Angelo, Jono and eventually Paige

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Jono had his Lovecraft book propped up on his chest as he lay on the sofa in the rec room, Metallica blaring from his headphones and conveniently drowning out the other sounds of the mansion. His leg was twitching in time to the music.

Angelo walked into the rec room and looked around, surprised to find it empty apart from the guy sprawled out on the sofa with headphones on, reading. Since this was someone he hadn't met yet, he walked over and tapped the guy on the shoulder to say hi.

Jono shied away from the touch automatically, looking up in mild surprise that there was still someone who didn't know he wished people would stay away.

Angelo pulled his hand back sharply, startled by the guy's reaction. "Hey", he said warily. "I just arrived, and I'm still getting to know people. Thought I'd say hi when I saw you there."

Jono shrugged, not having heard a word of what the apparently new kid had said. He sat up, letting the book slide into his lap and pulled the headphones off his ears. "Who are you?"

Angelo, still a little wary, and aware that he wasn't really welcome but willing to persist, answered, "Angelo. I just got here a couple of days ago. You?"

"Jono," he replied slowly, a bit wary. His eyebrows were drawn into a frown and his hand briefly touched the black material covering the lower half of his face.

Angelo noticed Jono's gesture towards his face, but chose not to mention it, since he'd only just met the guy. "How long have you been living here?" he asked casually, settling on a nearby chair.

"A few months," Jono said succinctly, faint traces of Metallica's Until It Sleeps wafting from the headphones around his neck.

Angelo's face lit up, hearing the music. "Hey, is that Metallica? You've got good taste, man", he said happily. "Where are you
from?"

"Yeah, it's Metallica," Jono nodded, seeming a bit surprised. "I'm from England," he added after a small pause.

Angelo waited to be asked where he was from in return, but when the question didn't come, ploughed ahead regardless. "I'm from LA. Just arrived, like I said. Got any advice for the new guy?"

Jono's eyes narrowed as if amused. "Don't surprise the girl with the protruding bones," he said.

Angelo laughed. "Oh, you mean Sarah? Yeah, our paths have already crossed. She's not someone to piss off, is she?"

"She's a bit temperamental, yeah," Jono agreed.

"Anything else I should know?" Angelo asked. "About the mansion, the teachers, the other kids...?"

Jono shrugged again. "Do I look like an info desk?"

Angelo looked slightly hurt for a second, then hid it. "Just trying to be friendly, man, just trying to settle in."

"I'm sure there's a lot of people who'd be happy to help you," Jono gave him a pointed look.

Angelo wasn't giving up that easily. After all, Jono could have just put his headphones back on and ignored him, but he hadn't. "Yeah, but they're not here, and I'm bored."

"Oh, you're bored," Jono rolled his eyes. "Then by all means let's go cavort outside with the horses."

"Horses?" Angelo asked blankly. "Oh! Paige. Yeah. And no thanks - I'm a city boy to the end."

Jono tensed at the mention of Paige, and tilted his head against the headphones for a second, listening to the music. "I was being sarcastic."

"I'd never have guessed," Angelo answered wryly, spotting Jono's reaction to Paige's name and grinning to himself. "Anything good on TV, do you know?"

Jono raised an eyebrow. "Well.. oh, wait, I'm still not an info desk."

Angelo shrugged and curled up on his chair to watch the TV.

Paige chose exactly this tense moment to walk into the rec room, nose buried in one of her many new text books. She stepped around the coffee table instinctively and nearly ended up sitting herself on Jono's knees. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she reached over for the remote that usually resided on the next pillow and met up with the leather jacket he so often tended to wear.

Jono, who had been in the middle of lifting the headphones to his ears again, stopped and glanced over at her. "Looking for something, sunshine?"

"Oh!" Startled, Paige straightened with a jump, snapping her book shut. "Jono!" She stared at him for a long moment, pink highlighting her cheekbones before sensing someone else in the room and turning to the somewhat bemused other young man. "And Angelo! Hello! I'm sorry, new books, distraction and all and umm... yes. The remote. Which Angelo has."

