Claudia Barlow's Story

Tithe had been browsing the internet when she had got the call from Evan. When the phone first rang, she almost didn't answer it since his number didn't show up on her caller-ID, but after the conversation they had, she was glad she did. Though she was never really close to Faith, or even knew the girl very well, she was a friend of Evan's and volunteered to help in any way she could. As soon as she hung up the phone she jumped up from her desk and started getting ready. She pulled her shoulder length red hair out of the ponytail it had been in all day, and let it hang down, though her bangs were already styled to cluster over her left eye. Quickly, she applied a small layer of makeup; thick eyeliner with a mild smokey/smudge effect on her black eyeshadow. Gazing in the mirror, she sighed at her slightly oversized muscle shirt, but seeing as she already wasted five minutes putting on her makeup, she decided to ignore it. Her eyes gazed at her faded and ripped jeans, which would also be ignored due to the lack of time. Quickly she packed a few things into her large messenger bag, which she called a 'purse', and took off for the cafe.
She walked quickly down the sidewalk with her black umbrella in hand. Though the umbrella kept the rain from falling directly on her, it didn't help her knee-high Converse, which seemed to soak up the water as she walked. It wasn't long before the moisture had made it to her socks. With ever step her shoes made a squeaking sound, which was quite honestly getting on her nerves.
By the time she got to the cafe, her shoes and socks were completely soaked. When she was under the cover of the small awning of the cafe, she closed her umbrella and entered the cafe, leaving the umbrella outside.
Her green eyes locked onto Evan then noticed everyone else around him. "I didn't know everyone was going to be here...." She mumbled, mainly to herself before waving at everyone, including Seth at the bar, and walking over to the table, taking whichever seat was still available.

Amnell stood outside under the awning of the cafe, shaking the excess water off her umbrella. She could see another plain black umbrella leaning against the side of the shop next to the door, as well as several familiar looking figures through the glass window. It looked like Colin, Evan, and Claudia (which was a very pretty name, Amnell never understood why the girl insisted on being called "Tithe") were seated at a table by the window, whereas Seth had chosen to sit at the counter as Chris cleaned up.

She jerked open the door and, after hanging her damp raincoat on a crooked coat rack that had been set out, joined the three at the table. "Good evening everyone," she greeted them politely, settling down into a seat with her camera in her lap. It was an instant camera, brand new, and she wanted to try it out tonight. Evan had asked her to put together some sort of scrapbook or documentary of their search for Faith Krusser, so Amnell had also brought a digital camera and some other equipment, safely tucked away in the trunk of her sedan.

Everyone looked grim, their minds probably busy with thoughts of Faith's disappearance and the investigative task at hand. "Lovely weather we're having," she offered, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere with a bit of small talk.

Tithe glanced over at the door when someone opened it and gave a faint smile. She had always admired Amnell's work and generally enjoyed the girls company as she was a very interesting person. When she walked over to the table Tithe was sitting at, Tithe gave a small smile that was a simple substitute for a 'hello'. It was something she did to people often, when things were silent. Though as she sat there, several different replies crossed her mind, however she refused to say any of them. She had a fear of looking stupid in front of them, even if they were all her friends. She also had a large dislike for having the last word when things were awkward and mostly silent.

It wasn't long before another figure walked through the door, however it was not one she expected. The guitarist, Alex. As he entered the cafe his voice was a nice change to the rather depressing silence that had been there before.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect to see all of you here!"
Tithe gave another small smile and waved her hand, thought it barely even rose from the table. "Hey." The words were nearly a squeak and she cleared her throat lightly afterwards. It wouldn't surprise her if he didn't hear her, since the words were barely even over a whisper. The thought though made her gaze quickly move to the table.

She gave a small sigh while sitting there before moving her attention to Evan. She couldn't shake the small pain she felt for him, as she knew how close he had been to little Faith. She tried to hide it, but the look on her face was obvious. It was the same when she had found out he had been robbed, full of sorrow and worry. She wanted to say something to comfort him. When his eyes met hers, her throat constricted and her thoughts started to go rapid as she tried desperately to think of something to say to him. However, it wasn't long before he looked away and began speaking.
"Okay, who else isn't here yet? I think Jude and Stephen are the only ones left to show. Then we can get started."

