one x one for whispers and rose

[rose;]

jsut a one x one

[rose;]

Luke had noticed Geovanni falling asleep on the way, and had tried driving as carefully as he could so as not to disturb the boy, but it obviously hadn't worked well- Geo had startled awake by the bumpy terrain. Once they were out of the truck, Luke grinned easily over at his new friend, nodding his head. "Alright," he said simply, climbing into the truck to get a better grip on the telescope. Once he had it in his strong grip, he turned and jumped down, feeling rather lucky since his ankle didn't give a twinge. He had received a pretty nasty break one year while playing ball, and though the doctors assured him it had healed just fine, he still felt pain in it at times.

"Right, so, it's this way," he said with a slightly sheepish smile, now feeling a little embarrassed by all of this as he led Geo away from the truck and to the top of the hill they had parked on. Still carrying the telescope, Luke's arms bulged slightly from the use of his muscle, but he didn't really notice. It was a little heavy, but he had grown used to carrying it up and down the hill, so that coupled with his love of sports made it easy for him, relatively speaking. He made sure to glance at Geo to make sure he was doing okay at keeping up from time to time, but otherwise kept his gaze on the path before him, one his mother had made with him long ago.

"Here we are," Luke said after their little hike, grinning as he looked around them. From atop the hill, one could see a small wood to one side, the town to the other, the only thing connecting them the large, dark sky which was heavily speckled with the glowing orbs of stars. Smiling over at Geovanni, Lucas set up the telescope, looking through it to adjust it just so, positioning it to where he thought it should be. Once he was finished, Luke stepped back and looked up, taking in what he could see with his naked eyes.

"Geo," he said after a moment, "Do you know the constellations?" Glancing over at the other boy, he looked back up, his eyes looking far away for a moment. "I like to come out here," he said softly, "It reminds me of my mom," he admitted. "She used to bring me out here to see the stars, she even taught me about them," he said with a smile. "She used to say that she wanted me to know about them because, even if my world was falling apart, I'd always have the stars to look up to," he said, shaking his head a little. "Anyway," he said, bringing himself back to the present, "I can teach you some of them if you want."

«☼»

Jace stopped short, his hand resting on Rose's doorknob as he had just opened the door to leave. He heard her soft voice, the unsure way she had said 'oh', giving him pause. "Sorry," he said over his shoulder, not knowing if she would even hear him. "I really am." With that, the young man pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped out, closing it without so much as looking back. Well, he thought he closed it. Actually, it was still slightly open, but he didn't notice. His ribs were giving him awful pain, but he wasn't going to stop and stay there, not now after Rose catching him.

Gingerly walking down the steps, Jace grit his teeth hard enough that he thought the muscle in his jaw would snap, but it was all he could think to do. He didn't speak as he walked out to the sidewalk, pausing to look this way and that before he decided on turning right. He got a few steps before his hand reached into his jacket, pulling out a smoke which he lit and took a drag from, the nicotine calming him down a little. Wincing, he placed Lumiere and his pack back into his jacket pocket, his free hand reaching around to hold his side as he walked. Damn those boys, he thought darkly.

Jace continued on, walking all the way to his little hideout in the woods. Sitting down on the bench he often slept on, Jace sighed deeply before turning his body and lying down on his back, breathing in a hiss-like breath as he did so. He didn't know if anyone had followed him there, and he didn't really care at the moment. He was tired, tired and hurting, and it clouded some of his judgement. Once his cigarette was gone, Jace ground the tip into his pants before flicking it away from him, shaking his head a little. Whatever, he thought, closing his eyes. Whatever.

~~~~

Vanni rubbed his eyes and nodded slowly at the instructions, and he couldn't help but let his eyes be drawn to the other boy's arms as he hefted the telescope , quickly looking away whenever he felt that Luke was glancing over at him. He didn't want to be caught staring, but oh did he ever want to sit and stare. He followed slowly, still stuck in a state of half wakefulness and stumbling over his own feet. Every bump in the grass seemed to give him trouble, but he made his way there anyway, without too much trouble- he didn't end up on his face at least.

When they reached the top of the hill, he turned his head upwards, gazing up longingly to the sky and stars above. They twinkled merrily, and he found himself wishing for about the hundredth time that he could be a bird, flying among the stars and simply leave everything else behind. It would be so easy... so very easy to leave in any way possible.

His attention jumped back to Luke when the boy asked if he knew the constellations, and he had to sheepishly shake his head. He knew nothing about them, really, which he didn't want to admit, since it was something he should have known. They all learned it in school, anyway. He looked down, not sure what to say about his other comment. He stepped forward, wanting to offer a hand of comfort, of something, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Your mother sounds like a wise woman," he said softly, finally gathering enough courage to reach out and lay a hand on the side of his arm. "I am honored that you are willing to share this with me..."

