sympathy for the devil. [tag; luke]

[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

Oh it was another beautiful Californian day.

The sky above was a cloudless cobalt blue, nothing to spoil it except the occasional white vapour trail from a passing aircraft. The breeze was soft and warm as it tossed around Imogen's long and golden hair, her tresses emitting a faint flowery scent.

Imogen had been here for a few hours. The Saturday afternoon sun was high in the sky, shining down on the mass of people who were wandering around the pier, snapping holiday photographs, children clutching half eaten ice cream cones, teenage girls laughing about something that was undoubtedly trivial. Imogen's long, bare legs swung over the side of the pier she was sitting on, her brown shorts skimming her mid-thighs as the sunlight reflected off the stylish nude coloured polish on her perfectly manicured toenails. The clear cerulean blue of the sea crashed beneath her, foaming, the tips of the waves turning pure white as they swirled and collided. The scene beneath her was being drawn on her sketch pad.

Imogen's long and thin fingers worked furiously, the only sound came from the lead of her pencils scratching against the paper as she traced out the waves, her bright blue eyes occasionally glancing up to search out the horizon. The drawing was neat and intricate, highly detailed as all of her drawings were. It was times like this when she did her best work; outside and not bothered by anyone. No one ever paid attention to her anyway.

It was a little after two in the afternoon by this time. Picking up her slushie, she took a sip as she looked around the crowded place. Next to her, her belongings were sprawled out. Pens, pencils, coloured pencils, her house keys, her cell phone (which hadn't rang all day) and her student ID. All of her class mates were probably on the beach, half naked and flirting with lifeguards. In fact, it kind of made her feel sick. Even from her perch, Imogen could see them, throwing their heads back, tossing their perfectly conditioned hair tousled as they laughed.

Still slurping her bright blue slushie, her sunglasses hid her eyes as she watched. Just then, her eyes caught sight of a boy with his shirt off, obviously having been in the waves. Imogen gently chewed on her straw, finding herself being inexplicably drawn towards the body as he laughed with his friends, tilting her head as he bent to pick up a towel. "Mmm," Imogen replied softly, expressing her hunger. That being said, it had to be, what? Twelve? Eighteen months since she'd last gotten any action? Nightmare. Speaking of a nightmare, it wasn't until the boy had straightened did he realise that it was Luke Moreau. Suddenly, the attraction felt…wrong. Flushing deep pink, she looked away. Surely there was no way he could have seen her.

[LUKE ANTHONY MOREAU]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] but where will i paint my life and will the buyer in the sky believe in what i dream The Words: 567 The Music: blueside - rooneyThe Notes hai c: yet another day he planned on spending at the beach. there was nothing about the beach that luke didn't like. even growing up in france he was constantly going to the beach with his mother. grabbing all his things luke walked through his empty house and out to where his car was parked. throwing his things in the back he sat in the drivers seat and stuck his key into the ignition. with a soft purr the car came to life and he began pulling out of the drive way. lucky enough his house wasn't that far from the beach. he could have walked but he knew there would most likely be something else going on after the beach which wasn't so close by. all his friends had already been at the beach for about an hour now but luke was late as usual. everyone was use to him going by his own time already so they didn't mind. finding a place to park luke grabbed his things and locked the car. now all he had to do was find where his friends were. walking on the sand he scanned the area trying to find where they had decided to stay. before he saw his friends he heard them all laughing, probably at something stupid. with a grin he waved over to them and made his way over to them. throwing his stuff down with everyone else's he was ready to go into the water. but there was no way he was going to go in by himself when all his friends were here just hanging out. luke walked over to his friends that were sunbathing and picked one of them up and slung them over his shoulder. she started to shriek and move around but that didn't stop him. if she had really wanted to get down luke would have let her but he could hear the giggles in between each yell to let her down. it didn't take long for the both of them to reach the water where he gently dumped her in. she splashed him a few times but obviously wasn't angry with him. they played in the water for a while but then decided to go back to dry off and get something to eat. luke looked up and scanned the beach noticing a nearby blonde watching him from the pier. but to his surprise he realized it was none other than little miss imogen green. and by the pink color of her face he could tell she wasn't thinking anything appropriate when she had been staring at him. now this was going to be interesting luke thought to himself as he started to dry himself off with a towel. there was no way he was going to let this go that was for sure. i'll be back soon he told his friends with a silly grin as he threw his towel on his stuff. turning around he started to walk in imogen's direction with a smirk plastered on his face. he knew she wouldn't' be happy with him interrupting her sketching time. once he reached her he began moving things so he could take a seat. plopping down on the pier next to her he picked up her school id to stare at her picture. mind if i take a seat? he asked even though he had already made himself comfortable. created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

Slut, Imogen thought as she watched Luke pick up a screaming girl, her bright blue eyes trailing over the way her perfect body, sun kissed and golden brown, writhed. It wasn't that she felt jealous of all the touching. In fact, it was just that she didn't have a bond with anyone. Not like that. She didn't care, though, did she? Watching the water go flying, she rolled her eyes as she picked up another pencil, neatly capturing the white tips of the waves as they collided. Peeking over again, the urge to tell the girl that her bikini was about two sizes too small was almost unbearable. If she kept jiggling around and screeching, surely a boob would pop out.

It was girls like that that gave womankind such a bad name.

Imogen was willing to bet that in about half an hour, she'd be sucking someone's face off. A long index finger pushed her sunglasses back up the bridge of her nose to sit a little more comfortably as she pulled her fedora hat lower on her head, the brim of the hat casting her pretty face into the much needed shade. Happily slurping on her slushie, it nearly came out of her nose as she heard a familiar voice behind her.

