Kira and Polo, staring at the purple sky. :P

Cora again read over what he wrote. A soft smile played across her lips.
"Well then, I'm going to write whenever I talk to you from now on." She beamed and reached into her bag, pulling out a Hello Kitty pen and an Alice In Wonderland notepad. She then started writing. She knew she wouldn't remember saying that she would, but who knew? Maybe she would.

Oh. Do you have any idea where he is? She didn't ask about Lizzie again, she was kind of bored with that subject. This was new.

Yeah well...I've still got them. She held up a heart shaped locket, then let it fall against her chest again. She read the last line and laughed a bit.

Ill keep smiling if it makes everyone else happy.

Ty sighed wearily in response to her statement - giving off the distinct impression that she was infuriatingly tiresome, and that he was doing her a favour simply by tolerating her.
Secretly, though, he was somewhat pleased that she had chosen to put herself on the same level as him. It was a rare, considerate sort of gesture and he appreciated it.
He did not show it, though. He was far too proud for that sort of thing, of course.

Then she began writing something, and he pointedly ignored her rather girly writing utensils. He leaned forward, hair brushing softly against his high cheekbones, and let his red-brown eyes scan the question.

He got lost on an expedition, so he could be anywhere in the world, I guess. He's an explorer.
Ty's expression tightened slightly at the thought, and he flipped to the next page, keen to change the subject.
Ty offered a vague smile as she indicated her locket, tactfully not stating how pathetically wistful he thought it was. Everybody had their own ways of getting by, and he respected that, but that did not mean he had to respect the methods themselves...
He sighed, shaking his head, then responded to her final line.

Yet his pen simply hovered over the page, immobile, then he clicked it and dropped it on the table. He simply had nothing to say to that. Nothing at all.

Cora watched him. He seemed to be bored with her, but she had a feeling he wasn't going to leave. She read over what he wrote. Then she started writing.

Im sorry. Really, I am. It must be really frustrating to know that he could be out there somewhere. But you're lucky. Actually...no. I'd hate not having closure. At least I know my parents are dead. But you...you have no idea. At least, I don't think you do. Do you?

He didn't respond to her last line. So either he was finished talking, or he had nothing to say.

[sorry it's so short!]

Tyson read over what she had said, then considered her thoughtfully - his expression completely indifferent.

No need to be sorry. That's life, right?

He paused, tapping his pen thoughtfully and staring out of the window. He did this often - just staring, as though looking out into the outside world whilst thinking was time better spent, since there was just the slimmest chance that he might be there.
As a kid, Tyson's father had meant everything to him. He had looked up to him, worshipped him, almost, and the family had been happy...
Those were the days.
But they were over now, and no amount of wishing would bring them back. He was a realist, and optimism was simply not in his vocabulary.

I'm lucky there's a chance, if a slim one, that he is alive somewhere. Though it is tiresome to constantly be searching.

He shrugged, then breathed a heavy sigh, flexing his fingers before sketching another line.

We've been here a while. He turned his head, gazing out of the window at the darkening sky, then frowned thoughtfully. It's getting late, and these parts are dangerous at night.
He heaved a wary sigh, then sketched his final offer as though it was the biggest favour he could possibly do anybody, and the most awful hassle to him - though he didn't really mind. He just preferred to have people think he did, in this situation.

Want me to walk you home?

Cora shrugged as she read.

Maybe but it's kind of horrible. But I suppose parts of life really are, and other parts are wonderful. But the wonderful parts always come after the horrible parts. That's why I feel bad for suicides. They couldn't take the horrible and missed out on the wonderful

She frowned, reading over his next few lines. It was getting dark, and she knew as well as anyone who had half a brain that it was really stupid to walk home alone after dark. So, she nodded, accepting his offer to walk her home.

Thanks, I'd like that.

She wrote down with a smile. She sighed and but her notepad and pen in her jacket pocket, in case she needed to ask him something later.

She stood and pushed her chair in, then waited for him while zipping up her jacket. She hated leaving it all the way open. It either had to be zipped all the way or zipped up to somewhere, but it couldn't be left open. She wasn't to sure why it bugged her so much, but it did. So she made sure that all her jackets with a zipper were zipped up. She wasn't like this with button ups though. Cora smiled slightly, knowing that she was just very weird.

