My heart is broken like shattered glass(es)- Open!

[Elmira Medina]

"Elmira, just because I'm European doesn't mean I only like European music. I happen to love American music, its what I listen to mostly."

Elmira rolled her eyes. "Well, duh." She placed the scribbled-on paper back into her purse, which she zipped and buttoned close. "I've lived in America my entire life, but that doesn't mean I've never heard of the Beatles. Like, a lot of good music comes from around the world. Hell, I probably don't know where a lot of bands and singers come from." A melodramatic sigh escaped her lips. "People always take me too seriously. What a drag."

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam grinned at Gwendolyn. "Nice hair," she said. "I like it."

Her eyes moved to Nick, sparkling with laughter as she contemplated him. "I don’t know, I kind of like Sir Nicholas. Knighted for good deeds, have you? Or good DJing?" She laughed. “It’s ok, Nick, I know how you feel. I’m Italian, and a lot of people ask me if I cook-a buena pasta.” She held her hand up, fingers together, and kissed them dramatically, in a stereotypical Italian chef pose.

“I was born and raised here, too, Elmira. But you’re right; you can find amazing music in almost any country. And groups like Cirque du Soliel do a lot to help spread stuff like that, too.”

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick couldn't help but give an embarrassed smile when Sam did her Italian pose. He found it extremely cute and silly.

“I was born and raised here, too, Elmira. But you’re right; you can find amazing music in almost any country. And groups like Cirque du Soliel do a lot to help spread stuff like that, too.”


"Yes, but Sam, the question is... do you make a good pasta?!" Nick asked slyly.

Nick couldn't help but laugh out loud at his own joke. He was having a great time talking to the new people he had met and hoped that the teacher wouldn't come for the rest of the period.

[Elmira Medina]

Elmira's lips pursed together. Despite how she may have tried to come across, she was not particularly cultured. She knew some Spanish because her family spoke it, and with kangaroos being her favorite animal, she had an odd love for Australia. Other than that, she was mostly left in the dark. Mostly. She knew pasta was an Italian food, and she somewhat understood the stereotype this girl was imitating, but that blather of French words Cirque du Soliel went a bit over her head. After all, she was more of the partier than the studier. Not that she was taking French or seeing French 'groups', anyway. And did the title "Sir" really have something to do with knights? She didn't know much about history, either.

"It's always good to be able to cook food," Elmira added, not sure what else to say as part of the direction the conversation was taking. "I don't really know how to cook very well myself, but I imagine pasta can't be really hard for anyone, Italian or not. Just boil the noodles and heat the sauce, right?"

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam rolled her eyes and giggled. "What kind of Italian would I be if I didn't make good pasta!?" She said, throwing her hands in the air. “The only ironic part is that I learned it from my mother, who was born in the US. My dad’s the one that was raised in Italy.”

She nodded her agreement at Elmira’s comment. “Yeah, being able to cook is convenient. But its not just noodles and sauce, especially in Italy.” Sam had had many discussions, lessons and lectures regarding the Italian Art of Pasta with her grandmother and aunts, so she considered this a topic she was fairly knowledgeable on. “Boiling the noodles for the right amount of time is important. You don’t want to overcook them or they get soggy and gross, but not enough leaves them chewy and hard to eat. And the perfect sauce can be an obsession for some people. Because there’s an infinite amount of sauces you can make, that are only appropriate for a certain kind of pasta, and it’s about figuring out which ingredients go well together. I’m not amazing at it by any means, but at least it’s edible.”

She was talking a bit too much, and she knew it. But she was just glad they were all talking, and not exchanging blows.

See, Dad, not everyone here is itching for a fight…

[Nicolas Constantine]

Obviously this girl knew her pasta. What Nick liked most about her, though, was her ability to enter a conversation in the middle and make it her own. And then it clicked; she was really cute, too.

Hm... maybe I can use this to my advantage...

"Well Sam, I have to say that you sound pretty knowledgeable. I, on the other hand, have no idea how to cook. Since I arrived in the U.S., all I've been eating is fast-food, microwave meals, and Top Ramen. Could you perhaps... teach me sometime?" Nick said shyly and widening his eyes toward the light so they would sparkle, making him look rather deprived and lonely.

[Elmira Medina]

Oh, I get it, Elmira thought, as if the conversation before her was some kind of math problem that she just begun to understand. They're flirting. Of course. She couldn't believe she had been oblivious for the whole few minutes that they had talked, with stuff about him being a knight and her being a good cook... or something along those lines. Well, to her credit, she was the one who introduced Nick to Sam, and even if she had not, they would have been able to meet at the party, which again would be her doing.

She reached across the table to grab her cell phone, skimming through it for a text message that could use a response. Most of the people she texted during class were from her old school, since she didn't know enough people at Moral Crest High to really chatter nonsense with, and really, that's what a majority of her texts were. She found one that read, "hey wats up," to which she wrote back "nm u?" This was typical.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam bit her lip, trying unsuccessfully to hide a shy smile as she looked into his puppy-dog eyes. It was obvious Nick was flirting with her, but whether or not he was serious... well, time would tell, she supposed. Either way, it was flattering.

