| Drop All Those Cliches |, Brady

[Mea]

It had been a long and hard day for newcomer Bayleigh at the Academy. Coming from a high school where she had just been a number into a place that was so close-knit and family oriented had been quite of a surprise for her; and the fact that it was a school in a whole different country was also something that attributed to her surprise.

Bayleigh let her backpack slip from her shoulder and set it down on the floor gently against the row of lockers that she was standing in front of. There was a whole half-hour that she had to waste away before she was free to go that day; a benefit of being home schooled before her family’s move to Scotland.

She leaned against the locker that she was in front of, sliding down along it until she was seated on the floor with her legs out in front of her. Bayleigh readjusted the hem of her skirt so that she was not exposing herself, resting her head back against the cool metal and closing her eyes, giving a gentle sigh.


[Brayden Chase]

[Heather]

Brayden shuffled his feet a bit as he flicked his wrist and sent a shot across the hall to the man diagonal him. "Have you been settling in all right?" The man interjected questioningly but all it got was a slight shrug from the teenager. The man's foot sent the puck sliding back to his side of the hall way and he sent it back across with another shot.

The halls were empty, a hollowness holding in them as they walked. "It's a tough adjustment, but you'll find yourself fitting in pretty well around here." The man assured him and once again, the only reaction was a shrug. "You’re sure to get along with your team, if that's what you are worried about." The puck slid back and this time he nodded. "I'm not worried." He replied as if that was simple enough, moving the puck from side to side. Classes were still in session even though the day was almost up.

He had just arrived in Scotland that morning and after dropping by the apartment he would be staying in for a brief moment, he was off again. First, he had a meeting and practice with the Scottish Junior Team and then the assistant coach from the team personally brought him to school to get his schedule set up. Now, there was only an hour to kill before someone would come to pick him up. He shifted his bag on his shoulder, stopping beside the man when he did. "I'm sure you're not. I've got to go, but I'm sure you'll settle well." He offered a hand and with one shake of it, he was gone.

Brady shook his head just slightly as he turned back to his puck, shuffling it to the side then back. He was sure to fit in, he knew it, but getting rushed into all of this was just too much for the moment. The hallways of the school echoed as he sent a shot off a locker, hitting it down with a stick as it flew back at him. It rolled onto the ground and he sent another shot to the locker at one end of the hallway. It hit the edge, ricocheting into the empty hallway he was yet to explore yet. He rounded the corner and saw his puck slipping past a girl who was sitting against the cold, shiny floors of the school.

"I, uh, sorry 'bout that." He muttered, confident despite the low pitch in his voice.

[Mea]

Bayleigh gave a gentle sigh, wishing that the time would pass by quicker so that she could get out of the school for the day and head back to the apartment. It was a Friday, so she would have all weekend to relax before coming back to the dreadful place she was currently sitting in. Wetting her lips, she continued to keep her eyes closed, allowing her body to relax for a bit.

The hallways were remotely silent until a loud bang caused Bayleigh to open her eyes, and then she followed the puck with her gaze as it slid past her. Her eyebrow arched curiously as she stared at it for a moment, realizing that there was no one following after the puck. Finally, she saw someone step around the corner of the hallway, and turned her attention in that direction.

Bayleigh gave a gentle shrug as he apologized, then gave a soft smile, “That’s okay. It didn’t bother me,” she mentioned to him. She scooted forward a bit, reaching for the puck that had slid to a stop not too far from her. Bayleigh sent it back across the floor to him with a gentle flick of her wrist,.

[Heather]

Brady set the head of the stick down against the smooth floor as she sent the puck back to him. His eyes instantly jumped to the way her skirt moved when she advanced toward the puck but he immediately turned his attention to the puck that was sliding back toward him. He lay the tip flat against the ground, catching the edge of the puck and flipping it up to catch it in his hand.

"You . . . comfy on the ground?" He asked her with a cool grin as he slipped the puck into the pocket of his hoodie with 'SJL' and hockey sticks emblazoned on it. It was obvious that he went full out, but that was just his personality. His eyes fell back to her as he allowed just a bit of his weight to press upon his stick, crossing one leg across.

