Title: Duplicity
Author: Liatli
Disclaimer: still not anyone's but the WB's (and them's, lol, whoever 'them' is.ya know.the creators? Yeah. Okay.)
Part 1:
Flicking a cigarette onto the ground, Ryder opened the door to Friendly's. He never thought he'd see the day when he actually stepped foot in Friendly's. But he'd heard a rumor and he had to see if it was true. Cold blue eyes swept around the room.
Will Krudski and Scout Calhoun were behind the counter. At the counter sat the perfect couple, both blonde, beautiful, chatting with Krudski and sharing a soda and some fries. The hands they weren't using to eat with were inter-twined. Hamilton Flemming and Jake Pratt sat in a booth in the corner, completely immersed in conversation and lunch, oblivious to their surroundings. Some girls from the Edmund High drama club (advertised on their T-shirts) sat at a table, chatting, laughing, and drinking sodas or shakes. A few girls checked him out, trying to gain eye contact with him. Ryder just ignored them. He didn't "slum" with the townies. Some Edmund jocks sat at another table, in their letter jackets, talking, eating, and alternating between checking out the drama girls and keeping a defensive eye on him. Ryder dismissed them as harmless.
A frown forming on his face, Ryder's narrowed eyes nearly skipped over the small, elegant figure in the corner, bent over a textbook and absently playing with the straw in a cup of soda. The corners of his lips curled upwards as he walked towards the counter, his eyes not leaving the person in the corner. He clenched and unclenched his fist in an unconscious, impatient gesture as Will told the couple to hold on and walked over to Ryder.
"Yeah." Ryder turned to look at Will,
"Now, William, that's hardly civil. Aren't you waiters supposed to say 'what may I get you, sir'?" Will squinted and said,
"What do you want, Forrest?" Ryder smiled angelically,
"Good enough, I guess. I'll have." Ryder studied the list on the wall behind Will's head and tapped a finger to his pursed lips thoughtfully. After a few minutes of Will's finger drumming, foot tapping, and glaring, Ryder said,
"A coke." Will sighed and turned around to fill a glass. Turning back around, the glass in hand, will said,
"A dollar twenty-five. Free refills." Ryder slid his wallet out of his back pocket and dropped the money onto the counter. Smiling, he took the soda and walked towards the table in the far corner.
A shadow fell over the table, blocking the majority of the light. Looking up, an impatient look in her eyes, Caroline said,
"Do you mind?" when she realized it was Ryder, taking care to keep her facial expression neutral, she said,
"Oh. You." Ryder smiled cheekily,
"Now, darling, is that the best 'hello' you can give me? How 'bout a hug? A kiss? An 'I've missed you'?" Caroline rolled her eyes, turning back to her math book.
"Can I help you with something?"
"Actually, I was wondering if this seat was taken." Caroline waved a hand absently,
"Take it." She heard the chair scrape out, but was surprised when she heard Ryder sit down in it. She looked up. Ryder smiled at Caroline, then took a sip of his coke. Trying to stay calm, civil, Caroline closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to 10 in her head. Then she opened her eyes and said,
"Why are you sitting here? Can't you tell I'm studying? I have an exam in 45 minutes. Don't you have somewhere to be?" unfazed, Ryder shrugged,
"Let's see." Ticking the answers off on his fingers as he went along, he said,
"Because I wanted the pleasure of your company. Yes, I see that you're studying. I'll be quiet. Weren't exams 2 months ago? And no, I have no where to be. Unless you count the American Lit class I'm missing." Frustrated, and trying not to smile, Caroline said,
"Then unless you are going to help me study, I suggest you get to you American Lit class." Ryder shrugged, set his glass down, then proceeded to scoot his chair over, next to Caroline's. He tilted the book slightly towards him and studied to page. He said,
"Ah, Algebra II. Fun." Caroline frowned and said sarcastically,
"Sure. Fun."
"What don't you understand?"
Eyebrows raised in disbelief, Caroline rattled off a brief list of concepts she couldn't quite get. Smiling, Ryder launched into an easy and surprisingly intelligent explanation of how to find inverse functions.
