An Unlikely Pair [Oddy and Blitz] IC

[Blitz]

Time seemed to flow slower in Mrs. Wright's Honors English class. Orion's namesake was sitting in the back row of desks, off to the left, resting his cheek on his fist. His eyes were half-closed and darted to look up at the clock every now and then. He didn't really like the class. That is, he people in the class. Everyone was smart and poetic and artsy, and all of his friends were in regular English. What had possessed him to sign up for Honors? Ryan had already tried to switch out of the class, but his counselor told him that all of the on-level English classes were full and that Honors classes looked better on college applications anyway.

Afternoon sunlight streamed lazily into the room from the many windows on the wall, lighting up a few dust particles floating around aimlessly in the air. A plump, older lady, was standing at the head of the class holding a book opened in her hands. Behind her on the chalkboard "Romeo & Juliet test next Friday!" was written in fancy calligraphy.

"--now before I test you all on the entire book," Mrs. Wright was saying, "I'd like to assign a little... project."

Ryan winced as a giddy look appeared on about half of the kids faces.

"It's a partner project, the pairs of which I will be assigning." The lady grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote several scenes of the book onto the chalkboard:
The Balcony Scene
The Masquerade
The Death of Mercutio
The Deaths of Romeo and Juliet
Among a few others.

She turned back to the class with a smile. "I would like you all to make a movie of the scene I assign to you," she explained. "It doesn't have to be too fancy. I just want you all to get to know each other a bit better through this project. --Oh and one more thing. I want you to do the scene in modern English, just for a little something different."

Ryan felt like groaning.

"Now for the rest of the class period today, I'll let you work with your partner to work out dates and ideas."

Mrs. Wright hobbled over to her desk and grabbed a slip of paper. "Hannah and Lucas. You two have the... Balcony Scene! Jessica and Patrick, you all are doing the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet!" She continued. "Let's see... Orion and Cat!" She smiled to herself, thinking it would be interesting to pair one of her best students with one of her worst. "You all are doing the Masquerade."

"Call me Ryan," called out the boy, slightly annoyed that she had called him Orion.

Mrs. Wright chuckled. "Right, right. Sorry, dear." She continued with her list.

Ryan looked over to his partner. Well... At least she was cute. Maybe she'd be nice and ending doing the brunt of the work for him? Hopefully. When Mrs. Wright finished the list, she said, "You can now meet with your partners. Come to me if you have any questions!"

The boy sighed lightly through gritted teeth and didn't move from his chair.

[GallifreyanOddy]

Romeo and Juliet again?

There was a deep frown on her face as she listened to Mrs. Wright go on and on about R&J. The frown only got worse when she found out they would be filming a scene from the movie. Her foot tapped impatiently against the lineloum floor of the classroom. In fact, her whole right leg was bouncing up and down rapidly as she tried to keep from getting up and storming out. Cat was still suffering from her last breakup. Mikey had used her and nearly gotten into her pants when she found out he was seeing some girl from Charleston too. So she wasn't exactly in the mood to do a R&J scene with a guy. It was when she called out Orion's name that the teenager thought she was going to lose it. She had to be kidding right?

Catherine sunk down in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned forward a bit, causing her long brunette hair to fall in her face a bit. Too bad that was after Orion got a good look at her face. She had a button nose that turned up a little at the end. Her eyes were brown but hints of green and hazel were mixed within the brown. Her lips had been painted light pink this morning out of habit. Mikey had liked her lipgloss. Still, her cute features were distorted by a frown. Glancing over, she looked over her partner and realized he wasn't going to move either. Those brown eyes rolled as she got up and went to sit in the empty seat in front of him. This was not the time to play.

As soon as her jean-clad bottom hit the plastic chair, Cat had turned and she was staring Ryan down. Her eyes locked with his and she started speaking before he could say anything. "Listen, neither of us really want to do this." It was obvious she was just as annoyed as he was. "So lets get this done as soon as possible. You're an only kid right? Could we film it at your place? The rest of my pack will be home and they won't ever leave us alone." She had grown up with animals instead of siblings and often referred to her family as a pack instead of a family. Anyone around the town could tell you about the Abernathy Pack. Her lips pursed together and she tilted her head down just slightly as she looked right at Orion, unblinking almost. "I seriously hate Romeo and Juliet." She deadpanned as the frown on her face turned up into a bit of a smile.

[Blitz]

Orion kept his cheek on his fist and stared back at Catherine, maintaining as good a poker face as she. He raised an eyebrow when she mentioned that she didn't want to do the damn project as well. He smirked and sat up straight in his chair to get a better look at the girl. "I have a little sister," he said. "But it's not like she'd mind or anything." He observed the girl again, sensing something slightly familiar about her. He couldn't really put his finger on it. He knew a lot of people in the school, but he was sure he hadn't met Cat before. At least, not that he can remember. Well, that was good. Maybe she wouldn't label him as a player and treat him like a womanizer.

