Matthias smiled in appreciation as Whitney suggested that they leave immediately, knowing more than anything that he just wanted to but all that had happened today behind him. He nodded at her warmly, despite all the bleakness he was feeling right now, happy to avoid the discussion of what had just gone on between him and Silvstedt for the time being. Of course, Jodeen, sharp in both mind and tongue, would always bring it up soon after, something that he would no doubt have to answer to. And to be honest, he was not at all looking forward to such in particular.
For now, Jodeen was keeping her mouth shut in a tight-lipped pout, plainly on the verge of bursting at the seams with questions she no doubt wanted answered. Trying not to look so guilty at the face of her accusing stare, Matthias looked only ahead, about to walk away with the two girls with the saxophone case in tow over his shoulder. However, he closed his eyes yet again in exasperation, as the taunting voice of Eric Silvstedt rung in his ears yet again.
The hooked-nosed boy was yelling after him in rage and triumph, jeering at him for walking away from a fight that Matthias might have lost, spitting enraged curses and yells from afar. Matthias did his best to ignore them, though it did nothing to ease the stormy tides in his heart. His pride was shaken, and now, in the aftermath of this brawl, he felt ashamed, as though he truly were a coward.
He looked towards Whitney at the feeling of her comforting hand against his free shoulder, and forced an apologetic smile, trying to shrug off that bleak, weary feeling that was plaguing him.
“I’m alright,” he reassured her, trying to make it sound as though the matter was of little inconvenience to him. “Just tired is all.”
Tired of everything, it seemed.
At Matthias’ placidity to Eric’s curses and taunts, Jodeen drew her lips together into an even tighter pout, plainly far from convinced that Matthias would brush this matter aside as easily as he tried to show he would. It was just like her older brother, trying to take all of the burden onto himself, putting up a front of confidence instead of letting those who cared about him know how he really felt. Of course, Matthias himself thought it was the mature thing to do, but plainly, Jodeen tired quickly of it. It was hardly the natural thing to do, just letting people walk all over you like a doormat without complaint or retribution.
What irritated her to the point of utter frustration was listening to Eric continue to insult and belittle her older brother, who was doing nothing to defend himself any longer. With her temper getting the best of her, she swirled around to face Eric, staring off in the distance, a look of pure contempt on her small, rounded face.
Matthias inner thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a bout of horror as Jodeen suddenly unleashed a tirade of insults of her own at Eric.
“Who the hell do you think you are?! Calling Matt a coward! You can’t even fight him one-on-one! Consider yourself lucky that I showed up, else Matt would have beaten you into a bloody, slimy pulp!! You jerk! You dirty Cro-Magnon!? You Neanderthal!”
“That’s enough, Jodeen!” Matthias shouted firmly, though more than anything he feared for Jodeen’s safety at the moment, as well as Eric’s possible reaction to Jodeen’s onslaught of insults. He placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her away, but as Jodeen was pulled back, she continued to pelt Eric mercilessly with her verbal abuse, shaking her fist in the air.
“Go buy yourself a clue and look in the mirror why don’t you!? You could do with a face wash once a year you know! I hope you shrivel up and die, you asswipe!”
“Language, Jo,” Matthias muttered in utter exasperation as he began to walk faster with Whitney with Jodeen well in tow, not wanting to instigate the situation any further what with Jodeen’s temper and sharp tongue getting the better of her. Seeing Andie, he waved wearily towards her with a slight smile. "You coming with us?"
A Lone Soul at the Bar and Grill*
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LadyMakaze*
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
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Whitney's eyes widened in an expression filled with both astonishment and sheer horror, and she lashed her arm out as if to grab Jodeen as she began to slur insults right back toward the pompous jerk who had been harrassing Matthias nonstop, but it was too little, too late. As Jodeen began spouting off insults toward her brother's tormentor, Whitney could only hold her breath to see what fate awaited the small girl for her retorts. She looked on as Eric pushed his way back in front of the crowd that was still looking on in shock, his eyes piercing the young girl as she berated him in public.
Eric Silvstedt looked on at the young girl who was verbally assaulting him from afar, a bemused expression forming on his lips as she ranted, raved, and shouted. What the hell's a... what'd she call me? A cro-what? Continuing to watch the girl, feeling more and more amused by the second, Eric Silvstedt did what none of the onlookers had expected him to do: he started laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder as he continued to watch the fiery-eyed girl, Eric even letting out a snort of amusement at her retorts.
"Weak, dude," he addressed toward Matthias, "This's the kind of person you are? You're such a god damned pussy that your guard-dog of a little sister has to come stand up for you? Hahaha, dude, that's really, really weak. She looks like a fucking chihuahua. What's she gonna do, bite my ankles?"
Snickering even more at the thought of Jodeen actually trying anything against him, Eric glared toward the small girl, then toward the older brother standing behind her. This just kept getting better and better. As Danielle Tysl's words rang out through the crowd, followed by Fritz's warning that the trouble-makers needed to get off of store property, Eric changed his tune somewhat, confident that he had won both the fight and the argument that had followed.
