Nighthawk: A Superhero Story (closed for Siobhancan99)

[siobhancan99]

Monica smiled "I'm staying the night. I don't know how often I'll get home once the semester is in full swing. Plus its shitty to make you drive like, 12 hours." she laughs "and it will be nice to be home and be away from everything. And not to listen to Gabi fuck through the cheap thin walls of the student apartments. I mean, good for her I guess." She laughed and looked up at the house "But like, for real. She met a guy the first day and they've been inseparable. I mean I met a guy and he's pretty great but I'm also not like... ready to ... uh. Date. someone." She turned red, the thought of discussing fucking someone with her dad killing the mood for a moment. "Like I'm ... you know. taking my time. anyway. Lets get sandwiches. As for the boy he's a basketball player and that's eh. I mean people recognize him when we go out and like, I don't wanna be on some stupid website as the hot Wag or whatever. But he's kind of a dork and he's a sweet guy. I dunno. I mean he's probably as close to a guy that's as strong as me I'm gonna find unless I go date the mountain from game of thrones. He's also like, rural and seems to have good values. So I dunno. we will see."

 

[Halcyon638]

Her father's face turned red as she discussed Gabi's exploits. "Do the kids still say 'TMI'? Probably not, I'm guessing," he said. "Gonna be really awkward when I run into Sara at the grocery store," he added, referring to Gabi's mother. "I'm glad you're staying, honey. And I can definitely handle sandwiches. Although I did put together a decent chicken stew this week. There's still a little left."

"This boy sounds okay," he noted as they walked into the house. Monica and her father continued to chat for a little while. Then, he led her down into his basement workshop. "So. About not getting you killed." There was a workspace with an old sleeping bag covering it, the cloth featuring pictures of unicorns. "I was looking for something a little cooler for a dramatic reveal," he lamented, pulling back the covering. There were a variety of items on the table.

"First up," he picked up an item that was shaped a bit like a small portable drill. "A lock release gun. There are some locks even you can't bust your way through." He walked her through some other items--a barely noticeable tracking device, a rebreather device, and a grappling gun. "Hopefully, you won't need most of this stuff. But now you have it."

Lastly, he held up a dark garment. "This was a tough one. I figured you still need to be able to move around freely since that's one of your advantages, but we need to give you some kind of protection. This is a combination of of Centauri plating from the armor I never ended up needing embedded in Centauri micro-mesh from one of your mother's uniforms. I'm not saying I'll be on Project Runway anytime soon but I think it'll do the job."

Just when Monica thought he was finished, he started leading her into the shed near the back of the property. "One more thing. This was supposed to be a little graduation present, only I overshot the deadline by 3 months. There's an important lesson in there about engineering and deliverables." In the shed was a shiny metallic vessel roughly the size of a Mini-Cooper and the shape of a teardrop laid flat. "A reconaissance vehicle. Only your mother busted it to shit about two months after we arrived. I call it the Sliver. Airtight, watertight. The best part is it's got a remote control function. This could sit on the bottom of Prospect Bay, just waiting for you to holler."

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica looks over the stuff, impressed. All useful. The grappling hook and the vehicle seemed pretty situational, but also very batman. "This is some real Hollywood shit dad" she grins and toys with the grappling hook, figuring worst comes to worst she can also use it to snare people or something. She holds up the suit "now this. This is 100 percent what I need. I mean.... This is awesome dad. This is exactly what I wanted. I looked at bullet proof vests online but ... man they cost a lot. And you can only get shot in them like once. So ... not reallly cost effective for a college freshman." She laughs and leans in, kissing his cheek, then looks down at the vehicle "wow. WOW." Running her hand over it "so this is like... from home? Like... our stuff." She felt an odd sense of pride looking at it, even if it was the mostly wrecked and reassembled shadow of its former glory. It was a connection to a race of people largely gone from the Universe... except maybe if some of their conquered worlds were not also destroyed. Maybe a few hundred from the advance invasion force...and who knew how many of them had stayed? Though... maybe some had come. Refugees. Still... this was as tangible a connection to her past, to her roots as she might ever get. She stared down at it in awe, reverent for a moment.

"So.... can i summon it from here when I find a place to park it? Or should I fly it back to the City tomorrow night and then like... have it park itself in the river or something?"

