Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 15, 2007 18:35:03 GMT
"Hola!"
A petite brown-haired girl glared up at him from behind her book. Always the same darn book. Tameron never grew tired of Charlotte Brontë. It was always Jane Eyre this and Jane Eyre that. It had been her favourite book growing up- in fact, it'd been her only book- a dog-earred copy their dad said had belonged to their mom. Yeah, right. As if Billie would ever part with one of his beloved Delilah's posessions. No doubt he picked it up dirt cheap from a charity shop in a mad attempt to act fatherly.
Tameron told Jude he had no sense of sentimentalism. That was a downright lie. People meant everything to Jude- but he saw them for what they were.
And his dad was pretty deadbeat at the best of times.
"We're not in Mexico, Jude," said Tameron wearily, carefully shutting her yellowing book.
"Nah, but it'd be pretty awesome if we were," Jude said cheerfully, pulling up a chair to face her. "Aren't you going to read any of those books I left you?"
"I will..." Tameron said edgily, her finger stroking the spine of her Brontë classic automatically. "I just wanna finish this first."
"Or maybe not even Charlotte Brontë- what about Wuthering Heights by her sister?"
"No. It's okay, Jude."
"I just think- "
"You're always reading Catcher in the Rye. You can't talk."
He shrugged. He didn't want to argue with her. If it made her happy, he was happy. No point picking a fight over nothing.
"Ready for Halloween?"
"What?" Tameron frowned. "It's two weeks away."
"Exactly!" cried Jude exasperatedly, leaning forward to rap her forehead with his knuckles. "You are listening to yourself, right? Two weeks!"
"Oh, Jesus..."
"Come on, Tammy! Whatcha' gonna be?"
"Snow flipping White."
"Yawn! I'm going to the party as a zombie hobo- easy enough to get the clothes. Just my stuff really, with a bit of dirt and muck. Reminds me of home."
"The pig-sty?"
"Funny," Jude grinned, and it was funny, in a weird way. "Go on... I see you as... oof. Definitely a gladiator."
"Get bent."
"Someone's in a good mood today!"
"Someone doesn't want to put up with you right now, ok?"
She always got like that when she was reading. If she's distracted from her darling Mr Rochester she goes all dark and moody. Scary stuff- and after all, Tameron could get a sword off some Warrior, easy peasy. It wasn't that she was any good at sword-fighting- but she was darnright dangerous.
"You should go as Jane Eyre," Jude said after a moment's pause. "You'd make a good Jane Eyre."
Tameron's eyes appeared over the back of her book. "You serious?"
"Why not?"
"I'd need a Mr Rochester."
"Why?" Jude frowned. "I thought Jane was into all that feminist crap?"
"Don't swear, Jude."
He grinned. Tameron could be pretty hypocritical at times. "Why do you need a Rochester?"
"Because they're soulmates," Tameron sighed. "One's not complete without the other."
Soulmates? Goodness gracious... "You don't seriously believe in all that, do you?"
"Why shouldn't I?" she said stiffly, her lips pursed. "Mom and Dad were soulmates, weren't they?"
"Billie and Delilah were in love, sure, but I think soulmates is pushing it."
Don't call them by their first names, Jude.
"Don't call them by their first names, Jude," Tameron reprimanded him crossly. "They were soulmates. You just don't believe in anything."
"Sure I do!" Jude said, genuinely rustled. "I believe in lots of things- I believe in love; I believe in people; I believe the best things in life are free; I believe life is worth living; I believe- "
"But not soulmates."
"Not the supernatural. I believe in what I can see, feel, touch- "
"Just about."
"Oh, come on, Tameron!" cried Jude, folding his arms and tilting his head.
Tameron was mad, and that meant one thing. Something was wrong. He'd just come over for a bit of a tease- a bit of banter. But something was definitely wrong. Worst part was, she was taking it out on him. Tameron- of all people- should've learnt by now that if she was upset about something, she should just tell him. She wasn't doing herself any favours, after all. The thing was, as Tameron grew older, the more stubborn she became. Maybe he still tried to take care of her too much- she was twelve after all, and as she kept reminding him, she could take care of herself.
But still... she could talk to him, right?
"Oh, forgive the silly little girl her romantic notions," Tameron pouted. "You'll see, Jude. You'll fall in love, and then you'll see."
Should he even credit that with an answer? His survival instincts told him yes. "You're probably right, Tameron. I've eaten my words before."
The second he admitted his mistake, she brightened considerably. "Thank you!"
Jude found he didn't really want to answer. "Billie- I mean- Dad loved Mom a lot, yeah?"
"Of course," Tameron smiled. "So they're in heaven now. Happy."
"I know," Jude grinned, forcing himself to beam with what looked like a genuine brightness. Lucky he was a good actor. "Hey, Tameron... is this about Daniel?"
Her smile slipped several notches. "What?"
