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Teagan lived relatively close. A few minutes of swift walking down the dirt road had brought them along paths of wooded area, until a sudden break in the scenery revealed her lovely home.

"Shed's out back," she said as she opened the large metal gate to the property. It wasn't the type of gate to really keep anything out but vehicles.
As they walked, Teagan suddenly swung herself around to face Nat and walk backwards.
"You're from the city, aren't you?" she asked. "People from around here don't look around at things as much as you do."

"Richard's from there as well! And so's Lorey. Did he bring you here to help with that big house?"
Down the path they went, winding around the house. This was where the gardens began. Thick rows of hollyhocks and patches of tall snapdragons the color of the brightest lemons next to shocking pinks, next to the most dignified of crimsons. Bee balm, roses, everything seemed to grow and flourish in this place of clean air and sunshine.

"Goodness knows he needs the help. Lorey's a dear, but she can't do hard physical labor just yet. I can tell the city didn't do her any good at all. Have you met her?"

"Boyfriend?" Teagan said with a hearty laugh. "Hadn't had such a thing 'round here in years. Last time there was one, he was getting a terra cotta pot thrown at his head for cheating. And I loved that pot, too..."

She had loved Adam as well. Young though she was, at about 18, Teagan was so sure she'd found the guy of her dreams. Then, because of a slip of his tongue, Teagan found he'd been seeing another girl rather intimately for months before she'd even found out. What had been worse was that nearly all of her friends had known about it, but had said nothing for fear of breaking her heart to pieces. It honestly hadn't helped either way.

Teagan pulled herself out of her thoughts. This wasn't a time to think about him.
"Loved the begonias, too. Thank you for saying it's beautiful, though. I've been trying my best what with Richard and Lorey getting married soon."

The shed was promptly reached. The structure was solid like the rest of the house and well-organized. As she fished for the small keys in her pocket, Teagan had a chance to look more at Nat in stolen glances. Once the door was opened, though, Teagan pointed to the spare window pane sitting up against the wall.

"Oh hush, you flirt." Teagan gently swatted his arm as she went by him to get nails, a tool box, and anything she could manage to carry safely back to the house. Teagan was also blushing just a bit, since she had to admit she was lonely living all alone with her flowers. Nat seemed nice enough, but her instincts told her not to trust someone just because they were cute and flirtatious.

"My flowers are raised with love and care. The roses are having some rust problems, but a good tonic should help with that. Just in time for the wedding, too. Lorey's such a lucky girl to have found Richard. She told me all these stories with him saving her and caring for her like she'd never been before. I'm guessing the poor thing never had someone to look after her."

Teagan had the entire neighborhood to look after her, and was so thankful they had. Her parents were still off traveling in who knew where. Teagan had stopped caring ages ago.

"Nope! So let's get back before Richard thinks we've run away on him." But ho would want to run away from Richard? she thought to herself with a hidden grin. So, off they went down the path again to get back to the other house where Richard would appreciate all the help.

Nat hadn't looked at her, and still refused to. The clear cool country air cleared his head pretty well before they got to her place, making him somewhat lucid.

Though he said nothing for a moment, just standing there. Finally, he looked up to Teagan, her beautiful eyes taking him aback for a moment, despite how fierce they were. "Have you ever been to Veratia Teagan?" He asked, looking away again.

He looked to her when she seemed to open herself up a bit. But then he looked away again when she mentioned what she had heard about it. "And filth, beatings, overall violence, poverty? If you aint born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you're cursed to wondering what you're going to eat the next day, wondering how the hell your going to pay for rent if you're lucky enough to have a place. You're lucky enough to work your way out of the slums, if just barely." He had a lot of spite in his voice, glaring into the ground.

"Saying its a tough life is an understatement. Theres not much you can do to 'escape' it..." He shivered a little, thinking about Raquel, and everything she ah been through. He had only been through a small fraction in comparison, using Drugs as his release.