"What's in a name?"

[NAYELI ROY]

"Boy,that sure is nice of your ma and pa to let that kid - Nate - freeload stay at your house while Karson is... away."

Elle paused for a moment, "Well, see, the thing is... My parents really aren't home a lot. Ever, really. And we've got a big house, big property.. even if they were home, they probably wouldn't notice Nate. Anyway, Nate likes to hang around still, even though Karson is.. off doing whatever he does. We just hang out all the time. He said he likes being around me better than being at home. I don't know why he'd prefer me to his old apartment though.."

"Oh... Elle is just fine with me - I was just curious since I was thinkin' on that yesterday when you texted me. Sorry."

She cringed, regretful for snapping at him. It wasn't his fault..
"Sorry, Brax. I didn't mean to be hot-tempered. I just get sick of hearing everyone ask. I don't care if you call me Nayeli."

"Wow... That's so wonderful. I really like your name,... Nayeli."

She rolled her eyes, "Well it's annoying sometimes. I mean, I'm obviously not Native American. At all. And the language, people and name have absolutely nothing to do with me or my family. I don't feel like it fits me at all."

She frowned slightly, staring at her hands on the counter top.

[BRAXTON NIBS]

"I wonder if you're lonesome tonight.
You know someone said that the worlds a stage,
And each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart."
________________________________________________________________________________

"Well, see, the thing is... My parents really aren't home a lot. Ever, really. And we've got a big house, big property.. even if they were home, they probably wouldn't notice Nate. Anyway, Nate likes to hang around still, even though Karson is.. off doing whatever he does. We just hang out all the time. He said he likes being around me better than being at home. I don't know why he'd prefer me to his old apartment though.."

Boy, did she talk fast! He wondered how strange it would feel to pronounce /all/ those syllables and consonants. Braxton just nodded along to what she was saying. It weren't concerning him, and it'd just get him fired up 'gain if he heard some boy was hangin' around her like a good-fuh-nothin'..... No, he wouldn't finish that even in his head.
Southerns, had a love for them vowels -- stretching them out and cutting off as many consonants as possible; but in the north, them speak each consonant as fast as they can get them out. it was horrible.

"Sorry, Brax. I didn't mean to be hot-tempered. I just get sick of hearing everyone ask. I don't care if you call me Nayeli."

Braxton remembered when he got a new teacher in school once who was a "Yankee." She was incredibly rude, obnoxious, and just mean at times because she thought she's better than you if you were born south of the Mason/Dixie line. Miss. Nancy Northerner left only a year after she came to his school, since she couldn't stand southern accents, but obviously no one had evuh'forced her to listen to herself talk.

"Huh? Oh.. It's alrigh'; I can see how that'd go get yur' gussie up too." But Lordy -- She got madder than a wet hen in a tote sack. No need to get excited/upset.

Ever since then, Braxton and all his friends had been taught to think that all northerns sounded like loud, rude, arrogant fast talkers with a stick up their ass for lookin' down their noses at ya'll. It took meeting Nayeli and getting to know her, that Braxton had to change his mind on northerners a bit. So maybe not everyone was judgemental, rude, arrogant as the southeren stereotype of them went. She still talked funny though, that wouldn't change.

She rolled her eyes, "Well it's annoying sometimes. I mean, I'm obviously not Native American. At all. And the language, people and name have absolutely nothing to do with me or my family. I don't feel like it fits me at all."

Braxton laughed and gave her another lopsided grin. Course she aint no Injun, Elle's fairer than a red-headed niece! Well not really, she still had some color to her but he liked teasing her anyways. "A name isn't any less beautiful, or less meaningful just 'cos you don't have a relation to it. I think it fits you perfectly." She was unique, and beautiful, and meant alot to him. Her name was unique, and beautiful sounding, and had alot of meanin' to it. it means 'i love you' for them..

"Hey -- anything is better than," he sat up and took on a bourgeoisie air with a very formal, stuffy, english accent, "Braxton Nigel Nibbs." He shook his head and chuckled. He had no idea what his mother was thinking when she named him. It was probably grandad's suggestion, he figured.

______________________________________________________________________
"Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?"