"You from around here?" He asked of her, heeding no attention to the fact that her voice sounded nothing like anyone he had run into yet. He was rather eager to make a guide out of someone who knew the scene of the school. She had the coolness of her that said she had an obvious clue of what was going on around them but that did not necessarily mean she was familiar with the school or that she wanted to be.

Despite the fact that he did not want to stay in all the time, Brady had to admit he had no real interest in integrating himself into the society of the school. He wanted to play hockey, after that, everything would come. "I just moved here, y'see. Not used to it." He told her, a confident grin spreading across his face. He was friendly and since birth, he was always willing to strike up a conversation with anyone from a familiar face to a complete stranger.

[Mea]

Bayleigh returned to her original seat leaned against the lockers, giving a gentle shrug at his question. “It’s more comfortable than sitting in a hard desk, that’s for sure,” she commented, watching him slip the puck into his hoodie pocket. “What about you? You, uhm, comfortable..” she paused, thinking of what she could say, “…standing?”

She arched her brow again when he asked if she was from around here. “Well, if I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be sitting here on the floor, huh?” she questioned playfully, crossing her legs at the ankles. “But if you call moving here a week ago from ‘around here’, then yeah, I guess so,” she told him, smoothing out her skirt again. She nodded softly as he continued, an amused smile coming to her face, “And you’re needing someone to show you the ropes,” she assumed, looking up at him.

[Heather]

Brady was a bit taken aback by the way she seemed to read every expression on his face. It made his face go a bit more stoic but at the same time it managed to pique his interest. That was by far the larger challenge. "I don't need anyone to do anything for me." He said, not overly cocky but his confidence was sure. He toyed slightly with the tape on the stick before resting it against his left shoulder.

"I was just askin' around. Trying to see which way is up. I just got here this morning." He explained to her, letting his hand toy with the puck in his pocket. He glanced down the hallway, appearing bored as he allowed a silent sigh that moved his shoulders just slightly. "Jus' a week ago?" He reaffirmed when she had arrived and felt himself nod just slightly. "An' do all the new kids lounge in the hallway for a week or do some of them actually go to class?" He asked, an amused smirk on his face.

Here they were, both new, and both treating the hallway like it was their personal living room and there was no trouble with hanging around in it. "Plus, I doubt you've learned the ropes yourself if you're new. Unless you're a particularly fast learner. You aren't, are you?" He asked, grinning. He pulled the puck back from his pocket and dropped it down to the ground, moving it with the stick. He glanced down at her, studying her face with an almost expectant glance before shooting the puck toward the wall and snatching the rebound before it reached the opposite wall.

[Mea]

“Mhmm,” Bayleigh responded to his cocky tinge, another amused look coming across her face. She brushed a hand through her long blonde hair, bringing it over her shoulder so that she wasn’t pulling it when she leaned her head back against the locker again. It had been a rough and boring week for her, and it didn’t seem that things were looking up for her. All that was on her mind was getting home to change out of the school’s uniform and get into a pair of ordinary clothes.

Bayleigh nodded slowly, wetting her lips quickly. “Well, welcome to the Academy—land of boredom and absolute nothingness,” she said with a soft laugh, shaking her head slowly. “I would say that they actually go to class, but then again, you’re in the hallway, so I’m not quite sure on that assumption,” she commented to him.

“Ooh, yeah, lemme tell you about it. I’m so not a fast learner,” Bayleigh said with a sarcastic- yet playful- look towards him. She slowly pushed herself to stand up, opening her unlocked locker that was beside where she was sitting and pulling out a jacket. “I do know that with all the racket you’re making, the administration is going to be on the hunt to figure out what’s causing a disruption to those who actually are in class,” she mentioned to him, “But I do know of a perfect little place where you can go and shoot that.. thing.. around and we won’t be yelled at.”

[Heather]

Brady nodded a bit when she 'welcomed' him to the Academy. "I expected so much. That's why I'm here. I like the stir things up a bit." His grin was once again cocky, but something about it showed a hint of truth in what he said. He liked to make waves and make an impact. He shrugged slightly when she commented on his being in the hallway.

"I'm not supposed to go to class until Monday. And you're not in class yourself, what is your story?" He responded, not expecting or wanting a reply. A hand came up from the shaft of the stick to push back the unruly ringlets of blond that fell around his blue eyes. He often wore a hat to hold them back but he had to look at least semi-respectable for the first meeting of his new school administrators.

