#genuinesourpatch

He really didn't know what to do, at all. Apparently Diana liked him. Like-liked him. He didn't know how that worked. The babbling girl was definitely nice enough, and they'd met in the art store, so he'd figured it might be a fast friendship. But she liked him. He'd never been liked before. Never wanted to. He never even recalled having a serious crush, not once in his life. He didn't know how to react, he'd just wanted a friend. Friendship was good. He liked bros. But what was Zane supposed to do about this?

His first instinct was to go to the first person who might be able to help him figure out how to can again, knowing she'd at least get him to calm down a little, one way or another. It was only down the block from his house, and he'd found himself frantically knocking on Vannie's door, waiting for her to open it, wide eyed and terrified as he waited for her, for anyone to open the door and help him figure out how life was supposed to work.

"Van!" he exclaimed the second he saw her features, taking a breathe before launching into a monologue, not even the need air interrupting him, "I need help. I have no idea what to do. I don't know what I'm doing. So I met this girl, right, Diana Khatt? And we were hanging out at the art store and talking and it was cool, and I figured I was making new friends and she was nice so it was fine. But she likes me. Like-likes me. And I have no idea what to do. What do you do? Am I supposed to ask her out? Am I supposed to never talk to her again? Because she seemed really great and she arts but I don't think I like-like her back and I want to be friends but how do I do this! I need help! Please, Van!"

His hands were bloody. Long, deep scratches extended from his hands all the way to his elbows from trying to move things while he dealt with the Manning kid's whining and general bad attitude. Not that his had been much better, admittedly, but she hadn't even been able to help him move things due to her injury. Well... it must have hurt pretty bad, he guessed, so maybe he shouldn't be so hard on her.

Besides, she'd only been scared for her... what, girlfriend? Seemed like it, from the way she talked about her. Ralph had used her voice (which he had found so annoying before) as something to keep his feet on level ground while he moved rock after rock after rock and tried not to spiral into his own type of panic. He'd seen Vanessa just before the quake. He'd seen her, and he couldn't help picturing how she would look if she'd been crushed by the ceiling. He worked in the business of destroying things. He'd seen what happens when an animal is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the kid.... well, she was just a kid. So small, and so full of energy. When Ralph pictured her, someone who annoyed him to no end and constantly got his goat on purpose... when he pictured her hurt, it felt like his chest was the thing that was crushed.

So his hands and arms were bloody, but he didn't care. They only had a handful of cars that could transport people to the hospital, so Ralph had simply carried his injured companion all the way there. She was nearly unconscious, anyway, and though he didn't know much about medicine... that couldn't be good.

They entered the front doors of the ER part of the hospital, and Ralph flagged down a nurse. "Help, okay? She's got a broken leg and I tried to keep her awake, but she's in pretty bad shape." the nurse exclaimed at the amount of blood that was covering Tiffany by that time, but Ralph quickly assured her that most of it wasn't hers. She was just out because of the pain, he thought. And no, he didn't need help. Help her first. He had someone he needed to find.

That done, he looked wildly around the room, searching for the one person that he would never have expected himself to be scared for, ignoring the pain and the fact that he was covered in his own blood.

[SMS - genuinesourpatch ] THANK YOUUUUU!!

Zane had spent all day at home, the first time in years he'd done such a thing. He should back out. He knew he should. The boy couldn't figure out his suit, especially not the tie. He knew he got nervous under pressure. And Vannie didn't even want to go anyways, so it wasn't as if she'd be upset over his canceling last minute. He shouldn't have asked her in the first place, it was stupid. Zane could find some other way to network. But with a suit bought, and hanging on his closet door, he couldn't back out now. You can watch horror movies forever and not even squeak. Don't chicken out on me now, Z.

He spent the majority of his morning making a bouquet for Vannie. It was a friend date, but that didn't mean he had to be a crappy date. Besides, art took his mind off the butterflies in his stomach, and kept him from calling her and canceling. But unfortunately, once noon came, he had to stop his work, getting ready for the date. Shower. Check. Suit. Check. Cologne. Check. Hair not a total mess. Check. He couldn't get the tie, but he decided to leave that for later, pacing his room instead, not noticing the time go by until an alarm on his phone went off. Shit. It was definitely to late to back out now.

Grabbing the flowers, and buttoning his shirt, he slipped on his shoes, running out the door, already a minute late to pick Vannie up. Luckily, her house was just down the street, and at a full sprint, it took him a minute to get there, though he was a bit out of breath as he knocked on her door, completely forgetting about the tie hanging over one shoulder, and the butterflies, as panic seized him at the thought of being late. He still managed to be standing more or less straight, and to hold out the flowers when she opened the door. "Hey. Vannie," he offered her a weak smile, words breathy as his gaze focused on her face, "Sorry I'm late..." He'd hoped he'd at least be able to be on time on his first date ever, friend date, or the other kind.

[SMS] Apparently we're going on a date?

Day I: Describe your character’s relationship with their mother or their father, or both. Was it good? Bad? Were they spoiled rotten, ignored? Do they still get along now, or no?

Unlike quite a few teenagers, Vanessa never went through the "I hate my parents" stage. She loves her father and never takes what he does for her for granted. Having grown up without a mother made her a huge 'Daddy's Girl'. Though they don't spend nearly as much time together like they use to, he'll come out of his study when she's baking and ask how school is going, if she needs anything for her bikes, and most importantly, if there are any boys he needs to scare into shape.

Surprisingly, she's only brought up her mother to her father a handful of times. As far as Vanessa could be concerned, her mother gave her up and isn't worth the young girl's time. Doesn't mean that she sometimes can't help but to wonder if she's the spinning image or the polar opposite of her mother. 

Day II: What are your characters most prominent physical features?

Vanessa really isn't 'that short'. She stands at an average of 5'4'' and fits in with the sea of girls at school. Clearly, this isn't her most prominent feature. If anything, her smile is the greatest physical feature. She has an infectious smile that brings nearly everyone into a better mood. 

Day III: Name one scar your character has, and tell us where it came from. If they don’t have any, is there a reason?