At Cora’s pretty little speech, Tyson’s mouth hung slightly open in a dull, incredulous expression. He clearly did not appreciate what she had said at all, but since he wasn’t one to make a scene – he chose not to say anything. With a stiff scowl, he pushed his chair back with uncharacteristic force, casing it to screech across the tiled floor and drawing a few curious stares. Tyson ignored these proudly, his head held high, and brushed coldly past Cora on his way to the door. He had promised to walk her home, and he would, but he would not walk with her. He would make sure she made it home safely, because he was bound by his own word, and that was as far as it would go. After that – he’d be glad never to see her again.

Tyson began strolling down the street in a brisk pace – quiet fury smoldering in the back of his mind. Though he’d ‘said’ nothing at the time, Ty could not help but think now of what he might have said, had he been anybody other than himself.
He could have argued that what she said was a lie. That ‘horrible’ and ‘wonderful’ parts of life were simply thrown about randomly, and that not everybody got their fair share of each. How, more often than not, horrible was followed by horrible rather than wonderful.
After all, after his father had gone missing, it was not as if his mother had won the lottery and they’d lived happily ever after, no sir. After his father had gone missing, his mother had been distraught. Oftentimes he’d thought that perhaps her suicide had been the wisest choice of them all, but he would never follow in her footsteps. He, Tyson Retisant, was far above such cowardice.
Still, Cora’s thoughtless comments about suicide had bothered him, to some extent, and Tyson had always been a most unforgiving sort. She no longer existed for him. She was just another name, just another face, just another one of those pathetic little people who ought to be below him.

Such was life. It was not always fair, and not always wonderful.
Ty came to a standstill with a dramatic sigh, rolling his head back on his shoulders and staring impatiently behind him, pointedly waiting for Cora to catch up, and making it clear what he thought of having to wait for her at all. She was a waste of his time, and he didn’t care if she knew it. Tyson was simply blunt like that, and cold, too.
Could Cora take it?

Cora bLinked as he stood. She had done something wrong. She furrowed her eyebrows trying to figure out what it could be. She racked her brain again and again, trying to decide. Finally she stood up and dashed after him. He was waiting for her, but with reluctance it seemed. She looked away as she caught up. Cora didn't understand, but she assumed he had good reason to be angry with her. A lot of people did.

She pulled her hood up, still looking away from him. Finally she glanced over at him, then couldn't turn away. He was so incredibly upset with her...and she had no idea why. What could she have done wrong? She went over their conversation again in her head. Coming up with nothing she took out her notepad and flipped through everything she had written down. Finally she had gotten to the last thing. She had given him a short speech about her "philosophy" on why life was hard. She skimmed over it. Could it have been about the suicide thing? Maybe.

She flipped her notepad to a clean page and took out her pen. She thought over what she would write, then sighed. Cora figured she might as well start with a question.

What on earth did I do wrong? If it was something I 'said' then I'm sorry but I just need you to tell me what it is.

She thrust the notepad at him, then put her pen back in her jacket pocket.

Tyson grunted in annoyance as the notepad was thrust at him, and he calmly flicked Cora’s hand away. He didn’t want it in his face. He did, however, skim-read the note first.
So he stifled a growl of irritation, and pulled his notepad neatly from his pocket, followed by the pen. He clicked it viciously, then stabbed the nib into the page – almost ripping right through it.

You’ve no reason not to speak, so if there is something you feel you absolutely MUST share, then please tell me aloud rather than scribbling and flaunting about something you don’t understand.

It was cold, but Tyson didn’t care. Tact was wasted on him, since he had never appreciated it, and never would. As such, he didn’t use it either. What was the point of sugarcoating words when their deepest meanings remained the same? To protect the person you spoke them to? Hah! Why speak them in the first place if you don’t mean them?
Yes, the way he saw it, his harshness was not uncalled for.
Still, he felt a little guilty, despite himself.
So Tyson heaved a weary sigh, then set about answering her questions.

That aside, You did nothing wrong, and you said nothing wrong. This should have been apparent, seeing as how there IS nothing wrong.

He paused a moment, fingering his pen thoughtfully, then decided that since he had started he might as well finish.

I have no problem with what you say or do. My only problem is with what you are. Now shall we be off? I don’t know where you stay, so you’ll have to lead the way.

