if you just R E A L I Z E [open]

[rebel]

its not the same.
no it's never the same.
if you dont feel it too
if you meet me halfway
if you will meet me halfway
it could be the same for you

bella strolled into the club without a single word. in her old town, when she entered the club, the whole club gave a holler, and she hollered back. it was a fun thing that every person entering the club received. but this club was different.....new. and she wasn't accustomed to not being spoken to as soon as she entered. she was used to her friends running up to her and dragging her around, or a guy coming up immediately to speak with her. she wasn't that popular back home, it was just that everyone was so friendly there, and everyone was "the shit". not in this place. she could imagine that as she wandered through the crowd toward the bar that people were immediately thinking she was some snotty rich brat that thought she knew everything. but if they realized beneath the makeup, and happy facade, she was just a normal person. sure, who loved mudding, and sometimes acting like a tomboy, but that was her. they just needed to realize. she was wearing a pair of her favorite tight ripped jeans, and a navy blue tank top. she wasn't dressed up tonight, even though she had her makeup on and her hair done. she was just relaxing.

she approached the bar just as a couple headed back to the dance area, opening a place for her. she leaned on the bar so the bartender could hear her without her screaming at the top of her lungs. "Cranberry Juice and Vodka. Please, and thanks." she knew that the drink was called a cosmopolitan, but the order she gave him was sort of a joke with her old town. she sighed, she needed to get used to this town, and stop holding onto her old town. the bartender passed her the drink as she passed the money back. he smiled, and she returned it with a flirty smile of her own. he walked to the other end of the bar, and she just watched him for a moment. yeah, he wasn't that bad looking. she smirked and turned around. standing on her tip toes she could see an empty table past the dance area. she took a sip of her drink, noticing he wasn't stingy on the vodka, and started toward that table. with her drink in the air, and her moving through the dance area, she tried to keep her eye on the table, to make sure she was heading in the right direction. but as soon as she made it there, a couple took the seats.

she stared blankly at them. they smiled at her, then began casually talking. she felt her temper growing. she could see the image in her head. grabbing them both and yanking them out of their seats by their hair. then a big fight. a hate filled smirk crossed her face, but she turned and made her way toward the back of the room. just her luck, she found another empty table. she quickly hopped up in one of the seats and sipped on her drink. as the music turned into a faster beat, she began tapping her nails on the tabletop. brown eyes wandered around the club, awaiting something fun to happen. hopefully to her, but if not at least something to entertain her. she was growing bored. if this kept up, she'd have to drink herself crazy. wouldn't that be a sight. she was hoping that she wouldn't have to go to that extent.






[ ooc -- open to anyone. -- ]

[tanner]

Good lord, talk about a long week at work. It had taken them the entirety of the week working non stop to get all the calves branded, and it sure hadn't helped that his boss still insisted on making Derrick do all these stupid little jobs that could wait until the branding was finished. They only had two ropers, and Derrick was one of them so every time he left, the work that got done was cut in half. He was about ready to quit...really ready to quit, but for some reason or another, he was still on their payroll. Maybe it was because he didn't want to work at a different place. None of the other ranches were hiring, and there wasn't much else Derrick was good at...or else liked to do...besides working cows from the back of a horse.

Anyway, tonight he was going to relax and just forget about work. A few of the other guys had the same idea, and so the four of them all showed up together at Rumors. There weren't a whole lot of guys of their sort around here anymore, and especially not in the dance club, so they were easy to pick out. Derrick was the youngest, at 20, and the others three were all 22 and above. Although none of them had the whole leather chaps, cowboys boots and hat, and spurs going on, it was still pretty easy to tell that they worked out doors doing something, meaning that they were probably all of them country boys. The dusty clothes, and somewhat scruffy appearance would definitely be the give away on that. But what else would you expect from four men who had been wrestling in the dirt with cows all day?

The four of them waded through the crowd easily and made their way to the bar. Not a single one of them ordered some fruity little drink, but all of them ordered cold hard liquor of some sort. They were hard working men who were needing to forget about work, and those sweet little drinks just didn't cut it. Sure Derrick was still underage, but it was only by one year. Besides, he knew everyone who worked here and they knew him...and they all got along really well. Derrick was the kind of guy who could get along with anyone, and he did, which helped him out in the long run.

Two of the guys went off to find themselves a girl to dance with while Derrick and the last remaining guy stayed there, idly talking about a few things...mainly how much they hated their jobs and wanted to quit but couldn't. After a while, the other guy got bored and went to join the other two in finding a girl. Derrick though wasn't the kind of guy to seeking out the prettiest girl he could find and then try to score some points with her. He would just sit back and if anyone decided to come up to him, then so be it. He was a pretty social person, but he hated intruding on people, so he always waited for them.

He set the now empty glass on the counter, not requesting that it be filled again. It took a lot to get him even buzzed, let alone drunk, but he wasn't exactly in the sort of mood to drink at the moment for reasons only the lord could understand. He rarely got drunk, in fact, it had been years since he'd gotten anywhere near that. People seemed to appreciate the fact that he could limit himself and didn't rely on the vile drink. Derrick wasn't like most guys these days. He was a bit more...chivalrous than the average man. He knew how to treat girls right and he did. Never once had he ever even considered taking advantage of anyone. He was just that sort of guy.

