FOUR
Ren's horn is blaring outside as Alex struggles with an earring. "We're gonna leave without you, Al! Hurry up!" Ugh, Jesus, if he would just give her a minute…
Once she's reassured her mother that yes, she'll be home by ten and yes, she'll be with Nona and Ren the entire time, she grabs a hold of her sneakers and jacket, racing outside in just a pair of socks. The ride over isn't really anything to brag about; Alex is relegated to the backseat, Nona and Ren are holding hands over the center console, and all three are singing along to pop hits that come on the radio. Even if badly. The only half-decent singer there is Nona, but Nona doesn't let anyone else know that. Her best friend pulls up to a parking spot, shutting down the car and listing off what they need to do.
"First order of business: shopping of any kind. Snacks, toys, clothes, whatever. Second order of business: mess hall!"
Alex rolls her eyes, piping up, "You always want food Ren. This isn't new! We don't need the whole briefing shebang." His face sours in a teasing manner, but he quiets.
Nona drags herself out of the passenger seat first, followed by Alex and Ren, as they travel toward the local Camena mall. Pretty much everyone is here on the weekends, even if it is a bit retro. The shorter girl seems content buying little charms and clothes, while Ren heads straight to his local dealer. Because of course he does, the ratty little addict… But he's her ratty little addict, and she does the same thing sometimes, so. Two can play at that game?
That leaves Alex out on her own. For a while she just runs through different shops, glances over items that she probably can't afford even on her best days, and is generally distracted. Carrying a few bags and fiddling with her phone, she hasn't noticed the people coming toward her, jumping back a bit to avoid them with a flustered apology— And then she spots the mystery man. Who hasn't even bothered to text.
"Okay, this is insane."
.
She'd given him her number.
So. …Okay. Maybe his mom had a point.
Then again, the "If you tell ANYONE I gave you this I will personally strangle you" note might hint that it's not Like That.
Either way, it's burning a hole in his metaphorical pocket (because it's already programmed into his phone, even if he hasn't figured out what exactly to send yet) the whole time he's out with Katie. Apparently the mall is the thing to do here. Beats loitering on playgrounds, at least. He pays for her Starbucks, 'cause it's customary (if unnecessarily expensive), they walk around chatting. She's cute. Mentions that she grew up in the area, and he isn't surprised.
Everything here is a bit pricey, to be honest. They're mostly window shopping, people watching, sipping away at frappuccinos. He might have attempted lifting something, but he's a bit paranoid here. It's not like North Valley where he knew the ins and outs like the back of his hand and could easily pick up exactly what he needed at exactly the right time. Maybe he'll get there eventually. Maybe he won't. His dad's got a better paying job now, his mom is bringing in a salary instead of racking up medical bills; maybe it won't feel like a necessity. Or maybe he's stopped caring so much about having the things everyone else has.
Katie's leading the way, gesturing toward something at the other end of the mall (something fun, probably, but undoubtedly pricey), when she stumbles, coming up short, and he's got a hand on the small of her back to steady her in an instant.
"Oh." He blinks for a second before the rules of politeness drilled into him by his parents kick in. "Katie, this is Alex, she's-" he falters, unsure how to introduce her. Not exactly a friend, really. "Um, she's one of my mom's students. You know, the kinda-sorta informal TA thing I mentioned before." Shit, is he supposed to go the other way, too? "Alex, this is Katie." She's… a date? Weird way to introduce someone. Plus, with his hand on her back, that part seems obvious. "She goes to my college." Still sounds weird. Still feels weird.
"We've met before, actually." Katie is smiling, but it's— not exactly simpering. Maybe pitying. "I don't know if you remember," she goes on, fingers woven around her sweating cup. "It was at the memorial."
Yikes. That… Well, that's one way to stumble into things.
.
Her head is doing laps around itself to take in the information presented to her, and also to not instantly flip out at the mention of her brother's memorial. Alex doesn't hide it well. She goes from that crooked kind of grin to someone that looks like they've seen a ghost in about two seconds flat. At least she keeps herself together a little bit.
