Now I'm Stuck In This Rut, I'm Over Getting Old

[Kelli-wa]

Bo stood in the middle of his favorite coffee shop on the square “Mud and Grinds” and sipped on his hot Calypso Coffee, because lets face it, the kids behind the counter never carded him, first off, he worked there. He was almost twenty-one anyway, and who was going to disapprove of him drinking that tiny bit of liquor? No one was, so why not? He stared at the small composition notebook in his hand, it wasn’t anything special, and he hadn’t written anything in it yet. He had actually just bought it and there was nothing interesting happening. He sat down at one of the tables and set the notebook down, running his hand, now free of items to hold, through his hair. As he took another sip of the still-too-hot coffee, he got an idea.

He knew what he was going to do with his black, composition notebook. He started to write and what he wrote might have surprised you. He wasn’t writing about the too-hot coffee he was sipping on. He wasn’t writing about the cute girl in the corner drinking an iced mocha (yes, he knew exactly what she was drinking, he worked there after all). He was writing something that might get him someone to talk to aside from his best friend, Jersey, who’s real name was Izacc, but he was from New Jersey so that’s what everyone called him. The first page of the notebook simply said:
Dear Person who picks up this notebook,
If you are a girl within the age range of 18 and 21, please turn the page, if not, please put it back on the bench where you found it and walk away.
Love,
Under the Influence

He knew whoever picked it up may listen to the rules, but he also knew that they might not and instead, they might just turn the page anyway to see what kind of moron would write something like that. He hoped they would play along, and he also hoped that they wouldn’t think terribly of him for signing it the way that he had. He was, after all, under the influence of whatever alcohol was in the coffee he was drinking, and also under the influence of something else. What that something else was, he had no clue. Maybe it was wishful thinking, or maybe he was just crazy. The next thing he wrote was on the second page:
Dear Turner of the page,
I really hope you followed the rules, but if you didn’t, my dear friend Holly at the counter will know. That is, if you make it to the end of these small dares. The first thing I need to know is if you’ve ever heard the song ‘Into Your Arms’ by The Maine and liked it, you may turn the page, if you’ve never heard it or you did not enjoy it, please set this back down on the bench and don’t speak to me ever again.
Love,
Calypso Coffee

His last dare (on the third page) was simple:
Dear Fellow The Maine fan,
Now that I know we have something in common, I want you to do something for me. Give me your own question, or maybe a dare, or a clue of some sort. Just write it on the next page and return it to the friend I mentioned earlier, Holly at the counter. She’s here every time we’re open, so she should be there. Don’t be shy, and don’t ask her about me. If you ask her I will not return it to you and you will never know who I really am. Make sure you tell me where to find you, or at least where you want me to put the notebook for your finding.
Love,
Bo

Now that he had finished all of his dares or really they were more like questions he took a sip and moved the notebook to a cushioned bench that wrapped around the back corner of the coffee shop and slid it in the corner between the cushion and the wall for some unsuspecting loner to find. He then told Holly his plan and she agreed to help him, well, agreed to help if he paid her. So deciding it was worth the risk he gave her a ten which was apparently enough for her and he went on his way, still taking small sips of his cooling-down Calypso Coffee.

[Tiff]

Chelsea slipped into the "Mud and Grinds" coffee shop and unraveled her scarf from around her neck, letting the bright green cloth dangle on either side of her neck, and allowing the warmth of the coffee shop warm her properly and evenly instead of all at once. She unbuttoned her brown coat and approached the counter, smiling at Holly. "Hey, you're in my English class at the University aren't you?" She asked, fairly certain she was, not that it was really important, just something to talk about as she placed her order of a tall peppermint hot chocolate and a vanilla scone. She thanked Holly and made her way to the back corner of the coffee shop, she swung her tan corduroy book bag off her shoulder and onto the cushion beside her before unbuckling the leather straps and reaching in for her iPod. She paused in her reaching when she spotted the black composition book and pulled it from between the cushions. She looked around and upon seeing no one around the area flipped it open. She had a momentary pang of guilt as she did so, thinking she might stumble upon some poor girls inner most secrets, but by the time she finished reading the first and turned the page to the second she was giving the ugly black composition book her best grin. She shook her head at the song choice and the author's admiration for said band and song. She flipped to the third page and after reading sat staring at Holly behind the counter.

