Laurie and Julio log

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

When: Saturday 21st October 2006 Time: 6:30am
Who: Laurie, Julio
What Happens: Two Xavier's students meet while jogging and Julio learns that it's not a good idea to try and sneak up on an Xavier's girl.




Laurie puffed to a halt outside the Mansion's stables, leaning against one of the wooden walls as she caught her breath. It was still fairly early in the morning, but she could hear the snuffles and general stomping sounds that horses made from inside. Horses...were an interesting animal. She was at once both facinated by them and terrified of their sheer size. She'd always wanted to learn how to ride but had never been anywhere that owned said animals.

Standing up straight, she started to stretch. If she was going to stop for a little, then she should make sure she wasn't going to stiffen up before starting off again.

The cold air was different, Julio mused as he worked his way down the jogger's path. He knew everyone was looking at him, ready for him to start complaining, but the truth was that he was rather enjoying it. What he was really looking forward to was snow. Kyle would not stop about how awesome it was, so Julio was anticipating his first snowfall of the year.

He rounded the path and saw a familair blonde ponytail. He slowed to a walk and thought about calling out. Then he grinned somewhat impishly and snuck up on her, tapping her shoulder.

Laurie had been concentrating on her stretches, so feeling a poke against her shoulder had her reacting instinctively. Rather then taking the time to find out who was behind her, she thrust her hip backwards into whoever was behind her and reached back to grab an arm, pulling it over her shoulder and going for a hip toss just like she'd been shown in self-defence.

He had time for a small squack before he landed on his back with a thud. Julio saw a triplicate of Laurie before she resloved into one. "Remind me never to do that again," he wheezed.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry!" Laurie exclaimed, kneeling down beside Julio. "You're okay? I didn't, well, break anything, did I?"

She would so get into trouble if she'd injured another student, and well, that on top of the whole guilt issue of crippling Julio who she happened to like. That would really suck.

"'M fine. Bueno, it's okay," He sat up, wincing. "Just surprised me, no?" Privately he resolved to never sneak up on another girl here. He should have remembered that any of the female residents of Xavier's could kick his ass around the block and back without even breaking a sweat.

"You sure?" Laurie asked, checking him over visually before offering him a hand up, she figured that he'd have already gotten a dose of her power if it was on anyway, so skin on skin contact wasn't about to make much of a difference. "What're you doing up so early? I didn't think you'd be a morning person."

"I am actually not, but I do not want to fall out of habit," he grunted a little as she helped him to his feet. "I can just see myself getting lazy and falling out of shape." not that there was any real reason to stay in shape, no sports teams to join here. But still, it was something of home.

"Ahh, like me then. I used to do cross country at my old school. I like running and early mornings are really the only time I get in my schedule for it that couldn't be better used with something else. Like, movie nights or guitar hero, you know, the important things." Laurie replied, still holding onto Julio's hand.

"Yes, bah, homework," Julio gestured with the hand that Laurie wasn't holding. "It is not like we go to school or anything." He looked to where his hand was still clasped. "Um, I am all right now? Yes?"

Laurie started, quickly letting go of Julio's hand and stepping back slightly. "Oh, yeah. Um..." Laurie replied, looking around desperately for something to stop the embarrased flush that was slowly overtaking her neck, and fastened on the stable.

"So! Horses!...are cool as well, and not anything to do with homework but wow, they're big. Do you like horses?"

"Yes, I like horses." Julio's heartrate went up for some reason he couldn't fathom, but he shrugged it off. "Do you know how to ride?" He'd never ridden any of the Xavier's horses, his own forrays into equestrianship were sort of well into the past.

Laurie shook her head, fighting off the blush with a bit of effort. "No, but I always really wanted to learn. Just, we couldn't afford a whole horse for me to learn to ride on and half a horse would be pretty useless. Do you ride?"

"I have, a long time ago. With my father, when we were being drifters," he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, feeling his own neck turn warm. "Papi fancied himself like a...a cowboy? But he was a terrible rider, bounced up and down in the saddle. Someone made fun of him and we never rode again." He nodded to the stabled. "I am sure I can still ride, though."

Laurie looked at Julio with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think...would you take me for a ride, maybe? I promise I wouldn't scream or fall off or anything. I've never ridden a horse before and it'd be so cool."

Julio was slightly taken aback. "Y-yes? I mean, I am not the best rider. But we could surely try. We should ask first before we try to ride the horses, though." Julio had seen a man thrown by a horse that wasn't properly broken, and he did not wish to see a repeat.

"We could ask Paige, maybe? I'm not sure who looks after the horses here." Laurie replied, excited for a moment until she noticed Julio's expression.

Oh, she hoped she wasn't being pushy, he might just be being polite and well, they'd only ever talked a couple of times.

"That is, if you're sure you want to? I don't want to give you more work if you're really busy."

"Busy? Me?" Julio held up one hand and began to tick off fingers, "I spend my days doing homework, powers training, harassing my roommate or playing videogames. Riding a horse with a girl is a good change for me." He almost said pretty. "It is a good skill, no? It will make us more well-rounded."

"You've got a deal then! I'll go e-mail Paige, and if she says it's alright, maybe we could meet back here tomorrow?" Laurie replied, having gotten enough of a rest to finish the rest of her run.

"Ah, sure? Yes. I am not doing anything at all tomorrow." At least he didn't think he was. "Are you going to finish running? Do you mind if I ..." he gestured, "finish up with you? A race even?"

"A race? Now that I can do." Laurie replied, winking at him and dashing off "Last one home is a rotten egg!"

It was probably a little unfair of her to take off without giving him a chance to get ready but as they said 'All's fair in love and foot races'.

"Hey! Cheater!"