Strangers in a cafe [Emily]

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

It was Sunday afternoon, and the sky was thick with dark grey clouds. Any moment now they were threatening to break and down pour a weeks’ worth of rain on to La Push. It was Josh’s day off, and he was making the most of it. Technically, he hadn’t been home from the night before. After work on Saturday night, he’d gone out for some drinks with some friends, hooked up with a girl, gone home with her and then did a runner before she could wake up. The night before he’d left his old beat up Toyota Cressida at the bar, so he’d walked the hour journey from the girl’s apartment. He’d planned to go home, but once he’d climbed into his car he hadn’t wanted to. He was bored of this town. He’d been here for a few weeks now and his feet were starting to get itchy. But he’d promised his sisters that he’d stick around for awhile longer. So as a compromise, he’d promised himself that he’d explore the local area.

Now he found himself wandering down a pebbly path towards an empty beach. The wind whipped around him, and Josh dug his hands further into his jean pockets. He was still dressed in last nights’ attire of a black dress shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow, dark jeans and a pair of dark casual shoes. Pretty stupid outfit for a trip to La Push’s beach in the spring; but it had been a spontaneous trip. He was quickly realising that the weather here was a lot different to that of Brazil where he’d been for the previous six weeks before his arrival in Washington. Hell, it was a lot different to the weather in New York! It wasn’t sure he’d ever be used to the almost constant gloom and rain.

He’d been walking for what felt like forever before he found himself at the edge of the water. He picked up a few stones off of the ground and began skipping them into the waves. It wasn’t long before the sky finally caved in and rain began to fall in large drops. Josh set off with a jog back up the beach, in the direction he hoped he’d left his car. Buy the time he’d reached the main street, he was soaked through and the rain was coming down heavily. And of course, his car was nowhere to be seen. Feeling cold, and annoyed, he spotted a small café which lit sign announced that it was open, and ducked his head inside. It was quiet in there which meant he had his pick of seats. He slid into a booth close to the back close to a heater. He shook his head like a dog, his hair sticking to his forehead, sending water droplets flying everywhere before noticing an old Native American woman standing at his table. ”Coffee, black, three sugars.” he told her as he fished his iphone out his pocked and started checking any missed calls or texts he had.

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ

[Emily Ayiana Locklear]

▼

Emily slammed the door behind her. Argument number five with her mom and dad about living on this stupid reservation. She’d grown up with all the luxuries of a normal kid and now she’d been shipped off to learn about her Native American background on the reservation her dad had grown up. La Push. She sighed, even the name wasn’t really that exciting. The school was a bore, she had no friends her - and her friends back in Seattle wan’t nothing to do with her.

Glancing up at the sky, Emily knew it was close to pouring down with rain. That is all it ever did here - rain. Not that Seattle was much better, but at least there was more to do when it did rain. Here, she could go into Forks…snore…or explore the village…snore…
She kicked the stones under her feet on the path and checked her phone. Nothing. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs in frustration, but it would do no good. All she wanted was a bit of fun in her life.

Coming across the logs set out around what looked like the remnants of an old bonfire, Emily sat down. She began picking up sticks and pebbles that were scattered on the ground nearby and threw them at the ashes of the old fire. She wondered how long she would have to stick around here. She’d seen a group of the kids hanging around in some sort of gang, but none of them seemed interested in making friends with the new girl. Not to mention, they all looked pumped up on steroids or something. Still, they looked like fun to be around…Emily began to plot how to accidentally stumble into one of them and find out what fun things there are to do around here.

Lost in her thoughts, it took a couple of minutes for Emily to notice the fat raindrops falling from the sky. Pulling her hoodie up over her head she made a run for it. There must be something open that would save her from heading back home right this second. She spotted a little cafe with its ‘open’ sign lit up and beelined for the door. In one clumsy, loud movement she pushed her way in and shrugged her hoodie back onto her shoulders, and glanced around. It was pretty much dead, all except one guy who had nabbed the booth nearest the heater. Feeling bold, she meandered over, putting on her best smile. As she reached the open seat, she coughed softly, “um, excuse me? Do you mind if I sit here - just to you know…dry off a bit?

