What Real Life's Like (AU,CC,MATURE) Thread #1

[~Ruby~]

Ruby, unfair use of female charms here!

I know but had I known that Alex would confess to the stripping, Isabel would have used them earlier.


Isabel

This is so exciting! Any minute now Alex is going crack and tell me everything that he knows. God, this feels just like Christmas Eve.

“C'mon Alex, you want to tell me.” I say, wishing that he would hurry and tell me already.

“I once stripped at my ex-girlfriend's birthday party in front of her mother.” Alex blurts out and I pull away from him in utter shock. What did he just say? Did he just say that he stripped for his ex-girlfriend’s mother?

“What?” I ask, deciding that I need him to reconfirm what he had said. Maybe I’m hearing thinks. Today has been a pretty stressful and well okay so I highly doubt that I’m hearing things but honestly what a thing to say.

“You said I can tell you anything and I felt like getting that off my chest.” Alex says turning a deeper shade of red. Yeah well buddy, I would be embarrassed too if I had just confused to something like that.

“Why would you strip for your girlfriend’s mother?” I ask with a frown.

“I stripped for my ex-girlfriend and I didn‘t know that her mother was going to be there” Alex says in outrage before blushing again “It was terrible, I dressed up as a policeman and I wore a thong and her mother saw my nipple!”

I cover my mouth to stop from laughing but that doesn’t help as I burst out laughing. Oh my God, this is priceless.

“Don’t laugh! It was the most humiliating experience of my life and would you please stop laughing”

“Why are you going to arrest me?” I laugh even harder as I wipe the tears from my face. My sides are actually hurting because I’m laughing so hard and I know that I should be taken pity on Alex since it was the most ‘humiliating experience’ of his life but really, I just can’t help it.

[Sternbetrachter]

ALEX

I should have told her about Liz's crush, anything is better than thinking about that strip again and Isabel laughing at me isn't really helping my issues about being the "thong boy".

With a sigh, I sit down on one of the beds, waiting till Isabel calms down. And waiting some more. "Yeah, you just stand there and laugh at me, I can take it. But don't expect me to tell you anything."

"Can I tell the others about Officer Whitman then?" Isabel giggles.

"NO!" I cry. "it is bad enough that some people still call me "Thong Boy". And before you even ask, no I won't repeat that performance ever again."

Well, if Isabel promises to repay the favour … no, never again will Alex C. Whitman strip!

[morpheus awakened]

TESS

"Fine, but I want you girls to keep quiet and let Kyle and me enjoy the action, Okay? I don't need to hear you sighing and ahh-ing through the good parts," Michaels almost growls out.

Maria and I take one look at each other and can’t help giggling. Yeah, right buster. Like you and the guys aren’t gonna have your tongues hanging out, drooling all over the carpet watching ‘Miss Swan,’ I think to myself as Michael gives us each a glare before asking me, "So, you wanna join us then?"

Hmmm, do I? Well, I’m still wearing my suit, and, when I came out here looking for them, everyone in the house seemed to be busy doing something or other, so… “K, why not” I answer, pivoting on my heels to drop my sarong on the nearest lounge chair.

“Cool.” Michael responds with what I’m assuming is supposed to be his ‘hey, look at how charming I am’ smile. Uh-huh. Sure. I think I’ll sit next to Maria, thankyouverymuch.

I step into the extremely warm water, my legs turning red almost instantly at the onslaught of blood rushing to the surface wondering where the red-hot water is coming from and how to cool down my skin. Yeah, Jacuzzi’s just really aren’t my thing. I’m going to have to get out pretty soon, but by then I’m sure we’ll be ready to go with the movies, if not just the munchies I saw Max and Liz preparing in the kitchen on my way out here.

I sit down next to Maria and let out the breath I was holding as I tried to adjust to the warm temperature of the water. She turns to me, leaving her back facing Michael, who looked like he was going to say something himself, and starts chatting.

“So! What did you and Max do on your walk along the beach this evening, hmmm?” She has that *hint hint wink wink* look in her sparkling brown eyes.

Wow, I had no idea you could actually watch someone’s entire body tense up like that. Michael’s face went from pretty relaxed and pleasant to a scowl in like, 2 seconds flat. Now he’s glaring at Maria, but she’s oblivious to it, of course, and is still waiting expectantly for an answer.

So of course, what else do I do but blush, and stammer, “Um, well we walked…. And went down to the end of the pier, and watched the sunset from there…” I trail off when I glance over at Michael, who is just staring at his feet through the steamy water. Man, what is his problem?

“Michael, is everything alright?” I ask, getting a little concerned.

[Sternbetrachter]

great post, morpheus!
Ruby, now that surely sucks - your avi is becoming real for you, huh?


KYLE

So, the first dvd - X-Men 2 - is in the dvd recorder, the snacks and some drinks are in the living room and every seat is pointing to the tv. I think my job is done here!

I just wonder where everyone is. So far, I only heard some people but I didn't see anyone since I passed Alex and Isabel in the girls' room earlier

Well, maybe I'll find someone in the kitchen when I get some bowels for the chips and popcorn.

[Sugarplum7]

Sorry it took so long, and sorry it's not better. But here it is.

<center>~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Liz ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~</center>

Max? He left the rose. My thoughts drift back to that rose as I concentrate on looking at a particular spot on the counter. Now would be a good time to speak and tell him thanks, but is that all I want to say after his explanation? It’s the least I could say, but is it all I want to say? He thinks I’m a terrific person. Not the greatest compliment to pay a person, but it was nice.

