Nowhere Else (Sloane, Open Tags)

[Sloane Taylor]

Bumping into Nolan randomly had proven to be something of a problem and now that by some cosmic horror they were practically locker buddies, Sloane wanted to sue the universe for using her life as a punchline.

She drove herself home in her beat up grey Lincoln '69 and spent two hours in the bath. Her brothers weren't home so she used up all the hot water and even turned on the jet streams. She had so much free time now that she didn't know what to do with them. Homework was done, she didn't have any prior engagements with anyone and that equaled to a very destructive Sloane.

There were a lot of things Sloane Taylor could do but left to her own devices, it was very dangerous since she didn't know what to do with herself then. She supposed she could bake. Or run. Or watch TV...no. Sloane wasn't about to kill her brain cells doing something so...brain cell killing. Despite her meager grades, Sloane was quite the intellectual. She liked to keep her mind active.

Frustrated with the boredom that befell her, Sloane got out of the tub and walked to her room to change. Slipping into her grey sports shorts and breathable hoodie, she also grabbed her MP3 player and the arm strap that went with it. She hated having nothing to do and as she started to warm up in her room, she hated it more that she was still thinking of that blasted Junior with his dimpled chin and deep blue eyes and that hair. Ugh. That hair.

The run brought her to the pier as always and once she was a little tired, she went to edge and sat. Removing her shoes one by one, she dangled them over the edge, letting the salty tide lick at her shins. The sky was getting darker by the minute and soon enough, the wind grew slightly harsher against her bare skin.

[wes]

(recycling a past TC’s unanswered thread - you can even ‘Go Green’ on an RPG ;P)

Ok it was official. Santa Monica sucked as far as ice rinks went. So The nearest one, it seemed, was located a few miles inland. Culver City, in fact. Nothing closer could be found and that ticked the Canadian boy off no end! After a hastily eaten meal Wes set off in his Cruiser convertible, determined to find a place to continue practicing his hockey...

* * *

Culver Ice Arena.

It sounded grand enough but would it live up to its name?

"Only one way to find out," he murmured and flicking the remote locking button on his key he headed inside the main entrance....

* * *

Hockey *classes*? Wes wasn't interested in classes... He wanted to find a local team to try out for. Sure, he'd found other high school squads and even the local UCLA had one but so far nothing else. It was enough to see him feel like ripping tufts of hair out of his head!

In less than good spirits he headed back to Santa Monica. Maybe someone at school might have a suggestion? The sport's coach maybe...? He was fast running out of other options!

He drove along the freeway and towards the coast. Without hockey he wasn't sure how he would survive living in California!

Wes took a right onto Ocean Avenue... and almost immediately screeched to a halt, slewing part way across the thankfully quiet section of road. The dog had come out of nowhere... He pulled over to one side and killed the Cruiser's engine, intending to wait until his heart rate came down to something more resembling normal. Only then did he get out of the car and fill his lungs deeply with salt-laden air.

Wesley found himself not all that far from the pier and still not sure he felt ready to continue on home he wandered across the beach, glancing up as he reached the pier.

Further down he could see a girl, feet dangling into the water. The rapidly setting sun cast an orange-hued halo around her. Someone to talk to? Perhaps... Or maybe she was enjoying her solitude.

“Only one way to find out,” he murmured softly and he scrambled up onto the pier...

“I don’t have a penny,” he opened with, “... but would a dime buy your thoughts instead?”

[Sloane Taylor]

The wind whipped her fire red hair across her face after she let it go from her ponytail and Sloane ran her fingers through it, trying to settle it down but to no avail. She hadn't even realised there was someone coming up behind her until his voice was right in her ear. She turned and a smile tugged in the corner of her lips. The boy was a giant and she was so sure he was older than her. A college boy perhaps? What was he doing at the pier? No frat parties to attend?

And his opening line was...well let's just say she had heard better. "I'd like to believe my thoughts were worth more than a dime." She replied before patting the spot beside her. "You're an unlikely person to be out here." Sloane admitted, giving him a sideways glance. Her hair was still flying all over the place but she couldn't bother tying it up.

[wes]

"Tell me what they are and then I'll know how much they're worth," he countered with a grin. "Can I sit and dangle as well?" he asked. She didn't tell him to sling his hook and go so Wes took that to mean he could keep her company. He kicked off his boots and socks before dropping down. Where the water lapped at her shins it easily reached Wes's knees as his legs were a fair deal longer.

"You go to highschool... right?" he continued. "I'm more or less positive I've seen you there. Yopur hair is kind of unmissable." The setting sun made it look like it was on fire.

"I'm Wesley. Wes. Domaszewski," he told her. "Now, about those thoughts... I suppose if they really are worth a lot I could always use my Visa card..."

[Sloane Taylor]

Sloane just chuckled at his reply, not opposed to the fact that he was starting to sit down beside her. It was a free country after all. People can sit wherever they wanted. And he was cute. And hopefully older than her which was a refreshing change from the younger crowd she had been hanging out with lately. But then he mentioned seeing her in school which just dampened her mood ever so slightly.

