Trey was bored for the first time since he could remember moving to Canada. Well it kind of helped that it was two in the afternoon, he didn't have to work, and classes didn't start up again for another few days.

The snow had fallen last night, a good seven inches or so he thought he heard the news say, but that was nothing really. Life in the city still went on as usual. Well, except Trey was board out of his mind.

So he pulled on a hoodie and ski cap over the thin braided rows of his hair, each ended with a little shell, and made his way outside in the snow, ready of course to take on the cold. He was a big guy after all and it took a lot to get him cold.

He decided to head to the mall, not really to buy anything, he had just paid for the semester of university he was about to take, so he was rather broke, but heck, he could still go, get some lunch or something. But it would still be alone. He really needed to make some friends and stay in touch with them. Well that had been his new years resolution. So why not get started.

He made it to the mall in aobut fifteen minutes walk and stepped in slightly grateful of the warmth. The place was all hustle and bustle for the after-christmass sales and this that or the other, whatever reason the stores needed to advertise. And he couldn't help but notice that the theme seemed to be valintines, something that always made him feel a little left out...

After all, no women ever took him seriously, and the one who had thought he had been cheating on her when he was at work at the club.... Yeah not cool...

Who knew, maybe this year would be different. Maybe there would be a change in something that would lead to something else... One could only wait and see.

Aurore walked into the mall from the back doors, she was bundled up in her fuzzy balck and red scarf, gloves, and her work clothes. She was returning a edible thing she had bought for one of her gal friends, they had gotten the same one from their boyfriend so she thought it’d be better to just return it.

She made her way through the crowded mall and to Spencer’s Gifts. Getting to the counter she snuck in front of the next person in line and began the process of returning the thong. However the kid at the register started to get snappy with her and make jokes about the thong and what she was doing with it.

“Listen up you stupid fucking perve, I’m just returning an unused product so that some other person can buy it for their friend if they want. Or maybe you can take it home yourself and put it on your blow-up doll. Now give me my reciet so I can get the hell out of here and away from your stupid ass!” Snapping up her reciet from the stunned kids hands she stomped out of Spencer fuming mad.

Until she noticed a familiar face, a large black man was walking around, she walked toward him, his back to her, “Trey!! Yo, Trey!!” she smiled coming up behind him and touching his shoulder to get him to turn around. “Whatcha doin?”

Hearing someone yell his name he blunk and turned atound rather confused. Who knew him here? He didn't know many people but the bartenders a- "Oh! Hey!" He grinned widely at a face that he actualy knew. "Aury, long time no see girl." He gave her a rough, yet firendly hug. "Just trying to kill some time before it kills me." He grinned at her. "What about you? Been worken hard girl, or hardly working?"

It was kind of odd really, he had ran into the girl and fellow bartender here before, and he had run into here again even though he'd gone to look elsewhere for her.

"'Cause ya know I been over ta your place a few times and I haven't seen ya there. How things going with your pops? Getten any better?"

"I've been working my ass off to tell you the truth." She smiled and at the mention of her father the smile widened, "As for him, he just suffered a stroke so hopefully as horrible as this sounds, he'll be passing on and I can finally be free of him." She knew it was wrong of her to wish her fathers death but she hated him more than the thought of dying.

"Oh, sorry about not being at the apartment, I've been working so I haven't been home alot lately except to shower and sleep. I'm on vacation next week so we could probably chill sometime then if you wanted to." Aury smiled at him as she started to walk, but walked slowly as to wait for Trey. "How have you been?"

Trey frowned deeply as he listened to Aury speak of her father. "You know. I would think that any father is better than not haven one. Growen up, I would have given anything to have a father. Someone who was there for me and all. Sure I had my gramps, and he was great, but it ain't really the same. And wishing someone to die... Ain't that a bit harsh? I mean who knows, maybe it will help him see the better side of life, how he had done ya wrong and all. People can change, no matter how old they are." He fells likent for a moment as he walked beside her, looking around absently at all the sales.

"And sorry if I sound like I'm preaching, but peoples ability to change is one of their greatest strengths. If people didn't change, I wouldn't be here talken to ya now but for Yes ma'am and no ma'am." He added with a little smile.

Aury looked at Trey and suppressed the need to cry, “Trey, I’m sorry. I had forgotten about you and your lack of having a father around. But my father wasn’t really in what we call ‘father status’, he always treated me like a maid, and now that he’s in the hospital I don’t need to be that anymore. My entire life I have spent it either cleaning up after him or staying away from him because he doesn’t respect anyone and he is conceited. I wouldn’t wish a father like that onto anyone, especially someone who hasn’t had one around.” She sighed and looked at Trey with sorrowful eyes.

Aury felt bad for talking about her dad like that in front of Trey, she should have remembered about his sensitive father issues and shouldn’t have spoken about her own dad in that way. She clenched a fist mad with herself for upsetting one of the only friends she had. “Hey, how about we get a bite to eat.” She smiled at him hoping to cheer him up.

