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Renee, Deirdre and Pierre made their way down to Dante's, laughing the entire way. Anyone would have sworn they were already drunk, but that was more likely to be a later thing. It was a Tuesday night, so Dante's wasn't particularly crowded. At least it would be easy for their friends to find them.
The group sat down at a booth, and as always, Renee ordered their drinks for them. It probably wouldn't be long at all before the others showed up.
Jude made her way into Dante's alone. She hadn't seen either Ry or Slink for a few days and hoped- vaugly- that she'd end up seeing them tonight. She had her hair out and was trying to cover her face without looking too obvious. It was pointless, she knew it was. There was only so much covering a person could do when they'd obviously been in a fight. Jude's painful split lip made her very self-concious that everyone just knew. She just hoped she could pass her appearance off on getting in a fight that afternoon after school.
She spotted Renee, Deirdre and an unfamilliar boy over in a booth and made a small wave before making her way over to join them.
Renee waved back as Jude approached. The girl kept brushing her hair forward self-consciously. At first she thought she just didn't want to be recognised from the recent runway show, but then she noticed the split in her lip. It looked nasty... Renee tensed up, but caught herself and tried to control her reaction. It was instinct now to jump to conclusions, but that wasn't necessarily what had happened. Either way, it didn't seem like something that she should directly confront Jude about. Not yet, anyway.
"Jude," she smiled. "This is my best friend from the mother country, Pierre. Pierre, this is Jude."
"Well, hello," Pierre smiled. His eyes flicked over her injury for an instant, but otherwise, he didn't react.
Renee linked her hands beneath her jaw, subtley pointing to her lip, her eyes meeting Jude's. She let the question show in her expression... Jude didn't even have to say anything if she didn't want to. But her reaction would probably be all Renee needed to gauge what was going on...
Getting out of the house that night was so easy it hardly needed thinking about. The lock had come off the outside of Stephie's window (after a long, indignant argument about personal freedom and human rights with her father, which mostly consisted of her yelling at him till he conceded.) last night so she was out that, over the roof, onto the garage, down the street and onto the street. The air outside was freezing, numbing her face and making her skin go that gross blotchy red it did when it was cold.
The glow from Dante's window lit up the street outside with a warm glow that make Stephie feel warmer just looking at it. She pushed the door open and was immidiatly encased with the warmth from the fire and the people. Needing to defrost her fingers, she headed for the bar and ordered a long black before casting her eyes around looking for the others.
Jude saw the look and only flinched internally. Sometimes she thought she'd gotton far too good at pretending. She should have known there was no way she could hide any marks. So, putting her on her best showman smirk- carefully, best not to split it again- she said, "You should see the other guy." She flicked back her hair- fuck the small brusies, it was all seen now anyway, and smiled at Pierre. "Nice to meet you, Pierre." She looked at Renee. "So, what are we drinking?"
Renee paid close attention to Jude's response. It was possible she was trying to hide something... but the skatepark could probably get quite rough, she supposed... and the she threw her hair back now, nonchalantly revealing the rest of her bruises... maybe it really was just an ordinary, teenage brawl. Jude certainly did seem like the type who wouldn't shy away from such a thing.
She nodded and indicated Pierre. "Pierre is starting with beer, but I imagine he'll move on to something stronger before too long. I'm drinking absinthe, of course," Renee smiled. "Deirdre is being overly polite and waiting for everyone to get here first," she winked. "Would you like me to get you anything? Lou knows me, it's not a problem."
Stephie caught sight of them easily, sitting in the same booth as the other night. With her fingers still tightly closed around the wonderfully-beautifully-amazingly warm coffee mug, she slid off the bar stool and made her way over, barging right into the group. She plonked herself down next to Jude and added: "and I'll have another vodka and orange, but I'd like to try some of that absinthe this time too, and I'm paying for Judes this round, I owe her one."
Renee grinned as Steph made her entrance. "As you wish, dear. This is Pierre, by the way," she said. "Pierre, this is Steph. I think you'll find each other amusing," she added with a wink.
Pierre reached across the table to shake Steph's hand. "It is a pleasure, pretty lady," he grinned.
Stephie caught the silly grin before it showed on her face too much, and replaced it with an eyeroll. "No need for formalities, Stephie'll do," she told Pierre.
Jude felt uncomfortable at the thought of Slink paying for her drinks but didn't say anything. She sat there with her mind stuck on a thousand little things. Like how bad would have father's mood be when she got home tonight and could she just avoid him? And how she was sitting between Slink and Renee/Deirdre: two groups which should never have mixed. She didn't know who she was meant to be right then and found herself bouncing between RegentsJude and ScateparkJude.
