Oh, You're Something • •

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Sometimes Chloe wondered how she found time to do everything. She worked the bar at the Hard Rock Café, attended the university four out of seven days of the week and every day found time to be in the pool, practicing her dives. Along with that she had to do her artwork and study for her classes. She still managed to get to her ballet class too and fit in a daily work-out on top of all of that. The petite brunette definitely lived an active lifestyle, but even she had to question how she kept up with it all sometimes.

Today, she spent the free afternoon after her class in the art rooms, adding some more pages to her project sketchbook and touching up one of her projects for the end of the year. She had been covered in ink and paint before the afternoon was over, the tips of her braid temporarily dyed crimson after she leaned over the paint pot a little too closely. She kept her eye on the time, storing her art equipment carefully, along with her canvas project in the art locker that had been assigned to her at the start of the semester. Luckily there was still time to go and use the gym showers before her dive practice to get the flashes of colour from her skin and hair. On her way across to the sports building, Chloe stopped off to buy a bottle of lemon ice tea from the almost deserted dining hall. Popping the top, she chugged most of it back as the summer breeze hit her skin and cooled her down.

Even after her shower there was a small amount of time to kill, so Chloe swam a few laps of the pool before the rest of the dive team began to arrive one at a time. She climbed from the pool and dried herself off with her chamois before chatting to one of the other girls who often joined her on the dive board when the team were practicing the synchronised dives. They weren’t Chloe’s favourite and she much preferred to dive solo, but she did find her name down for one or two of the competitions when other members were unable to compete from the 10m height. Soon, the practice began and they lined up one by one for their dives, some on the springboards, and the rest at various heights over the deep cerulean water. Tonight, Chloe was instructed to keep practicing the dive she was perfecting for the final competition in the school year, though there would still be meets over the summer and short trips out of state for other competitions. She climbed the steps to the highest platform with ease, the height never scaring her. Ever since she had been ill for so long, Chloe tried not to let things scare her, reminding herself how short life could be and how she didn’t want to waste a moment of it. Taking her place at the end of the platform, she bent over, pushing herself slowly up into the specialty handstand, getting her balance just right before letting herself drop into the double somersault twist, straightening her body out tightly just before she hit the surface of the pool and lost herself in the depths. Nothing quite met the rush of diving for the young girl.

Afterwards, she showered again. The chlorine held the threat of damaging the thick dark hair she had waited ages to grow back in, so she took great care of it now with conditioning treatments and specialist shampoos made for those who spent a lot of time in the water. Like usual, Chloe was planning on walking back to her apartment building, probably texting her brother along the way to see if he was busy tonight. However, as she stepped outside she noticed the heavy downpour of rain and let out a sigh. If she was prepared, the rain didn’t bother her, but tonight all she had on was her tight fitting sports gear and a hoodie that would provide only a short shelter from the rain. Chloe really didn’t want to have to shower for a third time when she got home.

[/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 741
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer loved mixing sports in with his life. He liked the rush of moving, and he liked how it was an easy way to keep fit without having to hit the gym every single day. While he usually preferred solo sports, like his snowboarding or surfing, he found team sports a nice change and a fun way to keep himself tied up on campus longer. He spent enough time there already; why not have an excuse, right? Today was the one day a week he was on campus almost the entire day, between his added lecture and dive practice, so, by the time he hit the showers before practice, he was mentally exhausted. He'd spent his lunch hour putting the finishing touches onto his mini-film for class, and then editted his piece for his creative writing professor. Plus, there were notes, new projects, and a shift-change text from his boss thrown his way; he was ready to just fly into the water and escape for awhile.

He went through practice like he normally did; joking around while working hard to make sure he listened to the coach and ironed out the kinks in any of his dives. Spencer knew he'd never pursue sports as a full-time career, so it was all more of a hobby for him, hence the joking, but he respected that some of the team members took it seriously and were devoted to the sport. However, he had fun with his friends, laughing and encouraging in equal turns as every one took their turn to dive. When his time came up, he turned all serious again, lauching himself off the board and into the water with a flip and a grin as he came up. The rush of hair and the feeling of flying were part of the reason he did this; it was wonderful to feel like you were floating for one suspended second in time.

