Sera D'Onofrio (toomuch4you) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-01-31 10:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | #september 2017, jules, jules x sera, sera |
Coffee with Cheerleaders
Who: Jules and Sera
Where: Joyland Coffee
When: Wednesday after practice
Warnings: none
Life had changed for Sera since the last full moon. She didn’t show it outwardly most of the time, but she’d become more cautious, more wary of the town where she’d grown up and what dangers it might hold. She’d hidden behind the counter of the c-store as soon as she’d seen the thing outside it go for the clerk, so she hadn’t had to watch what had happened… but much later, when she’d worked up the nerve to leave, she’d had to wash blood off of her car. That wasn’t something easily forgotten. Sera knew she’d never forget it. She hadn’t spoken of it, had been trying to forget it had ever happened, but she’d been casting quick glances out her car windows while she’d waited for Jules after cheerleading practice.
Getting coffee at Joyland was a semi-regular ritual. Often Hayley went with them, but she’d had to go to the dentist today and hadn’t even been at practice. Today it was the two of them, and Sera was fine with that. She and Jules got on well. It amused her that both of them had dated Cam Malone and the three of them were friends in spite of all that past baggage. High school could be weird.
She sipped at her caramel latte once she got it, raking a strand of hair from her messy, contrived updo behind one ear. She poked at her phone, which was in front of her on the tabletop, and sighed. “I wouldn’t have minded another day off school,” she said idly.
Jules had her own weird shit she was trying to forget about, and getting coffee with Sera after cheerleading practice was her first attempt at normalcy. She was irritated with herself for looking for Jasper at school today, only to come to the conclusion that he'd ditched. Which was fine, it was his life, whatever, but it still annoyed her. And the fact that it annoyed her annoyed her too. She had better things to worry about, certainly. She sipped her own drink, a white chocolate mocha, and glanced out the window at the parking lot. No fog, no rain. It was an okay day. It just felt different, even if school had been pretty routine. Practice had been routine. This was routine. All she needed was a cute boy to come over and flirt with them and Jules could call it a day. It just wasn't that easy anymore.
"I don't," she murmured, turning her attention back to Sera. "If I had to be stuck inside with my stepbrother for one more day, I think we would have ended up fighting to the death. Literally." Jason was a giant pain in her ass, for real. Jules wrapped her hands around her hot coffee cup. "My mom told me your brother is getting married. Are you excited?"
“Wow, yeah, that sounds completely unfun,” Sera said, her nose wrinkling. She’d never minded living in the same house with Caius and, truth be told, sometimes she wished he still lived with them. She smiled when Jules mentioned her brother’s engagement. “It’s awesome. They’re perfect together. I’ll probably be more excited when it’s time to buy something to wear to the wedding.” Her eyebrows arched. “Shopping for weddings and parties is the best.” It somehow had an air of excitement that ordinary shopping didn’t have. She’d used to worry about what if she didn’t like whomever her brother married, but Reagan was beyond cool and Sera had been known to spend time with her without Caius, even.
Jules nodded, though she couldn’t remember the last wedding she had been to. Her mother’s cousin a few years ago, maybe. But any excuse to dress up was a welcome one. And a D’Onofrio marrying a Kelly meant that her family would no doubt be invited. So there was something to look forward to, she supposed. “Speaking of parties,” Jules said, eager to talk about something shallow and frivolous for awhile. Everything felt so heavy lately. “Do you have a date for Homecoming yet?” The posters were up and tickets went on sale Friday, but that didn’t mean people weren’t already asking around, fog and crazy weird shit or not. A dance was a dance, and people in their school ate that shit up. Jules included.
“Not yet,” Sera said, not sounding overly concerned. She wasn’t dating anyone, but she figured she could get a date with somebody without too much trouble. She was a bit too cynical to view high school dances as major romantic opportunities, but who didn’t love the chance to dress up and show off? Sera definitely did. “Do you have somebody in mind?” she asked, stirring her latte before taking another sip. She wondered if there were any rules about bringing someone older. Maybe she’d have to find out. It was always impressive to turn up with an older guy, showing you could catch their interest. Of course, when Sera put her time into her clothes and her makeup in certain ways, she could pass for several years older than she was.
