Wake Up (Liana/Open)

Liana only had a couple more days before she officially started school - the paper work was finished, and she got her own dorm. Until then she was re-familiarizing herself with this city, but her early morning stroll had taken her by the beach. With her hands stuck in the pockets of her rolled cargo pants her sandal covered feet scuffed lightly against the cement of the walk way that took her right past the rolling gray churning water of the ocean.

Her light brown hair was down and undone, the light wind coming up off the water in a almost crisp fashion whipping is across her face and around her shoulders. Lia knew though that it would be warming up soon enough, so the early chill wouldn't stick around, the sun would be breaking through the light coverage and the air would warm pleasantly. It was that thought alone that had a small smile on her face as usual, though goosebumps were already nipping at the skin of her bare arms, since the tank top didn't offer much protection, not even the black crocheted vest.

Still it did little to put Liana off in any way, still she headed up the main street and while in the process, she happened across a small cafe - though it looked busy enough with loyal local business. A coffee sounded perfect, she needed a boost and her stomach was rumbling a little - running low on fuel. Sometimes in life that are incidents and occurrences you just can't avoid, whether it be fate or just luck (depending on how you liked to look at it - good or bad). But as Liana stepped in, the chime over the door ringing at her entrance, signaling that someone had passed through. It was more obvious on the inside that the place was a little busier then it would suggest from the outside, but with undeterred steps she made her way in about to place an order for a cup of plain coffee and find a seat.

Now, Lia didn't know that, that particular day, a new batch of fresh faced workers were in attendance, or that one in particular would have worked up a tall willowy brunette two - year veteran of this establishment enough that she wasn't paying attention. Just about as much as Liana herself wasn't particularly noticing her surroundings. Somewhat flustered and harried, the girl would hurry herself from behind the counter with a man's order - a man in a Armani suit, but it would never arrive. Liana had no time to notice the brown hair pop up out of seemingly no where - the end result nonetheless was that pipping hot liquid spilled down on her, staining the hem of her white tank top, and splashing across the hip of her cargo pants.

Of course it was hot, her first reaction a light yelp, but her second- was to apologize, repeatedly and reach for some napkins as she gingerly held out the sopping end of her shirt. The drink had cooled almost as soon as it as on her, so she hadn't been burned, maybe the skin turned a bit pink, but nothing that would consistent a trip to the hospital.

"Oh God, I am so sorry," the girl gushed rushing to set the cup down, the cup clinking against the saucer and the counter. In a matter of what seemed like seconds she had rounded behind the counter and snatched a damp rag and was back in front of Lia dabbing at her clothes.

"No, no its really okay, I wasn't paying attention at all, and I mean, it wasn't my coffee," it was a subtle hint who's ever order that was, probably wouldn't be to happy. This seemed to snap the other girl back to what she needed to be doing and looked up with Liana with slightly widened eyes in realization. After that all she did was straighten, focusing on something over Lia's shoulder and consequently drawing her attention.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Seran. I'll get your order now," she said, looking back and Liana and obviously unable to do anything about the ruined clothes other then hand her the hand towel then hurry back. The small smile on her lips was a little more forced then before but it wasn't from being upset per say. Facing forward and looking down, her back to the guy in that moment she continued to dab a little at the clothes till finally she just set it down on the counter next to the empty cup and turned.

Well, she still wanted that coffee regardless, so, as she made her way to a table she uselessly swiped the back of her fingers down where it was wet - the same thing people did knowing that wouldn't help but doing it anyways. Liana wound up sitting facing the very man who's coffee she was no wearing, at the table next to him. It seemed to take her a moment to realize it but finally she breathed out a small laugh and smiled a little easier, if not in a reserved fashion. "Sorry about your coffee," was all she could possibly think to get out to the stranger.

Liana had to resist the urge to pick up some more napkins and continue to dab at the stain now on her once stark white tank top as she sat across from the guy in the fitted suit. Well if she was struggling to pull off a casual uncaring air, now it was just made all that more difficult seeing as how she was having small face to face with someone impeccably dressed.

Resting her arms along the edge of the table, crossed in front of her, Liana gave a small laugh again, her small smile splitting to an open expression at his words for her apology. “Of course,” she said quietly her eyes flicking down at the chair as when it was nudge forward, obviously inviting her to join him. With her chin ducked in a little, she looked up through her lashes and a few stray pieces of light brown hair – taking the moment given after the request to mule it over.

Of course she didn’t mind, and wouldn’t decline – for one he hadn’t been at all upset that his coffee was now an accessory on her, and for another…he was quite cute. Her teeth caught her bottom lip, pulling at the plump flesh thoughtfully before she nodded after which she stood.