 

[Halcyon638]

James smiled at the praise. "All pretty standard for a Centauri warrior," he said. "Yep. This is your heritage, Mon. Only you'll be using it for good, not for pointless conquest and empire." He patted her shoulder lightly. "I'm so proud of you."

His face then took on the focused intensity it usually displayed when he was working through a problem. "The remote control's range is just about the city limits, so I was thinking I could bring it down in the trailer. I actually talked to a friend of mine who's a civil engineer in the city--got some blueprints of the infrastructure, and I think I've found the perfect spot for it. A spot near the harbor where there'll be little visibility and traffic--foot or otherwise. I can walk you through how to pilot it down there and then give you a ride back to campus after."

"You can tell me anything else you need me to build for you," he said. "I only wish I wasn't useless in a fight, or else I'd help you with the training. You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself so far, but a little more technique never hurt."

That evening as they went to pick up some sandwiches at Morgan's Sandwich Shop, James asked, "So, movie night tonight? Have you seen that Arrival movie? It's pretty good. One of the only sci-fi movies I can think of that doesn't get alien life laughably wrong. Your choice, though."

As they placed their orders, Monica saw a girl named Kaitlyn from her school behind the counter. Though they hadn't hung out in high school, they exchanged some brief pleasantries. James checked his phone. "You talked to Ian lately? He called me a couple of days ago. Wanted to know if I could put in a word with Kevin Bruner about a construction job," he explained, referring to a friendly acquaintance of his who ran a business in the town and county.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica nodded "so the aliens in arrival look like sexy sexy humans?" she winked at her dad "anyway.. sounds good." She brushes her hair back "Maybe some sort of collapsible weapon. Like a nightstick or something. no rush. And yeah I think I'm gonna sign up for some martial arts. Krav Maga or some shit you know?" When they went to get food she smiled at the girl from behind the counter, but mostly just waited on their massive order. The two of them always pretended to people at the desk they were getting some for the next day too. She turned to her dad "yeah he came by. He told me that Tom got shot going to pick him up because he was... wasted and wandering the city and had no idea how to get to wherever he was going and his friends ditched him." She shakes her head "we had words. I picked him up and threw him and told him that he needed to get his fucking shit together, heavily implying that being a drummer in a fucking shitty band wasn't exactly honoring his brother's sacrifice. It would thrill me to no end to find out he got a real fucking job."

Monica was still clearly put out by the whole affair, but she did feel she owed it to Tom to get his brother onto the right path. Maybe some good could come from all of this.

 

[Halcyon638]

"Well, I guess we are the exception that proves the rule when it comes to aliens in general," James remarked. "By the way, there are some legitimately ugly Centauri. I knew one. Great guy, though."

When Monica told him about Ian, his brow furrowed in concern. "Mon, I...I had no idea, honey. He never...Jesus, I'm sorry." He put the food in the back and pulled her in for a hug. "That's...that's a lot." He tried to start up his Toyota. The aging vehicle fought him for a minute, then grudgingly revved up. "I did end up telling Kevin Bruner he's a good kid. But you're right. I really hope he figures it out."

Monica and her father turned to happier subjects as they spread out their feast on the table and ate, before heading into the living room to watch the movie. "Probably should make it an early start tomorrow," he said as the film reached its conclusion, fighting back a yawn. "One thing I don't miss is having to wake you up for school in the mornings. That was always an uphill battle."

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica laughed "yeah well. I only have one early class and that's 9 oclock" She curled up on the couch "why don't you get some rest and I'll pack things up. Whenever you're ready in the morning we can haul the ship into the trailer and hit the road. No rush though." She arched and cracked her back "im gonna take one or two days after I get back to go out again, so that there's no good reason to correlate my absence with the vigilante's absence."

She got up, packing up everything into bags, making sure to disguise what it was with some additional clothes and other things in case Gabi offered to help with a bag or something. Once things were taken care of, she went up to fall asleep one last time in her childhood room.

 

[Halcyon638]

***

Monica sat at her keyboard. It was Tuesday night, and the day before, her academic writing professor had assigned the first major writing assignment of the semester: a personal essay about an important event in her life thus far. She had been struggling with and worrying about the topic ever since Dr. Friedberg had announced it. Not only would Dr. Friedberg be reading it, but she would have to have it reviewed by two classmates, and so far, she had regularly partnered up with Shaun, making it potentially that much more awkward.

She could hear Gabi in the kitchen singing along to a Dua Lipa song as she washed the dishes.