[rebel]

-- bella's eyes wandered for a while. there were a few hot guys on the dance floor but she wasn't into that type, nor their style of dancing. as the door opened, she strained her eyes to see who came in. alot of people had been in and out but this time she actually looked. and she was glad she did. four good looking guys strolled in and went straight toward the bar. now, that was her type of men. she sipped on her drink til all she had left was ice. damn, guess she had to make her way through that heavy crowd again. she looked again at the four country gents' and noticed they had split. three were after girls on the floor, and one was by the bar. well, she needed another drink, so she better spend her time buying that drink wisely. she chuckled to herself. she wandered through the dance floor, past the three men that had come with the other, winking at one as she passed, and headed for the bar. as she approached she couldnt help but give him a glance. no, she had to look. he was pretty damn hot. seriously, like she hadn't seen any country boys since home, and it was a welcome relief.

-- leaning over the bar, she whistled to get the bartenders attention. she walked down the bar, and stood no more than a foot away from the singled out country gent. the bartender leaned over the counter and listened to her order. " Just get me another vodka and cranberry please. thank ya' " she smirked as he walked away and shook her head. her southern accent was strong with these people. merely because they didnt share it. they had their own accent. he slid her drink to her, took her money and briefly spoke. "next time you oughta get something alittle stronger. " he was bent over the bar, but he still had to nearly yell. the music was turned up and nearly everyone was out dancing on the floor. " Well thank ya sir, but i'll get whatever the hell i want. now you have a nice day. " she was smiling politely but her tone was very serious. and very southern. She could figure exactly why he wanted her to drink more, and she wasnt buying. Heck, she was even slightly offended with his notion. making her want to go home even more. she should have never looked him up and down in the first place. making his mind go wild like that. " damn hillbilly " she heard him mumbled as he walked away. she frowned, and sighed, turning around to lean on the bar.

-- she glanced again at the gent standing next to her, then decided to speak. " I ain't use to the city. im missing my good ole georgia now. i ain't quite sure wha' to do with myself. she smiled and held out her hand. "Isabella Masen. You can call me Bella or June. June's my middle name. " she held her posture waiting for his attention. no, she wasnt being a whore or acting like she had loads of money. she was just trying to be good here. be a southern belle. in this northern state. it was hard, but she was staying out of trouble. for now. with her drink in her opposite hand, she took a glance out to the people he came in with. she looked down at her camo colored flipflops. they were her favorite pair of shoes, and that was because they were camo. " im getting worried that the mud up here isn't clean. not to my liking atleast. when im mudding i dont want to get no diseases or anything. " she chuckled, her heart sincerely missing everyone back home, but when she spoke, it was low enough that no city person could here her.

[Anthony Lovasz]

Derrick was beginning to get quite bored with just standing around, but he still wasn't just going to go intrude on someone...it would be totally against his character, and that was something he just couldn't do. Maybe he would just go, it wasn't like he had to wait for the other guys. They all lived out on the ranch and would be going back together, but Derrick lived in town in the house that used to be his family's summer home, which they had given to him when he moved out to West Virginia. His parents had made it good in the thoroughbred racing business and so had insisted that their name remain on the title, even though he was the only one living there. They wanted to be the ones to pay the taxes...which he never quite understood, but if they really wanted to, it was one less bill he had to worry about.

Just as he was about to get up and hit the road, head for home, he heard a girl near to him telling the bartender that she would order whatever she wanted. He laughed a bit when he heard it, it was about time someone told him off, he'd had it coming for quite a while and Derrick knew that it wouldn't be much longer till someone did. The girl had a very strong southern accent, and he was guessing that she wasn't from around here. Again, he was about to leave, when he heard her again, only this time she was actually talking to him, meaning that he should give her all his attention and not walk away.

Nice to meet you Mis... He said, stopping himself before he called her Miss Masen. He was way too used to being a trail guide and having to call the people by their title and last name, ...Bella. Derrick Tanner. He took her extended hand for a moment then released it. Most guys at this point would become suddenly and uncomfortably aware of what they looked like. Derrick, however, could care less. Yeah he was filthy dirty, but what did that matter? Every self respecting cowboy wouldn't be caught dead getting all dressed up and primped for anything but a wedding, and the dirt just went right along with their regular clothes.

He wasn't quite sure what she was meaning by the mud not being clean, but whatever, if he was taking it wrong, he'd just laugh at himself when she corrected him...he was good at that. I don't think you'll need to worry about the mud. He said with a smile and a nod, I've been wrestling calves in it for the past two years, and there's not a thing wrong with me. Derrick didn't care if the city slickers heard him. He'd probably guided some of them on trail rides, and they probably already knew what he was like. He strongly disliked city people, and they knew it. He was the all American Cowboy, filthy dirty, and not a care in the world.

