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 Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 12:11 am
"Who hasn't see The Nutcracker?" Paris asked, smiling in amusement. He'd had a lot of people tell him that when he revealed that he did ballet, as if seeing The Nutcracker was supposed to be impressive. It wasn't unimpressive, sure -- at least they'd seen that much -- but he'd be much more surprised if someone randomly threw something lesser known at him.
"I auditioned for it over the winter but didn't get the part," he continued, though he didn't dwell on it too long, even if he was still bitter about it. Moaning and complaining about his failures surely wouldn't impress his handsome companion, and he didn't want to let him know why he hadn't gotten the part. "I suppose you're not all that in to dancing, then, are you? But you like music. That's a nice guitar," he said, motioning to the instrument. "You're not a bad singer, either. Nice, smooth voice."
Definitely something he wouldn't mind hearing again should he and Chris happen to cross paths at another one of these sorts of parties. He imagined they'd sound very nice together and almost regretted not jumping in earlier.
"I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar," he added. "I can't play an instrument. My parents never bothered to let me have lessons. They said dancing was enough."
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 2:20 pm
Oh, really? Everyone has seen the Nutcracker, huh? Damn.
Chris smiled when she did, unable to stop himself from thinking that she had a rather charming smile. She really was pretty, and not just her legs, but her hair and face was nice to look at. Not much in the boob department, but he'd never really cared about what was above the waist. More than a handful was a waste, right? Or something like that. But no, she was quite charming in her own way, even though she was a Crystal girl.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, trying to show sympathy while still smiling. "There's always next year...?" he offered, hoping it wasn't something that wouldn't make her upset. Sometimes memories of failed attempts at things made him feel depressed for a while, but he always got over it, soon enough. It just sucked in the moment.
He wanted to laugh when she asked about his dancing, quickly shaking his head. "No, I don't know all that much about dancing. Not more than ballroom, at least," he admitted, holding back the urge to roll his eyes as he remembered his mother's insistence of him taking cotillion classes when he was in middle school. It wasn't more than learning proper etiquette and such, though...
"Thanks... I've been playing for eight years, but I don't sing much outside of church," he confessed, shrugging lightly. It wasn't that he didn't like singing, but he didn't see any real purpose to him singing. Plaything the guitar was different because other people could work off of that, but him singing was just... dull to his own ears.
"It's not too difficult. It's just figuring out the stings and getting the right cords down to play... and then, after that, you work on technique. Different ways to play, I mean..." he explained, moving his hands in place to show as an example. "You can either pick out a tune..." he continued, using one finger at a time to pull at the strings for a quick little melody, "Or you can strum some or all of the strings..." and included an example of that as well...
He paused, laughing softly and a little awkwardly to himself. "Okay, I guess it's a little more difficult than just picking it up and going at it..." But it wasn't as though it was the most difficult thing in the world!
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 4:32 pm
Paris chose not to comment about the singing at church. It wasn't exactly a turn off, but he tended to avoid the church scene as much as possible. Though that didn't necessarily mean Chris was a lost cause, though he had run into people who refused a little fun based on things like "morals" and religious principles -- and those people, in his opinion, were very sad indeed. Chris certainly had the look of one, all clean cut with nicely pressed clothes, but the charming smile and the close proximity he was allowed assured him that there was a chance he wasn't wasting his efforts.
He watched as Chris offered a little guitar demonstration, glancing down at his hands. They looked a bit rough and calloused -- not all from plucking those strings, surely -- and he thought Chris must make use of them often. He made sure to scan up the length of his arms as well and was tempted to touch them, but thought that might be going a little fast when he had yet to have any reason to do so. Soon, perhaps...
"Will you show me?" he wondered, inching even closer, until the side of his thigh was pressed against the side of Chris's. A few of the remaining girls gave him looks to show their displeasure, and one of them 'tsk'ed before standing up to wonder off. Paris just smiled more.
Sorry, girls, but you were too slow.
