R.I.P Elaina

He was grinning now. "You're pretty cool, ya know? I think you are now my favorite one in the group. But, I still might leave." Zerrick finished his soda and bought another one. He watched them make another one and then just kinda zoned out, thinking about all that was going on in his life now.

Karina blushed when he said she was his favorite now, but frowned when he said he still might go. She sighed.
"So my epic speech did nothing to change your mind?" She said, only kind of kidding.

!nspired wrote:"Yeah, anywhere," Elaina said with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "But at least we're free."

Jace let out a deep breath. "I guess I don't feel the same sense of relief you do," he said. "You were in there for so long," he said with a sad smile. "And now that we're free... Let's go," he said. "I wanna keep this 'being free' thing semi-permanant."

"Yeah, I guess it's a different feeling since I was there longer," Elaina said with a little shrug. She looked over at him, still amazed that he was here. That she could SEE him with her own eyes. "You have to catch me up on what's happened since I left -- if anything."

Jace draped an arm over her shoulders, shrugging. "Nothing and that's not an exaggeration," he sighed. "Everyone's been keeping to theirselves. Schools been fairly quiet and their was talk... About having a... Memorial ceremony for you," he said, his voice getting a little tighter.

Elaina leaned into him a little when he wrapped his arm around her. She'd missed that. A cloudy expression came over her face when he mentioned the memorial ceremony. "Oh..that's..." She couldn't finish that sentence, just gulped. "At least it didn't happen."

"I don't know...I'm sure if I can do this. Treat everyone the same, and whatnot. And they are gonna be terrified of me because I killed my girlfriend... Your epic speech did help, though." Zerrick still didn't look at her. He rubbed a hand on his jeans in nervousness. This was the first time he had been out with a girl since...the accident.

Jace smiled a little to himself as she leaned into him. He had really, really missed her. "I think it would have been torture for at east half of use. No one had really come to terms that you were actually missing. mostly, people avoided talking about you," he said, his eyes tightening as well.

It didn't occur to Karina until she saw how nervous he looked that this might be considered going out -- considered a date? She figured it was just two friends hanging out, but then again, he was paying....

"I guess I understand," Karina said slowly, wondering if he looked at her differently now that her shoplifting secret was out. At least the crush secret wasn't. "Though we're all in this together. We're /all/ trying..." She trailed off.

"Oh," Elaina said, feeling guilty for making people feel that way all this time. Not as guilty as she felt now that everyones' secrets were out, but still guilty. "I...I see..."

Jace tightened his arm around her and looked down to meet her eyes. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Now, everyone's gonna be ecstatic. You're back," he said.

"Jace -- I already told you: We can't go back yet," Elaina said sadly. "At least...I can't. He'll look for me right away. I guess you can go back, probably, if you want. Maybe..." She rambled slightly, not wanting him to go without her.

Zerrick sighed. "I know...I just don't know if I can handle it." He hoped she didn't think this was a date, because it was far from that. He hadn't even hung out with a girl in a long time.

"I know we can't yet. I just meant that in time, we'll go back and people will freak out because you're back," Jace said with a small smile. "And I'm not going to leave you alone again... Well, unless you ask me to leave," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't have anything else to say then," Karina said with a sigh, giving up. "If you're going to go, I know it'll be hard to stop you."

"I would never ask you to leave me," Elaina said smiling up at him and biting her lip. They'd only been on a few dates, but there'd been many times when they'd gotten this >< close to kissing. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Elaina shuddered. The word kissing brought about images of that man, with his rape-love.

Zerrick sighed too. "You ready to go?" He didn't want to leave his home, but he didn't wanna face everyone. A million thoughts were racing through his head but he tried to push them away so he could concentrate on Karina.

"Yeah, sure," Karina said, more quiet and disappointed-sounding then when they'd first came here. Even if he'd said she was her favorite. She slid off the barstool to leave.

Jace smiled down at her, relief flooding his features. For about half a second, he had expected her to ask him to go, to be stubborn like she had been in the house. Look where that had gotten her. Oh... Wait... That got her free. Okay, so backfire, but he had still been afraid for a second.

Elaina looked down at the sidewalk when he caught her gaze like that, blushing slightly. She knew it was stupid to be thinking about a boy when she could stil be in danger, had just gotten out of danger. And yet, here she was -- thinking about him. "I'm surprised no girls pounced at you when I was out of the picture."

Zerrick opened his car door for her, and then got in his own side. "Karina, are you okay?" You seem disappointed." The only explanation was that she liked him, but he refused to believe that. She was better than that, and needed someone better than him.

Karina forced a smile. "I'm fine. Glad I got to say goodbye before you left for good."

Zerrick wanted to reach for her hand, but decided against it. It would most likely freak her out. "I'm not sure I'm leaving yet. And if I do, I will come say goodbye to you, okay?"

Karina nodded, looking at her hands, then glancing up at him. "I'd like that."

"I didn't really give anyone the chance," Jace said, slightly embarrassed. "I was kinda waiting for you... " He looked away, his cheeks were a light red and he it his lip. "But I'm sure there were no girls to pounce on me anyway."

"You were...waiting for me?" Elaina said, giggling at his blush. "Awww, that's adorable. Not that I would want it any other way. The man got mad when I wouldn't say I love him, because I had someone else I had my eye on."

She realized how that sounded and quickly backtracked. "not for love, but just...interested in. You know?"

Zerrick smiled at her, actually smiled, and it wasn't fake. "Good." He wondered if she should suggest they go anywhere else.