hunks_on_ice (hunks_on_ice) wrote in vivavampvegas, @ 2010-07-17 03:14:00 |
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Entry tags: | guest: abigail mcconnell, guest: eric kinkaid |
The New Girl
Who: Eric and Abbi
Where: Urich Mall
When: Friday, July 16th – Afternoon
She didn't like admitting it, but really? This had been an exciting day for Abigail McConnell. She'd visited
Eric Kinkaid, meanwhile, was a native of these parts, and the Urich Mall was a favorite haunt, not only of his, but also of much of the student body of LVHS. His summer job at the car wash had given him enough money to get a few new t-shirts and a pair of jeans for the coming school year. It had also given him enough extra cash that he could pick up something to eat at the food court. The tall, blond seventeen-year-old was dressed simply in a gray athletic tee with "LVHS Hockey" printed on the front, jeans, and tennis shoes. He stood, hands in his pockets, eyeing the store fronts, trying to choose between Sbarro and Subway. It was a close call.
Ahhh. After a few moments, Abbi walked from Sbarro with a huge slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza, and took a seat at a table a few feet away, crossing her legs demurely as she prepared to dig in. She caught Eric out of the corner of her eye, and, seeing the shirt, silently prayed to every god she could think of that all the boys at LVHS were that good looking.
A few minutes later, Eric was striding away from Subway with a soda in one hand and an Italian Trio on wheat in the other, stopping to grab a few napkins before taking a seat a few tables away from the girl in the black beret. He glanced at her as he sat down, not recognizing her - it was, after all, a mall, and even as frequently as Eric visited the place with his buddies, he didn't know every shopper on sight. The visual contact lasted only a moment, and he smiled at her - just a small pull at the corners of his mouth the way that strangers do - before taking his seat and unwrapping his sandwich.
"You missed out, ya know." She said with a sweet giggle to him, just trying to make random conversation. Hey, do you blame her? What teenaged girl wanted to be at a mall by HERSELF? Maybe she'd make a new friend out of it. "This is PRETTY much the most amazing slice of pizza I've ever had."
The teen glanced up at the sound of her giggle, a quizzical expression on his face. It took him a moment to realize that she was, in fact, speaking to him. She sounded like she could have been his age, but she looked for all the world like one of the coeds he'd seen around the mall from UNLV. "Oh," he replied, his smile widening. "Yeah, usually I get the calzone or hamburger and jalapeno when they have it." Eric paused, sandwich in hand, wondering how to respond. "What are you having?"
"Simple pepperoni and sausage, but... wow. It's heavenly." Now, if she were more like her mother, she'd probably have made a comment about loving sausage. Luckily for all involved? She took after neither of her parents when it came to her personality.
Eric reached for his soda, taking a sip as he considered what to say next. Putting down his drink, he looked at her again and said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm Eric. Do you, like... go to school around here?" he asked. None of the chicks at school dress like that. The truth was, he'd seen girls attempt to pull off that look, but the blonde a few tables down from him made it look good.
"Well... I will in the fall..." She laughed, that little giggle that was almost like bells. "I'm moving here from
Kinkaid was a teenager - more specifically, a teenage boy - so the subtle ways of girls were a mystery to him. The movement of the chair and the raised eyebrow, however, were bold enough gestures that he understood and, in turn, complied. Collecting his food, he picked up and joined her, taking the seat across from the girl in the black beret. "Oh, cool," he replied. "Are you, like, at the community college?"
"College? No... unfortunately not QUITE yet. I'll be a senior at Las Vegas High." She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Because coming in as a senior won't be awkward at ALL."
"Oh, no shit?!" Eric replied, his eyes widening when he realized what he'd just said. Oh, man. Oh, man, oh, man. "I... am totally sorry. I swear my mom raised me better than to curse in front of girls I've just met," he said, haltingly. "Sorry. I'm actually going to be a senior this year, too. Wow - what are the odds of that, huh?" he asked, grinning at her, then taking a hearty bite out of his sandwich, partially to keep from making a bigger ass of himself.
“Swearing in front of girls, I think, just makes you a normal teenager." She said with a sarcastic grin, although her eyes twinkled enough to show she was playing. "Trust me... I hear more swearing from my parents than I'd hear if Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and George Carlin were all playing cards together."
"Oh, man. Okay. Well, I don't feel so bad then, I guess," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Man, she's cute. I wonder if she's into me... Yeah, typical teenage guy, alright. "So, you're moving here from LA, huh? That's cool. What's your name?" he asked, deciding on the direct approach.