"…Yeah— Right, no, you brought that big bouquet of flowers?" There's only a faded memory in the back of her head about Katie. She does her best not to remember anything about the memorial. Of course it doesn't work, because that will forever be burned into her mind just like— Okay, haha, slow down Alex. Seriously. "Can't remember if it was roses or forget-me-nots."
Now she wishes she hadn't gone off on her own from her friends. Not really an option anymore, but this is how she learns things. Trial and error. A whole lot of trial and error. So instead of focusing on the topic of conversation, she does her best to think of what she's learned about the mystery TA— Mr. Long, now. Still doesn't know his first name. But he had at least dropped a bit of crucial information. It's a bit weird to see him out of school, if she's being honest, especially just walking around with someone. It feels… too informal.
.
God, this has gone south very fast. Jonas shoots Katie a surreptitious look that's somewhere between stilted and annoyed - because seriously: weird weird way to reintroduce yourself to someone, jumping in to talk about death - and lowers his hand from her back. She's nice enough about it, Katie is, but he's definitely evaluating her judgment.
Her smile is like— it's weird, she's obviously trying to sympathize with Alex's loss, but… Jonas's lips pull for a second. She's not being fake, exactly, just… maybe self-congratulatory? Like she knows she's being a good person for showing her concern. It's off-putting.
"Oh gosh, sorry-" Katie has her hand on his shoulder, trying to draw him into a conversation he really doesn't want to have. "You're new to Camena, right? It was-"
Yeah, no, he's not about to put Alex through talking about her dead brother yards from a mall food court. "Yeah we moved from— it's a small town near North Valley. And mom relocated to Camena High." Just spill some more details, why not, just don't get this casual chat on the subject of drowned siblings. "She teaches English, actually. I should probably be better at it than I am."
That seems to work, at least. Katie is smiling at him, nudging him gently. "Oh come on, you're a great tablemate!"
Jonas shoots a quick look at Alex, just to see if she's still in that weird frozen state she'd gone into a second ago, then back to Katie. "The upside of a teacher as a parent, I at least know how to fake engagement — but thanks. Just be glad you don't have to read my essays."
How does she go from cooing sympathy to giggling so quickly? Has she just never lost someone, ever? Fingers curve around his arm, and he's pretty sure she's actually batting her lashes, which— that's a thing? Not just in cartoons? "I will, though," it's a playful smile she's giving him, "when we do peer review."
The subject has been changed. Jonas takes a step away, pulling Katie with him, inclines his head slightly to Alex. He wants to say sorry, that she's stuck being blindsided by reminders of death, but instead he just awkwardly touches her shoulder as they pass. "I'll see you Monday, Alex."
.
Mentions of the move have at least brought her a bit out of the fugue state. Okay, so— Mr. Long (which she's calling him now because it's better than mystery TA man) and his mom had moved from North Valley to here just a few weeks ago. Which means he probably hadn't known about her brother. Which is just… Wow, thanks Katie, for being a mythic bitch. Even if Alex barely remembered her in the first place, she's pretty sure that Katie has always kind of been one. Or just epically clueless.
She jumps when Mr. Long touches her. Because that's that weird déjà vu thing again, and now she smells oak resin and something like oiled machinery, and— Triangles. What is it with triangles? Something, something, on the tip of her tongue…
And now she's doing what she does best: running. Alex passes by Katie and the mystery too-familiar-not-familiar man again, shooting them both a two fingered salute before glancing for exits. There's one right by this consignment store that should lead to the ice cream shop where she's supposed to meet up with Ren and Nona, so she'll shoot for that. One problem: the bench right in the middle of the path.
It's not like she hasn't vaulted something before, it's just usually higher. Thankfully for her face, Alex overestimates her strength, zipping over the back with just a bit of a clip to her boots, and then taking off in a jog.
"Bye, Mr. Long!"
.