~~~`

Rose watched him go from her standpoint in the doorway, and she could do nothing about it. She wasn't sure she wanted to, either. Would it be better for him to just leave? To leave before he felt he was even more indebted to her? And so she let him go, letting her gaze fall. She moved forward to gaze out the door, watching him go with a downcast heart before she shut the door with a small click. "Goodbye," she mumbled, even though she knew it was useless. She turned slowly and wandered back into the living room, a little lost and slightly still asleep. Eventually she just fell onto the couch, curling up with the blankets he had been using and drifted to sleep.

The morning came much too soon, and Rose woke ever so slowly to the sound of her father moving around in the kitchen. As she sat up with a yawn, he came out with a plate, laden with eggs and bacon. "You've missed first hour, but you were sleeping like the dead." Rose took it silently and stared at it rather blankly, before giving a soft sigh and nodding, beginning to eat methodically. She would go to school today- she had to, but it could wait another hour or two.

[yeah I no idea what to do with her]

[Welcome to Whysperia]

Jace Herondale - The Wandering Beast
«☼»
Seventeen - Male
Currently at school, bored out of his mind.

Jace hadn't bothered to make himself get up from his place on a park bench. He didn't want to go to school, and he doubted they would let him in anyway. After all, he had stabbed two boys the day before on school property. Once his mind was on that, he couldn't pull it away. He had stabbed two boys. Sure, they had deserved a beating, but now they were in the hospital. One was in a medical-induced coma, and the other was still in critical condition as far as he knew. With a sigh, Jace tried to pry his mind away from it. Instead, his damned thoughts went back to Rose. How was she? Was she hurting? Had she gone to school, back to the place she had Removed witnessed the terrible fight? He hoped not.

Pushing himself up gently, Jace winced and sucked in a pained breath. He had to get up anyway; people would be in the park soon, and he'd have to leave anyway. With a deep, tired sigh, Jace stood and brushed his leather jacket off, pulling the collar as he started walking. He took out a smoke, light it, and took a drag. Breathing too deeply hurt his ribs, the ones that screamed when he moved in certain ways, but he didn't care. He just wouldn't take deep puffs. Nodding to himself at the idea, Jace began walking, wandering without cause or a destination in mind.

It was quite a while before Jace paid any attention to where he was, and the result didn't please him. Two houses down was Rose's house, the one he had left the night before. He had left under the cover of darkness, but Rose had still woken up and seen him. He had felt kind of bad about it, but he didn't want to hang around and bother her and her father. No one wanted a homeless kid, one that may or may not be a murder, sleeping on their couch.

«☼»

Lucas Daniels - The Hidden Prince
«☼»
Sixteen - Male
Currently outside with Geovanni, watching the stars.

Lucas only smiled a soft, sad smile and nodded. "Yeah," he said softly, "She was." They stayed out there for a while, watching the stars with his telescope, but Luke eventually realized how tired Geo really was. "Come on," he said with a soft voice and smile, "Lets go back." With that, he began packing the telescope back up, prepared to carry it back down the hill to his truck. Glancing at Geo with a smile, Luke led the way back to the truck, careful to take things slow so that his sleepy friend wouldn't lose his footing and slip.

Once he was at the truck, Luke opened Geo's door for him and put the telescope away before climbing into the driver's seat. Buckling up, Lucas started the engine and pulled out, driving back towards town. "Still want to go back to my place, or would you rather I take you home now?" he asked softly, glancing over. They had went to a movie, eaten, and had now went stargazing. He was sure Geovanni was tired, he just didn't know if he wanted to go home yet or not. Luke, of course, would be more than happy with either one; they had plenty of time left in their lives to do whatever they'd like.

