And the band played on... [len]

[braeden ryan baker]

Braeden smirked as he hung up the phone with Len. His eyes shifted to his cat, Hamlet, who was sitting on his windowsill purring contently to himself. The animal seemed to be so carefree and didn’t have a schedule to adhere to, he could sleep all day and rest assured that Brey would find a way to get him enough food. Sometimes Brey wished he could just lie around all day not doing anything but reading his favorite books and writing in his notebooks. Life wasn’t like that though; he had to work at the café, go to school, and look after his seventeen year old sister, Alexandria. She was still coping with the death of their mother and lately, the younger sibling was dealing with such matters by making the drink her favorite company. It was a sad sight to see everyone around him miserable, save for the cat. His father worked three jobs and was rarely in the same house as Brey for longer than an hour or two. The house was in danger of being foreclosed upon and it seemed like there was nothing any of them could do about it. Each was picking up and trying their best to pitch in but it never seemed enough. In this way, he envied his pet but loved him just as much.

He grabbed his keys off his desk and headed out to his car. It wasn’t that much of a rust bucket and was in great condition. Before his mother passed, she had given him the car almost brand new and although the car was something he loved, he knew that if worst came to worst, he would have to sell it. .Braeden’s masculine fingers toyed with the radio to find something to sooth his mind, but upon finding nothing appealing, he put on a classical music cd he had purchased last week. It calmed his nerves and made him relax a bit. Today was supposed to be a good day. He would show Len around and try to be receptive to her world. They say that ignorance is bliss so did he really want to know what it was like to have everything laid out for him? It probably could do more bad than good but he would merely nod and smile. Len didn’t need to be brought into his mess so he would spare her from the stress of being his friend. Once she saw his life without all of the sugar and candy, she would run in the other direction and he’d never see her again. It wasn’t that he wanted to scare people away; it just happened.

Pulling up to her house, he shook his head in disbelief. How does one make such money? It really was amazing and he had to stop and take a few minutes before he got out of his mediocre car with his target and h&m clothes. It was really intimidating and he couldn’t exactly say why. Knocking on her door softly, he waited; not entirely sure what to expect or what to think about this point.

[marlene helen hamilton]

Arching a brow, she placed her Iphone back on her vanity, trying to remember how she had got herself into this odd 'deal', as they had called it; surely she was bored there, what with everyone seemingly semi-disappearing on her, but there had been more. The guy had sounded so conceited when they had first talked that she couldn't have helped herself; bursting people's bubbles and big egos usually managed to keep her interested enough, as Travy could have confirmed all too well.She shrugged, being persuaded this Braeden wasn't as miserably poor as he seemed to imply; afterall, he did have a computer and a phone, probably even a car. Those items didn't seem to scream 'extreme poverty' to her; rather 'lower middle class, maybe struggling to pay for college'. If he did go to college, that was; he did seem to speak properly, so that was a likely possibility. He probably was another one of those guys who believed everything he read on the tabloids about the lifestyle of the rich and famous; not that living that life was awful, but it definitely had more downsides than normal people thought. Today though was about his side of the deal, so enough about her life; she was supposed to see for herself how it was and to dress the part as well.

Clothes...Turning around, she glanced at the fairly big walk in closet where her items were stored; surely she didn't want to stand out too much, so a Valentino dress wouldn't have been the best choice. Touching the different fabrics, her brows furrowed until she found something suitable: a simple slightly low collared shirt with a print and a classic pair of black pants, form fitting enough to highlight her slender ankles. As she put them on, the brunette found the ensemble to be quite plain, so she added a pair of adorable coral pumps and a soft and flowy ivory jacket; glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she nodded, satisfied with the result. Once rather unexpensive jewellery and a purse were on as well, her look was complete and she headed downstairs. Glancing outside the large windows, she vehemently hoped it wouldn't have been too cold nor rainy outside, since her outfit wasn't exactly perfect for that kind of weather; she always had a tendency of dressing too lightly, despite hating the cold. Giving a worried look at her five inch heels, her stream of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door; watching as the butler approached the door, Len shook her head quickly, stopping him. "I'll take this one myself." She said, not wanting to scare the poor kid away or make him feel too uncomfortable; the mansion had probably had quite an impact on him already. Thus reaching the door in a few seconds, she opened it, a slight smile on her face. "Glad you didn't get lost along the way."