"Abigail. Abigail McConnell. You can call me Abbi though." Luckily, she'd already thought up her 'new' history. She knew that since her father was quickly getting famous, especially with people her age, that she had to make shit up. So Pat was now her 'brother'. Hey, there were only about ten years apart, so it was possible! "And yours?"
"Eric Kinkaid," he replied, quashing an impulse to reach over the table and shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Abbi." He took another bite from his sandwich, wiping his fingers on a napkin. "So, did you grow up in
"Sorta, yeah. My parents move a lot, so I've been staying with my brother and his wife. But he's sorta becoming kinda famous now, and she just had a baby... so I wanna give them time to enjoy it all and not be a nuisance." She polished off that slice of pizza, reaching over for her Coke, slipping the straw eagerly between her lips.
"Oh, okay. That's cool," he replied. That made sense, he thought, though he couldn't help thinking how weird it was for her to have a sibling who was already married. Eric dropped his eyes as Abbi took a sip from her cup, deciding to polish off his sandwich. "So, uh... do you play any sports?" Seriously, man? That's your line?
"Not really.. at my last two schools I was a cheerleader though. Hopefully I can make the team here... I kinda love it." Abbi said with a bashful little grin, taking a sip of her drink. "Am I being presumptuous to guess you're on the hockey team?"
"Huh? How... oh, yeah," Eric replied, glancing down at his shirtfront, then back up at Abbi with something of a dopey grin on his face. "Yeah, I play first-line center. I've been on varsity since I was a freshman," he said, a confident - and perhaps slightly cocky - tint to his voice. "I could totally see you as a cheerleader, by the way." And he totally hoped that she took it as the compliment he meant it to be.
"Thanks... and first-line center? Really?" Well. Here was when Abbi went and not only broke down one of the stereotypes about pretty girls by showing her love of sports, but also showed the ONE thing she got from her father. "With a build like that, I'd take you more for a winger. The speed to take the puck in, but with the size to take the hits from the opposing teams defense if necessary..." she shut up then, blushing, as... that had to sound a bit weird coming from her.
A beat passed before Eric realized he was staring at her with his jaw slack. This conversation marked the first time a girl his own age had ever talked to him intelligently about a sport he thought day and night about. Holy shit, he thought, mouth closing with an audible click. "Uh... well, it turns out I'm the best stick-handler and fastest skater on the team. Honestly, I'm bigger than a lot of the defensemen we go up against. Coach was really surprised I could move like I did when I first tried out," Eric explained, some amount of pride evident in his voice.
Now see... if she wasn't so classy? She'd be making a comment about doing some stick-handling herself. Of course, luckily, this is Patience's DAUGHTER as opposed to herself. "I'd love to come to a few of your games next year..." Abbi said, her voice giving her away that yes... maybe she WAS at least a little into him here...
"Oh, yeah. That'd be awesome!" Eric replied with barely restrained enthusiasm, his face very nearly lighting up at her suggestion. "We don't get cheerleaders at our games like the football team and baseball team. But it'd be awesome to have another face in the stands. Normally, it's mostly parents, but some students come, too. We've been pretty good the last couple of years, so that helps with attendance." After all,
"I guess there aren't a lot of hockey fans in this area..." She said with a little smirk. Abbi was actually a HUGE fan of both hockey and football. The other sports? Not so much. But those two... lord in heaven she knew her stuff. "So, do you guys get the same perks as the football and basketball teams? The cool jackets, the pep rallies, all that? I know some schools totally screw you guys with that stuff..."
“Pep rallies, not so much, at least, not since I've been here. But I think they've been talking about starting some up this year. Our season doesn't start until October, I guess to put some distance between the start of our games and the start of football season," Eric explained, confident that she was actually interested in what he was saying. Hey, she'd asked, hadn't she? "But we get the jackets. We've been district champions the last two years, and we've got patches on our sleeves," he added with a proud grin.
"THAT is awesome." She said with a big grin. Ok, so she'd always had a weakness for jocks, and those jackets? To her, were kind of hot. SHUT UP. "I always wished I could play hockey... but I can't skate to save my life."
Wow... The new girl had a killer smile. "It's cool, yeah," Eric replied, trying to act nonchalant. Sure, he may have been captain of the team and the number one scorer, but that didn't mean he had to be a cocky jackass about it. "Well... we play at the community rink, and it's open most of the week. If you want - like, y'know, once you've gotten settled into school and stuff - maybe we could go skating? I could give you some pointers.
