Job Hunting(open)

[Leanne]

Leanne's savings were not going to last her forever nor was she going to freeload off the landlady that was leasing her basement for her while pretending to be her legal guardian. Leanne felt the need to pay for her own living expenses and continue to fend for herself to most of her ability. She wouldn't be able to provide herself everything she needed, afterall she's merely a teenager, and a sixteen year old at that. Leanne still needed to pay off her loans that she obtained for the hospital fees. Financial issues are never fun!

Well either way she needed a job and she was looking for flexible hours around school. Although she did not want anything to do with babysitting, or anything related to her previous line of work which consisted of her being someone's housemaid, it was not her privilege to be picky and decide.

So here she was with a notebook and pencil slid in the coils, as she looked at the job listings that were posted outside a building as she marked down the working hours, contact numbers, address and other necessary information.

Leanne was extremely absorbed until she sighed dropping her weary arms and took a step back only to bump into someone. Luckily for herself she did not fall over or anything so she whipped herself around to face the stranger.

"Désolé...ah, I mean, I'm sorry." she said with a small apologetic bow.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick's father was in and out of work all the time. He was in the music industry and even though the jobs paid well, the amount of work was scarce. So Nick thought the best thing to do was to help pay for things with a part time job so they wouldn't ever come up short on rent or anything of that sort. So Nick was walking along The Avenues, looking for "Now Hiring" and "Help Wanted" signs posted in windows, or job boards.

He saw a job board, where a young blonde girl was standing with a pad and a writing utensil and began to look for any jobs that would fit his skills. Then the girl sighed and stepped back, bumping into Nick; which was how he met most of his friends in the first place. -_-

"Désolé...ah, I mean, I'm sorry."

Did she just speak French?

Nick was English, so at an early age he was versed in two secondary languages, French and Italian. He smiled and replied.

"Pas de problème. Don't worry about it."

[Leanne]

"Pas de problème. Don't worry about it."

Leanne blinked as a shocked expression spread across her usual reserved facial expression. She was just surprised to have quite possibly heard someone speak in French back to her. It had been a very long time since she met someone who spoke in her mother tongue that she, herself, could not help but slip into once in awhile. Either way she spent a few seconds just processing and debating whether or not the guy had spoke French or not.

"Are..you...French?" Leanne asked clearly a little shocked.

Afterall there weren't many people around these parts that every spoke in French. Back in her old school, there was only one other person that spoke French and it was her punk-fight-loving counterpart and rival Aria.

"Ah, I got carried away, I really am sorry," Leanne said with a small embarassed smile for being so absorbed in the fact that she meant a French-speaking buddy, "Are you looking for a job too?"

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick couldn't help but smile at the shocked look on the girls face when she heard him speak French.

"Are..you...French?"[/i]

Nick chuckled and smiled at her, dark blue eyes sparkling in the daylight. Now that he was speaking English directly, is accent would come out.

"No, no. I'm not French, I'm English... but I do speak French. Weren't expecting that now, were you?"

Ooh, this girl was cute, Nick thought. He liked it when he happened to bump into cute girls who found something interesting in him. Bumping meant in the literal and figurative sense...

"Ah, I got carried away, I really am sorry. Are you looking for a job too?"[/i]

Nick rubbed the back of his head, embarrassingly.

"Ha, yeah. I'm trying to make a few extra dollars to help out around the house. I can't seem to find one that I would be qualified for, either..."

He glanced over past her at the job board.

"What about you? You seemed quite interested in that board before you bumped into me." he smiled slyly.

[Leanne]

Bummer, he wasn't French, but then again he didn't exactly look French. Leanne just had her hopes up of getting to know someone that came from her mother country. Not that she wasn't proud to be American or anything, but its been too long to have found someone that was actually from France. However it was pretty interesting to see that he had a British accent. Now it was just funny for any bystander to listen to them speak as Leanne would have a French accent while he would have a British one.

"No I wasn't expecting that." Leanne said with a small laugh. "And yes, I'm looking for a job as well since I need to pay rent and get some kind of income for my living expenses."