[/font]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NHLsrWAw9k&NR=1
[/center]

[NAYELI ROY]

"A name isn't any less beautiful, or less meaningful just 'cos you don't have a relation to it. I think it fits you perfectly."

She smiled at him. He really was a sweet guy, and he liked her for who she was. Which included the snoring, many guy friends and the slightly stuffy, rich upbringing. Although he might not know much about the last part, considering she was almost nothing like her parents and she didn’t mention them often.

Oddly enough, she had been raised in a very strict household, with rules about proper manners and social behavior out in public. Nayeli had abided faithfully by these rules until her brother turned eighteen and decided he didn’t need the rules anymore. When he left, her parents had basically deemed her “the good child” and expected her to be even more perfect and charming than her brother had been.

Charming, she could pull off. Perfect, not so much.

After her brother had left, she quickly picked up on different behaviors while her parents were away.

She teamed up with Karson and Nathan and they showed her everything that she hadn’t been allowed to do in the Roy’s household; fishing, hiking, playing sports, riding horses, playing with dogs, hunting, exploring getting dirty in the woods, getting dirty, period.

She loved it.

"Hey -- anything is better than, Braxton Nigel Nibbs."

She giggled at his fake English accent.

"Braxton Nigel Nibbs," she tried, wrinkling her nose as she heard her British accent turn Aussie spontaneously.

"Well, you aren't supposed to say it that way, silly. You're supposed to say it like this," Her voice slipped into a perfect southern accent, "Braxton Nigel Nibbs." Her mouth curved up into a delighted smile as she heard the perfect soft twang in her voice.

'I sound like one of the Dixie Chicks,' she mused.


(I had to add in the last part, since I've been listening to the Dixie Chicks for the last two days. XD)

[BRAXTON NIBS]

"I wonder if you're lonesome tonight.
You know someone said that the worlds a stage,
And each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart."
________________________________________________________________________________

"Braxton Nigel Nibbs," her "British" accent changin' to Australian half through. "Well, you aren't supposed to say it that way, silly. You're supposed to say it like this, Braxton Nigel Nibbs." Her mouth curved up into a delighted smile at her southern impression.

He couldn' help it. He started grinnin' like a mule eatin' briars. That was so cotton-pickin' cute! Did she have to be all irresistable and pretend to be not interested in him?

Braxton still remembered catching her looking at him with that... "look" in her eye when he had his shirt off both last night and earlier. Braxton wasn't always as aloof as he appeared, (as hard as that seems to believe,) though he tried his best to keep it from gettin' to his head.

"Aint that the berries!" he laughed at her southern twang immitation. "Well, aren't you jus' a southern belle? You ought to just come to Texas an' you'll fitt righ' in." he teased her and offered another crooked-to-die-for-gawjhus smile. Though that wasn't half bad idea. She'd get along with his friends back home; his mother certainly would like to meet her; and if she could ride a horse, well, she could just stay at the ranch and help out with the chores.

He rememberd the ol' sayin' Ray, his pa -- the one his mother was married to, not his biological father o'course -- used to tell him: just enough fleas is good for a dog to keep him from thinking on being a dog.

Nayeli was more else one of those fleas. Small, perfectly cozy at where they're at, keep him scratchin' at his head, and just enough trouble to handle -- as long as she wasn't bein' all cute as a coondog, anyways.

Braxton reached his hand back into his pocket to check the time. Shoo, they'd have to be leavin' pretty darn soon if he wasn't going to be late and get another detention.

"Hey, we got head out, cowgirl. School is going to start here, and I need to change my shirt first." He stood up and waited for her, before grabbing his wallet and keys from off her nightstand where he left them.

______________________________________________________________________
"Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?"

[/font]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NHLsrWAw9k&NR=1
[/center]

[NAYELI ROY]

"Aint that the berries! Well, aren't you jus' a southern belle? You ought to just come to Texas an' you'll fitt righ' in."

Nayeli's face lit up. She had gotten it right! But she doubted that Quincy, Illinois was considered south, so southern belle was way off. But it felt good to hear his praise all the same, even if he was teasing.

