Dates and Crutches (Nolan tag Sloane)

[Nolan Ahlstrom]

Morning came and Nolan’s family arrived to help extricate him from the hospital. First, he found that he would have to walk around with a crutch. He was not too happy to hear about that, but the doctors promised he wouldn’t have it for too long. Checking out was a prolonged process, but he managed to get through it in enough time to make the memorial. Nolan, however, had decided through the night that he just wasn’t interested in attending. Yesterday had been incredibly stressful and the last thing he wanted to do was to focus on what had been possibly the mot traumatic day of his life so far. Yesterday did, however, have a very positive side.

Nolan arrived at home and attempted a shower. Though it as a much more laborious process than normal, he managed to clean himself, re-bandage his wound, and pick out something to wear. A nicer pair of jeans and a brown polo shirt. Nolan wasn’t a flashy guy, but he decided to gel his hair a little to give a more polished appearance. There was just something about Sloane that made him feel like he had to be at the top of his game today. He picked up his phone and dug into his wallet for Sloane’s number. His heart beating a little faster than normal, he dialed.

Voicemail. It was during the memorial, so Sloane was likely there and couldn’t answer her phone. Or she wasn’t awake yet. Or some other reason. Nolan got more and more nervous listening to her message, though he wasn’t sure why. She had already said yes, hadn’t she?

Beep.

“Hey Sloane, it’s Nolan. I didn’t make it to the memorial, but uhh, I figured I could either pick you up from there or wherever you might be. Give me a call back and hopefully I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

Click.

Nolan sat on his bed, then quickly stood when pain coursed through his left leg. He should probably take a vicodin, but another part of him didn’t want to be all drugged up when he met up with Sloane. It might be a painful day.

[Nolan Ahlstrom]

Vibrations buzzed in Nolan’s right pocket, but it still sent a shooting pain through his left leg. He was going to have to take a Vicodin. Nolan checked his phone, a smile appearing on his face when he saw who the message was from. Momentarily, the pain was forgotten. He would be picking Sloane up in a little while, then she wanted to start with brunch. Nolan didn’t know much about relationships, but he did know the stereotype of brunch was that it was a couple’s thing. So he heard, at least. He wondered if Sloane had heard that stereotype, and if she had what did that mean?

Grabbing his keys, the athletic young man hobbled his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. His father had already left for work, but there was a note on the kitchen table.

“Hey Kiddo-
I know you had a rough day yesterday. Here’s one of my cards, don’t go too crazy with it. I know you have a big day today. Just be yourself and she’ll be yours, you’re a ladykiller Kiddo. Be good.
- Pops”

Nolan picked up his father’s credit card. It was rare for his father to be so generous, but then again, it was rare for Nolan to get shot in the butt. He smiled to himself and pocketed the card. This would go a long way towards impressing Sloan. He loped as quickly as he could out back to the garage and got in his car. It didn’t take him long to realize attempting to drive would be agonizing unless he kept himself hopped up on Vike, but if he did that surely he would be in no frame of mind to be driving. This was bad.

Nolan got back out of the car, making sure to bring his crutch along with him. How could he pick up Sloane now? Maybe she had a car and could pick him up. That wouldn’t look very good, though, and it sure wouldn’t be impressive. Nolan wandered back into the kitchen, racking his brain for a solution. As he came across his father’s note, one came to him. He would probably get in a lot of trouble, but Nolan wasn’t thinking about that. He was only thinking about the look on Sloane’s face when she saw him arrive.

[Sloane Taylor]

Sloane's pumps echoed through the empty hall as the dial tone rang. When it got to voicemail, Sloane left her message. "Hey Nolan. It's Sloane. I've decided to ditch the memorial. Hope you get this message as soon as possible. We'll get breakfast and then do whatever. So I'll be waiting for you at the entrance." Before she could add anything else, she decided against it. She didn't want to seem eager or needy or clingy. They just met yesterday. She reminded herself that over and over again as she finally reached the front entrance.

Of course he wasn't there. She chuckled to herself. What did she expect? Nolan wasn't Superman. She ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it a little on the front while she leaned against the stone stairs. She threw her phone into her clutch and smiled at everyone who entered the school building. All sombre faces. Of course.

She decided to move away from the stairs and wait for Nolan elsewhere. But just as she was about to move, a stretch limo came up and she raised her eyebrows. She turned completely around and waited until the limo stopped and Nolan stepped out.

Italian sports cars, she was used to but this was in another ball park. She was surprised Nolan could actually afford a limo. "Well..." she smirked as her hands crossed over her chest. She masked her face of any emotion to betray her actual feelings. It just wouldn't do to make the boy get the upperhand or let him think he had one. "This is something."

