Don't I know you? (Quinn)

[Brendan James]

Brendan felt at ease in the coffee shop he was sitting in. He liked it here in Pilot Ridge. Even after being away for years, he’d always considered it his home. And he suspected he always would. To him, Pilot Ridge was like your favorite blanket you like wrapping yourself in. He’d imagined when he was younger, traveling the world and never looking back. But now that he was nearly thirty years old… Well he still wanted to travel the world. Though now he always imagined returning to here. And that didn’t bother him in the slightest.

He licked his finger and turned the page of the newspaper he was holding open in front of himself. While he read, in the back of his mind he was thinking of starting his new position at Hammel in just a few short days. But he wasn’t nervous about it. No, he was more thinking about if it was the right choice. The reason for his return home in the first place was the death of his mother. His little sisters and father had needed somebody to take care of them and the house. But a year and a half had passed since. And he couldn’t put his life on hold anymore. And he refused to.

With his paper finished, he folded it back up and sipped his large decaf coffee as he looked out the window. He’d gotten a look or two, sitting there. Which he had gotten used to over the years. It tended to be the case when you sat in a coffee shop in the evening by yourself… Wearing a suit. And a fedora. But he saw no reason to not be dressed up and he liked wearing suits.

Plus he was considering getting lost in an adventure tonight. Perhaps heading to New York for a day or two before the new semester started. And part of that adventure might just happen with somebody in the coffee shop. Each time the door opened, Brendan looked over and checked out the people who walked in. Half of the fun about getting into trouble was dragging some unsuspecting person along with you.

[Quinn Collins]

Despite the mild temperature winter, the days were still short and it had gotten dark before Quinn was off from work which didn't particularly please the young pediatrician. She hated that it got dark early and the lack of Christmas joy (which she liked more than she'd ever admit out loud) was now over just making the early dark more depressing.

Like always, right from work Quinn hopped into her old beat up cur and putted her way down to the coffee shop that had gained a rightful place in her cold shrivled little heart. If there was ever to be true love in her life she was sure she had found it in the ceramic cups of the little shop. Caffeine would forever be her Romeo and she more than a little okay with that.

The air around the coffee shop was her favorite smell, right before she went in. The faint smell of cold and winter mixed with the ground beans that made her beloved drink. It was magic. Quinn pulled the door open slowly, savoring the scents as they mixed. At the counter she said hi to the girl who she'd become friendly with and ordered her usual, a large hazelnut coffee with two packs of sugar, real sugar, none of that sissy fake crap that the low cal girls liked to use. That stuff was crap anyway, only preserved their hated love handles rather then got rid of them if anything.. not to mention the chemicals in it to make them crave sugar.. idiots. Quinn paid the girl and took her cup nearly choking on her coffee when she spotted someone who looked rather familiar.

It was like seeing a ghost seeing the boy sitting by the window.. or should she say man? God. No. It couldn't be. Then again it was Pilot Ridge... Shit SHIT! She wasn't particularly good with dealing with people from high school... then again maybe he wasnt. She'd play it cool. She grabbed the book from out of her bag and sat at the next table over. He'd say something to her if he recognized her. If he was that kid... the artsy kid she was thinking of he'd say something.. plus she looked way different now, she'd gained some weight and grew into her ears and even had boobs now! She also dressed slightly better, slightly.

[Brendan James]

From the moment she walked, he’d been looking at her. But he thought most people would be. She was incredibly beautiful after all. Stunning even. Though, that wasn’t the reason he was staring at her. Well… Not the only reason at least. There was something about her face. Vague familiarity. Then again, Brendan prided himself on never forgetting a face. And when she sat at a nearby table, he continued staring. If she looked up and made eye contact, he’d smile politely, then look away. Only to look back when her eyes were diverted.

If he did know her, he assumed it’d be from Pilot Ridge obviously. What were the chances of somebody he’d met while in New York moving to Pilot Ridge, then strolling into the same café he was in, only for the two of them to meet again. That was some kind of romantic comedy shit right there, if it were the case. But instead he went with the Pilot Ridge possibility. Most of his friends he’d kept in touch with. The ones that still liked him that is. He’d decided on Hammel. He didn’t know many people before then, simply because he’d been the ‘weird kid’. Still though… Couldn’t come up with a name.

