It's Not a Date...I Think...(Private)

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

It didn't take a genius to know where this was going. Apparently that girl hadn't seen Haven with him earlier. And her accent... it reminded him of her as well. Okay, actually Haven's was better, he thought, since this girl seemed to have a habit of exaggerating her tone that it sounded a little unnatural. Speaking of Haven, he threw her another quick glance and noticed her covering part of her eyes. Simon grew a little worried. Keeping his grin up, he chuckled good-naturedly and turned back to the girl.

"No, actually I'm here with my girlfriend," he corrected her. He must play his words right, because this girl looked like another Angela and that wasn't good news. "How about you? Surely a pretty lady like you doesn't wander in alone in a place like this?"

Listening to his own words made him think hard. Dang, was he already crossing the line and flirting with her? Simon got more anxious now. He had gotten so used to it that he didn't even realize if he was. He swallowed thickly. This is bad.

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon's smile faded a little when Marcie told him he could do better. It was a kind of comment that he didn't want to hear. It was an insult, he thought, to both him and his girlfriend. Did Marcie think that Simon wasn't smart enough to... pick his girlfriend (for lack of better terms)? And more importantly, what was it about Haven that made Marcie think that she wasn't good enough? Hell, if he could shout it to the whole population of McDonald's, he'd gladly say that Haven was an epically awesome girl. But, judging from the way she sank down in her seat, Simon thought that she didn't want any more attention than what Marcie was giving her now.

"I'm Simon. Nice to meet ya," he introduced himself, purely out of politeness. He paused a little before adding, "And I already count myself lucky to be with her. I don't see the need to look for someone better... if such a person exists," he said with a louder voice.

He was probably pushing it with his vague remarks and increasing volume, but Marcie had insulted Haven. He wasn't going to let her off easily for that.

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon was stunned to silence the moment Marcie slipped a ten-dollar bill into his hand and it took him a few moments to recover. As he ordered, he tried to look where Marcie had gone, only to assume that she went straight for Haven. His eyes widened. Oh, no. Gods, can they speed up with his order already? Didn't they know how bad a girls' fight can get if left alone for long periods of time?

Several minutes later he squeezed through the line with a tray of three Big Mac meals. Dread coursed through him when he realized that he was right in his guess. Swallowing thickly, he quickly made his way towards the two girls. As he drew closer, he noticed how they seemed so familiar with each other. Simon gulped--this was getting worse by the second. He had just stepped in the hearing range when what Marcie said confused him. What? Was Haven some sort of alien in disguise from outer space? Oh, she got inside the camp boundaries, so that couldn't be it.

"Oh, you know each other?" he said as he came into a stop in front of their table, smiling even if his inner mind was becoming a little doubtful. Setting the tray down and slipping back the ten bucks Marcie gave him, he sat down next to Haven while watching Marcie with wary eyes. He wasn't exactly the type to let girls pay, and however bad Marcie would turn out to be, she was still a girl.

Simon slipped his hand into Haven's and gave her a small squeeze of reassurance. It looked like she needed all the help she can get in that department. His stomach grumbled a little, reminding him why they were here in the first place.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving," he exclaimed as he popped a French fry in his mouth.

Simon was fighting the urge to ask what Marcie had meant with her previous words, but he decided that it wasn't the best thing to do. Better if he pretended he hadn't heard, he thought. It would probably give her an excuse to shame Haven. Besides, he can always ask Haven later... maybe. But a look at Marcie's face told him that she didn't seem like the person who will drop that easily. He just hoped he was wrong.

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon couldn't stop his eyes widening in time and he almost choked on his burger. What Marcie said seemed to be the last thing he expected. There was a higher chance of him believing that Haven came from outer space. Stealing a glance at Haven, he waited for her to deny it, but the girl remained silent. It was enough to tell him what he needed to know, and frankly it wasn't something he liked. But that didn't give him a reason to be all negative.

"Sweet! All my dad can blow up is a balloon," he said after swallowing, chuckling a little to lighten up the situation. "Or maybe a stack of cards too. I haven't seen a lot of his shows..." he trailed off in deep thoughts, as if remembering his father's magic tricks.

He managed to grin in an attempt to make it less serious. That blowing-up-a-school-bus thought did bother him, but he decided to put it in the back of his mind for the meantime. For now, it was Operation: Protect Girlfriend. Whatever Marcie would say here, he can talk with Haven later in private. He was actually a little amazed of himself with his decisions. Dang, Simon, you've got skill.

