Still up to no good

[Noel Deveaux]

Sitting low in her seat, Noel wondered why her mother had insisted on driving today. How the woman had managed to get a license was beyond her. It seemed that every few seconds she was hitting the brakes, causing both of them to jerk forward. Noel knew that wasn’t the right way to do it as she’d been in plenty of cars with her muggle boyfriends. As they eased into the mall parking lot, Noel braced herself. She knew what was coming. As they jerked forward once more, her mother broke into French. That meant she was serious. Noel listened as her mother spoke to her about not getting into trouble and learning a lesson from the probation that she’d just finished. “Yes…maman. I understand” Noel replied in English, her voice filled with frustration. She had understood all of the other times her mother had said the same exact thing earlier that day. Finally, they were in front of the mall. One of the conditions of Noel’s probation had been for her to pay her ex-boyfriend back for the damages. Noel’s parents had taken care of that right away, but her mother felt that it would be good for her to pay them back for the amount they’d paid. Her father had reluctantly agreed, saying that it would be good for her to have pocket change, even if it was muggle money. As the car idled, Noel moved her hand to the handle. She had just opened the door when her mother touched her arm. Turning back, Noel’s blue eyes looked into her mother’s which were very much like her own. Her mother’s palm was up and Noel knew what she was asking for. A blush crossed her cheek as she reached into her bag and pulled out her wand. She placed it into her mother’s waiting palm with a bit more force than was probably necessary. Quickly, she slipped out of the car, slamming the door shut and stomping towards the doors. She felt naked without her wand. After a few steps, she heard her mother’s voice yell after her. “3 hours!” Noel simply waved to indicate she’d heard.

Moving with the crush of teenagers and families that were also making their way into the mall, Noel felt a little overwhelmed. She didn’t like the feeling that came with being in a crowd yet so very alone. She pulled her bag closer to her and trudged along, her arms crossed under her chest as she walked past stores she wouldn’t be caught dead in. One in particular she quickly sped past, though she was still careful to peep through the window to see if she would spot her ex. She thought she caught sight of the top of his head. Temptation almost pulled her in to the shop to see what he might say to her, but she kept walking. The girl knew she didn’t need the trouble especially since she was fairly certain she still had feelings for him. Moving to the escalators, Noel decided to try the downstairs part of the mall. She looked around, a small smile coming across her face as she spotted a ‘Help Wanted’ sign. Her eyes moved up to see the name of the store, but that didn’t help her much. It didn’t look to be preppy and her boyfriend didn’t work there, so Noel figured it was worth a try. A moment later, Noel left the shop with an application. From there, her luck was better and by the time an hour had passed she had several applications to fill out. After buying a coffee, Noel made her way back upstairs, planting herself in the lounge area that was directly across from the store her ex worked at. If he happened to come out to the area where she happened to be sitting, would that really be her fault? Noel didn’t think so. She sat and rummaged into her bag, looking for a pen so she could fill out the applications. Finding it, she got to work, her hair falling across her face as she sat hunched over writing the same information over and over again, stealing furtive glances towards the store to see if she would spot him.

 

[Valera Vyhnal]

Valera Vyhnal was ready to start the day off with a trip to the mall. Valera had promised her brother that she would not get in any trouble today, and well, she hoped that she could live up to that promise, though she doubted that she ever could. Trouble just followed her everywhere. Putting on an outfit, Valera felt like she could take over the world with just her shoes alone. They were amazing on her feet, and comfortable to boot. Yet they were not at all that expensive. That was the thing with Valera, she was never flashy. Valera got into her car and she pulled the car out of her driveway. She was going to have to get used to apparating when she chose to move out of her brother’s house and out on her own. She desperately wanted to be alone but her brother had some issues, and she needed to be there for him. Valera sighed and she wondered where all of her friends went off to. No doubt that they turned into little skanks. Just her luck. She was applying to go to art school at some point, but her brother was a bit against her for doing that. She wanted to learn different kinds opposed to just tagging everything she saw. After all that would just land her in more trouble. Turning her radio on, she cruised through the city before she landed at the mall. It was large, and she could barely find a parking spot. Once parked, Valera put her wand away inside of her pants and under her shirt. Serves her right for not bringing anything to carry it in. Grabbing her small purse that could only hold a wallet, she locked her door and walked into the mall.

