Middy and Polo

((I love to be dramatic. ))

I nodded miserably, unable to speak as I walked into the bathroom. What if it had ended up in the drain? What if it had gotten stolen? I only wished I could remember where it was. I had promised him, and left him with an awful fate. I didn't know what I would do with myself if I didn't find it... after searching the washroom and finding nothing, I bounded back down the stairs and into the livingroom. I checked under the pillows and in the cracks of the couch, eventually moving the couch away to look under it. When I found nothing, I continued to search the room. Mu hopes went up every time I saw something glinting in the light, only to find it wasn't my locket. After I had finished searching the livingroom, bathroom, kitchen and my bedroom, I was burnt out. I sat down on the couch with my hands in my head, feeling defeated. What if I had lost it on the street? What if it had gotten stolen? I would never be able to forgive myself...
I decided to try and work it out. I hadn't been wearing it all day today becuase I would have taken it off before getting in the shower(it wasn't real gold). That is, unless I wore it in the shower and forgot to take it off... "Laiko?" I called hesitantly, looking at him[ooc: wherever Ada left him ]. "Do you remember me wearing a locket around my neck?" I asked him hopefully. Maybe he remembered... I would just have to hope so.

((Hehe! And I love to be violent... What an action-packed pair we are... ))

Laiko prowled around the house in search of the locket, Checking every surface for it, then checking them again just in case. He even checked his own pockets, but to no avail. The locket was nowhere in sight. He finally made his way downstairs again a while later to see Ada sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. Feeling a burst of sympathy, he stepped over to her as he heard his name, arranging his expression into one of confidence and determination as opposed to the glum hopelessness he was feeling. "Hmmm... Le't see..." He began thoughtfully in response to her question. He let his mind travel back over the day's events: That morning, at breakfast... Yes, she had had it then. He remembered noticing, in his sleepy state, how pretty it was when the light hit it. Then after breakfast... When they left to meet Amanda... She had not had it then. Quite possibly, she had taken if off in the shower, but then- Wait... Could that be it? Had he just solved it? Struggling to contain his excitemnt at his findings, Laiko turned back to Ada. "Say, Ada..." He began thoughtfully, hoping against hope that she would not prove his theory wrong with her answer, "Did you ever write about that locket in your journal?" He looked directly at her, his bright green eyes locked intently on her face. "Did you mention anything about how important it was? What it meant to you?" He crossed his fingers behind his back, waiting with bated breath for her answer. This was so obvious... Why hadn't he thought of it before?!

[Didn't get it when I first read your post, then it finally clicked. ]

"Hmm... Let's see..." I watched hopefully as he began to think. After a few minutes, Laiko spoke again. "Say, Ada..." I looked up at him. Had he remembered? "Did you ever write about that locket in your journal?" He looked directly at me. "Did you mention anything about how important it was? What it meant to you?" I was confused by his question. "Yeah, I did. Once or twice, actually; once explaining how I was given it and again one day on the streets. Why?" I asked, still confused. I didn't get it; what was he thinking? I tried hard to think how he was, and then it suddenly clicked. "Amanda." I said, my fists clenching. "Of course." I got up quickly, grabbing the phone and checking my recent messages to get her phone number. I dialed quickly as possible. How could this had happened? I couldn't let Amanda, of all people, get a hold of that necklace. If she knew how important it was to me, she could make me do anything! I should have known when we were back there... "Hello?" Amanda already knew it was me; I could tell be her sweet, innocent tone. "Give me back my locket." I said the words slowly and angrily. "No." She said simply with a laugh. "I'm sending it to the pawn shop later today. "You wouldn't." I answered, a silent tear rolling down my cheek. I knew she would. "Why shouldn't I?" She snapped back, and I sighed. "I'll do anything, as long as you promise to give it back today, in an hour." She laughed. "Anything?" She asked. I hesitated. "Basically?" I inquired hopelessly. "Let me see... where is the number to the pawn shop?" "It's not even real gold!" I exclaimed, taking a deep breath. "Please, Amanda. That means everything to me." I begged. "Fine." She said. "Set me up with that friend of yours and I'll give it back to you." I sighed. Why did she have to make it all so hard? I had a feeling Laiko wasn't going to like this plan... I sighed. "Fine." Then I hung up and turned to Laiko. "It's not good, and it's going to cost you alot, that is if you agree..." I said with a sigh. This was basically as hopeless as it was before!

((Haha!))