Her eyes stared at the table as she tried to calm herself. As she did so, her index fingers started to slide from side to side as she felt the table top. From there, she began to notice how her arms were uncovered, exposing the massive amounts of freckles that seemed to taint her pale skin. She glared at her arms for a second before snatching her bag and placing it in her lap. Quickly, she dug out her hoodie and set her bag aside. After standing up, she slipped the hoodie on and felt the warm embrace. Out of all the little ways she hid herself from the word, wearing her hoodie was her favorite.

Now with her source of comfort and warmed, she started to calm down. She watched as Evan passed out the drink, which suddenly gave her the craving for her usual, a vanilla cappuccino with extra french vanilla creamer. "I'll be back." She whispered softly before nearly skipping to the counter.
"Chris" She called getting his attention before she realized she might not have any money. Her hand slipped into her pocket and pulled out the small wad of bills. "You want your usual, Tithe?" Chris asked with a small chuckle. She gave a small nod before placing the bills on the counter. As Chris went off to make her drink, Tithe tried to straighten out her money. First she unfolded it and placed it all facing the same way. Then she pressed her hand against it and rubbed it back and forth, as if her hand were an iron and she was ironing clothes.
"Here you go." Chris announced a few minutes later, while placing the medium sized drink on the counter in front of her. Tithe ironed the bills one last time before handing four ones to Chris. "Thanks." She whispers, wrapping both hands around the cup like a child might. Then again, her hands were rather small, which forced her to carry most things like a child would.

Now with a drink in her hand, she slowly walked back to the table where she had once sat. To most, it would seem as if she had just had a mood swing, though anyone who knew her would realize it was simply her feeling secure. Many people had accused her of acting completely differently when she wore a hoodie. The statement was very much true.

After sitting back down, she played with the small straw, which she would use for a normal straw. After mixing the drink a little, she took a sip. At first it was cold on her lips from the ice that Chris had put in there, which was something she had always requested. She smiled taking in the warm and sweet vanilla aroma. For the time being, her thoughts were calm and a small smile was perched on her face.

When the door opened again, Tithe watched as Stephen walked in. The man honestly was interesting to her, since he was practically the only person she had ever met with such a deep accent. As he walked over to them, she noticed the oil stains on his hands, despite the fact that the rest of him was clean. "Hey.." She greeted softly as he set his chair down next to the table. Her eyes slowly moved from Stephen to Evan. "Now all we need is Jude, right Evan?" She asked, her voice still rather soft as she spoke.

Seth recieved his drink. The liquid wasnt as clear as from his own faucet, but hey. Its a bar. What are you gonna do. He spun himself around to look at the group as they arrived. All good friends of his. All people he knew quite well. All people that shold have been meeting under better circumstances. He hooked his feet on the spools under his seat. He too a small sip of his water and placed it on the counter behind him. He ficked the excess water from his fingertips into the air with a small smile.

First to enter after Seth was Tithe. He liked her legal name fine, but who was he to judge someones nickname. He waved to her as she trudged across the tiles in her wet converse. Poor girl. He smiled. 'Guess you shoulda dressed for the weather.' Every time Seth saw his hooded friend Jack's Lament came to his mind. One of his favorite movie tunes. He took another sip, hummig the new tune. That damned hoodie, always getting in his head.

Next came Nel. This girl... He couldnt begin to expain how he felt about her. The term would be... Smitten. He couldnt help butfind every little quirk about her interesting, and dare he admit it, adorable. Seth smiled at her when she arrived, bearing her new camera. Looked like this was turning into a 'Blair Witch Project' fiasco.

Then there was Alex. A younger member of their little group. This guy held a special place in Seth's heart because he was a musician. And a very good one at that. He waved to Alex as well

Seth hadnt been saying much. That was unlike him. But this situation didnt call for the norm.

One more person entered the cafe. The 'ol grease monkey, Stephen. He was a good guy. and A good person to have around. Considerig he is always packing.

Seth stood. He decided it was time to join the group. No need to be antisocial. He grabbed a seat with the group and smiled to them all, still humming the tune of Jack's Lament. "Good to see you guys, It's been too long"

Colin Davis
Colin continued to drag on his cigarette, and then put it out and left it in the ashtray when his coffee was done. He grabbed the cup of coffee and traded it out for three dollars, then sat back down with Evan as everyone began to arrive. He nodded and gave all of his friends warm smiles as they filed in.
"Okay, who else isn't here yet? I think Jude and Stephen are the only ones left to show. Then we can get started.", Evan finally said as everyone began to get comfortable.
As if on Que, Stephen strolled in, his hands and shirt stained with oil as usual. Colin nodded and grinned at him. Stephen was a favorite among the group of friends.
With a few words exchanged, things became silent as the friend waited for Jude to arrive, then Seth decided to join them at the table.
Good to see you guys, It's been too long" , Seth said.
"I know right?", Colin said, stirring his coffee. "You'd think that in a town of three-hundred, it wouldn't be that hard to find time to hang out".

