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Post by Hallie Keating on Jun 18, 2015 20:41:12 GMT -5
If she was being completely honest with herself, then Hallie would have admitted that she thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of her fellow students that afternoon. Emyr seemed like the absolutely biggest sweetheart, Annabel, while strange, was still intriguing in her own way, and Cordelia was just someone Hallie could picture herself becoming good friends with. The first days of a new school year were always tedious for various reasons, so it had definitely been refreshing to take a break from the chaos of the Academy to retire to the solace of the lake and the and the company of people who had been going through the exact same thing as she was.
......................
After an hour or so of mingling, Hallie decided it best to excuse herself from the rest of the group in order to finish up her homework for the day. So, with a few friendly goodbyes, she trekked with her damp clothes in one hand and her bag in another up towards the small, quaint little courtyard located just beyond one of the entrances of the school. It was quiet, and, surprisingly empty, which was definitely a good thing, because that meant no distractions. So, with a heavy, tired sigh, she plopped down at one of the many picnic tables and pulled out a few papers from from her first period. Scanning them over quickly, she rested her head in her hand, then sighed again, this time, in frustration.
To her surprise, in the midst of attempting to concentrate on her work, Samuel Smythe reappeared in her mind. Hallie then lifted her head and directed her attention elsewhere for what she hoped would be only a short period of time. Why out of all the people she could possibly think of, she was stuck thinking about Samuel? The way he greeted her by the lake earlier in the afternoon felt so genuine and real...and yet, she had heard the rumors and whispers that were spread about him. The most notorious one, of course, was that he was quite the ladies' man, and was able to charm the pants off of every girl he had come into contact with.
With a light scoff, Hallie shook her head, then forced herself to focus back on her schoolwork. Since when did a boy interfere with her studies?
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Aedan O'Brien
Fuego Student - Year 7
one for your tummy, one for your cheek, one for the devil inside of me
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Post by Aedan O'Brien on Jun 18, 2015 22:07:42 GMT -5
Well, Samuel was certainly angry. He was angry at Emyr for pointing out his interest, and angry at himself for being forced to walk away from the conversation. At least the Prefect duties hadn't been a smokescreen; he really had gone back into the school to perform some mundane tasks that were required of him. But still ... he had been completely ready to blow them off before the impolite new student started baiting him.
Oddly enough, for one of the first times he could recall, Samuel had not been the one to instigate the unpleasantness. He reviewed his actions carefully: he had seen Hallie's hair shimmering, so he'd walked toward her. Other students had done the same. He had greeted the three he already knew, eyed Hallie in a subtle but flirtatious manner, and introduced himself to Emyr like a gentleman. The unpleasantness had only started when Emyr had cast light on their activities: mocking Annabel for her strangeness and Samuel for his interest in Hallie.
Yes, Annabel was weird, and Samuel did not spend time with her because of it, but he had never stood in front of other people and purposefully humiliated her. He had always been perfectly polite to her. And why was it that she did not even seem annoyed by the offense the new student had committed against her? Well ... she was strange. All right, sure, Samuel could believe that as an explanation, but ... agh, it was infuriating! Oh, the way that conversation would have gone if they hadn't been surrounded by women ...
Wait just a moment ... on that note ... could he be this lucky twice in one day? The gleam of red hair ... she was doing her homework outdoors, and he had his bag slung over his shoulder and had homework of his own to do ... no other students around to crash his party ...
"Hello again, Miss Keating," he said, smiling as he approached and gesturing to his bookbag. "May I join you?"
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Post by Hallie Keating on Jun 18, 2015 22:30:35 GMT -5
What in the hell was this stuff? Hallie scowled down into her paperwork, silently cursing at her first period professor who had decided to assign such garbage to her. Normally, she would never think such sour, bitter thoughts about someone, especially against someone she barely knew...but all of this was just a bit too much for her to handle in the proper manner that she had been taught.