Laiko watched with concern as Ada stormed over to the phone, hoping that everything would be all right. He had been going to suggest that he made the phone call, as he was not technically personally involved, and as such more likely to keep his cool. Still, Ada was level-headed enough, and it seemed to him that she was doing a fine job. He bit his lip, struggling to contain his sympathy as she pleaded and begged with her wost enemy. To have to swallow one's pride like that... It was never an easy thing. She must have really cared about her little brother a lot... He glanced away for a while, deciding to let her think he hadn't noticed her desperate pleas, if she so desired. Finally, he heard Ada release a sigh of resignation and reply 'Fine.' before the click of the phone hanging up reached his ears. He turned to face her as she approached him, his bright green eyes searching her face for the verdict. Of course, if Amanda had refused, he would simply go over there and take it back himself... But he had to admit, he did not particularly like the idea of landing up in prison, so he hoped desperately that he would not have to go to such lengths. "It's not good, and it's going to cost you a lot, that is if you agree..." Laiko felt a rush of hope at her words. So it had something to do with him? Maybe there was something he could do after all... He hoped so. He desperately wanted to repay Ada for her hospitality... And everything else. She had saved his life, for Goodness sake! "What is it?" Laiko asked quickly. No matter what it was, he would do it. It couldn't be so terrible that it was worth compromising Ada's happiness. Not a chance.

I couldn't help myself; I chuckled lightly, hoping to ease the tension. "Well, basically you have to be nice to Amanda while I "set you up" with her at the Cafe." I said finally, then added in a serious tone, "I pity you. Because I just remembered that no matter how much you might not want to, you promised." I said with a grin. "We have to be there in an hour, and apparently she's buying for you. It's weird; she would usually come up with something alot worse for me. She must really like you." I snickered. Amanda had really messed up on this one. I began to clean up the huge mess we had made. Hopefully, Laiko was a good actor, or I would never get that necklace back. I made myself another sanwich, suddenly feeling very hungry. I headed upstairs with it to clean up some more while I ate. After about fifteen minutes of cleaning, I came back down to Laiko. "Are you ready? Have any last words?" I teased. Just knowing where the locket was made me feel a whole lot better, and the fact that Amanda was giving it too me this easily almost made me suspicious. Did she think I liked Laiko? I frowned. He was a great friend, but did she think I liked him as a... boyfriend? I almost shuddered at the thought. The way I saw it, becoming boyfriend/girlfriend with your friend could really mess things up, especially if you had no other friends anyways... either way, I would have to pretend to look very glum while Amanda was looking at me; I couldn't risk anything...

[Ahh!!!! *Hides* The powerplaying thing again... and the fact that I'm brain dead... ]

Laiko stared at Ava in open disbelief for a moment. Amanda wanted Ada to set him up with her? Laiko blinked silently a for a few moment, processing the thought, then broke out into ringing peals of laughter. Amanda wanted to go on a date with him?! It was so ridiculous, he could not help but laugh. In fact, it was hilarious! She must have got one hell of a thrill from being punched in the face if she honestly thought this would work out... Perhaps he knocked her brain out of alignment? He decided to voice this suspicion. "Has she lost her mind, or did I just hit her a tad too hard?" Laiko gasped as his laughter finally subsided. "Whatever, this will be easy." He added with a cocky grin. Laiko trotted up to the bathroom to get himself looking a tad more attractive while Ada was cleaning. He wet his hands and ran them through his thick blonde hair, causing it to stick up slightly in two-tone spikes. He supposed the look suited his face, but not so much his personality... He was not exactly the 'bad boy' type... All the same, since he had pretty much punched her face in, he supposed that was what Amanda would probably be suspecting. Shrugging vaguely at his reflection, Laiko turned away from the mirror and jogged back down the stairs. He was waiting at the door when Ada returned. "Are you ready? Any last words?" She asked him, and Laiko released an appreciative chuckle at her teasing, glad to see her in a good mood again. "I'm ready!" He replied with a grin, "Last words..." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I hope she buys me a decent meal, because I'm famished." Laiko concluded with a grin. "Now come on, let's get going!" He rhapsodized, keen to finally be able to do something to help Ada, no matter how unpleasant it might be for him. Then again, it could be more awkward... In fact, considering the circumstances, he was probably the best man for the job.

I grinned. He didn't seem angry, so that was good. I gave Max some fresh water before heading out, leaving the door open for Laiko as I headed down the street. After a bit of walking in silence, I smiled slightly. "Thanks." I said earnestly, turning to Laiko.
Soon, we were at the Cafe. Amanda was sitting at a table alone, waiting for Laiko. "Go on," I whispered, then headed to a nearby table to watch.