Angelo raised the hand with the remote in it, by way of confirmation, before grinning at Paige in undisguised amusement and handing it over. "Is there something good on, then? Jono here didn't want to tell me."

Jono looked between the two of them and let the headphones slide over his ears. Then he picked up his book, inclining himself slightly towards Paige as he continued reading.

Angelo raised an eyebrow, noticing this, and glanced down at Jono momentarily, before giving Paige a pointed look.

Just as pointedly, Paige ignored the look, taking the remote with a grin. "Are you being mean to the newbies again, Jono? You little wretch."

"He won't answer", Angelo told her. "He either can't hear you with those headphones on, or he's pretending not to."

"Oh, he'll answer if he knows what's good for him." Paige moved over to sit beside the generally broody teen, pulling his earphones just a bit so that they snapped back when she let go.

Jono turned to look at Paige, face set in his customary scowl. He removed the headphones again. "What?"

"You're being rude again. Is there anything on at this hour? I usually just put it on for noise."

"I don't know," Jono replied, almost defensive. "I was just reading this," he brandished his book.

"All right. That's allowed." Paige's tone was light and she smiled a little at him, trying to smooth the bristles in his 'voice'. "Looks like we're alone on this television adventure, Angelo."

"Looks like", Angelo answered, trying to work out exactly what was going on between his two companions. Maybe they needed his matchmaking skills? "Shall we see what's on, then?"

"Hi ho Silver," Paige answered, aiming the fittingly silver remote at the television and clicking. She flipped channels idly for a few moments before gently tossing the remote back to him. "You try. I don't seem to have enough testosterone for channel surfing."

Angelo caught the remote and started changing channels without really looking at the screen. "Stop me if you see anything interesting."

Jono had actually stopped paying attention to his book, and was watching Paige and Angelo over the edge of it. He didn't seem particularly thrilled.

Paige chose to shift closer to Jono at that moment, tucking her legs up under her. Leaning over a bit, she peeked around to read the opening paragraph of Jono's neglected book, eyes flicking up occasionally to check for anything worth watching on the television screen.

On one of these glances up, she caught Angelo watching the two of them knowingly. Seeing her looking, he raised a questioning eyebrow.

Paige merely flushed a little, darting her eyes back to the print of Jono's book.

Angelo grinned broadly, his suspicions at least partly confirmed, and twisted back round to face the television.

Jono tilted the book so she could read better, but his eyes were on her instead, not on the text at all.

"I'm not seeing anything of interest, are you Angelo?" Paige asked, voice going somewhat quiet when she found Jono's gaze before picking up again.

"Not on the TV, no", Angelo answered, before performing an exaggerated yawn. "In fact, I think I might just head up to the dorm and get some sleep."

Jono's eyes flicked over to him and his whole posture seemed to convey the message of "good."

Angelo got the message. His smile faded for just a moment, but he quickly told himself he'd clearly be doing Jono and Paige a favour by leaving them alone.

Trying to remain oblivious to his choice of words, Paige gave him a look underneath her smile. "Sleep well, Angelo."

"And you", he replied. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, kids."

"We'll try," Paige said, deciding not to mention her thoughts that there was probably very little that he wouldn't do.

Angelo shot her a look, perfectly well aware of what she was thinking, and winked before leaving the room to go upstairs.

Jono seemed to relax slightly when Angelo disappeared. Then he tilted his head towards Paige, letting the pretense of reading his book fall. "Well," was all he said.

"Well, indeed." She slowly moved the book down into his lap with a hand. "Do you have to go to bed any time soon?"

"I don't even have to sleep," Jono replied mildly, letting her push the book down.

Paige couldn't help but smile a little. "How convenient."

OOC: I keep posting all the logs because my boys... er... girls... keep having to sleep. Sorry, y'all. :D

Best Indirect Quote from Kate Ever: Do you know where her hand is? There might be a book there but do you know where her hand is?

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*cackles*

That's the master plan...