After practice, he took his quick shower, changing into his usual post-pool clothes and texting Rory to let her know he'd be home soon enough, and if she needed anything for dinner. He looked after her as much as he could, checking in every so often throughout the day just to know that she was okay and not hiding out too much. He came out of the locker-room and walked into the lobby that led to the parking lot, sighing as he noticed the rain. Well, looked like he'd be going home soaking wet, anyways. His car was in the back of the lot, so he knew he'd have to sprint through the rain; great.

As he dug his keys out of his pocket and made sure his school/sport/junk bag was zipped, he noticed Chloe standing around, also noting the lack of umbrella or car keys. "Hey, you need a ride? Wouldn't want one of the best divers catching a cold because of the rain," he called over to her, slinging his duffle over his shoulder. The worst she could do was so no, but, even if she did, it wasn't going to be a heart-breaking blow; it just meant he'd get home faster to dry off.

• • •

WORDS: 578!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: After Practice, The Pool
OUTFIT: SPORTY BOY!
LYRICS: Look at Me by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe was surprised that Leander let her do so much. Her brother was a worrywart to say the least and the time she had slipped on the diving board that had left the dainty scar on her head he had been insisting hospital trips and check-ups for about a month afterwards, trying to talk Chloe out of returning to the sport so soon after her accident. She had told him repeatedly that it happened to the best of them, but Leander worried best and she let him get on with it now. She deliberately didn’t tell him about the nights she spent running on her treadmill when she couldn’t sleep or the hours she would spend in the pool whenever she was feeling a bit out of sorts. Her active lifestyle kept her from dwelling on the past and she needed it sometimes; it helped her feel alive for all those years when she thought she’d never see twenty one, let alone be throwing herself off a ten metre platform and into a pool.

It had been one of the first sports she had taken up after getting told that she was in remission. The rush of flying for those few short seconds was indescribable and she quickly became an addict, unable to get enough of the thrill. After diving came volleyball, then baseball and basketball before the ballet helped her perfect her first love. These days, she competed in diving and volleyball, but the rest were just for fun whenever she was hanging out with friends. Jay had been trying to coerce her into soccer and she had promised that she’d give it a go once school let up for the summer and she had the time to spare. There was no point in doing a sport like that if you weren’t really going to commit the time and effort to it.

She was getting ready to throw her hood up and make a run for the subway when the sound of a voice distracted her. She smiled across at Spencer and folded her arms across her chest. “Please, a cold wouldn’t stop me. A ride would be good though, I’ve showered twice already today.”

[/color] She said with a laugh. The team was a close team and everyone knew each other, but it seemed that the guys mainly hung out together during practice together and the girls had their own side of the pool. It was because they jumped together if any of them were in the synchronisation competitions and the guys had different dives to the girls, so it made sense. Chloe thought Spencer was a good guy though and she had yet to be proven wrong about that. “Only if it’s not out of your way though. I can sprint to the subway in just a few minutes.”[/color] She didn’t want him driving miles out of his own route, just for her.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 522
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer had his friends around campus, some of which were thanks to the sports he participated in, others were from his classes or just people he'd bumped into repeatedly in the cafeteria. He was talkative by nature, and always had been, enjoying the company of others rather than spending hours upon hours by himself. He and his sister were very different that way but, then again, he made up the social skills she struggled with and smoothed over a situation whenever one got tense. Spencer liked working with others though, which was part of the reason he was trying to become a director someday. Being on the set of a movie, you got to collaborate with actors, cameramen, script writers, scene technicians, and so many more people; the idea was enough to bring a smile to his face. That was the kind of lifestyle he wanted; working with others to create a work of art that could change another person's life.

