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Post by Salem on Feb 16, 2010 21:16:52 GMT -5
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place. Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace. Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste.
It had been the best idea her mother had had in months. Her mother had her own reasons, but still Salem saw it as a great idea. This place. This new place. It was...perfect. Although her mother was confused, puzzled and distraught over the discovery of her daughter's abilities, she had done the right thing. Salem did need help, and here she'd get it. Well, maybe not here. In this exact spot. The front lawn would be an odd place to reign in my abilities, I would think.
Awkward, worn white ked classics were planted firmly in the grass. Light, torn, faded jeans rustled up her thin legs and a simple blue v-neck with a plaid blue and gray flannel were slung on her tiny torso. Hands nervously braided her long brunette hair, taking the braid out and repeating the process over again. She had promised herself she wouldn't do this. She'd proudly walk in and figure everything out quickly, but it didn't seem to be turning out so well. And there she stood, looking like an idiot, eyebrows rising and falling in utter confusion.
It was....overwhelming, to say the least.
Suddenly she wished she was home, "homeschooling" herself. That's what she had done for years. She had taught herself about her abilities, figured things out. Empathy wasn't hard to figure out, and neither was Mediumship. Insight hadn't been too difficult once she had begun to get the hang of it (yes, she was still having some trouble), it was only Aerokinesis that she really struggled with. But now all of a sudden she just wished she could pretend she didn't even have the ability, and she could go home.
Home. Bleh. Like her mother wanted her there. Her mother was so thoroughly confused by the situation. She wasn't mad, or sad, or anything really. Just acted like she wished it'd never happened. Her brothers had thought it was the coolest thing ever. But her mother walked around like a zombie, not understanding where she'd gotten it from. Salem had figured it out though, a gene in her father's family gave her the most prominent, her aerokinesis. The others more subtle and easy to hide, from her mother's side. She just wished her mother was a little less...zombie-like. A little more supportive. But since her father's death, she could ask very little of her mother.
Oh well. It was the way life went.
Salem peered around before stumbling forward, a bag in hand a a green bag sideways slung across her shoulder, towards Belleza Francesa.
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Post by Jude on Feb 16, 2010 21:33:07 GMT -5
Go left It was one of those days. Where nothing went right, and everything that once was right, went terribly wrong. Waking up to Felix's tongue lapping at his face, was nothing new. But stepping out of bed and hitting his 'little surprise' with his barefeet, wasn't.
Needless to say, this was not his day. Lena was off doing.. whatever. Ehh, boredom was overcoming him and fast. Grabbing Felix's leash, the dog quickly took his feet, tail wagging as he followed Jude to the front door. "You wanna go out, huh? Yeah.. come on, tell me yo u wanna go outside."
Felix howled softly, tongue flapping out as he smiled up at Jude. Turning in circles he did it again. "Okay, okay." He chuckled gently, slipping the hook over the loop and hearing it clasp. "You ready?"
Maybe he should have made sure he had a good hold on Felix's leash, before opening the door. Too late now, he was out. "Felix!" He shouted, quickly shutting the door behind him as he watched the Siberian Husky take right towards a girl standing in the lawn.
"Shit." He muttered, chasing after him. "Felix, stop!"
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Post by Salem on Feb 16, 2010 21:50:10 GMT -5
To say she wasn't paying attention was a vast understatement. She had no idea where her mind was really. Moving at the speed of a 7 year old off his ADD medication. Her eyes darted between the house and it's surroundings and she was virtually oblivious. It wasn't normal for her to be that oblivious. She was just...so overwhelmed. And she didn't know how else to describe it.
As her greenish blue eyes darted about, something in her peripheral caught her attention. She immediately looked to it to see a husky headed straight for her, leash flopping behind it, as well as a boy chasing after yelling. Her eyes got wide with concern, amusement and anxiety. She was concerned about the dog, amused about the boy chasing after it and anxious about what the dog was going to do. She raised her eyebrows, hoping it wasn't headed for her, although it looked that way.
It wasn't that she didn't like dogs. She did. She adored dogs, she just didn't have much experience with them. Her mother hadn't allowed any other pet than their 4 goldfish and Simon's ferret. Maybe if her father had still been alive... Well, no point in thinking about that, now is there.
