Well Enough Alone (Open)

[Jayr Byrne]

Clearly California was not Chicago.

Specific differences began emerging soon as they got within state lines. for one she could pick out specific degrees of change. Desert, Cow, Cactus. Things that certainly belonged in the more low rank countryside not the beautiful state of sun and ocean. Of course this was a dire change of pace from Chicago. Jayr missed the dark skies and the feel of the big city already and with two days of open road with the occasional dainty porta-potty. Yuck. Glossing over her lips with her forehead pressed harshly to the window time passed as the Desert became rural farmlands and then big cities, small suburbs and then coastline. The blue sea made her smile for once. Long painted nails tapped at the frame that forebode her escape as Alexi looked back from his seat with a firm nod.

"Aye Jayr, we'll be home soon enough."

Home? Did he really expect her to call this place home so soon? there was so much she left in Chicago, so much that was left behind, and yet so little in fact. Recalling back to the gaggly boys that ogled her and the girls she tortured how much she was hated for being well her.

-bump-

Her head felt cold against the window she could feel the divide, almost like the waves were gravity calling to her. Limber features bending in the car as the discomfort became too much. A glare at the back of the seat in front of her like the person sitting there could make the ride more bearable or even faster. Her converse began kicking at the back unconsciously.

"Jayr...." A slow glance from her mother stopped the progressing jabs of distaste. And of course her lips pursed into a pout coiling up into the back seat.

"We're here!" Alexi said quickly popping the car into park a second following Jayr's exciting escape. Her stature out into a headlong dash for the coast across the street barely recognizing her parent's calls in the background.

Bolting for the shore Jayr pounce out of her shoes and dashed into the sand finding a spot near the tide to bury her feet before looking up. "now how do I get back...?" She'd shrug absent mindedly enjoying herself.

[knightmare13]

Today had been a long day. My Douglas PErsona basically womanized the b-squad head cheerleader, and paid off several teachers. On top of that the crime in the city has been weird lately, I guess in the city everyone's a criminal. I thought it would be good to let the real me have a break since the library's closed.

I took a walk down the coast holding my sneaks at my side and wearing a black t-shirt and some black shorts. I had to take it easy since I had that pole slammed against my chest a few nights ago, and tonight I had to do it again. 'I love this city.' I said to myself.

As I walked down the coast I came across a girl lyin' in the sand, I thought nothing of it really until I heard her say something.
"now how do I get back...?"

I thought for a second and stopped, "well that would take a few things I believe." I said with a small smirk.

[Jayr Byrne]

The dismally inadequate question....

Are we alone?

Of course the question was to be short down the instant a reply was Reached. A ginger jump to her frame looking back at the man in black holding his sneakers in his hand as though this were some sort of beach side reunion of which two old passing friends would commonly conjoin to accompany one another. Though simply put that was not the case. Jayr was new in town, she was lost, and she was also a female and by account all of the prior sentiments would normally fill said person with dread of being harmed.

But the key here was Jayr wasn't.

In reply she simply smiled a hand moving towards he brow to shield away the sun seeing as it'd just reached about three give of take and the sun was just high enough to still beat against her eyes giving strain.

"Hi there? And what do you mean by that?"

She'd say in a dim and curious fashion implying a speculative nature about her. There was very little at this point to where she could analyse this boy. Of course back in Chicago every boy was a villain, gangster, or prick here in CA these were different things; boys, they must all be like the TV suggested they were. All charming and sweet, a bit of a bad boy to them that spruced anything up.

[knightmare13]

I smirked and took a quick seat next to the girl. She was definitely new to the city, probably just got here. "Well that depends on where you want to go." I took a quick look at her up and down, "My guess for you would be home right?"

[Jayr Byrne]

Down the Rabbit Hole?

The boy sat quickly seeming to have no trouble at all in placing himself next to her. She felt the uncomfortable breach of her personal space irk at the back of her head while working to dismiss the thought at hand. The only conclusion she could come to was that Californians had no barriers to keep people out, she guessed that was probably reason for all the hunks without shirts on giving each other hugs and such.

