TR 10
Authors: Marina and Casey
Story: Taking Root
Challenge: Coconut 4 (we don’t take kindly to your sort), Milk Chocolate 22 (mischief) [Marina]; Blueberry Yogurt 26 (double take), French Vanilla 10 (naïveté), Guava 25 (when hell freezes over) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Chopped Nuts, Smoothie
Word Count: 1,368
Rating: PG
Summary: [October] Resh surprises Carrie with a special ride to school on her birthday.
Notes: As it says on the tin. This is Casey’s last Guava/French Vanilla!
"Carrie! Doorbell!"
"Can't one of you get it?" Carrie called over her shoulder. She had not finished packing her book bag for the day, and found it difficult to get everything she needed for the day inside it. Besides, the visitor was probably Chase. Even after four years, he was much too polite to just walk in the door, but once let in he did not need much ceremony. He would wait patiently near the door for her to get ready, and then they would ride to school together as they always did.
"My hands are covered in soap, and Sketches has your grandmother treed on the couch," Eva yelled back.
"Very amusing, Eva," Caroline shot, more softly.
Carrie smirked. "It is to me," she muttered, shoving her sketchbook into the very last crevice in her bookbag. "Coming!" Scooping up the bag, she hurried to the front door and flung it wide.
It was not Chase. The ridiculous wide smile on the other side belonged to Resh. He beamed at her, his sister’s motorcycle helmet tucked under one arm. "I heard it's your birthday today," he said.
Carrie let out an astonished, breathless laugh. "You are correct, sir," she said.
He promptly tossed the helmet to her. "Want a ride?" he asked, smile turning cocky.
"She does not," Caroline said immediately.
Carrie's enthusiastic reply faded on her lips as she turned to stare incredulously at her grandmother. "Grandma," she hissed.
"Those contraptions are dangerous, young lady," said Caroline. Carrie noted, with some perverse satisfaction, that Eva appeared to be right about the treeing. Caroline sat very stiffly, attempting to ignore the calico cat that had disliked her from the moment she had walked through the door.
"Resh is a safe driver! He takes his younger sister all the time."
Eva walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. "Go ahead, Carrie," she said, with a vicious gleam in her eye. "Be safe and have fun."
"Thanks, Eva! I promise I'll get her to school safely," Resh said, pretending to cross his heart. "What d'you think, Care?"
"I think you're awesome," she said.
"I do not approve of this," Caroline muttered. Eva just glared at her.
"Happy birthday," Resh said, laughing. "Put your helmet on. Oh, and Kenz picked up Chase, so don't worry about him either."
"Fantastic!" She tossed a wave behind her and hurried down the steps with him. Resh’s motorcycle was a very simple, used model with faded and slightly chipped black paint, but in Carrie’s mind it might as well have been created by angels. She had never imagined she would actually get to ride it. He was very careful with it, and Nicole was usually his only passenger. Not even Kenz had the privilege, very often at least.
"Okay, couple rules." He held up two fingers. "Helmet always on and hold on at all times. That about covers it. Oh, and try not to scream too loudly in my ear."
"I will try," she said solemnly.
He bounded up to his motorcycle and pulled on his helmet, securing it before checking to make sure that she had hooked hers on correctly as well. "Ready?" he asked as he climbed on. She threw him a thumbs-up and took her seat behind him. He hit the kickstand and started the motorcycle, revving the engine so that Carrie's grandmother could hear it clearly, and then headed down the street at a very reasonable speed.
Carrie squealed at the rush of air and glanced back to see both Caroline and Eva on the porch, watching them go. An evil little smile formed on her face. Best birthday ever, she thought.
***
Dean had picked up the habit of waiting next to the student parking lot for his friends as a way to avoid running into the bullies on his way to P.E. He still had to walk to his class alone, but by waiting for the others he avoided at least a five-minute lapse of time that would have given his enemies the opportunity to wreak more havoc than they were able to under the watch of the coach. He checked his watch and frowned. None of the group had arrived, and there was less than three minutes to the bell.
A car pulled up into one of the very last student parking spaces, dumping Chase and Nicole out into the lot. "Thanks, Kenz!" Chase called, grinning.
"You are very welcome, Chase," the older girl replied.
Dean blinked at this unusual turn of events. Chase and Carrie usually rode their bikes together, and Nicole came with Resh on his motorcycle when the weather was good enough. Shrugging it aside, he waved towards them as Kenz parked the car and hopped out.
Chase skipped over to Dean. "Hey, is Carrie here yet?"
"No," Dean said slowly, even more confused now.
Just then, the dull, but familiar roar of Resh's motorcycle distracted him and he looked up. Resh pulled into the parking lot and came to a stop less than a yard away from Dean and Chase, causing both boys to take a step back. His passenger blithely hopped off her perch and removed her helmet. "Hey guys!" she said.
Dean's jaw dropped in shock, but he managed a faint "hi."
Chase did not seem fazed in the slightest. "Happy birthday, Care-bear!" he cried, flinging his arms around Carrie.
