Wolf among the lambs (Xavier, any cheerleaders)

[Tyler Durnham]

He didn’t need the other guy to tell him, or rather, struggle to tell him, that he wasn’t all that good with words, it was already painfully obvious to Tyler. How the hell Cam won over Haley, he had no idea. Maybe he was rich. That would make a lot of sense, some girls saw the money and not the guy. But Haley had all the airs and graces of having money herself, and the way Cam was dressed, Tyler wasn’t sure that he actually had money. There had to be something he couldn’t see. Not that he cared in the slightest though. Sure, Haley was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but if Tyler decided to pursue her, her relationship with Cam didn’t matter to him. If the girl didn’t have a problem about already being taken, then he saw no reason to have one either.

He was one to take pride in his own work, so he made himself study even if the notion greatly bored him. But, occasionally that need slipped when he had more important things to focus on, like football or women, so it was good to find someone else to do his work if needed. He couldn’t see how anyone would be interested in science of any kind, but he wouldn’t complain that Cam was, just gave him more of a reason / benefit for ‘helping’ the other guy out. And Cam was sorely in need of some help, as Tyler saw it.

He wasn’t sure that he would class Lovecraft as cool, but it was definitely interesting. He wouldn’t have picked Cam for a fantasy nut, but the guy was quickly seeming like one, no matter how much he tried to hide it. “Sure.” he agreed with a knowing smirk.

Considering something, Tyler hesitated for just a moment before pulling a small metal flask from his pocket. Opening it, he took a large swig, eyes once more completely focussed on the cheerleaders below and their increasingly sexy moves. His hand automatically reached out then, offering the flask to his new acquaintance. “So, you know Bree? Car trouble, did you say?”

[Cameron Whitlock III]

Cam was glad when Tyler seemed to drop the whole football tackle practice thing. He was relieved in fact. It helped calm his nerves a bit, but it still didn't quite make him eloquent. After all, Cam had had it pretty hard in high school. He'd only turned 16 a month and a half a ago, and he was a senior. He'd skipped two grades early on and despite the fact that he was still smarter than the other kids, he'd always struggled to fit in and find people that actually got him. Haley was one of the few that seemed able to keep up, although Cam did have to admit, he did keep all of his math and science ramblings to a minimum around her.

However, despite any intelligence Cam did have, since he wasn't as used to having friends and interacting with everyone, especially the people that would be considered popular, he could be a bit naive about social situations. Cam wasn't the best when it came to reading people and had no inclination to the fact that Tyler might just want to use him. Cam just thought that he was being a nice guy. Of course he should have known better. He'd found very few of the popular kids to actually be nice for the sake of being nice, but Cam liked to take what they said to him at face value anyway. And when they were nice, he liked to believe they were really being nice and didn't have ulterior motives. After all, Haley was genuinely nice, which meant there had to be more people out there like her.

Cam just gave a nod about the books. Although he probably had read more fantasy than most people, he wouldnt' have really categorized himself as a fantasy nut. Maybe he'd read a little Lovecraft, but not much at all. His interest in fantasy sort of tapped out with Lord of the Rings...and Harry Potter of course. If he'd have to pick a genre, he'd probably have gone with more of a sci-fi kind of guy, due to his interest in watching shows like Stargate and Battlestar Galactica, but then again, he knew plenty of people who were way more into that stuff than he was, which probably wouldn't really put him in the sci-fi nerd category either. Cam was pretty sure that he was just a plain old nerd, not that he really liked to advertise that face, but it sort of just came out naturally whether he tried to hide it or not.

"Uh...thanks," Cam said, taking the flask although he felt uneasy about it. Cam had had alcohol before but always in small quantities. He knew the basics about how it effected people and could tell people how much they could drink just by looking at them. And he knew Tyler could handle more liquor than Cam could, especially since Tyler probably drank way more, but still, wanting to seem at least somewhat cool, Cam took the flask and drank, although he let way less of it down his throat than it looked like from the swig he took. Still, even the small amount burned his throat but Cam forced a smile anyway.