Jumping, she turned quickly, her eyes wide and confused as she gulped the frozen treat down her throat and swallowed quickly. What? Where? Who? Urgh. She didn't answer straight away and that was possibly why Luke had taken it upon himself to rudely sit himself down. "…sure," she stated softly, her finely groomed eyebrows arching in question as she watched him complete his audacious action.

Instinctively, her pale hands moved to close her journal over softly, hiding her freshly drawn picture from view before her jaw dropped. Was he looking at her school ID? A surge of inexplicable white hot anger surged through her suddenly as she reached out to attempt to snatch it back but he was already examining it. Granted, it wasn't the most flattering picture, she was wearing her black square rimmed glasses but her hair was acceptable and her clothes were clean. As Luke looked at her photo, her blue eyes bored into the side of his face incredulously.

"Are you lost, Mr. Moreau?" Imogen asked softly, her voice tinged with sarcasm as she blinked. The only reason she'd asked was the fact that he hadn't said two words to her all year. "I do believe all of the bikini-clad harlots are back that way," the blonde replied coolly, pointing to the left at three girls who were giggling. God. Her IQ had literally just dropped ten points in their presence.

[LUKE ANTHONY MOREAU]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] but where will i paint my life and will the buyer in the sky believe in what i dream The Words: 513 The Music: blueside - rooneyThe Notes hai c: luke being there obviously took her by surprise while she couldn't even come up with the words she really wanted to say. not that anything she had to say would have gotten him to get up and leave after all that effort he took to make himself comfortable. besides, she looked as though she could use a little company. her ideal company was definitely not him but that was just what she was going to get. she had noticed that he was staring at her id and her hand reached out to get it back. he couldn't help but laugh at her attempt to get her id back, he easily moved his hand out of the way and continued to stare at it. the glasses were a nice touch luke told her with a wink. he put it down besides her and ran a hand through his hair as he scanned the beach. lost? no, just exploring he said with a casual shrug ignoring her sarcasm. that described this situation well, he was exploring the territory around imogen. he had never really spoken to her but it wasn't as if he hadn't noticed her around. and she didn't quite make her feeling about his type too much of a secret. she was obviously attractive and that was one of luke's type. except she was different than most of the usual attractive airheads he went for. he did know that she was extremely smart and could probably talk about things that would go straight over his head. even though he was pretty good in school (this surprises many people) he was no match for her. maybe she would use some irregular large words to insult him that he was going to have to remember to look up later on. now that would be interesting. he chuckled when she pointed to the "bikini-clad harlots" which he in turn waved at with a smile. they all waved back and continued to giggle while luke turned his attention back to imogen. i've already been there he said with a raise of his eyebrows so she knew what he was implying. it wasn't as if it wasn't true, there was no secret that those girls were the type that got around. and luke being the type of guy he was wouldn't let that type of opportunity pass him up. but those weren't the type of girls you paid attention to for long after you had gotten what you wanted. both parties only wanted one thing and that one thing they had already received. imogen on the other hand was a completely different story. she was the type of girl luke would have to work for, there was no way she was just going to give in to him of all people. so, what's in the journal? he asked pointing to it. he would have just tried to take it but he was sure she'd put up more of a fight than she did for her picture. but he honestly was curious to what she had hidden in there. created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

A nice touch?

A nice touch. He was making fun of her again, wasn't he? She hated that. She hated the fact that she couldn't really tell if he was taunting her or he was paying her a compliment. As the thought crossed her mind, her pretty face creased into what could only be described as quizzical. The wink made her eyes widen. "They're prescription," she replied softly, trying to stop him from making any further comment on her appearance as she picked up her student ID once again, neatly shoving it to the very bottom of her rather dilapidated satchel.

Letting a faintly uncomfortable silence fall over the pair of them, Imogen looked out onto the water again, wiggling her bare toes over the edge of the pier absently. "You should get a map," she drawled, resolutely not looking over at Luke but instead, at the other people below her. "Maybe it could help you find where you left your shirt, philistine," she quipped, just referring to the fact that he'd come over and not brought a shirt with him.

This was silly, though. Imogen was not a sex starved old maid. Oh sure, she was single but that didn't give her the right to openly stare at Luke. She'd seen half-naked men before, so what? His hair was wet, the droplets of sea water on his chest that he'd missed with his towel glistened in the warm sun and it kind of made her want to run her tongue the full length of his body but it wasn't as though she felt anything. Not really.

Turning towards Luke again, the blonde flashed him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Twice, I'll bet," she purred, picking up her slushie and taking a quick sip as she arched her eyebrows at the girls. "You seem like the type who repeats his mistakes." With that, she gave a shrug of her pale shoulders, the action seeming to disrupt her hat as a stray lock of pale golden hair escaped the hold and spilled down her back.

At the mention of her journal, Imogen's fingers instinctively gripped around the edges hard, hard enough to turn her knuckles pure white. "My innermost thoughts and feelings," she replied, her pretty face impassive as she blinked. "Nah, I'm kidding. It's just some art. I'm working on a portfolio," she explained before stopping suddenly. "Not that you actually care or anything but I have an exhibition coming up in a few weeks. I'm not going to tell you when or where," she commented, sliding her warm palms over the worn cover of her book. "The last time I told someone, the whole of the football team gatecrashed and threw red paint over all of my work." As she spoke the last sentence, her voice cracked, the tone sounding sad as her eyes darkened, looking down at her knees. That was the reason that she'd made sure to steer clear of Luke Moreau and his Neanderthal team mates.

