Bring On The Thunder -Open-

[Shadyyy.[:]

"You southerners are weird." He replied with a small smile. He hoped she knew he was joking. He couldnt stand people with no sense of humor. They bugged him. " Well i guess im not used to rain, living in Colorado for so long." He voice trailing off. He started picking at a hangnail. darnit did those hurt. He glanced up to make sure she hadnt left yet. He wanted to get to know her more. She was so far the only friend he had. The only one. She was still there. But she was scribbling away in the tattered notebook that was at the edge of the table. He peered over to see what she was writing. They looked like the begining lyrics to a song. He was hooked. He read them over and over again. They were catchy and meaningful. " I am sorry to be nosey, but are those lyrics? If so they are really good." He looked into her blue eyes. He wrote some lyrics. They werent that great though. He was better at playing other peoples work.

" Why do you say this? I think you are quite funny." He said in a kind voice. She looked like Cory had made some big mistake. Was she that much of a freak? She didnt seem like it. She was talkative and almost totally normal. But he liked girls that way. Like Lizzy. She was exactly the calmest girl ever. She was fun to be aruond and always knew how to have a good time. Lizzy. Homesickness pained at his heart once more. But there was some hope for this new girl. Noelle. Lizzy. It just wasnt the same. His mind went on and on about random nothings.

[{Allison} Alaska]

Noelle grinned at his southerner remark. ”Hey, little snow deprives you of the snow days experience. Though we did get a lot of flooding but it’s not the same,” She replied, thinking back on the memories of the nasty floods they occasionally got because of hurricanes and such. Her eyes widened when she realized that Cory was reading the lyrics she had scribbled down. ”Lyrics… Yeah. But they aren’t that great. Just random fishies in the sea of my mind,” She replied, honestly. No one had ever told her that her lyrics were good, and she’d never really thought of them in that way. They were just random thoughts in Noelle’s mind that seemed to flow together with the occasional rhyme. She picked at the slightly torn corner of the cardboard notebook, thinking. ”Why, do you play an instrument or something?” Noelle asked after a moment, figuring he wouldn’t have even figured out those were lyrics in the first place if he wasn’t someone who played music, or heck, even sang occasionally, like Noelle herself.

”Funny, right. Go up to a random person on the street, and ask if they think that I’m funny. Chances are, they’ll either say no, or they don’t even know my name,” She replied. She had gotten her cousin to do that once, and that’s exactly what most people said. Most people would have been offended by that, but Noelle wasn’t. In fact, she quite liked it that way. At least people weren’t going to walk up to her and say something obscene, or something else Noelle’s strange mind could come up with. The same waitress who had taken both of their orders made her way back over to their table and turned on the flirt charm, and asked if Cory wanted anything else, and it was all Noelle could do from cracking up at how slutty the waitress seemed, and how she, a complete nobody here, had actually made the waitress jealous. Smirking to herself, she bit down on her lip to keep from saying something.

[Shadyyy.[:]

" Snow days are alright. Id rather go to school."To see Lizzy. He finished in his head. He didn't dare say it out loud. Memories flashed back to the many times that their family was trapped in their house because of the snow. And they couldn't get out for days and there was no power. Yep. Fun times. " I think they are really good. Better than anything i can come up with." He read the words a 4th time. They all flowed together perfectly. Sure there were some things that could be changed but for a first draft it was really good. " I play piano. I have since i was like three. I just now started picking up a guitar. And I'm an alright singer. Not that great. How about you, you obviously have to be a singer." He said then looked up from the notebook to her face.

" Well so they really know you?? Not saying I do, but..." he trailed off his cheeks flushing with red. He looked behind her out the window. It was still raining just not as hard. The waitress was back. She rested a hand on the back of his chair and asked if he needed anything else. " Im good, how about you Noelle?" The waitress looked over at Noelle in an impatient way. Cory hid his embarrassed smile behind his palm.

[{Allison} Alaska]

Noelle blushed. "Singer... Yeah. Not that great though," She replied, being her typical modest self. "I've played guitar for eleven years, I can play a tiny bit of piano. I've also learned how to play violin, but that was for band, so I don't think that counts....? But yeah. Mostly just singing and guitar. Any lyrics," She said, averting his gaze. She'd never really had any pratice with talking about her music to anyone else, so this was totally new to her. "And I bet you're a good singer. Probably better than me, cause I'm pretty bad," She said, with a shrug. No matter how many times people told her that she was a great singer, no matter how few had actually heard her sing, she didn't believe them. Tapping her pen on the table for a moment, she thought of the next line she could write for the song. After scrambling around in her head for a moment, she scribbled down a few words that helped the song flow along. She hummed the melody quietly, imagining how it would sound, but it was a little hard, since she couldn't very well stand up and belt the song out. After all, it wasn'e even that good, or at least in Noelle's opinion it wasn't

Noelle fought back a smile when Cory blushed. "They don't really know me... Just as the weird, quiet girl who fails at coming up with complete sentences in public," She said, recalling all the failed times at public speaking. She was half out of it, running a hand through her long, wavvy hair, when she heard Cory say her name. She snapped out of her fog, realizing that the waitress was waiting for her to say something. "Oh... Uhh... I... Erm... Nothing! Thanks," She said, scrambling to come up with words. Blushing a violent red, she glanced down for a moment as the waitress said something to Cory. Adding another line to her song, she glanced out the window again, the rain still coming down like something fierce.

