WE PLAY PRETEND * LENORE

[ETHAN DOUGLAS FREEMAN]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬
HERE WE GO AGAIN
I K I N D A W A N N A B E M O R E T H E N F R I E N D S

elbows thumped upon the table with a crash, hands clutching together with a mighty clap before thumbs intertwined. hand in hand, the two stared each other down. man against man. bleeder against a abnormally large man. there they were, glaring each other down, peering into their souls as if searching for their weaknesses. one was growling, his eyes searching, flicking, pupils dilating before slitting slightly. the other man was curling his lips into a tight, determined smirk, thick dark brows furrowing and knitting, his lips tight and his eyes flickering with need.

the man, burly and bulky, sat before the younger man, his dark-toned eyes peering into the brilliant-minded, blue eyes of the younger man before him. sweatbands of yellow and blue clutched his lower arms, while tattoos crept up the rest of his arms, and what appeared to be creeping towards his ears. he wore a black muscle shirt and loose tan cargo-shorts hung upon his legs, dropping to his knees. thick boots touched the floor, and with every muscle possible, the younger man struggled to bring down his arm.

he was petite, lean and what appeared to lack the muscle most men of his age had. light eyes of glared at the bigger, bald man before him. red began to rise in his face, using now both his hands to try and bring down the man's bulky arm. a smirk curled on his face as the man continued to struggle. he gave up his guard for barely a moment before the bulky man slammed down his arm and brought the two of the younger man's down with it.

the room was silent.

everyone was staring, watching, waiting. before long, the men and women all around flung their money towards the winner. he laughed grimly, collecting the pieces of money that flew down around him and stuffing them into his pockets. "well, well, well." he chuckled, zipping the pockets of his shorts quickly. "looks like i won." he smirked grimly. before long, he excused himself, rubbing the messy mane of the younger man, who dug into his jean pocket and tossed a wad of twenties in the other man's direction. "thanks for the money, shrimp."

ethan freeman grumbled.

"yeah. really. no problem. he whimpered quietly, sinking into his seat as he added, "jackass. . ." his lip quivered slightly. the other man seemed to laugh at his misery as he walked away and towards the bar. ethan should have been smarter then that to go against a three times his own size. but he was a risk-taker. he could've won if he found his weakness! he got out of his seat, sliding it across the linoleum floor and stood up, making his way towards the door.

a orange hoodie hung loosely around him, showing off the old ac/dc shirt beneath it. dark skinny-jeans clung to his legs and converse, decorated with random scribbles made from boredom, adorned his feet. a chain wallet lay hidden in the back pocket, the chain bouncing slightly as he walked.

ethan was a bleeder.

he could have beat the man. he understood cheating and how it worked out. he was a gambler. an adrenaline-junkie. ethan knew how to play dirty. he also knew how to act and how to use his wits. but this time, everything seemed different. he actually lost a bet to his friends, who followed behind him, beers in hand, laughing. he rolled his eyes, moving on towards blacklight after his night shift at shepard's. he needed a place to release the anger and find a girl to spend the night with.

that part seemed easy enough to him.

"dude. i can't believe you lost! you're a freaking bleeder! c'mon, man. you could've totally, liked, killed him. . . or something." one of the friends said, hooking an arm around ethan's neck as he wobbled to catch up with him. apparently, ethan had been walking faster then normal. he rolled his eyes again and shrugged him off. "you're such a pansy, seriously."

he had stopped in his tracks, causing the other three to jolt a bit. he took a step forward, a finger pointing towards the blonde-haired man. his brows knit even closer together as he began to speak. "why don't you try losing a whole weeks worth of hard-earned cash to some guy who could pop your head off with his thumbs!" he waved his arms about, eyeing his friend. a look of annoyance and unhappiness swept over him. he shook his head, waving them off as he shoved his hands in his hoodie's pockets and moved along the snow-covered sidewalk.

