Can't Go Back (Open)

Ty strolled about the streets. It felt good to get away from home for a while. To get away from everything.

He liked this area here - this small little area that no one knew about and was almost in the middle of no where - when he was there he could almost pretend he was home - his old home, real home.

Almost.

Nothing would ever be like home again but... when he was here he could pretend. He could close his eyes and pretend that he was still a carefree boy who's family wasn't dead, who had a house, who's best friend - or as close as you could call it - wasn't a psychopathical wizard, and he definitly never been turned into a vampire's blood bag.

If he continued as he was he could just pretend tha the was...

Home.

Ondrea loved this place. Though relatively near Montgomery House, it was far enough away to... pretend.

She could pretend that everything wasn't different; pretend that when she returned, Owen would be there, ready to aggravate her or make her smile. Here, she could pretend that the reason she no longer jumped at every sound and flinched away from every person was that she had simply worked through her problems; pretend that some things didn't still make her anxious. The girl could pretend that the reason she wasn't in school was because she'd finally convinced her parents to let her study at home.

Most of all, she could pretend that... that hadn't happened.

She could pretend that she couldn't smell the muggle walking the opposite direction from half a block away.

Ondrea continued past the man, intent on pretending she was normal - not that she'd ever truly had been. But he smelled a bit... distressed. And then, she was swinging about to face his retreating back.

"Hey!" the girl called. "You alright, then?"

Tyler turned around at the voice, looking around him as he did, sure that the girl must be speaking to someone else.

But there was no one there.

So he just shrugged and gave a little smile, "Just Home sick fer a home I ain't got any more." More like a life he didn't have anymore, but that seemed a tad bit too heavy for a girl he had passed on the street.

Her feet - blast them - carried her back towards him a few steps.

"So, you're American," Ondrea stated, noting his accent. "Southern United States, yeah? I imagine it would be rather different here. Been here long?"

She was moving towards him again, coming within several feet. From that distance, it would have been noticeable that her eyes were a light brown, almost amber color. It was only a couple days from the full moon, after all.

"Sure you're alright?" Ondrea asked, grimacing as she realized how nosy that sounded. "I mean... never mind. It's... none of my business." The girl made herself turn back around. Was this what she was, now? A busybody poking her nose into the lives of strangers on the street?

"Born and raise," Tyler said with a nod and a smile, "Longer than yeah'd think. The pesky accent just didn't want to go away."

He tilted his head as she got closer, noticing that her eyes were an interesting colour of brown. Really light, almost like a... he shook his head. Rhys and Karma were messing with his head.

"Nah, don'ch'yeah worry 'bout it. Nice to have someone ask yeah 'bout it," he gave a grin. "And I'll be fine. Sometimes a guy just needs to wallow in self-pity fer a moment."

"Makes sense," Ondrea remarked. "That can happen when you really miss a place."

The girl shot him a grin of her own over her shoulder. "I thought the attractive blokes weren't supposed to wallow in self-pity?" she teased. Her face heated up when she belatedly realized that could have been taken as flirting. Merlin, even if she were to go for a guy, she wouldn't go for one so... so...

She would probably have to be on something.

"Do you live in the area, then?" she asked conversationally. "I haven't seen you about, but I'm usually not out at this time.

"And where are my manners? My name is Ondrea." The girl extended a hand.

"Ah, no we attractive "blokes" do it more than the rest," he said with a smirk," We jist pretend that way ain't doin' it."

He tilted his head and looked around, "Nah, not really. I live a little ways away. It jist sorta reminds me of home." He looked about again and then smiled at the girl, "Not out? Yeah one of those home-bodies?"

Ty took the hand and gave it a friendly shake.

"Nice ta meet ch'yeah. They call me Ty."

"Sort of?" Ondrea responded with a laugh. "I used to be really shy, actually. Still not exactly social, really. I'm getting better." She shrugged.

"Ty. A pleasure."

"A shyness," Tyler sighed flashing a little smile, "The world's personal prision. Nuttin' hold yeah back like a reluctance ta speak."

He smiled then and ran a hand through his hair. Taking a moment to just enjoy the soft breaze.

"So, if yeah aren't use ta bein' out at this time, what bring's yeah out on this fine day?"

"You've no idea," Ondrea murmured softly.

"Well, usually, I'm studying at this hour, but I was starting to feel shut in, so I put off my schoolwork until later. The weather was too nice for this time of year; I couldn't resist."

"Ah, studyin'! Yer one of those - the once who actually do the work," he gave an impish grin. "I never could bring myself ta put all that much effort in ta my studyin'. Always seemed ta be sumptin' better ta do."

He laughed and then looked up at the sky.

"Though the weather is unbelieveable. Yeah can't get much better than this."

Ondrea shrugged. "I study at home," she replied. "If I don't study, I get in trouble.

"Well..." The girl wiped her hands on her jeans, uncertain what to say next. "I guess I'll be going, then. It was nice to meet you, Ty. I hope everything starts to look up for you."

She turned, then paused, back still to him. "Do you go camping, ever, Ty?" she asked, seemingly out of the blue. "I wouldn't go camping in the woods three nights from now, or take a midnight walk. You should stay in."

Ondrea wouldn't be out three nights from then, of course, but others might. The one who'd attacked her and her brother might.

Ty nodded and looked out at the woods, "I'll keep that in mind."

"It was nice ta meet yeah, Ondrea," he smiled as he too twirled around and began to walk the way he had originally come.

Nodding to himself, and sparing the woods a glance wondering just what might have been in there, he tucked his hands into his pockets and began to whistle on his way.