"Mr. Long, huh?" Katie raises her eyebrows teasingly.
It's probably a joke about the Mr. part, but the minor insinuation has Jonas's mind flickering briefly to a consideration of if he'd even want to sleep with her. (Probably yes, unfortunately.) Before correcting himself because that's probably not what she meant, he's just— well, maybe it was, she's kinda handsy, who knows.
"It's not—" He's smiling, though, even if there's a little embarrassment turning his ears pink as he half-smirks. "Not like that." He recalls creased paper and smudged pen. Y / N. "I don't think she actually knows my name?" Or she does, he's just being purposefully opaque about confirming.
"She's a little crazy." Katie is glancing after Alex's retreating form, and her words are more amused than scathing, obviously directed at the whole 'vaulting a bench in a busy mall' thing.
"Nah." Jonas shakes his head, thumb running along the edge of his phone in his pocket. "Not in class, anyway. Just kinda… bold."
"Really a shame about her brother. Too bad she couldn't stop it, y'know? Michael was pretty amazing."
First off, no he didn't know - or at least, not as far as she'd know, if she were paying attention. He weighs his options for a second, the respectful side of him going head to head with his curiosity over Miss BC. Katie seems to make the decision for him, slowing down outside a clothing store.
Jonas slips his phone from his pocket. "You go on, I'll chill out here."
She hesitates. "You don't want to…?" Her head tilts toward the store, blushing. Wait, is this a proposition? Okay, no, he has to be reading something into this. Mind out of the gutter, thanks.
He holds up the phone. "Think I missed a couple messages earlier, gonna check in on that."
Katie shrugs, heads inside. Jonas perches against a column outside the store, turning on his screen. No new messages. But he already knew he was lying about that. He unlocks it and the blank message is already waiting for him. From when he'd chickened out earlier. Just not sure what to say.
Which is kinda fucked, 'cause he probably shouldn't say anything 'cause he shouldn't be texting her to begin with. His neck heats, thinking of the look his mom had shot him. For a teacher she really didn't get the whole teacher/student problem. Not that he's a teacher. He's not technically even an official TA. But still.
He chews at the inside of his lip, glancing up, and gradually follows Katie into the store as he taps out a message.
Alex Strickland
(You know, you should probably get a guy's name before you give him your number.(
.
Nona and Ren are at the ice cream place before she's halfway around the corner from it. Though it isn't a huge deal, even if they ordered without her, and even if they're doing the stupid thing where they stab each other's guts with their fingers. Tasing or something. So Alex gets her own cone - chocolate peanut butter topped with some caramel - before settling down at their table.
"Hey, look who decided to show." Ren is teasing her, and punches her arm with the most amount of power her can muster, which isn't much. He's kind of a twig. "What took you so long?"
"Oh, I ran into some people."
"Some people?"
"Katie. …Flannigan? Or whatever her name is. Doesn't your sister know her?"
"Probably. Allie knows everyone, though, so I'm not sure it counts."
"Katie's pretty sweet, from what I remember." Nona glances up from her phone to chime in, still holding her spoonful of cookies 'n' cream. "A bit much sometimes, though."
"Yeah, tell me about it. First time I see her in a while, and she goes straight to the memorial."
"Oh, dude," Ren scrunches his face up, head on top of the heels of his hands. "Not cool."
Alex's phone buzzes, and she nearly chokes. An unknown number, but the message itself is more than easy to identify. Nona gently pats her on the back. Sweet girl. Though she doesn't manage to answer right away, instead stalling for time by mentioning the whole thing to her friends (admittedly getting some advice) and then shooting a message back.
.
Jonas is not being a super attentive date. He keeps checking his phone. Katie seems happy that he followed her in, though, even if there's not a single thing in this store that he'll be buying. Mostly girl stuff, with a few guys things that skew more surfer than… whatever Jonas's style is. Reformed delinquent? And all kinds of overpriced novelty items. A bunch of hipster shit.
He glances to his phone.