[LUKE ANTHONY MOREAU]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] but where will i paint my life and will the buyer in the sky believe in what i dream The Words: 560 The Music: blueside - rooneyThe Notes hai c: does it bother you that i'm not wearing a shirt? if so i could go get one luke replied easily. but it was such nice weather and he had yet to completely dry off so he didn't see the point. he thought the fact that she mentioned it meant she was having those thoughts again. luke hadn't planned on mentioning that he saw her staring but he just may. with a slight shake of his still very wet hair tons of small droplets of water went in imogen's direction. well some mistakes are worth repeating he replied smiling right back at her. . and the mistakes they were talking about definitely fell into that category. why have a go at those three lovely ladies just once? as soon as he asked about the journal her grip on it tightened while she replied saying what she kept in it. now if only she really did put her thoughts and feelings into that journal, luke was sure it would be an interesting read. then he really could see what went on in that little head of hers. he was sure he would find nothing good about anyone in his "crowd" so to speak. but then she explained it was actually art work. he had no idea that she was into art, he had just thought all she did was study so she could stay on top of things in school. they were just learning so much about each other already. this seemed to be a start of a beautiful friendship but most likely only to luke. for imogen was probably just an unpleasant conversation that would hopefully be over as soon as possible. then she mentioned a show that he of course wouldn't be invited to and before he could ask why she began to explain her story. when she mentioned the football team and the red paint he was surprised to hear that it was her exhibition that they had ruined. her voice cracked as she spoke and she immediately looked down and it was obvious that the pain from that moment was still there. he heard from them about what they had done but didn't care enough to listen to all the details. that was just something you'd expect from some of the guys who were on the team. though luke had to admit he was a little offended that she would think he would do anything of that nature. he wasn't a big fan of art but he wouldn't go out of his way just to destroy it. as hard as it is to believe i'm not your stereotypical dumb jock he told her honestly knowing she wouldn't believe him. not that she immediately should but he was going to try to show her he was different. most of the jocks knew that they were on top of the social ladder and they made that clear to everyone around them. and they made it their job to harass everyone who they didn't see as worth becoming friends with. luke on the other hand didn't fit into that mold. can i at least look through your journal? he asked expecting her to say no. not that he minded, luke understood why she was so cold towards him when she had such a bad experience with the people he called his friends. created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

"No, of course not," Imogen replied quickly, perhaps a little too quickly as she reached up to touch her left ear, letting her hands slide back through her curtain of long blonde hair. Internally, she swore as she proceeded to mentally kick herself. Was she that transparent? Then again, she supposed that Luke had been with enough girls to be able to read her like a book. Flushing an attractive shade of scarlet, her eyes were still transfixed on the waves, neatly blocking out the expanse of deliciously golden brown skin beside her.

"It's fine," she felt compelled to state. "Forgive me if I don't join you. I don't seem to own a designer bikini that doesn't fit properly," came her reply that was laced with venom as she hot a disapproving look at the giggling girls.

With a squeak, Imogen threw up her pale hands in an effort to try and block the droplets of water that came flying unceremoniously towards her. "You are such a blackguard, Mr. Moreau," the tall girl said as she frowned deeply, reaching up to wipe the occasional droplet of water off of her face as she grumbled under her breath, clearly irritated with his mere presence. Oh sure, he was handsome. He was popular. He was loaded. Did that really give him any legitimate reason for being such a -- a--- douche.

Letting silence fall again, Imogen let out a gentle sigh. Her big blue eyes were downcast, focusing on her bare knees, one of which had a long scar that hadn't properly healed. Truth be told, the pain of last year was still fresh, still close enough to the surface to cause her substantial bother. Luke didn't care, though. Perhaps that was why she was telling him, for the lack of sympathy. Pulling one leg up to her chest, she rested her chin neatly on her scarred knee, turning her pretty face to him as she cracked the first genuine smile the whole time they'd been talking.

A transformation took place; her eyes shone, a healthy rosy colour coming to her cheeks as she let out a bark of high and melodious laughter. "Really." The word came out sounding more like a statement than the traditional question as she flashed him a grin. "Do you buy a girl flowers and sit around reading Victorian poetry, Luke?" Imogen asked, gently poking fun at him. Rolling her eyes, she turned her attention back to the sea, wondering if anyone would really miss her if she hurled herself off the edge of the pier and let the warm water sweep her awake. It was a macabre thought but a thought that fascinated her regardless.

At the mention of Luke wanting to see her journal, she hesitated. Looking down at the worn leather of her book, she chewed on her lower lip before taking a deep breath and holding it out to him. "Sure," she replied in a voice no higher than a whisper. The book was almost full, the cream coloured pages filled with detailed drawings. They were mainly the landscapes of Orange County; beaches, birds, people she didn't know. These moved onto detailed drawings of Paris, of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Trocadero, the Louvre, Parisian streets, all finely drawn and neatly coloured in. There were sketches of flowers, tulips and lilies mainly. As the book progressed, there was a picture of a girl. The drawing wasn't coloured, her hair in loose waves, her facial features soft and delicate but the expression she wore was one of distress. The eyes were large and Imogen had drawn the girl, who looked a little like herself, crying.

There were a number of quotes written in and around the drawings in Imogen's small, neat and precise handwriting. Still not looking at Luke, her eyes were focused on a squawking seagull above. "I highly doubt we'd ever bump into each other after this," she stated softly. "So feel free to browse."

