I'm Not Lost! - Jackie Tags Jared

[Jared Park]

“Err, yeah. I’m fifteen. Ish. I’ll be turning sixteen on September.” Which is so near already. Though considering he’d be considered most likely an adult by then, he’s more anxious than excited. He’s not quite ready to leave his childish ways yet. “Maybe he’s in one of my classes. I have a tendency to forget people. My bad,” he grinned apologetically.

Jared had to cover his mouth and subtly pinch his sides when he saw how wide Jackie’s eyes went at the mention of beavers, moose and polar bears. Gosh this was so good to be true. Now he knows why his siblings and friends love to tease him so much. (Though he insists that he’s not as naïve as Jackie is, or is he?). “Well, you can, obviously,” nodded the boy, taking in a few deep breaths in order to keep his matter-of-factly façade, “They’re really nice when you’ve domesticated them. It’s Canada’s way of preventing their extinction really.” He’d tell her the truth later. If he remembers to, that is.

Thank goodness Jackie finally mentioned paying. The whole comment somehow made Jared realize that he’s already taking far too long and that he has to accompany the little princess to the Disney store. “I’ll just change back to my stuff real quick and we’re off,” nodded the boy, rushing back to the dressing room to change back into his shirt and grab his stuff.

“Sorry it took so long,” he said, sticking his tongue out as he ushered Jackie on the way to the counter (he grabbed the two other shirts on the way; they’re roughly the same size so he hopes they’d fit him nicely too anyway). “So, Disney store?” he said as he held the bag on his side, “It’s this way.”

Finally.

[Jackie Vick]

"Oh well, I'll ask him to seek you out once I get the chance." She smiled and nodded, not at all offended that Jared didn't know Elliot.

Completely oblivious to the ruse Jared was pulling, Jackie's unwavering naivete compelled her to ask even more questions about Rufus. "How big is he now? What does he eat? And...where does he stay in your house?" Came the torrent of questions from the young girl, complete with wild inquisitive eyes and a dropped jaw.

She nodded when Jared said he would change back to his old shirt that was now probably very sticky and she shrugged at the thought. "Um, Jared...don't you wanna change? I mean. I like the shirt but I can't imagine it being comfortable now that it's all sticky with caramel gunk."

The prospect of finally going to the Disney store briefly swayed her from the t-shirt issue and she kept close to Jared. She didn't want to get lost a second time! "So you come here often?" Jackie asked, not wanting to be rude to her 'saviour'. The least she could do was be gracious to him for helping her instead of being all quiet.

[Jared Park]

Despite his conscience turning all Jasper-like already – annoying, nagging and, unfortunately, right – telling him to drop the act and tell his unassuming friend that it’s all just a joke, Jared found himself doing the opposite, continuing the deception and making it a lot more colorful than before. “He’s around” -he paused for a bit, looking around until he found a (at least in his eyes) suitable mannequin height- “this tall now,” he said, measuring up to the said display’s shoulders. “It’s fun. You can actually ride him and all that.”

As it was, Jackie’s naïveté is what’s fuelling the boy’s façade to continue. If anything, her thirst for the ‘truth’ is making the boy spew out more lies than ever before. “He’s basically just like a dog, only bigger,” nodded the Canadian boy, rubbing his chin to look all the more trustworthy, “If it wasn’t for the special feeds that ‘double in size’ when eaten, Rufus would’ve eaten us to the ground.” Foolproof, his lie was, right? “He stays in the backyard. He has his own pen and all that. Though he likes to sneak out and play with the neighbor’s bear. Delilah, I think was her name.”

He promises to tell the truth within the next minute. Pinky swear on that.

In all the fuss of weaving a believable world and embarrassment that he took far too long, Jared has forgotten the actual reason why they went to the store in the first place. “Oh yeah. Wait here ok? Promise I’ll be real quick this time.” Lucky him the mall washrooms are just around the corner. Rushing to a cubicle, he was in and out faster than, well, normal. He didn’t bother stop by the mirror to check his hair or anything like that. “Tadaaa!”

“During the school year, no. But since it’s summer and I have nothing else to do in school, I’m here a whole lot more than I thought I’d be.” And after a turn here and a flight of stairs there, they’re finally in front of the said store. “Disney store?” he grinned.

[Jackie Vick]

Widening her eyes at how tall Rufus purportedly was, she gripped Jared's sleeve. "How do you even get on him? Is there like a special ladder you use? Or does Rufus pick you up and sling you over?" Clearly the girl didn't know how polar bears actually are. She really did need to grow up fast.

"Aww, what a pretty name for a polar bear! Delilah." Jackie beamed, hopelessly in the dark about the authenticity of Jared's words.

"Oh yeah! Take your time. My dad says I can come back at six today." She checked her watch and nodded. She had plenty of time before curfew. As she waited, she looked around the mall and tried to remember where she had seen the store. Nothing actually seemed familiar. Served her right for being too busy looking down and admiring her shoes when she went out of the house.

Once Jared came out of the toilet, Jackie smiled up at him, a little more comfortable with the older boy than she had been at first. "You look nice!" She admired the shirt and then followed him over to the Disney store. "Oh hey, we're here!" Her eyes practically sparkled when she caught sight of the store. Everything Disney was sold here.

She was on the lookout for some bedspreads and stationaries. "Thank you Jared! You're the best." she hugged Jared from the side and walked in. Before she got lost into the store, she turned back to Jared. "Um...I'll see you around?" She asked hesitantly, tilting her head in question.

[OOC: Jammy wammy, wrap?]

[Jared Park]

“We use a stepladder to climb on him. But my sister’s training him to catch us with his massive paws and safely put us on his back,” Jared nodded, surprisingly hiding whatever chuckle he has under such a matter-of-factly tone. “So far she’s succeeded 7 times out of 10.” Screw the whole pinky swear thing. He’d finally decided to keep the act up until they’d part. Or at least until an obvious flaw in his tales become evident and Jackie calls him up on it. “Delilah’s the sweetest thing. I can’t wait till they have cubs. Our neighbor promised me one if the two do hit it up.”

Oh how he wishes he had a polar bear cub for real.

“Oh? So this is…ok,” he said a bit after Jackie hugged him, when she started walking in the store. He was under the impression that he’d be ‘chaperoning’ her, at least until her dad picks her up. He was actually thinking of treating her out for an ice cream cone since she did accompany him with the whole buy-a-new-shirt thing he did. Guess a change of plans is in order then. “See you around then Jackie!” If this was Vancouver, he would’ve thought the statement to be rather impossible; it was a bustling city after all. But considering how tightly-knit Pilot Ridge was – and how often he’d be in town during the summer – it doesn’t seem all farfetched.

As he waved back and walked over to the adjacent shoe store, he couldn’t help but remember the guilt he felt when she gave him a hug. Hopefully an ice cream cone, or a sundae even, would be enough of a bribe to pacify her should she know he tricked her.

ooc:
Wrapped it is. :3.
- Jam