Sharp. That was always the word people used to describe Shay. Sharp, like a knife, like a dagger, like a needle. Sharp; sharp should have meant school was easier. Maybe if it weren't so annoying. If Eroshay wasn't so distracted staring out the window and thinking of freedom. Places to run and explore.
As it were, her cheek was rested on her hand while she stared out the window. So very little had caught her attention since the New Years Party. Mostly, Shay had kept her mind occupied. Tried to stay away from interested because her interests were almost never innocent.
She was fourteen she wasn't supposed to enjoy all the danger and go straight into it. That's what they said. So why did her heart long for the darkness? Why did she feel so cold without it? It was her. It was what she was. It was no less a part of her than Klaus' horns were a part of him. But people didn't see it that way. Was she missing something? Something horrible obvious?
At a lull in the teacher's lecture, Shay turned her head to gaze at her classmates. The kid next to her was... well, pretty. Scaly. Snakey. She liked all those things.
Eroshay moved her hand, pencil falling to the ground and rolling closer to Valentine.
"Hey. Pst!" Once his attention was caught, she'd point to where it had stopped by his foot. "Mind handing me my pencil back?"
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[ Valentine Meier ]
The last time Valentine remembered learning in class was... well, never. Before all the bullshit that went down, he was homeschooled and his teacher was anything but formal. He always asked his teacher and they always turned every session into some sort of debate by the time he was 7. Right now though, he was probably sure that that wasn't a good idea if he didn't want to gather too much attention. It took every ounce of his willpower not to suddenly get up and speak just to poke and prod around the loopholes in the lecture. He had to settle with mostly listening, one or two questions aside. This was fine. Being in school like this was better than nothing.
His attention was solely focused on the lecture, writing a few extra notes on the side for when he decided he could probably interrogate the teacher after everyone was gone. For one moment there was only the sound of the droning lecture and the pen scratching against paper, before he heard a more audible sound to his side.
Valentine turned to Shay, eyes narrowed accusingly for interrupting. His eyes followed where she'd pointed at to the pencil by the bottom of his desk. Valentine glanced at the teacher in front before picking it up--at least not without a sigh. "If that was intentional... you do know there's other ways to catch my attention, right?" he muttered, handing the pencil back to her.
"It was partially intentional. You looked interesting and before I knew it my hand was moving on its own. Still teaching this body of mine self-control." Shay took the pencil, lingered, so her gloved finger brushed his. "What would those other ways be, hm? Ask you for your notes after class? A little cliche."
On that note, Shay snapped back straight in her seat just as the class ended, a shit-eating grin on her face. She batted her lashes at the teacher, who had looked at her none too kindly. They were one of those with enhanced senses. God. Could never get away with whispering when they were around.
Shay stood, gathered up her things, and positioned herself in Valentine's path. If she was good at anything, it was being in the way. Endearingly annoying was her tagline.
"The name is Shay. Eroshay Rosales. And you are...?"
This was one of those times where that little part of her brain was saying 'hey, maybe be less intrusive? You're going to make this person hate you.' Whether it was worth listening to or not... hard to say. A real debate, that one.
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Valentine's eyes narrowed at the girl at her response, though he didn't seem to pay any comment on the contact. He was just about to respond when he noticed her movement, gaze following hers to the front of the room. The teacher's gaze seem to only focus on Shay, but the fact they were looking at his general direction got an impudent flick of his tongue out of him. He decided not to raise anything but he was probably going to grill them on their free period.
As soon as their attention was away from them, he turned to Shay, "So what, you don't think falling stationery isn't as cliche?" he threw back at her, as he gathered his things. He was just about ready to leave the conversation when she suddenly stepped in his way. Valentine, used to taking this as a sign to pick a fight almost hissed at her. He managed not to, but the look on his face didn't seem too welcoming either.
He gauged her motives for abouta second before he finally responded, his tone not changing from earlier. "Valentine Meier," he said with a curious raise of a brow. She didn't look like she was about to let him go soon so he decided he could spare a few minutes entertaining her. "So, what is this really about?"
As soon as their attention was away from them, he turned to Shay, "So what, you don't think falling stationery isn't as cliche?" he threw back at her, as he gathered his things. He was just about ready to leave the conversation when she suddenly stepped in his way. Valentine, used to taking this as a sign to pick a fight almost hissed at her. He managed not to, but the look on his face didn't seem too welcoming either.
He gauged her motives for abouta second before he finally responded, his tone not changing from earlier. "Valentine Meier," he said with a curious raise of a brow. She didn't look like she was about to let him go soon so he decided he could spare a few minutes entertaining her. "So, what is this really about?"
Shay hummed. His face was so unfriendly and adorable. It would have rattled her more, but Shay was too used to people not wanting her around. That was what happened when you had to wiggle your way into people's lives.
She grinned deciding to ignore his comment. A dropped pencil was waaay less cliche than the old ask for their notes trick. Didn't matter how much he fought, he'd never convince her otherwise. "Valentine, huh? I know a guy named Valentine." She had to stop herself from saying the Val she knew was cute, too, and had an equally grumpy expression.
Shay paused, somewhat at a crossroads here. His pushing her away only made her want to get closer, to figure out why that was. She was drawn to him, one might say. Which implied... erm, something. A change. Death. Something. Shay didn't know yet.
"You remind me of my dad," she blurted. And then, as if that weren't awkward enough, "and my crush."
