The Way You Treat Me, Baby (Penelope)

[Calliope Gallo]

Things were... Better.

It meant things fit into place a little easier; things came more naturally. Movements set themselves in motion and she barely had to control a thing. The rhythm of the music seemed to find each one of her ligaments and work through them. It was strange for most to watch at first, if not mesmerising. Joints just didn't dislocate that way, that easily. She knew what she was doing, though. Years of practice helped a lot. She just had to make sure she didn't overdo-

"FFFFFFFFFFFF-!" She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip to stop herself from screaming further, let alone the word she was going for. Her upper arm failed to reconnect with her shoulder, leaving it dangling awkwardly with little to no control. Her other hand wrapped itself around the socket, and while she cringed, she set off to find the school medical bay. They knew her way too well already. And always for the same thing. When it started to hurt more, she broke into something of a jog. And her luck got worse.

As she turned a corner through the courtyard her shoulder collided with someone else's, the force of which caused her to stumble back. And, surprisingly, her arm found its place in her shoulder socket again. Callie spent the first few moments staring down at her hand, twisting it a little to ensure it was secure. Yep, totally was! That was when she looked at the person she'd run into. "Sorry! Are you okay? My uhh-" She paused, indicating to her arm, "Anyway, sorry. I wasn't looking..."

[Penelope Lopez]

She slipped her fake ID into her pockets and checked herself out in the mirror. She had gently curled her hair, put on light make-up, and she looked fabulous. How could anyone say no to her now? She hadn't had much luck finding a 'playmate' here at school, so she figured a bar probably would give her something. She took one last look in the mirror and walked out of her room, locking the door after her.

She walked down the hallway with confidence, her ego boosting every time someone glanced her way. Yeah, yeah, she looked fine, she knew! A nice looking hunk opened up the entrance door for her and she gave him a smile before she headed outside, and signed with her hands and lips 'Call me'. She walked down the stairs and out to the courtyard.

Someone suddenly bumped into her shoulder and she turned quickly to look who had dared. ''What the fu-'', she started, and looked at the blonde next to her. Why was she looking at her arm? They didn't bump into each other that hard. There we go. Hey, I'm the girl you just tried to kill. Yep. ''I'm not dying anytime soon, unless you're out to get me of course.'', she said and put on a smile. This girl was actually kind of cute. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a smoking body, just like herself. ''Anyways, don't sweat it, I'm alive, you're alive, we're all alive.'', she said with a more dramatic tone.

[Calliope Gallo]

Now that she had the chance and time, Callie took a look at the person standing across from her. She was... Wow. Dark hair, dark eyes, tanned skin. She mentally hoped she couldn't get caught staring at the curve of her body. Her appreciation for attractive people was always clear in her eyes; poor Calliope was a bad liar with a worse poker face.

"Couldn't if I tried." Callie replied, opting for a bright tone to her voice and an even brighter smile. Though, she didn't like to admit to stranger that her powers were relatively useless. She normally waited a while. Callie chuckled at the more dramatic tone she'd put on as she spoke; "I feel bad, that's all. You look great, I'm glad I didn't mess that up." She added. It was almost embarrassing to be wearing sweats and a tank top in front of someone who'd clearly put a lot of effort into how they were looking.

With that, she extended a hand out; "I'm Callie, by the way."

[Penelope Lopez]

Penelope actually enjoyed the look in the girls eyes as she noticed she was taking her in. All of her. Now this, this she could get used to. And that smile. Man, that smile. ''Don't feel bad, it'd take a lot to make all of this look bad.'', she said with a wink. Unless she was standing next to someone as attractive as this chick. That would surely make her look less attractive. Strangely enough, she didn't mind. And man, if anyone could pull off sweats and a tank top, it was clearly this chick, because she looked HOT.

She took Callie's hand in hers, and looked into her eyes. She looked at her with a playful but intense gaze. ''Hi Callie, I'm Penelope.'', she said with a soft voice. Charming. Was it getting hot? She felt warm. ''So, where were you off to in such a hurry?'', she said, clearly talking about their encounter. ''If you don't mind me asking of course.'', she added with a smile.

[Calliope Gallo]

"I can see that." Callie replied, raising her eyebrows and offering her response with as much confidence as it was given. "Just..." She let her voice trail away, reaching across towards her and curling her fingers around a stray curl that had gotten out of its perfect setting. After a moment, she'd placed it where it belonged and allowed the hair to run past her fingertips. "There. Like you were never hit."

Callie took hold of her hand, looking at the point of contact briefly before finally catching her dark eyes. "Penelope? I like it. It's pretty; it suits you." She resisted letting go for a moment or so longer before allowing her hand to slowly slip through her's. "To the doctor." She replied with a small shrug. "My arm was hurting," It wasn't really a lie, so she didn't really look like she was lying, "But it's okay now. How about that? You're like my good luck charm, or something."