[Shadyyy.[:]

Cory surveyed Noelle with his big hazel eyes. " I bet your an amazing singer. Id love to hear you sometime." he said with all sincerely. " You should teach me how to play guitar because I suck." He smiled. He tried to get Lizzy to teach him before, but she refused to. She claimed to be horrible, of course he knew she wasn't. " I'm am not a good singer at all. Trust me on this." He blushed because he knew it was true. Everyone had told him he was but he knew they were lying to him. Right then his phone vibrated loudly in his phone. "Sorry." He said as he flipped it open and read the new message. It was from Lizzy. ' I haven't stopped crying since you left. Plz come back Cory, I need you.' He stared at the message. He shut his phone and shoved it in his pocket. He shook his head. The truth was the pain was killing him too, he was just good at hiding it. He cleared his throat, pushed back tears, and moved all his thoughts out of his mind.

" Well your talking to me just fine." he told her with a small smile. The coffee shop had thinned out to only a few groups sipping their coffee and quietly conversing. The happy upbeat tune of 'Rocking Around The Christmas Tree' was quietly playing overhead. The waitress hearing Noelle's reply placed a think hand on Cory's back and said," Well just holler if you need anything." She flashed a smile and walked off. Cory watched her leave then looked back at Noelle his cheeks still darkening in color.

[{Allison} Alaska]

"Unless you somehow manage to tie me up and force me against my will to sing, it probably isn't going to happen," Noelle replied, the tone in her voice clearly stating she was serious, and that if he didn't believe her, he was the most stupid person ever. "And maybe I'll teach you to play guitar, if you teach me to play piano. I've always wanted to learn how to play in a non-suckish way," She said with a shrug, then thought is non-suckish even a word? Noelle raised an eyebrow when Cory looked severly upset when he read the text message. Deciding not to ask what was bothering him, Noelle picked at a hangnail. Then, it occured to her that she was supposed to be back home by a half hour ago for some lame party, but she pushed the thought out og her brain, figuring that if her parents were too upset, they would at least have the decency to at least call her cell phone. Casting another glance at Cory, she cleared her throat, and asked, "You okay?"

"Well maybe -" Noelle started then shut up. She was going to say well maybe you're just special but then she realized how couple-ish that sounded. Overhead on the speaker system, the song changed to Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, and Noelle hummed along, under her breath. When the waitress yet again failed to make a move on Cory, Noelle bit down on her lip so hard it was almost bleeding to keep from laughing. After the waitiress left, Noelle took one glance at Cory and bursted out laughing. "Oh my gosh. The look on your face - it's priceless," Noelle said in between laughs, her back hitting the back of the chair in the process, getting her hair snagged against something. Tugging at her hair on the back of the chair, Noelle groaned, realizing it was hopeless. She was stuck, no doubt about it. "Crap," She muttered under her breath, as she reached blindly behind her. She cast a quick glance at Cory, hoping he would help her before she had to cut a good chunk of her hair off.

[Shadyyy.[:]

Cory smiled. " Well then i just might have to." He chuckled quickly and then said," I'm kidding." He actually really wanted to hear her sing. Especially if she sang her lyrics. They were amazing. " And sounds like a plan." He said. He tore off a bit of napkin and took Noelle's pen that was laying on the table. He write down his number and pushed it over to her. " Call me whenever your ready to learn." Smooth. He told himself. Maybe he came off a little too strong. His cheeks still remained the same pink color. Going back to the text when she mentioned it. " Oh nothing... just someone from home...that i miss.." He trailed off and looked away hoping she would forget about this.

Cory looked down cause his cheeks were flaming hot. What was it about him that made girls fling themselves at Cory? Its not like he's smoking hot or anything. He didn't get it. As Noelle burst out laughing Cory started laughing too. He didn't know why. I guess laughter is contagious. " Oh shut up." He said under his laughs. He opened his eyes and looked at Noelle. Her long hair was caught in something behind her chair. He smiled and said" Here let me help." He got up and went up to Noelle. Oh wow. She smells amazing. He thought. He started to try and unravel her hair on the knob she got it caught on. " Just say if it hurts." He said as he pulled a little. He looked at her. She was prettier up close. " Wow. You have really pretty hair." He said quietly. He hoped she didn't hear him. There was a strand on the other side of her that he needed to get. He placed a hand on her shoulder and reached over. He pulled it lightly and it came out. He smiled and worked more on the main knot in her hair. He hummed quietly as he worked on undoing her hair.