"Hey," Amanda said to Laiko, shooting him a dazzling smile. "I'm sorry about earlier." Amanda was wearing jean shorts that were way to short for my liking and a light blue tank top that brought out her beautiful blue eyes. She had put her blonde hair in a loose bun, and I couldn't help but notice that she had quite a bit of make-up on. She really liked Laiko; I could tell. "What would you like to eat?" She asked, shooting Laiko the same dazzling smile that made me sick. Hopefully, this wouldn't take too long...

((Horrible post ))

Laiko smiled cheerfully in response to Ada's thanks, but before he knew it, they had reached the Cafe. Not even bothering to take a moment to steel himself for what was to come, Laiko fixed a friendly grin on his face and headed toward Amanda. He doubted this would be too hard. As long as he wasn't being protective, he was generally pretty tolerant of everyone. Hearing her greeting, Laiko stepped over to Amanda's table and sat down opposite her, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered onto his gentle face. "No, no, I'm sorry." Laiko replied with a smile, "I don't usually fly off the handle like that- I just..." He broke off, glancing down and biting his lip. "I really liked you... But then Ada was so upset - And she's me friend... I just-" He broke off, his inner turmoil showing in his sensitive face as he struggled to explain his feelings. "I didn't know what to do." He admitted, looking up at her with a beseeching gaze radiating from his bright green eyes. "You understand, right?" He murmured quietly, his eyes searching her face and his hands gripping the table so hard in desperation that his knuckles turned white.
Wow, the drama teacher had been right after all... He had quite a talent for acting, it seemed. "Oh, right, food..." Laiko added, dropping his gaze to the menu in a pretense of nervous awkwardness, a fake air of grabbing an escape rope lingering about his actions. He searched briefly through the menu, determined to enjoy this meal, at least. Though he had to admit, the whole situation was rather enjoyable - in an amusing sort of way. "Could I get the steak?" He asked finally, glancing up at her with a faint, charming timidity to his actions.

Amanda smiled. "It's fine." I rolled my eyes. She was trying way too hard on this, even I could tell. She mostly smiled and nodded, no matter what he said. I had a feeling she was barely listening, already too caught up in her fantasies. "The steak?" I guess she had started listening then. "Of course. Are you sure that's all you want? A drink, maybe a dessert?" She fluttered her eyelids at him and I almost burst out laughing. When she turned to me and winked, I just gave her a thumbs up. Amanda was being suprisingly nice to me now... maybe she wasn't as bad as she seemed... I thought about it for a moment. Nope, that had to be impossible. "I think I'll get a chicken salad and water. Are you sure you don't want anything else?" She asked again. Amanda had always been a health freak, probably to prevent ruining her "perfect" body structure. I got some Pepsi to drink while I watched them, ready to step in for Amanda as I was told. I also worked on looking a bit sad that they were on a date, just in case Amanda realized how much I was enjoying myself. At this rate, I would have that book back in no time!

((Super short, hopefully I will make the next one a bit longer ))

Laiko almost burst out laughing at Amanda's advances as she fluttered her eyelashes at him, but he was able to pass it off as a cough. "Oh, uh.." He replied as his 'coughs' finally subsided. "Maybe I'll gave a glass of water as well...?" He suggested tentatively. Laiko had to stifle another snicker at Amanda's choice of food. He had always found it slightly pathetic the way some girls thought it was something of a 'charm' to always order a salad... Then again, who was he to judge? He could not properly comprehend any of this. How could he? He suddenly felt his patience wavering, and wondered vaguely how long this would take. He couldn't pretend to like her forever... Couldn't keep turnining on a fake charm that was not his own. It would only make him more confused than he already was... Then again, what did it matter? He was best off avoiding this sort of thing anyway. He didn't belong in this world of forced beginnings and happy endings... Oh, what he wouldn't give to just open his mouth and tell Amanda what he really thought, rather than spilling out these pathetic lies that he guessed would have Ada in fits of laughter if she was listening. "I really liked you... Wow, that was pathetic... Cheesy... Hell, if Mike heard him come up with a line like that he'd never live it down... Wait... Mike! That was it! If Amanda set eyes on Mike, he was sure she was shallow enough to forget about him instantly. He'd have to mention it to Ada... But not yet. He would just endure this 'date' for now. Thus, Laiko pasted a sweet smile on his face, and waiting for the nightmare to end.

