Front Office

[GGJ5]

Whenever anyone comes into the front office, a very long desk separates him from the greeting staff inside. Usually one will be greeted by a student worker, Mrs. Tullous (the secretary), or only very rarely, Mr. Valentino, the Head of the school. Students that need to see an administrator, which would nearly always be Mr. Valentino, have a set of three barely-plushed black chairs. Students being seen for scheduling advancements or awards of some sort are always seen quicker, but students called in for discipline have to wait a bit longer, with Mrs. Tullous giving them an icy glare every so often.

[mystmoonstruck]

Easy "Cat" Tanner

Fuming silently: Easy had read those words somewhere and had puzzled over them. Now, he thought he understood as he sat, slumped, legs sprawled, awaiting the final verdict. Rafe Chancery and Jamil Mehmet were inside, likely trying to brainwash the principal or whoever that Easy Tanner needed to attend this school. He wondered what grades they had gathered for him, knowing that they wouldn't dare overestimate his abilities but fearing they could underestimate, ending up with him in some "special" class. Oh well... At least he'd make decent grades then and maybe could do some goofing off to throw them off the notion that he might have a brain in his head.

Whichever way it went, he feared that he was in for a miserable time. Cassie Wright had told him her sister went to the school, so there was a possibility that he could connect with one person. Sadly, Paris living hadn't taught him much about fitting in, as he had learned when becoming a member of the orchestra. That had set him up for snide remarks, jokes and a lot of backlash, including claims that his patrons had bought his way in. When he had proven his skills, it had made no difference to them. His style was criticized, and the fact that he wielded such a remarkable instrument roused jealousy. He wasn't good enough for such a violin, they declared, and he didn't focus solely on the classics. He played on the streets for money~not that some of them weren't doing it, Easy thought but never said.

Easy had resisted biting his nails, but he now drew up his legs, beginning to jiggle his sneakered-feet, his legs and feet moving in an attempt to channel off some of the nervous energy. His fingers demanded something to do, so he allowed them to tug at his shirt and jacket with random movements. Suddenly, he was aware that he was receiving what he would deem "dirty looks" from a couple of people in the office, so he tried to stop the "ant dance", as he had dubbed it at one time though it was more like the "antsy dance". He had had so little time to himself that he was seriously missing the streets. He managed to pull himself up into a sort-of-sitting-upright position though his legs still wanted to stretch out, as if his sneakers would plant themselves, yank him out of the chair and begin running~far, far away. He sighed heavily, choosing to ignore the looks that netted him.

Not even a student here yet, and they're still lookin' at me like I'm trouble! Not fair! It's not fair! he~yes~fumed silently.

OOC: That's Tom Welling modeling Easy's outfit. What a cutie! BIC:

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

Shelby hated dresses.

Contrary to popular belief that dresses were far less constricting compared to pants, Shelby felt out of place and trapped whenever she wore them, like she was playing dress up in clothes that were several sizes too small. She preferred jeans and T-shirts any day--dresses just weren't who she was. Dresses were a Cassie thing, not Shelby.

But today she didn't have a choice--today was her interview with the representative of Columbia College Chicago, and despite her personal preferences, she had to look her best. She had raided her closet to find something presentable, soon discovering that, aside from the skirt-and-sweater combination she had worn on Christmas, the only dresses she owned were either for summertime or old Easter dresses that were all far too small for her now. She had finally had to enlist Cassie to accompany her on a shopping trip, picking out what Shelby found to be the least-objectionable--a simple black shirtdress, with black leggings and ballet flats to match. Cassie had announced that it looked like Shelby was on her way to a funeral, not an interview, but Shelby hadn't cared.

Her father was coming at nine-thirty to drive her to the interview--despite finally having her driver's license, Shelby was still lacking her own car. She had let her teachers know that she would miss some classes, and had had every intention of keeping a close watch on the clock as not to be late. But her AP English class was watching a movie this week, and Shelby had stupidly allowed herself to become absorbed in the film, paying close attention to the director's choice and noting what she would have changed. So now, of course, she was five minutes late, running down the hallway at full speed to try and meet up with her dad.

