relax, take it easy [Mitri]

[parker]

With all her classes done for the day, Parker decided to neglect her biology homework yet again. It was really becoming a habit for her, and she wasn’t particularly worried about it. She always said she would do it later, but later never really came around in the end. She wandered into the game room and sat in one of the empty chairs, dropping her bag onto the floor. This day couldn’t have ended any sooner. She wasn’t feeling school today, or at least, she was feeling it less than usual. Sinking into the chair she tried to clear her mind of the thoughts that didn’t belong to her. She was still struggling to control her gift. With her eyes closed, she sat in silence trying to clear her mind. After a few minutes, she opened one eye and then the other. It clearly wasn’t working. She needed to do something to get her mind off their thoughts long enough to focus on her own.

Glancing up, she noticed the pool table and figured it might be worth a shot to use that as a distraction. Leaving her bag behind, she went over to the table and put the balls in the triangle rack and grabbed a pool cue stick thingy. Parker had only done this a few times before, and so she felt a little stupid doing it now. She kept hearing their thoughts, only now there were a few who were commenting on her. It was just making her more nervous, but she’d started playing so now she had to keep going. Glancing around nervously, she bent over the table and took her first shot, and of course, hit the eight ball. Well, at least she hit one. That’s what mattered, right?

She glanced up again, scanning the room quickly before telling herself to focus. “… did I actually just talk to myself out loud?” She closed her eyes and kept mumbling to herself, shaking her head. “And now I’m doing it again. Great.” Parker bit her lower lip and took another shot.

[dimitri]

Dimitri usually went straight to his room or the library to work on his homework when classes were finished. He was usually that kid. But today he felt like relaxing. The main motivation was that, of course, he didn't want to work on their english paper since it wasn't due till next week and since the rest of his homework was sparse, he would definitely end up working on it. So instead he grabbed his laptop, shoved it in his bag, and made his way to the game room. At least down there he could people watch.

He didn't know a ton of people so he honestly wasn't expecting to see anyone he knew, but then Parker was playing pool. They had a few classes together and they had gotten along alright. They were both fairly quiet so that probably helped. He was going to say hi, honestly, he intended to, but first he wanted to see if she was any good. So instead he stood in the doorway for a moment watching her play. He hadn't realized how distracting people watching could be until just now. Of course, he hadn't thought that Parker would be here, nor did he think he would find her bending over the pool table like that. He felt his face get a little warm, refocusing his attention on the pool game. She hit the eight ball, then muttered to herself. He dropped his bag by the pool table as she took her second shot.

"I uh.... I don't play much... but uh... pretty sure you are supposed to go for everything but the uh... the eight ball." He smiled slightly, to show her he was just teasing, but then he remembered she could read minds anyway and he immediately worried about his thought process earlier when she was all bent over the pool table and his face got slightly redder and then he focused really hard on puppies and kittens. Damn "extraordinary people" school. Had to be careful what you even thought.

[parker]

She hadn’t noticed Dimitri come in, but she had heard someone thinking about the way she had bent over the pool table. Parker blushed and told herself to concentrate, this time she managed not to say it out loud. She was about to try and make another shot, hopefully without hitting the eight ball, when Dimitri appeared at by her side and started talking to her, causing her to miss the shot completely and hit the eight ball into a pocket. “God dammit!” She glanced up, her face turning even more red and mumbled, “That was a lot louder then I wanted it to be.”

Realizing that she hadn’t even responded to him, she smiled and shrugged, “I know. Apparently, I suck at pool.” He distracted her though! But she wasn’t going to tell him that. “Um. Did you want to play?” She was technically supposed to restart since the eight ball was already gone, but unless she had someone to play with she was just going to try to hit the rest of them into the pockets. Without giving him much of a chance to answer, she grabbed another pool stick and held it out to him. “Come on, you can’t be worse than I am.” She giggled a little.

Someone around her was thinking about puppies and kittens. She couldn’t help but grin a little. Why would anyone be thinking about that? Parker glanced around the room to see who would might be thinking about them. She always heard thoughts more clearly when the person was standing closer to her, but she was standing with Dimitri. Guys didn’t think of puppies and kittens often did they? She looked around again, and saw a girl sitting in one of the chairs nearby reading. It was probably her. She turned her attention back to Dimitri. She really wanted to know if it was him but she was trying to block people’s thoughts not break into them!