She could ask about the notebook's owner, but that would ruin the fun and she was up for the challenge this book offered. She was intrigued for sure and though she knew nothing about this guy, she was certainly curious to get to know a little more about him. His choice of drink didn't bother her much, most of the kids around the town had tried a little alcohol before they were legal and to the best of her knowledge most of the people who indulged in a little alcohol were happy drunks and not the least bit rowdy. She took her eyes off Holly and took out her favorite purple pen and as an after thought she pulled out one of her glue sticks and set it on the cushion beside her.

Dear Under the Influence, Calypso Coffee, and Bo,

First I'd like to start off with how brilliant this is. Second, I'd like to say that if this doesn't pan out between the two of us, you might want to open up your 'in common' question. I'm an avid fan of the Maine, but you know, they aren't necessarily the most well known band around, and there are tons of wonderful girls out there who might not appreciate the Maine, but have far more in common with you than their poor taste in music. Kudos to you for knowing who they are though. And finally I'll get to my question, dare and/or clue. I'm an English major, with a minor in photography at the local University. 'Tis your clue. I dare you to show me your photography skills. I won't so harsh to say that if you seriously suck at taking pictures that I never want to speak to you again, but leave the picture in between my page and yours, wedge it good so it doesn't fly away. Oh, and the picture can't be of just anything, I want it to be a clue, a place in town where you frequent often, an object from that place, and don't do the coffee shop (not that I know you frequent it often, just saying, it's no fun that way.) It doesn't have to be obvious either, I like a good search, I've a good nose for the town. And my question to you, I suppose, is do you also attend the University?

P.s. Please leave the composition book in the reference section in the public library, say between the CH and DA books of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Love,
CH


She closed the book and pulled off the extra button sewn into the lining of her coat and glued it to the front cover with her glue stick. She let the glue dry as she sipped her peppermint coffee, finished her scone, and did her English assignment while listening to 'Into Your Arms' by the Maine on repeat. After several hours she tested the glue, satisfied that it would hold, she took the newly improved composition notebook to the counter and thanked Holly, before rewrapping the scarf around her neck and facing the cold.

[Kelli-wa]

Bo worked the day after he left the notebook in the back of the shop and while he wasn’t very hopeful that anyone would return it, he was a little excited to go in. Had someone found it and followed his rules? Did they like the song he’d chosen or had they just simply put the notebook back? He would never find out if he didn’t go inside and check. He got out of his deep green, 1997 Jeep Cherokee and started toward the back employee entrance of “Mud and Grinds”.

To his great surprise, the moment he walked in Holly tossed a book his way, which at first made him jump, but he caught it and looked down at his hands. It was his notebook, but with a small altercation. He smiled at the button on the front cover, he must have an artist on his hands, or maybe it was just a girl who didn’t enjoy the marbled-black of his composition book. He flipped it open and read what it said with a huge grin on his face, but he knew that Holly wouldn’t stand for him to write a response while he was working, so instead he slipped it into his black and red, cotton messenger bag and put his apron on, along with someone’s (maybe Riley’s?) visor on and gave Holly her break.

He worked all eight hours of his shift, practically begging Holly to give him any clues about this CH that had replied to his desperate call. She gave him no answer, of course claiming that he had told the girl not to ask about him (and he had to hand that to her, he had in fact, said not to ask). When he was finally released from coffee town, he immediately went to the library, the only public library in town that he knew of. Once he was there he sat at one of the tables and replied to CH. He didn’t even know her name, but he liked her already.

Dear CH,
While I appreciate your concern for my ‘in common’ question, I will have you know, that if a girl does not like The Maine, I cannot find a place in my heart for them. They have the best music, lyrics and vocals I have heard in all of my twenty years, not to mention that their lead man is very hot. (I’m just kidding, for the record. I’m one hundred percent straight. I figure you might not understand the joking undertone since you cannot see my face.)
Now, I very much appreciate your question/dare? I wasn’t entirely sure what to label these things as, but the reason I enjoy this so much is because I am a photography major at the Uni. I might have seen you somewhere, but I have no idea who a CH might be, although it may just be because of the place you told me to leave this notebook. I hope you enjoy the picture I’ve placed in here to go along with this letter, because it’s one of my favorites.