{Sorry, I have writer's block for him.
Here are their pictures, in case you want them sometime. Jace - Lucas

[rose;]

After finished eating, Rose went back upstairs to shower, feeling as if she needed one even though she had showered the night before before she went to bed. She came down with jeans and an old, baggy pullover sweatshirt on, her hair down and wavy around her shoulders, as she hadn't bothered to do anything with it, and wanted to be able to hide behind it at least partly, for all the stares and questions she knew she'd be asked during the day that she'd want to avoid. She slung her bag over her shoulder and leaned in the doorway to alert her dad she was ready to go, who was sitting drinking a cup of coffee.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and she could only manage a shrug of her shoulders. She actually wasn't quite sure if she was ready, but there was no sense in missing out on more school than she already had and absolutely needed to. She led the way to the car, climbing in the passenger door without even looking around the block, sitting in silence as they drove. "I'll be waiting as soon as school ends," he said, and she nodded as she exited the car, walking to the front of the building and heading straight to the office to get a slip before heading to class, keeping her head down and not responding to anyone calling her name. she wondered if Jace would show up, but seriously doubted it. She wasn't even sure what she would say to him.

~~~

Geovanni found he was actually quite enjoying himself just sitting in the grass looking up at the stars, and it was even better when Luke would step back and allow him to step up to the telescope after training it on something. Everything was so breathtakingly bright and beautiful, but even that couldn't keep his eyes from drooping, as he wasn't too used to actually having somewhere to go and do so late. "huh?" he asked automatically when he was spoken to before nodding, following after sleepily. He was a bit sluggish in his movements, but he made it back to the truck with no incident, pulling himself into the passenger seat and taking a few tries to get himself buckled.

He glanced over when Luke pulled himself in, leaning his head back against the headrest, offering a genuine smile. "I-I-I'd lo-love to w-watch a mo-mov-movie but I'm-I'm afraid I wou-wouldn't st-stay wake l-l-long," he mumbled, wincing every time he had to take a pause and make sure his words came out the right way. It was always worse when he was tired.

[Welcome to Whysperia]

Jackson "Jace" Herondale - The Wandering Beast
«☼»
Seventeen - Male
Currently at school, tense and a little angry.

From his vantage point a block away from Rose's house, Jace could see Rose leaving her house with her dad, the two of them getting into a parked vehicle before they drove away. Jace wondered briefly where they would be heading; did Rose have to go to a doctor or shrink? Was she heading off to school like a good little girl? If he had to guess, he would assume it was the latter. She wouldn't be able to resist the normalcy of the school walls, the toneless droning of her teachers' voices. Sighing, Jace wondered if she would look for him there. Would she wonder where he was, if he was alright? He doubted it. She would probably be secretly relieved that he hadn't shown up, able to relax a little when she realized he wasn't there. He knew he had probably freaked her out when he had pulled that knife, even if she didn't show it. God, this line of thinking was making him need another smoke.

Willing himself not to take one {he was afraid he would run out soon, you know}, Jackson turned away and began walking once again. He wasn't far from the school, he realized. He could easily get there on time for the later hours of the day. Without giving much thought about why he was doing it or what he would do once he actually arrived, Jace walked with slow yet determined steps, limping slightly as he got to the schoolyard. He walked in the front doors, the surprised look of the office lady not being missed when he went up to her, asking for a tardy slip. She didn't look pleased that he was there, but she wrote him one and handed it over, instructing him on what hour he was supposed to be in. When he turned and left, she called in to the principal to let him know.

Walking through the halls, Jace kept his eyes fierce and fiery to keep people from really approaching him. He was hurting, his ribs especially, and he had to wonder if one of them was cracked or something. He didn't mention it, even tried to hide his limp though he was unsuccessful. He made it through the halls, people parting around him like a leper as hushed whispers filled his ears. He finally made it to his locker, opening it slowly as he kept himself from saying anything to some kid that was staring from two lockers down. Jeeze, he thought darkly, why the hell did I come?

«☼»

Lucas "Luke" Daniels - The Hidden Prince
«☼»
Sixteen - Male
Currently with Geovanni, driving to his house.

Luke knew Geo was tired, knew that he should take the boy home before going to his own, but Luke didn't want to have to deal with lugging his telescope inside after he drove the other guy home. Offering an easy grin, Luke merely nodded his head, turning his eyes back to the road as he pulled out and started driving back into town. "Alright, no problem," he said happily, "Like I said; we've got plenty of time to watch movies some other day." With that, he began angling their trajectory towards his own home. "I've gotta stop by my place first to put up the telescope, but then I can run you back home," he said, smiling over at Geovanni once more.

He drove home, not even thinking about what might happen when they got there. When they arrived, Luke parked and cut the engine, nodding with his head before he got out and closed the door. Walking back behind his truck, he got the telescope out once again and began walking to his front door, hefting it up onto his shoulder as he did. He eased the door open, but even then wasn't too worried. Things had gone so well that night he forgot the dangers that could lie ahead of them. Before he walked inside, he said softly to Geo "Lets get this to my room," before he led the way back up to the stairs, eventually putting them in his attic room. He set the telescope up in the place it had been, glancing around once before he nodded. "Alright, I can take you home now," he said with another easy smile gracing his lips.