[LUKE ANTHONY MOREAU]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] but where will i paint my life and will the buyer in the sky believe in what i dream The Words: 819 The Music: blueside - rooneyThe Notes hai c: well good, i wasn't going to get it anyways he replied trying to keep a smile from appearing on his face. she had replied so quickly and now she was starting to go red in the cheeks. luke chuckled to himself, he was going to have more fun with this than he thought. all her reactions were different than the girls he was normally hanging around. but then again he liked the girls that never got too emotionally involved. he wasn't a fan of the type that thought just because they fooled around a bit that meant he had feelings for her. no, if luke actually had feelings for a girl he would most likely just tell her. luckily enough he hadn't come across a girl he could honestly say he had loved. and that was good for him, it would mean he couldn't live the same lifestyle that he was going through now. luke moreau in a committed relationship, that lasted more than a couple weeks? that wasn't something he wanted to happen anytime soon. i'm sure we could find you one if you really wanted he said with a small wink. he of course wouldn't mind seeing her in a bikini though he doubted she would be inclined to put one on around him. she obviously had a distaste for those types of girls and luke found it amusing. the sound that had come from her when the water had landed was priceless. she attempted to guard herself but that didn't help very much. call me whatever you please he told her with a smile. everyone else did and last time he checked he was just fine and none of them affected him. he couldn't help but notice the scar on her knee that she was so intently staring at. reaching out towards it luke brushed his fingers against her skin for only a few moments trying to figure what had happened there. it wasn't healed all the way and it seemed to be a big deal to her. what happened there? he asked as he picked up the slushie she had been sipping on earlier. putting his mouth to the straw he started sipping on the blue drink knowing the act would probably just get her even more annoyed with him. putting the slushie back down she began to laugh at his statement which he knew would be coming. of course she didn't believe him and he didn't expect her to. then again when did luke ever care what people thought about him? he didn't mind everyone thinking he was a heartless playboy. that way everyone knew what they were getting involved with and no feelings were hurt in the end. it was much easier when he was straightforward with his intentions. it didn't always sit well with people but luke would much rather be honest then waste his time beating around the bush. [b]maybe if it was a special girl i'd consider it

[/b][/color] luke replied with a shrug. but he knew the odds of actually finding someone that special was slim. though maybe if he did he would consider changing for her. luke just shook his head at the useless thoughts, there was no point in thinking about those types of things. instead he should be focusing on the next party he was planning on going to and the next person who's bed he was planning on sleeping in.

surprisingly enough after she hesitated for a bit she held the book out to him. she was actually trusting him enough to look through her journal. of course this was no invitation to her show but they were slowly getting somewhere. making sure his hand was dry and not going to ruin any of the pages he slowly began flipping through them and paused at the picture of the eiffel tower. the picture brought back memories of countless trips he took there with his mother and then later on with his grandparents. it was one of the places his mother loved to go because of the amazing view you could get from there at night. he smiled for a moment but continued to flip the pages not bothering to comment on it. hopefully she hadn't noticed how fixated he had become with the picture. then there was one more picture that caught his attention. it was a girl who looked a great deal like imogen crying. he brushed his fingers over it for a moment before closing the journal. you're an amazing artist he said giving her a little shove with his arm. and don't you worry i'll make sure we see each other again luke told her with a small raise of his eyebrows. there was no way he was going to let her go so easily, after it had taken him so long to realize how interesting she was going to be.
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[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

"Oh ha ha," Imogen replied coldly with a roll of her big and expressive bright blue eyes as she snorted derisively. Honestly, on a feminist level, she was offended. Why on Earth would she parade around in a skimpy bikini? Back home, she had a sturdy and practical plain black one piece that she used for swimming if the mood ever struck her and it rarely did. She wasn't really one for the water if she was going to be truthful. "When I lose my self-esteem," she replied conversationally, "You'll be the first to know, Luke."

"Hm?" The blonde asked intelligently, looking up and into her companion's face as he mentioned and then proceeded to touch her not-yet healed scar. "Oh," she breathed, watching his fingers make a leisurely pass across the marred skin before she shrugged her slender shoulders. "Nothing. Just an accident. I feel off a skateboard," she responded with a soft smile. That was a lie. It was the result of a rather bitter row and then break up with her last boyfriend but she was not going to tell him that. She barely knew him and she definitely didn't trust him. Eyeing the scar he was touching, she continued confidently. "My older brother, Benjamin, called me a stick-in-the-mud. He said that I was too stoic, too chicken, too stiff to try an extreme sport like skateboarding. And me, of course, had to have the last word so we went to the skate park and mid Nosegrind, bam!" Imogen exclaimed, clapping her hands together loudly. "There's me, on the floor, bleeding."

So distracted with nearly spilling the beans on a decidedly traumatic past event, she just saw Luke take a sip of a her slushie from the corner of her eye. "You know," she began with pursed lips. "If you wanted one so much, I would have bought you one," she stated acidly as a pale hand shot out to snatch back the clear plastic cup. Neatly, she plucked out the straw and turned it upside down, leaving the edge that Luke's lips had touched back into the cold drink before she took another sip. It was part of out annoyance and part out of the fear of catching whatever he might have. After all, he frequently seemed to play STD roulette with the girls he brought home with him.

At the mention that she could call him whatever she wanted, she offered him a small smile. "Well Mr. Moreau," Imogen continued, "I'd call you a blackguard and a scoundrel. What, with you stealing hearts the way you do." With that, she simply arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "I've heard things, usually from sobbing girls in the bathroom stalls, that you have a penchant for tossing them asunder. You might want to be careful," she warned, "It could come back and bite you on the ass. Had I had a less sensitive soul, I'd run a hundred miles in the opposite direction. And I'm sure you'll find her, the right girl," she purred, slurping her slushie once more. "I believe in soul mates."