her outfit

[braeden ryan baker]

Braeden waited patiently for the door to open. As he waited he felt his mind being plagued with his worries. Thinking was never really good especially when all he could think about were financial issues that would definitely put a damper on his mood. Why was he taking a girl out when he could be picking up an extra shift? Oh right, because he had already worked all of his hours for this week and he was run down and over worked; burned out. He needed this outing much more than Len could ever imagine. Brey needed a break from his hectic schedule of work and school and he needed to have fun. Judging from the online conversation, he couldn’t tell if she was one of those fun people or not but he hoped that she would be. He wouldn’t be able to take it if she was a bore and one of those people who didn’t talk much or who wasn’t very interesting, then it would be a waste of a day. His time was very valuable these days and he thought of all the other things he could be doing right now. Of course he didn’t want to do anything because he was a tad tired and a bit cranky. But he had made a promise and wasn’t going to back down on that now.

Ruffling his hair with his fingers, he took a moment more before Len opened the door. She looked much prettier than her picture allotted. For a moment, he was taken aback by her appearance and had to bring himself out of his small reverie. No, I definitely didn’t get lost. Brey was caught off guard and had to chuckle at this interaction; this was not the way he thought things were going to go but oh well. Suddenly, he found interest in his shoes and looked down at them, ashamed of himself and his appearance in such a lavish setting. Sorry, I’m not as dressed up. But for where we’re going… I’m sure it’ll be fine. He felt inadequate in her presence, as if he should bow or kiss her hand or something. Despite his thoughts, he motioned the way to his parked car. It was a mere few years ago that Brey had learned about Marxism in high school; now he knew what it had meant between the have and the have nots. Lucky that the two were mere acquaintances part of a business deal to relieve boredom on both parts. In her world, they would never be able to be friends, let alone be in a relationship. Brey promised himself that he wouldn’t get too attached to her nature, her manners, or her smile. However, he was already failing in one of those. I’m really hungry as I have not yet eaten today so what say you to lunch?

Despite his low income level, he was insanely educated and had a good amount of knowledge on most topics. Graduating at the top of his class, he felt refuge in schoolwork. It was only natural for him to continue to college. His income level was so low that he got a great amount of financial aid and scholarships to continue. He felt incredibly lucky because at least that award money offset his family’s current financial burdens for now. So Len, what do you do in your spare time? You must have some free time, I imagine you are a woman in high demand. Reaching the car, he opened the door for her; not because he thought she would be used to it but because it was just a second nature. Brey was a firm believer in chivalry and respect; he couldn’t help his habits.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

"Well, that's...good?" She paused halfway through her sentence, making it end up sounding like a broken question, furrowing her brows at his reaction. Did she read...embarassment on his face? He seemed to be avoiding eye contact and staring at his shoes instead, which usually was a pretty eloquent sign; his chuckle though caught her off guard. This allowed the brunette the time to inspect his appearance more closely: surely, he was one guy most girls would have called 'attractive', 'hot', or even 'handsome'. So many words which could have easily be summed up into one: screwable. She had learnt her lesson about love; like a song said, it was only an excuse to get hurt and to hurt. "You look just fine to me." His clothes weren't as expensive looking nor tailored as she was used to, but they were matched nicely enough, considering the amount of money he had probably spent to buy them. "Just one thing." She took a step back and swiftly took his glasses off him, flashing him a smile afterwards. "Much better. It's more desirable to see the world out of focus, too. The closer you look at it, the uglier it gets."

Already walking toward his car, she nodded her head slowly at his offer for lunch; it wasn't a bad idea at all, considering she hadn't had breakfast. Not that she never had breakfast; she always woke up too late for that, at least in the last few months. "Fine by me; I don't do breakfast anyway." That probably sounded more conceited than she had meant, but once more she simply shrugged it off, approaching his car instead; not half bad, either, it looked fairly average to her. Arching a brow slightly, she realized that probably she had been right in thinking that he wasn't as struggling for money as he was trying to make it sound; people could be such attention whores at times. Not that she could be the one to talk, given the fact she was completely broken over a guy ending a relationship with her; she wasn't strong or stoic by any mean and it would have been hypocritical of her to judge other people. "Free time?" Len couldn't help but laugh out loud at that; a sad, nearly empty laughter despite her best efforts to make it sound lively. "My whole life right now is just an empty schedule to be filled with whatever I feel like doing." Point was, half the time she felt like doing nothing but crawl into her bed, blankets over her head, and just let time pass; not that she would have told him that, obviously. Sounding pathetic was not the aim. "I know, I'm so lucky." An odd smirk curled up her lips as she uttered those words, giving away she didn't really mean it, but only to someone willing to look past her façade; luckily, almost no one was. "I could drive, if you're unable to without glasses."

