| It's Monday morning, the day before Halloween. Bonnie's vrooming into the parking lot on her pink vintage '69 Vespa. She pulls into a parking spot and cuts the engine. She takes off her helmet and runs a hand through her hair, hoping to prevent helmet-head this morning.
Independence. It is something Amelia feels her life is currently lacking as she has to get lifts from her stepbrother Roman. To say the pair of them are not bosom buddies would be an understatement, but at least they're not hissing venomous poison at one another. As Amelia walks through the parking lot she spies Bonnie and lifting a hand waves to the other girl. "Blimey," she says as she nears her, "when you said pink you really meant pink. Still, I like it. Very retro."
Bonnie smiles and straps the helmet to the scooter, retrieving her messenger bag from the saddlebag. "Thanks. I'm all about the pink, and the retro is definitely a plus. It's also not producing enough CO2 to gag a giant camel." She smiles and looks over at Roman, then to Amelia.. "The computer van guy's your boyfriend?" She asks as she starts to head towards the school proper.
Amelia pulls a violent face, "Boyfriend? Eww! God no." She sighs and shoves her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "He is my stepbrother." She glances over in the direction of Roman and shudders over the very idea of them dating. "His dad and my dad...it's all very Californian or so I'm told." With a casual shrug that belies the real emotional devastation caused by the two men and their relationship, Amelia falls in line walking with Bonnie. "Is it easy to drive one of those things? Do you need the same kind of license?"
Bonnie blushes as she got Amelia's situation all wrong. "Oh, my bad.." She then listens and her eyes go wide. "Well.. I..." She sighs, certainly not having an issue with homosexuality, however.. "If it makes you feel better, my mom embarrasses me too?" She shrugs, trying to help the situation. At the question of the Vespa, Bonnie shrugs. "It's as easy to ride as a bicycle. Easier, since you don't need to pump your legs. It does ride on the street, so it has to be registered. I have a junior motorcycle license. They're fairly easy to get." She smiles.. "Looking to get a bike, or something?" She grins evilly, putting her hands up, making a rectangular picture frame with them. "I can see you on a Ducati... Totally hot." She smiles, making her way through the crowd and into the school.
"Yeah, mums are a real hoot. Mine is in a swanky rehab centre in the West Indies. Every so often there are lovely photos of it in the press." Amelia shifts the strap of her satchel higher along her shoulder as she steps around someone so she can keep up with Bonnie. "Huh...just a junior license? Is there a book I need to study from? I...I am missing my independence. I hate having to bum rides off of people, especially Roman and his dad. Kelly was being nice and taking me place for a bit but...well...I think it pissed off his girlfriend and now..." She leaves the rest unsaid. "A Ducati?" Amelia's mouth twitches. "Not a big boss Harley like I'm some cheesy extra in Sons of Anarchy?"
Bonnie nods. "Well, mine is pretty popular, but only around town. She's a free-lovin' New Ager who thinks that there's no such thing as bedroom boundaries... Which is just my nice way of calling her the Town Whore." She shrugs and swallows, obvious venom in her voice. She stops walking and just stares as she mentions Kelly's name. "Black?" She shakes her head. "That boy's full of bad news. I mean, he's cool and all, just not in a confined space... I mean, it's not like he's a rapist, just..." She shakes her head... "Bad news." She repeats. She turns and heads to her locker, working the lock. "Junior for now. Once I'm 18, I can get a full license and drive at night." At the mention of the type of bike, she giggles. "Nono. Something classy, with sleek lines and awesome curves." She blushes slightly.. "Harley's are great but... kinda manly.. And.. well... You don't seem to be the flannel type." She stops, swallowing, hating her hypocritical self.. "I.. I'm sorry. That was evil.. I mean, if you are, that's cool... I'm sorry."