[Penelope Lopez]

Callie reached out for her hair, and Penelope watched her place it to where it belonged. She watched her finger run through her hair and it almost felt as her heart skipped a beat. How strange. She wasn't used to people doing that. The gentle way she touched her hair, and the way it made her feel. She was caught of guard, and it was obvious. The hard front she often put up, seemed to soften. ''Thank..you.'', she said, sounding a little unsure. What was she doing? This wasn't like her. She shrugged it off, and that brief moment of softness went away.

As their eyes met, Penelope smiled. A little less friendly and a whole lot more seducing. Not exactly what she had intended, but more so what she was used to do when meeting people she could easily jump in bed with. Not that she'd ever say that out loud. At least not to this girl.

Hey, I'll be your doctor. I'll nurse you back to health in no time, and I'll even throw in a few sponge baths! ''Well, I've been known to bring luck in more than one way.'', she said with a grin. What. Just what.

''So. Do you do any sports, or something?'', she said, clearly talking about the sweats. She was really hoping this girl was into any of the stuff she herself was. Man, that would be insane. Watching those hips move, oh la la.

[Calliope Gallo]

All Callie thought was that she might have made the other girl uncomfortable; her mouth twitched into a frown that she quickly tried to cover. "Sorry. I just... It's perfect."

It was hard not to notice how she was being looked at. Callie wasn't used to it. At least, not this close. She felt appreciated. And beyond that, a little wanted. Damn, no wonder she loved dating so much. Her eyebrows twitched in curiosity, the corner of her mouth turning into something of a questioning smirk.

"I'll keep that in mind." She replied, pressing her lips into a line to stop herself from chuckling. It was cute. It was all cute.

Callie broke her gaze to stare down at herself. "Nope. Well, not really. School dance team, actually." She started, tugging at the hem of her pants when they threatened to slip further. She was used to the line of her underwear showing, but strangers probably weren't. "I also work as a dancer at this club down town. It's a lot of fun." Callie thought of inviting her, but realised she was probably too young to go. Of course, the idea of a fake ID had slipped her mind...

[Penelope Lopez]

She didn't feel uncomfortable. Well, not really. She was just not used to letting her guard down, not this easily. Then again, she wasn't really used to be touched that way either. She actually liked it. ''Well, I spent an hour fixing it, so it better be perfect.'', she said sounding more cocky than what she had intended. Well, she was overly confident, that was for sure. She smiled.

It looked as if Callie was about to laugh her ass off. Great. Just great. Penelope decided to ignore it and not put too much on it, after all, what she had said was kind of lame. She ran her hand through her hair and looked away.

A dancer, eh? Well, with that body, who wouldn't have been. ''I'm actually on the dance team too, I just signed up.'' Man, this was a golden opportunity for her to spend some more time with this girl, and maybe even get to dance with her. Just imagine, those two up on the stage, together... It would be all people could talk about for days. They'd look splendid.

Ooooh, a club. Penelope was known for her club life back home, always hitting the bars. ''Finally! Someone who clubs! Man, I though this crap hole was filled with nothing but goody-two-shoes.'', she said, sounding a bit too enthusiastic. She held up her fake ID and winked. ''Tell me the time and place, and I'll be there babe.'', this wasn't as much a question as it was a demand. But hey, she didn't mind. She had finally met someone who went to clubs, and looked pretty damn sweet. She wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away just yet.

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie's eyes lit up when she mentioned joining the dance team. She instantly connected with anyone who was a dancer, and a team member to boot. It was almost perfect. "Well you'll see a lot more of me, then. Graduation means we're losing a couple of members." She replied with a small frown. It was always a shame to lose people, especially when she got close to them, "You're gonna have to show me what you can do. I can't wait to see." With that, Callie let her eyes travel over her body again. How didn't she pick up on that sooner? Well, she supposed there was no definite way to tell who was and wasn't a dancer.

Another excuse to look couldn't hurt, though.

Callie took a moment or two to study the idea she was holding up. Huh, it really did look real. She swapped her glance from it back to Penelope, offering an amused smirk. "La Maison Magnifique. Most people just call it the House, though. How about Saturday night? I usually dance with this other girl - actually, she looks a lot like you!" Now that she thought about it, she did look a lot like Valerie. But she let the thought slip her mind; "But I'll be doing some stuff on my own a little later if you don't mind hanging around?" She asked, tilting her head and offering another smile.

Flirting was definitely her forte, and if Penelope did end up coming to the House, she wouldn't be sorry; "I promise, it'll be worth it."

[Penelope Lopez]

Now she didn't need an excuse to get to know this girl. Good. And they could also do something together that they would both enjoy; Dance. Oh, she'd show her what she could do all right! ''I'll show you mine if you show me yours.'', she said with a hint of a playful smile on her lips. She had really missed having a dance partner. Dancing alone wasn't as much fun. The energy, and man, the electricity and chemistry people gained while dancing. That was the best part, that was what made her fall in love with dancing.

''Saturday night? It's a date.'' She tilted her head to the side and threw her hair back. She had always wanted to be a professional worker, and if she ever got the chance, she'd use her father's nickname Bee as her stage name. He had always supported her choice to dance, whilst her mother wanted her to do something more... Helpful, giving even. Like being a nurse. She didn't like the idea of someone looking a lot like herself. She liked being unique. ''Oh, really?'', she said. ''Well, I don't really have anything better to do with my day, so sure. Why not!'' She returned the smile and put her finger on Callie's cheek, moving a string of hair from the corner of her mouth. She looked at her lips before slowly moving them to her eyes. Her finger dropped slowly. ''There you go. Perfect.''