[braeden ryan baker]

Okay so maybe the first few minutes of this encounter had been a tad bit awkward. Normally of average confidence, Brey was insecure. He felt that he really didn’t deserve an outing with her let alone a lunch. Shouldn’t she be having dinner with prince charming and going on romantic getaways to Paris; or perhaps sharing a kiss with her loved one during a gondola ride in Italy. This scene wasn’t the least bit natural at all and it felt like a plot of some sort of romantic comedy in which the two unlikeliest of people fall for each other. He had read it a dozen times over in his books, seen it in a million of movies with Rosalyn. Love wasn’t written in the cards for him and he accepted that. He had his chance and she died, so now he wasn’t going to waste his time trying to find something that didn’t exist. It was overrated and over glorified these days. Plus, the word was used much too loosely these days for him to care to have it grace his full lips. His churning stomach said that she was staring at him, rightfully so too with his hair that was a bit shaggier than normal because he was too lazy to do anything with it. He had a brief notion to ask her what the hell she was staring at but he didn’t want to come across as boyish, disrespectful, and uncivilized. Brey would hate it if someone was so bold as to be rude to him in that manner. Although he didn’t have much, he had principles and morals and good upbringing. He wasn’t spoiled and he felt as if that contributed to his good nature.

Brey couldn’t help but to wince as she took his glasses away from him. It was a bit rude. She was changing him already to make him more suitable to be around. How conceited of her to try and make him look better because surely she was embarrassed to be seen with him already. Wow, that certainly did not help his mood any better. He gritted his teeth together as he tried not to explode. He kept trying to remind himself that there was bound to be something beneficial to this arrangement. Len couldn’t be that snobbish, but then again she didn’t “do breakfast” and had all the time in the world to do whatever she pleased. Aw, poor darling. He made a slight face. Brey didn’t feel bad for her at all. What he wouldn’t give to have more time off to spend with his family and do all of the things he couldn’t because he was busy working. Rolling his eyes at her, he shook his head. Oh the troubles of being rich and famous. His vision was hampered greatly without the use of his glasses. He could only see about twenty feet in front of his nose before things became blurry. How about you give me my glasses back? There was no way that he could drive nor any way that he was going to let Miss Prissy pants ruin the last thing he had of his mother left.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

Mission accomplished; he seemed to be growing more and more annoyed with her by the second. Surely, the combination of her being the ambassador's daughter, living in such a marvelous mansion, stealing his glasses and having quite an attitude hadn't helped her look endearing to him; not like it mattered. There had been a time when she cared about what people thought about her, when she had tried to be well liked by anyone, to be perfect if you will; all of that had lost meaning now though, after she had lost the only person she truly cared about and pushed the others away. Most of the times she just didn't bother arguing with people because they didn't matter; no one mattered, if she didn't matter to him anymore, so the girl simply ended up keeping on the polite façade she was so used to. "You know, I'm short sighted too, very much so. I'm wearing contact lenses now, because I just hate the way glasses look." Pausing, Len swallowed lightly, another small smile making its way on her lips. "At times I wish I didn't. It's easier to live if you see things too blurry to notice exactly how flawed they are."

Of course, she didn't expect him to pity her or feel sorry for her; actually, Marlene really couldn't have stood that. Therefore his bitter tone felt right, almost refreshing to her, as she kept her eyes on the thick black glasses. "I'm aware, such an unfortunate being I am; some actors or actresses should raise funds to improve my life or something. I'm a charity case like that." Smirking as he asked her to give his glasses back, she finally raised her head, about to say that not in a million years she was going to, keeping them hostage until the end of the day, when it hit her. It was the first time she was actually staring at his face; without the glasses, it looked...familiar. Like a dejà vu, nearly. Oddly enough, she had to look away, feeling her heart rate increase by the second in ways she hadn't thought could be possible again; it was an unpleasant feeling, a cross between attraction and pain, fear and nostalgia. She wasn't supposed to have such emotions anymore; she was supposed to just go along with her life, shielded and protected by the wall she had built around her heart, feeling nearly nothing, sure, but not hurting anymore either. Yet this guy..."Take them back." She uttered quickly, turning around as she leaned on the car, taking deep breaths all the while; with the glasses on he hadn't made such an impact on her, so she hoped that if he had put them back where they belonged, that odd emotional storm would have ceased. It was all just in her mind anyway, right?

