Everything In Between [Erika]

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The sun shone bright in the sky but wind whipped it's way through the trees, adding a subtle chill to the air of the grounds at Bellefonte Academy. It was that weird in between seasons stage. You know the one, those last few weeks of winter where one day its nice enough to wear a t-shirt and the next the world is ending in a snow storm. Today was lucky enough to be the prior, but the wind made the messy haired boy on the green lawn pull his denim jacket tighter across his chest. He always had a tendency to get cold easily...and a way to use that excuse to get close to a girl he fancied during a date.

Classes were over and this was the prime time for Jeremy Hargrove to begin his planning for the night. It had been dull as of late, and while that was alright every now and again for most, it was a sin for him. His shoes dragged on the grass, the turf matting itself down into a streak behind him as his mind churned back and forth, thinking of new and better ways to have fun at the academy. He made his way across the grounds, passing a few trees and slowly reaching the stairs that led further down into the courtyard. That's when his eyes caught hold of her, the girl sitting upon the white concrete stairs. "I'll be damned." Jeremy tossed out in sort of an amusing scoff, a slightly shaky hand moving from jacket pocket to the black sunglasses upon his nose, tipping them down to catch a better view. Erika Bellefonte, the academy's queen bee and his own room mate, sat perched upon one of the upper stairs.

Doing what he always did when she was around, the boy pushed the frames up, tucked his hand back into his jacket pocket and made his way over to the girl. "Hey there, Warbucks" He tossed out as he approached, calling her by the very nickname that he knew got on her nerves, but was true in more ways than one. "I didn't realize they let you roam about." Jeremy teased, taking a few more steps forward. "Permission to sit." But he knew he didn't need it. His body contorted. taking it's place beside her upon the stair.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

As long as it wasn't pouring, Erika couldn't really complain much about the weather. Then again, she rarely ever did anyways. Pulling her hair up into a bun at the top of her head, to keep it from falling into her eyes, Erika stretched her arms out and leaned against the cool stone, scrunching her nose slightly before closing her eyes. After everything that had happened lately, it was nice to have some time alone to just think. She welcomed the silence, and for once in her life she appreciated the fact that she wasn't the center of the attention.

But as time would show, the peace wasn't everlasting as she heard a familiar voice utter a familiar nickname. A nickname she didn't welcome as warmly as she turned her head to glare at her friendly roommate. ''Hey there, butt face,'' she said, replacing the glare with a sugar sweet smile, batting her eyelashes at him. ''What a pleasure seeing you here!'' Not really, but eh, she could have run into worse people. Like Ellen. Ellen was definitely worse. Erika turned her body to the side so she could face the blonde as he sat down, clearly not caring whether or not he was given permission to join her or no - but she was used to that by now.

''What's up?'' she asked with a little more genuine happiness added to her voice, rather than the sarcastic one from before, giving him a mischievous grin as if showing him she wasn't really mad. As much as his nicknames and teasing annoyed her, it rarely pissed her off. In fact, she quite enjoyed his presence. It was different from everyone else. Where most people seemed to step around her so carefully, as if she was made of glass, he bulldozed through her life without a single care in the world. And she appreciated that. Probably a lot more than what she let on.

Ruffling his hair, Erika continued to pinch his cheeks before chuckling, ''You gotta tell your mother to stop breastfeeding you. You're getting kinda chubby.''

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Jeremy couldn't help but laugh hysterically at Erika's first attempt back at him. Head tilted back, his chest bounced up and down slightly before he sighed, shaking his head and causing his brown locks to toss about a touch. "That's a good one." He spoke, wiggling his butt into place onto the cool stone. He kept his hands in his pockets, a habit that had developed over the years thanks to the shakes as he liked to call them. "My favorite yet though is butt munch. Haven't pulled that one lately." He added, praising her for her effort. That was their relationship. Those outside probably thought they might have been serious about their name calling, but between him and Erika it was just pure sport. It wasn't like him to step around someone with her background like so many others, but then again a lot of things he did really weren't like most people.