TAGGED

Joshua Michael Cazalet

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

Josh hated being in one place for too long. He was a hopeless case of wanderlust. Why would anyone want to stay in one place forever when there was a whole world out there to see?! It baffled him. Staying around the same old people, day in day out, seeing the same sites every single day. How boring. Despite promising his sisters that he’d stick around a while, in his head he was already planning his next trip. Maybe just a couple weeks and then come back to Forks. That way he wouldn’t be breaking any promises. He desperately wanted to visit Panama next. Any tips that he earned on top of his crappy wage went straight into his Panama jar. So far it contained a grand total of fifty five bucks. At this rate, he’d visit Panama when he was seventy eight.

So far, what he had seen of La Push, it was pretty much exactly the same as Forks… with a little more wind and sand. There was nothing there…at all… it didn’t even seem like there were many people there either. He was sure that he’d counted about seven people since pulling up his car into a parking space earlier that morning; and that was including the woman who he had just barked his order at. Josh wasn’t used to quiet places like this. He was born and raised in New York, used to the hustle and bustle of city life. He’d visited some of the other busiest cities around the country and even in Europe and Brazil. He didn’t like being bored and consistently alone.

His eyes lifted at the sound of a female voice, his libido waking up instantly. Only to be put back to bed when he realised instantly how young the girl was. Well he’d hazard a guess at late teenage years. But he had learnt over his years of womanizing that looks can be deceiving. He shook his head, to clear the thoughts from his brain and tried to remember what exactly he had been asked. Oh right, if she could sit with him. His eyes glanced around the empty café for a moment, before realising that he was in fact sat close to the only heather in the place and the girl did look cold and damp, just like he was sure he did. ”Uh, sure,” He locked his phone and popped it down on the table in as he gestured to the empty seat across from him. ”Josh” he introduced himself, offering him her hand. ”Is there actually anything to do around here?” Maybe this girl could direct him in the direction of something to kill some time on a Sunday.

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ

[Emily Ayiana Locklear]

▼

Emily smiled and slid quickly onto the seat in front of him, “Thanks,” she murmured, she wasn’t expecting any kind of conversation, she just wanted to get warm and dry before she admitted defeat and headed home. It wasn’t that she hated life here - she just wasn’t warming to the idea of starting again. She had so many friends back in Seattle and she missed her life there. Friends. Ha - they barely spoke to her these days. It did have her questioning what kind of friends they really were. Was she really considered that much of an outcast?

Emily looked up at his unexpected introduction - she’d gotten the feeling he wasn’t much for socialising right now, but perhaps she’d been wrong. “Emily” she nodded, taking his hand in introduction. He was definitely much older than she was, and also not from around here. Emily studied his features, he was definitely attractive - not that it mattered but there was a serious question as to what it was that had bought somebody like him into the small, quiet reservation. It wasn’t like people chose to live here…apart from her family. Elan had been over the moon at the move, Emily just didn’t understand. She shrugged and smiled, “your guess is as good as mine, I’m only just finding my feet here myself”. Glancing around the cafe, Emily noted that Sundays were clearly the days that people avoided going out at all. Or at least that’s what it felt like.

“My family recently moved back here,” she offered by way of explanation, “my dad was born here so he wanted to move back to his roots or something”. Emily wasn't sure why she was offloading, but there was so much she had bottled up. Swallowing her words she refrained from letting her woes spill to a complete stranger. Emily shook her head and let out a quiet, small laugh, “anyway, what brings you to this quiet little res?” she was curious about the guy, at least listening to his story might give her something to do.

TAGGED

Joshua Michael Cazalet

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

Josh wasn’t always a people person. He liked hanging out and socializing when it suited him. Often, that was obvious from his body language and facial expression. Usually his face was graced by a serious almost permanent scowl. People generally annoyed him on a daily basis, asking stupid questions, demanding too much and doing too little. Travelling around gave him a chance to meet people from all over the place, but move on to a different place before they had chance to really piss him off. There were a few people that he kept in touch with from back in New York; but usually he was a lone wolf. Keeping to yourself ensured that you didn’t rely on people, and come to expect them to be there for you. Josh had learnt many times over the years that the only person he could truly count on, was himself, and his sisters (most of the time anyway). Which is why he drank, a lot.