So maybe Abbi was jumping the gun because she was so tired of being lonely here. Or maybe she was right and the guy WAS hitting on her. But one way or the other... she grinned, one fine eyebrow rising as she practically purred at him, "Eric... are you asking me on a date?" And cutely enough, the whole thing came out more vampish and sexually charged than she even realized. It was that part of her that, well... had her mother's genes.
What? A date? Where'd she get that idea? Dates are where two people who like each other go do stuff. But, just as quickly as that series of thoughts ran through his blond head, Eric realized what had just transpired in the last few minutes - she'd been flirting back with him. And if that tone and the raised eyebrow were any indication, she was into the idea. "I... yeah, I guess I just did, huh?" he asked, feeling heat rising to his cheeks. Yes, Abbi had, indeed, gotten the overly tall teenager to blush.
"Well... I think I'd be kind of silly to turn you down, wouldn't I?" The blonde grinned and held back a giggle by putting her hand over her lips. "After all... without sounding too horribly flirty, I can't see how I'd be asked out by anyone much better looking or nicer than you..."
"Uh... that's really nice of you to say, Abbi," Eric replied. The teen was certainly no stranger to girls - it came with the territory of being a popular jock in high school - but there was something different about this particular girl. Maybe it was the way she was dressed - the sophistication of her outfit, how positively adult she looked - it definitely set her apart from even the cheerleaders at school. "I usually get to know girls for longer than fifteen minutes before I ask them out on a date," he confessed, a lame attempt at humor. The blush had receded, but Abbi would, no doubt, notice it.
"If it helps, I'm moderately sure we've been talking for at least sixteen... you might be able to get away with a technicality there." The blonde said back with a brilliant smile. "Actually? It might even be seventeen by now."
He grinned back at her - she had a positively killer smile. "Well, alright. Honestly, I'm just trying to get ahead of the game before the school year starts," Eric said, his smile becoming mischievous. "You being the new girl and all - " ... and absolutely smoking hot, he thought - "you're going to be pretty popular in a hurry. Figure it's probably a good idea to get my shot in with you before the competition shows up." He was teasing - mostly.
"You're probably right..." She said teasingly, although really... guys tended to hit on her CONSTANTLY. Just that normally they acted like such morons that she tended to not be interested.
Well, she certainly was sure of herself - he liked confidence in a girl, and Abbi seemed to have it in spades. "So, are you just doing some back-to-school shopping like me, or are you just checking out the local places to see where kids hang out?" Eric asked, taking a sip from his soda, realizing that it was getting a little light. They really had been talking for a little while.
"Just sorta checking out the local scene. Trying to make sure I think I can be happy out here. I was JUST getting used to LA, so..." She let that hang, as really, she didn't WANT to leave Los Angeles... but she understood why it was smart for as many of the future!kids to get out of there as possible. Plus... unlike the other kids, she had a more personal reason. She had recently become the first one to officially 'never exist' in this time.
"Right on. Honestly, most of the kids are pretty friendly. I mean, you've always got your stuck up types, but you're gonna have that anywhere you go. Although," he paused, taking another thoughtful sip from his soda, "you're probably going to have guys coming up to you left and right asking if you need help with anything. That's the kind of thing that can drive the other girls crazy, especially the cheerleader crowd. Just a word to the wise, Abbi."
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I can handle myself." She said with a knowing smirk. Hey... she wasn't some slayer, or witch, or anything like that... but she DID have her own little hidden ability... one that made it hard to hurt her.
"I get that impression," Eric replied, grinning a little at that confident smirk of hers. Either she was in for a world of hurt, or she was going to devour those girls at LVHS alive. "So, you'd said you'd been to two different high schools before this? And you just moved from LA? Are your folks in the military or something?" It was the only logical explanation he could come up with.
"No... but my folks are into doing a lot of charity work for third world countries and such... so that's why I've been living with my brother." She said, haaaating the lying part, but know it was necessary.
"Wow, yeah," Eric replied, his eyes going slightly wide, the mischievous grin giving way to a look of consternation. Now he remembered the part about her living with her brother and his wife. It wasn't as if he was intentionally staring at her legs in those boots, but there was something profoundly distracting about her appearance, gorgeous as it was. "And now you're here. Lucky us," he added, the smile returning.
