Opposites Attract (Ambria and tamaracorine)

[Ambria]

@tamaracorine


I'm going to post the CS format right now!

 

[tamaracorine]

Summer had finally arrived. It had taken forever to show up, and the weeks of finals were filled with manic studying and a manic effort to tear apart the insides of a school bus the district had sold dirt cheap and then rebuild it into something usable. There was a double bed at the back of the bus, with a curtain that could be pulled across to conceal those sleeping there, and two loft beds with couches underneath and a table that could be folded into the middle. The front portion held a small kitchen area, and the driver's seat was a comfortable seat instead of the original driver's seat.


Leah walked onto the bus first. It was parked in her front yard, after all. Andy would be late, she knew, so she waited impatiently for Connor to arrive, sitting on the edge of the double bed at the back after shoving her bag of clothes in one cupboard, and her make up bag into the corner of what would be Connor's cupboard. She swung her legs back and forth nervously. "Hurry up, Connor..." she muttered impatiently.

 

[Ambria]

Connor actually had worken up earlier that very same morning to be ready by the time they had planned to leave -- that is, until he got a call from one of his close female friends. The same friend he had found himself trying to invite before, but swore up and down that she could never make it. Now, though, she was all ready to go and practically begging him to allow her to ride along. If not for him, than for her. She needed out of that house she was forced to call home.


He arrived at Natalie's apartment complex around lunch time. The whole place looked at him. He knew what they were whispering on about, but would never acknowledge a word they said about he or Natalie. He wasn't into her, and she wasn't into him -- anymore.


Yeah, at one point they had a thing. It lasted a couple days, and they quickly realized they were better friends than lovers. Natalie was placed into the unlovable category from such a young age, she didn't really even know what it felt like to be loved.


He helped her with her bags, then tossed them into the back of his two year old F-150. He looked around before be got into his truck, making sure there were oncoming cars to hit him and knock the door off of his baby-- I mean, his truck.


Natalie got in shortly after him, and buckled herself up.


"How can you let them talk about you like that?" He questioned, pulling the seatbelt over his chest with a quick grunt of displeasure.


"Don't worry about it, Connor. I'm fine. It doesn't bother me anymore." Natilie lied through her teeth, but he would be non-the-wiser.


The rest of the way there was pretty quiet apart from the music that was playing in the background. Channel 15 on XM, if they could be exact. But once they got there, Connor jumped out to go and greet his love. "Sorry I'm so late," he whispered, "I kind of got sucked into bringing her with me."

 

[tamaracorine]

Leah looked up as he entered the bus, then raised an eyebrow at the sight of Natalie. Natalie had been a problem for quite a while at the beginning of their relationship, and while she was okay with their friendship, she wasn't really okay with her presence on the bus. She took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah. Okay." she smiled faintly, wrapping her arms around him. "It's good to see you." she said quietly. Natalie had always made her feel insecure. Leah wasn't pretty like Natalie was. Leah was striking in her appearance, but Natalie seemed to be a natural beauty. Leah froze around the girl, and though she would normally greet Connor with a long kiss, this time all she could do was hug him.


Andy walked into the bus a moment after Connor and Natalie, tossing his bags into a cupboard. "I'm Andy." he told Natalie with a polite smile. "I don't think we've met before?"

 

[Ambria]

Connor knew excatly what the problem was the moment he saw Leah's face. Yeah, it was that obvious. Rather or not he knew of her insecurities around Natilie, he still knew there was something there. Something that bothered Leah enough that she seemed scared to acthally kiss him as she normally did.


"Is there something up?" He tilted his head to the side as he made his way to the back of the bus, checking to make sure they had all the emergency gear if it were needed. You never know now-a-days what you'll need on a trip. "Don't give me that silent treatment, Leah. You should know by now just how much I hate it." He turned back to face her, his eyes trying to find something hidden in hers.


Nothing.


There was nothing to find — or, well, maybe there was . . . Maybe she was just dang good at hiding her thoughts even when the emotions fell through the cracks when she least wanted them to.


"I know for a fact there's something bothering you. . ." He walked even closer, then tiled her head back with his gentle hand and placed a sweet kiss on her luscious lips.




Natilie looked up when she heard the voice behind her. Another person?


Wonderful.


