2 Chopped Nuts on a blend of Pistachio and Carrot Cake Ice Cream
Author: bassair
Challenge: Pistachio #2: arrival/departure, Vanilla #22: gossip/a rumour.
Toppings: Chopped Nuts
Extras: None.
Title: First Day.
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): None (:
Pairings/Characters: Danni, Alec, Chris, Lisa.
AU/Canon: AU - College ‘verse
Story: White Scar
Summary: The first day of college is always tough. But it can be less so when you make a friend. --- Counts for Back to School challenge (chopped nuts and 1k+).
Danielle Jordan, eighteen years old and not quite ready to be away from her home just yet, looks up at the school building through her dark fringe and cringes.
Seconds later, her phone is in her hand and she’s dialling a number.
“I can’t do it!”
“Yes, you can. Stop being overdramatic,” Alec says, calmly. “I’m already here. In our dorm room. Come on.”
She takes a deep breath. “Okay,” she mutters. “But if I get raped and murdered on the way up there...”
“It’ll be all my fault. Check.”
Danni sighs.
*
“Knock, knock? Hello? Alec?” Danni pokes her head around the door to a dorm room.
There are two small beds at opposite sides of the room. One is under the window, the other is in the middle. Danni immediately mentally claims the window one.
She scopes the room and recognises the bags beside her bed as Alec’s so, with feline grace, she runs across, scoops them up, drops them on the second bed and jumps on the first, nicely mussing up the covers and leaving a determinedly Danni-shaped print.
Alec steps out of their small, shared bathroom. “I see you chose a bed,” he says. “You realise that was mine?”
“We can swap sometimes?” Danni suggests. “Maybe... in the winter?”
Alec scowls. “When it’s cold and drafty by the window? Why am I not surprised?”
She grins at him. “You’re like a human radiator anyway, though, so that’ll be fine.”
“Where’s your stuff?” Alec asks, after a moment.
“In the van I rented. Mattress and approximately eight bags. I have to drive the van back this weekend and fetch my bike. Wanna come?”
“Sure.” Alec sits down on his own bed. “What are you doing about the house?”
She shrugs. “Gonna rent it out. It’s just me, after all, unless you’re planning to go back there any time soon.”
Alec shakes his head. “Nah,” he says. “My stuff’s all here already.” He grins at her. “And you are, too. So why would I go back? What’re we going to do, arrange to stay here during the summer?”
She nods. “That was the plan.” She tucks her feet up on the bed. “So,” she says, “fancy helping a girl move a bunch of stuff?”
*
“Are you awake?” Danni whispers.
Alec makes a disapproving noise and moves around under his duvet. “Every bone aches, Danielle. How many boxes do you have?”
“I brought all my stuff with me so I could rent out the house, you know that.” She sits up and moves the curtains a bit. The light from the city outside floods the room and Alec retreats under the covers.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” he demands.
She shrugs. “I’m not sleepy. What’s your first class tomorrow?”
“I don’t know and I won’t survive it if I don’t get some sleep. What’s wrong?” He’s sat up now, cringing in the light and holding a hand out to shield his eyes.
“I’ve left, haven’t I? I’ve lived in that house since I was six... since I moved in and met you... and you’ve lived there with me since I was sixteen...”
“And now you’ve left.”
“I’ve left everything... everything of my dad’s except his leather jacket and my bike...” She’s watching the city, rather than Alec, who stands up, walks across and sits next to her on the bed, gathering her up in his arms and holding her close.
“You’ll go back there after college,” he says. “You’re only renting it, not selling it.”
She nods. “Yeah.”
He kisses her hair. “Can we sleep now?”
Another nod, but she’s still clinging to his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat against her ear. He just sighs and lies down, half off her bed half on, and they fall asleep.
*
“Hi, I’m Erica!”
Danni raises an eyebrow as she sits next to the pretty blonde girl in class. “I’m Danni,” she says. She wasn’t planning to go out of her way to talk to people her first day, instead pay attention to Psych-101.