As Luke was otherwise occupied with her journal, Imogen turned to look at him. Curious, she thought, the way he was fixated on one picture. Ah, Paris. "Remind you of something?" She asked, her overly bright blue eyes fixed on the page as she nodded again absently. "My grandmother's French," she felt the need to explain. "She lives in Bordeaux but I always find myself drawn to Paris when I visit. You know, the soul of an artist, blah blah blah," she said, waving a hand through the air nonchalantly.

"Thank you," she stated as her scarlet lips stretched into a soft, genuine smile once more. As she was shoved, she wasn't expecting the action as she felt herself lurch forward and she was just able to stop herself. "Ow," she whispered with a scowl, not much a fan of all this manhandling going on today.

"And how are you going to manage that?" Imogen asked with a blink of her eyes, turning to focus on him and dying to know what his plan was. "That's only going to happen if we run into each other and those parties you organise and that I'm never invited to," she responded softly. "I can only imagine how quickly your reputation is depleting in the time you've spent sitting next to me."

[LUKE ANTHONY MOREAU]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] but where will i paint my life and will the buyer in the sky believe in what i dream The Words: 816 The Music: blueside - rooneyThe Notes hai c: well thanks, i'll come by and help you with it he said with a small chuckle. he watched her closely as she began to explain what had happened. maybe if she had just stopped at the part where she had fallen off the skateboard he would have believed her. but then she continued to talk about her brother and something about her being a chicken. then all of a sudden she went bam and started to clap her hands together. he stared at her strangely for a second wondering why she was trying to hard to cover up the story about her scar. we can go with that for now he said implying that he knew she was lying. but if she didn't want to share the story that was her decision and luke wasn't going to pry. i just wanted a little he said holding his fingers up to help explain his case. she picked up her drink and decided to flip the straw so that she wouldn't be drinking from the part that his lips touched. he grinned as he watched the process. of course she thought the same things as everyone else did. i never steal hearts, that would mean it was intentional, he said with a blank expression on his face. it's not my fault they don't believe me when i say it means nothing he continued not bothering to make eye contact with her as he spoke. even though he sounded like a complete jerk luke wasn't one to hide the truth. the one thing luke never understood had to be the feelings girls had for him. he wasn't the best of guys and that was no secret. it wasn't as though he promised those girls anything, he was completely honest with his intentions. they had a fun time and that was all he wasn't one for taking that any further. luke could be a good friend but that was about as far as he could go. other than that he felt no special feelings for any of the girls he had been with. sure there were some that he liked more than others and he even tried the whole girlfriend thing with them. but those feelings of real love that he was always hearing about never seemed to be there. as far as i'm concerned, love doesn't exist he said turning to her going back to his normal happy and smiley self. he made it seemed as though he was joking about the entire situation even though he meant every word that had come out of his mouth. luke had lost composure for a moment but he would make sure that it didn't happen again. use to live there up until last year he said with a small shrug pretending that was the only reason he spent so much time looking at that on picture. luke was still contemplating whether it was the right decision to come to america and live here. it was as if he had become a completely different person and he was afraid to go back because he knew his grandparents would notice. they obviously wouldn't' like what they saw and he was glad they weren't around to see what he was up to. do you visit often? he asked curiously as he glanced over to look at her. luke hadn't visited in quite some time and he didn't know what to do about it. it wasn't as if his father would care about the money or the fact that he was leaving the country. he was just afraid to face his grandparents. i didn't know you were so fragile, i'll be more careful he said commenting on the ow that she had whispered. he hadn't even pushed her that hard he didn't expect that type of reaction. i'm not sure yet, but i'll figure out a way luke replied shrugging. how hard would it be to hang out with imogen? the biggest factor would most likely be her and the fact that she didn't want to see him. i never plan, just attend he said correcting her. luke wasn't one to bother with planning parties when there was always one going on somewhere nearby. he especially couldn't stand the idea of a house party. all those people in the place he spent the most time at? luke didn't even bring girls home unless he happened to be dating them. that was only because it was implied that they could come over if they wanted. it isn't as though i have the best reputation already, you should be more worried about yours in this case he told her with a small smile. what would people think when they saw her sitting here and talking to him of all people. he knew the first thought of people would have to be that the relationship was strictly physical. created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

"I don't have any reason to lie to you," Imogen replied swiftly, picking up on the distrust that was positively exuding from Luke next to her. Her big blue eyes blinked three times placidly as she tilted her head to watch him curiously. She found him fascinating, she really did. From their perch, she could see his friends, a few of which were attempting to catch his attention by waving in their direction. "It was an accident," she stated softly with a nod of her head. "There's really nothing more to that. Besides," she said cheerfully, her long pale fingers absently playing with her long blonde hair. "I'd like to spend more than ten minutes with someone before telling them my life story."

As he said he only wanted a little, she pushed the half empty plastic cup which contained the remainder of her slushie towards him.

"Do you really not know what you do to those girls?" Imogen asked, a small smile playing along the curve of her deeply pink lips. Realising that she must have sounded really rather rude, she dropped her gaze coyly to her bare knees, allowing her hair to gently cascade in soft waves around her shoulders and effectively hiding her blush. "Oh, so you come with a warning, do you?" The artist asked, letting out a warm and gentle chuckle. "I'm not judging," she stated, "I'm just a concerned passerby, really. What's going to happen when you meet the girl that finally does mean something to you?" She asked, genuinely interested to know how he'd manage that. How philosophical they were behaving this afternoon. Perhaps it was easier to talk to candidly with a perfect stranger.

