A Night of Wishes;; open

[megan lynn aldridge]

As soon as she had said it, Megan knew that it would be the final blow that was necessary to completely and utterly dismantling Hallie. The last thing that Hallie wanted to hear was that she'd been with Braden before and that was exactly what Megan told her. And the worst part was, she wasn't lying. There was a truth behind it that would make it that much harder for Hallie to swallow. In fact, after she had said it, Megan wasn't sure Hallie would even have it in her to respond and that was exactly what she had been aiming for. Whatever it took to tear Hallie down had been done and now, she was standing there, lost for words just about. Some part of Megan should have stepped in, told her that this was taking it too far, but it didn't. That part of her was no longer there and all she could do was stand there, her eyes gleaming with an evil smirk that showed her complete nonchalance with the situation.

It was as if, in that moment, she didn't even know who Hallie was and that the girl was just another stranger in the halls that she had set her targets on, as opposed to someone that was more akin to a sister than anything. Not wanting to spoil the moment by saying anything, Megan simply shrugged in response to Hallie's question. Letting the thought simmer in her mind would hurt more than Megan saying it ever could. She could now leave Hallie effectively lost for what to do about her feelings for Braden and Megan was positively thrilled by her success. It was because she knew Hallie so well that she was able to so easily pick the things that would hurt the most and that was dangerous. Megan was most apt to turn on the people that got closest to her, since they came too near to touching on subjects that she wasn't willing to confront and that was when she struck.

At that point, Megan was quite certain that nothing Hallie could come back with would have any effect on her. Any sort of emotion was buried deep enough in her that the odds of any coming out and taking hold were slim, until Peyton was mentioned. That was the one thing that still held a power over Megan, that could make her feel anything. It was only a flicker in her eyes, but it was enough to show that Hallie had said the one thing that could bite back just as hard as she had just given it. However, aside from that brief flicker of almost fear in her eyes, nothing in her outward appearance showed that she was in any way effected by Hallie's comment. In fact, she didn't even bother to respond as Hallie turned around to leave, letting the girl walk off without even a parting thought.

Turning her attention back to Braden for a brief moment, she gave him almost a congratulatory look. "Thanks, babe. You were stellar," she commented with a nod. By then, she didn't even care enough to go off with Braden. She'd hurt Hallie just the way that she'd wanted to and anything further than that would probably be useless. She'd used the boy for what she had needed and now she was done with him. Dropping her arms from him, she gave him one last nod before turning to head back to her room. There was a good chance that by the time she arrived, Peyton would be gone, but she was pushing that thought from her mind as she walked down the hallway, her heels clacking against the floors in a repetitive noise that lulled her into a fairly calm place. Despite the fact that she had just effectively destroyed one of the few genuine relationships that she actually had, Megan was eerily calm and that held even after she had reached her empty dormitory. Peyton was gone, Hallie was gone, and it was just Megan and her alcohol- a scene sadly far too familiar to the girl.

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[hallie beatrix cauldwell]

Walking out of the room at a normal pace, Hallie didn't think about the situation that just occurred. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Other than a fact that Braden was standing right there, Hallie wasn't entirely sure for herself if the fight did happen, but she wasn't going to start fretting about it now. Whatever relationship she had with Megan was now over, the only connection between the two girls was Hal's older sisters. And she very well couldn't tell Peyton or Sydney to stop being friends with Megan, because that wouldn't be right. So when Megan felt it was necessary to crash at the Cauldwell Mansion for the holidays, Hallie would simply ignore her presence.

Walking up to the Owlery, Hallie didn't exactly know how she was going to spell this out for her sisters. She obviously didn't want to bitch Megan out, but she thought it was best to explain the situation before they started questioning why she would become icy towards her former best friend. Sorren, come here! She spoke lightly, still trying to form the words in her head. An orange owl swooped down, and landed on the ledge of the tower's windowsill. Hallie scratched her favorite owl under the beak, as he likes, and feed him some treats from the community pile. Had she stopped by her room, she would have brought a mouse or something better.