“Nice to meet you.” She grins and holds out a stick of gum. “Gum?”
“Love to.” Danni accepts and pops it in her mouth, starting to chew.
The two girls talk throughout the lecture, ignoring most of what the teacher says. But, most of them do; making friends and enemies and getting to know each other. All except for a blonde boy at the front, who sits alone and doesn’t talk.
“Who’s that?” Danni says, nudging Erica and pointing at the boy.
“Christopher Lynch,” Erica says. “He keeps himself to himself; has done since this morning. He’s in my dorm. We all reckon he’s a secret agent or a murderer or in witness protection or something.”
Danni raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t think to maybe talk to him?”
Erica gives her a startled look. “Well, no...”
Danni sighs, rolls her eyes as all the class start to stand up and follows suit, making her way down towards the Lynch boy.
“Hi!” she says, with a grin. “I gotta ask; what’s your thing? Are you a secret agent? Like a boy agent like Alex Rider? Or are you a murderer? Or in witness protection? One of them has to be right.”
“Um... no?” Chris looks at her, blankly. “I’m just... a guy.”
“Thought as much!” She hikes her bag up onto her shoulder. “I’m Danni,” she says. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Chris...” He’s still looking at her, stunned.
“What’s your next class then, Chris?” She’s ignoring Erica now, which is probably a good thing since the blonde has vacated anyway.
“Um...” He still looks like a rabbit in headlights, and he’s staring at Danni with a look she’s only ever seen on a few people before. Ah, gads, she thinks, he’s five steps away from worshipping me. “Media?”
“Awesome.” She grins. “I’ve got that too. Let’s go together.” She heads off in the direction of the exit and takes it as a given that he’ll follow.
*
Media class passes mostly uneventfully. Chris and Danni sit next to each other and chat, amicably. By the time they’re done, Danni’s discovered his grandfather is in jail for life, his mother and father are dead, his sister is off somewhere he doesn’t know, and he’s a huge Star Wars fan.
In return, she’s volunteered up the information that she’s alone in the world - her father died when she was fifteen - but her best friend, Alec, moved in with her so she wouldn’t be alone. She says her mother ran out when she was four and she doesn’t know where she is and that she’s renting the house out. She also promises to show Chris her bike when she fetches it at the weekend.
Once Media class ends, she links her arm with his and grins. “Got someone to hang out with for lunch?” she demands. He shakes his head. “Well then, come hang with me and mine!” She tows him off towards the canteen and he’s unable - or perhaps unwilling - to refuse.
“Alec!” Danni runs across the canteen and drops into the seat beside her best friend, pressing a kiss to his cheeks.
“Have you been at the energy drinks?” he says, raising an eyebrow and pushing a tray towards her. “I got you a baked potato.”
“Oh! My hero! God, I love you at times, man.” She runs her fingers upwards through his hair, ruffling it a considerable amount, then looks up at Chris. “Come on,” she says. “Sit down!”
Chris shuffles over, sits down opposite her, beside her friend Lisa.
“Chris, this is Alec and Lisa.” She gestures at the two of them. “Guys, this is Chris; he shares a couple of classes with me; Media and Psych-101.”
He gives them a little smile and wave. “I’ll... uh, be back once I get food.”
“I’ll walk with you,” says Lisa, standing up.
Alec whistles, once they’re out of hearing range. “You’ve been here a morning and you’re already picking up the pretty boys!”
Danni grins. “Yeah, he is kinda pretty isn’t he?” She looks over Alec’s shoulder, still mostly draped around him, and focuses her gaze on the blonde beside the redhead. “I wouldn’t kick that out of bed.”
“You and me both.” Alec flicks her on the forehead. “But I thought we agreed you’d concentrate on your studies, not finding boys to have fall madly in love with you?”
Danni pouts at him. “But he’s pretty,” she says, “and I’ve seen that look before. He’s putty in my hands. And hey; I’m no slut!”