Love,
Greyman_27

P.S. If you’re trying to figure out where to leave it, just look at the picture. There’s a guy working there and his name is Jonathan, although any of them can be trusted with this notebook, just tell them to give it to Jon and it will get to me.

P.S.S. I’m sorry that I have nothing to contribute to the cover, but I’m afraid that there is no time to get glue, but I promise you next time, I’ll be on top of it.

The picture he’d chosen to place in the notebook was on a flash drive that he carried with him everywhere. He moved to a computer and printed the picture quickly, cut it out and placed it between the crisp lined pages. It was a picture of the Game Stop that he went to at least once a week. He made a mental note to text Jonathan before the night was out. He walked to where the Britannica’s were kept and quickly found the two books that he was supposed to. He slid it right in between easily and quickly left the library, pulling his sailoresqe jacket around himself tighter, trying to escape from the cold air of the night.

[Tiff]

Chelsea entered the library like she usually did at least once a day. It was her usual hangout throughout the week, but unfortunately it was closed on Sunday's which forced her into another one of her stops, the coffee shop or a book store. She always liked these places the best, they were usually quiet and serene, with little drama, and even better to sit and watch people or take candid pictures. She waved to the librarian behind the counter and then without breaking too much out of the ordinary she made her way down the reference section, her fingers gliding over the leather binds of the huge encyclopedia's and other reference books until she came to the Britannica section. She paused in her tracks when she saw the thin black composition book stuck between the two thick encyclopedia's. She pulled it out with delicate fingers and with a quick glance at the slightly altered cover, she flipped it open to the last claimed page and pulled out the photograph. She smiled, she knew the place well, and had he just simply taken a picture of his favorite game or some other Game Stop related item she would have figured it out. She read his message to her and rolled her eyes. She was a fan, but this guy was far more adoring than she. She took her newly claimed composition book to one of the library tables and began her response.

Dear, Greyman_27,

I'm beginning to wonder if you have any space in your heart for anyone or anything other than The Maine. I do have to agree with you though, he is pretty darn sexy, though I'm not so sure how I feel about talking to a guy who would consider dating him. ;D The campus is pretty big, and classes do range from morning to night, so there's a chance we may have seen one another already, but then again maybe not. Wouldn't it be interesting if I sat next to you every day for an entire semester and never knew I'd been conversing with you? I think it would be. I don't think I'm going to tell you what CH stands for, I'll let that be a part of the game. I don't want to get you all riled up, I'm not a big gamer girl, so if we ever meet please don't expect me to sit around on a computer playing WOW or the latest Black Ops game. But I frequent it often and I can pretty much follow any conversation if I absolutely have to. Don't judge me though, I honestly only play the yoga and dance games, unless bribed, and I can be bribed. So, I'm not going to leave a dare or even a question, because you didn't. I will however, tell you where you can leave the notebook. Please place it in a plastic bag, sealed tightly please, and leave it behind the big oak tree on ELm St. You can't miss it, it's the one with two tire swings.

Love,
EL

She took out a little three by three inch box from her bag and proceeded to peal off three little white stickers. Photo tape without acid that would easily stick his Game Stop picture to the front cover. She didn't have to wait for anything to dry, so she tucked the notebook into her bag along with the photo tape and made her way to the fiction section where she found the next book in the series she was reading, she checked out, told the librarian to say hi to her husband, an old high school teacher she once assisted for, and then walked down the road to the Game Stop. She gave the notebook to the guy behind the counter with instructions to give it to Jon, before browsing the shelves for a new dance game. She found one and purchased it before going home.

[Kelli-wa]

Bo received a text message from his friend Jon in the middle of the night telling him that he’d gotten his notebook. He gave the telephone an odd look and shook his head before sending a quick text asking why he just now texted him, because he knew for a fact that Game Stop closed at ten o’clock that day and it was three in the morning. “I just remembered,” was what the text said and Bo rolled his eyes but thanked him and said that he’d come get it. He didn’t know why he had such a huge desire to get that notebook back as soon as he could. In fact, he could think of nothing else but this mysterious CH that he’d been talking to. So he drove, in his boxers, to his friend Jonathan’s house to get the small black composition book. Jon was of course still awake, on his Xbox, in fact, playing Call of Duty (Nazi Zombies mode, of course). He shook his head as he walked into his friend’s house, “Man, I don’t understand how you play this into all hours of the night. I would’ve given up by now.” Jonathan didn’t look up from the television and shook his head, “Can’t talk, level seventy-two, highest I’ve ever been. Your book’s on the table. Die, Nazi scum!” he hollered into his headset, which must have gotten him a funny reply from his teammates because he laughed. Bo rolled his eyes and took the notebook off of the table, smiling down seeing that she had added his picture to the front cover.

