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Post by Natasha Ainsworth on Nov 3, 2008 1:34:24 GMT -4
Natasha wasn't exactly sure when it began, the extra effort that she was putting forth, but she wasn't one hundred percent willing to admit that it was going on.
An extra five minutes in the shower every morning, an extra ten minutes in front of the mirror afterward working on make-up, an extra fifteen in the school parking lot spent looking into the rear view mirror, making sure that nothing had come out of place during the drive. She went for subtlety, nothing over the top. No showing up after a soccer game, looking muddy and worn. Just a little more careful application of her eye make-up, just a nicer sweater when she got dressed, all very subtle.
She was, more than anything, surprised at where all of her awkwardness had gone. In eighteen years, she'd barely been able to talk to men, outside of her grandfather. At least not without making both of them feel incredibly strange, and making herself look like a total fool. What in the world was it about Torin that made it different?
That made her put for the subtle [but still extra] effort?
Natasha had no idea how it had all happened, and had long since given up the idea of figuring it out. It had been a couple of weeks since their first meeting, and some part of her had come to terms with the fact that she might be smitten. Completely inappropriate, but also completely true.
Their 'appointments' together, as well as their lunches together, had more or less become a lot less formal. All of the formality had been in the first meeting, and each one after had only made them more comfortable with each other. By the time this particular afternoon had rolled around, it felt more like she was visiting an old friend, rather than a councilor whom she [truthfully] barely knew.
It was lunch period on a Wednesday, and she didn't waste any of her time on the short walk from English class, over to Torin Taylor's office. With her school bag shouldered just as usual, she stepped up to the door as she reached it, and gave two knocks, before turning the knob and opening it, poking her head inside.
"I'm not early, am I?"
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Post by Torin Taylor on Nov 3, 2008 15:22:10 GMT -4
Torin moved around a few more things on his desk as he waited for Natasha to arrive. It wasn't like she really cared what his office looked like, but he wanted it to look presentable for when she was around.
He didn't know what it was about her, but something had made him invite her for lunch after their first appointment. He at first assumed it had something to do with how she was going to get him back into soccer, but as time went on it became less about soccer and less about counseling her and more about actually getting to know her as a person.
It had only been a few weeks since he'd first met her but he felt as if he'd known her for years. And it confused him more than just a little. She was supposed to just be one of his students and nothing else, but now it was as if she was someone he really wanted to get to know. Yes, he was supposed to relate to his students but he felt as if he was taking it a little too far with Natasha.
But whether or not that was a bad thing, he wasn't all that sure.
The sound of the door opening broke him out of his thoughts and he looked up at Natasha, a wide smile on his face.
"No, you're just on time. Come on in."
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Post by Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau on Nov 3, 2008 15:31:42 GMT -4
"Excellent," Natasha replied happily, stepping into the office, and shutting the door behind her. She moved over to her usual chair, dropping her bag beside it, and leaning down to get her lunch from the side pouch, before sitting down in the chair. She crossed her legs, still smiling, and reclining comfortably as she fixed her blue eyes onto the man on the other side of the desk.
"What have you got? I think I've probably got ham again, I'm willing to bet," she said softly, beginning to open up the brown paper bag lunch that her grandmother had packed for her.
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Post by Torin Taylor on Nov 3, 2008 15:49:25 GMT -4
"I don't know what I've got. Meghan makes my lunch every day and it's almost always something different." Torin picked up his lunch bag and placed it on his desk before slowly unzipping it and looking inside. He pulled out the sandwich and carefully unwrapped it, smiling a little. "Looks like chicken salad on rye today. Want half?"
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Post by Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau on Nov 3, 2008 16:06:47 GMT -4
"She makes a mean sandwich, I gotta say. Everything you've had this week had been fantastic," Natasha informed him, with a smile. She pulled out her own sandwich, unwrapping it, and offering half over to him in exchange for half of his chicken salad. "I'd love a slice, of course. I kind of like this lunch trading, I feel a bit like a little girl," she mused, with a little laugh.
"I've got soda to drink. What's Meghan given you today?"
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Post by Torin Taylor on Nov 3, 2008 16:11:55 GMT -4
"She really enjoys making them so I just let her do it. And they taste amazing so I'm not going to stop her anytime soon." Torin smiled and accepted the other half of Natasha's sandwich. He couldn't help but laugh along with her. It really did feel like he was back in elementary again where he'd always split his lunches with his friends.
"I'm not sure what I've got," He reached into the lunch bag again and pulled out a bottle of orange juice. "...OJ, apparently."