Stiffening his shoulders, the boy pulled the jacket a bit tighter across his chest as the wind whipped around once more. "Oh you know. Planning." He tossed out, not elaborating any further. Erika would know what he meant by that. Hell, he dragged her along a few of his mishap adventures before. "Trying to find something to do besides lay on the couch." He added at the last moment. "What about you? Daddy Warbucks cutting the funds short today?" Teasing once again, Jeremy gave a soft wink towards her before tilting his head back once more and looking at the sky.

Her hand ruffled his hair and pinched his cheeks, causing the boy to jerk away slightly. "Oh grow up." He shot back beside a giggle, head turning to face her. "Besides, we all know you want this." With that, Jeremy bit his lip, taking a hand out of his jacket pocket and shakily running it down the front of his denim jacket like some sort of model. He sharply inhaled a bit of air as he came to a stop, trying his best not to laugh but failing horribly as his head jerked back once more and his chest heaved up and down.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

''Mh-hm,'' Erika pressed through her lips and rolled her eyes. She still had lots to learn when it came playful nicknaming. Usually when nicknaming someone, it was done so out of spite, anger or affection. This was something entirely different. ''I don't know,'' she said, letting her voice trail off as she made it seem as if she was thinking about it, ''I kind of like Chewbacca the best. I mean, you two being so similar and all,'' she said with a smirk as she rubbed her hands together, blowing a little on them to keep them from getting stiff from the cold, ''But I suppose we have to agree to disagree there, or what do you think, love?''

Nodding slowly in agreement, Erika didn't feel the need to say anything. Mostly because she didn't want to know what evil plans the little blonde gremlin was up to. As much as she loved taking parts in his ploys and schemes, she was often better off not knowing anything about them. It was far too easy to get into trouble when knowing, because he had a knack for dragging her along, and with the recent detention and all, and the want to graduate early, she really couldn't afford anything more or on her sleeves. ''Don't be jealous, babe. Green doesn't suit you as much as you think,'' she said and grinned, bumping his shoulder, ''I'm just enjoying the silence. Correction; I was enjoying it, until you showed up,''

She didn't really mind the daddy comments all that much, really. If anything, it was the truth. She was spoiled rotten by her father. She knew it, he knew it, everyone knew it. But hey, at least she could brag about not letting it affect her personality. Unlike certain other people, she didn't think she was entitled to anything.

Cocking her eyebrows up, Erika waved her hand in front of her chest as if she was feeling warm, speaking with an overly dramatic tone added to her voice, ''Oh yes, god yes! Oh Jeremy, please! End my suffering and make a woman out of me! I can hardly wait any longer!,'' Finalizing her words with a dramatic hair toss and leaning her back against the stairs, she added, ''Right here! Right now!'' This childish behavior had a few people turning their heads, but Erika didn't care. If they wanted a show, she'd give them one.

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"Hey now," Jeremy began after her recent comment, "Chewbacca isn't half bad. He's like the muscle really. Han never really did anything when you think about it." He chuckled a bit, shaking his head once more. It was taking some time for Erika to get a grasp on how to joke the way he was use to. In Long Island, you had to be sarcastic and able to take a joke. If not, your head normally wound up in a dumpster or locker somewhere. So yeah, it was a little out of place here in Montana, but those who figured out he meant nothing by it normally wound up doing it themselves. "Well in this case I have to agree." The boy added.

The nod he caught out of the corner of his eyes was enough to place a small smirk upon his face. She knew what he meant, and the silence that ensued was enough to bring a shiver down your spine, though for Jeremy it brought warmth and a sense of pleasure. "You're right. Blue is more my color." He chuckled, tugging on his denim jacket briefly before listening to her response. "Don't hate now." He spoke, trying to mimic some ghetto gangster but ended up sounding more white than he actually was. "Besides we all know if it wasn't for me you'd go insane from your silence." Jeremy shot back, a small smirk forming once more across his lips.

People began to look, others stared as Erika threw her own little half sexual fit on the steps of the courtyard. The boy couldn't help but laugh harder, his head shaking as he waved a hand in front of him. "Stop! Stop!" He cried out, starting to lose his breathing from the laughter. After a moment it caught back up to him and he sighed out. "Don't tempt me, darlin'" He spoke up, giving a goofy little wink before relaxing has back into the stone step behind him. "Oh...." He sighed. "What would 'ya do without me?"

