Freshmen Dorms

Evelyn glanced up at Antonio and Seth in the doorway. Her eyes widened and she gave Jake one more kick in the shins. "He's CRAZY! GET THIS SOCIOPATH PUG OFF OF ME BEFORE HE KILLS ME AND NOVA!" She sank her fingernails into Jake's arm to break his grip and jerked madly, again.

"Did she just call him a pug? What's a pug?" Seth muttered to Antonio.

"OWWW!!! She's trying to tear my skin off that SADISTIC RABID KITTEN!!! AND SHE'S TRYING TO POSION NOVA TOO!" Jacob yelled, but instead of dropping Evelyn like he should have he just raised her higher into the air.

"You know a pug? Its one of them wrinkly dogs, their faces look like this." Antonio said, then proceeded to mush his face together so it looked sort of wrinkly.

Seth quirked an eyebrow. "Jake's a squish-faced dog? They should name Nova Pug though! Way more accurate." He ignored Evelyn's sudden outburst of angry French. "Jake's more a Dalmation in my opinion. Odd to look at and just plain stupid."

Ashton had to pause and record a new clip as his video recording only stretched so long. But honestly, he needed all their dialogue! It was too ridiculous to brainstorm from scratch.

Evelyn was doing a combination of French and English insults in anger. She did not appreciate being held so high up in the air when Jake's grip was unstable! "Moron! Halfwit! Piquer! Porc prétentieux! Singe dégénéré! Muttonhead! Uncouth caveman! Damn ABOMNATION!" She attempted to slam her head back onto his forehead. But she couldn't see where she was aiming so her head kept bashing into his shoulder and giving her a headache and him a bruise.

"You bow-legged she beast! You lopsided gazelle!" Jacob decided if Evelyn was gonna go bilingual and stupid insults on him. Then he was going to mock her right back! "Usted vil mujer! Usted moco desagradable! Usted murciélago grande y viejo! Jacob was shouting in Spanish and English to Evelyn, dodging her hits the best he could.


"I like Dalmatians, can't Jake be something ugly like one of those Weenie dogs, or um.... Chihuahua?" Antonio asked, frowning. He did not like the insults to a nice dog like that.

"But Dalmations are - that reminds me, did he call her a kitten earlier?" Seht asked Antonio.

"LET GO OF ME!" Evleyn raged, holding Nova to her and wriggling madly. She dugh her nails into Jake's hands this time, attempting to touch ground with her dangling feet as she squirmed from left to right.

Antonio shrugged. "I dunno, I believe I walked in right after the kitten insult was made." As he watched them fight some more.

Jacob yelped and tipped over, dropping Evelyn.

She squealed, dropping on her knees to the floor and tumbling onto her side before she could balance herself. "Owww!" She had kept a hand clamped over her bag, holding it to her chest so Nova didn't fall. Panting heavily, she began haphazardly crawling toward the entrance and then stumbling to her feet.

Seth stepped aside as she neared them. "Evelyn would be poodle."

Jacob lay on his back panting, he could feel all the spots where Evelyn hit him, becoming sore and most likely bruised. He turned his head to the side and watched as Evelyn struggled to get on her feet.

Jacob got up and dragged himself toward Evelyn and grabbed firmly onto her ankle.

"And Jake is a slug." Antonio added.

"Nah, nah, slugs can't climb poodle's windows!" Seth argued.

Evelyn turned around and attempted to loosen Jake's fingers, trying to peel them off her leg. "Let. Go. I just want Nova and I'll be out of your damn hair!"

"You're right, well Jake can be a spider then! Spiders can climb, and they're annoying." Antonio said, grinning.

"Why do I always have to make a sacrifice? Why don't you ever return....the...favor?"Jake asked holding on for as long as he could, but he could feel himself getting tired.

Evelyn responded by swinging the foot he was holding into his chin and diving into the hallway. She skidded, landed on her knees, grazed them, cooed at Nova to shut up, and scrambled up, too tired to run so she simply stumbled on a bit, holding onto the wall.

Seht stepped over Jake and walked into the kitchen. "Yo, who wants lasagna?"

Ashton followed Jake, kneeling by him. "Me!"

"Me too!" Antonio chirped, following the guys into the kitchen.

Jacob lay there after Evelyn's foot had made contact with is mouth, he had bitten down hard on his lip, he could taste some blood on his tongue. Jacob pulled himself up, staggering along the way. He came out into the hallway where he saw Evelyn.

"Wait..." Jake called to her.