[dimitri]

Dimitri felt his face flush when she said god dammit as soon as he finished talking. He couldn't decide if she was saying it at him or at the pool table and though he hoped the pool table he had to suspect himself. He had kind of interrupted her without warning there. He was expecting her to tell him to go away but she instead handed him a pool stick and told him to join the game. He took it after a moment's hesitation and eyed the table.

"Can I uh... Can we start over then?" He said, motioning the stick he was now holding at the balls... "I mean... I'm not very good but uh... I don't think its a real game if there is no eight ball, right?" He didn't really wait for an answer, and instead he went about pulling the eight ball out of the pocket and putting them all back in the triangle and lining them up about where they ought to be. Then he stepped back from the table, looking to her. "You can break..." He hoped that was the right word. He didn't want it to sound like he had trailed off... But how could he have ended that. Ohshit, what if she didn't know he was trying to be suave and use Pool terms and she thought he just didn't finish his sentence and so she started to fill in the blank?! what if she filled it in with like 'me' or 'my heart'? Shit it was getting cheesy. Puppies and kittens, man. And rainbows and butterflies and not cheesy, nothing cheesy. Completely normal boys brain in here.

He smoothed down his hair, a bad nervous habit of his and then played with the hem of his shirt, waiting for her to break the triangle thingy (so much for suave pool language). "So uh... have you started that... that english paper yet?" He asked, attempting to time it when she wasn't actually going for a shot.

[parker]

Parker was glad when he agreed to play. She didn’t really know him all too well but they did have some classes together so they had that in common, if nothing else. Besides, now at least she would have someone to talk to other than herself. She wasn’t sure if her little outburst at her previous pool failures would scare him away or not, but apparently they didn’t which made her happy. And now she would be prepared for conversation because she knew he was there. But that didn’t mean she was going to play any better. This was just for fun, anyway.

“Yeah, of course.” She leaned against the pool table and watched as he put the balls into the triangle thingy. Clairely she didn’t really know much about pool either and the terminology was a little lost on her. Including the whole ‘break’ thing. “Um… break what?” She felt her cheeks getting warm as she blushed. She hated sounding stupid, and she knew right now that she was. She was playing pool. And she had no idea what his words meant. She guessed it had something to do with the game but what did they mean? Parker wasn’t exactly known for being a pro at this. When he stepped away from the table, she realized that he probably meant she should start. Dammit.

She played with her necklace nervously. Why did everything she do have to be so damn awkward?! “Um, actually, yeah. I like to get things out of the way most of the time.” Now he was going to think she was a nerd for doing homework early. “I like English class.” Oh, because that totally made it sound better. Parker kicked herself mentally. Could she sound like a bigger dork?

“Right, so I’m just gonna…” She mumbled, trailing off at the end of her sentence before leaning over the table to take a shot. She managed to hit them without getting the eight ball into a pocket. Parker bounced in excitement and grinned. So, she didn’t hit any into a pocket, but at least the eight ball was still on the table.

[dimitri]

When she asked break what he peaked at her to make suer she wasn't teasing, then motioned at the triangle of balls after he stepped away from the table, "Break the uh... the triangle.... thing..... with all the balls and such....." he stood the pool stick up straight and rested his chin on the tip of it for a moment before he remembered it was covered in blue chalk and shoved it away from him like it was the devil as he began to furiously wipe at the little blue mark he could only assume it had left. In actuality, he was right that it had left it, but it was a little to the left of where he was rubbing so he wasn't actually doing a whole lot.

"I usually do too... but I haven't done the uh... the paper yet. It just... feels better when its out of the way already." He ran his hand over his hair once more, watching as she stepped forward to 'break the triangle thing with all the balls and such' as he had so eloquently put it and after she had taken his shot his face broke into a huge grin at her excitement. She was kind of adorable with the way she was all bouncy and grinny just for not failing, not even for succeeding really. "That was better then uh... then last time... I think you're improving."