Alex gave a quick wave to Seth as he obliged Evan's request, folding his jacket roughly and placing it on an unused table before walking over to the seat Evan had indicated. The thin cushion yielded under him as he looked around at the others gathered. Seth he knew fairly well, as a fellow bird of the musical feather. Of all the rest of the group, Alex had always felt less...intimidated, by Seth. Perhaps it was that common bond of music. Then again, Claudia (Tithe!) wasn't very intimidating either, she usually seemed a tad introverted. Colin he had first met at a firehouse gig, but had warmed up to in due time. Chris, well, owned the café Alex had just entered, so it made sense he knew him. Amnel was also a familiar face, though Alex's eyebrow shot up upon sighting the camera.

Alex then turned to Evan, giving him his attention. "My help? What for? Is it related to why everyone else is here?" Things that had happened previously then hit him, subtle like a tap, but the ramifications more like a train crash. "This is about that girl Faith, isn't it?"

He was anxious to know if something had happened to Faith, good or bad. He hadn't known the girl, nor her family, but he did worry about her, especially in light of the mysterious circumstances of her disappearance.

In response to her weak attempt at conversation, Evan gave a simple, sincere "Well, it could always be worse" in his deep but reassuring voice. He continued: "And thanks for bringing the camera, Am. We're gonna want as many pictures as possible."

Amnell brightened up. Talking about photography (or any of her interests) naturally made her lower her guard. She was about to open her mouth to talk about all of her new camera's nifty features, how it was the latest model in image capturing technology, when the cafe door swung open to reveal a young man who looked surprised to see them. His name evaded her until Evan called him by it, which made her turn away in slight embarrassment. She had been introduced to Alex before, and during that meeting had gathered that he was shy, younger than her, and almost compulsively obsessed with music theory and guitars. However, she had never actually hung out with him enough to consider him a member of the gang, especially since he was usually busy with college and music-making or whatever he did.

At this point Tithe stood up, shrugged on her signature hoodie, and then left rather energetically to get a beverage from Chris. Claudia's behavior was occasionally enigmatic, but she was a thoughtful girl with a muted warmth and intelligence that people often overlooked. To be honest, Amnell herself upon first meeting her had merely passed her off as another stud-and-converse wearing wannabe goth girl, but the older girl quickly rescinded that opinion after a few more group get-togethers. She would never admit it, but Amnell often fought back a bizarre urge to kidnap the younger girl, confiscate the hoodie depicting Jack Skellington's round and luminous face, and dress her up in drastically different and classier styles... A weird fantasy, but that was Amnell.

The next to join them was one of the newer additions to the group, Stephen Mann, smelling strongly of motor oil. His country accent, grease stained clothes, and brazenly casual manner more often than not made Amnell uncomfortable, but he seemed like decent person. She occasionally found herself imagining what he would look like in a well-tailored suit, cleaned up and liberated from that boring blue baseball cap. "Sad state of affairs, ain't it?" he said as he sat down, and Amnell nodded humorlessly.

A familiar tune reached her ears; the source, Seth's humming, as the music teacher decided to stop being a loner and approach his friends. Amnell instantly recognized it as Jack's Lament, which was one of her favorite songs in the history of Disney movies. She couldn't express how much that cheered her up --- Seth always managed to cheer her up, intentionally or not --- though she did feel a little guilty for daring to be happy when there was a little girl missing. This was not a group reunion; it was a search party. She straightened her back, folded her hands in her lap, and waited patiently --- waited for Jude, waited for Alex to be debriefed, waited for the inane chatter to cease and for their mission to finally begin.

Tithe glanced at Seth, who hummed Jack's Lament, which made a large smile spread across her face. There was always one thing, if not more, about everyone in the room that made her smile. It seemed there were a lot of people who enjoyed the Nightmare Before Christmas, despite the fact she was the only one who looked like a hard-core fan.
She watched as Stephen came over and started talking to Colin, though it wasn't long before her attention, and everyone elses, was taken by Evan.