Two flirty guys in one day... Most definitely a damn good ego boost. The thought filled her with a strong sense of satisfaction, and made her that much braver.

She quirked an eyebrow, giving him a little half smirk, and leaned forward, putting her chin in her hand. "Nothing but fast food, huh? Well, we can't have that. You should come over sometime. I'll give you some lessons." It could be construed as a date invitation, or simply what it was - helping out a new friend. To be honest, Sam wasn't really sure how she meant it at this point. But she'd see how Nick took it.

[Nicolas Constantine]

She had fallen for it.

The puppy-dog eyes work every time.

Nick gave himself a mental high-five.

Well I guess there's always the next step...

Nick had gotten this far within flirting many times before, but it was definitely the quickest he had ever got the girl to invite him over. He was pretty overjoyed.

"Oh, thanks! That would mean a lot to me, cause frankly, I'm getting tired of ramen all the time. And I wouldn't feel right if you taught me and got nothing in return, so if there's anything I could help you with, don't hesitate to ask!"

He thought that was pretty smooth with the way that could be construed as a friendly gesture or a pick-up line depending on how she felt about this whole conversation.

[Sam Ballerino]

Sam thought for a moment. “Well, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but if I think of anything, I’ll call you on your debt. Sound fair?” She grinned. Man, she’d been doing that a lot lately.

She looked at Elmira, who’d been quiet for the last few minutes, and then looked back at Nick. “So I assume you’ll be joining in the festivities on Friday?” She asked. “Hey, Elmira, how many people do you think are going to be coming?” The flier said it would be on the beach. That sounded exciting – she’d better make sure she had a swimsuit when she got home, just in case. Better to have one and not need it than need it and not have one, she thought.

[Nicolas Constantine]

"That's definitely fair. And yes I will be at the party especially because you..." Nick caught himself for a second and looked from Sam to Elmira, who seemed to be a bit out of the loop currently, and redirected his sentence."...you two ladies will be there."

Nick thought that that might bring Elmira back into spirits because he knew she loved being the center of attention. Even if she were now sharing the center with Sam... Nick now had a problem, he wanted Sam, but didn't want Elmira to feel left out and unloved.

[Elmira Medina]

“Hey, Elmira, how many people do you think are going to be coming?”

"Hm?" Elmira lifted her gaze from her cell phone when she heard her name just as it was sending another text, ironically enough with the exact same response as the last. "Oh, uh... I don't know. Maybe a couple hundred peeps. I gotta guy working the system to make sure there's a decent amount of people. I mean, I'd like the whole school and then some, but that's pretty far-fetched." Elmira envisioned the party to be like a mini-rave, except without the glow sticks and the bright colors and the drugs. Well, possibly without the drugs.

Her eyes averted back to her phone. She'd already managed to lure in a few more attendees to her party, and now that they were guaranteed to come with all the information they needed at hand, she really had nothing more to say.

The teacher walked back in with the scantrons just as the bell rang, telling the students to pick their test up on the way out.

"Where's you guys' classes? I'll walk with ya if it's anywhere in the gym area. I got P.E."

(( OOC edit: I had said I'd post the party thread in all the threads I've been in so far. Here it is. ^^ ))

[Sam Ballerino]

"Well, you never know," Sam said. "You might get more people than you think. There's a lot of fliers up, people are bound to see ‘em." Ever the optimist. She looked up as the teacher walked in, and was about to get up and discuss her lateness when the bell rang, and he waved her away, mumbling something about talking to her during the next class. That was fine with her.

"Actually, I’ve gotta head to my locker first. I need to pick up my dance stuff before I leave, because I’ve got a class right after school today. I'll see you Friday, though, if not sooner. I'm looking forward to the party." And now that someone she knew was going to be there, she really was. "Your number's on the paper, so I've got it." Hurriedly packing her things, she turned to Nick.

"You got a phone number, Nicky?”

[Nicolas Constantine]

Nick bushed and then remembered all about his lack of cooking. He took out a scrap of paper from his bag and scribbled his number on it. Then he wrote it again and tore the paper in half.

"One for each of you," he said, handing each girl a piece of the paper, "You for cooking and you for if you need a DJ. Or I guess if either of you ever want to hang out, I'm free most of the time. I also have texting!"

He smiled an embarrassed smile.

"I'll see you two later then, my class is in the art department building."

Nick waved to both of them as he left the room, ready to go to his next class.

[Gwendolyn James]

Smirking, Gwyn flipped open her phone to text her brother the exciting news. A party this weekend, it would at least alleviate the potentially paralyzing boredom ahead of them. She would definitely have to go shopping for a new outfit, and if she was going to consider shopping for the event, it had better be well worth it.

"I'll check ya later, chica."

Gwyn winked at the party girl, making her way back to her seat to grab her things, picking her books back up into her arm without breaking her texting groove. Flipping the phone shut, she slid it into her pocket and followed the mainstream out of the classroom.