“Thanks, I’d like that,” she said, stepping around her table and noticing the waitress returning with a cup of coffee for the man she could only assumed who’s name was Mr. Seran. When she eased down in the out turned chair at his table and adjusted it to sit right at the table, before she could say anything, the woman was asking Lia what she’d like.

“Just a plain black coffee for me, please,” she answered without giving a second thought. Liana just needed the caffeine to keep going not any sugar. When it was just the two of them again she stuck out her hand, leaning forward slightly, “Liana Williams. Its nice to meet you, though…I wish it wasn’t while I was wearing your earlier coffee, but,” giving a small shrug and still smiling she tipped her head, “its always a good way to break the ice I guess…just do something embarrassing.”

When Gabriel's hand slipped over hers, lightly but firmly encasing her smaller one, she waited out the lingering hold and the rather gentlemanly introduction, glad to finally get his first name. He was no doubt older then she was, but not so much so she would be comfortable calling him mister for the remainder of their encounter today. Liana drew back her hand and settled into her chair, her right leg coming up to fold over her left as the waitress dropped off his coffee.

When he went on, Lia couldn't help but purse her lips in amusement, an eyebrow raising in a playful way. Of course it was always flattering to hear the kind of compliments Gabriel was dropping but she had hardly had the constant problem of flocks of men beating down her door. For a moment she didn't actually say anything until he spurred her own with his inquiry of being to forward. "Not at all," she answered almost promptly, "its just a little hard having hordes of guys trying to catch my attention when I'm not around long enough for them to do so."

About then her own order came around, placed in front of her and her almost coy smile turned refreshing friendly as she thanked the same girl that had inadvertently spilled the coffee on her in the first place. Cupping the ceramic mug with one hand and looping her fingers through the small handle, taking a careful sip from it without waiting, she didn't feel the need to elaborate on the fact she hardly had guy problems was because for the last seventeen years she had been constantly moved from one place to another.

Relationships of any kind hardly worked when one of the two didn't stick around long enough to establish anything. Placing the mug down, with her fingers stayed curled around it the pad of of her right pointer finger brushing along the lip of it lightly. So while she was insinuating she was a hard catch, her parents life style had left little choice to really find out if she was or not. Still it didn't mean she was at all challenged in the ways of holding or being suitable company.

If anything though, she thought of herself as a rather modest individual, sure giving into her more feminine side and liking to be girly, but knowing what it took to really let loose and not care about her looks to much. Since her parents hadn't had a boy, she had been drafted into liking football and watching a Sunday game with her father (when she could), also Lia liked camping and fishing. But in a sense she really had no idea if she was attractive to the opposite sex or not. "So," she started off this time, "I take it you come here often?"

Even though her affable smile still hung on her lips in an easy sort of way, when he guessed that she was attending the high school nearby, Liana dipped her head in a almost hesitant way. There weren't that many schools 'nearby' so she could only assume he was talking about 774. Mid sip she hummed and nodded when he made the rather accurate assessment of where she was going to be going to school. Lia hadn't realized just how tight knit the community was around this area, for him to not recognize her face from anywhere.

However she lost quick interest in that cup of coffee that had been set down for her, and instead when he leaned back she mirrored his earlier movement and titled forward so her arms rested against the table.

"Oh?" She drew out, in that inquisitive way, "what's so bad about it?" He didn't look like he was to long out of high school himself, and while there was the possibility he hadn't attended there was just a good a chance that he had - perhaps. Especially since he said he came here everyday. Obviously he was well acquainted with the area, the people in and perhaps even the goings on. By his suit, he was well off so it was a good chance that his family was influential, but being one that didn't listen to news or gossip in general - she didn't know the name Seran, and she hadn't hear anything about 774.

"I hear the curriculum is quite good at PHS 774," Liana admitted, knowing that much at least. And sure she was sure everyone had horror stories of their high school experience. If Gabriel was trying to hint at something, she wasn't getting it in all honesty, she hadn't been at a school much less this school or any like it to know better. But if there was something she needed to be warned about she really would like to hear about it. Better to be clued in then stepping blind into something, however being misinformed was just as bad.

"What is there that I should know about that place?" though the question was posed lightly it was obvious that he had caught her curiosity quite firmly. Liana hadn't officially started yet, her packing was this in the process of getting done and the final paper work was getting done.

Liana wasn't sure how she should take that bit of information exactly. Of course she had heard of the laws of...Corperal Punishment being passed in the schools, however she hadn't thought to much about it at the time. She had been to school once years ago when she was in the first grade or so, and even then she hadn't been there long. From then she had been home schooled.

Between traveling around the west coast to overseas she didn't put to much of her attention on news. Unless it was internationally a disaster she wasn't exactly privy to it. Thoughtfully she picked back up her cup of coffee and took another slow drink, finding that it had cooled enough to enjoy it now without feeling like it was going to burn her mouth. Still she didn't settle back into her seat to give up the space she had taken already.

