A New Day [Open]

[David Ian Adams]

David Adams

It was about eight-thirty in the morning when the black Chevy Duramax was parked in the lot. David made his way to see Ace and then into the lounge. He shut the door quietly behind him before he took off his carhart and hung it up but decided to take his over-alls off because they really needed to be washed and were covered in mud and an assortment of other things. He quickly noticed that the weather was on. Eh, wasn't going to be a bright and shining day but at least it wasn't below thirty degrees!

He sat down in a chair and sighed as he watched the new for a few minutes. He had just gotten done with work and had been up since three am. He hadn't had the greatest day so far but he was hoping that would turn around soon. To be honest, everything is better than dealing with a couple overly cranky and aggressive bulls who after the am feed, pissed off the entire barn of fifty plus bulls. What a wonderful morning... He thought to himself as he wondered what this afternoons feeding would be like. He hoped for a nice quiet day with them, but they always seen to be more mischievous on those days and he really didn't want to go back at six pm but hey, it was his job and he usually enjoyed it so he figured he should stop complaining.

He took out his phone when he realized he had a text message. He unlocked the screen before noticing it was his little sister. He read it and immediately grinned before replying back, I don't smell this morning! I showered right after work... I'm glad you're really taking the time to study at school and that you're not being unproductive and texting people As much as he had hated her when he was little, he really loved his little sister and would do anything for her. He shook his head as a text came back and put his phone back in his pocket.

His head turned towards the door as a guy walked in and grabbed something to drink. He had no idea who this guy was but they had a quick and casual conversation as the guy drank his bottle of water and then moved out the door. As the door shut he realized that he had brought his coffee thermos in with him and that it was hot and half-full! He eagerly reached for it and took a good swig; man did he love his coffee! He heard a couple people walking around outside and looked at the door as it opened.

[carter jenica foster]

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[atrb=background, i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t456/Awengera/CarterTableMid_zps2b5c0d96.png] Her job hadn’t paid yet – she hadn’t even technically begun working yet. So this left her on the street still. Well, in a sense. However, she’d concluded that the barn had shelter and didn’t exactly have any policies denying non rider’s a chance to be there. She walked up the drive, backpack hooked over her shoulders, looking to be the definition of ‘shit’. She’d not slept the previous night, which only added to her oh-so-very-glamorous appearance today. Her clothes with unwashed, dirty. It was probably about time she found a Laundromat, or maybe a thrift store where she could pick up something new, maybe a raincoat. At this point, she hardly had money for that though. Wasn’t she just living the dream? The other thing about the barn, was that little bit of hope inside of her that she could ride again. She used to ride Jared’s horse before he died, before her parents died. She’d loved it. Of course, that was only a dream right now, to be able to ride again. Right now her biggest concern was finding somewhere to live. Getting some more money to pay for food, for clothing. Enough to last her the week before she’d start working, and then the time during that in which she’d not have a paycheck. The barn’s lounge was probably her best bet. It was probably heated in there, and her clothes were wet from rain the previous night, she was fighting off a cough, too. She found the door, but lingered back as a man went in, waiting a while until he came out. She kept her head down, hood up, avoiding being noticed. When people noticed her, they’d pity her, and ask questions. So once she thought the coast was clear, she pushed through the door, but froze when she noticed she was staring down a man. Her eyes widened, and she took a step backwards. Oops, well, she’d definitely been spotted. Now it became a challenge in her mind though. She was going to go in there. She was going to pretend she didn’t care. So she lifted her chin, put a look of defiance upon her face, and strode back through the door with confidence, catching his gaze for a moment before looking down and sitting on a chair in a corner, unzipping her backpack and pulling out a book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the five books she had that she’d been reading in rotation. Attempting to ignore the other person in the room, hoping he’d ignore her. She didn’t need his opinion. ©credits : table by ironman(awengera) lyrics : nobody’s home – avril lavigne

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[David Ian Adams]

David Adams

His eyes caught the image of the girl walk through the door. He looked away trying not to be weird and then it registered in his mind, she just took a step back, and then continued on. It took him a minute but he made no judgments because he's had those days too. His mind stopped focusing on anything else as he watched the weather... again. His eyes were locked on the screen but he heard her every footstep go to the corner, and then he heard a zipper; probably of the backpack she was carrying. He thought it was slightly odd that she immediately made her way to the corner but... wow, creep'n much? he thought to himself.