“I know.” Alec touches her face. “But your studies are important. Get used to college before you start pursuing blonde boys.” He looks across the canteen at someone in particular.
She sticks her tongue out at him and follows his gaze. “Take the blonde out and I’ll tell you the same. Eyes off the handsome strangers.” She puts her hand in front of his eyes. “You have other things to do.”
Alec sticks his tongue out at her in return. “Fine,” he says. “First one to go out with someone owes the other a tenner.”
*
“So, are those two... together?” Chris says, as Lisa orders a salad. She glances towards Danni and Alec.
“They’re as together as they’ll ever be. They live and breathe for each other but... no. No, they’re just friends.” She shrugs. “You get used to it after a while. I envy them; I’d love a friendship as close as theirs.”
“Where do you fit in?” Chris asks, ordering a burger.
“I’m Danni’s best friend. If Alec is her best, best, best friend, I’m her best.” She smiles slightly sadly. “I’ll never be more than that.”
Chris quirks an eyebrow. “As in more than a friend or as good a friend...?”
“Someone’s not shy anymore.” She hits him on the shoulder. “But... just as a good friend.”
“She’s single then?”
“Ah. That’s why the shy!” she exclaims. “You’re crushing!”
“Am not!” He colours. “Okay maybe a little.”
Get to know her, first, Chris,” Lisa says, with a smile. “You may find you don’t like her as much once you’re her friend. Or maybe you’ll fall for her.”
“Just what I need. To fall for someone who’s very obviously in love with her best friend.” Chris gestures at Danni.
“She’ll get over him,” Lisa says, as they walk back to the table together. “He doesn’t even know how she feels.”
“Maybe someone should tell him.”
Lisa shakes her head. “No,” she says. “Never.”
*
“You ditched me this morning.” Erica looks pissed as she sits down next to Danni in the next class they share.
Danni flushes. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay.” She shrugs. “You were hanging out with Chris. He is a bit of a cutey.”
“Yeah, he’s nice looking.”
“Would you mind moving, though? I have a friend who’s coming to sit next to me.”
Danni pauses. So that’s how it is, she thinks. She stands up. “Yeah, sure.”
*
“How was your first day?” Alec asks. Danni’s lying on her bed, staring out of the window.
“I miss home,” she says.
“Mm, me too.” He steps over to her bed, sinks to his knees and brushes his knuckles across her forehead, moving her fringe.
“How was your first day?” Danni enquires, watching him in the half-light.
“It was okay.” Alec smiles. “I missed you.”
“Told you we should have chosen more of the same classes.” She yawns. “I’m tired.”
“Sleep then.” He brushes a kiss over her shoulder. “And we’ll talk more tomorrow.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
She smiles, sleepily, and lets sleep claim her.
Alec moves back to his own bed and pulls out his phone. There’s a text on the screen.
Hey. You gave me ur number. Thought I should give u mine.
He smiles and texts back.
Always good to have a handsome guy’s number.
He spends the rest of the night waiting for his response.
Author: bassair
Challenge: Pistachio #10: lost, Carrot Cake #5: whisper.
Toppings: Chopped Nuts
Extras: Pocky
Title: Lost
Rating: G
Pairings/Characters: Danni, Chris.
AU/Canon: AU - College ‘verse
Story: White Scar
Summary: They’re on a road trip, but something’s gone wrong. --- Counts for Back to School challenge (chopped nuts).
Sat in the passenger seat of Chris’ car, Danni glares at him. “Say it.”
He glares resolutely back. “No.”
“Look.” Danni crosses her arms across her chest. “Either you can say it, or I can just get out and walk.”
Chris glares at her. “I won’t.”
“Do you want me to walk home, in the dark, from the middle of nowhere?”
“No.” More glaring.
She nods. “Right then. Say it.”
“Really... I don’t want to. We’ll just... ask someone.”
“Just say it, Chris.”
“We’re lost,” he whispers, pained.
“Righty-oh then.” Danni grins at him. “Now pass me the damn map.”