She bit her lip and crouched down, hoping the dog was friendly and that it would approach her. She could grab it, and hand it back off the owner.
"Well hi buddy." her voice with an eerie calmness said, moderately loud. She just hoped the dog didn't run her straight over, into the grass.
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Post by Jude on Feb 16, 2010 21:57:16 GMT -5
"Well hi buddy."
Felix loved running, and was usually off the leash when it came to walking with Jude. His legs raced through the grass, skidding slightly to stop in-front of the girl. He barked softly, licking at her face as Jude came up from behind. "Felix." He grabbed the leash and pulled him back. "I'm sure the girl doesn't want your slobbery kisses, get off." He laughed.
His eyes flicked to the girl crouched down in the grass. "You okay?" He asked through soft chuckles as he offered a hand to help her up. "Sorry about that, he got away from me." His head turned, giving Felix a stern look.
The husky looked up, and sat right down, smile wide as his tail swished about. "He's just a big teddy bear." He smiled. He looked her over a moment, noticing the bag. "You're new here huh?" He gave a nod, not really needing her reply.
"Name's Jude." He said, offering his hand for a shake. "Jude Carter." He said, giving a soft smile. "Welcome to Belleza."
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Post by Salem on Feb 16, 2010 22:25:15 GMT -5
Salem couldn't help but laugh at the dog's cute reaction. She didn't even mind the slobber that left a nice coat on her skin. She simply wiped it away with her sleeve as the boy pulled his dog away, laughing himself. She smiled and scratched the dog's head. The dog didn't seem well trained exactly, but it was obviously a sweetheart. And the thought made her grin. She loved animals like that.
"I'm sure the girl doesn't want your slobbery kisses, get off."
"Oh, I don't mind them. I wish I had gotten more of them growing up." she told him honestly. She then paused and her eyebrows scrunched together. That only came out really wrong. Her eyebrows raised and she stood up. "I mean dog kisses. My mother wouldn't let me have a dog. Or virtually any type of pet." she corrected quickly, before actually looking at Jude. She was a little surprised. She wasn't sure at what. She supposed that she hadn't expected...well...frankly, normal, people to attend this school. She should've known better.
"You okay? Sorry about that, he got away from me."
Salem shoved her hands in her pockets and nodded, biting her lip once more. She looked to the dog, then him once more. She gave him a smile, "Oh yeah. Totally and perfectly fine. No damage done, except that lovely facial." she said with a confident nod.
Was it so obvious that she was new? She laughed it off gently. She had been hoping not. But how could she expect less? She'd never been here before and was carrying around bags. She was sure it was normal student behavior. She ran a hand through her bangs and sighed. She gave a soft chuckle before nodding once more.
"I guess you can't be new and sneaky. Damn. Oh well. I'm-" and there she stopped, eyes going to his hand stretched out. She didn't want to be the weird new girl who refused to touch anybody but, with hardly understanding how to control her Insight abilities, she was afraid she'd see something. Often when first coming in contact with a person, she did. Little glimpses. After that, the glimpses were random. She took a deep breath and tried to look unrelenting as she took his hand in a shake. "Salem. Salem Johnson.-" she barely got out before glimpses began flashing in her eyes.
She saw him. Him laugh and chatting with two girls. She heard the names Lena and Spyra. She saw them laughing together, kissing and- She quickly withdrew her hand. Her breath came heavily and rapidly. She sucked in a deep breath. Hoping this "Jude" fellow was stupid and ignorant enough to have not noticed anything. The breathing or the fact that her eyes turned a deep blue when she saw things about a person. Not that he'd know why they did that.
"Sorry, I...Handshakes aren't really my thing." She wasn't lying. She hated handshakes. Even more so, now.
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Post by Jude on Feb 16, 2010 22:37:50 GMT -5
"Oh, I don't mind them. I wish I had gotten more of them growing up."
His brows furrowed as he gave her a lop-sided grin. "I mean dog kisses. My mother wouldn't let me have a dog. Or virtually any type of pet." He could understand that. His father was the same way with him and his siblings. No pets. That's why he couldn't rightly refuse Felix a home when they crossed paths. He leaned over slightly, giving Felix a soft scrub behind his ear. "Yeah, my parents were the same way."