She looked at Renee and smiled wickedly. "I think, maybe, I'll have some absinthe too."
Deirdre smiled at everyone. "I'm so glad you're here! I'll have a Latte, Renee, thanks." She leaned over and planted a kiss on her girlfriend's nose." She gave Jude a sympathetic face and said, "The other guy won't be coming back, right? We could always sick Pierre on him!" She threw Pierre an amused and adoring look. And then whispered to Slink and Jude after Renee had gone, "that Absinthe will make you crazy. Which I assume is part of it's charm" and she winked.
Pierre shrugged as Renee left the table to place their orders. "I do have a red belt in Enshin karate. I just got it, too, so you know I am in shape," he winked. "Just call me Zorro!"
His eyes took in both of the girls, summing them up but not in any sexual or threatening way. It was more... comradely. "So," he began. "You girls are skaters, oui?"
"She skates," Jude said, pointing a thumb at Slink. "I mostly just...hang out." She smiled.
Then she looked at Deirdre in a pondering fashion. "Absinthe makes you crazy? Hmm, maybe I should stick with something less damaging. I'm already crazy enough." Then, in answer to the second part, "and I doubt the guy will be coming back. Just a serious disagreement, is all. I doubt I'll ever even see the guy again."
"Ingesting anything that colour'll probably make you crazy." Stephie noted, "I'm game. So Peirre, who are you when you're not Zorro?"
Deirdre giggled at the thought of Pierre being Zorro. A Zorro that said "Aiiyyeee" on a regular basis! She turned to Jude and said, "Well I hope you never see him again. Humans certainly do suck sometimes. And I'm crazy enough too. That's why I don't drink Absinthe. Or that is just my excuse" she winked.
Jude smiled slowly at Deirdre from under her lashes. "Maybe I'll stick with vodka and orange then."
Pierre shrugged, smiling. "I do many things. But for seeing people mostly parties and clubbing and sometimes surfing. But I don't think I will be doing much surfing yet!" he laughed. "But any time there is a night on the town, please invite me, I am a party animal."
He considered that sentence for a moment. "No frog jokes!"
At that moment Renee returned to the table, a tray of drinks in her hands. "There had better not to be frog jokes!" she chimed in, placing the others' drinks of choice before them. "Remember who's supplying the drinks!"
She sat back down next to Deirdre and slid an arm around her, resting it partly on her shoulders, partly on the back of the seat.
The group sat down at a booth, and as always, Renee ordered their drinks for them. It probably wouldn't be long at all before the others showed up.
Jude made her way into Dante's alone. She hadn't seen either Ry or Slink for a few days and hoped- vaugly- that she'd end up seeing them tonight. She had her hair out and was trying to cover her face without looking too obvious. It was pointless, she knew it was. There was only so much covering a person could do when they'd obviously been in a fight. Jude's painful split lip made her very self-concious that everyone just knew. She just hoped she could pass her appearance off on getting in a fight that afternoon after school.
She spotted Renee, Deirdre and an unfamilliar boy over in a booth and made a small wave before making her way over to join them.
Renee waved back as Jude approached. The girl kept brushing her hair forward self-consciously. At first she thought she just didn't want to be recognised from the recent runway show, but then she noticed the split in her lip. It looked nasty... Renee tensed up, but caught herself and tried to control her reaction. It was instinct now to jump to conclusions, but that wasn't necessarily what had happened. Either way, it didn't seem like something that she should directly confront Jude about. Not yet, anyway.
"Jude," she smiled. "This is my best friend from the mother country, Pierre. Pierre, this is Jude."
"Well, hello," Pierre smiled. His eyes flicked over her injury for an instant, but otherwise, he didn't react.
Renee linked her hands beneath her jaw, subtley pointing to her lip, her eyes meeting Jude's. She let the question show in her expression... Jude didn't even have to say anything if she didn't want to. But her reaction would probably be all Renee needed to gauge what was going on...
Getting out of the house that night was so easy it hardly needed thinking about. The lock had come off the outside of Stephie's window (after a long, indignant argument about personal freedom and human rights with her father, which mostly consisted of her yelling at him till he conceded.) last night so she was out that, over the roof, onto the garage, down the street and onto the street. The air outside was freezing, numbing her face and making her skin go that gross blotchy red it did when it was cold.
The glow from Dante's window lit up the street outside with a warm glow that make Stephie feel warmer just looking at it. She pushed the door open and was immidiatly encased with the warmth from the fire and the people. Needing to defrost her fingers, she headed for the bar and ordered a long black before casting her eyes around looking for the others.