"Girls take things to heart," Imogen responded, as though Luke had no idea about that. "It'll always mean something, even if they lie. I do believe in love," she stated with a smile that matched his own, shrugging one of her slender shoulders in the process. "But I do not believe men and women can just be friends, I really don't. One of them always wants more." As she spoke, her eyes lingered on Luke, perhaps for a second or two too long before she smiled again. "Maybe it is all just a chemical reaction," she mused. "I don't really know. I've never really been in that position before. In love. I thought I was, turns out I made the biggest mistake of my life to date." With a sigh, she gave a sad little smile but revealed no more.

"Not as often as I like," Imogen stated in response to her visiting France. "Ah," she commented with a grin. "I thought I heard an accent. I'm going back this Christmas. I can't wait. I don't really fit in here," she stated in a low voice. "You know?" She asked, turning to face Luke properly, her eyes wide and imploring. "Just…like the lifestyle here. I don't party, I don't surf, I don't swan around wearing less clothes than is really legal. I'm Parisienne. Do you have any suggestions for things to do there when I go back?" Weirdly, she felt compelled to ask if Luke wanted to come with her.

"I do Yoga, Luke. Not kick boxing," she snapped suddenly, frowning at him before huffing. But she couldn't help but laugh. "Just attend. Oh, to be popular," she purred, clearly joking. In all honesty, not once, not ever was she invited to a party. She had no idea what went on when everyone was there. "The Beach Bash looks like fun," she lied. Drunken students and fire? Oh yeah, well done faculty. "I don't have a reputation," she corrected him, wrinkling the tip of her nose cutely at him before snorting. "My virtue is in no danger from you, I promise. Do you want an ice cream?"

[LUKE ANTHONY MOREAU]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] but where will i paint my life and will the buyer in the sky believe in what i dream The Words: 799 The Music: blueside - rooneyThe Notes hai c: you have no reason to tell me the truth either he told her with a shrug. she didn't know him and he understood her distrust. his eyes followed hers to where his friends were standing waving at him to come over. he waved back but he wasn't planning on returning until he was done with his conversation. it was nice not to be talking about partying and sex all the time. he listened to her talk about how it was an accident and then noting that they didn't know each other well. luke didn't bother to respond because she did have a point and he wasn't going to bother her about it. he was surprised when she handed him her slushie but took it anyways. once again he didn't bother with the whole straw thing and just put his mouth where hers had been just a few moments before. i don't understand their feelings he told her honestly with a shrug. he couldn't figure out why a girl could say that she was in love with him when they had just had a one night stand. or if they just went on one date. they didn't know anything about him and yet they claimed that this was true love? no, it was just all a scam and luke wasn't one to fall into it. if someone could think they were in love with you before getting to know you then it just wasn't worth the time. that was one of the main reasons luke didn't feel bad when he was said to have broken someones heart. he did nothing for them to think there could be a spark there and yet in their head it seemed to be something completely different. everyone's judging luke said with a small chuckle. everyone thought what he was doing to these girls was horrible especially those girls friends who thought they could tell him off. but the fact that they could never get a reaction from luke that wasn't just a grin or a smile drove them insane. he wasn't one to put much emotions into things so getting him mad took much work. well if i ever meet a girl like that i'll change my ways and we'll live happily ever after he said sarcastically knowing that it would never happen. of all the girls he'd been with none of them were anything more than just a special friend. can't be friends? well if you get that chemical reaction out of the way they definitely can he said with a small wink. he was friends with many girls that he wasn't sleeping with. but that was because luke never really wanted anything that wasn't just physical. he didn't have feelings of "love" with any of them so that made things simply and easy. see, love just hurts he told her attempting a small smile after he had said it. but it was true love did always hurt. after he said that luke glanced at the tattoo on his wrist for a moment. it was normally always covered up by a watch but he had taken it off when he went into the water. it was the date of his mother's death that he always kept with him so that he'd never forget about her. maybe the reason he didn't bother with love was because he knew it could be taken away at any second. pushing those thoughts out of his head he made sure to hide his wrist and look back at her when she began to talk about france. the lifestyle here is definitely different he said agreeing with her. the priorities people had here were completely different than what he was use to. as far as everyone was concerned he fit in rather well but the changes weren't something that he could be proud of. i'll write you a list of places you have to visit he told her with a small grin as he finished up the slushie she had given him. hearing about her going to visit really made luke want to do the same. he was very tempted to visit his grandparents and maybe help out at the restaurant while he was there. well then i'll see you there he said after she commented on the beach bash. he of course was going to attend because it was one of the biggest events that was going to happen. in that case there is nothing that is stopping us from hanging out luke told her as he started to stand up. who can say no to ice cream? he asked her as he offered her his hand to help her up. though he was very surprised that she wanted to get ice cream with him of all people. created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

What he said struck her as oddly funny.

Imogen smiled, soft and warmly before lowering her head coyly, allowing her bright blonde hair to cascade over her shoulders and her pretty face. The fact of the matter was that she didn't trust him. Once bitten, twice shy. She didn't think Luke would really go out of his way to hurt her but she could never be sure. For years she'd been the butt of everyone's jokes. She'd been called allsorts; nerd, geek, four eyes, frigid, names Luke would never have come into contact with and for now, she simply awarded him with another smile.

