Please, stay for awhile. [Nikki]

As typical of El, the almost adult male did a lot of feminine things. Such as dealing with sadness, the cure? Chocolate and cigarettes of course. Yawning loudly, El stepped out onto his small failure of a balcony and sat down on the chair that he had placed out there. The view wasn't that fantastic, all El was able to see was some of the school grounds and random couples making out in the bushes. A thought occuring to him, El pulled his phone out and texted Nikki. He knew that she'd probably be worried since he hadn't been out of his room in a few days, their relationship had lasted a month so far; El figured he was doing the right thing by talking to her almost everday (It was the only logical thing anyways).

Putting his cell phone back into his pocket, El continued his late night snack of a hershey bar- and idly put his cigarette out in the ashtray he had on the ground near his chair. A lot of things had been going through his mind recently, such as Nikki graduating soon... and how their relationship would be after she left the school. They would keep in contact still right? He worried quietly and continued nibble on his chocolate like a little mouse. They'd be together for a long time right?

She had been working late in the Sculpture lab as usual. She did some of her best work there by herself. She had her earbuds in and was enjoying her music and singing along, when she almost jumped off her stool when her cell phone vibrated. She always left it on vibrate when she was in this sort of a mood, so she would have a chance of catching a call. She looked at it and with a few swipes of her finger, was able to read the text from El. He wanted her to come up to his room. Wonder why, she texted him back and cleaned up her small mess and headed up to his room.

She knew she shouldn't be up here this late at night but she didn't mind. She had been up here often enough to see Nyx and knew her way around. As long as the boys were asleep, she could sneak into his room. They could go out on the balcony or out someplace if he wanted to talk.

She tried the door knob and it turned, she pulled the door open slowly and quietly, the boys were asleep, she had an almost overwhelming urge to make a loud noise just to see them jump out of bed, but not tonight. Maybe some other night she would have to plan that with Abi and Jay. She looked for El's bed, but it was empty, he must be out on the balcony. She tiptoed towards the door and slipped out onto the balcony and the cool night air. "Hi El, what's up?" she spoke in an almost whisper.

Just as Nikki had arrived, El had finished up his Hershey Bar and now only had the wrapper in his hand. "Nothing," he said with a small smile now that she was here "Just got lonely." El stood up for a moment, considering or not whether or not giving her a kiss (afterall he had recently been smoking) but decided too anyways just because- afterall it was no big deal anymore as far as El was concerneed. Leaning over he gaver her a small peck on the lips and then moved away a little bit to give her some room to step onto the balcony "You can go ahead and close the door so we're not bothering anyone else," he said to her- feeling strangely naughty for a second. El couldn't help but realized that the farthest they had gone so far was just taking off each other's shirts. He frowned for a second and mentally chastised himself, hormones got kind of annoying after awhile. "I've just been thinking about a lot of things," he then said to her, looking thoughtful.

"Just thinking you were lonesome and knew I'd be up?" she teased as she slid the balcony door closed. She didn't want to wake her brother and his other roomies at least not now. "So what have you been thinking about?" She liked that he came and kissed her. She thought back to that night in the sculpture lab and what might have happened if her sculpture hadn't decided to drop a piece of metal. She had thought a lot about that night since then and was still conflicted about it. It had felt so good having him touch her in ways that she hadn't been touched before, but she knew it was not an accepted thing here in Harriman. If she had been back home, her mother might even have encouraged her to respond to him, everything was okay to her mother, as long as you practiced safe sex. But she didn't feel right just doing it just because it felt good. It had to mean something also.

"You. Graduation." He frowned and sat back down in the chair he had been in previously. Trying to sort his thoughts out in a way that Nikki might understand, El found that he was incapable of doing so. "I can't, really explain it... I'll just be kind of sad when you graduate because you won't be here." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, feeling the effect of sleep deprivation take it's effect. He was also craving another cigarette, but deicded against it for the time being. He had had too many today anyways.

"I know, I'll miss being here. And especially being here with you. Maybe I can take some more advanced classes and work in the town for awhile, maybe they would let me, because there are so many classes I want to take there isn't time for them all, and I am just getting into theater this year and I want to ..." she looked for a place to sit but there was only the one chair. She came over and sat on his lap. "and I want to stay here with you." she said as she slid her arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss. "I don't want to go back to California, or go to New York to audition. I am a good singer but not good enough to make it in anyplace good. That was evident when I didn't get a part in the christmas play. If I want to go into theater I need more training. And I'd like to do it here. I am good enough with my sculpture, but that comes naturally. I am a good singer, but again that is natural. But acting is where I am weakest. Maybe I can talk to Mr. Butler and see if I could come back next year to take more advanced classes. Mom and Dad would pay for it, so I could watch over Nyx. They worry about him sometimes." She sighed. If I can't take classes, maybe I'll just take a year off, get a job in town and work on my sculpture for a year. I bet I can get a one woman show if I worked at it. Mom has friends that work at a gallery. But one way or another, I will be here for awhile, you can't get rid of me that easy."