Once he was home he turned on the light in his bedroom, still being the guy living with his parents, he didn’t have his own place like Jon did, although he wished he could. He sat on his green bedspread covered bed and flipped open the notebook. He read it all the way through, shaking his head lightly as he smiled at her words. He couldn’t really figure out why he liked what she was saying so much, but it seemed to be so easy to listen to her and talk to her, so to speak, seeing as there was no actual listening or talking involved. The only thing he questioned was ‘EL’, “El? Like… the?” He shook his head and took a pen from his bedside table and started writing.

Dear CH/EL,
I am extremely confused about what your name might be. At first I thought C.H. was your initials, but if that were true, then I simply don’t understand what the EL would be. Chel is not a name, and I’m not sure how it would even be pronounced, so I’ll continue to call you CH, because I’ve been calling you that so far and I’m kind of getting attatched.
I don’t (and I repeat don’t) love the Maine more than I love girls, I just have a list of things and on that list is that I have to be with a girl who shares the same music taste as me, I know that might be dumb, but hey, I have my standards. As for the whole gamer chick thing, I didn’t really expect it, and I will forgive you for your taste in games (although I agree with you on the WOW, I don’t find that to be very entertainting, but that’s beside the point).
Now, for your dare, I dare (ask?) you to leave me a picture of one thing you cannot live without. Please be creative, I would rather it not be your cell phone or something like that. Now, if you are willing to take a risk, return this in the park, sealed in the same plastic bag, if you would, under the bench near the splash park.

Love,
Bo

He decided he would leave it at that, but add something to the front. He took a sticker he received from when he’d bought his newest Vans shoes, purple and black. He took the sticker sheet from the shoebox beside his bed and stuck a small Vans sticker on the front cover next to the button. The next morning he did as her instructions told him to, triple checking the seal on the plastic bag before he placed it where she wanted him to.

[Tiff]

Dear Bo,

You are something else and that's all there is to it. I do think it's a good thing that you are becoming quite attached to my temporary pen name. You see I'm not the biggest fan to silly nicknames like 'Babe,' 'Sweetheart,' etc. I'm sure I don't have to elaborate much further, you seem like a fairly smart guy. I'm quite relieved to hear you don't love The Maine more than girls, because I'm a girl and it's just not biologically right for you to love a guy band more than a girl and in the event you come across a girl who tickles your fancy, she probably won't be too thrilled to hear you like them more than her. So you're safe, at least with me. Oh, good, I was starting to fear you might be one of those psycho boys who play WOW all night long and this notebook is your last ditch effort to find a girl who might tolerate it. I'm kidding. Now I have a small bone to pick with you about this dare. I have at least a dozen things I can't live without and my cell phone is not one of them. But I suppose if I have to pick something, I shall, but I'll make you pay for it.

Truth: I am a straight 'A' student.
Dare: Describe your physical appearance. (You don't have to give away any specifics, if you think it'll give you away in a crowd.)
Question: Do you have any siblings?
New Local: The Park. You know the pirate ship that sails on the high SEAs. (It's one of the kiddie attractions at the Splash Park.) Anywhere on the ship is good.

Love,
SEA.


