all smiles over here completed

@Lauren Wheeler

And though I try so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction, there was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw.

Gem felt his jaw screw shut, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. What kind of game was she playing right now? Was she trying to get a reaction? Did she want to frustrate him? Embarrass him? His fingers bent around the pages of her textbook, unknowingly pressing his thumb against the text. Why would he want to? He had a lot of questions to answer himself before he could get to hers, but before he could properly think, his own sentence came out in a tumble;

"Why would you want me ta flirt wiv you?"

Wow. Uncalled for, also kind of overly-witty, rude, even. He sounded far more confident than he really was, but he didn't let that show on his face. He chewed the gum a little harder now, his eyes training on hers, not looking away unless it was to blink. He felt like he knew what adults playing games meant, but when it was two children, it changed a whole lot - he wasn't trying to pick apart her psychology, he just wanted to hear those words out of her mouth. Flirting, in order to be successful, had to be a two way street. He'd pry a reciprocation from her, and though this seemed more like a competition than an attempt to get a date, it was getting interesting. Though he felt like smirking, his expression remained solemn and straight, though his eyes spoke far more than his mouth ever could.

Sort of? Working with @Gem Stuart @LaurenWheeler

Little did they now, two tables away, Rafa was trying to study. Emphasis on trying. It’s not like he had anything else to do; it was his free period, and all of his friends were in class. And really, he should have been making more of an effort to understand what Professor Lian was trying to tell her. It wasn’t like he particularly good at anything magic. Actually, he wasn’t too sharp at this whole magic thing. His Transfiguration capabilities, in specific, were los peor absolute, or as his classy new British classmates would say, pretty bloody awful. He should have been trying to get these stupid spells into his head, but quite frankly, he didn’t feel like it. It looked boring. Just the thought of doing it made him want to groan and slam his head into a wall. He just couldn’t make himself do it today. Plus, he was a little distracted. Watching these two bounce off of each other was pretty entertaining.

This could totally be a tv show, he thought. Like, a telenovela. Or a book. I would read it. Number one on the cast sheet: Miss Tigre Hermoso. Rafa didn’t know her name, only her reputation. And by that, his mind dreamily flashed back to Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. She was that foxy girl that totally lost it and ripped that one Gryffindor girl a new one. Not that Rafa was judging or anything. It had been pretty amusing, though he would never admit it out loud. He liked watching fights. So Slytherin of me. This girl definitely came off as a fighter. Quite frankly, she seemed like a fire no one could control. Long blonde hair, playfully sharp blue eyes, pretty face? Broads were always a recipe for disaster, if he ever knew it. He couldn’t help but flash back to Argentina all those years ago, where the teens were always fighting with the pretty women. They were a challenge.

Oh, and who better to take her on other than – Hmm, what would Rafa call him? Messy brown hair, blue Ravenclaw robes… Outsiders Book? He liked this guy already. He had read the Outsiders, back when he was nine. This guy? He looked like a Johnny, with his soft brown eyes and careful look. Johnny, would be his cast name, Rafa decided. It didn’t really seem like a Ravenclaw name, though – not that stereotypes ever worked. Especially at this weird-ass school. He had learned the hard way, specifically with Miss Hufflepuff.

His focus was nowhere near anything relatively close to Transfigurations (Try deciphering that, Rafa thought.). No, his entire focus was on this dramatic scene. It was purely hilarious; his only regret was not bringing popcorn. Or a camera. Was there a spell for that? He didn’t know. What he did know, though, was that he was glad he ditched the Great Lake.

Though he wasn’t being the most subtle. As the girl fired another line at ‘Johnny’, Rafa accidentally let a snicker slip. And could you blame him? He was having a hard time containing his emotions at the moment. Maybe he should have been more respectful, but everyone that knew Rafa knew wasn’t the best with boundaries. He was a Gryffindor, dammit, he could laugh if he wanted. This was a relatively free country. (At least, he hoped so, for God’s sake.) Besides, weren’t boundaries made to be pushed?

Whatever the case, he was starting to think he should quiet down. Other people were starting to give him looks, and while he didn’t particularly care, one of them was the librarian. He didn’t feel like moving seats, not after he had warmed this one up nicely. He tried to wipe the grin off his face, leaning forward and staring down at his Transfigurations book. Am I staring too hard? Is this even believable? He shook his head, trying to shake all remnants of humor from his head. Too bad it wasn’t working.

