01<@Ardweden> [Day: Monday, September 27. Time: 8:20 pm.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Tiffany is walking home from the library. She *was* 
working on a paper about propaganda in the Cold War, with Tyler and 
Heather of all people, but then her mom called, spouting all sorts of 
bullshit about "where have you been" and "your dinner is cold" and most 
importantly "get home this instant!" So Tiffany grabbed her things and 
left.]
 01<@Ardweden> [But is she walking quickly? Where is she going? How 
confident is she about this paper? Only Tiffany knows!]
 01<@Ardweden> [The evening is overcast and chilly, with a misty, cold 
almost-drizzle left over from the rain earlier that day.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Start!]
 06* Tiffany isn't walking quickly at *all*. She just seems at home with 
the miserable drizzle, arms folding in front of her as she hunches over. 
Her pace is about that of a funeral march, but she hasn't even bothered 
to put her hoodie up. She's trying her best not to look at anyone as she 
passes by. She's very good at "this instant."
 01<@Ardweden> [By good we mean awful, right? Right. Tiffany trudges 
along, head down, cold and wet and probably not even caring. As she walks 
down the main road from the library parking lot, she gets splashed hard 
with puddle water as one car gets a little too close, going a little too 
fast.]
 06* Tiffany stops at the splashing, then sighs, pulling herself tighter. 
This is great. Just great. Wonderful day.
 01<@Ardweden> [Another car drives over, headlights filling Tiffany's 
vision. This one doesn't splash her, though. It slows instead, and she 
can hear a guy's voice saying, "Tiffany!"]
 06* Tiffany rolls her head up slightly to glance at the voice. Who the 
hell's out here who knows her?
 01<@Ardweden> [Tiffany looks up, and it's Nate, who seems both glad to 
see her and a little concerned. "Why are you stuck in the rain? Get in."]
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate's car, by the way, is ten year old, beat up blue 
Honda.]
 06* Tiffany blinks a bit at the sudden arrival and then looks down at 
her arms for a moment. After a moment, she shrugs and goes up to the 
door, opening it quietly.
 01<@Ardweden> [While Tiffany gets in, another car beeps and veers away 
from Nate's Honda. "Yeah, I *know*," he says, and turns on the flashers.]
 06* Tiffany closes the door behind her and then hunches up on Nate's 
seat, still saying nothing. She looks like a pitiful, wet emo dog. Lucky 
her she doesn't wear all that much makeup. But her hair's a wet mop of a 
mess.
 01<@Ardweden> ["Where to?" Nate asks, turning off the flashers off and 
getting his car back in gear.]
 06* Tiffany blinks again then looks up. For the moment, she seems rather 
confused. "...to?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate glances at her but gets his eyes back on the road. 
"Where were you going?"]
 06* Tiffany looks up at Nate for a moment, eyes meeting his, then looks 
back down at her feet. "Um...I don't know..."
 01<@Ardweden> ["... What do you mean?" Nate stops, checks for traffic, 
and makes a right.]
 06* Tiffany looks up at Nate and gives him a hard stare. "What do you 
*mean* what do I mean?" She sighs and just slowly shakes her head. No, 
not someone to blame right here. Her mom gets enough of that. "...just 
drive...can we just drive a while?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate lets out a breath through his nose. "All right," he 
says. He's already driving, so he keeps doing that.]
 06* Tiffany picks at her armwarmers slowly as she gets a slight 
expression of mild amusement, but tries to hide it. The long black hair 
helps. "So...you *always* pick up girls like this?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate laughs a little. "If by 'always' you mean 'this 
once', sure. I'm pretty sure Javy wouldn't appreciate us going on a date, 
though."]
 06* Tiffany glances down through her bangs, giving Nate a small smile. 
"I dunno. Could be a double date or something. Could set you up with 
Christina or something like it."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Ah... yeah, I don't think she's into me. But thanks for 
the offer." He glances at Tiffany again. "She was worried about you, you 
know. Javy, too, but he told me he went to find you. I guess he did?"]
 06* Tiffany frowns and grumbles, picking at her clothes. Her head tilts 
down as she turns all gaze away from Nate. "...people are always worrying 
about me. They shouldn't..."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Really?" Nate makes a left turn, driving onto a 
residential road.]
