Deck, Sunday Evening

[withoutverona]

Romeo had passed most of the weekend in his room. He wished he could say he'd been doing something great, but, in truth, he'd spent most of it lounging on his bed, watching a marathon of Bruce Lee movies. He was pleased, when he finally emerged from the dorms, to realize it was a warm, mild night -- perfect for the picnic with Brooke that he'd won at the auction.

He leaned against a deck wall to enjoy the last of the sun as he waited for his date for the evening.

[OOC: For Brooke, but it's a public deck!]

Comments

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke was hoping to get there early, but she and her picnic basket found Romeo already on the deck, where she greeted him with "Brooke-renter!"

[withoutverona]

"Person for rent!" Romeo returned, then realized how very wrong that sounded and made a face. "... I think usually I'd get hit for saying that."

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke laughed. "Yep. That kind of thing doesn't tend to go over very well with the general population."

[withoutverona]

"I haven't seen much of the general population, or their launches, up for auction," Romeo laughed. "Not that I object to it. How did you choose the fundraiser, anyhow?"

[gobrookeyourself]

"We are creative women and boys, that's how," she answered, starting to lay out the spread of carefully-made sandwiches, along with cheese and crackers and wine. Which was exactly what she thought a good picnic should have. "And it worked very well, if I do say so myself."

[withoutverona]

It looked like a perfect picnic to Romeo, too. "It seemed like it did," he said, sitting down near her. "I was surprised Priestly went for a thousand dollars, but it seemed to be the only counteroffer that would work against Alice."

[gobrookeyourself]

"I mean, I'd have been happy to raise a thousand dollars total," she said as she finished ssetting up. "So that's awesome. But even I have never thrown that much money at bachelor auctions. And that's saying something."

[withoutverona]

"Too rich for by blood, too, and I'm not usually one to worry about money," Romeo agreed, as he picked up a sandwich. "What was your highest bid at a bachelor auction? I've never heard of that."

[gobrookeyourself]

She had to think about it. "Two hundred? Still less than others."

[withoutverona]

"So you offered $200, and you didn't even get your bachelor," Romeo said, sadly. He took a bite. "... Good sandwich."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Amazingly, sandwiches are not difficult to make," Brooke said knowledgably. "I know, it shocked me too. I'm going to have to remember it for the future."

[withoutverona]

"You cook the way I do," Romeo said. "I can make scrambled eggs, too, now. I was very impressed when they came out right."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Those I learned to do because I messed up an omelet," she nodded. "Same thing, right?"

[withoutverona]

"I don't think I could tell the difference with my eyes closed," Romeo said. "But I've never tried to make an omelet."

[gobrookeyourself]

"It's the same thing, only... whole. I didn't think about the fact that they can fall the hell apart when you go to turn them over, but I think people should really just be proud that I tried."

[withoutverona]

"I'm very proud of you, Brooke," Romeo volunteered, reaching to touch Brooke lightly on the arm. "Perhaps you can become a chef after graduation."

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke laughed really hard at that.

In fact, she might be giggling for a little bit.

"I'd get sued really really fast," she said between giggles.

[withoutverona]

"Sell your company with the food?" Romeo suggested. "Or just pour wine all over everything. That could work."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Maybe I could open my own restaurant, do both, and just make other people cook," she mused.

[withoutverona]

"I would eat there," Romeo said. He refilled his cup with wine. "What are you doing after graduation, anyhow? It's much too soon.:

[gobrookeyourself]

"I think I'm going back to Tree Hill, at least for a little while," she said. "I'm really getting somewhere in getting Clothes Over Bro's out there to the public, so I'm hoping to maybe expand it further. What about you, do you know yet?"

[withoutverona]

"Still up in the air," he said thoughtfully. "I was going to try to follow Dojima to Tokyo, but we haven't talked about it since the cruise, and she wasn't sure about that to start with. So I might go home and work for my father until I get a better idea."

"Unless," he added, teasing, "you need a model for your male line. I did take a class in it."

[gobrookeyourself]

Brooke grinned, but said, "I think Chad would cut me."

[withoutverona]

"So that's one career path closed to me," Romeo noted, with a deep mock-sigh. "I am happy for you, though, that it's going well. You deserve that."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Thanks," she said, smile fading some. "It's just rough, trying to figure out what you're supposed to do just because they hand you a piece of paper saying you graduated. Especially when it seems like no one figures out what they might even want to do till the last second anyway."

[withoutverona]

"If they even know then," Romeo said. "I thought I knew, when I was younger, but that's my family. I have no idea what I want if it's down to my choice."

He concentrated on his drink for a moment. "I go between being more than ready to graduate, and wishing I could just stay here for another 10 or 20 years until I do get things straight."

[gobrookeyourself]

"Are we sure that's not possible in this town?" she wondered.

[withoutverona]

Romeo looked horrorstruck for a moment. "Not at all. Last year, everyone left on time, though that may mean nothing."

But now he was going to worry. He might not have wanted to stay in high school another 20 years as much as he said he did.

[gobrookeyourself]

"Okay, you look scared," she noticed.

[withoutverona]

"I suppose I do," he laughed, a little startled. "I was imagining being 30 or 40 and never getting out of this place."

[gobrookeyourself]

"I think they call those people teachers," Brooke decided.