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Post by Kiersten on Aug 31, 2023 20:53:02 GMT -6
Jessie sipped at her iced coffee, playing with the straw as she read the True Crime mystery, holding it up with one hand. She was completely moved into her nee dorm, having met and liked her roommate, Cordelia, but not enough to go to the BBQ the school was hosting. She hated the idea of being surrounded by a ton of kids she didnt know. She headed into town, saw her dad for a little bit, shopped at the nearby bookstore, and was now sitting out on the patio.
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Post by Bri on Aug 31, 2023 23:33:32 GMT -6
Jake wasn't sure how he felt about this whole back to school barbeque business, he'd kind of had his fill of being around so many people after being at camp and then having to move into a dorm. He wasn't like Reed who seemed to thrive off social interaction, he needed a break here and there before getting too burnt out. So, instead of following his twin and cousin to the barbeque he slipped off into town, shutting off his phone and meandering about to see what this new place had to offer, which didn't seem like much so far, just some stores here and there that didn't catch his interest, but he was getting a little thirsty and a cafe had come into view with a nice little patio. He headed inside and placed an order, tucking his hands into his pockets as he waited until finally getting his drink, something nice and hot that he didn't want to admit what the contents were. He didn't want to sit inside, feeling a little stifled and went out to the patio only to see that all the seats were taken, except for one. Jake headed over to it, pausing behind the chair and looking at the girl at the table, tilting his head, "mind if I sit miss? I promise I won't be a bother to ya." He said with a little smile.
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 1, 2023 8:43:10 GMT -6
The current mystery wasn’t holding Jessie’s attention as much as she wanted to. She hated to admit her eyes were constantly flittering around to anything that moved, including some cowboy that seemed to step out of a romance novel walk into the cafe. She forced her eyes back to the page, trying to reread the paragraph, only to be interrupted. She slowly looked up from the book and looked up to the same cowboy she saw walk in. She couldn’t stop herself from looking around, noticing there wasn’t any open tables, she was the only single person there apparently. “Depends,” she said, placing her thumb to keep her place, “I’m going to guess you come from…” she looked him up and down then, narrowing her eyes as she inspected him, “Northern state? Wyoming? Or southern…. Like, Texas.” She guessed, trying to utilize the resources her dad always taught her.
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Post by Bri on Sept 2, 2023 23:25:35 GMT -6
Jake raised an eyebrow at her question but chuckled. "What would you say if I was from California?" He joked, unable to keep himself from smiling, "but you got it right, I'm from Texas." He said as he pulled out the empty chair and sat down, leaning back a little and sipping on his drink. "Now I'm gonna guess that you're from...Washington."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 3, 2023 20:21:18 GMT -6
Jessie looked Jake up and down. Chewing the inside of her cheeks. “I’d ask if the schools theater production was doing Oklahoma.” She smirked as she watched him take the seat across from her her, confirming her guesses were getting better. She shook her head, “I grew up not too far from here.” It was roughly three hours from Augusta, but close enough to still feel the sting of the towns betrayal. They turned their backs on her dad even after he was proven not guilty.
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Post by Bri on Sept 5, 2023 0:21:26 GMT -6
Jake chuckled softly as he shook his head. "I have no idea what play the school is doing but whether it's Oklahoma or Romeo and Juliet you wouldn't catch me dead out there." He told her, thinking of acting being much different than performing a song on a stage. "Interesting, I was for sure thinkin' that you were from one of those Pacific Northwest states." He joked and sipped from his drink.
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 5, 2023 10:38:42 GMT -6
“Don’t worry, I don’t know what play either,” Jessie wasn’t a fan of acting and she definitely couldn’t sing, but she did like musicals, still didn’t mean she knew about what play the school was putting on. She looked down at her outfit, “Is it what I’m wearing? Cause you aren’t the first to think so.” She made a face, wishing people would go back to avoiding her instead, but she figured the way she was dressed was bound to attract attention.
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Post by Bri on Sept 5, 2023 15:07:04 GMT -6
For the first time Jake really looked at her outfit, feeling some heat creep up the back of his neck. Obviously he had seen her wearing it earlier but it hadn't really registered to him how much skin was showing. "Maybe," he chuckled a little, "since everyone from here seems to be into flannels and hiking boots." Not that he found anything wrong with that, he kind of liked the simplicity of it all but nothing could really compare to back home.
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 5, 2023 16:59:07 GMT -6
Jessie raised an eyebrow as he clearly looked her up and down, and wondered if he had just now realized what she was wearing. It was slightly a relief to her, most people tended to avoid her, but she didn’t mind that after all the bullying from her last school. “I like some flannel, a good long sleeved one, I’d tie it around my waist.” She smiled, knowing she sometimes liked having a bit of color that pops from just one item. “Not many people around here wear denim and cowboy boots either.” She nodded to Jakes outfit, knowing that was part of what ticked her off on what state he was really from.