He took his phone out of his pocket as it began to vibrate and he shook his head before fumbling with it for a moment. "Hey. Yeah I will be there are four, the vet has to TB test 372 at four-thirty or so, but he's going to be a pain to catch so I could really use the help." He stood up phone in hand and made his way to the fridge to get a bottle of water. "No... I would really prefer not to hang out with you today. Last time you totally ditched me.... Hahahaha whatever bud, just be at the farm for four... All the bulls were pretty pissed this morning so I'm sure it will be a joyous experience..." He hung up, or well, hoped he did and put his phone back in his pocket. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle before walking back to the chair. As he did so he noticed the book she was reading and sat down.

He glanced over at her before he pretty much spoke without thinking. "That's a pretty good book! Ever read 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'? My younger sister read it and couldn't stop talking about it." He spoke kinda quietly before looking a little perplexed... that sounded so weird coming from farm boy in the muddy jeans and boots. He thought about what he just said for a moment before looking to the door again as it opened and another girl, girls rather walked in and giggled when they looked at him. He made a half-assed 'hey' kind of wave and they both giggled even more before grabbing what they came for. David didn't even notice what they got because he was so caught up in the awkwardness of the situation but raised an eyebrow as they went out the door, talking now and glancing back at him. Was it his lovely hat hair today? "Awkward." He kind of muttered to himself. He suddenly couldn't help but to flatten out his hair, apparently becoming a little self-conscious.

[carter jenica foster]

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[atrb=background, i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t456/Awengera/CarterTableMid_zps2b5c0d96.png] For a moment, Carter believed that maybe he'd give her the same courtesy of paying no mind to her as she did to him. Of course, such a thing was not to happen, as he began speaking. When she glanced up with a cold, hard stare in her eyes, it took her a moment to gather that he was on his phone, when she assessed the situation. Instantly, her eyes flicked back to her book. She loved reading, escaping to the world of literature. She couldn't buy anymore books right now, her money had to be spent wisely. So she had her same books, this had to be the seventh or eighth time she was reading this book. The pages of all of her books were a shade or two darker in spots, being in her bag with her dusty two changed of clothing, and some were wavy from having gotten wet a few times. His question startled her. Her bitter attempt at ignoring him resolved, and a glimpse of her old self rose, something that didn't surface very often. She fumbled with her bag, digging around and grabbing her copy without saying anything, holding it up. In that bag she also had Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, Looking for Alaska by John Green, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling, her favorite of the Harry Potter series. ”Yeah... It's uh, it's one of my favorites.” She was surprised by her own voice. Recently, it was always harsh and reproachful, and always in a flat, sarcastic tone. Her normal voice had become a stranger. She hoped he wouldn't bring up the movie. She'd heard they'd made one, but she was, of course, unable to treat herself to a luxury such as a movie. She kind of wanted to see how they depicted these characters that had become so dear to her though. She opened her mouth to – surprisingly – say something else, but she was cut short as some girls entered the room. Carter tried to ignore the giggling girls that entered the lounge, twitching at their high pitched noise. Care-free, annoyingly optimistic at absolutely nothing at all. They stared down the man, giggled some more like idiots, and left. She tilted her head at their fascination with this man. Petty things like that hardly made sense to her any more. She was tempted to try to end the conversation now, before it began again. That moment of a reminder of her old self reminded her with a pain that she was still just a nineteen year old girl though. That she longed to have a social life. Something she'd been trying to convince herself otherwise about. ©credits : table by ironman(awengera) lyrics : nobody’s home – avril lavigne

[David Ian Adams]

David Adams

He was quiet for a moment as he heard her move in the corner. Evidently she did know of the book and had a copy in her bag. "Just out of curiosity, what makes it your favorite?" He asked in a sincere tone. He truly was curious as to why both this girl and his sister liked it... Was there something in it that his little sister didn't tell him about? He had caught a little of it while at the dinner table but he really hadn't been listening, although now, he wished he had. Who would have thought that he'd be talking to a beautiful girl who liked the book...

He was quiet once more as he discretely observed the look on her face. She didn't seem too pleased that he was talking to her but he figured he wouldn't say anything else. He looked at the floor before thinking about the past couple months. Moving away from his sister, his girlfriend of six years breaking up with him because he didn't want to move to New York City, having nobody to really hang out with, to even talk to really... He felt vulnerable, which is not something he usually dealt with. She had cut off all communication with him and he missed having his best friend. He felt truly replaceable, like six years met nothing. He missed holding her hand, even in front of his friends. He missed putting his arms around her and attempting to never let go. He missed just spending time with someone.