"Natilie," she smiled that perfectly perfected good girl smile. "No, I don't think we've been introduced. I've seen you around school, though." She nodded softly. Even if the smile on her face was short lived, it was a start.


Natilie stepped off of the bus when things got deep, in lack of better words. She knew when her presence was and wasn't wanted — this time, by the signals she was gathering from Connor who was practically trying to pretend she wasn't there.


I shouldn't have came.


Maybe that was true, but it was far too late to turn back now. She'd already ruined most of his morning, she couldn't make it worse by forcing him to drive her home.


The young woman reached into the bag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Just one, she'd wisper to herself. As if it actually ever made a difference.

 

[tamaracorine]

Leah closed her eyes as he kissed her, wrapping her arms around his waist. She glanced at Natalie and Andy and decided that for the moment it was safe to leave them alone. She pulled Connor onto the double bed and closed the curtain, then crossed her legs and sat on the bed to look at her boyfriend. "I know you invited her, but she said no, didn't she?" she asked. "I thought... I thought she wasn't coming, and now she's here, and I don't quite know what to make of it." she admitted with a light shrug. "I'll get over it. I just... I'm not angry at you, or her, or anyone. I'm sorry." she smiled faintly at him. "I wont give you the silent treatment." She moved forward and sat on his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. "Maybe I'll end up liking her, huh?"


Andy leaned against the door of the bus, watching Natalie light up her cigarette. "You know, you and Leah could be friends." he told her simply. "You don't look at Connor like you're interested in him, and so her reasons for not liking you are silly. Maybe you two should just punch each other and then be friends." he suggested, ever blunt. A small smile persisted on his lips. "You should get back on the bus. I've got the first driving shift and we're heading south to the coast."

 

[Ambria]

Connor watched her. His eyebrows furrowed softly as she spoke, but he couldn't help but wonder what the real problem was. That couldn't be it, right? There had to be more to this story that she wasn't telling him.


"You don't know what to make of her?" He asked softly, outstretching a hand to touch her cheek. Though, he was stopped short when she climbed into his lap and rested her head against his shoulder. Of course, he wouldn't turn her away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist; one hand rested on the small of her back while the other was braced against the back of her neck, intertwining with her hair. "I hope so," he whispered softly, his lips brushing against her collar bone before he gave it a quick kiss. "She's really not all that bad-- there's nothing to worry about with her. She's loyal, and a wonderful friend."


Natalie nodded softly in reply to the young man. "Yeah?" She rose a brow. "How would punching her make anything better?" She stepped back onto the bus, then walked over to the seat that was supposed to be beside the driver -- I.e. Andy. She kind of liked this kid. He was the first one in a long time who was actually honest about things, you know?


"So, what do you think our problem is?" She questioned, turning to face him. "I mean, I've no problem with her. I just don't think she likes me, though. I've tried to be nice to her, but every attempt has failed miserably." She sighed softly, putting her cigarette out. "It could be because I kind of dated her boyfriend for like a day, but why should that matter?"

 

[tamaracorine]

"Understood." Leah nodded, sighing and letting herself relax. "I do want to try this. I want to try to be her friend. I'm sorry. I'll stop sulking and work on this. I'll be friendly to her and we'll see how it goes." She lifted her head to smile at him. "We get the double bed, by the way..."


Andy started the bus and began to drive, thinking as he moved the bus through the streets. "Leah was picked on by people who look a lot like you for most of school. You didn't stop them, and she feels like you're better than her." He explained. "She'll warm to you eventually. You just need to be nice to her. It's not half as complicated as we make it seem."

 

[Ambria]

Connor smiled one of his deadly charming smiles. He was just happy to be there with her-- it wouldn't have mattered if he had to sleep on the other end of the bus. Just as long as she was there with him, nothing else mattered one bit. Of course, he was beyond reluctant when it came to getting up. "We should probably get up there," He whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "They'll both get the wrong impression." He winked, tucking an out-of-place stand of hair behind her ear.


Moments like this is what Connor lived for. . . the way she felt against his skin, the sweet scent of her perfume . . . it was pure bliss in the finest form. Sadly, all blissful moments had to come to an end eventually, right? Well, now was pretty much that time.


