But it's just the price I pay (Bridgette)

[JOSEPH FRENCH]

As soon as the teacher had dismissed the class, Joseph French crammed his slightly older model Nikon in it's case, and leapt out of his seat. Normally, he was keen to take his time, to carefully place his equipment safely in it's respective place, but today he had one foot out the door before the teacher could even finish his sentence.

"Alright see you all next week, your black and whites should be on my desk-"

Once in the hall, Joey widened his steps, determined to catch Bridgette before she left for her next class. One down and one to go, he thought, resentfully. They both deserved explanations, of course, but that didn't mean Joey enjoyed giving them. Dorian had taken it fairly well. The brunette supposed it was due to the fact that he had waited for the thinner boy's tears to run dry. He had tried to justify his reasoning for breaking up. It had been a fairly short visit. A few apologies on both sides, reassurances from Joey, a long walk back to the front door, and out to his car.

Now it was Bridgette's turn to hear Joey try. The young man knew she had theatre when he was in photography. He had wandered into the auditorium more than once to take pictures of whatever he could, and had found her on stage, reciting a scene with several other classmates. The key was to catch her before she left, though. He snuck in through a side door and walked over to the front of the stage, the dark curtains angled strangely, blocking his view of the activity behind them on center-stage.

Joey pushed aside the curtain and stepped out onto the stage, spotting the bright blonde immediately. She was talking to her instructor, so Joey leaned against the proscenium arch and waited until he wouldn't be interrupting to approach. He let out a soft breath and smiled as he watched her. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to talk to her after all.

Notes: It looked longer on my ipod. e.e

[BRIDGETTE STANTON]

Bridgette Stanton had sworn that she would never ever sit by the phone for someone, whether it be a director, a fellow actor, or a boy. However, it seemed that past events that occurred at a very interesting Holiday Ball, forced her to forget her promises to herself. After an unexpected kiss with a certain Joseph French in front of the eyes of Dorian Moore, Bridgette caught herself on numerous accounts secretly peeking at her bedazzled cell phone, hoping for perhaps a missed call or God Forbid, a text message from the boy from that evening just three weeks ago.

After spending time back in New York with her family, the posh blonde practically gave up on the tall brunette, figuring Dorian had yet again pitched a fit and Joey had, being the thoughtful, caring young man he is, given in, and told the other boy he regretted the whole thing. Of course Joey couldn't really regret it. After all, Bridgette wouldn't have kissed him at all if she hadn't known for absolute certain that he wanted to just as much as she had. And besides, it was a kiss from Bridgette Bernadette Stanton. It was a rarity to even get a glance from her, and a privilege to receive an affectionate peck. These were just a few of the complimentary things the poor girl had been telling herself to help douse the pain of not receiving any type of closure from the boy she practically threw herself at. 

These thoughts were pushed from her mind at this particular moment though, as she stood beneath bright lights on an empty stage, alongside her director, who was discussing some of her notes from the previous rehearsal. Bridgette had never been one to receive criticism without thorough explanation, so here she was, thirty minutes after rehearsal, smiling and nodding as The theater teacher talked of her problem areas in her acting that day. Eyes looking around the large auditorium, feeling boredom ensue, her eyes fell onto a familiar boy leaning up against on of the side columns. Smile creeping onto her face, she quickly interrupted the director with a lie, informing him that she had completely forgotten an appointment she had with someone in the city, and she needed to leave immediately. Understandingly, he shoved her along, and Bridgette was finally able to make her way to Joey, who seemed oddly happy considering their situation so many weeks prior.

Slowly walking over, the blonde kept her eyes downward, watching her feet leading her to the person she had wanted so much to see during the break. As her eyes fell onto both her feet as well as his, she knew it was time to meet his eyes with her own, so hesitantly, she let the green orbs rise up to the smiling boy, mimicking his upturned lips friendly. Hands folded neatly in front of her, she finally spoke in her usual, calm, proper manner. "Hello, Joseph. What an unexpected surprise."

[JOSEPH FRENCH]

"Bridgette. Hi," Joey watched her face carefully, "How was your break?" She didn't seem angry, or any other sort of emotion. Her expression was calm but friendly. Joey reminded himself that the blonde girl in front of him was an actress, and even if she was feeling upset by anything, she had the training and ability to hide it. "Bridgette, I didn't mean to-" He bit his tongue, stopping himself from ending with 'kiss you'. That much Joey knew for sure. He had meant to kiss her. It wasn't accidental, as much as he had tried to convince Dorian. With his past relationships, they had been based mainly on looks. Joey wouldn't deny it, he liked to have an attractive woman on his arm, or in his bed. But ever since the first time he had watched Bridgette perform on stage, he'd subconsciously thrown that idea away. He'd stopped himself from looking at those bimbos in the halls, or whisting at the hotties on the streets. Bridgette was beautiful, of course. Not what he normally would consider his 'type'. No, Bridgette was better than that. She was perfect.