Once inside, Valera immediately sneered at the others around her. Her dark hair fanned over her shoulders, and she looked around. It would be nice to see Astoria here, but she could not. Oh well. Valera did some walking around before she landed in the lounge area. Her purple hued eyes looked around until she saw a familiar figure. It was that one girl that she had met in the jailhouse a while back. Valera all of a sudden felt excitement to meet with her new friend, and was glad that she did have someone in her life. It looked like she was applying for something, and Valera raised her eyebrows. That was not what Valera expected from her. She was also glancing toward the store. Instead, Valera approached her and she reached out to tap her on the shoulder. “Have some room for one more?” Maybe Noel would be supportive of her idea to go off to art school and get her own life. “I have some news anyway!” Valera was praying that the girl would not turn her away, but then again why would she want to turn her away. She really needed to hear someone approve of her plans after all. She would have turned to Taralynn but she might be busy with Azerail.​

 

[Noel Deveaux]

Noel often got distracted while doing tasks that she considered boring, so it was taking her much longer than it should to fill out the applications that she’d gathered. By the time she’d finished, she’d determined that she was going to go into the store that she’d seen her ex in just to mess with him. The girl knew that she was supposed to be avoiding trouble, but she didn’t really care. Noel wanted him to see what he was missing out on. Taking a sip of her coffee, Noel was disappointed when nothing filled her mouth. She glanced down at the cup, surprised that she had already reached the bottom. A faint smile crossed Noel’s face as she spotted her ex once more. He looked up, almost as if he could sense that he was being watched. The guy looked around the lounge area and then glanced away again. Noel let out a breath, loosening her grip on her cup. She thought he had spotted her, but surely he wouldn’t have looked away so quickly if he had. A trace of sadness covered the girl’s eyes at the thought that perhaps he hadn’t cared that he’d seen her. She found it impossible to believe that he’d moved on so quickly.

As the ghost of a plan began to form itself in her head, Noel felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning at the question, the smirk on Noel’s face dropped into an ‘o’ of surprise when she realized that it was her jailhouse friend. It took a moment for the girl’s name to come to her and by the time she had, Valera had moved on to exclaim that she had some news. The French girl was taken aback for a moment, surprised that Valera was speaking to her as if they were close friends. A tentative smile came across her lips, widening into a more genuine one that reached her blue eyes after only a few seconds. Noel had hoped to see the girl again, but she hadn’t held out much hope for it. Her mother had been keeping a pretty close eye on her ever since her arrest. This was the first time, actually, that the woman had allowed her a moment of solitude. “Sit! Sit! It’s so good to see you, Valera. Tell me your news” Noel replied as she scooted over to make some room. The seat was really meant for one, but the girls were both so slim that she didn’t doubt that they could both sit together. Noel was excited to be speaking to someone her age once more. Her old friends had basically abandoned her since finding out that she was on lockdown, and she’d lost a few others who had been more her ex’s friend than her own.

 

[Valera Vyhnal]

Valera thought that it might have been sadness that the girl was portraying right now, but Valera knew that her friend, if that was what one could call it, would be happy with her news unlike some people in the world. She would keep them nameless. Well, it was her brother over anyone else. She was sure that others would be happy for her, which she was counting on Noel to be anyway, even if the two girls did not know each other well and met inside of a cell. That would be interesting to tell the kids. If the two had a friendship that would go that long. It would be something nice though. Valera sighed and she looked around before she sat down next to Noel on the bench clearly not made for two people. Valera was tiny though, so she fit with Noel easily. "I am just glad that I ran into someone that I knew here. And I thought I was going to explode if someone didn't know what I want to do." She needed someone to tell her that she needed to chase after this dream of hers, and then she would feel satisfied. She needed this more than anything else in the entire world.

"Anyway, my news is that... You remember why I got arrested? Tagging buildings and stuff? Well, I've been tamed enough to hide it from muggl-er, cops, and now I want to go to art school. I applied, and I got accepted to one right here in Boston!" Noel might be happy for her. She was wanting this her whole life, and she wanted to make sure that she could perform art, and become a real artist with a certain style. She needed to know all of the styles. She had to know more. "But my brother is against me going to college for art. He doesn't think that I can get a stable living with that." Valera did not want to play Quidditch or anything like that. She mainly just thought that her brother was trying to control her life. And Valera hated to be controlled or anything related. Valera sighed and waited for Noel'swords.​

 

[Noel Deveaux]

Noel nodded, though she wasn’t exactly sure what it was that Valera wanted to do. She seemed awfully excited though, and she didn’t seem the type to get excited about just anything. “Yeeeea?” she replied when Valera asked if she remembered why she had been arrested. Noel’s big blue eyes looked warily around to see if anyone had heard. It didn’t appear that anyone had. Valera’s news was enough to distract Noel from any worries though. A genuine smile slowly made its way across Noel’s face as Valera finished. She was about to speak up when Valera continued, mentioning that her father was against her going to art school. “Are you serious? How could he be against it?” she stated, “That sounds really amazing!” It really did. Noel wished that she had some kind of talent like that that would help her get her life moving in a positive direction. She knew that she could probably go to a muggle college, but the idea of going back to school right now wasn’t exactly one that Noel felt ready to embrace. That was another reason why getting a job didn’t sound like such a terrible idea. She needed to do something with her time, after all.