"relax, ethan. once we get to blacklight, i'll buy you a beer. michael's an idiot, anyway. he can't even talk when he's sober." another one said, shooting a deathly glance in michael's direction. his hands shot up in response and chewed on his lip,, pulling his jacket closer to him. michael was taller then the others, lanky with a limp for a walk. his head was completely shaved, topped with a red beanie. a tattoo rested on the side of his neck and earrings rang along the sides of his ears. a slight hint of stubble rested on his chin. michael began to glare at the other guy, but remained quiet as they entered blacklight.

running a hand through his thick mane, ethan moved along to find a booth for them to sit at. michael and oliver moved to the bar to buy them beers, and vince followed ethan to the table. his hair was much like ethan's, though in a curly mess upon his head. his eyes were dark and his choice of clothing was a simple long-sleeved thermal top and jeans. he was drumming his hands on the side of the table after taking a seat across from ethan, whose eyes trailed off towards the blonde-and-brunette girl at the bar. his elbow propped on the table, his brows raised a bit. upon noticing, vince smirked. "i'll give you another bet. now, before you saying anything, it'll be easy." he leaned forward, lacing his fingers as ethan glanced over him, slightly interested. "that girl you were looking at? yeah, i think you can win this bet. i want to see how long your conversation lasts for. i'll give you ten bucks a minuet. not even kidding."

despite the stupidity, ethan's eyes rolled again as he slammed both his hands down on the table. the other two arrived and handed over the beers. he pursed his lips for a moment. he wasn't one who would turn down a chance to flirt with a girl, especially with money involved. he shrugged, leaning back as his fingers drummed on the table, glancing over at her again. she was talking with someone else. he didn't want to seem pushy. looking back at vince, taking his bottle of beer and clanking glasses with vince after giving another moment's thought, ethan smirked. "you're on."

and he made his way towards her.

ONE-TWO-THREE-FIVE;LENORE;NEON TREES;SMEE;HOW CAN SHE NOT LOVE THAT FACE? XD

[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬

[LENORE ALESSA CRUSOE]

` i'm not in love ,
this is not my heart - - -

It hadn't been hard to get in the door. Of course, she knew some people who would have had fits if they knew that. She was young. She was weak. She could have listed countless reasons as to why they would complain or why they would be worried. Still, that wasn't exactly stopping her. She may have felt guilty in the morning, but all would be well, eventually. None of those people would be prying, trying to figure out what she was doing. They didn't check in on her. At least, not very often. So, she had found her way into a small group of other women who were going in. It wasn't hard to make herself fit in, most of them had already been drinking. When the bouncer allowed the other women in, he almost hesitated at her. He had only asked one of the girls to see any ID, but the blonde in front of him did look younger. Had she been a pusher, she wouldn't have even bothered with the cover group. But, alas, she wasn't. "What? You're not going to leave a poor girl like me out here, are you?" She batted her eyelashes, giggling. She gestured to the women, biting her lip and peering up from behind those lashes. She was amazed they were waiting for her. "I'm with them."

He melted like putty.

Lenore Crusoe was in.

Lenore hated to lie, but she needed to prove her roommate wrong. "You never have any fun, do you? You just sit around, go to school, and run from people. I've never seen you do anything just because you want to. I've never seen you do anything reckless." She knew it was a bad thing to be angered by, but she didn't care. She didn't tell him about the stupid situations she got into. She didn't want him in those situations. She didn't really even know what triggered the argument, in which she attempted and failed to defend herself. He wanted her to do something reckless? Fine. She was going to go out and be reckless and impulsive and whatever the heck else he would be amused by. He had watched with amusement as she had changed into something more suitable, turning his head upon her request. She had tugged a black, torn cardigan with a lace back over a neon green t-shirt, scowling as she rummaged about for a pair of gray shorts and black tights. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun. "Don't you dare say something about it being cold. I will lock you out," had been her response when he raised his eyebrows. Jeans were never her style.