He still had the big smile on his face as he bent over to take his own shot, where he basically just hit the cue ball as hard as he could so it bounced around the table a lot and upset the balls positions, but didn't really do anything. It could have been worse at least.

[parker]

She turned to face him after taking her somewhat pointless shot and noticed that he was rubbing his chin. She tilted her head at him then noticed there was blue stuff from the pool stick on it. And he wasn’t really succeeding at wiping it away. “Oh um, you’re kind of missing it…” She stepped towards him to try and help then stopped. That would probably be really weird. Her cheeks were turning red again. “It’s more to the left.” Just when things were starting to be less awkward, here they were again being awkward. “Here…” She stepped closer to him and just moved his hand over the chalk mark so that he could do it himself. Parker smiled then moved back, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing again.

Oh good. He didn’t think she was a total loser for having her homework done early. That was a relief. Maybe she wasn’t coming off as the biggest dork in the world? “Except biology homework. That feels better when you just pretend it doesn’t exist until the last minute.” And sometimes not even then, she added silently. Biology was just too… sciency. She didn’t like science. Which was probably why it was her worst subject. Parker looked down for a second played with the hem of her t-shirt. They only really spoke in class, and she kind of hoped she was making a good impression.

“It was! It was almost good.” She laughed, still bouncing a little bit. Her own grin got bigger seeing him smile. Parker wasn’t sure if he was teasing her, or if he was excited about her non-failure, but he had a nice smile. She stepped back from the table a little to give him room to take his shot. His shot was about as good as hers was, which made her feel a bit better. “Looks like you’re almost as good as me.” She joked, still grinning at him.

[dimitri]

She noticed the chalk mark and Dimitri wished he was dead. He was trying to make it be gone before she could see it and then she grabbed his hand to move it where the chalk was and he kind of froze, feeling his face get all warm, letting her move him but not moving anything else. He was getting all awkward and flustered and he wanted Parker to like him. He needed friends around here and she was going to think he was such a dork because he couldn't even hold a freaking pool stick without needing help. But at least she was blushing too so his blushing felt less out of place. Of course, that didn't excuse the fact that he was supposed to be a guy and guys weren't supposed to blush.

He shook his head at her comment about the biology homework, "Or history homework. No one should eve have to do history homework." He really did have a passion about that, he was pretty sure history should not be studied. Of course history tended to repeat itself, because people got so bored studying it they figured hands on learning was the best way. He figured everyone should just forget history ever existed and then it would be better.

He was still grinning about how excited she was about her shot, and when she teased him he smiled back, before looking at his feet awkwardly. He glanced up at her from under his hair, "That was my first shot.... I'm uh... Not warmed up yet.... or something... I'm gonna catch up... Don't worry..."

[parker]

Oh no. Was she embarrassing him? That wasn’t what she meant to do! Parker was only trying to help him because it seemed like it was bothering him and now he was all blushy and adorable. “… I--sorry? I was just trying to help…” She mumbled at him. This was so stressful! She just wanted to be friends with him and here she was making everything all weird! Her face was about fifty shades of red at this point.

Parker kind of liked history. Well, she didn’t exactly like it but it was better than science. “Yes. Exactly, no one should ever have to do history or biology homework ever!” She smiled at him before leaning over the table to take her shot. She aimed for the cue ball and tried to hit any ball other than the eight one into the pocket. The cue ball hit into a striped yellow one that almost went into a pocket. She turned back at looked at Dimitri, still smiling, “Well, I still hit something other than the eight ball.” She shrugged. “And look how close I got!” She laughed, pointing to the ball that was at the edge of one of the corner pockets.

“Okay, well, let’s see it then. Only you can’t try to hit that one cause it’s mine, kay?” Parker grinned at him. She was teasing him again, while being kind of serious at the same time, hoping he would listen. Technically he was allowed to hit it in because neither of them had hit one in yet, or at least that’s what she thought the rule was… but she still claimed it by getting it there… or something.