Amanda was getting impatient. "Hello! We need a waiter here!" She said, snapping her fingers. I rolled my eyes again. Why did the whole neighborhood seem to revolve around her? Sure enough, a waiter rushed up to Amanda and Laiko. "Sorry, Ms. Presson. We were having some troubles in the-" Amanda cut him off. "Just take our order, please." She said the words almost politely, but with a sharp edge. "Yes, sorry, Ms. Presson. What would you like to order?" He asked, flashing her a tentative smile. "A chicken salad, a steak, and two water." I noted how she didn't bother to say please. As the waiter scribbled down the order and walked off, Amanda called after him, "And try to speed things up!" The waiter nodded and sped his pace. A smirk of satisfaction came across Amanda's face before she turned back to Laiko. "I was just tired of being bullied by Ada all of the time. I mean, I didn't know what to do..." I choked on my drink. She was lying about me! What if Laiko thought she was telling the truth? Fake tears sprung to Amanda's eyes. I didn't believe it. I grabbed my drink and stormed over to her table, grabbing the golden locket off the glass-topped table. " ." I snarled, slowly pouring my drink over her head. "You need to quit the act." With that, I grabbed Laiko's arm and stormed out of the Cafe, leaving Amanda shocked with the pop running down her face. I thought I could hear laughter as I headed down the street. As my temper subsided and what I had done finally sunk in, I groaned. "Sorry, Laiko. You didn't get your steak." I joked lightly, honestly not in the mood. I held the locket tightly in my hand. I was never going to lose it again, ever.

Laiko's eyebrows shot up to vanish into his fluffy blonde hair at Amanda's comment. Wow. That was pushing it... It took all his resolve and self control not to leap to Ada's defence there and then, but the thought of the locket held him back. He had to keep up this act... He had to... Still, his hands were shaking now, and he knew that, even if he managed it, this was not going to be easy... Ada bullying Amanda? Hell - he couldn't comprehend Ada bullying anybody, no matter how cruel they'd been to her... Just like Amanda. Laiko was partly surprised and partly amused to see Ada storming over. Not sure what to do, he simply sat there and blinked in disbelief as Ada slowly poured her drink over Amanda in a snarling, yet perfectly calm temper. Still in a daze from what had just happened, Laiko allowed himself to be tugged away from the table, following Ada submissively. His mouth was still wide open, gaping disbelievingly at Ada, when she finally turned to him and began to speak. Laiko wanted to laugh at her words, but something in the atmosphere rendered him incapable. Swallowing past the knot of nerves in his throat, Laiko offered a weak chuckle, hoping that Ada wasn't angry with him... She had to know he hadn't been serious, right...? "Hey, at least you got your locket back, right?" Laiko pointed out, smiling comfortingly at her in an attempt to brighten the mood. He glanced back at the Cafe, gnawing his lip and feeling slightly guilty. Amanda might be an awful, bitchy, conniving and pitiful excuse for a human being, but she was still human... Right? Thus she could feel pain, too... Besides, something must have happened t make her as messed up as she was. "Say, Ada..." He began hesitantly, turning back to her. "Do you have a cellphone that I can borrow for a moment?" He asked hopefully, watching her with a slightly uncertain gaze. He wasn't sure if she would approve of what he was doing, but he was sure it was the best decision... At least, he hoped so.

"Sorry, I don't usually do things like that..." I apologized before cursing under my breath. I had no idea what sort of revenge Amanda had in store for me now... "Hey, at least you got your locket back, right?" I turned to Laiko and smiled, putting it back on where it belonged. "Yup. So I'm good." I replied, my temper cooling as we continued down the road. I bit my lip. "Sorry Laiko. But seriously, me bullying her? That I was not going to take." I paused, then repeated, "Sorry." it was then I realized I had said it three times. I sighed. "Sorry." Oops, make that four. I groaned, laughing lightly. But then I began to feel guilty. Sure, Amanda definitley deserved it... but it hadn't been worth it, nor had it been very civil. In fact, it had probably made me look very immature! I sighed again. "Say, Ada..." I turned my attention to Laiko, my expression confused. What plan did he have now? I had heard those words before. "Do you have a cellphone that I can borrow for a moment?" I thought of the light blue one in my pocket. "What for?" I asked curiously, digging it out of my pocket and handing it to him. I stroked my finger over the gold painted star on the locket, thinking about how many times I had done this before. Whenever I felt sad, or angry, or as if things couldn't be any worse... I always thought of my brother who was probably faring worse than me, and held that golden star close to my heart. I turned my attention back to Laiko, wondering what he was up to. It couldn't be that bad, whatever it was; Laiko had some pretty decent ideas, actually. The sun was warming the land even more as the day went on, and I thought about my earlier plans...