"This whole 'soulmate' thing- "
"So, he wasn't the one," she shrugged. "Big deal. I'll find him."
"Or her."
"Ew!"
"No," laughed Jude. "I mean- your soulmate can be a girl or a guy."
"Then mine's a guy."
Jude felt like reminding her that she didn't really get to decide things like that, but again, decided it was in his best interests to ignore it. "Guys aren't that great, you know."
"So you tell me."
"I'm serious, Tameron!" he laughed at her stubborn expression. Sometimes, she could look a hell of a lot like their dad. "Guys are rotten pigs. They'll promise you the world to get you in their grasp."
"What?" frowned Tameron, but finally, Jude could see a sparkle of amusment in her eyes. That's better. "Even you?"
"Even me," winked Jude. "I wouldn't trust me as far as I can throw an elephant."
"But if you really, really liked the girl, wouldn't you treat her with respect?"
"She'd have to be pretty darn special," laughed Jude. "Like- the elete. But see, if she was that great, I would trust myself even less."
Tameron laughed now. Properly. He felt a rush of relief. "Some guys care. What about that Lee fella?"
"A good 50% of that should be teenage lust," winked Jude. "I mean, come on, Madeleine's hot."
"50?!"
"75!"
"Yeah, guys really aren't all that great," Tameron sighed. "Still..."
"Don't worry about it," Jude said swiftly. He wouldn't have her crawling back into the arms of Charlotte Brontë just yet. "Tell you what- when you get yourself a decent guy, and he's still with you after all that other lust stuff is out of the way, then I'll buy you a gingerbeer, and demand you get married."
"We'd be just like Mom and Dad!"
I hope to God not. "Definitely."
"What about you, Jude?" smiled Tameron, watching him closely. "What do you do when you meet your Delilah?"
"Buy a gingerbeer and curse myself for my own stupidity."
"You know what I mean! You said you believed in love!"
"I do!"
"And if you fall in love, what do you do?"
Jude considered answering her jokily for a few moments, then decided he might as well not bother. The problem was, if was a pretty big word. If he was honest with himself, he'd never really felt that way about any girl before- nor had he met someone he really felt like he could fall for. Like- properly fall for. He'd never had a girlfriend. Just crushes. Once the rose-tinted glasses had melted away, and your hormones stopped pumping like crazy, you always knew whether or not it was worth it.
He'd never met anyone worth it.
But if he did...
"I just pray to God she'll love me back," Jude said softly, and that was all Tameron really had to hear for now.
A petite brown-haired girl glared up at him from behind her book. Always the same darn book. Tameron never grew tired of Charlotte Brontë. It was always Jane Eyre this and Jane Eyre that. It had been her favourite book growing up- in fact, it'd been her only book- a dog-earred copy their dad said had belonged to their mom. Yeah, right. As if Billie would ever part with one of his beloved Delilah's posessions. No doubt he picked it up dirt cheap from a charity shop in a mad attempt to act fatherly.
Tameron told Jude he had no sense of sentimentalism. That was a downright lie. People meant everything to Jude- but he saw them for what they were.
And his dad was pretty deadbeat at the best of times.
"We're not in Mexico, Jude," said Tameron wearily, carefully shutting her yellowing book.
"Nah, but it'd be pretty awesome if we were," Jude said cheerfully, pulling up a chair to face her. "Aren't you going to read any of those books I left you?"
"I will..." Tameron said edgily, her finger stroking the spine of her Brontë classic automatically. "I just wanna finish this first."
"Or maybe not even Charlotte Brontë- what about Wuthering Heights by her sister?"
"No. It's okay, Jude."
"I just think- "
"You're always reading Catcher in the Rye. You can't talk."
He shrugged. He didn't want to argue with her. If it made her happy, he was happy. No point picking a fight over nothing.
"Ready for Halloween?"
"What?" Tameron frowned. "It's two weeks away."
"Exactly!" cried Jude exasperatedly, leaning forward to rap her forehead with his knuckles. "You are listening to yourself, right? Two weeks!"
"Oh, Jesus..."
"Come on, Tammy! Whatcha' gonna be?"
"Snow flipping White."
"Yawn! I'm going to the party as a zombie hobo- easy enough to get the clothes. Just my stuff really, with a bit of dirt and muck. Reminds me of home."
"The pig-sty?"
"Funny," Jude grinned, and it was funny, in a weird way. "Go on... I see you as... oof. Definitely a gladiator."
"Get bent."
"Someone's in a good mood today!"
"Someone doesn't want to put up with you right now, ok?"
She always got like that when she was reading. If she's distracted from her darling Mr Rochester she goes all dark and moody. Scary stuff- and after all, Tameron could get a sword off some Warrior, easy peasy. It wasn't that she was any good at sword-fighting- but she was darnright dangerous.
"You should go as Jane Eyre," Jude said after a moment's pause. "You'd make a good Jane Eyre."