[braeden ryan baker]

It was obvious by Len’s expression that she was already getting much enjoyment out of this whole ordeal. Stealing his glasses and seeming to belittle him without words; she sounded very much like a bully but he decided to let her play her games. He would have his turn later and he would make her head spin with a myriad of emotions she never had before. A smirk played upon his lips as his conscious formulated a plan in which to seek his playful revenge upon doll-face. She would understand sooner or later that appearances weren’t everything and it didn’t matter if he wore frames or contacts; he was who he was and Brey was proud of it. He had contact lenses, they weren’t only for the rich but he was lazy this morning and opted for frames. Her matter-of-fact attitude was slightly beginning to bore him. Even in the ugliest or flawed things there is beauty, my dear. You just have to know where to look. I suppose I’ll give that one to you; ignorance is bliss on several levels. So maybe she had a brain after all or maybe she was just stating something someone had told her once; he couldn’t tell. She wasn’t all that easy to read but he had fun trying and he was sure that at some point or another, he would find more amusement in this.

Brey didn’t know if it was something he said or did but Len began to shut up really quickly. Karma? He smirked and took his glasses back from her. Apparently, there was something about his face that made her uneasy; most likely a blemish of some sort. Shrugging lightly for no reason whatsoever, he replaced his glasses upon his nose and his beloved vision returned to him. Are you alright then? he asked curiously, absentmindedly he touched her arm without meaning to. Although he wasn’t supposed to feel bad for her; he couldn’t help but to feel for her. Whatever was going on in her mind looked a bit troublesome. What he wouldn’t give for ten seconds in her mind. A penny for her thoughts perhaps. Len didn’t strike him as the kind of person who would readily tell her business to a near stranger but he figured he would at least try. After a minute or two of making sure she was alright, Brey got in the car and started it. It was much too cold out for all of this emotional business. I’m sorry if I did anything to you? He didn’t need an angry rich girl fighting against him.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

Keeping her eyes closed, the girl shook her head slowly; yes, perfection was boring, she had said it many a time. Still..."Flaws hurt." Not entirely sure what she meant by that either, her mind seemingly foggy, almost paralyzed currently; she tried to focus more and managed to catch a stray thought about how things would have been different, hadn't she been so flawed. Hadn't she been a jealous, possessive, insecure person who wanted to be the sun, moon and stars of the person she loved more than herself, maybe he wouldn't have been so disgusted by her and would have kept her with him. Running a hand over her forehead, the brunette found herself almost glad she could still feel disgusted with herself for even entertaining such a thought; at least one side of her was persuaded she had still enough self respect and dignity to know better than that. He had used her and thrown her away when there was no need for her anymore; it hadn't been her fault. Swallowing slightly as she nodded to herself, Len managed to raise her head and breath a little easier.

His comments did not phase her; they hardly mattered. Afterall, she had been rather bitchy to him, even if it had been meant to be in a charming way more than anything. The feeling was what had her worried; as soon as he put his frames back on, she risked a glance at his face, bracing herself for another wave like the one from before. The glasses seemed to have done the trick; no odd feelings, no emotions, no nothing out of the ordinary. Feeling like maybe she really was starting to lose it for good, Len was finally able to answer him; his concern was quite a surprise. Afterall, this guy didn't even know her and everything he had seen about her probably had made him hate her or dislike her in the least; still, there he was, asking how she was feeling, and, by the tone of his voice, actually meaning it. "I'm sorry. I suppose it may have been a lack of sugar in my blood. I have low pressure, so I'm prone to feel weak when I don't eat for a while." All those facts were actually true; only, they weren't the cause of her odd behaviour. She wasn't one to reveal her deeper, darker, more shameful secrets to a stranger she was with simply out of boredom. Stretching her neck, feeling her muscles oddly stiff, she got into his car, not waiting to be invited in; trying to find a comfortable position in the passenger seat, she tilted her head backwards, letting it rest against the well kept leather seat. Eyes closed, she shook her head, her small hand finding the radio and pushing the play button. "You did nothing." Her brows furrowed once more before relaxing, the soothing music calming her down instantly. "Moonlight sonata." She whispered to herself, loving the beautiful melody by Beethoven.