Texas sounded like heaven. She'd always wanted to go there, to see the sun shining bright in the middle or the clear bright blue sky and the red dust of the mountains. Everything seemed perfect.

"I wish I could. It's been a few years since I last was out in the country on a horse. I'd like to do it again."

"Hey, we got head out, cowgirl. School is going to start here, and I need to change my shirt first."

Cowgirl. She smiled brightly. Somehow, she might be able to pull that off..

"Alright, Brax. Lets get you back to your dorm to change. The last thing we need is for the teachers to think you're some sort of vagabond, ruffian type of guy." She steered him towards the door, grabbing her cell phone on the way.

"Let's go, cowboy," Nayeli grinned up at him and pulled him out into the fresh sunshine.




(meh... tis short..)

[CHARITY NELSON]

"Well, shoot. Now I'm jus' more lost than a chickin' with it's head missin'..." Poor little Charity, she never was much good at following directions. Whether they be how to behave properly, or to find her dorm room. Directions of any kind just were not her style. Well, maybe she should have made an exception. Because at the moment, she was completely and hopelessly lost. Lost like an ant in the middle of a Fourth of July picnic table- she had no Idea where to start.

She was turning in a circle, trying to decide which hall was the correct one to take to find her dorm room. Luckily, she had been smart and left her 'effects' behind at the lobby, opting to find her room first, then carry her bags there. No need to carry them longer than necessary, right?

She was going down one hall, decided that it was the wrong one, then doubled back to switch. "Well this is jus' wronger than a cow herdin' dogs. Tha' can' be righ'...." She then started down a different hall, totally guessing at that point. About halfway down the hall, she turned around and was walking backwards, trying to decide if the hall she had tried about two tries back was the right one. Of course, when they say you should always watch your back, or have someone who can watch it for ya', they didn't mean it theoretically. Not in Charity's case anyways, because she couldn't walk down the hall without backing smack dab into a couple of people.

She turned on a heel, quickly apologizing, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn' mean to back righ' inta y'all-" She then paused, taking in just who exactly she had run into. It was none other than Braxton Nigel Nibs. And a girl. Well, shoot. She was pretty. And Charity felt the need to lasso Brax and pull him away right then and there. 'Now, now, Char, be nice. No need to get yer gussie up just yet...' She had to calm herself down silently before biting her lip, "Oh, Uhm... Brax... I didn' know you wen'ta school here..." She then suddenly seemed to remember her manners as she turned to the girl, "Oh, dear, Well my momma would jus' have fits if she knew I forgot my manners like that. I'm Charity, How'd'ya do?" She then held out a hand expectantly toward the blonde with a smile, all the while trying to read the body language between her and Brax. People were just as readable as horses, as long as ya knew the right signals to watch for.

TAG: Nayeli and Brax! :D
WORDS:

[/color] Uh.... too lazy to copy and paste this into a word counter
MUSE:[/color] None, sadly. Haha, I'm just kidding. The epic music of WILLIAM JOSEPH. :D Oh, and some Carrie Underwood music too.
CLOTHING:[/color] See that picture...? Yeah, that would be it.
NOTES:[/color]
CREDIT:[/color] TILLY of caution 2.0.[/font][/left][/size]

[BRAXTON NIBS]

"I wonder if you're lonesome tonight.
You know someone said that the worlds a stage,
And each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart."
______________________________________________________________

"I wish I could. It's been a few years since I last was out in the country on a horse. I'd like to do it again."

It was the middle of April. May came next. School would be out soon and that meant summer vacation she could come visit him. It would be as a easy as pecan pie. Braxton tried to imagine what impact his yankee friend would have at the ranch. Boy, his friends would talk more than all git out. Braxton couldn't wait.

"Don'worry 'bout that, Elle. You can learn the ropes again with my mare, Luna - she's a big ol' swee'heart. How about you come on down for a visit this summer?"

He would show her everything. The town sights, his favorite shops, main street to downtown. He'd bring her to the ranch to meet the boys, the herd, his horses and take her out on Luna and Tahoe - his favorite - to his special spot out in the fields. It was a perfect spot for just about anythun' or anyones; but it was special because it /his/ spot o'land that went forever, had a gully, trees to climb or rest under, ect.