He walked down the stairs, glancing behind him to make sure that Geo was following him, and when he turned back, his face paled visibly. His father was standing in the middle of the room, blocking their way to the door with his arms folded across his chest. "Dad," Luke said softly, his voice tense and perhaps a little afraid. "I thought you were asleep.. Did we wake you?" he asked, slowly inching back a little. He hoped Geo hadn't been seen yet; once his dad went back to his drunken slumber, Luke could sneak his friend out.
"I was waitin' for you an' your boyfriend to get back here," his dad said, his voice dark but calm. He had been drinking, but he was angry enough not to slur his words. Luke knew what was coming instantly.
"Dad, listen, I was just taking him home. We just went out to look at the stars," he said, raising his hands palms up in submission. "It was for science class, learning about the stars and stuff," he lied. He couldn't back up any further, as the backs of his feet were now pressed against the stairs.
"Com'ere Luke," his dad said, his eyes never straying from his son. "An' you- you stay right there," he told Geovanni, a curse sounding between 'right' and 'there'. Luke said nothing, his eyes downcast as he slowly stepped forward. Before he could react, his father reached out, his arms fast like a striking snake, and grabbed two fist-fulls of Luke's shirt, causing him to jump in fear. "What have I told you, Lucas?" he asked, his breath a low hiss in his son's ear. "God hates fags, and my son won't be one. I'll do whatever I have to do t'save you," he promised. Luke was shaking now, knowing exactly where things were headed.
"Dad, just let me take Geo home, then you can-" his words were cut off as his dad cuffed him hard, making him whimper a little as his head snapped to the side, forcing his gaze to the left of his father. His father reprimanded him for speaking without permission and Luke only nodded dejectedly, not knowing what else to do. He couldn't save Geovanni from seeing his dirty little secret happen first hand, he could only pray that the kid would go upstairs and hide so he wouldn't have to watch.

Everything happened like it normally did; his father hit him with an open hand or closed fist as he saw fit, not bothering to stop when Luke fell to the floor in a heap. He quickly tugged his belt off and started hitting him with that as well, the leather of it stinging against the skin of his back where his shirt had ridden up during his fall. Luke was crying out, tears running down his face as he took everything his father said. He took the beating as he always did, listening to every terrible thing his dad said about him. He even started to believe it, just as he always did. He was wrong, broken, disgusting. An abomination. He was still thinking these things when his father finally left, retiring to his own room after whispering that he loved Luke and that he was only trying to save him. Luke stayed on the floor for a few long moments, gathering strength and composure before he finally pushed himself up into a sitting position. His body shook and trembled from emotions and pain, but he forced himself up onto his feet nonetheless, ignoring it as he stumbled a little. Straightening up, he glanced back at Geo for the first time, offering a small, broken smile and teary eyes. "Come on," he said, clearing his throat before he continued, "I'll take you home."

{I just assumed we would continue on with our plot plan. ^^" Hope that's okay! Made me sad to write, poor Luke and poor Geo who had to watch.

[rose;]

sorry, I ended up getting grounded >< post soon!

[rose;]

"Okay," Geovanni mumbled with a smile, quite content to never move again. It was the first in some time that he'd felt so nice- so warn and wanted. He felt as if he really might have found a real friend in Luke - he seemed genuinely kind, and even if he wasn't interested in him, it would be nice to have a friend. He smiled the while way back to Luke's, one of those all around content smiles that just makes you feel good to look at, even better to know you caused it.

When they reached the house Vanni stretched himself into a more alert stage of consciousness, sliding boneless out from the passenger seat and following dopily into the house and up the stairs. "Thank you again," he mumbled, gaze admiring Luke as he straightened and turned from putting his telescope away. "It was the best night I've had in... a long time."

The boy followed mindlessly down the hallway, his eyes already dropping closed again. It was slightly embarrassing to be tired so quickly, but he didn't mind at the moment- it just made everything a bit more warm and fuzzy. However, he nearly ran right into the back of Luke when he stopped so suddenly in the middle of the hallway, uttering a small grunt and backing up, slowly raising his gaze to see what was going on. He was immediately awake- just the look on what he surmised to be Luke's dad face sent a shard of fear deep into his chest. His eyes went wide at the sight- he looked so very angry. "Luke... " Vanni mumbled uncertainly, taking a way step back. It held a certain warning in the tone, a certain plea for the other boy not to step forward.

Vanni flinched at the cruel words coming from the man, but he was unable to do as Luke told him, completely rooted to the spot. "Luke.." he mumbled again, taking a shaky step back when the first blow came. He didn't want to look, didn't want to see, but he couldn't look away, gripped with horror. He underwent such things often enough in school, but to think about it happening at home, by his own parent... It set a deeper sort of horror in his gut, a fear that he would never be rid of in all his days after; even it if laid dormant it was always there, deep down.

Geovanni had no where to go, and ended up sinking down against the wall with his back pressed against the wall and his hands over his eyes, flinching at every blow as if it were a bite to his own skin, and i might as well have been. Vanni didn't think the man would pause given the chance to befall the same fate on him should he have the chance. By the time it was all over he was shaking and crying himself, silently however. He looked up at Luke's voice, nodding slowly. He pushed himself to his feet, skirting the edge of the hallway, eyes downcast. He couldn't help thinking it was at least in some part his fault.

He sat in silence as they drove, chewing harshly on the inside of his lips and cheek. When they got to his house, he paused, glancing over. "Luke.." he uttered once more, hesitantly reached over to gently rest a hand against his arm. "LUke, stay here the night, my mom won't mind... " He looked at him pleadingly. "Please Luke?" He didn't really think he would, but he had to at least try. "It would.. make me feel a lot better."