With that, he folded his arms and leaned back on his heels, waiting impatiently. He honestly didn’t care if he came across as cold. Cora needed to learn that the world was not as warm and fuzzy as she seemed to think it was.

Cora stared at him in disbelief. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She stood there for a brief moment, then set her mouth in a thin line.

"I can find my own way home." She said, pushing past him and walking off, hot tears of anger rolling down her cheeks. She crossed her arms as she went, not looking back. How dare he say that to her? What right did he have? None!

Cora stopped, and looked around. She sniffled, and wiped her eyes and nose with her sleeve. She looked around again, and realized she had no clue where she was. She though about going back, but no. She wouldn't. She was done with him and his moody attitude. Sure, on the outside he didn't act like it, but really he was moody. She hated it. Cora took a shuddering breathe and went on her way again, hoping somehow she could figure out where her house was.

After a while of walking she grew weary and stopped, sitting on the curb. The flow of people had ebbed away, but not much. She hugged herself and let more tears fall. She was scared, and cold, and alone. She wanted to go home. Cora stared at her knees, and the tears stopped. Her face was blotchy now,and her eyes were rimmed with red. She stood and looked around for some sort of landmark. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. That was fairly likely, seeing as she could hardly see where she was going when she had let Ty.

She wondered why he acted the way he acted. He had seemed...well....nice. At first. Now she would be happy never to see him ever again. That might have been her anger talking, but that was what she was feeling. Maybe he would too, but she wasn't sure if he even had a heart.

Tyson did not react to Cora’s tears. He found the sight indecent, since it seemed to him that she was being overly sensitive and making a scene. He did not improve of this much, so if she was trying to guilt trip him, then she was going about it the wrong way. He had said nothing to offend her, not really, he had merely stated his opinion as bluntly as possible – as was his wont.
Then, with some snappish words, Cora turned on her heel and stormed off.

Tyson rolled his eyes dramatically, heaving a weary sigh – as though putting up with Cora was the greatest effort he could possibly go through.
He waited a while, letting her get far enough that she wouldn’t quite see him, and then he followed her. He had given his word, after all, that he would see her home safely. He had never said he would be pleasant about it. He was not a pleasant person after all, especially not when somebody had offended him. He could be cruel and unforgiving at times, and he made sure the world knew it.
Not that they ever understood…
Not that they ever even tried to understand…
But he didn’t care.

A few footsteps later, Tyson happened upon the bench where Cora now sat – blotchy-faced and red-eyed from crying. He found the sight utterly pathetic, and thus he was intensely surprised when an unexpected lance of guilt stabbed through him.
Ty pursed his lips, and dropped his red-brown gaze to the ground as he slowly approached the bench.
Silently, he sat down beside Cora, watching his folded hands in his lap. He was not going to apologise for what he had said, because he wasn’t sorry. He had meant every word – else why would he have said it? He had not, however, meant to hurt her. So he supposed he could apologise for that – much as he felt she did not deserve it. Still, it would cure his guilt, and that would make him feel better.

So, with a weary sigh, Tyson took out his notebook and scrawled a tidy letter of apology.

I’m sorry you were upset. I assure you I meant no harm – I was merely stating the truth.

He sighed heavily, putting his notebook down beside him and rolling his stiff shoulders. Then he climbed to his feet and turned to face Cora, holding out his hand to help her up – his expression as unreadable as ever.

Cora blinked when she felt someone sit down beside her. She looked to see who it was, and was surprised to se Ty. She sat there in silence for a moment, then read the note. Her eyes hardened and she glared at him as he stood. Coldly she took his hand, and stood up.

"Just because you said you were sorry doesn't make it better." Cora muttered, still glaring. She didn't need, nor want, any apology. She had dropped her notepad somewhere, not that it mattered. She didn't want to write. She wanted to yell and scream and throw a fit, but what good would that do? Why should she waste her breath if he wouldn't waste his? So she wouldn't. Well, no. She had some more things to say to him.

"You don't need to take me home. Just because you said you would doesn't mean I want you to. So you can just...go where ever it is you go." Cora turned and started walking, but ended up glancing back at him. She narrowed her eyes, still angry. But the rage was ebbing away. She finally softened up and walked back.

"I'm sorry. For whatever it was that I did or...for being who I am. But I can't change that. So either just accept it or don't. I have a feeling you won't ever accept it, so bye."

