Re: Central Park

[Tiger-Lily]

She hesitated and then shook her head slightly. "Not, I mean...maybe as friends?" God knew she didn't want to give him another chance to exercise his hold over her. Even if he didn't know he had it. Jake had been right when he said he hated that feeling of being controlled. Evelyn didn't want to go there again. Not yet anyways. And James was very good with pushing his way in where he wasn't wanted.

This is pathetic, she fumed to herself, not meeting his eyes. I shouldn't be worrying about him influencing me. He shouldn't be able to...shouldn't be able to make me feel like I'm walking on glass like this. But I'm still vulnerable, even after all this, because I know he can. I just hope he doesn't know that.

[Guest]

James mused over the thought for a bit, starting over was something that sounded that it could go better then them just trying to sift through all their baggage they had together, "Alright then I guess we'll start over then."

[Tiger-Lily]

She nodded and then got to her feet, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "All right." She wondered just how the hell they would do that. Pretend they didn't know each other?

[Guest]

James got up slinging his backpack over one shoulder, he looked back at her, "So I'll be seeing you then?"

[Tiger-Lily]

She shrugged, cringing inside at how awkwardly this was going. But at least they'd made an effort to start somewhere.

"See you," she replied, flashing him a brief smile. It didn't feel completely fake, thankfully. Because she suddenly felt better about the whole situation. No more ugly knots in her stomach whenever James opened his mouth. At least she hoped not.

Who knew, they might just work out well as friends. That, Evelyn though as she turned away, would actually be something she could live with really well. She still doubted it'd happen though.

"Aren't you headed to the subway stop too?" she asked James over her shoulder.

[Guest]

James looked back and remembered he did need to take the subway back to the apartment.

"Oh yeah, I do need to go on to take it back the apartment."

[Tiger-Lily]

Evelyn nodded at him and resumed walking towards the exit to the park. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling guilty. She hadn't cleared the air completely. She hadn't mentioned Jake at all.

Should she? She didn't see a reason to kill the mood. And, hopefully, after thisi weekend, that would be over with.

She glanced up at the subway stairs and sped up, entering them ahead of James. At the bottom, she turned around, ponytail whipping her cheek. "I have to head South to Wall Street. I'll see you around then? If we're...trying this whole friends, thing, we shouldn't be avoiding each other, right?" she added with a wry grin.

[[Evelyn to work & Dorms, James to LJ's Apt]]

[Guest]

[[ James, Seth, Luke, and James from Streets of Manhattan]]

James and Jacob both flew behind the bushes, and they waited for a couple of moments, before James said quietly, "Is he gone?"

Jacob lifted his head and glanced back and forth on the street and realized the guy had probably decided not to follow, he stood up shaking off a few leaves that ended up on his jacket from the bushes, "Yeah he's gone."

James stood up and just looked straight ahead shaking his head in disbelief, "I can't believe a guy chased us cause of a chocolate bar, actually wait he chased us cause you shoved it in his face." He said turning back to Jacob.

"Oh whatever, he was being an dumb ass." Jake gave Seth a kick in the side, "Get up Princess."

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth shushed him, pointing straight ahead to where a strawberry blond girl and a redhead walked their way down the slightly deserted pathway.

Luke peered around his bush and then quirked an eyebrow. "Okay?"

Seth cracked a devilish grin. "Methinks the animals can wait."

[Guest]

Jake watched the two girls he was going to say something when he remembered that James and Luke were with him and if he even looked at these girls, they would find it odd, that he has a "girlfriend" and he's hitting on girls. Although just about every guy he knew who was in a relationship still talked to girls even though they had girlfriends.

As Jake had a mental argument with his brain, James looked at the busy street of Manhattan while yellow cabs passed, since they had still been near the entrance.

The two girls caught sight of James, the two of them whispered to each other and reached into their purses, reaching for something, Jake stopped his thought process and watched for a moment.

The girls scribbled onto the paper and the both of them went over to James, the strawberry blond tapped him on the shoulder and he looked and saw the two females.

The redhead giggled, and they both handed him the small papers, "Call us handsome." They both purred, walking out of the park, looking back at him, and they both giggled again.

James smirked waving at the girls and pocketing the numbers.

Jake's jaw dropped and he looked down at Seth, "Did you just see what happened?"

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth was busily wiping his mouth free of chocolate with some tissue. "Didn't I tell you?" he answered simply. Luke snickered, but otherwise looked completely unsurprised as he leaned against the tree, legs crossed in front of him.

Seth glanced up at Jake. "You've probably got the only girl in Manhattan who wouldn't do that. Besides Lo, I guess." He paused and added, "Then again, you don't have her, in a way. He does.

[Guest]

"What are you talking about? She's my friend that's gross." Jake said, and quickly realizing that Seth wasn't talking about Lola, he bit his lip and just looked away, Seth was annoying but he was really starting to get on his nerves.

