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 Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:13 pm
Mmmm, days off.
Peyton didn't get them often - what with school work, volunteering, convincing her mother that she hadn't been raped and killed and that the bus had just been late...it was all hard work. And as such, when the girl did get a day to herself, she liked to make the most of it. And the perfect way to make herself feel better?
Why, shopping of course!
Having caught the bus into the centre of Destiny City, Peyton strolled down the streets lined with shops, occasionally entering one but mostly just looking in the windows, pining after clothes that were far too expensive for her. She had a little money that her mother had been kind enough to provide, but with the shoes she'd already bought she only had enough left for the bus ticket home, and perhaps a coffee. Which, actually wasn't a bad idea. Her feet were getting tired, and she was feeling a little thirsty. Quickly finding a little corner coffee shop, Peyton hurried over, smiling to herself as the bell jangled as she opened the door, to signal her arrival.
Quickly scanning the room she was pleased to see that the majority of the seats were free, and so she made her way over towards the small queue, ordering herself a drink.
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:39 pm
One of the things about being grounded was that you found yourself accompanying your mother on shopping trips. Nellie, who had a thing for all things quirky and fashionable-twenty-years-ago, had a regular circuit of thrift shops she enjoyed visiting on weekends. Today, Tallulah was stuck accompanying her mother to peruse "is it still the summer of love?" fashions and look at bizarre, dangly earrings.
Tallulah bought her entire wardrobe from GAP and L.L. Bean. Her ears weren't pierced. This had absolutely no redeeming value to her. She had homework she could be doing. She had scholarships to apply for and papers to write. She could have even used her mother's absence as an excuse to sneak out of the house and go galavanting around the city. But instead she was in the city centre (spelled like the French, because they were so cosmopolitan) being dragged from shop to shop to look at floral printed maxi skirts.
(Nellie was known around Meadowview Elementary for dressing a bit like Ms. Frizzle. Unfortunately, she did not also behave like Ms. Frizzle, because that would have been awesome.)
And, of course, no trip into city centre was complete without a trip to the Shufflepuck Cafe. They got into line, and Nellie nudged Tallulah in the ribs. "Hon, isn't that your friend Peyton?"
Tallulah craned her neck to look at the girl standing a few steps ahead of them in line. She nodded. It had been ages since she'd seen Peyton, but wasn't so keen on having to encounter a friend who'd left for college while she was accompanied by her mother (like she was some kind of five-year-old!)
Too late. Nellie had already accosted the young woman. "Peyton! Hi! I hope you remember me, I'm Tallulah's mother-"
"Mom," sighed Tallulah, catching up to the pair. "Sorry," she winced to her friend. "Hi."
"I'll leave you two to catch up," said Nellie, and went ahead of them in line.
Tallulah bit her lip and smiled sheepishly at the older girl. "I think we just got cut by a second grade teacher," she said. "How are you?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:10 am
She was nearly to the front, only one more person in front of her, when she heard her name called and turned to see with a confused expression. She found herself faced by an older woman, dressed in not exactly what Peyton would call the most 'fashionable' clothes. A familiar name was given, however, and Peyton had also spotted the matching face, a wide smile spreading across her face.
"Tallulah!" she exclaimed, giving a wave, her smile fading a little as she spotted the less than cheerful expression on her old friend's face. Next thing she knew the older woman - Tallulah's mother, had she said? - had slipped in front of them, leaving the pair to catch up. Peyton frowned a little, confused at what exactly had just happened, but soon turned back to Tallulah, chuckling at the sheepish smile. "Oh, its fine, my mother's much worse." she joked, giving Tallulah a nudged with her elbow, "I'm fine, thanks! SHP is harder work that I expected, but I'm getting there - how're you? Still at good ol' Meadowview?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:18 am
"Oh, yeah," nodded Tallulah. "Good ol' Meadowview - but I think we've got a real chance at beating Crystal in the city swim champs this year!" she said happily. The meet was only a few weeks away - the second half of Junior year had been flashing by like it was on amphetamines, which meant she had to start coming up with... college plans.