"Oh yeah. Totally and perfectly fine. No damage done, except that lovely facial."
He laughed softly, nodding. "Good to know." And really, it was. That's all he needed was someone yelling at him for not controlling his dog. Wasn't really his fault when Felix had his own mind and way of going about things.
"I guess you can't be new and sneaky. Damn. Oh well. I'm-"
He smiled gently, waiting for her to take his hand and give it a shake, but she simply stared at it. "I don't bite." He laughed easily. "Salem. Salem Johnson.-" With his free hand, he went to scratching at the back of his head, watching her for a moment as she held onto his hand.
Letting it go a moment later, he nodded. "Nice meetin' you, Salem." He gave another smile. Had to, otherwise he'd be out back cussing and smoking up a storm. "Sorry, I...Handshakes aren't really my thing." He grinned, letting out a slight chuckle. "No worries." He replied gently.
"So, have you talked to the head poncho yet?" He asked, curiously. Ainslie sure was something else, he'd never be able to forget to look on her face when he called her sweetheart. Damn near priceless.
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Post by Salem on Feb 18, 2010 1:05:27 GMT -5
Salem smiled back, glad that he didn't seem to care (or even possibly notice) what happened to her. She felt relaxed and her stance showed it. Well. If he did know, he wasn't being obvious about it, and she appreciated it. She didn't like feeling like an outcast. It was part of the reason she agreed to attend the school. She'd be around people like her. People who had gifts and didn't always understand them.
"No worries."
She felt herself heave a breath and smile a little more genuinely. She sucked in a deep breath before looking back to her bags. Her eyebrows pushed together and she sighed. She had no idea where she was going. At all. And pride wouldn't let her ask Jude.
She looked to him, raising her right eyebrow in wonder and slight confusion. Had she heard him right? The "head poncho"? No she had not. She hadn't even spoken to her over the phone, although her mother had. Salem had been out when the head....person, had called. The thought made her a little more nervous and she wrinkled her nose.
"No. Not yet. I'm not sure I want to either. Authority and I....well, were that two awkward people at a party who kinda know each other and can't think of anything to talk about or any legitimate reason to walk away from each other. So we just stand there awkwardly." she told him with a definite nod. "If that made any sense. It did in my head, but who knows what actually came out of my mouth." she told him with a slight chuckle and a shrug. She was rambling. Damn.
Quickly she snatched up her bags and looked around. "I suppose I should find this head person, then?" she asked, only semi-rhetorical.
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Post by Jude on Feb 18, 2010 17:03:06 GMT -5
"No. Not yet. I'm not sure I want to either. Authority and I....well, were that two awkward people at a party who kinda know each other and can't think of anything to talk about or any legitimate reason to walk away from each other. So we just stand there awkwardly." she told him with a definite nod. "If that made any sense. It did in my head, but who knows what actually came out of my mouth."
He let out a soft laugh, nodding. "No, I get it." He had his own problems with authority. But came to realize, there was really nothing he could do about it. It wasn't like Ainslie was some kind of dictator. She was far from it, actually.
"I suppose I should find this head person, then?"
He gave a curt nod, holding Felix's leash tight in his hand incase he decided to make a mad dash for the street. "Yeah. I'll help you find her." He smiled, pulling Felix slightly around towards the house.
Opening the door and walking in, he looked around. "Professor Ainslie?" He called out. "Maybe she's upstairs." He waved her on to follow as he jogged up the flight of stairs and around the corner to the hallway. "Professor?"
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Post by Ainslie Darling on Feb 18, 2010 19:14:28 GMT -5
Ainslie was just enjoying the summer air. She had gone on a guerrilla mission earlier; opening every window she could find in the house. Sweet, fresh summer air permeated the entire building now and she loved it. She loved summer. She was totally a summer girl, despite her fair complexion. And what with the long (hard, death-defying) winter they had had, she was more than ready to revel in the warmth. She was just leaving one of the rec. rooms on the upper level --opening three massive windows of it-- when she heard someone calling for her. A professor's work was truly never done, it seemed. Sounded like Jude calling her. A soft smile found her face as she wondered what trouble the boy had gotten into this time. She had to admit; she did have something of a soft spot for him. Deep, deep down he meant well, she believed. That, plus he sort of reminded her of a few of the boyfriends she had had during her "bad-boy phase." Chuckling a little at those memories, Ainslie rounded a corner and found Jude bounding up the main steps, Felix in tow. Along with the newest addition to Belleza. Ainslie hadn't met the girl yet but she had spoken to her mother and of course reviewed her file. Salem was her name, if Ains' memory served her properly. Greeting Jude with a smirk, she nodded to him. "'Lo there, Jude. And it's Salem, isn't it?" She softened her grin for the girl. "Nice to meet you; I'm Ainslie Darling. Call me...well, anything you can manage, really." Chuckling lightly at that, she added, "What can I help you with?"
