Streets of Manhattan

Seth headed toward the nearest crossing. He'd have jaywalked if he was on his own but a bunch of people jaywalking across a busy road was a disaster waiting to happen.

"This better be damn good pizza," he muttered, kind of hungry by now. Nova nipped his heels and Seth swore. "Fuck it, control the mutt, Jake!"

Evelyn, who was still walking beside Jake, slowed down some to shoot Ashlee a frown. "I was thanking him, Ash! Why is it that people misread everything we do?" she asked, feeling her face burn continually. But it did seem to happen a lot, she'd noticed. Ironically, she'd meant to fake something, yes, but now it was going full steam on its own. She subconsciously zipped up the hoodie, and then stuck her hands into the deep pockets, sniffling.

She caught James' glance, and suddenly, she felt oddly cold all over again. What had HE thought?

No, hold it right there. You do not give a shit what he thinks anymore, she reminded herself. God damn it, she was really pathetic.

Ashlee giggled, "Ah calm down Ev, I'm just teasing you. But you know if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck." She grinned widely.

Jake tugged on Nova's leash, "Nova, no." Jake said firmly, he whined a little and it looked like he was glaring up at Seth. Jacob glared down at the dog and he turned his head to face forward and continued his small march forward, "I've only been a few times, its pizza Seth. Usually most people don't mess it up."

Jake said opening the door, to the place and holding it open. For everyone, taking out his phone to answer a text message, whistling a song stuck in his head.

"Hey what about your dog? Can he come inside?" James asked Jake standing near the doorway. Most places didn't allow dogs in them, but this was New York so anything could go. Just like skunks in their old apartment building.

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Seth was grinning as they left. He shoved his hands into his pockets against the cold and glanced sideways at Jake, who was following with Nova. James was walking on Seth's other side, while the girls trailed behind.

"Holdin' up all right there, Romeo?" Seth teased Jake, grinning wider as a burst of wind swept past, ruffling their hair.

Evelyn was glowering at the back of James' head as she walked beside Ashlee, hands tucked into the pockets of Jake's hoodie. She peeled her gaze off the brunet and glanced at Ashlee, desperate for a distraction. "So, Ash, how's the lovelife? Any cute guys I should know about?"

Jake pulled of his blind guy sunglasses and pocketed them, "Its a miracle Seth, I can see again! HALLELUJAH! PRAISE BABY JESUS!" Jacob preached like an overly passionate minister.

"Um lets see my design class is gay guys, my math class is Asian's galore... history a couple of cute guys and English was a let down. I was hoping to see one of those poetic type dudes who drink coffee and smoke cigarettes but that was a big no. So no sadly no cute guys on my end, don't mind but it makes me less motivated to show up to my classes." Ashlee giggled, "Except for math. I love my Asian posse, the bond I have with them is great." She laughed wishing that Evelyn was in that class so she knew what she was talking about.

Seth snorted and punched Jake's shoulder. "I wasn't talking about your blindness. I meant the weather. Why'd you have to be all gallant knight?" he asked, lowering his voice a little and falling back behind James. "I thought you said you were supposedly moving on from it all. Any more of this and you might as well declare yourself off the market. I'm not joking."

Evelyn cracked a faint smile, throwing James another searing glare, half-wishing he'd feel it in the back of his head. "I've wanted to meet them ever since you wore that cute Asian-inspired outfit. Oh, but....You know, we have this formal. It's real fancy and everything. You should get one of the guys at my dorm to go with you. They're pretty damn cute," she said , nudging Ashlee.

"Well invite me to the dorms more often and I can meet and woe said eligible bachelors." Ashlee winked, nudging Evelyn back she laughed, "But in all seriousness I'd just want a date so I can get all dressed up, I love events like that! Oh and speaking of the Asians, give me a proper heads up and I'll round up the gang and we'll all get coffee."

Jacob shivered as another gust of wind blew past them, he really wished he hadn't given Evelyn his sweater, but he wasn't that heartless. She was the one prancing around town in a skirt, he rolled his eyes and looked down at Seth, "Come on dude, its freaking cold out. I'm not that much of a jerk."

Seth felt a wave of deja vu right then and snorted. "Okay," was all he said skeptically. "It's just, between the hand-holding, hugging and footsie, it's kind of unclear."