"I mean, I'm sorry for dragging you into all that drama with Dorian," He closed his eyes briefly and rubbed at his temple, hoping that Dorian hadn't tried to kill Bridgette with a pair of scissors or something after the Ball. After Joey and Bridgette had pulled away from each other, and noticed Dorian standing right there, Joey had muttered a goodbye and chased after the boy, not thinking about Bridgette, who had been left standing there. When Joey had been left on the curb, instead of rushing back inside to Bridgette, he'd gone home, thrown his tie across the room and flopped down on the bed, facedown.
"I-We broke up, if you hadn't heard." Joey said, biting the inside of his lip and nodding.

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[BRIDGETTE STANTON]

"How was your break?

The question played in her mind for a time as she recollected the things she did once again, mostly focusing on that night she was left alone, the taste of Joseph French's kiss lingering on her lips, watching with horror as the boy she had waited on to make a move for so long rushed off to comfort his precious boyfriend. Never had she felt so inferior to someone else, and it was a stupid male at that. That was what hurt the most. It wasn't being left alone. It wasn't the guilt of deliberately allowing a taken man to kiss her. It was the fact that she had been beaten. Dorian had obviously won Joey over, and the feeling of realization....was like being socked in the stomach. 

The feeling didn't go away, and it did not even lighten up as she spent her days in New York. Spending most of the hours of each inside, watching dramatically out the window as the snow fell, she did a lot of thinking. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be. Perhaps she had been wrong about the sparks that she had so imagined were between the two of them. Or perhaps she was just pretending to be smitten with someone because her best friend, who had a boyfriend of his own now, had left her lonely. But it seemed that fate, if she could bring herself to believe in such crock, had brought them together again. 

Her smile, staying in it's place, gave off a signal that she was not angry with him, though it seemed as such that she was a little bit mad. She was humiliated. Was she to tell him that? That her break had been miserable because he had made her feelings complicated? No, she couldn't do that. Joey had already been through enough already. Instead, she gave a slight nod and replied with a short and sweet, "Oh, it was a charming few weeks. How about you? I....I haven't heard from you in so long, that I-" she was suddenly cut off by his next few responses. 

The words he spoke only too a minute to absorb, and soon after he spoke them, the corners of the blonde's mouth were curling further upward, glad to hear the news of his new relationship status. However, it quickly faded, and her acting mode took the place of her giddiness. Fingers unlacing themselves from the palms, A hand reached up to lightly rest on the brunette's bicep, gently squeezing it in a comforting manner. "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you okay?.....What am I saying, of course you're not. It's my fault. I Shouldn't have-That kiss that night. I shouldn't have kissed you back. It was inappropriate." she replied, her calm voice still reigning on. Regretting her last words, she realized that, though true, they were not good for the situation. Sure, they shouldn't have locked lips, him having a significant other and all, but the truth is, Bridgette wanted it to happen. Was she ashamed? Absolutely not. When you feel something with another person, nothing should be able to get in your way, right? Turning away from him for a moment, she tried to gather her thoughts, but quickly turned back.

"and this might be inappriate, too...And I know it shouldn't have happened, but I'm really glad it did." Smile returning to her face, her eyes looked over her lashes sheepishly at Joseph, wondering just what he thought about that night.

[JOSEPH FRENCH]

Bridgette reacted differently than Joey had expected. She was...comforting him about his break up. He hadn't been sure of what to expect (she was a female after all) but he certainly had not expected sympathy. She had openly displayed her dislike for Dorian, and here she was...touching his arm. Asking him if he was okay. Inappropriate, she said of her behavior. Joey shook his head, disagreeing almost instantly. "No, Bridgette. It-I...It it had nothing to do with you," He assured her, wringing his fingers as he spoke. "Dorian and I...wouldn't have worked out much longer anyway," He shrugged, dismissing it. "I suppose I should thank you," Joey added, honestly. The past few weeks he had spent with Dorian had been nothing but unfolding drama, and Joey had begun to tire of all the energy it took to keep a smile on his face. He had tried, he really had, to keep Dorian happy. But he was not to be satisfied with one man, or commitments.

As Bridgette spoke again, Joey's lips found themselves twitching upward at the corners. '...But I'm really glad it did'. Relief flooded over him, filling every crevice in his body with warmth that was similar to the butterfly-feeling, only he wasn't nervous. Bridgette doesn't hate me, he thought, almost happily. For a young man fresh out of a relationship, Joey was shockingly content with the situation.

"You know what?" He started, clicking his tongue softly. "I'm glad it happened too," Joey chuckled a bit, the color rising in his cheeks as he admitted he, too, was satisfied that his relationship with Dorian was over. While he had cared for Dorian, it wouldn't have lasted much longer. Dorian had too strong of feelings for Marcus. And Joey had feelings for...Bridgette.