Alex Strickland
)You never GAVE me your name, remember? If I knew it, I'd be calling you it by now.)
(Weren't you the PI investigating the mysterious meeting with Mr Dipshit in the parking lot? Do some digging, Blue Curaçao.(
Fingers are skimming lazily over acrylic cube containers of useless doodads. Katie's ducked into a changing room to try something on (and no invitation for him, so there's another thing he's read incorrectly). His eyes fall on a bin of handheld pocket radios - pretty useless this day and age. But still.
By the time he's taken up a position waiting outside the changing rooms, he's got one tucked in an inner pocket. Old habits die hard, apparently.
.
818-5891
(Blue Curaçao? Oh c'mon, that's just rude! You know my name.(
A pause, as she rereads his message and huffs at some of the content.
818-5891
(Also, Ren isn't a dipshit. Sure, he's an entitled rich kid with a bit of a drug problem, but he's alright.(
Ren, who has been reading over her shoulder, makes a disapproving noise. "I don't have a drug problem!"
"You kind of do, Ren. Why do you think you keep those brownies on you at all times?" Nona takes her side on the issue, a soft kind of smirk on her face. "And don't say 'anxiety,' we've both heard that before."
"So what, both of you are turning against me now? I thought better of you! A curse! A curse upon your family!"
"What, like we won't have a good harvest or something?" Alex snorts softly, tries to avoid dripping ice cream on her hand, and fails. "Hate to break it to you, Christopher Columbus, But my family stopped growing corn decades ago."
.
Jonas cracks a smile for a second before he puts his features back into a more concerned expression. Can't exactly pass for important business if he's grinning at his screen.
Alex Strickland
(Lol, I meant your eyewitness testimony. Blondie seems pretty harmless.(
He pauses for a second before shooting off another, hiding his smirk.
Alex Strickland
(Also seriously *Alexandra* what are you, some kind of narc?(
(This is why I can't tell you my name, you're gonna report me for fraternizing with students and/or providing unfair assistance and aid. So ungrateful. Tut tut, etc.(
"What do you think?"
The phone goes back in the pocket, and Jonas straightens to look Katie over. She really is cute. Kind of… boring, though. Hot, yeah, but… bland?
.
Alex purses her lips a bit, and Ren is cackling off to the side. Nona nudges him, still reading over her shoulder.
"Don't you both have anything better to do than watch me text Mr. Long?"
Nona's head tips to the side. "His name is Mr. Long?"
"Yeah, he's my teacher's son. Let that slip when he was talking with Katie and me."
"So it wasn't just Katie you ran into!" Ren jumps at the chance to prove her wrong. And maybe trying to prove more than just her being wrong. "Were they on a date? Did he start texting you on his date ? Ooh, Alex, you sly girl!"
She can feel her face heating up. "I don't know! Shut up!"
818-5891
(I mean there isn't much to say about that douche, he's a douche. Pretty simple. Though right now my friends are grilling me about not knowing your name, so hooray for me!(
Now both of them are laughing. They're dorks, and sometimes they're kind of mean dorks, but they're her dorks. And she's a dork too.
818-5891
(Besides, it's probably Jonas. Just a gut feeling. Nice name, though. Biblical. Means 'Peaceful' or something.(
(Suits you.(
.
This date isn't going to end well. Jonas has already resigned himself to it as he waits for Katie to try on her next round of clothes. It's just not his scene, really. And if he's more interested in texting someone else while they were supposed to be getting to know each other…
His phone buzzes and he pulls it out again, returning to their conversation.
Huh. He's never bothered looking it up before. Hasn't even asked his mom about it. It hasn't come to mind, really.
.
818-5891
)First off, that's conjecture.)
)Second: "Suits me?" So what, you and your little high school friends think I'm soft? Don't you kinda already know better?)