Leanne sighed there were several jobs to pick from but the pay would not be enough to satisfy the bills. She was looking for at least two or three jobs if she needed it, yet with the school day now being seven days a week her availibility hours really sucked and that means less time to make more money and catch up with homework.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick thought it was a bit strange for a girl her age to be looking for a job to pay the bills. He looked at her jokingly.

"Living Expenses? You seem a bit too young to be living on your own..."

Nick then realized it wasn't his place to say something like that. He didn't know her situation, and it was rude to expect that everyone had a place to stay without having to pay for it themselves. The look on his face turned to that of guilt.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to a conclusion... why is it that you have to pay rent and living expenses?"

[Leanne]

Well it was good that she looked young. She'll take it as a compliment! She wouldn't blame him, after all there were only a very few percentage of people within a school that would need the aid of a Soup kitchen, food bank, or work to support their family. However, yes, there were always those special cases and it would be difficult to reflect and imagine those differences when many people were well off enough to not work for living expenses.

"No, it's alright, I don't mind." Leanne said waving her hand out in front of her as if swatting away his guilt and the awkward tension that arose from the question.

"Well, you see, I-er, don't exactly have parents so I'm living in this nice lady's basement right now and she's pretty much my legal guardian, but I still give her rent and I try to lessen the burden on her by paying for everything."

It was better not to say that she wasn't actually her legal guardian. Leanne didn't want to go to an orphanage nor shipped back to France with her parents who would probably sell her again. Even worse, she might be taken back to Tremblay and who knows what he'll do to her. And the Sevrens were out of the question since they disappeared, same with Chrynos as he's merely her ex-employer. Leanne had a too complicated network of families!

[Nicolas Constantine]

Her answer made Nick upset. He didn't like it that this poor girl had no parents and had to pay herself to be able to live. He assumed she went to a school, but in order to pay for a place to live she would have to be juggling two or three jobs, plus school. Nick had a dumbfounded look on his face that also showed his sympathy.

"I-I'm so sorry... d-do you go to school at all?"

It had crossed Nick's mind that perhaps she didn't go to school at all and was just trying to survive in the city. What made it sad the most was that she was a cute immigrant girl trying to make it in a new city and new country.

[Leanne]

"I-I'm so sorry... d-do you go to school at all?"

"Yeah, I do. And please don't feel sorry or pity me, or else I might actually feel upset!" Leanne said as she joked about the last part.

It was the whole formalities type of deal with the whole, apologizing back and forth and explaining how its alright and that no one felt offended at all or something of the sort. Leanne gave him a small reassuring smile. She didn't exactly feel bad for herself, sure she had something to compare to however she knew it was useless to just linger on the bad memories so much that it would hinder her life. She felt the need to look up and continue fighting if not physically. There were still situations and certain people she cannot face, however, she could get on with life and that's all that counts right now, right?

"Which school do you attend? I recently just transfered into Moral Crest. Are you from there too?" Leanne asked with a polite smile.

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick chuckled lightly at her "joke". Nick knew she was trying to make light of a rather bad situation, but what he found nice, was the next thing she said.

"Which school do you attend? I recently just transferred into Moral Crest. Are you from there too?"

Nick smiled widely.

"Yep! I go to Moral Crest, too! Isn't that curious to meet like this?"

He was referring to meeting here instead of at school.

"Well, it is a rather large school, I suppose..."

Nick was getting carried away with himself. He enjoyed not only meeting people who shared things in common with himself, but just overall nice people. He cleared his throat.

"Anyways, do you enjoy living with this landlady of yours?"

[Leanne]

It was a coincidence wasn't it? Perhaps even a little miraculous. It was a big city and most definately had a lot of schools in the town. Moreover, she wasn't even close to the surrounding school neighbourhood so it was kind of surprising to have met a student that went to the same school as her. It never really happened when she was at 552. Then again, she was much more reserved and a lot more cold and mean to strangers which really reflected how anti-social she was. She never really had many friends back at that school anyways, they were all just relationships to benefit her own goals. However, it seems to be a bit different over here in the new town, after all she wanted to start fresh and establishing new connections would be a good way to start.