"It's nothing like that Aury. Not really anyway. Me not having a dad doesn't effect you and your dad after all. I'm just saying people can chance, and even if it's a last minute thing, they can change to be the better."

He wasn't particularly sensitive about the 'father' issue, it was just that people needed to alway be given a chance. He wouldn't want to work with rehab and things like that if he didn't believe that. But he did with all his heart. Her father could change, he had seen his own grandfather change when it came to people.

"I haven't ever met my father, sure, but I think I grew up just fine. My granparents did a great job of raising me yeah?" I know it was hard on them, hell raising a kind ain't never easy. But I think as far as they go, they did an alright job, and I hope my kids will be able to say that about me one day. Cause I know I'll sure as hell be there for them." He said stolidly.

"But food? Sure. Sound like a plan to me anyway." He said with his usual grin and a nod.

Aury nodded and smiled, she felt like an idiot but tried not to let it show. "So,... where to? Feel like chinese, mcy D's, the king? What you want?" Personally she didn't care she was just hungry.



((Sorry for the short post my puter is trying to crash. >.<))

Trey winced at the suggestions. Not because he didn't like them, oh no... He loved them actualy. Actualy, just the other day he had a craving for chinese. But...

"Eehh... I was hoping something with a little less saturated fat." He said with a grin. "Not really a new years resolution, but I know I gotta start eating right again and all. Doc said my blood presure was going up... Gotta watch out for that. Heart problems and high blood presure runs in the family." He gave a slight shrug. "Nothing big now, but it's something I keep an eye on, even though I ain't that old. Better get in to good habits now to save me later right?"

Looking around the mall he didn't see anything that particularly caught his interest...

"Let's walk down to the food court and see what we can find. I know there's a subway, but I'm not feeling it right now honestly."

Aury just kinda of shrugged and smiled at Trey, "To the food court!" She exclaimed trying to make him smile.

"I totally understand watching your health, I just have a habit of eating right most days then pigging out on junk once in a while." She smirked.

"So,... has anything interesting happened as of late at work?" Aury was curious because quite a few weird things have been happening at her own work and she was curious to see what might be happening in other parts of the city.

Trey shrugged at her question. Working in a night club, you saw all sorts of things. And not all of them were good. "Well we had the usual druggies who we find passed out. People who drink themselves out..." He said with a thoughtful air, as if trying to remember but then...

"And about a week ago another body turned up. I dunno what the hell's going on, but it's weird. They'll be all pale... And it's like they bled to death, but there's no signs of any wounds on the bodies." He shook his head. "But that's not really lunch time talk. So maybe another time. But still... Have you guys had anything like that happed over at your place?"

Trey was curious though because it simply wasn't normal. Now if someone had been stabbed, raped and killed... That would be 'normal' but the way the bodies were... "Heh... You know... I was thinking that it's almost like they were bit by a vampire or something." He grinned. "If they were real that was." He chuckled. Vampires... Hah...maybe someone pretending to be a vampire... But that was just weird, not normal.

Aury laughed along with him, “yeah some wacko out there is probably obsessed with vampire lore and decided to freak out on innocent drunks.” She thought about the girl they had just found in one of the rooms in the VIP areas that was dead as a door nail and had no apparent injuries. “Does make you wonder though.” She though out loud.

“So...” She said quietly as they came up on the food court, “what sparks your fancy?” She looked around smiling, the many smells of the court filling her nostrils. “MMM.”

Trey laughed as well. "Yeah, prolly some dumb kid or something." He smirked. Yeah, that would be just like the crazy kids this day and age...

The first scent to hit his nose was chinese... But no... That was about the worst thing here really... Well besides the McDonalds and the Burger King... "There's a Subway... But eh... I dunno if I really want that. Kinda dull really. But I don't see anything else." He said with a shrug.

"Anything that you want in particular Aury?" Trey asked after giving a slightly defeated sigh. "I can find something anywhere really. I ain't too picky."

Aury smiled at his sigh, “I think...” She paused her sentence to look around at his mentioned options. “We should go to Burger King, they’re not dull and above all I can get a world-class and absolutely fabulous, #6 otherwise known as a chicken burger.” She laughed poking Trey in the side. “In all seriousness, that would be my choice, but I know there aren’t really healthy things to eat there.”

Chicken... Hmm...

That gave him an idea. It wasn't part of the normal food court for whatever reason, but it must have been healthier than Burger King right? "Hey, what about that Ricky's Chicken place down across the mall?" He suggested. "Support the little guy you know? Besides I've heard a few good things about it and it can't be nearly as bad for you as Burger King right?" He said with a shrug.

"I mean it couldn't hurt to give it a shot now could it?"