She turned on her heel and started walking away again. Cora brushed some hair off her cheek that was getting on her nerves. She turned on a street, and looked around. She squinted at the street sign, and made it out to be a street tht wa nearby her house. She gave a little skip of excitement and started walking towards it. She turned again and found her street. She started walking down it with a little spring in her step.

Cora rejected Tyson’s apology, but he didn’t care. He hadn’t expected her to accept it anyway, since there had been nothing he was apologising for, really. He was merely stating his sorrow at the fact that she had become upset through something he had said. That was a fault of her own, not of his.
Well… That was the way he saw it, anyway. He couldn’t help it if Cora was soft…

Still, perhaps he was being a little harsh. Not everybody was, as Lizzie said, ‘an emotionless rock’ after all. He couldn’t change humanity, and since he would not sculpt himself to fit them either, he supposed he’d just have to tolerate their unbearable ignorance.
Now he thought on it, Cora could not have known that he would find her words irritating. It was not her fault… He had simply lashed out because what she had said had just been so… So typical! The truth was, he was tired of being misunderstood. Tired of being the outcast. Tired of being treated like he was cast from stone… He had thought that Cora was different. Perhaps he had even secretly hoped that she might understand him a little – at least to some extent.
So when she had made that pathetic little comment, he could not lie, he had been disappointed. And through his disappointment, he had forgotten that she could not help being human. Ironic, really… He had fallen victim to the very same curse.
Perhaps he owed her a sincere apology after all…

Tyson glanced up then to see Cora heading back toward him, and he watched with a dull, indifferent expression. He didn’t really care that she had come back, nor why she had done it – but since she had, he would hear her out.
What he heard surprised him slightly. She apologised – though to him it seemed more self-justifying than apologetic, and certainly not sincere. But he appreciated the gesture, nonetheless.
What really got him, was what had come after that. She’d said goodbye. Just like that: She had walked over to him, said goodbye, and walked off again.
Ty’s eyebrows slowly rose and vanished into his spiky fringe. Had she honestly just done that…? And what was more – she thought he wouldn’t ‘accept’ who she was? He had no problem whatever with who she was. It was what she was that bothered him…

Tyson growled softly under his breath, shaking off his thoughts, then jogged after her. As he rounded the next corner, he was pleased to see a skip in her step, and watched with a satisfied expression – almost a smile – as she made her way safely toward home.
He was glad. It didn’t really matter what had happened in between – all that mattered was that he had now repayed his debt (Or rather Lizzie’s), and no harm had befallen either of them.

He was about to turn away, when suddenly a soft sound caught his attention. Ty spun around, just in time to see a quick shadow dart across the road, emerging from behind a car to hide again behind a tall tree on the opposite side.
Ty rolled his shoulders and clicked his neck to each side, then began strolling purposefully toward Cora – collar high and hands in pockets. His shoes tapped sharply against the cold tarmac as he made his way over to her, finally reaching her about half way down the street. He cast a brief glance over his shoulder, catching the sight of a few hooded figures stirring in the shadows. He had known ever since he had seen them earlier that Stix and his gang were up to no good! Seeing a girl walking down the street alone at night… That was an opportunity they would not pass up.
Ty could restrain himself no longer, and jogged the last couple of steps until he was beside Cora.
Glancing subtly over his shoulder to keep an eye on the gang, Tyson shifted his collar up higher – then pressed a note into Cora’s hand, just like before.

Get inside, quickly, and lock the doors.

He came to a standstill then and turned around, dropping his little ‘disguise’ and standing proud – obviously ready to attract attention. He couldn’t believe how stupid he was being… It had nothing to do with him if Cora was-
Well, it was not a pleasant thought… But he could lose his own life through rebelling against the gang! So why was he doing it…? What was the point of being selfless if he ended up dead? He had no clue. Nor did he know why he even cared what happened to Cora… But the gang had seen him now, and it was too late to go back. Tyson rolled his shoulders, and mentally prepared himself for a beating. How troublesome… Bruises would look terribly untidy on his clean face. To think that somebody of his class could be involved in something so barbaric… It was preposterous.

Cora felt a note pressed into her hand. She blinked and read it, knowing the handwriting across the pape to be Tyson's. She looked up at him and took a deep breathe. She read the note again, just to be sure she knew what it said. Waching him she realized what he was doing. Cora grabbed his arm and dragged him into her house and up the steps.