He wanted his heart flutter whenever he saw someone. He wanted a friend. Contrary to what he had originally thought, he wasn't as tough as he thought he was and that he needed some kind of hope; some friends at least. He changed the channel on the TV before sitting back slightly. His head tilted back so his eyes were looking up at the ceiling. He had just made himself depressed without really trying and he just stayed still. His cell phone vibrated with a text message but he just tossed it into the chair next to him without looking at it. He realized he really needed to get into a better mood and took a sip of water before placing the bottle back on the floor. He changed the channel once more before settling on something about polar bears and he sighed before folding his arms. Now he missed his cuddle buddy... oh what a day this was going to be.

---

OOC:
Pretty crappy, sorry hahaha

[carter jenica foster]

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[atrb=background, i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t456/Awengera/CarterTableMid_zps2b5c0d96.png] She carefully forced herself to tune him out, staring back down at To Kill a Mockingbird. She wouldn’t talk to him. No, she didn’t want a friend. Hardly wanted an acquaintance, even. She sighed, though, her eyes and mind wandering back up from the book. She’d read it so many times, it was growing old. Of course, she loved it, but all her books were becoming too repetitive, especially since reading was becoming practically all she did. She’d finish a book in a day, and then of course move to one she’s read several times. She sighed, giving in to her drive to be social. ”Well, sometimes an emotional book that you can connect with parts of is a great read.” She muttered, just loudly enough that he could hear. Her usual voice still sounded foreign to her, as opposed to her flat, unenthusiastic tone she wore. About to introduce herself, her voice cancelled out before she began. Recently, she’d been making up random names on the spot when introducing herself, if she did so at all. Not that she really intended on seeing these people again. This man here, she didn’t really expect to see much, but she thought twice before supplying a made up name. Not like he’d recognize her or anything. Closer to home, someone might have. Certainly not out here though. ”Oh, by the way. Name’s Carter.” She said. Her name was a boy’s name, she knew it. Although she liked it. It was unique to a girl, somewhat common to a guy. Different, basically. She missed the way her deceased best friend, Jared would say it though. Being from Long Island, New York, which of course he pronounced with the Long Island accent - which came out in her speech occasionally, despite not being from the city or Island – he’d round off the ‘r’s. It sounded like Cah-tah. So that was how she pronounced it as she introduced herself to this man. She hadn’t allowed herself much thought of Jared, either, not since he was confirmed Killed in Action, and his parents threw her out of his apartment. They’d never liked her very much, but had they really hated her so much as to toss her out on the street with a backpack of clothes and her favorite books to go? It just raised anger inside of her, thinking about it. So saying her name the way Jared always had was kind of like a breakthrough. A pain shot through her heart at the thought, but she still couldn’t deny the small ray of light that cleared the clouds in her mind, that she could make a stride forward, however small. this one is crappy too, sorry. ©credits : table by ironman(awengera) lyrics : nobody’s home – avril lavigne

[David Ian Adams]

David Adams

His head tilted as he watched the polar bears on TV. Don't leave the ice you idiots!? Oh yeah.. there's not really any sharks out there freezing their fins off but there are other predators... They all escaped him at the moment but he knew they were there! He had always been terrified of the ocean... he was strictly a land-lover due to the fact that there were sharks. He had watched Jaws when he was little... never again will he watch that. He sighed before unfolding his arms and taking another drink of water.

He was almost startled when she spoke but he moved slightly in his chair so he could see her. He felt a slight feeling of guilt; his sister had said the same thing. He glanced at the floor briefly, his mind trying to come up with something... but he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't turn out to be a question, what happened? His mind raced to find something to say before the situation turned awkward... wait... too late! He was shocked when she spoke again, his eyes immediately turned to hers. Carter.... A beautiful name. He thought. Where he came from there were a lot of the same names so something different was refreshing, but Carter.. He thought it sounded elegant yet tough, rugged yet refined. Wow... Listen to myself! He thought.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Carter. My name is David. I'm pretty new around here." His voice was the usual before trailing off at the new part... That was still a tender spot, one perhaps that nobody should poke. He bit his bottom lip slightly as his eyes moved back to the floor, emotions taking hold a bit. No! No! Come on! Get them off the floor and dust 'em off! Come on! What you waiting for... Look at something else for god's sake!! Fail, epic fail.... He slouched in his seat slightly before hearing his phone vibrate again with a text message, one that he again ignored. It didn't vibrate twice which meant it was his sister so it wasn't important. He glanced over at the flip phone's screen and a couple more texts came in, apparently someone didn't like being ignored. He answered it quickly just to get it to stop and then he put it in his pocket. His mind raced back to Carter.