That being said, if he was planning on sticking around here for the foreseeable future, he was going to have to scope out some people who he could hang out with on a regular basis who wouldn’t annoy him too] much. It was a small place, so it was inevitable that it would be slim pickings. It was likely he was just going to have to throw himself into work to keep him from going stir crazy. Which wouldn’t be a total loss; it would mean he’d save a little quicker and be able to vacation again sooner rather than later.

The old lady returned a moment later and slid a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. ”Can I get you anything, miss?” she asked the girl who’d identified herself as Emily just a second ago. Josh busied himself with adding the sugars that had just been left on the side of the saucer the coffee came on. He nodded his head as Emily continued to explain that she too was new here. Great, so maybe this place was as dull as it first appeared. He brought his mug to his lips and took a small sip of the boiling hot liquid, instantly burning his tongue. Son of a -. He couldn’t imagine being forced to move to a place like this with his parents. It was bad enough choosing to stay here, knowing he could leave at any given time. Let alone being made to stay. Ugh. Poor girl. He soon realised that she’d asked him why he was here in La Push. ”My sisters moved to Forks a few years ago, and they twisted my arm recently to coming to visit them here, promised I’d stick around awhile.” he shrugged. ”But the more I explore this place, the more I realise that there’s nothing here. “ This girl was oddly easy to talk to.

”If you hadn’t walked in, I probably would have sworn that this place is deserted. I haven’t seen more than eight people all morning.” Lifting up his coffee once more, Josh took another sip, hoping it had cooled slightly. With a sigh, he glanced over at Emily. ”How long have you been here then? Surely you must have found something to occupy your time with…” He was clutching at straws, hoping that some inspiration would hit about what could kill some time here.

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ

[Emily Ayiana Locklear]

▼

Emily glanced up at the waitress who was patiently waiting to take her order having brought the guy, Josh…she needed to remember that…his coffee. “Um, could I have a green tea?” The waitress gave her a look but said nothing before she wandered back to the counter. Emily guessed that wasn’t an overly requested drink from that reaction. She rolled her eyes, that would take some getting used to. People looking at her like she was the freak…great.

Stifling back a laugh, Emily winced as she felt the guys pain - taking a sip from just poured coffee was a bad move anywhere. However, here there was no one else around meaning that pot had been freshly made. Even bigger no no. She listened intently as he explained his situation, nodding along as he spoke. Emily smiled - finally someone who was on the same wavelength as her. Arm twisted into moving this way, and the longer she was here she’d slowly begun to realise there really wasn’t anything to do here. At least he’d seen eight people, she could swear that he was the first human contact she’d had in this place, well him and the waitress. Glancing up, she smiled at the waitress who was wandering back over with her cup. As it was placed in front of her, Emily’s smile grew, “thanks!” she beamed before pulling her attention back to Josh

“You’re the first person I’ve seen this morning, well you and her” she nodded back to the waitress and smirked. Emily blew on her tea, letting it cool of slightly and not running the risk of burning her mouth on it. She shrugged at Josh’s question “A couple of weeks perhaps, I’ve personally headed back to Seattle a couple of times to see friends…” she huffed, her friends weren’t exactly that anymore. Her cell hadn’t really gone off in weeks, people didn’t care anymore. “Otherwise I’ve explored Forks, spent time on the beach, tried to avoid school…” she laughed. It really sounded super interesting…not. “What about you? Surely you’ve found stuff to do around here?” He was definitely older than her, which made Emily wonder why on earth he was stuck in this dead end town. He had the choice to leave…she wasn’t so lucky.

TAGGED

Joshua Michael Cazalet

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

Josh was sure that he’d have a lovely big blister on his tongue later from the steaming pot of lava that the woman had just brought him; great. He lent back in his seat, and stretched out his legs under the table. His shirt still damn from getting caught in the rain, but the heat from the radiator was slowly taking some of the chill out of the air and helping it dry. This was not weather he was used to; even in New York, it was never this bad. Every time you stepped outside here in Forks, it was like you were going for a swim. Ugh; lovely weather for ducks.