A part of her wished she had stayed at home. She was continuously pushing a chunk of hair from her face, feeling awkward without the rest of her hair down. She had been smart enough to pull on a pair of converse, unlike one of the girls in the group that she had socialized into. Of course, once she was inside, she tried split off from them. Stepping in, a wave of heat rushed towards her, and she was squinting in the strangely-lit club. The group had none of it, still trying to talk to her. Lenore made her way over to the bar, following them. How was that for reckless? There was once more that realization that there were probably people who would be rather upset with her if they caught her in here. Her roommate was probably still back home, still giggling like a schoolgirl. She slid onto a stool, flashing a smile at the bartender as she pushed a piece of dark hair back up into one of the bobby pins. It was strange to be in here. She wasn't the most clean-cut kid, but she certainly wasn't into the whole party scene. She fussed some more with her hair before ordering whatever the rest of the girls had. She was going to hate her life for the next twenty-four hours, but hey, she would have proven she could be stupid and whatever. It would have been worth it, right?

She thought so, at least.

She swiveled in the stool as she waited, frowning slightly. She leaned back to prop her elbows on the counter, realizing that a question had been directed at her from the group. One of the girls she had been roped with was still chatting away. She was a pretty thing, dark hair and glasses, with a cute smile. "So, what, are you in college? I'm a junior." Lenore nodded, smiling again. She didn't want to disclose her age, but she didn't have much choice but to lie. "Sophomore." The girl didn't question anything, still bubbling over as she raised a bottle to her lips. She was wearing some sort of concert t-shirt, and a pair of skinny jeans and heels. She had an eyebrow piercing and was wearing some other jewelry. She seemed nice enough. "I'm Jessica, by the way." The blonde nodded. "Lenore." The conversation continued for another moment or so, before the girl in the glasses turned to look at someone who had walked their direction. Lenore also glanced over, smiling slightly. Probably some guy who had just come to get something. That wasn't a thought that fazed the older woman, who tugged at the bottom of her shirt as she spoke.

"Can I help you?"

i'm hoping ethan responds, otherwise this is a waste of 903 words. well, i've quoted about a girl by the academy is..., and so weird for me to picture lenore in a club – or drinking, but smoking would be the weirdest.

[ETHAN DOUGLAS FREEMAN]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬
HERE WE GO AGAIN
I K I N D A W A N N A B E M O R E T H E N F R I E N D S

"can i help you?"

ethan remained cool and collected, though he felt this wouldn't last longer then a minuet. the girl with the glasses certainly seemed to know why he was there in the first place. the other, probably didn't. he hoped so, at least. clearing his throat with a smirk on his face, bottle in hand, he took a sip before nodding. "possibly." he said, turning towards the other girl. she was certainly pretty. he leaned against the counter before sliding into the stool.

he was beginning to regret this.

he cleared his throat again, spinning around to face the two before his eyes had shot over the group of men, all hollering like primates. shaking his head, ethan pursed his lips in disproval. oh, how he wanted to punch them all at that very moment. vince was tapping his wristwatch with a wink and a chuckle. michael and the other two were standing to get a glimpse over the crowd of him. ethan remained collected, even though his heart was racing a bit. he had to be cool, he knew it. otherwise, this would all blow up in face.

and he would rather not have to deal with a bunch of angry girls.

but he wanted the money, and he wanted to get away from them for a while. michael, especially. he was obnoxious, crude, and a moron in ethan's opinion. and though he wished he knew what michael thought of him, all the same time, he could care less of the man's opinion. michael wanted nothing with ethan. ethan wanted nothing from him. why were they friends? simple. michael was once a convict and experimentee for the division. he escaped and clearly ended up changing his entire being -- name, age, everything. he even fled from state for a few years before returning as the completely new man.

ethan waved michael from his thought's, rubbing his forehead for a moment in thought as he found his brows knitting. he relaxed for a moment and smirked again, taking another swig of his beer. "if you don't mind, can i talk with your buddy alone, please?" he leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the girl with the glasses, smirking a bit more. he seemed to have a bit of a nervous twitch in his eye.