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Post by Salem on Feb 19, 2010 1:31:49 GMT -5
Salem simply followed Jude. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing, while she had absolutely no idea. Cluelessly she straggled behind, just giving a nod and shrug when he ran up the stairs. She breathed heavily and gave a pause before following up after him.
So useless. That was how she felt. So useless. Like she couldn't do any of this on her own.
She began thrashing herself in her head when a new voice came out of nowhere. Ok, not from nowhere. It was from around the corner she'd just rounded, while in toe of Jude. This voice was...lovely, pleasant, and a woman's.
"'Lo there, Jude. And it's Salem, isn't it?"
She knew her name. Salem raised an eyebrow curiously. Was that...her gift? Knowing people's names or something? Salem gave a soft smile, and a nod.
Call her anything? She liked this head....persona, already. She seemed so....relaxed.
"What can I help you with?"
Salem raised her eyebrows, not really knowing what to say. But instead of thinking before speaking she automatically answered with "Nope." before she could stop herself. A pained expression immediately fell on her face and she looked to Jude. That just sounded....so dumb.
"Sorry. I meant....I...well I guess you've figured, errr, know, I'm new...And uh....That wasn't a yes or no question....So. Yeah."
Awkwardddd. Totally and completely awkward. And it was all her fault. Whoops.[/font]
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Post by Jude on Feb 19, 2010 16:49:05 GMT -5
"'Lo there, Jude. And it's Salem, isn't it?"
He smirked. "Afternoon." Every fiber of his being told him to call her sweetheart again. But something made him stop. Instead, he stood there smiling at her, as if he knew something she didn't.
"What can I help you with?"
His head turned to Salem, perking a brow as he stood there, his arms crossed over his chest. Felix at his side, sitting and wagging his tail. "Nope." His brow dropped, anf furrowed as confusion set in. Nope? Where'd that come from?
"Sorry. I meant....I...well I guess you've figured, errr, know, I'm new...And uh....That wasn't a yes or no question....So. Yeah."
He couldn't help the small chuckle that pushed from his lips as he shook his head at her. She was somethin' else, that was for sure. Felix dashed off towards Lena's room, pushing the door open and walking inside. "Be right back, gotta grab him before he tears something up and I get blamed for it." He shot Ainslie a look before jogging down the hall and pushing the door open. "Felix, no. get down. Now."
He sighed, grabbing the dog's collar and making him get off the bed. "Will you just listen to me for once, dude? Come on."
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Post by Ainslie Darling on Feb 19, 2010 21:31:07 GMT -5
"Nope. ...Sorry. I meant....I...well I guess you've figured, errr, know, I'm new...And uh....That wasn't a yes or no question....So. Yeah."
Ainslie chuckled kindly, waving her apology off. "It's fine. And Welcome to Belleza Francesca. I really hope you enjoy it here and feel at home. Let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable or if you need help with anything, yeah?" she offered gently.
Felix tore off toward Lena's room then and Ainslie smirked to Jude as he dashed after his dog. If her sources were correct (and they almost always were) Jude and Lena had...something going on. The definition of what the something was was very vague. Ainslie had heard the words "hooked-up," "fuck-buddies," "random play" and a few others used to describe her second-newest resident and Lena. And then there was also talk of a local girl -a waitress, Ainslie thought- with ties to Jude. And shock of all shocks, she was apparently a human.
Ah, to be a teenager....
Ainslie shook her head as she saw Jude disappear into the room. "He's always up to something," she murmured to herself. More to Salem, she asked, "Are you enjoying Belleza so far, Salem?"
