Goodies for Practice (Josh/Lance/Genevieve/open)

[Eve Mallory]

And he would want to? She was bemused and bewildered, " Then that could be nice." she answered him, "It's always nice, the time I get to spend with you." she affirmed then settled against his chest letting out a deep breath," I was supposed to ask, are we getting dinner before the ball?"

[Josh Jordan]

Josh moved so that Eve was half sitting in his lap. He was rather comfortable. "Yes, of course we'll get dinner before the ball. Whatever you like we shall have." Maybe things were not going to be as awkward as he thought they would be. He rested his chin on her head as he gently squeezed her hand once more.

She liked spending time with him, and that was all he really needed to hear. Plus, she made him feel warm inside and out.

[Eve Mallory]

An amusing fact about the girl was she could eat, piles and piles and mountains of food and still be as tiny as ever, but at the same time she had to be in a mood for food, otherwise she could eat very little. She thought her nerves might get to her on the night of the Yule ball so she wasn't anticipating eating that much still it would be nice.

Holding on to his hand she had relaxed completely and began to humm some song from their childhood, something her mother had sung when she was alive. It was a shame that Eve didn't sing for people she had an extraordinary voice, but no, she only sang when alone or sometimes when she wasn't thinking she sang around Josh. It was a testament to how comfortable she felt around him.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh heard her humming. He loved to hear her sing. Of course, Eve would only sing if she was alone or if she was with him. It was like their own personal inside thing. Josh lightly kissed the top of her head. He wanted to hear her sing. It helped him to become calm and just relax.

"Eva? Could you sing for me? Please?"

[Eve Mallory]

Eve blushed she hadn't really realized she was doing it at all but when he asked for a song she was at first oblidged to say no, she was impossibly shy, but his hand holding and his gentle kiss were enough to give her confidence at least the confidence she needed to start singing an old English folk song her mother taught her when she was younger.

****
Why should thy cheek be pale,
Shaded with sorrow's veil?
Why should'st thou grieve me?
I will never, never leave thee.
'Mid my deepest sadness,
'Mid my gayest gladness,
I am thine, believe me;
I will never, never leave thee
****

But her mother had left her. Towards the end of the verse her voice had begun shaking and her eyes filled with tears. Nothing was the same after her mother died. Her life held too many sorrows now and she couldn't continue singing instead she burried her face in Josh's chest and asked him to hold her until the memory faded.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh heard her sing and it brought goosebumps to his skin. It was calming, but he felt her begin to shake. Maybe asking her to sing wasn't a great idea. He quickly started to stroke her hair. "Shh," he said comfortingly. He kissed her head again as he continued to sooth her.

He didn't care if she got his shirt wet from her tears. Josh just wanted to make them go away. He did the only thing he could do. He held onto her tightly, letting her know that he was there and he wasn't going to let her go.

[Eve Mallory]

She remained there for a while til the tears stopped then tried to compose herself, " I'm sorry Josh I didn't mean to do that...I just...I miss her is all." she said pulling back to look at him but too ashamed to meet his eyes, she didn't know why she was ashamed. He always took care of her and wouldn't ridicule her, and even if he didn't know what to do it seemed he was always welcoming to her and that's what she needed.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh knew what happened to her mother. He was there with Eve the entire time she cried. He even cried with her.

He reached out and tilted her chin upward so she could meet his eyes. "Don't be sorry. There is nothing to be sorry about. I don't mind it. You know that. It's okay to cry." Josh wanted to kiss her on the lips badly, but he settled for kissing her forehead instead. "I miss her too." Eve's mother was sort of like a second mother to the Jordan brothers.

[Eve Mallory]

She thought she looked splotchy when she cried but really she didn't her eyes puffed a bit welling with tears and whatnot , but she looked fine, she wished however that Josh didn't see her so emotional. She had lived for a very long time trying to give him the best side of her, but of course since he was around so often he got the other sides of her as well.

He told her it was okay to cry so she believed him and cried but she still felt that sense of hopelessness inside, the only time it went away was when she breathed him in and reaffirmed his hold on her.

" I love you Josh." she whispered against him, it felt like the right thing to say. Still she didn't fully understand romantic love and continued, " I love you like a flower loves the sun, you give me warmth and strength to grow and I love that about you. You're my best friend."

[Josh Jordan]

Even when she cried, Eve still looked beautiful in his opinion. Josh used the hand that held up her chin to wipe away a few tears.

He hugged her to his body to let her know that he was going to chase away her tears, to let her know that he was there. Josh always disliked to see Eve sad, but he remained by her side and didn't mind she cried because he was there.

