Paisley Dolvo

With a soft smile at the squeeze of her hand, he shook his head. “No, no, my parents couldn’t care less about blood purity. ‘It’s what’s in your heart, not what’s in your blood,’ my mom always says,” he added with a laugh. “But then, we haven’t had a pureblood in our family for about three generations, so that does help.”

“Lucky you.” She laughed with a smile. “My mother nearly pulled me out of school when I told her about my friend Charlie.” She rolled her eyes. “She’s still angry at me for that actually.” 

“Well, I have been told I’m just a giant child,” he laughed. “I think I like colour too much to be a ‘proper adult’,” he added, putting air quotes around the last two words. “But no, I- uh, I was homeschooled, so that doesn’t help the whole job application process either. Lucky for me, I love dealing with kids and they don’t seem to hate me, so I got my dream anyway.”

“Well color is a necessity in life.” She agreed with a grin and a shake of her colorful wrist bangles. “Homeschooled? Explains why I never seen you in school. We are close in age right? Or am I completely wrong and we are no were near the same age?”

“That’s good,” he exhaled the breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding. “I mean, good that you’re open minded, you know. Not everyone is open to different things, especially when it comes to a different opinion to their parents.”

“Well we all have to be our own people right?” She said with a smile, squeezing his hand gently. “Do your parents hold such strong views?”

Josh wanted to disagree, loving learning more about her, but he also knew there was a line between interested and creepy, and he wanted to stay far from that line. “Childcare worker, yeah. Like teaching but more games and less homework,” he laughed.

“Oh that’s fun! Little ones are the sweetest!” She grinned at him. “Why childcare if I may ask? Just a soft spot?”

“Oh,” Josh spoke simply, rubbing at the back of his neck as he considered her words carefully, suddenly wondering if he should be telling her the truth about his own blood status or not. “And you? You, uh, you not a fan of blood mixing either?”

Paisley gave him a confused look at his question. “Why should it matter? Blood status I mean, not my opinion on it. Though I guess that doesn’t matter either. Everyone has their own opinion.” She told him, reaching for his hand so they didn’t get lost in the crowd. “If I cared about blood status I wouldn’t been here with everyone else. But my pureblood mother failed in making me care.” 

“That’s amazing! So you’re going to be taking the world by storm in no time, huh?”

She laughed and shrugged. “Maybe. I hope so? It’s silly really, if you ask my mother she thinks it’s a waste of time. She’s got my room waiting for when I come back home from this ‘little rebelion.” She shook her head with her hand. “Sorry, sorry. That was to much. Enough about me. Tell me more about you? You’re a teacher?”

He nodded softly as they walked, a smile on his face as he learnt more about her. “Have you tried any of those clubs with the open mic night things?”

Paisley nodded back, looking over and up at him. “A couple. I’m becoming a regular at one of Tuesday nights and my bar let’s me sing from time to time.” 

“Great!” he grinned, thrilled they had moved on from his awkwardness. “Have you tried the clowns? It’s all about timing as you put the balls in and I know they look super weird, but they’re so satisfying to win from.”

Paisley shook her head as they headed to the game. “I haven’t, I’m terrible at these. My mother never used to let me come to things like this. To much mixed blood for her liking. I feel like I missed out on so much.” 

“I do, I mean, just for fun at home, not in front of people or anything,” he laughed. “Great! Do you want me to carry that for you? Not that I’m saying you can’t I just- If you want.”

She grinned at him, moving to walk beside him. “I’m a little protective of Talula so I’m going to say no. but the offer was really sweet.” She blushed a bit as they walked, not having any alcohol to make her more confident beside him. “I um, I want to preform for real people. Not that kindergartners aren’t people, but they aren’t adults.” 

“No! Absolutely not, are you kidding me? I really wanted to see you again, you’re incredible!” he stopped, realizing what he had said. “Sorry I didn’t mean to- Anyway, where do you wanna go? Your pick, my shout.”

Paisleys cheeks went hot pink at his words before her smile broke through. “How about the games on this side first?” 

“You play too?” Josh spoke in surprised wonder, unable to stop the smile from growing on his lips as he mentally took note of the similarity.  “Do you want to maybe come to the park with me? I mean, you don’t have to, I totally get it if you want a rest before work.”

“I do, wait you play?” She grinned at that and it only grew more at his request. “I would, yes, like to go with you that is.” 

“Wait really? I mean, so have I, I just, you know, I figured you might have said yes just to be nice.”

Paisley blinked at him and shook her head. “No, no I wanted to say yes. I was a little worried you only asked to be nice. And if you did that’s okay too. Regardless I’m happy you asked me. Do you, what do you want to start with?”

“Hey, you came!” Josh greeted her, stopping himself at the last second from giving her a welcome hug. “I was kinda worried you were going to change your mind on me.”

@paisleydolvo

Paisley grinned at him, pushing some hair back behind her ear to mask her almost reach to hug him. “Impossible. I’ve been looking forward to this since you asked me.” 

“I need you to Rick Roll Silas. Literally there’s no reason other than I want him caught totally off guard and it’s funny ‘cause that’s such an old joke, who would see it coming nowadays, y’know? Can you do it?”

“Rick what?” Paisley asked blinking, trying to think back to every old joke Charlie had done or told her and not ringing a bell. “I don’t know what that is.”

Josh found himself grinning at her response, his head tilted down to hide the blush that he feared might show. “No, I uh, I was just thinking of going to Central Park, enjoying what’s left of the warm weather, you know? What about you? Big plans for today?”

She shook her head, moving to show the guitar on her back. “No, done for the day. I just finished singing nursery songs with preschoolers so now I’m free.” She said before frowning. “Well not completely free. I have to work tonight but that’s later.” 

“You think so?” Luke wondered. He smiled, clearly proud of what he’d done with the space and pleased by her compliment. “Thanks.”

“I’ll see you again soon okay?” She smiled as she headed toward the door. The class would be back soon.