"I'm sure you can tell I'm not part of this droning boredom, yet." He said to her, motioning to his outfit which was far from the school dress code. His shirt was simple with 'A&F' written across the front and his jeans were ripped, slung low and worn down on purpose, a small portion of the red flannel boxers showed through the space between the shirt and the jeans.

"I didn't say you weren't a fast learner." He said to her, but didn't make any attempt to defend himself further. He shrugged off her comment. "The administration knows who I am pretty well and they'll probably know me better by next year." He commented to her, stopping the puck with his stick.

"It's a puck. Yanno? Hard, rubber . . . used for hockey . . . rhymes with . . . well, you know." He smirked, but was still intrigued in the place she mentioned despite his confidence. "Oh, really?" He questioned her, leaning a shoulder against the locker two down from her. He sized her up a bit more now that she was standing but said and did nothing more than that.

[Mea]

Bayleigh gave another shrug at his question, “I don’t have a class last period. Thus I have to put up with being around here for an extra hour every day until next year begins.” She glanced over at his clothes a moment, shaking her head slowly as she shrugged her jacket on over her shoulders. “And lemme guess, the first thing that you’re going to ‘stir up’ is the dress code, right?” she asked, knowing that he would most likely want to rebel against it since Sedgewick Academy was quite strict on enforcing the school uniform’s codes.

She grabbed a few books out of her locker before closing it and replacing the lock back on its hook. Turning, she arched her brow with an unfazed expression and looked up at him, “Oh, you mean rhymes with luck? As in, you would be lucky if you got it?”

A satisfied smirk settled at the corners of her lips, and she leaned down to pick up her back pack and draped it over her shoulder. “There’s an alley outside those doors between a storage building and the gym,” she mentioned to him, stepping around him and starting towards the doors. “You can have all the action you’d like with your so-called ‘puck’ out there,” she said.

[Heather]

Brady glanced down at his attire and then allowed his eyes to slip along hers. "That's far from the worst. We'll have to see how I like it, though." He replied to her with a confident grin. His shoulders relaxed and his backpack sagged, placing the edge of the stick against the nearby lockers. He watched closely as she closed her locker and re-hooked the lock.

"Ooh, harsh words from the lady." He said confidently, his grin not even wavering. "I'm sure I won't have any trouble finding a stroke of luck around here," he told her, inclining his head just slightly. "Unless girls around here are completely closed minded, eyed and legged." His confidence eased around him in an air, circling him smoothly.

Once he found his element very little would zap him out of it. He watched her as she spoke, nodding and taking note of it mentally. He moved after her, his feet scraping the ground just slightly. "An' where are you going?" He asked her, moving the few feet toward the door after her.

"You aren't going to be my new tour guide to a new town?" He asked her, acting as if he was offended. "I don't know where anything this. How will I find the storage building or gym?" He asked her, carrying his stick at his side as he moved close to her. His blue eyes fell down upon hers, a softness in them that never matched his cocky personality.

[Mea]

Bayleigh’s shoulders shrugged softly, “Some girls around here are. But what would I know? I’m not one of them.” As she continued down the hallway, her heels made a gentle click against the slick flooring throughout the building. “Woah, buddy,” she chuckled, stopping and turning towards him. “What happened to needing no one to do anything for you?” she questioned him with an arch of her brow questioningly.

“I’m going there, myself. If you’re really needing a tour guide, then you can follow,” she told him after a moment, looking up at him. She caught his gaze for a moment, sucking in a quick breath. “The, uhm,” she fumbled for words for a moment, “The alley’s iced over.. so..” Bayleigh wet her lips, turning her attention back to the door that she was headed towards. “It’s this way,” she muttered, starting to walk forward again.

[Heather]

Brayden didn't find himself too forlorn when she posed her first question. Maybe she really wasn't all that open, but there was always a possibility that she simply wasn't admitting it. He would never make that assumption about anyone, but he would find out for sure on his own. "Well, I don't need guidance. I'm requesting it. If you don't want to..." He left the rest of the sentence off, his shoulders shrugging just slightly. His eyes fell upon her, wetting his lips subconsciously as he watched her.