With a flick of her wrist, Hallie summoned some paper and a pen. She carefully planned each word that she wrote out. To Peyton and Sydney. Megan and I were in a horrible fight. I'll be fine, and I want you guys to still be friends. I love you guys. I'm going home for a few days. -Hal. She looked over the letter, satisfied that it got the point out, but without going into much details. She just hoped that her sisters weren't going to look for more detail. She rolled up the letter and tied it around Sorren's leg. Deliver the note to Peyton, then Sydney. She watched the owl fly out of the window, knowing the he understood.

Hallie didn't know what to do after she sent the letter. She couldn't go back to the ball, because she didn't want anyone to talk to her. But she didn't want to go to the Ravenclaw's commons room, because she didn't want to be alone. She allowed herself to follow where her feet took her, listening to the pictures on the wall sleeping or whispering in quiet voice. 'Oh, look at that loner.' 'Maybe she didn't have a date.' She heard one picture talking to another, but she didn't have the energy to correct them. She went to the second floor, subconsciously knowing exactly where she was headed. She opened the door that led to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and instantly felt a wave of different emotions wash over her. On one hand, it was where she first met Braden, and thinking about him made her tense up; but it was also the first time she and Bray had a reasonable conversation. She smiled as she remembered watching him kick a toilet bowl. She sat down, not caring if her dress became dirty.

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[braden royce barbary]

Leaving Braden utterly confused, the two girls took off from the ball to go take care of whatever it was they had to do. Honestly, now that the two weren't there to entertain him, Braden was pretty over the whole ball thing. He wasn't really the type for the scene at all, so he didn't see much more reason in staying. Technically, he was probably supposed to stick around to take care of his duties with security from the Headmaster, but that was whatever to him. Besides, obviously the two girls were in some serious conflict and that led to a risk of something going down between them elsewhere. Braden, obviously wanting to make sure that no one got hurt, probably had to go follow them and keep an eye out for their actions. Or something.

Slipping through the crowd, Braden looked around for some sign of the girls, but they both seemed to have taken off someplace and Braden couldn't be bothered to look for them. He might as well just go hang around somewhere or something. Actually, after all that conflict, it was about time for another smoke. Typically, he'd go outside, but he really didn't feel like being out there where he might get roped into helping with the cleanup of the grounds after the long event or something. So, instead he made his way to a place that he felt would be deserted and perfect for a quick smoke alone- Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. It had always been a pretty quiet place and definitely a good place for a smoke, since what the hell did Myrtle care?

Entering into the room, his eyes widened slightly when he saw Hallie down there on the ground, looking pretty damn miserable. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, exactly, but he had a feeling that he probably should say something nice or whatever. At the very least, offer her a smoke, even if she didn't smoke. "Uh, you're on the ground. It's kind of gross. I didn't clean it," he said, settling for that as his attempt to start conversation. It wasn't quite as understanding as he should have been, but it was Braden. "And uh, you look kind of...whatever," he added, avoiding adding an actual adjective, just in case she got mad at him for whatever reason. Best to just let her talk for the most part and him to just nod along. Moving a bit further into the room, Braden leaned up against the wall across from Hallie to look over at her, but keep a safe distance in case she felt the need to excessively cry.

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[hallie beatrix cauldwell]

Hearing the footsteps before the person entered the room, Hallie quickly dabbed at the one tear drop that was slowly falling down her face. That was the only one she would allow herself to cry, because it was meaningless to tear up for Megan. Whatever happened tonight at the ball signified the end of their friendship. She heard the footsteps stop, and looked up. Hallie sighed, not because she didn't want to see him, but because at the moment she just wanted to be alone. Hey Braden. Sorry about before. She smiled weakly, not wanting to make a bigger fool of herself. She pretty much told him that she had feelings for the guy, and know she wondered what he would say about it.

Hallie watched as Braden pulled out his pack of cigarettes and offered her a smoke. She quietly laughed. Will it let me have the opportunity at a do-over? She shook her head, and pushed his hand away. No thank you. But, enjoy. She hung her head low, getting a weird sense of deja vu. She was touched by his kindness though, because she knew he really enjoyed smokes. Hal looked out the window, seeing the clear stars, trying so hard to avoid his eyes. Knowing how unstable she was at the moment, even if she didn't show it or feel it, Hallie knew she would completely melt if she looked at Braden. And that wouldn't be fair if she dumped all of her problems on him.

