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Post by Trevor Briggs on May 3, 2007 2:00:46 GMT 7
Trevor Briggs stood before the expansive magazine section of Barnes and Noble this Sunday morning and searched among the various titles. As his eyes scanned the myriad of monthly periodicals, his nose took in the strong aroma of fresh brewed coffee coming from the Starbuck’s café located just inside the entrance of the massive bookstore. He made a mental note to grab an espresso later, before heading out. In his hand Trevor held this month’s issues of Maxim, FHM and Stuff magazines. Now that he had this month’s reading material, Trevor made his way over to the travel section. Even though it was still spring and there was a lot of school still left in the semester, he had big plans for traveling through Europe this upcoming summer and he wanted to get a guide book or two covering the former Eastern Bloc countries. Trevor lived for adventure and travel was his favorite thing to do next to playing rugby. Drinking, partying and getting high came in at a close third.
Trevor had saved up enough prize money that he had earned from his winnings in the various underground fight clubs located around town that he wouldn’t need to ask his parents to pay for anything. However, while he was easily able to explain the cuts and bruises and other fight club injuries by blaming them on rugby, he still had to come up with an explanation as to where he had gotten the money to fund an extended trip to Europe. Very few people knew about his underground fight club involvement. His mother would have a heart attack if she knew what he did on the side. He figured he’d burn that bridge when he got there. Once in the travel section, Trevor began sifting through the assorted books on Eastern Europe. He picked out one of the Lonely Planet Guides, put his magazines under his arm and began thumbing through the pages of the travel guide oblivious to the other people around him for the moment.
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Anna Sophia Bennett
Student
Bank Account[M:1000]
"Hey Sam, who do you think is the hotter psychic? Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?"
Posts: 427
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Post by Anna Sophia Bennett on May 3, 2007 3:13:15 GMT 7
Sunday mornings were always routine for Anna. She woke up around 5:30 in the morning, slipped on some shorts and a tank top, and went running on the school track. She usually got back to her room around 7:15, took a shower, and had the rest of the day for herself. On most Sundays, she made a trip into town and visited Barnes & Nobles, Target, and sometimes stopped at Starbucks before returning to her dorm and spending a lazy afternoon with the girls.
Today was not any different. Anna had taken her morning run and was walking up the sidewalk in the direction of the Barnes & Nobles entrance. Her hair was pulled in a loose ponytail that hung down to her shoulders. She wore a simple dark grey t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and black flip-flops. Only the simplest brush of make-up graced her cheeks, no mascara and no eyeliner like usual.
Across her shoulder, Anna carried her red and black checkered purse. On her right arm she bore three Target bags, full to the brim thanks to her splurge on the sales items. Not only did she have a new purse to replace her old one, she also had new shoes, a bohemian skirt, a box of tampons, three new DVDs, some birthday cards for her dorm buddies, and a few other small things. Unfortunately, she didn't have the luxury of a car and was forced to carry everything with her to Barnes & Nobles. Looking back, she realized it would have made more sense to stop at the bookstore force. But alas, hindsight is 20/20.
Shifting the weight of her purse dangling on her shoulder, Anna felt the bags in her arms begin to slip from her grasp. In a desperate attempt to keep the bags from falling to the ground and exposing everything she carried, Anna sidestepped just in front of the travel section on the outside display. Unfortunately, there was someone there and she felt herself run into that particular someone. Her bags slipped quite quickly from her slender arms and went crashing to the ground, managing to knock over a shelf of travel magazines in addition to sending all of her purchases to the concrete sidewalk.
When she looked up, Anna felt a stab of remorse. If this wasn't a sign of bad luck, she didn't know what was. The person she had run into was none other than Trevor Briggs, another Rutherford student and one that slightly irritated her. It wasn't that he was rude, he was just cocky. Normally that didn't bother Anna; she had been around Dean plenty of times to adjust to his playfully arrogant nature. But, it was different with Trevor. She didn't quite understand him as well as Dean and that was reason enough to sigh when she saw him standing in front of her and the huge mess she had created.
"Sorry," she managed to get out, glancing briefly in his eyes before squatting down and trying to put her things back in her bags.