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Post by Salem on Feb 19, 2010 22:02:34 GMT -5
"It's fine. And Welcome to Belleza Francesca. I really hope you enjoy it here and feel at home. Let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable or if you need help with anything, yeah?"
She was definitely liking this place. First impressions were terribly important to Salem. She knew she was judgmental of people, and she tried to fix it, but it was just the way she was. So she was glad when people were nice and good to her at first. It gave her no reason to think negatively of them. Well....except that sight she'd seen of Jude's. That wasn't something she'd wanted to see exactly.
Ainslie on the other hand seemed so calm, so relaxed. Like a lovable authority figure, something she'd never really known. It was fresh and nice.
"Be right back, gotta grab him before he tears something up and I get blamed for it."
Salem simply nodded as Jude made a mad dash for his dog. She thought of what she'd seen and her nose wrinkled. She wasn't fond of guys who played girls. But she was jumping to conclusions. She didn't know anything, just what she had seen. But still, he was that type. There! She was doing it again! The judging thing.
She sighed and looked to Ainslie and gave her a small smile.
"He's always up to something... Are you enjoying Belleza so far, Salem?"
Salem looked back down the hall to where Jude had disappeared. Her lip twitched at the thought of what she'd seen, plus what Ainslie had just said. So had her first assumption been correct? Perhaps she'd find out some time.
"I am, very much so. Thank you. It's very lovely here, safe and secure." she told Ainslie with a confident nod.
"I do have a question though....can people...well, do people know other people's powers? Errr...gift-things?" she asked, an eyebrow raised, looking back to Ainslie.
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Post by Jude on Feb 19, 2010 22:20:32 GMT -5
Jude grunted, chasing Felix around the room after the collar had broke. "Damn you, Felix." He growled, as the dog jumped on the bed, his butt in the air and his tail wagging. "NO!" He shouted as a lamp fell off the nightstand and broke into pieces. "Ugh, lookit what you did!" He was ready to tear his hair out.
"Get out." He said, pointing at the door. "You heard me, go!" He shouted, as Felix's tail went between his legs, his head down as he slowly walked out the door. Jude following right behind, closing the door behind him. "Always gettin' me in trouble." He whispered down at the dog as he approached Ainslie and Salem.
"He's always up to something... Are you enjoying Belleza so far, Salem?"
He smirked, walking up behind Ainslie. "Me? Up to something? Never." He grinned. "By the way, if Lena asks.. I'll pay for the lamp." He said, glaring down at Felix.
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Post by Ainslie Darling on Feb 19, 2010 22:33:04 GMT -5
The crash and Jude's yelling from Lena's room made Ainslie wince. What was that boy doing now? She knew -she knew- the minute he had walked into her house he was gonna give her migraines. Okay, so he was also quite entertaining and really a sweet kid when you came down to it. But still. Migraines. "Jude..." She trailed off.
"Me? Up to something? Never." He grinned. "By the way, if Lena asks.. I'll pay for the lamp."
"Uh-huh, sure," Ainslie drawled, not convinced at all. To Felix, she chastised playfully, "Bad, bad dog! Lena's gonna be angry with you." She grinned to Jude then, adding, "Don't worry about the lamp, hun, I'll replace it. Keep a better handle on your mutt, though." She ran a soft hand over Felix's back, showing there really were no hard feelings.
"I am, very much so. Thank you. It's very lovely here, safe and secure."
"Oh good!" Ainslie replied enthusiastically. "That's something I really try hard to create so I'm glad you think that. Smiling encouragingly, she listened as Salem posed a question. "I do have a question though....can people...well, do people know other people's powers? Errr...gift-things?"
Her brow furrowed as she struggled to understand what she was asking, how best to answer it. "You mean, is that another power? I've never heard of anything like that, but I really wouldn't be surprised if there was someone out there with it." She shrugged softly. "If you mean within Belleza, I know everyone's documented powers simply because I have files on all of you; as do most of the teachers. As for the students though, it's your decision if you'd like to tell them your abilities or not." She smiled to Salem then, tipping her head a little. "We value our privacy here," she reassured her.