He'd never taken sports seriously, or thought of them as much more than a stress release. Some people could make a life out of them and enjoy the competition of it all, but, personally, he preferred his cameras, scripts, and movie sets. There may've been pride in completely a dive or winning a medal someday, but his heart would never be comforted by that; he'd need his awards lined up on a shelf from all the films he'd participated on to make him feel accomplished.

Spencer slung his bag over his shoulder, not flinching under the weight of it after carrying it around all day. The huge duffle held everything from his laptop and textbooks to his gear for diving, so, to say the least it was full to the brim. "My car's in the back of the lot. You still might need another one," he chuckled back. It was true that he would've preferred one of his male friends from the team, but, he was happy to help out with needed, especially when the girl was as pretty as Miss Haynes. "I'm not going straight home, anyways. It's not problem, really," he said, shrugging the matter off. "Ready to run?" he smirked, pushing open the door to begin the sprint through the downpour.

• • •

WORDS: 401!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: After Practice, The Pool
OUTFIT: SPORTY BOY!
LYRICS: Look at Me by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe didn’t know what she wanted to do after graduation yet. A few years ago and some darker moments left her believing that she’d never need to worry about any of that. She took graphic art and design since she had found herself pretty darn good at it, but there was no specific career path set in the young brunette’s mind. All she knew was that she wanted to do something that she loved and when she wasn’t somersaulting through the air, art was her passion. She had considered looking into magazine work or something, but she let very little of her time dwell on that at the moment. Chloe was more interested in catching up on the life she had missed.

She still had a few friends from school, but most of them were further on in their lives than she was now, so she didn’t see them too often. That was why she was thankful that she had always been quite a friendly person because it made it easier to befriend people when she came to college without actually needing to explain why she had finished school later than most. She could talk about her illness, but she chose not to, not wanting people to act differently around her or worry about her; she already had Leander for that job! Besides, her sporty lifestyle gave her plenty of chances to catch up and improve on the life she desired, although anything was better after being cooped up in a room for weeks on end. She had never really thought about going professional in any of her sports, but it was an option when it came to diving. She might not have been the best on the team, but she did well, trained hard and there was definitely promise in her petite body. She had won two contests over the years on her own, plus team events had earned her a few more medals for her little shelf, but Chloe did her sports because she loved them, not because she was a highly competitive person. In her mind, if she won then it was an excuse to celebrate, if not then she still got to do something that she loved.

Chloe shrugged and flashed Spencer a sweet smile. “Back of the lot is still closer than the subway. Besides, I’m a fast runner.”

[/color] She said, chuckling as she tucked her hair back into the hood before adjusting her hoodie to try and keep as much of her dry as was possible. It might not offer much protection, but some was better than none and she didn’t want to ruin Spencer’s car by getting in there soaked through to the bone. After adjusting her bag so that it was leaning more on her back than her side, Chloe nodded, taking a breath before she confronted the bad weather outside. “Let’s go.”[/color] She grinned, taking off into the rain as fast as her legs could go. She had no idea what kind of car she was looking for, but hoped Spencer would point it out as they got closer.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 555
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer had some time to plan out the rest of his life, but it hadn't stopped him from dreaming about it. If anything, most of his "plans" were dreams, and would always be that, no matter how much he wished he could bring them to life. He had a couple years though, and, if he went back for more Creative Writing classes, he might even have some more time. He took the writing classes because, despite being in love with directing, he had a heart for script writing, too, and figured it'd give him a nice edge in the production world. Not everyone could have a degree in both areas and, even if it cost more than he had, Spencer wanted to hold the credentials for any job he was offered. If it was as a writer for a television show or for a movie, awesome; if he got a directing job, great. Either way, he'd be doing what he loved.

Everyone in New York had their secrets and their pasts, as most of the college students could attest to. For those who hadn't been born and raised in the city, there were usually more stories, which, for Spencer, was still very true. He'd had his reasons for moving out to the Big Apple, though the main one was for his little sister. Someone had to keep an eye on her, but it did give him a chance to spread his wings a bit. His professors knew some of the playwright who'd been big on Broadway, and, while live theatre had never been his ideal dream, it was still an opened option thanks to his move.