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Post by Trevor Briggs on May 3, 2007 6:02:42 GMT 7
As he leafed through the pages of the travel guide, Trevor came upon the section on Romania, which sounded interesting with its Old-World charm and legends of vampires haunting medieval city streets and werewolves roaming the wooded countryside. Not that he was particularly interested in looking for vampires or werewolves, but rather, he was interested in a more off-the-beaten-track type of vacation. He had been through most of mainstream Europe and was looking for something a little more adventurous. A trip into the "unknown" always excited Trevor. So Romania became one of the frontrunners on his short-list of vacation destinations. As he continued leafing through the travel guide, Trevor decided he would have to incorporate Bulgaria into his itinerary and possibly even add Turkey to the mix as well. Visions of gypsies, kebobs and mint tea swirled in his head as he skimmed through the pages. This travel plan would guarantee more than enough misadventures to recount for his friends at school.
As he stood fixed in the aisle browsing through the book’s pages, the six-two Rutherford University rugby captain felt something - rather, someone - bump into him. Next thing he knew, bags of stuff were falling around him and whoever it was, managed to knock down a nearby shelf of magazines. What the F-?! Trevor wasn’t angry at all. He was more surprised than anything else. It waould take a lot more than, from the looks of it, a pretty girl runnng into him to make him upset. A hyena smile curled Trevor’s lips when he recognized who it was. It was Anna Sophia Bennett who happened to be the object of a certain wager between Trevor and another friend from school. While he had no problems getting highly attractive girls, Trevor was never one to turn down a bet either.
He had talked to her once previously in one of his classes at school, but she didn’t seem to take to his cocky sense of humor at the time. He had pretty much written her off as far as anyone he’d be interested in. That is, until one day when he and a friend happened to be talking about her and how good-looking she was, but that it was too bad she was a virgin. Trevor wasn’t too sure how that conversation evolved into the two of them making a $5,000 bet to see who could get her in the sack first, but it did and here she was, just practically falling into his lap. “Wow, cute girls usually don’t fall for me until after I say ‘Hello’… I guess you’re different from all the other cute females,” Trevor said. He then proceeded to help her gather her things. “You know, if you wanted to start a conversation with me that bad, you could have just said ‘Hi’ like all the normal girls do. No need to get all violent or cause a huge scene over it,” he said jokingly.
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Anna Sophia Bennett
Student
Bank Account[M:1000]
"Hey Sam, who do you think is the hotter psychic? Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?"
Posts: 427
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Post by Anna Sophia Bennett on May 3, 2007 9:35:31 GMT 7
Oh, why did it have to be Trevor? Of all the people in the world, why him? Her pale eyes moved slowly from the ground up to look at the other Rutherford student. He wasn't so bad when he kept his mouth shut; it was only when he opened it that Anna had a problem with him.
Snatching out a quick hand, Anna stretched to grab her tampon box and hastily stuff it in the bag beside her ankle. She wasn't blushing. She never blushed unless she fancied the person she was around. Even so, if there was ever a time to consider letting the pink shades creep into her cheeks, this was it.
Her eyes weren't focused on Trevor when he spoke. Anna was busy attempting to pick up her things before they blew into the street and got run over. "I guess I am," she responded without glancing up. "Because I was definitely aiming to run into you and spill my bags all over the sidewalk." Lifting her eyes to arch an eyebrow at him, Anna said, "Theatre students love to make a huge scene, didn't you know that?"
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Post by Trevor Briggs on May 4, 2007 4:40:25 GMT 7
Trevor’s eyes immediately lit up with delight. Although, he hadn’t really taken her previous negative response to his teasing way of flirting with her that one day in class personally, it was still very fresh in his memory. Trevor had pretty much written her off and hadn’t expected to ever run into her again except possibly in that one class and even then he hadn’t planned on really interacting with her. Now, he hadn’t really expected the fetching blonde to all of a sudden catch on to his way of flirting, but this latest response of hers had him thinking that maybe she could be a contender. Trevor cocked a brow, mirroring the one she arched at him.
It was hard to tell if her sarcasm was ill-tempered or if it had been meant in the same fun-spirited joking manner as his teasing of her had been. Her remark about theatre students making a scene had been pretty witty, Trevor had to admit. He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt - for now, at least. So not only was she very easy on the eyes, but she was smart as well. “It would appear so,” Trevor replied with a toothsome grin. He turned his head in both directions as if to make sure no one was listening, but then spoke loud enough to easily be heard by any passersby, saying, “Look, I know I’m pretty and that you’re attracted to me and all, but could you maybe hide your impulses a little better? No need to let the whole world know about us.” Of course this was said in the usual cocky, funny way that only Trevor could pull off.
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Anna Sophia Bennett
Student
Bank Account[M:1000]
"Hey Sam, who do you think is the hotter psychic? Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?"