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

''You're right. He's prettier to look at,'' she said with a nod, rubbing her chin as if she was picturing it, placing the two of them next to each other, ''I mean, clearly Anakin was the looker, until his face got burned anyways, but Chewbacca is a close second. You're more like... A more saggy version of Yoda.'' she finally said with a grin. Believe it or not, Erika had actually watched Star Wars AND enjoyed it. R2D2 would always be her favorite though. That sadistic little, screaming bastard always made her laugh.

''All right, all right! You win. You are my pillar of strength. The only thing that keeps me going. The light in the darkness!,'' she said holding her hand against her heart and sighing dramatically, ''Oh Jeremy, oh Jeremy, what ever would I do without you in my life? OH, I know, maybe get a little piece and quiet once in a while?'' No really, Erika did enjoy his company a lot more than what she gave him credit for. He was so outspoken and silly, it made her happy. Not a whole lot of people managed to do that anymore.

Him laughing only egged the brunette further on as she continued her little parade, ''Stop? Never! You have brought the monster out to play and now it's time to pay up! Rip off my clothes and make me yours!,'' Erika sat up again with a sheepish grin on her mouth, sending the public a few winks before turning her attention back to the blonde, ''Puh-lease, we all know you've been longing for these goodies ever since we started sharing a dorm room.'' Oh, the fun times, ''Don't you know that I know you're peeking through my door whenever I take a shower? Though, I can't say I blame you, the girls are quite the sight to behold,'' she winked, resting her elbows against her knees and her chin against the back of her hand.

''Don't worry though, darling. I won't spoil your innocence,'' she winked.

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Grey eyes rolled around in his sockets as Erika began to compare him once again. "Anakin was a bitch, everyone knows that." He added over her as she tried to explain things to him. Really, Jeremy was quite surprised that she knew so much about Star Wars. Then again people might be surprised at him as well. Punk rock, cigarettes, booze and flannel were what people read off him normally, not science fiction. Still, for a girl like Erika to have that knowledge was a no no for most social norms. Silently he wondered if she let anyone else hold that knowledge. "Ouch!" He winced, touching his cheek with one hand. "That one was a bit below the belt, ya think?" It didn't bother him though. Even if she had meant it, he was the kind of person to shrug it off.

A sharp grin took over his lips as the girl announced how much of a savior he was. "Oh please." Jeremy spoke up, touching a hand dramatically to his chest, "You're too kind. Honestly." He chuckled out with another eye roll in good faith. "We all know that even then it wouldn't be quiet cause you like to talk to yourself." He teased. "Don't deny it. I hear you in the dorm at night, calling out to your little imaginary friends." Another chuckle escaped his lips before he ran his tongue over the bottom one slightly, the wind starting to dry out his lips.

Erika didn't stop though. On and on she went about them ripping clothes off and what not right there on the steps. A spark flashed in his head (no pun intended) as the idea began to take shape. So she wanted to keep going? Alright. That's fine. In a short moment, Jeremy found himself wrapping his legs over her lap, positioning himself to stare her down. "Oh Erika you're so right. I must have you now!" He shouted out, throwing his arms open wide before finally collapsing on top of her. "Please oh please don't make me wait your highness!"

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

''Anakin was hot. Until he became super evil and acted all broken hearted and stuff. That was a major turn off,'' she laughed, ''Though, I get the whole, losing his girl and he becomes enraged because he felt it was his fault that she died and all, but please. Give up already,'' It had been very dramatic and oh so sappy. It sort of made her wonder why so many guys liked the movies. It was a lot of action, sure. But the love story didn't exactly catch her as... Guyish? ''And please tell me why every guy fawns over Leia? I mean... She looks like a dude. Her mother was hot, but Leia? Ugh,'' Like really. The woman looked like a beast.

''Don't worry, babe. You and your giant ego will get over it,'' she winked.