Braxton smiled at her and held out his arm to escort Nayeli to class. The second she didn't expect anything startling to happen, he planned on half-skipping/mostly running down the hallways singing "We're off to see the Wizard!" like a madman. But just as he was about to start off pulling her down the hallway, someone walked straight into them like a blind fool which made his heart jump a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn' mean to back righ' inta y'all-"

He turned around to confront the person to watch where they goin', and froze in place with his jaw dropped. His palms began to sweat and his heart beat raced like the Kentucky Derby.

Time froze for seconds.

"Oh, Uhm... Brax... I didn' know you wen'ta school here..."

Charity. What in the world was she doin' in New York? Well wasn't that just....... surprising, shocking, startling, sensational. When his mother sent him away to Baum, Braxton didn't even have a sense 'bout the place other than it was in NYC and his grandfather, living in Georgia was the closest to him, was fourteen hours away.

Braxton never had the chance to tell her goodbye or explain what was happening since he was only given a few hours to pack his suitcases before his flight.
He felt the old feelings of guilt for leaving her, happiness that she was with him now, and surprise to how she found him at Baum.
But here she was, and there he was, with Nayeli.

"Oh, dear, Well my momma would jus' have fits if she knew I forgot my manners like that. I'm Charity, How'd'ya do?"

Braxton took a step away from Nayeli towards the left as Charity and her introduced and shook hands. He couldn't speak or feel anything other than his heart trying to jump out o'his chest, beatin' away like that.

"Charity!" he said with the surprise still in his voice as he reached out and put his arm around her.
"Erm.. Yeah, I go here - you know how my mother is.." Neurotic. Critical. Narcisstic. Hypocritical. Condescending. "When did you get here?" He kissed her on the cheek lightly and moved back away to give her some room.

He hoped she didn't get the wrong impression of him and Nayeli.. He liked her, really cared about her - HE SLEPT WITH HER - but they were just friends, right?

"Nayeli is a close friend of mine. She's a senior here at Baum Academy." he tried to explain the awkward situation. "Nayeli -- Charity, is my girlfriend from back home.. "

Oh boy was he fixin' for the whippin' o'his life.

_________________________________________________________________
"Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?"

[/font]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NHLsrWAw9k&NR=1
[/center]

[NAYELI ROY]

"Don'worry 'bout that, Elle. You can learn the ropes again with my mare, Luna - she's a big ol' swee'heart. How about you come on down for a visit this summer?"

"Are you serious, Brax!? I'd LOVE to!!" She squealed with delight. Her, in Texas? That was a dream come true.

She walked with Braxton, arm-in-arm down the hall.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn' mean to back righ' inta y'all-"

When someone backed into her, she stumbled a bit, but smiled politely at the girl. She hadn't meant to.

"Oh, Uhm... Brax... I didn' know you wen'ta school here...Oh, dear, Well my momma would jus' have fits if she knew I forgot my manners like that. I'm Charity, How'd'ya do?"

Then she looked up at Braxton's face.
He was completely dumbstruck.

Well.. this didn't seem right somehow.
Elle's stomach clenched as she followed Braxton's gaze to the girl's face. This didn't feel good at all.

"Nayeli is a close friend of mine. She's a senior here at Baum Academy. Nayeli -- Charity, is my girlfriend from back home.. "

Girlfriend, huh? She couldn't say she was surprised. Braxton was a good guy.

Elle nodded slowly, her narrowed eyes fixed on the girl before her. She was pretty, and just quite as Texan as Braxton was. They were two peas in a pod. This thought made Elle's insides curl up angrily. She felt like she was made of stone as she gave Charity and big, but slightly frosty, smile.

"Hello. Chastity, was it? I'm Nayeli Roy. Nice to meet you."


(points for mean girl!! On purpose, changing her name)

[CHARITY NELSON]

Woah, woah, hold yer horses there. Braxton looked, well, geuinely surprised, and as he should be. After all, Charity had no idea that he was there, after he just up and disappeared off the face of Texas. Not even a letter, or a call. He just... was gone. Like a Jackrabbit into a hole after being chased by a ky-ote. She had been mad, and sadder than a coondog after he lost a trail, but she couldn't really blame Braxton. She did know what his mother was like after all.