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Post by Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau on Nov 3, 2008 16:24:05 GMT -4
"Same with nana, really. Until I started high school, she always used to even give me those napkins with the note written on them? 'Have a good day at school Natasha, we love you', those kind of notes? I think she figured out that I was getting a bit old for them though, once I started getting taller than her," the blonde explained, with a little grin. She settled her mismatched sandwich onto her lap, and began to eat the chicken salad piece first, fishing out her can of soda with the other.
"I really should have gotten OJ, too. I've told nana a hundred times that all of this sugar is going to give me a fat ass, and slow me down on the field," she mused, popping the top, and lifting it to take a drink.
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Post by Torin Taylor on Nov 3, 2008 16:29:35 GMT -4
"Meghan still gives me those," Torin replied sheepishly before reaching into his lunch bag and pulling out a napkin with 'Counsel the hell out of those kids! ♥' written on it, passing it across the desk to Natasha.
"Meghan won't even let me look at the soda aisle when we go grocery shopping. I think she should have a good talk with your grandmother about proper drinks for growing teens." He laughed a little and then opened his bottle of orange juice, taking a rather large swig of it before closing it again and reaching for half of his sandwich.
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Post by Seraphim Donnelly-Rousseau on Nov 3, 2008 16:44:52 GMT -4
Natasha reached over and took the napkin, unable to keep from giggling as she read it, before sliding it back across the desk toward him. "That's sweet of her, really. Makes me feel all nostalgic, I might ask nana to start up again."
Settling her soda onto the edge of Torin's desk, the blonde began to eat her sandwich, pausing between bites to continue their conversation. "She sounds like me, if I was doing the shopping. I usually don't, it's one of the things nana still likes to do on her own, she doesn't even let pop come along with her. But if I had my way, we'd probably only have all natural juice, whole brain breads, power drinks, lots of fibre, energy bars, that kind of stuff," she explained, with another little giggle. "My friends are always telling me that if I had to feed myself, I'd just waste away on all of the health junk. Nana really needs a talk with Meghan, though. She buys way too much junk food, and the woman has diabetes, for god's sake."
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Post by Torin Taylor on Nov 3, 2008 16:59:22 GMT -4
"I guess Meghan feels like it's her responsibility to do these sorts of things for me. Since we were both so young when our mother passed away and all..." Torin trailed off and took a bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly and eventually swallowing.
"I think if you explain to your grandmother that you'd rather have healthy things instead of junk food, she'd probably start buying some. Or we can get Meghan to talk to her, whichever you think would work best."
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Post by Natasha Ainsworth on Nov 3, 2008 17:35:22 GMT -4
"We need to stop finding parallels between my grandmother, and your little sister, because I was just about to say the same thing about her, and why she always puts effort into making me a lunch," Natasha replied, smiling a little. "Apparently, your sister might be an old lady hiding in a sixteen year old body. Or, vice versa."
Taking another drink of soda, she shook her head. "You never know. I did manage to get her to buy me protein parts at least, I should have one of those in here, but I don't think she'll budge beyond that. She thinks I over work myself, and that I need to be fattened up. Typical grandmother thinking."
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Post by Torin Taylor on Nov 3, 2008 17:45:29 GMT -4
"I guess they just both understand that we need...mother type figures in our lives. Despite the fact that Meghan is seven years younger than I am, she's been more of a mother to me than our step-mother ever was." Torin paused to laugh a little, "That's pretty sad, isn't it?"
"She's just looking out for you in a way, I suppose. Because as bad as too much sugar is for you, if all you eat is healthy foods it can be bad as well."
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Post by Natasha Ainsworth on Nov 3, 2008 18:17:27 GMT -4
"Well, some people might think it's sad. I just think it's pretty cool of her," Natasha mused, with a little bit of a smile. She finished up with the first half of her sandwich, and moved onto her second one, her half of the ham sandwich. "But then again, I might be kind of biased, but only slightly.."
Trailing off for a moment, she chewed thoughtfully, before lifting her eyes to look over at Torin again. "I know what you mean. But I think my grandmother is just weird, personally. But I love her just the same."
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Post by Torin Taylor on Nov 3, 2008 19:05:54 GMT -4
Torin drank a little more of his orange juice, swallowed the rest of his first half of the sandwich and then observed Natasha through his bangs. "Hmm, yeah... You do have a bit of a point. I guess she's just making sure I eat well and all that stuff."
"Regardless of if she's just weird or truly looking out for you, she must be a great woman to have raised someone like you."
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Post by Natasha Ainsworth on Nov 3, 2008 19:30:34 GMT -4
Natasha found herself flushing a little, lowering her head and staring down at her lunch after Torin had said that. She knew she was blushing, and resolved to stare at her hands and or sandwich, until she was sure it wasn't so noticeable. "I don't know what you mean by that, someone like me. A soccer obsessed ruffian? It doesn't take a lot of talent to raise your kid that way, seriously. But it's not really her fault."
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