"Do you like it at SHP?" she asked. Peyton was exactly the sort of person you would want to ask about schools - Tallulah had thought of her as a bit of a mentor back when they'd both gone to Meadowview, and now was no different. "I've still got another year, but, I mean, you can never be too prepared - I've got to start looking at colleges!"
SHP had never been in the plan before - ideally, Tallulah wanted to go to an Ivy League somewhere, trade Destiny City for New England, but it wasn't looking like she'd be able to pack up and move in a year, all things considered. She was thinking of maybe going straight to DCU, but if Peyton liked SHP, maybe she could buy time there and still go to an Ivy...
She'd zoned out completely, and the barista practically yelled at her to get her to order.
"Expresso mocha," Tallulah said meekly, and dug around in her purse for a few odd bills. She looked back at Peyton and gushed, "But, I mean, how've you been? Are you working or anything besides school?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:13 pm
Peyton allowed her smile as Tallulah spoke, great enthusiasm clear as she talked about the swimming competitions between the schools. That was Tallulah, the same as always! She'd always loved swimming, and Peyton was glad to see that that much, at the very least, hadn't changed. "Well, good luck! When and where is it, maybe I can come watch?"
If she wasn't at school she'd make an effort to show up, cheer on her younger friends. Questions were asked about her current school, and Peyton gave a small frown, contemplating her answer for a few moments before speaking, "Yeah, it's pretty good. Hard work, like I said, but you can specialize a lot more than you can at Meadowview - do the subjects that interest you most, y'know? It's more interesting and easier to concentrate because of that. I actually want to do the work, because it's stuff I enjoy."
Starting looking at colleges early sounded like a sensible thing to be doing, and Peyton nodded as her smile returned yet again. She couldn't remember exactly what Tallulah's plans had been, but she had a feeling SHP hadn't been in them. But then again, it had been the same for her... Having failed to get the grades she needed when graduating from Meadowview, she'd decided to have a few years at SHP to get those grades up and get the much needed experience. She was enjoying it, despite the difficulty. Unlike some people, Peyton actually had to work for her grades, but that was how it was supposed to be.
Giggling as Tallulah was yelled out, Peyton was sure to be quick after Tallulah, ordering herself a hot chocolate and handing over a note, collecting the change and filtering it back into her purse. She followed Tallulah, making her way over to where they collected the drinks. "Working? No, unfortunately, parents are still having to fork out for me. I spend a fair amount of time volunteering down at the animal shelter? I need something to stand out on my college application, and hopefully all of that experience will be just it. Plus it's fun, and a nice wind-down."
She smiled, "How about you? Got a job?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:48 pm
"You work at the shelter?" asked Tallulah, eyes going wide. "What are your hours? I'm there every Sunday morning, but I've never seen you!" She took her coffee and rocked back and forth on her heels, taking small sips while she waited on Peyton. "I help out at the food bank, too," she added, "On Thursdays, but I haven't got a paying job..."
She lowered her voice and looked a bit sheepish. "I'm actually grounded right now," she admitted. "Going shopping with Mom is part of my punishment."
She left it at that, allowing Peyton to come up with reasons (if she so chose) as to why a goodie-two-shoes like Tallulah Cowden would ever be grounded.
She looked around the shop, eyeing tables. "I hope Mom doesn't expect us to sit with her," she said distastefully, although judging from the way Nellie had immersed herself in yesterday's newspaper, this didn't seem to be the case. She pointed to a table by the window. "Ahh, let's sit over there," she said. It was well away from her mother, where they could talk in relative peace.
"I want to go to an Ivy league," she explained, sitting down, "And my grades and my test scores are probably there, but I don't think the money's there." Money was, of course, an issue. The negaverse's impending plans to take over the world were also an issue. Only one of these was a socially acceptable reason on which you could base your college decision upon.
