Re: The Story Begins Here: NYU School Campus

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke nearly toppled forward off the bench. He swung around to stare at Alexis, his fingers tightening. "Um, what?"

Wishful thinking, Lucas.

[JulietsCurse]

Alexis let out the breath she was holding. Why was she so damn awkward and stiff when it came to this around Lucas? When it was with Joel, things ran smoothly- but maybe it was because Joel, she had just met and didn't exactly see him as that "he's kinda like my brother" figure. Or... honestly, she didn't know.

It might be because she was slightly afraid that if they went out- and if they didn't end up going smoothly, that something would crash and burn instead of land, and she'd lose her good friend. But then again, that was the typical cliche fear.

When did she go back to being fourteen?

She looked up at Luke again and cleared her throat quietly. "Do you want to go out on a date this weekend?"She said clearly and calmly this time.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke blinked a few times. She was serious?

"Sure," the word slipped out before he even realized it. Just like that. And then the worry set in. What the hell was he doing? It had taken him and Ashlee a good two years to get back their friendship, and he and Alexis were almost as close. If things wiht Alexis went bad...

It was just one date. What could happen? She'd probably get bored of him, decide he was only friend material - like half the girls who later went on to sleep with James - and then she'd find some James-type and go off with him. They were in New York after all.

Luke suddenly felt disheartened. "Where do you wanna go?" he asked her quietly.

[JulietsCurse]

Alexis frowned a little at the look that went across his face, and swallowed, hoping he really DID want to go. "... We could check out Times Square?"She said after thinking for a moment, glancing at him every now and then, away from the fountain. He STILL had her hand, she noted.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke brightened. He flashed her a dimpled smile. "Yeah, I've always wanted to see that. Tour of NY or something then?"

[JulietsCurse]

"Yeah- sounds great."Alexis said and smiled back at him, full on real smile, which was rare of her also.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke glanced down at his watch. It was nearing six0thirty. "Huh, didn't think it was that late," he commented, smiling back. And then his smile faded as he remembered something,

"James...oh shit." Luke shot up, dropping Alexis' hand. "He must be starving!"

[JulietsCurse]

"Crap- Evelyn."She cringed, getting up quickly also and went into the food bag, pulling out the styrofoam container that had Evelyn's dinner in it.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke passed Alexis a spare bag. "Carry the container in this." He tilted his head in the direction of Alexis' dorm. "You want me to walk you back?" he asked, jokingly. In truth, he kept glancing at his watch, wondering if James would kill him when he returned him.

Hopefully the grape juice worked.

[JulietsCurse]

"As much as I may or may not like that- You should get to James as soon as you can so you'll have less whining."Alexis said with a smirk as she put the container in the spare bag. "Oh- uh... tell him I hope the grape juice worked."She grinned at that.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke had a sudden nagging instinct. He pulled out his phone and pulled up the web browser, logging into the NYU internet. "Um...I don't know if grape juice should work..."

He read a few Google results and then his face faded of color as he looked up at Alexis. "Um...Lex? It's Tomato juice...you were right the first time."

[JulietsCurse]

Alexis' just looked at him, lips twitching as she stifled her laughter as much as she could. Okay- she felt a little bad from the way Luke looked a bit terrified or something of the sort, but, thinking of James looking like a human grape- his skin dyed purple from SOAKING in it for so long- was hard to pass up. "Mhmmm..."

[Tiger-Lily]

"Oh God," Luke whispered to himself more than to Alexis. He closed the browser and put his phone away quietly, wondering how he was going to tell James he had basically wasted his entire day and dyed his skin purple for no reason. Because the skunk smell wasn't affected by grape juice at all...

"He's going to kill me Lex. But it was nice knowing you," Luke proclaimed matter-of-factly to her.

[JulietsCurse]

"Oh c'mon, he isn't gonna KILL you, Luke."Alexis said, raising her eyebrow at him. "He might throw a temper like a two year old- but it'll be worth it when you see him looking like a bad experiment from Willy Wonka's Factory."

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke's lips twitched, and then his amusement won out over guilt. He bit his lip to curb the laughter threatening to explode. James was not having a good day.

"Know what, I'll just pop by 7-Eleven on my way home...buy him some tomato juice this time," he reasoned, slinging an arm around Alexis' shoulders cheerfully. He inhaled and then suddenly cracked up at the vision of a purpled James. In between breaths, he choked out, "Oh man, Lex, correct me if I'm wrong but girls do not dig a purple skintone."

[JulietsCurse]

Alexis looked up at him, with a grin. "Oh no- you're wrong. Something about men being purple makes us totally want to sleep with them. It's kinda that Alien sex-out-of-this-world kinda appeal."She joked, before laughing.

[Tiger-Lily]

Alexis' words weren't helping his mirth any. Luke had to take several deep breaths before he stopped laughing. He let go of her and stepped away, raking his hand through his hair. "Okay, I should really get going." He blew out a regretful breath. He'd been having a genuinely fun time. Unlike the other romantic dates he'd been on...wait, was this a date?

[JulietsCurse]

Alexis gnawed at her bottom lip before looking at him. "I had fun."Alexis said, knowing that either way whatever this really was, that hopefully that would blow over easily to match with whatever.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke glanced down at her and nodded. He pauded and then stepped forward, hugging her briefly with one arm and letting go quickly.

Stepping back, he flashed a small grin her way. "Me too. call me about whenever you wanna..um, go out?"

[JulietsCurse]

Alexis blinked as she hugged him back briefly before he pulled away, and smiled quickly before nodding. "Yeah- I'll uhm, facebook you or calling you."She said, taking a step back as she readied to go for the dorms. "Night Luke."

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke lifted a hand in a brief wave as he stepped away, turned and walked across the quad. He caught a subway to his apartment, and then walked down a few more blocks to the 7-Eleven.

After getting what he needed, he headed back to his apartment.

[[Luke to James & Luke's apartment]]

[JulietsCurse]

Alexis turned, heading to the dorms.

[[Alexis to Freshmen Dorms.]]

[Tiger-Lily]

[[from Luke and James' apt]]

Luke walked across the quad and toward the outdoor tables and chairs near the little cafe on campus. He bought himself a coffee and a bagel and sat down outside the cafe at a table, placing his bag on the seat beside his.

[[from Ashlee and Oriana's apt]]

Oriana crossed campus quickly, heading toward the spot she'd told her friends to meet her.

They were always late. She sat down by the fountain at Washington Square, pulling out a sketchbook and doodling graffiti. Her long hair hung over one shoulder. She was clad today in a single-strap black top and skinnies, and she swung her thin legs under the bench as she worked away.

[JulietsCurse]

((From Freshmen Dorms. And btw, sorry guys, my net crashed last night.))

Alexis walked across the quad, playing with her hair a little, trying to pull her bangs back and out of her eyes with a clip. She let out a frustrated huff as she pulled her messenger bag over her shoulder more before texting Luke. 'where u at?'

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke paused flipping through his science textbook when his phone buzzed. He glanced at Alexis' text and replied, "Cafe. Outdoor table." He put his phone down on the table and resumed flipping through the book.

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