Laiko shook his head. "I'm glad you did it." He assured her with a gentle smile. "If you hadn't - I would probably have blown everything by punching her again. At least this way you got that locket back safe and sound, which was the original point... As for Amanda, I think I know how to pacify her... For now." Laiko concluded with a mischievous wink, taking the cell phone from her and muttering his thanks. "I'm calling Mike." He replied simply in response to her question, not wanting to divulge too much of his plan before he knew if it would be successful or not. He punched in Mike's number. As the screen on the small blue phone showed the word 'calling', Laiko raised it to his ear, listening as it rang out a few times. Finally, the line crackled into life as a voice on the other side inquired, "Hello?" "Mike!" Laiko exclaimed enthusiastically, a grin splitting his face at the sound of his friend's voice. "Laiko!" Mike responded in kind. "What's up, Dude? And whose phone are you using?" "It's Ada's." Laiko replied, "But listen Mike - I've found you a date." Laiko winked at Ada now as he listened to Mike's answer. Sure enough, his friend was interested, and enthusiastic. "When? Now? With who? Ada?" "No, you fool!" Laiko replied with a laugh. "There's this girl - Amanda. She's waiting at the cafe... It's a long story, but I think you two will get along great. What do you say?" He asked hopefully. "Sure! I'll be there in 5." Mike replied, then the line clicked and went dead. Damn Mike, hanging up on him... Laiko gave a fond chuckle at his friend's disrespectful actions. Rude or not, that was just so... Mike. Besides, he had agreed! He was certain that Amanda would like his friend, since to him she seemed rather shallow... And as far as 'shallow' went, Mike was a definite catch. After all, Mike was a stereotypical pretty boy.

My confused look changed to a grin as he explained what he was doing; Amanda would definitley like Mike, I just hoped she wouldn't lie about me again...
I smiled as Laiko hung up. "You are good." I complimented him, taking the phone back and putting it in my pocket. "Hey, Laiko..." I said suddenly. "Are you up for the beach?" I asked, looking up at him. Max had obedience lessons there at two, so I had been thinking that we could stop in, get something for Laiko to eat, and head to the beach. Then Laiko could have something to do besides sit around at my house or watch me and Max at the lessons, and then after the lessons me and Max could join him... I pondered on my plan. Laiko didn't seem like the sporty type, but most people didn't really see swimming as a sport... What if Laiko didn't want to go to the beach? He probably wouldn't say anything, but still. We could skip lessons for one day, couldn't we? I sighed, rubbing my hand over my forehead. I shouldn't be over-thinking it; all it was was a little question...

[Very Bad *Hides*]

"Aren't I just?" Laiko teased, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. "Hopefully they'll get on, at least for now." He added more seriously, turning to glance back toward the Cafe. Mike would probably be there soon, but he wasn't keen to hang around... Having to act and lie was bad enough, but to be caught out under false pretenses...? Not good. He wasn't too keen to suffer the consequences t that... Laiko began gnawing on his lip nervously, then glanced suddenly over at Ada as she spoke, eager for a distraction. "The beach?" He asked, a surprised note to his tone. "Sure, that sounds like fun!" He exclaimed eagerly, "I don't think I've ever been to the beach..." He added as an afterthought, scratching his head thoughtfully. He glanced over at Ada again and, noting her expression, frowned slightly. "Hey, what's up?" He asked, playfully flicking her forehead, a slightly concerned smile lighting up his face. He probably ought not worry about her so much, but he just couldn't help it... He just hated to see her unhappy. Then again, if he didn't ease off a bit he would probably see her annoyed instead... And he had recently established that that was NOT something he wanted to see... He was quite keen to avoid having some form of sticky liquid poured over his head anyway... He chuckled slightly at the thought, once again picturing the scene from a moment before. Now that was something worthy of legend...

((Ditto. ))

I was relieved when he agreed. Now, I wouldn't have to over-think that. "Hey, what's up?" Laiko asked, playfully flicking my forehead. I smiled, flicking him back. "I have a problem with over-thinking things sometimes," I admitted with a smile. Laiko seemed to get concerned about the littlest things. "Do you have something to wear?" I asked. Even if he didn't have swimming shorts, he must have some shorts he can wear... or we could go to the surf shop before the beach... I sighed. There I was, over-thinking things again. "And I imangine you want to get something to eat, since I took your last meal away from you." I joked as we continued down the street. After about ten minutes of walking, we were at the apartment. Max was out on his line, barking excitedly at us. It seemed he was already beccoming his normal self again. I ran up, playing around with Max he barked excitedly. "Ready for your obedience lessons?" Max's ears drooped and I laughed. "He's not a fan of those lessons, that's for sure." I said with laugh. I wondered what today's lessons would be like. "Do you want something to eat?" I asked Laiko the obvious as I went to the door.