Charity didn't really move when he put his arm around her, after all, how was she supposed to react? She hadn't seen Braxton since he left, and now here he was, with some girl. She nodded a little, "Well, I go'ta New York yessirday... An' I came ta campus t'day..." She didn't go into detail about the whole show circuit, and how her momma decided she wanted to send Charity to school in New York so that she could train with Dillon there. Charity didn't partic'larly want to go to New York, but Charity's momma seemed to think it was best. And, well, Charity didn't get her stubbornness from nowheres.

Charity looked up at the girl as she introduced herself, and then she corrected, "It's Charity, act'ally... Though if tha's too hard fer ya, then folks call me Cherry. It's nice ta mee'cha, Nayeli." She nodded a little, a smile just as cold as a glass of ice-cold lemonade, of course, with the extra sugar to cover up the sour taste of the lemons. Charity would never want to make a bad first impression, though she definitely wasn't too excited about the fact that Brax, her Brax had just walked out the door with this girl, and his clothes were all mussed up. Which really had her wonderin', just what did they do?

She looked from Brax to Nayeli, then she nodded a little, partly satisfied remembering how Brax explained that Nayeli was a good friend of his. They had better be nothin' more, because otherwise, Brax would be in a heap of trouble. Heck, he prob'ly already was.

Charity bit her lip, then held up a slip of paper, "Brax, you know I never was any good at followin' direc-shuns. Do you know where this here dorm is? I think I'm as lost as a cow in a corn-field, I dun know which way's up an'more..." She shook her head a little, then looked up at him expectantly, as if trying to communicate with a 'We need ta talk. About all o' this' look. She was just hoping he'd get it.

TAG: Nayeli and Brax! :D
WORDS:

[/color] Uh.... too lazy to copy and paste this into a word counter
MUSE:[/color] None, sadly. Haha, I'm just kidding. The epic music of WILLIAM JOSEPH. :D Oh, and some Carrie Underwood music too.
CLOTHING:[/color] See that picture...? Yeah, that would be it.
NOTES:[/color]
CREDIT:[/color] TILLY of caution 2.0.[/font][/left][/size]

[BRAXTON NIBS]

"I wonder if you're lonesome tonight.
You know someone said that the worlds a stage,
And each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart."
______________________________________________________________

"Well, I go'ta New York yessirday... An' I came ta campus t'day..."

He was a dead man. It was a fact that he would be slaught'red like the fat prize winnin' calf and Char would eat his heart out'ta his chest before devouring the rest of him. She was all smiles and politeness like southern hospitality demands, but he could see though the nicety.

"It's Charity, act'ally... Though if tha's too hard fer ya, then folks call me Cherry. It's nice ta mee'cha, Nayeli."

He watched Charity nod a little and give a smile as hard as diamond - it was like a she-wolf barring her teeth - a smile that assured she wasn't easily beaten or going to give up.

She looked from Brax to Nayeli. Then she nodded a little. Braxton continued to look for her every movement; waiting for her to pounce on him and claw out his eyes, rip off his limbs, tear him to shreds.

But nothing happened.

"Brax, you know I never was any good at followin' direc-shuns. Do you know where this here dorm is? I think I'm as lost as a cow in a corn-field, I dun know which way's up an'more..."

Braxton exhaled and let go of some of the tension he was carrying. He grabbed the slip of paper from Charity, ran his thumbs across it to smooth it out and read it. Dorm 4S.

He looked around the courtyard as people headed towards classes around campus. Once he knew his surroundings and had his bearings back, he handed back the paper and replied, "Yeah, shore I know where yall headin', but yall are goin' the wrong way, Char." Time was gonna be tight if he were to grab himself a new shirt to put on and bring her to where her dorm was located.

"Nayeli, I'm goin' to run Charity to where her dorm is - do you mind if I see you later on? - Thanks again for.. (he couldn't just say thanks for letting me sleep in your bed last night, now could he? course not if he wanted to continue being the southern gentleman he thought of himself as, and wanted to keep his girlfriend around.) ..everything."

