Home is where the heart is - open tag

[felipe]

At last the students were allowed to leave, theuir parents all having been called and reassured. As such, Felipe wasn't at all surprised to see both his mother and his father outside the school main entrance, waiting for him. The first one to reach him, though, was his sister.

"Filly, I was so scared. We heard the school had come under attack and..." Her words disolved into sobs and he hugged her close, releasing one arm to do the same to his parents when they joined them.

"I'm fine, Ana... see?" he said with a bright smile as he lifted her chin upwards a little. That only made her sob that much louder.

"You don't look fine," stated his dad.

"I can see a bruise," his mum pointed out.

"Still, compared to the others I am perfectly fine. Can we go home?"

The Vila Novas left and drove home in silence. What could be said? Felipe wanted to forget and his loved ones weren't sure they wanted to know. Neither would succeed as their curiosity and concern would win through and forgetting today would be impossible.

* * *

After a long and intensive talk Felipe went up to his room to lie down. Supper would be ready in a couple of hours but right now he wasn't all that sure he could face it. Likewise, resting was out of the question as he was far too worried about his new friends... Jessica in particular. He'd been forced to watch her carted away by the police and no matter how many times he'd asked after her he'd been as good as told to mind his own business. Maybe she would be down on the beach? He could always hope. His main difficulty would be getting permission to leave the house and even when he achieved that he was told he had to take Rufio with him. A small price to pay and he grabbed the dog's leash before running down to the beach. Surely someone he knew would be there.....

[Rosalie Naples]

Rosalie was glad to see her parents and glad to spend sometime with them. But after a few hours she was bored. She gave her parents a kiss and a hug and they went back to work and she was alone. She cleaned up her room and took care of the animals. When the cats and dogs were fed she grabbed the three leashes. She put on on the saint Bernard Ellie first, then it was the golden Retrieve Gabriella and then the German Shepard Zeus. She left a message on her parents phone where she was going.

Putting her keys and phone in her pocket she left her place and walked to the beach. She walked with them in front of her, she noticed most others had one dog while she had three and had to laugh, since they were all three big dogs. She saw them heading for another dog and tried to get them to stop but they did not. As they sniffed at the other dog she looked apologetically at the male owner, he looked to be about her age.

"I am so sorry they are just very friendly" she said and laughed. Zeus got bored and came and sat down at her side. It was also his way of being protective over her, he did not take his doggie eyes off the boys. "And sorry about this guy he is protective" she put her hand on his head. She could of used him today at the school, he would of did damage to the guy that chased after her, he could be mean if she was threatened.

"I am Rosalie Naples by the way" she told him. "Crazy day" she said softly and looked at him. she knew he had to be at the school to, they looked to be around the same age and she knew it was the only school in the area. "Trying to just get a sense of normal again to?"

[felipe]

Felipe and Rufio had been wandering the pretty deserted stretch of beach for a good few minutes. He'd so hoped to see someone he knew there but as he'd only arrived in town a couple of days ago the odds were stacked pretty highly against him. Still, Rufio needed the run and for that reason alone he was glad to have headed out of the house. Plus he needed some time to think... Time to try and understand what in hell had happened today. Why it'd happened. To find a reason would at least go some way towards helping him adjust... and accept.

Deep in thought and eyes cast down at the sand before his feet, Felipe was absolutely unaware that he was no longer alone. That is, until he suddenly found himself - and Rufio - surrounded by three large dogs. Rufio was also a big hound and the quartet sniffed each other, thankfully without even the merest hint of aggression.

Felipe looked up when their owner spoke and he offered her a warm smile. "Crazy day indeed," he agreed as he wandered over to join her. "I'm Felipe," he added. "Felipe Vila Nova and as first days at a new school go today had to be one born from nightmares." He drew in a deep breath. "I am wondering if things will ever be truly normal again," he said in a low voice. "So many people hurt... dead... People I hadn't even met and now never will." He glanced out at the sea. "It all seems so..." Rufio nuzzled Felipe's hand, sensing his morose and sombre mood. "... futile." He visibly drew himslef together. "I hope you escaped today unharmed, Rosalie."