"It's a good thing we know we don't have to end up like our parents, eh?" Amelia takes a flyer that a passing student hands her and looks it over absently. "He does seem troubled," she agrees with Bonnie, in reference to Kelly. "I like him, but he's hung up with guilt over what's her face so I'm leaving it be. I've had enough man-boy drama in my life this past year to make me fancy avoiding anymore." She grins and looks up at Bonnie, laughing. "No, I'm not a lezzer, if that's what you mean. Not that I mind the rug munchers but it isn't really my thing. Guess my dad and I have that in common." She barks out a laugh at something she is picturing in her head.
Bonnie nods and sighs. "I mean.. He seems like a decent kid, but he's got layers of drama.. His aura is so mucky it's not funny, and I don't have the time to help him clean it when he doesn't want to." She sighs and nods.. "I know. I haven't even spoken to Tanner since Homecoming. I don't know if he's mad at me, or..." She shrugs. Bonnie's eyes go wide slightly and water at Amelia's opinion.. "Rug... Oh..." She blushes and nods, burying her head in her locker to grab some books for her first few classes, Geometry and American Lit.
Auras? Amelia looks back at the flyer. "I'm sure this hospital stuff will help, maybe." She shrugs it off, not wanting to really air more dirty laundry in public, especially that which is not her own. "Tanner doesn't seem the type to get mad easily. Maybe he's trying to do that dumb guy thing and play it cool so as not to scare you. He seemed rather pleased to be at the dance with you, afterall." She gives Bonnie, or rather her locker door an encouraging grin. "Be daring, ask him out for something random but fun like collecting a pumpkin from a farm or something."
Bonnie pops her head back out of her locker, wiping her cheek. "Possibly. I mean, he's cool and all but.. " She shrugs. "I need someone who's more then just a party animal." She closes her locker and swings her bag over her shoulder, trying not to whack anyone walking behind her. She smiles whimsically. "I can't wait. Tomorrow's Samhain. Tabi and I are supposed to dress up as Fae.."
"Perceptions aren't always reality. Maybe he is deeper than he lets on. It is easier to be the life of the party. Nobody has time to ask you the deep searching questions then." Amelia looks down the hall towards her own locker. "At least there isn't another dance where I have no date." She holds out the flyer for the Bonanza, letting Bonnie see it. "What are you going to do? Go trick o' treating?"
Sometimes waking Tabs up in the morning is more of a chore than other times. Monday mornings must be one of the former, from the somewhat harried look Mrs. Blayer has on her face as she bustles into the school building-- alone? No, there's Tabitha, trailing behind her, one fist shoved into an eye socket, rubbing her eye drowsily, hugging her backpack in front of her as if she were still in bed clutching a stuffed animal. Some people might be embarrassed to show up at school with a parent, but Tabitha looks too tired to care much, following her mom to the attendance window and lurking behind while her mom arranges an early release pass for a doctor's appointment. Her (Tabitha's) gaze wanders down the hallway, and, spotting Bonnie and Amelia, she aims a wave in their direction.
Bonnie sighs and shrugs. "We'll see... I can always use friends.." She says, looking at the flyer. "I don't know. I need to keep the shop open and do readings. It's one of my busiest days of the year, but maybe we'll hit this Bonanza thing." She looks up and sees Tab, excited at first but concerned when she sees her.. "Though, at this rate maybe just chilling out?" She waves to Tab and sends one of those concerned telepathically questioning looks to the girl.
As Amelia is still unaware of exactly what Tabitha's medical condition is - other than knowing she is on some kind of meds, but it seems many at the school are, she doesn't look quite so concerned as Bonnie, more bemused. Lifting a hand she returns the wave. "Maybe she could dress up as a slumber fairy, sprinkle sleepy dust over everyone."
Mrs. Blayer leaves the appointment confirmation with the attendance secretary and peeks behind her to make sure her daughter is still upright/with her. She then follows Tabitha's line of vision to the girls she's made eye contact with, and smiles a little bit, giving Tabitha a nudge like a momma horse would nudge her wobbly little foal, encouraging her to go over and say hello. Tabitha doesn't make friends easily, so her mom is more than happy to encourage socialization. Tabitha smiles meekly and gives her mom a kiss on the cheek good-bye (a couple of football jocks no doubt snicker on their way past), then heads over to join up with her friends. "Hi," she rasps, then clears her throat, "Hi," she tries again, more normally voiced. "I get a half-day today for a doctor's appointment," she announces, by way of explaining her mom's presence, but she also sounds delighted enough for the early release. "I wanted to sleep in and make it a full day, but mom really wants me to go to my classes for some reason," she grins impishly.
