Welcome

It was sunset. And Audry sat in her usual spot underneath the willow tree by the beach. Yeah, its weird to have a weeping willow by the beach. But she never cared about that, cause this is where she got her first kiss, this is the tree she climbs when she wants to be alone, this is the tree where she cries, or has her best memories. Acutally, if she ever got married, she would want the purposal to be right where she was sitting right now.

Audry loved making memories, and ever single time she came here. Everything that happened underneath this huge tree would rush through her head and it would make her smile no matter how bad the memories were. Because she knew that they are memories, and not a lot of people actually make memories. 'Cause memories are things that you'll remember forever. Some people just forget what happens and moves on. Audry wasnt like that, she would never be. She was a photographer and wanted to be a director. If you looked in the bottom two drawers of her dresser you would find millions of tapes and photos stashed in there.

Audry closed her eyes and leaned against the tree. She felt the ocean mist, and heard the waves crashing. It was like she was in the water. And right now, she really wanted to swim. But she decided against it. What if someone came out her and saw her in her underwear swimming in the ocean? Yeah, wouldnt be the brightest thing to do. So once again, she sat back from looking at the ocean, and closed her eyes and began to sing "Sophomore Slump" by Fall Out Boy under her breath. Her favourite song.

He was lost...good and lost. Will had hoped to explore and get himself back to the school easily. Well, he had made his way through town easily enough and then he was about to leave and head back to the school and he obviously made a wrong turn, ending up at the beach opposed to the campus. France wasn't as easy to navigate compared to England or even New York. He was used to getting lost, because usually right as he moved in, he set to explore and usually found himself wandering for hours lost.

Will sighed and ran a hand through his shoulder length hair, having left it down today instead of pulling it back. It was the one thing that drove his father nuts; he just hated his son having long hair and Will liked it. There seemed to be a huge rift between father and son, a lack of communication and understanding. Most of the time they didn't speak, they never fought, but it was just Will doing his own thing and his father working all the time.

His eyes scanned the area, trying to pick up a familiarity, but none came, it was just a beach. It seemed like a quiet day and people weren't really at the beach today. Save him. He didn't even notice the girl sitting under the Willow tree...in fact, he didn't even notice the tree. His mind was preoccupied by everything, such as getting back.

'Great, Will, you have gotten yourself lost, yet again,' he muttered to himself, somewhat disgusted with himself.

Her curse hit her again. You know, the one where she could never be alone. Its not that she minded it in any way. Because she loved being around people. But she already decided that she had enough and was about to get up and leave anyway before she heard, 'Great, Will, you have gotten yourself lost, yet again,' Audry fluttered her eyes open, and saw what looked like a male running his fingers through his hair stressfully. He looked too young to be an adult, so she guessed that he was a new student here and Le Viole. Audry sat up, and dusted of her but with her hands and walked over to him slowly.

"You appear to be lost, dollface." Audry said to him and waited for him to turn around. She had seen him a few times earlier today, and he sure was a looker. But nothing compared to Jude. Or maybe that was just her. Anyway, "Looking for a certain place. I've been her about three years, going on four. I'm sure I could help." Audry assured him with her welcoming smile. Audry was always nice to strangers, and especially nice to new kids because it would probably be hard for them to come to a new country, to a new school, and not know about anything. So she was always willing to help and befriend anyone and everyone. And the weird thing was that she still ended up having rivals.

The lost bloke heard a voice behind hind and froze. You genius, you were going it again, he thought miserably about his habit of thinking out loud. He was embarrassed, but tried his best not to show it as he turned around and saw a girl. Will mentally kicked himself, over and over for making a fool of himself. Thinking aloud, why can't he stop that?

'Err, I, er, got lost...I took a wrong turn from town and ended up here,' he admitted with faintly flushed cheeks. Then again, he was new and a senior, what wasn't embarrassing about that? He was the forever new kid and he was sure that very few people would remember him having been in no school longer than a year. He had excellent grades, a sweet personality and yet, he school hopped thanks to his father. What a life.

When he turned, she got a good look at him for the first time. He was really cute, which meant that he already had a girlfriend no doubt. But what was sad was that he looked desperate... No, not desperate, embarassed. Wait? Embarassed? Why would he be embarassed? Well, he was a new kid, or thats what she guessed because she had never seen him before. So she walked closer slowly, trying not to be intimatdating, and tried to get into his point of veiw.

'Err, I, er, got lost...I took a wrong turn from town and ended up here,' He told her with a slight blush. Wow, this guy was really shy. She liked him already. They could possibly be good friends. Maybe more, but she shouldnt be thinking about that right now. It wasnt the worst thing to be lost, but it seemed that he was fustrated and desperate at the same time.

So she took his hand with a smile, and made his index finger point out, and pointing in the direction of the school. "Its that way, the school, if thats where you want to go." Audry guessed and dropped his hand softly, "You're new?" Audry took her assuming correctly and held out her hand or his to shake, "My name's Audry Thompson." She told him with her smile again. She wanted for him to be as comfortable as he could around her. She was always nice to everyone, even her rivals.

