Nice day for a walk

[Xavier Abhay]

Xavier sighed as he breathed in the fresh air by the lake. He walked up to the lake and sighed. It was a pretty nice day and he was glad he wore what he wore. Digging in his pocket he pulled out his cigarettes and took on out. Smiling slightly he lite up his cigarette. "Perfect. Just what I needed." He said as he couldn't get his lighter to work. His face showing how aggravated that made him. Xavier just walked around with the cigarette un-lite in his mouth. He walked up to the edge of the road and tossed his broken lighter as far as he could. Turning around he walked back to the lake.

He decided just to sit down. That was until he remembered that he had brought matches. "Ha thats right always bring a back up." Soon he had lit his cigarette. Taking a big inhale he sighed happily. He couldn't last more then a few hours without a cigarette.

[Tamara DaCosta]

The thing about living in Vermont was that there weren’t many ‘nice’ days in winter. As such, Tamara was pleasantly surprised when she pulled back her curtains that morning and saw the sun shining brightly. It wasn’t much compared to what she had grown up with in sunny California, but it was a rare sight in the North East. Particularly in February. As soon as school was out for the day, she hopped in her sports car and took it out for a spin. No doubt another Northeaster was on its way, and the auto fanatic didn’t want to waste her opportunity to drive on the ice-free roads.

Of course, when there was such a nice day, Mars couldn’t spend it all inside a car. When her cruising eventually led her to the lake, she pulled over and hopped out. She wandered out to the shore where most of the snow had melted away from the water’s edge. As she approached the lake, she noticed there was someone else already sitting on the beach. Closer inspection revealed it to be one of her students. “How’s it shakin’, Xave?” she asked as she flopped down beside the teenager, eying his cigarette with a frown. “As I recall, you’re too young to be doing that. Or am I mistaken?”

[Xavier Abhay]

Xavier shrugged "Hey Mrs. DaCosta. Well, if you don't tell I won't" He chuckled a little. Looking around he saw her car. "I like the ride." He took another drag of his cigarette. He wondered what Mrs. DaCosta would have been like if she was a little younger. He couldn't help but sheck her out now. Even though she was older he couldn't help notice how good she looked for her age. Xavier sighed. He didn't know if she smoked or not. If she did he wanted to try and be a decent person. Sighing heavily he asked. "Want a smoke?" He looked at her then to her ride. She was probably going to say no but that was cool. Then he had more to himself that way.

"What brings out here? Besides it being such a wonderful day." Xavier tried to make small talk but he wasn't quite sure how to with her being a teacher. Normally he would hit on the girl or accuse her of checking him out. Basically trying to get the person to open up adn be themselves.

[Tamara DaCosta]

“I guess I can’t do anything about it since we aren’t on campus,” she said with a pout. It bugged her that she didn’t have any such authority at the lake, but it was public land after all. “Although, I prefer you didn’t smoke with me here. It could get messy if someone saw us.” She certainly wasn’t aiming to lose her job.

Mars couldn’t resist snorting when she noticed him checking her out. It wasn’t the first time she’d been once-overed by a student, but it was easier to avoid when she was in a grimy jumpsuit. Boys will be boys. The next offer was a little more iffy. He might have been trying to be polite, but she found it rather audacious that he would offer a cigarette to a teacher; particularly since he was too young to be smoking in the first place. “No. I’m good,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

The teacher shrugged in response to his question. “Nothing in particular. What about you? I’m sure you came here for something other than fresh air...and a cigarette. Strange combination,” she commented with a chuckle. The irony was killing her inside.

[Xavier Abhay]

Xavier nodded as he tossed his cigarette away. He at least inhaled enough so he wasn't craving one no more. What was he going to do argue with her? He wouldn't argue with a pretty woman who knew how to handle power tools. Xavier shrugged at her next question. "I needed to get out and exercise. You don't think I look like this just by sitting around on my butt all day do ya?" He chuckled a little. It was weird for him to talk to a teacher outside of school, especially a female teacher. Xavier looked out towards the lake. "So how'd ya get a nice car like that one?"

[Tamara DaCosta]

It pleased her when he complied to her advise. She would have snatched it out of his hand and put it out for him had he not done so himself, but this way she could be less of a bitch. “Thanks.” Tamara shrugged at his answer. “Hey, some people just have a natural knack for being thin. I envy them,” she said with a chuckle. She certainly wouldn’t be so thin if she spent her time lazing around.

Xavier's question on the car amused the teacher. “Tch. I built it, of course. Well, fixed it up anyway,” she said smirking. In addition to being a mechanic before she started working at Hammel, she had spent a lot of her free time building cars on the side. The sports car was one of the one’s she had restored back in the day. His curiosity wasn’t terribly surprising; not every teacher had the ability to make their own car. “That one was always my baby.” Who needed kids when you had cars? Not Mars.

[Xavier Abhay]

Xavier tilted his head to look at the car. He wondered how nice Mrs. DaCosta was. He really wanted to look at it up close and personal. He turned to look at his teacher. "Mrs. DaCosta is it OK if i go take a closer look? I mean if you allow and all." he wasn't one to give teachers a hard time. Only people his age, those who he went to school with. He knew if he did something to rub a teacher the wrong way his mother and father would have something to say about it. That thought made him wince. He hoped that she didn't see that part.


((Sorry that my posts are so short. I'm still trying to get the hang of being a dude.))