She heard him say something about the floor being dirty, which could ruin the dress. She chuckled. Don't worry Bray. It was a gift from my father. He could always get me another one. And I was planning on burning the dress anyway. I hate it. The thought of burning the dress made her sad. She didn't hate the dress, it was actually one of her favorites, but she'd always associate it with the ball, and Hallie most definitely didn't want to remember that. But thanks for your concern. And thanks, I think, about the whatever part.

She glanced up at him, and looked into his eyes, simply to see how strong she was. When she saw that she didn't completely crumble inside, she flashed her first real smile since she walked out of the Great Hall. Hal was quite proud of herself, and realized that she didn't need Megan to live. Her mood brighten instantly, because she knew that she'd wake up tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, and she'd still be Hallie Beatrix Cauldwell. Nothing but herself could change who she was, and just because she lost one friend doesn't mean she can't gain ten more. Braden, won't you come sit? I promise I won't start wailing on you. She patted the floor next to her, and flashed him another smile.

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[braden royce barbary]

As he entered the room and Hallie apologized for whatever had happened, he shrugged it off, since it really wasn't that big of a deal. Sure, it had been pretty damn awkward overall for him, but whatever. He wasn't the type to let stupid things like drama affect him all that much, so it wasn't like it had bothered him overmuch. "Yeah, yeah. No worries," he nodded, letting her know that he wasn't concerned at all by the events of before. She and Megan were the ones that had been fighting, after all. He'd pretty much just gotten to stand there and be sexy, so that was always quite alright on his part. He was quite good at that, or at least he certainly thought so anyways.

Pulling his smokes back to his chest and pocketing them, he shrugged again at her refusal to take one. Still her problem. He wasn't really sure what she meant by a do-over, but it didn't sound so terrible and it was probably best to just not upset the kid any more than she already was. "Yeah, go for it. A do-over is cool," he said, nodding a bit, even though he didn't have a damn clue what she meant. Lighting up his cigarette, Braden inhaled a bit, puffing it out behind him to form a ring of smoke. Perhaps one of the main reasons that he found it so soothing to smoke was because it made him feel kind of like he was a dragon. Smoke was sort of close to fire, so he was obviously pretty damn badass if he was like a dragon. A childish view of it, perhaps, but Braden wasn't exactly known for his maturity.

Running a hand through his hair, he nodded, not sure why she would set it on fire or whatever. That sounded kind of stupid, but than again, he did quite like fire. "I'll help you set it on fire, if you want. I set things on fire all the time," he offered, figuring this was clearly the best he could do at the moment. How comforting she would find that, he didn't know, but whatever. It was a nice offer. "And yeah, the whatever was...a good thing, I guess?" he added, not at all sure if he had even meant it that way. However, if she was taking it as a compliment, than he was happy to let her think that. He liked when he could win people over with his obviously rather charming personality, so this worked for him.

Relieved by the smile that she gave him, Bray's face turned up into a bit of a grin himself,. He wasn't good at dealing with all those emotions and stuff, so there was a sense of calmness now that she seemed a bit less crazy. However, he wasn't sure how he felt about going over there to sit by her, even if she promised that she was going to be chill about it all. "Well, uh. Right than," he shrugged. Walking over there, he slid down the wall and stretched himself out on the floor in a rather lazy manner, tossing his cigarette over into one of the toilets so that it didn't bother Hallie. "So, uhh, yeah," he commented, nodding a bit, though it was a rather awkward and unsure movement. He definitely didn't know what he was supposed to say or do or whatever, so he simply sat back and waited to see what would happen.

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[hallie beatrix cauldwell]

Looking around the room, Hallie sighed. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Braden was acting a little reserved around her, as if he was expecting her to blow up again. But she wouldn’t let herself do that again. The past was behind her, and thus, Hallie wouldn’t spend too much time dwelling upon it. What happened tonight in the Great Hall was over, something she couldn’t change, and something she couldn’t wish away. It was now Hallie’s responsibility to live her life, because any unhappiness caused by the incident would be because she brought it up. And she definitely didn’t have any intention of remembering those words spoken, those actions carried out tonight.