"Okay, everyone, Jude isn't going to be here with us tonight."
Tithe nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "Theres a suprise...." she thought to herself rather disdainfully. Honestly, she had nothing against the girl, however she did believe in common courtesy. Also, the fact that the girl didn't even bother to call Evan to tell him anything, simply got on her nerves.
As Evan continued, her mood took a dramatic change. Her fingers fumbled on her cup and for the longest time, she simply stared at him with the same expression as before. It held sympathy but more then anything, sorrow. She hated seeing Evan so upset and it didn't happen that often.
She watched him continue his speech until his eyes were no long scanning everyone and they locked onto hers. She tried not to look away first and luckily she wasn't the one to divert their gaze. However, as soon as his eyes left hers, she moved her gaze to the table, her cup, anything other then Evan. However, she continued to listen. Hearing his voice shake and quiver made her want to cry. Though she would never have the courage to do so, she wanted to rush up to Evan and give him a hug. She knew it wouldn't be much comfort, but it was something! However, being shy made her simply sit there, listening to his words and nearly tearing up herself.

Her attention moved to Colin and Amnell, who was comforting Evan, before she heard the door burst open, making her nearly jump. In came the library attendant, babbling about something. Again, her mood took a sudden switch, however it was one of anger. Her eyes narrowed at the girl who stood there, staring at Evan then backing up for the door. Before she knew it though, Colin was saying she should stay! Tithe nearly glared at him, however she kept her comments to herself. From the other side of her, she heard Amnell. "No, the more the merrier. Or so it goes." Tithe rolled her eyes, wondering if anyone else was going to hope the girl wouldn't stay.
Honestly, Tithe's dislike probably had nothing to do with the girl herself, other then the entrance she just made. It was more of the fact that her library fines were huge, and every time she went there, Caroline was the attendant. She hated having to explain and make excuses why her books were late, and why she couldn't pay the full fine she owed.

It wasn't long before another girl opened the door, however she was much more subtle than Caroline. Tithe stared at the girl for a second, but said nothing. "I bet she gets to join us too...." Tithe thought with a scowl before sighing and taking a sip from her coffee.

Amnell had hardly finished speaking when another woman nervously shuffled in with a wary apology, mentioning something about a broken down car and bad weather. It wasn't long before she recognized the curly haired stranger as Enid Cardiff, which made her sit up with interest and undisguised curiosity, since Enid was known to be mysterious and for keeping mostly to herself. There was a rumor going around town was that Miss Cardiff was extremely rich, but Amnell would never have guessed it from her clothes. Surely no heiress would ever dress in such plain and boring clothes, even in this miserable weather. There were even holes in the right knee of her jeans. Shudder.

Rapidly losing interest in the newcomer, Amnell turned her attention back to the rest of the group. She noticed that Tithe was sipping her coffee with the tiniest of scowls on her face. Apparently Amnell's earlier comment to Caroline had not been well received. Perhaps the amount of people that had come intruding on their private moment was getting on the younger girl's nerves. But Caroline was friendly and caring, if a bit scatterbrained and a horrendous pushover, and her enthusiasm would surely improve morale and lighten the atmosphere, which definitely needed lifting. In addition, Stephan, as practical as ever, noted that the more people they had, the more ground they could cover.

When Enid posed her question, “May I ask though, why are you going out to look in this weather?” Amnell fixed the outsider with a steely glance. No, you may not ask. "Because we have to," she said curtly, offering neither illumination nor insight. For some reason she felt that the woman's interest in aiding them was somehow insincere, and it bothered her. However, if it meant another helpful pair of eyes, she guessed there was no reason to protest.

Amnell overheard Colin expressing to Evan his desire to grab some equipment. "That's a great idea, Colin. We'll probably need a lot of flashlights. You should take someone with you, so they can help you carry stuff." It was probably time to get going anyway. "The rest of us should organize carpools. Who wants to drive?"

Seth watched the reactions of the group to their newcomer. No one but Stephen really seemed keen on having her around, but they all went with it. If it meant they could cover more ground, then more power to her. He didnt quite trust her enough to let her go alone though. The group was only here because Evan trusted them all so deeply.

His eyes shifted to Tithe. She was not happy with Carolines presence. He could understand. The girl could put him a bit on edge sometimes as well. He gave a small reassuring smile to her before turning his attention back to Enid, asking why they were looking. Screw that. If she needed to know, she would know already.