"Yeah," he said, nodding about the car trouble, "it's a brand new car so I guess something went wrong in the manufacturing or something," he shrugged, "it's all fixed now though and if it happens again I guess they said they'd trade it in for a new one, so I can't really complain," he said. "Bree offered to give me a ride when she saw me stranded," he explained. Cam knew he had a pretty cool car, and kind of wanted to slip it into the conversation too but didn't really know how, so left it at that. After all, Cameron really didn't know much about cars at all aside from what Top Gear told him and what he thought looked cool.

[Tyler Durnham]

It took just a little bit of effort on his behalf not to laugh as Cam took a sip from the flask and gave Tyler a shaky little grin, as if that was something he did all the time. It was completely obvious he didn’t, and the sight made the footballer grin. The guy was an academic, as far from an athlete as someone could be, and wasn’t a drinker, so more than likely didn’t indulge in life’s other fun little pleasures, parties, dope, ladies. Definitely not ladies, he was probably a sweet little virgin too until Haley came along. The two guys couldn’t be more different.

Cam really needed to get drunk. Tyler still remembered the first time for him, a couple of years back, when he and some friends raided his father’s liquor cabinet. He couldn’t drag himself out of bed the whole of the next day. They were some good times. Taking the flask back, he took one last swig himself before putting it away. Nothing better than some Jack in the afternoon to get you started on a good night. And Tyler was about due for a really good night.

“Well, Bree has a heart of gold.” he smiled his most genuine smile of the afternoon. He was far from perfect, and a lot of not so nice things could be said about Tyler, but how he treated his friends wasn’t one of them. He was always protective of those close to him, and he liked to think he treated them well. And after knowing Bree’s history, plus being there on the night where everything changed for the girl, it was hard not to be a bit extra protective. “Not a lot of other people would have stopped to help a stranger, I’m sure.” He made a note to speak to the girl, warn her not to do that again for anyone else she didn’t know. It just wasn’t safe, not for a pretty young thing like herself.

“Gotta love the new car smell. What have you got? My baby’s an Ashton Martin, drives like a dream. Had it for a few months now, the ladies seem to love it.” Laughing, he glanced at his watch, before turning back to the girls. “Practice is nearly over, you and Haley got plans tonight?” It reminded him to sort out his own. But he loved not having any real concrete plans, being able to take things as they went. Nothing better than that, having a whole night to do whatever (and possibly whoever) he wanted to.

[Cameron Whitlock III]

Cameron was glad when Tyler put away the flask without offering it to him again. Maybe he'd been obvious about his distaste for the stuff, but at least he'd tried to pull it off. And it wasn't that he disliked all alcohol, he just preferred it be mixed. And just because Cam didn't really get drunk, he didn't see anything wrong with the people who did. After all, Cam did want to go to more parties...it just never seemed to work out for him.

"Yeah, it was really nice of her," Cam agreed with a nod. "I was really surprised that she stopped at all and then she started going on about this whole doing a good deed every day thing," Cameron explained. "I was actually pretty impressed, I mean, its not like you meet people like that every day," he said. And it was true. Cam had never met anyone else so intent on doing good deeds. Even he didn't do such a thing and he considered himself a pretty good person when it came down to it. Maybe he'd screwed things up before and burned some people in the past, mostly over Haley, but he'd never meant to hurt anyone and he was pretty sure people were starting to get that, especially now that he and Wynn were speaking again, even if they still weren't exactly friends again.