"You know, you don't have to sit in the corner alone. I rarely bite." He said with a soft and joking smile. He was trying so hard to get his mind back to the present, hopefully having a conversation, however brief, could help him along.

[carter jenica foster]

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[atrb=background, i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t456/Awengera/CarterTableMid_zps2b5c0d96.png] Unable to help but watch him for a moment, she registered a slight aversion towards the polar bears he watched on TV. Was he afraid of polar bears? Perhaps he did not like the ocean. Understandable, she was afraid of the ocean. So much vast nothingness. She already felt small enough in this world as it was. She hadn’t had any conversations recently. Introductions had become an unfamiliar thing, and she grasped around her mind for words to reply with. ”Very nice to meet you, David.” She blushed, having accidentally mirrored his words. She’d have to work on that, if she ever planned to speak with anybody ever again. Carter too was new here, though she had walked here and while judging on her dusty face and dirty clothes, she was sure David could tell. At least she smelled decent: she had some perfume that she put to use covering her lack of ownership of a shower or a bath, and inability to afford to stay anywhere or go any place where there is one. Washing herself with a cloth in a sink is not desirable, though every now and then she does anyways. ”Yeah, I just arrived a few days ago.” Instinctively, she drew her feet in underneath her, behind her backpack, to hide her worn shoes, caked in dried, cracking mud. You could hardly tell that they were black running shoes. She watched him curiously as he texted. She didn’t have a phone anymore, but she used to. She didn’t really want one, she had nobody to talk to or anything, but still, she was always torn between feeling happy that people didn’t have reasons to give up things, or that they took those things so for granted. For a moment, she didn’t budge. No, she didn’t really want to come any closer. She imagined what she looked like, a mess. He must just be being polite, despite secretly wanting to ward her off with a ten foot pole. She made a move to stand, but then fell back into her corner, shaking her head fiercely. Carter felt safer in corners anyways. ”Thanks, actually, but I’m comfortable here.” She barely even tried to cover her lie up. ©credits : table by ironman(awengera) lyrics : nobody’s home – avril lavigne

[David Ian Adams]

David Adams

He was so glad when the polar bear show drew to an end, that was enough ocean for him and then shivered slightly as the next show came on.... about sharks. Perfect. He quickly looked away and stood up before throwing out his empty water bottle. After, he felt like he was getting overly hot and walked over to his jacket and took off his long sleeved shirt to reveal a black tank top and a very fit and muscular body. He stuffed the shirt in the arm of his jacket. His mother has sometimes caught himself outside in a t-shirt and shorts even when it's freezing out because he's always warm. She always swore he had a fever so he was often able to get out of school... not that he used it to his advantage... more than 3 times.

His attention was once again grabbed when she spoke and he smiled lightly. He watched quietly as she drew herself back behind her back pack. He hoped was wasn't embarrassed by something because he too was wearing filthy boots, dirty jeans, and he was probably filthy and smelled like a bull, something he couldn't even smell anymore. He smiled when she said she was comfortable where she was. His cell phone vibrated again but this time it was a call. "Please excuse me for a moment." He said softly before answering it and walking outside. It was his typical business call and he walked to his truck rather quickly. He opened the passenger door and wrote down the address, number of head, and what time they needed to dropped off on a notepad. He put the notepad back in the glove box before shutting the door of the truck. He quietly walked back into the lounge and shut the door behind him before grabbing another bottle of water. He looked over to her before he spoke. "Well if you're comfortable over there, I guess I will have to join you. To tell you the truth, I hate sitting in a room by myself." His words were sincere and polite which is very typical for him when he's around other people. He was never sure exactly why but he figured it had to do with his grandfather being a hard ass all the time and he didn't want to be like that.

He walked over and sat next to her quietly before folding his arms. His eyes moved back to the TV, he was trying hard not to make her uncomfortable and he figured just like any girl, staring at her wouldn't help so he needed something to focus on. He bit his lip slightly as they showed a seal swimming in open water, and he closed his eyes when the shark exploded from the water with the seal in it's jaws. Yep, he still hated that, even at twenty years old he couldn't watch sharks on TV. If he was ever stranded in the ocean, he'd probably die of a heart attack in less than 2 hours. "I also hate sharks." He randomly blurted before looking rather perplexed with himself. Why did he just say that in an absolutely silent room?