[Tamara DaCosta]

"Nah, go for it," she said with a yawn and a stretch. It was nice to get to show off her toy for once. It seemed like ages had passed since she last got the car out of the garage--beyond driving to the Institute everyday, of course--and even less often did someone ask to take a look. She had been admiring the lake scenery and hadn't seen the boy wince, but the teacher eventually pulled herself off the ground and joined him by the car. She told him the make and model and reminisced about its restoration, even briefly popping the hood so he could sneak a peek at the engine. "And she has a nice purr at full throttle," Mars boasted as she slammed the hood shut again. "It's a great car."

((Don't worry about it. =) Sorry for the wait.))

[Xavier Abhay]

Xavier drolled as he looked at the car. He ran his hand across the hood after she closed it. "Oh how I wish I could have a beauty like this. I can't even afford a beater." Xavier figured since she knew alot about cars she would know that a beater was a car that was pretty much broken down and was just a car to get from point A to point B. "Its a good day for this car though. Enough sun for it to be warm but not enough to mess up the paint job." Xavier nodded. he wasn't very smart when it came to cars but he knew enough to get by.

[Tamara DaCosta]

The teacher smirked as the boy practically slobbered on the car’s paint job. “I’m sure you will some day, kid,” she reassured him. “In the meantime, you’ll just have to settle for marvelling over mine.” She laughed at the teasing. It was a simple joke, nothing meant to make him feel bad. “Besides, you’ve got to start somewhere,” Mars reminded him. “I had to work hard to get this car.”

She began to wander back towards the lake, taking her sweet time as she weaved along the path. It really was a beautiful day out and she wondered to herself whether or not it was a sign of the coming Spring or if it was just nature’s way of teasing her like she had teased Xavier. “Hopefully my class can help you with that,” she called back to him, stopping to exam the tree branches. If she could spy buds then surely Spring was on it's way. Unfortunately, the branches still appeared to be bare.

"When do you think the leaves will come out?" she finally mused allowed.

[Xavier Abhay]

Xavier reluctantly walked away from the car. He wanted one so bad. It was almost unfair. Then again Mrs. DaCosta was right eventually and with the help of her class he might be able to do the same thing.

After all the rule was buy cheap sell high, right? Xavier shrugged and walked up the path behind her. It was still weird talking to a teacher outside of school. This was definitely a first for him. Looking up at the trees like she did he sighed.

"I don't know. The trees look bare but the weather is warm enough, and they look pretty healthy." Xavier examined the trees. Noting how healthy they looked. After all he was a pot smoker so he was pretty good with plants.

He wasn't sure however if the same rules applied with trees. "They look healthy though. Hopefully they will Bud soon. Its so pretty in the spring here. I try and walk out here often when the trees and flowers start coming out." Xavier gave a happy sigh and continued his slow walk back to the bench, looking around at all the plants.

[Tamara DaCosta]

Running into students outside of school was always a little awkward, but since Pilot Ridge was such a small town, it was something Mars quickly got use to. Those who did have the privilege of going off campus didn't have much else to do but go to the shops in town or one of the other attractions in the area. Lake included. Of course, having a car gave the teacher the ability to get out of town if she wanted to. It wasn't something she did frequently, however, because while PR was small it was still a beautiful place to relax.

"Mhm," Tamara said with an agreeing nod. "I like spring too." The change in seasons was something she hadn't experienced until she had moved to Vermont as a young teenager to begin her training at Hammel. Before that, she didn't know what spring truly was. It wasn't such a big deal in Los Angeles where the climate was relatively moderate. The vegetation was still stunted, but the teacher was sure that if the weather stayed warm then the signs of spring would appear soon.

She stopped again to look at a sapling, and stroked the tips of the branches. "Yep, see this?" she pointed to a small bud. "That's going to open soon." Mars smiled before finishing her walk to the bench and sitting down again. "Gotta take in the sun and the sand while we still can," she joked, "If we wait too long, this place will be overrun with tourists before we can have our fill." Of course the little town never attracted too many people, but that's what made her statement funny. Or so she thought.

[Xavier Abhay]

Xavier chuckled a little. The thought of Pilot ridge being over run with tourists was something rather funny to him. A small town hosting the big stars and millions of people was a thought that popped into his head. That only made him laugh harder.

"Wow..a boring town turned into a booming city..." He laughed a little more. He hoped he didn't seem ridiculous or out of character. Most of his meanness was a facade anyway.

It was something to keep people from picking on him and bugging him. Yea he liked to smoke pot, cigarettes and drink bear and party. But he also loved art, and drawing, even reading was a favorable hobby for him.

Xavier taking a calm breath he looked at his teacher. "I highly doubt that would ever happen. Besides there should be enough for everyone here. It is a nice place to visit after all."

[Tamara DaCosta]

The mechanic joined in on the laughter, even if she didn't know the real reason for the increased volume. Hey, at least she earned a little humor. "It can happen!" she defended herself. "It must happen sometimes. That's how you end up with cities, right?" Tamara was talking out of her ass by this point, but it made sense to her.

She gave a nod to his other statement. "Yeah, that's the reason I ended up coming back. Other than to start my own business," she agreed with a smirk. "It's no LA, but there is something about this place that makes it...charming." A lot of kids hate the place when they are in school, but even those kids ended up coming back with surprising frequency. Mars was never found of Hammel herself. Now she taught there.