Propping herself up, Erika flinched his nose before smiling again, ''Who ever said those friends are imaginary? For all you know they are all my playmates that come in during the night. You shouldn't listen in other people's playdates, babe, it's rude,'' Well, she could only wish. Things had been rather dull on that front, and it was very obvious as to why. Then again, she had never been one for casual 'playdates' anyways, so maybe it was for the best.

Laughing at his reaction, Erika continued, ''Oh finally, my love! I've waited oh so long!'' This time, she was the one unable to keep the laughter from escaping her lips, laughing even harder as his body collapsed over hers. A little out of breath, Erika propped herself up on her elbows, sticking her tongue out at the blonde, ''At last! The long awaited penetration! I can already feel my world being rocked!'' Erika wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head back, making her knot of hair fall loose, her hair falling to her shoulders and down her back.

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"Two words. Slave Leia." Jeremy shot back hastily as Erika went back into her little Star Wars debate. "I still call that being a bitch." He replied about Anakin, "But as far as Leia?! Come on! She's got it all. The abs, the slave outfit, the weird cinnabon rolls on her head. Every stoners dream, babe." He chuckled out the last bit, shaking his head slightly. Leia was hot. For some unknown reason Carrie Fisher tightened the pants of every nerd and man who ever laid eyes on Return of the Jedi. Maybe it was just every guys hidden dream to have a girl be his own little slave? Who knows.

The boy sighed, shaking his head as if she was in a case of denial and he was the therapist on the other side of the leather chair. "Oh honey. Denial is always the first step." He cooed, smacking his lips as if it was a serious matter and she was showing the first signs of some crippling disease. "Besides I wasn't being rude. Just looking out for your best interest. And by that I mean making sure you don't come stab me in the middle of the night." He halfway joked. It was always the preppy ones that turned.

When her arms wrapped around his neck, something in the back of his mind switched on and slowly a bit of heat rose to his cheeks. "Oh...uh..." He sputtered out after she ranted and tilted her head back. Thinking on his toes, he forced a smirk and chuckled. "In your dreams, love." Jeremy tossed out to cover his tracks before tossing himself off her and landing on the other side. What was wrong with him? Sexual tension was one thing, but this? This was new and he didn't like it. Cramming his hands back into the jacket pockets, the boy grew silent for a moment.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

''So, you're telling me the entire thing is just you guys having some weird fetish for submissive women? I'll keep that in mind,'' Erika said with a laugh, shaking her head. Well, at least that made a little more because really, the woman was far from a looker. ''Come on, any girl could pull that off and look so much better!'' Nope, she refused to believe that that woman was hot. She looked like a grandmother for Pete's sake!

Clapping her hands together and bowing down before him, she nodded slowly, ''I'm sorry master. As always, you're right. I'm crazy,'' she began, ''Actually, scratch that; I'm batshit crazy. I need your help to end this urge to murder people!'' Adding a creepy tone to her voice, Erika looked up and smirked, ''I watch you when you sleep,''

Sure, Erika might have been naive and all, but even she noticed the sudden change of moods, and when Jeremy so hastily pulled away, she blinked confusedly as she sat up, running a hand idly through her hair before looking away. Had she gone too far? Well, she doubted it as he was the one pushing the joke further on, egging her to continue the childish rant. But, the sudden awkward tension was hard to miss, even to her. Frowning, Erika turned her head towards him moving closer before placing both palms against the cool stone, each hand placed at each side of his head.

Looking down, Erika looked for any signs - any answers to the sudden change, but the harder she looked, the harder she felt the tension grow, ''Did I do something wrong?'', she asked silently, her brows scrunched up into a serious expression; She felt a little uneasy, and worried about the whole situation, though the feeling that hit her the most, was the realization over just how close his face was to hers.

[Deleted]

The boy's forehead wrinkled, the lines making deep groves into his skin as he pretended to think. "Yeah, pretty much." Jeremy said simply, a small smile pulling across his lips. "Then again I think it's a fetish for women in general." He added along with a light chuckle before sighing at her attempt to spoil Leia once more. "Something tells me you are thinking of present day Carrie Fisher and not movie Carrie Fisher. Huh?" He halfway question, an eyebrow perking up a bit at the thought. Everyone he had talked to, guy and girl alike agreed with him. Then again, it could just be one of Erika's many ploys to argue with him. No surprise there.