Before Jake could punch him, Seth sped up to walk with James. "Yo, how come we never see your roommates except for Lucas?"

Evelyn nodded. She sighed. Ashlee wasn't the only one who needed a hot date. Evelyn glanced at Jake, felt a sudden, and very irrational flash of annoyance at him, and unzipped the hoodie, tugging it off as she walked. The wind caught her warmed skin and she shivered but decided she'd rather take it. "That sounds strange to picture, but okay, Ash."

James was going to say something but he honestly had no idea why they never really saw much of Joel or Taylor, he just shrugged at Seth, "No clue dude. I mean we just moved in and they told us they were going out for the day or something, and they were at the party yesterday but I don't know if they're really big on partying like you or Jake or even me are."

"They don't party?! What the heck do they do then?" Jake asked stunned, he never knew many guys who didn't party. Hell even if guys didn't like it too much they still went to the events. He then remembered what Seth had said about him and Evelyn in the pizza place and caught up with him and punched him.

'It was nothing. Quit making things into stuff they aren't" Jake said frustrated that this was happening.

Ashlee waved her hand, "Nonsense they're fun, actually I think they fear me more than anything. Its pretty awesome, since for once I'm actually taller than someone in my life! I'm like the leader in that class, having power is fun." She grinned widely.

Seth smirked at Jake's defensive reply. "Whatever," he mocked him, before turning to James again. "Man, you shoulda found a place on the fifth floor. Seriously, it'd be a lot more your type. Plus, we have the hottest girls in the building," he bragged.

Evelyn was smiling now. "You found your place in life, Ashlee!" She caught the end of Seth's comment and said loudly, "OH, really? That's the closest you've ever gotten to complimenting me and Alexis, Andreasis."

Seth rolled his eyes, but grinned. "Can't deny the facts, even if SOME people can." He said this last part looking meaningfully at Jake. Nova yipped as if agreeing (for once).

"Hey there are some hot girls on the seventh too, but we were initally on the fifth. Something happened and we moved two floors up." James said.

Jacob glared at Seth and upon hearing Nova bark as if he had agreed with Seth, Jake pulled a face at the puppy, "Oh what do you know? Jake yawned as the approached the dorms.

"Jake?" Evelyn said abruptly, speeding up a little to walk just behind him. She thrust his hoodie at him and said rather curtly, "Here," before slowing and walking with Ashlee again.

"Ahh, sweet home," Seth said, stretching as they reached campus.

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Alexis gave her a small grin back. "In my closet hidden by my duffel." She said, leaning back against the seat. "We should really practice."She teased.

"Yeah dude, they sell beer there." Connor nodded, leaning against a pole.

"I need a good buzz going," Seth mumbled. He eyed a girl that walked in at the next stop. THe girl grinned and Seth thought she looked familiar.

A memory clicked. Seth watched her walk toward him and Connor, her smile widening, before he leaned over, holding onto an overhead hand strap as he hissed at Connor, "That's Eeyore! Fuck! What do we do? I kicked her friend out the next morning because she was ugly as fuck. I bet Eeyore wants you!"

Ashton overheard this. He remembered Eeyore. "Didn't she slobber over Jake first?" he asked. "She was all catty, down to the purring and shit."

Evelyn shot Alexis a half-alarmed, half-devious grin. "I bet Seth would take that the wrong way."

"Tell her she's sloppy seconds and ignore her?" Connor blinked, very blunt today for some odd reason.

Alexis shrugged. "Who cares, this time we'll lock the door." She flinched, glancing over at the boys. "Besides, it was fun."

Seth snorted as Eeyore reached them. "Hi, you," she said to Connor, smiling widely at him. Seth coughed and decided to let Connor handle this, opting to stay silent.

"You remember me, don't you? We were at Heidi's party together and then you and me and Rhonda and a few other girls went back to your place. That was fun," she giggled, reaching out a hand to slide her finger down his chest. "We should do that again. Especially how we did it at Heidi's."

Seth's cough turned into a choking fit. Connor had hooked up with this one too then?