"Unfortunately my parents actually want me to graduate this year so I'm only in high school under duress." She sighed. There was a slight undertone in his voice that Sloane recognised as charm and she couldn't help but smile at that. Either the boy was flirting with her or he was incredibly naive and uncharacteristically honest.

Him introducing himself was kind of futile because she would forget the name almost instantly but she introduced herself anyway. "Sloane Taylor." She replied before chuckling at his Visa card comment. "You don't really want to know what I'm thinking, hon." She shrugged. "So you're in high school too huh?" Tilting her head slightly to look at her companion. "Shame..." she tutted before looking out to the ocean. It was getting dark and she was itching to do something other than sit here and chat with this seemingly innocent boy.

Not that she would mind continuing this conversation elsewhere but she doubted the boy even knew how to kiss let alone entertain a girl with her...spirit.

[wes]

"Good to meet ya, Sloane," Wesley replied. She seemed a pretty intense and serious girl to him but as he was by nature gregarious and outgoing that small fact wasn't about to deterr him! He was nothing if not tenacious.

"And yeah... Senior. I only started there this semester so don't really know a heck of a lot of folk. That makes it all the better when I meet a new face." He'd noticed the addition of 'shame' and took that to mean she preferred older boys... Men maybe.

"So... Sloane... You feel like grabbing a coffee or something? I mean, its great here and all but... I have to admit my toes have just about frozen solid," he admitted with a wry grin.

"My treat!" he added in what he hoped would prove to be a deal-clincher!

[Sloane Taylor]

"Pleasure is all mine." Sloane answered before giving him a smile when he admitted to being a senior. Well, at least he wasn't younger than her. For that she was grateful.

His invitation for coffee sounded good and she supposed it was better than sitting in the cold alone. That just made her seem pretty pathetic and pathetic Sloane was absolutely not. She laughed politely at his little joke. "Why not?" she answered even before his proclamation of buying her the coffee.

Whether it was a date or not, Sloane wasn't going to over analyse it. She picked herself up, bending over to scoop up her running shoes and stuffed her socks in them. She wasn't going to get all squelchy and make her feet smell by putting her trainers on so she dried her feet up as they walked to the nearest coffee shop.

"What brought you out here on this cold night?" she asked conversationally despite not actually liking conversations.

[wes]

Wes hadn't honestly expected the girl to agree to get a coffee with him. He wasn't all that sure she felt like company but was glad to be proven wrong. He scrambled to his feet and waited while Sloane grabbed her shoes and then they headed back down the pier. He pushed his hands into his jacket pocket.

"If I told you I was down here because I nearly hit a dog would that make me sound weird?" he asked with a wry grin. "Really, though. I was on my way back from Culver City when a dog just ran out in front of my car. I almost hit it. I guess I wanted to catch my breath again before heading on home." He glancved sideways at her. "I didn't expect to find anyone down here," he admitted. "I thought only crazies and stray dogs were out tonight!"

He paused. "Please tell me you aren't crazy...!"

[Sloane Taylor]

The unlikely story about the dog made Sloane laugh. She didn't doubt that it actually happened but it was so random that it really cracked Sloane up. Of course it didn't help that her laughing kind of proved his question inadvertently. "Oh you're hilarious, hon. Truly."

Once she finally managed to get a hold of herself, Sloane didn't bother stopping Wesley as she sat on a bench to dust off her feet before slipping into her socks and shoes. The pebbled streets were starting to kill her feet. "And you kind of have to elaborate on the term crazy coz I use it very loosely."

They were nearing a coffee shop and Sloane decided not to get coffee and ordered a hot chocolate instead. There was no way she was going to ruin her brain cells by drinking coffee either. That was what sex was for. And to Sloane, that was better than coffee.

She chose a bench outside the coffee shop to sit on and waited for Wesley to join her.

"For your information, I was running. I do that sometimes." She said in reply to his insinuation. "The pier's accessible too so..." Sloane simply shrugged before taking a quick sip of her steaming cup of hot chocolate.

[wes]

As he followed Sloane outside Wesley inhaled the curling tendrils of steam that issued from his mug of tea. Maybe he should have gone for the chocolate as well? Too late now but at least the slice of apple cake hadn't been a bad addition. Of course he'd share it. He wasn't the kind of boy to scoff the entire lot and not even make the offer.

"Running? Like out jogging?" He frowned. Hardly. So running away from someone...? Something? Nah, he knew he was reading far too much into things and she was more than likely out for a good old spate of exercise. Wes had an inkling he was starting to look - and feel - like a total moron and he knew he had to explain. "You look sort of mysterious," he told her. "When you said you were running I thought you might have meant like escaping. I reckon now you know what I meant by 'crazy'... You have right before you a prime example!" he finished on a wry laugh.

"Sooo... other than run and dip your feet in the sea what do you do for fun around town? I am seriously struggling to find much to do and the nearest ice hockey team is a good half hour's drive away. Man, that has to suck!" he added with feeling.