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 Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:31 pm
There were a lot of things that on Scott Erlea's mind that he didn't want to have to deal with right now, but apparently, according to his parents, there were just some things that simply had to be done, regardless if that's what they wanted to do or not. And of all the things he had to do, studying for the standardized tests that will land him into college, and with any luck, scholarship.
Besides, as 'eager' as he was to lock himself away in the library for all eternity and force feed knowledge into that brain of his, it was much better than wallowing in self pity that he had been doing for the last few days now. Besides, with his head being in a book and shoveling knowledge in, maybe it'd take his mind off of all those troubling matters, or possibly even resolve his problems.
Somehow, he doubted that.
He was about to hit the three hour mark of his rigorous study session when he felt his eyes beginning to droop, and yet he tried to hang on and resist the urge to run to the cafe. He already had a cup of coffee- could his heart really stand another cup? Well, it would certainly have to, because twice now he found his head slamming against the book he was reading, and that sealed the deal. He needed another cup, and bad!
He pulled out of his chair with reckless abandon, not once considering that there might have been someone walking up behind him. He was a disaster waiting to happen...dawns_aura Here we go! Sorry for the wait... let me know if this works for you!
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:42 pm
Lianna's last class of the day, her Intro to Law ( so she wouldn't be too far behind others when she transferred to the DCU pre-law program in the fall) ran over an hour late. Causing her to miss the bus and making her forego her afternoon coffee fix. Making her hurry to catch another bus and try to get to the library before the best - read most quiet, and nearest the windows with the best view- tables were too full.
Burdened with a saddle-bag that weighed a good fifteen pounds at least, and the run was downright unpleasant. So when she finally arrived at the library she was in somewhat bad mood, which darkened upon realising that the best tables were already taken. And then to be nearly knocked on her a** by the male who got up so quickly without paying any attention to his surroundings was definately the topper to her crappy afternoon.
It was official someone out there hated her.
'Hey, why don't you watch what you're doing?'
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Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 3:56 pm
All Scott wanted was a quiet, stress free day at the library, where he could fill his tiny brain with as much knowledge as he possibly could, but it seemed that it was destined not to be. In the usual 'Scott ruins everything' way, he felt the back of his seat hit something solid, and immediately he knew it wasn't another person's chair. The sound of a yelp and items falling confirmed it to be a living, breathing human being that he had ran into, and he immediately went into full on 'Scott panics' mode.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Scott managed to pull himself from the seat, spinning around and looking at the person he had hit with his chair and his face flashed bright red the minute she came into his sights. A woman, a very pretty woman, and by now, Scott was just mortified. Why did it have to be a lady? A young, pretty lady? It was one of his greatest weaknesses and it reflected in how meek his voice had become in his blubbering state. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! Are you alright? Did I spill anything? Can I help?"
He was so into his apologies that he didn't realize just how annoying he was quickly becoming to the other students, and one of them wasn't willing to take it in silence, glaring back at him and snapping at him before returning to his work. "Keep it down- we're trying to study!"
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Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:53 am
She would not ever feel bad when stating facts that were true, even if they were rather snappy, coming from her own anger, frustration whatever. So while she didn't regret her snappy remark to the guy who nearly ran her over, she had to feel a little bad for him.
'I'm fine. Nothing fell. You just should be more mindful.' She ran a hand through her tresses making sure nothing was truly out of place and to give herself a moment to consider how to deal with the rather exciteable guy.
The apologies were a bit much, and she did get kind of annoyed with them, not that anyone would be able to tell. 'Look, it's alright. You can stop now.' She pulled out an empty chair at the table and sat, lifting her bag over her head to set on the table. The weight, literally off her shoulders, was such a relief. 'I need to study now, but you are welcome to stay or to leave it's up to you.'
She pulled out the two different textbooks, a novel-sized dictionary, Macchiavlli's The Prince and her notebook. Settling in for yet another long study session.
While she would normally be the student who hissed at others to shut up and get back to work she couldn't help but feel sorry, and she snapped at the rude person. 'Why don't you keep your nose out of other people's business and study... which is presumably why you're here in the first place?'
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 12:30 pm
Scott knew that he was clumsy and awkward, though he would never understand that he was only making matters worse by carrying on the way he did. He could have easily have apologized and helped her pick up the items he forced her to drop, and that'd be the end of it, but no. For Scott, he felt as though he had personally insulted her by simply existing in the same room as her, and it reflected in his entire being as he shifted uncomfortably in front of her. "Y-yes, ma'am. I'll do my best to be more mindful... I'll double, no, TRIPLE check if I must!"
