[CO] Bye, Bye, Summer

[Samai Deza]

Of course Samai would use the cookout as another excuse to get out and enjoy the last couple of days of summer. She'd miss it so much, as she did every year when it went away. While fall and winter gave her a chance to dress cute in fall and winter fashion and snuggle up with Netflix and a hot chocolate... there just nothing like Summer. Back home in Cali, it was summer and spring all year long.

Samai was no longer in Cali, and she knew it. It stung.

Earlier, Samai had her first security squad duty (as did the rest of the squad). It kind of felt cool, being on watch and making sure the peace was kept and nothing weird or suspicious was going on. People were often used to seeing her in her cheer uniform when football season came around. It was weird being congratulated for making the squad, and then others mentioned how they didn't know Samai had the guts. Little did they know.

Now that was over, Samai could actually enjoy herself and grab a bite to eat. Naturally, she was in a group of girls just chatting about but she managed to slip a certain someone a text. Just to see if he was actually going to show up at the cookout, or had already been out there and she just hadn't spotted him yet. Hopefully Enzo didn't mind. She knew they swapped numbers for a "just in case" but hoped he didn't mind it being a social "just in case".

If that even made sense.

She looked back up from her phone as a friend caught her attention as they made a comment about someone's outfit that wasn't "up to par", she chuckled. "Yeah, I know right, that's crazy.." She really wasn't paying attention.

[Lorenzo Frijas]

Lorenzo, like many people knew, wasn't much of a social butterfly. He liked people, don't get me wrong, Enzo just didn't feel the need to always be around them unless he had a reason. Naturally, he found himself laying naked in the middle of the woods. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. A day in the life of a shapeshifter, he thought as he wondered through the woods trying to find the stash of extra clothes and water he had put somewhere.

Once the dizziness stopped, the kid felt like a million bucks. All of his senses were tingling and he felt like he could do anything. The world was brighter, everything was enhanced. This happened every time he shifted back from bear-from. His brain was still rewiring from his previous form, so the bear like strength, speed, and what not was all present at the moment. This, as you could imagine, put him in the best of moods. 

After a few minutes of searching, he surprisingly found it. That as awfully strange. Usually it took him hours to search out the forest. Maybe his mind had got in control for just enough time to somewhat get back to where he wanted. Enzo could never tell, it was mostly a blur once he gave in to the natural instincts.

He hurried to his clothes and pulled them over his naked body, hoping no one had seen him. In a rush, he crack up the huge water bottle and chugged. Water spilled out the sides of his mouth and the entire thing was gone. 

Something about the change that dehydrated his body to the fullest. 
_______

Lorenzo had been hiking out when his phone buzzed. The noise was pierced his ears the the vibration filled every inch of his body. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the text.  Samai Deza had been asking where he was. He read it carefully, having to hold it farther away from his faced as his enhanced eyes adjusted. At first he was confused about what she was taking about..."Oh shit." He totally forgot about the cook out. He raced over to his bike and hoped on quickly. His dorm advisor person  had told him that it was mandatory and that something would happen if he didn't attend. Lorenzo didn't remember specifics just that he didn't want to get the punishment. 

He raced down through downtown like it was nothing. His legs left amazing, like he could go forever. Lorenzo rode in the street, easily keeping up with cars. He continued to speed until he arrived at school. He chained his bike up and hurried to the reception area, hoping no one would notice he was late. He wondered through the crowds and took a deep breath taking in the surroundings. He rolled his eyes back into his head as smelled, each scent and scene more vivid than usual. He hadn't texted Samai back. It just slipped his mind in the chaos. 

He looked for her but couldn't see wit the hoards of people roaming the area. 

[Samai Deza]

Glancing back down at her phone, the girl pressed her lips together. No text back, which was no big deal... she guessed. She knew how guys never really wanted to be tired down into answering texts on time. That or he was probably busy. Busy wit what? She wasn't sure. He was still pretty new to BA, maybe he joined one of the bagillion teams and clubs Bellefonte had to offer. People, like, did that kind of stuff.

Samai took another few sips out of her soda as her focus went back to the group of girls. One asking if she was waiting for for a call or something. "Me? Oh," She chuckled, "No, no. I was just checking something out, facebook and what not." Which was a total lie but she knew how nosey her friends were, and how quick people liked to jump to assumptions and conclusions.

