Let's just be happy for once, okay? (Marnie)

[Lucas Blacke]

Lucas was, as always, found headbanging [under the sweet, sweet sounds of deathcore] on his bed to think things over. He reached into his pocket and reached for his phone, and as he did that a piece of paper fell out. The boy had nearly forgotten he got the phone number of this girl, Marnie.

He smiled and registered the number in his phone as he laid back again. 
Luke opened a new message and thought about how to begin. Maybe texting isn't the best way to go here.

He shrugged. It was a council thing, right?
He wrote a message and hit send.

[Luke: Hey there. You remember me? The.. odd guy from the fundraiser thing?]

And now to play the waiting game. And headbang.

[Marnie Sullivan]

Unable to sleep, but with no classes to bother with in the morning, Marnie had taken to one of her books to stay occupied. Not an especially racy one this time - at this hour she just wanted a basic slice-of-life YA novel, something easy to chew on.

On the desk next to her, her phone chirped to announce a new message. Using a finger to keep place in her book, Marnie grabbed it - who would be texting her at this time of night? And the number was unknown -

She grinned as she read the message. About time. Marnie considered her response carefully, hoping to come up with something witty.

Odd? Are you the guy who does back flips or the one who eats paste when he thinks no one's looking? Help me out here.

Of course, when she pressed send, she decided the joke was stupid. Oh well, too late now.

[Lucas Blacke]

The sound of glass breaking brought Luke back to the world of the living. Never turning the sound on his cell off was both a blessing and a curse. He never really missed any message, but more often than not his sleep was disrupted by messages.

Which, with Lucas being himself and all, he didn't mind.

He grabbed his cell and turned down his music simultaneously.

I knew it! There's someone else!

Lucas shook his head and deleted the message.

I am he who does both
Really though, I'm Lucas. But i guess that you figured as much.

[Marnie Sullivan]

This time, Marnie was waiting for it. Sure, she'd attempted continuing her book to pass the time between replies, but all she'd done was reread the same few paragraphs.

A paste eater too? That explains a few things.

Was that rude? Well it was, duh, but so far Lucas seemed able to brush off insults. Marnie added a face just in case.

Anyway what's up? Still up this late thinking about the fundraiser I'm sure

[Lucas Blacke]

Obviously Lucas wasn't just up thinking about the fundraiser. He was also listening to music. And maybe thinking about something else.

I know right? I know it's wrong, but paste tastes so damn good. You need to try it sometime xD

He smiled. It had been a long time since he could talk like this and not scare off someone.

And of course I'm thinking about the fundraiser. What's important to you needs to be important to me.

He wanted to erase the last part of that sentence and replace it with something less.. creepy. But his thumb hit the 'send' button way too soon.

Though saying that the fundraiser is the only thing keeping me up at this time would be lying.

So whatcha upto?

He sent the last message and noticed that his heart was pounding way faster than normal. He threw his cell on his bed and got up, shaking his hands.

[Marnie Sullivan]

"What's important to you..."?

Marnie's eyebrows furrowed as she read. That seemed kind of excessive, considering they'd just met. Good thing she'd already been successful in enlisting Ash to spy get a read on him for her.

While she was puzzling over a reply, the phone vibrated in her hand and the second message appeared. This one would be easier to work with. Marnie glanced at her book - admit she was up late due to nerves and a paperback full of fluff? ...Nah.

Teaching my chameleon to juggle. If we practice during the day he overheats.

Marnie snapped a photo of the small green lizard to attach to the message and hit "send". Her book sat to the side, abandoned completely at this point.

[Lucas Blacke]

Lucas nearly ran over to his phone as it made yet another sound.

Chameleon? Awesome! Don't you think its awesome how they can blend into their surroundings? If only people could do that..

He flopped himself back on his bed with a smile and hit his head against the wall.

Speaking of changing your appearance, you know what's awesome? Heterochromia. I'd kill to meet someone with that.

Oh, and my head hurts. Wanna help me with that?

[Marnie Sullivan]

Blending with their surroundings? I've got some news for you -

Show off her power just yet? Marnie debated as she bit her lip. For all she knew, he was fully aware that the super strength had been a fabrication. Reading the rest of the message, though, she thought she found a clever way to break the news and continued:

- chameleons blend to moods and temp, not surroundings. Sorry dude

An how am I supposed to help with your head? What do I look like, a nurse?

