[Keaira Matthews]

TAG: @                                         Words### Over the years, Keaira had participated in numerous study groups though none had ever been quite as eventful as this one. Of course, she supposed that the operative word in that statement was 'group'. One on ones outside of the occasional tutoring session were rare even more so when it came to boys. For that matter, she was typically the one doing the tutoring which made this situation even more unusual for the brunette. In the few instances in which she had tutored a boy alone, they all tended to fall into a particular category: jocks who only sought her help as a last resort to avoid falling a class and being unable to play anymore. There was no romantic interest involved, only a desperation to pass which interestingly enough made them the most attentive students that she'd ever had.  However, Keke couldn't help but to feel that Madison was a bit distracted, to say the least. Worse yet, his distraction was distracting her. Still, the sixteen year old didn't wish to be rude. When had interactions between boys and girls become so complex? Or had they always been so and her lack of experience in the matter had merely kept her ignorant of the fact? Of course it was worth noting that Madison was hardly the caliber of boy that she was used to being around. In fact, back at home boys like Madison typically tended to avoid girls like her like the plague out of fear of tarnishing their 'oh so precious' reputations. What was perhaps even more perplexing was that Madison was actually quite intelligent within his own right. So the theory that he hoped she would return the favor in another class seemed highly unlikely. As Madison repeated her statement aloud, the teenager's face flushed. While the expression on his face and his body language seemed to indicate that her response had been correct, his tone was a bit more difficult to read. Had she used the right word? Bewilderment creased the teen's features as she stammered "Well, uh yes.. guapo. It does mean handsome right? Oh God, I didn't just insult you did I?" There was after all another word in Spanish that sounded quite similar but meant 'fat'. The technopath's fair orbs widened at the notion of having called Madison fat. As Madison reached out a hand towards her, Keaira's pulse quickened. Even while a part of her brain insisted that she swat his hand away and insist on returning to her lesson, the young woman's curiosity kept her from doing so. After all, the touch wasn't altogether inappropriate or if she were being honest, total unwelcome. Nevertheless, Keke's modesty reddened her face as he leaned in closer to confess that he had asked her here with ulterior motives. Withdrawing from him ever so slightly the brunette inquired "And what might that agenda be? I have to confess that I am little disappointed to learn that you've bought me here under false pretenses. I was just starting to warm up to you. I'd hate for you to prove that what everyone says about you is true. If you're intentions towards me are impure Mr. Ardnell then I am afraid that I will have to disappoint you." I'm a mess, I'm a loser, I'm a hater, I'm a user I'm a mess for your love, it ain't new

credit to Laura of Adox

[Madison Ardnell]

He could sense the confusion in her- the pulling in both directions, towards him and away. It paid to nto lay it on too thick. Gentleness, that was the key here. He didn't need to keep pushing right away. Now that he'd dropped the words, he knew that the knowledge he was attracted to her would eat away at her mind. That was fine for now.

“Handsome is right,” he said, catching her eyes. Right for the word, right about him, right about her if you fudged the meaning a bit. A nice triple entendre.

She drew back from him a bit, a little disappointing perhaps, but nothing worked instantly and she still needed time to warm up. Madison mirrored her motion, drawing back a little himself without changing his expression. Going more forward would seem pushy; mirroring her action would make it seem like they were on common ground. The key was keeping Keaira unbalanced while letting her think there was no reason for her to be. The darkest secret of romance was that physical reactions worked both ways. The sight of your lover might make your heart go pitter-patter, but if you looked at someone and your heart did a flip-flop, well, some part of you might assume, just based on that reaction, that you were attracted to them. And the symptoms of nervousness and the symptoms of being close to a crush were very similar. It was delicate work. But done right, it could create the impression that she was uncovering a crush she had never quite been aware of, or at least been unsure of the strength of.

He raised a finger and moved it back and forth, looking a little bemused. “Ahh, but I didn't say false agenda, now did I? I said hidden. Extra.” His glanced down at the Spanish book, as if to say his statement they would work on it hadn't been false, now had it?

He moved the book so she would be able to see a bit more of it, even as he kept looking at her. In an amused voice he said, “And just what does everyone say about me, Miss Matthews?”

Gosh, it felt like something out of Pride and Prejudice, speaking like that.

Keaira Matthews