"You don't say?" Laiko replied with good natured sarcasm, laughing softly as she returned his flick. "Something to wear..." He repeated thoughtfully, "Though I don't know what would be considered proper wardrobe for the beach, I doubt it. I don't really get away from the school much, so..." He trailed off thoughtfully, lapsing into silence for a moment, then raised his head with a grin as he added, "Still, I don't see that it matters much... Does it?" He shrugged vaguely, clearly not too concerned by the predicament. It shouldn't matter what he wore anyway. He had never been bothered much about whether or not he was fitting in. After all - how could he, when he didn't even know who he was? "I must admit, I am rather hungry." He admitted with a grin at Ada's next suggestion. He did tend to be the sort who would eat anything at any opportunity, so he was quite looking forward to his next meal already.
When they finally reached the house, Laiko hung back slightly and watched Ada and Max with a smile, taking joy in observing the playful antics of his two new friends. They really had been awfully kind to him all this time... He was extremely grateful for that, and so much more.
He walked over with a grin as Ada spoke, leaning down to pat Max. "Poor guy." Laiko commented with a smirk, "I doubt any of us would be too pleased about learning to obey..." He added with a chuckle, giving Max a final pat before he followed Ada over to the door. "Sure, thanks." He replied eagerly, looking forward to finally getting some food.

He didn't seem to concerned about the clothes. "We can stop at the surf shop, unless you have a pair of shorts that would be okay for swimming?" I inquired with a grin. I hadn't smiled this much in, well... forever, now that I thought about it. It seemed that my whole life had went from torturing and dreadful to eventful and relatively happy. I smiled at the thought. "I must admit, I am rather hungry." I submerged from my thoughts. "Right. I'm on it." I said, flashing him a smile and walking in. Now, what should I make him to eat? It didn't sound like it mattered to him, but still... darn, guess I should have went to the store. I was torn between making an egg sanwich, a jam sandwich or giving him a leftover hamburger when I remembered I was over-thinking it again. I sighed and chuckled at myself as I stood idle in front of the fridge, my hand gripping it's white handle. Finally I opened the fridge, searching for the eggs. "Is an egg sandwich good?" I asked Laiko, putting them in a pot to boil. I hoped he didn't mind sanwiches, since it was basically all we would eat until I got to the grocery store...
After about eight minutes of boiling, the eggs were ready. I got the bread, took the shell off the eggs, and cut the eggs up into small pieces that I put in the sanwich. I was guessing this wasn't the type of egg sanwich most people made, but it would probably do... right? I put the sandwich on a napkin and handed it to Laiko. "The garbage can is under the sink when you're finished," I said to him as I headed up the stairs and into my room. I dug into my drawers until I found a purple two-piece bathinsuit. After I had dressed into that, I put my jean shorts and tank top over it for the lesson and headed back downstairs. "So, are you going to wear a pair of shorts or get some swim shorts?" I asked, looking at Laiko as I came down the stairs.

"Oh, um..." Laiko trailed off, glad not to have to answer Ada's question as she was already on to his next point: Food. Thank goodness... He was rather starving. Laiko grinned cheerfully and followed her to the kitchen, watching with a pleasant smile as she walked toward the fridge. "Egg sandwich sounds great!" He rhapsodized, his grin widening further still. He trotted over to watch as she set the eggs boiling. "Can I help...?" He asked, trailing off slightly. She probably wouldn't want him to help, though he felt awfully bad with her doing so much for him... Still, he wasn't about to complain about it, that would be sickeningly ungrateful. Thus, he accepted it with appreciation. "Thanks!" He exclaimed cheerfully as she handed him the sandwich. He observed it for a moment, then eagerly wolfed it down, devouring it as though he had been starved for years. Once finished, he tossed the napkin into the garbage can that Ada had indicated earlier, then dusted his hands and glanced around cheerfully. He looked up as Ada re-entered the room, smiling good-naturedly at her. He was about to comment on her wardrobe, but she beat him to it, soon asking a question of her own. Oh dear... What exactly was he supposed to do about that? He was pretty sure he didn't own a pair of shorts, much less the money to buy some. It was to be expected, though. After all, since he had woken up that day in the hospital, he had been taken straight to the boarding house and had been there ever since. He had his scholarship, which of course allowed him to live comfortably without money, but it also meant he never had a chance to get out there and make money, since he could never leave the premises, especially as he had his studies to keep up with as well... As such, he had no 'unnecessary' clothes, nor the money to buy any. It suddenly dawned on him that he ought to be explaining this to Ada, and as he would also have to make sure she did not feel at all obliged to help him out yet again, he would have to choose his words carefully... Though he doubted he could properly succeed in that feat. "Oh, uh... I don't really have any shorts, and I'm pretty broke, so I guess I'll just go as I am..." He admitted with a vague shrug, grinning sheepishly at her. "It shouldn't be a problem, right?" He added, scratching his head slightly nervously. He wasn't really sure what else he could do, and he didn't much want to make a big fuss over something so trivial...