"I didn't even read it," Ryan admitted with a smile, returning his cheek to his fist. "I don't even know why I signed up for this class..." He sighed. "Anyway, yeah, we can go back to my house after this period ends. We should probably finish quick though, I'm goin' to a party later tonight."

That was Ryan's typical Friday routine. Return home from school, after a boring eighth-period English class, with one or more of his friends, and then go out to a party later. He grunted in frustration as he remembered that he was gonna go home with his friend Tyler. He pulled out his phone and held it underneath his desk so Mrs. Wright couldn't see and texted him about the slight change in plans. He shut his phone quietly and looked back up to Cat with a sly smile plastered on his face.

[GallifreyanOddy]

Her eyes moved swiftly side to side as she watched the way his face moved when he talked. There was a twitch in her right eye as he said something about a party. Cat's whole demeanor seemed to change. "A party huh? Where at?" She smiled at him, a real smile this time. She knew that Orion was a player but she saw no reason to automatically shut him down. She was deciding that maybe, for once, she wouldn't let some heartbreaker get the better of her. Cat was going to go have fun tonight even if she had to lie about where she was to her parents. "I mean, we can finish up this stupid scene in one take and then go out and celebrate?" It seemed like a good idea to her. Then again, anything to help her forget about Mikey seemed like a good idea. Everyone knew, well almost everyone, that Cat was Officer Abernathy's daughter. No one ever invited her to the parties. She bit her lower lip and really hoped that Ryan would go with her idea.

Cat noticed other students starting to fidget. That meant it was time for class to get out. She quickly reached into her bookbag and tore a piece of paper from the notebook that was in there. She grabbed a pen and scrawled her number across it. Her handwriting was rushed looking but also sort of girly. "This is my number. Just in case. Class is about to let out and all that." She wasn't sure if he left right after this class or not. Surely he did. "So should I just follow you home or would that be totally weird?" She joked, offering him a half smile. As soon as she had heard who her partner was, Cat knew she was going to hate it. She hoped he was falling for her little act about being as nonchalant about this all as he was. It was the only way she was going to survive this.

The bell rang and students rushed from the room. Cat sat calmly and put her pen back in her bag. She stood up slowly and walked towards the door. Looking over at Ryan, she smiled and walked out of the room. She was hoping he would just walk on by her and she could just follow after him. Or she could ask her dad where he lived. That always worked too. She bit the inside of her lip as she stood against the wall outside the door. It took her a minute to shake her head and sigh. That was such a bad idea. Cat chuckled at herself and stood up straight just as she spotted Orion stepping out of the room. "So anyway Ryan, this should be an easy A and I'll do most of the work. Sounds like a good deal yeah?"

[Blitz]

Ryan raised his eyebrows at Cat. Was she really asking about the party? She wanted to come? Finally, he remembered who she was exactly. Catherine Abernathy, daughter of that officer. Ryan himself had never gotten into any trouble with him, but he had a few friends who had. It was weird though, she seemed eager to go. Ryan always new that strict parents raised sneaky children. Maybe she could handle a night to party? "Yeah, at Jesslyn Canton's house," he answered with a small smile. He had dated Jesslyn in sophomore year. She was cute. He focused back on Cat. "That sounds like a good idea," he agreed to her thought about 'celebrating' after recording the scene.

Orion sat back in his chair, stretching his arms as the other students began to become restless. He watched Catherine rip out a piece of paper and hurriedly write her number on it. "Thanks," he said, taking the slip. He folded it a few times before slipping it into the pocket of his basketball shorts. "You can come home with me actually," he replied. "I'm not going home with anyone else." He smiled and began to zip up his backback that was leaned up against the side of the chair, just when the bell rang. He watched Cat get up and leave the room with a smirk.

He really couldn't wait 'till the party.

He finished zipping up his bag and sauntered out along with the last few students to see Cat leaning against the outside wall. "Sounds great," he admitted with obvious relief in the book. At least one of them knew what they were doing. He took off toward to front of the school. "C'mon, you can take my bus. I'd drive you home, but they were sold out of student parking passes in the beginning of the year."

[GallifreyanOddy]

So he had a car huh? She should have figured that. How else would he get all those girls? Well, he was very good looking. Not even Cat could deny that. She followed after him without saying much. "Yeah. I wanted to get a permit too but my car broke down this summer and I haven't saved up enough to fix it yet." She hated how her parents made her work to fix that stupid car. It was her mother's fault it broke! She let the thing overheat! Cat frowned but quickly wiped it from her face, replacing it with a more neutral look. The pair made their way to where the buses were and she followed Orion onto the one he rode home. They were lucky they managed to get a seat together. It didn't take long for them to be surrounded by people. Cat put her backpack in her lap and hugged it tight. She wasn't a huge fan of crowds in confined places like a bus. A house was different because she could always step outside.