Her messenger bag bumped against her legs with each step, her hair flying wildly out behind her. She reached into her bag without stopping, searching frantically for her cell phone to check the time. Luckily for her, the hallway was deserted, no teachers to yell at her for breaking about five different school rules. She cursed under her breath as she saw the time, speeding up to get to the front office where her dad was supposed to be waiting for her.

But he wasn't.

The hallway by the office, where he'd promised to meet her, was empty except for a nervous-looking kid sitting near the door. There was no sign of her dad--he was later than she was.

Shelby came to a stop too quickly, the soles of her brand-new shoes slipping on the carpeted floor. Before she knew it, she was on the ground, her bookbag spilling its contents out onto the floor behind her. Papers scattered everywhere and her phone flew out of her hand, landing somewhere nearby with a clatter. Perfect. Just freaking perfect.

[mystmoonstruck]

Easy "Cat" Tanner

Easy's boredom and irritation were interrupted as he perked up at the sound of running steps, his curiosity kicking in with the sudden hope that there would be someone to kill some tme with. Heading for him was a young girl all in black, and she definitely was in a hurry. It turned out to be far too much of a hurry as she tried to stop her headlong flight but ended up losing her footing and crashing to the floor, which made him wince and actually cry out in sympathy.

While some might have had the initial impulse to laugh, Easy had been in far too many situations in which he had been the object of teasing, joking and cruel laughter. Before all of the papers and books had come to their final resting places, he was off the chair and down on one knee next to the girl.

"You OK?" he asked as he began helping her gather the items, having to crawl for some of it before sitting on the floor next to her as he tried to neaten the papers, hoping that would help. "You need me to help you up?" he offered. "That was a bad fall! I've done that before. The worst is falling on stairs, at least for me, like when~um~sometimes you get shoved~like accidentally." No, the shoves he had experienced hadn't been "oopses" but bullies and others taking it out on a shabbily dressed boy with an odd name. Getting to his feet, he offered his hands, smiling rather timidly, thinking the girl might tell him to mind his own business or maybe the "get lost" slam, one he had experienced too often.

OOC: Oops! Sorry! I didn't see this till just now. I'll have to remember to check threads more often. BIC:

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

The fall seemed to happen in slow motion as both feet lost their grip on the carpeted floor, the traction on her new shoes utterly failing her. Her bag burst open when it landed, scattering papers and binders and pencils in all directions. She landed sprawled across the floor, half on her side and half on her stomach as the wind was practically knocked out of her. She heard a male voice cry out as she glared daggers at the carpet in front of her face, cursing herself, her new shoes, the floor, and her father for being late. It's my own stupid fault for not paying attention, for running, for not breaking in these stupid shoes...so now I'm going to miss my interview, and Columbia won't take me, and I'll have to stay here for college, and I'll never get the chance to actually make real movies, and...

Shelby heard movement near her, and she looked up to see the denim-clad boy from before kneeling down in front of her. Up close, he looked quite different from what she would have expected given his nervous demeanor from before, and she saw genuine concern written in his golden-brown eyes. She gave him a weak, embarrassed sort of smile as she sat up, watching him gather up all the papers that had scattered all around her like white autumn leaves. After a moment of hesitation, she joined him, stuffing them haphazardly into various binders that she pulled from her bag. They'll be all messed up now...fantastic.

"You OK? You need me to help you up?" he offered, his voice sympathetic. "That was a bad fall! I've done that before. The worst is falling on stairs, at least for me, like when~um~sometimes you get shoved~like accidentally."

Shelby gave a sigh. "Yeah, but I think I would have maybe preferred to be shoved. Then you can at least blame somebody else for it. That fall was nobody's fault but mine." She took the hand she offered, letting him pick her up off the floor. Once she was on her feet again, she gave him a shy little smile, still frustrated and mortified to have wiped out like that. "Thank you."

[mystmoonstruck]

Easy "Cat" Tanner

Easy felt the proverbial wave of relief as the girl accepted his offer of help instead of rebuffing him as some might~and had.