"Haha, still pretty cool to have bumped into someone that goes to the same school. What year are you in by the way, perhaps we'll have some classes together some time or another."

"Anyways, do you enjoy living with this landlady of yours?"

"Well I suppose so. The place is very spacious and I get the whole basement to myself which includes a small kitchen area and a bathroom. But I guess it gets a bit quiet since I used to live with big families or at least one person or another." Leanne said rambling on.

It wasn't like her character, really. If someone from 552 was listening in on the conversation they would have thought she was an entirely different person. The whole conversation would not have progressed to the level. However, Leanne was different, and perhaps she was more fragile than she was before yet acting stronger by making her presence stronger.

[Nicolas Constantine]

"Haha, still pretty cool to have bumped into someone that goes to the same school. What year are you in by the way, perhaps we'll have some classes together some time or another."

Nick rubbed the back of his head and smiled embarrassingly. He could tell she was in a lower grade than him, even if she couldn't tell he was in a higher grade. Which was understanding, as Nick didn't look 18, but rather 16 maybe 17.

"Ha, I'm actually a senior... I doubt we'd have any classes together..."

"Well I suppose so. The place is very spacious and I get the whole basement to myself which includes a small kitchen area and a bathroom. But I guess it gets a bit quiet since I used to live with big families or at least one person or another."

Hm. Nick was starting to get an idea of what this girl was like. She was very interesting, and even though she said she liked the place she lived, he had a bit of doubt towards it. Perhaps she was just saying it to not sound desperate or something. Nick had an idea, though.

"I know you were looking for a job, but would you like to continue talking over some coffee or tea right now?"

It was a long shot, but something told Nick she would come along.

[Leanne]

A senior, really?

Leanne almost had to double take as she looked at the boy's features more carefully. Usually she was more perceptive and observant but maybe her skills were diminishing on its own after all she's getting a little rusty with her physical abilities as well. Then again she didn't want to get involved with her hands and feet anymore, especially her move was due to the unwillingness to continue fighting physically.

"Wow really, you look young for your age. I suppose thats a good thing since I get mistaken for a college student sometimes depending on how I dress."

"I know you were looking for a job, but would you like to continue talking over some coffee or tea right now?"

Leanne only knew the guy for a short amount of time, and personally she had her doubts and lack of trust. After all males, no even females cannot be fully trusted. Whenever she was left vulnerable people had always taken advantage of that, and she didn't want that to happen, at least no anymore. Then again, she knew that if she wanted to close herself off and become reserved she would have clearly refused to communicate with the boy in the beginning nor would she have apologized.

"Coffee sounds good. How 'bout you take the lead, I don't really know my way around here all too well."

Okay, that was a half lie, she knew her way around enough, but she wouldn't want to let him know that right?

[Nicolas Constantine]

She seemed to study him for a few seconds.

"Wow really, you look young for your age. I suppose that's a good thing since I get mistaken for a college student sometimes depending on how I dress."[/i]

Nick could definitely see the possible confusion with him looking younger than he was, and for her being a college student.

"Yeah, but that's what makes us cute." he winked at her.

Oh, no. Nick had begun flirting a little with his new friend.

"Coffee sounds good. How 'bout you take the lead, I don't really know my way around here all too well."

Nick smiled widely.

"Excellent! Just so you know, I'm new here too, so if we get lost its not my fault." he laughed.

[Leanne]

Leanne blushed.

She wasn't exactly expecting that not did she ever had many people actually compliment her even if he was complimenting himself in the process. Leanne and flirting never really came together she kept to herself after all and so being romanced or flirted with affected her stronger than most girls her age. Even if she was truly more of a reserved and collected person, things that throw her off cannot be easily hid under a poker face all the time, and well, these were one of those times. Leanne couldn't help but feel a little jealous when the boy had smiled widely.

"Excellent! Just so you know, I'm new here too, so if we get lost its not my fault."

"Haha it's alright, I have time to spare, besides we might stumble across something- oh! I didn't catch your name...did I?" Leanne said suddenly realizing that she never introduced herself. "I'm Leanne Deveraux."