"You know what, dude? Go on. Take your little bitch girls and your miniature pit bull there and leave. Obviously, you don't think you're a big man anyway. You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"
Sensing the cold stares he was receiving from behind when he verbalized the thoughts of dropping Jodeen in her tracks, and hearing the cop sirens echo out in the distance, Eric made the internal decision that it was long past time to get out of dodge. However, he wasn't quite finished yet, he still had a bit to say. Looking directly at Matthias, he spit on the ground, aiming toward Jodeen's feet, and flashed a grin.
"Just know this, my man, it ain't over. People like you, you disgust me. You wanna start shit and then you don't wanna back it up. I call you out to fight, and you pussy out and drag a bunch of little girls out here with ya. You think they're gonna protect you? You're wrong. This ain't over by a long shot. I'll be seein' ya at school tomorrow."
His final words having been said, Eric swiftly turned around and began forcing his way through the now dispersing crowd. Smiling to himself at the way he'd handled the conflict, Eric took off at a jogging pace, presumably going after the friend that had left him several minutes before hand. As if it were an afterthought, Eric turned back toward the quartet standing there.
"Oh, and by the way," he mused nonchalantly, "Next time, you really outta keep your attack dog on a leash. And buy it a muzzle or something."
As Eric once again turned around and continued his jog away from the restaurant, Whitney Acosta also took notice of the sirens echoing in the distance. She'd always though restaurant employees calling police was a bluff to get rid of unwanted customers. Perhaps they really had crossed the line, and Danielle or Fritz had indeed called the police. She dispersed it from her thoughtss momentarily and placed her hands on Jodeen's shoulders, leaning down so that she could speak into the younger girl's ear.
"There's no point in even stooping down to his level, Jo," she mused cheerfully into the other girl's ear, "That's what he wants you to do. He wants you to get upset, and he wants to get under your skin. If you let him do that, he's won. He knows he lost, he knows all those people are looking at him thinking he's an idiot, and he's just trying to redeem himself. Don't let him do that."
Letting a smile form on her lips, Whitney winked at the younger girl before standing up to her full height. Looking toward Matthias and Andie, who had just recently joined them, she shrugged her shoulders lightly as if the whole ordeal hadn't been anything to concern themselves over. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she just couldn't get Eric's final words out of her head. She feared for Matthias, she feared for Jodeen, and quite honestly, she also sort of feared for herself. She'd watched Eric bully other students before, and he was relentless in his efforts. Sighing inwardly, that faux smile formed on her lips again as she placed a hand on both Matthias's and Jodeen's shoulders, then nodded toward the back parking lot of Benson's Grill.
"Let's just go, before the cops show up and we all get in trouble, alright?"
(Eric continued in: Unbreakable Bonds)
Eric Silvstedt looked on at the young girl who was verbally assaulting him from afar, a bemused expression forming on his lips as she ranted, raved, and shouted. What the hell's a... what'd she call me? A cro-what? Continuing to watch the girl, feeling more and more amused by the second, Eric Silvstedt did what none of the onlookers had expected him to do: he started laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder as he continued to watch the fiery-eyed girl, Eric even letting out a snort of amusement at her retorts.
"Weak, dude," he addressed toward Matthias, "This's the kind of person you are? You're such a god damned pussy that your guard-dog of a little sister has to come stand up for you? Hahaha, dude, that's really, really weak. She looks like a fucking chihuahua. What's she gonna do, bite my ankles?"
Snickering even more at the thought of Jodeen actually trying anything against him, Eric glared toward the small girl, then toward the older brother standing behind her. This just kept getting better and better. As Danielle Tysl's words rang out through the crowd, followed by Fritz's warning that the trouble-makers needed to get off of store property, Eric changed his tune somewhat, confident that he had won both the fight and the argument that had followed.
"You know what, dude? Go on. Take your little bitch girls and your miniature pit bull there and leave. Obviously, you don't think you're a big man anyway. You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"
Sensing the cold stares he was receiving from behind when he verbalized the thoughts of dropping Jodeen in her tracks, and hearing the cop sirens echo out in the distance, Eric made the internal decision that it was long past time to get out of dodge. However, he wasn't quite finished yet, he still had a bit to say. Looking directly at Matthias, he spit on the ground, aiming toward Jodeen's feet, and flashed a grin.
"Just know this, my man, it ain't over. People like you, you disgust me. You wanna start shit and then you don't wanna back it up. I call you out to fight, and you pussy out and drag a bunch of little girls out here with ya. You think they're gonna protect you? You're wrong. This ain't over by a long shot. I'll be seein' ya at school tomorrow."
His final words having been said, Eric swiftly turned around and began forcing his way through the now dispersing crowd. Smiling to himself at the way he'd handled the conflict, Eric took off at a jogging pace, presumably going after the friend that had left him several minutes before hand. As if it were an afterthought, Eric turned back toward the quartet standing there.
"Oh, and by the way," he mused nonchalantly, "Next time, you really outta keep your attack dog on a leash. And buy it a muzzle or something."