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Post by Salem on Feb 20, 2010 13:04:16 GMT -5
Her eyes turned to Jude and Felix as they returned, his comment about what Ainslie said ringing in her ears. He sure was an interesting person, to say the least. She was curious to speak to him more. But at the same time, she wasn't sure she wanted to get tangled up in all that....drama, that might come with him. She'd have to be careful.
"By the way, if Lena asks.. I'll pay for the lamp."
The words interrupted her thought process abruptly, and it completely read on her face, eyes open wide and mouth slightly ajar. She'd heard the name before. Lena...where had she...Oh shit. That was right. She heard the name when she'd touched him. Lena was one of the girls... The girls. The thought made her shudder.
"If you mean within Belleza, I know everyone's documented powers simply because I have files on all of you; as do most of the teachers. As for the students though, it's your decision if you'd like to tell them your abilities or not."
She smiled and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Thank God. She knew immediately she'd be one to be careful who she trusted with the list of her abilities. She definitely didn't want a whole lot of people knowing all of her abilities. She had no idea what would happen if that did.
"Oh, well, I'm glad. I like privacy." she said, nodding aimlessly, and looking at only Ainslie now.
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Post by Jude on Feb 22, 2010 1:19:06 GMT -5
"Uh-huh, sure," Ainslie drawled, not convinced at all. To Felix, she chastised playfully, "Bad, bad dog! Lena's gonna be angry with you." She grinned to Jude then, adding, "Don't worry about the lamp, hun, I'll replace it. Keep a better handle on your mutt, though."
"Hey." He objected. "I try." He smiled, looking down to Felix as he smiled up at Ainslie. "He's a trouble maker." He shrugged, smirking over at Ainslie. "And thanks, but.. I feel like I should pay for it, y'know?" His nose crinkled slightly, raising a brow.
"Oh, well, I'm glad. I like privacy."
He smiled softly. "Then we have something in common there." He pointed out. He liked his privacy too. Really, who didn't? He scratched at his head a moment, a yawn escaping him suddenly.
Clasping a hand over his mouth he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."
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Post by Ainslie Darling on Feb 22, 2010 1:33:19 GMT -5
"And thanks, but.. I feel like I should pay for it, y'know?"
See? Deep down, he really was a good kid. Ainslie passed him a soft, encouraging smile and nodded. "Suit yourself." After the smiel grew into a gentle smirk, she tacked on with emphasis, "Sweetheart." Hey, Ainslie was easy-going. And if he was going to dish out the terms of endearment, she could send them right back.
"Oh, well, I'm glad. I like privacy."
Ainslie let out a little laugh. So did she. Apparently, though, paparazzi didn't seem to think she deserved any. "I know how you feel," she added with a nod, smiling to both her and Jude. Her mouth was open to crack some joke about being a celebrity when the cell phone in her pocket vibed. A frown growing on her face, Ainslie retrieved the device and saw that it was a text from her brother reading only "Call me. ASAP."
Sighing at her sibling, Ainslie offered an apologetic grin to her two students. "Sorry, I've got to make a call. It was nice meeting you, Salem; I hope you enjoy staying at Belleza. Jude." She fixed her eyes on the boy, "Show her around a bit, please? And..." --how to say this delicately?-- "be nice, yeah?" She shot off a grin to soften the statement before moving back to her office, already hitting the speed dial for Lewis.
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Post by Salem on Feb 28, 2010 10:58:50 GMT -5
Salem had to admit, it was sweet that Jude felt he had to pay for the broken item when Ainslie offered to replace it, but Jude still rubbed Salem the wrong way. Her mind wouldn't let her stop thinking about those two damn girls, no matter how many sweet or innocent things he'd do, or did.
"Then we have something in common there."
Ah, so she wasn't the only one who liked to keep it to herself? Well, that made her feel a lot better. Less strange, most definitely.
"Salem; I hope you enjoy staying at Belleza. Jude. Show her around a bit, please? And...be nice, yeah?"
Salem listened, and eyes widened at the thought of what Ainslie had just said. She threw the look from her face, trying to make it less obvious that the sentence made her feel uncomfortable. What did she mean, be nice?! Salem bit her lip and looked to Jude, giving him a warm smile, even though she felt the coldness of it inside herself.
"She's very sweet." was all that escaped her lips.
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