he hated gambling.


yet this was one of the few areas he was actually good at.

only coming up with something to say other then "hi," was a bit difficult. he needed want to push. he didn't want to come out as being a sort of creep, even though he was almost positive that's how it came to be. ethan had opened his mouth to speak when vince had come into the picture, his beer bottle in hand while the other arm had swooped around his friend's neck and pulled him into a slight hug. ethan's face had turned from happy to annoyed. his eyes rolled up to his friend's, who was eyeing the two girls before landing onto the girl with the glasses. "yeah. why don't you leave these two and come and chat with me, huh? i'll you a few beers, maybe?"

vince didn't let go of ethan. and as much as ethan had struggled and trying not to make much of a fuss of things, grumbled a bit as vince had finally let go and moved towards the girl with the glasses, chatting. "i hate you vince. . ." ethan muttered to himself, watching a bit before rubbing the back of his neck and swiveled to face the blonde-and-brunette girl again, hooking his converse into the stool's bottom ring, his knees bent and his legs beginning to cramp. "sorry you had to see that. . ." he grinned sheepishly, taking another swig of beer.

"my name's ethan. ethan freeman." he put out his free hand for her to shake, the sheepish grin spreading on his face a bit more. as much as he disliked awkward moments, it had come and decided to show up at the worse possible time. but at least vince had come to his rescue.

sort of.

SEVEN-TWO-TWO;LENORE;NEON TREES;SMEE;AWKWARD MOMENTS ARE AWKWARD

[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬

[LENORE ALESSA CRUSOE]

` i'm not in love ,
this is not my heart - - -

"Possibly." Was this guy having second thoughts? Lenore couldn't resist a smirk. He was trying to act cool and collected, but he kept glancing over at a table. Were they with him? Her eyes drifted over to the motley collection of men, rolling her eyes. She laced her fingers together around the bottle, no intention of really drinking any of it. It was a formality, really. She wanted to be able to keep her head on straight, well enough to get home and not punch her roommate in the face. It was almost adorable, his discomfort at his friends. "Cute. Are they yours'?" she asked after a moment, crinkling her nose. They were just typical young men, she figured. She still hadn't quite figured out why he was there, but Jessica was watching the young man with a raised brow and a slight frown on her face. Jessica was not impressed with the situation. Lenore wasn't facing the bar, her bottle untouched on the counter as she pushed a piece of unruly hair from her face. Unlike the girl she was tagging along with, she didn't quite know what to expect here. She wasn't exactly sure where all the women were, but she hadn't memorized their faces well enough for it to matter.

However, the discomfort from moments before seemed to vanish as the man leaned forward. He must have successfully regained his confidence. His question was directed to her new acquaintance, and made Lenore tilt her head to one side. "If you don't mind, can I talk with your buddy alone, please?" It referred to her? Heat flushed into her cheeks as she glanced down. A part of her was instantly freaked out. Her? Why her? A part of her was slowly flattered. She frowned slightly for a moment before looking back up at him. Jessica merely shrugged in response, not moved by his appearance. "Whatever." Lenore placed a hand on the older woman's forearm. "There's no need to be rude, Jessica." A slight smirk curled at her lips as she glanced back over at the new stranger. Oh, if she was going to do something stupid, she wasn't going to barely do it. She was going to do whatever "reckless" things she wanted until eventually finding sleep and her apartment. A part of her was nagging at her, telling her to stop being immature, that her roommate needed someone to look out for him.

Before she was able to delve further, another man approached. Jessica's eyes flicked over to him. Lenore was left, covering a smile with one hand. At least the first one had the decency not to just inject himself everywhere. "Yeah. Why don't you leave these two and come and chat with me, huh?" The dark haired girl was reluctant until the offer of free beer reached her ears. She placed a hand on Lenore's shoulder, leaning closer. "Have fun, sweetie, and relax," she cooed in her ear before pushing a finger into the man's chest. Soon, the new friend was engaged in conversation and had forgotten all about the teenager she had been chatting with moments before. Lenore was frowning slightly. Relax? Was it obvious that she was mentally freaking out? She smoothed her cardigan over, eyes on the floor for another moment. She crossed her legs, tugging at the top of one of her shoes before straightening. "Sorry you had to see that." She waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "I didn't know her very well, anyways."