A text came in from Austin. He'd been happy to see her in class on Monday, but they hadn't had much time to catch up since she'd only made it to class with a minute or two to spare.

"Was that physics homework hard or only a for poli sci major?"

"Maybe meet up at The Mean Bean tomorrow for some coffee before class??"

Monica tried to focus. She had planned on going out in her new gear tonight, and needed to some of this essay completed so she wouldn't be scrambling before Friday's class workshop.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica sighs and texts back "yeah lets get a coffee. As for the homework... basic calculus. I can help you through it. "

She stared at the screen for a moment. Then she began to type the beginning of an essay in stream of consciousness.

"In the spring, the love of my life, the one person I trusted to really know and love and understand me fully was shot. He lay bleeding to death on the cold concrete of the street next to where his car was, with nobody even calling the police. In many ways, this event has defined me for six months, paralyzing me in some ways and filling me with an unspeakable grief. It is impossible, however, to understand my reaction to this event fully without really understanding the first great loss in my life years earlier.

I am the first generation American citizen in my family. My parents immigrated here shortly before I was born. My father, to work at the dam that powers this great and sometimes terrible city. My mother had less purpose. At first she was satisfied with being an art teacher and being my mother. She filled endless days that back at home had been full of something bigger than her with the life of a small town and the prison of parenthood. Shortly after I was born, something happened at home. My parents couldn't return, and they kept to their new lives here in America. My mother though, beautiful, strong, too big a personality for our small town chafed. She yearned for something larger.

As the years passed, she sought more and more contact with others from their home that were here in the United States. Often she'd disappear for a week or so at a time. Finally, she made the decision to move home and she demanded that my father and I go with her. I think he would have, but this is the only home I ever knew. My father refused to rip me away from the only life I had ever known to go to a world with strange customs and a strange language that was at once my birthright and all so terribly alien to my experience. Over time, they fought and the marriage disintegrated. Even at twelve I knew that I was to blame. If I wasn't there, he'd have gone with her. She would have found what she was looking for and he would still have her. I can remember her, the last night. Fierce, proud, hurling recriminations at him but really also at me. A Judas. You could tell mom was mad when she threw Christian references out, as she was devoutly anti-christian. She accused my father of being an anchor around her neck, tying her to a life she never wanted and wasn't suited for. In the corner was a family friend. They'd been having an affair, that much was obvious. He was going back with her. He was taking her life in the direction she wanted it to go. He was the means to escape a life she loathed. As she burned her bridges with us, and at the same time begged me to come with her I could see that her leaving would make her happy in a way we never could. That small town America never could. She was leaving to be her best self, and asking her to stay, crying and saying I was twelve and needed my mother would have both done the trick and killed her all at once.

Now that I'm older, I find her in everything I do. I also feel her absence keenly in the moments like this spring. In the time I needed someone to really really understand me because they are more like me than any other person in the Universe I had nobody. I lacked the guiding star to navigate the gut wrenching soul crushing despair that followed what happened to Tom. So the event that defines me, and defines my reaction to what has happened to me is that night, at 12. Watching my mother leave forever.

I'm glad for her. I hope she's happy."

She looked it over, then sighed and trashed it. "fuck." then suited up and headed out into the night.

 

[Halcyon638]

Clad in her new armored costume and still coping with a swirl of volatile emotions, Monica crouched in a darkened park adjoining the campus waiting for her remote-controlled reconaissance craft to arrive. As she did, she made sure the burner phone she'd purchased from a local store was off. Her father had talked her through how to pilot the Sliver on the ride back from her house, but she imagined it would be a different matter altogether to actually operate it.

The learning curve was not as steep as she'd expected, though, and soon she was zooming through the dark canyons created by the city's skyscrapers, slightly nervous, but more exhilarated. The vehicle was equipped with a comms unit that allowed her to monitor the police band, along with cameras below the ship that enabled her to see what was happening on the ground quite clearly, even from several hundred feet up. She caught some residents looking up, dumbfounded, as she sped across Prospect City's neighborhoods.

About an hour in, Monica caught something that seemed suspicious in the Founder's Square area of the city, which Nick had casually warned her about. In the mostly empty parking lot of a club called Zone (the lack of cars not surprising on a Tuesday night), three large men formed a half-circle around another man as he appeared to be yelling something. Suddenly, all three of the guys surrounding him began to attack him with their bare hands, one of them grabbing the person who'd been yelling by the tie so that the others could have a few clean shots.