Across the car, Evelyn had caught this conversation and glanced up, eyebrow raised in amusement. She couldn't help a slight grin. "Aww, is that your girlfriend, Connor?" she asked loudly. Seth stifled a laugh.

Connor's face went blank and he grabbed her hand and shoved it down by her side. "Sorry but the motto is 'I screw 'em and they can screw off.' so you should know what to do now, horse-face." Connor said, coldly.

Alexis' mouth fill open, staring.

Seth was still laughing. The girl looked horrified.

"Well, you could sign up as a regular booty call, but you know, we got standards for that," Seth informed her. She threw him a glare and her eyes filled with tears before she stalked to the other end of the train.

Evelyn's expression mirrored Alexis'. Ashton looked a little worried.

"You're such an asshole. You couldn't have been a little gentler?" Evelyn snapped. Sure, the girl was a ho but...

"Who're you kidding, Red? That girl had no self-respect," Seth retorted. "So why would we give her any?"

Evelyn turned to see where she'd gone. She had evidently exited the traincar and gone to the next one. "But - but - you made her cry!" Evelyn burst out, unable to completely deny the truth of Seth's words yet unwilling to watch him and Connor humiliate a stupid girl.

"Oh my god..." Rosemary said quietly and got up, rushing after the girl.

"That may have been true but you STILL could have been gentler!" Alexis snapped, feeling horrible for the girl- ho or not.

Connor shrugged. "If she can't take the backlash then she shouldn't do it."

Evelyn was so disgusted at this point, she simply gave up reasoning with him. She glanced toward the door Rose and that girl had gone through, chewing her lip.

Seth shrugged at Alexis. "Hey, that girl was all up on Jake right after Connor. She wasn't even all that smashed. Maybe now she'll get a little dignity in her."

Evelyn glanced up at this. Seth smirked. "Jake mentioned something about some chick purring at him, remember?" he told her. "Said she was scary? That was her."

"That doesn't make it right," Evelyn muttered, but she sounded somewhat less eager to defend Eeyore.

Ashton was checking his phone's GPS. He glanced up.

"We may have to get off soon and take a bus."

Alexis mumbled something and watched as Rose came back soon enough, shaking her head and sat back down by Evelyn. "I don't think I've ever seen someone like her cry that hard." She flinched, biting at her bottom lip.

Seth heaved an annoyed sigh at Rose's words. He felt slightly guilty but he was sick of stupdi girls throwing themselves at him. Did that girl really think Connor would, what, embrace her adn start spouting Shakespeare?

For fuck's sake.

They got off at the next stop to catch a bus to Washington Heights. Seth turned around when they reached street level. He could see a few distant buildings that indicated the Upper West in the distance.

"Here we go," Ashton said, as a bus pulled in. He shot the silent girls a brief smile. "Hope you don't mind sharing a fairground with us."

"You're going the same way?" Seth asked, and then grinned and slung an arm around Alexis. "This just got loads better!"

Evelyn threw Connor a disgusted glance and entered the bus behind Ashton, taking a window seat.

Alexis elbowed him in the side roughly before going in behind Ashton and sat down beside Evelyn so Connor wouldn't have the chance too- and Seth wouldn't get the chance to sit by herself.

Rosemary however got the sad chance of having an open seat by her.

Seth exchanged a glance with Connor.No way in hell was he sitting near Rosykins/whatever. And he didn't want to sit with strangers. "Dibs on Ash's seat!" He ran down the aisle and Ashton cringed.

Connor glared after Seth before plopping down in the seat by Rosemary, both ignoring each other even being there.

Alexis rolled her eyes and leaned her head back.

Evelyn shot her roommate a highly grateful smile. She didn't know what she'd have done if she'd had to sit by Connor. Leap off the bus maybe.

The bus began to move as Seth sat down. Eventually, they passed a few stops and reached Fort Tryon Park.

Seth and Ashton got off first, and there was a slightly jostling match in the bus door between them to get out first.

Seth elbowed Ashton in the stomach and ran outside, gleeful.

Evelyn stepped outside after Connor and Rose, stretching. She pulled off her Coco sweater, feeling heat clog up during their ride on the stuffy bus. "We're finally here!" She tied it around her waist, adjusting her striped racerback tank.

She looked around as they walked into the park. "Where're the costumes at?"

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