Wishing stars

Ryder walked past the pet shop and into the comic book store and rapped on the counter. "Nerd alert!" he said loudly. Lou jumped and peeked from behind her comic book and glared at him. "Jerk." she muttered and went back behind her book. "Awe come on, Louie. Don't be like that."
"What do you want, Ryder?"

Lucia walked into the pet shop and paused, searching the store. She fund the food aisle and walked down, carefully inspecting the ingredients. No by-products, no corn or soy as a filler, and it needed to be puppy type food. Pandora was her first dog.... Ever, so she was playing it safe. She bought the bag of dog food and carried it out to her car, sliding it into the backseat. She started up the road in in hopes of finding some new sneakers or something and passed by a bunch of stores, window shopping as she walked.

"What? I can't say hi to my favorite geek?"
"No. You can't."
"Wow. Who pissed in your wheaties this morning?"
"What do you want Ryder?" Lou slammed her comic book down and glarred at him, his eyes wide with shock.
"What did I do?"
"Oh, nothing. You just flippin knocked up half the girls in town. That's all."
"Oh, this is just now bothering you?"
"No! In fact it wouldn't bother me at all if it hadn't been for the fact that one of them was Lana, my best friend, and now she's gone!"
"What?"
"Ya, her parents shipped her off to her grandparents. They think I'm the bad influence." She glared at him. "So why don't you just leave me alone? At least for today."

Lucia passed the comic book store, hearing muffled shouts through the glass that was covered in superhero decals and comic promotions. She paused, glancing in, slightly troubled. She saw the girl behind the counter, looking furious and she was yelling at none other than Ryder.

"Why do they think it was your fault?"
"I don't frikin know! I was at work! I actually have a life!"
"That's why you're my favo-" Her hand came up and slapped him, hard. The sound echoed through the comic store and she sat there seething.
"Don't ever say that again." She growled and sat back down pulling up her comic book again. "Just leave." Ryder stood there dumbfounded with his hand on his cheek. Never, not even once, had he been slapped before in his life.

Avery wrote:"I really don't think I could live without my sister," Noah said, his tone wistful and quiet, but he held a large smile.

Lucia woke up an hour later or so and went to fix her hair. After that, she changed into a pair of faded green skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. Along with a black cardigan, of course. She hopped into the junkbox, as she had named it, and started into town. Pandora was getting low on food, so this trip was one she couldn't hold off on. She parked her car near the pet shop, which was followed by a whole row of stores.

Alison nodded understanding. "I know how you feel... My brother saved my life..." she said looking around the apartment.

Lucia was shocked as she saw the girl behind the counter have the courage to slap him. Her breathing caught in her throat as he started to leave toward the exit. Quietly, she wondered if he had ever been slapped before. From the look of disbelief, she guessed no. As he opened the door, she ducked her head down a little and started up to the store she had planned on going and then stopped, but didn't look back.

"I saved my sisters life, too," Noah said. He couldn't believe how similar their stories were. In a way, he felt relieved, but then he felt guilty.

Alison raised her eyebrow. "What is with the guilt face?" She asked trying to keep her laughter in.

Ryder walked away still slightly stunned. A nice deep red mark was on his face with marks from the ring on her finger and everything. It was more than evident that it was a hand that had slapped him, and hard. He wondered why Lou was acting this way. She never usually acted this way. He decided ice cream was in order. She never could resist a good pint of Neilson's ice cream.

Lucia heard his footprints heading in the same direction as she was. Slowly, she turned, her eyes wide and careful. "Are you okay?" She asked. She kne it wasn't her place to ask, but she couldn't help herself. He looked determined, though, to fix whatever he had done.

Noah cocked an eyebrow up. "What do you mean? I don't look guilty, do I?" He asked with a slight chuckle.

Alison laughed and nodded. "You do look alittle guilty." She said with a smile. "What was the look for then?"

Ryder looked at her. "Huh? Oh. ya. I guess." He muttered as he walked with her.

Noah shrugged. "I dunno. I wasn't feeling guilty," he said smoothly. Noah was a good liar... A really good liar. He didn't give it away in his face or body language, like the majority of people did.

Lucia pursed her lips, walking beside him. "Are you sure? I mean, I know it's not my place to intervene, but you look kind of... Stunned," she said. Her messy blonde bun bobbed on the back of her head as she walked.

Ryder looked at her and shrugged. "Lou's never usually like that." He muttered and rubbed his cheek where she had hit him. "Either something's really wrong, or she's pmsing like nobody's buisness." He stopped and looked up at a sign that said Neilson's and went inside.

Lucia felt the need to follow him and keep talking, but the store she had wanted to go into was the next one over. She peeked her head inside and saw the things that she wanted. Swiftly, she ran in, grabbing them. She payed for her itens and stuck the bag onto her shoulder. She waited by the door before leaving, though. Wait... that probably seemed desperate. She walked out and started toward her car, but made sure to take her time.

Ryder came out with a large pint of ice cream covered in crushed up heath bar and started back towards the comic book store, his face determind and slightly nervous, as if he was getting ready to enter the frontlines of a very dangerous war

Lucia got to her car, seeing that Ryder was only a short distance behind her. She saw the ice cream in his hand and the determined scowl on his face and chuckled. She'd have to watch this play out. A small part of her hoped that she'd fogive him.

Ryder went into the store and almost slammed the ice cream onto the counter but Lou didn't seem phased in the slightest. She just stayed behind her comic book. "I told you to leave."
"I did. And now I'm back. With ice cream."
"I don't want your ice cream."
"What? To much for you to handle?" He smirked, but his smirk was wiped away by yet another slap.
"Get out." Her eyes had death in them and he sighed. Grumbling he grabbed the ice cream and walked back outside. He looked at Lucia, then at the ice cream, then gave the ice cream to her and walked down the block, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Lucia looked at the pint of ice cream in her hands and to Ryder. She started after him. "Ryder... Are you okay? What happened?" She asked. It was the first time she had ever called him by his name. At least, to his face. It felt weird and she really hoped he'd talk to her. Despite the fact that they barely knew each other, she hoped he would reach out, just a little. Not that he seemed like the type to.

Ryder shrugged and looked at her. "She slapped me." He sighed. "Again."

"And do you know why?" Lucia asked, pushing the invisble boundaries. If they were in school, she would have dared talk to him. Lucia had been a semi-popular girl, but galaxies behind Ryder.

Ryder spun to face her. "Do you think I'm a bad guy?" he asked curiously. "I mean like, really. Am I a bad..guy?" He obviously looked conflicted.

Lucia's breath caught. She hadn't gotten to know him as well as was required to answer the question, but she had a general impression. "No." She shook her head to emphasize her answer. "I think you've probably made some dumb decisions, but you're not a bad guy," Lucia said, her eyes meeting his finally.

Ryder looked like a lost and confused puppy right about then. "You don't think I'm bad?" He asked and then turned and kept walking. He felt so conflicted right about now. He needed a beer or something.

Lucia shook her head. "No, I don't think you're bad. I don't have any reason to," she said. She would get her car later, but right now, it seemed like Ryder was too conflicted.