She managed to return the hug without dropping the helmet. "Thanks! And thanks for the ride, Resh," she added, over her shoulder. "So awesome!"
Resh grinned as he hopped off the bike. "Thought it would be an appropriate birthday present, since you know I have no money," he added with a wink. Dean felt a stab of nerves in his gut.
Carrie laughed. "You're not the only one, trust me. You still have to come tomorrow, though."
"You bet I'll be there," Resh said, grinning at her. "Helmet, please! Nikki wouldn't be pleased if I didn't have her helmet at the end of the day to drive her home."
She tossed it back to him. "Your helmet, sir!"
Resh fielded it and hugged her, giving her a kiss on the forehead at the same time. "Have a good one, okay?"
"I couldn't not." Carrie grinned at him and waved as he pulled away to park, then turned her attention to the boys. "Morning!" she said to Dean.
He could only stare for a minute, trying to get a hold of his rampant emotions. Chase promptly elbowed him in the ribs, and he jumped. "Oh, oh yeah, hey."
Carrie looked amused. "You look kind of out of it. Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, I did," Dean said and then, before he could help himself, "What's up with Resh?"
"Nothing that usually isn't," Carrie said, lifting an eyebrow. "He just gave me a ride to school cause it's my birthday."
"Right, of course," Dean said hastily to cover. "Sounds like an awesome birthday present."
"It really was." She grinned beatifically. "Right, I'm off. See you in Stats. Chase, I'll see you...sometime."
"Sooner than you think," Chase said, in his best creepy voice. Carrie snickered and skipped off to the main building. Dean stared after her for a moment without meaning to.
Another elbow from Chase jarred him out of it. "You alive in there?"
"What?" Dean said distractedly before tearing his eyes away from Carrie to see that Nicole, Kenz and Resh had joined them. The latter two had their arms around each other as they watched him.
"You're acting super weird today," Chase informed him, with a confused expression.
"Oh." Dean managed a smile. "Sorry. Early morning," he lied.
"Ew." Chase wrinkled his nose. "Anyway, bye!" He hurried off down the path, but took the opposite turn to Carrie's.
Resh, meanwhile, stepped forward and patted Dean irreverently on the head. "Don't worry, Dean kid. Not a problem," he said, grinning widely before skipping off into school, trailed by his sister and girlfriend.
Dean stood where he was for a moment, trying to process what had happened. The bell rang, prompting him to hurry off in the other direction toward the gym. He had all but forgotten the bullies.
Story: Taking Root
Challenge: Coconut 4 (we don’t take kindly to your sort), Milk Chocolate 22 (mischief) [Marina]; Blueberry Yogurt 26 (double take), French Vanilla 10 (naïveté), Guava 25 (when hell freezes over) [Casey]
Toppings/Extras: Caramel, Chopped Nuts, Smoothie
Word Count: 1,368
Rating: PG
Summary: [October] Resh surprises Carrie with a special ride to school on her birthday.
Notes: As it says on the tin. This is Casey’s last Guava/French Vanilla!
"Carrie! Doorbell!"
"Can't one of you get it?" Carrie called over her shoulder. She had not finished packing her book bag for the day, and found it difficult to get everything she needed for the day inside it. Besides, the visitor was probably Chase. Even after four years, he was much too polite to just walk in the door, but once let in he did not need much ceremony. He would wait patiently near the door for her to get ready, and then they would ride to school together as they always did.
"My hands are covered in soap, and Sketches has your grandmother treed on the couch," Eva yelled back.
"Very amusing, Eva," Caroline shot, more softly.
Carrie smirked. "It is to me," she muttered, shoving her sketchbook into the very last crevice in her bookbag. "Coming!" Scooping up the bag, she hurried to the front door and flung it wide.
It was not Chase. The ridiculous wide smile on the other side belonged to Resh. He beamed at her, his sister’s motorcycle helmet tucked under one arm. "I heard it's your birthday today," he said.
Carrie let out an astonished, breathless laugh. "You are correct, sir," she said.
He promptly tossed the helmet to her. "Want a ride?" he asked, smile turning cocky.
"She does not," Caroline said immediately.
Carrie's enthusiastic reply faded on her lips as she turned to stare incredulously at her grandmother. "Grandma," she hissed.
"Those contraptions are dangerous, young lady," said Caroline. Carrie noted, with some perverse satisfaction, that Eva appeared to be right about the treeing. Caroline sat very stiffly, attempting to ignore the calico cat that had disliked her from the moment she had walked through the door.
"Resh is a safe driver! He takes his younger sister all the time."
Eva walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. "Go ahead, Carrie," she said, with a vicious gleam in her eye. "Be safe and have fun."
"Thanks, Eva! I promise I'll get her to school safely," Resh said, pretending to cross his heart. "What d'you think, Care?"
"I think you're awesome," she said.
"I do not approve of this," Caroline muttered. Eva just glared at her.
