Between the Stacks

Participants:

abby_icon.gif victor_icon.gif

Scene Title Between The Stacks
Synopsis Abby runs into Victor again and the two shoot shit, and dance around sensitive subjects.
Date January 3, 2008

College Bookstore


Book stores abound on college campuses, or at least the good ones. Vic's got a list of needed textbooks for this semester in one hand, a backpack over his shoulder that's already getting heavy from his previous purchases, and a frown on his face. He's in one of the upstairs areas used to shelve the used books and is trying to figure out the little obscure jumble of letters and numbers denoting which version of the latest Astronomy book he needs. There has to be some kind of science taken for general study undergrads, so he chose that one. The problem was that the class needs a third edition and he's only seeing a second edition on the shelf in front of him. He's pretty sure there was a fourth edition downstairs with the new books.

Sigh. "Why me?" Vic asks nobody in particular. He looks both ways down the aisle which he seems to have to himself for the moment. The shelves are mostly empty, because he was a latecomer to this particular spot. They've been well raided now.

IT's when he looks left that Abby comes into view. She'd been into the library already, marked what books for someone else to go and take out for her so that Jennifer can copy them for her. But some that she's going to need, aren't in the university library. So, with a nice chunk of money from her new years eve before it all went to pot in her pocket, she's looking for the three books that she will need. Arm in sling, that hand carrying the paper with the titles on it, backpack over good shoulder not yet laden with books yet. She hasn't seen Victor yet.

Just when it's darkest, there is Abby. Vic lights up immediately, Astronomy forgotten for the moment. Noticing that he isn't on her radar yet, he casually walks down the aisle as if he were just some stranger, and then stands behind Abby and asks gently, "Is that your arm in a pocket or are you just glad to see me?"

It's the good arm that swings back, arm bent, drive an elbow into whomever is behind her. She's a little on edge. That's a given if anyone knew her. Already she's turning to give another crack with her elbow but stops when she see's it's victor. "Oh dear sweet Jesus, I'm sorry"

Elbow meets air. Whiff! Anybody else in the world would've been jabbed hard for sure. It's not Abby's fault that Vic can very near dodge bullets. "Hey, it was just a joke!" he says, still grinning, hands up and just a little bit out of her reach by the time she turns around. He has to shuffle a little bit to keep the backpack from slipping off of his shoulder. "I thought it was you. What happened to your arm?"

"I'm sorry. It's, I've been.. having a bad start to the new year" Abby steps forward a bit, to reach out and touch his shoulder apologetically. "I got shot. It's nothing, really. Made me a little jumpy" She summons forth a smile for him. "I hope your new years been better. Hows your sister?"

"Somebody shot you in the arm." parrots Vic, concern mixing with a twinge of disbelief. "Why? You're okay?" He starts to answer her question but kind of looks down and away. "Haven't seen her."

"Was an accident Victor. Just, long convoluted story. A… mugging" The blonde offers up. Well, in a way it was. "Friend of mine shot blindly, and I got hit. But there was an officer nearby and he got us away and the people doing the mugging thought twice about what they'd planned and left us alone" he hasn't talked to his sister. "Not worried about her?" Here they are, standing in the upper level of the university book store.

"Really worried about her." Vic says, somehow failing to elaborate much more on it at the moment. "Seems like I ought to start worrying about you. You and your strange not-fiance, accidental shootings and muggings." He can't help but grin a little at that.

'All in the life of god's rogue healer. Patching people up. I mean, I helped take a bullet out yesterday, who knows what i'll do tonight. Maybe i'll… you know, fix a woman who can talk to birds, or a someone who can control weather. Or I bet, I bet I'll be tending to a telekinetic" Abby nods, in such a way as one can't be sure whether she's joking or not. "Seriously. I'm good. I topped myself off to where I don't need something heavy, and can get around. I got my cellphone so my roommate can get a hold of me. But life.. has to go on"

Right. Vic's just gonna change the subject. "Going to school now?" he asks, "Maybe we have a class together. That'd be real lucky." He remembers his list and glances at it and then at the shelves again. "I'm trying to get this Astronomy book used and it's just not here. I think I'll have to shell out for a new one."

"Not here. I'm umm, I'm going to college. I got my letter. Approved. A friend got me the list of books and I can get most of them copied from the library but not all of them are there, so I was told this might be the place to find them. I'll have to shell out money for them. But, friends are helping me cut corners, where I can. What are you going here for?"

"Undecided major. Same as at UCLA. Parents gave me book money but I'm gonna need a job. I can't keep leeching off them. And things are still rough since Jenny died." The normally sunny disposition always passes behind a cloud when Vic mentions her, but he doesn't dwell there long. "Where you gonna be going? Your job gives you plenty of time off for it?"