"As you should be." Jeremy replied, placing a hand over his mouth as he tried to mimic Darth Vader to the best of his ability. A small chuckle followed before he gave her a rather odd look at her next sentence. "That don't surprise me." He replied to her comment about watching him sleep. "It's never the quiet ones. Always the preppy spoiled brats." He teased her, giving a sly wink.

The silence that had ensued was almost deafening. His heart raced, skipping a fragile beat as his blood thickened and cooled down to what he figured was near arctic levels. What had come over him? This wasn't like Jeremy at all. No. Jeremy was...well Jeremy! Punk isn't dead, kiss my ass, lets fuck in the back of the janitor's closet. Those things were his life. Blushing? Feeling some sort of romantic involvement? No sir. That was an anomaly, a fluke, a fraud! But as her hands found their way besides his head the fear of being wrong was never more real.

"Wrong?" He blinked. Did she do something wrong? OF COURSE NOT! It was his stupid punk ass that was to blame. He went to far and brought up...feelings. The thought made him shiver slightly. "No..uh.." He coughed slightly, "Sorry. I just got spacey for a moment. It happens." He lied, trying to shove the ordeal off on his tremors, like they magically spawned some sort of other symptom in him. Bullshit perhaps? Yeah. That was it. Bullshit-titis.  His eyes found their way to hers, and for a moment he was lost, and he could tell she was too.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Frowning, Erika's eyes drifted to his. Unable to keep the smile away for too long, she grinned, ''I suppose so,'' she said with a laugh and tapped her finger absentmindedly against her cheek, ''And no, I'm not. I have seen the movies after all,'' she said with her eyebrow arched. Well, whatever it was people saw in her, she didn't get it. But really, there was no point in discussing about each other's different opinions on such a matter. People had different taste, and she was going to accept that and let the argument drift away.

''If only you knew dear,'' she said with a roll of her eyes, still very much grinning. ''The things I do to you in your sleep, oh boy!'' Well, the things she could do to him while he was sleeping. Like shave his head. Color it. Draw on him with waterproof....Ooooh.

Erika was no mind reader, but even she could taste the bitterness of the way this entire thing seemed to have been turned entirely upside down and created a wall between them. A wall she didn't quite understand, but she was still afraid of pushing at it. Maybe she was scared to find out what was on the other side, or maybe it as simple as her being afraid to push too hard and make things even worse. She did not know. And making excuses didn't help the damned curiosity she had so dreadfully been born with.

Nodding slowly, Erika lifted her hand to his cheek, trailing her fingertips down the lines of his features before pulling herself up, only to look away. ''All right,'' she said with a sigh. She had no idea why she did what she did, and clearly she was only making him feel even more uncomfortable, which in turn made her feel incredibly stupid. Which wasn't really news to the brunette. She did this a lot, really. It was rather pathetic. Her eyes drifted over the courtyard before she cleared her throat, the tension getting to her more by the second, ''I should,'' she began but trailed off. ''I should probably go,'' she added on, seconds later. Her voice distant.

Erika couldn't help but to notice the nagging feeling at the back of her mind. She felt uncomfortable. Her heart was beating quicker than what she would have liked and she was nervous to the point where her palms felt sweaty. He had told her she hadn't done anything wrong, yet she couldn't push the feeling that she had away. It felt as if she single-handedly had managed to screw everything up with her naive and foolish teasing. Was she really that stupid to think she could do such things without there being consequences?

Of course he felt off! She had practically thrown herself at him - unintentionally so - but still, it was no shock that he felt odd about it. It was pretty obvious that he didn't want such a thing to happen.

[Deleted]

Another roll of his grey eyes and Jeremy found himself sighing at her comment. "I will never understand you girls." He teased, a light chuckle leaving his throat as a hand crept from pocket to glasses frame, adjusting the dark ray-bans further up his nose. Leia was hot, end of story. He already knew no matter what he said or how he said it she wouldn't change her mind, and he accepted that. Not like it mattered really, but sometimes he could be hardheaded like that, wanting people to see the same light of a subject as he did. 