"That I can believe," he grinned back, waiting for her to finish fussing with her hair. Leave it to a girl to worry more about her hair than anything else; he'd never understand it. Spencer followed after her, keeping pace with Chloe as they headed towards the very back of the lot. He found his little black car, an old one that basically served to get him from point a to point b; there was absolutely nothing flashy about it. He quickly unlocked the passenger's door, opening it for Chloe and racing around to his side to climb in himself. With a bang, he slammed the door, sighing in relief before tossing his bag onto the back seat. "Think you're going to need another shower yet?" he joked, starting up the car to help put some warmth back into both of them. It may've been summer, but that rain was cold, especially after it got dark. Spencer buckled up, flicking the windshield wipers on and slowly pulling out of the lot. Glancing across at Chloe, his said teasingly, "You're going to have to help out with directions. Where'm I going?"

• • •

WORDS: 493!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: After Practice, The Pool
OUTFIT: SPORTY BOY!
LYRICS: Look at Me by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe had had thousands of dreams back when her home was a hospital room and her best friends were the nurses there. She dreamed of little things like walking on the beach, swimming with dolphins and graduating high school. Now, those dreams had evolved, even if she hadn’t done most of the ones on that mental list when she had been staring at the walls, trying to find a way to keep herself sane. They were still foolish things really, the stuff of dreamers. She wanted to go to Rome, see Vienna and play volleyball on a beach in Sydney. Her teenage years had been far too serious for her liking and now she just wanted to have the fun she had missed out on.

Her art supplies were in her bag, though the projects remained up in the art rooms. She had turned the spare room of her tiny apartment into a studio of sorts for when she did take her work home with her. Really, she had yet to make an impression up in the art department of the university, but then again she was only a freshman and she was still really only just learning the techniques and styles that came with the various aspects of graphic design. Before college, art had just been a hobby for Chloe and it had been the thing that kept her sane during her treatment. She had her family to talk to and Leander to make her smile, but they didn’t know exactly how she felt because there was no way to describe it. So, art became her way to express herself during that time.

Chuckling, Chloe shook her head at him. The only reason she took so much care of her hair was because losing it had been horrifying. It may not sound like it was, but to her it was and now that she had those luscious locks back she didn’t want to lose them or mistreat them again. It was one of the small things she no longer took for granted. She followed him to the car, quickly pulling her soaking hoodie off as she fell into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind her as her cascaded back over her shoulders. She didn’t want to ruin his car with the hoodie that was now pretty wet, so she balled it up and shoved it into her bag, laughing at their mini race against the rain. “I think I’m good.”

[/color] She laughed breathlessly before she looked over herself, relieved to find that she was mostly dry; her hoodie had done a good job! Glancing across at him she smiled and nodded her head. “You can drop me at the corner of East 55th Street. I live just along it, but traffic is a nightmare.”[/color] She told him, rolling her eyes at the thought of how many tine she had struggled to move her car from the secure parking and onto the actual street.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 532
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer had spent his fair share of time in the hospital, though he hadn't been the one who was sick. He'd had his scare with Rory though, which was part of the reason he hated driving these days. One careless mistake, and someone's life could be changed forever; he didn't want that responsibility on his shoulders constantly. The only reason he'd driven to campus today was because he had come from picking up his shift schedule at Gotham. It wasn't far to walk from the apartment, but, from the apartment to Gotham, then all the way back to campus was a bit of a stretch, even for him. So, in order to make it to class on time, he'd grabbed the usually unused car keys and taken his tiny compact to buzz through the New York traffic.

It was the little things that revealed the scars a person kept hidden. For instance, with him, it was choosing not to drive and being almost overly cautious when crossing the street. It was the way he texted Rory to check in on her, and how he'd defend her against the world if the situation arose for it. Little things that went unnoticed by many, but were the results of an accident that had changed his young existance and left him with the knowledge of how short a loved one's life could be.