"Yeah," Cam said enthusiastically about the car. He loved his car. He couldn't help but smile when Tyler said his car though, "Me too actually," he said. "I also got an Aston Martin...just got it a few weeks ago actually, it was a bit of a late birthday present," he said, since his parents hadn't gotten it for him until he'd officially gotten his license. "It's a gun metal gray convertible," he added. Yeah, maybe Cam didn't look like he had money from first glance, mostly because he didn't know how to really put himself together, nor did he really care to walk around like he was modeling the latest menswear collection of the runways of Paris like some boys did, but he did have money and although his clothes didn't look like much, each and every piece was designer. His mother saw to that mostly, since Cam hardly went shopping for himself. Anyone who actually paid attention and looked past the initial glance at him saw that his sweater was cashmere and the collard shirt he wore under it--the one he'd rolled up the sleeves on, was Ralph Lauren and that the watch he wore on his left wrist was a Rolex. But Cam wasn't one to brag about money or point these things out, so they often went unnoticed by his peers. Not that Cam cared. He didn't want people to like him for his money. After all, even he didn't know what to do with it half the time.

"Plans...yeah, I mean we don't have anything definitive planned but we'll probably hang out," he said with a shrug. "You and your girl up to anything tonight?" he asked, casually assuming the girl Tyler said he'd been seeing was his girlfriend.

[Tyler Durnham]

It was some surprise to Tyler to find out that Cam had the same car model as him. Perhaps there was something worthwhile about the other guy after all. “Good choice, mine’s similar, but it’s silver. I like to take her out on quiet roads every chance I get and really get her into gear. You should try it sometime.” He automatically assumed Cam hadn’t before, after all, the guy was mild, timid and apparently wasn’t a big fan of drinking, so Tyler doubted he liked to take his car out and speed. Sure was a blast though.

So the guy was rich, or his parents anyway. He sure hide it well, but on closer inspection, Tyler could pick up a few hints that his acquaintance might be more than he seemed. At least it gave him more to work with, more potential. Besides, his father was always instilling in him the importance of network, and those who were rich tended to have more influence and power, and they were exactly who Tyler should socialise with. After all, he never knew what was going to happen after school, after college. And it never hurt anyone to have influential friends in high places. One must always put themselves first after all, think about what would benefit themselves. Because no one else was going to for you. It was a creed the Durnham men lived by.

Cam’s question threw him a little at first, and Tyler frowned slightly as he tried to think who might be the girl in question. It hit him quickly thought, and he laughed lightly at the assumption. “You mean with the Lovecraft?” he cleared up, shaking his head just a little. “Maggy isn’t my girl exactly. Her and I, we agreed on a casual relationship. So while we date, we still see other people too. I think it works out well.” he explained. It worked for him anyway, he couldn’t quite imagine the girl taking the opportunity to date and sleep around with as many guys as possible. And if she did, well, he wasn’t quite sure how he would react to that. But he doubted he would have to worry about such things, so it was a perfect arrangement for him.

“And no, I don’t think we’re going out. We had dinner last night, and she’ll be coming to the brunch on Saturday, so I’m sure she welcomes a break from me.” The jock grinned, casually scratching at his chin. “I’ll be sure to introduce you, I’ve got a feeling you too will get on well. Just mention Lovecraft, or Lord Of The Rings, and I’m sure she’ll be a fan.”

“Don’t know what I’m doing tonight.” Grabbing out his phone, Tyler started cycling through the numbers, as if trying to come up with an idea. “I’ve got a few options.” And by options, of course he meant women, and he made no effort to hide that meaning. “Can’t go getting bored now.” Laughing again, he watched as Bree made him momentarily forget she was one of his closest friends and not just a cheerleader he would very much like to sleep with. “But, though you can’t have too much time in the company of beautiful women, I wouldn’t mind a guy’s night either. You know how it is.”

[Haley Rowan]

Haley was really enjoying talking and getting to now Bree, "i am very excited for this brunch on Saturday. If we ever need a place to Brainstorm let me know, my house is huge and can accommodate a lot of people." Her father was a Hollywood producer after all. "If you ladies will excuse me since practice is over, I really must grab a shower. We must continue talking once I change." Haley said with a laugh as she headed to the locker room. Haley was not like most girls. She could take a shower and blow dry her hair in half an hour. Of course on date nights it took her an hour, but getting ready normally it took her only half.