Jude saw the look and only flinched internally. Sometimes she thought she'd gotton far too good at pretending. She should have known there was no way she could hide any marks. So, putting her on her best showman smirk- carefully, best not to split it again- she said, "You should see the other guy." She flicked back her hair- fuck the small brusies, it was all seen now anyway, and smiled at Pierre. "Nice to meet you, Pierre." She looked at Renee. "So, what are we drinking?"
Renee paid close attention to Jude's response. It was possible she was trying to hide something... but the skatepark could probably get quite rough, she supposed... and the she threw her hair back now, nonchalantly revealing the rest of her bruises... maybe it really was just an ordinary, teenage brawl. Jude certainly did seem like the type who wouldn't shy away from such a thing.
She nodded and indicated Pierre. "Pierre is starting with beer, but I imagine he'll move on to something stronger before too long. I'm drinking absinthe, of course," Renee smiled. "Deirdre is being overly polite and waiting for everyone to get here first," she winked. "Would you like me to get you anything? Lou knows me, it's not a problem."
Stephie caught sight of them easily, sitting in the same booth as the other night. With her fingers still tightly closed around the wonderfully-beautifully-amazingly warm coffee mug, she slid off the bar stool and made her way over, barging right into the group. She plonked herself down next to Jude and added: "and I'll have another vodka and orange, but I'd like to try some of that absinthe this time too, and I'm paying for Judes this round, I owe her one."
Renee grinned as Steph made her entrance. "As you wish, dear. This is Pierre, by the way," she said. "Pierre, this is Steph. I think you'll find each other amusing," she added with a wink.
Pierre reached across the table to shake Steph's hand. "It is a pleasure, pretty lady," he grinned.
Stephie caught the silly grin before it showed on her face too much, and replaced it with an eyeroll. "No need for formalities, Stephie'll do," she told Pierre.
Jude felt uncomfortable at the thought of Slink paying for her drinks but didn't say anything. She sat there with her mind stuck on a thousand little things. Like how bad would have father's mood be when she got home tonight and could she just avoid him? And how she was sitting between Slink and Renee/Deirdre: two groups which should never have mixed. She didn't know who she was meant to be right then and found herself bouncing between RegentsJude and ScateparkJude.
She looked at Renee and smiled wickedly. "I think, maybe, I'll have some absinthe too."
Deirdre smiled at everyone. "I'm so glad you're here! I'll have a Latte, Renee, thanks." She leaned over and planted a kiss on her girlfriend's nose." She gave Jude a sympathetic face and said, "The other guy won't be coming back, right? We could always sick Pierre on him!" She threw Pierre an amused and adoring look. And then whispered to Slink and Jude after Renee had gone, "that Absinthe will make you crazy. Which I assume is part of it's charm" and she winked.
Pierre shrugged as Renee left the table to place their orders. "I do have a red belt in Enshin karate. I just got it, too, so you know I am in shape," he winked. "Just call me Zorro!"
His eyes took in both of the girls, summing them up but not in any sexual or threatening way. It was more... comradely. "So," he began. "You girls are skaters, oui?"
"She skates," Jude said, pointing a thumb at Slink. "I mostly just...hang out." She smiled.
Then she looked at Deirdre in a pondering fashion. "Absinthe makes you crazy? Hmm, maybe I should stick with something less damaging. I'm already crazy enough." Then, in answer to the second part, "and I doubt the guy will be coming back. Just a serious disagreement, is all. I doubt I'll ever even see the guy again."
"Ingesting anything that colour'll probably make you crazy." Stephie noted, "I'm game. So Peirre, who are you when you're not Zorro?"
Deirdre giggled at the thought of Pierre being Zorro. A Zorro that said "Aiiyyeee" on a regular basis! She turned to Jude and said, "Well I hope you never see him again. Humans certainly do suck sometimes. And I'm crazy enough too. That's why I don't drink Absinthe. Or that is just my excuse" she winked.
Jude smiled slowly at Deirdre from under her lashes. "Maybe I'll stick with vodka and orange then."
Pierre shrugged, smiling. "I do many things. But for seeing people mostly parties and clubbing and sometimes surfing. But I don't think I will be doing much surfing yet!" he laughed. "But any time there is a night on the town, please invite me, I am a party animal."
He considered that sentence for a moment. "No frog jokes!"
At that moment Renee returned to the table, a tray of drinks in her hands. "There had better not to be frog jokes!" she chimed in, placing the others' drinks of choice before them. "Remember who's supplying the drinks!"
She sat back down next to Deirdre and slid an arm around her, resting it partly on her shoulders, partly on the back of the seat.
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