Get over it

[Leon Belenos]

The cool autumn breeze cut straight through Leon's thin shirt. It was days like today that made him glad of his powers. He casually took a drag from his half finished cigarette. Sighing to himself he almost had to question what he was doing outside on a day like today. The overhead clouds made him think that it would be raining very soon, one of the types of weather he simply couldn't stand. He took another drag and sat himself down against one of the many trees on the school grounds. Almost instantly his journal was out and he was starting to write, he had his reasons and they were all his own.

Dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt Leon sighed as the wind blew his hair over his dark eyes. He brushed it out of his eyes and began to write Carrie out of his head. She had been extraordinary to him and every part of his heart missed her. He had met her in pilot ridge, she didn't attend the school but it certainly had been easy to see her outside
of the school hours. However she hadn't been able to deal with certain aspects of Leon's personality. A smirk spread across his face as he began to write. Guaranteed he would be burning this later but that was all part of his healing process.

The words scrawled across the page of his journal were scrawled hastily and intensely. Leon only ever stopped writing to wipe the particles of ash that had fallen from his still burning cigarette. He was so engrossed in the words he was writing he that he was completely unaware of everyone passing by him. He had finally finished the piece and was wiping the last of the ash from it when he came back to reality and heard footsteps coming near him.

Standing up quickly he brushed the leaves and dirt off of his pants just in time to look up and see a face he couldn't quite recall. Smirking to himself he couldn't help but think to himself how much fun he could have playing his little games with this person. Flicking the butt of his cigarette to the ground and crishing it with his foot he looked back up. "Hey... I'm Leon, and you are?" he asked casually, eyeing the stranger up and down before hastily stuffing his journal into his back pocket.

It had been a long day and tonput it simply he was looking for a way to forget about what he had just written. A dangerous glint was in his eye, and he eyed the newcomer like a piece of meat. Reaching into his pocket he took out his cigarettes and lit another one. He took a long drag and exhaled away from their face. It wasn't as if he wanted to start off on the wrong foot quite yet. He would have to wait and see what kind of game this would turn into.

(open)

[Jalen August]

Jalen had decided to take a stroll, a bright orange scarf wrapped around her neck, flowing over her black leather jacket, making it look almost elegant. Her blonde hair was down and blowing gently in the wind, threatening to whip back in her face. She stepped forward in black converse and jeans, the only thing missing was her iPod, which she still hadn’t fetched from her ex’s house. She doubted she ever would. I really need to buy a new one, she thought to herself, glancing at the trees and their changing leaves to rid her mind of that devilishly handsome blonde.

Passing through the courtyard, she thought she had a song coming on in her mind, and she tried to sing it out a bit:

(Chorus)
Without you the sun is gone
And without you my smile in none
And if I had to choose
I'd do it all over again

After that, she sighed, her dark eyes passing over a boy sitting in the courtyard, furiously writing something. It wouldn’t be the first time. Not that she was stalking him or anything, but she had seen him around, which would make sense seeing as they were the same age and in mostly the same classes. There were just some people you could recognize but not really know.

Hands in the pocket of her jacket, she approached him, watching him curiously. He was hard to miss – handsome, with a bad habit of smoking. Most people didn’t, and those that did she tended to befriend, or at least remember. Her dark eyes watched the leaves and other debris fall from his body as he stood, like a statue finally coming back to life. “Leon, I thought so,” she said, her eyes on his journal until he put it away. “Jalen, or Jay if you prefer,” she said, her hands still in her pockets but her eyes on him now.

“You into any other dangerous habits?” She asked, nodding towards the cigarette in Leon’s hands, a small smirk on her face.

[Leon Belenos]

Leon smirked at the girl slyly. Now that she had said her name he could recall seeing her around a few times. This would be the perfect distraction, she was easy enough on the eyes and seemed to be at least a little bit quick witted. From the looks of things this crumby day might manage to turn itself around. "I'll stick with Jalen for now... Maybe once I know you a bit better we can start with pet names." he said with glint in his eye. He knew very well what he had said left room for a bad reaction but he had the feeling he just might get away with it today.