The only time Haley ever used the school showers was after practice. She did not have a gym class so she did not even have to worry about, but Haley hated to be sweaty, and have a chance to smell. She always wanted to smell good. Her favorite perfume,made her smell like a sweet flower. Most guys said it made her smell very, very god. And on date nights, she had this body powder that when a guy would kiss her neck, tasted like chocolate. So the guy got an extra special treat.

Once Haley was done she reentered the gym with her gym bag so she could have the uniform cleaned. Haley in formed the girls she would be next to Cam and Tyler. She walked over to where they were. Her long legs showing in the blue jean miniskirt she wore. A tight black top with a cute design on it, which exposed one shoulder. Her hair was straight after being blowed dried. No bandage on her arm any more. Sometimes Haley forgot she had been shot during the shooting, but there was no evidence of it anymore.

"A guys night huh, sounds fun. Sorry. but I could not help over hearing." Haley said with a smile as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She eyed Tyler a moment to try and gauge if he was being serious about being a friend to cam. She knew how jerky popular guys could be. However, she did not know Tyler well enough to really know what kind of guy he was. "So did you both enjoy practice?" Haley leaned down and gave Cam a quick kiss. Then she straightened up, "It really is a pleasure to meet you Tyler. I am so glad you are not like the Xavier kid who ran out of here screaming like a girl. There is nothing worse then a guy who likes to pray upon women in that manor. I mean if you are going to hit on someone at least be decent about it and not cause a scene." Haley finally took a seat, she crossed one leg over the other.

[Bree Marcus]

For obvious reasons, Bree never showered in the locker room and often changed in the booths meant for girls that had their periods. So much of her life had been devoted to hiding the bruises and other signs of abuse that being naked it public was not something she could handle. Hence she was just planning on wearing her uniform home and shower there. She gathered up the CDs and player and took them to the coaches office and then joined Tyler, Cam and Haley.

"I hope he learned something from it," Bree said, her eyes grave feeling somewhat sorry for the guy even if he had seriously angered her earlier. "Where are you guy's having your guys night out? If you want you can go to Bryhurst, I will have the manager give you a private room and then you can drink all you want without a problem." She knew there would likely be women as well, but she didn't want to think about that. She was having a hard enough time dealing with his growing relationship with Maggy. She knew she could never be what Tyler needed but it was still hard sometimes to know he cared for the pretty band girl.

Bree frowned slightly as she heard some noises from the locker room. Most of the girls were still hanging around so she just returned her attention to the conversation.

[Cameron Whitlock III]

"I'll have to try that sometime," Cam said. "To be honest, I haven't had my license that long, but my first car being the Aston, well, it was a good choice," he said, not really going into his reasons behind choosing it which mostly involved it being a Bond car and being featured on Top Gear several times. Mostly it was because it looked cool, those were just the two forms of media that had introduced him to it.

Cam watched as the girls finished up practice and headed back into the locker room. He wasn't sure how long Haley would be but it seemed that Tyler wasn't going anywhere so at least he had company. He nodded as Tyler explained about Maggy. "That's good then," he said. He couldn't imagine an arrangement like that himself, but to each their own, he figured, meaning that if that's what made them happy then who was Cam to say anything about it. "I will keep that in mind," he said when Tyler said that he and Maggy would get along. The thought was comforting really, to know that someone more like himself would be at the brunch. Despite the girl's interests, he assumed that she was still popular, mostly because she was dating Tyler. He figured she must be sort of like Haley who was kind of a closet nerd although Cam would never tell anyone. He wouldn't want to rat Haley out since he knew she didn't really share her nerdier interests with all of her friends. He thought it was cool that this Maggy girl did though. Still assuming that Maggy was one of the popular girls, Cam hoped that she'd get along with Haley as well. Honestly Cam didn't get while Haley hung out with most of the girls that she did.