She didn't need any of that right now.

Though, the girl did so happen to catch a familiar scent nearby. Which wasn't all too difficult to separate from the scent of everyone else and the food. Turning around, she spotted him and he had been looking for someone? And while she didn't want to get her hopes up, what if it was her? Just a thought. "I'll catch up with you guys later, okay? Yeah, yeah! Just text like me when you guys are about to leave." Nodding as she waved to her friends before going on a prowl. Which ended her right behind Lorenzo in the sneakiest way possible, but since she was shorter, it just kind of worked.

With a sly smile, she gently but quickly jabbed two of her manicured nails at his lower back. "Looking for someone?"

[Lorenzo Frijas]

Lorenzo scanned the crowds watching people shoving hotdogs in their mouths and chugging cans after cans of sodas and whatnot. It was the perfect depiction of America, he thought. Hot, summer night with processed foods and friendship. 

He sort of zoned out. His sense were wonderfully overwhelming. Enzo wasn't too focused on finding Samai but he supposed he'd like to see her. She was the one who texted him after all. That was the only reason.

Right?

Lorenzo figured his scent was flaring right now, considering he had just changed about an hour or so earlier. She would find him soon, he supposed. Sure enough, there she was. He honestly heard her coming from a mile away but he didn't show it. He acted natural, like he didn't know she was there at all. 

He felt her nails poke into his back and he spun around trying to make his best to act surprised. He exaggerated a flinch and a look of pain. "Oh hey. What's going' on?" He smiled at her and pulled the sunglasses from his face, hanging them on the neck of his shirt like he always did. "I got your text." He reassured her tapping his pocket. "Sorry I didn't respond. I was kind of rushing to get here. I totally forgot about this thing." He gave her the 'oops' face and looked over at the tables piled with food. His stomach roared. "I was in the woods, had to bike all the way over when I got your text..." He spoke passionately, it was obvious he was feeling good but he tried to keep it low-key the best he could. "I am starving." He said with an honest look. He jerked his head in the direction of the food and gestured for her to walk with him.

[Samai Deza]

His scent was flaring, but hadn't thought much about it until she neared further. There was something about being able to creep up on someone that she enjoyed (even though he probably saw it coming a mile away). Samai often had kitten moments, where she believed she could do anything and everything... even though she couldn't, but often took pride in it. "Hey!" She smiled gleefully at him as her natural brown eyes were actually shown, but behind fake glasses. "I totally took you off guard, huh?"

Fake glasses always did make her feel cute and intelligent.

"Oh," She eyed him, then at the sound coming from his stomach, then back up to his eyes. So she was getting her answer without having to really ask. Cool "Is that why you smell like a disaster hiking movie waiting to happen?" She chuckled, "Just kidding..." Sort of. But whatever Enzo had been up to in the woods must have been some bear instinct thing... that bear shifters did. Whatever, she wasn't sure but it might have been the same reason why she enjoyed being in trees so much.

With just the gesture, she got the hint and began walking along side him. "Well I guess it's a good thing you're surrounded by food, huh? I'm kind of hungry too, I had security squad duties earlier when the cookout started. I finally got out of the uniform and let me tell you, I'm ready to grub." Her plump lips pursed as she wondered, "So how do you like it here so far?"

[Lorenzo Frijas]

"Very, very much so." He replied sarcastically as they walked along the rows and rows of food stalked tables. Something was different about her today. He looked her over noticing the same general clothing, hair, ah. The eyes. Natural? He was surprised. He had never seen her really eyes before, only the ones covered behind contacts. He made his way over to a table and grabbed a soda with one hand. They both stopped and he look at her, placing a thumb on her check, below her right eye. "I like them better like that." He smiled at her and continued on galling at the selection gradually building his plate with artery clogging foods and whatnot. 

He chuckled and shook his head. "You and your smells." He falsely frowned and sniffed himself. "Guess I've gotta start Axe-bombing myself every time we meet up." He placed a small sugar cookie on his plate and looked back at her. "Then again, you would probably pass out." He nodded like a was reassuring himself. "I'll stick with disaster hiking movie." 

He smirked as they continued on and she mentioned security squad. "Catwoman on Security Staff eh? Stopping crime one fashion tip at a time!" He teased her trying to imitate her voice, which ended up just being a high pitched version of his. "I feel like I'd want to see you in that uniform." He joked with a wink. 

