Solitude and Silence [open]

[Nadia Donovan]

The girls dorms were really very quiet... well, silent. Nadia supposed it was not unusual for the time of day - mid-afternoon. Her classes had been cancelled because there was some teacher meeting or something... Nadia didn't really know.
She had decided to be a loner and read because she hadn't had a really good read in ages... but she was finding she couldn't concentrate. It was really quiet... eerily quiet. Silence reigned. No footsteps or anything. Nadia decided that there was no one else up there - surely she would have heard something by now?
She started another book - The Da Vinci Code. It wasn't right though, or rather, she wasn't it the right mood. Too much concentration was needed. Also she asn't getting into it. A good book but just not the righ ttime to read it.
Though Nadia had come to her dorm to be a loner, it was too lonely, too quiet. She picked up her ipod but it was out of battery... typical.
Ignoring (or trying to) the silence, Nadia picked out another book - The Hiding Place. It was much better suited to her mood. She got into bed and snuggled under the covers. It drew her in.
After about half an hour or so, Nadia heard footsteps outside the dorm. She had been contemplating coming out, maybe going to the common room, but hadn't moved yet. The footsteps hadn't gone past her door yet. Slipping her feet into slippers, Nadia got out of bed and went to the door. She wondered who it would be. She opened the door...

[francis cohn]

Of course Francis wasn’t in class, he had only arrived at Orchid Hill Academy for the Gifted and frankly he wasn’t at all interested in the idea of going to class on his first day in the place. He was in a strange new environment – he needed to explore before he could start learning. Francis always needed to have a clear idea of his surroundings; the idea of him not being able to know where he was going frightened him to death. And so, he was wandering the corridors of the school, just going where his feet were taking him.

He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans that were baggy on him with a pair of blue etnies, his t-shirt was white and simply bore the DC logo in large black letters. His platinum blonde hair was ruffled but attractive in a I’m-not-hung-up-on-the-way-I-look sort of way. His dark eyes quickly skimmed around the hallway he’d found himself in, it looked different. Something told him he wasn’t supposed to be here. There were pink towels on radiators. ‘Ah, this must be the girls’ dorms.’ He thought to himself, proud of his observational skills.

Francis looked over when he saw a door open and felt an overwhelming feeling of curiosity oozing from the room. He smiled brightly when he saw the girl peering through the open door. She was a beautiful brunette was tan skin and thick, luxurious black hair. “Hey beautiful.” he said, walking straight up to her door and leaning against the door frame. “I’m Francis. What’s your name?” Sometimes his confidence was mistaken for arrogance. Sometimes it was just arrogance.

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[Nadia Donovan]

Nadia was completely taken aback. She had opened the door and it way a boy standing there... a boy. Even more surprising was when he came right up to her door and spoke to her, calling her beautiful. That made her blush. After all, she was wearing an old T-shirt and old jeans and also the slippers.
The guy was quite attractive, blond, nice enough dressed, but he wasn't really Nadia's type as such. The confidence was rolling off him, he clearly was expecting to be accepted easily.
She wasn't really sure what to say to him... Hey handsome? No, it wasn't Nadia's type of thing to say at all. She blushed again, when she stayed silent.
Eventually she managed to get out, "I'm Nadia... uh, I don't think boys are supposed to be down here..." She blushed again. That was something she hated about herself. She blushed about anything... anything at all.

[francis cohn]

Even when this girl blushed she was beautiful. The heat burnt off her cheeks, covering her face and neck in a soft rose color. Or, at least it looked rose to Francis. She was wearing old jeans and an old t-shirt with slippers. There was something about the slippers that just made Francis smile. He was already in love with her. But then again, Francis fell in and out of love very quickly and was fickle with his infatuations. Without even thinking about it he grinned at her and replied, “Nadia? That’s a beautiful name.” he observed her thoughtfully, “It suits you.” he decided, although he was pretty sure his opinion would mean nothing to her.

“Ah, yes. I’m not supposed to be. But yet I am.” he leaned close to her and looked around, as if he was about to confide in her a deep secret. “I’ve never really been partial to rule keeping, have you?” Now this boy was what most people would describe as a trouble maker. He’d been the leader of a notorious gang in his old town, he had a criminal record and he was never the type to respect authority. Perhaps he was a bit too much of a bad boy for most girls.

[/CENTER]

[Nadia Donovan]

The compliment made her blush again... He was being really sweet. She smiled at him.
“Ah, yes. I’m not supposed to be. But yet I am.” Francis leaned closer to Nadia, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her... it was a surprisingly calm, thought... after all, Ienzo...
“I’ve never really been partial to rule keeping, have you?” She smiled at him again, again surprised to find her heart beating a little faster. SHe blushed again. It was really getting annoying now.
"I do my best..." Nadia was a little breathless, he was just so close to her. "But everyone slips up at some point..." Her voince sort of faded off at the end. She was feeling quite guilty for having those sorts of thoughts at all.