[dimitri]

He shook his head when she apologized, "No, no, it uh... You don't need to uh... apologize... I mean, its not your fault...." He found it kind of adorable how she was blushing so much. He wasn't about to say that to her though because he hated when people told him it was 'cute' how blushy he was. He didn't mean to blush and he certainly didn't think it was cute. If anything, it felt terribly awkward and he just wanted people to ignore it but then people liked to comment. It was like they wanted an award for pointing out the most obvious things.

She was bending over the table again. Shit. He focused on the table, trying to ignore that there was a pretty girl at the other end. He watched the table with perhaps a bit too much intensity, but that was better then her overhearing his brain and feeling weird. He didn't like making people feel weird. She actually had a pretty decent shot, except it would make it easy easier for him to get the first ball sunk. But then she forbid him from hitting it. She might have been teasing, but he couldn't really tell so he decided he would do everything in his power to not hit it. He lined up a shot going the other way, he hit a group of three balls and though they scattered nothing went in anywhere.

"Okay... That also didn't count 'cause uh.... 'cause I am still warming up. And uh, clearly you've taken, like, classes or something...." He trailed off there at the end, watching her out of the corner of his eye while he pretended to look at the table, a small smile formed on his lips.

[parker]

Parker was starting to feel nervous and so she was having trouble controlling her gift. She was starting to hear Mitri’s thoughts clearly now. Hearing him think that she was adorable just made her blush more. This was why she didn’t like hearing people’s thoughts! It just made her more awkward. It probably would have been a good idea to just let this go, to make things stop being awkward. “But--you're uncomfortable. I… sorry.” She was glad that Dimitri couldn’t hear her thoughts because that would have just made everything terrible. She just wanted the awkward to stop. It really shouldn’t be this hard!

She played with her necklace as he went to take his next shot. She had to laugh when he didn’t take the easy way out and steal her shot. “I was only kidding!” Secretly, or not so secretely she was glad that she got to keep her shot. It was probably going to be the only ball she got in. “You didn’t have to do that.” She grinned at him then started mumbling. “But I’m kind of glad you did…” Okay, so it wasn’t a secret because she told him. But it could have been! Okay, so the balls just moved around on the table and nothing happened. “Good shot.” She said, trying to be nice. It wasn’t terrible, he didn’t knock the eight ball in. So that was already a start.

He clearly had no idea what he was talking about cause she did not take classes before. She had only played once or twice at a friend’s back home. “I’m not doing better than you at all! Look!” She pointed at the table, giggling a little. “Neither of us knocked anything in a pocket. Besides, watch. I’m not gonna managed to get any in now.” The cue ball was on the other side of the table from the ball she previously claimed but she was gonna try to get it anyway. She tried to hit the ball into the pocket, but the cue ball hit the eight ball instead, almost knocking it in. “Aw damn.” She shrugged and pouted just a little. “You jinxed me!” She liked teasing him, apparently.

[dimitri]

"No, it uh... Just surprised me is all." He had gotten his mind off of the possibility that she was listening in on his thoughts so her blush made him feel worse. He could only assume she was pity blushing, he had done that before. It was a terrible sign because it meant he was doing something so awkward that she felt awkward for him. And since he had forgotten temporarily that she might know he thought she was adorable he had to assume that was it. Basically he was being fail. But she was still laughing and smiling, so maybe not so bad. Maybe just.... a bad first impression.

"I didn't know if you were joking! And you are uh... you are holding that giant stick.... I wouldn't want to incite your wrath..." He was teasing, albeit a bit awkwardly.

He watched her next shot fail like her very first had and he felt his grin get a little wider, "You're er... holding back..." He nodded as if to back up that statement. His mom always said if you say something with enough confidence, people wouldn't question it. Unfortunately confident speech was not something he had ever been good at, so the nod would have to do, "And you set me up to uh... to accidently tap the ... the eight ball in..." He motioned at it before he leaned to take his shot.

He didn't hit the eight ball in, he did accidentally end up tapping the yellow striped one in. He didn't move though, just slowly moved his eyes toward parker to see if she was going to hit him with her pool stick. "I uh... guess I'm... stripes?" He couldn't seem to shake that stupid smile off his face.