Then, when she asked him to stop, he didn't understand beyond that he had, once again, found a way to bother her, and as she began to get settled in, he lowered his head and bobbed his head, immediately trying to apologize for annoying her with his apologies. "I'm sorry, I'll stop now. Just... sorry. I'll leave you alone now. Good luck with your studies."
Which meant it was time to pack his things and go. Not only because he had annoyed the blue-haired beauty but because he was starting to annoy the other patrons, and not once did he think to snap back or defend himself from the angry patron. He was right- he was disrupting the peace, so he needed to leave. Before he could think to apologize to him or even grab his stuff, though, the one he bumped into saved the day, and it felt good to see the look of shame on the man's face as he turned away from Lianna's scolding. Even if he didn't have the courage to defend himself, it still felt good, and it was just the boost he needed for his morale to decide to stay. He looked to her and flashed her a smile, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way as he whispered to her. "Thanks... um, I was about to go get some coffee. You... want anything?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:43 pm
Lianna had already had the start of a headache from her classes, and missing her afternoon coffee, and this incident was certainly not helping any. Though she couldn't help but feel sorry for the awkward guy. There was something kind of endearing about him really, perhaps like a pet one couldn't help but feel fond of.
She had been prepared to invite him to sit back down and study when he said he was going for coffee and offered to get her one as well. Coffee... Well, as long as he was offering... She could get her afternoon caffeine fix and still get all the studying in that she needed to, without staying here all night.
'If you don't mind,' she pulled her wallet out of her pocket to get some money. 'As large a coffee as possible, white chocolate mocha with extra caramel sauce and whip. Should I write that down for you?'
Without giving him time to answer, she ripped a piece of paper from her notebook and scribbled out her request. ' If you want, I'll save a seat here for you.'
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Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 1:20 pm
The tension in the air had died considerably and for that, Scott was extremely grateful. There was simply too much going on in his life as it was and the last thing he needed getting kicked out of the library for all eternity for one minor altercation. Not that he thought it would ever come to that point, but given his bad luck streak, it wouldn't hold it past fate to throw that at him. But it finally seemed that luck was starting to favor him again, as she took him up on his offer.
"No, I think I can remember..." He wasn't even halfway through his sentence before she pulled out a sheet and started scribbling down, and he sealed his lips before he could say anything else, not wanting to run the risk of getting on her nerves again with his rambling. She obviously felt he couldn't remember the order, otherwise she wouldn't have written it down. Or maybe she was just being nice and making it easier for him? It was most likely the latter, but Scott's pesky neurotic nature kept suspecting the former. He accepted the paper and her offer, before retreating to the cafe. "Thanks. I'll be back soon!"
Thankfully there wasn't a long line at the cafe when he got there, and it wasn't too long before he found himself peering down at the paper to recite the order. However, he had underestimated the cost and in the end, he ended up sacrificing his own drink. He had enough for a small hot cocoa, and honestly, that'd be enough. He'd simply keep this matter to himself- he figured he already looked pathetic enough in her and everyone else's eyes- no need to make it worse, right?
"Here you go," he said the moment he returned, and he set hers down in front of her carefully before taking his seat. This wasn't the first time he had purchased something for a woman, but he was still nervous as hell around them, mentally reminding himself not to spill the coffee, not to spill the coffee. "Thanks for holding a spot for me. I appreciate it!"
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:27 pm
Lianna spread out her stuff, the books on the table in front of her seat and spreading out to the one next to her, saving the eat as she had promised. It was, after all, the least she could do for the one who was doing her such a favor... Coffee, it would be almost enough to make her feel and act more human.
On the trail of that thought, she realised that she had forgotten to hand the money for her drink to him before he left. She couldn't expect him to pay for it, and had briefly considered going after him, but to do so would lose her this prime place for studying... and she would be wasting her valuable studying time... She just had to pass if she were to get into DCU in the fall. The moment passed. I'll be sure to pay him back for my drink, she told herself, to allay the slight feeling of guilt. She pulled out a pen, opened her notebook and the first textbook and began to take notes.
She was so focused on her work, that when he placed the drink on the table she was startled.
'Oh, thank you.' Taking a sip of the caramel white mocha, which was absolutely divine, her head fell back in delight. 'That is Wonderful.' She gathered her books so they weren't strewn all over giving him some space for whatever he needed to do.
'It was no trouble at all. And the least I could do.'