"I mean, teach me a little?" he continued, showing Chris one of his sweet and charming expressions, the sort he used on nicer guys when he didn't think the seductive looks would work right away. He had a look for every situation at this point, really. Sometimes he thought he should patent them, although he'd admit that might just be him thinking a bit too highly of himself. Regardless, he thought he could have Chris wrapped around his little finger soon enough.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 6:28 pm
Eh, the church thing was just part of his weekly schedule. There hadn't been much thought put into the comment — it was just a normal thing for him to say happens during his week. As for his nice clothes and clean look... yeah, that was just how he was brought up. He knew little more than what he did and how he acted.
Chris glanced over at Paris when she asked him to show her how to play, and then down at his guitar... and passed that, when he felt her leg touch his. Well, damn... how was he supposed to concentrate like that...?
"Uh... y-yeah," he stuttered, all so eloquently as he lifted the strap attached to the guitar over his head, before carefully passing it to Paris. Well... that didn't really help with trying to show her how to play, did it? He frowned for a moment as he thought about what would make teaching her easiest, before reaching out to gently lead her by placing his hand on her shoulder, turning her away from him.
"If you sit on the edge of the couch, I can probably help you better," he explained, not wanting her to think that he was just trying to touch her or something ridiculous like that. He'd just... sit semi behind her and guide her hands.
And sorry, but Paris had been the first one there to ask him to teach her how to play, so... yeah, he was going to give his attention to her...
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 6:45 pm
Paris 2, College Girls 0.
Sliding forward onto the edge of the couch, Paris was beginning to feel quite accomplished. He supposed he hadn't managed much of anything yet, aside from the fact that Chris's attention was focused solely on him. He wondered how long he should drag this out, but decided he liked the attention from such a cute guy too much to ruin it now. Hell, he didn't see much of a reason to reveal anything, considering he doubted he'd see Chris again unless they both happened to be at another party, so what was the point of saying "hey, I'm not what you think I am" when he could enjoy himself instead?
There wasn't any harm in it...
"Okay," he said when he thought he was ready, placing his hands along the guitar but not having much of an idea what to do after that. He glanced over his shoulder to smile at Chris, shifting just a tiny bit so that they were close enough for Chris to be able to help him comfortably.
"So I just... do it like this?" he asked and lightly strummed the strings. The sound wasn't anything to be impressed by, but the motion wasn't difficult. It was just a matter of learning where to place his fingers when, right? "Show me another song," he requested.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 7:28 pm
Chris had a strange feeling in the back of his mind that he was missing something rather important, but at the moment his attention was focused on the pretty girl with the really nice legs, sitting in front of him.
He pulled his leg up to rest on the couch as he turned towards the girl, reaching out from behind her to take hold of the guitar, though letting her do so, if she wanted. "Yeah, just place your hands here, on the neck of the guitar... And your other hand goes here..." he said, showing her where to put her hands. Hmm... now what song should he show her to play...? Obviously something simple...
"Hey, that was good," he said with a laugh at her testing it out, "You just need some notes thrown in there... Here..." he offered again, carefully taking her left hand and moving it along the strings, carefully placing only two fingers on two of the strings. "This is going to be really easy, okay? So bare with me. I really hope it works," he admitted with a small laugh, before coughing lightly.
"That's a G cord..." he said, reaching around her to gently strum the strings as she held the ones on the neck down. "And after that, you're going to go up... to a C..." Chris said, sliding her fingers up the strings to be in the right position, strumming the strings again for her to hear the difference. "Now a D..." he said, repeating the process, "And then an E minor... and you put your fingers just like this... Good... Do you think you can remember those...? Try the G again... back up at the front."
He wasn't making this too difficult, was he?
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 7:59 pm
Paris followed Chris's directions and placed his fingers where he was told, though they started off much too slowly for him to pick out much of a tune. He did his best to get a feel for the instrument, attempting to remember the correct chords as he started with the G again, fumbling a few times as he got the hang of moving his hands up and down the neck appropriately. He let Chris worry about strumming or plucking the strings, focusing on one thing at a time.