Growing up, it had always been expected of her to analyze everything before getting physically upset. It had always been frowned upon to act out on your negative feelings...and if you did, there would have been consequences for them. That was why, most of the time, Hallie was able to hold her tongue whenever frustrated or upset; because she simply didn't know any other way to react. With this situation however, she just felt herself wanting to show her real feelings. Perhaps it was silly, to be so conflicted with her school work and her thoughts, but by gods, she wanted to feel something different.
Furrow in her eyebrows, she flipped through pages in one of her exposed text books, and after a few minutes of finding nothing useful, she slammed it closed, shifted her head into both of her hands, then peered down into the table. She could feel the anger rising in her chest, and it was just moments until she would explode.
"Oh, fuck me!" She finally blurted out loud, feeling a rush of something she couldn't place wash over her. It felt relieving, to not hold back anymore, but her relief was quickly replaced with embarrassment as a certain make voice filled her ears. Quickly, she looked up, noticing Samuel once more, then instantly turned beet red. How humiliating! The one damned time she acted non-lady like, and a boy had to catch her doing so.
Hallie attempted to recover, and laughed nervously before nodding her head and hastily moving her things to one side of the table. "Oh, please..." she paused, shooting him a smile, "please do."
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Aedan O'Brien
Fuego Student - Year 7
one for your tummy, one for your cheek, one for the devil inside of me
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Post by Aedan O'Brien on Jun 18, 2015 23:10:02 GMT -5
"Oh, fuck me!"
That was ... just an amazingly startling thing to hear a girl say. The more vulgar portion of his brain whispered, gladly, but of course Samuel wouldn't say such a thing. In reality, though, this was useful. His response to this breach of propriety, if it were done well, could lay the groundwork for their burgeoning friendship and perhaps something more. Women liked to feel that they could trust people, didn't they?
Calculating? Yes, he certainly was.
So he chuckled as he reached the table and set his bag down on top of it. "It can be our little secret," he offered, sitting down across from Hallie. "I've shouted many a vulgarity at difficult homework. Perhaps I could help you? I took all these classes last year, obviously. Maybe, that way, I could make up for the unpleasant scene you witnessed earlier, for which I owe you my sincerest apologies. I hate to feel that my inability to deal gracefully with that boy's baiting caused you any discomfort."
Well ... that was a bit of a joke. What he hated to feel was that he had been made to look weak in front of her. Still, he reminded himself ... it was preferable to losing his temper.
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Post by Hallie Keating on Jun 18, 2015 23:41:34 GMT -5
She nodded her head enthusiastically, then shifted herself from her side of the table to his, where she swiftly plopped down next to Samuel on the bench, then grabbed at her text book, placing it I'm between them. "I would appreciate it a lot," she smiled at him slightly, all the while moving a few long strands of her red hair away from my face. "The help of an upperclassman is obviously an advantage, seeing as how you did indeed learn all of these things last fall."
The next half hour consisted of Samuel reading over questions for her, and then her taking the time to answer them correctly. There were a couple times where she answered incorrectly,and so, in response, Samuel would have to repeat what he had previously read. Those were the times she silently enjoyed, more so than others, mainly because it gave her the excuse to hear his voice again. It sounded absolutely ridiculous and silly, but she found herself attracted to his voice alone. How was that even possible? All of this was so new to her.
After finishing the work, she thanked him not once, but multiple times, then slipped the papers into her bag before shaking her head and then rolling her shoulders. "Oh, it's really not that big of a deal, really," she laughed it off a bit. "People react differently to all loins of things. That's one of the reasons I like coming here. Back at home," Hallie then paused, staring off a bit, "I'm just expected to do and say things one way. It's very one-diminsional and boring, honestly," she them giggled. "But thank you...for not, you know, telling anyone about my one moment of weakness."