Spencer didn't know Chloe like a best friend; she was a nob in the cafeteria or a congrats during practice for doing something well. He knew who she was, and knew that she was pretty great at what she did on her sports teams, but that was where it ended. Maybe some joking on team nights out, or fun in groups, though this ride home was probably the most he'd ever talked to her at once. She was pretty, he'd admit to that, and he'd admired her diving skills on more than one occasion. From what he could tell, she was a sweet girl; someone who Rory might like, if given the opportunity to make friends with her. "I don't mind driving a bit farther, really. You don't need to get soaked through just so I can get dinner faster and avoid a couple more cars," he laughed, easing the car into the New York traffic he was still so frightened of. It didn't show on his face, but his hands were gripping the wheel a bit tighter than needed, and his eyes continuously checked his mirrors or in front for any sign of pedestrians.

• • •

WORDS: 446!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: After Practice, The Pool
OUTFIT: SPORTY BOY!
LYRICS: Look at Me by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

The only people who knew the details of Chloe’s battle with ALL were Leander and now Jay. She had given him permission to mention it and then told the Irish girl herself more of the tale. It was hard for Chloe to explain; she could talk about it without too many painful memories coming back, but at the same time she chose not to talk about it. She didn’t like the way people had looked at her when she was sick and ventured into school just to say hello; she didn’t want those same pitiful stares now when she was a lot better and getting on with the life so many didn’t think she’d ever get to live.

Chloe didn’t like being cooped up in a car these days either. She remembered being ferried about by her dad when she was sick back and to from the hospital and now it just reminded her of how incapacitated she had been back then. If anything, long car journeys just made her want to run around more. Her preferred mode of transport was to walk or jog from place to place and the latter was how she had planned on getting home tonight before the heavy downpour ruined those plans for the young brunette. The car she owned was mainly for travelling around late at night to keep her brother and parents from worrying about her when she was late on campus or coming home from a competition.

“This is what happens when I neglect my car, I guess. I just hate driving.”

[/color] She said on a sigh, silently relieved that her clothes weren’t sticking to her skin from the rain. She ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing out the knots and settled her feet on her bag, staring out of the rain drop stained window at the darkening streets of the city she had always called home. Smiling across at Spencer, Chloe quirked her eyebrow and chuckled. “You’ll be offering to walk me to my door next.”[/color] She teased playfully. She didn’t know Spencer all that well and this was probably their first encounter that wasn’t in passing or with the rest of their teammates around. Chloe didn’t mind though, she was comfortable and able to get along with just about anyone. “You’ve clearly never had to drive up there; you’ll be lucky if you eat before tomorrow lunch.”[/color] She was exaggerating, of course, but over the year she had lived in her apartment building for Chloe had found that almost all the times she felt stressed it was because of the traffic outside. Surprisingly, from inside you wouldn’t suspect a thing about the chaos of the road far below. She didn’t notice Spencer’s cautious driving, but then her own driving habits weren’t so very different. Chloe’s illness meant that driving was something she didn’t get a chance to do until much later than most and she still got those nervous butterflies whenever she was behind the wheel and on her own.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 542
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer had never been one to hide things. With a sister who basically interrogated him for a living, he couldn't be. He was openly honest with her, and it carried over into most of the friendships he had. There were things that were off limits of course, and he steered pretty clear of anything involving his later high school years, but, otherwise, he didn't see the point in keeping secrets. They were always revealed eventually, whether you wanted them to be or not, and, unless they came from your lips, they had a habit of being twisted to make more drama out of a situation than needed.

One of the reasons New York was a great place for Spencer was because he could walk everywhere. Cars were barely an option between tourists, taxis, and all the rich folk with their limos, so strolling from one place to another was the best and quickest option. After everything that had happened, he hadn't even wanted to purchase a car, but he'd needed something to drive across the country in to go home and see his mother. Besides, the vehicle came in handy in situations like these, where the rain seemed to be on a rampage.

