From: 867_5309	Date: February 2nd, 2011 11:15 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Jenny had spotted Charlie long before he had even really noticed her. She had been at the library after class, changed into something more comfortable for the remainder of her day. She had been there with Sera, but now she was just on her own, making her way back toward Beauregard. She hadn't expected to see Charlie, hadn't seen much of him at all, or even heard from him.

It wasn't, however, as if she had never been thinking about him. To say that would have been entirely inaccurate. She had been thinking a lot about him, and things they needed to talk about, and that was especially true now that she had heard about this supposed monster hunt that the school was organizing. And the fact she had heard from someone that Charlie had volunteered himself willingly for this task.

She was not impressed with him, although this was the very first chance she had even gotten to see him in ages. It was only natural that she was going to tell him. She always sort of had.

Making a line for the parking lot, bag full of books still over her shoulders, she didn't seem to have any qualms about destroying his hopes of hiding from her. Even slumped over like that, she had him. When she reached his car, she stood just a few feet back from the other guys gathered around him, staring at him with a familiar annoyed expression.

She had always given him that look when they were dating, and he had really pissed her off.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

	From: walktheline	Date: February 2nd, 2011 11:22 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Damn, she was like a Terminator. She never missed him and she knew she was stood there before she spoke, because all the other guys had gone quiet or were laughing under their breath. Taking a moment, he lowered his hand and barely nodded to her question, pushing himself off the car and walking away from the group without so much as a goodbye. They were laughing loudly now.

"What is it" he said gruffly, leading her out of ear shot.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 2nd, 2011 11:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Jenny couldn't help but smile somewhat smugly at the laughter. It did always please her to knock Charlie down a peg or two; it was nice to remember that he wasn't as much of a suave cool jerk as he seemed to have people believe. "Don't be so grumpy," she warned, walking with him as he led her away from the group of still laughing guys gathered around his car.

"I might as well cut to the chase I guess," she sighed, once they were far enough away. "You shouldn't go on that stupid hunt thing. If what I heard is true, and that you're going to be try to be all macho and go out in the woods and get.. eaten or something."

	From: walktheline	Date: February 2nd, 2011 11:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)

He grunted at her grumpy comment and stopped walking just short of the edge of the parking lot. He crossed his arms stubbornly and awaited whatever she had to say for herself.

With a huff through his nose and a smirk, Charlie leaned down so he was eye level with Jenny. "Oh yeah? We'll I've already been on the hunt and I'm still here, Princess." He eyed her suspiciously. "What do you care anyways, I can handle it. It's for the safety of the school, I'm doing a good deed!"

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 3rd, 2011 12:06 am (UTC)		(Link)

"You what?" Jenny replied, practically squeaking, and reaching out to roughly swat his nearest shoulder. "You stupid asshole, I don't care about the safety of the school, you could have had your face ripped off or worse! There is a good deed, and then there is being a.."

She trailed off, finally giving up and just swatting him hard in the shoulder again. "An inconsiderate tool! Were you even with someone or were you by yourself!? You probably went on your own, knowing you!"

She really didn't know much about the circumstance of the hunting, aside from what people around classes had been saying. Most of it seemed like gossipy bullshit, things like using the students as bait while the teachers stunned the creatures, stuff of that sort. She doubted anything that horrible happened, and he did look just fine.. but she was still furious with him.

"Whatever, I don't care what you do. It's none of my business, I suppose?"

	From: walktheline	Date: February 3rd, 2011 12:16 am (UTC)		(Link)

"Yeah, imagine not being able to look at my beautiful face every day" he laughed, thoroughly enjoying winding Jenny up and trying to escape her swatting.

"I was with Emilie and Fortis" he yelled, grabbing her swatting hand and holding it down, marking the end of the real fight. He was still grinning but shook his head. She didn't understand.

"I just, I wanna help. I couldn't do anything at the Snow Ball. I have to do something!"

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 3rd, 2011 12:22 am (UTC)		(Link)

She had been struggling with his grip, trying uselessly to squirm her hand out of his, but she gave up when he mentioned the Snow Ball. She scrunched up her face a bit, looking at him seriously, as if trying to decide whether or not she knew what he meant.

