Lunch Solo (OPEN)

[Talasyn Richards]

The constant murmur of voices in the room was kind of like a lulling whisper of sound that allowed Ms. Richards to daze off into space as she stabbed her fork at the salad on her tray, her eyes on the leafy greens and cherry tomatoes but her mind a million miles away. Yes, she'd been reading those gratuitous smut novels again at night. It was a guilty pleasure. The books transporting her to a world where the men were heroic and brave and strong and sensitive and the women also were strong willed and brave. The ending was always good and they lived happily ever after.

It was such a shame that real life rarely, if ever, turned out the same way. In real life things were very different. In real life it had women like her scurrying off to a convent, or in this case, a private school to hide in from things like family and relationships and that happily ever after she'd given up on ever achieving years ago.

A sudden loud bout of laughter snapped her out of her thoughts and she glanced over her shoulder to see the cause of it, seeing the happy students smiling and enjoying each others company. Oh to be like that again. She frowned a little and ducked her head down again in the little corner of the teacher's tables that she had chosen to sit in, sure to be away from all the others. In her case she couldn't even say she wished she were like these students again. She was never like them.

Always shy, always too backward to be in a laughing,smiling group of kids. Even in adulthood she refrained from social contact. It terrified her. She didn't know how to relate to others on that level. In the classroom things were different. She was still quiet and soft spoken but she was warm and really did enjoy helping her students to learn, to see their minds expand and grow with the knowledge she imparted.

She'd accepted that in a way, these would be the only children she would ever have and as such she treated them with the caring and attention that a mother might. But it was a hollow warmth. They would graduate, go off on their own lives and maybe, just maybe once in a great long while they would think back and remember that little brown haired teacher that tried to get them excited over chemistry, not even remembering her name. It wasn't much but she'd accepted that this was enough. It had to be.

Pushing one of the little cherry tomatoes around her plate and through the ribbon of ranch dressing she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pushed her glasses back up her nose with a little sigh.

[Tamara George]

Tam sat at her usual table in the lunch hall, absently twirling the pasta around her fork, tapping her fork against the top of it as she watched the woman across the hall.

It was sad really.

She'd seen her a few times and...god the woman just screamed for some kind of help. The whole glasses, introvert teacher look was just...dying to be...remodelled or something!

In other words, Tam was looking for a decent distraction from the thoughts circulating dizzyingly in her mind. Admittedly she was pretty much over the whole 'breaking off her engagement' thing...instead she had a certain muttering, growling...bloke (if you could even call him that) stuck in her head and she didn't seem quite able to get him out again. And right there, across the hall sitting by herself, was probably the best distraction she was ever going to find if it came and slapped her across this face...plus she was pretty sure she'd go spare if she didn't do something.

So she picked her tray and moved across the hall, her long legs carrying her along in their usual long strides, crossing the hall easily and sitting herself down opposite the woman at the table, looking at her for a moment.

"My god it's even worse than I thought," She said under her breath, shaking her head slightly before giving her a smile.

"Hello, I'm Tam, the best thing that will probably ever happen to you," She said pleasantly, extending a hand.


OOC: Sorry for the crappy post, I'll try and make the next one longer and better x.x

[Talasyn Richards]

Hearing the voice mutter under it's breath as movement caught her eye, the cherry tomato she'd been pushing was accidentally nudged a bit too hard and plopped onto the plastic tray under her plate, the ranch dressing leaving a white smear over the red plastic. As she raised her head she pushed the glasses up her nose and regarded the lovely blonde student sitting across from her quizzically a moment, ready to open her mouth and ask what she might need.

But her parted lips fell silent as she heard the girl speak, a bit stunned, not quite expecting what she said. Her head tilted a little as she tried to figure out what was going on. Had she eaten some of the rye toast? Had it grown hallucinogenic mold and none of this was real? Shaking her head a little to snap out of her thoughts she realized that hand was still extended and she reached her own out, shaking hands briefly before pulling her hand back and tucking it on her lap as she sat up straight.

"I'm... I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that. I thought I heard you say something about the best thing that ever happened to me?", she said with the confusion showing in her tone and a small, forced chuckle. She looked over the girl more carefully, certain she hadn't been in one of her classes.

"You're from the other side of campus aren't you? I don't think we've met. I'm Ms. Richards. I teach Chemistry. And you are?" She waited to hear what the girl had to say. It was polite after all, her mantle of responsible adult giving her a bit more courage than a social situation might otherwise deem. Absently she touched her hair, still up in it's messy bun, feeling the stragglers that had escaped the tight bun at the top of her head and clearing her throat.

OOC: Not crappy at all my dear.

[Tamara George]

Tam tapped the side of her glass, a pleasant expression still on her face before she took a sip of her drink, continuing to watch her over the rim...maybe she'd need some help with this...she could always drag Chicago along for the ride, a family project if you will.

"You heard correctly," She said pleasantly, setting down her glass with a grin.

"Yep, my name's Tam George...well Tamara if you like full names but I prefer Tam. So what's your name? You're proper name I mean because I tend to reserve the whole surname thing for my male 'Mr. Darcy' esc sexual fantasies," She told her matter of factly.