"Whatever no big deal, so Seth are you going to sit under the tree all night or should we go?" James asked shoving his hands into his pockets.

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth stretched and then rolled to his feet, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "Hell no. Let's get moving. There will be more girls later," he mouthed to Jake when James turned away.

Seth led the way towards the zoo. They passed giant sculptures: Alice on a mushroom, Casper and more. Seth snickered as he swayed to a stop. "I think Alice needs a mustache. She's been standing here like a nun too long."

"Are you high?" Luke asked, and Seth nodded easily.

[Guest]

James laughed, "Okay so how the hell are we getting in?"

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth shrugged. "Espionage and sneaking in? How else." He shoved Jake ahead of him. "Go ahead, macho man."

[Guest]

Jacob inspected the zoo for a moment, he found a part in the fence they could climb, he took a deep breath and stepped back a few feet, so he could pick up some momentum. He took a running start for the fence climbing it quickly, flipping over and landing swiftly on his feet on the other side.

James raised a brow, at Jake, "Geez, you're like those spider monkeys." He followed Jacob climbing over the fence to the other side and landing next to Jake.


Jacob looked at James as he landed next to him, and back at Luke and Seth, "Come on you two."

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth followed easily. Luke took his time.

"This better be worth it," he muttered. Seth pulled out his flask andhanded it ot him. Luke hesitated before taking a swig of it and choking.

He swallowed it down anyways. Seth grinned, took the flask back and tilted some of its contents into his mouth. "Anybody want some before we sneak into the back?" He pointed wiht his free hand over at the nearest exhibit. There was a side door leading to the areas where the zookeepers walked to feed the animals.

[Guest]

Jacob took the flask taking another big swig and handing it back to Seth, James took another and tried to curb his reaction to the alcohol to it this time.

Jacob felt the buzz start to kick in as did James, Jacob looked to Seth and handed him back his flask, "Lead the way."

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth made his way along the shadows to the poorly-lit part of the park. "Meld in, boys," he commanded, slipping into the shadows.

Seth waved them on as they neared a gorilla exhibit. He sidled towards the door to its side and the gorilla nearest to them swung around as if accusing them.

"In there," Seth muttered to Jake, who was right beside him, pointing at a door through which a blond zookeeper exited just then. "It's like a back hallway connected to most of the exhibits and it's how they feed them."

The gorilla leaned over behind the bars, snorting at James. Seth stepped back so the zookeepers wouldn't get suspicious. "We have to all get in there and not get caught breaking in. I think she left it unlocked but she could be coming back soon."

[Guest]

James lept back from the huge gorilla, following Seth and Jacob he looked around to see if anyone saw them sneaking in.

Jacob tried the door and Seth had been right it was unlocked, he opened the door slightly and motioned the guys forward, "Come on."

James walked in quickly, as Jake held the door open for the others, he pulled Seth in closing the door behind them.

[Tiger-Lily]

Luke glanced around. They were in a large windowless hallway, weirdly familiar.

"I feel like I'm back in the locker rooms in highschool again," Seth muttered, glancing at the tiled floor and pale walls. "Or the nurse's office."

Luke watched the brunet-turned-blond move forwards, and then turn the corner to where a random door, one of many gray ones, was marked with a bunch of weird numbers.

"Code for the animal?" Seth guessed with a crazy grin. "I wonder what's behind this door. Any guesses, boys?" He reached forward and pulled back the metal sliding lock. Through the tiny window, they could see a second door made entirely of metal, gleaming with a strong padlock. And then, when Seth entered through the first door, he pointed to a tiny window in the second door. Through that, they could see a third door made entirely of metal grates that had a small door for the keeper to slide food in to the animal.

"That doesn't look friendly," Luke muttered. He wondered if it were a feline. What needed three gates to be kept in? A Velociraptor?

This was New York. Anything was freaking possible, he remembered.

"I'd keep Luce in there," Seth agreed. He glanced at Jake and Luke could have sworn it was a silent dare.

"Sal," Seth began with a grin.

[Guest]

"They need to keep you in there." Jake added, and then looked at Seth,"What idea do you have now?"

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth shurgged. "One involving you going in there and finding out what we're facing? Maybe not into the cage, but like...through that second door and opening up the third one?"

"Are you nuts?" Luke snapped instinctively. He glanced at James. "We don't know what might come running out the second we do that. It won't be fun, it'll be fatal."

[Guest]

"How come all your dares involve me having to hurt myself? Remember our dare last time when we went camping? A bear attacked me!" Jake shouted.


"Listen I'm usually game for stupid shit, but this doesn't sound safe." James said not really wanting to know what was back there.

[Tiger-Lily]

Seth pulled out his vodka bottle and shoved it at James before turning to Jake and smirking. "I bet you wouldn't be able to hold that door open for a full five seconds."

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