"Snow Ball? You didn't.. what did you need to do there?" she murmured, frowning a bit. She hadn't really talked to anyone about the ball since she and Ella had talked in their bedroom shortly after it all happened. She had mostly been trying to forget it, and letting the rest of the school do the same. She felt it was probably better that way.

	From: walktheline	Date: February 3rd, 2011 12:12 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Once he was out of the danger of being slapped, not that it hurt but someone might see, he let go of her hand and crossed her arms again defensively. He looked down at Jenny seriously but he couldn't quite meet her eye.

"I should have helped" he repeated quietly.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 4th, 2011 03:08 am (UTC)		(Link)

He seemed serious, and that worried her. There was really nothing he could have done, Ella was there before anyone even thought to move, even if he had been there. If anything, it might have started an argument between sister and ex in the heat of panic, and then that would have been a whole other ordeal.

"Nobody could help me," she blurted eventually, after letting the silence hang too long. "It just happens when it's going to happen, and then it.. runs it's course. It's not exactly helpable, you.. you didn't miss much," she added more slowly, glancing off for a moment, toward the nearby buildings. She didn't seem any more ready to meet his eye. "Don't worry about it, I guess."

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 06:44 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Well, don't knock Jurassic Park 'til you've seen enough to make an informed decision" he said irritably after she had slammed his baby.

Swinging open the door to the diner he let her go in first and sat down in a booth by the window. The seats were frayed and the table way wobbly, but there was always a great mix of people, meaning weirdos.

"I'll get him to leave you a goddamn voicemail if it's that important" he joked, stuffing a couple of paper napkins under the wobbly table leg.

"I wonderif we'll get the waitress with the wooden leg" he thought out loud, twisting around to make sure someone had seen them come in.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 07:22 pm (UTC)		(Link)

When they were seated at the table, one they had often sat in before, Jenny helped to steady the table as Charlie slid the napkins under the leg. It was the same leg that had been wobbling like that since the first time they came here, and it made her smile just a little, in spite of herself. This place wasn't so bad.

"It is that important," she grumbled, once they were done with the leg, going right back into her tangent from earlier. "Because I know that you're wrong, and that's exactly what he'll tell me."

She kicked Charlie roughly under the table when he mentioned the waitress. "I happen to think she's very nice, I hope we do get her!"

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 07:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Ow, fuck!" Charlie frowned and rubbed his shin. "I didn't say she was bad, just is she's got a wooden leg is all."

He sulked for all of two minutes before hunger got the better of him and their waitress came over, sadly with both of her legs although Charlie wondered if she had a glass eye. He flashed her a smile and looked down at his menu.

"Can I have a cheeseburger, chilli fries and vanilla coke" he ordered. "And an ashtray?" He looked briefly over at Jenny but couldn't register her reaction. This diner still let you smoke, no one ever came to check.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 07:52 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"You could have been more subtle," Jenny chided him, folding her legs under the table as he rubbed his shin. She gave the menu a quick glance over while Charlie ordered, only slightly clenching her teeth together when he ordered the ashtray. She should have expected it, he always did it, but she was still irritated. She'd deal with that once the waitress was gone; it would be rude to make a scene.

When the waitress looked her way, Jenny closed her menu and handed it to her. "I'll have chicken fingers and fries.. and a root-beer float to drink, please."

Once the waitress was out of sight, Jenny kicked his other leg. "Just because they let you smoke in here doesn't mean I want to smell it," she hissed, lips pouting right after.

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 07:58 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Jeez, you take a girl out to dinner and all she can do is kick you for indulging in a sophisticated smoke" he muttered, rolling his eyes. "You know I need one after I eat."

He set to work rolling a cigarette on the table, he was just licking it when the waitress came back with their drinks. Popping the cigarette behind his ear, he took a sip of his drink and set it to one side.

"Do you wanna know what the most scary thing we saw in the woods were?" That was like Charlie, picking up a conversation that he had dismissed earlier.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 08:03 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"I never asked you to take me out," she muttered, settling in and watching him rolling his cigarette, despite her earlier protests. He was right, he did need it, and there was no point in fighting him seriously about it. Her elbows rested on the table, and her chin rested in her palms as she stared at the tabletop.