A light smile had managed to find her face again. "My name's Ethan. Ethan Freeman." She nodded slightly. When he stuck out his hand, Lenore delicately placed hers in his to shake. Her nerves of moments before had given way to a bit of a cheerful vibe. "Pleased to meet you, Ethan. I'm Lenore. Lenore Crusoe." She surveyed him quickly beneath those heavily lined eyelashes. He had a cute smile, she gave him. He was cute in general. Of course, she wasn't just going to blurt that out. She wasn't the most mature or intelligent of people, but she knew that wasn't exactly the route she wanted to go. She batted her lashes as she smirked a bit at him. "So. Now you're talking to me. What now?" Her words dripped sarcasm, and she winced slightly at the tone. She paused for a moment, glancing down, before looking back at him. She reached over to pat him on the cheek lightly, before sighing. "And before you get the wrong impression, I'm not here to hook up with guys. Sorry. You aren't going to score by striking up a conversation. You can try, but it won't work."

She wasn't going to be that kind of reckless.

i'm hoping ethan responds, otherwise this is a waste of 790 words. well, i've quoted about a girl by the academy is..., and well, that was blunt.

[ETHAN DOUGLAS FREEMAN]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬
HERE WE GO AGAIN
I K I N D A W A N N A B E M O R E T H E N F R I E N D S

"cute. are they yours?"

ethan's lips twitched into a slight smirk, chuckling soon after as he looked down at finally faced her directly, swiveling till his knee had nearly touched her stool. he nodded, and as much as he wished they weren't here, had to admit it. "unfortunately, they are." he turned back to them. the smirk had instantly vanished doing so, his brows briefly knitting together before glancing back at her, smirking again. and catching a glimpse of the unhappy friend of the girl's, ethan raised his hand for a moment, waving a slight bit as his lips pursed a bit.

she seemed to catch on to his dirty trick.

this wasn't good.

but ethan shook it off as he leaned into the bar, his elbow propped on the counter , his hand dangling off the side. the other around his bottle of beer, which rested his lap. the girl who sat before him seemed to catch his bit of nervousness. why should ethan be nervous? this was one of his better skills, anyway. chatting. flirting. the works. the smirk stayed on his face. she was blushing a bit. ethan managed to catch a better reaction then expected. honestly, he was expecting either a fist in his face or something to a worse degree, depending on who this girl was.

"whatever." was the first reaction by the girl with the glasses. her friend told her there was no need to be rude. jessica, was her name. he leaned forward. "good to meet you, jessica." he ran a hand through his hair as he finally left to chat away with vince. maybe he didn't hate him as much as he did. he mentally thanked him. he had to admit, without him, ethan would most likely have wound up getting kicked out of here.

"i didn't know her very well, anyways." ethan's smirk had seemed to increase a bit. "good, i guess, huh?" he chuckled lightly, running a hand through his hair. ethan was starting to relax a bit more. he wasn't terrified of romance. he wasn't scared of flirting and what not. he was scared of what owuld happen if he made the wrong move. ten dollars a minuet. he was hoping vince was keeping track of the time. then her hand had took his, shaking it a bit as she introduced herself casually. this may turn out to be easier then ethan had expected.

"nice to meet you, too, lenore crusoe." he shook her little hand slightly. his seemed to overpower hers. he hated being so tall sometimes, but that didn't matter much. not at the moment. he grinned again, running a hand through his hair before taking a drink of his beer. he hated the taste, but the loved the feeling of being numb and care-free.

ethan was enjoying this.

