Re: Streets of Manhattan

[Tiger-Lily]

"What'd I do?" Luke replied, stunned that he was associated with a bunch of road-raging apes. The guy glared at him.

Luke abandoned his car.

Oriana sashayed off the track, feeling pleased with the results. She walked on down to the next row of stalls, twirling a lock of dyed black hair around her fingers.

Luke hobbled over to Ashlee. After giving her a once-over to ensure she was in one piece, he asked outright, "What is going on with you two?"

[Guest]

Ashlee had enough of Oriana, and she pushed herself away from James and she couldn't stop herself, "Her, you! I can't stand you! I let you live in my apartment and all you've done is put me down and insult me! What the fuck is your problem! All I did was be nice to you, and offer you a place to stay? Are you seriously that messed up in the head, to have to insult me, and put me down and just be an outright bitch?!"

Ashlee's chest heaved up and down enraged, James just watched in astonishment, it usually took a lot to piss off Ashlee, and clearly Oriana had accomplished that in a very short amount of time.

"Honestly, the only reason I haven't kicked your ass out yet, was because I thought its maybe because I didn't know you and I believed in giving you a chance to show that maybe there is a human in there under your slutty make up, and your skanky clothes! But obviously there isn't so if you're not out by tomorrow I'll have you fucking escorted out by the cops!" Ashlee shouted, turning on her heel and storming away from Luke and James.

[Tiger-Lily]

Oriana sneered at Ashlee. "Honey? One problem. My name is on that rental lease for at least six months. You can't kick me out of my own apartment."

She turned around and sauntered on down the path. "Immature, little runt," she said aloud.

[Guest]

James winched when he heard that, and he knew Ashlee had heard cause she halted in her tracks, and just sighed.

She turned to face James and Luke and said, "Seriously... what did I ever do to deserve this? I thought karma already got me back for breaking your nose Luke?"

Ashlee went to the sidewalk and sat on the curb, " Like really, I don't get her damn problem, I honestly don't. I sit there and try and figure it out, because no one can be like her, I mean hell even Evelyn has a damn heart, but this girl, she just has fucking issues."

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke flinched. She just had to mention Evelyn, didn't she?

He walked over and sat down by Ashlee, slinging an arm around her. He honestly didn't know what else to do. Neither he nor James could help her out with this. She had to live with it.

"Maybe," he said hesitantly, and then hoped James would forgive him for mentioning Evelyn, "she's just like Ev was before she faced her own problems? Like, maybe Oriana doesn't face hr problems or mistakes. She runs from them? Maybe this cold exterior is how she deals with it. Ev used to be an ice-queen, because she was afraid of getting hurt."

[Guest]

James flinched hearing Evelyn's name, but he needed to be there for Ashlee.

He sat down next to her, "Yeah you have no idea, just give her another chance. I guess, and if things aren't going well you're more than welcome to stay with us." James said patting her on the knee, smiling to her.

Ashlee's lips twitched into a smile, and she nudged James, "Thanks back there by the way, you saved me from nearly breaking my neck. Luke is right you are pretty damn selfless."

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke smirked at James over Ashlee's head. "Just that once, huh?"

***

Oriana walked back down the pathway, a cotton candy in hand. She nibbled on the end of it, pursing her lips.

[Guest]

"Okay this was the last time, Ashlee is like mouse-sized all those other cars would have squished her." James could smell the sweet aromas of things in the fair.

"Um do you think the guy won't notice us I really want cotton candy now." James grinned.

[Tiger-Lily]

Oriana smirked at James' words and slowed by him. "He packed up his cart. Mine was the last one." She bit off another piece of hers.

Luke eyed her, unsure if he should laugh or not. He thought she might be subtly propositioning James.

[Guest]

Ashlee rolled her eyes, and just decided to keep quiet she honestly didn't feel like fighting anymore.

James took the piece from Oriana and thanked her, shoving it in his mouth, "Well good thing you got there when you did." He said mouthful of cotton candy.

Ashlee dropped her voice to where only Luke could hear her, "Is there anywhere else we could go where I don't have to talk to her as much?"