Posts: 427
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Post by Anna Sophia Bennett on May 4, 2007 5:48:38 GMT 7
Anna didn't respond to his first statement. She continued picking up her bags until everything was back in her possession. Unfortunately, just as she was putting her shoebox into the shopping bag, the loop stretched a hint too far and snapped completely. It was too close to the ground to really let anything fall on the sidewalk again, but it was broken, nevertheless. "Great," she murmured, stopping for a moment and running her tongue across her lips in frustration. An entire train ride back to campus with a broken bag. Lovely.
She didn't see the older student look around before he playfully attempted to embarrass her. Her cheeks tinted a pale pink and her eyes darted across the parking lot and sidewalk before looking up at him with a mild scowl despite her reasonably modest and natural tone. "Are you always like that?" she asked, struggling to pick up the bag and hold it without a handle. It took a second, but she managed to balance it on her knee and lift it high enough to wrap her arm around. It wasn't heavy -- it was just shoes and a shirt -- but it took up more space than it was worth.
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Post by Trevor Briggs on May 5, 2007 23:37:34 GMT 7
Trevor continued to help Anna gather her fallen items, yet she seemed somewhat miffed, if not a bit annoyed by the fact that someone would try to make light of an unfortunate and uncomfortably awkward instance in an attempt to put people at ease. Sure, Trevor enjoyed laughing at the expense of others and he always tried to find the humor in every situation - good or bad. But while his words may have seemed rude, obnoxious and over-the-top to some, nothing he ever said was intended in a malicious or mean-spirited manner, but rather, in a playful fun vein. Her scowl of irritation didn’t go unnoticed by the very observant Pre-Med major and future doctor. It was as though his mere presence had irked her in some way. The idea that someone would engage another human being in some playful banter seemed to be a foreign concept to her. He would have thought that someone pursuing a degree in her major would have been more in tune to that aspect of human nature. Oh well. Maybe it was just that time of the month for her as suggested by the box of tampons she had so discreetly tried to hide from his view. Whatever. If she couldn’t take a joke, it wasn’t his problem.
""Are you always like that?" she asked.
Wow. She acted as though Trevor were the devil incarnate. Not that he wouldn’t mind having that moniker. Hated by many - loved by few, Trevor was a rogue and enjoyed playing the scoundrel. And he loved the fact that no one could compare to him. He sought no one’s approval and his happiness wasn’t determined by how he looked in the eyes of those outside of his family, rugby mates and close friends. If anything, Trevor found Anna’s reaction to be amusing to a degree and couldn’t help but let out a small chortle. Trevor turned to the side and raised a finger in the air as if trying to get the attention of an imaginary person and spoke. “Excuse me, waitress! Can I get a new girl, please? This one’s a little sour,” he said to the imaginary waitress as he pointed to Anna with his thumb. The unsinkable Trevor Briggs then turned to Anna and replied to her query. “Ruffle your feathers, did I? Well hey, I’m just giving the people what they want,” he said with a bulletproof smile. And with that, he turned and walked away, only to return moments later with an empty Barnes and Noble shopping bag. “Here,” he said as he placed her broken bag together with all it’s contents into the larger bag which was made for carrying lots of heavy books. “You know, there are people living in other countries strifed with war who are less uptight than you. Try loosening up a little… Or not,” Trevor suggested with an amicable smile.
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Anna Sophia Bennett
Student
Bank Account[M:1000]
"Hey Sam, who do you think is the hotter psychic? Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?"
Posts: 427
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Post by Anna Sophia Bennett on May 6, 2007 0:24:52 GMT 7
Anna turned her chin up to look at Trevor when he let out his short laugh. She arched her eyebrows, her expression obviously hesitant on how to react. When he lifted his finger so smoothly and began to speak as though someone was standing beside him, she frowned slightly but couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Shaking her head, Anna sat back on her heels and watched him beneath narrow, wary eyes. He was witty, she could give him that, but his playful arrogance was a turn-off. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but there was something a tad irritating about the overwhelming confidence.
Just as she parted her lips to justify her seemingly rude remark, he left. He turned around and walked right into the store leaving Anna sitting on the ground with her bags scattered around her. It surprised her, to say the least, and she sat in mild shock until someone walked past and tossed her a strange glance. It snapped her out of the surprise from his sudden disappearance, making her blink a few times before hopelessly attempting to tie the bag back together. When it didn't work, she sighed and put her head in her hands, wishing she hadn't even left the dorms.