He was a complex human being; he liked to be alone, but he often found himself surrounded by people. So being in somewhere that was clearly lacking in population was a little disorienting. Television shows, films and books always described towns like this as quaint and teeming with life; everyone knew everyone’s business and everyone was sleeping with everyone. But this was not proving to be the case, at all! He’d been here all of two months and he had only hooked up with three girls. THREE! When he had been in Vegas he’d hooked up with three girls in one night! The talent was definitely lacking. ”I would say everyone’s staying indoors because of the shit weather. But… it’s always the same and if they stayed in because of the rain and wind they’d never leave.” His eyes glanced around again at the empty café. It was kind of eerie. ”But, in a place like this, who knows!”

Attempting a sip of his coffee for the second time, Josh raised the mug to his lips. ”Oh your from Seattle originally?” he asked. He’d been passed through Seattle once during one of his road trips, but he’d only really seen the highway and a crappy motel. Seattle was of course famous for its coffee, if his tongue didn’t crumble after being scolded today, maybe he’d take a trip up there next week and try it out. ”Did you find anything good in Forks? Because all I found was some cheesy carnival and mountains.” The place was very green, and brown; very different to the scenery of New York which was basically grey; concrete jungle. ”To be honest, I’ve been working a lot so I’ve not had chance to find anything other than bars,”

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ

[Emily Ayiana Locklear]

▼

Emily cradled her cup of green tea, letting it’s warmth - and that of the heater near her - thaw out the damp, cold feeling radiating over her body. She wasn’t exactly dressed for the weather - but then it wasn’t like her to ever do anything sensible. Laughing slightly, Emily nodded “tell me about it, I can’t tell if it’s just me people are avoiding or if no one genuinely goes outside…” honestly it was starting to feel personal now, even though it clearly wasn’t. This town seemed more like a ‘keep yourself to yourself’ kind of place. She shrugged in agreement, the big city was something she’d been used to. All this quiet was just…weird.

Emily nodded, taking a small sip of her tea…which was now cool enough for her to drink. Ah, the taste was refreshing. She relished in the moment briefly, sighing softly. “Yup, Seattle born and bred…well, until now…” she smiled. Seattle was great, but she’d agreed to the move for her dads sake, and although she wasn’t happy, the more people she came across - the more settled she would feel. “I highly recommend a visit to the big city, it’s not that far if you drive…” she was assuming he could, but these days you never could tell.

“There is a lovely diner in Forks, sells amazing food…” she grimaced, it was literally about the best thing she’d found in Forks. You could never part her from her food - food is what made her happy. “I didn’t see a carnival…when did that come to town? I bet it’s not as bad as you’re making out…” Emily laughed - he seemed like the ‘too cool for school’ type but in reality she thought there could be more of a childish side there hiding away. “I’m totally up for a carnival, even if it is cheesy - it’s something to do!” she glanced outside…perhaps when the rains stops, she thought to herself.

She tilted her head to one side, but nodded in approval - that at least sounded more fun that school…even if it was work. “So, how old are you? If you don’t hide me asking?” Emily was pretty direct, in reality she didn’t care how old or young someone was - if they were easy to talk to and laid back, that was all good in her books!

TAGGED

Joshua Michael Cazalet

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

Josh was originally from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. A place that was famous for its over population of people from all over the world. His mom had rented a tiny three bed apartment that smelt constantly and of Korean barbeque thanks to the Korean family that took residence in the apartment downstairs. Most weekend when he was a kid, he had some friends would make the journey into the city and spend hours loitering around in Central Park. So he was used to being surrounded by different people no matter the time or day or weather. Being in a town where apparently locals hid themselves away was such a foreign concept. ”Maybe a bit of both?” he said sarcastically, with a raise of his eyebrows. Josh had a bit of a dry sense of humour and he was sarcastic, sarcasm was his second language.

He nodded his head, listening to her as she spoke about her hometown. From the way she was talking, he could tell she was missing Seattle. And he could completely sympathise. As soon as he’d been old enough to leave home alone, he’d started travelling around the country. But a part of him always longed to be home back in New York. It was home after all, even if his home hadn’t been the happiest. ”sure, but I’m sure it would kill a few hours of your time if you walked there. You wouldn’t be bored then….” he joked. He hadn’t really driven much outside of his road trips. When he was in NY, he’d caught the subway everywhere; parking and driving around in the city was a nightmare.