He reluctantly pushed back the curtain and stood back up, extending a hand down toward the beautiful woman he was able to call his own, and helped her up. "I think I need to go and make sure the spare tire is still under there," He paused, taking a second to think. "As well, I need to make sure my bags get on the bus. Natt's, too. She'd kill me if I left all of her stuff behind."




Natalie rose a brow in respectful protest to what he was saying. Granted, she may not have ever stopped the bullying, but that's because she hadn't seen or heard about it until the last day of school, when Connor brought it up to her. She felt bad, and that was quite obvious, but what all was she supposed to do?


"You do realize, I don't have all the power at that damn high school, right?" She questioned, tucking the carton of cigarettes' into her over-the-shoulder bag that she always carried with her. "I mean, if I would have known I could have helped a bit," She winked her nose. "I didn't, though. . . not until the last day. Even if I had, I had far more issues at home to deal with than worrying about other people's shit."


She didn't mean for it to come out so rude and obnoxious, but she couldn't exactly help it. It was the person she was turned into after being bullied in her middle school years.

 

[tamaracorine]

"Dude, the bus is already moving." Leah raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't see how you missed that. The vibrations? Yeah, that wasn't me being happy to see you." She teased, getting to her feet and walking towards the front of the bus. She sat on one of the chairs and looked towards Natalie. "I... I might have not been friendly like I should have been when you got on the bus. I'm sorry. You don't deserve that."


Andy turned and smirked a little at his cousin, then looked at Connor for a second before turning his attention back to the wheel. "So what's the plan? Beach first, then where? And uh, can we have some sort of signal for when you guys need privacy? Or can you just do it quietly? I don't want to hear my cousin moan."

 

[Ambria]

Connor just totally missed it. How? He had no idea. However, that was something he could go back to later, right? Right. He must have gotten all of their things on before he walked inside. Yeah, that was it. "I was planning on the beach." He said, taking a seat beside Leah. "Oh, and the signal... trust me, I'll just kick you two out whenever that happens. You don't even have to worry." He chuckled softly, resting his hand on Leah's thigh, almost protectively.


He watched she and Natalie, hoping the two wouldn't make this trip hard. Though, what she said actually made him proud -- she wanted to make things better. He wanted to wrap her in a hug and jump up and down. "Thank you," He whispered, leaning in to place a kiss on her cheek. "That was really brave, babe."


Natalie, on the other hand, was pretty much quiet apart from the quick, "It's okay." and the small smile that crossed her full lips. There, of course, were no hard feelings. But, that was pretty much the normal reaction from people when Natalie stepped in the room; they either felt intimidated, or wished she wasn't there. They never took the time to actually get to know her.


"Beach, totally. I've got a new bikini, and I'm ready to try it out!" She smiled, "Anything to get out of that godforsaken hell-hole I live in."

 

[tamaracorine]

"Beach it is. We can sleep in a parking lot." Andy said. He had planned most of the trip out, Making sure every detail was right. It was what he did best. He let out a happy sigh as they hit the highway and he could speed up a little. "Just make sure it isn't while we're driving." He told Connor. "Same goes for cat fights, ladies. Off the bus only."


Leah rolled her eyes, "shut it, Andy." She snapped, laughing a little to show she wasn't actually angry. She smiled at Connor, nodding, "no problem." Finally her attention turned to Natalie. "Where do you get bikinis from? I've always had trouble finding any that actually fit my boobs..." She laughed awkwardly.

 

[Ambria]

Natalie glanced down to her own chest with a slight chuckle. "Ugh, VS." She said softly, "Same goes for my bras. My size is hard to find, believe it or not. But we probably wear the same size, I'm guessing. . ." She tapped her chin as she glanced to the back of the bus.


Natalie was conjuring up an idea in the back of her pretty head. I guess you could say she was more than happy to try and make things better with the girl. Leah, for one, had never done anything to hurt her, so why was she trying so hard to avoid her before? Because of Connor? Possibly.


"You can try on one of mine if you like," Natalie said, pushing herself back onto her feet with a slight grunt. She quickly made her way to the back and pulled one of her totes out of the bunk bed she was supposedly staging in.


The bottom bunk, of course.


"I have this red one that looks like it would look good on you," she whispered as she began to dig through her bag, tossing out bikini, after bikini until she found the one she wanted -- a cute little red swimsuit that practically screamed Leah's name, or well that's what Natalie thought.