He lowered his voice, and his gaze, not meeting Bridgette's eyes. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat," In a spur of the moment act, and entirely out of his character, Joey was overwhelmed to do just that, and took the blonde's arm carefully and pulled her closer to him. He bent down, and leaned in to her lips. As they brushed, Joey knew he had made the right decision. Even if she pushed him away and never wanted to speak again, this moment was worth it. Breaking up with Dorian had seemed like ages ago, and all that mattered was the here and now, standing with her in his arms.

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[BRIDGETTE STANTON]

Bridgette was too busy trying to hold in her relief for Joey's break up to react to being pulled closer to the boy. Gasp escaping her lips as her arm was suddenly in his grasp and their chests were practically brushing against each other, it was obvious that the girl was very shocked at what was about to happen. However, as their lips met, Bridgette couldn't make herself pull away.

Eyes closing, the blonde was welcomed with an overwhelming tingling sensation, causing her foot to subconsciously rise, something she had always hoped would happen when she received the perfect kiss. After all, it happened to Mia Thermopolis, princess of Jenovia, and well, Bridgette Stanton was a princess. The girl soon found herself raising a hand to graze the boy's cheek, as if anchoring their kiss, savoring the moment with the boy she had so wished was hers, and here he was.

After a few moments of pure bliss, Bridgette smiled against Joey's lips before pulling away just slightly to meet his eyes, whispering "You made my foot pop, Mister French. Maybe I should be the one thanking you...", her cheeks turning pink. Hand removing itself from Joey's face, bringing herself back to her original position, hands folded in front of her, poised and proper. "I 'm not really into being with someone. It's not something on my priority list right now..." she said, smile fading, eyes lowering from his sight. Taking a deep breath, she slowly raised her head, saying "But...that...I liked how it made me feel...so, maybe..." trailing off, she wasn't really sure what else to say. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be with someone after all...but how could she say that to someone she wasn't even sure was looking to jump into anything so soon? Deciding to let him take over, she silenced, and waited to hear his response.

[JOSEPH FRENCH]

Bridgette's slim, delicate fingers slid over Joey's cheek, causing his skin to shiver pleasantly. In return, Joey hugged Bridgette closer, wrapping his hands around her waist firmly. After what could have easily been an eternity, but in actuality was only a few moments, their lips parted. The blonde was already composed, her hands back where they always seemed to fall, folded neatly in front of her. A sloppy smile formed on Joey's face as Bridgette mentioned her foot popping, which, if he was interpreting correctly, was a very good thing. 

"I know," Joey breathed deeply, slowly coming back to his senses as she spoke. If there was one thing almost everyone could state about Bridgette, it was that she had a strange way of staying single in the middle of Vegas. He'd heard rumors about her, none he had believed, about her not even having a proper kiss, much less a steady boyfriend. (but that was just talk, right?) Even so, if she wasn't ready he wouldn't rush her into anything. And he wouldn't rush himself into anything, he reminded himself silently. It may have seemed like ages ago but the break up with Dorian was still fresh, and if he were to quickly jump back into a relationship, especially with the very girl who had nudged his fling with Dorian to end, that'd just be another blow to the other male's ego. No, Joey would wait as long as he needed to for a chance to make something work with Bridgette, something that would last. 

"Maybe we could start with just dinner and a movie?" He suggested. "Ease our way into something..." Joey trailed off, losing his train of thought as he pictured the scene in his mind. "And if you wanted to, you know, we could kiss more," He grinned, winking in an over-the-top manner to make sure she knew he was joking. Even if he really wasn't.

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[BRIDGETTE STANTON]

Seeing that goofy little smile on the boy's face could only make Bridgette smile herself, finding it so completely adorable, that she couldn't help but return the same expression. The sophisticated blonde had never found herself smitten with a boy before. In fact, she had always dismissed any feelings for anyone in fear of getting of track as she went on her journey towards the big time on Broadway. However, ever since that day of auditions when Joseph introduced himself so boldly, and she must admit, very smoothly, she had sort of pushed her rules aside. Perhaps for the better, for it seemed she wasn't the only one feeling these things.

Sighing heavily as he informed her he knew how she did things around here, she felt suddenly relieved that he wasn't going to make her do anything she didn't want, something boys in Vegas seemed to have difficulty with. Maybe this was another reason she liked Joey. He was respectful, sweet, and understanding. It made her feel warm inside. However, she was a bit disappointed. The truth was, she had this secret hope that perhaps he could persuade her into jumping in head first. She had always had a trouble with that, always scared of what might happen. But, her disappointment was relieved when he offered the idea to take it slow, perhaps set aside a night to go to dinner, maybe a movie. Smiling at the thought, she rose a finger to spin a strand of hair around it playfully, shyly looking away from the boy before speaking. "Well, I don't see anything wrong with a movie and dinner...but I'd have to check my schedule. I'm very in demand." she said with a smirk, but after a moment, she clarified, "I'm just joking. I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather do...", blushing a little at her admittance to the fact. Most people thought she just worked, but truth was, she was a young woman, and also wanted what mist young women wanted, and that was to actually be wanted.