The mention of delicious food made Josh’s stomach growl. The last thing he had ate was a burrito he’d stole from work before he’d left last night so he was absolutely famished. ”Oh? Whats it called? I’ll definitely look it up.” With that, he for the waitress and beckoned her over. ”Can I get a menu please?” She scuttled off, returning moments later with a laminated menu. Josh scanned it quickly but turned his attention back to Emily. ”Uh… it’s in Tilicum Park… I think” he said, frowning slightly, unsure if that was the correct park name. ”Arrived a few days ago... on Friday. It’s an annual spring carnival or something…” He’d grown up going to Coney Island, so travelling carnivals were kind of boring in comparison. ”It’s very bad. Cheesy music blasting twenty four seven. Kids traipsing out with over sized bears and goldfish. Unsafe rides. Ugh. Pass.” Bah humbug. ”You crack on. I’d hurry though if you do want to do, don’t think it’s in Forks for long.”

”How old do you think I am?” he questioned. He liked making people squirm with such a simple question. Most people avoided answering it in fear of offending. Josh didn’t care.

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ

[Emily Ayiana Locklear]

▼

Emily narrowed her eyes at Josh, he was teasing her of course but man, they'd only known each other five minutes! Though Emily did make it her mission to be as relatable as possible when it came to meeting new people. She smiled at him “har-har…” she said sarcastically, “it isn’t just me they’re all avoiding though is it…I don’t see a queue of people waiting to spend time with you,” she joked, hoping he’d pick up on the dry sense of humour she was mirroring…and that he could take it just as well as he could dish it out.

Emily couldn’t help it that she missed Seattle. Sure it wasn’t too far away, but she missed living in the middle of a big, busy city. When she was old enough, Emily was positively certain that she would travel the country and take in all the sites, cultures and everything else around her. She rolled her eyes and laughed, “I suppose, if you think about it that way…but walking for a few hours by yourself is never that much fun,” she pointed out, pushing the shiver she’d felt just imagining being alone deep inside her. It wasn’t that she was scared of being alone, she just didn’t enjoy it, that’s when over-thinking kicked in.

She heard his stomach growl, and then tried to remember when it was she last ate. She’d left the house in such a rush mid-argument that she’d not even grabbed a slice of toast or anything. “Oh er, it’s The Lodge - right in the middle of town. They do a mean berry cobbler,” just remembering that sweet dessert made Emily’s mouth water. She watched Josh scan the menu, knowing exactly what it was that she wanted to order. A big, delicious cheese and bacon burger with fries. Yum.
“I think you’re exaggerating, it can’t be all that bad…I may venture into Forks and check it out!” Emily laughed, man this guy needed to lighten up - Carnivals were there to have fun with, and the fact you survived half the rides was usually the best part!

Emily mused for a moment before answering, she wasn’t afraid of the question but definitely wanted to make the answer worth while.“Well, I was going to guess early twenties, but going on your overall grouchiness towards something as fun as a carnival…I’m going to say forty…” she laughed, clearly joking. Sarcasm came to her as a second nature.

TAGGED

Joshua Michael Cazalet

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

Josh never intended to insult people; he just often had a hard time choosing between what was right and what was funny. It was like he was missing a filter to decipher between when it was an appropriate time to say something and when it wasn’t and boy had it landed him in hot water sometimes. Especially when the other people didn’t really have a sense of humour… i.e. cops. But this girl seemed to be able to hold her own against him – so far anyway. ”Touche,” he said, tipping his coffee mug at her before taking a sip of the now cooled liquid. ”Although, you didn’t kind of start a queue… I was sat here minding my own business and then you wanted to “hang out”,” Check and mate.

Spending time travelling around the country had made Josh appreciate home. Having a town that you knew where every place was, knowing where the best place to grab a hot dog or best bar to get beers in and watch the game. Just because he appreciated it mind, didn’t mean he’d lost his desire to travel. It just meant that he enjoyed it when he visited. But now, setting out temporary roots in an unfamiliar place wasn’t as great at the movies made out. ”Plus, with this weather, you’d be soaked and frozen by the time you got there,” He glanced out of the window, it was still throwing down big fat rain drops and the clouds were still a black-grey, promising that they held a lot more rain. Great. Either he was going to be hiding out for awhile longer here in the café or he was going to get soaking trying to find his car… and well, at least he had pleasant company here in the café.