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Aedan O'Brien
Fuego Student - Year 7
one for your tummy, one for your cheek, one for the devil inside of me
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Post by Aedan O'Brien on Jun 19, 2015 3:41:34 GMT -5
Samuel grinned, delightfully surprised when she got up and came to sit next to him. He caught a glimpse of the page, and ... yes, he should have known. This material was some of the absolute trickiest. "Ahhh, the Transfiguration formulae. Those are the worst. Although, on the bright side, the rest of the year's work is based on these, so once you've gotten these straight in your head, things get easier. Aside from Miss Latini, it took everyone else in my year weeks to feel good about these things. All right, then ... "
As they worked through the problems together, part of Samuel's attention was focused on closing the physical distance between them. Bit by bit, he subtly shifted his weight so that, by the end of the half hour, her right shoulder brushed against his left every time she turned a page. If he'd correctly interpreted her blushes out by the lake - and he was certain he had - then they were perfectly situated for an "accidental" meeting of gazes when she looked up.
Aaaaand ... there it was. Perfection. He offered a small, self-effacing smile as she forgave him for his earlier blunder; such smiles made a man seem sensitive, and that would be important. "You're very kind to say such things," he replied, dropping his gaze as he did so in order to communicate his sensitive "shame."
In reality, he wasn't actually ashamed. He was simply annoyed by the horrible timing of the whole encounter, but Hallie didn't need to know that.
"Families have such expectations," he continued. "It makes it very difficult to feel as though you can be yourself. I imagine that's worse for ladies than it is for men. But you don't need to worry; your secret is safe with me. I," and he punctuated this with a perfectly timed sigh, "often feel as though my father would prefer me to be more like him."
Laughably false. Samuel was just like his father and he loved it, but that wouldn't make her feel connected to him, now would it?
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Post by Hallie Keating on Jun 19, 2015 16:08:09 GMT -5
As they worked together on her school work, Hallie couldn't help but feel utterly grateful for the situation she had put herself in. In all seriousness, what were the chances of finding somebody willing to help her, and that somebody also being extremely good looking? The soft, reddish tint of her cheeks that had seemingly been plasterer to her face since first interacting with Samuel brightened against her skin again, and after finishing with her homework, she quickly placed everything neatly into her bag; that way, it would be out of the way.
He spoke as if he really understood where she was coming from, and that really surprised and comforted her. As much as she loved her roommates, and her friends, they just were not able to relate to her on certain levels that she wished they would have been able to. Samuel though...well, he seemed to be practically the spitting image of her. He spoke of his parents and their expectations of him, and it was easy for her to understand and contemplate. When she was at home, she lived a practically completely different lifestyle. While her parents weren't by any means, millionares, they still liked to live like they were ones. Manners, technique, and poise was key if you wanted to live under their roof. After sixteen years of learning the same routine, Hallie had it mastered, but that wasn't to say that she absolutely satisfied with her home life.
With a sigh, she nodded her head in understanding. "I completely know where you're coming from. Oh, the joys of parents and their desires, am I right?" With a laugh, Hallie shifted against the bench to face him directly. "May I ask something?" She questioned, looking at Samuel with curious, bright eyes. "Is there a reason as to why you have an...interest in me? A couple of my roommates, they have told me rumors about you, and what you think of me, and it's quite silly," She chuckled, rolling her eyes a bit, "but the little, stupid schoolgirl in me would like to know."
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Aedan O'Brien
Fuego Student - Year 7
one for your tummy, one for your cheek, one for the devil inside of me
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Post by Aedan O'Brien on Jun 19, 2015 18:20:42 GMT -5
"Utterly overbearing," he agreed with a chuckle, "but they probably said the same things about their own parents, once upon a time. Swore to themselves that they would be different, then 'poof' - old and dull and asleep at seven PM. I think that's why it's important to enjoy ourselves while we still can, live honestly ... take chances."
Now, this part, at least, was not entirely a lie. It wasn't exactly their time ... rather, it was his. Time and the world and everything in it were his for the taking, and while he wanted to bring Hallie along with him on that journey, he had very little intention of ever letting her take the reins.
And now she was turning to face him, so Samuel mirrored her body language, gazing into her eyes with a patient, interested, heartfelt expression. "You may ask me anything, Miss Keating. What is it?" And then, as she spoke, he allowed a soft smile to play across his lips, as though he were delightfully surprised by her question, a bit shy and flattered, but eager and willing to explain himself.