There was no reason to be concerned. Homecoming wasn't until next weekend and she was definitely looking forward to dress shopping. She sipped her drink and glanced around the coffee shop. There were a few people from school she recognized who had come in and she gave them a little wave and a smile before turning back to Sera. "Oh, I don't know..." A part of her wanted to go with Jasper, which had her feeling all sorts of weird and uncomfortable. It felt so unnatural, but at the same time, she kept picturing him in a nice shirt and tie. On the other hand, she could just imagine Jasper's face if she told him he had to take her to Homecoming. They weren't even dating or anything. It would be weird. He would probably laugh at her, honestly. "I thought about asking Cam," Jules said, the words stumbling out before she really gave them any thought. It was just something to say, to make it seem like she had shit figured out. She so didn't.
Sera had picked up her phone and was taking artsy shots of people, decor and her cup to put on insta, then she set it down when Jules answered her question. “He looks hot in a tux,” she said. “Definitely a good choice.” She smirked, mischief in her expression. “Also, he’s a sure thing if you wanna get lucky after.” She wasn’t really dogging Cam. She’d dated him and at least he knew what to do with a girl, unlike a lot of guys around. After pausing to wave at a couple of football players who’d just come in, she added, “I’d love to bring someone nobody would expect, but I can’t think of who.” Any of the football players not already dating someone else would take her, but she’d love to get people talking.
Oh yes, everyone knew Cam was a 'sure thing'. But getting laid wasn't really on her Homecoming itinerary. If she asked Cam, it would be to go as friends. She didn't think he would have a problem with it. It felt like her brain was already trying to decide for her, so she pushed those particular thoughts away and smiled at Sera. Her friends did love to get people all abuzz about something or other. Jules wasn't judging - she did that shit all the time. There was a tiny whisper that Jasper was someone nobody would expect, but... that was totally different. Somehow. "Somebody nobody would expect? There's like, a gazillion guys at school who fit that description, Sera. Unless you're talking about someone from another school, or like, a college guy. You should bring a total nerd," she added with a snicker as she sat back in her chair. "You'd make him king of the school in seconds flat."
“Somebody nobody would expect who’d get positive attention,” Sera clarified. Sure, she could pick someone from the Math Club or a random videogame geek, but she wasn’t sure that would be the thing to do. She crossed her legs and then tucked one foot behind her calf, a position that might not look that comfortable but actually was. She had to laugh at Jules’s suggestion. “King of the school, huh? I might do that sometime if I’m in the mood for a project, but not for Homecoming. I should see if my brother has any hot friends who might do me a favor.” She could only imagine Caius’s expression, and she thought she might do that just for the entertainment value if nothing else. She stifled a sigh while keeping a calm, pleasant smile on her face. Sometimes being the best was so exhausting, and she was sure Jules felt that way too.
"Any hot, older guy would probably do that," Jules said with a shrug. Sera wouldn't be the first girl to show up at a dance with someone older just to get people talking. She chuckled and sipped her coffee, imagining Sera's older brother's face if he knew one of his friends was taking his baby sister to a dance. Wasn't Caius almost thirty or whatever? "We'll have to go dress shopping soon. Maybe we can drive to Portland where the really nice shops are. I don't think my mom has bought any clothes in Point Pleasant in years. There's a boutique she uses for all of her event dresses. We should go there one weekend and see what they have. Jules tapped her manicured nail against her coffee cup before looking at Sera. "Who knows, maybe I'll bring someone nobody would expect. I could use a project." That was a shitty way of saying it, and Jules knew it, but it was the only way she could present it to her friends so she could get a feel about how they would react if she showed up with someone like Jasper Lucas. Jules smiled. "I'll do my charity work for the year and let someone less fortunate take me to Homecoming for a boost in their reputation."