Her cheeks only got pinker when he brought up the option of kissing some more, and the smile on her face showed her amusement. Despite his joking, she wasn't at all opposed. Stepping closer once again, she leaned in, her heels rising so she could reach his ear to whisper, "I think that could be arranged, maybe, possibly..." she trailed off, watching as a student for the next class silently made his way into the auditorium. "But, maybe we should find some place...else. I may have kissed a few boys on stage in my lifetime...but they weren't...real." she said, still whispering. 

[JOSEPH FRENCH]

The moment he offered to take Bridgette out for a movie and dinner, his stomach knotted up instantly. She wouldn't agree to it...She twirled her finger around a lock of hair, taking her time answering. Before Joey's face could fall, disappointed at her reaction, Bridgette lit up smiling, and exclaimed that she couldn't think of anything better she'd rather to do. He let out a soft breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and grinned. "Are you-I mean, fantastic!" He stumbled over his words in excitement, trying to get them all out and still make sense. Of course she was in demand, but if she was willing to take a night off from her strenuous schedule, then Joey would make it worth her while.

When she stepped nearer to him and leaned in on her tiptoes, her intoxicating perfume filled the air between and around them, and Joey's heart picked up a bit. With Bridgette so close to him, he thought she might be able to hear the thudding as his heart raced faster, pounding against his chest harder and more quickly with each passing moment he stood with her. Her breath was warm on his neck as her smooth voice reached his ears, suggesting they relocate. As Bridgette trailed off, Joey's gaze wandered over to the side of the auditorium, where he watched a different student walk in past them.

His eyes drifted back to Bridgette, and he nodded his agreement. If she was serious, they probably shouldn't stay on the stage while the next class filed in. And even if she wasn't...well, it wouldn't do either of them any good to continue to stand here. "You're right," The taller boy held his hand out, offering it for her to take, still smirking a bit from her earlier comment about never really having kissed a boy. Bridgette wasn't much younger than him, maybe a year or two...was it really possible for a beautiful young woman in Vegas to dodge every single man that came her way? And for so long! Joey couldn't even imagine what that would feel like.

"Anywhere you had in mind?"

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[BRIDGETTE STANTON]

Giggling as she watched the male before her sort of raise his voice in excitement in response to her acceptance to his invitation, Bridgette couldn't help but feel her thoughts become eased. Ever since that night at the ball, Bridgette had been scolded for "stealing Joey away from Dorian." Sure, perhaps she had done a bit of harmless flirting, if you could even call it that on her part, and of course, she wasn't exactly innocent the moment he kissed her, for she did not pull away in the slightest, but the look in his eyes when she agreed to go on a date with him told the blonde that perhaps she hadn't done the stealing at all. Perhaps Dorian was just keeping Joseph hostage. She had never seen Joey that excited around his ex, after all. 

Bridgette grinned a bit as she leaned in, her hand feeling the quickening heartbeat as she whispered in his ear, realizing she wasn't alone as her heart fluttered like a hummingbird. She didn't want to pull away. In fact, the closer she was, the more comfortable the blonde felt. Would it be so bad if she just stayed by his side until it was absolutely necessary to part? Perhaps that was her passionate theater sad talking, but there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to spend the rest of her afternoon with him. 

Her eyes slowly looked down at the hand awaiting hers, and Miss Stanton soon laced her fingers with the male's, before beaming up at him happily. His hand was warm, much warmer than hers, and it was a wonderful feeling. If Bridgette didn't know better, she'd say their Fingers intertwined with one another almost fit like a puzzlepiece. Beginning to walk, the young female contemplated on where she could take him. Her stomach was empty, and she could have sworn she heard Joey's belly rumble a few times, and it seemed only natural that a first date would call for a meal of some kind, correct? Bridgette wasn't really sure about the rules of dating, but in the movies she had watched over and over with Mitchie, that seemed to be the best setting. "What do you say to walking to the quad and having a picnic? I can order some sushi, or something, and we can just talk...among other things." she said with a wink of her right eye, tightening her grip on his hand just a small bit. 

Pushing through the doors, and out into the quad, Bridgette eyed the area, searching for the perfect place where no one could bother them. This was probably her only chance to have someone actually like her for her. Actually, Joseph seemed to be the only boy who showed any interest in her in general. She couldn't mess this up, and neither could anyone else.