"Girls are stupid," Imogen stated softly as she looked at his friends, all sun kissed and beautiful, with perfect bodies and perfect smiles and she couldn't help but feel an all-too familiar stab of self-loathing. She let out a forlorn sigh. "As a gender, we just can't help it. We need stability, kindness but on the flipside, we seem to be drawn to danger. Uncertainty. It's pathetic, really. Because you sleep with them once, they think they have a chance. You're their new project, Luke," she responded. "They think they can break you and mould you into the perfect boyfriend but you're not boyfriend material, are you?" She turned to look at him. Her tone of voice wasn't malicious or spiteful, it was merely an observation.

"I know you and your friends thrive on sex but do you miss it?" Imogen asked, her blue eyes eerily bright. "You know…just…hanging out. Doing stuff together. Watching movies, making popcorn, cuddling on the sofa?" Here, she paused as she watched him finish off her slushie curiously. His next comment made her laugh. "See? There you go, Prince Charming, there's hope for you yet." Without thinking, she extended a pale and lithe hand towards him to squeeze his shoulder.

Promptly, she tutted before rolling her eyes. "That might work for you but it doesn't work for me," she quipped swiftly. "Like I said, I'm not going to judge you. You know what's best but I'd find it tiring," she stated, looking at her knees. "All the bed swapping, all the empty sex, all the girls. Love's a vindictive bitch." As she spoke, she saw his wrist. That tattoo was unusual. She hadn't seen one like that before, especially not dates and she chewed on her lower lip to stop herself from asking about it. "I've got a tattoo," Imogen stated breezily, tilting her head back to let the warm sunshine caress her face. He'd never see it. It was a rather intimate one.

"That would be great, thank you," she responded, brightening up almost instantly. If there was one thing she could talk about for hours, it would be Paris. Looking down at her feet, she gave her bare toes a wiggle. She really did want to take him for a walk down some beautiful leafy street. That was one thing she missed about France that California didn't have; poplar trees and a decent Autumn.

"I'm not going," Imogen stated abruptly in response to the Beach party and with a shake of her head. "I'm studying." That much was the truth and besides, she'd be the target of abuse. "I don't know anyone there," she whispered, "And I still don't have that bikini but have fun," she stated cheerily. "I'm sure it'll be an absolute blast." She stared at Luke's hands. Imogen hesitated, biting her lower lip before slowly extending her hands out to take his, sliding her palm against his and interlinking their fingers, her other hand taking hold of his wrist to get a better grip. Once on her feet, she bent over, accidentally sticking her pert bottom in the air as she grabbed her bag and all of her belongings before lazily wandering down the pier. It was nice, she could see why people came here a lot, especially couples. It wasn't long before they reached the vendor; a happy Italian man by the name of Paolo.

"Ciao Paolo," Imogen greeted the man with a bright smile, which was returned by the man who stooped to kiss her cheek and inquired about her raggazo. Swiftly, she blushed. "He's not my boyfriend," she categorically stated. "Paolo, this is Luke. He's a --" a what? "Classmate. Could I have two scoops of strawberry, please? And whatever he's having."

[LUKE ANTHONY MOREAU]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] but where will i paint my life and will the buyer in the sky believe in what i dream The Words: 922 The Music: blueside - rooneyThe Notes hai c: can't say i disagree he said with a small grin to show that he was kidding. maybe feelings in general were just stupid, yes that made so much more sense. she watched his friends and wondered what went on through her head when she saw them. it was probably not good that was for sure. not really boyfriend material, i'm not a project worth taking up he told her honestly with a small shrug. he really did try with a few girls to have something serious go on but it never could last long. he just couldn't bring himself to care for them in a way that was more than friendship. that was probably the reason luke couldn't be with them for long because it was unfair to them to be in a relationship with a guy who's head was in the clouds. he had never told a girl he loved her and hadn't planned on ever having that happen to him. maybe he could really like a girl but to actually feel this amazing thing everyone called love? yeah, he really doubted that would happen. though girls have tried in the past but none of them succeeded. [i've never really thought about the whole "hanging out" thing he said as he thought about it. luke just never saw himself in that type of position where he was in a relationship with someone where that was all he wanted to do, be around them. luke was use to being on his own and that was what he expected from himself for a while. she squeezed his shoulder and he was surprised to see that she touched him. did this mean she was becoming more comfortable with the situation? the empty sex is fun while it lasts he told her not really sure how else to explain why he did it. it was fun and simple to do things the way he did. then he wouldn't have to worry about calling the girl the next day or constantly telling her what she wanted to hear to keep her happy. he wouldn't have to lie about the feelings he was having for her because he was afraid she wouldn't like what he was going through. it was just easier to do things where the girl didn't have feelings involved.really? where? he asked her glad that the conversation was turned about hers and not his. luke would have to think of a reason to tell her what the tattoo meant when/if she asked. it was interesting to see the things that made imogen happy. just talking about paris made her the happiest she had been this entire conversation. her priorities were rather interesting and luke wanted to learn more about what made this girl tick. she was just so much more different from your average girl that you bet at school. but talking about home would be something that he'd enjoy. then they'd be able to have real discussions about all the wonders of the country. every time a girl found out about luke being from france all she talked about would have to be the eiffel tower and how pretty it was. sure it was a big part of france but it wasn't everything that was there but that seemed to be the only thing they wanted to hear about. it's really no problem he assured her. it would be something fun that he'd look forward to. she was absolutely positive that she wasn't going to the party and was going to study instead. you'd know me. i think that would be enough he told her with a small wink. the beach party was an event that everyone went to no matter where they were held on the social ladder. that was when it didn't matter and everyone just wanted to have fun. besides, studying on a night where you could be having that much fun? he said in a i can't believe you'd do this type tone. go shopping for one he told her simply. how could she be living in california and not own a bikini? now that was rather ridiculous considering how close they were to the beach. luke constantly found himself on the beach even when he didn't mean to. the beach was amazing especially at night when everyone was gone and it was quiet. there was always something fun and interesting to do here on the beach and it was a sad that imogen was missing out on it all. she just stared at his hand and he wondered if it was wrong to have offered it to her. but then she grabbed it and he helped to pull her up which was rather easy considering how light she was. he waited for her to grab her things and he walked besides her to a nearby vendor. she seemed happy to greet the man working there and luke couldn't help but chuckle when he asked if luke was imogen's boyfriend. he did notice that she blushed which made it hard for him not to smile. i'm not her type luke told the man with a grin. luke listened to her order strawberry ice cream and then he looked through all the flavors and picked the plainest the one he liked best. just one scoop of vanilla please he asked as he watched the man make it. reaching into his pocket he pulled out some cash he had stored in his trunks and gave it to the man. created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[IMOGEN ELIZABETH GREEN]