He saw her repeat the action and knew that he had at least a bit of her attention. "Sounds perfect." He replied coolly, moving where his bag rested on his shoulders. He followed her, silent for just a moment, before speaking again. "And why were you headed up to this alley?" He asked her curiously, his eyes moving along her figure. "Do you spend a lot of your time in alley's around here or is this a rare occasion I stumbled upon?" He asked her curiously, but in good nature. He was not mean at all, extremely cocky, bold and a bit too curious, but not mean at all.

[Mea]

Bayleigh leaned against the door when they had reached it, opening it easily and stepping out into the cold weather of Scotland’s winter. She brushed a hand softly through her hair, blowing out a gentle sigh and watching her breath turn the air white because of the temperature. “There’s actually a set of picnic tables over there that I usually go to while the rest of the day wastes away,” she told him.

She moved along the sidewalk towards where a set of picnic tables were situated just in front of the alley she had mentioned, placing her backpack down on a table that was closest to them. She leaned against the edge, pushing her hands into her warm jacket’s pockets. “So, unfortunately, no.. you didn’t stumble upon a rare occasion of mine,” she answered with a smile.

[Heather]

Brady allowed his free hand to tuck inside the pocket of his jeans as he walked. He shivered once before his body adjusted to the weather around him. He loved the cold. He had one zip-up sweatshirt on and that was all he needed. He walked behind her up the sidewalk, watching his breath form in the air in front of him. "Why don't you just go home at the end of the day if you don't have class?" He asked her, turning his head towards her as he leveled with her step.

"Unfortunately?" He asked teasingly. He winked at her, running one hand through his hair, the curls bouncing. He dropped his bag onto the table and fished the puck out of his pocket. He didn't move away yet, toying slightly with the tape of the hockey stick. "So what have you found to do for fun around here?" He asked with a slight grin, looking at her instead of advancing towards the alley where he could practice his shot.

[Mea]

“Because both of my parents work and I have no ride to get back to the apartments, and also because the academy decided that I was not old enough to go home early,” Bayleigh told him. She reached into a pocket of her back pack, pulling out a hair tie and bringing her hair back into a low ponytail.

She rolled her eyes playfully at his teasing, returning her hands to her pockets. “So far, I just go to school and then a couple of days a week, I go to one of the local estates and help them with their horses,” Bayleigh mentioned, “Other than that, I have not wandered far from home.” Bayleigh crossed one leg over the other at the ankle, giving a gentle shrug, “What about you? Find anything to do for fun around here in the day you’ve been here?”

[Heather]

Brady nodded along with her words. His schedule got him out early, but it would be instantly to practice like the rest of his team. They would be competing against other regional teams and the competition was very high. "Well, you've sure settled in pretty nicely in a week. Huh?" He asked of her, placing the puck onto the ground as he held the stick correctly.

His eyes scanned her face and then her body just slightly. "Possibly." He said with a coy grin, sliding the puck around. "I came here for hockey so that'll probably be the extent of my adventuring." He mentioned to her, taking a few steps towards the alley, looking at her still. "Doesn't sound like it'll be much fun 'round here." He mentioned wistfully before moving towards the alley.

[Mea]

Bayleigh watched him for a moment, blowing out a gentle sigh. “If you want to say I have, then sure,” she said with a soft laugh about settling in. She stretched slightly, straightening up to where she was no longer leaning against the picnic table. “You never know. Something more fun and entertaining than hockey might come along and surprise you,” she told him with a quirky smirk.

When he started to venture towards the alley, she followed along on the grass that had snow mixed in with it. “So, if you came here for hockey, then where did you come from?” she asked him curiously, staying off of the concrete of the alley so that she wouldn’t slip on the ice with her heeled shoes.

[Mea]

Bayleigh watched him for a moment, blowing out a gentle sigh. “If you want to say I have, then sure,” she said with a soft laugh about settling in. She stretched slightly, straightening up to where she was no longer leaning against the picnic table. “You never know. Something more fun and entertaining than hockey might come along and surprise you,” she told him with a quirky smirk.

When he started to venture towards the alley, she followed along on the grass that had snow mixed in with it. “So, if you came here for hockey, then where did you come from?” she asked him curiously, staying off of the concrete of the alley so that she wouldn’t slip on the ice with her heeled shoes.

