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31_days2009-10-31 04:58 pm
ladyairy.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2009-10-31 04:58 pm
[Amnesty Day] October 2, In the road {Sweeney Todd}
Title: In the road
Day/Theme: October 2, "Thus spring begins"
Series: Sweeney Todd
Character/Pairing: Anthony, Johanna
Rating: PG
Notes: Takes place in a modern AU- it was meant to be part of a series of oneshots entitled "Ways Anthony Never Met Johanna", but the other parts have yet to be completed.
When Anthony's mother enrolled him in the Naval Academy, she said it was so that he would "find something useful to do". Anthony was glad to go, if only to get away from his parents fighting all the time. Most people with as little in common as Mr. and Mrs. Hope would have divorced back in 1995, but Mr. Hope believed he was "too old" to change his ways, and Mrs. Hope was afraid that it would unbalance their already "overly sensitive" son. As it was, Anthony spent most of his childhood away from other children dreaming up different lives for himself, and pretending that his real parents would come to take him home.
After it became apparent that Anthony was being bullied in public school, Mrs. Hope convinced Mr. Hope to make other arrangements. She did not find it necessary to inform her son of the real reason.
Anthony took surprisingly well to the rigid lifestyle at the Naval Academy. Structure relaxed him, especially once he became accustomed enough to the schedule to fit in his reading and walks. It only began to frustrate him once he was of an age to keenly feel the absence of the opposite sex in his environment.
There was in fact, a private girls Catholic school not ten blocks away from the Naval Academy. The boys were given strict orders not to harass the Catholic schoolgirls, since their fathers are very rich and very protective. Of course, there have been complaints anyway, so a class is specifically scheduled to overlap with the hour that the girls leave school in droves.
Two hours after that hour, Anthony finds himself passing by the school anyway. He knows the way well enough-- he used to rationalize his trips past to see if he could catch a glimpse of a female face through a barred window by saying it was on the way to his favorite fish and chips shop.
Four girls are leaving the building (Did they have detention, he wonders, or perhaps remedial classes after school? Or some kind of club?) not quite at the same pace. A blonde and a brunette lead the way, talking very loudly-- Anthony realizes quickly that they are discussing Jane Austen. A second brunette who appears to be trying to follow the conversation is a bit behind, hurrying her steps to catch up with them. Another blonde trails after them, her hair obscuring her face as she texts someone on her mobile.
"Hurry up, Johanna!" one of them calls as they cross the street towards Anthony. He blushes as they look at him and giggle. The last girl-- Johanna-- doesn't appear to notice him at all as she passes, just remembering to turn in time rather than walk into a fence. He can't help noticing she is extremely pretty.
Suddenly Johanna stops walking ahead of him. The other girls don't notice, but he slows down so as not to walk into her. She looks as though she is going to hurl her mobile at the sidewalk.
Anthony could keep walking, but... "Miss," he manages, "are you all right?"
Johanna starts and looks at him for the first time. For a moment, he swears he sees longing in her eyes. Then she stiffens and moves away from him. "I have to go home. My dad's angry with me."
"Oh go on, get his number!" one of her friends yells. Anthony blushes.
"I wasn't--" he begins, but she cuts him off.
"I'm sure." An odd smile twitches at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not going to keep your number in my mobile, but if you are interested... you could come by here again another day."
Anthony wants desperately to come off suave and sophisticated, as if he talks to beautiful girls every day. Instead he sort of gapes at Johanna until she blushes and stuffs her jumper and mobile into her backpack.
"I-I hope to- that is to say I- I should very much like to oh-"
"S' getting too hot to wear this anyway," she mumbles.
They only manage to look directly in each other's eyes again for a second, but for that second Anthony is amazed at how familiar it seems.
"I should go, I--"
"I'll see you," he finally says firmly, and means it.
As Anthony watches Johanna go, he realizes it is the first day of spring. He hopes it is a good omen.
Day/Theme: October 2, "Thus spring begins"
Series: Sweeney Todd
Character/Pairing: Anthony, Johanna
Rating: PG
Notes: Takes place in a modern AU- it was meant to be part of a series of oneshots entitled "Ways Anthony Never Met Johanna", but the other parts have yet to be completed.
When Anthony's mother enrolled him in the Naval Academy, she said it was so that he would "find something useful to do". Anthony was glad to go, if only to get away from his parents fighting all the time. Most people with as little in common as Mr. and Mrs. Hope would have divorced back in 1995, but Mr. Hope believed he was "too old" to change his ways, and Mrs. Hope was afraid that it would unbalance their already "overly sensitive" son. As it was, Anthony spent most of his childhood away from other children dreaming up different lives for himself, and pretending that his real parents would come to take him home.
After it became apparent that Anthony was being bullied in public school, Mrs. Hope convinced Mr. Hope to make other arrangements. She did not find it necessary to inform her son of the real reason.
Anthony took surprisingly well to the rigid lifestyle at the Naval Academy. Structure relaxed him, especially once he became accustomed enough to the schedule to fit in his reading and walks. It only began to frustrate him once he was of an age to keenly feel the absence of the opposite sex in his environment.
There was in fact, a private girls Catholic school not ten blocks away from the Naval Academy. The boys were given strict orders not to harass the Catholic schoolgirls, since their fathers are very rich and very protective. Of course, there have been complaints anyway, so a class is specifically scheduled to overlap with the hour that the girls leave school in droves.
Two hours after that hour, Anthony finds himself passing by the school anyway. He knows the way well enough-- he used to rationalize his trips past to see if he could catch a glimpse of a female face through a barred window by saying it was on the way to his favorite fish and chips shop.
Four girls are leaving the building (Did they have detention, he wonders, or perhaps remedial classes after school? Or some kind of club?) not quite at the same pace. A blonde and a brunette lead the way, talking very loudly-- Anthony realizes quickly that they are discussing Jane Austen. A second brunette who appears to be trying to follow the conversation is a bit behind, hurrying her steps to catch up with them. Another blonde trails after them, her hair obscuring her face as she texts someone on her mobile.
"Hurry up, Johanna!" one of them calls as they cross the street towards Anthony. He blushes as they look at him and giggle. The last girl-- Johanna-- doesn't appear to notice him at all as she passes, just remembering to turn in time rather than walk into a fence. He can't help noticing she is extremely pretty.
Suddenly Johanna stops walking ahead of him. The other girls don't notice, but he slows down so as not to walk into her. She looks as though she is going to hurl her mobile at the sidewalk.
Anthony could keep walking, but... "Miss," he manages, "are you all right?"
Johanna starts and looks at him for the first time. For a moment, he swears he sees longing in her eyes. Then she stiffens and moves away from him. "I have to go home. My dad's angry with me."
"Oh go on, get his number!" one of her friends yells. Anthony blushes.
"I wasn't--" he begins, but she cuts him off.
"I'm sure." An odd smile twitches at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not going to keep your number in my mobile, but if you are interested... you could come by here again another day."
Anthony wants desperately to come off suave and sophisticated, as if he talks to beautiful girls every day. Instead he sort of gapes at Johanna until she blushes and stuffs her jumper and mobile into her backpack.
"I-I hope to- that is to say I- I should very much like to oh-"
"S' getting too hot to wear this anyway," she mumbles.
They only manage to look directly in each other's eyes again for a second, but for that second Anthony is amazed at how familiar it seems.
"I should go, I--"
"I'll see you," he finally says firmly, and means it.
As Anthony watches Johanna go, he realizes it is the first day of spring. He hopes it is a good omen.