As Eric once again turned around and continued his jog away from the restaurant, Whitney Acosta also took notice of the sirens echoing in the distance. She'd always though restaurant employees calling police was a bluff to get rid of unwanted customers. Perhaps they really had crossed the line, and Danielle or Fritz had indeed called the police. She dispersed it from her thoughtss momentarily and placed her hands on Jodeen's shoulders, leaning down so that she could speak into the younger girl's ear.
"There's no point in even stooping down to his level, Jo," she mused cheerfully into the other girl's ear, "That's what he wants you to do. He wants you to get upset, and he wants to get under your skin. If you let him do that, he's won. He knows he lost, he knows all those people are looking at him thinking he's an idiot, and he's just trying to redeem himself. Don't let him do that."
Letting a smile form on her lips, Whitney winked at the younger girl before standing up to her full height. Looking toward Matthias and Andie, who had just recently joined them, she shrugged her shoulders lightly as if the whole ordeal hadn't been anything to concern themselves over. Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she just couldn't get Eric's final words out of her head. She feared for Matthias, she feared for Jodeen, and quite honestly, she also sort of feared for herself. She'd watched Eric bully other students before, and he was relentless in his efforts. Sighing inwardly, that faux smile formed on her lips again as she placed a hand on both Matthias's and Jodeen's shoulders, then nodded toward the back parking lot of Benson's Grill.
"Let's just go, before the cops show up and we all get in trouble, alright?"
(Eric continued in: Unbreakable Bonds)
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As the situation started to dissolve and everyone began returning to their normal activities, a set of blue eyes watched Eric as he left the restaurant. Those eyes had been peering back and forth between the fight, a history textbook, and a BLT sandwich that he had ordered just as everything went down. He was not a loner, but just about everyone knew who he was...and either kept clear of him, or showed at least some kind of respect, for few had the nerve or the physical ability to contend with Vesa Turunen. Most of the students at Franklyn High knew Vesa; they knew he was an exchange student from Finland and that while he enjoyed company, he often preferred to be alone when things got particularly rough. And this was one of those situations as Vesa took a bite out of his sandwich...he had watched Eric belittle, then charge at Matthias and while he wanted to keep his nose clean of this, he had grown rather disdained toward Eric.
Wiping his hands with a napkin first, Vesa cleared the long strands of blonde hair out from in front of his eyes. He then wiped his mouth off and tossed the napkin on his plate as he sat back and closed his book; he had been studying for a test at the end of the week until the fight started. Vesa had been pondering whether or not to confront Eric over a multitude of issues...most notably when he and Eric bumped shoulders in the hallway, to which the young Finn's gender was questioned.
Vesa also knew Matthias quite well as they were in a couple classes together. He nodded toward him, then to the seat in front of him.
"Hey, Matthias," he called out, but to his dismay, he saw him, Jodeen and Whitney heading for the door, "Perkele..." (Damn it...)
Wiping his hands with a napkin first, Vesa cleared the long strands of blonde hair out from in front of his eyes. He then wiped his mouth off and tossed the napkin on his plate as he sat back and closed his book; he had been studying for a test at the end of the week until the fight started. Vesa had been pondering whether or not to confront Eric over a multitude of issues...most notably when he and Eric bumped shoulders in the hallway, to which the young Finn's gender was questioned.
Vesa also knew Matthias quite well as they were in a couple classes together. He nodded toward him, then to the seat in front of him.
"Hey, Matthias," he called out, but to his dismay, he saw him, Jodeen and Whitney heading for the door, "Perkele..." (Damn it...)
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LadyMakaze*
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
Jodeen only ignored Whitney’s retraining arm and Matthias’ panicked protests and continued to simply glare venom towards Eric as he continued to insult her brother mercilessly, ignoring the jeers she treated him with. What angered her was how Eric seemed to think of her standing up for Matthias as some kind of joke, and further proof that her older brother was nothing but a coward, something that Jodeen knew couldn’t be further than the truth. Furthermore, she looked on in disgust as Eric aimed a bit of spittle towards her feet, missing by several inches, though irritating her further nonetheless.
“See if I don’t, you jerk! You think I won’t fight you myself? You insult my brother again, I’ll smack you one real good! I swear it!” she hollered at him as Matthias struggled to restrain her, pulling away from the scene before she broke away and launched herself in full force at Eric. “And I’m not a little kid! Not like you! I hope it rots and falls off!!”
“Jodeen!” Matthias could not help but let out the exasperation in a much harsher tone than he had intended. Instead of feeling chastised, Jodeen pouted and turned away from Eric huffily, crossing her arms. Silently, she continued to fume.
As the older girl Whitney stooped over to whisper some words of advice into Jodeen’s ear, the young, thirteen-year-old brunette seemed to calm down ever so slightly. Gradually, she relaxed, her more good-natured expression coming back into formation, though she still looked rather vexed at all that had happened. Looking at Whitney, she tilted her head to one side in slight contemplation over what the older girl had told her, about how she shouldn’t give Eric a sense of victory by stooping to his level.