~~~

Once class actually got started, it really did offer a comforting environment for the young woman. It was just such an everyday, normal thing to do that it took her mind off things. Walking through the hallways was a bit nerve wracking- it seemed no one hadn't heard of the ordeal of the night before, and it seemed everyone wanted a good look. It was quite nerve-wracking to have all eyes in the hallway on her, whispers following, but once the routine of class got started, most everyone buckled down and got to work, leaving her alone.

Subconsciously she began to scan the hallways for Jace, and when she glimpsed him, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, one she didn't realize was even there.
She knew without really thinking about it that he would leave should something not hold him back. And so, in between classes, she sought him out, finding him at his locker. She hesitated, but with a shy glance around she came up behind him, pausing again- she didn't know what to do. "Jace..." she said softly. "I..." Words failed her, and so she simply slipped her arms around his waist, wrapping him in a hug. He needed more of that, she thought. Just to show that someone cared.

[Welcome to Whysperia]

{No problem. ^^ Do we want to continue with their mini-plot as well (one of the kids dying, court, all that)?

Jackson "Jace" Herondale - The Wandering Beast
«☼»
Seventeen - Male
Currently at school, tense and a little angry.

Jace was pretty pissed. Why he had bothered to come to school, he would never know. He should have just quit completely, after what had happened the night before. He should have run further away, abandoned his bench in the park and split for a different town, maybe a big city. He should have left this place with it's stupid people and damned damsels in distress far behind. Instead, Jace had done the one thing he really, really knew he shouldn't have done; he had come to school.

The day had been pretty uneventful, if you didn't count the stairs he received from both the students and the faculty. The boys he had fought with weren't there, even the ones that he hadn't stabbed. They were probably visiting their friend, Jace thought. He still wasn't sure how he felt about what he had done: the boys deserved what they had gotten, didn't they? He had been in the right. He had been defending not only himself, but Rose as well. Still, the memory of his knife sliding deep within the bodies of those boys wouldn't leave him, haunting his thoughts.

Jace had just gotten to his locker when he heard his name being spoken, and not in the way it had been spoken since he had gotten there. "Rose?" he murmured, looking up in slight surprise. He wasn't surprised that she was there, he was surprised that she was there, that she was talking to him. Everyone around them stared as she approached, wrapping her arms around his waist. For a moment, Jace didn't know what to do. He froze, his body tense for a moment before he finally returned the embrace, his arms falling lightly around her shoulders for a moment. It was quick, he pulled away soon, but he had still returned it. "Uh, so, how are you?" he asked softly, looking down at her.