@Rafael D'Spacito

Humor often broke tension, and hearing an amused chortle come from fairly nearby pierced it like a steak knife. Gem's head instinctively turned, looking for the perpetrator of the snort, his eyes landing on some sheepish, lanky ole' lad. He seemed like he was having some trouble focusing, and honestly - who couldn't? Even Gem, the most stereotypical Ravenclaw to ever set foot in Hogwarts, had some trouble with Transfiguration. Albeit the fact he adored the class to shreds, he did find himself stuck sometimes. It was in his nature to help people, not blow them off - and... well, he sort of wanted to know what was so damn funny about Transfiguration.

"Sorreh, uh... I gotta- I'm gunno go. Someone heeds my call." No one heeded his call, but a disgruntled expression seemed enough to get him gathering his stuff, hauling ass to the other boy's table. The more he thought about it, the more hot-faced he got-- they really were making a bit of a scene, with that dumb game they were playing. The hell did a pair of pre-teens know about flirting? Not Gem.

"Hi," he said, throwing himself into the seat across this young man-- wow, if he had another reason to get all hot in the face, he'd probably faintly resemble a tomato. "Uh, anyone ever told ya you look like Morrissey? N-not him now, but... well, him in the 80's. Uh- hey, ya look like yer havin' trouble, and I figured that because I'm a Ravenclaw and also very nosy, I ought to try an' help. Is that all right?"

He was really trying it now, making those sorts of comments when he didn't even know for certain if he was even having trouble. Maybe he just had that kind of face - the confused resting one. He'd seen people like that. He needed to shut up, but golly, he was a looker. Hormones were not forces to be reckoned with, and especially not in a situation like this.

OOC: broooo ITS SO GOOD!! gem is nothin like johnny honestly but you'll see why in due time!! i hope you're enjoying it though :^) also hell yeah a fellow argentine!!! (i don't know if you are but it's awesome that your character is)

Working with @Gem Stuart

Focus.

Focus.

Rafa took a deep breath, shaking the last of the humorous moment away from him. Okay. Transfigurations. He opened his notebook, which was filled with doodlings of superheroes and strange imaginary animals. It occurred to Rafa that maybe he should have been paying more attention in class. But really, Transfigurations was a snooze fest. Lian should be working harder to transfigure her class into an interesting subject. His eyes flew over the contents of the page, trying to retain something – anything – important. But every time he tried to concentrate, his mind flew back to the flirting. Dammit. Maybe I should have gone to the Great Lake, after all.

“Hi,” he heard a familiar voice say.

In a quick moment, his concentration was completely shattered. Rafa groaned, rubbing his eyes. Maybe I can tell this person to get lost. Yeah, I’ll do that. Rafa looked up, an indignant look on his features, ready to tell this newcomer to leave him alone. Only, he was taken by surprise. Wow, those eyes are very brown, he thought to himself. And deep. Damn. Oh, and they came with a face, too. A familiar one. Mierda…. It’s Johnny. “Uh, anyone ever told ya you look like Morrissey?” the boy said. For some reason, his face was beet red. Wow, is he okay? “N-not him now, but... well, him in the 80's.” Morrissey? Who the hell is Morrissey? The name definitely seemed familiar. A singer, or something. He must be handsome, Rafa thought to himself jokingly. You’ve heard some ‘80s music… think, Rafa, think…

“Uh- hey, ya look like yer havin' trouble, and I figured that because I'm a Ravenclaw and also very nosy, I ought to try an' help. Is that all right?" It occurred to Rafa that maybe he wasn’t being the most interesting conversationalist. Hell, he was staring at Johnny as if he were a fricking science experiment. He was honestly shocked. Hadn’t this guy been talking to a girl or something? Subtle, Rafa. You could be a fricking ninja. Maybe he should say something, break the ice. For both of their sakes.

“You are a Ravenclaw, aren’t you?” he found himself saying nonchalantly, in the same way one would say 'aha!'. It became increasingly apparent to him that his accent was far different from Johnny’s. His English tutor had been American, which had meant he had picked up bits and pieces of the American accent, among a staggering vocabulary of curse words. The hard r’s and vowels mixed with the subtle Spanish drawl made a mess of an accent. For a moment, he considered mimicking Johnny’s, but that would come off as desperate, and desperate was one thing Rafa would always try to avoid. For the moment, he continued in his own drawl. “Either that, or my ninja skills are pretty terrible, you know?”

He added a good-hearted laugh at the end, hoping to portray a friendly nature. He hoped he wasn’t coming off as mean or anything. His mom had told him he needed to work on being approachable. Rafa just couldn’t help it sometimes. Get it together, Rafa. This guy’s nice enough to sit down and offer to help you with your homework. And it’s not like you withheld your opinion about his flirting skills. There was no way he could smother his grin now. He seemed to have lucked out; Johnny seemed pretty cool. Though, as the moments ticked on, Rafa continued to feel worse and worse about calling this guy Johnny. Johnny has a name, dimwit. How about you ask him?