[Rosalie Naples]

"Yeah not a good first day" she said. "It seems that the crazy stuff always happens to us" she said remembering the fire. "I am sure you heard of the fire that was at Silver not to long ago, so we were in the school with Gould then. And now this, people might not want to come to our school anymore" she looked at him. "Just don't give up on the school, both have drama but it just brings the school closer together. Did you meet anyone before all the craziness happened?You going to Silver or Gould?" She looked around to make sure no one was around and let Zeus go, he would not run off and she saw the other dogs plop in the sand tired after romping around. They were big kids but she loved them to death.

"Nice to meet you Felipe" she said with a smile. "Have a seat" she said finding a place in the sand and sitting down. "I get the sense you don't want to go home right away either" she glanced over at him.

"Things will get normal again it will take time" she said and looked out at the ocean and stroked Zeus's head when he laid it in her lap. "We wil have funerals and some still recovering, it will be a process. I am sure they will get counslers right away to talk to us. That could help" she said. She hoped she did not sound like a bitch or anything saything that to him. She is the kind of person that gets through things matter of factly, and she was not hurt so that means focusing on others. "I have no idea who those guys were I heard gang" she said and shuddered. "We have no had gang problems before so I am sure it won't happen again."

She let him speak a moment. "People who take human life have no value of it" she said softly. "They don't care who they hurt or kill. And I don't get that mentality so I can't explain why those chose the victims they did. I have not talked to my friends yet to see if anyone is hurt." She was worried but would give them time with their families and just time alone, some needed time alone while others did better with people around them. "I got away, I hid in the library when one of the guys chased me. I wasn't the only one and luckily he never found any of us so we were okay" she told him. "Did you get hurt? I hope not" she said sincerly to him.

[felipe]

He shook his head, answering her last question first. "I was lucky," he assured her. "All I ended up with was a bruised head and a soaking." He went on to tell her how he stepped in to help Bree and was clubbed for his efforts as well as how he came to get so wet. Thinking back, the sprinklers and fire extinguishers were pretty funny.

"As for my school... I am supposed to attend Silver... This was to be my first day there." He dropped down next to her as he spoke, ruffling the dog's ears as he laid his head on Rosalie's lap. "He's cute," he said with an uneven grin. "I met a couple of people before today. Shane, Fallon and Jessica. Do you know them? Jessica was arrested but I don't know why. Nothing makes sense. And Takumi... He was also arrested. Its insane. And you are right, Rosalie... I don't want to go home. My parents - bless them. They are so protective and its... suffocating. But I am glad you got through this unharmed."

He swallowed heavily, not sure what to make of it all. A stranger in a strange country and he had to face this? He drew in a sharp breath. "Enough. Let's talk of happier things." He shot Rosalie a bright smile. "This is Rufio." He rubbed the dog's head as he spoke. "And his bark is most definitely worse than his bite." He paused and tilted his head a little to one side. "I got that saying right... didn't I?"

[Rosalie Naples]

"I am attending Silver to" Rosalie said. "So you can count one more friend. I have heard of them" she told him after she thought for a moment. "And you Felipe are a hero" she todl him honestly with a sweet smile. She saw how he ruffled Zeus's ears and liked him he was a dog person, a animal person, good people like animals. That is how she judged people by how they treated animals and others, and by her judgement he was a good person.

"Welcome to America" she said to him. "Don't let this make you look at America as a bad place. We have our good and bad. I am glad you are okay to. And I am sure your parents love you but they don't get at times that they need to not be all over you. My parents I saw them they came home from work after we talked a bit they went back. They are cool like that" she said speaking proudly of her parents.

"Hi Rufio" she said and cooed to the dog and scratched his head. "Oh my you are a cutey" she said to him and kept on scratching him. "Lets see this guy here is Zeus. The big saint baby saint bernard is Ellie, and the happy golden retriver is Gabriella" she pointed to them. "Yes I have a lot of dogs, at my house I have three cats to" she said and laughed. "Yeah you got the saying right she assured him. I am one of those people that dogs do not look mean to me, if they are the people they are with treat them wrong. Do you have any other animals at home?"

[felipe]

Felipe looked sideways at Rosalie.

"Would you like to go and get a hot chocolate?"