Once she finally found it, she unwrinkled it, and walked back out -- being careful not to stumble over when the bus hit a bump. "Here you go," she smiled, holding it out in front of her. "It looks like it would fit you. Personality and all."

 

[tamaracorine]

Leah raised an eyebrow, her painted red lips curling into a smile. "I'll try it..." She decided, walking to the back of the bus and changing into the bikini. Her skin was pale, and one tattoo sat on her hipbone, but she covered it with the bikini as much as she could. Not even Connor had seen it yet.


She returned to the front with her arms folded across her stomach awkwardly. "I sort of feel naked..." She muttered.

 

[Ambria]

Natalie had plopped down beside Connor when Leah got up to go and change into the bathing suit. They chatted for a couple of minutes, until Leah came back out to show them.


Connor, of course, was beyond pleased with the little thing. That is, until his eyes wondered down to see a discolorated spot on her hip. He couldn't help but wonder what exacrly that was, but you wouldn't find him asking about it now. If anything, he wouldn't even bring it up until they were alone. He didn't want her to get pissed at him just yet.


Natilie stood, then looked her over with this devilish half smile. "I'm an artist."


"An artist of expensive quality," Connor commented.


"Oh hush, you're just sad you couldn't do it for anyone else."Without a second thought, Natalie slid a hand over her lips and slid back into the seat up front, beside Andy.


Connor was kind of embarrassed -- beyond embarrassed. "You look great, Leah. . ." He whispered, trying desperately to change the subject. He couldn't believe Natalie had the guts to bring that up. Again.

 

[tamaracorine]

Leah moved over to sit with Connor again, sitting with her head on his shoulder. "What was that about?" She asked quietly. "You can tell me."


Andy smiled at Natalie. "You're trying with her, huh?"

 

[Ambria]

Connor moved over quickly. He had almost reclused into his shell. Maybe she wanted to know what it was, but honestly he had no intention of telling her in front of her cousin. Though, if they happened to be alone, or her cousin and Nat weren't listening, it'd be different.


"Well," Connor leaned his head back against the chair, "When we first started dating, it was strictly supposed to be a prom night kind of thing -- we went, left. . . and made our way to a hotel." He scrunched up his face, glancing up front to see if the other two were listening. When he was sure they weren't, he went ahead. "She didn't do it for me. I mean, we both pretty much tried everything -- and I was desperate. . . But nothing happened, and she broke up with me because, apparently; 'I didn't like her enough.' Whatever that's supposed to mean..." He whispered, looking back up front.


Natalie, on the other hand, was too busy with talking to Andy to pay much attention to Connor. "Yeah. Trying. I think I just embarrassed the cocky little Connor, though. Poor thing." she murmured, digging around her bag for a cigarette. "Do you have a light?" She asked softly.

 

[tamaracorine]

"Right." Leah nodded weakly. She stood up and looked at him with a small smile. "Can I borrow one of your sweaters, babe?" She asked hopefully. "I'm not angry at you. I promise."


Andy shook his head, "Nope. They'll kill you and all of us too." He told her bluntly. "Why would you pay to get cancer?"

 

[Ambria]

"'Course," Connor nodded as he let his gaze fall. "Well, you could." He shrugged softly. "But, I honestly can't remember where I put my bags." He chuckled softly, quickly standing up to go and hunt for his bags. It took a good few minutes minutes for him to find it under all the junk it the back. "Here," he pulled out one of his sweat shirts. "It's not a sweater, but it should do the same job." He smiled, handing it out to her.


Natalie glanced back over at him, placing the killing thing between her teeth. "Why would I pay to get cancer?" She asked. It was pretty obvious it was more of a rhetorical question. "Because maybe these damn things are the only things that ever make my pain go away." She shrugged. "When you go through half of what I've been through in my life, then you can come to me and talk about it."

 

[tamaracorine]

"Thanks." Leah smiled and slid it over her head, then wrapped her arms around him. "Hey, are you alright?" She whispered. "You seem out of it..."


"Oh, don't pull that. I won't pity you." Andy told her. "You make choices. You're not a victim of your life. You get to choose how you react."

 

[Ambria]

Natalie took the cigarette out from between her lips. "Mmhm," she simply nodded, placing it back inside the carton once more. "You really do think you know it all, don't you?" She asked. Nothing wrong with a friendly question, correct?