He felt warmer on the inside as she said that she loved him. For a few moments, he didn't know that if it was more than a best friend type of love. Maybe they were to young to be in love, but Josh knew that he felt strongly about her. "I love you too Eva. You are my sunlight," he whispered in her ear. In a way, Josh was admitting his feelings about her, but he knew that she would take it he meant it in a friendship type of way and that would be alright. "I couldn't ask for anyone better to be my best friend either."

[Eve Mallory]

"I'm glad." she said turning a smile up at him slowly she took a deep breath and she wanted the tears to be over, she wanted all that emotional downpour to be done with so they could focus on happier things.

Later when she realized what she said to him she'd probably feel guilty and then shocked at what came from her mouth. She loved Lance and Viv too, they also were her best friends...but Josh was...he was the Sun to her and while it would kill her to lose either Lance or Viv, it would destroy her completely to lose Josh, she had so much security built into those gorgeous eyes of his.

" Talk to me about something happy.."

[Josh Jordan]

Something happy? Something happy would Josh telling Eve how he truly felt and have her believe him the first time he said it. That would be a dream come true for Josh, but it wasn't going to be coming true at the moment.

"Hm. Something happy? We're going to impress all the people at the ball. We'll make them jealous and have fun while we do it. Frankly I believe you're going to be the most beautiful there. Of course my opinion maybe a bit biased, but that's what I believe." Josh paused for a moment. "Scratch that, I don't believe it, I know it." He gave her wink.

[Eve Mallory]

She laughed, "I'll try not to disappoint you." she said more realistically. She hoped that Geneiveve would be able to do something with her hair. Perhaps even help with make up...and a dress.. okay she was a hopeless case when it came to all those girly things fashioned to make you look better. Eve was just Eve, she didn't think she could look better being so tiny.

[Josh Jordan]

He smiled as he heard her laugh. Her laugh was like a cool breeze on a hot summer night. It was inviting. Her laugh soothed him.

"That's my girl," he said with a laugh. "I know that you will look absolutely amazing! All the guys there will be jealous, and all the girls will be jealous as well." He gave her a slight hug. "You know, you are more beautiful than you think Eva. I'm not just saying that. I mean it."

[Eve Mallory]

"Yeah..." she sighed and looked up at him through large lashes, "You've been saying that alot." she shook her head, " And I think I'm starting to believe you." she answered calmly. No she didn't think she was some great beauty or anything like that, but she was starting to see herself through Josh's eyes and in his eyes she was beautiful so perhaps there was some saving grace about her features she just hadn't taken into account because she always thought she was too small. But looking at her face she realized she did have refined features there was an impish quality to her that made her look young and pretty. Not drop dead gorgeous like other students she knew, but definitely pretty.


"You've certainly got the girl's being jealous part, I'm going to the dance with one of the, and your ego is just fine but I don't mind stroking it, most beautiful men at the school."

[Josh Jordan]

Josh let out a laugh. "The boys will be quite jealous, I assure you. I'm not worried about the other girls, because I have the prettiest one all to myself. The girls can just stare if they want, but I'm reserved for you at the dance." He gave her a wink.

"And you need to start to believe it. You are pretty and you look good in anything you wear. Seriously. Lance will tell you the same thing. Plus, you're features are lovely. I love your eyes most of all."

[Eve Mallory]

Sam flushed a deep crimson, he was too much when he went on about how pretty she was, she wasn't used to compliments except from the boys and Viv for the most part she was invisible but Josh had never laid them on so thick before for whatever reason they embarassed her.

"Josh." she nudged him as if telling him to stop making her blush so badly.

[Josh Jordan]

He chuckled again as she nudged him. "What? I'm just telling the truth. You shouldn't be embarrassed with my compliments, because you know that I'm not lying." Josh moved a strand of hair that had managed itself lose from her hair being pulled back.

"If you want me to stop telling you how pretty you look, then I will, but it won't stop one from accidently slipping out."

[Eve Mallory]

"You embarass me something horrible everytime you tell me things like that." she told him, "But ...I'll tell you a secret." she said looking up and into his eyes quite seriously, " I love it more than I could ever find words to tell you." but she wasn't talking about his compliments, or his jokes, she was talking about all of it, all of the things that made Josh, Josh, and all of the things that he was to her, it was him. He was what she loved so much that she would never be able to find words enough to express it.

[Josh Jordan]

Josh's face lit up like he just opened a door that held tons of gifts. He didn't mean to embarass her like he did, but he couldn't help himself. She was just so pretty and she needed to know that she was. She needed self-confidence, and Josh was trying to give it to her. He wouldn't ever lie to her. There was no point in it.

Although, what caused his face to light up was the fact that she loved it. "I love it more than I can tell you too." Of course, Josh meant it more than the compliments, but he didn't say it.