What do you know, my conscience finally has a conscience. He figured, this was a weird day already, so he should probably be embracing the weirdness by now. “You got a name?” he asked smoothly, his grin ever growing. Whatever this guy was playing at, Rafa was definitely interested.

@Rafael D'Spacito

“You are a Ravenclaw, aren’t you?”

Gem felt himself smile, maybe a bit bashfully, but it was genuine. He was grateful he hadn't been told to bugger off, mostly due to the fact it'd be beyond humiliating. He'd met a generous handful of the Gryffindors here, and he was... weary, to say the least. Even the ones he'd liked had beat him to a pulp, he was sure the black eye that had been graciously given to him by his only friend in Gryffindor was still in the process of healing. The thought made him instinctively reach a hand up to touch it - lightly, only so it didn't hurt.

"Hmm, well, if I got yer personalty right off e' bat, I oughta think yer a Gryffindor, right?" He cocked an eyebrow, craning his neck to check the page the boy across him was at - which chapter. Oh, the physics-type stuff, that was tricky. Just as he was about to open his mouth to try and simplify the section, his name came into question, a strange way to put it, but he was into it. It worked, it matched him quite well.

"I actualleh don't. Have a name, I mean. Me parents neglected ta name me right after I was born. They decided ta go have a cheeky Nando's about thirty minutes after I wos born, so I'm forever known as John Doe. Quite sad, isn't it?" He pulled a face, a real melancholy one - it was almost convincing, the way his eyes went all vacant. That was shut down quick, however, when he considered the fact that maybe this kid wasn't really into taking the piss while he was being offered a tutor. "Uh- Gem. I'm Gem Stuart, good ta meet ya. What's yer name, laa?" He stuck a hand out to shake, a formality he'd gained after years and years of tagging along with his dad at work.

"Right, I'll help ya study. You've joost got to answer one thing for me, that's it. Joost one," He leaned in real close, squinting all playful-like, sort of curious, if you looked deep enough. He'd never admit that he got closer just so he could see his acquaintance's features better, but it was the prospect that lingered in his mind. He had gorgeous eyes, auburn, sort of? Warmly colored skin, a heavy contrast to Gem's rather... pale pigment. He did his best to ignore it. "What's so funny about yer transfiguration book, aye?"

"Don't get me wrong, some ov the wordin' can be... uh, questionable, but I get e' feelin' that's not what you were laughin' at. It was us, at the table, wasn't it?" Now, Gem hadn't been very notorious for gossip, but when it involved him? He just couldn't help it. "She was bein' so weird! I wasn't even flirtin', really, I was joost complementin' her. It was so..." He pulled another face, his nose wrinkling up like he'd just smelled something foul. He needed to clear his name in everyone's book, and he didn't need anyone thinking he was some kind of bachelor. That was... the very last thing he needed this school year, actually.

Mentions; @Gem Stuart @Lauren Wheeler

Coming to the library had been a rare occurance for Brielle lately. Maybe it was because she couldn't focus hardly a lick on anything that she tried to, or maybe it was because she was sick of seeing everyone happy and cheerful about, studying their cares away like school was some sort of joy ride. She hated herself that she became sad at the sight of people. She wanted to be excited and joyful like everyone else, god she really did; though she couldn't find it in herself anymore.

Maybe it was because of her breakup with Gem, oh how that had messed with her head. She had been the one to end it, so shouldn't he be the one who had been left and hurt? The truth was- she hadn't wanted to break it off. She thought he was a great guy, a perfect boy and she had him. Though she knew it would come soon enough, the ending of it all and they would be left as 'friends'. Even so, she didn't want to be the one who received the news, so rather than waiting and expecting for the day to arrive, she did it herself. To spare not only some dignity, but as well as a few nights of sobbing.

There hadn't been a specific reason Brielle had been in the Library today, perhaps it was because she needed some fresh air, or maybe because she just needed to interact with someone after a week of isolation. Whatever it had been, it caused her to smile at the vast rows of books lining the many shelves. Her smile, though, was cut quickly by a familar voice, causing her head to turn sharply in the direction of it.

"Why would you want me ta flirt wiv you?"

Brielle's face turned to a form of disgust at Gem's words, causing her to gasp quietly. Flirting with someone else already was not only disconcerting, but also quite funny. How long had it been since she ended it with him? 2 weeks? Remind her to not date a pretty boy again.