However she had her skepticism in the moment. Her father had just retired ex-military...would he really send her to a school that was dangerous? A place where she could possibly get hurt? Liana didn't think so...and she was sure all that reflected onto her face. With a breath out that carried along with it a sound of amusement but uncertainty, she turned the corners of her lips as she eyed the guy across from her carefully.

"Sorry I haven't heard of anything like that...of course my family just settled here a little bit ago. We've been overseas for a while now," she informed lightly having not been in California for at least five years now. Liana wasn't exactly in the mood to give her families history to possibly explain herself or her ignorance on certain matters. So with a small, now reserved shrug she fingered the cup in front of her as she set it down, "I haven't been in a school structured environment since I was...six."

There was the question of what it was exactly that would prelude to Gabriel's (not so) subtle warning of a school like 774. He was just giving her enough to make Liana slightly wary of the whole subject, but curious - like a synopsis on the back of a good book. She wondered if he would take her obviously uninformed hint and explain further, if not then...in a few days she would be experiencing it all for herself.

Something in his tone left little for Liana to go on like the darker heavier tone he had used only a few moments ago hadn't even been hinted at in his words. Slightly taken by that her brow twitched down briefly...Normally she wasn't one to worry about fights or what kind of violence could be around her, Lia tended to avoid unsavory situations when at all possible. If the school did indeed have a reputation for brutality among the student body, she would just make sure to step lightly so to say.

She wasn't sure what kind of thread she would make to warrant aggressive behavior toward, but with some you never knew - even she was aware of that. The conversation was pushed forward and the subject of the school in this area and what it was like or what she should expect from it was quickly left behind. Instead the question of where she was coming from came up.

With a slanted smile to her lips Liana picked up her mug letting it linger in front of her mouth as she spoke, "well, just came from Spain - spent a few years there, my dads last tour -and it was either move back to California or stay somewhere on the east coast. We've always wound up coming back here though...so this is where we are staying...hopefully," she muttered almost tacking the last word on as she took a sip.

Her tone suggested that maybe she didn't believe it, her father got to restless sometimes to every stay in one spot it seemed, it was why he liked the military what he did that allowed him to travel. While Liana had learned to enjoy it and accept it as a normal part of her every day life she wanted the chance to see where she went from spending time in one spot more then a few years or a couple months. Mainly because she wanted to form real relationships with people.

Focusing herself back on her company she sent an apologetic smile for obviously not being particularly engaging, but his inquiry had her reflecting on a few things, unexpectedly. "But before that it was a few other places, mainly Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia...I think the only place I've stayed that was for an extensive time was in Hawaii, and here of course."

He had asked questions of her so far she noticed, but had hardly given up anything about himself other then a name, and that he came here nearly every day. "And what about yourself, Mr. Seran," she said with a lightly teasing infliction in her tone accompanying an easy grin, as she lifted her other hand up to cup the mug in front of her taking a small sip again, "are you a native to San Diego?"

Liana was pleasantly surprised to hear that he was born in France, and the lightly delighted look peppered across her eyes. She had visited Paris with her mother only last year, and she was always so interested in hearing about other peoples traveling. What they had done, been, experienced. It was interesting to compare, take note and maybe someday do the same thing.

Through his brief and somewhat quick explanation of his origins, and what had brought him here she had taken another drink, longer this time - draining the bitter liquid considerably from her cup before placing it down, freeing her hands up. It sounded as though what Gabriel was saying was a private matter - so she didn't pry on that, realizing she probably wouldn't get anything even if she tried. However.

"So you have business at 774?" He might not have contrived her as a necessarily interesting person, but Liana had firmly labeled him as someone of significance - someone of considerable worthy attention. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get mixed up in anything he might be involved with (actually she was pretty sure she didn't - given the repetitively subtle hints that she was slowly being able to piece together.) Still she was able to offer up the genial smile on her lips with her innocent enough query.

Still the way he was talking was putting her a bit on edge about going to this school in the first place. Maybe when she got home she would need to...familiarize herself a little better about what she was going to be dealing with. Of course she didn't have any delusions that there wouldn't be fights - it was a public school. Over hormonal teenagers in a place in close quarters to each other for eight hours a day - five days a week would work over even a saints nerves.

Liana was beginning to wonder if she wasn't getting herself psyched out over it all. After all she had no experience in that sort of surrounding, let alone one that this guy was suggesting to be as bad as it was - or that something bad would possibly be happening. In all honesty...Lia got herself to wound up in things and with a mental shake rid herself of it. All in all her conclusion - she wasn't sure what to think about Gabriel other then he was a well dressed, articulate person - not to mention quite handsome. And she had no better of a end result about knowing of her soon to be school either.