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:54 pm
He could tell he startled her by the way she looked up at him, but he tried not to bring too much attention to the matter, fearing that in doing so he'd only bring more unwanted attention to himself and Lianna. He noticed that she seemed to have already gotten situated and he was thankful to only have a single text book and a notebook for his work. Maybe she was in college? Would this be what he had to prepare himself for in the future? It was a little frightening, but he tried so hard not to psyche himself out. In doing that, he might knock over her drink and make even more of a mess than things, so he forced the urge to scream down and took his seat with a timid smile.
"You're welcome. I hope they made it alright." Scott said in almost a whisper, completely self conscious about their surroundings now and half expecting someone to shush him the minute he spoke up. However, they all seemed too busy in their own little worlds now, no doubt thanks to the young woman's actions, for which he was eternally grateful for. He took a seat and immediately looking into his own work, fitting around her objects and seeking to coexist at the study table. Wouldn't be too long before the two were indulging in their personal world of learning, so Scott figured that if he was going to ever introduce himself, now would be the time. "Nice meeting you. I'm Scott..."
He wasn't expecting too much to arise from their conversation and he was even expecting to be told to shut up and look at his own work, but still, at least he'd introduce himself.
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:21 pm
Lianna sifted through her pile of books... She knew she had several papers due either this week or the beginning of next - at a minimum of five thousand words each, this was ridiculous. And when she started at DCU in the fall things would get even worse, as she chose to go the law route. Damn, why was she setting herself up for all this work again?
Now, to decide which of the essays to tackle first. She pulled out her planner to see which was due soonest... not that she would get the essays written today, but at least she could get a good start on the outline, intro and thesis statement for each, the supporting facts/arguments and a very basic conclusion. She would still end up being here for HOURS yet, but that was inevitable. Especially since she refused to change her schedule and forego her Friday night clubbing. It was the one thing she looked forward to all week...
It seemed that the damned Intro to Law paper was due Monday, the history paper was due Friday- the day after tomorrow, seriously, she would probably end up bullshitting her way through the paper, because honestly who even cared?- and the random computer thing for Monday as well. It seemed that the History paper was the winner.
She absentmindedly took another sip of the coffee as she slid the relevant texts from the pile and shoved the others off to the side. Then she realised she had started to tune everything out, and he had been speaking. It was bad manners and she really did owe him the courtesy of at least listening.
Now what was it he had said. Something about hoping the coffee was made alright... though she had already addressed this in her thanks. Then his name. Scott. And something about nice to meet her...
Oh s**t. Had she forgotten to even introduce herself? That was one of the most basic lessons in manners that she had been drilled in from the time she could speak. How mortifying. 'Lianna. Lianna Beauchamps, A pleasure to meet you.'
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:04 pm
It was hard for Scott to take offense to her rather aloof behavior, as it had not taken Sherlock level deductive reasoning to see that she was a very busy young woman. At first glance, she appeared to be in college, something that he’d be venturing into soon (or hopefully soon, assuming he ever passed these SATs and got a decent scholarship). The amount of books, notebooks and just how much of the table she seemed to take over from his brief absence made it very clear that she was preparing for something big, so the fact that she appeared a bit behind on the introductions was hardly surprising or insulting to Scott. At least she eventually acknowledged his introduction, and sometimes for someone like Scott, that was enough.
“Um, I can see you’re busy, so I’m just going to be quiet and let you get back to work, if that’s alright.” Scott retreated into his single book and notebook, trying not to appear hurt due to the lack of conversation that’d be going on between them. No, that didn’t bother him. What bothered him was the sheer amount of work she looked like she had to do, and he tried so hard not to let the thought of this becoming his daily routine bother him. But given how neurotic Scott was, he could no more ignore that growing fear than he could be quiet, and he mumbled softly, part of himself hoping that she didn’t hear him and would carry on with her studying and Scott-free existence. “College sure seems like a lot of hard work and responsibility… should I be looking forward to this in a few months?”
If so, then maybe college wasn’t right for him… great, another blow to his already crippled self esteem.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:40 pm
She was glad that he was going to try to be quiet, not that he was being overly obnoxious or anything at the moment. She just really needed to work on these damn papers...
The observation and question weren't really that new to Lianna. And she could almost answer them in her sleep. But it wasn't respectful to talk to someone and not look at them. She rolled her shoulders, trying to work out the knots, as she looked up. 'It is a fairly large responsibility, and more than a little hard work. But anything that is worth doing is.'
