First Stop Of Our Tour

[Tamika Dombrovski]

The three students entered the pub and sat down around a table.
"What're you guys drinking? First rounds on me," Tamika smiled, reaching into her pocket for her purse and ID.
"Thanks, Mika, I'll have a diet coke please," Will replied, getting herself comfortable on the chair.
"Brad?"
"Oh, I'll have pure orange juice please."
Tamika walked over to the bar and leaned against it. A short while later a barman came over. "What can I get you?" He asked.
"A diet coke, an orange juice, and a pint of Old English please," Tamika replied politely. The barman frowned at her.
"ID?"
Tamika handed him her ID which had been waiting in her hand, he looked at it for a moment before handing it back, "Sorry... Anastacia, but we have to be careful with the school being so near, and since you came in with students," the barman explained.
"Don't worry about it, it's perfectly understandable."
The guy went away for a moment to get their drinks and Tamika became hypnotized by the colors of the gaming machine. Red, yellow, green, cherry, WIN WIN WIN. She was brought out of her thoughts by the barman returning with the drinks.
"That's four pound fifty please."
Tamika gave him the money and lifted the tray over to the table. She set it down and sat down on a stool, lifting her pint and taking a sip.
"Cheers, kids."

[brad]

Brad raised his eyebrow at the tray, then at Tamika.
"You're a drinker?" He asked, a bit shocked.
"Brad, I'm Russian, my father was an alcoholic, what do you expect?" Tamika replied, it probably sounded like a joke, but she was being serious.
"Well, thanks for the drink," he smiled, lifting his glass of orange juice and taking a gulp. "So, do you guys come here often or is it because the weather outside is too awful to be out there?"
"Bit of both, and my beloved games machine is here," Tamika grinned.
"Mika, I swear, you have ADD or something! You're addicted to the colors of it!" Will laughed. Tamika pushed her playfully and said something in Russian.
"It's interesting how they get along so well... I'd love to have had, or have for that matter, friends like that..." Brad thought.

[Will Wright]

Willsat back up again, though she was still laughing.
"I'm serious Mika, I swear you do!"
She looked over at Brad who had a frown on his face.
"What's up?" she asked brightly.

[brad]

"It's not ADD! I just have the mentality of a child!" Tamika giggled.
Will looked round at Brad. "What's up?" she asked brightly.
He looked up from his orange juice, "I was just thinking."
"Care to share?" Tamika asked softly.
"Just about how well you two interact with each other, and how I would love to have had or have friends like that. Pretty pathetic really," he replied, give a half hearted smile. Tamika shifted her stool closer to his.
"Well then," she grinned, "Meet your new best friend." She shoved him a bit so he nearly fell off his stool.
"What was that for!" Brad asked in mock shock.
"I do that to all my best friends."

[Will Wright]

"It's true, the ADD child does do that to all her best friends. Plus wha tdo you mean you want to have best friends like Mika and I? Are we not good enough for you or something?" Will asked in mock outrage.
"No...no, it's nothing like that it's just-" Brad flustered.
"Good, now I can get to the machine before it has to suffer her!" Will pointed at Tamika and ran of laughing.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

"WILLL!!!" Tamika shrieked, "I hate you!"
Tamika sighed in frustration and rested her head on her hand, drinking her pint.
"I will get her..." She muttered. Brad smiled and put his arm round her waist.
"Ah well, you'll only get addicted."
"Sounds fun," Tamika grinned, resting her head on his shoulder rather than her hand, "This gives a good excuse for revenge anyways. She'll get a rat in her pillow..." Tamika giggled. She took another drink of her pint.

[Will Wright]

"Whoo, I won, I won!" Will did a happy dance and collected her prize. She made her way over to Brad and Tamika.
She was within earshot when she heard Tamika say, "This gives a good excuse for revenge anyways. She'll get a rat in her pillow..."
"That's ok, I like rats, if it's a boy it's name will be Jim and if it's a girl then it's name will be Shanda!" Will happily sat back down again.
A book came flying across the room and hit Tamika lightly on the head.
"What? Where did that come from?" Tamika rubbed her head and stared in confusion at the book lying on the floor.
"That was for trying to get revenge on me for something I haven't done anything wrong for!" Will smirked.
Brad laughed.
"That's not funny Will!" Tamika scowled.
"Brad seems to find it funny and I do to," Will countered.
Tamika glared at her then joined in laughing too.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

"Y'know something, I really wish I had of got a power that would enable me to chuck stuff at you two, see how you like it," Tamika muttered, tearing a beer mat apart.
"Nah you don't, it's too tempting to throw sharp or heavy objects at people faces."
Tamika and Will both looked at Brad with a raised eyebrow.
"I was going through a bad time!" He said, defending himself.
"Well, as long as you don't throw anything at us," Tamika yawned, cuddling into Brad as he put his arm further round her waist.