And with that, she sat pleasantly at a table near them, unable to tear her eyes away from Gem and the girl he had so nicely made himself comfortable with.

@Brielle Gray

As if the day hadn't felt any more instinctual, Gem felt eyes on him again. It was tempting to ignore that churning feeling in his stomach, the unease, but even as he was making himself known to another student, a new friend, he felt the need to make sure he was attending to everyone around him. Maybe he was being too loud? He figured turning around wouldn't be too much.

And so brown met green, and his stomach felt like an empty pit. His hands got all clammy, he shifted uncomfortably, and Brielle's eyes-- those sad, green eyes, bore right into his now sullen expression. It was tempting, to just turn his head and go back to his conversation with the Gryffindor across him, but that would make him more guilty than if he'd given her a sign he knew she was there, a wave, a nod, something.

Her expression was off, how she just kept looking. It had hardly occurred to him that she may have been there the entire time, watching his interaction with Lauren. He hadn't had any romantic intention, he'd been avoiding any of that since he and Brielle broke up - which he saw coming, neither of them were doing the stuff they often did right before the end, and... well, when he got her 'letter of resignation', he could only sigh like a knowing, melancholic grandmother. It kept him down for days, but the idea they'd remain known to each other brought him some form of happiness.

Something like that.

He pressed his lips together, his brown eyes casting downwards. It was wrong, the way he did that, but he hadn't even been flirting! He didn't want to, she wasn't his type, he was just complementing her. If he tried telling Brielle that, it would be weird, considering they were, uh, friends, now. Still, her face seemed like it said more than her mouth could. Disappointment, something that tasted like bitterness.

He lifted his hand, waving it at her face with a measly attempt at a smile. He must've looked real stupid, doing that, but it was all he could do. He wasn't sure if it was an invitation to talk, or if it was something he should just... do, to be polite.

Working with @Gem Stuart

Thankfully, the other boy smiled. Now everyone was smiling. Honestly, Rafa couldn’t help himself; he just couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. The other boy felt his eye for a moment. It had a dark ring to it. Was he punched or something? Now that he thought about it, the other boy looked a bit reluctant about him. What’s up with that? “Hmm, well, if I got yer personality right off e' bat,” he said, “I oughta think yer a Gryffindor, right?”

Rafa let out a massive laugh, startling many of the others in the library. The librarian pointed at him, her face indignant. Jesus Christ. “Yeah, man,” Rafa answered. Though, Johnny seemed to have moved on from this statement. Instead, he was studying the page number of Rafa’s book. “You got a name?” he asked.

Johnny gave him a funny look at first. Rafa began to wonder what exactly what was going on in his mind, before his face went all depressing-like. Oh, man. I messed things up, didn’t I. "I actualleh don't,” he said in a small voice. “Have a name, I mean. Me parents neglected ta name me right after I was born.” He let out a sad sigh. “They decided ta go have a cheeky Nando's about thirty minutes after I wos born, so I'm forever known as John Doe. Quite sad, isn't it?"

Damn, that was sad. Rafa actually pretty bad, and that was saying something, since his conscience usually took the day off. He chewed on his lip for a moment, looking down sharply. Should I apologize? Or say something? Needless to say, he wasn’t one for sorries. But maybe he should make an exception, because right now, he felt absolutely awful.

He looked up Johnny, only to notice that his face had completely changed. Wait. He was tripping me? "Uh- Gem. I'm Gem Stuart, good ta meet ya. What's yer name, laa?" he held out his hand for a moment, looking Rafa in the eyes.

Rafa wasn’t going to lie. He was pissed. This guy had him going for a moment. The aggravation wore off quickly, however. Rafa’s smile, which had wavered, was back full-force. Funny guy, huh. Like my friends back home. He took Gem’s hand in a firm handshake. “Rafael D’Spacito. Call me Rafa. Nice to meet you, Gem,” he said wryly, cocking his head and looking at his new tutor amusedly. In a moment, their hands parted, and Rafa leaned back in his chair, waiting instruction.

"Right, I'll help ya study,” Gem said. “You've joost got to answer one thing for me, that's it. Joost one.” Now, this was concerning. What exactly was this guy going to ask him? He leaned into the table, and Rafa couldn’t help but lean forward, too. It almost felt conspirational. He had sort of a curious, playful air about him, one that just intrigued Rafa to no end. Then he dropped the question. "What's so funny about yer transfiguration book, aye?"