"So I'm sort of trying to decide between a year at SHP and trying for some scholarships, or going straight to DCU." She tilted her head to the side, looking quizzically at the older girl. "Do you have any suggestions?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:12 am
Hmm? Peyton nodded with a confused expression at Tallulah's surprised words, one hand reaching out to grab her drink as it arrived. "Yeah, I've volunteered there for over a year now. Unfortunately its just that - volunteering, I don't get paid. I work...most weekends, and some evenings after school. Sundays I generally don't get there 'til the afternoon, though. I like my lie-ins."
She grinned, "Food bank? Oh, thats cool, but still, a paying job...if only, huh?" Her grin faded to a more genuine smile, followed by an elbow nudge as the confession piled out. "I'd figured. Why else would anyone go out with their mom, huh?" she joked, taking a sip of her hot chocolate, "Why're you grounded, hmm? It isn't a boy, is it!?" she gasped, excited at the prospect of learning something new. Peyton liked to know everything, whether it was her business or not. She followed Tallulah's gaze, taking another sip, nose visibly wrinkling at the mention of sitting with Tallulah's mother. As nice as the woman was...no. Just...no.
She followed Tallulah to the indicated table, taking a seat opposite her and placing her drink on the table. "Ivy League?" she repeated, surprised. High expectations! Still, there was nothing wrong with that, as long as they were realistic too. And Tallulah was a lovely person, who worked hard - she deserved such a nice future. "Can't you get funding from the state?" she asked, expression full of sympathy. "Sometimes they'll give you grants, which you don't have to pay back."
A year at SHP, trying for scholarships, or DCU? Peyton sighed, not really liking being put on the spot, "Well...I don't see the harm in submitting an application. Perhaps email around, offer your grades and the like and ask how likely it is you'll be offered a scholarship. I'm enjoying SHP, though, and I think its good preparation. Kinda a bridge between high school and college, so you're not just thrown in at the deep end, y'know?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:46 pm
"Oh," said Tallulah thoughtfully, trying to think of how to best explain why she'd been grounded. She, of course, knew why she'd been grounded - it was her parents who weren't quite clear on the details. She drummed her fingers on the lid of her cup and said, "Well, there's a boy involved..."
This was how conversations with Peyton worked. You had to tease her a bit before flat out telling her, otherwise it wasn't fun for either of you, and Peyton would eventually find out one way or another.
"I've still got time to work on it," she said, changing the subject abruptly - teasing Peyton was surely most of the fun of gossiping with her. "Applications aren't due until January of senior year - I'm just trying to get a head start on everything."
On average, Tallulah's homework was finished five days before it was due, provided she had that much advance notice. This was not a hyperbole; this was a well-known fact. Anyone who knew Tallulah was bound to know that her schoolwork was compulsively organized and completed.
"You could say that the squashed geraniums outside my window got me in trouble," said Tallulah, and sipped her coffee smugly. Her parents had presumed as much as she was sneaking out: they didn't know the half of it.
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Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 4:57 am
A boy!? Peyton noticed the quick change of subject and slid forwards eagerly in her chair, not fooled quite so easily. Her eyes were wide now, intensely interested, and a wide grin was plastered on her face as she leaned forwards, trying to find a balance between talking as quickly as possible, talking as quietly as possible, and still making sense. "Uh uh uh, back up Cowden! Who's this boy, hmm? Do I know him? What's he like!" Gasp. "Is he a good kisser, hmm?"
Squashed geraniums? Peyton grinned like a cheshire cat, practically soaking up the gossip like a sponge soaked up water, "Sneaking out, hmm? What, to see this boy?" She was enjoying this, the thrill of the chase, as it were. Backtracking a little to when Tallulah had changed the subject, Peyton recalled what she'd said, realizing she should probably answer that too. She took anotehr sip of her hot chocolate, taking a moment to savour the drink before responding, "Head starts aren't a bad thing. Puts you ahead of the competition."