[brad]

After a couple of minutes chatting everyone had finished their drinks.
"My round," Brad said, getting his wallet out, "Same again Will?"
Will nodded at him. "What are you having Tamika?" He asked.
"Same as Will, please," she smiled, leaning back on her hand as he got up.
Brad made his way over to the bar and ordered the drinks.
To ask her out, to not ask her out, that is the question...
Not.
Why?
Dude, her boyfriend just died, she's still in mourning.
You saw the way she was after she saw his spirit though.
Well obviously, I'm half of your brain, I'm still connected to your eyes.
...Shut up.
I'm your thoughts, I never shut up.
Brad stopped thinking when he heard a tray being set down beside him. Handing the barkeep the money, he walked back over to the table and sat down.

[Will Wright]

"Tamika are you going to ask him out anytime soon?" Will asked eagerly while Brad was away.
"What? I dunno, why?" Tamika raised an eyebrow.
"Oh come on Tamika, you're hitting on each other all the time and you snuggle up to him and he comforts you. You both like each other!" Will hissed the last part.
"So what?"
"Ask him out for pitty's sake!"
A shadow fell over them and Will turned around to see Brad with the drinks.
"Hey, thanks!" she took her diet coke and started to drink and she gave Tamika a look to say Go ahead. Go on, go on!

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika smiled shyly at Brad and took her drink off the tray, "Thanks."
"No, no, don't start acting shy again. Will shall die..." She thought.
"So, talk about anything interesting while I was away?"
"Yeah, there was one thing of interest, girly business," replied Will. Brad raised his hand.
"Say no more."
"I'll be back in a minute..." Tamika said quietly, getting up and going to the ladies. She went into one of the stalls and began taking deep breaths.
"What is wrong, Tamika?" Her aunt asked.
"How did you know something was wrong?"
"Mothers instinct."
"What?"
"Nevermind, now what is troubling you child?"
"Well, there's this guy, Brad, and I really like him and everything but... Pavel hates me enough as it is, I don't want him to hate me more if I ask Brad out..."
"Tamika, dear, Pavel is your past, he cannot still have your heart on the other side if he dislikes you."
"I know but..."
The door to the ladies toilets opened.
"Mika?"
"I'll be out in a second Will..."
Tamika took a breath and walked out of the cubicle.

[Will Wright]

"Mika, I think you hsould go back out there," Will looked at the ground as her friend came out.
"What? Why?" Tamika asked suspiciously.
"Because, it's not much fun without you there, besides you can play with your machine," Will rasied her voice at the end.
Tamika's eyes lit up, "OK,"
"But before you go tot eh machine come and sit with Brad and I!" Will insisted.
"Ok, ok!" Tamika raised her hands to show surrender.
"There's my girl. Now, cheer up!" Will commanded.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Will and Tamika went back to the table.
"You ok?" Brad asked, putting his arm around Tamiks waist again.
"Mmhmm," she sighed, sipping her coke and leaning back on him.
"So, what started the whole deal with Mrs Vorto today?" Brad asked.
Tamika zoned out of the conversation into her thoughts.
Mother's instinct, why would my aunt have mothers instinct, she's not my mum...
Am I really going to be betraying Pavel if I ask Brad out, he hates me...
Does Brad actually like me too?... Is he just acting like this for... Well, if he doesn't, why is he acting like this?
Those three main thoughts swirled about in Tamikas head, confusing her and giving her a headache. She sighed and looked at Will and Brad, they were both looking at her as if expecting an answer.
"What?" She asked, confused.
"I just asked if you thought we should see head of languages about Mrs Vorto's terrible teaching," Will said.
"Oh, uh, yeah, sure, whatever. I'm gonna go play the games machine."
Tamika took a gulp of her drink and gave a small smile before going to play the machine.

[brad]

Brad turned his head to watch Tamika walk to the machine and gave out one of those 'What to do...' sighs.
He turned back to Will. "Will, is Tamika okay? She's started acting a bit... Odd," Brad asked.
"She has some stuff going on in her head, stuff that's really confusing her."
"Anything I could help with?"
"Well, you could help with one thing."
"What would that be?"
"You."
"Me?" Brad asked, a bit shocked. What had he done?
"She really likes you, she's not sure if you like her back as much. Since Pavel I haven't seen her this happy."
"Oh..."

[Will Wright]

Will leaned forward in her seat.
"Trust me, it would make her and you happy if one of you guy's made a move to ask the other out!" Will was bad at things like these.
I think I'm doing ok though... Will got lost in thought and heard the end of Brad's question.
"...do?" he finished.
"I'm sorry, I zoned out. Can you repeat the question?" Will asked politely.
"I asked, what should I do? I mean, should I get her flowers or something and ask her out or should I just aske her out or what?" Brad looked like a lost puppy.
"Brad, one thing you don't do is buy flowers and then ask the girl out! It's seems and is romantic but it sounds like you're bribing or blackmailing her," Will explained.
"Then how?"
"Just, go up to her now and whisper in her ear will you go out with me? or Will you be my girlfriend?!" Will prodded him.