She looked up when the waitress came back, reaching out and taking her drink. She mimicked Charlie, taking a sip before setting it to the side beside his. Her eyebrows furrowed when he mentioned the woods.

"I bet you didn't see anything," she suggested, mostly just wishful thinking. She really had no desire to know what was out there, especially if he was going to go around out there even against her wishes.

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 08:07 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"But aren't you glad I did?" He looked up to grin at her.

She was half true, it was almost nothing but he guessed it was at least something. "A fucking opossum" he revealed, shaking his head. "Little dude early made me shit my pants." He suddenly became very interested in the pattern on the table.

"You didn't need to worry. Emilie can do this transfiguration shit. She could see in the dark but she looked scary."

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 08:16 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Jenny hadn't realized that she had been fiddling with the straw in her drink and holding her breath, until she released the breath after Charlie's reveal. "That's it?" she asked, almost adding a quick thank god, but deciding against it.

She didn't really know anything about Emilie, other than who she was to see her, but she definitely had that scary vibe. "Funny, I thought you'd be into that. She looks like the kind of girl who could actually whip you into shape," she joked, smirking. "Maybe literally?"

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 10:22 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Charlie rolled his eyes again and sat back in the booth, done with his food in record time.

"Don't take it personally" he offered unhelpfully. "You still found me, right?"

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 10:29 pm (UTC)		(Link)

That was so typical of him. How did someone not take that personally? It was sort of a personal thing. Frowning further, and resisting the urge to give him another kick under the table, Jenny turned away to glance toward the rest of the diner instead.

"Whatever. As usual, you entirely miss the point."

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 10:35 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"I couldn't see you. Not after the dance and you were there and I was off being a jerk. I'd only spoke to you earlier. I should have known something was up."

Usually he waited until Jenny was finished to light up, but with the red flushing up his cheeks his felt the need for some nicotine in his lungs and searched for his lighter.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 10:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"What, you're supposed to be a mindreader now? Nobody knew anything was up, nothing was up. I just.. had an accident," Jenny replied. When he began the search for the lighter, she didn't even bother to scold him.

"Just forget about the dance. That's the last thing on my mind," she murmured. She had only eaten a couple of fries, and two of her chicken fingers, but she felt sort of full. This conversation was putting her off of food. "You wanna go back to the car? I'm done if you are."

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 10:52 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Charlie said nothing but fished in his pocket and chucked ten bucks on the table. This place was cheap, it added to his fondness for it. He scooted out of the booth, unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. He must have left his lighter in the car. Finding a couple of ones in his pocket and tipped the waitress with a crooked smile which she returned.

"I've forgotten it" he said finally, holding the door open for Jenny once again.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 11:17 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Good. Now we don't have to talk about it anymore. I've had so many better good things happen since then to dwell on that.. my mom has even cut her calls down to every second day instead of twice every day," Jenny replied, stepping outside as he held the door for her. "At least I can put a window down in the car," she mused, crossing the parking lot slowly and making her way over to said vehicle. She waited, hand on the handle, for him to unlock it for her.

	From: walktheline	Date: February 6th, 2011 11:30 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"Your mom is crazy" Charlie said for maybe the millionth time. He unlocked the car and climbed in, unlocking her side and then grabbing under his seat for a lighter. They were always in the places you didn't want them to be. Feeling the cold metal onhis fingertips he dragged it out of its hiding place and shook it in Jenny's direction.

"No need to panic" he mumbled, lighting the cigarette and unwinding his window.

"So what good things have happened" he asked curiously as he started the car up and blasted some warm heat. It was pretty chilly outisde.

	From: 867_5309	Date: February 6th, 2011 11:36 pm (UTC)		(Link)

"My mum is not crazy, she just.. cares a little too much sometimes," Jenny retorted, rolling down her own window as well. She was quiet for a few moments as he started up, only glancing at him for a moment when he asked what good things had happened. She knew her cheers were probably a little flushed.

"Nothing, just stuff. Why do you care? If you weren't ditching me, you'd know already."