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:00 am
"I don't think you'd know him," said Tallulah, eyes twinkling - it wasn't hard to get into gossip when Peyton was egging you on. Reveal just enough, not too little that she'd lose interest... Tallulah wasn't usually a competitive participant in idle chatter, but she wasn't usually talking to Peyton.
And the payoff: "Not unless you make a regular habit of fraternizing with the Hillworth junior class." She sipped from her drink and smiled pleasantly, a counter to Peyton's cheshire grin. So she liked bad boys was what this information suggested. (Although Jaimie was hardly what you could call a "bad boy.")
"And yes," she concluded. "He's a good kisser."
Her widening grin seemed to suggest, "Make of that what you will."
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:18 am
That grin was still there, and didn't seem like it would be disappearing any time soon. She didn't know him? Ah, sad times. But ohhhh, Hillworth!? Peyton leaned in further, if it was possible, raising her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "Ohhh, got yourself a bad boy? He got an older brother? ...No wait, thats weird. But ohhh, thats so great! I'm so happy for you!" she smiled, the grin fading to a more genuine expression as she reached for her drink, taking yet another sip.
"How long have you been together, hmm? ...Do your parents know?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:00 pm
"Since November," said Tallulah accommodatingly. Peyton had played her part well, supplied enough assumptions that she could pretty much tell her anything any still not really tell her anything. After the run-in with Mr. Gordon that had started all this, Tallulah was rapidly discovering that the easiest way to avoid lying was to let other people fill in the blanks themselves.
"My parents have met him!" she said scandalously. "He was over for dinner a few nights ago - I think Mom likes him." She shrugged and pulled a face. "Dad... not so much."
She hoped Angus had just been pretending to be a silverback gorilla. "But, I mean, you know my dad. So - you got anyone?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:43 am
November? Another gasp, another giggle, and another sip of her drink. That was so long! She'd been keeping it secret all this time? Peyton supposed she hadn't really seen Tallulah for a long time, but she'd have expected to have heard something like this, through the grapevine. She had to find some better sources in Meadowview!
"Met him?" she repeated, mouth forming a solid 'o' shape. No. Way. "Seriously?" she practically squeaked, quivering in excitement. "Ohh, thats so amazing, Cowden! And if your parents like him, even better! ...Well, parent, but you can't please everyone! Ohhh, you're getting the fairy tale ending we all dream about..." Que the glazed over eyes as Peyton glanced into the distance with a small smile on her face. As the conversation was turned on her, though, cheeks turned a slight pink that wasn't from the heat of her drink, and her eyes were cast downwards.
"Not so much..."
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Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:35 am
"I wouldn't- I mean-" stammered Tallulah, although she was inwardly pleased. This was what 80% of all conversations with Peyton eventually boiled down to, and there was something pleasing about that fact. She stared at her drink and drummed her fingers nervously on the lid. "I think calling it a happy ending is moving a bit too fast-"
Didn't happy endings come after the threat to the world was defeated? Of course, Peyton couldn't know that... oh, the hazards of being a superhero! Tallulah reached across the table to give her friend's hand a consoling pat. "We'll find you someone," she said, smiling. "I don't actually know all that many guys at Shlip, but there's got to be one just perfect for you."
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Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:25 am
Bit too fast? Peyton made a soewhat unattractive snorting sound, cheeks a little pink as she realized. But she quickly continued, hoping it wouldn't be noticed or might be forgotten, rolling her eyes, "Cowden, we all gotta get our happy endings. I'm just so happy you got yours so quickly! I have to meet him, y'know."
Matter of fact, that was the way to go about it. Yep, that way Tallulah couldn't argue. The pat was surprising and she blinked, looking up at Tallulah with initial surprise, before it faded to a warm, friendly smile. "Eh, maybe. Still got my whole life ahead of me, right?"
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