"Are you insane?" She hissed as she bolted the door and then moved onto the windows. She closed the blinds and locked them, just as he had instructed. She went all around the house and did this, finally ending with the back door. She came back and stared at him, a scrutinizing gaze as if she were sizing him up. Then, with an exasperated sigh, Cora motioned for him to come.

"Why would you try and do something silly like that? I know you have more sense than that." She said it while drumming her hands on the countertop which she was leaning against.

"If you were trying to...'play hero', please don't. I really would hate to see you get hurt on my behalf. That would sure put a load on my shoulders." She took a piece of gum out of her pants pocket and popped it in her mouth. She watched him with mild curiosity, wondering what his reaction was to her dragging him in here. Probably not pleasant. She walked back over to one of the windows and peeked out. She could still see the hooded figures. She assumed this was the gang Ty had spoken of before.

It was lucky for her that he had been there, but she wouldn't let him know that. She blew and then popped a bubble as she resumed leaning against the counter, waiting for him to 'say' something. Which meant she was waiting for him to write down something. She furrowed her eyebrows. Why was it that he always seemed to be there to keep her safe? Well at least since today he had been. It was strange...he didn't seem like the kind of person who would care in the least about what happened to one girl. Especially her. Right now it seemed that to him she was lower than dirt, which was fine. She had plenty of other people to lean back on. But still...in some way it pained her.

Slowly clenching and unclenching his fists, Tyson mentally prepared himself for what was to come as he saw the gang begin to stir, obviously near ready to execute their plan.
But he was prepared, and of course he was not afraid. He would justify his reasons for doing this some other time, when he’d had time to make up come believable ones.
A spark of determination coursed through him, igniting his courage, and Tyson prepared to step forward to meet the gang – his expression deadly serious.

But then he felt a vice-like grip on his arm, and suddenly he was behind dragged backwards. Ty could not suppress a soft exclamation of surprise, and his expression was nearly comical in bewildered surprise as he stumbled and scrambled backwards after Cora – not going willingly, but actually being dragged toward the house. Still, he was not one to make a scene, so in his shock he fell back upon instincts and allowed her to drag him into the house. Then he stood with a ridiculous confused expression on his face as Cora began locking all the doors and windows. He was still pumped full of the adrenaline he had summoned for the fight (Or perhaps flight) and somehow it was keeping him from concentrating. In fact, he was struggling to transition from waiting outside to have his lights knocked out, and standing safely inside. He just couldn’t get his bearings…

Then Ty became aware of the stupid, shocked expression on his face, and he shook his head – refocusing and shutting mouth firmly. He blinked at Cora for a moment, then raised his head slightly, trying to peer through a gap in the blinds from a distance. He looked back at Cora, back at the blinds again, and then slowly his expression began to transition. His eyebrows knitted slowly closer and closer together and his jawline tightened as cold fury, not as well hidden as he’d have liked, tainted his features.
Eyes smouldering fire red with his anger, Tyson jerked out his arm – pointing forcefully toward outside. He opened his mouth as though to speak, but then remembered his pact just in time and remained silent – though this seemed to be the last straw for him, and he could no longer contain his irritation.

Clamping his jaw tight shut, Tyson threw his hands up in helplessness, digging his fingers into his hair in frustration and throwing his head back. He turned away from Cora and stalked off a couple of steps, obviously trying to calm himself, then raked his fingers through his hair with a soft growl of frustration, and allowed his hands to fall back to his sides.
He took a deep breath, released it slowly, then turned back to Cora – his expression hard and cold, clearly announcing the approach of the cruelest, harshest words he could muster.

He raised his pen like a sword, clicked it violently, then put it calmly to the paper and began to write, the very movement of his hand seeming terribly callous.
Once he was done writing, Ty lifted his pen into his pocket, left the notepad on the table, and turned away, stalking over to the window with his hands thrust into his pockets and staring out into the street – his dark braid gleaming faintly in the soft light.

The words on the page stood out sharply in neat, black ink.
You are correct. That was a lapse of judgement on my part… Thank you.

[sorry this sucks xP I had to rush it a but because I'm on my iPod and it's almost dead!]

Cora watched him with mild amusement. It was easy to see how irritated he was with her. Finally she walked over and read what he had said. Blinking, Cora tilted her head. She could tell these words were meant to be said in a harsh way. Sighing she handed the notepad to him.