Pulling the curls that she so delicately created this afternoon by the long muggle way into a bun, Hallie smirked at Bray’s comment about a do-over. Thanks Bray. But I actually don’t think I need a do-over. Shocked more so at herself, Hallie wondered why she said that. Maybe it was inevitable that her relationship with Megan was bound to fall apart at some point. The reasons for why that would be so is endless: Hallie was a Ravvie, and Megan was a snake; not to mention, Megan was all about the parties, while Hallie was focused on her studies. In fact, Hallie was pretty sure that she and Megan only became friends because the latter girl was constantly at the Cauldwell Castle, so why not become friends?

Turning her attention back to Braden, Hallie realized that it would be a mistake to have a redo. She learnt a long time ago that something good comes from every bad situation. So maybe sitting on the disgusting floor of a bathroom with the guy she might possibly have feelings for wasn’t exactly ideal. But at least she wasn’t in her room all alone, crying her eyes out. The bathroom floor was definitely, though not by much, a step up from being a loner. For now, she would focus on Braden, because she felt like she needed to make it up to him, the way she acted before.

Playing with a curl that fell free from the rest of the bun, Hallie glanced up and smiled. Thanks Braden. We should definitely have a bonfire, or something. And maybe not go to the extreme of burning the dress. I’ll donate it to the less fortunate. Feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her face before she even said anything, Hallie continued on. But I’ll need your fire setting skills. A nice fire beneath a black canvas dotted with stars. And we so totally need to make s’mores. They are so yummy! She glanced out of the corner of her eye, to see if Bray had picked up on the we. Sometimes it was so hard for her to read Bray, because she never knew what he was thinking. Not to mention, she was pretty sure that he didn’t like her in the way she felt for him. Just face it Hal. You’re not a party animal, so you’ll never be able to connect to him. She shook the thought out of her head, but she was quite upset that it might be right.

Feeling her heart leap out of her chest and then stop altogether, Hallie watched Braden cross the room and slide down the wall to sit next to her. Her face washed in a red color, and then slowly disappeared as she tried to calm herself down. It took her a couple of tries to get her breathing back to normal, and recollect her thoughts. Hoping that Bray would be the one to start a conversation, Hallie was disappointed when she only got so, uhh, yeah. But it’s not like she could get mad at him, because her attempts at a conversation at the moment would not be successful. So uhh, we've really got to stop meeting like this. In the bathroom. Hallie shook her head, while beating herself up inside. That was the lamest excuse for a converstation starter she could think of. Searching her mind for something else to say, a thought kept nagging at the back of her subconscious. Earlier this evening, Hallie had said something to Megan, with Braden standing right there, about the girl going after the one guy she liked. And she was pretty sure that Bray heard her, even if he didn’t react to it nor did he mention it again. But Hallie had to know, because the question was eating her alive.

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Hallie draped the white lace fabric over her knees. She rested her chin on her kneecaps, trying to form the question on her tongue, while gathering up enough courage to actually ask him. She sighed loudly, pleading with herself to just get it over with. So Braden. Hallie couldn’t dare meet his eyes, otherwise all of her courage would fly out the window. She felt the warmth spread across her cheeks. So before, with Megan, I kinda let out that I, uhh, sorta, umm, like you? She paused for a moment, sneaking a quick glance at him. Her eyes caught a glimpse of his, and she quickly looked out the windows to the stars. So I was wondering. Doyouhavefeelingsformetoo? She realized she was holding her breath, and a huge sigh escaped from her lips. She finally got the question off of her chest. Now she only had to wait for the answer, which was killing Hallie inside. Because he could either say yes, or all of her efforts to make Megan back off earlier were for nothing.