"I like it, I guess. Hell of a lot better than St. Bethany. But you know school is school: stressful." He shrugged. "Sports have been fun, tryouts and all. Football is starting up soon, so ya' know thats going to be happening. It's been hell getting conditioned." 

[Samai Deza]

Oh she could so hear the sarcasm in his voice and it caused her to pout slightly but playfully. Whatever. She knew she was a great predator and it was okay if Enzo wasn't capable of seeing it just yet. She'd totally get him one day.

Usually when she took out her contacts, Samai didn't think twice about it. Nor did she when they were actually in. Her usually classmates were used to the back and forth that they didn't really mention it either. It was only when she got all super feral that her eyes changed into cats eyes, then people talked. But she had to admit, there was something kind of nice about being complimented on her natural eyes. Even when he touched her, "Really?" She returned a smile before looking back at the food, blushing, finally gathering her plate as well. "Maybe you'd see more of it if we actually hung out more."

Her nose scrunched up, only to shake her head with a laugh. "Yeah, you should. It fits you." Not like she wanted her senses messed up by some bomb of a cologne. Then again, Axe kind of mixed well with his scent anyway... or at least from what she managed to gather. God, she was now doing that one thing. Getting all personal with scents. That's going to have to stop, pronto.

Looking up at him, her lips parted slightly as she smiled. "Hey!" Nudging at his arm, "I'll have you know that fashion is always needed. Always. Even when protecting others. And I so don't sound like that." Her pitch rising, which probably only helped Lorenzo make his point. She rolled her eyes, chuckling as she brushed off the uniform comment. "Whatever."

The feral mutant continued to pile up more food and even managed to stuff a cookie in her mouth. "Oh... so you're doing football? Nice to know I get to see another familiar face on the field. Just try not to suck, yeah? I'll be watching." She teased, still with half a cookie poking out of her mouth.

[Lorenzo Frijas]

"Really." Lorenzo gave Samai a quick nod and a warm smile. His emotions were amplified right now. Normally he wouldn't have said anything. It wasn't that maybe he wasn't thinking it, verbally letting her know just wouldn't have been his route. Everything was brighter, everything was more vibrant. 

"I would definitely like to hang out more." Lorenzo told her as he asked a man who was grilling, for a burger. He grabbed one and took a bite. The grease, ketchup, meat, and cheese filled his taste buds and he savored every bite. This only lasted so long, he wanted to enjoy it. 

Lorenzo couldn't help but laugh when she said it suited him. "Honestly, just hoping that's a good thing." He took a deep breath tilting his head towards hers. "All I smell is perfume. Guess my nose isn't as good as yours." He playfully frowned but shrugged as he caught a glimpse of a largely obese man in front of them. His shirt was soaked in sweat, stained with the various foods he had been shoving down. "Glad I can't smell that guy," he told her grabbing another cookie. 

The kid's ply was now piled the the point that things were falling off. He look down at his plate and then back at Samai. "I think I've got enough to satisfy me." He smirked and grabbed a water bottle once he'd finished the soda. 

Her voiced towards the end made his smirk when he said, "You so do sound like that." He nudged her before rolling his eyes on her comment about football. 

"Baby, I'm starting wide receiver. But now that I know your watching, I'll make sure I scored an extra touchdown for you." He looked at her with a joking amount of false confidence. After Enzo told her that he figured she had no idea what a wide receiver even was. "I scored the touch downs and run with the ball from the big guys." He explained, knowing she needed it. "Thats why I'm on track too. It builds up my speed. I'm no track star believe me, but coach says it'll help with footwork or whatever." 

[Samai Deza]

Okay so maybe the smile had stayed a bit longer than she expected, causing her to nod in response as she looked down at the food and tried to erase the cheesy smile on her face. "Cool. I'll totally remember you said that. That way when I need a Netflix binge watching buddy at 4am, you'll be the first person to call." She may or may not had been joking about the last part, she wasn't sure yet. Samai had a bad habit when it came to staying up late and watching shows (knowing she had class in the morning). "It is." Since they met, Samai could see this whole Alaskan "swag" Enzo had going for him. Being from where he was from, it was kind of attractive. What? She was a girl from Cali, it was rare.