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If Valentine could narrow his eyes anymore without closing them, he would. He truly would. All for avoiding that debate of which tactic would have been more cliche. Really, why go through all that trouble? Valentine breathed a sigh as he leaned back to his desk; this might take a while. "Well, its not a very rare name, I don't see how I wouldn't find someone with the same name." He wouldn't add that he got the name from someone else too.
The next words that came out of Shay's mouth somehow got a laugh from Valentine; it was hard to tell whether it was more directed at himself or her but it was definitely a mix of both. Valentine tried to smother the laughter by covering his face but it took him at least 5 seconds to calm down enough to talk again. That was rich, he could only wonder what he could get out of this. "Sorry, sorry, but did you just hear what you said?" he said in between chuckles, "I get people saying someone reminds them of their dad but reminding of their crush-- are you trying to sabotage yourself?"
The next words that came out of Shay's mouth somehow got a laugh from Valentine; it was hard to tell whether it was more directed at himself or her but it was definitely a mix of both. Valentine tried to smother the laughter by covering his face but it took him at least 5 seconds to calm down enough to talk again. That was rich, he could only wonder what he could get out of this. "Sorry, sorry, but did you just hear what you said?" he said in between chuckles, "I get people saying someone reminds them of their dad but reminding of their crush-- are you trying to sabotage yourself?"
Yup. That was about the reaction Shay expected. She nodded understandingly, even as he laughed at her. "We think I try to sabotage myself against people I might have a genuine connection with. That is, my therapist and I. And sometimes the little voices in my head, too." She vaguely waved at her head, paused, and laughed. "Okay, that part was a joke. The voices thing."
Shay stepped to the side to let him by if he so chose it. "Where we heading to next, Valentine, buddy ole' pal?" She was tempted to link an arm with him, but he didn't seem like he'd take to that well and, hey, Shay may not have known many boundaries, but she knew that one.
"I'm going to walk you to your next class, or... lunch. Or... wherever you're going. And in the time it takes us to walk there, I'll prove to you that I'm wonderfully, terribly endearing and you'll have no choice but to fall deeply, irrefutably in love with me. Or, at least, become my dearest friend. You'll see, it'll happen."
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If Valentine had to be honest he'd really say he just ran into a very, very strange girl. Nothing was really stopping him from saying it other than the fact he was a little strange himself — at least that's how most kids referred to him before. "Sure, it was; suuuure, it was." Nothing stopped him from rolling his eyes though.
He took the cue when Shay had stepped aside, picking up his bag off the desk and heading out. He didn't really expect she would leave his side just yet and true to his expecations she was really still there. He wasn't one for being friendly but he was pretty sure there was some line somewhere he thinks she was kind of ignoring. Or that was probably just him. He allowed her to talk but somehow he felt like he should have just found a way to lose her before she managed to corner hin in the first place. Instead, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "One: I was about to go get lunch; and two--" He breathed "Why would you try proving something like that?"
He took the cue when Shay had stepped aside, picking up his bag off the desk and heading out. He didn't really expect she would leave his side just yet and true to his expecations she was really still there. He wasn't one for being friendly but he was pretty sure there was some line somewhere he thinks she was kind of ignoring. Or that was probably just him. He allowed her to talk but somehow he felt like he should have just found a way to lose her before she managed to corner hin in the first place. Instead, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "One: I was about to go get lunch; and two--" He breathed "Why would you try proving something like that?"
Shay hadn't expected the old sudden stop and turn, so she nearly ran into him. Lucky her, she was, uh, used to not running into people. Or something. Look. Shut up. She was endearing. God.
In an exaggerated motion, Shay looked left and right using only her eyes. "Sweet, we can have lunch together. Yay, more time for me to enjoy your company." She paused, quirked a brow and grinned at him. "Why not? Look, I know I'm very annoying, most people say so, it's true, Google it. But I'm pretty fun once you get used to me all up on you. I can back of a little. But only if you promise not to run off because I'd hate to follow the snake into its burrow, or whatever.
"I know it looks like I'm super hitting on you, and that's partially true, but mostly I'm actually awkward and don't know how to interact with people and this seems to get results so here we are."
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Valentine had a breathe a heavy sigh--this was going to be a long day wasn't it? For someone who hadn't been allowed too much social interaction for most of his life, he was pretty sure this could have gone better. But jeez, why did she have to stick to him?
"You do know people running off means they want you to leave them alone, right?" Combing away the hair that fell away on his face, his snake tongue flicked instinctively. "Look, as long as you don't cause me trouble I don't really give a fuck about you following me around but I'd really appreciate that you wouldn't when I tell you to."
Valentine just decided to ignore the 'partially, super hitting on you' because he didn't want to think about it right now because, no, that wasn't making him flustered. Hah. Then again, it's been hard to tell if people weren't trying to hit on him at this point in his life. "You could maybe tone it down; you're supposed to be more careful when handling snakes," he said dismissively as he stepped forward, off to find the cafeteria. ... Hopefully, Shay wouldn't realize he wasn't 100% sure where he's going.
"You do know people running off means they want you to leave them alone, right?" Combing away the hair that fell away on his face, his snake tongue flicked instinctively. "Look, as long as you don't cause me trouble I don't really give a fuck about you following me around but I'd really appreciate that you wouldn't when I tell you to."
Valentine just decided to ignore the 'partially, super hitting on you' because he didn't want to think about it right now because, no, that wasn't making him flustered. Hah. Then again, it's been hard to tell if people weren't trying to hit on him at this point in his life. "You could maybe tone it down; you're supposed to be more careful when handling snakes," he said dismissively as he stepped forward, off to find the cafeteria. ... Hopefully, Shay wouldn't realize he wasn't 100% sure where he's going.