"so. now you're talking to me. what now?" lenore was being sarcastic. he was flirty, not stupid. his brows knit together slightly as he looked over at her. did she figure this out? was it a game? as much as he wished it wasn't, ethan's lips curled again into a smirk, showing his teeth a bit as his brows raised slightly, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked her over again. before long, however, lenore had leaned forward and patted his cheek. he closed his eyes for a moment. "and before you get the wrong impression, i'm not here to hook up with guys. sorry. you aren't going to score by striking up a conversation. you can try, but it won't work."

ethan's eyes opened to look at her again. he was a bit surprised by that. girls either come to blacklight to hook up, dance away their night, or decide just to drink all her troubles away. ethan soon gathered the rest of his composure with a sly girn as he leaned forward, taking her hand in his as his voice lowered to a whisper. "well, lenore crusoe, i'm up for the challenge." he winked playfully.

SEVEN-ONE-FOUR;LENORE;NEON TREES;SMEE;CHALLENGE: ACCEPTED

[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬

[LENORE ALESSA CRUSOE]

` i'm not in love ,
this is not my heart - - -

His eyes were closed for a moment. Was she getting his hopes up or something? A part of her felt guilty about that, but she was still smiling faintly. She may have been on some sort of angry rampage, but she was still the same Lenore. She frowned for a moment. Still, when she removed her hand and placed it in her lap, she was content with the decision. She mine as well have been straight-forward with him. She still hadn't quite figured out what all she was supposed to do here. Get drunk? She wanted to be able to find her way home. Make out with strangers? She had a feeling that there would be repercussions to that one as well. Dance? That was easily something she could do. She contemplating mixing all of those for a moment, her eyes lazily focused on this Ethan fellow. He was attractive. She was normally a bit physical around people, but that was different. If she did that, she'd only be leading him on and convincing him that he actually stood a chance. Still, she didn't really know what her judgment would be like drunk. She glanced down, her cheeks red.

She really shouldn't have been there.

A slight smirk had settled onto her features, content with what she had said. Surely, he would get the point and shrug it off before joining his obnoxious, primitive buddies. That was what she would've done. Then again, she understood how her mind worked, and didn't really get everyone else. "Well, Lenore Crusoe, I'm up for the challenge." Shit. Her eyes widened instantly, all signs of potential happiness gone. What? Was he honestly going to sit there and try to go after her? "I – uh, what?" She was stammering, trying to reach any logical conclusion. Did he think she was just playing hard to get? Did she have to honestly tell him that she wasn't really interested; spell it out in black and white? Was he that egotistical, or did he just think she was that stereotypical? Lenore's lips parted, as if she were going to speak, but no words came out. She was too surprised to really say anything. She glanced around frantically for a moment. Where was Jessica? Why was it that the older woman had seen this coming when she hadn't?

Her shoulders slumped for a moment before she noticed his proximity. Had he been moving closer in the time he had been sitting there? If the place wasn't lit by black lights and other weird sources, she was positive that he would've seen the red that had broken across her cheeks. She almost felt uncomfortable. Was this what it was like to be around her when she was in a flirtatious mood? It was awkward. Before she had time to comment on it, he had taken her hand. Or had he done that sooner? Shit. This was not going how she had planned. She should have just let her roommate make fun of her, instead of allowing him to twist her out of her comfort zone. She remained still for a moment. What was she supposed to do? Lenore slowly slid her hand out of his. "No, dude, I'm not kidding. I mean, you're cute and all, but no. I'm not just being a tease." She gingerly took her had back, shaking her head. "Ethan, you are seriously not going to get what you want. I'm not interested."

