyway, right? She survived just fine with just Tal, and even her attachment with her best friend was something that didn’t sit right with her. Ceara knew it was a matter of time before something happened and she would be alone again. So she definitely did not need another friend, just so he could leave. She had gone through that once before, and the grief was not something she could go through again.

Stepping back from Andrew, eyes trained resolutely on the ground, Ceara said, “I’m sorry… I don’t think this was actually a good idea. I should really go, my roommate would be worried about me.” Not completely true, Talia was used to her disappearing for lengths of time, but she really wanted to go before he convinced her not to.

by **Andrew** Fri Sep 14, 2012 8:42 pm

Andrew couldn't help frowning when she pulled away, in every sense of the word. Hell, she wouldn't even look at him now.

"What's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?" He didn't think he had, but for all he knew she had been part of some sort of freak accident as a kid or had a pet fall off a slide and break its neck or something. He took a step closer, one hand lifting with the intent to nudge her head up but he stopped himself from touching her. Maybe she had had a delayed reaction to his touching her earlier. Whatever it was, it had to be big considering how excited she had been earlier.

"If you're afraid of getting hurt, I promise I'll do what I can to minimize it." Andrew meant that in regards to the running and jumping, not realizing that he had hit the nail on the head in a different way.

Honestly though, if she had a problem with him or anything like that, he'd prefer that she just told him straight. It would make things easier and less confusing all around.

by **Ceara** Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:27 pm

"What's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?"

She looked up at his words, meeting his eyes. Andrew was frowning, an expression that didn’t belong on his face, and a hand was extended out, hovering in between them. Crap, now she felt like a bitch. "If you're afraid of getting hurt, I promise I'll do what I can to minimize it."

He doesn’t know half of it. Ceara felt terrible for making him feel responsible; here was a genuinely nice guy, the first she’s met in a long time, and there she goes, stomping all over that kindness. Shaking her head, she smiled, albeit a little shakily. “No, you didn’t do anything, I swear. It’s just… I mean… It’s really complicated.” She sighed, and bit her lip. “I promise, it’s not your fault, though.”

It was completely hers. What was so wrong with her that she couldn’t even spend an hour or two with someone without being completely closed off by the end? She wrung her hands before sticking them in her pockets, confused as to why her words weren’t coming out right. “…I don’t live too far from here, so… I should really go. It was nice to meet you, Andrew,” she said with a soft smile, before turning around.

by **Andrew** Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:26 am

Andrew blinked at her a couple of times, feeling oddly hurt. He had no idea why he was considering he knew how stupid it was to try to connect with anyone. Sure, he was cheerful and got along with just about everyone, but he never actually reached out beyond what it took to talk or make sure he didn't owe them anything. But, that didn't change the fact that he could tell she wasn't being completely honest with him and it hurt.

Forcing a wide smile that made his eyes close, perfect for hiding the emotions in his eyes since he still hadn't managed to keep them from being so expressive, he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hey, no worries. I can understand. You go on. I know how important it is to have a home and someone to go to." Not that he had experienced it himself in years, but all the more reason to hang on to it and not ever let go. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime," he added before turning away to pick up his bag again.

He probably would see her again, as much as he was around town, but that didn't mean he'd approach her. She was making it pretty clear that she didn't want anything to do with him.

by **Ceara** Sat Sep 15, 2012 4:11 pm

Ceara had only made it a few steps before she heard him speak from behind her. "Hey, no worries. I can understand. You go on. I know how important it is to have a home and someone to go to."

She turned around, immediately noticing the painfully fake smile on his face. His aura, which should’ve been an unrelentingly cheerful yellow, was muddled, large blotches ofdark blue-gray marring the otherwise perfectly happy color. People like him shouldn't ever be unhappy...

"Maybe I'll see you around sometime." Probably not, and they both knew that. They might see each other on the streets, but they would act like they were strangers, or at least Ceara would. She didn’t want to know what would happen if they met again. She had barely spent an hour in this guy’s company and she liked him so much already. But she didn’t want their meeting to end like this.

He turned around to pick up his bag, and, mentally cursing her sentimentality, ran up and threw her arms around his back, murmuring a “Bye, Andrew”. Releasing him, she spun around and sprinted out of the park, before she did something even more stupid.

by **Andrew** Sat Sep 15, 2012 6:25 pm

Andrew stiffened when he felt arms go around him. It rarely meant anything good for him when someone grabbed him. But all she did was squeeze him gently.

“Bye, Andrew.”

And then she was gone.

Spinning on his heel, he took a second to decide that he wasn't going to put up with her giving him two different reactions. Throwing on his bag again, he was already moving even as he fastened the clip. As they ran, he was able to study her a bit more. She was moving at a decent clip, but her pacing and breath conservation could use a bit of work.

It didn't take long for Andrew to catch up to her considering he was not only faster than her, but he also went over obstacles while she had to go around them. He reached out and grabbed her arm, calling out as he did so.