”Cobbler is always a good shout, pie is even better. But the question is, can they do a good hot dog? Because I swear, outside of New York, you can’t find one of those suckers worth eating!” There was something delicious about a New York hotdog… maybe the questionable meat they contained, or the aroma of all the cab fumes that sounded it constantly as you ate it. ”Do you wanna look at this?” he asked, sliding the menu towards Emily. After giving her a few moments, Josh called the waitress over again who clearly looked like she would rather be anywhere but serving them. ”Can I get a cheese burger, with all the trimmings apart from tomato with fries and a side of onion rings, please?” He may be slim but my god could he put food away. He liked to think of it as his special talent. His sisters just called it unfair. ”Alright, but it’s your funeral,” he wouldn’t be cause dead on one of those death traps. The freak show or circus on the other hand, he may get on board with.

”Oh, burn,” Josh chuckled at the girls brazen comment. ”You’re only as old as you feel and some days I feel forty and some days I feel six.” He gave his shoulders a shrug in a ‘what can you do’ kind of action. She was feisty, he liked her. ”What about you then? I’d average a guess at about,” For a brief moment, he studied her carefully. He was always rubbish at guessing ages. ”Hmmm... A teenager. Eighteen maybe nineteen…. Am I close?”

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ

[Emily Ayiana Locklear]

▼

Sarcasm was something Emily had grown used to – being a teenager in the big city…with a big school, sarcasm was the only way to survive sometimes. Emily shrugged at his little poke…at least he could have a joke, she hated people with absolutely no sense of humour whatsoever. The more sarcastic and dry the better. “I was doing you a favour, it was a ‘pity party’ type thing,” she winked, he wasn’t going to win this one…

Emily didn’t mind the weather, but she did hanker for sun from time to time – as long as it didn’t pour down consistently and she could get out of the house and away from her parents she didn’t mind. She had always had the drive to travel – but knowing how much her parents would freak out always made her rethink her plans. All she knew was that she didn’t want to end up in some stuffy office job with no escape – nothing could be worse than that! “Oh no, that’s just you pale-faces…we don’t feel the cold or suffer in the rain,” she laughed. Not that it was politically correct, but she’d never cared about people pointing out her Native American roots, she was proud of her heritage she just wasn’t so keen on living in it. She noticed him glace out at the clouds, “it’s not going to ease up you know, this is it for today I’m afraid…” it was a well-known fact once it started raining here, it didn’t stop for the rest of the day. It was always a total washout.

She shrugged, “they do pretty epic burgers, I don’t see how a hot-dog could differ – but then I’m not a connoisseur and I’ve never been to New York so I can’t compare,” Emily shot him a smug look, she got the idea that he was a bit of a food snob, or at least a junk food snob. “Besides, you might want to lay off the hot-dogs, girls don’t like a food baby,” she winked – not sure what his game was when it came to girls but that one would still leave a mark for sure. Emily looked down at the menu but raised her eyebrow, she already knew what she wanted. Waiting as Josh reeled off his order, Emily rolled her eyes “food baby…” she mumbled before turning her attention to the waitress. “I’ll have a bacon and cheese burger, onion rings, fries and…can I have a chocolate milkshake too?” Yes, the girl could eat, and she wasn’t afraid to say it. Emily smiled, she liked carnivals – he wasn’t going to put her off, not this time.

Pursing her lips, Emily considered whether or not to lie to him, most people would hear ‘seventeen’ and run a mile. He was too much fun to lie to though, and if he was going to judge her on age then perhaps he wasn’t a good friend to have, “seventeen, you were close…” her smile was small as she waited for his reaction, “besides, age is just a number” cocking her head to one side, Emily held her breath and waited for the ‘see you later’.

TAGGED

Joshua Michael Cazalet

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

”Aw come on,” he laughed, ”girls approached me for a number of reasons, but for a pity party is never one of them. I’m not the kind of guy that ever looks approachable,” Josh shook his head, not buying it at all. If he was a girl, people would say that he had a resting bitch face. When he was alone, he rarely smiled, so usually his features fell into a natural frown. People usually avoided him thinking he was going to start yelling at them or something if they looked at him to a second too long. But once you got to know him, he was actually annoyingly likeable; charismatic and could probably sell ice to an Eskimo. Growing up in New York, you had to have something about you in order to survive, especially if you didn’t come from money in Manhattan. Being funny and sarcastic had been Josh’s; it had gotten him out of many tough scrapes… as well as getting him into many tough scrapes.