Chelsea went for her camera as soon as she'd finished writing her response. She found a cleared, non-descript location to take the picture and snapped a black and white photo of her pen set. She'd debated the entire time she was writing her correspondence about what she'd photograph. She went back and forth between her camera and her pen and notebook. Then as she went back inside to print the picture she spotted the one item she wouldn't be able to live without and snapped a picture of it instead. As she loaded the picture on her computer she frowned, there was something wrong. She went back to the item, set her pen across the aqua colored type writers 'ASDF' keys and propped her spiral notebook in the paper spot, then took the picture. She uploaded the picture, printed it, and once it dried, stuck it neatly in stationary envelope and then placed it in the fold of the composition book. The next morning she got up early before class and made her way out to the park, she placed the sealed bag in it's drop off zone and hurried to class, wondering if this afternoon would be too soon to check the ship

[Kelli-wa]

Dear CH/EL/SEA,

I think I have figured it out. I’ve discovered your name, and I’ve also discovered that a pickup location is way easier than having you leave it with a person. This may be off topic, but it’s not easy getting this notebook away from my friends. You see, Holly made me pay her, I lost ten bucks on this deal, although so far it’s been worth it. Jonathan woke me up at three in the morning because he suddenly remembered that he had received it on level fourteen of Nazi Zombies and decided to text me while his teammates were reloading their guns while some poor legless zombie roamed around on the dirty ground. I went at that time of course and he said no more than ten words to me. I did however, like that you added to the cover with my picture. This might be the longest I’ve written to you yet, but I find it very easy to talk to you, or, well, the idea of you, I guess, since I don’t actually know you. I’m very glad that I’m safe with you, though, because I’m starting to think that this might be fun, even as just a friendship. I like you CH, I really do. And while I’m not a WOW maniac, this notebook is kind of a last final pleading effort to find someone who might like me for me instead of for what I look like. I’m tired of shallow girls, I don’t think that you’re shallow at all, and that’s why I like you, CH. For the record, I’m glad that you’re cell phone isn’t on your can’t-live-without-list, simply because if you are one of those girls who texts all the time, even when she’s with her friends, I just don’t think anything would work out.

Now, in reply to your dare, I’m going to say that if you visit the coffee shop very much, then you’ve probably seen me and I’ve probably seen you. You see, I don’t think that I could explain to you what I look like because you would guess who I was quickly, and considering that “Mud and Grinds” is where you found this lovely composition book, I’m going to guess that you are a regular, and it would be crazy of me to describe myself, so I’m sorry, but I cannot follow through with your dare, as it would ruin the fun and mystery, knowing who I am.

As for your question, yes, I do. I have two. They’re both younger than me, one is a girl (17) and the other is a boy (15). I love them a lot and they’re fun to hang out with, which you would never guess that a guy at my age would say, but I love my family to death. I hope this doesn’t freak you out. Moving on, I really love this picture and I think it says a lot about you. As per your choice of notebook, I’m going to have to say that I do not approve. I’m not a spiral man, and that is most definitely a spiral notebook. How do you deal with it when the metal gets all smashed around? I HATE that. I applaud you for your boldness in using a real spiral notebook. I just want to let you know, that while I respect you, it is very low to send a man into the trenches to deliver something as—dare I say—sacred as this notebook. I’ll do it, only for you, CH.

Truth: I am NOT a straight ‘A’ student.
Dare: Tell me about the time when you were the happiest.
Question: What is your coffee of choice? (Choose wisely, coffee says a lot about a person.)
Drop Off Location: Build-A-Bear Workshop in the Riverside Mall at 2 p.m. on Saturday. There you will meet a boy named Jersey, but before he will even think about taking the notebook, you’re going to have to listen to what he says, or there’s no deal, and I will never see this charming little composition book with your adorable scrawl ever again, and I’ll know that you weren’t up for my challenge.

Love,
Bo

P.S. I’m going to start calling you by your real name now, CHELSEA.


Bo then closed the notebook and looked down at the photo she’d left between the creases of the composition book and smiled. He was going to tape it to the front of the book, but he couldn’t do it. He wanted something to be close to him, a part of her even if it was only a photo, because it might, very well, be the last time he touched this notebook. He put on his sailor’s coat along with a sock hat and slid his shoes on before he headed back to the park that he had just left. He got there and discovered something that he knew was going to happen. Even though the small splash park was shut off, there were still kids playing on it as if it were a regular playground. He sighed and started toward the ship and moved quickly. Not really being a fan of young children, he started running and found a pocket in the ship and slid it in where no little kid had seen him and ran back away from the makeshift playground. “Well that wasn’t too hard,” he said quietly to himself as he started off toward his best friend’s house to discuss his next plan.