"Oh, I don't know," Imogen purred softly as she frowned thoughtfully, letting the warm sea-salty air blow through her long blonde tresses and she didn't bother to try and control them. "I'm sure you do have…some redeeming qualities," she joked, keeping a straight face but the mischievous glint in her deep blue eyes gave her away. "I'm kidding," she replied with a soft smile, just in case their sense of humours didn't quite match up with each other's. "I'm not really one to talk," she continued, looking out at the choppy sea with a soft sigh, almost as though the world was on her shoulders that afternoon. "My track record with relationships goes from bad to worse. I can see where you're coming from, though. I'm scared of opening myself up just to have someone stomp all over my heart, too." With that, she offered him another brittle smile.

Maybe they were more alike than she'd ever really realised.

"It could be fun for you," she replied in an oddly chipper tone, trying to ignore the fact she'd become unusually vulnerable for a few minutes back there. "Just wanting to be with someone. Not doing much. Just sitting on the sofa, watching a soppy movie, having someone play with your hair or cuddling." Here, Imogen stopped to give Luke's body a quick look over. "You look like you'd be a good cuddler."

"I don't agree," the blonde stated swiftly with a shake of her head. "I don't want empty sex, don't like it. I like passion, you know? Raw, unbridled, passionate love. The got-to-have-you-right-now sex. The type that would make your grandmother blush." As she spoke, her pupils dilated. Her porcelain skin flushed pink as she started to gesticulate wildly, making shapes with her hands through the warm air as her voice took on a new and interesting quality. "You can't really have deeply satisfying sex with someone unless you care about them, not really. It's not pleasurable for me. I'm not really into it." The way she spoke probably startled Luke. The meek and sensible Imogen Green, talking so candidly about such an intimate act. She really wanted to show him what he'd been missing out on for so long.

Where? "Right here." With that, she pressed a long index finger against her left hip, careful not to show him. With another coy smile, she simply smiled once more. No more was said. She didn't tell him what it was or why she had it, simply to make him wonder if he wanted to see it or not.

"Mmm," Imogen replied in a non committal manner, frowning a little as she shifted uncomfortably. "It's not that," she began awkwardly. "It's just I'd feel awful making you stay with me all night, especially when your attention is bound to be split in a thousand different directions. Besides," here she sighed again. "I've had enough experience standing by a fire all on my own, drinking. I don't see why this year would be any different." That much was true. She'd learnt her lesson by now, she wasn't stupid. "Define "fun", Luke," she drawled, lifting her hands to make air quotes with both sets of forefingers. "I wouldn't even know where to buy one," she admitted, flushing pink again in response to her going out and getting herself a bikini. "I don't usually wear one. I don't want anything to…fall out. I'd only buy the wrong one. What's wrong with a practical one piece anyway?"

"Oh God," Imogen groaned, cringing and wanting to die as she face palmed as the lovely and oblivious Paolo stated that Luke needed to change that and that they'd make a lovely couple and have lots of lovely little babies. Positively dying of shame, she covered her pretty face with both hands and clenched her eyes shut. She liked Paolo, she really did; he was jolly and round with a thick Italian accent and he made the best gelato but still! Really! Why?!

She and Paolo had known each other for a few years and he'd sort of become like a sort of surrogate grandfather for her. He'd always give her some free ice cream and he was pretty much her shoulder to cry on, he really was lovely. The older man seemed to enjoy her squirming and as such, proceeded to ask Luke why he wasn't dating her. Mortified, she dropped her hands to gawp at the vendor, suddenly transporting herself back to the gawky fourteen year old that she'd once been. "Because!" Imogen snapped suddenly, her voice rising for the first time in a long while. "Like he said, we're incompatible and no Paolo," she said swiftly. "No amount of trysts will solve that. Here," as Luke reached out to pay, she intercepted him. Her soft hand darted out, taking a gentle hold of his wrist while her other hand rummaged through her bag for some change which she promptly handed over and took her ice cream.

Ciao bella! Paolo called after her with a hearty laugh, causing Imogen to scowl. "Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, ducking her head and muttering something intelligible under her breath as she stalked off. "I'm so sorry," she gushed to Luke. "Really. Like I'm not getting tortured enough by my peers, he had to wade in, didn't he? And he wonders why I can't get a boyfriend." With a deep and forlorn sigh, a cat-like tongue darted out and licked her ice cream as she turned to watch the carousel ride spin.