Cat pulled her phone from her pocket and sent a text to her father. She was letting him know she was going to Orion's house for the night to work on a project. It would be late before she would be home. Her father quickly answered but she didnt put her phone away. Instead, she sunk lower in the seat and tried to make herself disappear so no one would notice her. Her fingers slid across the screen as she looked things up about the masquerade scene in R&J. Part of her wanted to rip off that Leo DiCaprio R&J movie but that would be too obvious. She nibbled on her lower lip as she concentrated. Her right leg bounced like it had been in class earlier, quick and impatiently. She wanted off this bus. It was much more crowded than the one she typically rode. Cat looked over at Orion to see what he was up to. At least he seemed comfortable in all of this. Then again, he was popular and used to any attention he was getting.

The bus stopped and kids filed out. Cat scooted out of the seat and took up an empty one across from Ryan. She watched him and waited for him to get up since she had no idea if this was their stop or not. She hoped it was but doubted it. It was the first stop and within walking distance of the school. He didn't seem like the lazy type so Catherine assumed it was one of the other stops. She sighed and went back to looking at her phone as she tried to get this assignment together in her head.

[Blitz]

Before they came to the first stop, Ryan had been noticing that Cat looked more or less uncomfortable on the crowded bus. Was she claustrophobic or something? Ryan shrugged and chatted with a few friends around as Cat looked up and researched the masquerade scene. When the bus came to a halt at the first stop, Orion felt some of Cat's tension ebb away as she got off the seat and sat across from him. "I'm the second stop," he informed her, answering her mental question. He turned back to some friends and continued talking. He was really thankful that Cat was nice enough to look up the scene for him.

"Hey, are you dating her?" whispered Chris, a friend, from the seat behind Ryan. He looked back at him.

"What? No," he explained, chuckling lightly. "We're doing an English project at my house."

Chris shook his head. "You should go for her, man," he said in a low voice, looking over at Cat, who looked occupied in her phone. "She's one of the few chicks that you haven't dated yet."

"Are you saying I'm a player?"

"Nah, dude. I'm just saying maybe things will work out between you too."

Ryan fell silent and turned back around in his seat. The bus grumbled down to a halt again and the doors at the front opened. With a sigh, he picked up his backpack that he had put on the ground and stood up. "This is our stop," he told Cat with a smile. It would've probably been more polite to let her get off first, but he thought maybe he should lead the way. He stepped off the bus to meet the warm, sweet smelling, slightly salty air outside. His neighborhood wasn't too far away from the beach. "My house isn't too far from here," he said pointing down the road.

[GallifreyanOddy]

Catherine had nodded when Ryan informed her that his stop was the second one. She dove back into her reasearch and didn't look up until Ryan said it was their stop. She smiled at him, gathered her things, and followed after him. The smell of salt in the air made her grin. She loved going to the beach but rarely did these days. She was always busy with school or work. As they walked, she was starting to realize that her and Orion came from different parts of the world. Sure, she had a nice house but it wasn't nearly as big as his. Already she could feel an uneasy tension in her shoulders. Maybe it was a good thing they came here instead of going to her place. Her house suddenly seemed rather small. "Oh wow. You live here?" Cat shoved her phone back in her pocket and looked around. "This place is pretty cool. We aren't far from the beach are we?"

She lived closer to the forest and spent a lot of her time there when she wasn't trying to be the perfect kid for her parents. Cat wished from time to time they lived closer to the beach. This place was great. She couldn't help but smile as she looked around. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from her mother. "Please tell me your parents aren't as strict as mine." Surely not since he seemed to go to parties a lot. Once she typed out an answer to her mom, Cat turned her phone on silent and continued following Orion wherever he was going. She knew he had a little sister and she wondered if they got along. It was odd seeing two humans as siblings. She only had animals for siblings after all.

[Blitz]

Ryan watched her look around with a small smile on his face. She seemed to like it all and it seemed to surprise her that he lived where he did. "Yeah, I live here," he answered, scratching the back of his head absently, wondering why she'd be so enthusiastic about it. "No, we aren't far from the beach. It's a short walk. I like to go surfing there sometimes," he explained with a smile. Surfing was one of his passions; he liked it more than the sports he played for school. Surfing to him was just a way of relaxing. There's no feeling like the wind in your hair, the sun in the sky, and the water under your feet.

They came to the front gate when Cat received a text and checked her phone. Orion laughed when she said her parents were strict. "My parents are barely home," he said, opening the gate and stepping in. "My mom always works late shifts down at the hospital, and my dad can spend a lot of time in his law office up in Charleston."

He led her up the path to the front door. He dropped his backpack from his shoulders and pulled a key out from one of the pockets. "We can record out by my pool," he said, unlocking the door and shouldering his backpack again. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, a blast of conditioned air rushing out. He popped his shoes off and dropped his backpack onto the floor with a sigh. "It feels good in here," he said with a laugh.