She nodded.

"In that case, how about we return our dogs home and meet in... say... ten minutes. I know a place that serves a great chocolate drink. Ghirardelli... Do you know it?" Felipe had come across the brand back home in Sao Paolo... and had fallen instantly in love.

"Ten minutes," he repeated. "That's all I need."

They parted company to return their wards home and to allow them the freedom to share that drink. Felipe's spirits had definitely lifted as a result of meeting Rosalie and he could only pray the same could be said for her...

* * *

In that ten minutes Felipe had not only returned Rufio home but had managed to change into semi-decent jeans and a clean shirt. Only then did he head back to the beach. Had Rosalie changed her mind and opted not to join him?

Time would tell...

[Rosalie Naples]

After taking the dogs home and getting them water and checking on the cat's and messages she ran a brush through her hair. After that she grabbed her keys and decided to walk. She still had her phone and some money on her. Walking to where he wanted to meet up she quickly spotted him. Walking over to him she gave him a smile. "I have been to this place once or twice, I forgot" she laughed. "I always forget the name" she told him and put her keys in her pocket. "Got your dog all taken care of?"

She treated her dogs and cats as family, they are here kids. "I had to water and make sure the cats were okay" she explained. "I hope you have not been waiting long" she said to him with a smile. She was glad she ran into him, it was great to make new friends espically on a day like this, a day that had so much tragedy, to have a ray of sunshine by making a new friend. "Where your parents there when you got home?" She knew that from what he said his parents were being very protective, it did show how much they loved him. Reminded her a bit like her parents but they have made sure to give her wings and freedom.

"Where did you move from?" She could tell he had a accent but she could not place the country. And she would feel dumb if it was obivious after he said it. "How come you moved to California? I hope I am not being to nosey" she said to him with a smile. "I do not want to be intrusive" she told him honestly. "I am just very curious about my new friend" she said sweetly. She really did hope they were friends or on there way to becoming friends.

[felipe]

It didn't take Felipe long to run Rufio back home but it took a little more time to persuade his parents to allow him out once more. He promised them he'd keep in touch and have his phone on at all times, seeing them finally relent.

"Stay where its light and with other people," his mother ordered.

Felipe nodded and smiled to reassure her.

He didn't think it worked.

He made his way back to the beach and spent the time waiting for Rosalie by skimming pebbles across the sea's surface. She soon arrived and he dropped the stone he'd been holding and turned to face her, returning her offered smile.

"Yes, Rufio was attacking a bowl of food when I left," he replied. "But no, I have only just got here myself. My parents were home and weren't too keen on letting me leave but I can't stay indoors for the rest of my life, can I?" He knew he was more of a target than some of the other people around, thanks to his South American looks but even so, he had to go on living.

"I am from Brazil," Felipe continued. "Sao Paolo. A huge city and very different to here." Not so different now, though, thanks to the introduction of gang warfare. "We arrived here on Friday and so much has happened since then. Not all of it bad," he clarified with another smile. "I've met some great people... and their dogs." He laughed slightly. After all, Rosalie's largest dog had taken a liking to Felipe's neck and had liberally coated it in saliva.

"What about you, Rosalie... Have you lived here for long?"

[Rosalie Naples]

"Yeah you do have to live, one tragedy can't make you turn into a hermit. Things happen for a reason just as some were hurt and some were not for a reason" Rosalie told him with a smile. She listened to him and smile, guys that were forgien were always much more appealing for her to be around. It is just the girl in her that loves accents on men. "I had a idea it was somewhere around there" she said to him. She laughed with what he said about the dogs. "Well they do know how to make a impression" she told him. "What a welcome to America" she told him and shook her head, "to bad you did not have a better welcoming."

"On the upside you at least made some new friends, both human and nonhuman" she added the last part with a giggle and a smile. "I have lived here all my life" she told him with a smile. "My dad owns one fo the biggest winery's around her and my mom use to be a supermodel but now she is working in the fashion business making her own designs" she told him. "What do your parents do? How come they brought you to America?"

"I hope they don't change their mind and move back" she told him with a sweet smile. She ran a hand through her long dakr hair to push it out of her face. "Now lets go get that drink" she said sweetly.