'Though only a few have to deal with a class and homework load like this. I am going to be transferring to DCU in the fall, for their Law program, and I need to catch up.' She cast a glance at her rather excessive pile of books and notebooks and noticed the somewhat horrified look. 'There are other paths that are less than half the work... and some that are as crazy or even worse. It all depends on what you are going to study.'
She had done enough on the papers for now. She could probably get the rest of at least one of them done at the apartment later.She had the basic fatcs and her sources, all she had to do was...elaborate. Now, she could afford to socialise... at least for a short while. 'What were you planning on studying?'
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:44 am
She didn’t seem too annoyed by his question and presence, but that didn’t matter when someone’s self esteem was as tarnished and broken as Scott’s. She may have appeared nice and polite on the idea, but he always felt like he was a bother to everyone and now was no different. He felt bad for disturbing her, but he feared it’d be far more rude to clam up now that they had a conversation going. “Oh? Well, then I’m glad it’s worth doing then! It must be, if you’re willing to work this hard.”
He listened to her talk, not just out of politeness but because he looked to her for guidance in a way. He’d be going to college soon, maybe not DCU but still, to have insight from a student would have was a must for him. “It varies? That’s good to know, at least… but law sounds rough, but work it in this day and age. I hope you go far, Lianna.”
And he really meant it. Even if he only knew her for a few minutes and even if he himself was destined for failure, he always wished others more luck and success than he could give to himself. Not that he wouldn’t mind having some of that on his own, but what little he had did him no good, and if it could give someone else the boost they’d need, he’d give it up gladly. If luck and success were tangible objects, anyway.
“Entomology.” He said, then ducked his head down, as if ashamed. “I have this thing for bugs, you see. Not as important as law, but… it’s one of the few things I’m good at. Okay, maybe not good, but decent.”
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 3:15 pm
She was unaware of the internal struggle and the brokenness of Scott. She simply thought it was timidity or nervousness or just plain awkwardness, and was trying to be understanding. That wasn't a trait she was known for, but it was one she was trying to work on, one that she would need to cultivate for the profession she was in school for.
'College, even trade school is worth it. It is difficult at times, but in the end, it is worth the time, money and effort expended.' She started to gather her notebooks and writing utensils and swept them into her bag. She really didn't need to do any more writing, she got down the main points she needed. Besides, she was bored. And talking to someone - anyone- was better than the mind-numbing monotony of studying,after going to three classes already. Not that she would say that out loud.
Whenever she received compliments, Lianna knew it was only her due. They were expected, and often said with insincerity or without meaning. So when someone was genuine when saying something nice to her, she did not know how to accept it with grace. So she filed his kind words away, and offered a small, genuine smile.
Then he said what he was interested in studying. Science was good. It was one of the paths of education that were slightly more rigorous, but then to specialise in bugs... she repressed a small shudder. Bugs and creepy crawlies were definately not her thing. But if they were an interest of his, well, more power to him.
'Entomolgy would be a science degree. That would be less work than a law degree... depending on if you are going for a master's or doctorate, but more than say a liberal arts degree.' She paused, finally starting to see that there was more than just timidity or awkwardness. Something had caused him to be so down on himself...broken. 'Well, everybody is good at something. And bugs, well, that's an interesting ... thing to like. Not that it's a bad thing, just different.'
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:16 pm
”That’s… that’s a relief to hear,” Scott admitted, expressing his relief with a sigh and he relaxed into his seat as he listened to her. It was something that he had feared from the very get go and had heard horror stories from other students about college drop outs they knew. He had hoped it wasn’t as big of a problem as they made it out to be and even if it was only the opinion of one student, it was enough to quell a lot of that anxiety for the moment. “I’ll be sure to make the most of it then, when I go.”
Or if, assuming he passed this SAT and scored high enough for a scholarship. Otherwise…
He wasn’t too surprised to hear her reaction about his interest and in truth, it was expected. Most people gave that reaction, not just girls, and it was one of the few things Scott was secure about enough to admit to liking without shame or fear of what others may think. He hadn’t realized she saw his insecurities though he knew he could never hide them well, though he was beginning to think he was distracting her too much from her studies. So he made his talk of insects brief, for her sake as well as his own. “Yeah, I’m weird… I really like bugs and they’re always finding new species everyday, so figured I’d help out. Do what I’m good at. If I’m disturbing you, I can be quiet… I don’t mean to bug you.”
Then he wanted to groan, because he caught on to that unintentional pun much too late.
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