The grin on Erika's face brought a soft, cheeky smile upon his own as she went on. "Oooooo." He cooed out, trying his best not to laugh. "Shall I start locking my door? Huh?" He teased back at her, though part of him knew full well what she was capable of, and he only hoped she realized he could do twice the damage back.

It wasn't like him though. This feeling, these icy cold veins, the soft shiver down his spine. It was like stepping onto some foreign soil while his mind split into two. One side said it was alright, that there was no danger, and the other half cooed 'Watch out for the Locals'. The two halves warred with each other and Jeremy's stomach churned along in the sick cannibalistic manner. Why did this have to happen now? Was this just the hormones he was suppose to have felt during the first week of their friendship? Oh god....Was this turning into some romantic comedy?!

That thought plus the feeling of her hand against his cheek seemed to snap himself out of the ordeal. Alright, maybe it was more of the warmth of her hand, but he'd be damned if he let anyone know that. "Wait, what!" He spoke up finally, peering back up at her before sitting up, twisting around to speak to her. "Don't have to go." He chuckled a bit nervously. "Then again I don't blame ya. Haven't showered in a week." He winked. There he was. Shameless Jeremy once again, but those feelings still laid under the surface. It would take a while to bury them....if they would bury at all.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

''I think that would be wise, yes,'' Erika knew that whatever she came up with would be paid back, and she also knew it wasn't wise to go against the master of pranks himself, but it was simply too good to let go of. The ideas that started forming in her head were simply too tempting for her to keep a sane mind without executing her plans.

Frowning again, Erika pursed her lower lip out in a sigh before shaking her head. And once more, things turned around and left her even more confused that what she had been to begin with. First, they had played around like what she thought was normal for the two of them - well, as far as normal went anyways, and then Jeremy had started acting... Odd. As if she had pushed a button, said or done something she shouldn't have. And now, and now this? It was almost as he purposely tried to confuse her and throw her head into a limbo.

Turning her head once more to face him, the corner of her lips turning slightly upwards, ''A few more minutes of whatever that was and I'd start thinking you've fallen for me,'' she said as the smirk grew wider. Okay, he wanted to go back to the playful nature they had before? As could she. ''Sheesh, coulda told me dry humping made you so socially awkward,'' Erika pushed herself up from the ground and brushed off the invisible dust off of her black, skinny jeans before sticking her thumbs into the back of her pockets.

''And yes - you do smell. You really need a shower.'', she said, bopping her head in the direction of the fountain at the bottom of the stairs. A daring smirk replaced the one from before and she turned around to start skipping down the stone steps.

[Deleted]

Erika's comment sent him into a small chuckle. It definitely would be a wise idea. Knowing her, she might come in during the night and mess with his stuff or worse....shave his head. The thought sent a small shiver down his spine. Jeremy always kept his hair a certain way, mainly out of habit. He was a showman in his youth, and after everything that happened the narcissism from the stage still carried over into his later years. The guitar playing though sadly didn't, but that's a story for another day.

"In your dreams." The boy halfway lied. Maybe it was true. A few more minutes of that and he might have actually found himself wishing for her to be in between the sheets of his bed. Then again, a few more minutes and he probably would have damaged their relationship further. That was the thing about him. When problems arose that he couldn't grasp or explain he shut them out and in turn ended up shutting out the person causing them or at times going further and starting into fights, getting defense, and eventually losing his head to that infamous short-temper of his.

The next comment she shot out caused another roll of his grey eyes and a shake of the head. "Oh please. We all know you want it more than you let on." He spoke, teasing once more and resuming his normal nature as he watched her stand up. Jeremy kept his place, hands digging further into his pockets and he drew his knees up to his chest. 

He watched as she motioned towards the fountain, a small smirk rising up upon his lips. "You know what water does to me, girl." He tossed back relating to his ability. "Then again if I had the right company..." It was a half way attempt at flirting. That was all he really knew how to do. Most of the time when it came to girls and Jeremy, he just acted like he was doing with Erika, spending a few moments being an awkward mess and somehow it worked. How? He never really could figure that one out. "Where do ya think you're going?" He piped up as he watched her skip down the steps. "I'm not going to follow you."