"Here." Lifting her eyes from the seclusion of her palms, Anna's attention flickered between Trevor and the bag. She hadn't even lifted her head when he took the bag and put it in the larger one he brought out. Feeling a touch of remorse for being rude, she murmured a quiet, "Thanks." The Barnes & Noble shopping bag was much larger than the flimsy Target bags; with a careful mannerism, Anna set her other two bags inside and stood up. "Thank you," she said a little louder, looking up at him before reaching down and hanging the bag on her elbow.
"I'm not uptight," she returned with a defensive, though quite mild, frown. It was true: Anna was normally upbeat and friendly to just about everyone. Today just wasn't balancing in her favor and it had put her in a bit of a sour mood. "I just don't think laughter is always the best medicine," she added with a small smile, trying to make the situation a little lighter. From what she could recall, Trevor was a Pre-Med major, but she wasn't positive. If she was right, though, her return might just work to lighten the mood.
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Post by Trevor Briggs on May 8, 2007 4:02:39 GMT 7
“But of course not. You’re not uptight at all,” Trevor patronized, his voice laced with a tincture of sarcasm. “And even if you are, who cares, right? I’m sure there are lots of guys out there that find cute, but uptight girls extremely attractive,” he added jokingly. Yes, it was a backhanded remark, but from his tone of voice, it was obvious that he meant it only in jest. Trevor was just messing around with her again as was usual for him. As anyone who knew Trevor would tell you, he wasn’t afraid to crack on someone or laugh at another’s expense. It didn’t matter if you were someone he knew or someone he had never met, or whether you were someone he was interested in or someone he could care less about.
Nor did it matter if you were black, white, red, yellow, orange, ugly, good-looking, straight, gay, handicapped or his own mother, this crafty knave was still going to bust on you the same way he would a good friend. He spared no one from his fiendish wit. Trevor was cocky, yes, but never arrogant. He never took himself seriously enough, from his perspective at least, to be considered arrogant. He may have come across to some people as being arrogant, but those people were usually the ones lacking a sense of humor. These were the folks who just didn’t get it. There was a fine line between being a cocky devil and being an arrogant prick. And Trevor knew how to add just the right amount of humor to his cockiness in order keep himself on the fun side of that line.
“You’re right,” Trevor said in reply to her light-hearted remark about how laughter wasn’t always the best medicine. “Because everyone knows that being a sourpuss is really the answer,” he added, jovially playing along with Anna’s little quip. Hey, maybe she wasn’t such a stick in the mud after all. But then again, who knows. Like they say, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. “Alright, well it was fun running into you - or you running into me, rather, but I have to get going. See ya around, Doll Face,” Trevor said as he began to turn away. He had plans of stopping by Starbucks. Standing around here with Little Miss Muffet wasn't going to take care of his caffeine craving anytime soon. As he started walking, he turned back to Anna and said, “Hey, I’m going over to Starbucks. You should join me. You look like you could use a break.”
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Anna Sophia Bennett
Student
Bank Account[M:1000]
"Hey Sam, who do you think is the hotter psychic? Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?"
Posts: 427
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Post by Anna Sophia Bennett on May 8, 2007 19:16:57 GMT 7
Anna wasn't sure how to react to the playful jesting coming from the other student. The only good humour she shared was with Jaylin or Alexia. She hadn't joked around with anyone else much, especially if she didn't know them very well. She and Sam picked on each other all the time, but they were siblings and that was what they were supposed to do. When it came to addressing banter from a stranger, it left her without much knowledge to respond.
Once in awhile, though, she picked up her own tongue and sent something right back, though it was rarely worth a stab, even a playful one. Her remarks had always been more entertaining than seemingly rude or sarcastic. Being called a sourpuss in jest made Anna roll her eyes and watch him beneath arched eyebrows. "Of course it is," she said with a half-smirk, not feeling bashed enough to come back with anything worthwhile.
"Right," she said, nodding at his simple farewell. "Bye," she said, pushing her bag further up her elbow and looking over at the books she had sent crashing to the ground only minutes earlier. Anna wasn't even sure if going inside the Barnes & Noble was a good idea anymore. With the luck she seemed to be having, she would catch the building on fire by accident. Maybe she should just go home.
When she heard Trevor's voice again, Anna looked over her shoulder at him. Raising her eyebrow in mild surprise, she said, "You forgot your sarcasm." With a small half-smile, Anna tilted her head to look at the bookstore again with a contemplating frown. He was right - she could definitely use a break. So far, the day was not as good as it could have been. But did she really want to spend time in his company for who knows how long? Anna nibbled her lip before turning back around and catching up beside him. How bad could it be? "Thanks," she said, her eyes briefly on him before turning back to watch a car zoom down an aisle to snatch up a empty parking spot.
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