Heaven on Earth - Barnaby (open tag)

[barnaby]

Barnaby had spent the entire afternoon unpacking his poor over-laden VW Beetle. He'd been amazed at just how much kit he'd been able to cram into the poor car. The house he was renting for the time being was currently strewn with half-opened boxes, Barnaby's personal belongings currently in a various state of disarray... but, to be honest, he'd had his fill of it. He needed a serious change of scenery and as the beach was only a stone's throw (literally) from his front door - albeit a rented front door - then he might as well make the best of the decent evening.

A light shower was falling but compared to English rain it wasn't honestly worth a mention. Far from enough to see him either grab a jacket or - worse still - a brolly. No way. He was in California. Venice Beach, in fact. No umbrellas here!

He locked the door and then headed across the treet and promenade, on to the beach proper. As front gardens went this one had to be about the best a guy could get! Not only the view but also the countless number of scantily glad girls that wandered past.

"Heaven right here on Earth," he murmured beneath his breath as he watched a couple of long blonde-haired girls skate past - and his gaze was in clear appreciation.

Heaven indeed.

[Casper Van der Meares III]

He'd been out setting things up for prom, he planned on making the night with Rosalie special. He had plenty of ideas of how that night was going to end, though whether that happened would depend on the beginning and middle of the night. Summer was coming after all and though he liked the girl he didnt know whether the relationship would last the summer. He knew that his family was staying in LA and America, though they would likely spend some of their time in Washington DC.

So it all really depended on where his girlfriend if that was what she was, was going to spend the summer. Hopefully with him but who knew what the summer would hold. If not Rosalie then possibly a girl for every night of the summer, it was certainly something that would entertain him.

He heard someone say something about heaven on earth his eyes turned to the man like he was some kind of idiot that would call this country heaven on earth, it was liking calling ice cream god himself. He was English maybe what they said about the English being the American's glove puppets was true. The man was clearly a little gone in the head or at least he thought so.

"I wouldn't describe LA as Heaven on Earth." Casper said to him.

[barnaby]

Barnaby hadn't realised that he had company and he half turned to face the newcomer. A boy. Student age ('probably not many years younger than me,' he remined himself) and one who was looking at the older man as if he thought him to be at least one cucumber sarnie short of a picnic. Maybe he was!

He threw the boy a reassuring grin.

"Ah but you aren't looking at the scene over there," Barnaby pointed out with a gesture towards the (sadly) vanishing blonde figures. "Heaven," he breathed again. "You have to wonder how designers make those outfits so small and yet still manage to mask anything that needs masking. The smaller they are the more prcy they seem to be as well. Less material - bigger price tag. Hardly seems right, dies it?"

He turned more fully to face the boy. "Student at the local high school?" What was it called again?" "Gould... and Silver...." Or was it Silver and Gould? Did it even matter?

The boy nodded.

"If you're taking history then we'll probably run into each other next term."

'Idiot!'

"... semester," he quickly amended. "Barnaby Blackwell... I start work there at the start of the new school year." He held a hand out towards the boy.

[elizabethlivingsto]

Liz was feeling pretty good about herself at the moment. She had managed to burn through all of her assignments for the week, including those not due till Monday, which would leave her entire weekend free. She'd had a light dinner brought up to her room so that she could continue to work through it.After both supper and homework were complete, Liz took a lovely hot bath, letting the perfumed water soak into her skin, making it soft and rose scented. It was during the bath that she let her thoughts wander, working out why she had over-reacted like she had.

Liz walked around like she owned everything, but there was a part of her that was hidden beneath the pretty outside. She was scared, insecure about a lot of things. One of those things was her relationship. She was so worried that she was going to screw things up and she'd lose someone she greatly cared about. When it dawned on her, that insecurity was the reason she'd gotten upset earlier. Good to know. She'd reached over to the small table next to her bath and picke dup her cell, sending a text to her Brazilian.

*Hey luv, I wanted to apologize again. I overreacted because I'm always worried that I'm gonna screw things up with you. I care a lot about you and don't wanna mess this up. Forgive me please. I've finished all my work for the week and am likely to head out of the house for a while....Liz*

She didn't need to offer to meet up with him if he wanted, that was always a given statement between the pair. She'd gotten out of the bath, changed into a short black dress with a silver belt around her waist and black boots. The Brit grabbed a jacket as it looked like it was going to rain. She hit the streets, finding herself out on the beach.

Liz found herself passing by a pair of young men, one that looked familiar from school, and the other made her stop a few feet from them. "Designers charge an arm and a leg for tiny bits of material because they are putting their name on it.." She grinned, stepping up to the fence, she grinned. "Ban Blackwell..as I live and breathe..what are you doing on this side of the pond?"

[barnaby]

Barnaby was mid shaking the boy's hand when he heard a female voice pipe up from just behind him. A crisp British accent. London. Impossible to miss. Her comment about the price tag of designer clothes made him laugh but any amusement evaporated when he turned to face her.

"Elizabeth Livingston? What are you doing ehre?"

"I live here," she replied.

"But... Wow! I mean, what are the likelihoods of running into you all the way over here!" He threw the boy a grin. "We knew each other back in England. Elizabeth was an annoying little 5th grader when I was just starting my GCSE's... She's probably still annoyingm," he added with a laugh. "Do you two know each other at all?" he asked of the pair.