“But,” she replied in an honest tone. “It’s true, the way he looks is enough to give a ten-year-old nightmares. Did you see his face? I don’t think even the moon has that many craters. Makes you wonder…just where was he when they were handing out looks?” Feeling somewhat reassured at being able to bash at Eric from afar, Jodeen relaxed as she walked cheerfully with Matthias and Whitney. Of course she couldn’t be afraid of some ape like Eric. People like that were all talk. That jerk Eric couldn’t do a thing to hurt her or Matthias.
Of course, Matthias had more sense than his younger sister, still a middle-school student. By now, he had a rather good idea as to what Eric was capable of, though what truly worried him was that he likely hadn’t seen the very worst Eric could do. His insides churned with uneasiness and trepidation over the very thought…even more so once Matthias milled over what he had just said.
“You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"”
Upon hearing these words, Matthias had froze in place for a moment, his mind only able to think about the very insinuation behind those words….was it just an empty threat, he had wondered. Knowing Eric, the threat could be very well real. The very prospect was enough to silence Matthias completely, taking him completely by shock as he found himself unable to respond to Eric’s words as he walked away.
Matthias expression by now had turned dark and grim. His insides had gone cold with a feeling of unease over what Eric had said. Over and over again, he struggled to convince himself, He was just trying to intimidate you Matt… He didn’t mean it. He wouldn’t do something like that.
But after what Matthias had seen and experience today….there was nothing he could do but think otherwise. There was no knowing to what lows Eric would stop at, and if it meant harm to Jodeen, Matthias didn’t know what he could do to prevent it. Nor did he know what he would do if Eric did something to intentionally cause harm to Jodeen. But no matter what…Matthias would never let that happen. He couldn’t. He had to take responsibility of Jodeen’s safety, regardless of what happened to him. It was the only thing to do.
With a stoic expression, he glanced towards Whitney, struggling to smile in agreement at her suggestion that they hurry up before the arrival of the cops made the situation even more uncomfortable, even more unbearable. Immersed in the darkness of his thoughts, he only barely heard a voice calling out his name, but ignored it with silence, thinking that Eric had settled to insulting him from afar yet again.
“Yeah…we’d better hurry up then,” he said quietly, picking up the pace in unison with his words. As Jodeen quickened her own strides to keep up with him, she began tugging at his sleeve again, as though she were a small child scouring for answers from a reluctant adult.
“So, Matt,” she began, in a tone that was more curious than accusing. “How DID you start getting into that fight? Don’t tell me he did something. You never get mad when people make fun of you. What did he do exactly? ….Hey, Matt, aren’t you going to tell me?”
At Jodeen’s bombardment of questions, Matthias took to looking down at the ground as he walked, hiding the expression of pain on his face. Of course he knew why he had gotten into the fight in the first place. As soon as he remembered, his mind began wandering back to the saxophone case that rested against his shoulder, and the destroyed contents therein.
“See if I don’t, you jerk! You think I won’t fight you myself? You insult my brother again, I’ll smack you one real good! I swear it!” she hollered at him as Matthias struggled to restrain her, pulling away from the scene before she broke away and launched herself in full force at Eric. “And I’m not a little kid! Not like you! I hope it rots and falls off!!”
“Jodeen!” Matthias could not help but let out the exasperation in a much harsher tone than he had intended. Instead of feeling chastised, Jodeen pouted and turned away from Eric huffily, crossing her arms. Silently, she continued to fume.
As the older girl Whitney stooped over to whisper some words of advice into Jodeen’s ear, the young, thirteen-year-old brunette seemed to calm down ever so slightly. Gradually, she relaxed, her more good-natured expression coming back into formation, though she still looked rather vexed at all that had happened. Looking at Whitney, she tilted her head to one side in slight contemplation over what the older girl had told her, about how she shouldn’t give Eric a sense of victory by stooping to his level.
“But,” she replied in an honest tone. “It’s true, the way he looks is enough to give a ten-year-old nightmares. Did you see his face? I don’t think even the moon has that many craters. Makes you wonder…just where was he when they were handing out looks?” Feeling somewhat reassured at being able to bash at Eric from afar, Jodeen relaxed as she walked cheerfully with Matthias and Whitney. Of course she couldn’t be afraid of some ape like Eric. People like that were all talk. That jerk Eric couldn’t do a thing to hurt her or Matthias.
Of course, Matthias had more sense than his younger sister, still a middle-school student. By now, he had a rather good idea as to what Eric was capable of, though what truly worried him was that he likely hadn’t seen the very worst Eric could do. His insides churned with uneasiness and trepidation over the very thought…even more so once Matthias milled over what he had just said.
“You gotta have a little kid stand up for you. You think I wouldn't put her down, too?"”
Upon hearing these words, Matthias had froze in place for a moment, his mind only able to think about the very insinuation behind those words….was it just an empty threat, he had wondered. Knowing Eric, the threat could be very well real. The very prospect was enough to silence Matthias completely, taking him completely by shock as he found himself unable to respond to Eric’s words as he walked away.
Matthias expression by now had turned dark and grim. His insides had gone cold with a feeling of unease over what Eric had said. Over and over again, he struggled to convince himself, He was just trying to intimidate you Matt… He didn’t mean it. He wouldn’t do something like that.