Bonnie gets defensive of Tab, almost saying something to Amelia, but stops, realizing that most may not know the depth of her condition as much as Bonnie does. She reaches over to Tab and hugs the girl gingerly. "Are you ok? Is there an issue?" She has no problem with flipping off the jocks. She backs off the girl and looks at her from arms length.. "You don't look *too* bad.. You might need someone who can help keep you awake, though."
Crumpling up the flyer she lets it go and hits one of the departing football players in the back of the head. "Learn to play a real sport you sissy!" Then she is all beaming smiles for Tabitha. "I'd have gone for the lie in too," agrees Amelia. "Anything to get out of English class." She pulls a face. "Bonnie was saying you two are dressing up for Halloween. I bet your costumes will be amazing."
Tabitha has her backpack on backward, so Bonnie's hug is kept somewhat distance by the pile of books she's got strapped to her chest like a suicide bomb. But she still reciprocates the snuggage with a happily beaming smile that breaks through the fog of her slumberiness. "I'm OK. It's six weeks since my last meds adjustment so they're just going to run the normal tests blah blah blah, y'know. If I'm lucky I'll get to go in for an fMRI," she wrinkles up her nose, an ambiguous gesture that could connote real excitement or the exact opposite. "Oh, yeah!" she bounces a little at the mention of the costumes. "It's going to be pretty awesome, we're going as fae!" No better way to wake up a Tabs than by getting her to geek out, huh? She looks back at the football player who gets pelted by the flying flyer, a little confused. Could be she missed the initial insult entirely.
Bonnie looks into Tab's eyes as if she were a doctor, looking deep down. "Ok.. but if you start to feel weird, let someone know, ok?" She hugs the girl again. "Call me when you get out, if you can. Let me know you're ok." She holds Tabitha's free hand. "IF!" She says loudly.. "If you're feeling up to it. If you're not feeling well, we can do something else. Your health is the most important."
Amelia looks down as she rummages in her bag, not wanting to really but in and feeling a bit out of place in any case during the discussion of Tabitha's health. She fishes out a small bag from which she removes a tube of chapstick and applies it before tucking everything away again. "What time do you have to leave, Tabitha? Do you guys want to have lunch later?"
Tabitha shrinks a little bit. She's a tall one, by any standard, but she tends to read smaller than she is, due simply to her lack of natural presence. She lets Bonnie have her hand, but looks just a little bit cowed by the attention. "I'm not, like, an invalid or something," she points out meekly. "I'm going to be OK and I've really been looking forward to doing our Samhain ritual," she looks close to pouting. "Uh---" she looks back toward the attendance counter, but her mom's already gone, "I'm not sure, I guess I'll get a note in class. But if I'm still here for lunch I'll go out on the terrace and meet you guys there?"
Bonnie sighs and nods. "I'm sorry.. I just.. I worry." She nods and then blushes at the mention of their plans for Halloween night, not entirely out of the broom closet. She nods to Tab, letting her hand go. "Ok.. I should get to Geometry. Catch you both for lunch?"
Amelia pulls her Physics book from her bag. "I should go too. Lunch sounds good." She grins at them both and seeing a rather geeky looking boy from her class calls out to him, then waves over her shoulder to Bonnie and Tabitha before departing with the rather uncomfortable looking boy.
Tabitha looks a little bit uncomfortable. Like she recognizes there's grown an awkwardness between herself and Bonnie and she's not really sure how to fix it. Boo. Definite boo. "OK," she answers back, finally, and, after a moment just sort of standing there, she remembers that her English class is waiting for her, and she heads there.
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