Reckless. [TMNT 2012]

4. Her; Casey

Song: Blackout - Breathe Carolina

"Casey!"

April calls after me, but I don't stop.  It's as if a trance has taken me over, and all that matters is speaking to this mysterious girl.

Her gaze meets mine as I approach her and I swear I feel my heart stop.  My own life seems to flash in her eyes, as if warning me to tread lightly.  But again, nothing is going to prevent me from striking up a discussion with her.

My heart is pounding out of my chest and I hope she can't hear it.  Remembering my hockey mask is covering my face and hiding my expressions, my confidence renews ten-fold.  I take on a swagger-like demeanor and lean casually against my hockey stick.  Without hesitation, I release the best pick-up line I can come up with on the spot.

"Are you so beautiful that the dead rejected you?"

The girl does not break eye contact with me, but she does not smile either.  "I would not be so fastidious as to flirt with the undead."  Her strange way of speech makes her all the more riveting.

"I've dared to do much more extreme things," I replies as I try to continue the conversation.

"Oh?" She tilts her head with the faintest bit of interest.  "Do elaborate further."

My mind is spinning so fast that I can't come up with a clever response.  I can't decide if I should pull the 'mysterious' or 'prince' card.  In the end, I settle on the latter, since she seems to be working the former herself.

"I don't give away free demos," I sniff and let a smirk show, though she can't see it under my mask.

The dark girl's expression does not betray her, however much I wish it would.  "Pity," she chimes in a light tone.  I half expect her to depart, but her gaze never once deserts mine.  "What do you go by?"

Seeing another chance to drop a flirty line, a thrill lights me up.  "You can call me the Man of Your Dreams," I answer as smooth as molasses.

That causes a hint of amusement to flash across her vision.  "Charming," she comments.

"If you want, I'll be your Prince Charming too." I shift myself towards her.  "And what do they call you?" I feel myself falling into my role quite well.  It's a bit foreign to me, but it gets easier as time goes on.

The girl seems to consider this question before responding.  "Tonight, my name is Nyleve," she finally replies, almost carefully.

I risk leaning my face closer to hers. I want to see what she really looks like, but her skilled make-up job prevents that.  "An alias, huh?  I like it," I rumble.

Nyleve shakes her head, renewing the secretive expression upon her facial features.  "Enough with the idle prattle.  Enlighten me; what pleasantries do you fancy to occupy your time?"

Her words have me practically swaying with confusion.  Luckily, I studied enough Old English to comprehend what she's saying.  "Well, I like to spend my time taking leisure walks around the neighborhood."  That's a lie, but it seems like something a prince would say.  So I roll with it.

   To my surprise, Nyleve lets out a yawn.  "How unfortunate.  I was hoping for a companion to assist me with my evening Halloween pranks," she says as her gaze wanders the room for the first time.

   I brighten, feeling the real me leak out.  "Pranks?" I ask.  "Pranks are my specialty.  I once tricked my whole algebra class into thinking there was a deadly snake roaming the room.  We got to skip class that day for 'safety precautions'."