[Nolan Ahlstrom]

“It’s nothing,” Nolan smiled. He was getting used to the game of cat and mouse that Sloane seemed to like. Maybe the limo was a bit overboard, but it was impressive. Definitely more than just “something.” Leaning on his crutch, Nolan extended his hand to help Sloane into the vehicle. “I didn’t think that I should be driving under the circumstances.”

Soft lights lit the interior of the limousine. The two entered and Nolan sat gingerly on the seat, taking care to ease onto his left side. If Sloane looked she would easily be able to see added bulk underneath Nolan’s pants that told the amount of bandages he had. Nolan groaned slightly as his rear touched the seat. After breakfast he would take another painkiller, he told himself.

“I made reservations at El Fonseca.” Nolan turned towards Sloane as the limo began to move. “I didn’t know if you had somewhere you wanted to go, though. Wherever is fine with me.” The drive to the restaurant would be a short while, especially if there was traffic. But that was fine with Nolan. He couldn’t help but look Sloane up and down. “You look amazing.” He wanted to follow that with something incredibly romantic, but couldn’t think of anything. Instead he turned to glance out the window. He could stare at Sloane all morning, but he was afraid if he did he’d never want to look away.

[Sloane Taylor]

The crutches made Sloane feel guilty and for a split second she doubted herself of the role she had been playing most of her teenage life. The doubt ran away when Nolan offered his hand. She climbed into the back and couldn't help but wince when she saw his face contort into one of pain. God, the poor boy is in pain because of me, thought Sloane. She bit her lower lip and almost told Nolan she couldn't go through with this.

Why she felt guilty about all this was beyond her. She had done worse things to nicer people without batting an eyelash. She mentally shook her head and gave Nolan a smile as he started talking about the restaurant. She had heard of it. Fancy place but they served real good food. She never went there for breakfast though, so this was certainly a pleasant turn of events, she presumed. "I really didn't have any plans. So it's a good thing you came up with one." Should she tell him she never went out on a date in broad daylight with someone? For a moment a thought hit her. She felt a bit like a...a prostitute when it really boiled down to it. It was just that she wasn't paid. No one brought prostitutes on breakfast dates.

Again she mentally shook her head. What was wrong with her? Just two days with the same guy and she was spouting off nonsense up the wazoo? She had to get a grip on herself. She was Sloane Taylor for God's sake!

Sloane smiled graciously at Nolan's compliment. "Well you look...amazing too despite what happened..." Which I'm still sorry for by the way...

When Nolan looked away, Sloane was tempted to just let it go but something told her she shouldn't. And she didn't. She slid closer to Nolan and slipped her hand into his, her fingers lacing through his as she brought it over to her lap. The dress had slipped a little, exposing a bit of her cream white thigh. If it were anybody else, she would have pulled it down even further but for some reason, she couldn't do it. Instead, she pulled it back to cover herself up.

As she ran her thumb over his skin, she looked at their joined hands. Why did this feel good?

"So, what are the plans?" She asked, leaning against his arms just slightly. She didn't want to put any unnecessary pressure on his body.

[Nolan Ahlstrom]

Warmth encompassed Nolan’s hand as Sloane pulled his hand onto her lap. He turned back toward her, giving her a kind smile. He didn’t know how or why, but Sloane made him feel good. Like making the winning play or sleeping in a warm bed on a cold day, the girl grasping Nolan’s hand brightened his life in a way he didn’t often find. As he looked at her he was very tempted to kiss her., and he almost did. But there would be more than enough opportunities to kiss those lovely lips, and Nolan didn’t want Sloane to think that this was purely a physical attraction.

“To be honest, the day is pretty open. I have certain ideas, but there’s nothing set in stone. So we can do whatever we want.” He smiled again, just thinking about getting to spend the whole day with this girl. “But after brunch I thought we could go to the park on the Santa Monica Pier. Do something fun, just get away for a bit. How does that sound?”

Nolan adjusted himself slightly, so that it was more comfortable for him to sit facing Sloane. It also took some pressure off his wound, which relieved him some. Nolan’s free hand floated towards the two that were clasped, and Nolan began tracing random patterns on Sloane’s arm. He was feeling a little light-headed, but not in a bad way. It was simply a reminder that if he could help it, he didn’t want to take too many pills. He wanted to be able to feel this soft skin as clearly and drug free as possible.

[Sloane Taylor]

At one point in the ride, Sloane felt Nolan's eyes on her and she more than once thought he wanted to either say or do something. Either way, Nolan just couldn't sit still and it somehow made Sloane feel giggly. She felt like smacking herself up the head for being so...girly. Wasn't everything supposed to be about sex with her? What is she going no about being giggly?