[braeden ryan baker]

It was a terrible weakness he had to be so easily affected by a girl in distress. He couldn’t help trying to be the hero, even if he had a choice about it. His parents had raised him the right way but this obviously left the opportunity for people to use him as a door mat and that wasn’t fun. Most of the time Brey found himself caring too much and although he wouldn’t pry about a person’s personal life, he got told to mind his business. Well, excuse you for being so crabby but someone is trying to be nice to you and care about you; maybe you should be a little nicer. It always came around to hurt him one way or another even if all he was trying to do was help. He hoped that Len didn’t care too much about her pride that she wouldn’t let anyone help her. There was nothing more frustrating than wanting to help someone who just wouldn’t have it. Who knows though? Time would tell what she was really like and if he were to be honest, she held his interest pretty good now, whether it was really her low sugar or the fact she was capable of feeling something; so she was human after all. Len could put up whatever walls she wanted to but Brey couldn’t help but to think that there was something else going on in her inner workings though he wouldn’t question just yet. Privacy was a given and he wasn’t going to intrude her little world before it was time for it. Brey was big on due dates and being good with being on time so he wasn’t going to “jump the gun” when there was really no need for it.

Well, let’s get you some food. he stated more to himself as he began to drive away from her house and navigate out of her rich neighborhood. Alexandria, his sister, tended not to eat when she was drinking and that had adverse effects on her body and he couldn’t have that. Her father would probably kill him and he wouldn’t wish ill upon anyone. Plus, Brey had a heart and he didn’t want to make her feel any worse than she might already. He smirked and looked over to her for a brief second in slight disbelief that she recognized the song that was playing. You like classical music? Maybe she didn’t necessarily like it but knew the song from school or something. Do you play an instrument? Braeden had learned a few songs on the piano as a child, but he doubted that he retained that knowledge right now. He had an appreciation for certain kinds of music and others an utter disrespect. It was nice to have someone on the same intellectual level, refreshing even. It sort of made him excited and that was getting hard to hide.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

"Yes." She still found it somewhat hard to speak; that was how deeply the odd feeling had affected her. Out of nowhere, just like a lightening strikes during a storm; she had had dejà vus before, but none of them had upset her, or at least not as deeply as this one had. Her rational, inquisitive side wanted to know more, to understand and to analyze exactly what had made her breath stop and her heart skip a few beats, but something inside her made it clear to her she had better stop; not wanting to push it and have another semi-breakdown in front of this guy, she wisely decided to drop it, at least for the time being. "Donuts and coffee? Waffles? Cookies? I love cookies. I bake good ones too, you know? Just the other day I made some good hazelnut and white chocolate ones." Beethoven was helping in making her feel relaxed, the bad, odd thoughts at bay, for now. "I know what you're going to say, that I surely have a chef for that. I do. The Buganski have a few, actually, I think they switch them by day or something. Still trying to figure that out." Nodding, she couldn't help but furrow her brows; even if she had lived at their mansion for a few weeks now, there were still so many things she didn't know about it, that she hadn't bothered to find out.

"I like baking myself, though, it relaxes me. That and there's something...oddly satisfying about watching your own creation as it grows in an oven. You feel...productive, like you've done something with yourself. Almost like re-reading something you've just written, only a much more material kind of satisfaction." Chuckling a bit, she tried to remind herself not to overwhelm people with her words; when she did start talking, she could have gone on for quite a while. Looking up at him after he questioned her about classical music, Len tilted her head to the side slightly."I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert or anything. I like myself some Bach from time to time and I love Moonlight Sonata and Greensleves. It calms me down." Playing a bit with her necklace, the brunette flashed him a quick smile as she shook her head. "No, I don't. I mean...I used to play the flute back in school, but I never really got into it. I always loved the piano, it sound so haunting, elegant and it can touch the soul in ways at times words can't. For as much as I love words." And pianists, too, were a soft spot of hers, though as soon as she remembered this, Len was also reminded of Alex. Alex, who had learnt a piano piece overnight to play it for her on her birthday, Alex who had bought a piano just for her, where she had laid to seduce him one evening, where they had...Jerking her head to the side, she looked outside the car window, a stabbing pain in her stomach now.