But after what Matthias had seen and experience today….there was nothing he could do but think otherwise. There was no knowing to what lows Eric would stop at, and if it meant harm to Jodeen, Matthias didn’t know what he could do to prevent it. Nor did he know what he would do if Eric did something to intentionally cause harm to Jodeen. But no matter what…Matthias would never let that happen. He couldn’t. He had to take responsibility of Jodeen’s safety, regardless of what happened to him. It was the only thing to do.
With a stoic expression, he glanced towards Whitney, struggling to smile in agreement at her suggestion that they hurry up before the arrival of the cops made the situation even more uncomfortable, even more unbearable. Immersed in the darkness of his thoughts, he only barely heard a voice calling out his name, but ignored it with silence, thinking that Eric had settled to insulting him from afar yet again.
“Yeah…we’d better hurry up then,” he said quietly, picking up the pace in unison with his words. As Jodeen quickened her own strides to keep up with him, she began tugging at his sleeve again, as though she were a small child scouring for answers from a reluctant adult.
“So, Matt,” she began, in a tone that was more curious than accusing. “How DID you start getting into that fight? Don’t tell me he did something. You never get mad when people make fun of you. What did he do exactly? ….Hey, Matt, aren’t you going to tell me?”
At Jodeen’s bombardment of questions, Matthias took to looking down at the ground as he walked, hiding the expression of pain on his face. Of course he knew why he had gotten into the fight in the first place. As soon as he remembered, his mind began wandering back to the saxophone case that rested against his shoulder, and the destroyed contents therein.
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It appeared that, for now at least, the warzone in front of Benson's Bar and Grill had been cleared out. The patrons who had gathered around to watch the action had all but dispersed, only a select few still lingering to watch the aftermath of the fight. Whitney couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief that it was finally over. The ordeal had been dragged out far too long, and even now, Whitney didn't know what the beginnings of the conflict had been. Hearing Jodeen's pleading voice trailing behind Matt, Whitney couldn't help but ponder the same questions in her own mind.
Though Matthias never verbally answered the questions, Whitney looked on as his eyes lowered to the ground, following the sidewalk instead of looking at either of the people in his company. The saddened and pained expression on his face wasn't nearly as well hidden as he'd have liked it to be, and although Whitney had caught this subtle little hint of what had happened prior, she wouldn't press the matter further. At least, not in front of Jodeen.
Now, it was a matter of getting Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story. Maybe he'd be more willing to talk once his sister was out of earshot. The facade that he was putting on now wasn't unusual, she'd seen it before in other people at different times in their lives. It was apparent that he was trying to shelter Jodeen, trying to protect her both physically and mentally from the truth about what happened in front of the restaurant. It was respectable, almost commendable on his part. Somehow, though, she didn't think the thirteen-year-old would quite agree with her on that part.
As the black and tan Mustang Convertible that had been left, top down, in the back parking lot of Benson's came into view, Whitney smiled to herself. Inwardly, she was formulating an idea, simply a little diversion. Although she hated having to go about this so underhandedly, Jodeen really didn't need to know the truth, and judging by the anguished expression that had passed over Matthias's features mere moments before, the truth might very well have been harsh and cruel. Almost as though it were an afterthought, Whitney directed her attention toward Jodeen as the blonde opened the driver's side door and flopped down into the seat.
"Say, Jo. You never got to get anything to eat, did you?," she mused, "How about me, you, and your brother go grab some ice cream or something before I take you guys home?"
Turning to Matthias momentarily, the same reassuring smile crossed her face as she nodded toward him. The tone of her voice would say that she was doing this on a whim, though nothing could be more true. It had it's purpose, and if everything went as she'd planned, Whitney would no longer be left in the dark about the events that had just unfolded.
"What do you say, Matt? You up for it?"
Biting on her lower lip somewhat, Whitney awaited his reaction somewhat suspensefully. There was always the factor that perhaps Matthias had had all the fun he could tolerate for one day, and simply wished to go home. The fair-haired girl couldn't say she would blame him in the slightest, after the rough and overdramatic events this evening had had in store for him.
The engine of the Mustang Convertible roared to life and the radio burst out in an excruciatingly loud tone, taking Whitney by surprise momentarily. She had forgotten that Lexie had been in the passenger's seat on the trip over to the dinner, thus, she had pretty much taken over Whitney's radio. Her face blushed red as she quickly dove for the dial, turning the radio down to a manageable level. Shrugging her shoulders and laughing somewhat, she took a moment to look into the rear-view mirror and adjust her hair and makeup, all the while pondering their next destination.
Though Matthias never verbally answered the questions, Whitney looked on as his eyes lowered to the ground, following the sidewalk instead of looking at either of the people in his company. The saddened and pained expression on his face wasn't nearly as well hidden as he'd have liked it to be, and although Whitney had caught this subtle little hint of what had happened prior, she wouldn't press the matter further. At least, not in front of Jodeen.