At first, she assumed he was a drunk being confronted by club security, but the brutality with which they assaulted him seemed both excessive and likely to hospitalize or even kill him. The man in the tie struggled and thrashed, breaking free and throwing some punches of his own, only to receive a barrage of punches from the three, though he managed to deflect some of them. He still stood, though it was clear from his posture that it was a struggle.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica considered for a moment, then went with it. It was time for a grand entrance. She moved the craft to about 15 feet over them, and off to the side just a touch. Where they could see it, she popped out and did a flip, landing on the ground. 'I stuck that landing like Simone Biles' she thought to herself for a moment, then looked over the scene. "Hey!" She called out "How about you stop beating that guy for a second huh? You know. Give peace a chance. Or whatever." Her mood though, was one of desperately hoping that they had zero fucks to give about peace. She had thought about Tom and her mother in the span of a few hours and really she needed something to take her mind off it. Was therapy probably in order? yes. Was she going to be able to afford it? no. This was as much therapy as she was going to get. She stepped in "Really boys. You should strongly consider using your words instead of your fists."

 

[Halcyon638]

One of the large, muscled men was grabbing his opponent's arms from behind, attempting to hold him, when Monica approached. "What is this?" another of the 3, a young, overweight, but still intimidating man said in a Russian accent, as his two companions looked her way as well.

The man they were fighting with--or beating on, more accurately--looked to be in his late thirties or early forties with short, slightly curly dark hair and a build that would have been impressive had he not been standing near 3 hulking men, the blood streaming from his left nostril and the bruises beginning to bloom along his jaw and right cheekbone not detracting from his sculpted features. "That's a distraction, fuckhead," he said, wrenching his way free of the man holding him and landing a punch against the chin of the youngest of the three attackers, tearing the sleeve of his dress shirt in the process.

A man with a shaved head and stark blue eyes was closing in on Monica now while the youngest attacker went after the guy in the dress shirt. Meanwhile, the bearded Russian who been holding him attempted to grab him yet again.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica disregarded her father's advice and got involved with the Russian. Very involved. "Two on one is hardly fair, but one on one is really unfair." She planted, waiting for the guy to get close. When he did she stepped in, fainting like she was going to knee him in the balls and instead she threw a hard punch for his face, trying to smash him squarely in the nose. She was more confident with the armor, and figured there were guns in their coats but they weren't out right now. Maybe it was too public for that. Still, taking them down faster was better. She could worry about attention from the Russians later. Its not like she could assume all caucasians were Russian mob. So with all that in mind she struck out with all the force she could muster.

 

[Halcyon638]

The attacker with the shaved head bit on the fake, setting him up perfectly for Monica's attack. With a single punch, she brought the muscular thug to the ground in a heap, his face a bloody mess. The youngest of the trio drove his fist hard into the rib cage of the guy in the dress shirt, the sound evoking meat being tenderized.

The other, bearded man saw what Monica had just done to their comrade. "Andrey?" he said. Face reddening with rage, he rushed Monica now, shoulder lowered. She vaulted backward onto the trunk of a nearby car while he barely missed her, his mid-section slamming into the car's rear, temporarily stunning him. She admired how the weave of the armor moved with her body, not hindering her in the slightest.

The man in the tie, seeing his current attacker distracted by what had just happened nearby, slugged the heavyset young russian in the face, spilling him to the dirty concrete with a thud softened by his weight. "Say hi...to your boss for me," he said, breathing hard and clutching his injured ribs.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica can't help but feel the call of battle, the siren song of it. She wondered, briefly, if this is what her mother felt. She didn't have time to ruminate though, and leapt down onto the ground, launching a vicious kick for the stunned man's head. Best to take him out now while she had the chance. With the man in the suit helping they weren't much of a problem but.... if one had a gun or a knife they could hold the guy hostage or still hurt her. "What the fuck is going on here anyway?" she asked the man in the suit, though her attention was on the man she was kicking.

 

[Halcyon638]

The kick landed with a hard crack and sent the man sprawling to the ground. The man in the tie suddenly pitched forward, only saved from completely faceplanting on the concrete by the palms of hands, which broke his fall. He grimaced. He started rising to his feet, listing toward one side. "My car," he said, nodding in the direction of a dark blue sedan two parking spots away. "Just need some..."