"You'll be fine in here. You may not like it, but at least you'll be conscious." She soughed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Well, go ahead and make yourself comfortable. There's food in the cupboards, soda, milk, and orange juice in the fridge. Help yourself. I'll be back in a minute. You can find the glasses in the cupboard on the left by the sink, and silverware is in that drawer." She indicated a drawer on the right of the sink. Finally she turned and went upstairs to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

Peeling off her jacket, she tied her hair back and turned the faucet on hot. She ran her hand under it and then commenced to scrub her face with a washcloth. Mascara smeared under her eyes and she wiped it off. Cora looked at herself in the mirror. With a sigh she pulled the hair tie out of her hair and put it on her wrist, then she walked back downstairs to Ty.

((No worries, it was good! As for me, I was just lazy. :3 Hehe!))

Ty nodded stiffly at Cora’s offer, then took to staring out of the window once more. He was not going to accept charity… It simply wasn’t his style. He couldn’t accept Cora’s offer – kind as it was.
Still, he did appreciate it. Not that he showed it, of course…

When Cora returned from whatever she was doing, Tyson was still staring out of the window, remaining inconspicuous and staying as still as possible, so that he could see without being seen.
When Cora arrived, Tyson turned slowly to face her – still standing beside the window – and looked her briefly up and down.
He was glad she had taken off the makeup. She looked better without it, somehow… To him, anyway. She seemed more genuine. Easier to trust…

Anything to do with secrecy and hiding tended to raise Tyson’s defenses. Possibly something to do with his mother blowing her brains out through a smile when he and Lizzie had thought everything was fine… If she hadn’t hidden everything from him, he could have tried to help her… Then none of this would have happened.

His red-brown eyes lingered on Cora’s face a while longer, then his surly expression gradually softened, and he offered a kind smile – nodding approvingly before turning back to the window, and staring out of it as indifferent as ever – yet with slightly less tension gripping his powerful shoulders.

Cora arched her eyebrows. She sighed and walked over to the window beside him. She didn't look out though, just watched him curiously. Finally she turned and peeked through the blinds, wondering what he was looking at. She couldn't see anything because of the darkness. Only a few streetlamps were lit, and the houses were pushed a bit back from the street so that the light didn't really reach the asphalt. She squinted.

"Are they still out there?" She asked, removing her hand from the blinds and looking back at him. Cora tilted her head to the side, wondering why he seemed to guard his emotions. Maybe he had told her, or maybe he hadn't. She couldn't remember exactly. With a heavy sigh that lifted her shoulders, she went back to the kitchen and got out a mug and filled it with water from that thing on the freezer. She wasn't sure what it was called. She took a bag of tea out of one of the cupboards and put it in the water, then put the mug in the microwave and started heating it up.

While waiting for her tea she went back to the window.

"Are you sure you don't want anything? We have tea, coffee, iced tea, and everything I told you before." She really wanted to make him more comfortable. Even if she had been mad at him, she wasn't anymore. What was the point? To her seemed to be a waste of energy, though she tended to get mad easily. Not necessarily mad always, just fed up with things. But she got over them quickly. Cora sighed and kicked her shoes off, leaving them where they were. Her aunt and uncle didn't particularly care where shoes were left, so long as they weren't muddy. She looked at his feet then back up at his face, which was still expressionless, but softer. Nicer, in a way.

"You can take your shoes off, if you want." She offered a little shyly.

At Cora’s question, Ty turned to face her, frowning thoughtfully. He considered the possibility of Stix and the gang waiting outside, and turned to stare out of the window again – but he could see nothing in the darkness. So when he looked to Cora again, his only response was a helpless shrug.

She vanished for a while then, busying herself in the kitchen, then returned a short while later – once again offering him refreshments.
Tyson smiled faintly at her, and shook his head politely – declining the offer once again.
He did not take charity. Simple.
Tyson half-watched Cora, not really paying attention, as she kicked her shoes off and offered for him to do the same. Once again, Ty shook his head – definitely happier to keep his shoes on his feet.

He did, however, decide to take out his notepad and scribble a brief word of appreciation, since he knew it might come across as rude to simply sit around and shake his head.

So he clicked his pen, and sketched two simple words: Thank you.

