Chapter 5
Why are updates to this fic always so easy compared to Now
That's Just Silly! ? It makes no sense.
But then, neither does high school. NO SENSE, I TELL YOU! NO SENSE!!!!!
But hey, that's why I'm on spring break. Hehe. Suckers.
Well, I suppose I should start by thanking everyone who's helped me so far.
First; Rain, who I spoke to MSN far before I joined ThunderbirdsWorld, and
introduced me to the wonders of the fandom. Second; Lady P. SHE GETS THE ANIME
REFERENCES! YAY! You've got no idea how happy that makes me. Angelina, for
proving that RPG is not completely lost on the other fans, I owe ya one
there. But last (but certainly not least!) Samantha Winchester! Your rockiness
is beyond rockiness! Thanks for evilocity, nasty jokes, and just being you. ^_^
Enjoy!
She supposed it was a busy street just then. Out of the corners of her eyes, she
could see the crowds drift by.
It was funny how things could seem so unimportant when near a guy like him.
"You're allowed," She blurted out before feeling bright crimson shoot up her
cheeks.
Well Lena, you've succeeded in sounding like a complete and utter moron.
What's next on the list?
He smiled warmly.
"It's a privilege, I take it, to pick up your things?" She felt like cheering
with relief. She smiled back, feeling much more at ease.
"Oh, completely. You should be honoured." She always kidded around when she was
nervous. Same with her mother.
She never ceased to be amazed how fascinating sidewalks could seem in the right
circumstances.
He held the bag of vinyls out to her with a smile.
"And I am." She took it with a smile, standing up. But his hand was still
extended.
"My name's Virgil." She raised an eyebrow, taking it with a smile, feeling a bit
better. A bit, anyway.
"Lena." She decided to use her nickname; her real name wasn't really something
she was proud of.
They stood there for a moment, but it felt like longer. The street wasn't
silent, but they were.
Lena might have been a wealthy girl, but the money hadn't gone straight to her
head. This Virgil was just a random encounter on the street. To think anything
would become of this was just...silly.
He smiled again, his chocolate eyes firmly on her own.
"I'll see you again, alright?" About a zillion words to the contrary felt like
they would zoom out of her mouth.
But for some odd reason, they never reached the surface.
"Alright." She smiled back, feeling absolutely secure. If he said he'd see her
again...Well, she had no reason *not* to believe him. So why not?
He smiled over his shoulder before walking away, his strides equal and strong.
She headed to Hyde Park, and sat down on a bench, admiring her records again
before noticing something rather odd.
There was a tiny piece of paper in the bag.
Thoroughly puzzled, she reached down and grabbed it and smiled widely when
she realized what it was.
A phone number.
"Virgil, you sly dog..." She murmured lightly to herself before sighing
contentedly.
She would see him again.
She just had to.
Jeff sighed peacefully, gazing out at the
sunlight gardens of Penelope's stately home. Summer truly was the best season to
visit her home.
And it was the best season to hold a wedding.
His feelings about the whole affair were decidedly mixed.
To say he didn't cherish Alan as his youngest son was nonsense, and to say he
didn't consider Tin-Tin almost part of the family was the same.
But marriage had a way of changing things, and that was the truth.
He knew that first-hand.
He sighed, taking a sip of iced tea as he stared out from his lawn chair.
Marrying Lucy was perhaps the best thing he ever did. Well, in the matters of
the heart, anyway.
But the entirety of the relationship changed. It was easy to say you wanted to
spend your life with someone, but actually setting out and beginning *to* spend
your life with someone was incredibly difficult. After the honeymoon phase,
reality begins to set in. It's not a bad reality; not at all. But it's reality
nonetheless. Jeff wasn't blind to see how many marriages ended in divorce these
days, and he knew many of the people had believed in the vows they had made on
their wedding day, only to find themselves throwing insults at one another in a
courtroom.
He never, EVER wanted that to happen to his youngest son.
But then, Tin-Tin was nothing if not devoted to Alan. And while Alan did have a
tendency to get rather....pouty...about things, Jeff knew that he was in love
with the girl.
So what could go wrong?, he pondered into the summer morn.
The real question was, what couldn't.
"Stupid Virgil...."
The footsteps echoed through the room as eyes swept across the shelves. She
smiled.
"*There*'s the Aeneid.... " The violet eyes seemed satisfied as she picked out
the book before heading to the sofas.
She stopped dead in her tracks.
Of all the rotten luck....
"Didn't picture you the bookworm type." John's voice had a strange way of
sticking in her ears.
She hated that.
"My father always told me to read the Aeneid, so I'm reading it." Her eyes
snapped onto his. "Do you have a problem with that?"
But despite how hard she knew her eyes to be, his gaze only softened.
"No, not at all." She sat down in an armchair, holding the book tightly.
"I just figured I should at least try to do it now." She
looked at her feet, keeping her features stoic. She wasn't going to let John
anywhere near what mattered to her.
Like her family.
Or what USED to be my family, she thought bitterly.
But when she looked up, he had a look of complete understanding on his face.
"I can relate to that." She scoffed, but he put up a hand to continue.
"My mother died when I was little. Five, to be be precise."
She didn't know what to say to that. She could never deride a statement like
that, but she couldn't pretend it didn't exist. She felt....empathy for him.
"Oh." She was quiet, letting him talk.
"She never wanted much of anyone." A glimmer of remembrance crossed over his
face. "But she always told me to hold on to myself--not to change who I was, no
matter what happened." He scoffed lightly, a little embarrassed. "I didn't
really get it at the time."
Kumi felt like her world was falling down.
"But I'm glad you get it now." She cut in, clutching the book tight to her
chest.
Don't forget to smile, Kumi-san! It's your best feature, your smile.
"Because if you lose yourself..."
Your innocence is refreshing. A playful grin danced through her mind.
Don't let it go.
Her eyes were cold.
"You lose everything." She stood up.
"Excuse me."
And before John could say anything, she was gone.
Virgil sighed contentedly, resting on his bed.
Today had been...promising. He enjoyed his breakfast, his visit to Covent
Garden...
And his encounter with Lena 'No-Last-Name', as he had dubbed her.
Not many women intrigued Virgil Tracy. He'd seen many in his Air Force days, but
not many proved to be anything more than a passing persona on his way through
life.
But a girl he had spoken to for all of fifteen minutes had?
He sighed.
He had no way of knowing, no way of foretelling what she was like.
Why was life so cruel?
He closed his eyes, preparing to have a little siesta to pass the time.
That was when the phone rang.
"Hello?" He smiled widely when he realized who was on the other end.
"Err....hi. I was just wondering if you wanted..."His smile felt permanent just
then. There was something about shy women...
"If I wanted what?" He prompted, listening closely.
"Lunchtomorrow? I mean, I understand if your busy or something, or if the card
was just an accident or-" He cut in, his voice gentle.
"Lunch sounds good."
Well, there you have it. Another chapter under
wraps.
Isn't that a hoot and a half?