So in typical Brendan fashion, he stood up, folding his paper underneath his arm, picked up his coffee, and moved to her table. Without asking if it was ok, he sat across from him, set his paper back down followed by his coffee, and smiled at her. “Hammel, right?” Even if he was wrong, he wouldn’t feel ass-ish. After all, it was an honest mistake. And in addition, if he was entirely wrong, it gave him a good in to start talking to her. ‘Oh you’re not? Well I apologize. I knew this beautiful girl in high school and you look just like her.’ Yes, if that were the case, it would be one of the times his confidence was nauseating.

“Brendan James” He said coolly as he reached his hand across the small table to her. The Hammel bound wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t remember him. Until his early twenties, he barely broke five feet. And he was scrawny. All skin and bone, but eating more (healthy that is) and hitting the gym a few times a week gave him the muscle definition he’d craved. Plus, his hair was always changing. In high school, it’d been down to his shoulders. Now it was trimmed on the sides, long on top and brushed straight back.

[Quinn Collins]

Quinn nearly pooped her scrubs when the familiar looking guy got up and plopped himself down right across from her. She couldn't believe that he had the balls to do that and now was really curious who he was. She picked up her coffee taking a sip to mask the gaping mouth he'd left open. The quick taste of caffeine helped her to collect herself enough to answer his question. "Yeah... years ago." She said. It wasn't that many years, what.... 9? Oh wow that was a lot of years... she felt old.

She smiled when he said his name. Brendan James. She remembered him. He wasn't a friend of hers directly but she'd had friends who were close with him. She had to keep from laughing. It was nice to see he finally grew! Then again she had no right to laugh. "Quinn Collins." She shook his hand. Her handshake was firm, masculine almost. It didn't fit her body but it sure fit her personality.

Once they'd let go of hands Quinn sat back in her chair unable to stop staring at him. This was weird. "I... Wow." She said happy he remembered her but hoping he only remembered.... her being cool... doubtful. "You sure grew up." Asshole. She was a bitch.

"What the fuck are you doing back in Pilot ridge?" She wasn't very eloquent. She was so excited to see him. She was shocking herself. Who was she? Excited to see someone from high school? She wanted to slap herself back into reality. But no, she was excited. Perhaps a trip back to the past would help to pave the way for a slightly more appealing future.. or something like that. Wasn't that what new years was about? Yeah? No.

[Brendan James]

When she confirmed his beliefs, he smiled. “I thought you looked familiar.” He would’ve added ‘I never forget a beautiful face’, but based on the difference from him in high school to him now was almost laughable. So just because she was beautiful now, which she most certainly was, didn’t mean she was then. But he doubted she was particularly unattractive then either.

Quinn Collins. He saw it now. Remembered vaguely what she used to look like then, the mutual friends that they’d had. It was a wonder how they’d never actually met and became friends. She was a year younger than him if he remembered correctly. But he’d still been there when she graduated. He had needed extra learning when it came to controlling his ability. So he was forced to attend the local college. Not that he minded too terribly.

He didn’t mind her saying that. Actually, he laughed at it. “Yeah… Thankfully. It would’ve sucked ass never getting any taller.” He looked at her again, blatantly giving her a look over. “But you don’t look so bad yourself. If you don’t mind my saying.” Females. He never knew which way to go with them. Some got offended when you complimented them. Which was always made him think ‘Yeah. Face, rocking. Personality, shit. Moving on.’

Laughing again, he was now even more confused as to why they hadn’t been friends in high school. She was fun already and he’d only just sat down. “I’m a fucking teacher if you can believe it. I’m starting at Hammel when the semester starts.” He took a long sip of his coffee, finishing it, and then set it back down. “What about you? What the hell are you still doing in Pilot Ridge?” He wondered just how fast of a coffee drinker she was because he definitely intended to ask her to get a drink at the bar down the street.

[Quinn Collins]

He thought she looked familiar. Well wasn't that just dandy. Oh the thoughts of high school were rushing back. Her being a loser in the science lab hanging out with the video game nerds wearing awful glasses and shirts from shitty bands. Not to mention the acne and ears that were a bit too big for her face. Thank GOD college straightened all that out.