"Well," and he laughed softly, dropping his gaze to his hands before returning it to her eyes, "rumors, of course, are rumors and often spurious, but your friends are right about my interest in you. I won't lie and say that the initial draw wasn't your incredible beauty. That, at least, is impossible to overlook." At this, Samuel gently brushed back a few strands of shimmering red hair that had fallen in front of Hallie's eyes. "But then there is the grace with which you carry yourself, a sort of quiet intelligence in your eyes ... a fire that seems to simmer just beneath the surface ... these things make you fascinating to me. I've, well ... I've wanted to ask you on a date for some time now. Is that something you would be interested in?"
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Post by Hallie Keating on Jun 19, 2015 19:00:25 GMT -5
Hallie had understood what he had meant-what with how people wanted to change themselves, but ultimately became just who they didn't want to end up as. It was a sad notion in a sense; what had made them stop chasing after what and who they wanted to become? Why did they give up? She knew that every situation was different, but at the same time, she also knew she had the drive and will in her not to end up like her parents. Though she obviously loved them deeply, she refused to live her life like they had lived theirs; busy jobs that prevented both of them from seeing her until late hours of the night, living a life of poise and order, and being stuck in an unhappy, unsatisfying marriage. Her parents never actually said it to her in person, but Hallie knew that her mother and her father had fallen out of love with each other long ago, and she was sure she had to have been the sole reason they had stayed together.
That was not how her life was meant to be lived, and she knew it. She wanted to break away from the "fancy, orderly" life and be wild and unpredictable. She wanted to find a job and find something she loved to do, and most of all, she wanted to find a man that she'd be so incredibly crazy about, that she'd never be able to leave his side. Maybe it was too "fairytale-ish" and unrealistic, but that is what she knew what she wanted, and she'd be damned if she just decided to let that all go.
As she listened to Samuel speak, she could feel herself start to smile from the corners of her lips. How could one person be so incredibly sweet? No one, not even her family, had ever said such flattering things about her. It was both refreshing and almost just too much for her to take in at once. As he leaned forward to tuck one of her unruly red hair strands behind her ear, Hallie felt a kind of shiver vibrate down her spine.
After nodding her head a bit too excitedly, her smile quickly grew into a grin. "Yes, that would be something I'd be incredibly interested in. You are too sweet."
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Aedan O'Brien
Fuego Student - Year 7
one for your tummy, one for your cheek, one for the devil inside of me
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Post by Aedan O'Brien on Jun 19, 2015 20:53:19 GMT -5
This was going amazingly well. Just like always, Samuel knew exactly what to say and do to get exactly what he wanted. So, there would be a date, and the way she was looking at him made it completely clear that she thought him as genuine and sweet as he had intended to appear. Another perfect step in the overall plan, another moment closer to his inevitable success. Like Nero, Samuel would fiddle while he watched the world burn ... or perhaps he would simply make Hallie provide the music. It didn't really matter.
His widened eyes and broad grin communicated pure elation, which was quickly toned down to communicate how silly he felt and how very much he wanted to impress her. After all, that was how truly sweet boys responded when ladies accepted their invitations. "Well, I try," he joked. Only a blush would have made his performance more perfect. "Would you like to go to the cinema this weekend? I can drive us. There's a new movie ... 'Fair Lady'? Have you heard of it?" He reached out to take Hallie's hand in his own, giving it a little squeeze. "It is supposed to be a very beautiful film. Perhaps we could go on Friday night? Or Saturday. Saturday would be just as good."
Oh, he wanted to kiss her, but it wasn't the right moment yet. Soon, though ... very soon.
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Post by Hallie Keating on Jun 19, 2015 21:29:59 GMT -5
Hallie could practically feel the excitement bubble in her stomach as Samuel proposed an idea for their date. She had been fortunate enough to see silent films in the past and had definitely been intrigued by them, so the idea of seeing one with him was a perfect idea. Nodding her head, she continued to smile a rather stupid, goofy smile, and said, "Yes, I have, actually. My father has spoke of it. It sounds like a wonderful film." With a slight pause, she continued. "Friday would be perfect," she told him. "It'd be something I'd have to look forward to after a long day of grueling classes."
