Location: The Peregrine Hangout Area
Interacting With: Wesley Gray
@Apokalipse
The three hour car ride was tedious, and it took every ounce of strength in Ebony's body to refrain from jumping out of the window. Although it was mid-August, Tanya Barnes, much to her daughter's dismay, very much enjoyed riding with all of the car windows rolled down. The heater was on full blast, despite the warm weather, and Gospel music blared from the radio speakers. Ebony had decided against changing the radio station, knowing that it'd only earn her an earful. Prior to meeting Ebony's dad, Tanya rarely attended church, let alone listened to Gospel music. Ebony's dad, on the other hand, was an avid church-goer, and eventually got her into the habit. Ever since his death, however, that seemed to be the only genre of music that she'd listen to. "It makes me feel closer to him, in a way," her mother once said to her, "It's like I can feel his presence."
Ebony sat in the passenger seat, flushed and sweaty, with her bare feet dangling out of the window. She'd stripped down to a tank top and shorts, the heat growing unbearable. She stared silently at the cell phone that was in her hands, the navigation app illuminating the screen. Every year her mother drove her from Brooklyn to Albany so that she could catch the Peregrine, yet each year, for some odd reason, her mom insisted on using the GPS.
"You do know that I could've just taken the train, right?" Ebony yelled over the music as the car took another turn.
"I woulda' got here a lot quicker."Whether her mother heard her or not, Tanya chose not to answer, turning the music down instead. It was then that Ebony noticed that they'd finally arrived at their destination. Quickly pulling her shoes and clothes back on, she turned her cell phone off and stuffed it into the glove compartment.
As soon as the car came to a halt, Ebony pushed open the door and jumped out. She grabbed her things from the trunk of the car and bolted to the bus stop, not bothering to give her mother a hug or kiss goodbye. After all, she had just spent three whole hours in a car with the woman. She did, however, give her a smile and wave before leaning against the brick wall. In just a matter of seconds, she found herself where she needed to be, and patiently awaited the arrival of the Peregrine. As she waited, she pulled out her makeup bag so that she could make a few "touch ups" before seeing her friends again. The old Peugeot arrived just as she was stuffing the mirror back into her bag. After muttering a quick
"hello" to Pluto and Mercury, Ebony carefully made her way down the stairs of the Peregrine Hotel. As did many others, she stopped by her assigned room to put her things away, before making her way to the hangout area.
Upon entering, Ebony noticed a great deal of familiar faces. There was also a large number of unfamiliar people, each of them with a mix of nervousness, anxiety, and excitement on their faces. One of the familiar faces she spotted belonged to Wesley Gray, a seventh year girl that she'd recognized from Astronomy club. Though having a few things in common, Ebony would not consider them to be very close. Another familiar face she saw belonged to Gatsby Fitzgerald, a beater for the Warren quidditch team. His nose was buried deep in a book, unsurprisingly, as he sat.
Scanning the room once more, Ebony sighed once she realized that her group of friends had yet to arrive. After making a split second decision, she made her way to the couch and took a seat, leaving a cushion in-between she and Wesley. She sat in silence for a few minutes, unsure of how to start the conversation, before clearing her throat.
"Hey, Wes. You have a nice break?"