Rafa couldn’t help it. He totally forgot to catch himself. He let out a short noise, sounding sort of a stifled laugh. “What?”

"Don't get me wrong,” Gem continued, a bit quickly. “Some ov the wordin' can be... uh, questionable, but I get e' feelin' that's not what you were laughin' at.” He gave Rafa a knowing look. Busted. “It was us, at the table, wasn't it?"

“Maybe,” Rafa said with a playful shrug, trying to keep a straight face. Really, he wanted to burst out in laughter. Boundaries, Rafa. Get it together.

Gem got a strange look on his face. It seemed as if he caught on to Rafa’s emotions. Though he looked defensive.. why? That broad was harassing him, not the other way around. "She was bein' so weird! I wasn't even flirtin', really, I was joost complementin' her. It was so..." He got a nasty look on his face, the kind you get when you wander the fish market. Which made total sense. Poor dude. Seeing him this made Rafa’s smile waver a bit. Suddenly, the table didn’t seem that funny. Girls shouldn’t be messing with guys like Gem.

“Come on man,” Rafa heard himself saying. “She’s a girl. They’re practically another species. Who knows what’s going on in their heads?” His grin faded into a faint smile as he leaned on his forearms. “She’s a broad if I’ve ever seen her. Drama and compliments. I can’t even imagine you trying to pick someone like that up. You don’t really seem that type.” He wrinkled his nose, still managing to keep a happy face. “Besides, she was so after you. Us guys? We don’t have to worry about pleasing any girl.” Damn. When did he get so wise? He was starting to think someone put something in his drink.

@Rafael D'Spacito

Gem was glad Rafa's energy was easy to keep up with, a bouncy one, fun and games. Truly a teenage boy, if he ever saw one-- less stuck up than the ones back home, but he didn't seem... British. Sounded a bit hispanic actually, and with a name like that? It hadn't even been a question at that point.

"I know, right? I'm- I mean, I try ta focus on how they feel, but they're just so... weird about em'. You can ask, and they'll just pretend like nothin's wrong, and then they get all mad at'cha for no reason. That bird over there? She snapped at me, like, a billion times," He spoke with his hands, holding them out and curling his fingers every once in a while. "I dunno... 'least I've got you, right?" He shot Lauren a quick, uneasy glare, but kept his smile bright and warm, when he got back to his new friend.

He wondered if now would be a good time to make a joke about only dating boys from that point on, not because he was afraid of making Rafa uncomfortable, but because it was a genuine concern of his right this moment. He had checked Rafa out, leaning in all close like that, but it wasn't like he knew or anything. He figured staying low-key about it would make a big, comfortable difference. He didn't have to know any of that, not when they were barely meeting.

"I feel bad, sayin' they're like a whole other type of person, but they really are! I... ergh, I don't know." He huffed, burying his face into his arms, pulling on the back of his thick, long hair for a blinking second. When he lifted his head up again, he was smiling, a playful one like before. "Guess ya can't please everyone, right? Bet you've got that problem, wiv that dashin' face of yers." He chirped, taking Rafa's book from his side so he could scan the pages. Huh, no wonder the Gryffindor was having problems focusing, this was one of the hardest damn sections. Reparifarge, Jesus Christ. This would take all day.

Reducio

it's such a good book! you should read the catcher in the rye, next, if you haven't. it's addicting!!
and also- me too, lmfao.

Mentions; @Gem Stuart

There was something that had been boiling up inside her, maybe from jealously, maybe from how quickly Gem had moved on, or perhaps it had been both. Whatever it was, it caused her to grin. Quite amusing it had been to know the boy she had cared so fondly about had really just turned out to be someone who jumped from girl to girl. No wonder he hadn't been too affected after her owl.

It seemed like she had been staring for hours, just examining his charming exterior and the girl's spreading blush. Bloody hell, how she had just wanted to walk over and scream in his face all at once, letting him know how she really felt about this situation. Although she refrained, she still tossed him a glare when she met his eyes with her own. He seemed to be uncomfortable, as if he had been caught in the act. Serves him right, where he certainly had been!

Then it happened, his stupid little reassuring smile that was obviously just something to make himself seem less like a douche. How badly she just wanted to wipe that little grin off his face, she couldn't explain in words.

Rather than waving back at her old friend and new annoyance, she instead shot him a look indicated that she wasn't in the mood for it. She then stood up to go fetch a book to focus on, maybe to get her mind off of Gem, or maybe just to see if his eyes would follow her. She picked a shelf particularity close to him, though she didn't spare him a glance. She simply plucked a random book off the shelf, one she probably wouldn't even read, and sat back down.