"Yeah, but I think I would have maybe preferred to be shoved," she said, sounding quite low-spirited. He supposed it was one of those days for her, too, especially since she was faced with unraveling the mess her work was in. Having spilled music before, Easy understood the task ahead. "Then you can at least blame somebody else for it," she continued, and he nodded, giving a little shrug along with his out-of-kilter smile that sometimes seemed to serve many purposes. "That fall was nobody's fault but mine," she admitted as she accepted the proferred hand. He generally wasn't too strong a person, yet he lifted her with ease, making him wonder if his enforced meals helped there. Since living with his so-called guardians, they had tried to make sure he ate fairly regularly, even if the meals sometimes were small. Of course, his dance training also might be helping him there.

Standing next to him now, she smiled shyly, and his own expression mirrored it, sensing that they could be on friendly terms. He definitely was going to need to find acceptance. Maybe this was a start.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome, Mademoiselle." He added the address because it seemed something should go there, and he didn't know her name and didn't intend to push for it. "You just heard practically the only French I know," he confessed, "but Miss sounded~um~odd. You sure you're OK? That was an ouchy," he stated, looking very serious before dissolving into a smile he hoped looked friendly and not teasing. "You need help gettin' anywhere? Not like I know anything about this place, but..." Again he shrugged. "I'll give it a go," he began cheerily before lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "As long as I don't have to sit here and have her lookin' daggers at me." At her, he had made a faint head movement toward the woman who had cast some fearsome looks in his direction.

[The Phantom of Paris]

Shelby Wright

"That was a bad fall!" The shaggy-haired boy told her, sounding like he meant it. Shelby acknowledged his words with a vague nod, cursing her dad over and over in her head for being so late to pick her up. "I've done that before," the boy continued, scrambling to help Shelby gather up her notes and papers before offering her a hand. "The worst is falling on stairs, at least for me, like when~um~sometimes you get shoved~like accidentally."

Before she could stop herself, she cast a curious look into the boy's eyes, quickly seeing the sincerity there. Somehow, she had the sinking suspicion that these 'accidental' shovings he'd mentioned were anything but unintentional. Had her mysterious helper been bullied at one point? Shelby had been in that position before, although admittedly it had all but vanished since she started dating Preston. Not sure why. It's not like their scared of us or anything. Whatever. I don't care what they think, and you shouldn't either. In ten years, they'll be the 'losers' and we'll be on top--they can have fun flipping burgers while I'm winning Oscars.

She gave a sigh, nodding a bit. "Yeah, but I think I would have maybe preferred to be shoved," she told him as she reached out to take hold of his hand, her voice still glum. "Then you can at least blame somebody else for it. That fall was nobody's fault but mine." He brought her back to her feet again, and she gave him a tiny smile and a few words of gratitude.

"You're welcome, Mademoiselle," the guy told her, and Shelby looked at him in surprise as she recognized the French. That's a little formal. "You just heard practically the only French I know, but Miss sounded~um~odd. You sure you're OK?"

Shelby let out a quiet chuckle. "Yeah, I guess so. But it was still unnecessary. I'm just Shelby. No 'Miss' about it." She smiled a bit wider then, although her guard was still up a bit around him. "Mostly because my last name is Wright, and pairing that with Miss sounds awkward." Okay, that was stupid. But it's not like there's anything you can do about it now. Besides, who knows when Dad's going to show up. It wouldn't kill you to talk to someone besides Preston and the rest of them for a change.

That was an ouchy," the guy said, his voice sounding darkly serious before he smiled. Shelby gave another shrug. "You need help gettin' anywhere? Not like I know anything about this place, but...I'll give it a go. As long as I don't have to sit here and have her lookin' daggers at me." Shelby smirked as she gestured to the ever-grouchy Mrs. Tullous, who was no doubt doing her part to welcome the new kid into the school.