She began to make a move to get down. One of Lenore's toes was on the floor when it happened. She should have known that something would have ruined her would-be escape from the evident awkwardness. Didn't guys understand that no meant no? Someone had stepped up behind her, already drunk, and ordering more. The burly man's elbow pushed into Lenore's back as he retracted with a beer. She lost her balance, one hand landing on Ethan's thigh and the other on the edge of his seat. It took her a moment to realize that she was leaning, pressed against his legs. She remained still, before it finally sunk in. Her eyes widened once more, but she wasn't quite thinking things through enough to realize she ought to stand up. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She was trying to apologize for falling on him, still not quite comprehending that she should have straightened up. She shook her head quickly, almost frantically.

i'm hoping ethan responds, otherwise this is a waste of 700-something words. well, i've quoted about a girl by the academy is..., and i had to go with it, the idea was too amusing to resist.

[ETHAN DOUGLAS FREEMAN]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬
HERE WE GO AGAIN
I K I N D A W A N N A B E M O R E T H E N F R I E N D S

and she thought he was getting his hopes up.

of course, ethan had expected that to be a sort of reaction -- or mental thought.

he wasn't one who could read people easily, he was just very good at assuming. he thought it came with the gambling job of his, or maybe his love for guessing the types of beer people would enjoy at shepard's? either way, he was enjoying the reaction. a smirk had still slid on his face, his brow arched. was she regretting coming here? he let out a slight chuckle, his brows still arched and the smirk still latched on his face. what did she think he was going ask? to dance? drink the night away and wake somewhere else? as much as ethan would find it amusing, he knew it was best to wait on that.

if this girl would finally make some sort of move.

ethan would've probably bought her some drinks, yes, and enjoy a good time of talking and what not. but she didn't touch her beer, he noticed. ethan watched her carefully, although he kept his sly grin on his face. what did she expect him to do? walk off like nothing every happened and join his idiot friends? she expected wrong. and it showed on her face as she stammered to find an answer. her shoulder had slumped. ethan had only straightened up to take another swig of his beer. "sorry. i don't take 'no' for an answer very well, sweet cheeks." he laughed a bit, taking another drink. she was thinking hard to come with an answer. ethan was growing amused. she was thinking too hard to come up with something. he shook his head a bit, swirling the contents of the bottle. it was beginning to empty.

"no, dude, i'm not kidding. i mean, you're cute and all, but no. i'm not just being a tease. ethan, you are seriously not going to get what you want. i'm not interested."

his eyes had widened a bit at her words, swallowing what was left of his confidence. his eyes lowered to the ground, trying to come up with something to say. he was certain okay wouldn't cut it. he rubbed the back of his neck in response, however before placing his hands on his lap and began rubbing his knees in thought, his eyes focused on the ground. ethan hated feeling like an idiot in a crowd, let alone a group of friends who were still watching from the booth. he heard them screaming again, and one saying, "rejected!" before high-fiving michael. the group of three had continued to point and laugh, making faces as they clanked their bottles together. ethan felt his fingers curl into tight fists as he shot them a dangerous glance. they didn't seem to remember he was a bleeder, and could easily bring them down.

ethan wasn't going to be let down easily, however.

but as soon as he tried to make a move again, she had began to stand. after a man behind her had bumped into her, she had fell, losing her balance. her hand and slipped on his thigh and stool, while his own had flown in the air, trying not to touch something he shouldn't. a look of fear had swept over his face, his eyes wide again and his mouth agape as he fell backwards in the stool.

at first, his back had bounced slightly off the hard floor, momentarily stunned. his eyes winced in the pain, gripping his arm for a moment before he regained his composure, slowly opening his eyes. he recognized the man as his eyes had happened to fallen on him. he looked away quickly, down to where the girl was clutching hsi legs. he looked surprised, his brows knit and his lips pursed as he stared at her. she seemed to be feeling the same way.

ethan felt a smirk curl on his lips again as he propped his elbows on the floor, the hysterical laughter of his friends tuned out. he shook his head, trying to hold in the laughter that crept up on him. he wanted to laugh, but he refused. "oh my god, i'm so sorry." she was frantic. he remained cool and calm, collected and a bit amused. "usually, i'd buy you dinner first." he commented, breathing in through his teeth as he looked down at her, raising his brows briefly as he pointed out her clumsiness. "but, i see you like to take things in your own hands. . . i like that."