[Heather]

Brady nodded just slightly then shrugged. "I would say it seems like you have." He commented, rolling the sleeves up just slightly as he slid onto the ice. He allowed his knees to lock just slightly as he slid on the cement. "More fun then hockey?" He asked her with a slightly shocked expression as he looked at her. "I'm not sure that could happen." He said to her. He drew back the stick, sending the puck into the wall as it bounced back to him.

"I've come from a lot of places. I'm here now, that's all that matters." He mentioned to her with a smirk, turning in a tight circle before shooting the puck towards the same brick he had hit on his last shot. He took another shot and hit the same one. "An' what do you think I could come across that would be more fun than hockey?" He asked her, turning towards her as he watched where she was standing, watching his movements as he slid over the ice. His sneakers were quite the different effect of skates but it still worked pretty well.

[Mea]

Bayleigh shot him a sarcastic look as he avoided answering her question, shifting her weight slightly to one leg. She watched him take several shots with the puck, and wet her lips. “Well, for starters, you may find a nice girl to entertain you,” she mentioned. “Unless, however, you’re a little limp in the wrist—then a nice strapping young lad might be to your best liking,” she teased him, giving a gentle shrug and letting the corners of her lips flip up into a smirk.

“You never know, though. There’s more to life than just focusing on one thing,” Bayleigh told him. “I’m told you just have to venture out farther than what you’re comfortable with to find what else is out there,” she said. She, once again, pushed her hands into the pockets of her jacket to find warmth, the cool air nipping against her fingers and legs since they were exposed.

[Heather]

Brady didn't noticed the looks she shot him. He was on a sheet of ice, even if it wasn't a rink, and he had his stick in his hand. While he was still very much interested in her presence he knew she wouldn't wander too far. "They always entertain me." He said to her, a glance towards her before focusing back on what he was doing. "They just don't entertain me for long." He commented to her with a cocky smirk. He bit slightly into his lower lip as he fired a shot at the same brick, chipping part of it off the building with the force.

"I should probably focus on why I came here. I'm getting paid a good amount of money to do what I'm supposed to, y'see." He mentioned to her. "I want something to do. Not a lecture on how I shouldn't focus on one thing." He remarked to her, teasingly. He saw her bundle more into her jacket and he looked at her with some concern. "Ye want me sweatshirt?" He offered her, seeing a slight shiver work its way down her. He slid closer to her, his body not stopping movement until he was on the grass near her..

[Mea]

“Guess that makes two,” she mentioned, “Guys haven’t kept my attention very long in the past.” She watched as a piece of the brick went flying away from the puck as it struck the wall yet again, arching her brow slightly. Bayleigh gave a gentle shrug, “Suit yourself, but there may be better things out there.”

“Oh—“ she said softly with a smile as he slid closer to her along the ice, then finally came to a stop where she was standing on the grass. “No.. that’s okay,” she said, reaching up and brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear that had fallen from the unruly ponytail she had put up, “I’ll be fine. I wouldn’t want you to be cold.”

[Heather]

Brady inclined his head just slightly in thought. "A lot of people don't. Especially our age." He mentioned to her. He leaned his hockey stick against the side of the building and began to slowly unzip it. "Me? I'll be fine." He told her with a confident grin. He took it off, moving closer to her and wrapping it around her shoulders. He tried not to pay particular attention to how close he stepped as he put on on. Or the way her hair was soft as he brushed against it in the task.

He cleared his throat just slightly as he stepped away from her, seizing his stick again. "Have you played any sports?" He asked, sliding the puck from side to side. His body moved with it much the way it would in a real practice or game. It was a bit chilly but he enjoyed the feeling of coolness much over that of being warm. He bit into his lower lip slightly as he sent the puck toward the already chipped brick, breaking more off with the shot.

[Mea]

Bayleigh straightened up slightly as he unzipped his sweatshirt, letting him place it around her shoulders. “Thanks,” she said, looking up at him with a smile before he stepped away from her again. She leaned lightly against one of the buildings that was next to her, and blew out a slow breath. “I played some volleyball and softball before I came here,” she informed him, “And if you consider horseback riding a sport, I’m pretty active at that.”