Cam was nodding again listening to Tyler go on about how sometimes he liked guys night when Haley headed out of the locker room and right over to them. It was just in time for her to assume that Cam was having a guys night with Tyler. Cam kissed her back, but then was ready to admit that they hadn't planned such an event and Tyler had just been talking about stuff he liked to do when Bree joined in and started offering them a place to go for guys night. Cam wasn't so sure about it. Tyler seemed like a cool guy and all and although Cam was pretty sure he would like to hang out with the other boy more, he wasn't sure that he was ready for a guys night out, especially because he could only imagine what it would entail. It would be the equivalent of Cam jumping right into the deep end on his first day of swimming lessons. Cam figured it was better to make it sort of a slow and steady thing...start with the brunch, maybe have some mimosas and go from there.

"Thanks," he said to Bree, "but I don't think we actually had anything planned. We're we gonna hang out tonight?" he asked Haley.

[Rosalie Naples]

Rosalie had really concentrated during pratice. Her perfectionism came out at times like this. Every move needed to be persice and on time. "I am going to stay and keep on working it on" she said to Haley and Bree and the others. After that she went over to the other side and played the music not as loud as she began doing the routine only skiping the jumps and everything. After this she might get a run in around the track. After she went through it three more times she felt that it was good as she was going to get it. After putting her pom poms in the conor she took her place on the track and counted to three in her head.

When she got to three she started off at run. She could feel eyes on her not sure from who but she kept on running. She loved to feel that burn and the sweat of a good work out. She would get another good walk in later this evening when walking the dogs. She felt someone coming up to her and stopped and stretched before turning toward the approacing footsteps with a smile on her face. "Hey."

[Tyler Durnham]

It was hard to miss Haley approaching them, with the way she looked, clothes that only highlighted just how good she would look without them. He let his eyes wander very briefly, and discretely of course, over her, straightening somewhat as she got closer. Had to love a girl who knew how to dress. It did create a predicament though, Cam seemed the type who would take offence if Tyler went after his girlfriend, so if he did want to sleep with the girl, he would have to drop his plans with Cam, moulding the guy to something more appropriate. Decisions, decisions. Well, he reasoned, there was always plenty of other gorgeous women in the school more than happy to keep him company. Haley could wait.

“Practice was very entertaining.” he admitted with a grin. “And likewise Haley. I consider it quite a compliment, you not lumping me in with the other guy.” he laughed. “Some people just don’t have much in the way of decency.” It seemed like Xavier considered Tyler just like him, from the way he spoke, but the footballer could care less about his opinion. He at least had some class, and he didn’t use women, it was for mutual benefit after all, and he did respect all the girls he was with. After all, he had yet to receive a shot of pepper spray in his eyes.

Then Bree joined them, still in her cheerleader outfit, and it was enough to get Tyler’s attention once more, his eyes running over her. He couldn’t help it, so she was a friend, she also happened to be beautiful, and what guy didn’t have a thing for cheerleaders? Her suggestion for the guy’s night he had not planned did sound good, perhaps he might just have to organise something after all.

He let Haley answer Cam about their own plans, before reaching out to squeeze the guy’s shoulder, a broad grin on his face. “Well, we don’t have plans, but I think we’re going to have to make them now. “Bryhurst sounds great Bree. I’ll take you up on that offer. How about it Cam, you and I, I’ve got a few friends who I know would love to come along, and you can invite whoever you like of course, and a private room. I’ll organise things, then let you know when it’s happening. You in?”

He then turned his attention to Bree, thinking that perhaps finding company for that night would be even easier than expected. Not that he planned on seducing Bree of course, he actually cared about her too much for that, but there was something to be said for spending time with a friend. Tyler wasn’t completely all about women and sex after all. Just mostly. If he had any reason to think that his friend might actually be interested in him as more than just friends, well, it would have been one of the few times where he would be clueless on how to proceed. He didn’t have the best track record with relationships after all. “Bree, what about you, do you have any plans tonight? Maybe we should go do something, been a while after all. Invite Sloane if you want.”