Spencer nodded his answer, watching the traffic and carefully making his way to the street Chloe had said. He may not've been a native, but, by now, he knew his way around the city pretty well after walking through it more than once with Rory to make sure she didn't get lost while wandering. "If I had an umbrella to keep you dry, yes, but my sister took mine out the last time it rained and I haven't thrown it back in here yet," he chuckled back jokingly. He slowed down at a stoplight, relaxing a little bit as the car stopped. Spencer couldn't help a sigh as his stomach grumbled, reminding him of how much he was really starving. Maybe he should've eaten a bit more for lunch; the bag of chips was hardly filling. "It's fine, Chloe, really," he said reassuringly, the car moving forward again as the light changed. He glanced along the streets as he drove, trying to find a takeout place that might be reasonably good so that he could surprise Rory with dinner. "Hey, any good fast food around here? We might need a snack if it takes so long to get down your block," he joked, smirking over at her before snapping his attention back to the road.

• • •

WORDS: 443!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: After Practice, The Pool
OUTFIT: SPORTY BOY!
LYRICS: Look at Me by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe’s illness was something she could talk about if the topic or the timing was right, but she didn’t want people to think that she was using it as an excuse or trying to seek attention and pity from those around her. If people asked why she was ‘late’ coming to college then she would simply tell them that she’d been sick and in hospital for a while. So far, everyone who had asked that question had left it at that, offering her a quick apology and then changing the subject. Some people were just uncomfortable by that point and probably fearful that Chloe might start crying on them or something. In truth, Chloe hadn’t cried about her battle with ALL since the day they told her she was going to be fine, that her battle was pretty much over. Then, she had cried with happiness.

New York had been her home for her whole life and Chloe was not bored of the bright lights or the endless noise that came with the city that never sleeps. She did dream of seeing other places in the world outside of America and perhaps even spending a summer in Europe or something one day, but she’d always return to New York. Plus, she couldn’t imagine living so far away from her family, especially her brother. She went to Leander with everything and she couldn’t even start to think about a day when she couldn’t just call him up or stroll through his front door and just hang out with him.

The reason Chloe had chosen this apartment building to make her first real independent home was because it was mainly populated by students. It had been a great chance for her to make friends with people and it was a secure building with all the amenities a person could need. Plus, its location meant that it was reasonable distance from campus and all the stores and little conveniences weren’t too far away; so it wasn’t a total nightmare if she ran out of milk late at night! Laughing, Chloe turned her head to face Spencer. “Well it’s not as if a bit of water is going to make me melt.”

[/color] She joked in a rather poor reference to The Wizard of Oz, which was one of her favourite movies since her childhood. She heard his stomach rumble and then smirked, her eyebrow arching as her dark eyes twinkled. “I think your stomach disagrees.”[/color] She teased, running her fingers through her hair again and chuckling. Pausing for a moment to think, she tapped her fingers on her knee and then clicked them as the locations came to mind. “There’s a Thai place on the corner, or if you prefer, a pizza place along the block before mine.”[/color] She said. They were her two usual places, but there was a Chinese a little further out of the way, but not on this route to her apartment.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 530
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

One of the biggest reasons Spencer wasn't a stereotypical college male was because of the sister he came home to every night. He wanted to be a role model for her; be someone she could look up to, even if he was less than a year older. That kept him from sleeping with new girls each night, and had his attention pretty well focused on his school work and any activities he chose to add onto that. If Rory hadn't been there to be his guiding light, he probably would've fallen into the place of cocky jock with a video camera stuffed in his bag.