[braeden ryan baker]

Navigating through the side streets, he calculated a short cut through the town. He didn’t need his newest acquaintance becoming faint again; he didn’t like the look that came upon her face. Plus, he didn’t like hospitals and would have to take her to one should that happen. It might have a negative effect on him since he hadn’t been in one since his mother died. Being close to his mother would intensify that hollowness and it could be easily avoided if he was quick about getting her food. Mmmm. Brey’s thoughts concentrated at the food she spoke of using his hunger as extra motivation to get her there quicker. Attentively, he listened to her making mental notes here and there to be stored away in a file cabinet within his mind. He couldn’t help but to laugh softly. It was less torturous now that she was talking and acting normal, rather than a rich snob. He even managed a smile or two. Silly girl. He shook his head from side to side. I guess you’re going to have to make me some for next time. You can’t say you’re a good baker and not make me something. Brey half pouted, half frowned. Please? I’d enjoy it very much. He doubted she’d need any more persuasion now since girls usually jumped at positions in which they could potentially excel. Hopefully she was on good terms with him now, otherwise she might try to poison him; a twisted version of Romeo && Juliet in which love didn’t exist at all. She was attractive though; very much and this normal side of her was earning her points to become a friend. Already he was enjoying himself.

Unfortunately, I cannot cook to save my life. It was a terrible thing but his mother had always made all of the meals. Brey’s family had adhered to gender roles of the past so his mother stayed home and cooked most of the day while his father worked. Having limited experience in the kitchen prevented him from having any skills in that area. As the subject changed, he smiled. This might actually be a pleasant afternoon. It’s nice that you recognize some composers. A lot of people these days are simply concerned with ‘getting low’ and don’t understand greatness when they see it. Turning into the driveway, he added, I used to play the piano, I haven’t had much time for it though. He shrugged absentmindedly before freezing. You love words? Tilting his head to the side, he questioned. Words can be powerful, Brey added more to himself than to her. The way they can elicit any kind of emotion, mood, tone. Now this was something that Brey could spend hours talking about. He hoped that she was ready to have her ear chewed off, metaphorically of course. Getting out of the car, he moved to the passenger side to open her door and reached down to help her out. How are you feeling now? He asked curiously, concern laced in his voice. They were so close to eating, she couldn’t very well give up now. Braeden wouldn’t have that, even if he would have to carry her into the diner himself. Being naturally strong with a good build, he would be able to do that if necessary. Let’s face it; what girl didn’t like to oogle over a strong guy?

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

Arching a brow, she shot him a glance; being called 'silly' was nothing she was used to nor appreciated, even if she could tell by the look on his face he didn't mean to offend her; as a matter of fact, he looked much more relaxed now, as though he nearly did like her ramble. "Next time?" Her voice echoed his words, her brows furrowed slightly. "Next time I'm supposed to show you how the rich and famous live and somehow I don't think baking for you would be suitable for such a theme." The glitz and the glamour, the money and the power; she was to show him all those features, surely not bringing him cookies, cakes or anything of the sort. "Besides, I don't bake for just anyone; people have to deserve it." Len tried smirking in a supposedly charming way, but ended up with what seemed like a sad smile once again; somehow everything went back to him, so often that it bothered her greatly. Why had she let someone become so important to her? Everyone leaves, everyone just uses each other; it was just a matter of luck, being the one to end things instead of being the one left behind. "Then you'll just have to find a girl willing to put up with a guy who can't take care of himself." Again, she teased him slightly, half expecting him to freeze her with a cold glance in return; though it was true, in her opinion, that if one can't cook at all, he's always going to be dependant on others to do it for him.