Inhaling deeply through his nose he discovered the girl smelled rather good, even through the stench of his smoke. "Ah, smoking isn't that dangerous... Not compared to some other habits people have... But me, I like to play with fire." he said calmly, letting each word make it's impact. It wasn't hard for him to turn any conversation into a game of cat and mouse and Jalen had certainly caught him on anday that he wanted to. He snapped his fingers and concentrated, letting fire burn from his fingertips for a split second. It had taken him anew years to learn this level of control, but now it was something fun for him.

Leon stepped closer and looked the blonde deeply in the eyes. "Why about you? Any dangerous habits I should Benin the look out for?" he asked, just trying to get a read on what kind of girl Jalen was. It didn't usually take him long to do, and it made for a much easier time dealing with people. He took the time to make sure he would always be comfortable around new people, but right now he was already in his own zone.

Leon's eyes took in thenleather jacket and he smirked. "Do you ever ride motorcycles or do you just like the style?" he asked curiously. Just based off of her clothes he would have been willing to bet her favorite kind of music was rock. Taking another long drag he leaned back hainst the tree casually making eye contact with her through his hair. He smiled as he brushed it away from his eyes and ave her his full attention again. The wu he handled he conversation was as if it were a dance, graceful and careful, making sure each movement made sense with the next.

Leon smiled slyly and wondered to himself if she would be a good dance partner. Only time would tell him all that he wanted to know.

[Jalen August]

Jalen laughed at his flirting, a spark in her eye. Flirting was like any other battle, something that needed to be done right in order to win. Leon seemed to have it down to an art, subtle but still striking, something the blonde would keep in mind. The girl had a short temper, but flirting was something she could play at. So long as he wasn’t going to ask to bed her from the get go. She did have some lines that would never be crossed.

She watched with curiosity as flames sprung to life, engulfing the tips of his fingers. “Sweet power,” she said, her lips quirking up into a smile. “I guess I don’t need to ask now,” she said with a shrug and a small laugh, crossing her arms in front of her. “Playing with fire has it’s perks though, I’m sure,” Jalen added, “especially for those with nasty habits.” She emphasized the word on purpose, her own brand of flirting. He could take it or leave it, she wouldn’t feel offended either way.

It felt like she was swimming in her own eyes, Leon’s being as equally dark brown as he approached her further. “I have no bad habits, unless good music counts,” she said, holding her ground with a smile on her face, “but if you’re asking about my powers, I can show you a trick or two,” she said with a wink, concentrating on the wind billowing around them. For a few passing seconds, Leon would notice the lack of sound. Like a void had been produced, a vacuum without any sound. Peaceful, but eerie at the same time. A challenging smile surmounted on her face, and she let the soundwaves around them return to normal. “Sound manipulator,” she said, in case he hadn’t caught the hint.

“The style mostly, although I’ve somehow received the reputation of being a badass around here,” she said, a daring look in her eyes. She was half kidding. Yes she had brought a guy to his knees once, even decked a girl, but she was quite a sweet person when people weren’t annoying the shit out of her. “Sure you want to stick around?” She asked, keeping eye contact with him as he leaned up against a tree. Jalen grinned, looking him over. She reminded her so much of Cole, they might even be related.

[Leon Belenos]

Jalen certainly had hit the nail on the head. "It does come in handy, but truth be told only certain people can make filth look good, and I happen to be one of them." he said with a bit of cockiness coming through his voice. It was no easy feat looking good with a cigarette hanging out of ones mouth but somehow Leon made it suit him. He took another slow drag as if to emphasize his point and smiled coyly. He was going to play this as well as he knew how, and he might just end up pushing it a bit farther than usual.

"Hate to break it to you but I've probably got the same bad habit as you." Leon said with a smirk as a deafening silence surrounded them. He looked at her with a smirk. "Not bad, you've actually managed to impress me." he said as the sounds around them returned to normal. The good news was out of all the people he could have run into he had managed to find someone who was just about as outgoing as him. He brushed the hair out of his face again and gave her a winning smile as she began to explain her style.