Nel took the liberty of answering Nosey Nancy's question with a stout. "because we have to." Seth had to hold back a chuckle. He didnt want to mak her seem unwelcome, and they needed the help. but of course initiation was necessary. He internally high fived Nel for supplying it.

The general consensus of the group had turned to heading out. Finally, lets get this show on the road. Nel asked for carpool drivers. Seth raised his hand as he stood from the table. "My jeep can off-road, so I'll drive." he offered. He assumed they werent all in the moodto walk in the rain. His jeep would be able to let them drive off road and th headlights would be pretty damn helpful.

Evan shivered a bit when the local librarian blustered her way in, unleashing a torrent of cold air directly into him. He grit his teeth and tried his damnedest not to curse at her. He was a bit... Edgy, you could say. She mumbled on and Evan almost smiled a bit sadistically as her bubbly tone almost visually took a nosedive. He imagined an airplane wing being torn to bits by AA fire, then the plane slowly curving towards the ground. He visualized a pretty pink airplane with fuzzy things streaming from the back to represent her mood, the vessel catching fire mid-air, then crashing to the ground.

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiier BOOooOoOoOOOoommgghhhhhhhsshhhhhhh

Evan had a tendency to look through the dark end of the scope when he was upset. He enjoyed it, and it unnerved him sometimes. But it made him feel a bit better. Colin was quick to defend the librarian. He addressed her as Caroline, a name Evan KNEW he'd have a difficult time remembering. He seemed almost... Eager, to bring her along. Evan analysed their reactions and determined that Colin fancied the girl. Well, good for him. The librarian said she'd like to help, His reddened face looked up at Evan, mumbling the question of Caroline's acceptance into the group. Evan nodded slightly, and at the same moment received a tender hug from Amnell. He lightly returned it, then Am explained the situation to the librarian, for which Evan thought a silent thanks to the girl. He was afraid he might cry again if he spoke.

Evan noticed Claudia had averted her gaze to him while he spoke, and he did recollect the memory of himself lingering his eyes on her for a bit too long as he made his speech. He wanted to tell her sorry, but ANOTHER car pulled in, one he didn't recognize. It appeared to die by the way it creaked into the parking spot. The woman walked in and asked if it was okay if she stayed awhile. Her car had, to Evans suspicions, died as she parked. Seth reassured her and warmed her seat. Figuratively, of course. Stephen introduced himself to the new girl, and came from her a short, pronounced name. "Enid." For some reason, the name sparked a circuit, but didn't quite come full circle. It rang a bell. Evan blinked pronouncedly as he tried to figure out why her name felt so familiar. Stephen then suggested that Chris was just cleaning up for closing. That of which Chris overheard, and he responded as such "Well, Stephen, I'm leaving the place open all night, JUST for you folks. I'm not fit for this search party stuff, but feel free to use it as 'home base'." He tossed Stephen a small key, "That's my only extra. Don't lose it." Chris said. Enid then asked why the group wouldn't wait for the weather to clear up. Amnell gave a very curt (Translation: Bitchy) response. Evan gave a more informational response through gritted teeth "I'm not sure how well you are with current events, but my niece, Faith Krusser, is out in that storm. She's been out there for 4 fucking days. We're not waiting for anything." He felt the unjustified anger spew Enid's way, but he didn't realize that until later. He still threw her name around in his head. So familiar. His train of thought was derailed by Colin asking Evan if he should go get his oh so invaluable EMS equipment. Evan instantly responded with a nod, saying "If someone gets hurt, we'll want the right stuff to fix them up. I don't want any other 'exciting' things to write about in the newspaper, except about us finding Faith." Am then recommended carpooling, and Seth offered his all wheel drive Jeep. Probably a good idea, Evan thought. "Well, anybody else have a good vehicle?" He asked, clapping his hands together once. "We need to get a move on. After the people who need to gather supplies are done with their runs, meet us at the park entrance. We'll go from there."

