#bergen_county

"Most schools are not hiring while this thing si going on"

“Oh.” A small frown. “You should do some live readings online! I bet Tove could give you tips. Get your info out there, and when things turn around, you’re ready and people know who you are.”

"Aw, mom, you'll get there. This won't last forever. Yeah, that's a great idea!" seconding Piper's suggestion.

"You think?" She says "mmm"

“have you thought about setting any of them to music? Or a beat, like beat poetry? I could rock a beret...”

"Isn't poetry to music, like, singing?"

"You completely could..." her shadow writhes she turns to bring the juice

"Here's your drinks" She says "rock the beret, I mean. Mmm I will think on it"

A blink, and she gives Brenda an appraising look.

"Thanks, mom." He takes the drink, lifting it to chug.

“Not always exactly. Sometimes it’s more like... hm. Hard to say. It’s Art, either way.”

"You're welcome" She says

She is looking thoughtful again, tapping a hand against her thigh in a quiet beat. But glances agin over to Mrs T, watching her shadow as she moves.

He drinks thirstily.

"If we're going to hang out a while, I'll run your bag up? Unless you want it?"

"Now you two, do be careful. I know you're young but you ucan still get that thin..oh I forgot... the Hearth Called. For us there are ways around it."

“Around- “ she has turned a bit pink before she suggests, carefully- “the Virus?”

"Something about nature realms and hollystriking that son of a .. well , you know"

Adam seems thoughtful.

“Ah, hm. Weird.” She is now discreetly glancing at Brenda over the rim of her glass. Appraising...

"I got something on my nose?" She smiles

“No ma’am.” She says with a friendly grin.

“But I like that sweater, it looks nice on you.”

"So, yeah, thanks for the drink mom......"

"Thanks. You two crash on the couch or go upstairs. Either way I'l lstay out of your hair"

Adam grins.

"Which would you rather? Couch, or upstairs?" he sets his glass down, turning to Piper.

She is distracted, watching his mom as she bustles through the room, thoughtful eyes, her lips pursed in a way he finds familiar, and possibly cute, but normally directed at him....

Oh, definitely cute, yes indeed.

"Hey......" Softly, as he takes Piper's hand, seeking her attention.

“Mm?” She directs herself back to him, and gives him a smile. “Did you have to read that Austen sludge for English too? I’d rather watch pro wrestling for a better story and more action.”

She leans against him, filing the thoughts about Brenda to unpack later...

"Ugh. Yeah, last year. Sucked. Like, a totally different language, but all the words are in English."

“Meeeeh!” She makes a sound of disapproval and flops over to land on his lap. “At least we’re not stuck in class, right?

"At least that!" Very happy with a lapful of Piper. "Thanks for coming over." His green eyes glow with affection.

“Did you hear about the Sadie Hawkins?” A small pout. “I have been working on these girls in class for WEEKS and I swear that Joey B., you know the one with the shoulders who plays football?” A finger to forstall, “and don’t ask which position, I have no clue... but Sophia, she was JUST about to ask him out, and I’m -sure- he would have said yes.”

"Yeah, I know Joey. Little bit of a musclehead but.. Sophia, is she the one with long blonde hair, kinda mocha-shade skin?"

“Yeah! She thinks she’s not cute because she’s a bit thick, you know, but once she realized that it’s all about CURVES, it really helped.”

"Oh hell yes, She's stacked! You tell her, anytime she wants, I'm happy to show her." He grins broadly.

“And hey, there’s nothing wrong with a man who can hold you up against the wall and not even get tired...” she purrs a little.

"Did you tell her -that-?" He laughs "And is that a challenge?"

“I don’t sugarcoat things.” She grins then adds, “okay, I do all the time. You shoulda SEEN her blush, she was so cute.”

“And I’d worked hard on planting just a tiiiiny hint with Joey so that she could catch his attention. Not that she needed it, IMO, but it was like, adding a tiny flasher to an already baited fishhook. He wants what’s there, he just needed to look the right way.”

“And I’m lightweight so it’s like easy mode for you.” A grin up at him.

"I bet! Well, it sucks the dance is off, Piper, I know you'd been working on it and I was looking forward to going with you." A frown. "I mean, I guess we could put on music and dance but it's not the same."

“ oh, it’s okay. I guess. There are places I can go dancing, and no school means I’m spending time with you and not the Teachers.”

"Awwww!" He grins, touched.

“I did get a little glam off the girls as they realized their own attractiveness, but I was hoping for a better payoff, I admit, at the dance itself.”

He tilts his head, curious. "Ok, now.... how do you do that? Get Glamour like that?"

“It’s tough.” She admits. “It’s like... sloooowly working to plant a seed, guard it, sunlight and water ... careful nurturing and you don’t know if it will even grow... but if it does, it’s like, a flower? Or like, that moment where there’s an orchestra tuning up, then it quiets, and suddenly all the little bits of noise come together and it’s suddenly music?”