"Well that depends on where you want to go."

Where did she want to go? Or was he just speaking in a short term context. Because the phrase could be used in all too many ways. Where do you want to go now? The future? After High School? After College? What do you want to do with yourself the perplexed questions twinging in one's mind.

An innocent shrug as her face scrunched up in a cutesy manner disregarding the moment of intellectual thought as it passed through her mind.

"My guess for you would be home right?"

Home Right. The new place up the hill, thats where she wanted to be. Or where she thought she did. The thought bounced around in her head weighing the principality of worth and what home was. Home in Chicago or home here. It didn't matter she cared for neither there was nothing holding her down or giving her wings it was all just an illusion.

"mmm, Nah, not right now I think I just wanna lay out."

She smiled before stretching her hands over her head and laying back against the warm sand basking out with her legs down and arms up soaking it all in feeling energized.

"Ahh."

[knightmare13]

I laughed slightly as she laid back. She was someone who was going to be interesting to see around. He also thought back to the very slight but to him completely visible tension as he took the seat next to her. 'Getting too close to being Doug right there.'

With a small smile I asked, "So where are you from?"

[Jayr Byrne]

...Nothing but a past

Certainly the thing to remind you of only sad tidings, memories gone and unable to be reclaimed except for the fact that they'd happened. The only memory of course being in the pictures that you took. Jayrs loved pictures at least those that bore creative resemblance of things. Black and White, extravagant colors, neons. They all filled her with a sense of fantasy that she'd always had a girl-like longing for something to return upon.

"So where are you from?"

A big dumb dirt hole in the middle of a city consumed by corruption and lost souls.

"Chicago, City of..... yeahhh"

The simple musings to herself of a place she neither fit in nor belonged to. Remembering how she ahd to dress up like a boy a good part of her life to avoid getting raped, and how her step-father had to teach her close-quarter tactics that would gift her with the ability to defend herself. It was safe at a time, but like all things comfortable it was that very thought of stability that would eventually betray you. She guessed that was why in fact that her parents chose to move here. Not due to the opportunity but because of their own paranoia.

"And you Mr. unknown who decides that sitting by me is a good past time," She smiled a little parting her rose lips to give way to shimmering ivory teeth, "Where do you hail from?"

Not that she cared, it was hard to find people who did, it was just reflex. Be nice to people who were nice to you, golden rule and all that jazz.

[knightmare13]

I chuckled a little bit at her calling me Mr. Unknown, 'Not the name I use, but it has some cheesy ring to it.' I thought. I closed my eyes and with a small smile of my own showing off my own whites, which weren't dazzling but were well maintained I replied, "wherever I hang my hat really. I was born here, but I did do some traveling."

[Jayr Byrne]

Thats code for..

Something. She was sure of it, this boy had to be playing a game, but the facet of curiosity had hardly entered her mind his replies just stagnant enough to bore her slightly but long enough for her to conclude further inquiry upon the matter. Besides he was the first person she'd met here the chances of her seeing him again were particularly higher than seeing someone she knew from Chicago so they had to start a game that was something aside from 20 Questions.

"B-T-dubz, that was code for me asking your name hot-shot" She spilled out with a short giggle hoping he was just a little dim and not entirely lost onto her thought process other wise she'd stand out like a sore thumb come Monday.

"wherever I hang my hat really. I was born here, but I did do some traveling."

Ahh so he was a hobo, so she had the right Ideal to be worried about personal space. Then again did a hobo stand a chance against a girl who was trained in KGB style fighting? Probably not, she'd have to do the calculation in her head later as she laid there completely unwavering at the potential threat.

"So where'd you go?" Her next question thoughtfully implied.

It gave her both the opportunity to appear more into the conversation than need be and allowed a brief span for her to unfurrow her toes from the sand kicking them up briefly and settle her heel at the bridge of her butt, body still spanned out as she could potentially bolt at a given moment. Then came the arch of her back to stretch, though from his perception it would more than likely go misinterpreted as in sexual connotations.