She was pleased when ha laughed. Finally someone with a sense of humor in this God forsaken town. She smiled and laughed as well when he said that she looked better now too. "No I don't mind you saying." She minded him remembering though. "I'm glad you and I proceeded to get more beautiful while the rest of our classes hit their peaks." She didn't actually know that but she liked to think so. Plus at least, if she was going to run into anyone, she had run into someone who's high school appearance wasn't the best either. SO maybe they could move on from the memories, erase them with alcohol and only look to now. Plus, he'd gotten pretty... hot... yeahhhhh.

"A teacher huh?" She chuckled. She'd love to know why Hammel of all places. But that was cool. "What are you teaching?"

"Oh... I'm a pediatrician." She told him. The thought of her being a pediatrician still baffled her. She was awful, she drank and smoke and came to work more than once hung over or slightly high. She didn't like people and thought mothers were even worse but those damn kids... just... had a way to get into Quinn's dark little heart and she couldn't help but want to make their sniffles go away.

"Pilot Ridge had a spot open and..... I don't know I guess i'm a masochist."

[Brendan James]

If she thought the sense of humor in this town was dull… Well she was right. People here weren’t very, oh what’s the word? Humor-ful? It was a wonder to more than one person exactly how Brendan had managed to become a teacher. Anyway… He hadn’t always had this kind of sense of humor. But living in New York changed him. For the better of course. He truly believed everybody should live there at least once in their life.

Good, she wasn’t one of those kinds of girls. He doubted she was, but he’d also been afraid momentarily that she might’ve been and that he’d have to get up from the table and simply walk out of the café. Which would’ve been a pity. But ya’ gotta do what ya’ gotta do. Laughing again, he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Poor bastards… They probably all have beer guts and our losing their hair. But not everybody can be lucky and stunning like us.”

Brendan definitely imagined that’s how at least a few very specific people turned out. Mostly a guy or two from the football team. One of whom was actually living in his parents basement next door to him. And Brendan would be lying if he said he didn’t take at least a little pleasure in that everyday. Then again, it’s not like he had room to talk. He was living in his parents house. But for entirely different reasons. “Art actually. For some reason a minor in art actually came to some use.” He answered her, snapping back to attention. “And I somehow managed to get a license to teach. Because calling a teenager with his pants hanging so low I can see his boxers a Dumbass is now socially acceptable I guess.”

“Woooah!” He said a little louder than necessary, because a head or two turned. “Quinn’s a doctor now.” He’d seen the scrubs… But his slight, very slight, chauvinistic tendencies made him think she was a nurse. “How do you like it? The job itself I mean.

Obviously, the masochist comment was a joke and it made Brendan smile. “I actually have a theory on Pilot Ridge. You think you can leave at any time, do whatever it is you want with your life, but it sucks you back in!” He hoped she knew he was kidding and doing this all for the laugh. His eyes grew big, looking at her seriously. “Pilot Ridge is not simply a town. It’s a living thing.” Of course, when he finished he snorted and shook his head. Sometimes, only sometimes, he found himself more amusing than he actually was.

[Quinn Collins]

Quinn was looking forward to the high school reunion that was coming up within the next year. She couldn't wait to see who got knocked up first and who was already divorced. She was a bit cynical and petty at times... loving hearing the tragic stories of the popular girls who's desperate housewives dreams were crushed and now they were living with 9 cats in a trailer... or she hoped.

"Art huh?" She asked. Art... something she wasn't so skilled in... she was a much more bookish mind with very little artistic capability... though she sometimes liked to pretend she could paint and go to good will and find some half finished painting a high school kid left home, set out some paint brushes and make it look like it was hers...

She smiled. She couldn't imagine him being a teacher but then again. "A teacher.. hmm.. you know.." She closed one eye holding up her hands and making a picture frame with her thumbs and index fingers. "I think... it suits you." She dropped her hands and took another sip from her coffee.

"Oh yeah.... I'm real impressive. I wipe kids noses for a living!" She joked. "uhm yeah... well... you know it helps that my abilities include healing." Had she not been a mutant she probably wouldn't have become a doctor. She was good, she was smart, but honestly she fixed most things by just using her biological manipulation which was kind of cheating...

"But yeah i like it. The mothers are awful always thinking their kids are DYING but i like it." She loved the kids too much.

She laughed when he told her his theory of Pilot Ridge. Yes, it did seem to suck people back in. "Oh God i hope Pilot Ridge doesn't work exactly like that or we're both prisoners here." She said and knocked back the rest of her coffee.