"I can't say that I see that much of a badass when I look at you... No my guess is that you're a rock junkie, and definitely not a bad looking one. You've got style just so you know." He was pushing it again but he was prepared to deal with the consequences. Continuing to hold her gaze he moved back a foot or two and bobbed lightly back and forth on his heels. "What can I say? I'm shaking in my shoes. Besides I haven't quite decided if sticking around here will be for me yet." Leon said as a wise ass smile spread across his face. Sometimes he couldn't help but have a good time.

There were a few things he wouldn't mind doing with her and sticking around to get into her head was one of them. "Just a heads up though, I tend to get close to people pretty quickly." he leaned back against the tree and finished off his cigarette. His eyes looked her up and down and he winked as he caught her gaze. "So how about you? Are you sure you want to stick around? I might do something crazy like convince you to go for lunch with me or something like that." The only question on his mind now was would she take the bait?

[Jalen August]

Cocky and good looking, typical. Why couldn’t a dude who was attractive ever be humble about it? There were only a select few. The guys who she knew that smoked all had something in common – flirtatious, confident, and handsome, but it wasn’t because they smoked.

“And what habit would that be?” She jested, a single eyebrow raised. Leon was slowly starting to remind her of another boy she was glad to never have to look at again, Braxton. This wasn’t really a good thing, but Jalen tried not to let it get to her head. She had warned him about her badassery, if he wanted to tread on shaky ground that was his decision. “I’m glad little old me can impress such a, what’s the word? Pompous, young man,” she said, insulting him, but it was done with a smile on her face.

Jalen smiled, flattery would go a long way. “Looks can be deceiving, but thank you, I think,” she said, her head tilted to the side in interest. “You’re not so bad looking yourself, most guys can’t pull off the whole, long hair look,” she said, her hands gesturing towards the boy’s long locks. “Now by stick around here you mean Hammel in general? Or in the courtyard?” She asked, matching him in the smartass department. Seemed like they were a pair of asses, one smart, one bad, maybe each a little bit of both. The thought amused Jalen, making her smile for no apparent reason.

“I bet I pick people’s brains more determinedly than you do,” she said, a challenging look in her eye. That was another thing about Jalen that Leon would learn quickly enough if he did decide to stick around. She was always betting on one thing or another, and while she didn’t win them all, she stood by her word. A quality that could be bad, but was mostly good. Who wouldn’t want a loyal, albeit stubborn friend? The fact that the boy was even willing to admit that he opened up quickly said a lot about him. Not a lot of people operated this way.

“I don’t see anything crazy about lunch,” she said with a shrug, having a truly ‘blonde’ moment. Jay didn’t realize she was being asked out, she just thought it was all a part of the game, and more often than not she spoke before really thinking things through. “I can leave if I interrupted your writing,” she said, glancing down at the boys pocket, which just so happened to be his backside. She grinned, looking back up at him, not really sure where this was going to go. But she was having fun.

[Leon Belenos]

"Obviously the worst habit of all, being addicted to good music." Leon said with a light smile spreading across his angular face. She was charming enough and the more he talked with her the more he saw that he might have finally met his match; at least in the smart assery department. Truth be old he had already forgotten all about the ex he had been writing about, chances were he would still burn the page later when he came across it but for now it was the last thing on his mind. It was great that for once he wasn't the only one ruffling feathers, it was a good change. It also happened that it was completely changing his mopey mood.

"You can't say I'm really that pompous, just confident, plus I like getting laughs... Maybe a little on the arrogant side but pompous seems a little much." Leon trailed off towards the end of his sentence and finished it off with a chuckle. Jalen certainly could play this game of cat and mouse with the best of them. Even his eyes said he was impressed, there was a glint in them and they were opened a little wider enjoying the surprise that this adventure had brought him.

The fact that she even had it in her to say exactly what she thought of his appearance caught him completely off guard and he nearly started blushing; but he took quick control of the situation and just smiled. "Maybe both... It depends how the next few moments go, I might want to leave but it all depends..." Leon trailed off leaving just enough room for her to think of the possibilities. He was honestly enjoying himself and quite frankly didn't want to find someone else to joust with, most couldn't think on their feet like her. For now he would stay.