He had nothing else to say after that, so Ty turned back to the window – but there was nothing to see now.
Presently, he turned back to Cora, and took to staring at her instead – his expression somewhat thoughtful, as though he wasn’t really seeing her.

Cora read the note, and nodded. She didn't say anything for a while, she just stood there staring out the window. Her gaze was rather far off, and she barely noticed him turn away from the window. She had forgotten where her aunt and uncle were, but she had a feeling they would be gone for a while. They had probably left a note somewhere for her, but she didn't feel the need to go look for it. Absentmindedly her hands went to her hair and she began to seperate it and braided it dowth the side. Cora did that when she was thinking or just daydreaming. She loved messing with her hair and other peoples hair, but only with their consent. She furrowed her eyebrows as she thought. A year or two ago she had become fond of the "scene" hairstyle and everyday would tease her hair so that it stood straight up on the top of her head. She had also dyed it, but finally it had become very damaged and she gave up on that. She stripped it of the hair color and it went back to it's original blonde color. She laughed a bit out loud as she thought about that.

A beeping sound in the distance made her jump. She remembered her tea and ran into the kitchen and took out of the microwave. She blew on it then added some cream and a heap of sugar, stirring it as she went back to Ty. She took a sip and made a face.

"To hot." She said to explain the face she made. She held it in her hands as she went back to the window. This time, however, Cora didn't look out of it but rather at Ty. Again her head tilted as she watched him. Normally she could easily read people, but he was like one of those locked diaries. Normally this annoyed her immensely, but now it didn't really bother her. She was used to it.

"F-Follow the freeway, break the routine-" A voice began to sing somewhere behind them. Cora realized it was her phone. She had completely forgotten about it until then. She set her tea down on a stand and went to go get it. She opened it up and saw it was a text from one of her friends asking if she could hang out. She quickly replied "no" and set it back down and went back to Ty.

"Sorry about that." She said with an apologetic smile and a small shrug.

At the ringing of the phone, Ty felt the faintest flash of annoyance – but at Cora’s apology, he immediately forsook it – pleased that, for once, Cora was living up to his expectations.
Well, perhaps that we not the best way to think on it, but still…

He shook off the thoughts, and turned to stare out of the window again, but there was nothing to stare at. It was dark. That meant only one thing: It was time for him to actually start making himself useful, rather than standing about pointlessly.

So, armed with his pen, Tyson turned back to face Cora.

Are you hungry?

He did not wait for the answer to this question, but merely began jotting down his next note for fear of Cora thinking he was asking rude questions. It needed an explanation…

If you like, I could cook something. I haven’t had a chance in a while, so I’d probably enjoy it, and I daresay you’ll find my cooking satisfactory…

He ceased writing, twirling his pen in his fingers and waiting for Cora’s response – feeling just a little tense at the prospect of her rejecting his suggestion, and thus him feeling like a fool.

Still, it had been worth the risk. Honestly, he had been itching to get back into a kitchen for quite some time. He remembered his lessons as a boy, and how he had helped his mother (Or rather, how she had helped him, since he had always taken the lead) prepare a feast for his father every time he came back from one of his excursions.
That last feast had been wasted. Ty’s father had never come home, and after that nobody had had any appetite… It was about time he finished what he’d started.

Cora read over the note, and started smiling. She nodded.

"Yes, please! It's been forever since I've eaten something that wasn't Mac N' Cheese or cold pizza." She gave him a bright smile, and then walked to the kitchen and motioned for him to follow.

"All of the spices are in here." She pointed to the large cupboard on the left of the freezer and refridgerator. "And the meats should be in the freezer. Umm...I'm not sure what exactly we have. You'll just have to look through it all. None of them should have freezer burn. They're all fairly new. And any other ingredients you need should be...umm...in the drawers and other cupboards."

She wasn't really used to telling people where everything in her house was, because she rarely had anyone over there. She normally went over to other peoples house. Cora wondered why, but didn't think much about it.

"So um...I guess you can do your thing. If you need any help just let me know." She flashed him another smile, thoroughly excited about this. She was normally home alone and since she didn't cook a lot she made easy things like spaghetti and mac n' cheese, or just ate left overs. She didn't mind it, but it would be nice to have a home-cooked meal.