He may not've been charming the ladies for a living, but Spencer knew how to play gentleman when the need arose. And, he was pretty sure dropping a girl off blocks from her home was not exactly safe and/or gentleman like; he wasn't that stupid. It was raining, dark, and even in the open the streets weren't a walk in some flower-filled meadow. He'd walk her to the door if he had to; he didn't want something happening to her because he'd been so careless. She could protest and complain all she wanted but, he was going with the big-brother instincts ingrained into his mind; he was making sure she got into her apartment building safely. "Sweet things always melt in the rain; it's, like, a scientific fact," he said, putting more of a flirty spin on his words. Spencer didn't always go around dishing out the charm, but Chloe was a special case. And, it didn't hurt that she was pretty, too. "My stomach will survive a little longer so you can get home safe," he said back decidedly, trying to end the conversation. She could come up with every excuse in the book; it wouldn't change his mind in the end. "Which do you prefer? Might as well stick around for the ride; you'll get a bit of dinner out of it," he chuckled back, continuing down the street and waiting for some sort of signal to where he'd be driving her next. If she didn't want to stay for the impromptu dinner, that was fine; he'd still be eating himself.

• • •

WORDS: 404!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: After Practice, The Pool
OUTFIT: SPORTY BOY!
LYRICS: Look at Me by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

Chloe’s athletic based life had come after her illness as part of making up for the years she had been stuck indoors for, usually confined to a bed. The big giveaway these days was the outfits that consisted of sports bras and yoga pants. She could rock up to college in her sports gear and not care; they were comfortable and it saved her bringing another bag or trying to cram anything else into her large duffle. She didn’t really care about impressing guys or getting invited to the hottest campus party. Chloe liked her life the way it was with sports, art and winding her brother up; things that didn’t require some false reputation with the right clique to work.

Chloe had fought hard to become independent once she was in remission and getting her strength back again. She had spent all of her teenage years depending on her parents and her brother for some of the simplest of tasks when she was at her lowest and she didn’t ever want to find herself there again. At first her mother thought she was distancing herself from the family, but Chloe reassured her that she was just finding her legs again, doing the growing up she hadn’t been able to do because of the intensity of her disease and the treatment. Now it reflected in some of the things she did or the way she responded to people. Like tonight, she didn’t need the ride home or Spencer to look out for her, but she didn’t tell him to shove off completely; it was nice of him to offer, Chloe just didn’t want him to think of her as some damsel in distress. “What makes you think I’m sweet?”

[/color] She raised her eyebrow and turned to look at him with a smirk dancing across her lips. She enjoyed some harmless flirting from time to time and she wasn’t about to complain with a guy like Spencer flirting with her. She also wasn’t about to give in so easily though. “Getting home dry is more of my concern.”[/color] She chuckled, really not wanting a third shower in the few short hours. Flicking her dark eyes across to him, Chloe let out a sigh of surrender and then pushed her hair back from her face. “I was going to grab some Thai food on my way in. It’s on the corner you’ll come to in a minute, where I told you to drop me off originally.”[/color] She said with a soft smile. The place was nothing fancy, mainly just one of the average student places around her apartment building that thrived on the laziness or the busy lives of the college kids. "If you like we can grab whatever and eat it at mine? You can park your car in the garage then."[/color] They kept a number of spare spaces for guests, so he'd be sure to have some place to park up for a bit if they did that, rather than fight for a seat inside.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 503
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Spencer Russell Carson]

Spencer's world had never revolved around sports. He'd never imagined himself on baseball cards, competing at the olympics, or even making minor league for some team or other; that wasn't what he'd dreamed of. He used sports as more of a stress relief rather than a career choice, and the same held true with his college sports. They were fun, let him make more friends, and kept him busy; he didn't need them in order to survive, and he sure didn't need them as a way to make a living.

No, his world had been about cameras, writing scripts, and editting movie clips. It'd always be like that, even if he never became some famous director of writer. He could be working at some lowly bank, or running a boring fast food joint; whatever happened, he'd still enter the local film festivals and he'd still keep doing what he loved. Being part of a movie production, even for the shortest film in history, was an experience he knew he'd never be able to live without; it was what kept him thinking and breathing and sane most days.