Tameron's eyes appeared over the back of her book. "You serious?"
"Why not?"
"I'd need a Mr Rochester."
"Why?" Jude frowned. "I thought Jane was into all that feminist crap?"
"Don't swear, Jude."
He grinned. Tameron could be pretty hypocritical at times. "Why do you need a Rochester?"
"Because they're soulmates," Tameron sighed. "One's not complete without the other."
Soulmates? Goodness gracious... "You don't seriously believe in all that, do you?"
"Why shouldn't I?" she said stiffly, her lips pursed. "Mom and Dad were soulmates, weren't they?"
"Billie and Delilah were in love, sure, but I think soulmates is pushing it."
Don't call them by their first names, Jude.
"Don't call them by their first names, Jude," Tameron reprimanded him crossly. "They were soulmates. You just don't believe in anything."
"Sure I do!" Jude said, genuinely rustled. "I believe in lots of things- I believe in love; I believe in people; I believe the best things in life are free; I believe life is worth living; I believe- "
"But not soulmates."
"Not the supernatural. I believe in what I can see, feel, touch- "
"Just about."
"Oh, come on, Tameron!" cried Jude, folding his arms and tilting his head.
Tameron was mad, and that meant one thing. Something was wrong. He'd just come over for a bit of a tease- a bit of banter. But something was definitely wrong. Worst part was, she was taking it out on him. Tameron- of all people- should've learnt by now that if she was upset about something, she should just tell him. She wasn't doing herself any favours, after all. The thing was, as Tameron grew older, the more stubborn she became. Maybe he still tried to take care of her too much- she was twelve after all, and as she kept reminding him, she could take care of herself.
But still... she could talk to him, right?
"Oh, forgive the silly little girl her romantic notions," Tameron pouted. "You'll see, Jude. You'll fall in love, and then you'll see."
Should he even credit that with an answer? His survival instincts told him yes. "You're probably right, Tameron. I've eaten my words before."
The second he admitted his mistake, she brightened considerably. "Thank you!"
Jude found he didn't really want to answer. "Billie- I mean- Dad loved Mom a lot, yeah?"
"Of course," Tameron smiled. "So they're in heaven now. Happy."
"I know," Jude grinned, forcing himself to beam with what looked like a genuine brightness. Lucky he was a good actor. "Hey, Tameron... is this about Daniel?"
Her smile slipped several notches. "What?"
"This whole 'soulmate' thing- "
"So, he wasn't the one," she shrugged. "Big deal. I'll find him."
"Or her."
"Ew!"
"No," laughed Jude. "I mean- your soulmate can be a girl or a guy."
"Then mine's a guy."
Jude felt like reminding her that she didn't really get to decide things like that, but again, decided it was in his best interests to ignore it. "Guys aren't that great, you know."
"So you tell me."
"I'm serious, Tameron!" he laughed at her stubborn expression. Sometimes, she could look a hell of a lot like their dad. "Guys are rotten pigs. They'll promise you the world to get you in their grasp."
"What?" frowned Tameron, but finally, Jude could see a sparkle of amusment in her eyes. That's better. "Even you?"
"Even me," winked Jude. "I wouldn't trust me as far as I can throw an elephant."
"But if you really, really liked the girl, wouldn't you treat her with respect?"
"She'd have to be pretty darn special," laughed Jude. "Like- the elete. But see, if she was that great, I would trust myself even less."
Tameron laughed now. Properly. He felt a rush of relief. "Some guys care. What about that Lee fella?"
"A good 50% of that should be teenage lust," winked Jude. "I mean, come on, Madeleine's hot."
"50?!"
"75!"
"Yeah, guys really aren't all that great," Tameron sighed. "Still..."
"Don't worry about it," Jude said swiftly. He wouldn't have her crawling back into the arms of Charlotte Brontë just yet. "Tell you what- when you get yourself a decent guy, and he's still with you after all that other lust stuff is out of the way, then I'll buy you a gingerbeer, and demand you get married."
"We'd be just like Mom and Dad!"
I hope to God not. "Definitely."
"What about you, Jude?" smiled Tameron, watching him closely. "What do you do when you meet your Delilah?"
"Buy a gingerbeer and curse myself for my own stupidity."
"You know what I mean! You said you believed in love!"
"I do!"
"And if you fall in love, what do you do?"
Jude considered answering her jokily for a few moments, then decided he might as well not bother. The problem was, if was a pretty big word. If he was honest with himself, he'd never really felt that way about any girl before- nor had he met someone he really felt like he could fall for. Like- properly fall for. He'd never had a girlfriend. Just crushes. Once the rose-tinted glasses had melted away, and your hormones stopped pumping like crazy, you always knew whether or not it was worth it.
He'd never met anyone worth it.
But if he did...
"I just pray to God she'll love me back," Jude said softly, and that was all Tameron really had to hear for now.