Evan felt the strangest sensation. It felt as if his eyes were being ever so slightly drawn to look at Seth. Evan followed the urge, the pull, to look at Seth. Evan's eyes met Seth's, but the sensation was still there. It was pulling his eyes just over Seth's shoulder. What met Evan's eyes puzzled him. Across the street, beneath a pale orange street light stood a tall, thin man in a black suit and a red tie, which mysteriously did not whirl around in the torrential wind. Evan tried to meet the man's eyes, but Evan couldn't find any, His head appeared to be completely white and blank. Evan thought maybe he had a hood up or something on his face. Evan looked down to meet Seth's puzzled eyes and Evan smiled slightly, pointing out the window. "Oh, I just saw some guy standing under that light in a suit and t--..." Evan stopped mid-sentence when he looked back up to the man to see that he had disappeared. He wasn't walking down the street, he hadn't moved, he hadn't gotten in a car, he had just disappeared. Evan furrowed his brow and muttered, "Nevermind..." to Seth. "That was odd. There was a guy JUST right outside."



(I'll make a map of Halbrooke and the surrounding area tomorrow night.)

Tithe took a long sip of her coffee, still using the small straw. She let out a very soft sigh afterwords while listening to Stephen and Enid. She knew he spoke the truth when he said more people was better, however she simply didn't like the idea of people they didn't really know being around.

Her attention then moved to Colin, who had a great idea. "Those things would come in handy.." She thought out loud, though her voice was very low. "I wonder if they have walkies-talkies...those might come in handy too if we slit up." She mumbled however, she wasn't going to ask him, since he did say 'radios'. She knew that he carried a pager and radio,like all firefighters who are on call do.

Another sigh escaped her as she sat there, now twirling her index finger around the straw in her coffee. She was starting to feel less safe, her mood was surly dying. It would be the same as if she didn't have her hoodie. Vulnerable, insecure, and possibly even a little skittish from her friends. She knew it might be best to have the new people, however she simply didn't like the idea. Her eyes drifted around the room trying to decipher everyone's expressions when noticed Seth, who gave her a small reassuring smile. Tithe couldn't help but to return the smile and feel a little better.

Amnell's stern voice caught her attention, making Tithe look up with some surprise. She hadn't really known her to use such a voice with people, though Tithe surely was not complaining. Her eyes drifted to see if anyone else was surprised before they returned to Amnell, who was addressing Colin then everyone else. Tithe gave a small snicker at the thought of driving, since she didn't own a car. "I'm going to have to ride with someone." She muttered, glancing from Amnell to Evan. Hopefully she could ride with one of them, or anyone else who actually belonged to the group.

As everyone else figured things out, Tithe gathered her courage and walked over to Evan, who had just ended a conversation with Seth. She forced a small smile as she stood there, before looking down a the ground and her now half dry converse. Honestly, she hadn't planned what she was going to say, though now that she was there she wished she had. "I can go help Colin if you want..." She offered in a meek tone before glancing up at him. "What the hell! I'll go help Colin? Thats not what I walked up here for....God I'm so stupid!!" She screamed mentally at herself before giving a sigh. "Think of something else Tithe!!" She commanded herself before her eyes moved back to him. "We should probably form small groups or possibly just two groups..." She suggested then stared down at her feet. That hadn't really helped her either, but it was better then ending everything with 'I'll go help Colin'. Of coarse it had nothing to do with Colin, it was just not how she had pictured the conversation going.
'

It wasn’t everyday one was met with such open hostility. Truthfully, Enid wasn’t even sure she deserved it. Understanding that finding the girl was top priority, what she didn’t get was why they had to risk their own lives. Probably because no one had done it for her. Sighing to herself, she wished she could simply disappear. It had been a long time since she’d felt the need. Now all she could do was curse her dead car and power outage.

Not wanting to intrude on the group any more than she had, but certainly not wanting to stay in the café, she figured that the best plan of action was to just go with someone. At least maybe someone who hadn’t seemed so openly disliking of her. Even growing up people had been hateful to her. The young woman could only hope it was because they were thinking with their emotions and not their heads. It was the only thing that made sense to her.

Both of the other girls especially the one that was openly mean to her, she didn’t want to go with. And there was of course, the one she was deeming as their leader. He was emotional. She understood that completely. He had lost his niece. She’d lost her parents. So as much as she knew the pain he was going through, it seemed much wiser just to stay away from him. So that didn’t leave much else open until Stephen volunteered to take a few of them in the car.

Getting a little bit of nerve up to speak again, though afraid she was going to be jumped again, she raised her hand. “Mine does… and I’d like to go with you.” She lowered her hand back down to her side as her fingers played with the ends of her pull over. Her phone always had everything on it whether or not she used it was another story. But now she had to worry about getting jumped again by the group. Enid wasn’t sure how much of the hate she could take. Sitting in the car alone seemed like a better idea than being a deer in the headlights.