She took several calming breaths as she listened to Nolan's plans. She nodded appropriately and by the end of it, she shrugged. "Sounds like a plan."

Sloane enjoyed the silence afterwards, even so when he started to adjust himself so they could be a lot closer. When he began to move his fingers over Sloane's arm, the auburn haired girl closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. "What is it about you..." she started to say softly before closing her mouth. What was wrong with her?

Sighing, she decided not to care. Nolan was trying to impress her, the least she could do was let him know she realised it.

It took awhile but they finally reached the restaurant. Sloane pushed herself up and turned to Nolan. "You don't have to get up. I'll see myself out." She grinned before placing a kiss on his cheeks. She exited the limo and went over to Nolan's side to open the door. She looked in and winked. "I'm no ordinary date, Nolan. Best you know that now."

[Nolan Ahlstrom]

Sloane’s question bounced around Nolan’s head. What was it about him that she seemed to like so much? Yeah, he was a decent looking guy. He was on the football team, but that didn’t seem to be something she would be impressed with. He was quiet, normal. He didn’t stand out like his brothers and sister did. What was it about him?

Soon those thoughts were banished from his mind, and he realized he didn’t care what it was as long as she stayed next to him. The limo eventually rolled to a stop and a kiss on the cheek let Nolan know he wasn’t completely in control of the situation. That was fine with him. Sloane seemed to be a strong girl, and Nolan had guessed from the start that he would be doing a lot of following throughout the day. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t make too many solid plans.

As his car door opened, Nolan did his best to keep a straight face as he stood up. The crutch did help out a lot, and he used it to keep hi balance as he extended his arm for Sloane to take. He smiled.

“I hope I don’t slow you down,” he joked as they walked into the restaurant. Nolan limped up to the host and said his name. The gentleman kindly smiled, bowed, and pointed towards a young girl who led them to their table. She was pretty, even though her waitress attire did not help her any. She was also very cheerful, for which Nolan was thankful. He had been around enough people who were acting somber since the accident.

The girl showed Nolan and Sloane to a table, introduced herself as Renna, their waitress, and told them she would be back in a few minutes for their drink order. Nolan knew he was fine with water, but wasn’t sure what Sloane drank so he let her go. As soon as she had left he turned his attention to the beautiful face across from him.

“It’s very nice in here,” he remarked. Small talk didn’t come easy for him, but he figured he should start somewhere.

[Sloane Taylor]

Nolan was trying hard not to show his weakness and Sloane thought it was impressive. Of course she didn't know what it would be like to be shot in the butt or anywhere else really so she didn't know to what extent someone can be tolerant of their pain.

The fact that he was also still thinking about her even when he was the one who was going through the pain did something to her. None of her conquests had ever put her first, in any situation. If they wanted to eat, they didn't wait for her order to come first.

The waitress who was to serve them was hot. Sloane couldn't help but appreciate her beauty. Nolan was too, she noticed but probably not in such a lewd way as she was. She blinked when they were directed to a table. When the waitress introduced herself, Sloane smiled and nodded. She left and Sloane stared at her back before turning to Nolan when he addressed her.

"It is." Sloane nodded. "I've been here for dinner. It seemed so much darker then." She tried joking. Wasn't really her thing, joking. "The tea here is magnificent. Try the homemade ice lemon tea. It really gives you a kick." She smiled before going over the menu to find what she was craving for.

[Nolan Ahlstrom]

“Umm, okay. That sounds good.” Nolan hoped he sounded genuine. He wasn’t much of a tea drinker, and what he really wanted was just water, but more than that he wanted to Sloane to like him. It was a small lie, and Nolan felt it was harmless. “How was the dinner when you were here? I’ve been thinking about getting a more lunch-y sorta meal, but I think I want breakfast.”

Nolan felt his banter was lacking, so he decided to quiet himself until the waitress came. Luckily, that wasn’t too long of a wait. She smiled brightly at the pair, though Nolan felt that she oddly lingered on him for a little too long. It was easy to see the smile was forced, but anyone could have a hard day. Nolan sometimes felt bad for waiters and waitresses, and he usually tipped well as long as they at least tried to be pleasant.

“And what can I get you to drink?”

Nolan spoke up before Sloane, ordering for her. “She will have the homemade ice lemon tea, and I will have the same.” As he was ordering, he looked towards Sloane, trying to figure out if what he did was okay. He hoped so. He gave her a small grin.

Renna took the order with a smile. Nolan glanced back up at her as she left, barely catching a glimpse of what he thought may have been a dirty look towards Sloane. He wondered if it was the waitress or just the Vike tricking his eyes. He hoped it was the drugs.