Author: Liatli
Disclaimer: still not anyone's but the WB's (and them's, lol, whoever 'them' is.ya know.the creators? Yeah. Okay.)
Part 1:
Flicking a cigarette onto the ground, Ryder opened the door to Friendly's. He never thought he'd see the day when he actually stepped foot in Friendly's. But he'd heard a rumor and he had to see if it was true. Cold blue eyes swept around the room.
Will Krudski and Scout Calhoun were behind the counter. At the counter sat the perfect couple, both blonde, beautiful, chatting with Krudski and sharing a soda and some fries. The hands they weren't using to eat with were inter-twined. Hamilton Flemming and Jake Pratt sat in a booth in the corner, completely immersed in conversation and lunch, oblivious to their surroundings. Some girls from the Edmund High drama club (advertised on their T-shirts) sat at a table, chatting, laughing, and drinking sodas or shakes. A few girls checked him out, trying to gain eye contact with him. Ryder just ignored them. He didn't "slum" with the townies. Some Edmund jocks sat at another table, in their letter jackets, talking, eating, and alternating between checking out the drama girls and keeping a defensive eye on him. Ryder dismissed them as harmless.
A frown forming on his face, Ryder's narrowed eyes nearly skipped over the small, elegant figure in the corner, bent over a textbook and absently playing with the straw in a cup of soda. The corners of his lips curled upwards as he walked towards the counter, his eyes not leaving the person in the corner. He clenched and unclenched his fist in an unconscious, impatient gesture as Will told the couple to hold on and walked over to Ryder.
"Yeah." Ryder turned to look at Will,
"Now, William, that's hardly civil. Aren't you waiters supposed to say 'what may I get you, sir'?" Will squinted and said,
"What do you want, Forrest?" Ryder smiled angelically,
"Good enough, I guess. I'll have." Ryder studied the list on the wall behind Will's head and tapped a finger to his pursed lips thoughtfully. After a few minutes of Will's finger drumming, foot tapping, and glaring, Ryder said,
"A coke." Will sighed and turned around to fill a glass. Turning back around, the glass in hand, will said,
"A dollar twenty-five. Free refills." Ryder slid his wallet out of his back pocket and dropped the money onto the counter. Smiling, he took the soda and walked towards the table in the far corner.
A shadow fell over the table, blocking the majority of the light. Looking up, an impatient look in her eyes, Caroline said,
"Do you mind?" when she realized it was Ryder, taking care to keep her facial expression neutral, she said,
"Oh. You." Ryder smiled cheekily,
"Now, darling, is that the best 'hello' you can give me? How 'bout a hug? A kiss? An 'I've missed you'?" Caroline rolled her eyes, turning back to her math book.
"Can I help you with something?"
"Actually, I was wondering if this seat was taken." Caroline waved a hand absently,
"Take it." She heard the chair scrape out, but was surprised when she heard Ryder sit down in it. She looked up. Ryder smiled at Caroline, then took a sip of his coke. Trying to stay calm, civil, Caroline closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to 10 in her head. Then she opened her eyes and said,
"Why are you sitting here? Can't you tell I'm studying? I have an exam in 45 minutes. Don't you have somewhere to be?" unfazed, Ryder shrugged,
"Let's see." Ticking the answers off on his fingers as he went along, he said,
"Because I wanted the pleasure of your company. Yes, I see that you're studying. I'll be quiet. Weren't exams 2 months ago? And no, I have no where to be. Unless you count the American Lit class I'm missing." Frustrated, and trying not to smile, Caroline said,
"Then unless you are going to help me study, I suggest you get to you American Lit class." Ryder shrugged, set his glass down, then proceeded to scoot his chair over, next to Caroline's. He tilted the book slightly towards him and studied to page. He said,
"Ah, Algebra II. Fun." Caroline frowned and said sarcastically,
"Sure. Fun."
"What don't you understand?"
Eyebrows raised in disbelief, Caroline rattled off a brief list of concepts she couldn't quite get. Smiling, Ryder launched into an easy and surprisingly intelligent explanation of how to find inverse functions.