Will hated his shy disposition, he hated being the last to know anything...or to have the girl make the first move. He wished he could have a bit more of a spine instead of bending over backwards for people. It was a shame really, since everyone else always seemed so confident, so sure of themselves and he...wasn't.

He often wondered what people thought of him...or even said about him. It was strange that he figured that most guys got annoyed with him because he seemed to attract the interest of the girls. Most of the time he didn't want to have their interest because of the jealousy it seemed to spark. Other times he just didn't want their interest because it seemed to be nothing more than lust, a sexual desire, if you would call it. He felt that sort of act degraded them.

This one seemed to be a new species all together. He stayed silent and unmoving as she took his hand and had it point in the right direction. Will blinked, oh, so he had made a right instead of a left. A small, 'Oh' sound came from his lips as he realised his error in direction.

'I-I'm Will Jacobs,' he stammered slightly as he managed a smile, it was slight and nervous, but it was a smile.

This guy was out of the ordinary. Seriously, what was wrong with him? He barely spoke to her, and then, when he did, she could barely hear him. Well, she would surely befriend him this year and make him into a loud outgoing guy. Unless he didnt want to change. And well, Audry never tried to change her friends, never. They just changed around her because she would go screaming down the middle of the street, and her new friends would sit and watch. While her old friends, who use to be the new friends, would run down the street with her screaming their favourite lyrics at the time. It was really impossible for someone not to hang out with Audry and not make memories. Her ideas where out of this world, and she was so random that people had to love her.

The best part about her that she developed from Jude was that she doesnt care what people think of her. She lives her life with no regrets and learns from mistakes even though she doesnt even see them as regrets. Audry sees them more as fun times that turned bad, and will get better with time more than regrets. She never regrets. The only thing that she has ever regretted in her whole life was breaking it off with Jude last year. The look on his face, he wasnt expecting it, and when she said it, she knew right then what regret felt like, because she really never felt it before that. And it was a horrible feeling. But not as horrible as loving someone that you can have, but yet you know that you dont deserve them. "its a horrible feeling." Audry said to herself. Amazingly, that was the first time she had spoken out from her thoughts.

'I-I'm Will Jacobs,' He said. She smiled at him, well, she really kept her smile on her face the whole time. Before Will could say anything about her little outburst to herself, she laughed a little bit and shook her head while she put her hands on her hips, "Why are you so shy, boy?" Audry asked him and looked right into his eyes, wanting a real answer. Audry wasnt afriad to ask anything. She never was.

Why was he so shy? Will blinked, no one has ever asked him that. It was a puzzle to him as well as everyone else. He supposed it had to with his parent's divorce and his state hopping for the last seven years. Never having a friend for too long. Psychological damage and all that fun stuff. So, the why was a really huge mix of things and Will himself wasn't half sure of it himself.

'I-I'm not sure,' he replied honestly. 'It's how I am...how I've always been.' Or basically how he's been for the past seven years. He couldn't remember himself being any other way upon meeting new people. There were few people he felt comfortable around and it was a strange thing to be sure. It was just how he was, change came slowly...if at all.

The poor guy, she knew that she had put him on the spot. But she really just wanted to know. There was no way that Audry couldnt make this flower bloom. She was good with that kind of stuff. And for some odd reason, she got the feeling that there was emotions inside of him that he hadnt gotten out yet. But she wouldnt question him on that. Maybe later on in the year if they ever got close, just right now, she wouldnt push it. He was lost, he seemed uncomfortable, not to mention he is new. So she let her smile drop, and she listened to what he had to say, 'I-I'm not sure,' he replied honestly. 'It's how I am...how I've always been.' He told her, and she nodded, and gave him a smile that said she would drop the subject.

"So I'm guessing you want to get back to the school?" Audry hinted. She really would like to talk to him more. But they seemed to be opposites. Audry was loud, and he seemed to himself. She didnt want to push him to become friends with her, she never pushed anyone. She tried to sense what they were feeling, and if they wanted to go, let them go. But since Will was so quiet and shy, she couldnt tell.

He nervously scratched his cheek. 'I can hang around a bit...if you want...' he said awkwardly. Will was never one that was impolite and left anyone alone unless they wanted to be left alone. That was probably way he was so easy to push around, because he let people do that to him. He also had these strange feelings of feeling obligated to do things for people. It was an awful thing to feel, like you have to do something...because then the guilt came about and it would bother him.

It sucked to be the guy who was so honest to the core. He was so easy to make feel guilty and that he had to do something. It was his faults, the reasons he hated being himself and the way that people took advantage of him. Also, it was one of the reasons he was such a failure in his father's eyes.

Audry watched him closely as he scratched his head and looked around. Was he going to leave or what? This guy was one odd ball, but cute. It was so amazing how he couldnt talk to her with out being nervous. 'I can hang around a bit...if you want...' Audry smiled. Was he trying to befriend her? Or was he just... Ugh. Wow, this guy never seized to amaze her today. Or at least the five last minutes that they were kinda sorta talking.