I listened to him as he explained that he didn't have any shorts. "No, I'll buy you some," I insisted. "But you're making supper." I joked cheerfully, poking him. "I'm pretty sure they have dressing rooms down there..." I mumbled, half to Laiko and half to myself as I grabbed two beach towels, some sun screen, and drinks. It was pretty hot out, after all... maybe I should bring some snacks... I reminded myself that I was overthinking things again. Besides, after a while of being under the sun they wouldn't be much good anyways... "I think I have everything I need; did you want to bring anything?" I asked Laiko as I grabbed my wallet off the counter and opened the door again. "Want to go for a walk?" I asked Max. He barked excitedly and I clipped him on to his leash. We waited outside for Laiko, and soon we were all heading down the street. [Powerplayed a bit. ] The sun was at it's highest now, and it was unbearably hot. Luckily, the walk to the beach was only about three minutes. But then there were obedience lessons to endure... I groaned. Rain or shine, they never canceled lessons. I frowned as I spotted the group waiting; were we late again? I pressed some bills into Laiko's hand. "Get some shorts over there," I said, pointing to the surf shop. "Me and Max have to go!" I kicked off my flip flops and ran to the group, keeping my gaze down as usual. "Okay, let's go over what we have learned..." Me and Max did the different commands flawlessly until we got to roll over. I laughed as he flipped around like a dead fish in the sand, and then got up and began spinning in circles. The instructor frowned but said nothing.

"No, no you don't have-" He began, but his complaints were futile, as it soon became clear that Ada had no intention of listening. He chuckled softly to himself, and resigned himself to once again accepting her charity. He would pay her back somehow... One day... Or maybe not, but he could at least try. Deciding just to laugh it off, as always, Laiko was relieved by her next comment. "Sure, but don't expect to survive after eating my cooking!" Laiko joked with an impish grin. He glanced around to see what else he needed and, grabbing a bag to put his clothes in, followed Ada out of the door. The instant he entered the sunny street, a sickening wave of heat struck him like a physical blow. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he squinted up at the blazing sun, then sighed and followed Ada down the road, already feeling sweat beading on his brow. He flipped his hair back, as his thick, fluffy fringe was just making his face more uncomfortably hot than it already was. Of course, his hair just slipped back into its normal place then next moment, so he shrugged and disregarded it.
Next thing he knew, they had reached the beach, and Ada was pushing some money into his hand and showing him where to buy shorts. He began to object again, but it was too late, as she and Max had already rushed off to the group. He watched the pair for a moment, smiling fondly at Max as he obeyed Ada with such diligence, then he turned away and glanced toward the surf shop. Taking a deep breath to steel himself for the unfamiliar experience, Laiko slowly made his way over there. He pushed open the door and entered with a soft tinkle from the bell overhead. A woman glanced up from the counter. "Can I help you, Sir?" She asked politely. "No thanks." Laiko replied in kind, a pleasant smile curving his lips, "I'll just look around for now." The woman nodded in acceptance, and Laiko made his way over to a clothes rack holding a vast variety of board shorts. He flicked through them, glancing briefly at each pair until he found one he liked. He unhooked the hanger and pulled the shorts out to examine them. They were black with curved green stripes near the bottom and white piping outlining the stripes. Pleased, he checked the size and selected a pair from the same design in his own size. Convinced that they would fit, he decided to spare himself the awkwardness of trying them on in the shop, and walked over to the counter. "I'll take these, please." He announced with a smile, gently placing the shorts and the money on the counter. The woman rang up the shorts, took the money, and handed Laiko some change, then bid him farewell and waved him toward the door. "Thanks!" Laiko called back over his shoulder as he entered into the blazing sunshine once more. He blinked for a moment, glancing around or Ada through his harsh sun-blindness.

