For a Buck I Might

Double or Nothing

"Another chance?" Jack felt his stomach grumbling as he spoke with Skittery. All he wanted was lunch that was the only reason he came back to the lodging house to find Skittery. But now Jack was figuring that a little entertainment before lunch could be interesting.

"Double or nothing." Skittery decided to add a little sugar to the bet.

Racetrack smirked hearing Skittery up the bet as he walked in, "I could go for some dinner as well as lunch."

"Alright, double or nothing," Jack gave Skittery a serious look, but he figured he would make it a little harder on Skittery, "but, you gotta get her to smile or laugh now."

"Yeah an' not laugh at you." Race added in his two cents. It was one thing to make some one laugh, but it was another thing to have someone laughing at you.

"Fine, I'll even get her to go to lunch with me." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. Why the hell had he added that into the deal? He was screwed for sure. He had not been able to get Olivia to talk to him last night, but now he had to get her to go to lunch with him. Race and Jack walked over to Jack's bunk to watch without being in the line of fire.

With a heavy sigh, because that was what Skittery seemed to be good at, he leaned back against the bunk post where Olivia was sitting. Olivia was good at something as well, she continued on ignoring the messy haired boy who was trying so hard to gain her attention. She did not understand it, Skittery never paid any attention to her, and he did not even look twice in her direction. The last time the two of them had ever had any type of interaction Olivia was sure she was shoving him out of her way. Now he was trying to talk to her. Olivia had though after the attempt last night he would have gotten the idea she was not interested in making friends with him.

Skittery glanced down at Olivia, still ignoring me, he thought to himself. Giving a quick shove off of the bunk causing it to move slightly, Skittery walked over and picked up a Clementine that had been sitting on the table. Tilting his head back, Skittery place the Clementine on his forehead between his eyes, balancing it carefully. His arms were out to his side, eyes cross-eyed so he could see if it moved. Maybe he could get her to laugh, or crack a smile. It was a cheesy ploy that would be great if it worked.

If Olivia could roll her eyes any further back into her head then she could now, she probably would of. Shaking her head she looked at him like he was crazy, at the same time Skittery's side ways glance caught her eyes. A small cheesy grin crossed his lips.

Dropping her shoulders heavily, her strong will was slowly giving into the clown before her, "What is wrong with you?"

Skittery brought his head back up and caught the Clementine in his left hand, "What wrong with me? I could ask you the same question."

"Well…let's see you are grumpy and annoying most of the time." Olivia began listing off things that were wrong with Skittery.

"Ain't you a funny one?" He spoke sarcastically as he scowled at her. She always had a way of turning his words around on him, "No wonder you don't have many friends."

Now Skittery finally had Olivia's full attention, "Just because I don't waste my time with fools like you don't mean I don't have any friends." She snapped angrily at him. Olivia rose from her spot on the bunk, reacting quickly afraid that she might hit him Skittery backed up a step or two.

"Why are you always so defensive?" Skittery inquired ignoring the statement that came out of her mouth. People often said things out of anger, and Skittery assumed most of what Olivia said came from anger.

"I'm not." Olivia narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

"There ya go again, being all defensive an' stuff…if you don't know by now I'm not gonna hurt ya, than ya ain't as smart as I thought." Skittery spoke honestly and calmly. Then he remembered that he had only started talking to her was because he needed a quick buck.

"You and every other guy." Olivia's forehead wrinkled. What was he playing at?, "I don't have time for this." She brushed past him accidentally knocking the Clementine from his hand. It hit the ground with a soft thud and rolled a few feet after her. Liv quickly pushed the window to the fire escape open and climbed out.

What did Olivia not have time for? She was just going to go out there and smoke a cigarette, speaking of a waste of time. Skittery knew he had struck a cord with her, only because she went out to smoke when she was nervous or something was bothering her. Why did he notice that stuff? He did not even like this girl! Something about her intrigued him though, making it hard for him just to go back to ignoring her, "Pff, women." After standing there for a few moments Skittery decided that he should probably go apologize, well maybe not apologize exactly.

Race and Jack sniggered over in the corner. Skittery frowned at the two of them, "I'm not giving up yet." He snapped at them. There was no way he was going to owe them both lunch and dinner.

Skittery leaned out of the window seeing her sitting there on the fire escape smoking a cigarette, "I only wanna be your friend." Skittery kept looking up at her, but she did not look at him, "Every one needs a friend, some one to laugh with. I ain't never seen you laugh, or smile…do you even know how to?" He had not meant to be mean in any way.

Olivia took in a deep drag from her cigarette, and then let it out slowly, "Of course I know how!" She insisted, it had just been awhile, "Just my face muscles ain't used to that much work." Liv gave a small nod as if it made it official. For the first time in a long time Skittery's comment made her feel lonely.

Skittery smiled at what Olivia had just said about smiling. He leaned against the window a bit more watching her. Honestly she did not seem that bad to him, obviously she had her reasons for being the way she was, "Well I'd offer a cheesy line about how you have a pretty smile and it looks good on ya, but I've never seen ya smile before."

Olivia gave a half hearted smirk and shook her head some, "And does that actually work for you?"

"I've got some good lines." Skittery said cockily.

"Oh yeah?" Olivia challenged him.

"Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?" Skittery looked up at her with a questioning look. That was one of his better lines, well at least he thought. Skittery was beginning to wonder why this conversation had not happened last night.

Olivia smirked a bit more trying her hardest not to laugh, "Not bad."

"Not bad?!" Skittery pretended to be shocked holding a hand to his heart, "That is some good stuff there."

Liv smiled a bit more at his little dramatic act, "Well if it works for you." She put out her cigarette dropping it down to the alley way below.

Skittery felt his stomach rumble loudly as he stood there, "Guess I'm hungrier than I thought." Casting a glance up at Skittery he said finally, "I'm going to Tibby's wanna come?" Olivia was a bit surprised at his invitation to go to Tibby's with him. No one had ever asked her to go anywhere with them. Liv looked at him skeptically for a moment, "Come on, it ain't gonna kill ya ta have lunch with someone."

"Uh…" Olivia opened her mouth; her first instinct was to turn him down. Liv had to confess to herself that she was getting a little tired of being alone. Maybe, just maybe to try to get to know one person would not hurt. Besides he had just said that he would never hurt her, and Liv was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, "Alright." She stood up.

Skittery leaned in the window before Olivia climbed back in and gave the two boys a triumphant smile, "Olivia and I are headed to Tibby's." He announced. Inwards he was relived to not have to buy those two bums food today after last night's poker game.

Race and Jack both groaned as they lost their bet. The two of them waited for Skittery and Olivia before heading out the door. Jack was curious as to what Skittery had said to Olivia to get her to go with him to lunch. With that the four of them walked out of the lodging house and to Tibby's.