((I was gonna say Chick-fil-A but those don't exist in Canada according to their website :P Poor deprived Canadians;) ))

Aury smirked at the support the little guy comment, "Yeah sure, chicken is chicken." She smiled and patted her rumbling but trim tummy. "How about you lead the way because my stomach is going to go on a rampage any time now." She hadn't eaten yet today, she'd been working, so she was pretty darn hungry.

"And I think that almost every chicken joint in the world is better for you than fast food so, there's no going wrong in supporting the smaller food joints."

"Well then." He laughed as she said her stomach was going to go on a rampage. "We better lead it away from the delicious evils of fast food." He said as he grabbed her by the shoulders with a playful roughness and pulled her closer to him.

Turing around he began to force her down the hall, away from the fast food course. "This way m'dear." He said with a grin. "And I'm sure they'll have a much better chicken sandwich than Burger King. After all, why would you go to a burger place and order chicken, or go to a seafood place and order a hamburger?" He pointed out.

It was then that he noticed her scent... Was it a perfume? Maybe her hair...

Whatever it was, it smelt good.

"You wearing perfume or something?" He asked curiously. "Or do you just naturaly smell good?"

Aury smiled as he guided her down the hall towards the chicken joint, and laughed about his food places logic. “Very true.” Then smiling she answered his question of her scent. It’s called a good shower, a wonderful vanilla scented shampoo, and what I like to call bubblicious bubblegum.” She smiled sarcastically and blew the scent

"Aah... So that is the secret of women's scent." He grinned as he ran his nose over her hair with an audible sniff. "Perhaps that's why women at the club always give me funny looks... Maybe I should try taking a shower."

but he shook his head at the mention of the bubblegum. "Nah. I think it was your hair I was smelling. Fresh and elegant. Not fruity and fun." He said as he laughed and stepped to her side, walking next to her now. He found he did that a lot with her. Laughing that was. And it wasn't like he did that all the time either, but there was just something about her that cheered him up no mater what might be going on.

A thought wandered through his head as they wandered through the mall, but he needed to think on it more.

"So, what are you doing the rest of the day Aury?" He asked curiously.

Aury laughed at his comment of his taking a shower and blushed at his mention of her hair smelling good. She had always noticed that with Trey he wasn't all mug and thug, he was a kind person and she liked it about him.

"Oh, I don't know. Dad's still not home so I've got the apartement to myself. I was just going to veg out and watch balck and white horror flicks until I passed out." She smirked, she was obsessed with old horror films such as the original Dracula with Bela Legosi in it.

"And yourself?" Aury asked him just as curiously as he had asked her.

"Horror films?" He nodded. "Sounds like fun to me at least." He said as they began to leave the scents fo the food court behind and all that he could smell now was her. It was rather pleasent actually.

"Me? Ah, I ain't doing nothen all day that I can think of. Just being bored. Waiting for school to start up again, not working untill sometime tomorrow I think." He grinned though as a thought came to his mind. "Well, you mind if I join you for a while? It's been a while since I've seen any of those old movies." He said. "I mean I don't want to throw myself in your plans if you were intent on being alone." Sometimes people just liked being left alone after all. He even had those moment on occasions.

Mug and thug? Had he heard that Trey would have laughed. He could be that if the need called for it. After all, growing up in Brooklyn, you couldn't be just a shove over. Otherwise you wouldn't make it anywhere. Especialy out of there. But that was only when there was a threat, or when he was hanging out with some of his buddies and just showing off.

But otherwise he was just like anyone else really, or those normal people anyway.

"But I think we could have fun watching some of those old films." He said with a bright grin.

Aury smiled at him, “I would love your company on my movie expedition.” As she for the millionth time poked him in the side with her finger. She thought for a moment about school and how bad she had wanted to go at one time in her life but hasn’t thought of anything to go for anymore so she gave up on it, “What are you in school for again? I forgot.” She blushed.

They continued walking until they reached the chicken joint, “Yes! Food!” She giggled looking at him with an embarrassed look on her face. Aury was a skinny person but she could pack away food like it was nothing.

Catching her hands and pulling her close as she poked him, Trey laughed. "You better stop that Aury, or you'll regret it." He said warningly. But of course it was a playful warning, one though, that he would back up.

The question about school caught him off guard really, and he had to think a moment. "Abnormal psychology and minoring in Law Enforcement." He said with a smile. "You thinking about going to school again? Cause hell, it's a good job now, but you won't want to be serving drinks the rest of your life Aury. I can tell ya that now." Trey said simply. Hell, he knew he didn't want to be a bar tender and back up bouncer all his life. He had better ideas.

"You could do somethi-" But he was interupted by her excitement over food. He let her go with a laugh and shook his head. "You are something else girl." He grinned. "Acting like you ain't eaten in a week." Of course he couldn't help but be ammused.