Blue eyes noting her friend’s excitement, Noel waited a moment to hear if Valera had come to a decision. When she didn’t speak, Noel realized that she was waiting for her to say something. “So, are you going to go? You should.” Noel stated, wondering if Valera was daring enough to go against her brother. She thought that she was, but she knew, from their brief conversation, that Valera lived with her brother. She had seen the guy briefly as she had headed out of the precinct. He was too good-looking to be too strict, at least in Noel’s opinion. Glancing back towards the store, Noel caught sight of her ex-boyfriend once more. She quickly looked back to Valera, pretending that she hadn’t spotted anything interesting.

 

[Valera Vyhnal]

Valera grinned a bit, since she was just so happy that she could go to art school. That was her dream. She would learn and appreciate other forms of art besides tagging buildings and painting in her room where she would overhear her brother being a brat like he always was. He was against her leaving the house but she snuck out all of the time. Now if she could just find her own place to live, that would be awesome. However she was still sure that Jarrett would throw a fit. She would be going off to live in a dorm and by on her own. That sounded scary, but it would still be cool. "I am serious! Thanks! I am really looking forward to going through with the college experience. My brother is really overprotective and does not want me to go off to college where I will be by myself and on my own." Valera shrugged and knew that this was the best course for her. She needed this more than anything in the world, and how her brother would not understand was beyond her. She just wanted to learn more about art and develop more techniques. She needed this to become a true artist in the world.

Noel said that she should go and Valera decided right then and there that she was going to go. She had to. She needed this opportunity in her life and no one was going to stand in her way. "You know, I think I will. This is something I need more than anything else. I will go!" Valera felt happier now that she had some back up on her side. She beamed, positively loving this attention and the praise. That did not happen much at all. She saw Noel look toward a store, and wondered what was going on there. She decided to ask, "Why were you looking into that store? Do you want to go in there to find something?" Valera was innocent to what she had seen, so she had no idea what was going on.
​

 

[Noel Deveaux]

Noel had never seen Valera this excited, which wasn't saying too much since this was only the second time that she had ever met with the girl. There really hadn't been much to smile about last time anyway. It was still nice to see someone excited about school. She sort of wished her mother was in the mall listening in on the conversation. It would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce her to Valera. Her mother was always going on about how she needed to hang out with people who were doing good things with their life, and Valera seemed to fit that description. It'd probably be best to leave out where they first met though. A small smile on her face, Noel couldn't remember the last time she'd been excited about school. It had probably been when she had first started at Salem. Then, she'd discovered boys.

Noel blushed as she realized she had been caught staring into the store. Better Valera catch you than him she reminded herself as her blue eyes turned to the girl before her. Noel recalled that she had explained why she had been arrested to Valera, but she wasn't sure if she had explained the entire story. "My ex is in there" she stated with a shrug. "And I've been debating with myself for a while about going up to him or leaving him alone and just handing in my job applications." Noel definitely had unfinished business with her former boyfriend. He'd gotten her arrested! "It's probably not worth it" Noel added with a shake of her head, trying to convince herself against making a bad decision. It usually didn't work, but it was worth it to try anyway.

 

[Valera Vyhnal]

She just could not help her excitement since her life finally started to take off and in a good direction for one. At least she would not have to worry about the color orange ruining her normally black look. She considered Noel a friend though, by now. She was a good person, despite her temper. She admired her so much. If Valera swung that way, she would have been all over this girl. Valera looked back at the store when Noel mentioned that her ex was in there. Was that why she was nervous? Wait, maybe not that. She looked back toward the store for a brief moment, and then remembered how they first met. She got mad at her ex and busted up the car. Valera nodded, and she mused, "Ohhh, now I understand." Valera did not have any luck with boys, and didn't really want any luck either. Boys brought drama.