"Like I said, my knowledge is really limited in the music field." Usually she was the proud and ambitious one, but the girl wasn't one to pretend to possess skills, abilities or knowledge she did not; usually fairly honest, even if not humble at all, she mostly took pride in what she knew she could do well. "I like rock music most. Muse, Placebo, Evanescence, Linkin Park...those kind of bands. Lately I've been getting into more...pop songs, if you will, but I try and steer away from the ones whose lyrics are just blatantly stupid and unoriginal." His next words about how he used to be a pianist made her feel a slight stab in her stomach again, thinking that she had to rule off guys who played the piano from the 'possibly datable' ones; not that she was thinking about dating anyone, that was. Not to get in a serious relationship, at least; that much was completely out of question. "Yes, I do believe in the power of words, like I said earlier." She confirmed, nodding her head slowly. "Words are powerful. A picture, an image can fade away, but someone's words will always be with you. They can mark more deeply than you could have ever imagined. Ruin your life or make it." At this point, Len was trying really hard to keep her mind blank and not remember the words she was implictly talking about; still, she wasn't entirely sure about how unemotional her face or tone were at the time. "I study...studied Literature." She added, trying to shake that horrid mood off her. Too deep in thought, she had barely noticed the car stopping and him getting out of it to open her door; such old style kindness almost surprised her. "I'm alright." The brunette managed to let out, glancing at him before accepting his help to climb out of the car. "Here we are, then."

[braeden ryan baker]

As quickly as the comfortable Len came, she seemed to leave. Braeden never thought that he would understand women and their treachery though he doubted that Len was doing this on purpose. Her five minutes of being relaxed and then twenty more of being tense was very much like a carnival ride. He didn’t understand what was triggering this; his words perhaps? But there was really no way to tell and he wasn’t going to be blatant and ask her just yet. It wasn’t that bothersome so he would let it slide… for now. Maybe the poor dear was bipolar or something, he couldn’t be sure .But then mood swings were to be expected of women and their overall silliness of over analyzing and dissecting of every detail of every motion (no matter how minor) of everyone in the room. Surely it was exhausting looking for hidden meanings when indeed there weren’t any. Brey couldn’t assume this was what she was doing or what was making her mind so complex. So what if he was a guy? That didn’t mean he couldn’t pick up on every slight mood change within his car. Brey had become very good at reading other’s emotions; he could tell when there was uneasiness about her, he just would never understand why. You’re quite right. But I arguably believe that I deserve it or at least, if not yet, by the end of the day I will. A smirk came upon his lips. He couldn’t help but to twist everything back around to her. This was much more amusing that he would let himself admit. At first, he was going to show her the slums and where he lived but now he was debating whether he wanted to do that at all. Why was there a sudden urge to protect her from the things she didn’t know about? Len had just made it quite clear that the world was flawed and ugly so why would he show her everything that was just that? It was a difficult decision but he would make it after lunch. Besides, he found that he wanted to keep her around and not scare her away by potentially getting car jacked in the ghetto.

He nodded at her music sense. You have very good taste in music. Braeden listened to a lot of different genres and wouldn’t limit himself to just one. It was very difficult to pinpoint what he loved the most. Wow, why was Len so perfect? First her appearance and now the way she described the power of words. Brey couldn’t count how many times he had replayed the words of his dying Rosie and mother over and over in his head. It gave him comfort even at the worst times because he knew if nothing else, they loved him, right? He failed at think of a good enough reply and so he was silent – lost for words. You’re not going to believe this but I studied literature as well in college. Right now, I’m getting a degree in creative writing. His father wasn’t very supportive because realistically writing didn’t pay the bills. Braeden didn’t care that much.. nothing was going to stop him from something he loved. His eyes looked up to the diner, old and yet vintage it was one of the nicer ones on this side of town. Yeah, I’m sorry I don’t think they have any wine or caviar. he chuckled softly as he led the way up the small steps and inside. It was a typical diner with 1950s theme written all over it. It was nostalgic and probably one of his most favored places. He absentmindedly took her hand to lead her to a booth in the far corner so that she could observe all she wanted without seeming rude. After he sat down, he smiled. Are you okay with all of this dirt? Or are you hyperventilating/ She was much too fun to poke at.

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[marlene helen hamilton]

The brunette couldn't help but smirk back at him; he did have some guts in saying such things out loud, she'd give him that. "Arguably being the keyword here. Just out of curiousity.,," She paused, brushing some strands of hair off her eyes; one of the incovenient of having such long hair, especially in windy days. "...What makes you think you do deserve it already? Taking me to see the 'dark side of the moon' is such an honourable action in your book? Also, may I know what are you planning to do that will surely deem you worthy of my cookies during the day? Such important actions deserve to be noted, ackowledged, complimented and maybe even worshipped." He could try to twist her every word against her, but Marlene would always do the same, right back at him; it was too bad not enough people around were witty enough to entertain such interesting conversation battles with.

