nyc prep continued

Ooc: not to rain on the prsnking parade but I think an upscale school like that would have way better security than a teen geing able to sneak in and change locks

"You sure you want to take that risk? That could be pretty dangerous," Jarid warned.

She nodded. "I'll see you later, Braden."

Brooklynn bent over to catch her breath, then sat next to him, laughing a little. "Who knew you could run so fast?"

"Yeah, security is probably pretty tight." Paige said. "what about putting glue on door handles?"

Braden grabbed her arm as she walked past him. This was a bad idea.

Carl smiled,'one of the few things I do that isn't academically related...running."

"Simple, elegant, and funny," Jarid replied with a smile. "Heck, if we get there early one morning we could do that before a lot of the teachers get there."

Jaimie stopped and looked at his hand on her arm, then back up to him. "Yes?" she asked softly.

"You're really good at it," Brooklynn agreed. "Is there anything you're not good at?"

Braden imagined cupping the back of her head with his free hand and bringing his lips to hers. He imagined outing the empty house to good use with her. But instead he slowly let her arm go.

He closed his eyes laying on his back, "im terrible in social situations."

"We could," Paige said smiling as the game ended. "What now?"

"What is it?" Jaimie asked, confused. What was going on with him?

"I think you're doing just fine," she replied, laying down next to him.

"Up to you," Jarid shrugged. "I don't really care. My saturdays are usually spent playing video games all day."

"That must be nice,"Paige said. "My saturdays are usually spent locked in my room doing homework or painting."

Braden bit his bottom lip for a second then shook his head. He couldn't let her know.

Carl smiled looking over at her, "its different with you."

"You paint?" Jarid asked, leaning back against the couch and looking at her. "What else do you do?"

"Okay," she said, rolling her eyes. "See you later Bray."

"Probably because I'm a weirdo," Brooklynn laughed, looking back at him.

"I sketch some and I just started pottery." She shrugged, "I like art things. What about you? What do you do other than play video games?"

Braden watched her leave evertging in him Telling to stop her. He couldn't...he couldnt do it.

Carl chuckled, "well in that case I like weirdos."

"Video games. Sometimes I do some filming stuff, but not often." Jarid shrugged. "I don't do much."

Jaimie was a little disappointed when he didn't stop her, but she forced herself out the door and down to the lobby. If he wasn't going to stop her, she wasn't going to go back.

That put a big smile on her face. "Good. I like geniuses."

Paige smiled. "What kind of stuff do you film?"

Braden let out a long sigh as soon as she left. That had been a close call...maybe too close. If he got physical with her again there would be no turning back.

Carl grinned patting her on the hand. It seemed like the friendly thing to do

"I've made a few short films, but those are really time consuming, so I don't do those much any more," he shrugged.

Once she made it home, Jaimie was confronted by Sasha. "How was it?"
"Fine," Jaimie shrugged.
"When will I get to see him?"
"I don't know," was the sharp answer. "I need to shower."
"Why are you wet?"
"He threw me into the pool."
"Why?" But Jaimie ignored the question and went to shower.

Brooklynn knew that if he had any feelings for her, he wouldn't act on them. He was too shy. But patting on the hand? She forced a smile then looked up at the sky. She'd only known him for a few days. Why was she so interested in him?

Carl looked up as well and after a moment of silence asked,"how did you know you wanted to sculpt?"

"That would be neat." Paige pulled a croissant out of the bag of food. "Hungry?"


"I think I can survive one night on that death trap," Sam joked. "Just give me a few hours to mentally prepare."

"Well I started painting in school, in art class. Then when my teacher found out how much I liked it, she suggested another class, and let me pretty much do whatever I wanted during class time. I found some clay during that time and just... fell in love, I guess," she smiled, thinking back to it. "I love how it feels, creating something I can feel with my hands."

"totally," he grinned, taking the croissant. "So is that all you're into? Painting and homework?"

Carl smiled wistfully, " what if your parents hadn't approved?"

"I like sports; swimming, soccer, football and fast cars," she grinned. "Paintball is pretty fun too."

"I don't know," Brooklynn replied after a minute of thought. "I mean... I'd probably still try to do it, but I'd have probably found something else. I don't know. When I found sculpting... I think my parents kind of got that I had found myself too."

"Nice," Jarid grinned. She seemed like a really cool person, plus she was really into pulling pranks, which was great.

He loved education but it wasn't...him..."that must be nice."

"It is," she nodded. "I mean, it's not as marketable as lawyer, but I like knowing that I am going to be doing what I love."