"And all you'd smell under that perfume would be scented lotions, lipgloss and tons of hairspray. Consider yourself lucky." She gestured at herself with her half bitten cookie as she now eyed the grilled food. She stuffed the rest of it in her mouth, gesturing that she wanted two hotdogs on her plate. Samai was sure she could do without the burgers. When it came to cookouts she mostly went right for the hotdogs and grilled corn, her favorite.

Before she stuffed another cookie in her mouth, her eyes glanced at who Enzo gestured towards. "That's not funny," But she tried to hush her laugh, and it failed. Okay so it was funny. Her brown eyes went back and forth between her plate and his, a brow raised as she looked up at him. "You sure you don't need like four more plates? You'd think you're like, going into hibernation or something." The bleached blonde did a little dance as she giggled, "Haha, I made a funny."

As for the touchdown comment, Samai simply looked at him with a smile that screamed she was only humoring him. She then mouthed his sentence, knowing what he was going to say, even finishing it with him "....run with the ball from the big guys. Yeah, I know. Believe it or not, Baby; I actually know a thing or two about the sports I cheer for." But at least it was good to know Enzo was into more than just football. "Track, huh? Too bad you don't text back as fast as you run." Teasing as she bent over to grab a new drink before turning around and checking for an empty spot to sit.

[Lorenzo Frijas]

 

He couldn't help but imagine the seen of him and a girl cuddling and watch t.v. all night. He hadn't had anyone special like that since Alaska. Not that he liked her like that or anything, just her words triggered the thought. His loneliness and pretty much every other emotion was easily trigger right now, thats what made him vulnerable like this. Enzo's enhanced emotions and abilities caused him to say and do strange things that he normally wouldn't. "Netflix with you sounds... amazing." He told her, trying not to sound to sappy or anything. That definitely wasn't his thing or how he wanted to be seen. 

They'd been over this a few times, but it felt good to be reassured that he really didn't smell. Ever since the first day he'd kind of had that in the back of his mind. He smirked mischievously as he saw her get the hot dogs. "I see your prefer the," He paused making this gesture with one hand, "hotdogs." Enzo teased her for a moment before cracking a grin and nudging her, "JUST KIDDING." He paused and then teased her again, "Kind of." He kept his words lighthearted as they continued on.

Enzo nodded and inhaled deeply through his nose. "I'll take your word for it." He looked up as the big guy loafed around continuously stuffing himself. "Its kind of funny." He nudged her with a smirk, as he looked down at his plate. "Your HILARIOUS." He playfully rolled his eyes, not screaming the word, just pronouncing it extra well.  

Both brows rose as she impressed him with her knowledge. "Ok, ok. My bad. I see you are VERY educated on everything football." The boy raised his arms in false submitance. Well, the best he could wit the plate and drink, for that matter. He smiled. "Hey, I apologized for that. You got me rushing, ok?" 

Lorenzo's eyes widened and followed as she bent down to grab a soda. "Yeah track is cool I guess..." He said distractedly. His eyes quickly fluttered away as she rose back up and they both glanced out over the reception area. He pointed over to a big shady tree. "What about over there? Looks like a nice spot."

[Samai Deza]

The statement caused her to slightly pause and not in movement but in speech, and train of thought even? Enzo sounded so sure, with no joking connected to it, like he'd actually liked the idea. It sounded sincere in a way. She hadn't said anything else after that because she didn't know what she would say. Hopefully by the time she looked back up at Lorenzo, the blushing would go down.

She laughed, "Enzo!" With a free hand, she playfully slapped his arm, noting the gesture. "Oh aren't you just the comedian." Letting out a scoff as she shook her head, wondering if there was anything else that she needed to add to her plate. "Yeah, well wouldn't you like to know." While her sexuality was never really hidden, Samai didn't really speak on it either. People just often spread rumors about her past relationships and flings that just never really worked out.

Her smile brightened when she notice the eye roll. "Thanks, I know." There was something about about his sarcasm that she just found extremely pleasing. Like she could play off of it all day. She also wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Samai knew she could be awfully playful; a bit too playful.

She smirked, finding humor in it. "Okay, okay. You're right, I had you rushing... too a mandatory cookout you were supposed to be at anyway." Her smirk stayed as she pushed up her faux glasses with her hand holding the drink. "That's totally my bad." Oblivious to the fact that he watched her, she also looked over the the shady tree. If there was anything that she enjoyed more, it was a tree... with shade. So she shrugged, "Yeah, sure."