"Oh, don't mind her. I'm convinced she's not entirely human, anyway. She always acts like that. And thanks for the offer, but this is actually where I need to be, too. My dad's supposed to be picking me up, but..." she glanced at the clock on the wall behind them and frowned. "He's now, officially, fifteen minutes late. I've got a college interview to get to." She made a face at that, the thing she'd been so excited about now sounding like a death sentence after Preston's bad reaction to her college news. Plus, now I'll be late showing up there, too...that won't look professional at all.

[mystmoonstruck]

OOC: I know this has been a very long time, but so much has been going on. I fell out of the writing habit but am trying to get going again. Sorry! BIC:

Easy "Cat" Tanner

Easy felt that the conversation was going about as good as could be expected under the circumstance. She was being very nice to him, and he responded to it with open gratitude as he found himself doing since taken off the streets. The slightest bit of encouragement was a welcome sensation.

"Yeah," the girl was saying, "but I think I would have maybe preferred to be shoved." That surprised him, his eyes widening not only from her words but also because of her touch as she took hold of his hand. Again, it would have been no surprise to have his help brushed away, but she accepted. "Then you can at least blame somebody else for it," she explained, and he nodded, nervous laughter following. "That fall was nobody's fault but mine." Then, she was on her feet, smiling at him and still seemingly open to being friendly.

Just don't go actin' like you'll die if she doesn't want to run into you again! Be tougher! But, part of him so much wanted to fit in here, to be the high school student he hadn't been able to be before. He was never going to be normal, never lead an average life, but couldn't he make small parts of it more like that of an ordinary youth?

Easy wasn't sure what he was going with by bringing out the French salutation. Here in New Orleans, it didn't seem so strange to do. He'd hurried to explain that he didn't really speak French though he should have learned some while in Paris. His luck, he would have tried to speak some and run into somebody fluent in it. So, it was best to admit ignorance at times. He was pleased when she laughed in a way that wasn't aimed at his possibly dumb behavior, and he could join in, trying to relax.

"I'm just Shelby," she said, "No 'Miss' about it." He nodded, and their smiles increased to match. "Mostly because my last name is Wright, and pairing that with Miss sounds awkward." It took him a moment to do the mental matchup, grinning as he nodded, indicating that he did get what she was saying.

"Miss Wright," he said aloud. "That's cute really! Now I could say, 'Hey, I just met Miss Wright' then watch the look I get! OK. Shelby it is. Me? Well~um~most people laugh or act weird, but I can't help it! My name's Easy~Easy Tanner. Sometimes people call me Cat~maybe 'cause of my eyes or~or somethin'. I guess my parents maybe had this latterday hippie thing goin'." He had learned that, if he used that line, he could avoid the shame of how he really came about his name. Say hippie, and people thought of names such as Rainbow, River, Chastity and~yes~Easy.

Then, attempting to continue his gentlemanly behavior, he offered to help her get to wherever she might like to be. He had made reference to the woman watching so balefully.

"Oh, don't mind her," Shelby said. "I'm convinced she's not entirely human, anyway." That surprised him into a burst of giggles, which he tried to stifle with a hand covering his mouth, his eyes glinting mischievously as he met the girl's gaze. "She always acts like that. And thanks for the offer, but this is actually where I need to be, too. My dad's supposed to be picking me up, but..." At that, she looked at the clock, his eyes automatically following. "He's now, officially, fifteen minutes late. I've got a college interview to get to." He looked back in time to see her making a face.

"College, huh? Lots of smarts?" he asked teasingly and winked~then wondered if that was as stupid as it felt. "I'll feel lucky just getting through high school," he admitted. "My parents~when I was with my parents~they moved around all of the time, so I missed a lot of school I shouldn't've. It's not like I'm dumb though I prob'ly sound like it. I just never got to learn." At that, he suddenly saw himself from outside, how this obviously intelligent girl must see him, and he bowed his head, a blush flooding his pale skin. "I'm sort of worried how far back they'll put me," he admitted quietly, his voice very hushed. "Might ruin your rep to be seen talkin' to a slow guy." He was trying to make it sound like a joke, but he was aware that people often took his rough speech and lack of knowledge of what seemed everyday things as signs of ignorance. Was he, or was he what he said~not stupid, just unleaned?