She was boiling.


That was the one line that you didn't cross when it came down to it; her past and her household issues were close to her heart.


"So, tell me, Smart guy; have you ever been abused? Have you ever been taunted daily by school kids about how they magically found out that your father was one of the biggest serial rapists in our state? Huh? Did your mother ever throw hot irons at you because she was so. . . What did she say-- ashamed of you? Oh, oh, my favorite! Does your mommy's little friend sneak into your room at night?"


She shook her head. "Don't tell me I chose my life. I ninty perecent of the time, I wish I had another way out. So yeah, the cigerattes are my escape. And they'll probably kill me. So freaking what?" With that, she stood up and walked into the back; to her bunk bed where she quickly and quietly closed the curtain.


Connor shook his head softly. "I'm totally --" he trailed off as he heard the two up front. Great. "What the hell," he took a step toward the front of the bus, then over to where Alvin was. "What was that all about?" He asked, practically staring him down. "What'd you say to her?"


(OOC: sorry for the drama! I just had an idea and went with it. Hope you don't minde.)

 

[tamaracorine]

(Alvin?)


Andy groaned, "Everyone suffers. Everyone goes through crap. And some people take up running or they write or they paint or they do something productive with their anger. Just because you've gone through pain, doesn't mean you get to cause more pain for other people by slowly and surely killing yourself." he didn't look away from the road as she stormed away, not at all worried. For him, logic mattered, and her behaviour wasn't rational.


"Andrew!" Leah snapped. "Just because you're a robot who demands rationality doesn't mean everyone else is wired the same. Say sorry, you tool." she called to him, sitting down on the couch again.


"I won't apologise because she responded poorly to situations. It isn't my fault." Andy told Leah firmly, calling out to her. He kept his eyes on the road. "Look, stuff happens. I've had things happen that have hurt and man, there's options that would feel good but end up doing more harm. I don't want to leave the people I love without me in the end, when I could have prevented it. You're not a victim to be pitied. You're a survivor who is learning to overcome, and I refuse to treat you as anything else."

 

[Ambria]

('Twas supposed to be Andy. My phone corrected me. Lol)


Connor rolled his eyes. Maybe that's what Andy thought; and it wasn't a bad way to think at all, but sometimes being so blunt in the presence of a sensitive woman wasn't the best of ideas.


"All you had to do was nod your head," he replied. "Nothing else. I mean, yeah, what you're saying is valid, but there's no way for you to be that blunt and expect her to be alright about it." He growled, making his way to the back of the bus so he could calm Natalie down.


She just moved over when he pushed back the curtain and sat down on the side of her bed. She just sat there, staring at her small pile of stuff. She'd dumped her bag out when she walked back there, praying that she'd be able to find a lighter. As much as she wanted one, there was none anywhere to be found.


"Don't give me a lecture, Connor. I don't want to hear it."


"I'm not giving you a lecture, Natalie. I am here to check on you, to be perfectly honest with you." He trailed off, "and to tell you that you shouldn't get all huffy about it! He doesn't mean it how it sounds, I promise."


"Yeah, right." Natalie let out a soft sigh. "Okay, okay... Just go and spend time with them, alright? I just want to be alone. I need time to think."


Connor nodded respectfully and stood up to walk back to the front of the bus. He sat down where he had been previously, and folded his hands in his lap. If was pretty obvious he battling a mixture of emotions in his head. But that's how he worked: he had to think things through or they'd go wrong.

 

[tamaracorine]

Leah was laying quietly on a couch, watching Connor as he sat down. She knew Andy only meant well but there was no way to defend him without her sounding horrible. She closed her eyes and reached down to scratch the tattoo on her hip.


As she scratched it, the bikini slid a little and revealed the tattoo. It was a picture of a beach, with two silhouettes standing in each other's arms where the water met the sand. Her first kiss with Connor had been at a beach.

 

[Ambria]

Connor let his eyes wonder over once more, only to see that discoloration on Leah's skin once again. For the second time.


"What's that?" He asked softly, gesturing to the tattoo she had been hiding form him for so long. "How long have you had that thing?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. Not in an angry way, he just was confused; why wouldn't she tell him about something so simple as that?


He let his eyes soften and his gaze fall, once again, and laid his hands in his lap. Had he done something wrong that made her not want to talk to him about it?