Tithe jumped before giving a small giggle at Amnell's stunt to capture the moment. It wasn't something that was out of the ordinary, but the loud clatter from the chairs was what made her jump. Then again, most sudden and unexpected noises seemed to make Tithe jump. No matter how hard she tried, she seemed to stay the 'jumpy' type. Honestly, it was just one of the many things she hated about herself.

took a deep breath before looking up at Evan when he spoke. She glanced to everyone else, who were all getting their things and getting out the door. When she heard Evan say they should get going, and they would be riding with Colin she smiled again. She took a deep breath before walking over to the chair she had been sitting in and grabbed her purse off the floor. "Well I'm ready." She told Evan before walking towards the door.

At the door she gazed back at Evan, who was still looking at Chris. When she looked to see what Evan was looking at, she didn't see anything or anyone. "Hey, Evan, we are leaving." She said softly, though she was rather curious as to what Evan was looking at. It wasn't until then she noticed the expression on his face. "Evan?" she whispered after walking over to him, placing her hand on his lower arm very gently. "Are you ok?" She asked, not bothering to hide the concern from her voice.

Colin sat in his massive F250, waiting for the others to come out as the rain picked back up and slammed against his windshield. A few moments later, Amnell, Alex and Seth walked out of the Cafe, Nell going for her car first before they all went to Seth's Jeep and then taking off after a few more moments.
Colin lit another cigarette, probably his last one for the night, not knowing how his friends would feel about him smoking around all of them on their search.
The firefighter sat back, listening to the rain patter steadily on his Truck, then he remembered his Cd-case in the visor. He reached up to the thin, 6-sleeve case and pulled out a disc labeled "Nine-inch Nails: Lost Highway" and then slid it into the disc receiver, then made sure his player wasn't on shuffle so that it would play the first track on the disc. Colin turned the volume up to a moderate level, then leaned forward, pulling his jacket off so that he wouldn't sweat in the warmth of the Truck. The ambient warmth combined with a long shift at the fire station began to take it's toll on Colin, and before he knew it, his eyes began to shut as he drifted off to sleep.

Tithe watched as everyone left, other then herself and Evan. She was starting to get really worried about him when he finally snapped to what was going on. His warm hand covered hers, which made her jump slightly. It was completely unexpected, however she didn't move her hand and silently hoped he wouldn't move his.
"Oh, uhm, sorry.... I uh, yeah, everything's okay! Yeah, uhm, what could be wrong? heh..."
Her green eyes moved to look into hsi eyes, which seemed to be darting everywhere. "Evan, its ok." She whispered, even though she wasn't too sure what was wrong. She was starting to get more concerned about him, but he suddenly moved his hand and unzipped his jacket. She was confused until he moved so she was under his jacket. A small smile perched itself onto her lips as they walked over to Colin's truck. A small gust of chilly wind blew, making Tithe silently hope that Colin had the heater on.
As they made it to the truck, she was about to open the door until she noticed Evan stalling. Of coarse she paused to see what was going on with him, but was completely surprised when his lips touched hers. Her eyes closed and time seemed to stop. Her heard jumped into her throat but the moment was quickly ruined by a loud clash of thunder, which made Tithe jump and give a small squeaking sound. Her back hit the truck, which probably would have woke Colin up. "I'm so sorry!" She said as quickly as she could before taking a deep breath and cursing the thunder that seemed to ruin everything. "I'm really sorry Evan." She whispered again, though her voice cracked this time.

Colin's eyes popped open when the thunder cracked through the air, dampened by his F150's interior, and jumped nearly to the roof when Tithe's back hit his window.
His heart pounding, Colin rolled down the window, giving her an over exaggerated glare that showed he wasn't really mad at her, then turned his attention to Evan, completely unaware of what had just transpired between the two.

"Why the hell are you two still outside? I've got the heater running in here", he said, throwing one of his uncharacteristic smiles at both of them before rolling the window up and reaching for his CD-case on the visor and pulling out one his mixed metal and new-rock discs, ejecting the Nine-inch nails CD and sliding the new one in before turning the volume down low to allow for conversation.
As the first song started, Colin gazed out of the windshield, frowning at the insane downpour as he waited for his friends.