[Calliope Gallo]

"Any time." Callie replied with a grin. If there was one thing she knew she could do, it was dance. "Call me self absorbed or whatever, but I bet you'll be impressed." The corner of her mouth curled into a confident smile at that.

Callie watched as she reached out to her, drawing idle strands of hair away from her mouth. What she was feeling; well, it was a far cry from gratitude. She tried her best not to look so flustered, but there was something about this person that seemed to derail her composure. Callie ran her tongue along the length of her lips for good measure, to... Make sure it was gone. "Thanks." She said quietly, blinking in a daze in her direction.

Did she know what was going on? Or what she was getting herself into? Probably not. Calliope was, at times, painfully naive. At the very least, she knew when she was super attracted to someone. "Ah, I'm glad. To be worth your while, I mean." Instinctively, she padded down her pockets. Damn. In the rush she must have left her stuff behind, "Hey, do you have a pen? It'll be easier if I give you my number now." She explained, thinking she did pretty well to play that request off casually.

[Penelope Lopez]

She didn't doubt she'd be impressed. At all. Watching this gal dance would probably hit top ten of the hottest things she has a seen a girl do. ''I'm looking forward to it.'', she said with a smile. She was. She could barely wait, actually.

Callie was pretty. Not the ordinary type of pretty, she was uniquely beautiful. Penelope couldn't remember the last time she had felt this attracted to a girl, if she had ever. She even topped most of the attractions she had felt towards guys. Those beautiful blue eyes...She was sure they could top any puppy eyes. And yes, she really meant any. She could stare into them forever, and still feel like she needed more.

Callie asked for a pen, and luckily, Penelope was always prepared. She opened up her small purse and fished up a marker. ''This good enough?'', she said and lifted her hand, palm up and reached Callie the marker. When she thought about it, Penelope hadn't been rude towards this girl once. Which was extremely uncommon, and utterly out of character. Strange. (As if.)

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie watched as she brought out a marker, increasingly glad she this girl seemed prepared for everything. "Perfect, thank you." She replied lightly, taking the marker in one hand and her hand in the other. She tried not to get distracted by the way her hand felt - that'd already happened once, and the blonde was determined to keep her cool. Still, she was slow to write her number on her hand. It meant a few extra seconds of contact.

"There." She finished, brushing her fingertips along her palm as she withdrew her hand, pressing the cap back on and offering the marker out again. "Ball's very much in your court, so..." Callie let her voice trail off, looking up into her eyes again and offering yet another smile. "I should let you go, huh. You were probably on your way to something important." With that difficult admission, she took a small step onto her back foot, the corner of her mouth keeping an interested smirk.

[Penelope Lopez]

Penelope studied Callie's face as she wrote down her number on the palm of her hand. Her finger tingled at the touch, and she couldn't help but give off a soft smile. Callie's hand felt warm in her own, soft even. As if it belonged to a child. Her fingers were long and slender. The beautiful aura this girl gave off was addicting in a sense. And the sweet smell of her hair... Penelope blinked. ''Snap out of it.'', she thought to herself and took a deep breath.

Looking at the number, she gave Callie a warm smile. She could still feel Callie's hand on hers, even after it was gone. Ball's in her court, huh? Oh yes, she'd totally take advantage of that. And as their eyes met, she felt her cheeks growing slightly warmer. Something important... What? She couldn't even remember what she was doing before she met Callie. ''Uhm...'', she began, looking slightly confused at first. ''Oh, right. It was nothing of great importance. Trust me.'' Right, she had planning going out drinking alone. And surely, this was far more interesting. ''Why don't you show me where I have to go for dancing practice. I haven't gotten around to that yet.'' This was true. She had planned going there for a while, but somehow, she always ended up either doing something else, or dancing somewhere else. Alone. ''If you have the time, of course.'' She didn't want Callie to leave, at all. There was clearly some connection here, whether it was friendship or something else. And Penelope wasn't quite ready to let go of that just yet.

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie looked a little surprised when she said it wasn't anything serious. "So you just look this good everyday?" She asked, indicating towards her with a wave of her hand. Damn. She felt a little inferior underneath her gaze. It would have been a confidence booster to have met her looking a little differently. Still, Penelope didn't seem to mind how she looked. And that was a great thing.

She thought briefly on the places where someone could practice dance. She almost always ran into people in the same place. "I totally have the time. Don't worry about that." Callie replied finally. With that she turned, hooking her arm around Penelope's and leading her back the way she came. Contact had always been a thing for Callie, especially when she had some kind of connection with someone. She naturally wanted to be close to them; to pick up on smaller things like how they felt. Being this close had her heart beating quicker, and she couldn't ignore it.

"So uhh-" She started, struggling to get her mind straight, "-You're here at Hammel. So you must do something special. What is it?"