An Old Friend [Jade]

[Rafael Soto Vega]

Rafael wasn't used to silence. He had grown up just outside a busy city, in an equally loud beaten down suburb. He was whisked away to study at The Hammel Institute, which with the wide assortment of individuals and abilities, was never peaceful. He purposely chose to live in an apartment in the busier part of Pilot Ridge, because if he lived near Greenview Community College, he may have gone crazy from the quiet. So when faced with an final essay for his British Literature class, Rafi has found the silence of his apartment mid-day was too much of a distraction. While Rafi, himself, was a quiet person, he thrived on the energy of others and the world around him. So he decided to take his essay with him to a much livelier location. 

Rafael didn't like the mall that much. There were tons of frivolous things he didn't want, and couldn't afford if he did. It made him uncomfortable when people tried to sell things too him. Shoppers weren't the nicest - especially around holiday times. However the building reminded him of the grand marketplaces in Mexico, and at Christmastime it was even more like a festival. He had decided he would feel better working here, if only so he'd be immersed in the hustle and bustle. 

He sat himself down in the corner of a franchise coffee shop - Starbucks. He hadn't really ever gotten coffee from anywhere other than his own coffee pot, but he had heard such places were good to sit down and work in. He chose a spot near the window, so he could watch people walk by when he got stuck, instead of staring off at nothing. He took out the book he was told to write about - The Importance of Being Earnest - and his laptop. It was old, and slow, but it was given to him by a Hammel professor who knew he'd be needing one for college. He didn't need or want anything better. He was extremely thankful for the device and how easy it made writing essays. It even caught his spelling mistakes for him... usually. He opened up the document he was working on, and the book he was assigned, and tried to make sense of it all in the strangely comfortable environment.

[Jade Parrish]

OOC: I forgot about this, omg and just remembered. P.S -- The Importance of Being Earnest is British literature. (Annoying English major, I know). ;D

Another day at Starbucks had ended. Jade had opened, which meant she was there at six a.m. sharp and had quite a few Vanilla lattes in her. She'd been in the back of the store, furiously washing dishes so that she could be free for the day and when she was done, she emptied her tips into her wallet, hung up her apron and let her hair down from the ponytail it'd been in all morning. It had actually started to give her a headache.

After deciding she didn't need any more coffee, she was heading to the door when she saw a familiar mess of curly hair. No way. "Rafi?" She stepped closer to his table.

[Rafael Soto Vega]

OOC: fixed it I should have realized that but I changed the book and the class so many times I couldn't count XD

Rafael had his nose down in his book, and had barely heard his name in the fairly loud cafe. He paused, though, and looked up because he was pretty sure there was someone there. And when he realized exactly who had been speaking to him, his face brightened. "Jade!" he said, equally surprised to see his old school friend.

They had promised to keep in touch, but it was difficult when both had been consumed by school work. Jade had moved on to bigger and better things. College classes, jobs. Rafi had to work twice as hard as anyone to pass hi classes in high school. He was 20 now, and only just started his second semester at the community college. The chances of him running into Jade were frankly slim to none. "Muchacha where have you been?" he asked, meaning why hadn't they talked? what had she been up to? and how are you? all in one specially worded 'Rafi' sentence.

[Jade Parrish]

"More like where have you been?" Jade threw back at him. "I've been swamped. Between Starbucks owning my life and being editor in chief ot the newspaper at U of V. And working my butt of in all of the journalism courses I'm taking. It's a miracle I have free time."

After graduating Hammel, they'd both went their separate ways, although she hadn't forgotten about the cute, latino boy. She never would. She didn't care at the moment that he was sitting down, she walked over purposefully and set down her coffee and bag to hug him. "Ugh, life has been crap without your smile."

[Rafael Soto Vega]

Rafael accepted the hug. He'd never really been a touchy-feely person until moving to the United States. Jade, mostly, changed that. Once they had become close she insisted on giving him hugs and other forms of physical contact to show her appreciation. Rafi learned to like it over time. And even now, after being apart for a few years, he was happy to be on the receiving end of a Jade Parrish hug.

