Pen to Paper
Title: Pen to Paper
Rating: PG
Pairings: You'll see.
Summary: An assignment of two schools brings together some of the most unlikely people.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own the WWE or any of the characters used. Wish I did, though, that would be awesome!
Note: I just want to make it clear now that I am in no way a homophobe, and that I have homosexual friends. I don't know Punk's ideals on sexuality and other peoples' (so this may not necessarily reflect his true ideals), but for stories' sake, while he's not a homophobe himself - he's just a little uncomfortable with it.
"So, what do you think?"
She giggled, accepting a few bead necklaces from a male dressed as a joker whom passed them. She carelessly slipped the variety of coloured – purple, gold and green – beads around her neck and looked at him, head titled cutely to the side. Light glinted off of the metallic finish.
He groaned, resting his forehead in the palm of his hand. The one eye that was allowed visibility roamed his surroundings. The atmosphere was full of happiness and cheer. The sun shone down on a trailing street parade, which featured floats of all kinds and people dancing. It featured people throwing objects into the gathered crowds – candy, doubloons, hats, and more – around like they were invaluable. It featured people standing in the crowds, sharing bottles of champagnes and cans of beer… and people clearly not caring about public displays of affection, he thought as he uneasily eyed a couple kissing beside them. Hands were roaming in all kinds of places.
"Please don't tell me you just brought me to Mardi Gras."
"Fine, I won't tell you."
The playful tone in her voice was enough to make anyone moan in disgust. Maria noticed where he was looking and grinned. She reached out with a skinny arm and stole the flamboyantly coloured hat off of the male's head. He was too wrapped up in his companion to notice she'd taken it. Then, sneakily, she made the transfer to Punk's head. Almost immediately he went to remove it, but she cut him off.
"If you take that off your head, I swear to god I'm going to yell out to everyone in this vicinity that you're gay."
Mulling it over in his head quickly, Punk decided that was a risk he didn't want to take. Unfortunately admitting defeat, he sighed, letting his hands drop back to his side. Something he would regret, as a man wearing a blindingly pink outfit of some sort – where did those strings go? And were those sequins? Glitter? – grabbed it seconds later.
"Well, hello there sailor!"
Jerking his hand away as though it had been burnt, Punk searched for an escape. Maria was standing beside him, stifling her laughter behind her hand. He quickly grabbed it, pulling it away from her face, and raised their linked hands.
"Sorry buddy," he apologized, trying to muster every ounce of sincerity into his tone of voice, eyes wide, "but I'm spoken for. This one gets violent when others come after me."
She just nodded, grinning madly.
The man in pink pouted. "That's too bad; you're a real cute one. Come find me if you ever change your mind sweetie!"
He flounced off. The pair gaped after him as he stopped in the middle of the crowd, and ground himself up against another man, this one scantily clad in purple and black. Punk wrinkled his nose at the sight, as another thought came to mind. He was still holding her hand. He dropped it as quick as he'd grabbed it.
"Don't fucking think a thing of it."
A chuckle reverberated from the depths of her throat. "Of course."
An awkward silence fell over them.
"So," he cleared his throat. "What exactly do we do at these kinds of erm… carnivals? Can't we just go home instead?"
Maria shook her head fiercely, brunette locks dancing from side to side from the movement. "No way!" She gripped his hand – again – tightly as she began fending her way through the crowd. "Come on, I'll show you what we do."
"I still cannot fucking believe I am here with you, Kanellis."
Punk grimaced as he walked out of the public toilet over to where Maria was standing, having just finished using it. Never again. He honestly should've known better than to walk into a public toilet on Mardi Gras.
"And why's that?"
During his absence, she'd somehow obtained a classic Mardi Gras mask and ditched her straw hat into her bag. The mask was in the official colours, the same that were on the bead necklaces she'd been given (something she'd felt her 'duty' to pass onto him. She'd strung them around his neck, once again threatening that she'd question his sexuality in front of everyone) earlier. Shaped in the same way that a butterfly is, it featured beads and sequins rimmed around the edges, and feathers sticking out of the sides. Her cat eyes gleamed from underneath. It was actually kind of pretty.
"My idea of fun is apparently very different from yours."
"Apparently so," she stepped forward as she spoke. He'd already rejected various ideas and plans during the day. She'd wanted cotton candy, he'd wanted nothing. She'd wanted to play a game, he'd wanted to stand by and mope. She'd wanted a little champagne to celebrate the occasion; he'd told her to get fucked. "Learn to live a little."
"You live too much, Kanellis," the tiniest of smirks crossed his face, then disappeared as he continued, "and you die."
She laced her fingers around his, intertwining them. "So let's live for the moment. Now come on. There's Moon Pies to catch."
He was incredulous. He would even ignore the fact that some Southport bitch was holding his hand.