"Happy birthday," Resh said, laughing. "Put your helmet on. Oh, and Kenz picked up Chase, so don't worry about him either."
"Fantastic!" She tossed a wave behind her and hurried down the steps with him. Resh’s motorcycle was a very simple, used model with faded and slightly chipped black paint, but in Carrie’s mind it might as well have been created by angels. She had never imagined she would actually get to ride it. He was very careful with it, and Nicole was usually his only passenger. Not even Kenz had the privilege, very often at least.
"Okay, couple rules." He held up two fingers. "Helmet always on and hold on at all times. That about covers it. Oh, and try not to scream too loudly in my ear."
"I will try," she said solemnly.
He bounded up to his motorcycle and pulled on his helmet, securing it before checking to make sure that she had hooked hers on correctly as well. "Ready?" he asked as he climbed on. She threw him a thumbs-up and took her seat behind him. He hit the kickstand and started the motorcycle, revving the engine so that Carrie's grandmother could hear it clearly, and then headed down the street at a very reasonable speed.
Carrie squealed at the rush of air and glanced back to see both Caroline and Eva on the porch, watching them go. An evil little smile formed on her face. Best birthday ever, she thought.
***
Dean had picked up the habit of waiting next to the student parking lot for his friends as a way to avoid running into the bullies on his way to P.E. He still had to walk to his class alone, but by waiting for the others he avoided at least a five-minute lapse of time that would have given his enemies the opportunity to wreak more havoc than they were able to under the watch of the coach. He checked his watch and frowned. None of the group had arrived, and there was less than three minutes to the bell.
A car pulled up into one of the very last student parking spaces, dumping Chase and Nicole out into the lot. "Thanks, Kenz!" Chase called, grinning.
"You are very welcome, Chase," the older girl replied.
Dean blinked at this unusual turn of events. Chase and Carrie usually rode their bikes together, and Nicole came with Resh on his motorcycle when the weather was good enough. Shrugging it aside, he waved towards them as Kenz parked the car and hopped out.
Chase skipped over to Dean. "Hey, is Carrie here yet?"
"No," Dean said slowly, even more confused now.
Just then, the dull, but familiar roar of Resh's motorcycle distracted him and he looked up. Resh pulled into the parking lot and came to a stop less than a yard away from Dean and Chase, causing both boys to take a step back. His passenger blithely hopped off her perch and removed her helmet. "Hey guys!" she said.
Dean's jaw dropped in shock, but he managed a faint "hi."
Chase did not seem fazed in the slightest. "Happy birthday, Care-bear!" he cried, flinging his arms around Carrie.
She managed to return the hug without dropping the helmet. "Thanks! And thanks for the ride, Resh," she added, over her shoulder. "So awesome!"
Resh grinned as he hopped off the bike. "Thought it would be an appropriate birthday present, since you know I have no money," he added with a wink. Dean felt a stab of nerves in his gut.
Carrie laughed. "You're not the only one, trust me. You still have to come tomorrow, though."
"You bet I'll be there," Resh said, grinning at her. "Helmet, please! Nikki wouldn't be pleased if I didn't have her helmet at the end of the day to drive her home."
She tossed it back to him. "Your helmet, sir!"
Resh fielded it and hugged her, giving her a kiss on the forehead at the same time. "Have a good one, okay?"
"I couldn't not." Carrie grinned at him and waved as he pulled away to park, then turned her attention to the boys. "Morning!" she said to Dean.
He could only stare for a minute, trying to get a hold of his rampant emotions. Chase promptly elbowed him in the ribs, and he jumped. "Oh, oh yeah, hey."
Carrie looked amused. "You look kind of out of it. Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, I did," Dean said and then, before he could help himself, "What's up with Resh?"
"Nothing that usually isn't," Carrie said, lifting an eyebrow. "He just gave me a ride to school cause it's my birthday."
"Right, of course," Dean said hastily to cover. "Sounds like an awesome birthday present."
"It really was." She grinned beatifically. "Right, I'm off. See you in Stats. Chase, I'll see you...sometime."
"Sooner than you think," Chase said, in his best creepy voice. Carrie snickered and skipped off to the main building. Dean stared after her for a moment without meaning to.
Another elbow from Chase jarred him out of it. "You alive in there?"
"What?" Dean said distractedly before tearing his eyes away from Carrie to see that Nicole, Kenz and Resh had joined them. The latter two had their arms around each other as they watched him.
"You're acting super weird today," Chase informed him, with a confused expression.
"Oh." Dean managed a smile. "Sorry. Early morning," he lied.
"Ew." Chase wrinkled his nose. "Anyway, bye!" He hurried off down the path, but took the opposite turn to Carrie's.
Resh, meanwhile, stepped forward and patted Dean irreverently on the head. "Don't worry, Dean kid. Not a problem," he said, grinning widely before skipping off into school, trailed by his sister and girlfriend.
Dean stood where he was for a moment, trying to process what had happened. The bell rang, prompting him to hurry off in the other direction toward the gym. He had all but forgotten the bullies.