Now, it was a matter of getting Matthias alone just long enough to find out the whole story. Maybe he'd be more willing to talk once his sister was out of earshot. The facade that he was putting on now wasn't unusual, she'd seen it before in other people at different times in their lives. It was apparent that he was trying to shelter Jodeen, trying to protect her both physically and mentally from the truth about what happened in front of the restaurant. It was respectable, almost commendable on his part. Somehow, though, she didn't think the thirteen-year-old would quite agree with her on that part.
As the black and tan Mustang Convertible that had been left, top down, in the back parking lot of Benson's came into view, Whitney smiled to herself. Inwardly, she was formulating an idea, simply a little diversion. Although she hated having to go about this so underhandedly, Jodeen really didn't need to know the truth, and judging by the anguished expression that had passed over Matthias's features mere moments before, the truth might very well have been harsh and cruel. Almost as though it were an afterthought, Whitney directed her attention toward Jodeen as the blonde opened the driver's side door and flopped down into the seat.
"Say, Jo. You never got to get anything to eat, did you?," she mused, "How about me, you, and your brother go grab some ice cream or something before I take you guys home?"
Turning to Matthias momentarily, the same reassuring smile crossed her face as she nodded toward him. The tone of her voice would say that she was doing this on a whim, though nothing could be more true. It had it's purpose, and if everything went as she'd planned, Whitney would no longer be left in the dark about the events that had just unfolded.
"What do you say, Matt? You up for it?"
Biting on her lower lip somewhat, Whitney awaited his reaction somewhat suspensefully. There was always the factor that perhaps Matthias had had all the fun he could tolerate for one day, and simply wished to go home. The fair-haired girl couldn't say she would blame him in the slightest, after the rough and overdramatic events this evening had had in store for him.
The engine of the Mustang Convertible roared to life and the radio burst out in an excruciatingly loud tone, taking Whitney by surprise momentarily. She had forgotten that Lexie had been in the passenger's seat on the trip over to the dinner, thus, she had pretty much taken over Whitney's radio. Her face blushed red as she quickly dove for the dial, turning the radio down to a manageable level. Shrugging her shoulders and laughing somewhat, she took a moment to look into the rear-view mirror and adjust her hair and makeup, all the while pondering their next destination.
I am an archival account used by staff to port old posts from handlers no longer active. If you are this handler, get in touch with staff and we can get your posts back for you! Lyndi avatar by Kermit.
Stomping his foot in disgust, Vesa finished off his sandwich and closed the book he had opened. His mind ran amok with ways that he could deal with Eric as the waitress set his bill at the edge of the table, and he was about to put it in his backpack when he heard his phone ring. A soft grunt of disgust escaped Vesa's lips as he reached into his backpack to pick up his phone; he knew the FHS policy that banned cell phones anywhere on the premises except in a student's locker. So that's where he kept it most of the day...and now, he was flipping it open.
"Yo..." he muttered, thinking it was one of his friends.
"Vesa! Where are you?" replied the voice on the other end...an obviously higher, younger boy on the other end.
"I'm at Benson's, Otter...something happened..." Vesa knew the voice immediately...it was Olli Soranen, the ten-year-old son of the adoptive family he was living with. He called him "Otter" due to the fact that he loved to swim, especially when his parents took him and his younger sister, Emma, to their lakeside cottage in upstate New York for a month over the summer. And like his bigger 'brother', Olli was a hockey fanatic and played for the local youth team, but unlike Vesa, who played center and scored goals left and right, Olli was his team's starting goaltender. When that was revealed, Vesa took him under his wing and began coaching him on the tendencies of shooters as well as his mechanics so he would be in tune for the upcoming season.
None of that mattered, just Olli's curiosity as he wanted to know what went down. "What happened?"
"There was a fight..."
"A fight?!?" Olli's voice lit up. "Anyone I know?"
"Nah, just a couple kids at the senior school..." A fifth-grader at Franklyn Elementary, Olli needed to know as he knew quite a few kids with older siblings.
"Who, Vesa...who?"
"Oh, all right...it was Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko..."
"Matthias fought him? I'm pretty sure his spaz of a sister was there too...one of my classmates' sisters is friends with her..." Apparently, he knew of Jodeen as well, even if it was just a friend-of-a-friend deal.
"Yeah, she was there...and boy, did she lay into Eric when it was over! I'll tell ya about it when I get home...I just stopped to grab a sandwich and see if anyone I knew was there."
Though Vesa was unable to see it, Olli's face lit up at the prospect of hearing all about the fight and confrontation. "Cool...I'll see ya then..."
"All right...see ya, Otter..." Vesa hung up the phone and put it in the front left pocket of the blue jeans he was wearing before leaving a ten-dollar bill on the table and sauntering off. The car he drove was nothing extraordinary...a red late-model Toyota Camry that had seen better days as evident by the damage on the right front quarterpanel, a result of Vesa clipping a curb. He opened the door behind the driver's seat and tossed his backpack into the back, then the driver's door itself and turned the key, taking a deep breath before backing out and driving off, the sound of one of his favorite metal bands filling the surrounding area.
((Continued in: A Matter of Convenience))
"Yo..." he muttered, thinking it was one of his friends.