 06* Tiffany snorts and tilts her head in his direction, giving him the 
side-eye. "What? You gonna get on my case too?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["I didn't know anyone was getting on your case," Nate 
says, still paying attention to the road, "but I didn't know people 
caring about you is a bad thing. I thought that's what friends did."]
 06* Tiffany frowns a little more and then her head tilts down. My, those 
are interesting mesh leggings she has there. Good to pick at. "...I don't 
*have* friends really...."
 01<@Ardweden> [Now Nate looks at her. "For real? Christina's not your 
friend? What about Javy and Syd and, uh, Hank?"]
 06* Tiffany sighs and tugs at her armwarmers now, looking *very* 
uncomfortable about it. "...Christina's cool. But Javy....Syd...they 
barely even *know* me...heck, you too..." She bites her lip slightly as 
she rolls the lip ring with her tongue. "...you gonna say you're my 
friend too?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["I dunno about that," Nate says with a small shrug. "I'm 
guessing... maybe a friendly acquaintance? I think I'd *like* to be your 
friend."]
 06* Tiffany stares at Nate and stares hard now, not fully believing it. 
Her bangs are still flopped right in front of her face. "*Why*?" The 
question is less curt and more incredulous.
 01<@Ardweden> [And now it's Nate's turn to be incredulous: "Why not? My 
best friend's maybe dating you, I'm friendly with another one of your 
friends, and you're mixed up in all sorts of crazy stuff that I'm still 
not really sure I believe. And you haven't given me a good reason *not* 
to like you."]
 06* Tiffany snaps her expression to Nate, hands on the armrest as she 
leans forward, almost in shock. "Wha--*who told?*" Not like they're, you 
know, best friends or anything.
 01<@Ardweden> ["Uh, what?" Because it's not like Tiffany finished her 
sentence, really.]
 06* Tiffany leans forward even more, encroaching a bit all in Nate's 
personal space. She's bad about that. "*Dating!* We're not...I 
mean...we're not..." A deep rose color filters to her cheeks. They're 
*not*...
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate leans away from Tiffany a little, but he doesn't 
shove her away or anything. He keeps driving. "Geez, Javy told me you're 
going to Homecoming together. You *are* going to Homecoming together, 
right?"]
 06* Tiffany almost snaps out, but it sounds more *panicked* than upset. 
"*That doesn't mean we're DATING*!" Or does it? God, is that rumor going 
to get around?
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate actually swerves a little at that. "All right! 
Sorry!" And he gets back onto a main road.]
 06* Tiffany gets back in her seat, still all blushy and hands clamped on 
her knees so hard, the knuckles almost turn white. She's pretty stiff in 
that seat over there. "We...uh...well...*someone* has to teach him how to 
dance...I mean..."
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate looks at Tiffany oddly, then concentrates on the 
road and just drives. Eventually he ends up pulling into a distant 
parking spot at the mall.]
 06* Tiffany glances at Nate suddenly. "Do *you* know how?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate snorts. "Hell no." He puts the car into park but 
doesn't turn it off, then turns to Tiffany. "What's with you?"]
 06* Tiffany blinks at Nate, confused. "What?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["You're like a one person emotional roller coaster," Nate 
says with a frown. "I picked you up and you wouldn't even tell me where 
you were going, and then you flipped out when I mentioned that you might 
have friends. Just a few minutes ago you denied you're dating my best 
friend when you're going to Homecoming together and also into each other, 
and now you're asking me if I know how to dance?"]
 06* Tiffany shrinks back, almost to the side of the car door, eyes 
undercast at Nate, just barely peeking out. "...so?" She's not *denying* 
it...
 01<@Ardweden> ["So? What gives?" Nate folds his arms.]
 06* Tiffany frowns a bit, sighs, then shakes her head slowly. "Like I 
said...you're just getting to know me..." She dips her head as she turns 
away, hands on her knees. "...I don't know why Christina puts up with 
me..."
 01<@Ardweden> ["... Yeah. Way to not answer a question." Nate sighs. "Do 
you really hate yourself that much?"]