[Tiger-Lily]

"Leave her with James?" Luke didn't like that idea. Stupid James with his stupid Evelyn obsession. He was hurting and likely to make a dumb mistake...like he'd made many of. But Oriana was clearly a manipulative girl. Luke didn't want James caught in that after Candice.

"That seems like a bad idea."

[Guest]

"Okay fine we'll take James with us, and maybe we can cut her off in time for me to have the locks changed." She suggested.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke ruffled Ashlee's hair, trying not to laugh loud enough to attract Oriana's attention. She was sitting on James' other side, sharing her cotton candy with him.

"Why is he even talking to her?" Luke asked quietly.

[Guest]

James took his last piece of cotton candy and decided, not to be a pig and finish the entire thing, "Thanks for offering."



"Cause her rack reaches the high heavens and above? I don't know Lucas, he's your best friend ask him." Ashlee prodded him.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke shrugged. "He had a fight with Evelyn on stupid Facebook. She told him to...fuck off." Luke lowered his voice even more. "I don't want to push him again."

Oriana flicked her cotton candy stick to the floor and then crossed her arms over her chest so her shirt stretched without her realizing it. She scanned the nearby crowd, trying to seek out paydirt.

[Guest]

Ashlee sighed, "Poor guy, he's still getting over it?"

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke nodded. He let his arm slip from around Ashlee and rested both arms on his knees instead. "James, we should get going."

[Guest]

James nodded losing interest in tonight, "Yeah I'm wiped I wanna go to bed, and actually go to a class tomorrow." He joked.

Ashlee mentally groaned knowing she had to go back with Oriana, but oh well she thought, "Alright then, I'll see you guys around." She said giving Luke and James a quick hug.

"See ya Ash." James waved at her.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke all but dragged James away from the girls. When they were out of earshot, he glanced over at him. "What with you and that girl? She almost eye-raped you and ou didn't seem to mind, even after what she did to Ash."

Oriana had gotten up when the boys had. She blew a swift wink James' way and then sauntered off, not waiting for Ashlee.

[[Oriana to Ash & Oriana's apt]]

[Guest]

"Wait she did what?" James asked oblivious to what had happened.

[Tiger-Lily]

"She was being a bitch to Ash. You were there," Luke replied, somewhat annoyed. "Or did you not see past her assets?"

[Guest]

"Dude I know she's a bitch, I pratically kept Ash from flying into the Hudson, its just ughhh!" James groaned throwing his hands up and quickening his pace.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke felt another stab of aggravation. "Just what?" he said, trying to keep his tone neutral. What exactly was James prizing over Ashlee's sanity?

[Guest]

James stopped and he he exhaled, "I feel selfish dude! I feel selfish and like a bastard cause Ash is dealing with the roommate from hell, and all this other stuff is happening and all I can think about is myself!"

James turned and faced Luke, "It sucks its been two years Luke, two years! And, I can't do stuff without thinking about her its like I listen to the rain and all I can see is the first time I kissed her." James voice shook a bit.

"Its like I feel like some sort of crazy person, cause she's moved on, you and Ash have moved on and I'm stuck in reverse, going down a mountain."

James took a deep breath, "The night of that party, sure I talked to about twenty girls, but I deleted every one of their numbers I put into my phone and when I thought I saw her last night, Luke I literally felt sick and I couldn't sleep and it pissed me off. Like why does she have such a hold over me?"

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke opened his mouth.

What the hell could he possibly say? He couldn't relate. At all. He swallowed and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

ALexis ahd said that James and Evelyn should meet. Luke had agreed. Maybe now...

No, not yet. James needed closure. And after that chat on Facebook, Evelyn wasn't going to appreciate it any more than James would.

Luke's shoulders slumped. He didn't know how to help James. Or Ashlee. He hated that feeling.

"I don't...don't know," he said at last. "I thought....you were over it? I mean, I knew it bugged you but I didn't think it was that bad."

Maybe James could talk out his anger and pain? That often helped.

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