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon kept up a smile during the whole facade, hiding the mixed emotions bubbling inside him. He didn't even try to make sense of what he was really feeling because it was all so confusing. He still held Haven's hand in his and he didn't have any plans on letting it go for some time. Giving her another reassuring squeeze, Simon took a huge bite of his burger as he weighed his next words.

"Well..." he trailed off, still in deep thought. He was actually getting a little scared of the fact that this would turn out even nastier. However, it was his personal loyalty that helped him overcome that little fear. He had to defend Haven from Marcie. He wouldn't allow any of his friends and especially his girlfriend to get hurt, even if it meant that he was going to take the blow for them.

"I'm not a CSI agent who's obsessed with background checks and stuff," he finally said, still grinning at Marcie. "But whether or not I know her or her past is our business alone." As he spoke, he didn't even raise his voice and he talked as if it was just about the weather or some other common thing. It wasn't because he was scared of doing that, but Simon lacked Marcie's intimidating tone because it simply wasn't in his nature to threaten people. He stole an anxious glance in Haven's direction, hoping that all this would end soon. Especially with Angela's confrontation earlier, who knew how she was holding up against these taunts?

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon was trying to piece all the clues together in his mind while listening to the girls' conversation. It seemed that Haven had run away from home and her mother liked blowing up school buses. Huh, crazy woman. Maybe she was a terrorist or something? Then it was no surprise that Haven ran away. Just the thought of living with a terrorist sent chills down his spine.

Finishing up the last bits of burger in his hand, it took him a few moments to realize that an awkward silence had already taken over the booth. He cleared his throat, just for the heck of making some sound to break the eerie quiet. Having not been too attentive to the conversation, he really didn't know what to say. A small part of his mind wanted to ask some questions about Haven's past but with Marcie around, he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea.

"We go to a cool summer camp," Simon suddenly blurted out, remembering Marcie's earlier question. His answer was probably somewhat late, but maybe it would work to divert the topic, which he made a mental note to discuss with Haven later. "Oh! Some people occasionally blow things up in there too."

He grinned, before realizing that what he said might cause Marcie to doubt his sanity. Ah, whatever. A lot of people already thought he was somewhat weird... somewhat.

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Managing a small smile and a half-wave at Marcie, Simon popped two fries in his mouth and chewed slowly. It looked like he was buying some time, but he wasn't sure why. Was he waiting for something? An explanation, perhaps? He wasn't totally sure if Haven was going to start storytelling soon. With Marcie gone, there was no stopping him from voicing out his concerns. Perhaps Haven needed a little nudge to get her started? Still aware that he was holding Haven's hand, he propped his elbow up on the table with his face leaning on his free hand.

"Hey, I thought you were hungry," Simon said. His eyes swept over the rest of Haven's untouched food. Huh, she sure lost her appetite due to that little exchange. He could still remember how hungry she was when they left the hospital and now, it looked like her hunger was long forgotten. It was amazing how words seemed to have a huge effect on people. They even had the potential to cause more pain than physical wounds. Sighing softly to himself, Simon let his mind wander back to the encounter with Marcie, reminding him of his curiosity.

"So... is your mother a terrorist?" he asked quietly so that no one else but Haven could hear. The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. With his lips curled up in a smile, he thought maybe that gesture would be enough to encourage her to open up. Or maybe the silly opening question would. Either way, Simon was determined to get an answer out of her right now. After all, it was better to hear it coming from Haven, whatever really happened to her, instead of getting it from some unknown source where the truth can so easily be warped into strings of lies.

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon barely suppressed a gulp when Haven narrowed her eyes at his direction. It looked like the terrorist thing might have rubbed her the wrong way. Resigning to awkwardly scratching the back of his head, he met Haven's gaze and smiled at her a little. He didn't know what it felt like to have a crazy mother--though honestly, maybe Hecate was a little crazy but that was beside the point--so he was, for a rare time in his life, out of words to say. Was Haven looking for consolation? It didn't look like it, and Simon was afraid to try anything he was unsure of in fear that it would set her off.

Wondering what was the right thing to say, Simon stilled and played with the burger box in front of him. What exactly was the best response to someone telling you that she had a mentally unstable parent? He couldn't help but think that it would be easier to reply if Haven's mother was dead. That he can handle talking about. His own thoughts surprised him. Did he just think that Haven's mom was better off dead? What the Styx was happening to him? Thank the gods Haven couldn't read minds. Steering himself away from these morbid waters, Simon settled on returning Haven's gaze with his own. Maybe he could just stay as quiet as a mouse for the next few moments. The silence that followed was enough to drive him crazy a few seconds later, however.