The little girl in her was about to just squeal with a warm anticipation for the upcoming weekend. This would be her first date ever! Oh, she already had several ideas of what to wear and how to style her hair. It was decided that, given a little time, Hallie knew that she could impress him, hopefully to the point to where she'd leave him speechless.
Placing a free hand on top of his, she offered him a coy expression. "I'm excited to spend more time with you."
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Aedan O'Brien
Fuego Student - Year 7
one for your tummy, one for your cheek, one for the devil inside of me
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Post by Aedan O'Brien on Jun 19, 2015 23:22:53 GMT -5
"Fantastic!" Samuel exclaimed. "It's a date, then. Friday at seven? I'll meet you at the main entrance to the dormitories?" What an amazing start to the beginning of the school year. In reality, Samuel was thrilled at having the date accepted. It wasn't as though he weren't genuinely interested in her. It was just that, well ... he was purposefully misrepresenting himself in order to manipulate her.
There was nothing really wrong with that. Men did it all the time, especially men in his particular ... position.
A little thrill ran up his spine when she placed her hand atop his. She had no idea what was coming her way, did she? Perfect. He would be the utmost gentleman, and he would woo her, and then he would have her wrapped around his little finger.
All according to plan.
"I feel the same way, Miss Keating. I could not be more pleased." Offering a smile, Samuel leaned forward and pressed his lips to Hallie's cheek for a brief and tender peck. As he pulled back, he made sure to drop his gaze ever so briefly to communicate how honored he felt.
"Well, it's starting to get late. Shall we go inside? I will carry your books for you."
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Post by Hallie Keating on Jun 19, 2015 23:48:58 GMT -5
"Seven is perfect. That gives me just enough time after school to get ready," Hallie answered him without any sort of hesitation. The smile that had been plastered to her face suddenly dropped for a second as she let out the tiniest of sighs. "I hope you know you don't have to call me that anymore," she told him. "Hallie is fine. In fact," she then lifted a finger, "I'd actually prefer it. I get so tired of hearing my last name all the time, whether it's here or at home." With a laugh, she paused, turning to gaze at the growing sunset to their west. The sky was beautiful; filled with different shades of pinks, oranges, and even some purples.
As she felt his lips press lightly against her cheek, the same blush that had plagued her practically all day came flushing back into her cheeks, and she laughed shyly as he pulled away, noticing a sparkle in his eyes. She tilted her head to the side, curious as to what he had to be thinking, but then cleared her mind once he offered to escort her back up to her dormitory. She kindly accepted and stood, waiting for him to collect his things before walking with him through the next wane of the school and towards the wing where their common rooms laid.
As they walked, she pressed a hand up to the corner of her lips and rubbed at them softly. Her mouth had become quite sore from smiling so much that day, but the way she saw it, it was well worth it. She had already been asked out by a handsome suitor within the first couple weeks of school? Oh, this was going to be a fantastic year.
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Aedan O'Brien
Fuego Student - Year 7
one for your tummy, one for your cheek, one for the devil inside of me
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Post by Aedan O'Brien on Jun 20, 2015 1:06:11 GMT -5
"Well, then. Hallie," he replied as he pulled back from her cheek and admired the innocent blush that arose there. "I will be looking forward to our date. This day has turned out to be quite wonderful after all." As he gathered up their things and then offered her his arm, Samuel was overwhelmed with a sense of triumph. It was addictive, that feeling. He was on top of the world, exactly where he belonged, and no one could stand in his way.
As they walked back inside and toward the dormitories, Samuel asked questions about Hallie's train journey and found himself genuinely intrigued by the answers. Oh, how lucky he was. She wasn't so quiet and innocent as to be dull. Though that meant he might have to disabuse her of some of her wilder notions down the road, it was worth it not to be bored stiff during the courtship.
At the entrance to Aer House, he left her with a sweet smile, a kiss on the hand, and a gentlemanly "Good night, Hallie. I cannot wait to see you again."
Now it was time for some celebratory drinking.
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