"Hey, bud, I'm not going to push you to stay." Audry reminded him, and let her arms up defensively, and raised her eyebrows at him "But if you want to stay, then I would absolutley love to chat with such a gentlemen as yourself, young Will." Audry told him and let her smile spread back across her face. She loved to smile, and she was trying to get him to smile. But it wasnt working out so well. So she just let him do whatever and waited for his response.

He was usually this nervous when meeting people...ok, no he wasn't, but after that encounter in the garden...he could safely say he was shaken. Will never experienced anyone so desperate in his life. It scared him to the point that it may take a day or so to recover. It also made him wonder if every girl in the school was like that...if there was any hope for him at all.

It had made him wonder if he had made a mistake in wanting to go away to school...to have some piece and quiet from his father...and perhaps earn his legs in the world. Perhaps it was too soon for him, he wasn't ready and he was now scarred emotionally for life. Dear god, he was a pathetic fool, he hadn't been there a week and he was already having trouble!

Well, he should face his fears. He decided he should and would. It may be better for him, no, it had to be better for him. Will ran a hand through his hair as he sorted things out in his head. Mostly, he was telling himself to suck it up and be a man for once, instead of acting like the pathetic wimp he was being. It was quite disgusting to himself even.

'I...I would like to talk,' he said. It wouldn't hurt to talk at all. Conversation was always one of those things he enjoyed. A good conversation always made a good start, usually lead to a good friendship.

Audry watched him, he looked around, and yet again, ran his fingers through his hair. Then he turned to her 'I...I would like to talk,' He finally said. Audry laughed a little bit and clapped her hands together in glee. Then she started to walk over to the Weeping Willow again, "Do you climb trees?" She yelled so he could hear her. It seemed like she had a british accent when ever she yelled. She started to run up the tree and then grabbed onto a rusty branch, then flung herself on it and hung upside down, "Cause you about to. Come on!" She ushered him over as she started to swing back and forth. She was a pro at climbing trees, always was.

"We can talk up here. Thats always fun." She told him in an excited voice, "Plus, the higher we get," Audry flung herself back up and started to climb higher, "You get an amazing veiw of the ocean." She said a little more softly. This tree was probably the easiest to climb. If he couldnt climb this three, she would be surprised.

He used to climb trees all the time was he was a kid, his grandparents had an amazing Oak tree that he used to climb. To Will, it was the greatest feeling on earth at the time. He used to see the stable his grandfather owned. There was a sort of power he had felt back then, a rush. Will remembered, scrambling up the long crooked branches, going higher and higher until he reached that spot. Cindy had always cried and told him to be careful, she was two or three at the time.

'I used to climb them all the time,' he replied in a loud voice as he made his way over and took hold of a branch. Ah, yes, he remembered this feeling, the bark under his hands, the sturdy trunk under his feet as he hoisted himself up and let his body remember the motions of climbing a tree. As he climbed his hair got in the way, forcing him to pause every now and then and push it away from his face.

It was an old familiar rush coming back, in his mind he could almost hear his sister crying 'Noo, Will, don't. You'we going to get huwt!' He smiled slightly, it had been a long time since he heard such a thing and even a long time since he had climbed that tree. He didn't even remember if the tree was there the last time he visited his grandparents.

'My grandparents had a massive oak tree in the back of their house in Dublin. I used to climb it when I was a lad,' he said with a smile. 'It was how I used to spend my summers.'

Audry was really glad to see Will walking towards her and making his way to the tree. It surprised her when he started to climb up the tree. 'I used to climb them all the time,' He told her and made his way up by her. He seemed really excited to be climbing trees again. But the question that ran through Audry's mind was why did he stop? Of course, Audry climbed trees all the time. Especially when she was a kid. There was a huge pine tree in her back yard, and a huge branch that she could sleep on. So when ever she had touble with her parents, which was usually all the time, she would climb into that tree, and they could never find her because the branches were so thick. It was a great place, and this tree reminded her of that tree, but with a better veiw.

'My grandparents had a massive oak tree in the back of their house in Dublin. I used to climb it when I was a lad,' he said with a smile. 'It was how I used to spend my summers.' Wait? Did Audry see him smile for the first time? She did, and it made her laugh, and when he came up near her, she could see it more clearly. He had a very handsome smile. To match with his ovice really. He seemed happy to remember his summers, and it seemed almost as if she could imagine the tree.

"Dublin, eh? Great place." She said with out looking at him. Dublin was acutally the place where her mother would have given birth to her little sister if the baby wasnt pre mature. They were all visiting Audry's grandparents in Dublin about two years ago when it happened. "I spend my summers at a friends house usually cause my parents cant stand me." Audry said in a sad laugh. But she didnt think Will would notice, but then looked at him, "How do you spend you summers now?" Audry asked Will then aligned the branch she was sitting on to the inside of her knees and fell upside down with a shriek.