 06* Tiffany breathes out slowly, slumping in her seat. Her voice is 
distant. She seems like she *wants* to lash out, but instead deflates, 
hands between her knees. "What do *you* think?"
 01<@Ardweden> [He shrugs. "I'm just getting to know you." He looks like 
he wants to say more, but he stops himself from doing it.]
 06* Tiffany glances at Nate a little bit and then a small smile appears 
on her lips. She *knows* that look. "Come on. Can't be anything all 
*that* worse than half the things I've heard all my fucking life..."
 01<@Ardweden> ["I, uh." Nate turns to the steering wheel. "Where were 
you going?"]
 06* Tiffany leans forward and draws a little on his arm, teasingly. 
"Aww, come on. You can tell me, can't you?" Pouring on the charm here.
 01<@Ardweden> ["Tiffany..." Nate pulls his arm away, coloring slightly. 
"You're doing it again."]
 06* Tiffany blinks, pulling away and just staring at Nate, though she's 
still leaning forward. "Doing what?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["Roller coaster," Nate mumbles, then sighs. "Look, you 
got all sullen and then you were kinda flirting with me. And I don't 
think... I don't get it."]
 06* Tiffany sighs and closes her eyes, hands moving for the door handle 
and leaning a bit on the door. "Word of advice, Nate. You *really* 
shouldn't try to get me. *I* don't get me..." She closes her eyes and 
breathes out. "For what it's worth though...sorry."
 01<@Ardweden> [He shrugs. "Everyone's a little messed up." Nate's voice 
is still coming out as a bit of a mumble. "It's just..." He looks at 
Tiffany. "Shit's hard enough without you making it harder for yourself."]
 06* Tiffany gives Nate a faint, playful smile. "So you're my mother 
now?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate smiles a quirky, small smile. "Pretty sure I'm the 
wrong gender. And, uh. Too young. Also not related to you." Pause. "Sure, 
I'm your mother."]
 06* Tiffany smiles wider at Nate. "Yes, mother." She giggles now. She 
really *is* an emotional rollercoaster. But at least now she appears to 
be a happy one.
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate just looks at Tiffany in bemusement.]
 06* Tiffany leans over and kisses Nate's cheek lightly. A soft one, but 
the metal of her lip ring is a little cold. "You're sweet, but you're 
right. I'm not *trying* to flirt. Um..." She brushes her hair aside and 
frowns. "...guess I *am* a bit of a mess, aren't I?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate colors again, slightly, but he smiles at Tiffany. "A 
little bit. As long as you don't complain about us being friends, though, 
we're cool."]
 06* Tiffany sighs and slumps in the seat, then gives Nate a careful, 
curious look. "You really wanna be friends with a mess like me? I don't 
think you know what you're asking..."
 01<@Ardweden> ["You're maybe-dating my best friend. I think I have a 
right to get to know you better."]
 06* Tiffany grins at that and leans in a bit, subtle shoulder tipping 
his way. "Protective?"
 01<@Ardweden> [He laughs a bit. "Sure, if you want to think of it that 
way. Feeling better?"]
 06* Tiffany sighs and her lips thin a little. "Uh...well...no." She 
smiles sadly at Nate. "Kinda put it on hold though. Thanks, but I think 
I'll walk from here..." She's already opening the door.
 01<@Ardweden> ["I've gotta object," Nate says while Tiffany goes to open 
the door. "It's cold and wet and I really don't think that's a great 
idea, especially since we're way away from the library now."]
 01<@Ardweden> [Tiffany tries to get the door open but it's locked? It 
certainly *seems* locked, and she may or may not fumble for the locking 
mechanism - wherever that is - while Nate asks, "Where do you want me to 
drop you off?]
 06* Tiffany deflates. Defeated. She was gonna be *so cool about it too*. 
Her shoulders slump. "Um...somewhere..." She gives the name of a park. 
Somewhere near her house, but not quite *to* her house. She's not sure 
she'd want him to know where she lives.
 01<@Ardweden> [Nate looks at Tiffany questioningly, but he apparently 
decides not to argue. "All right..." He pulls out of the parking space 
and starts driving to the park.]
 01<@Ardweden> [End!]