"Did you just say Moon Pies?"
They emerged from the carnival, hours later, Maria satisfied with what they'd accomplished in the day's work. She'd pulled him into a sea of people again, who were all standing with their eyes on a float passing by. People were standing on them, one hand inside a sack, tossing a packaged something into the masses. Punk realized they were all chanting one thing, and that Maria had loudly joined in:
"Moon Pie! Moon Pie! Moon Pie! Moon Pie!"
One of the people standing on the float tossed a handful of them their way. His companion let out shriek as hundreds of hands flew up all at once, all of them trying to grab the objects. The majority of them were all bigger than her, and as they all leaned in at once to get the 'Moon Pie', she was squashed between them and unable to move. She noticed, however, that one was heading straight for Punk.
"Punk! Catch it, CATCH IT!"
Adrenaline coursed through his veins. Blood rushed to his head. He was caught up in the moment – determined, as one heavily-tattooed arm shot up into the air, fingers closing around the packaging. Trying not to squash it, he brought it down again; staring at the object curiously as Maria forcefully squeezed her way out of the crowd.
"You got one!" She squealed, throwing herself at him with all of her might. Maria wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes shining with delight behind her Mardi Gras mask. The corners of her mouth were turned up into a smile. "I was trying to get you one because they are really, really good, but, well… you saw what happened!" When she finally stopped talking, he looked down at her. His eyes met hers, and he realized the accidentally compromising position they were in.
"What are you doing?" As gently as possible, he untangled himself from her. They stood a distance apart from each other now. The smile never left her face, even though he was metaphorically pushing her away. "Hugging you. Friends do it."
"That's funny." He bit back a laugh. "I wasn't aware we were friends."
"You're not aware of a lot of things." She tilted her head sideways. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
For once, he had nothing to say. He furiously kicked at a stone on the ground as he began walking. Anything to get out of here, he surmised, anything to get away from her.
She kept her promise, walking him all the way up the stairs of his building to the apartment he shared with Ace. It was late, Punk knew, so he'd be home. He didn't need to bother with keys. After he'd opened the door, he jammed his foot in the crook so he'd keep it open. Then he turned and faced her.
"Nice try, Kanellis." She was still wearing that stupid fucking mask. "But you didn't prove me wrong."
There it was - that endless smile. Did she ever stop smiling?!
"Ssh," she raised a finger to her lips. Momentarily distracted, he noticed that her fingernails were painted a scarlet colour. "Don't say that yet. I'll see you soon Punkerdoodle."
With that, she waved, and started heading down the stairs, humming a tuneless song under her breath. He shook his head, as though his ears were water logged. That girl was eternally happy, he didn't understand it.
"Hey Punkerdoodle," a voice filled with mirth came from behind him. It was Ace. "How'd your date go?"
Punk ceased no time in punching his long-time friend right in the arm, following him into the apartment. "One," he responded as he tossed something onto their dining table, "don't you ever fucking call me that." He rummaged in his pockets, and his house keys joined the something on the table. "And two, it wasn't a fucking date. She's a disgustingly happy retard."
"Mhmmm," Ace murmured, his eyes on whatever Punk had thrown down. "What the hell is that? A Moon Pie?" Punk eyed the object on the table. He vaguely remembered shoving it into his pocket after their little spat, or whatever the hell you'd call it.
"Where the hell did you go? Mardi Gras?" Ace scratched the back of his head with one hand. Punk was unable to answer, slouching into the kitchen and growling at the kettle as it boiled. Laughter overcame Ace. It burbled out of him like soda did in a bottle after it had been shaken up.
"She took you to Mardi Gras? I love this girl."
"Good," his heavily-tattooed friend replied as he pulled a mug out of one of the cupboards, "Maybe you can take her off my case."
"No way man, this girl is good for you, despite what you may think."
She will be the death of me."Catch!"
Punk turned around just in time to see an object flying towards him. Showing off amazing reflexes, he caught it in his hand. It was the Moon Pie.
"Go on, open it! Try it!"
He reluctantly followed his instructions, and two items fell out into his paw. They were two little graham crackers shaped into round cookies, with marshmallow filling in the center of them both. It had obviously been dipped into chocolate. At first he seemed hesitant to eat it, but seemingly realized he would have to anyway – Ace wouldn't let him live it down, or stop bothering him until he did. So he did.
And he actually liked it.
The other man stole the other one from his hand, devouring it within a few seconds. "So," he started the fun process of licking the sticky chocolate from his fingers, "what'd you think?"
Punk finished making his beverage before answering his roommate's question. He picked up his now full cup of coffee, and tentatively walked down the hall with it, disappearing into a room for a few seconds, before reappearing by the door, empty-handed.
"I think you're just like her."
Then he slammed his door shut behind him. What a day.
Not sure who to focus the next chapter on. Who do you guys think?