He smiled at Nayeli and grabbed the bag Charity was carrying to put over his shoulder and took hold of one she was pulling along. "Well, I guess I better be seeing you later, Elle. Don't want to get tardy to class."

_________________________________________________________________
"Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?"

[/font]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NHLsrWAw9k&NR=1
[/center]

[NAYELI ROY]

Elle didn't really care to listen to the girl as she prattled about getting to school or her name.

She did notice, however, the look she gave Braxton when she asked for help with finding her dorm.

Elle's light blue eyes were ice as she studied the girl.

"Nayeli, I'm goin' to run Charity to where her dorm is - do you mind if I see you later on? Thanks again for....everything."

Braxton was avoiding the fact he stayed in her room. Well played, boy. Nicely done. Well, if Charity was really as syrupy sweet as she was acting, she really wouldn't mind, and would obviously understand the situation.

Elle's lips curved up into an amused and somewhat devious smile.

She was Nayeli Carita Roy, Goddamnit! And she was gonna make her momma proud for once in her life!

"Yes, Brax. It sure was nice having you. You're welcome to stay over night anytime you like."

"Well,I guess I better be seeing you later, Elle. Don't want to get tardy to class."

"Be sure to change your shirt, dude. Don't forget. You don't want people noticing you in the same clothes as yesterday. They'll think you're just the average ruffian."

Elle threw a somewhat smug look at the other girl, then turned on her heel, wishing she'd have been close enough to Charity to catch her in the face with the golden locks, and flounced away to hurry to her first class.

Sometimes, being raised to be a snot had its advantages..

[CHARITY NELSON]

"Yeah, shore I know where yall headin', but yall are goin' the wrong way, Char."

Charity nodded, "Well Tha' fig'ers. I really'm confused. This New York place shur is confusin'." She then shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh. Of course, then Braxton, being the gentleman he is(or at least holding the appearance of one), had to thank Nayeli. For 'everything.' Whatever that entailed, and Charity would find out exactly what it entailed.

"Yes, Brax. It sure was nice having you. You're welcome to stay over night anytime you like."

Wait, wait, wait. Now did Nayeli just try to throw it in her face that Braxton had spent the night in her dorm(and possibly did things she really didn't want to know about)? Oh, she did. And now she was going to die. A slow and painful death. Charity clenched her jaw ever so slightly and was about to go off when Nayeli continued.

"Be sure to change your shirt, dude. Don't forget. You don't want people noticing you in the same clothes as yesterday. They'll think you're just the average ruffian."

...And then she left. Oh no she did not. 'I can' believe she jus' said tha'. Ohhhh, she had better watch'er back. An' sleep with one eye op'n. My daddy didn' fin' out 'bout my sneakin' ou' all these years fer sum reas'n, an' she'd never know I was comin'. She'd be more startled than a horse with a cactus in its tail. An' she'd be runnin' like one too.'

Her train of thought was interrupted then when Braxton took her bags. She didn't fight him, she knew he would have taken them in the end anyways, but she didn't follow him right away. She just watched as he said good bye to Nayeli.

"Well, I guess I better be seeing you later, Elle. Don't want to get tardy to class."

After that was over, she ran after him, grabbing the bag he had on his shoulder to tug on it in order to assure that she had Brax's complete and undivided attention, "D'ya mind explainin' wha' tha' was back there? An' why you spent the night in her dorm?" She emphasized the word 'her' with such bitterness, the acidity could've eaten a hole through the entire hoover dam. Or eaten a hole in the ground and caused a second massive oil leak off the coast of Texas. Of course, now she was pissed. And completely showing it as she walked along next to Braxton, thought she got the feeling it would take a heck of a lot more time than they had for him to explain things.

TAG: Nayeli and Brax! :D
WORDS:

[/color] Uh.... too lazy to copy and paste this into a word counter
MUSE:[/color] None, sadly. Haha, I'm just kidding. The epic music of WILLIAM JOSEPH. :D Oh, and some Carrie Underwood music too.
CLOTHING:[/color] See that picture...? Yeah, that would be it.
NOTES:[/color]
CREDIT:[/color] TILLY of caution 2.0.[/font][/left][/size]