[knightmare13]

"A lot of places where it's a god send to find someone who can speak english." I said with a small laugh. "Europe was fun." I added. I looked at her quickly to see if that would start anything. I saw her slight tension at the part where I said where I hang my hat is home "And by the way I'm far from a hobo."

[Jayr Byrne]

I get it...

He wasn't a Hobo, he had to be a super hobo. Clearly the dumb blonde thing sticking with her since the 8th grade took effect subtly in the back of her mind somewhere as he avoided the covert prodding of asking his name in a coaxing fashion. So perhaps all Cali boys weren't all studdly and perfect but were just as slow as all boys were. It would figure. Jayr would purse her lips collectively shifting them to the right bitting the inside of her lower lip cautiously. She knew how stupid that was but it'd become a force of habit when tossed against the ideal of bolting or sticking around for more info.

Then the mention of Europe. A fluttery feeling leaped up inside her. Oh how she adored Europe, he'll she'd never been anywhere but England but she dreamed of going to Paris and spending a boatload of cash on designer products. What? A girl could dream right?

"And by the way I'm far from a hobo."

A short bounce before settling calmly again, what was that? Almost like the boy had read her mind. He was obviously some sort of creeper. His defense only solidifying the act in her head of him but she remained a covert neutral in the act.

"Well if you're not a Hobo then why are you so...." She stretched at the thoughts in her head pausing for and instant as she worked the logic trying to come up with a good enough reason why she should be mad at him, "Shoeless!" She pointed out at his feet neglecting the fact that they were in his hands. Yet another ditsy blonde moment.

[knightmare13]

I couldn't hide the laugh, "Whoo, good one missy. No I'm just a guy who likes to walk with his feet in the sand. And Who actually has a house not too far from here." I said with a smirk, "Name's Shane Knight." I said holding out my free hand for her to shake it.

[Jayr Byrne]

A catch in my throat

choke. The rise of blood in her cheeks feeling submissively stupid but shaking the rosary free and coming of promiscuously at peace. A laugh at her expense was not a laugh at all. Because the guy didn't have shoes, at least not on him and besides that proved nothing, he could totally still be a hobo, the dreaded shoe stealing hobo of San Diego. She could certainly see the headlines now.

"Name's Shane Knight."

"Oh..." She eyed the hand precautionary before extending her own.

Luckily one of such of her fighting moves aided in the use of shaking hands so if he tried pulling something funny he'd be on his ass in just a second. Though she grinned through it taking his hand in a normal shake expecting the inevitable bad times to ensue feeling paranoid as most people did when matched up with an overly confident new comer.

"Jayr Byrne, nice t'a meet'cha." She grinned bearing the teeth as more of a tigers attempt this time around coming off like a little kid trying to be polite to talk to strangers yet avoiding the conflicting details. Besides he wasn't getting where she live.

[knightmare13]

I shook my head "Came off a little strong huh Byrne?" I asked shaking the hand slightly and felt the tension throughout her hand and noticing something else. "What do you practice?" I asked, "You've been on edge all this time we've been talking and you seem calm so you must have something under your belt."

[Jayr Byrne]

Just a tad

Yeah he could say that, but then again she'd seen much worse. A flashback to middle school when the class nerd came up and projected his love unto her. It always felt bad shutting kids down, but it'd been a long time since then and she'd gotten very good at it. Then she caught onto him using her last name. That was odd since when were they good old buddies, chaps, chums? It struck her as odd to a degree nitpicking at the boy's responses trying again to find something wrong with him her own self destructive means of imploding upon herself.

"What do you practice? You've been on edge all this time we've been talking and you seem calm so you must have something under your belt."

A soft little giggle as her hand retreated to brush aside her hair keeping it out of her eyes as she focused intently on relaxing her body.

"Just ten years of Acting classes." She smiled at the bullshit answer she'd just given. Acting she'd been through but there was always more than that as the two faces contorted for control.

And besides I'm onto you Hobo McKnight!