He half-fell forward, draping an arm over Monica's shoulder for support. "...help," he said.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica easily led him over to the car, the awkwardness more from the height difference than the weight of him. She leaned him against the car, then opened the door and managed to get him inside it. "im calling the police. I don't know if you want to wait for them or not. My suggestion is yes or these guys will just be let go as victims. In that case they'll come back and shoot you."

She didn't want to be alarmist, but she also didn't want to deal out a perfectly good ass kicking only for it to go to waste. I mean not a total waste she saved this guy but if the thugs are right back out on the street... troubling. No, she much preferred to think they'd get theirs for beating this guy up. She moved back over to the thug and took out his phone, then pressed his finger to it to activate it. she dialed 911 then through the phone on the ground, knowing that the cops would come. She took out her zip ties and tied them off, then turned back to the guy "So what happened?"

 

[Halcyon638]

"No," he groaned, canceling the phone call. Grimacing, he reached into his pocket and flashed Monica a badge. "I am the police." He started on loosening his tie now. "No arrests. I'm not even...supposed to be working this case any more." When she asked him about what had happened, he sighed and unbuttoned his collar.

"Long story short is I went waltzing into that club to tell a very bad man I knew he was guilty, and that eventually, I was going to be the one to prove it," he said, closing his eyes. "Damien Federov. He's bad news." The middle-aged man lowered the visor mirror to get a look at his handsome yet bruised and bloodied face. "He had his 'security personnel' 'escort' me out. They apparently didn't find me charming enough."

He looked over at Monica now in her dark suit. "Thanks, by the way." He paused. "So, you're real. Do you want to explain to me how a girl built like a yoga instructor takes down two guys the size of bulldozers?"

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica frowns though the guy can't see it, because she has a mask on. That's the problem with masks that actually preserve your identity, she reflected. Very hard to be emotive. She looks over at the men with a bit of a frown. "Well you better get out of here because I called 911. And yes. I am real. As to the hows and the why's and the wherefores and all that well..." She shifts and looms over him a bit "If I told you there would be a nonzero chance that you'd end up in some CIA rendition site in some former Warsaw pact or Third World hellhole. It's best you don't know. Suffice it to say I'm the first but I'm probably not the last." That was a reasonable statement to make. Surely her parents hadn't been the only under cover Centauri to actually fuck and have a kid. They couldn't ALL have the discipline not to right? Some of them had to have given up on empire around the same time and certainly after they got the news it was not happening.

"Anyway... neither of us should be here right now but.. you should strongly consider the possibility that they will give you up. Give me your card and if I beat up any russians I'll call you instead of 911. It won't ever be from my phone though. So you'll have to answer strange calls at night." She hmmmed. Hot cop was hot. He was also old enough to be her dad though and she wasn't sure whether that was hotter or creepier. Time to consider that after she got back in her ship and left.

 

[Halcyon638]

A confused look played on his features as Monica gave a vague response to his question. He turned the key in the ignition. "In any case, I owe you one. A little friendly advice: stick to beating up muggers and rapists. Don't take on the Russians--especially Federov--unless you've got nothing to lose."

He handed her his card. It read: Detective Brendan Knapp.

The rest of Monica's night was a slow one, and soon, she was heading back to her apartment in the Sliver.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica rolled her eyes "again, middle aged men of America... how am I supposed to avoid Russians without just avoiding all white dudes?" she shook her head "Fucking generation X." But put his number in her phone so she'd have it. She parked the sliver on top of a building and changed back into her street clothes. She sent it then to park itself, armor packed into a gym bag. She shimmied down the pipe along the side of the building. It was late when she got in, and she tossed her bag under the bed, peeled out of ehr clothes and had a shower. The armor was great but like most things designed to keep things out, it kept heat in. She scrubbed the feeling of having been to the gym off herself, then dried her hair so it wasn't wet on the pillow.

She slept then, closing her eyes instantly when she hit the sheets, dreaming of being normal. Just going to class, not having this need.

 

[Halcyon638]

In her dreams, she found herself in a car, a road trip--herself, Tom, Gabi, and someone else who she vaguely recognized. They were laughing, and shouting, and singing along badly to music blasting from the speakers. They were happy.

