Post by Jude Dorrian on Nov 4, 2007 20:17:32 GMT
"Thanks, Sonya."
"My pleasure, Jude."
The pretty waitress with the dimple in her cheek smiled warmly at him as she headed back across the bar towards the bar. He returned her smile, and uncorked his gingerbeer, taking a deep swig of its contents. The warm sensation he felt rushing around him as he swallowed was his reward. Sighing, he leant back in his seat, watching out the window.
It was easy enough to ignore the stares he was getting as he'd wandered around the Cardsdale market earlier that morning. He was used to be stared at. There were two types of people in this world: the ones that gawped shamelessly, and the ones that tried to pretend they weren't. Personally, Jude preferred the people who made an effort to look away. At least then you could pretend they really weren't looking.
"Anything else, Jude?" Sonya asked him a few minutes later, reappearing out of nowhere with her pen poised.
"No, I'm good to go," Jude smiled, passing her a five-pound note. A sparkle of light caught his eye. "Sonya! Congratulations!"
She flushed a pleasent pink, her diamond engagement ring sparkling brightly. "I thought he was never going to change, but he has, Jude, he really has."
"I knew he would," Jude beamed. "I told you, didn't I?"
"You were a godsend, Jude, you really were," Sonya said earnestly, fingering her ring. "It took a lot to stop Ivan from hanging out with that Manse boy... I really thought that would be it."
Jude shook his head. "It wasn't me. Not really."
Suddenly, Sonya stepped forward, and pulled Jude into a rib-crushing hug. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, and planted a kiss firmly on his cheek.
Face burning, Jude ducked out of her grasp and mumbled his excuses, and practically bolted from the Knight Pub, but not before he'd caught sight of about three different people determinedly avoiding his gaze, and another four staring avidly. Inhaling deeply, Jude straightened up, and began heading back up to the school.
Helping people, that's what he liked to do. He stepped in wherever he could- not meaning to be nosy, or anything- just... wanting to see if he could help. He hated seeing other people miserable when he himself was so happy.
Except when people thanked him... it always made him feel awkward. Didn't they know he hadn't really done anything at all?
Sonya was a really sweet girl; not especially bright, but her open, trusting manner and keen sense of humour made up for it. They'd been acquaintances for a number of years, and once, when he'd found her down at the village square, tear-stained and miserable, she'd confided in him a bit.
And then the next time they met, a little bit more.
And then a little bit more.
And soon it just became a habit.
He just gave her someone to talk to... and for some reason, that was all she really needed. She'd sorted herself, and her own problems out. And now, she was engaged! Jude had never actually met Ivan himself, but he'd heard enough about him to know that Sonya and Ivan were a real Delilah and Billie package deal.
That was nice.
Jude mused over a few past faces- not that there were that many- of people who had felt the need to thank him. Jude liked the idea that he'd helped them, but he never really understood how he'd done it. But... it was a nice feeling.
Something he wouldn't mind holding onto.
Jude frowned to himself. Maybe he should think on that a bit more.
Maybe it was giving him an idea...
"My pleasure, Jude."
The pretty waitress with the dimple in her cheek smiled warmly at him as she headed back across the bar towards the bar. He returned her smile, and uncorked his gingerbeer, taking a deep swig of its contents. The warm sensation he felt rushing around him as he swallowed was his reward. Sighing, he leant back in his seat, watching out the window.
It was easy enough to ignore the stares he was getting as he'd wandered around the Cardsdale market earlier that morning. He was used to be stared at. There were two types of people in this world: the ones that gawped shamelessly, and the ones that tried to pretend they weren't. Personally, Jude preferred the people who made an effort to look away. At least then you could pretend they really weren't looking.
"Anything else, Jude?" Sonya asked him a few minutes later, reappearing out of nowhere with her pen poised.
"No, I'm good to go," Jude smiled, passing her a five-pound note. A sparkle of light caught his eye. "Sonya! Congratulations!"
She flushed a pleasent pink, her diamond engagement ring sparkling brightly. "I thought he was never going to change, but he has, Jude, he really has."
"I knew he would," Jude beamed. "I told you, didn't I?"
"You were a godsend, Jude, you really were," Sonya said earnestly, fingering her ring. "It took a lot to stop Ivan from hanging out with that Manse boy... I really thought that would be it."
Jude shook his head. "It wasn't me. Not really."
Suddenly, Sonya stepped forward, and pulled Jude into a rib-crushing hug. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, and planted a kiss firmly on his cheek.
Face burning, Jude ducked out of her grasp and mumbled his excuses, and practically bolted from the Knight Pub, but not before he'd caught sight of about three different people determinedly avoiding his gaze, and another four staring avidly. Inhaling deeply, Jude straightened up, and began heading back up to the school.
Helping people, that's what he liked to do. He stepped in wherever he could- not meaning to be nosy, or anything- just... wanting to see if he could help. He hated seeing other people miserable when he himself was so happy.
Except when people thanked him... it always made him feel awkward. Didn't they know he hadn't really done anything at all?
Sonya was a really sweet girl; not especially bright, but her open, trusting manner and keen sense of humour made up for it. They'd been acquaintances for a number of years, and once, when he'd found her down at the village square, tear-stained and miserable, she'd confided in him a bit.
And then the next time they met, a little bit more.
And then a little bit more.
And soon it just became a habit.
He just gave her someone to talk to... and for some reason, that was all she really needed. She'd sorted herself, and her own problems out. And now, she was engaged! Jude had never actually met Ivan himself, but he'd heard enough about him to know that Sonya and Ivan were a real Delilah and Billie package deal.
That was nice.
Jude mused over a few past faces- not that there were that many- of people who had felt the need to thank him. Jude liked the idea that he'd helped them, but he never really understood how he'd done it. But... it was a nice feeling.
Something he wouldn't mind holding onto.
Jude frowned to himself. Maybe he should think on that a bit more.
Maybe it was giving him an idea...