"Vesa! Where are you?" replied the voice on the other end...an obviously higher, younger boy on the other end.
"I'm at Benson's, Otter...something happened..." Vesa knew the voice immediately...it was Olli Soranen, the ten-year-old son of the adoptive family he was living with. He called him "Otter" due to the fact that he loved to swim, especially when his parents took him and his younger sister, Emma, to their lakeside cottage in upstate New York for a month over the summer. And like his bigger 'brother', Olli was a hockey fanatic and played for the local youth team, but unlike Vesa, who played center and scored goals left and right, Olli was his team's starting goaltender. When that was revealed, Vesa took him under his wing and began coaching him on the tendencies of shooters as well as his mechanics so he would be in tune for the upcoming season.
None of that mattered, just Olli's curiosity as he wanted to know what went down. "What happened?"
"There was a fight..."
"A fight?!?" Olli's voice lit up. "Anyone I know?"
"Nah, just a couple kids at the senior school..." A fifth-grader at Franklyn Elementary, Olli needed to know as he knew quite a few kids with older siblings.
"Who, Vesa...who?"
"Oh, all right...it was Eric Silvstedt and Matthias Kovalenko..."
"Matthias fought him? I'm pretty sure his spaz of a sister was there too...one of my classmates' sisters is friends with her..." Apparently, he knew of Jodeen as well, even if it was just a friend-of-a-friend deal.
"Yeah, she was there...and boy, did she lay into Eric when it was over! I'll tell ya about it when I get home...I just stopped to grab a sandwich and see if anyone I knew was there."
Though Vesa was unable to see it, Olli's face lit up at the prospect of hearing all about the fight and confrontation. "Cool...I'll see ya then..."
"All right...see ya, Otter..." Vesa hung up the phone and put it in the front left pocket of the blue jeans he was wearing before leaving a ten-dollar bill on the table and sauntering off. The car he drove was nothing extraordinary...a red late-model Toyota Camry that had seen better days as evident by the damage on the right front quarterpanel, a result of Vesa clipping a curb. He opened the door behind the driver's seat and tossed his backpack into the back, then the driver's door itself and turned the key, taking a deep breath before backing out and driving off, the sound of one of his favorite metal bands filling the surrounding area.
((Continued in: A Matter of Convenience))
-
LadyMakaze*
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
It was just funny, how quickly a person’s mood can change at the sound of one word, erasing all unpleasant memories of anything and everything that happened prior, and turning their attitude and outward demeanor a total 180 degrees. If there was anything to which Jodeen Kovalenko ever reacted readily, it just had to be Whitney’s offhanded mention of ‘ice cream’.
All at once her eyes seem to lit up in a sunlit sparkle, and Matthias could only look on in amusement as Jodeen all but forgot about her irritation, as well as the fact that Matthias had been involved in a fight with Eric. As she slid into the backseat, her expression melted into one of ecstatic delight and enthusiasm, looking as though Christmas had come early.
“Ice cream!” she echoed the word with a tone of sheer glee. At once she leaned all the way over to the front seat where Matthias had just settled beside Whitney, suddenly rounding up on her older brother and tugging at his arm plaintively, suddenly adopting the mannerisms of a small child using all assets of cuteness and innocence to appeal to an adult. “Oh, can we Matt? Can we go for ice cream? Please? Please, please, pretty like me, please?”
If there was anything Matthias couldn’t resist, it was the pleading, doll-like quality in his younger sister’s eyes, plainly tugging at the depths of his heart, compelling him to go with her demands. Once again, Matthias was unable to resist, nor did he intend to in the first place. He smiled warmly at Jodeen as she clung to his arm with that ever present expression of innocence, though he had a vague idea that she was neither as naïve nor guileless as she looked most of the time.
“Alright,” he told her finally, unable to help but laugh a bit as Jodeen let out a joyful whoop of glee and jumped back into her seat. He turned to Whitney, looking plainly grateful for distracting Jodeen momentarily from the events of the past hour. “I know this convenience store that sells it by the lot, I take Jodeen there from time to time. Think I might pick up a few things there.”
He smiled warmly at Whitney, and for a moment, his natural, good-natured and cheerful demeanor returned, and despite all that he’d been through today, he looked perfectly content now that they were able to enjoy themselves for once. Though surprised at the sudden blare of music that had come up when Whitney started the engine, he brushed it off with full-throated laughter as he sat back and relaxed for a moment, glad to do so for once today.
Looking towards Whitney, he pointed off towards the distance in the eastern direction. “Convenience store is a ways past on the other side of the school, at Venables and Windermere. It’s a long ways off, but if you keep to this avenue for a while, you’ll eventually get to Venables…”
Cradling the saxophone case in his arms, he sat back and relaxed in his seat, letting out a tired sigh that seemed to reveal his weariness, despite his cheerful and relaxed outward appearance. “Again…gotta thank you for this, it would have been a pain having to wait for the bus at this hour. Plus Jodeen will be happy.”