Valera would have to disagree with Noel. It was worth it. It was his fault that she was arrested! At least, that was the way she saw it. "Well, you should go in there and hand in your job application. Maybe, if he says anything, that can be your chance to go up to him?" Though the more the young woman thought over it, the more that it seemed like it would be a good idea. Plus, she might need some backup. In her back pocket, she had a set of brass knuckles, and she could use them i a fight in case he said something bad. Then it would be self-defense. "And, if he does say anything, I can right there with you, backing you up! Handling a situation with someone is ten times better!" Whether or not Noel would take her up on that offer was up to her.​

 

[Noel Deveaux]

Valera was such a cool girl. Noel could see them becoming really close friends, though she was also just as sure that her mother would disapprove. It was just another reason to pursue the friendship. Noel so enjoyed annoying her mother. But, it was more than that. Valera just seemed to get Noel as a person. As she indicated that she understood, Noel nodded slowly, her blue eyes looking over to Valera.

When her friend indicated that they should go on to hand in her application, she shook her head. "Nonono. This application isn't for that store." Noel would never have dared to enter that particular store alone. With Valera, however? Now there was an interesting idea. With a mischievous look on her face, Noel gazed in the direction of the store once more. "But, if you still wanted to go inside, that could be fun." She spotted her ex-boyfriend once again, this time willing him to look in her direction. As if she had the power to control him, the muggle turned to gaze out the window of the shop. Noel held up her hand and wiggled her fingers to say hello, the smile frozen on her face. Even from this distance, Noel could see him visibly pale before he turned away, banging into a co-worker and causing her to drop the boxes she was carrying. "Yes, it'd be a lot of fun" she repeated as she stood up.

 

[Valera Vyhnal]

Valera looked slightly confused when Noel said that the application was not for that store. Then what store was it? Valera wondered over the stores before she realized that any of them would be good to work in. The environment alone was favorable. Either way, as long as she got a job where she wanted. Valera only wanted the best for her friend. By now, Valera considered Noel her friend. She nodded to say as if she understood that the application was not for that store. She looked toward the store where her ex might have been at. She certainly did not see anyone cute there, so maybe he left? Then again, rarely anyone caught her attention.

Valera had this mischievous look upon her young features. Valera noticed that someone looked into the window and she agreed, "I think it could be." What happened to the guy was that he got pale and ended up making a mess. A burst of laughter escaped from Valera as she got up, letting Noel out of the seat before she motioned with her hand. "We can really drive him crazy, and regret for what he did to you." Her hand hovered over her pocket, where her wand was, but for all she knew, the boy was a muggle. She couldn't do that. Or...could she? Well, it would be new meat for once, and it would be heaps of fun. What was there to lose?​

 

[Noel Deveaux]

Noel tried her best to bite down on the grin that was forming on her face. It was nice to have a girlfriend again. Ever since her little bout of trouble, Noel had lost most of the people in her group. Either they had been friendlier with her boyfriend or their parents had forbidden them from hanging out with her. It was a shame, but Noel had slowly come to realize that they weren’t really her friends anyway. They were from different worlds. Standing up to her full height, Noel moved the papers around so that they were more organized. She glanced down at Valera’s hand and shook her head. Lowering her voice to a whisper, Noel placed her hand on her friend’s arm. “No wands…he’s not worth you getting into that kind of trouble.” Valera had dreams now, and Noel wasn’t going to let her do anything to keep those dreams from happening. The Ministry people who handled unauthorized wand use were no joke, and they wouldn’t hesitate to snap a wand.

Heading for the store with her head held high, Noel could feel the excitement flooding through her. It always happened when she was about to get into some kind of trouble. The girl wondered if something was wrong with her. Surely, it wasn’t good to be excited about doing something that could cause trouble. “Let’s have some fun” she stated, linking her arm with Valera’s arm.

 

[Valera Vyhnal]

Valera heard Noel mentioned that he was not worth her getting into that kind of trouble. Valera pouted slightly, knowing that she would have to just live with it, one way or another. That was not fair! She would have loved to hex that guy a new one. But then again, it was not like she couldn't erase his memories afterward. Then she would not get in any trouble at all! She whispered back, "Nothing a good obliviate can't take care of... But if you insist." Valera's hand snaked away from her pocket where her wand was cleverly stored, and rested lazily at her side. Well, it seemed that she would not be hexing anyone today and that was a real shame. Valera looked forward to using her magic. Once she was in the art school, she would not have any access to magic. Well, she didn't want to get in trouble with the Ministry, now that she thought about it.

Noel linked her arm with Valera's, and her purple eyes looked toward her friend as they were inside the store. Have some fun? Valera asked, "What kind of fun can we have?" Valera wondered what would really get to Noel's ex, and she was up for anything, except going to flirt with him. Valera never had success with talking to guys with anything but her fist. She did not know how to adjust to it. She would tell Noel that if that was what she was referring to.​