«☼»

Lucas "Luke" Daniels - The Hidden Prince
«☼»
Sixteen - Male
Currently with Geovanni, driving him home.

Geovanni had seen it all. He had watched everything that had happened, taken in every terrible word and seen every painful blow. Luke hated himself even more at the thought of it. It was his fault. His fault for liking guys, his fault for having a crush on Geovanni, his fault for bringing him over to his house, and his fault for.. Well, for everything. God, Luke thought, Please forgive me for my sins. Luke couldn't even meet the other boy's eyes when he looked at him, instead looking slightly to the left or to the right, anywhere but at those big, teary eyes. Why was he crying, Luke wondered. Did he cry for himself, for what he had seen? Maybe for Luke's father and what he had to deal with. Maybe Geo cried because he knew that Luke deserved everything he was getting.

Luke shoved the thoughts away, silently leading the way to his truck, limping slightly from a blow that had landed on his upper leg, causing the muscle to hurt when he used it. He was still silent as he got in, wincing a little before he settled in and started the truck up, backing slowly out of his drive before angling the truck towards Geo's house. He had only spoken to ask directions, following them with silence until they arrived. Once there, Geovanni spoke to him and drew him out of his thoughts.

When Geo spoke his name, Luke turned his head to look at him. His eyes were guarded and unsure, but he didn't speak for a moment. As the other boy's hand came towards him, Luke flinched away, fear flashing over his face for a moment before he reigned it in, allowing Geovanni to touch him. "I- I.." Luke stammered softly, completely unsure. He didn't know what to say or do, how to answer. Already there were bruises forming on his body, some showing on his face or arms where he had tried defending himself. His lip was cracked and bleeding, the blood smeared to the side from where he had wiped at it absentmindedly. He was hurting all over, inside and out, and nothing sounded better than hanging out with Geovanni and, admittedly, a mother. It had been a long time since Luke had been around a mother, anyone's mother. Was Geo sure she wouldn't mind?

Luke finally spoke, nodding his head slowly. "Okay, I'll stay the night," he said softly before looking sharply up at Geo. "But you have to promise me, no you have to swear to me," he began, his voice both pleading and commanding, "That you won't tell anyone at school what happened. Okay?" he said, his eyes piercing into Geo's now. "You have to swear it, and if you do tell anyone, know that I will deny it until I die."

[rose;]

[yeah, absolutely c:]

Geovanni was almost positive that the boy was going to say absolutely not, but he really had to try. He was slightly hurt at the way Luke flinched away from his hand, but he did understand it, after what he'd seen. His eyes lit up when the boy began considering it though, hoping and hoping that he would say yes. When he finally did Vanni grinned, but it fell when he was spoken to so harshly. He nodded gravely at the words he spoke, and he didn't doubt they were true. "I wouldn't dare," he said truthfully, before turning and slipping out of the truck, going around to Luke's side as he got out, gently taking a hold of his wrist to lead him into the house. "Try and be kind of quiet though, I would think she's sleeping but she really won't mind," he said, unlocking the door with a key he had in his pocket and leading the way in to the dark entryway.