For a moment he forgot that he was supposed to be flirting, watching intently as his hand moved, sometimes on its own and sometimes directed by one of Chris's, which were large and warm -- if not a little rough. He was surprised when he didn't grow frustrated each time he messed up. He liked being good at things, he liked knowing what he was doing, and even though neither was currently the case, Chris had a way of teaching that somehow drew upon a patience he didn't even know he had.
Maybe it was the sound of his voice -- calm, friendly, and helpful -- or maybe it was his smile, or the nice smell of the cologne or aftershave he was wearing, or the warmth Paris felt at his back. Whatever it was, it felt good, sort of like he belonged -- only not, because he knew he didn't. Not on this side of town, and definitely not with this sort of guy.
Eventually, after some time of practicing and a good bit of repetition, Paris was able to identify the tune. It was still slow, and he had to pause every once in a while to make sure his fingers were at the correct spot, but it was distinct enough for him to be able to add some words along to it. "Hey, where did we go, Days when the rains came, Down in the hollow, Playin' a new game, Laughing and a-running, hey, hey, Skipping and a-jumping, In the misty morning fog with, Our hearts a-thumpin' and you-"
He paused to glance over his shoulder with a playful grin. "As much as I like the song, I don't have brown eyes," he teased.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:14 pm
Well, it certainly wasn't the most recognizable way to play the song, but with a careful combination of just those four cords he'd shown Paris, it wasn't too difficult to at least get the basic tune down. He didn't mind teaching, though he didn't always feel like he was the best one for the job. At least he was trying, right...? And at least Paris was taking the time to let him teach her.
Christopher grinned when Paris picked out the tune that was being played, glad that the combination of his strumming and Paris moving her hand along to make the right cords didn't mess her up.
"Hey, that's pretty good. Not everyone can sing and play at the same time," he told her, laughing again at the comment about her eyes not being brown. "No, they are definitely not brown. I thought it would be a simple tune to start you off on, though..." It was either that, or a Sheryl Crow song, but something ended up making him self-conscious about picking two songs sung primarily by women in a row. Kind of pathetic, yeah, but he couldn't help it... It was just... there...
"So what did you think...? Going to start taking lessons and going out to get your own guitar?" he wondered, still smiling at her in amusement. Hey, it wasn't like she didn't have money, right...? Or at least it didn't seem as though she was on a scholarship to Crystal, for whatever reason. She could blow a few thousand dollars on a guitar if she really wanted... right...? Maybe he shouldn't assume things... but he could only go off of what he was told.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 8:51 pm
He didn't know what he was expecting, but having Chris flirt back would have been nice. Maybe he wasn't being forward enough. But then he didn't want to be too forward, just in case Chris wasn't in to someone hanging all over him. As nice as that would be... He really did have a nice body.
Paris laughed lightly, amused by Chris's assumption that he actually had the money to go out and buy a nice guitar whenever he wanted to. Well, he could use the credit card he had from his mother, but spending that much money all at once would do nothing more than earn him a phone call from her for an explanation of his spending habits -- as if that didn't happen enough already -- and that wasn't exactly something he felt like dealing with in the name of music. Maybe one day, but definitely not now.
"Lessons would be nice. Not sure how much time I'll have for them, but I'm not against trying again," he said, choosing not to discuss the potential for him ever owning his own guitar. Money wasn't a topic he liked to get into upon first meeting someone, not unless it involved that someone spending it on him.
So he was a Gold Digger, too. Whatever.
"Come on. Let's do another song," he said, placing his fingers along the strings again and waiting for Chris to lead him along.
They played together for quite some time, with Chris doing most of the work and Paris doing what he could to offer some assistance and learn a thing or two. By the time an hour had gone by, the rest of the girls sitting around their area of couches had gotten up to chit chat elsewhere or find some other guy to hang around, wandering over to the pool table as a game between a few of the guys got especially heated -- albeit still much tamer than what Paris was used to at a party. He paid very little attention to anyone aside from Chris, only looking up at someone else when the host came over to offer him another drink, which Paris declined pleasantly enough. For once, he was enjoying himself without the aid of alcohol.
