Who: Adam Young and Pippin Galadriel Moonchild Pepper When: 11/6/13 Where: Creekside High School What: A reunion. Rating: PG Status: Complete
If she were being entirely honest, Pepper Williams was none too excited about having to move to California just before her final year of high school. It was bad enough preparing for university when you followed the curriculum all the way through. Now that she had uprooted entirely, she had to go to summer school to catch up.
Not her idea of a good time.
As issues are in high school, Pepper's reaction to it was quite blown out of proportion. She entered Creekside High with a scowl on her face, her mother leading the way. It was just near the middle of the school day, and the redhead dearly hoped lunch hour wasn't right around the corner as they approached the head office. It was bad enough being the new kid -- worse having your mom around too.
It was not unusual for Adam Young to find himself in the principal’s office before lunch time. In fact, it would have been stranger if he hadn’t. Today his third period teacher hadn’t wanted to put up with his usual shenanigans and had sent him off to the principal only ten minutes into class. It wasn’t a new personal record, but it was still something to be proud of.
He’d spent the better part of third period being lectured at by the principal and the school counselor. Not the best way to spend part of your day, but he’d been in a better mood lately, so instead of storming out of the office with a scowl he left with a smirk. He still had some time to kill before the break, and he was not going to take the instruction of the administrators and go back to class. What was the point anyway? So he decided he’d maybe head outside for a bit and wait until the bell rang.
As he set off though, he noticed a woman and a girl who looked about his age heading his way. The scowl on the girl’s face was enough to set him laughing. She was so obviously new and pissed off about it, it’d be rude of him not to take note.
“You should see the look on your face,” he called out to her, grinning. He didn’t care that the woman was probably the girl’s mother. If she wanted to report him for his rudeness, she was more than welcome to.
Pepper looked up at the rather rude intrusion. Meeting his eyes, the girl immediately recognized her childhood best friend and gang mate: Adam Young. She made a face, brows lifting as she set her hands on her hips. He probably wouldn't recognize her -- she wasn't the same awkward freckled girl. Puberty had been kind.
Pepper, however, was not the kind sort. And she wasn't about to censor herself in front of her mother, who hadn't even noticed she'd stopped following.
"What about it?" She asked, all attitude and British accent.
Her stance only had him laughing harder, nearly doubling over as he clutched his sides. Really, this was just making his day better. Previous meeting and lecturing all forgotten with this lovely new diversion.
When she spoke though, he paused. Laughter subsiding, he straightened back up, swiping the back of his hand over his eyes to get rid of any tears. It wasn’t exactly the words that struck him, but the force and accent behind them. In the past four years, he’d gotten used to expecting that ditzy accent so popular in this area. Hearing his own accent echoed back to him was new again. So he took a better look.
Red hair, fierce eyes, freckles. If he hadn’t just talked to her online the other night, he would never have thought it possible. But the coincidence was too much to ignore.
“Pepper?” His eyes widened as he took in the girl before him. She looked almost nothing like she had when they were kids: only a few basic things were the same. No, the person before him was... definitely new. And unexpected. When had Pepper gotten... hot? He vowed to keep that thought to himself, though.
Pepper rolled her eyes dramatically at Adam's show of laughter. Her face couldn't have been that funny. Adam Young, she decided in that moment, was still most definitely a jerk.
As he rose, Pepper had her eyebrow raised. She watched his moment of realization and felt a smirk take her lips. At least he wasn't entirely stupid, too.
"Adam," she acknowledged him, shifting her weight. "Now what was it you were saying about my face?" That it's totally hot and stuff right? Definitely.
He blinked, still processing in his mind this hot new Pepper. It wasn’t every day that you bumped into your childhood best friend and found out they got hot. And that was more than a little unsettling. It helped him recover though.
Pushing his hands back into his pockets, he gave her a smirk of his own. “That I can hardly see it under all those new freckles.” Oh yeah. He could fall back on the jerk card if he needed to.
He looked like he didn't mind for a moment. But then he pulled an Adam and was back to his confident, asshole self. Pepper would never admit she liked it a bit when he was mean.
At least not to his face. His stupid handsome face.
"Not my fault California's full of sun," she pointed out, shrugging. "I see you haven't changed much. Still an ass, then?"
At least they weren't fighting yet, right?
He grinned in response. This was what he had missed. Things just hadn’t been the same after he’d left. Sure, he made friends wherever he went. But he’d have to leave again soon after, and they still weren’t Them. Nothing had been able to replace that, especially not Pepper. She was always his favorite.
Not that he picked favorites. And not like he’d ever say it out loud. Especially not to her.
“Maybe it just doesn’t like you,” he replied with a smile. “I dunno, I seem to recall you following me around pretty much all the time. So I guess you liked my ass.”
His grin widened. He was probably going to get himself punched, kicked, or bit, but it was worth it.
He got the first one. Pepper was seeing red at Adam’s claim, and wasn’t about to let him live that one down. With a pointed look and her signature scowl, the girl nearly growled as she leaned back, wound up and landed her knuckles against his jaw.
Straight in front of the principal’s office, of course. With her mom and the principal coming out to check on them the moment it landed.
Pepper could give her mom something: the woman seemed to have impeccable timing.
“Pippin!” her mom called, sounding none too pleased. She only first named Pepper when she was really mad.
The redhead was still glaring at the blonde pretty boy standing in front of her. “Not even for a second, Young.” and also don't even think of laughing was written all over her face.
Yup, she still packed a wallop. Of course the force of her hit had him stumbling a bit, but he stayed on his feet. He was already recovering by the time the office door opened. Bit of a pity that their lovely reunion was going to be called to a halt so fast, but he supposed it was probably for the best at the moment.
The grin came back as Pepper’s mom called her name, though it was broken by a wince. He reached a hand up to touch his jaw lightly. Yeah, he was probably going to have a bruise tomorrow. Totally worth it though.
He met her gaze unflinching, grin growing albeit a bit lopsided. “Whatever you say, Pip.” A necessary stress placed on the name, just to rub it in a little.
Pepper heard the stress and was none too pleased about it. Her mother called her name once more, this time much more forcefully, and the redhead let out a breath of frustration. She really had great timing.
"Go die in a fire," were her last words directed at Adam (in stage whisper) as she moved toward the office.
“Only if you come with me, love,” he replied with a grin and a wink. Before she could retaliate again, he dropped back a few steps, heading for the door again. He gave her a little salute and a smirk before he spun on his heel, waving vaguely behind him.
“Looking forward to our next little get together, Pep!” He called back, shouldering open the door without a care in the world.