Blushing she smiled at him, "I just can't help it. I like food." Coming back to the conversation at hand she took his arm, "I want to go back to school in a way," She paused, "I just have no clue what I would want to go for anymore."

Taking a deep breathe and exhaling as though she didn't really want to continue but she did, "When I was young I wanted so badly to go for graphic design and animations but I don't know now. I mean I've been tending for so long, I don't even know if I can still run a computer."

Aury laughed it off as they came to the line for food, "Know what you want?" she asked him looking over the menu herself then back to him knowing exactly what she would be getting.

Trey smiled as she spoke. "When you were young? Darlin' you're still young. You're life and settled or over or anything. Hell, you get in to school now, you'd fit right in babe. Trust me on that. Hell, I'm in school and you're younger than me." Or at least she looked it. He wasn't sure how old she was and his Grandma always said that you never ask a lady her age.

"I'm sure that once you get back in to the swing of things you'd be just fine. Besides, technology changes so everyone will be on the same ground." He pointed out.

He blunk as she asked him what he wanted. "Uh, haven't looked yet." He said shaking his head. And it really didn't matter either what he got. "Probably the chicken nuggets. They were pretty good here. At least they're actual chicken right?" Trey grinned again.

Aury smiled at his encouragement, “thank you.” She told him for making her feel better about school and everything. “I might go back, I just don’t have the money and I don’t know whether or not I can get a student loan. It’s just very complicated.” The thought of food floated back into her mind and she smiled as she remembered what she had wanted to get.

“Good choice,” She commented on his choosing chicken nuggets, “man after my own heart. I was going to get those too. And I don’t know about you but I’m adding a medium home fry to my order.” The only thing she couldn’t decide was what to drink, she worked at a bar so she was sick of the usual coke or pepsi and she wasn’t having alcohol. “I think I might get a medium graveyard.” She thought of mixing the three or four different kinds of drinks at the fountain and what the graveyard of the day would taste like.

“And you? What drink shall you have?” Aury smiled.

"Well, there's also aid and stuff like that. An hell, if I qualify, you probably do too." He suggested. "About half my stuff is paif using the Financial Aid that the College offers, the other half is loans." Trey said matter of factly. It wasn't anything to be embaresed about if you had Financial Aid. To him it just showed that you were fighting to be above where you were already at. It was a thing of courage.

"What do I want to drink? Aury, don't you think all these questions are a bit obsessive?" He said with a grin. "But I'll probably get water. I'm sick of sodas..." He said simply. "Graveyard though? Ah, I've always calld'em sucides. Those can be more fun to make then to drink at times... Especialy if you're using alcohol in it." He said knowingly. But of course Aury would know that too.

"I might look into financial aid. I don'tk now yet though." Aury quarreled insider her mind with doing back to school and their rules or to keep working and be free of restrictions.

She smiled at his mention of her food obsessed conversation, "I usually only get the chips and bretcells at the bar for meals because I work all the time. So when I get out and can actually eat it's like a non-stop obsession." She laughed. That and she loved food anyway.

Trey shook his head with his usual grin. "You're something girl." He said with a chuckle.

"You at least know how to cook right? You're not always eating out, are you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. If not, he would at least offer to cook her some actual meals or hell, even teach her to cook. it was something he had had to learn on his own and had even taken a class at the university as an elective. Hey, credits and food, what could be better?

"Cause if not, I could give you a few lessons ya know. Cooking's a bit of a hobby of mine."

Aury smiled, “That would be a no and a yes. I can’t cook and eating out is so much easier.” She smirked. The line had shrunk and it was their turn to order. The zit-infested teenage girl smiled stupidly asking ‘can I take your order?’

“Two chicken nuggets, one fountain drink, a bottled water and a bag of cool ranch Doritos.” The girl blipped the computer in front of her and told them to stand aside the food would be ready in a moment.

Once out of the way of oncoming customers Aury smiled, “How about tonight we make dinner, watch the flicks and hang out. I learn to cook and have fun all at the same time.”

Trey was about to pull out his wallet, but Aury had beaten him to it. "Well if you insist then." He said with a smile.

"But that sounds like a plan indeed. Anything you want to learn to make in particular? And I was gonna say, why don't we head to my appartment for the whole shindig. I got anythign we might need cooking wise there. We can grab the movies from your place. Besides, it'll give ya a bit more of a break from home ya know. A change of scenery and all." He suggested.

Besides he had just cleaned up, so he wasn't worried about having company and he didn't want her to fret about anything like that.

"That sounds great." Aury smiled, she had been nervous about the condition of her apartment.

The same girl that took their order walked over to them, threw down a tray, threw their food on it and without pausing, "Have a good day."

Nodding to the girl, Aury picked up the tray and turned to see what seats were available.

"Where you wanna sit?" Holding the tray level in front of her trying not to tip their drinks over.