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Post by Bri on Sept 6, 2023 11:44:22 GMT -6
Jake nodded, he had a few flannels in his closet for when winter was going to hit. he was about to respond but stopped, a deep chuckle escaping him when she called out his outfit. "I can't go anywhere without my trusty boots." He joked, the only time he wore tennis shoes was during PE and in the Summer it depended on his mood and if he wanted to wear sandals or not. "And I don't have a reason to wear slacks."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 6, 2023 13:46:21 GMT -6
Jessie wasn’t sure why, but she could feel his laugh tugging at the corner of her lips, pulling them into a smile. “Well, I’ve heard that boots are just extension of you cowboys.” She had read medical stories for true crime where cowboys would rather have a broken foot in a boot then cut their boots off. “I mean, is there going to be a reason you need to wear slacks?” She asked, feeling a little worried that the school was fancier than her dad had told her.
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Post by Bri on Sept 6, 2023 21:38:56 GMT -6
Jake chuckled, "hey, boots are expensive and when you finally get a pair and break them in just right it's hard to let ho." He told her, usually hating when he had to get new boots and deal with the ways his feet ached when making a new pair of boots work. He glanced down at his pants then back at Jessie, shrugging, "naw, not unless I have to go to a wedding or somewhere fancy, which is rare."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 6, 2023 21:56:22 GMT -6
Surprisingly Jessie knew how expensive boots could get, though her brand wasn’t cowboy, her current pair still cost a pretty penny. She was still shocked that her grandparents paid for them, but they sent her on a shopping spree for the new year. “The pair I’m wearing cost one hundred and seventy-five,” She stated, pushing one foot out so he could see the boot. She sighed with relief, “Thank goodness, I don’t think any of my outfits are… Fancy approved.” She chuckled nervously but knew she wouldn’t wear anything she had in her closet to a wedding.
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Post by Bri on Sept 6, 2023 22:10:04 GMT -6
Jake let out a low whistle when he saw her boots, "dang, those look like some good ones," he told her, jokingly kicking out his boot for her to look at, "old as dirt and can't remember how much they were but they're my trusty kicks." He said and chuckled, "I assume you go to Mountain Ridge?" He asked, figuring she couldn't be much older than he was, "I don't think there's much fancy in that place."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 6, 2023 22:29:49 GMT -6
Jessie shrugged, “They do get hot sometimes, but I’m usually freezing anyway.” She usually wore long sleeves or hoodies to keep warm, but the sun was shining enough today to keep her warm. She eyed his pair of boots and figured they were well molded to his feet in the best way possible. She nodded her head at his question, “This will be my first semester.” She admitted, not caring that she was the new girl, she knew she wasn’t the only one.
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Post by Bri on Sept 6, 2023 23:51:37 GMT -6
Jake nodded, "I usually have the opposite problem." He chuckled, it sucked, his body always running like a heater, especially when he was working with the horses or was out in the arena but he made do, drinking a lot of water and trying to keep cool the best way possible. "This will be my first semester too, but my cousin has gone there before so I guess I have him to show me the ropes."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 7, 2023 18:16:46 GMT -6
“Well, if you can somehow collect that heat of yours, I’m buying,” Jessie joked, though if that was possible, she’d definitely be buying. She had a ton of blankets in her room, especially since her dad usually kept the house at sixty-nine, and the thermostat hated her anyways. “Good to know I’m not the only new kid,” Though she knew it already, he confirmed it, “Does your cousin have any tips to survive this boarding school?” She'd read up all that she could about the school, already knowing more about the history of the place than even the principal probably.
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Post by Bri on Sept 7, 2023 20:36:02 GMT -6
"Ah, I'll make sure to investigate how so I can become a millionaire." Jake joked back with her, if he could do something like that he would readily do it. Being hot all the time could make life miserable at times, especially at home. "My cousin probably isn't the best one to ask for tips, he's a bit...anti social," he chuckled a little, "he pretty much sticks to himself but that's not going to last long with me and my brother here."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 7, 2023 21:53:09 GMT -6
“Make sure I’m the first customer,” Jessie joked, though suddenly realized she’d been talking to a complete stranger and hadn’t felt awkward and weird about it. “Well, I’m pretty antisocial myself, so maybe it’ll work out for me.” She smirked, but knew she hadn’t been antisocial by choice before, bullies from her last school had made it hard to stick around and when her dad finally made the call to move, she was nothing but relieved. “I’m Jessie by the way.” She figured they should at least know each other’s name, so they weren’t calling out ‘Hey cowboy’ in the hall, if he even planned to speak to her after this.
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Post by Bri on Sept 7, 2023 22:13:37 GMT -6
"Oh for sure." Jake chuckled and took a sip from his drink, frowning a little when he realized it was almost gone. "Could've fooled me, if I had dropped in and sat down with my cousin he'd probably ignore me until I kicked him or something," he joked, setting his cup on the table as he looked at Jessie, tilting his head. "Jake, it's nice to meet you."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 7, 2023 22:51:12 GMT -6
“Oh, that sounds a little like me. My dad has had to rip books out of my hand, so I’d pay attention to where I was walking,” Jessie laughed, knowing she had almost ran into him twice in the grocery store, ran into some ladies cart, and was almost ran over by an old man on a scooter who yelled at her to pay attention. “You caught me on a bad day, my book isn’t that interesting.” She picked up her book, The Science of Serial Killers, and sighed, maybe it just wasn’t the day to read it. “I guess it was nice to meet you, since you finished your coffee, I assume you plan to leave.” She was a little sad at the thought, since she didn’t have any friends in this town, it was nice to actually feel like a human being again, but how long would that last till her mom’s murder and her dad’s possible hand it in be public news?