(Okay I never said you were soft, I said the meaning of the name. Peaceful. Basically, I don't think you actively go looking for a fight, unlike me. I've done that way too much.(
Alex has finished her ice cream by now, and is walking around with one arm looped over Nona's shoulders, Ren on Nona's other side with their fingers laced together. They're headed to some gaming shop that he'd wanted to check out, mostly because of his having like three consoles, but she doesn't complain because she gets to play on all of them. Perks of being friends with the rich kids.
818-5891
(Fight with peers, fight with my parents… Kind of a hothead sometimes. But hey, haven't died yet!(
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Jonas is just staring at his phone, brow furrowed in contemplative silence, when Katie is finally done.
"Something wrong?"
"Hm?" He quickly turns off the screen and tucks it away. "Not quite. Just…" He shrugs it off, shaking his head. "It's fine."
It's very quickly grating on him, her too-kind expression. "If you need to go…"
"Actually, yeah. If you don't mind."
She nods quickly, doe-eyed and insipid. "Of course."
There's a moment of awkward pause and movement as Jonas tries to determine how exactly to say goodbye. After a couple awkward steps around each other, he pecks her on the cheek. "This was nice," he lies. And he kinda feels guilty for it. To be fair, she's not that bad.
But, to be fair; he's not that guilty.
He ducks into a deserted hall area in an alley between mall wings, pausing by a water fountain to look at his phone again. His fingers tap against one another. A few clicks on the screen and then he deletes it again. Another set, another deletion. It feels like too much information. Like some kind of confession or something. But maybe he's just used to not talking about that sort of thing. It feels like an invasion, even if she's the one offering. Why are you telling me this?
Alex Strickland
(Congrats. I too have maintained a solid record of not being dead.(
He goes digging for his keys, comes up with the lifted radio. He looks at it for a second, getting that tug of déjà vu , then tucks it away again, shooting off another quick text.
Alex Strickland
(Kinda disappointed, tho, could've been a great story if I'd been talking to ghosts.(
.
Ren and Nona are both busy with their respective interests in games. He's looking at first person shooters, she's got her eye on some dancing rhythm thing. Alex usually goes for horror, but… she doesn't really have the money for that right now. At least, not on her. Her dad had been the one working odd jobs, anyways, and he's gone. So she's left with her doctor-slash-nearly-never-home mom. Not that it's a problem. Alex likes her privacy.
818-5891
(You know, there are stories about talking to ghosts on Edwards Island. Or not really talking, but listening, I guess.(
Another headache. What is it with her and the headaches? Headaches and odd dreams when she goes to bed. Signal stations and power lines, ladders and the brightening 4am sky.
818-5891
(If you tune into specific frequencies, there are these things people call 'anomalies' where you can hear old messages. I feel like it's an abandoned call signal thing, since that used to house a WWII base, but Ren's really into that kind of thing.(
And now she's spouting random facts about an island. At least it's a topic of conversation.
818-5891
(Haven't been there since my parents split.(
.
He's almost back out to Bily when her message comes in— well, one, and then another, and then another. Jonas settles himself in the driver's seat before reading them through. From grinning at their earlier correspondence, now he's frowning. Not angrily, just… perplexed. Frustrated, a bit, and confused. He could've sworn he'd never heard of the place, but just reading the name of it is conjuring sights and sounds and smells into his head.
Another piece of an inexplicable puzzle clicks into place.
First Alex. Now Edwards Island.
Is that where she is? In his…
Jonas groans, rubbing a hand over his face. This is stupid. So incredibly stupid. He's not some kind of prophet. These aren't visions. They're weird dreams that are remembered too vividly because… because he had cheese the night he dreamt them or something. That's a thing, right? He still remembers nightmares from elementary school. This is like that. Only with a girl I'd never met before. And a place I've never been. The groan is longer the second time around.
He tosses his phone on the passenger seat, along with the little radio, and ignores it for the drive home.
Notes: Gotta love some texting. That's the good stuff. ^^ And a little more mystery flavor in there as well. What do you think? Comments, questions, concerns? As always thanks for everyone reading, commenting, etc. =] -OWT