[carter jenica foster]

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[atrb=background, i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t456/Awengera/CarterTableMid_zps2b5c0d96.png] She was watching him out of the corner of her eye. Recently, Carter had become pretty good at observing, rather than being noticed. She’d learned to like it more, too. Any attention other than dirty or concerned looks on the streets scared her now. As soon as David left the room, her focus was back on her book. She was trying not to pay attention to the part of her that wanted a real conversation. It took her by surprise, his words as he reentered the room, and she opened her mouth to protest once what he said registered in her mind. No, if he hadn’t gathered her current status as a homeless dramatic chick on the streets, he would if he sat next to her, saw up close how bad she really looked. Her greasy hair knotted, a nice layer of dust making it lighter by a couple shades. Her skin a bit darker from dirt. The backpack she carries, in a terrible state. It’s a miracle it doesn’t have any holes in it. She certainly didn’t mind sitting in a room by herself, but he’d already made the decision, and before she could present her counter argument, he was beside her. She lowered her head, not wanting him to see her face. She had thick bags under her eyes from how little sleep she’d been getting. Some scratches too, when she tripped and fell a while ago, because these damn shoes are falling apart. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to know how bad off she is by typical standards. It didn’t bug her that much, but it seemed to concern everyone else. Sometimes silence is great, however in this case? The silence was simply awkward. She still didn’t make eye contact with him, and was scooting microscopic distances away from him when he wasn’t looking, drifting away from him. No, she wouldn’t let him see her. However, she couldn’t help but release a burst of laughter as he broke the silence, quickly composing herself. ”Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to laugh, really. That’s just, quite the conversation starter.” She said, liking that she sounded a lot happier than she had in a while. When was the last time she laughed, anyways? ”Well, I can’t say I’m much of a fan of sharks anyways.” she’d never seen one in person, besides in aquariums, though. ”But you know what scares me? A deer on the road.” She laughed a little on her own fear. She heard all the time about the car crashes in New York, and in fact, Jared had nearly been in one himself. ”Not sure if they’re a problem here, but back in New York tons of people were killed by a deer in the headlights.” She said, uttering more words than she had in a while. When she said ‘New York’, the slight Long Island accent came out, making it sound like ‘New Yawhk.’ ©credits : table by ironman(awengera) lyrics : nobody’s home – avril lavigne

[David Ian Adams]

David Adams

He broke out laughing when she did, realizing how ridiculous he sounded and that it was random and indeed was a conversation starter. He knew that she was slowly trying to get away from him but he honestly didn't care about anything except talking. He didn't care what she looked like, what he looked like, the fact that she was slowly moving away, that sharks were on TV, that he was lonely, that he was really alone.. nope, he didn't care as long as she was talking, that's all he really cared about.

"Deer on the road.. huh... yeah, I guess I never really have to think about that since I'm fairly certain I could hit a moose with my truck and nothing would happen." He took a minute to think about that. Yeah, he was fairly certain his truck would only have minor cosmetic issues after something like that, after all, it was bull proof... He looked down at the floor when she said New York and he got very quiet and his mind just kind of shut down. New York. His boss had just recently asked him to ship thirty cows over there and he had promptly refused. There was no way he was ever going near there, not now anyways. A couple years ago, maybe, but definitely not now.

He snapped out of it and looked back to the TV, unsure of what to say. He knew he was certainly over Casey, especially since she got rid of him like yesterday's paper, but maybe he did need to go there, to prove to himself he wasn't going to get hurt, to show everyone he didn't care. Nope, still not going! The silence was once again awkward and he was completely to blame. He was kind of like Debbie Downer today, and it wasn't really him so he tried to look on the bright side. He was talking to someone to start. That was a pretty big plus in his book right now as the lack of conversation, other than that of business, was really kind of depressing. He though of himself as a nice guy, one that wasn't hard to talk to and wasn't judgmental.... Right?

He shifted slightly in his seat before looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Why was she trying to hide? He was a rancher... one that usually looked like he had rolled in mud and cow shit all week so it was normal. He truly didn't care what someone looked like, as long as they didn't care what he looked like. "So you aren't a shark fan either... I can't even go to aquariums. I find the other fish fascinating but I always think the glass is going to break and I'd have a heart attack before the sharks would even get me.." He made a face at the thought and tried hard not to think about it.