Max was pratcing the 'sit' trick with me when his ears shot up and the turned his gaze to the instructor, who was enjoying a rib burger she had just bought at one of the stands. He jumped up and lunged at the instructor, bringing her down in the sand while he ate her burger and licked her face clean. I groaned as she screamed. "You vile beast! Get off me!" She yelled. I had a feeling this wasn't good. He had done little things like this before, but I have a feeling the trainer was losing her patience with us. "Get your mutt off of me!" She yelled to nobody in particular. I got Max and took him to the side. The instructor got up and dusted the sand off of herself. "Don't ever come back to this class again!" She said, glaring at Max. So I walked off with Max, feeling very sheepish. I grabbed my flip flops and looked around for Laiko. When I finally spotted him, he seemed to be looking for us. "Laiko!" I called. I could see he had a pair of shorts in his hand, so I was guessing he had done alright in the store. Me and Max headed towards him at a jog. I felt hot and sticky and I could hear Max panting. "There's a changing room over there," I said, pointing to the washroom as I took off my shirt and jean shorts to reveal my purple bathing suit. "Me and Max will be in the water!" I called as we ran for the ocean. I laughed as the ocean spray hit me, instantly refreshing my body. I could hear Max barking and when I turned to look at him, he was soaked. I swam out and ducked, the water feeling freezing at first but warmer as I came back up. "Here, Max!" I called and he swam out to me. I was careful not to get to close to where his paws were because I knew he could scratch me. I had been scratched by him before, and it had hurt. As another huge wave came, I ducked under it as Max frantically swam to shore. He didn't like the water that much, but he would come to me when I asked him to. But if I tried to get him in without me, it was basically impossible. After the wave had passed, I began seaching for Laiko in the sunny haze.

Laiko turned as he heard his name, his frown of concentration soon morphing into a cheerful smile as he saw Ada and Max headed toward him at a jog. He waved, then walked over to meet them, the very same smile still lighting up his handsome features. Laiko glanced in the direction Ada had indicated as she pointed out the change-room. He glanced around and, seeing it, nodded in understanding. He waved farewell to Ada as she set off for the water. "See you soon!" He promised, before jogging over to the change-room and stepping inside. Feeling rather conservative, he locked the door and listened carefully for the click, then quickly changed into the shorts. Stuffing his clothes into the plastic bag he had brought along, he unlocked the door and stepped outside again, dumping his clothes beside Ada's. He glanced himself up and down as the sunlight hit him, suddenly painfully aware of the mangled sight of his own bare chest. Bullet holes marred his otherwise smooth skin in numerous places, though half of them he could not even remember getting. Numerous slash scars, as well, left long white 'snake-like' patterns stretching across his tanned skin. Then, of course, there was the newer wound. Due to the short amount of time it had been given to heal, it still looked relatively fresh and new, though it was neat and clean and gave no indication of weeping blood any time soon, or any time at all. In addition, there were the 3 bullet holes on his back from 'the attack'... The only one he could vaguely remember. Well, he could remember the aftermath, in any case... Of course, he could not see these scars, as he had never had the skills nor the desire to view his own back, and as such they went unnoticed, as did the rather cryptic tattoo on his left shoulder which bore the symbols '1GS'. Laiko had no knowledge of this mark, having never seen it, nor been told of it, as nobody else had seen it either due to his generally conservative nature.
Feeling slightly self-conscious and trying hard to ignore the stares brought about by his uncanny likeness to a human dartboard, Laiko jogged quickly toward the water. He stepped tentatively into the waves, then glanced around for Ada. Seeing her, he grinned and waved then wade his way over, whistling to Max on the way. "What happened?" He asked as he reached her, "In the obedience class, I mean... The instructor did not seem pleased." Laiko smiled innocently as he waited for her answer, familiarizing himself with the strange sensation of the deep water lapping at his shoulders.

I soon spotted Laiko dropping his clothes beside mine. He looked sort of uncomfortable, and I soon realized why and had to keep my jaw from dropping. His bare chest was covered with scars and various bullet holes, including the rather fresh one from last night. I sighed. It had been a long night, that was for sure... I squinted in the sunlight as I saw a marking on his shoulder. He grinned and waved when he spotted me and made his way towards me. I smiled. "The salt water might make your wound sting, but I'm pretty sure it helps heal them," I offered, noting his self-consciousness. "The obedience class?" I laughed, feeling slightly embarassed. "Well, we were training with our dogs off the leashes, and then Max jumped up on the instructor becuase she had a rib burger..." I laughed. "You can probably guess what happened after that." Max swam over to me and I petted him. "Well, you got your wish - no more obedience classes for you!" Max whined at the words 'obedience classes', and I laughed. "I think she scares both of us," I said to Laiko, pointing her out. Right now, she was yelling at someone in the class that I didn't recognize. I waded a bit further into the water as the biggest wave yet came crashing down on us, bringing me under with great force before I had a chance to plug my nose. I came back up coughing and sputtering as I laughed. "I just love the beach," I began to speak. "The rolling waves, the warm sand..." I grinned. "But I absolutely love swimming. Do you swim? If so, I'll have to take you to Second Iron. It's the best place around here for swimming," I explained. I didn't think I had talked so much in my life; it felt good to have someone other than your pet dog to talk to, even if that pet dog happened to be a great listener.