I look up and see him looking at me and my heart beats faster than the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings. I feel my skin warm and cheeks burn while I struggle to breathe.

“Thanks,” I say to him, not knowing what I’m going to say until the words leave my mouth and hope that they are the right ones. “I think you’re terrific too.”

A few seconds of quiet stretch on into what seems like an eternity between us, and I wish that either he would speak, leave, or someone would rescue me from this silence. I can’t leave the kitchen. The cookies were my project, my surprise for Izzy, and I don’t want to simply toss it to someone else to finish for me. And there are still a few minutes left until they are done. I can't leave it to him. So here I am. Stuck.

What is he thinking? Did I say the wrong thing? Should I have said more?

[Sternbetrachter]

KYLE

I quietly whistle to myself as I walk towards the kitchen,really looking forward to the movie night.

When I walk through the door, I see Max and Liz staring at each other and ... doing housework? I didn't think that Max was the kind of guy to play cook.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask cheerfully, making my way towards the section in the kitchen where I suspect the bowels to be hidden.

[isabelle]

*Michael*

Tess steps into the hot-tub and I smile at her, winningly. I know I can charm this girl. Actually, Maria and Isabel interest me more, but hey, if I can get this one, it'll be just perfect in so very many ways.

But, as soon as she sits down, Maria starts mentioning him. I swear, at this point I'm ready to concider "Max" to be the worst of profane words. Can't these girls ever talk about anything else? Damn. It was better when they were talking about that Orlando guy.

I grit my teeth and stare at the water, trying not to hear her talk about kissing that jerk but I can't block it out. I'm trying to come up with something to say to change the topic. Something that'll make me look like the guy to talk about. Before I do, however, Tess is asking me a question.

“Michael, is everything alright?” she wants to know.

I look up at her, still glaring, when suddenly I realize what I'm doing. I wipe my expression clear and smile at her and Maria both. "No, I'm fine. Just thinking," I say quickly.

What do I say now? I could ask about Liz, but that'll only make them see me as a jerk. Ask about getting them to flash the cameraman? That would be cool, but no, not now. I can't complain about Max; I don't even want to say his name... Um... "I was um ... I was wondering if we could get Maria to sing for us tomorrow. Like at a club or a Karoke bar?" Gold! I think to myself. Perfect thing to get her mind off Evans. I turn to Maria, broadening my smile. "Have you performed in public before? You have a great voice."


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*Max*

Liz looks back at me and I wonder if I should explain more... I never meant to cause confusion. But then, she finally answers. "Thanks, I think you're terriffic, too."

I was starting to feel warm before but now I really feel it. I know I'm going to be turning red, and I struggle to control it. My sister always teased me about how my ears turned red even before my face. I don't want that to happen now.

It was a compliment, but really it was just reflecting back what I said. It doesn't really mean anything. She's just saying I'm nice, because she's really nice. That's all.

So why does it feel like it's more than that?

Because I'm an idiot living on wishful thinking. I know she doesn't feel that way about me. I'm a good friend and I need to be happy with that. The same way I'm happy to be friends with Isabel. ... But somehow, I can't see myself helping anyone-else get Liz's attention.

The silence is stretching on just a bit too long and I open my mouth to reply before I really know what I'm going to say. "... Thanks ..." I tell her, fading quickly. I catch myself just before I find myself saying she's terrific, too. Afterall, I said that already. I'll tell her ... that I'm glad she's here... no, that I'm glad we're friends... or --

Suddenly Kyle appears in the kitchen, whistling. He breezes through with a casual "What's up?" and I turn towards him, forcing myself to breathe normally.

"Nothing," I say quickly. "We were just - talking." I smile hoping it looks casual, glad that I didn't mention the cookies. They're a surprise, I remember, although the kitchen is starting to fill with the yummy odor.

.

[Sternbetrachter]

Kyle

Searching through a few cupboards, I finally find some bowels and grab them with a triumphant smile. Turning back to Max and liz who look a bit uncomfortable, I'm about to make a remark about the movies but then I frown.

"What's tha smell? It smells a bit like Christmas." I tell them, my eyes searching around the kitchen to find the origin of it.

[Sugarplum7]

<center>~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Liz ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~</center>

Kyle starts looking through the kitchen and I almost groan. I did ask for someone to come and rescue me from the silence, but I didn’t factor in keeping the cookies a secret. At least it wasn’t Iz. Now that would have been horrible.

“Umm. It’s an air freshener that I picked up at the store earlier,” I answer offhandedly, hoping that he’ll buy it. I look over to Max in time to see a “what?” expression flash across his face at my poor excuse to explain the sweet smell filling the kitchen. I offer a quick shrug before barreling on to ask Kyle a question, “What’re you looking for?” I hope the question takes his mind off of searching for the source of the scent and makes it easier for him to just accept my explanation for the cookie smell.

[Sternbetrachter]

KYLE

Wow, I hadn't realized that I look that stupid. I admit that I don't know much about air fresheners but I am pretty sure that there isn't one that smells like cake or something similar.

Well, I'm gonna let it slide if Liz doesn'T want to tell me.

“What’re you looking for?"

"A few bowels for the popcorn and the others stuff." I reply, reaching into a closet and getting some out. "Already found it."

"So, what are you two doing in here?" I ask then.