[parker]

She felt a little better when he said that he was just surprised. That meant that maybe he didn’t think she was a huge dork. “Oh… okay, good.” She said, smiling a little at him. Why couldn’t the awkward just go away already? He was being all nice and adorable and here she was making everything worse and awkward.

Parker giggled when he teased her. Things were starting to get better. It was still a little awkward, but the conversation seemed to have moved away from that little chalk incident and they were just having fun at this point. Awkward fun, but still fun. “Oh, yeah, it’s downright terrifying, isn’t it?” She joked, poking his arm gently with her pool stick, leaving another chalk mark. “I’m sorry! I forgot about the chalk!” They had just gone through this two seconds ago, but she really had forgotten about it. And at least this time he could look down at his arm and take the chalk off without her help.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Aw, damn. Looks like you figured me out, eh?” The grin on her face made it obvious that she was just kidding around. She wasn’t that much of a calculating person, especially in a game that she really didn’t know how to play! She watched him take his turn, and gasped when the yellow ball in. “That was my ball!” She said pouting, until she couldn’t help but grin again. “I claimed it and everything!”

She looked down at the tip of her pool stick and then back at Mitri before poking him again on the arm with it, making sure chalk stayed on him this time. “That’s what you get for stealing it from me.” She tried keeping a straight face, but it was no use. Parker couldn’t stop smiling. “You know what, it’s fine. You can be stripes.” She stuck out her tongue at him and took her next shot trying to get an orange solid ball into the corner pocket. While she did hit the orange one, it bounced off the side of the table and hit a blue solid one in. “I totally meant to do that.” She nodded at him, smiling. He never had to know that it was never her intention to get that one in.

[dimitri]

He made a face at her when she poked him with the chalky end of the pool stick and rubbed at his arm, "Uh huh... I'm uh... sure you did..." He tested out a small smile, hoping she didn't think he thought she was being a jerk or anything. He really needed to work on the convolutedness of his thoughts. He wiped the chalk off, mostly smearing it before forgetting what he was doing.

"I didn't mean to!" He defended himself. He didn't want her to think he was stealing her shot on purpose. "I heard you claim it, but my uh... my aim is terrible" She poked him again and he reached for the tip of her pool stick, missing it when she moved to go shoot again.

"I'm uh.. Sure you did." He smiled, his words sweet as they could sound, but the smile on his face showed the doubt. He hoped she could take the joke, hoped she didn't think he was just an asshole.

He saw a striped one that didn't look too hard to hit in, it was green and he got a determined face. He eyed the shot, got it all lined up, leaned over to take it.... aaand.... hit the eight ball in. If it wasn't so obvious he had been planning to hit the green striped one in it might have seemed like he was aiming for it he hit it so clean.

He gave her a look, a smile playing at the corner of his lips, his eyes daring her to comment. Just daring her.

[parker]

“I really did!” She said, blushing, probably making it seem less believable. “I’m sorry?” She giggled a little. She wasn’t really sorry though, it was pretty funny. Especially since he didn’t seem to really care. She had been a little nervous that he would get upset with her, but he didn’t so she could relax again.

She gave him a skeptical look, “Of course you didn’t.” She grinned at him just so he knew she was joking around. He apparently was better at this game than he’d let on earlier. And he stole her ball. Maybe it was just a lucky shot though. That was possible. She was pretty sure he tried to steal her ball. But it didn’t really bother her considering she would have done the same thing.

Parker blushed again, when he essentially called her out on her previous shot. How did he know? It could have been on purpose. Especially if he thought she had some kind of genius plan to win. “I’m sensing that you don’t actually believe me.” She raised an eyebrow at him, grinning. “Just wait, I’ll get my next one in. You’ll see.”

She watched him position himself to take his shot, sure that he was going to get the green striped one in. But he missed it and knocked the eight ball in. “Yes!” She said, excitedly and started bouncing a little again. “Looks like even stealing my ball still didn’t even help you.” She smirked slightly at him. Biting her lip, she wondered if this actually counted as a win. Since it was more like Dimitri lost all on his own.

“My master plan worked after all, apparently.” She joked and played with the hem of her shirt.