He honestly had no idea why, but he supposed it was because the people and the atmosphere were different than what he was used to. The normal partying got boring and repetitive after a while; it was always the same drunk people doing the same stupid things. Granted, he was usually one of them, but this... this was nice, too. He could get used to it if he didn't think it would become boring then, too.
After a handful more songs and plenty of laughing and friendly chatter -- and a little bit a flirting thrown in here and there -- the party began winding down to a close. People began leaving in twos and threes, lingering by the door to say their goodbyes, and Paris was eventually interrupted by Lloyd, who looked more amused than disappointed that he'd been ditched for the company of someone else. Paris pulled himself away from Chris and stood to his feet, waiting for Chris to do the same, all the while telling himself he wasn't reluctant to do so.
"Well, that was fun," he said, no longer joking around or laying it on thick with the flirtations. "Thanks for giving me a few lessons. They were great," he continued and, with a twinkle in his eyes, leaned up to give Chris a quick kiss on the cheek. "It was nice meeting you. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."
Yeah, right. In his dreams, maybe.
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 1:00 pm
See, if he tried flirting back, then that might give her the wrong idea, so he figured it was best to just let her do as she pleased and then they can both go their separate ways after this party was over and move on with their lives. Not that he wouldn't mind seeing her again! She was nice company, and she indulged him in his choice of music, seeing as she didn't seem to have a problem with the pieces he decided to "teach" her.
Chris wasn't really sure what to expect, having gone to the party as more of a favor to a friend, but in the end... he'd really enjoyed himself. More than he usually did at parties. Maybe it was the atmosphere or maybe even just the company. There were people there he actually wouldn't mind hanging out with. Granted, a lot of them were from the honors department, but that didn't mean honors kids couldn't party too, right...? They just got to take special, more advanced classes than the others. Really, they were just a bunch of overachievers, or at least that's what Chris's older brother liked to tell him... As if he hadn't been at the top of his class.
It was almost disappointing to see the party draw to a close, but there was only so long they could hang around and play guitar. Christopher stood from his seat, reaching a hand out to Lloyd as he came over to collect his date. "Sorry about hogging her the whole time," he apologized, really hoping Lloyd wasn't the jealous type. After a quick introduction between the two, Chris turned back to Paris to say goodbye to her as well.
"Yeah, it had been," he agreed, smiling at her, glad that she'd enjoyed his fooling around on his guitar. He blinked when she leaned in for the kiss on his cheek, but he didn't pull back. Instead, he just smiled a bit wider at her, laughing lightly. "It was nice meeting you, too. Have a good night."
He doubted he would be seeing her again, but you never knew. It was a small world, after all.
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 1:11 pm
Except that his luck was never that great, so the size of the world never seemed to matter. Not that he would be disappointed if they should never again cross paths. One night of fun didn't have to mean anything. In fact, he would be more than happy if it never did. He would settle for some fun and excitement in the moment -- as he always did -- and while the evening may not have been the most exciting night of his life, it had at least been fun while it lasted, and Paris could be satisfied with that.
"See ya," he said as he departed, even though he didn't necessarily mean it. He was sure it would be a while before he was ever at one of these sorts of parties again, and he was okay with that. It had been great the first time, but he wasn't sure it was exactly his thing. How many times could he be lucky enough to run into a handsome guitar-playing young man at one of these things? Probably not often. If he'd spent the entire evening with Lloyd listening to whatever it was he'd been talking about with his friends and classmates, Paris had no doubt that he could have been bored out of his mind and resorted to downing one margarita after another, and then he would just have made a fool of himself.
Tonight had been a pleasant surprise, but Paris didn't expect a repeat.
He allowed Lloyd to guide him to the door, pretending as he had from the very beginning that while they weren't "together" per se, they were at least decent enough friends to keep each other company. He glanced over his shoulder one more time to shoot another smile Chris's way, lifting a hand in a quick wave before they were out the door and out of sight.
Now to enjoy the rest of his evening...
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