The lawyer remark made carl chuckle a little. What was so remarkable about knowing the law? All of them were public record that anyone could read. He already knew half of the New York State laws. It didn't seem that amazing. What did sound amazing was the chance to choose for oneself what path to take in life. The ability to say I love this....I'm in love with this and I want be in this love for the rest of my life. His heart felt like it skipped a beet and started pounding a little harder. He glanced over at Brooklyn for a second the back to the sky. This was completely foreign at least in his more adult life. This was not what a friend did. He clamped his eyes shut hard willing the speed of his heart to slow down and for the twisting knot in his stomach to go away. He, Carl Dyllin, did NOT date or fall in love. He was an academic like Sheldon Cooper. How was that character like him in so many ways but this one? There were girls that he had met over the years in scholastic competitions around the country but none of them, though a few had been quite pretty, had evoked feelings like this. He didn't like how strange this felt and was to him. He didn't do well with what he couldn't understand. Up to this point everything in his life could be explained. The knot felt like it was fluttering. This couldn't be right. They had only been friends for a few days. Love didn't just happen for people like him. if history is to be cited here most me of academia were not lovers and if they married it was mostly for convenience or it took them forever to develop felling of true emotions towards their female counterparts. This couldn't be happening. It had to be something else...maybe the lack of food in his stomach...that sounded like a good off the cuff plausibility.

Jeff laughed,"im a good driver you baby."

Paige smiled back. He was a lot nicer than she thought he'd be. He seemed different from the other upper eastsiders. "Do you want to pick the next game?"



"Sure, of course you are." She said grinning. "I'll see you later, try not to have to much fun without me."

Jeff chuckled, " will do boss."

Sam rolled her eyes at him then walked out. She made faces at him through the window for a few minutes before she waved and headed back to her apartment.



ooc. do you want to skip ahead to later in the day or wait until Sun can post so everyone's in on the same time schedule.

ooc: we should wait. there is still a bit of time for Carl and Brooklyn to fill...it might happen faily quickly once she is on though.

the vodka bottle was finally empty and the scotch had split all over the wooden floor. there was a half eaten bag of chips and an empty carton of orios. the ice cream had melted on the table and was a sort of sticky pool around the half gallon chunkey monkey carton. she wondered how he mom didn't weigh 300 lbs by now. she supposed the three day intervals of not eating evened it out. her mom was passed out on the plush living room couch. at least she had a suitable replacement for a bed. Nikki started cleaning up quietly. this would all end...but not soon enough.

"I feel like that might be a little unfair," Jarid replied with a smirk, "I'm good at all of these."

Brooklynn's stomach grumbled and she grinned. "You hungry? I'm starving."

ooc: I'm cool with skipping ahead if you guys want to.

Carl smiled, " yeah I am...you like international food?"

The day seemed to drag on for Braden. he mulled around the house doing little of anything. the Chinese food didn't appeal to him after it got there. he couldn't get her out of his mind. it was 8pm already and he had tried everything except calling Pat. in s urge he got dressed and headed out hailing a cab

"I'm a fast learner," Paige said smirking. "I bet I could beet you."


Sam spent her day unpack from her summer in Florida, cleaning, and doing laundry. She had just put the last load in the drier and had finished dusting. She turned her music up as she danced around her apartment while she got ready to go out.

"Love it," Brooklynn grinned, "You know any good places around here?"

Jaimie had decided to go out that night, sick of thinking about Braden. Sasha had agreed to let her go out and the young girl would content herself with playing games on her ipad or homework.

Jarid laughed. "Tough words." He selected a game and began to set it up. "You better be ready to back those up."

Carl smiled hopping up, "I do." he offered her a hand

Braden got to Jaime's and rang the doorbell. he felt so nervous

"Don't worry," Paige said as the game started. "I've got this."

Jaimie pulled the door open, surprised to see Braden. "Oh, hey... I... What's up?"

She took his hand and stood. "Then lead the way, genius!" she replied with a large grin.

"Yeah, okay," was the dubious reply.

Lloyd drove them to queens a place that Carl never went but the driver knew of an amazingly authentic Italian place. it was small and ordinary and run by a family. these were the kind of places Carl would never be allowed to go but Lloyd wouldn't squeak and it was one of his favorite places. he went in with the kids and got a chair at the bar. Carl followed the waiter to the table and in habit pulled her chair out for her.


"May I come in?" Braden asked shifting hsi weight

"Sure," Jaimie allowed him in. Sasha was no where in sight, probably back in her room.

"Thank you," Brooklynn smiled as she sat. "It smells delicious," she commented.

"according to Lloyd the best restaurant in all of New York." he said sliding her chair back in and sitting down himself. he glanced up at her from teh menu that he had picked up, "he calls the food here art."

Braden stepped in and glanced around. Sasha was no where to be seen. he really should have called pat but it was too late for that. gently but firmly taking her face in his hands Braden planted his lips against hers