As she sat on his lap, El laughed lightly- finding this situation strangely ironic. He kissed her back and as she spoke, but El couldn't help but feel slightly relaxed but uneasy at the same time. Wasn't he holding her back from a lot of things if she wanted to stay here for his sake? He frowned and shook his head, trying to process what she was saying in a positive way- but ultimately gave up after a few minutes. She was planning on staying, that was all that mattered right? Feeling conflicted, El sighed and gave Nikki a small hug- leaning his forehead into her shoulder. El finally decided that this was way to much for a seventeen year old to handle. There was that urge though, but as soon as he thought of it; El pushed it back into the depths of his mind. Instead, he sighed once again and murmered "You know I love you, right?"

"I kinda figured that but a girl likes to hear it." she teased. "You know I love you too." she played with his hair. "Otherwise I wouldn't be up here in the junior boys dorm after hours. Do you know how much trouble I could be in if I was caught here?" She hugged him close. "But it is worth it to be here with you." She wished she could stay with him all night, to sleep in his arm would be heavenly. But his dormmates would never let them live it down, and it might get back to the Headmaster. Then they would be in trouble. She didn't know about his parents, but hers wouldn't care. Her mother would be rather relieved that her daughter wasn't backward in the sex department, but her mother was different than most parents.

El sighed in relief as she returned his sentiments, and as she played with his hair it was all El could do but sigh again. Only if it wasn't so windy and cold maybe they could continue where they had left off in the sculpture studio...
Closing his eyes, El inhaled Nikki's scent deeply but just sat there with his arms wrapped around her. Moving his head slightly, he planted a light kiss on the side of her neck. "Thanks," he then said a few minutes later; unsure of what else to say. He felt a strange peace for a moment, as if everything was okay.

"You're welcome," She wasn't sure why he was thanking her, but she would just go with it. She snuggled as close as she could get and relaxed into his arms. It was starting to get cold out on the balcony, she shivered a bit. She didn't want to go back to her room and stare at the ceiling, she wanted to be here with him. Maybe he ought to go get a blanket so they could snuggle a little longer. She was starting to regret that they had stopped when they did in the sculpture studio. Certainly there had to be somewhere they could go to be alone that the teachers weren't actively patrolling. "I wish I could just curl up in your bed and sleep here all night but we would shock your roomies and my roomies would wonder where I am." She stroked his hair. "I wish there was somewhere we could go to be together where we wouldn't be interrupted." She was feeling very naughty tonight.

As Nikki spoke, El paused thoughtfully for a second- considering his options. They seemed to be having some kind of romantic moment, and he could either let it stop here or make it go on as long as possible. Moving away from Nikki he looked at her with a small quirk of his lips, "Do you want to go to the lake house? The groundskeeper is supposed to be out for a few days," as he said this- El gave Nikki the kind of look any person would give someone if they were trying to send some secret message.

She looked at him with a wicked look in her eye. "You want to?" she asked. They shouldn't. It would be naughty and they could get into trouble if they were caught, and she wasn't sure that she really cared if they were or not. "I've got some blankets in the back of MonaLisa. Do you think that we can get in? I wouldn't want to be destructive." She was trying to think of how they were going to be able to pull this off. They could go out if they could get into the building. She would bring the blankets that she kept in her car for emergencies, and she had a flashlight there too. There were more than enough sofas to sleep on and pillows. They could set an alarm on one of their cell phones and come back early in the morning, before most of their roomies got up.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get in," he said to her with a wink "Just as long as you bring along a bobby pin." Feeling a strange surge of adrenaline, El wrapped his arms around Nikki's legs and back- standing up while holding her princess style. "Wow, you're really light," he commented idly for a second while giving her a peck on the forehead. Shaking his head then, El set Nikki back on her feet and smiled. "Do you have the keys to MonaLisa with you or should we stop by your room to get them?" he asked her, getting more excited by the moment. El was hoping that he would atleast be able to keep his hand off of her until they got to the lake house.

I have my keys in my pocket, but no bobby pins but I'll bet I can snag one off Nyx's dresser. He always has stuff like that." She giggled quietly. She couldn't believe that she was going to do this. But she would kick herself if she backed out now. She headed back through the boy's dorm room, quiet as could be, she went to Nyx's dresser and there was a small dish with a few bobby pins. She snagged them and put them in her pocket. Then she went to the door and opened it wide enough to slip out. She gestured to El to follow her. Her index finger to her lips to make sure he was quiet.