Soon, though, Monica's dreams shifted. This time, she was near the window she had seen in her previous dreams, a large window that looked out on the vastness of space. She peered out, but could also feel eyes gazing at her from behind. Again, she was in the flimsy gown, its look vaguely classical, hanging over her right shoulder. She could hear his footsteps, but even if she hadn't, she knew he was there, somehow.

The dark-eyed, dark-haired man.

He spoke in Centauri, or at least she thought. His words were musical yet somehow sinister all at once. Her grasp of the language not having been as strong as it once was, she caught snatches of meaning as he placed his cold hands on her mostly bare shoulders. "...your fate...our fate."

He brushed a lock of her blonde hair off her right shoulder, his hand taking the fabric of the gown in his hands. He began to lower it, slowly. She could feel his breath, its warmth an almost shocking contrast with the the chill of his touch.

A moment later, he felt that same cool touch on her now-bare left breast. "...must be tested." He was pressed against her now, and her palms instinctively pressed against the frigid window.

Buried somewhere in her consciousness, Monica realized that she was dreaming. Something was trying to will her to wake up.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica struggled, as if she were trapped in a play of someone else's writing. She felt the cool touch on her now bare skin, and while the breath was warm the words left a chill in her. The figure seemed more and more sinister with each iteration of the dream. Adding to her sense of panic was her realization she was sleeping and what seemed like a need to wake, to escape. She swallowed, feeling her hands on the glass, the sensation of deep cold that she associated with space. She has no control though as she feels the hands wander, the touch feeling almost violative. Finally she wrenched awake with a start.

Her body literally jerked awake, with a feeling of falling and terror. She gasped and sat up, then rubbed her temples and buried her face in her hands. She had Psych tomorrow. Maybe she'd ask the professor how campus health services were. For now though she had to get up and get herself to class. Fuck she had coffee with Austin too. Well that might shake the sense of weariness out of her, She felt despite getting a good six hours that she hadn't slept at all. She sighed and had another shower, then got dressed and threw her laptop in a bag. Distracted, she nearly left her purse with her ID and keys and phone. She fortunately grabbed the door just as it was closing behind her and went in, grabbing it.

Running into class nearly late, she didn't manage to snag a seat next to Austin. The forty minutes seemed to last forever, and she had a hard time concentrating. Fortunately this was largely review for her. After class, stifling a yawn she made her way up to the big athlete and gave him a tired smile "hey you. Still up for coffee? I have time between this and film appreciation."

 

[Halcyon638]

"Sure, I have a couple minutes. We'll have to hit Starbucks rather than the Mean Bean 'cause it's a little bit of a trek to my next class," he said. "Definitely need the extra caffeine today. That Physics homework took me so long I was scrambling to finish up a reflection for Latin American Politics until super late."

After Monica ordered, the barista, a curvy, curly-haired blonde, cooed, "Heyyy Austin."

"Hey, Leah," he said, face reddening. "Venti mocha latte, please."

"Sure thing. You coming to Nate's party on Friday?"

"I don't know. I think we have to--" he gestured to Monica now, "uh, maybe study or something." The girl noticed Monica and her lips tightened a bit.

"Oh." Giving her brief eye contact, the barista, turned back to Austin. "That sucks."

Monica and Austin shuffled down the counter. "Sorry," he said. "She, uh...we had a class together a while ago and I was...we hung out, like, once."

Eyes down on his wallet, he added, "I don't know if you're down for it, but this guy Nate has a beach house on Prospect Lake and it's supposed to be, like, 93 degrees on Friday. Did you maybe want to go? You could bring Gabi and and whoever you wanted."

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica deadpans "Gosh Austin do you think we will have time since apparently we have physics homework to do?" She arches an eyebrow and bites into her scone, following it down with black coffee. She smirks at him "Look you don't have to explain every jealous look from a reasonably attractive girl that knows you. I grew up in the country Austin, not a convent. My default assumption for a guy as good looking and as well known as you is that you are not, in point of fact, a virgin." She grinned "I mean, poor corn fed Indiana boy like you comes to a big wicked city like this... I just bet there's some older women that tempted you into a life of fast cars and easy money." She winks to show she's kidding "Honestly you don't have to be embarrassed about your past. We all have one. We all have shit, Austin. It's just part of being alive you know? As for the lake house ... yes assuming that my friends who are nerds and a little awkward can come and people will be nice then I'd love to come. Assuming you get your studying done. Of course."