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Post by Bri on Sept 7, 2023 23:19:24 GMT -6
"Yeah except Samuel...well," Jake chuckled, shaking his head, "he's a different matter, he just...doesn't like people. Like think of a lone wolf on steroids...and a really bad resting bitch face." He attempted to joke, glancing down at her book as she showed it to him, raising an eyebrow, it was definitely a choice but he wasn't one to judge much. "I don't know, I was almost thinking about getting another one, I'm sure you know the school is doing some big welcome back shindig I don't feel like dealing with."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 8, 2023 19:45:17 GMT -6
Jessie smirked, thinking about how that had been her life the past few years, maybe making a random friend or two in the new kid, but it never lasted long. Soon enough someone would confide in them before she could, and they never looked at her the same way. She wasn’t sure why she still tried sometimes, “Sometimes RBF comes in handy though, when you’re trying to avoid talking to someone.” She wasn’t sure what it was, but a lot of people approached her. Most of them wanted to ask question about her mom’s murder case, ask how she was doing, and then found a new group of friends that were a lot cooler than her. Jessie leaned back in her seat, her eyes dropping to her own empty cup. She hadn’t refilled it after she’d written for her blog. Did she want another refill? Their chai tea was delicious, and she wouldn’t mind having another, but was she wanting company? “If you’re willing to tell me if you have real cowboy stories or not?” She wasn’t hopeful this would go anywhere but south, but her gut was telling her try anyways.
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Post by Bri on Sept 9, 2023 14:48:27 GMT -6
Jake chuckled, "I guess you have a point, but it can't detour everyone." He joked, tapping the bottom of his cup on the table. "A real cowboy story?" He tilted his head, "I think I might have a couple, like when when I was out on a long cattle drive and we had to camp out but I couldn't sleep because of the coyotes or there was the time a calf got loose and no one could catch the dang thing for hours no matter how many of us tried." he chuckled at the memory of three grown men being out ran by a baby cow across the ranch.
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 9, 2023 18:57:07 GMT -6
Jessie made a face, hoping it was one that would be considered RBF, but it was more like the sun was shinning in her eyes. When he started telling a story, she wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth. She did her mental check she always does, her face took on a serious look, her eyes scanning his face, looking for twitches, hints that he was lying. Maybe this was why all her friends left her instead. “Wow, how many of those you got?” she asked with a smile, recognizing that if he was lying, he was really good at it. “I need a refill.” she said, putting her feet down on the ground and standing up.
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Post by Bri on Sept 10, 2023 0:03:58 GMT -6
Jake looked back at her as she made a face, mentally telling himself not to laugh, "wow, that's really intimidating." He joked, looking back at her as she seemed to analyze him like he was some kind of insect or something, but it didn't bother him too much. "A few, there's also the time my brother was an idiot and flooded the barn then tried to blame me." He said, pushing himself up as she stood, offering a smile. "Let me get the drinks, that way no one can steal our spot."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 10, 2023 0:21:01 GMT -6
Jessie grimaced when he said she was intimidating, “Sorry, I can’t turn that off,” It was drilled into her brain since she was young, since her mother passed. She needed to stop doing that, she was beginning to think it was the reason people stopped caring about her. “How do you flood a barn?” she asked, wondering if it was just a thin layer of water, or a hurricane type situation. “Oh, I mean… Thank you?” She said, a smile growing on her face as she recited her order for him.
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Post by Bri on Sept 10, 2023 0:55:20 GMT -6
"I never said you needed to turn it off." Jake smiled, taking their empty cups in his hands as he listened to her order, nodding. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into the cafe, tossing the cups in the trash and placing a new order. Once their drinks were made he carried them back to the table, setting Jessie's drink in front of her and sitting back in his spot. "As for your question, you flood a barn by forgetting to turn off the hoses filling the water troughs in the morning and don't check back on them until the evening."
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Post by Kiersten on Sept 10, 2023 9:15:36 GMT -6
Jessie blinked at Jake as he walked away, wondering if he was telling the truth about not turning it off, because it sounded like he wouldn’t care if she analyzed him every time he spoke, perfecting her skill, getting ready to go out into the real world and become a detective. She picked up her book once more as he waited for their drinks, getting into a little more this time around, but found a stopping point right as he returned to the table. “I can see that, how high was the water?” she was often too curious for her own good, that’s what her dad always said, but so was he.
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Post by Bri on Sept 10, 2023 13:01:18 GMT -6
"Probably up to our ankles, we learned the hard way that the drains weren't working well either, because my brother apparently forgot to clean them out when it was his turn." Jake shook his head, Reed meant well but rarely took things seriously. It worried him because what if Reed never grew out of it? He wouldn't be able to handle the ranch, even with his help he felt. "Sometimes I think my brother would lose his head if it wasn't attached."
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