Taking a deep sigh, Simon chuckled and looked down on the remaining crumbs in his box. "I honestly don't know what to say to that," he admitted, keeping his eyes trained on the table. "Whoa, the feeling's so bizarre, being speechless," he mused thoughtfully, managing to look up at Haven with a warm smile still playing on his lips. "Not something I want to get used to, actually."

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon looked rather bewildered. Haven expected him to leave? Was she for real? Before he could voice that thought out, he felt the sudden warmth slip away from his hand and saw that Haven had turned away. Watching her for a few moments, he clasped his hands together on the table and absently played with his fingers. Nervously chuckling when Haven hinted at how... crazy her mother was, Simon juggled the jumbled up words in his mind in an effort to string a sentence together.

"Well, thank the gods she's all the way south," he said. Well, it was true in a sense. It struck him a few moments later that what he said might be taken the wrong way. "Er... I don't need to meet her just yet... right..? I mean, if I need to ask her blessing to date her daughter I'll just pray to your dad..." he added slowly, appearing scared in the prospect of meeting his girlfriend's parent. Not because she was crazy (though that was also a factor), but he knew how it was like to be introduced to your girlfriend's folks. It was the father he needed to worry about in most cases, but this time he thought that Haven's mom was more terrifying than Hephaestus. Not that he was going to say that out loud.

Simon sighed, looking down on his fingers as Haven wouldn't meet his gaze. "You're not your mom, y'know."

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Raising his eyebrows at Haven's question, Simon turned to look at her only to see that she was munching on her fries. He fought back a few chuckles as he watched her eat. Well, at least it looked like things were going back to normal. That, or Haven had just succumbed to her hunger. Clearing his throat, Simon drummed his fingers on the table as he had already eaten every last bit of his meal.

"Well... you said you thought I was gonna leave," he said slowly, his eyes on her fries instead of her face. "So I assumed that you thought I'd be thinking you'll have some... blowing-up tendencies like your mom and then I'm going to stay away from you to be safe." He paused, listening to himself and frowning. "Hm... I don't think I'm making any sense."

Frustrated at himself for not being clear enough, Simon huffed and fiddled aimlessly with his empty burger box. Come on, Simon, you can phrase your sentences better than that. Try to make it so that people will understand what you're saying, y'know? a voice in the back of his mind chided. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm not going to leave you just because your mom is a bit unstable. You're not getting rid of me that easily, Beautiful."

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Simon sighed, trying to keep his cool. It wasn't like he got mad easily, but Haven was being a little persistent. Didn't he just make it clear to her that he wasn't leaving anytime soon? Heck, it almost sounded like she wanted him to leave by bringing up all these things. Almost.

"For starters... Hi. There, now someone who knows about your family has said 'hi' to you." He managed to smile lightly at that, but somehow it was starting to look a little forced. Just a little. You wouldn't notice if you don't look close enough. "Now, some interesting fact about me. I don't care about my friends' family backgrounds. Especially girlfriends'. I hung out with a guy whose parents were drug dealers once. He was a pretty cool dude, if I may say so myself," he reminisced with a slight nod before getting back to the topic at hand. "Look, I'm not leaving you even if your mom was a terrorist from outer space."

Simon watched her bury her face in her hand. Taking a deep breath, he reached out to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear. "So let me ask you something..." He withdrew his hand and paused for dramatic effect. When he spoke again, he couldn't help but grin widely.

"Are you still up to finishing your burger? I don't mind a second one."

Simon Xi Montri
Son of Hecate

---

Glad to hear her laugh and see the smile on Haven's face, Simon graciously accepted the burger and took a huge bite out of it. Swallowing quickly, he opened his mouth to speak but only managed to cough for being too excited to eat. "*cough* T-Thanks!" he choked out, grinning all the while. Taking a gulp of water to relieve himself, Simon continued, "You are an epic girlfriend for letting me have this little piece of heaven." He held the burger up slightly for emphasis before biting into it again.

Simon didn't know if he totally convinced Haven with the argument and so continued to watch her face for signs of denial. Was the subject finished? He didn't entirely think so. If Haven had to live through all that crap of being shunned because of her mother, it would certainly take some time for her to truly get over it all. Maybe it was impossible too, because there were always those wounds which never seemed to heal. But then, at least it looked to him that he was guiding her to the right track. He just hoped that Haven wouldn't get sick of his humorous ways to a serious conversation.

"Hm..." h said, putting on a thinking face. "I should buy you burgers often. Then both of us we'll never starve!" Another bite and swallow. "Great idea, no?"