Doubting very much that she liked picking brains as much as him, Leon almost scoffed when she suggested it. Then it dawned on him just how well she had been responding to him, and how quick witted she had been this whole time."Well I'd be willing to give you the status of an equal but I'm not sure I believe you're more avid at it than I am." he said with a smirk and a playful tone in his voice. He was loving every minute of this game and he was almost certain she was enjoying it as much as him.

Had she honestly just said yes that quickly? Most girls took a little more convincing but who was he to complain? Leon now had a hot date who was very quickly making him forget all about Carrie. "Well seen as how you figure lunch isn't to crazy where do you want to go? I'm buying so location is all on you. Unless you're having second thoughts now?" he asked with a smirk. He could almost guarantee this was going to be fun, already he was comfortable around her but did the same go for her?

Leon took a few steps closer again and looked her in the eyes. She was certainly going to get a poem or lyric later. "So... Where are we about to run away to? Be careful though if I like you to much I might not bring you back." he said with a laugh. This would be the best day he'd had in about two weeks.

[Jalen August]

Jalen laughed, followed by a grin. She was starting to like Leon and more and more. “And where have you been hiding this whole time?” She asked, seeing as she was graduating this year and had never bothered saying a word to this guy. “I wish I hadn’t misplaced my iPod, otherwise I’d be listening to Sixx AM, Metallica, Nightwish, you know, good stuff,” she said, counting off her favourite bands on her fingers. If Leon was as much of an addict as he said he was, he would know what she was talking about. Seems like they both had been in pretty crappy moods, and finally running into each other had been exactly what they both needed. Things tended to happen for a reason, that’s how Jalen saw things anyways.

Dark brown eyes surveyed the boy before her, as if considering taking back what she had just said. “Nope, I think pompous suits you just fine,” she said with finality, laughing with him. She really hoped he knew that she was just horsing around. Jalen gulped, thinking about horses reminded her of Cody, and she glanced down at the ground. That was where her iPod was – at his house. She sighed. Why did a single thought of him have to bring her down so far? “Pompous and arrogant works fine for me though,” she quipped, trying to rid the sadness from her eyes. Life needed to go on, with or without her favourite cowboy.

Jalen enjoyed catching people off guard, and she simply watched him squirm before he regained composure. Not bad... she thought to herself, giving the boy some credit. He wasn’t a complete idiot, like Braxton. This was a good thing. She was rendered silent as to whether she wanted him to stay or not, she did draw the line somewhere, and publicly admitting you want an acquaintance to stay, even for just a few moments longer, would come out as desperate, something the blonde was trying to convince herself she wasn’t.

Raising an eyebrow when he scoffed at her, she put her hands on her hips as though offended, but really she was just playing the part. “I will prove what I claim eventually,” she said, mock surprise in her voice. Leon would also figure out, especially from others, that Jalen wasn’t shy in asking others personal things, especially when she really cared about them. Right now this was only a game, and she had her guard up. Receiving a broken heart often did that to people. Besides, someone like Leon would surely have a girlfriend by now, she was probably barking up the wrong tree.

But then he started talking location and her eyes grew wide, framed by her dark makeup. “Oh, you were asking me out?” She asked dumbly, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Wow, he was forward. “Ah hell, why not?” She asked, a small smile on her face. He didn’t know that she dumped the love of her life a little over a month ago, and he didn't need to. He stepped closer to her and she boldly held his eyes, there was definitely some chemistry between them.

“You can’t just kidnap me Leon,” she said, poking the boy in the chest. Jalen knew she was being really flirty, but it was part of her character. “How about Kali’s Kafe in the club district? I’ll give you my number”. She said, taking out her phone excitedly. Was she really going to go on a date?