[Tiff]

Chelsea stopped at the edge of the Splash park and looked around, she'd gone to similar Splash parks when she was little, but had only watched from the sidelines as children played during the summer. She loved children and often volunteered as a camp mentor back home when she was in middle school, but once she hit her freshman year of high school she moved away from her home town to live with her older sister, Abby. Abby was the first born, and should have been an only child, but low and behold Chelsea was conceived and miraculously brought into the world by parents who were technically too old to have another baby. Abby had been nineteen years old when Chelsea was born and well into her sophomore year at the University here in Riverside. She'd known then, that Chelsea would one day come to stay with her, that she would have to buckle down, dismiss her partying ways and make her way in the world so that when their parents were no longer capable of caring for Chelsea, she'd be able to step in and take care of her baby sister. What neither sister expected, was for Chelsea to come to stay in the beginning of her freshman year of high school. Their father passed from pneumonia and their mother had a stroke that put her in a nursing home and Chelsea was sent to Riverside. She was a happy child and had known early on that her parents wouldn't always be there for her, like most of her school mate's parents would be. She packed her necessary belongings and hopped on a train to move in with her sister. They mourned properly and moved on like their parents would have wanted. She continued to get the grades, chose her English major to take up after her mother, and her minor in photography because she and her father had always shared the love of old photographs. However, once she arrived in Riverside, she couldn't bring herself to volunteer at the summer camps, for whatever reason, and that also transitioned into not going into regular places where she'd often take the children in her groups, like splash parks.

She'd only chosen the place because it had a link to her name in it, like 'EL' in elm, and subconsciously as a dare to herself to break her vow not to enter such places. It worked, she stepped through the gate, found the pirates ship and with a little bit of searching located the hidden treasure. She tucked it beneath her arm and left the park, she wasn't sure where she was headed just yet, but was too anxious to see what Bo had in store for her to keep the book beneath her arm. She opened the bag, and read what he had to say and before she knew it she was headed in the direction of the Riverside Mall. She knew it wasn't Saturday, but she wanted to be there for some reason. She avoided the Build-A-Bear Workshop, too afraid that she'd run into Jersey, and be unable to stop herself from asking him questions. She ordered a hot tea from her favorite shop in the mall, Teavana, and sat down in the food court where she began her reply to Bo, unsure if he'd even see it.

Dear Bo,

It saddens me that you might end this entire thing, I've only just started to talk to you. I'll have you know, I'll more than likely do whatever it is you have in store for me, just so I can continue this correspondence with you. You can't get rid of me that easily.

Touché. I suppose I can't ask you to describe yourself to me, not even if it's a simple description of hair and eye color. For all I know you could be the only guy who works at "Mud and Grinds" with green eyes and red hair. So I get your point.

It's nice to hear that you love your family, I have a sister, but she's more like my mother than my sister and so I don't exactly know what that sort of relationship is like, it's a long story, and maybe if I get to meet you or continue writing to you, I'll get to explain those details to you.

I love my picture too, but probably for different reasons, or maybe for the same reasons, just a few more. I kind of feel as if I'm talking to myself right now, because I don't know if you'll even get this response, but for all intent and purposes, I shall answer your questions and continue on as if nothing is hanging in a balance.

I was the most happiest when I received my first 'real' camera. I'm not talking a 12 megapixel camera, I'm talking the real deal. My dad bought it for me, along with a book on how to achieve the old photograph look, without using the dinosaur cameras. It was the best thirteenth birthday a girl like me could ask for. My mom flipped through the book with me and helped me set up my first photograph that resembled the one you've plucked from the pages of this book. Don't think I didn't realize it was missing.

I'm not a coffee drinker, sorry. Tea and hot chocolate are the only things I order from coffee shops. Silly I know, but hopefully I'm not losing brownie points.

Love,
Chelsea

She felt a little sad ending it that way, she'd said she'd continue on as if nothing were hanging in the balance and yet her brain would not give her anything else to ask him, to tell him, and she wasn't sure if she should instruct him to leave the notebook anywhere, if it was never going to leave her possession in the first place.


On Saturday at two, she walked into the mall and straight into Build-A-Bear, she stood near the back, admiring the tiny little outfits for the little stuffed animals that the kids were scurrying around making and falling in love with for. She wondered why toys were ultimately more attractive and colorful than when she was a kid and finally she turned away, hoping to spot this Jersey kid and get her next instructions or see him and find out that she would never meet this mysterious Bo.