Once they reached the tree, Samai looked up at its size, almost tempted to climb up it and sit on a branch like she was used to. Instead she decided against it, simply sitting on the ground underneath the shade. Her plate rested on her leg and Samai had already begun stuffing her face with a hotdog, which she struggled with often seeing how she always tried to stuff food bigger than her mouth could handle.

[Lorenzo Frijas]

Lorenzo Frijas playfully rolled his eyes as they sat down under the tree together. "Hey, I was too busy catching salmon and eating berries." Enzo grabbed his stomach and then glanced over at his plate. "And I'm still starving." Two of the burgers were already gone from the walk to the tree. He continued to press on, devouring his plate. Everything Enzo devoured, in bear form, basically burned off in the transformation back to human. He tired not to pig out in front of the girl. I mean, he tried. Enzo wasn't one for trying to impress too much but he didn't want this one to go away because of his eating habits. 

Enzo wasn't sure what to talk about. This thing wasn't like the most exciting event ever. Besides the food, of course. Lorenzo loved the food. He was a teenager though, anything that was  greasy or sugary, he liked. 

Although he was starving, all the grease and junk food had filled him up quicker than he'd expected. Three quarters the way through his plate, Lorenzo took a deep breath and fell back into the soft grass. His shirt came up but he didn't bother to fix it. He put a hand on his stomach and scooted close to Samai. "My eyes were bigger than my belly." He could feel every bit of food in his stomach. Of course, it would burn of quickly but he just sat and enjoyed the fresh air.

He went quite as he got lost in the senses of nature. The hot sun beat down on his as he basks, stretching once in awhile. Eventually, Lorenzo sat up leaning on one elbow. "What a beautiful evening." The boy look out into the scenery and then back to Samai and smiled. "Everything feels good right about now."

[Samai Deza]

Samai struggled to eat and not laugh at the same time. Just the visual of him catching fish and eating berries was pretty darn funny but of course, she wasn't visualizing him in his bear form, just human... so it made it way funnier. She chuckled, "That's because you eat like a monster." Wasn't that the usual thing for guys in general? Eating everything in sight and still weren't satisfied?

While she tried to find her own proper way of eating... she failed, managing to go through her own plate without blinking. Yeah, hunger did that to her too. It was probably bad for her physique, when you thought about how she had cheer and all but this cookout was a one time thing. Not like she'd go out the next day and eat the same thing.

Though it was tempting.

Her brown eyes glanced far over towards everyone else at the cookout as she wiped her hands and any leftover crumbs on her face. Chuckling, she looked down at the full mutant laying on the grass. "You coulda fooled me. I'm pretty sure you ate enough for the both of us." The playful side of her wanted to slap a mighty hand down at that flat stomach of his just to see if he was really full, but she quickly decided against it. Him tossing up his food was the last thing she wanted.

There was always something about the outside world that she just... enjoyed. It was better than being stuck inside any day, and it just seemed that much better when someone else managed to appreciate it also. For a second, the bleached blonde closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, which was short lived the moment she heard him speak again. Her eyes opened again before turning slightly as she looked at him. "Don't get all soft on me, Enzo." She joked, "You're right, though. It does. It's kinda hard to appreciate it all when you're stuck behind those walls." Smiling softly as her eyes never left him.

[Lorenzo Frijas]

When Samai told him he ate like a monster, Lorenzo simply shrugged. "I'll take that as a compliment. After the transformation back, I get a little... peckish." He admitted not being able to help a smirk at the end. 

"Soft? I'm never soft. Definitely a hard ass." He reassured her. Although the atmosphere was nice, Lorenzo began to feel boredom rising as they sat under the tree. His mind was going a million miles a minute and wanted to go do something... active. He looked back up at Samai. "You wanna get out of here?" Lorenzo offered. She was, after all, willing hanging out with him alone. He didn't mind her company at all either. Enzo didn't doubt she would say yes. 

Before she could say anything he popped himself up quickly and offered a hand. He didn't wait for her to take but bent down, grabbing both of her and pulling up. "I've decided, it's not a question. We're going." To the lake, he thought. Teenage angst spewed but he tried to cover it. It was hard to though, especially now. Tons of different emotions of feelings were popping up left and right. Each one more strong then the last.