The weather in New York was usually either or; either boiling hot or freezing cold. It is famous for having scorching summers and snow piled, blistering cold winters. Josh always preferred the summer; although winter had the perk of being able to wear his favourite leather jacket… In Forks though, he had that luxury every day if he wanted. Granted it was spring now, but he had a feeling if he was still here in the summer, he’d still be able to wear it. ”Pale faces?” he questioned, with a raise of his eyebrow, ”I’m pretty sure that’s racist…” Not that he cared, in his opinion, political correctness had gone mad. As long as comments weren’t used to directly insult and hurt, then they were simply words. He was just trying to make her squirm. Josh sighed loudly and sunk back into his chair. ”Are you kiddin’ me?” he grumbled, more to himself than her, but it still worked as a reply.

Josh couldn’t help but look at Emily like she had just called his child the spawn of Satan. ”Hot dogs and burgers are completely different. New York hot dogs and burgers are a different thing all together. Oh child, thou art naïve. he explained as a matter of fact. Eating a hotdog in New York City should be on everyone’s bucket list. Josh had eaten food from various states and countries around the world, so he knew about spices and flavours. But nothing compared to a NYC Hotdog, ”if ever you visit the big apple, look up Sal’s dogs. Then you’ll take that back.” Hell, if they were closer now, he’d march her there himself. He had to snort at her comment though. Girls were always so obsessed with how they looked; and so were a lot of guys these days. But Josh wasn’t one of them. He couldn’t really care less about his appearance. He played football with friends, and sex, that was about as close to working out as he got. And he ate whatever he wanted. Food was good. ”Life’s too short to worry about that crap, plus I’m sure there’s a whole niche of chubby chasers that are totally into that kind of thing.” He grinned at shook his head at her mutter; rolling his eyes. He liked her, even if she was insulting him. ”Guy’s don’t like girls who publically calorie count -” he started, but quickly shut up. ”Well well well, now who’s going to have a food baby? That would be you.”

Okay, so she was eight years younger than him, and usually he tried to hang out with girls who were at least eighteen. But for once, he wasn’t trying to get into this girl’s pants. So it didn’t really matter. ”Age is definitely just a number. Like I said, some days I’m forty give, some days I’m six. So wait, does that mean you’re stuck in high school? Oh man that sucks.”

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ

[Emily Ayiana Locklear]

G iving him a small smile, Emily nodded in a slightly sarcasticc manner. “Okay, okay…I’ll believe it when I see it” she winked. Of course, she was only teasing him, but it was always fun to play a little - besides he didn’t really seem to mind. It was definitely a lot easier for Emily to get Josh, they had a very similar sense of humour which was always a plus. For Emily though, getting on with people had always been quite easy. She was kind of an open book - approachable, easy to talk to, the funny friend that was always making jokes at her own expense…well, most of the time anyway. Overall Emily could be a bit of a goofball which seemed to attract and draw people in. That is, until she came to La Push, where it seemed like most people liked to see her as some sort of alien. It sucked being the ‘new girl’. Emily let out a slight snort at Josh’s comment - white people were always worrying about being racist, or coming across as racist…seriously it had never really bothered her either way. When people chose to go as Pocahontas or something to fancy dress parties, she found their outfits cute and in some weird way a slight compliment. “It’s only racist if you say it to me,” she laughed, “when I say it, it’s fine.” Weird how the world works, but she was probably right. Emily nodded, unfortunately the rain here was more of a monsoon. “You’re stuck with me I’m afraid, though no need to make it seem so bad…” rolling her eyes Emily waited for his reaction, wanting to make him suffer slightly for the ever so slightly negative tone he’d taken. Wow, that was a slight over reaction. This dude was all about the hot dogs it seemed, “Josh, seriously…they’re just hot dogs, what is it with you and this food. Unless you…ya’know, like-eh de sausage…?” A wicked grin spread across her face, he made it far too easy for her to tease him in a number of different ways. She shrugged, “if I ever get to New York, I’ll let you know what I think…” the prominent word being if. That would be if her mom let her go, if she ever had enough money to go, if she ever graduated high school with enough grades to escape. If. She hated that word, it was a dirty word. Emily flicked her hair over her shoulder, “I like my food, and what?” Most girls she knew would order a salad, or a flatbread. Snore. She didn’t like overthinking about food - if it tasted good she wanted it. “Hey, I make a food baby look good!” Laughing at his comment, she wondered if there would ever come a time that food would catch up with her? She definitely hoped not, going on a diet would suck. Pulling a face, Emily nodded, “unfortunately so, well…when I want to be there. I have a habit of, you know, skipping school.” It was a bad habit, one her mom was desperately trying to break. Unless La Push had a mechanics type program, this school was going to be just the same as any other, and the less time she spent in it, the better. WORDS; 580 TAG; Joshua Michael Cazalet