(apols its short - supper almost done!)

[Casper Van der Meares III]

Casper looked between the two Englishman, woman one of each he thought to himself. They knew each other, he knew who one was and well the other had just told him who they were. The girl was what he would call hot if she didn't have the snooty accent that wouldd surely annoy the hell out of anyone who chose to live with her other than someone who had the same accent.

"Pleasure to meet you Barnaby, I'm Casper Van der Meares III. I'm South African so a world away from where the two of you come from for sure." he said with a smile as he eyed the girl warily.

"I've seen Lizbeth in the corridors at school, but I can'ty say that I know her all that well. We move in different circles I believe." Casper said politely. "Its nice to meet you both, so what are the chances of two brits and a South African from the same area bumping into each other in the street and that they will all in some degree be going to the same school next year. Two of us as seniors one of us as a teacher." he asked with a smile trying hard not to feel out of place in the situation he was in.

[elizabethlivingsto]

Liz gave Barnaby one of her trademark smirks, he would probably recognize it. He definitely recognized her, that was for sure. He asked what she was doing there.

"I live here." She replied, folding her arms under her chest. Liz piped down as Barnaby (She'd always felt really bad for him on that note..what parent named their child Barnaby?) continued talking, explaining how they knew each other to the other boy.

"I was not annoying, I was perfect, and well bread, sweet..." Ok..Liz couldn't hold that one in anymore, she started snickering. "He just didn't like that I could wrap him around my little fingers as easily as I did everyone else." She grinned sweetly at the older guy. Liz had been the mistress of manipulation back in the day, not something she did anymore though!

"Actually, South Africa and England share a lot of the same cultral and ethic values." Liz smiled over at Casper. "Yeah...not exactly the same circles..but why confine ourselves to one group?" She shrugged. "I think the odds are actually pretty damn good considering.." She grinned. "I've run into a few old mates from the London area out here in fact...Freddie, Alex and so on." The Brit tossed her long hair back. "You.." She looked at Barnaby. "Are a teacher?" She asked him. "This is going to be a fun year." The next term was going to be bittersweet for Liz, she'd be in her final year of secondary school, but Fefe wouldn't be there with her. he'd be a big college guy. She hoped he got her text at least. Hopefully he'd call her later on that night.

"So what are you guys up to tonight?"

[barnaby]

Casper Van der Meares... the third. That was quite a name tag! “Good to meet you Casper,” replied Barnaby. “And from South Africa? I have friends in that neck of the woods. Cape Town. I remember spending a couple of months with them down there. It was breath-taking!

Barnaby grinned at Casper’s question about the chances of two Brits and a South African meeting up. “That sounded like the start of a joke,” he commented. “Pretty sure we’ll bump into each other next term,” he added to the boy and regardless of whether he’d taken history as an option. No school was *that* big!

“So you’ve moved here as well, Elizabeth?” Barnaby continued, adding an aside to Casper, “she was extremely annoying... Trust me!” It was better maybe to ignore Liz’s indignant retort.

“Yep... I’m teaching history next term,” he told Liz. He paused.... “Please tell me you aren’t taking history! Not sure I could cope with you as one of my students,” he teased... Well, for the most part!

“As for tonight... My first goal is to find my way back home. I only arrived in town about 2 hours ago and haven’t exactly got myself acclimatised to the area. Sooo probably back there and then more unpacking. Sounds like a fun time, eh? What about you, Casper? Any plans for your evening? Isn’t it the senior prom this weekend? Both of you are going?” He hadn’t yet ascertained what years the pair were in...

[elizabethlivingsto]

"Never been to Cape Town myself.." Liz shrugged, tossing dark hair over her shoulder lightly. There was a snort about the possible joke lead-in. "I suppose it's better then a nun, a priest and a porn star walking into a bar." She grinned playfully.

"Yeah.." She answered, looking down for a moment. "Got dragged here from Winterhaven 2 months ago when my parents died." The Brit chewed on the inside of her lower lip slightly, feeling her stomach turn over as it usually did when she mentioned it.

"I was not annoying." She stated once again, folding her arms under her chest. "And yes..I'll be taking History next term." There was a sparkle to her green eyes that was damn near wicked. Regardless of their personal acquaintance, if Blackwell was going to be her teacher next term, Liz was actually going to be play nice and behave, at least in class! Still it was more fun to watch him squirm. "Oh you love me and you know it!" She grinned.

Barnaby mentioned his plans for the evening, trying to find his way back home and then to unpack more. She scrunched up her nose, thank god for servants who had done that for her. "Yeah, Prom is this weekend.." Liz affirmed. "I'm going, not sure about Casper here." She looked over at the other boy. Yes, she was going, provided someone wasn't still upset at her!

[barnaby]

"I'm sure you'll both have a great time," Barnaby replied. He still wasn't all that sure he understood this prom thing but the kids in the US seemed to take it all very seriously... Even Elizabeth looked excited.

"Look, I need to find Miranda Drive. Do either of you happen to know where it is or am I going to have to make myself look a total dork and go ask a policeman or something?" He looked hopefully from Casper to Elizabeth... and then back to Casper again. "

"Help me and I'll buy you a coffee as thanks... and I might even let you off the very first history assignment next term." Always assuming Casper was taking the subject. Elizabeth was... it seemed!