[{Allison} Alaska]

Noelle couldn't help but wonder why he was so persistent on hearing her sing. It's not like she was the next Celine Dion or something. After he gave her his phone number, Noelle scribbled her phone number in a corner of her notebook and handed it to Cory, with a shrug. "Whenever you decide to give the guitar life a try," She said, then immeadiately thought how lame that sounded. Noelle knew that when Cory said that there was someone he missed, that he wasn't saying it all. Deciding not to push the subject, knowing how akward and annoying that could get she pushed a few strands of hair out of blue eyes, the cheery music overhead getting slightly annoying. Noelle could only handle so many cheery Christmas songs before they made her want to snap someone's neck in two.

"Kay," She replied, even though she wouldn't say if it hurt. She wasn't one to complain about pain; she just dug her nails into her palm or chair. Noelle heard him say that she had pretty hair, and she bit down on her lip to keep from smiling, though it didn't stop the blushing. Figuring he hadn't meant to say that out loud, she didn't dwell on it. The lyrics that danced around in her head were beginning to get annoying, and they were stuck in her head. Figuring if she sang quietly enough, no one would hear, Noelle took a deep breath. "Please take down the mistletoe, cause I don't want to think about that right now..." She sang so quietly it was barely above a whisper. "Cause everything I want is miles away... In a snow covered little town..." She added on to the growing song in her head. "My momma's in the kitchen... Worrying about me. Season's greetings, hope you're well..," She sang, then realized her voice had gotten a little louder. She hadn't meant for anyone to hear. "Oh crap," She said, her hand flying up to her mouth.

[Shadyyy.[:]

Cory took her number and looked it over before carefully folded it and put it in his pocket where his phone was. Her handwriting was small and neat. Nothing like his. Everyone told him he had nice handwriting, but it looked like a girls. He laughed at her cute little comment about the guitar, " Oh I will don't worry." He smiled. And traced over the designs on the table humming along to the tune of the music. Thoughts of home yet again filled his head. Thoughts of Lizzy, his family, and his friends. Did it always hurt this much when you move? He asked himself. He didn't know, but he didn't think so. At least he had one friend here in this foreign city. Or at least he hoped she was a friend.

He kept picking at her hair trying to be as gentle as he could. He remained inhaling to try get her scent into his system. She just smelt amazing. Wow. He felt a little weird, but it was irritable. Noelle very quietly started to sing along with the merry Christmas songs playing overhead. Cory stopped working and listened as hard as he could to hear her angelic voice. He hummed along with her. She got louder until it was loud enough for Cory to easily hear her words. He went back to unknowing her hair. He smiled as he worked his fingers through her hair. He was almost done, only a small strand was left. As he carefully pulled on the strand it released itself and fell back with the rest of her amazing hair. He went back to his chair and said," Your all untangled." He paused a second and her hand was over her mouth. " Your actually an amazing singer. I dont know who told you otherwise, but they were wrong. You are really really good." He said persuasively.

[{Allison} Alaska]

"Thanks for untangling my hair... And my voice isn't that great," She replied, as her hair was freed from the chair at last. "And don't tell me the song was good either, cause it's not," She added, picking her pen up and adding a few more lines to the song she had been previously working on. "And no, I won't finish what I was singing either," She added again, casting a glance at Cory, before adding yet another line to the song. "What rhymes with time?" She asked after a moment, her mind drawing an entire blank. Usually she was good at coming up with words that rhymed, especially when they were fairly easy to rhyme, like time, but for whatever reason, she was drawing a blank. Groaning, she tapped her nails on the table, trying to think, but her previous train of thought had been blown away by the wind in her head.

Suddenly, her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Picking it up, she groaned when she saw it was her mother. "Joy," Noelle muttered under her breath, before she answered it. "Excuse me," She said to Cory, then flipped her phone open. "Hello," Noelle said, expecting the worst from her mom. "NOELLE ADDISON! WHERE ARE YOU?! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED YOUR FATHER AND I AM RIGHT NOW?"[/i] Her mother shrieked, and Noelle held the phone away from herself so she didn't become deaf from her mother's screaming. Wincing, Noelle forced herself to answer. "Uhhh. I kinda lost track of time....? And I'm perfectly fine, Mom. I'm not being dragged into dark alleys or anything," She added the last part for her mother's benefit. This seemed to soften her mother, since she said that Noelle didn't have to go to their party if she didn't want to. When Noelle finally hung up, she turned back to Cory, an apolegetic look in her eyes. "Sorry... My mom has... possieve issues," She said, with a shrug.