[Leon Belenos]

Leon smiled at her, already she was speaking his language. "Isn't SiXX AM's new album awesome? I know that the Heroin DIaries soundtrack was awesome but This Is Gonna Hurt was mind blowing! The first track immediately commands your attention and then they have you hooked!" He exclaimed. He happened to be huge into anything rock and her music tastes seemed to be blending right in with his own. For those few seconds his thoughts on this being a game were completely forgotten. He was actually connecting with her, and that was something he hadn't counted on. Either way what could it hurt to just roll with it?

Scoffing at her desicion about him Leon couldn't help but smile at her. At the very least she would be able to keep up with him if not possibly outwit him at some point. It was nice to actually have to think about a response once in awhile. "And perhaps we aren't the least bit quick to make a judgement call on a stranger?" He said with a smirk, revealing his pearly whites. He had a rather wolfish grin when his teeth were exposed but it worked with his fairly gruff appearance. He was loving this delicate dance of words, and couldn't have had a better time if he tried any harder.

"Well you'd best prove it sooner rather than later, not everyone can be happy with a lack of evidence." Leon said, winking at her as he finished his statement. He had a few seconds to spare before it actually dawned on her that he was actually asking her out. "Of course I'm asking you out, I wasn't about to let all of our flirting here go to waste." He said with a sly smirk. He wasn't one to let opportunity slip away, and this was a perfect example of that. He had done all the work this far so why not go for the pay off, the worst that would have happeed was that she would have said no.

Laughing for a moment before he pulled out his phone as well. "Wel it's not really kidnapping if you're willing... besides you're even choosing the location. Kali's Kafe sounds great! Just let me get my phone ready for you." Leon said; the smile on his face not faltering for a moment. The young man was truly happy, and not a lot could change that right now. Looking up as he finished getting her contact information into his phone he said "I'm ready! Now what's that number?" This was quite the change from how his day had started and despite the cloudy skies he was quite happy.

"I'll try not to get busted for texting you in class to much." Leon said with a smile as he put his phone back in his pocket after entering Jalen's number into it. Who even knew if he'd manage to make his way to class today? He had half a mind to skup his afternoon courses and just shoot the breeze and simply enjoy life again for a few hours. Maybe she was even in some of his courses and he just had never taken note before. EIther way something new was happening in his life.

[Jalen August]

Jalen laughed, brightening up. “You’re the first person I’ve met at this school who share the same opinion as me! Seriously, where have you been this whole time?” She asked, feeding off his excitement. “I loved the books too, I couldn’t put them down for anything. Not even homework that was due the next day,” she said with a laugh and a bright smile. Now he was speaking her language, and Jalen had a feeling they would become fast friends. That wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, she was pretty happy with that.

Leon was just as gifted with words as she was, and she liked that –a lot. “I can always change my mind about you Leon, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” she said, sticking a permanent probe into the boy’s mind. Jalen was always good with first impressions, and she tended to go unforgotten, especially with men. She guessed it was because of her flirting, but she was also really nice. No one liked a flirtatious bitch.

She laughed again. “You want proof? Ha, then go ahead and ask Cole Kessler or LaDouche for evidence, they’ll tell you of my epic badassery.” She said with confidence. Jalen wasn’t one to say things without proof, and if it was evidence he wanted, he didn’t need to look far to get it. The blonde continued to grin as he blatantly asked her out. That was more like it, she didn’t like people who had something to say and could never come out and say it. “Some boys around here could learn a lesson from you I’m sure,” she said with a grin, Kessler the first one coming to mind.

“There’s a difference between a date, and robbery of a person,” she said, waiting anxiously for him to get to the proper screen on his phone. Jay took a good look at him, his warm brown eyes surrounded by those long locks of hair. He was truly handsome, and quite different from her ex. Maybe Leon could help her forget about Cody. After giving him her number, she entered his and replaced the phone. “I’ll try not to get you in trouble,” she said with a smirk, her eyes dancing with glee as she looked at him.

Feeling a bit lighter, Jalen ran a hand through her hair, before stepping towards Leon. “See you later then,” she said, touching his hand softly before retreating back to the school. She was slowly getting over herself and back into the swing of normal life.