"I work at night Victor. But I'll be cutting back my hours. I have a… scholarship. It'll cover tuition and like I said, a friend is covering the books for me" Job. "I'd offer to get you a job at Old Lucy's but, you know, your a guy, and she only hires women. But, I could, if you want, give you a reference for the Nite Owl. They're 24 hours so there's plenty of shifts. They had a pretty good turnover rate, lots of college and university people worked there when I did" Abby takes the letter from her not so good side, the scrawled titles on the bottom. Looks like she's going to go through for her EMT-1.

Vic gets a strange expression at something. "They only hire women? Isn't that sexist? That doesn't seem right." He doesn't seem too keen on pressing the issue though. "I dunno. I can't really afford to be picky I guess but I'd rather do something that didn't keep me up all night long if I can help it. I mean I don't know when you sleep but I try to sleep every night." He sneaks a peek at Abby's list and adds, "Don't think your books are in this area."

"I sleep at like five am until noon, maybe two in the afternoon if I don't have things to do or I'm not called to come help someone. I'll have to get in a new.. schedule, but, Isabelle's pretty much going to accommodate, I'm sure, once I have a schedule for her. But, the Nite Owl's open all day, so, I'm sure there's some afternoon shifts that Tom would have for you at the Nite Owl. Guaranteed to get a job, if it's my name on your references" The three books aren't in this area. "Know where they are?"

"Thanks Abby. I'll definitely think about it." promises Vic with a grin. He jerks his head for her to follow him and says, "I think some of what you need is this way." Then he's moving to another aisle. "So. How's Brian?"

"He's good. I think. He and I aren't really.. getting along. He's.. taken to ordering me around. For my safety. Like a … pet" Abby wrinkles her nose at that as she falls into step beside Victor. "I took the ring and stuck it in the box and it's in my closet right now. Till I figure out what to do"

"Aww. I'm sorry your marriage isn't gonna work out." says Vic, carefully making sure not to make it seem like he's joking. Because that's the joke, see. "I had this toaster oven all picked out. I swear it was gonna be the best. But that's okay."

'Toaster oven? Aww man, I was holding out for the blender. Or you know, the food processor. I hear those are alllll the rage" She makes it as serious sounding as she can too, before she breaks into a smile. "Guess you'll just have to return it Victor. bear the walk of shame back to the department store"

"I can look on the bright side. You might be back on the market now." he says with a wink. Vic rounds into an aisle that has also been raided but does have some books left. And it's got the right general type of texts in it. "This closer to what you need?"

"Don't think I was ever on the market" Her hand traces over the titles still left, crouches down to the second from bottom shelf. "Here's one of them" A book on physiology. 'Why, were you thinking of asking me out to you know, a real date. To actually seeing a movie?" She looks up at him.

Hiking his backpack back up on his shoulder again, Vic looks up for a second and then back at Abby. "Yup. I was. Doesn't have to be a movie, but that's as good as any excuse to get to know you better."

"I think you have competition Victor and I don't mean Brian" Abby grabs the text, passing it up to Victor to take for her. Further down the shelf leads her to the second one. Hooray for cheap second hand textbooks.

He takes the book easily and shrugs, "That's okay too. But the last time I checked it was up to the girl to decide who she wants to go out with when somebody asks her." Vic cracks the book open and checks it out. "You starting medical school?"

"No, not medical school. I'm not smart enough for that and don't have qualifications for it. Emergency Medical Training. I'm gonna try to become an EMT. I figured that everyone was right. I can't work in a bar for the rest of my life. But I can use my gift, in tandem with knowledge gained, and help people that way. Don't know whether that falls under taking money for my gift when I'm doing it as part of my job but.. It's worth a try isn't it?" Up she goes, the last book isn't here.

"Well yeah. I mean it's just as good, I think." Vic says, holding onto Abby's book for her. "And I always think it's worth a try. There any more books you need? I'd be glad to come with you and hunt for more."

"Just one more, but I suppose I could buy that new. Since it doesn't seem they have it up here. Your books up here? Want to go find a coffee after this?" Abby holds out her arm, angled for him to slid the first book into her waiting arm with the other.

Vic reads the gesture and gives Abby her book. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to tell you I think you have competition?" he kids, adding, "Sure, I'd love to get some coffee with you. All I've got left is the Astronomy book and I'll just have to get it new."

"Go get your book, and I'll go pay for mine. And.. competition.. I already filled that news years resolution already. Kissed a guy. Mind you, hours later, I got shot. So.. Okay, I'm going to go grab my last book and we'll go get coffee right?" Heated cheeks, very heated cheeks at the thought of having kissed Magnes, and like she did, on a bar counter, in a bar. Not a good christian girl. "I'll meet you at the register!" voice a little high.

"Gotcha." Vic agrees, "See you there. And anyway it's not like I didn't kiss a girl on New Year's Eve myself." He winks and says, "See you in a minute." Then he's out of he aisle and headed downstairs to get his book from the new stock.


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January 3rd: Do It In Reverse
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January 3rd: Hell or High Water
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