Sera would be fine with going by herself or with some girlfriends if necessary, but it was always fun to shake things up a little. “We can get older guys if we want to,” she said with a small shrug of her own. It wasn’t as snooty as it probably sounded, more matter-of-fact. “I’ll just have to see what I feel like doing.” She declined an incoming call on her phone because she didn’t recognize the number and smiled when Jules suggested a shopping trip. “I haven’t been to Portland in a while,” she said. “We should do it.” Most of her clothes shopping had been done online, but that could be a hassle due to having to send things back if they didn’t fit right or didn’t look as she’d envisioned. She nodded thoughtfully at her friend’s suggestion that she might bring someone less fortunate. With Jules, one never knew, but she and Sera could both get away with that without taking any popularity hits. “Nothing wrong with charity work,” she said, her expression mischievous.
"Let's go this weekend," Jules suggested. "It'll be fun to get out of town after all this stupid weather." She didn't want to wait until next week to try and find a dress. All the good ones would be taken, and she was not wearing something she wore last year. No way. Jules sipped her drink, ignoring the nagging guilt she felt over calling Jasper charity work. She didn't really mean it, after all. She just had to save face somehow. "Maybe someone like... Landon Criss. Or Jasper Lucas. Creepy nerd or juvenile delinquent. I bet I could get one of them to take me to the dance. They'd definitely start getting more attention, at least and I could mark off my good Samaritan quota for the year."
“Perfect,” Sera said. She didn’t have any major plans, and she might rearrange them anyway for a shopping trip to Portland. “We can take my car… it hasn’t been anywhere fun lately.” She loved to drive fast, and the way to Portland was perfect for that. She wasn’t a huge fan of rewearing clothes to dances either, and she felt sure they could both find something that would dazzle everyone. Sera looked thoughtful as she considered Jules’s potential choices. “Well… they’re both decent looking.” It was the truth, and she didn’t mind saying it. “Either one of them would die to take you, I’m sure.” Jules was beautiful and popular and it would definitely boost their status, she thought.
Sera hadn't wrinkled her nose or berated Jules's "options", which made Jules feel a little bit better. But Sera had never been as stuck up as some of their other friends. That still didn't make Jules feel comfortable enough to admit to what she had been doing with Jasper Lucas all summer, and beyond, but it gave her the tiniest bit of hope that maybe being seen in public with Jasper wouldn't be the worst thing. Unless he thought it was. Which was a possibility. She also didn't think Jasper would die to take her to Homecoming - Landon Criss, yes - but not Jasper. But whatever, it wasn't like Jules had made up her mind about the whole thing anyway. "I'll think about it," Jules said flippantly. "I'd rather just get a dress first and then worry about a date later. Well, not too much later, but I'm not worried about it. Someone will want to go with me. But yeah, let's definitely go to Portland this weekend." She knew Sera had a flashy new car, so that would be fun. And spending a bunch of money on a gorgeous dress sounded like just the thing to make her feel better about... everything.
If Sera had thought Jules would be making a mistake by asking either Landon or Jasper to Homecoming, she would have said so. She wasn’t one to let a friend make any serious social errors. Both boys had possibilities in her opinion. She spared a wistful thought for Dom, who’d left town with a guy he’d been dating. It wasn’t as if Dom would have supported her unreciprocated crush in that way anyway, so whatever. She’d find someone to go with. “Dresses first,” she agreed. “We can go to Central Provisions for a late lunch too. Make a day of it.” It had been too long since she’d had a girls’ day, and Jules was the perfect companion.
"That sounds amazing," Jules said, and it did. It gave her something to look forward to this weekend that wasn't scary or weird or whatever. "Speaking of shopping, do you want to walk down Main Street?" It wasn't super warm outside, but it wasn't miserable either and Jules was feeling just antsy enough to spend some money on shit she really didn't need. "I think Veronica's is having a sale on their jewelry and they had a necklace there that I was dying to buy last week.”
Having plans was good. So was doing something normal. There was too much weird in this town, and it’d be nice to get away for a day. Sera brightened at the suggestion of walking over to Veronica’s. “Yeah, let’s do that,” she said, putting her phone away and taking one last sip from her empty cup. She had a lot of jewelry, but there was no harm in a little more. Spending money was a great distraction, every time.