"I've been in school!" Rafi said, as if it weren't obvious enough. "I'm a fresh man at Greenview Community College," he added, still not completely understanding of the fact that 'freshman' was a one-word term. He still didn't understand a lot of things, really. It was all very overwhelming most of the time, even if Rafael didn't show it. He had no clue what he was doing or where he was going, and every class he took involved words he still didn't know.

"Life is always bleak without the ones you love," Rafi agreed with a nod, knowing better than anyone how distance from family and friends can be depressing. He hadn't seen his mother or sister in over a year. He hoped he'd be able to travel to Mexico during the summer. Though there was a possibility he'd have to retake some classes then.

[Jade Parrish]

Jade grinned as he hugged her back. If there was one thing she taught him, it was showing affection and whle it initially surprised her that he wasn't too keen on it at first, she was happy to show him. She'd always thought hispanics were very affectionate, but when she'd started to learn about Rafi and what he'd been through, things started to make sense.

"Well you should have gone to U of V because that's where I am and maybe I'd see you more often!" She was well into her college career. She remembered days on end of helping Rafi with his homework and studying. She was happy to do so. Sometimes she even repainted her nails black at the same time. "What are you studying?"

[Rafael Soto Vega]

"Aye chica, I cannot go to such a school, my grades do not allow it," Rafi explained, slightly exasperated. He wished he could have gone to a bigger school. He wished he could go to school with Jade. But even if he had managed to bring his grades up, they wouldn't be good enough for the scholarship he so desperately needed to cover tuition. He could barely afford the community college classes as is.

"And I do not have a major, because I do not know what I what I want to do after my education," Rafi explained. He was, after all, only a first year college student. An old one, at that, but he still had a long way to go. "I like my philosophy class, but my adviser has explained that job options are limited in such a field." While some may say follow your dream and do what makes you happy, Rafael couldn't. Mostly because what would make him truly happy is bringing his family to the united states and away from the poor, dangerous area where they live. He couldn't do that if he majored in Philosophy. "It is all very stressful."

[Jade Parrish]

"And I tried so hard to help you get your grades up," Jade remarked, listening as he went on about not knowing what he wanted to do with his life. Jade, on the other hand, was set in her ways completely. Journalism or nothing. Although it was refreshing to see others mulling over what they wanted to do.

She knew what she wanted to see immediately when Rafi went on about how jobs were limited in the philosophy field, but she clamped her mouth shut. She knew Rafi needed a good paying job and that sometimes money was more important than what you were passionate about. Jade was just lucky that her passion lined up with a good salary. He wanted to bring his family to America. "Man, college is stressful, but I'm sure you'll find something you like that's not too shabby in the salary area of things," she encouraged.

[Rafael Soto Vega]

"I sure hope so," Rafael agreed with a laugh, knowing that the choices he would have to make were nowhere near as simple as those Jade had made when she went through the same process. The girl always knew what she wanted and always had a plan to get there. "I am thinking at least I could try to teach Spanish somewhere. It is the one thing I know very good," Rafael pointed out. His adviser had come up with the suggestion, and while Rafi wasn't sure that it was something he'd love doing, if it meant bring his family to America, then he would do it.

"You are still in the writing and such, si?" Rafael asked, making sure. He hadn't talked to Jade in so long that it was more than possible that his old friend had changed her mind. Though he doubted it. Jade had never questioned her future and always seemed to have the road she wanted to take clearly defined. Rafael was envious of that trait.

[Jade Parrish]

Jade died at what he said next, clapping her hands together. "Oh my god, Rafi! That's a good idea!" He'd be such an adorable spanish teacher! "I mean, if it's not your passion, don't commit your life to it, but you'd be great at that and who wouldn't want you as a teacher?" She winked. "Students would be crushing hard core." She sent him a grin. "I know a good salary is a must, but promise me you'll actually like what you end up studying."