"Yeah, well... hopefully lucky ME, too." She grumbled. "Sorry... I'm just a LITTLE nervous about my new living conditions. I adore my aunt, but she's also letting my cousin, another of her nieces, move in. And the girl is CREEPY." Yeah... that was one way of describing Courtney. A robotic little antichrist was another... "At least my best friend is gonna be there too. So I have someone to distract me from Ki... Courtney's weirdness."
God, she's cute even when she's annoyed, Eric thought, trying not to stare. "Well, at least you'll have one family member you get along with - and your friend," he replied after a moment. "Sounds like your cousin will fit in with our resident crowd of weirdos." He winced. "Sorry. That was nasty. Goth, emo, whatever. You know the type, I'm guessing." He toyed with his empty cup a moment. "It's just Mom, me, and my sister at home. Andrea's ten."
"Hopefully your sister is more normal than my cousin. She's... I dunno... can you BE a mostly normal-looking, blonde goth? If so, I guess that's the best way to describe her." Ok, so black-magic-using, sadistic, anti-social demon-child would be better..."
As normal as ten-year-olds get, I guess. She's a good kid, and I help my mom take care of her - help her with homework, make her snacks after school. That sort of thing. But man, she is absolutely obsessed with this singer, Haylee James. You heard of her? Real weird chick - dresses like a total weirdo and sings mindless synth pop," Eric explained. Of course, it was only after his lips stopped moving that he realized that the cute girl sitting across from him could be a huge Haylee fan.
"Huh. Really?" Well, this should score some bonus cool points, right? "One of my best friends, her Dad works for the record company Haylee just signed with. I could probably get your sister an autograph or something if I asked..."
"Oh... yeah, I mean... wow. Sure, that would be great. Man, Andrea would absolutely flip her lid if she got something like that," Eric said, his brows lifting as he considered Abbi's offer. The girl had, indeed, definitely just scored some bonus cool points. He couldn't stand the bizarre singer's music, but he knew something like that would make his kid sister indescribably happy. "That's nice of you to offer, Abbi. Thanks," he said, flashing her his best smile.
"It's no problem. They usually sign rock and metal acts. I think they signed her more for the publicity than anything. Her music isn't bad... she's just kind of weird." The blonde smiled, before looking at her phone, as it began to ring, playing "Octopus' Garden" by The Beatles as her ringtone. Seemed she and her parents had at least ONE thing in common...
"If you say so. But then, you don't have a ten-year-old blasting her CD at all hours of the day," Eric retorted, grinning. As Abbi's cell went off, Kinkaid found himself wondering what kind of music she liked and was pleased to hear the familiar song coming from her phone. "Ah, if you need to take that," he said, gesturing vaguely in a way that he hoped she interpreted to mean, 'I can leave you to it and I still totally want to take you ice skating.'
Abbi nodded, and quickly opened the phone with a sigh. "Yeah... no problem. No... seriously, I understand, Aunt Addison, I know how Courtney gets when she's flustered. I'll be there shortly." She hung up, an apologetic look on her face. "Apparently my cousin wants to get home to her girlfriend and is being a total doof to my Aunt. I'm gonna have to go..." She pouted, but then gave a sly grin. "But I intend to take you up on that skating offer."
Eric had been about to stand from the table so as not to intrude on her conversation, but just as quickly it was over, and he remained seated. "That's cool," he replied, noting how positively adorable she was when she pouted. Oh, man, he thought. "Well, I'll definitely be up for it. Uh, listen, Abbi," he said, reaching for his own phone, flipping it open. "Can I get your number?"
"Sure..." She said with a silent thrill, as she hadn't given her number to a boy since leaving to come to this time. She wrote it down quickly on a napkin (in lipstick, sweetly, since that was all she had ON her), and slid it over to him. Oh, and in her name? She dotted the 'i' in 'Abbi' with a HEART. Jesus. HOW WAS THIS GIRL PATIENCE'S DAUGHTER???
For his part, Eric had fully expected to just punch her number into his phone, but his thumb froze over the keypad when he saw her take out a tube of lipstick, removing the cap and twisting it open to write on a napkin. The blond delicately picked up the napkin, studying the numbers and letters, holding it lightly between his fingers. "Thanks, Abbi. I'll... I'll call you," he said, finding his voice after a moment, flipping his phone closed again.
"I hope so. Kinda want to have something to look forward to doing once I get here for good." She giggled, standing, and cutely kicked one foot up behind her as she threw him a wink and a little peace sign, grabbing her bags and turning to walk away.