"Take off your shoes," he whispered, slipping his own off before he led the way down a short hallway and turned the light on, dimming it so it wasn't so harsh after being used to the dark. "Come here," he directed, pulling out a chair and making Luke sit in it, although not in too harsh a way. "Just sit," he directed, turning to the sink and wetting a washcloth in warm water before moving back to the table the chair was next to, pulling one up next to him. "Sit still," he said, before he gently reached out to clean Luke's face of the blood, superbly gentle about it all. Once he was satisfied with his work he stood, rinsing the cloth out before hanging it over the middle of the sink. "You can sleep in my bed; I don't mind at all, and I'd hate to have you sleep on the floor."

~~~

Rose just snuggled up a bit closer when she felt Jace tense up, refusing to let go unless he returned it. She needed it as much as he did, a comforting, warm, hug. She moved back a few steps when he pulled back, looking up and giving a slight shrug of the shoulders. "I'm... okay," she said, more or less truthfully.For the time being she was, but come later in the day, would it stay the same? She could hear the people around them muttering, but she wouldn't allow that to bother her. "They're not here today, thankfully.. How are you?" she asked, realizing well that while she had been the victim the night before, it had taken a toll on him too. "Why did you leave last night?"

[ugh, sorry, Rose's got short ><]

[Welcome to Whysperia]

Lucas "Luke" Daniels - The Hidden Prince
«☼»
Sixteen - Male
Currently with Geovanni,
tired, tense, and hurting.

Luke had been satisfied with Geovanni's answer, glad that his friend wasn't going to spill about what his dad had done. After all, he thought for a moment, it wasn't that bad. Luke felt that he deserved what the man gave him, had felt that way since the first time the blows came years ago, just after his mother had died. In his grief, his father had turned to drinking; the liquor lead to his anger coming out, which ended with Luke hiding bruises the next day and for days afterwards. Shaking his head, Luke had forced the thoughts away and had gotten out of his truck, pocketing his keys as he did so. Geo was already at his side, taking his wrist in his thin fingers before leading him inside.

The first thing Luke found himself thinking was that Geo must have been pretty upset or shocked or something, because he wasn't stuttering as much. He took his shoes off as directed and looked around, taking in his surroundings as he was led into another room, the kitchen. He sat when commanded to do so, his gaze instantly shifting to the ground as he waited for whatever Geo was doing. It was pretty sad to see Luke looking so timid; he was a sports star, a bigger guy, and had even gotten into a fight to protect the very kid that was approaching him now.

Looking up, Luke stayed very still as Geovanni began cleaning the blood from his face. His eyes wouldn't meet the other boy's, instead shifting to look at the wall behind him. A wince came over him at one point, but other than that slight twinge of pain, Geo was being gentle enough that it didn't hurt too badly. When he finished, Luke's gaze turned to the table. He listened as Geovanni spoke, putting on an easy smile before shaking his head, looking up at his friend. "No, that's okay. Do you have, I dunno, a couch or something I can sleep on?" he asked, looking kind of sheepish. He appreciated everything Geo was doing for him, but there was no way he was going to take the boy's bed. No way.

Jackson "Jace" Herondale - The Wandering Beast
«☼»
Seventeen - Male
Was at school, tense and a little angry,
Now is in a police car, charged with murder.

Jace nodded at Rose's answer. Even though he really didn't believe her, he wasn't going to press the subject or anything. If she wanted to be truthful, she could. Otherwise, he was fine with letting it drop. When she asked about him though, he merely shrugged. "I'm fine, why? I'm not the one that was getting attacked," he said, playing his involvement off. Really he wasn't sure that one of his ribs weren't cracked or something. His body felt like hell, and he was constantly thinking about the feeling of his knife entering the body of other people, kids his own age that he saw every day. He couldn't shake it.

Asked about why he left, Jace's body tensed slightly, his eyes looking at Rose as if searching for something for a moment. "Look. I get that you're thankful and that you think I'm a good guy and all, but it's not true. At all. I've done some really terrible things, things that I used to and sometimes still enjoy," he said, his voice low yet even. "I've hurt people way more than what I did yesterday, Rose. If you knew the sort of things I'm talking about, I don't think you'd want me sleeping on your couch. So." He paused for a moment before shrugging, begrudgingly adding, "'Sides, I really needed a smoke, and I know it bothers you, so..." he said, trailing off as his gaze flickered to the side for a moment.

Before he could say anything else, there was a ruckus coming from one side of the hall. Jace looked over, watching as the crowd of students parted to reveal several police officers, three of them standing together with one at the lead and the others flanking him. "You've gotta be kidding me," he mumbled, watching with a glare as they approached him.

"Jackson Herondale? You're under arrest for the murder of Aaron Ross," one said, reaching out to turn Jace around in one fluid motion. Soon, cuffs were around his wrists, his teeth bared as his shoulder cried out in pain, still hurting from the day before. He tried to shrug the cop off, only to be pushed against the lockers as the officer continued speaking. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"

Even as they were being said to him, Jace was being led through the hallway. He couldn't do anything about it. Murder, he thought, his eyes darkening. Murder? He hadn't killed anybody! This was crazy, this was- Realization dawned on him as he thought about it. Aaron had been one of the guys he had stabbed, the one who hadn't moved on his own. Jace had heard whispers that he was in pretty bad condition, but.. Murder? How was he going to get out of this? This was crazy, all of it. Suddenly, Jace was.. He was afraid. He had no one, had nothing. How was he going to escape this mess? He wasn't, he decided. He was going to jail. God, he was going to jail. This was all he could think as two of the cops shoved his head down and put him in the back of a car, wheeling away from the school soon after. They left the third at the school for now.