[Brendan James]

Laughing at her when she framed him with her hands, Brendan shrugged. “Yeah… I go for that whole ‘teacher who doesn’t give a fuck’ kinda thing. I think I’ve pretty much nailed it.” He said leaning back in his chair. “But that’s just my opinion of myself personally.”

He’d been wondering, but he knew a few people were more… Private about their abilities. “Yeah. I get that. Illusions help with the artistic thing I got going to.” Again, he leaned in and whispered, “It also help keeps the older kids in line.” With a wink and a smile so again, she’d know he was kidding.

“Ugh… Mothers are the worst.” Of course, not all mothers. Brendan only thought back on his mother in the best light. “I can only imagine how many times you’ve wanted to shove them in a closet and lock them in there.” He knew he’d wanted to do just the same many a time. The number of parents who yelled at him for unfairly failing their kid. Time and time again he had to explain to them that if their offspring bothered to even show up for class they’d pass with a C.

“Well I’m afraid that’s my theory my dear girl. We will forever be stuck here. Prisoners.” Once she set her cup down, without asking again (his motto was ‘It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission’), he tipped it towards himself to see just how much coffee she had left. “Perfect.”

He stood up, this time leaving his paper and cup in place (he left papers in coffee shops all time, figuring somebody would come along wanting to read it), and held his hand out to the girl to assist her stand up. “We shall retire to the bar down the street for some drinks.” Asking was frowned upon, it gave a woman the chance to say no. “Unless you’re opposed to fun times induced by alcohol.”

[Quinn Collins]

"I'd imagine a teacher would have it worse than even me" She said. "I fix their broken kids.. you break them." She said very seriously, though she was joking. "I mean really you hold their futures as the next great artist in the palm of your hands! Without your A.... well... they might as well just drink nail polish remover and call it a day." She was such an ass.

When he said they were prisoners her hand went up to her forehead dramatically. "Maybe we should drink the nail polish remover." She chuckled watching as he got up and looked into her glass. He was forward, she liked it. She took his hand and got up. "Drinks? You're my kind of alcoholi- I mean friend!" SHe chuckled. She was only half kidding about that one. She was starting to wonder if she had a drinking problem, she had been drinking nearly every night that week.... and most of the time alone. But hey! Now was NOT the time to be worrying abut such a thing.

"I know a great place if you're looking to sit amongst Hammels finest pot bellied men and play darts."

[Brendan James]

Ok seriously. Brendan was loving this girl. Beautiful, crass, funny. It was like he was hanging out with himself! And he loved it! “Hey, in all fairness, I only break the spirits of the assholes. Plus, I mean, I’m an art teacher. So just imagine all the ‘angst’ filled-authority questioning-my life sucks-I’m in love with my best friend teenagers I get.” No, Brendan of course didn’t think any of the kids were assholes. Ok maybe one or two. But! If he didn’t like teenagers, he wouldn’t have become a teacher. That’d be the very last thing he’d become.

“Ummmm… Or alcohol poisoning. Much more fun that way. Plus we’re getting a drink anyway. We might as well drink that bar dry.” He didn’t think of himself as an alcoholic. He enjoyed drinking, yes. Sometimes he drank too much, yes. Ok, well those two examples alone didn’t make his argument really. Based on that alone, yeah, he probably could be. But he didn’t always drink too much. And he hadn’t had a drink since… last weekend? And he had been drinking less since returning home. Something about being around his sisters more made him enjoy less. Damn those kids.

“Pot bellied you say? Hmmm…” As if this was actually something he considered when picking a bar to attend, Brendan stroked his chin. “Onward we shall go to visit our classmates and flaunt our beauty.” He went straight to the door, holding it open for her of course. Despite his confidence, sometimes cockiness and arrogance, he was a gentlemen.

[Quinn Collins]

Quinn liked this guy. Drink the bar dry! That she could definitely do! Why hadn't she been friends with him in high school? REALLY? He was so much fun! And just as much of an ass as she was! This was perfect! She had so needed to find a friend... well at least a friend who was her age who wasn't gay. She loved the gays, she was half gay herself! But she seemed to attract them like a fly to light or a fat kid to a honey glazed ham.

Quinn laughed, hard, when their joke about their former classmates came full circle. Her laugh was funny, not totally unfortunate, in fact it was cute until she snorted... which she just did. The girl really had no shame, she didn't apologize or act embarrassed. She snorted when she laughed! It was what it was and today she was not in the mood for apologizes. She did... look over to see if he laughed at her though. She'd kick his ass if he did.