The fact he suddenly seemed to be complimenting surprised her; apparently, they didn't disagree over every single topic. She took his lack of reply to her few sentences about words as agreement as well, which she was expecting even less; then again, like she had noticed from the very first time they had talked, he did use quite a proper language, which was probably the result of having polished and refined and broadened his vocabulary. "Actually, I thought you may have." Giving him an understanding look and an almost triumphant smile, she knew right then her assumptions had been right; he had been in college as well, which, again, only proved he wasn't starving in the middle of a street like he had made it sound earlier. Finally getting out of the car, this time Len almost welcomed the cool air of the winter; at least here it would have been easier to breath. Glancing curiously at the diner, she found it to be quite cute; it was very vintage looking, with a definite 50s/60s aura to it. "I think I'll live without them for one day, you know, making my diet more varied can only improve it, right?" Looking around as they walked in, she couldn't help but smile a little as she spotted a juke box. "It's like walking inside the set of Grease; should I expect John Travolta to walk through that door as well? You totally should have told me we were coming here; I would have worn a poodle skirt with a cardigan." She glanced at the booth he had led her to, inwardly appreciating the choice but not giving his ego the satisfaction of hearing it from her. "Hold on a second." Getting away from him, she pretty much graciously ran to the juke box again, inserted a coin someone gently handed her and pushed a button; another smirk graced her features as she made her was back to him, sitting down as the notes of 'You're the one that I want' from Grease filled the air. "Oh, I'm fine with the dirt. You'll see a lot of it under our world's polished surface tomorrow. Let's see what's on the menu, shall we?"

[braeden ryan baker]

Braeden shook his head, declining her the satisfaction of knowing every single detail of the day before them. He wasn’t going to play her games and give up all of the surprises that he had laid out. Do not worry, my dear. You’ll soon figure it out. It wouldn’t be nearly as fun if I told you everything. It would be good to leave you with some mystery and intrigue. It will keep you coming back for more. Resisting the urge to wink, he smirked instead. I’m sure that you wouldn’t bake me anything anyway even if I turned out to be your prince charming. he paused for a moment. You wouldn’t recognize my accomplishments no matter what I did. he shook his head in agreement with his own statement. Len didn’t seem like the type of girl who would ever stroke his ego. It seemed as if she was accustomed to tearing people down instead of building them up. Maybe she was afraid that he would get a big head. Quite the contrary, Brey tried the best he could to be a little confident but truth was he was a terribly insecure boy. Society didn’t recognize his values or morals as a person and they looked down upon him because he didn’t over indulge in alcohol or have numerous sexual partners. People hated him because he was different and because he had a brain that he wasn’t afraid to use. It would probably do society good to listen to his ideas, they were sometimes refreshing.

Yeah, I go to the community college. It’s not much but it’s still an education. I wanted to go somewhere else and I had a scholarship but I couldn’t leave my sister and my father to fend for themselves. They’re both drunks and my sister steals to support her drug habit. They didn’t really take my mother’s death well. Braeden himself was still trying to deal with it but he had to put on an emotionless façade and be strong for his family. It was ridiculous that he had to take care of them as if they were children but he loved them and would do anything necessary. His patience was wearing thin with his sister though and he wanted her to go to rehab but again, he couldn’t afford it. Right. Plus, you might even like normal food. You could save your father a lot of money by eating grilled cheese and macaroni. He smiled. Aw, that would have been so cute. You would look adorable in fifties garb. Whoa, he hadn’t meant to say that out loud but there was no rewind button on life so he would have to live with those consequences. He watched her as she went to the jukebox, amused that she was enthused about this experience. It was nice to see that she wasn’t above using a jukebox, which was probably full of germs but that was just him. Nice choice of song. He smirked as he looked down at the menu. Masculine fingers took his delicate glasses off his face. He wouldn’t need them now since he was in a controlled setting and could see everything that he needed to. Hmm, I feel like waffles. I love breakfast food. He smiled and looked up to see her selection.

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