SEVEN-NINE-THREE;LENORE;NEON TREES;SMEE;BAHAH. THIS MADE ME GIGGLE A BIT INSIDE. XD

[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]

â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬ â–¬

[LENORE ALESSA CRUSOE]

` i'm not in love ,
this is not my heart - - -

She narrowed her eyes. "Sorry. I don't take 'no' for an answer very well, sweet cheeks." This guy was relentless, it was so aggravating. Of course, though. Of course, she wouldn't be able to get off that easily. Of course, he wouldn't just get the picture and leave. Of everyone in there, of course she had to be the one for him to keep talking to. He would have probably had more luck with any other girl in the place. But no, he had to be the one who found her comments to be a game. She could have sat there, grumbling for hours, but that wouldn't have accomplished anything. It wouldn't have gotten him to leave her alone. Lenore glanced around quickly. Where was that Jessica chick? Surely, she could have helped the teenager to escape. When she got home, her roommate was hearing nothing besides where she went. She refused. He would have spent the next hour and a half laughing at her. Lenore sighed slightly, trying to contain her annoyance as her cheeks blazed. Lenore was fighting to keep a calm tone. "Sweet cheeks? That's the best you've got, hot shot?"

Ethan's friends were certainly getting a kick out of this. She wasn't exactly sure if she had ever seen a group of people so amused and intent to watch him make a fool of himself. She raised a brow at them, pursing her lips. They were hollering and mocking him. Was that why he was still here? Or had they only begun to prod fun at him after he had stood up? Lenore didn't really want to know the answer to that. Her brow creased as she sighed once more. She straightened up, pulling away from him. Her lips formed a tight line. She wanted to wipe the obnoxious smirk off of his face. At first, she had found it adorable. Now, like his friend, it was mocking her. He thought he had everything all under control, didn't he? He figured that eventually she'd give in. Was it just a game to him? She figured that it was. She scoffed as she pushed hair from her face. His friends were still producing noise, and she sent a glare their direction. Was it really necessary for them to be staring, laughing at her misfortune? It was ridiculous and childish.

His next words infuriated her.

"Usually, I'd buy you dinner first. But, I see you like to take things into your own hands… I like that." She shook her head, scowling. "Ugh. No offense, dude, but your arrogance is not going to win me over." She leaned back moving her hands to her lap as she straightened up. Oh, it was on. If he wanted to go through with something like this, she was certainly going to make him fight for it. If a challenge was what he wanted, she was certainly going to give him one. She wasn't just going to run now. Lenore had to prove to Ethan that she wasn't someone he should be trying to persuade. Or, well, she had to at least prove that she couldn't be as easily acquired as most of the drunken women that littered the place. She remained quiet for a moment, mentally pondering the situation. She hated to be the manipulative one, but this called for it. She was going to regret everything about this night, but she was already second-guessing herself. She had been regretting this night since the second she had changed before leaving the apartment.

The hard angles that she had set in her face softened as she tried to make herself appear calm. She pursed her lips for a moment. "You want to play, boy? Let's see how well you can play the game, then." She chuckled, glancing at him. "I'll give your little friends a show." Her words were a mix of flirtatious and icy. Lenore shifted to her knees, the floor cold through her tights. She moved in closer to him, closing the distance almost effortlessly. Her lips were parted slightly as her face was inches from his. She curled her fingers around one of his hands, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "You don't stand a chance," she breathed, before smirking. She moved her hand from his to the side of his face, before quickly pulling away. "If you want me to string you along, I certainly will, Ethan." She shrugged before easing back into the stool she had been sitting in. She crossed her legs, placing her hands on her knee.

i'm hoping ethan responds, otherwise this is a waste of 760 words. well, i've quoted about a girl by the academy is..., and she's still toast, she just doesn't realize it.

[ADMINSMEE!?]

good morning,

“ ”