[francis cohn]

Francis smiled slyly; he loved her blush, he loved how she became breathless as she spoke to him. He loved the proximity between them. He tilted his head to the side; this somehow made his face closer to hers. He wanted to kiss her, but somehow this felt too early. It was strange for Francis to think that it was too early for a kiss, he wasn’t one who thought kisses meant things, but he had a feeling that she was the type of girl who did. Still, he hoped to make it clear that he wanted to kiss her.

Francis silently listened to her point, nodding and smiling a small but interested smile. “That’s true. I don’t think anyone could say that they’ve kept all the rules.” he looked her up and down slowly and then smiled appreciatively, “What do the rules say about boys in girls dorms?” Again, the arrogance of his confidence oozed through – usually this tainted people’s feelings towards him, they dubbed him an arrogant very *friendly* person and tried to avoid him. He hoped this wouldn’t be the case at this school.

[/CENTER]

[Nadia Donovan]

When Francis smiled, Nadia felt a sudden longing... she wasn't exactly sure what for but...
“That’s true. I don’t think anyone could say that they’ve kept all the rules.” Francis seemed to analyse Nadia,then smile. She wasn't sure if she liked it but it made her blush... again.
“What do the rules say about boys in girls dorms?” Nadia was a little concerned about what he was implying, then she blushed for thinking that.
"Uhm, I'm not really sure... just that they're not alllowed I think..." Talking was somehow making her breathles. She had stopped thinking about Ienzo and their kiss. She just really wanted to kiss Fracis. Without thinking much about what she was doing she leaned in and kissed him. She pulled back, immediately shocked. Not shocked because of what she was doing but more that she had liked it. She leaned in again, again not thinking too hard.

[francis cohn]

Francis was once again overcome by how much he loved her blush and her breathlessness in speaking. It made her seem innocent almost, he didn’t know her well enough to judge whether or not this was misleading but somehow he just didn’t care about her innocence or lack there of. All he cared about was kissing her.

Francis was just considering how to approach kissing Nadia when she kissed him. Completely out of the blue. He grinned. Now, this was what he liked in a beautiful girl – confidence to kiss a complete stranger. At least they were on first name basis. He kissed her back but it was short lived, she moved away and looked shocked by… herself perhaps? The rashness of her actions? Francis didn’t care. They both leaned in for a second kiss at exactly the same instant. He kissed her with all the confidence he had, his eyes were closed and his arms were circling her neck, he nibbled her lip with his teeth. He LOVED this school.

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[Nadia Donovan]

They both leaned in for a second kiss at exactly the same instant. He kissed her with all the confidence he had, his eyes were closed and his arms were circling her neck, he nibbled her lip with his teeth. He LOVED this school.
As Nadia leaned in again, Francis leaned too. They met halfway and kissed again. It was fiercer this time as it wasn't as onesided as before. His arms circled round Nadia's neck and he nibbled at Nadia's lip.
Nadia found herself comparing this kiss to the one with Ienzo. It was completely different. She knew Ienzo more. If she was being honest, she liked Ienzo more. This kiss with Francis was perhaps more impulsive, but with Ienzo... it had been soft and gentle... more like what she wanted. It had been so romantic, with the rain... She was quite possibly falling very far for Ienzo. She nearly thought so far as the "l-word" but stopped herself before she got that far. It wasn't the time or place.
Almost regretfully Nadia pulled back from Francis. It wasn't what she wanted. But she didn't want to offend Francis either.
"Sorry, I have to go... I'm supposed to be meeting someone and I really need to freshen up a bit... Could you go please?"

[francis cohn]

Francis couldn’t believe his luck, somehow the school seemed to have picked him out of the depths of his personal hell and plunged him into this perfect school in which he was considered gifted. Plus the talent wasn’t half bad. And now here he was, standing in the hallway of the girl’s dormitories passionately kissing a girl he barely knew. Perhaps this was all a terrific dream – if so, he didn’t want it to end.

If there was a universal list of confusing girls, Francis was pretty sure that Nadia would come close to the top. One minute she was kissing him and within a blink of an eye she’d moved away and asked him to leave. Somehow this made Francis more desperate for her kiss again. “Nawh, you mean it?” he mumbled, moving in for another kiss – he stopped himself, noticing her expression was serious. ‘Oh.’ He thought. This was definitely not what he’d expected from this. He tilted his head to the side and smiled at her, “Okay Nadia, hopefully I’ll see you around.” he turned to leave, lingered a split second before walking away slowly.

[/CENTER]

[Nadia Donovan]

Nadia felt kinda bad about blowing Francis off, but it wasn't what she wanted. It wouldn't be fair to keep going. Francis didn't seem like the type to mind but it wasn't fair to Ienzo either.
She watched Francis turn and walk away before closing her door and sighing. It was complicated. She had kissed someone else. SHe just hoped Ienzo wouldn't be mad. She was going to tell him... once she had freshened up a bit... he would most likely be in the library. She'd have to look anyway.
She changed into something a bit nicer, skinny jeans and a dark purple T-shirt, with a grey strappy top underneath. Then she had to do her hair. She had a habit of playing with her hair when she was reading. The whole process took about half an hour. Then Nadia got up and left for the library.

((Will be continued in "Serenity, A book and a cat"))