"Hang on! You can't just leave after acting like that!" He hated when people contradicted themselves or when they were hypocrites. It just proved him right in the long run, especially when he saw flashes in people that gave him a little bit of hope in the rest of the species.

by **Ceara** Sat Sep 15, 2012 7:30 pm

Why the hell was she feeling so damn bad, anyway? He was just a random guy that nearly knocked her down, anyway. She barely knew him, he didn’t know anything about her. Come this time tomorrow, Ceara would probably have forgotten all about this. She gave him a hug and said a proper good bye; there was no reason at all that she should feel sorry. So why the fuck did she feel like she had just kicked a puppy? She had done worse things so many times to other people, and she didn’t have a single shred of regret.

Frowning, the girl promptly shoved her thoughts to the back of her mind. What’s done was done, and she was unlikely to ever talk to Andrew again, anyway. She had just turned the corner when a hand clamped down on her wrist. Acting out of instinct, she twisted, but the voice belonging to the hand called out before she could throw him against the wall.

"Hang on! You can't just leave after acting like that!"

At the sound of Andrew’s voice, something inside her snapped. “After acting like what? All I did was give you a hug and good bye, what the fuck is wrong with that? So what if I changed my mind about learning your fucking stupid tricks? I don’t need that!” Voice rising, she reached out and poked his chest. “I don’t need you, or anyone for that matter, to teach me any fucking shit, okay? I do damn well fine by myself.”

by **Andrew** Sat Sep 15, 2012 7:58 pm

Ah, well, that explained a bit right there. They were a bit alike in that they didn't want to rely on anyone else for anything, even if it might have been smarter for them to have done so.

Andrew shut down a little, his eyes going flat. He leaned closer so he could talk without raising his voice so she could hear him. "If you're going to leave, then just do it. Don't act like you care when you don't actually give a fuck in the least. But, by all means, if you want to be a two-faced, hypocritical bitch, then go right ahead. Just leave me the hell out of it," he snapped, dropping her hand and taking a step back. "I should thank you though. I had forgotten how stupid it is of me to actually start to give a damn about anyone or to think that anyone might actually be a decent human being. So thanks, Haze. Have a good life." And if he didn't pour as much sarcasm into that as he could, then he was singing and dancing on rainbows right now. But, it was better than showing that she had gotten to him so quickly. That she had managed to hurt him.

And he knew that all of this wasn't because he was attracted to her, not that she wasn't cute, but he knew what that felt like. No, this was all because he had somehow found a kindred spirit, someone who saw the world in the same shades he did. One who found him lacking and wanted nothing to do with him.

"I'm such a fucking idiot," he muttered to himself and shook his head, turning away and ready to run. It was what he was best at after all.

by **Ceara** Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:48 pm

She should’ve just let him go, let him walk away. It would’ve been better for both of them. But no, it was like something jolted her into thrusting out an arm, preventing him from going any further.

“No, you don’t get to call me a two-faced, hypocritical bitch and then just run away. But then I guess that’s what you do, right, since you’re so damn good at it?” She sighed and dropped her arm, speaking in a softer, tightly controlled voice. “Maybe I’m not actually this friendly, laughing, happy girl that you thought I was. Maybe I’m nothing like you. Maybe I’m actually angry, cold, bitter at this goddamn world for having so many fucking things wrong with it. But you know what? When you bumped into me, I didn’t think much past ‘Hey, he’s kinda cute and he’s offering to buy me coffee. Why the hell not?’”

Ceara relaxed her subconsciously clenched fists and shoved them in her pockets. “Yes, I can be a two-faced bitch. But I only do that because a smiling face is what people always want to see. I don’t need anyone, but that doesn’t mean I want them to be unhappy. And that’s exactly what they feel if they saw what I actually act like.”

She let out a sardonic laugh before pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re a nice guy, Andrew. And I really do like you. But then reality bitch slapped me and I was reminded that people are human. They do stupid things, and then leave you, bruised and alone, with nothing but intangible memories.” She crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, mostly to herself, “Relying on people is just going to end with someone getting hurt.”

by **Andrew** Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:04 pm

Andrew glared down at her, but he stayed to listen. It would have been hypocritical of him to not since he had just told her off for similar. And what she was saying? That just sounded so much like him.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. Believe me, I know what you're getting at. I'm the same, however I might normally be. No one ever does anything without some sort of ulterior motive. And that includes me, but you want to know something? Mine are usually pretty simple. I want to eat or survive or something. This though? I couldn't figure it out, not at first. First it was because of the coffee, then I got to show off. But you know what I saw?" He leaned down to look in her eyes, green clashing with purple. "I saw someone who would love it just as much as I do. Even if you couldn't do what I can or even want to, you still love the rush that the run gives you, whatever your reason. You're the first person I've found who is just like me." He smiled again, bitter and mocking and full of self-loathing. "I just didn't know how much of an asshole I am."

He straightened again and stepped back. "Anyway, sorry again for the coffee. And for bothering you. I'll let you keep running away now. I know it's what I'm going to do. I had just hoped for someone to run with."

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Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]

Re: Well, that escalated quickly - Andrew, Ceara [complete]