Evelyn turned around, holding her bag to her aching arms, fatigue draining her. Se stumbled and panted breathlessly, sitting down against the wall clumsily, one leg extended. She shook her head wearily up at Jake. Nova gave a soft whimper in her arms. "I just...just want Nova. I'll leave you alone," she breathed out tiredly. "No more games. No...no sabotage. I swear."

Jake was catching his breath, and he held onto the wall with one hand. The other he used to rip some of his white shirt and waved it meekly like a white flag. "I'm calling it... I surrender. I just wanna say I'm sorry, I know it probably means nothing to you. But destroying things you got from your parents. That was really low of me. I understand if you won't forgive me. But I just want this to end. No more."

"Don't apologize," she replied quietly, tilting her head back against the wall and closing her eyes wearily. "I messed with your car - anyways, I just want Nova back. That's all. I'll be out of your hair for good. No more harassment, no flirting, no games, no messages. No contact of any kind, I promise,," she finished solemnly, letting Nova pop his head out of her bag and lick her mesh-gloved hand.

"No more games." Jake agreed, but no contact whatsoever seemed like it would be impossible since they were neighbors. "Let's just agree to be peaceful, we live near each other no way we're not gonna run into the other? Just be cool?" Jake asked hoping for at least that much.

Evelyn got to her feet, wincing. Her side freaking ached where she'd continually hit the floor. She hefted Nova and her bag in her arms, breathing hard as she met Jake's eyes. "No."

Jacob was too tired to argue so he just nodded. "Fine." If she didn't want peace fine. It was all fine. Jake got stood up and hobbled back to his door.

"I'm not trying to pick a fight," she said softly to his back before he left. "I just don't want anything to do with a guy like you. Let's just be strangers." She turned away, Nova whining sadly in her arms.

***

Seth was layering lasagna sheets in a pan while Ashton sat on the counter chugging down a beer.

"Yo, did you guys decide what you're doing over spring break? It's only like two weeks away.," Seth reminded them distractedly.

"I know neither am I, its why I said its fine." Jake replied to Evelyn before he opened his door.

***

"I dunno. Maybe visit our rents? We're all broke remember?" Antonio said sitting on the couch.

"A week away from you guys would be real nice," Ashton said dreamily, and Seth flicked a broken piece of boiled pasta at him. He caught it in his mouth and took a swig of his beer.
"Thanks!"

Seth grinned, amused, and then glanced up at the front door visible from the kitchen. "Romeo's home!"

***

Evelyn had walked to her suite, biting her bottom lip hard and trying to ignore the horrible cold settling on her stomach. Sure, part of her wanted to say yes to the idea of just calling it a truce, making peace, whatever.

But she was still hurting over Jake's words. And wishing she'd never gone to Vegas. There was nothing more humiliating than being called a tramp by the guy who'd taken everything from you.

Evelyn blinked hard as her eyes began to sting, and she burst into her suite, slamming the door hard behind her and letting Nova and her bag down before she lay down on the couch, pressed a pillow over her face and muffled a pained sob into it. Nova came padding over, whining anxiously, confused no doubt, about what had just happened.

"I'm gonna barricade in my room back home and sleep peacefully."Antonio said leaning back in the couch. He opened an eye when he saw Jacob walk in.

Jacob got in and shook his head. "No more Romeo."

Ashton and Seth exchanged glances as Seth took sauce off the stove. "I thought you were getting along just fine by your definition?" Seth commented.

"Yeah, we're getting along just great. We've decided to not talk to each other. No more contact. Um I'm not hungry right now, I need to uh figure out some stuff. So I'll be right back." Jake said turning around to go to his room, he needed to know just exactly how much he'd need to work to pay for his car.

Antonio cringed and looked from Ashton to Seth. "Um I guess Jake isn't gonna be partying this Spring Break?"

Seth heaved a sigh. "Okay, what - " He cut himself off with a sigh and returned ot making the lasagna. "This is gonna work out real good. Watch them get into another fight beore the end of this month."

He knelt and put the lasagna into the oven, setting the timer.

Ashton had pulled his phone out of his pocket, figuring he'd update Lola on the Jake/Evelyn saga. He sent her the two videos along the a text: Just witnessed epic material for musical. Unfort. J/E made truce not to talk.

Seth walked out of the kitchen and to Jake's room, knocking on the half-open door. "Yo, listen, dude, you know this is really stupid. I mean, that damage to your car wasn't your fault. If you want, I can lend you whatever you need and you can pay it back when you're a big-ass businessman." He knew Jake was no doubt stressing about having to work at Starbucks for the rest of his life, so he figured this would be one thing he could get a break in.