((Research today is failing for me. Haha! Just couldn't find anything helpful... And when I finally found a dish I liked the look of, there was no label to tell me what it was! Dies* But anyway: This is what it looks like: Link :3 ))

Ty's expression brightened at Cora's enthusiasm, and for once he did not seem as dull and bored as he usually did. In fact, if one didn't know him better, it could almost have been said that he seemed... Excited?
Indeed, Tyson's eyes tracked Cora's instructions eagerly as she familiarised him with the kitchen, and the instant the 'tour' was over, he leaped into action!
First, Tyson rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands thoroughly at the sink, then he briefly washed all his work surfaces.

Content, he began searching through all the ingredients he could find in the house - searching for anything he could use to make a simple, yet classy meal.
Before long, Tyson had his idea in mind, and his ingredients gathered: The preparations complete.

He paused a moment to savour the moment, then unleashed his fearsome skills upon the kitchen - using the classy French Cuisine style that he had learned in his youth. Tyson was oblivious to all else as he slaved away at the food - determined to make the meal completely and utterly perfect.

It was not too much later when Ty's efforts finally drew to a close, and he sprinkled the final drizzle of sauce over the dish - leaving before him a meal fit for a king - quite literally. It was a dish for royalty, not for some scrawny kid off the streets. But of course, Ty didn't care. Did he ever?
So he grabbed a plate in each hand, balancing them skillfully, and carried them through to the other room, placing them gently on the big table he assumed was meant for meals.

Cora watched him in amazement. She followed him to the dining room and took out some place mats and set them down for him to place the dishes on. She stared at it in awe. It was like something you'd find in one of those extremely fancy resturaunts. She sat down at one of the places at the table, then waited politely for him to sit as well.

"It looks delicious!" She said, hoping it tasted as good as it looked. She was sure it did, but just in case she sniffed it. However she sniffed everything, except for chemicals in science class. Cora looked back at him, then picked up her silver ware and dug in.

After taking one bite her face lit up. She swallowed and took another one, nodding approvingly to him. After swallowing that bite she wiped her mouth with her napkin and looked at him,

"This is amazing!" She exclaimed.

Ty smiled slightly at Cora’s excited exclamation, then turned his head slightly aside to hide a chuckle behind his hand as he saw her begin to sniff it. Ordinarily he might have been insulted, or else simply repulsed by such an animalistic gesture – but at that moment he was in such a good mood that he even found it endearing.

Shaking off his thoughts, Tyson joined Cora at the table. He picked at the food, scooping a small amount onto his fork and popping it neatly into his mouth, then considering it thoughtfully. He was a little out of practice, but he thought the food had come out pretty well considering…

He was about to take his second mouthful, when Cora suddenly burst into a sudden exclamation, declaring that the meal was, as she said, ‘amazing’. Ty could not deny that he was pleased, and it was with a faint hint of pride that he humbly bowed his head to acknowledge Cora’s praise.

He nibbled neatly on a few more mouthfuls, then suddenly remembered his manners – all but kicking himself for forgetting them. He grabbed his notepad and wrote so quickly that his handwriting almost appeared untidy.

Thanks for letting me cook. It’s been quite some time since I last had a chance…

He flipped to the next page, tapped his pen thoughtfully for a moment, then forsook contemplation and decided just to express the thoughts on his mind for once.

I owe you an apology for before. There’s no problem with the way you are, really. You’re different, I suppose.
Thanks.

He dropped the pen then and turned away from the inky words with deep-set embarrassment, turning his attention back to his meal and eating slightly master than usual.

Quickly Cora finished, not realizing how hungry she had been. She stared at the empty plate in amazement. She never really finished stuff that quickly. She rarely finished a lot of meals at all. She looked over at him with a brought smile.

"Youre welcome, I'm just glad you did! It was super good." She read the next note and tilted her head slightly.

"No apology needed. I'm sorry too. I overreacted. But only a little bit." Cora gave a small giggle, an indication that she was joking.

"I don't understand though..what's the last "thanks" for?" She made air quotes for emphasis on the thanks. Cora blinked again and then stood. She grabbed her plate and took it into the kitchen and rinsed it off. Then she came back and sat down again.

"Whenever you're done I can take your plate and silverware. Just give me the say-so." Cora flashed him a brilliant grin, and brought one foot up on her chair so that she could comfortably rest her chin on her knee. She watched him, then realized she was staring and looked away. Shed always been told it was rude to stare while someone was eating.