[Kelli-wa]

Jersey was told the whole plan and Bo went with him to set up the plan hoping she wouldn't be embarrassed by this type of thing. It really wasn't that big of a deal, but some girls simply wouldn't do it. Bo left then and left Jersey to his work. He spotted a girl walk in that looked like she may be the girl he was looking for but he waited to watch her for a moment before he walked up. He wanted to make sure it was her before he spoke. When he was nearly certain he moved closer to her. "Are you ready for your dare, CH?" he asked. "It's simple, really. First you have to go pick out a bear. Any of them, this is on Grey," he said simply and nodded. There was more to it than that obviously, but he was going to get to that later.

[Tiff]

Chelsea turned in the opposite direction from where she was facing when she heard the first two letters of her name come from behind her. She gave Jersey a good solid look and with a smile spreading across her features she nodded. "I suppose I'm not allowed to ask questions still huh?" She eyed the display of stuffed animals on the wall and chose a polar bear, it just looked the cutest out of all of them. "Alright, this one." She said, hugging the empty shell of a polar bear to her. "What next?" She was certain there was something more to it.

[Kelli-wa]

Jersey smirked at her and shrugged, "Actually, you're allowed to ask questions, but I've been instructed to ignore any questions about how he looks, but I can bend the rules a little," he said winking at her. He was just glad that his best friend was getting out of this slump he'd been in, and for a girl. She chose her bear and he nodded, "Wise choice, he guessed you'd pick that or the bear with the green nose, I'm not sure why, but then again, I don't know you, so... Anyway, NEXT he wants you to record something on these sound things. You can say whatever you want, but it's going to Bo, so don't make it a secret or something you don't want him to hear..." He glanced up to the stuffing machine and smiled, seeing that the line wasn't too long. "Take your time if you need to."

[Tiff]

Chelsea gave Jersey a satisfied smile with the answer he provided, but she wouldn't break Bo's trust by asking any questions that might sacrifice their odd relationship. She had a number of friends in this town, but Bo, if you could consider him a friend at this point, was the most interesting one so far. "I think I keep my questions to myself thanks, but in the event I have a change of heart, you'll be the first one I ask." She looked at the bear with the green nose and raised an eyebrow, multi-colored body parts, even on a stuffed bear was a little juvenile for her taste, but how would he have known such a fact about her. She didn't take her time, she knew exactly what to say and when she finished she turned for her next set of instructions. "Alright, next?" She really had no idea what this was all about, but she was interested enough to keep going.

[Kelli-wa]

Jersey nodded at her statement and waited for her to finish her recording. He nodded toward the stuffing machine, "Well, next is stuffing and I was told that you are to do everything that this nice woman asks you to or I'm not allowed to take the composition book." As they walked over the woman smiled, and started to fill the bear with stuffing, telling her to get a plush heart, when that was done she started her speech, "Alright, now you've got to rub that heart between your hands to get it warm and then pat it to get it a'beating. Then rub it against your ears so your bear can hear, your eyes for good sight. Rub it over your heart to give it your love and then seal it with a kiss. Then you put it inside." She finished stuffing the bear as she finished her speech and held it for Chelsea to put the heart in when she was ready.

[Tiff]

Chelsea shook her head at her next instructions, but she did what the woman asked regardless. She kissed the heart and stuffed it gently into the polar bears chest. She turned to Jersey for her next instructions. "Did he do this too?" She asked, feeling it was a safe question to ask. "Because if not, I think it's a great way to make me embarrass myself." She chuckled a little, hoping if he made a bear, that he had to go through this silly charade as well. She understood the purpose for the kids, but an adult with a love for a stuffed animal shouldn't have to go through with all the kid stuff.

[Kelli-wa]

Jersey smirked watching her do all the stunts the same way he had with Bo. It was really funny, although it had been ten times funnier when Bo had done it. He nodded at her question and smirked again, "Yes, and if you could see it you'd laugh. I mean, the guy isn't short and he looked like a moron acting like a little kid, it was GREAT." He shook his head still chuckling. he answered her question short and to the point, "Your next instructions are that you should dress the bear as closely to what you're wearing right now as possible. I know it might be hard, though, so you can improvise, I won't tell."