Marnie took a deep breath and the prickling in her face began. She didn't want anything too heavy, just a basic color change in her skin. When she thought she reached the right point, she turned the camera on herself and snapped a few shots with a frown and one hand up in a questioning position. It took a few tries to get one she was satisfied with - and a few moments to debate changing out of her pajama T-shirt and messy bun, which she eventually decided against, it was late anyway. Her face and hand appeared similar enough to the wallpaper behind her, although not so much as to be indistinguishable, and her hair, clothes, and eyes remained unchanged. The heterochromia he'd have to find elsewhere; with Marnie, it was blue eyes or bust.

It was a while after hitting "send" before she returned to normal, perhaps because she was still holding her breath.

[Lucas Blacke]

Chameleons blend to moods? Is there chameleon DNA in mood rings?

He chuckled at his own joke and hit 'send' and almost instantly got another message. Yup, that just happened.

Luke frowned and opened the message which appeared to have an attachment.

Looking as radiant as ev-
You look a little off.

He turned the camera of his own cell on himself and cracked a smile and a wink.

I like off.

[Marnie Sullivan]

Aaand save.

Must be all that paste.

Marnie bit her lip, skin still bearing a slight tinge of the wallpaper behind her. She took another deep breath, this time to steady her hands. Ash had suggested to pursue, instead of wait to be pursued... Well, Marnie wasn't feeling quite that bold yet, but her roommate had a point.

it's not as impressive as my bf's though. His power is disappearing forever.

Marnie swallowed nervously and hit "send" before she could talk herself out of it, then snatched up a pillow to bury her face in.

[Lucas Blacke]

Oh dude! Sweet! You'll have to introduce me to him, that sounds so cool.

Ofcourse he hoped that she was joking. He was just assuming she was and kind of playing along. If she wasn't joking, no biggie, it'd still be cool. If she was, however, it'd be [most likely] to feel out the situation. Lucas made a proverbial living making fun of these types of things.

Soo.. I've been wondering.
What're we doing? Going to do?

Luke shook his head and momentarily closed his eyes and slapped his own forehead.

..so what music do you like?

[Marnie Sullivan]

That might be kind of difficult since he disappeared forever

If only sarcasm translated better over text.

What were they doing, anyway? None of this conversation read as flirting, exactly, but Marnie couldn't shake the feeling that it was close. He was asking for clarification, and well, what wouldn't she give for that? But she didn't know any better than he seemed to, surely. Something in Marnie's chest tightened while she stared at the screen.

...We're getting to know each other, I guess.

I like movie soundtracks. Music with lyrics distracts me when I'm reading. You?

[Lucas Blacke]

Disappeared? So, was he always an asshole for leaving someone like you?

Yup, maybe a bit too brass. But Luke didn't care. In fact, he was pretty sure now that Marnie was using sarcasm as he had the same problem, sarcasm was a bit harder to read in text. He was just responding with what he liked to call advanced sarcasm. Sarcasm so serious that the recipient wouldn't know if it was actually serious or not.

But then again, in this particular situation Lucas wasn't quite sure either.

Wait. Isn't.. like..

Lucas sighed and inhaled.

Getting to know each other more effective if you like, you know, meet up somewhere?

[Marnie Sullivan]

Well, at least he'd gotten the message that there was no boyfriend currently in the picture. Whether Lucas believed he'd ever existed or not was a matter that could wait. The prospect of meeting up was more pressing.

What, right now? But there's curfew.

After hitting "send" Marnie remembered that she didn't even know if Lucas lived on campus. And even if he did, god, she must sound like such a child. Curfew, really...

[Lucas Blacke]

Curfew?

Hold on, there's a curfew? That sucks.

He realized he had probably heard that somewhere, but knowing himself he more than likely blocked it out. He never was one to follow rules.

I never said right now. But its always possible to stay out of sight
I can be really, REALLY sneaky.

Luke started humming something, but couldn't quite figure out what. Probably something he heard somewhere before. He didn't know. Nor cared. But like it? Nah. He got up and turned on some deathcore.

And to get back to the previous question, my taste in music is like.. distracting. Though so are you.

Not that Luke minded. He never did anything remotely educative.