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Joshua Michael Cazalet]

"CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON "

Josh had always been someone who made friends easily, but didn’t feel the need to be reliant making them to enjoy himself. He was charismatic and likable so when people got to know him, they usually enjoyed his company. But if someone didn’t like him or found his humour to dark or inappropriate, he wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it. Travelling from place to place, he was used to feeling like an outsider. It didn’t bother him too much anymore, probably because he never stuck around a place for long enough for it to bother him. He shrugged at Emily’s wink and comment. ”Unless the population suddenly increases in this café – or in La Push in general, I don’t think you’re likely to see it here,” he said dryly and a low chuckle. ”unless the old waitress has a thing for toy boys,” Josh glanced over at the waitress, raising his eyebrows suggestively, jokingly.

”Oh its fine huh? No concern for hurting my feelings?” he asked, acting as if he was profoundly insulted. Travelling around the states and surrounding countries had allowed Josh to visit a number of different cultures with different ways of living and religions. He was fascinated by it all. He’d never judge anyone based on their heritage, beliefs, ways of living, or colour of their skin. He despised anyone who did. Josh rolled his eyes at Emily. ”Don’t flatter yourself. Your company isn’t the issue. Just means being stuck in doors all day. Plus I don’t know where I parked my car.” The idea of getting soaked again searching for his car, now that he finally dried off, wasn’t overly appealing.

”Ew no. I’m all for supporting same sex marriage, but no thank you.” The fact that she’d suggested that he swung that way, annoyed him, setting his features in a slight frown. ”Saying that an NYC hotdog is just a hotdog is like saying that… uh… that green tea is just tea…” There wasn’t a lot that josh was overly passionate about; but food was one of the few, Each place had a different speciality dish; Chicago was famous for its deep dish pizza, NYC was famous for its hotdogs and Philideliphia for its cheese steaks. And they were just states in the US! So much good food to try! He held his hands up, in an ‘I surrender’ action. ”That is all I ask. I will then accept your apology and declaration that I was in fact right about New York hotdogs.” His frown now replaced with a cocky grin.

It was actually oddly nice to see a girl eating normal food, not just pushing a salad around a plate or picking at skinless/salt-less/fatless chicken or fish. Ever since he was old enough to make or buy his own food, he’d never really given much thought about eating healthy. He age fruit and vegetables. But he didn’t base his whole diet around them. Life was too short to worry about what to eat with your lettuce leaves. And Josh certainly didn’t understand people who lived their lives on yo yo diet fads. ”And nothing,” he replied ”We’re all friends here, eat whatever you want.” All this talk and thought of food though had definitely made his stomach think that his throat had been cut. As soon as his food was placed in front of him, he was sure going to inhale it. Josh chuckled with her. ”Sure ya do, you’ll have the food baby the new size zero. Everyone will wanna have it.”

Josh understood exactly what Emily was saying. When he had been in high school himself, he had often not gone. He had hated school. In fact he’d barely graduated with the lowest grade and attendance possible. It was just a boring institute where teachers insisted on teaching you outdated information that held no interest or value in today’s world. Like, seriously, who used algebra on a daily basis? ”Ohh, a bit of a rebel are we?” he teased, shaking his head in mock disapproval. ”you know what they day, school is the most important thing in your life” blah blah blah. Or so many people had tried to convince him. Though in fact, he probably learnt more by not being in school than he did when he was in school.

Emily Ayiana Locklear

MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