She watched him as he continued to glide over the slick ice covering the concrete, admiring the way his lean body easily moved along without fumbling at all. Bayleigh wet her lips, realizing that her mind was beginning to wander, and swallowed softly. “The name’s Bayleigh, by the way,” she mentioned to him.

[Heather]

Brady allowed the slight grin to spread across his face and he nodded just slightly. "No problem." He mentioned with another slight nod of the head. "I guess you could consider anything active a sport sport." He mentioned to her, moving the puck in a circle with the same motions he would just on the rink. He glided across the ice as easily as the puck did and even without skates he had perfect control over the motions.

He paused when she spoke, noting that her eyes were very much on him. "Brayd-- Brady." He told her, looking at her directly. His smile was handsome, his blue eyes sparking a bit more with a grin. "Have you skated before?" He asked her, moving his feet backwards on the icy surface as he deked the puck from side to side. A lot of people hadn't or didn't particularly like it and this was shocking to him.

[Mea]

“Nice to meet you,” she greeted him, readjusting his sweatshirt around her shoulders again when it started to slip down. Bayleigh shook her head at his question, “Uhm.. no, I can’t say that I have.” While she had been growing up, she had not been exposed to any sort of skating other than roller blading on certain occasions.

“I have a little nephew that I have taken to the local rink a few times since we have been here, and he loves going out on the ice, but I’ve always just sat back and watched,” she told him with a gentle laugh. She let her hands move on the inside of her jacket pockets, attempting to keep her fingers warm.

[Heather]

Brady nodded to her with a smile. "It is nice to meet you too." He laughed softly and his head moved against slowly. "You should really try it. It is a lot of fun." He mentioned to her, not moving as he faced her. He still toyed slightly with the puck on the ice, enjoying the feeling of it slipping from side to side.

"I love to see the little kids skating. I coached a pee-wee league last year and did some camps over the summer." He smirked slightly at her, "You aren't afraid to fall, are you?" He asked with a slight laugh. A lot of people were and it was a bit understandable. The ice was hard, cold and wet. He avoided getting hit and that usually kept him from hitting the ice as well.

[Mea]

Bayleigh pursed her lips together, nodding slowly as he spoke. "Before we came, Tucker was trying to get his dad to get him on some sort of league in Virginia," she commented. "I'm not afraid of falling," she stated defensively, showing a bit of mock exhasburation on her face. "... I'm just afraid of falling in front of people and making a fool of myself," she said softly, glancing away from him.

"I just--" she started, giving a gentle shrug, "I can barely roller blade with regular skates on." Brushing another lock of hair out of her face, she watched him as he moved over the ice again. "I don't think I'd be a very pretty site out trying to skate," she chuckled softly, giving another gentle shrug again with her shoulders.

[Heather]

Brady smiled as she mentioned her nephew and a hockey league in Virgina. "It was probably the most life changing day of my life the day I signed up for pee-wee." He told her, and it was true. Just one look at him now and the far far way he had come was the proof that he needed. "Everyone is when they start." He informed her matter-of-factly. He watched as she glanced away and laughed very softly to himself, amused.

"I'm not much of a roller skater, I always thought ice was easier. Then again, the ice is fighting against you." He mentioned, not particularly trying to calm her nerves about skating. "I'm sure it would be plenty pretty." He mentioned casually and smoothly, his eyes on her face then slightly lower on her body. "If you ever want to learn, you will probably know where to find me." He mentioned to her. He allowed his stick to wedge under the puck and flipped it up toward himself. "I'll probably be pretty easy to find." He mentioned to her, holding the puck in one hand as he moved off the ice.

[Mea]

Bayleigh gave a soft laugh, stating, "Oh yeah. The fact that the ice is fighting against me really helps me get over my fears." She blew out a slow breath between her lips, watching the air swirl infront of her before eventually disappearing. "I'm sure you will be," she mentioned softly to the fact that he would be pretty easy to find. She watched him move from the ice before looking at the picnic tables when a shrill bell sounded in the building.

She brushed a hand through her hair slowly, starting back towards where the rest of her things were located. "I, uhm, probably should be headed. My brother's going to be waiting on me," she mentioned softly, picking up her back pack and placing it over her shoulder once she had reached the table.