"Si, querida," she replied. She'd picked up a few phrases and endearing terms from Rafi over the years. "I'm the editor in chief of the newspaper at University of Vermont.

[Rafael Soto Vega]

"Madre says do not make a promise you can not keep," Rafael reminded Jade. She knew well of his personal rule - that a promise should never be broken. And right now he was not so sure that he would be able to find something he loved enough to study and turn it into a job that could save his sister at the very least. "But I will try my hardest, I can promise that much," Rafi amended, knowing that it would appease his old friend.

Rafi's face lit up when when Jade spoke of her high standing with the newspaper at her university. He knew how much she had always wanted to be in such a position, and it was amazing to hear she was able to achieve it so quickly, "Ah, belleza, I am so proud of you!" he exclaimed more passionately than most might. But Rafael always became very invested in other successes and was always extremely sympathetic to their failures and short comings. It was hard for Rafi to be indifferent. "That is seriously amazing, Jade! I wish I could have something like that to my name."

[Jade Parrish]

Jade sighed as he recited the phrase from his mother that she should have seen coming. Still, she wanted him to love what he did. As someone who was almost completely guided by her passions, she wanted to see Rafi passionate about something and kicking ass at it. It was the best feeling you could ever have, she was convinced. She felt that way in the newspaper, like she was in her rightful place. "Now I think that's a promise you can keep, I'll settle for that," she told him, knowing that he would do that much.

"Thanks Rafi!" She gave him another hug, whether he wanted it or not, but he was Rafi and of course he wouldn't mind. "It's my passion. And it's wonderful. Stressful but wonderful." She let out a breath. "I will help you find your calling, Rafi. It's out there."

[Rafael Soto Vega]

"Please, if you find it before me let me know," Rafael demanded of his old frined when she offered to help find his calling. He didn't even know where to begin looking. It was too difficult getting through his basic literature classes... he didn't have enough energy to commit to finding a passion when he was working so hard to maintain a decent freshman GPA. "Or you could explain this book to me. That would be a nice place to start," Rafael offered, only half joking. (It was hard to analyze the play when you didn't even know that 'Earnest' is not just the name of a character...)

"We need to hang out again. I miss having you in my life, and I thought you were gone forever," Rafi admitted, smiling as he spoke, glad that he just happened to run into Jade today. She was such a good influence on him in high school and was devastated when she went off to U of V. His grades dropped, his social life became almost non existent, and he basically had to start over and rebuild his life which was so dependent on the girl. It was nice that he was now independent, but he wouldn't mind having Jade back in his life as someone he could always fall back on.

[Jade Parrish]

"Will do," Jade told him with a wink. When did she ever hold back in telling someone something, eespecially when it was a thought of hers? She smiled at the thing he said next and sat down at the table with him, willing to help him tackle this play. "It's a farce, it'll be funny once you get it," she explained.

"Nah, I'll never be gone forever." It was a casual statement. "Oh! Speaking of, I'm throwing a party. It's a black light party. Everyone wears white or bright colors and we all glow. I promise it'll be fun!"

[Rafael Soto Vega]

Rafi raised his eyebrow in confusion. "We...glow?" he asked skeptically - not at all understanding the concept, motivation, or science behind what Jade was speaking of. He couldn't even picture it really. "I am afraid I do not understand," Rafi said with a chuckle after his greatest effort to make sense out of Jade's invitation. All he knew is that she wanted him to come to a party.

Rafael wasn't very acustom to American traditions, even after 6 years in the country. Virtually all of his time was spent in school. Even during the summer, Rafi stayed at Hammel. He had no means of exploring anywhere outside of Pilot Ridge. "But for you, I will attend," Rafi promised, knowing that his friend wouldn't take no for an answer anyway. She was very convincing, and in high school tried everything she could to 'culturalize' Rafi. This included his first fast food burger and a trip to Walmart. Apparently he would have to add 'blacklight party' to the list once he figured out exactly what it was.