"So! When's the last time you actually spent a decent amount of time on your appearance...decent being over 2 hours," She asked, failing to really appreciate that this could be considered rather rude...

[Talasyn Richards]

To say the meek teacher was flabbergasted would have been a major understatement. No one spoke to her outside of class and she had made a point to avoid all the other faculty as much as possible. To have a student that wasn't even one of her own and one that wasn't asking about a project or assignment sitting there and talking to her and speaking so frankly...it was safe to say she was way out of her element. It was an awkward position that the girl had put her in and she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, more out of habit than need, before tucking a stray curl that had come loose from her bun behind her ear.

Her fork was sat on the plate and her hands folded in her lap as she heard the girl speak of those 'Mr. Darcy' matters and her cheeks pinked with blush at the mention, her eyes darting to her plate to avoid contact with the teen. "My name is Talasyn Richards but it's hardly proper to address a member of faculty by their first name Tamara." she said quietly, still avoiding eye contact. But when the girl spoke again those big brown eyes darted up in surprise and then away again. Sure she was an adult but some scars people carry inside never entirely heal.

Here was a girl that was the epitome of everything she'd always, secretly, wished she could be when she was younger. Beautiful, confident, blonde, and brave. She seemed fearless as she postulated about Tally's appearance and it made the teacher uncomfortable, self-conscious. "I....", she didn't know what to say to that, her blush deepening in embarrassment as she cleared her throat and pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"I have more important things to do with my time than to fret in front of a mirror Ms. George. I am an educator and my primary focus is on teaching. I have papers to grade, projects to supervise, and a host of other responsibilities at this school. Frivolous things like that are not in the equation." Sure she tried to sound more authoritative than she felt, hoping no one else had heard any of this. Feeling ever so much more like the outcast she had always been as she gathered the napkin and rearranged things on her plate.

[Tamara George]

Tam easily speared a piece of pasta with her fork...before reaching over and adding another heap load of salt. She was obsessed with the stuff and generally couldn't eat anything without it. Bad for her or not.

She returned to munching after that, somewhat thoughtfully as she turned back to looking at 'Ms Richards', the tiniest crease in her brow before she wrinkled her nose.

"Actually scrap that, calling me Tamara isn't acceptable...in fact it's downright annoying, call me Tam, Tally...actually Tal...Tala...no we'll stick with Tally," She said decisively, reaching into the bag sitting beside her and pulling out her notebook with her freehand, making a list of 'things needed', glancing up every so often before she paused, giving an unconventionally loud unlady like snort.

"I take that as 'not for a veeeeeery long time' boarding on never," She laughed.

"Plus just because your smart and crap doesn't mean you can't be stunningly gorgeous, I mean I don't how but I manage it. I've never failed in anything...unless on purpose and yet still manage to look stunning all the time...if you 'don't have time' then bloody well make some, we're not having that defeatist attitude! All you need is your hair done...definitely some new clothes...you should really burn that outfit...a tutorial on how to do your own make up, a decent bra and for god's sakes your getting rid of those bloody glasses," She said as she looked at the spectacles somewhat contemptuously.

"As I said before, I'm going to be the best thing that ever happened to you," She said simply.

[Talasyn Richards]

The meek little teacher's eyes widened at the amount of salt poured onto the pasta but she said nothing as she glanced around nervously, hoping no other student or, gods forbid, faculty heard the conversation going on at the table. She glanced at the notebook and her hands laced nervously back and forth together in her lap under the table, wondering if she could just get up and flee. Maybe not stop running till she reached the state line.

As the girl started listing off the things that were needed she tried to interject once in a while, lips parting, a hint of sound leaving her lips but no words ever managed to pass them as her jaw dropped lower as the list went on. She felt the crimson stain of the blush that crept up her neck and into her cheeks and not stopping till it was well over her ears and into her hairline. Every snide remark that she'd overheard or had been the target of from all the 'pretty' girls she'd ever known seemed to echo in those statements and it was a slap in the face.

She stood hastily, not even bothering with her lunch tray as she pushed the glasses up her nose and ducked her head a little to hide the moisture forming in the corners of her eyes. She knew enough about teaching to know you never showed your weakness or you were done for.

Clasping her hands in front of her she tried to draw herself up straight and said quietly. "I have a class to prepare to teach Ms. George. While I appreciate the concern for my lack of beguiling attributes I like my life just fine the way it is." The way it was...boring, uneventful, uncomplicated, and most of all, non-threatening. It really was a shadow of an existence but she steadfastly tried to talk herself into turning a blind eye to that.

"Now...If you'll excuse me." She didn't make eye contact the entire time, didn't wait for an answer as she turned and headed off in the wrong direction, nearly colliding with one of the larger male students and turning back to go the right way hurriedly. The sting to her pride and the potential upset to her well ordered and uncomplicated world made her walk a little faster than normal and she had to weave in and out of the students, head kept down and flinching from any physical contact.

(OOC: Holy crap that scared the crap outta Tally. LOL. Poor thing. Though I have a feeling she's going to be reconsidering that offer when she meets a certain assistant Principal. Exit Tally stage left and right into the Pretty Cunning, Don't Cha Think thread.)