Indeed, Jodeen was humming a cheerful tone to herself as she allowed the window to slide down fully, letting in a mild afternoon breeze as she stuck her nose out of the window towards the street outside. By now, all memories of Eric and the knowledge that Matthias had been caught in a brawl with the person in question had settled to the back of her mind, replaced by only by the prospect of ice cream in her mind.
((Continued in: A Matter of Convenience))
All at once her eyes seem to lit up in a sunlit sparkle, and Matthias could only look on in amusement as Jodeen all but forgot about her irritation, as well as the fact that Matthias had been involved in a fight with Eric. As she slid into the backseat, her expression melted into one of ecstatic delight and enthusiasm, looking as though Christmas had come early.
“Ice cream!” she echoed the word with a tone of sheer glee. At once she leaned all the way over to the front seat where Matthias had just settled beside Whitney, suddenly rounding up on her older brother and tugging at his arm plaintively, suddenly adopting the mannerisms of a small child using all assets of cuteness and innocence to appeal to an adult. “Oh, can we Matt? Can we go for ice cream? Please? Please, please, pretty like me, please?”
If there was anything Matthias couldn’t resist, it was the pleading, doll-like quality in his younger sister’s eyes, plainly tugging at the depths of his heart, compelling him to go with her demands. Once again, Matthias was unable to resist, nor did he intend to in the first place. He smiled warmly at Jodeen as she clung to his arm with that ever present expression of innocence, though he had a vague idea that she was neither as naïve nor guileless as she looked most of the time.
“Alright,” he told her finally, unable to help but laugh a bit as Jodeen let out a joyful whoop of glee and jumped back into her seat. He turned to Whitney, looking plainly grateful for distracting Jodeen momentarily from the events of the past hour. “I know this convenience store that sells it by the lot, I take Jodeen there from time to time. Think I might pick up a few things there.”
He smiled warmly at Whitney, and for a moment, his natural, good-natured and cheerful demeanor returned, and despite all that he’d been through today, he looked perfectly content now that they were able to enjoy themselves for once. Though surprised at the sudden blare of music that had come up when Whitney started the engine, he brushed it off with full-throated laughter as he sat back and relaxed for a moment, glad to do so for once today.
Looking towards Whitney, he pointed off towards the distance in the eastern direction. “Convenience store is a ways past on the other side of the school, at Venables and Windermere. It’s a long ways off, but if you keep to this avenue for a while, you’ll eventually get to Venables…”
Cradling the saxophone case in his arms, he sat back and relaxed in his seat, letting out a tired sigh that seemed to reveal his weariness, despite his cheerful and relaxed outward appearance. “Again…gotta thank you for this, it would have been a pain having to wait for the bus at this hour. Plus Jodeen will be happy.”
Indeed, Jodeen was humming a cheerful tone to herself as she allowed the window to slide down fully, letting in a mild afternoon breeze as she stuck her nose out of the window towards the street outside. By now, all memories of Eric and the knowledge that Matthias had been caught in a brawl with the person in question had settled to the back of her mind, replaced by only by the prospect of ice cream in her mind.
((Continued in: A Matter of Convenience))
I am an archival account used by staff to port old posts from handlers no longer active. If you are this handler, get in touch with staff and we can get your posts back for you! Murderbush!Daphne avatar by Kermit.
As the duo of Kovalenkos settled down in the seats of the car, Whitney couldn't help but smile a bit at the two, moreso when Jodeen began her pleas for the ice cream Whitney had offered to get her. A satisfied look came over her features as Matthias agreed to the offering. The fair-haired girl listened intently to Matthias's directions on where to find the convenience store, seeing as she lived on the opposite side of town from where they were going, but that was no matter.
Casting a small grin toward Matthias as he once again thanked her for the ride home, she simply nodded her head slightly, catching the look of gratefulness that his features currently possessed, she could only assume for getting Jodeen's mind off the events that had gone on during the past hour or so.
"Anytime."
While she may have purged Jodeen's mind of the countless questions running about inside, she hadn't purged her own, and in fact still had a lot she wanted to ask Matthias. Of course, that would have to wait until later, once Jodeen was suitably distracted. Putting the car into drive, the black and tan convertible rolled out of the parking lot of Benson's Bar and Grill and made an eastbound turn, heading in the direction Matthias had pointed.
(Continued in: A Matter of Convenience)
Casting a small grin toward Matthias as he once again thanked her for the ride home, she simply nodded her head slightly, catching the look of gratefulness that his features currently possessed, she could only assume for getting Jodeen's mind off the events that had gone on during the past hour or so.
"Anytime."
While she may have purged Jodeen's mind of the countless questions running about inside, she hadn't purged her own, and in fact still had a lot she wanted to ask Matthias. Of course, that would have to wait until later, once Jodeen was suitably distracted. Putting the car into drive, the black and tan convertible rolled out of the parking lot of Benson's Bar and Grill and made an eastbound turn, heading in the direction Matthias had pointed.
(Continued in: A Matter of Convenience)
I am an archival account used by staff to port old posts from handlers no longer active. If you are this handler, get in touch with staff and we can get your posts back for you! Lyndi avatar by Kermit.