"Do you want to drive?" Ah shit she was still in her scrubs. She just noticed. "Sure you want to go to the classiest bar ever with me in my winnie the pooh outfit?" She wasn't sure why her office insisted on scrubs. Well at least for her. She supposed it was because she was still on residency and wasn't a "real doctor" till may. Damn those technicalities. They dressed her as a nurse. Lame.

[Brendan James]

Good. She’d laughed. He hated when people stopped laughing at legitimately funny things, just because it’d been said already. Really? What was stopping them from laughing? Douches. Nothing worse in the world than those people. And then it happened. The snort. And Brendan couldn’t help but double over, laughing. It was… Awesome. He’d begun to wonder if this girl was entirely perfect, which would nauseate him. But the snort proved she wasn’t. Then again, even the snort was pretty cute. “I’m sorry… That was just… Awesome.” He said, still chuckling and wiping his eyes.

He nodded to driving, but then froze. Wait… She wanted to change? But-But! Didn’t she realize?! It was stupid and cliché, yes. And no, Quinn wasn’t actually a nurse. But with scrubs like those, it might be obvious why somebody might think she was. And, for whatever reason, quite a few were attracted to nurses. Then again, scrubs weren’t typically what men pictured sexy nurses in. It was the short white dress and white heels and white fishnet stockings. Which was a REEEALLY implausible outfit for at a hospital… Stupid male fantasies. “I mean if you told all the guys there you were nurse wearing those scrubs, they’d drool all over you.”

After giving her a wink at his little joke, he shrugged. “I’m fine having you on my arm in your scrubs there. Still the best looking ones there. But if you want to swing by your place to change, that’s cool.” He’d be happy to take her by her place. While he was rather anxious to see all the beer guts and receding hairlines, he wouldn’t say no to glancing around her place.

[Quinn Collins]

Quinn was happy he seemed to enjoy her snort. She couldn't tell you how many guys had blacklisted her immediately after hearing it and she couldn't say she was particularly proud of it. She was quite embarrassed of it but to not embrace it would just be letting those douche bags win. As long as he didn't make fun of it, then he was safe. The second Brendan startred to make fun of it she'd rip his balls off.

Quinn chuckled when he said the guys there would love her in her scrubs. "Yes i'm sure but it's more about not wanting to find out who brings their kids to my office. Then it becomes personal and unprofessional." She shrugged. "Then they also think i owe them favors and I don't make house calls." It'd happened before.

"Cool. Sounds good I only live a few blocks north of here." She told him. She hopped in his car and directed him to her apartment. She would invite him up, and should he come he'd see that the three floor walk up was humble. She still hadn't unpacked all of her boxes from moving in over a year ago and he'd be greeted by an orange cat named Oliver.

[Brendan James]

“Really?” No matter what, the audacity for some people would never cease to astound him. “The people we went to school think you owe them anything? Please…” With a shake of his head, he added, “THEY owe you for gracing this town with your genius doctor abilities and model looks. The bastards. Tonight. Tonight we shall show them.” When saying this, both of his hands adjusted the lapels of his suit jacket.

This was an evening he was looking forward to, even the little detour. “Oh perfect, then we’ll be at the bar in no time.” Seeing where she lived would be nice. Especially if her place was as awesome as she was. So, climbing into his pre-owned Honda he was excited. And thankful that the mess in his car was restricted to the trunk. Except for a few art supplies, but those were in the backseat. As she directed him, he sped down the way. He was a safe driver. And he strictly went no more than miles over the speed limit. That was the rule, at least it should be. And he’d never gotten a ticket for only going ten over. So he figured he was good.

When they arrived at her building, Brendan quickly hopped out of the car and trotted to her side to open the car door. He enjoyed his cockiness and quirkiness. But manners were essential. Though, he obviously ignored some. Such as the use of profanity. But the right kind of company wouldn’t mind. “Well come on then. Pretty yourself up to make the drunkards at the bar buy us drink woman!” Of course, the drinks would all be for her. Brendan’s hair wasn’t nearly the right kind of style any longer to confuse drunken men into thinking he was an ugly girl that they could hook up with if they got him drunk enough. Damn shame too, he thought as he remembered why he’d liked having long hair in the first place.