Spencer respected the whole "strong, independent woman" thing most girls had going these days. He'd grown up in a single-parent household, and had been raised without a father's hand. He'd also seen his sister overcome and conquer her fears and quirks, and had seen his mother go through loss, depression, and happiness in equal parts; he had no problem with girls wanting to be their own person. It didn't mean he wouldn't be overprotective though, and leave them to kill themselves or be hurt because he didn't step in. He'd always be protective and cautious by nature thanks to the red head he called a sibling, and he'd always look after anyone he considered a friend, especially when he'd be the last one to see them before anything could possibly happen. "Have you given me a reason to think otherwise?" he challenged, returning her eyebrow quirk and looking back to the road. It may've been innocent flirting, but it was still fun and something to do; who knew where it could lead.

He continued to drive, spotting a flashing sign off in the distance that he hoped was the signal of food and her apartment. Driving in the rain never sat well with him, especially when he had such a pretty distraction to keep him from thinking straight. "That it up there?" he questioned, nodding towards it. "I'll wait out the rain, if that's alright. Enjoy my food before it gets too cold," he said, accepting the offer happily. Rory could wait; hanging out with Chloe would probably prove to be a fun way of spending his evening, anyways.

• • •

WORDS: 494!
TAG: Chloe! <3
LOCATION: After Practice, The Pool
OUTFIT: SPORTY BOY!
LYRICS: Look at Me by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Chloe Yvette Haynes]

When Chloe has been stuck at home, sick beyond belief and barely a ghost of the girl she used to be, art had been her release. Her brother was skilled with words, but she was skilled with a paintbrush or pencil. She would mimic the style of the characters in Disney movies or Tim Burton movies and sketch out the things she saw around her, just for something to keep her mind off of the fact that she might never see eighteen. It had been what had saved her from crying or whenever she felt down but couldn’t quite find the words to talk to her family about it. There was still a lot from that time that she couldn’t express to them, but some of it seeped through in her work during her freshman year at NYU.

It had made sense to keep with it and balance her sporting lifestyle. She didn’t have a five year plan or any definite hopes for the future, but she wanted to do something that she loved and art, diving, being active…they were what she loved most of all. Really, she didn’t like planning things out, just in case something happened to stop them from becoming a reality. She didn’t want grandeur or demand all kinds for her happy ending; being alive and being happy was enough for Chloe after her recovery. She could be poor, living in a real fixer-upper, but so long as she had a reason to smile, then she could deal with all of that and still find a reason to keep going each day. Selling her original art would contribute some way to her life, hopefully, but that was still a while off, despite the spare room of her apartment already looking like she lived her life in paint stained clothes and smelling of turpentine.

Chloe knew that no matter how much she proved that she could take care of herself, there would always be Leander worrying and fussing over the least little thing that she did. He was her brother, it was the way it was, especially given their past and the environment they had grown up in. It was probably down to him why she wasn’t some feisty feminist, pushing away every attempt at help just to prove she could do it herself. She did slip some days, snap at someone for doing something simple for her. Those days were usually the ones that came after a hellish night of nasty dreams and remembering the worst parts of her fight with ALL. She didn’t mean to come across like that, though she had probably ruffled a few feathers in her time because of it. Smirking, Chloe shrugged and looked at the rain falling down all around them. “Give me five minutes and the right situation.”

[/color] She countered, knowing that there was a whole lot more to her personality than just ‘sweet’. Ask Jack and she could probably give a book complete with photographic evidence on the matter.

She followed Spencer’s gaze and smiled, nodding her head before she spoke again. “Mmhm, that’s the place.”[/color] Chloe didn’t mind the company tonight. She didn’t have any work to get done and if she had been alone it would probably have been dinner and then an evening in her make-shift studio at the sketching desk, rather than the easel. “You might be waiting a while, but it’s fine with me. I don’t get visitors often.”[/color] She said playfully. Normally, the people at her apartment were Leander, Jay or Eric whenever she was locked out. Most of the time Chloe just met her friends on campus or at whatever bar or club they had chosen to go to that night. Her apartment was a relatively quiet place, despite living with most of the NYU students around her.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Spencer <3
WORDS! 675
OUTFIT! Diving Darlin’!
LYRICS! Not Your Cinderella - - - Payton Rae
NOTES! <3 <3 <3