[rebel]

-- bella could only smile as his attention turned on her. when they shook hands, she could see the dirt on his arm, and she could feel the sensation of dried sweat on his hand. " Derrick Tanner. Nice to meet ya'. " she sipped more on her vodka, and leaned back against the bar. the smell are dirt, sweat, and hard work radiated off him. she couldn't help but inhale his aroma. it didnt disgust her, actually the smell of the barn was her favorite smell. she was an outdoorsy kinda girl. but she could sure clean up nice. she looked toward the group he came in with and chuckled. " So you like wrestlin' calves? i've only done that once, but it sure was fun. i mean, i wasn't doin' it properly, but i got 'er done. " she laughed as she recalled the memory.

-- a few of her good ole country boys were sitting on the top rail of a small dirt paddock with a little calf inside it. Bella had come to take the boys to town, but when she decided to stay at the ranch for a while with them. She wasn't dressed properly for getting muddy, she had a tight tee-shirt on, and a pair of daisy duke shorts. her hair was braided and her makeup on, but she was in the mood for a bet. the guys thought she wouldn't be able to tie up the calf. she yanked the rope out of their hands, and hopped on in the paddock. after about half an hour, she had the cow tied up, upside down, and she was covered in mud. the boys couldnt believe she had done it. but she didnt let them know that when she was younger she was taught how to use a lariat. and also how to wrestle calves. not much, but enough knowledge to get her to win the bet.

-- bella snapped back into reality, her head twisted back up to look at him. yeah, he was tall, and she found herself feeling short next to him. she chuckled again. she had slid herself alittle closer to him, now their arms were almost touching. ugh, she was doing what she hated doing. making moves. she took a sigh, and turn around, setting her empty glass on the counter. the bartender had no other customers, but stayed at his end of the bar. she stared at him for a moment, then spoke. " Excuse me bartender, i'd like another drink. " she watched him as he shifted his weight away from her and mumbled. " get it your own damn self" he must have thought she didn't hear him, oh but honey she did. she stood straight up, and walked to the end of the bar, and right around into the bartenders cubby. she marched down along the bar, grabbed what she needed to drink and began making her drink. she took the right amount of money out of her pocket with her free hand as she mixed her drink. yeah ok, maybe she had been being a bar once or twice, and made a few drinks, and that was clearly showing right now. and inexperienced person would need two hands but bella sure didnt.

-- the bartender hadn't realized it, but when he did he stormed over to her. " what the HELL do you think your doing?!" he was trying to keep it at a whisper, but was having a hard time keeping his temper down. " I'm doing 'xactly wha' you said to do. now you take a few minutes to calm yourself down before you speak to me again, 'lright? " he began to start speaking, more stuttering though. " i never said......you cant do that....your gonna get....ill have you arr-rr.....you bett--" she cut him off with a stern look. he shut his mouth immediately, and she smiled politely and walked back out of the bartender's cubby, and back next to Derrick. " Forgive me. i have a slight temper. I'm fine now. she smiled and sipped on her drip, trying not to break eye contact with him. she couldnt help but chuckle alittle either. she pull another stunt like that and she might get thrown out. she never had to do such in Georgia, but she had learned from afew other bars. " So..... she wasnt quite sure what to talk about, so she left that up to him to decide. and it was up to him to make the moves. she had made the first one, but he better make some quick, or she was going to walk away. probably go start talking to some of his friends. not to piss him off, no just see if they were like him at all.

[Charlie Parker]

She didn't really seem like the sort of person who would be a cow person...but then again, what did he know? Anything was possible, although he couldn't picture her down in the dirt with a calf, tying its legs and pressing a hot iron to its hip. It's what I do for a living, he replied when she asked him if he liked wrestling cows, I sort of have to like it. He actually loved it, and he'd been doing it for years, but as of late, he hated his job. The cattle working part was great, just what he'd always wanted to do, but guiding the city people, and babysitting his boss' kids was not what he had signed up for.

He was mildly surprised when she asked for another drink...what would that be, her third? It took a lot more than that to get him buzzed, but it was a well known fact that alcohol affected women much faster than it did men. He was even more surprised when she stood up, walked around the counter, moved behind the bar, and put together her own drink. She certainly knew how to take control. As she was coming back, he shook his head, and requested that his drink be filled again. When that was done, he handed the guy the money for the drink, and included a generous "tip" in it. The guy looked like he could use it.

What's someone like you doing in Pinewood? He asked when she had returned. His posture was completely relaxed and without tension. If there was one word used to describe him, it would be casual. Derrick couldn't remember the last time he'd been to any formal get together. That would change soon though. His best friend since first grade was getting married this summer, and he'd asked Derrick to be one of the groomsmen. The cowboy was having a hard time imagining himself in a suit, but for Charlie, he would wear one. That was just the way he worked. He knew that Charlie would do the same for him anyway.

He didn't bother to try to keep eye contact with her as she was doing, but continued to let his eyes wander casually about the room, returning to her for brief intervals when she spoke. He was bored easily, a flaw that he couldn't really help, and people just had to learn to deal with it. He wasn't being rude...or at least not intentionally. He liked to keep himself busy, and just talking to one person and only paying them mind, was not busy enough for him. Occasionally he glanced out towards the other three he'd come in with to make certain they weren't getting themselves into trouble, then returned his attention to her.