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[braden royce barbary]

Even though he was still a bit on edge with wondering if Hallie was going to spaz out at any moment, he was starting to think that perhaps she had calmed down enough that he could relax a bit. It wasn't like she was mad at him anyways, so he should be good. At least, he hoped so anyways. It would kind of suck to be totally owned by some chick in a bathroom. "Well, whatever you want than," he said with a shrug. She was apparently one of those people that liked to change their minds every few seconds, just because. Braden, not being the most intelligent a lot of the time, tended to be very confused by that sort of person. Well, he was confused by most people, but most of all women and especially when they were emotional sort of women. But, he was pretty nonchalant about most things and didn't have too much of a problem just shrugging his shoulders and nodding his head in agreement to whatever it was they wanted. Certainly, that made his life a lot easier.

Despite the fact that sometimes she set him off a bit, he didn't really mind having Hallie around. She was pretty different from the majority of the people that he hung around with and he kind of enjoyed it sometimes. Sure, she was pretty emotional and sometimes a bit of a spaz, but she was alright. Not to mention, she was totally all for the idea of him starting up a giant fire. That was definitely a way to win him over. Bray loved his fire. "Oh, well. We can burn other shit. Like...I don't know. Whatever we find," he shrugged. He was a bit disappointed that they wouldn't be setting the dress on fire, but there were plenty of other things lying about the castle. Maybe he'd take the stuff that no one had picked up from the lost and found and they could throw all of that junk in there to burn. That would be cool.

Nodding along with the suggestion that they make s'mores, Braden couldn't help but agree to all of that. It was stated a bit more poetically than he would typically go for, but nevertheless it suited the idea. "Yeah, they're good. And we can like roast hot dogs or whatever, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked over at her. He'd never really had a real campfire before, but he was pretty sure that they did that sort of thing at them. If not, it still sounded like a good idea, so whatever. Besides, he liked hot dogs and all that kind of weird food. He wasn't exactly the most cultured of eaters, that was for sure and generally ate the stuff that people considered disgusting. But, he didn't care. No one messed with his waffleburgers.

Noticing the weirdness that she got when he sat down, Braden worried for a minute that she was going to start freaking out on him or something and that her nerves were about to get the best of her. Eying her cautiously, he settled back down when she started to talk. It was kind of a weird way to start off a conversation, but whatever. It was kind of true, after all. They did seem to spend a lot of time in the bathroom. "Yeah, kind of weird huh? You spend a lot of time in here. We should probably go someplace else next time," he nodded, agreeing with her. He didn't quite realize that he was suggesting that they hang out somewhere else, but that wouldn't have bothered him if he did realize what he was saying. She was a cool chick, for the most part and he didn't mind her.

Looking over at her when she said his name, he yawned slightly before shaking his head to make sure that he was actually listening. It seemed like she was trying to say something sort of important and when she did, Braden didn't know what to respond with. Sure, she was cool and he liked having her around, but he wasn't sure if he had feelings or whatever. That was kind of a bit much for him, but he didn't want her to think he didn't like her, since he pretty much did. "Uh, you're pretty cool, yeah. I like hanging out. Even if...it's always in bathrooms," he nodded, deciding that this was a decent response. Probably not exactly what she wanted to hear, but it was a Braden sort of answer and that should be good enough for anyone.

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[hallie beatrix cauldwell]

For a moment, Hallie stopped focusing on Braden and looked down at her feet. Knowing that she was going to wear open toed shoes for the ball, Hal went to a nail salon and got them painted an off white, the same color as her dress. Flexing her toes, a pain traveled through her foot, due to the uncomfortable shoes that were probably cutting off her circulation. She reached down and pulled them off, tossing the shoes to the side. Ahh, much better. Looking back up at Braden, she heard he mention something about burning other stuff. A look of confusion passed over her face. Or we could burn this little thing called wood. You know, the stuff that’s actually meant for burning? She didn’t understand why he wanted to burn clothes and material items, but Hallie wasn’t going to push the subject anymore. Obviously that was a man’s topic, and she just wouldn’t get it. But, what if the items were someone’s personal things. And they destroyed it? That just wouldn’t be cool.

Envisioning this bonfire actually taking place, Hallie shrugged when Bray suggested roasting hot dogs. Um, yeah, you can roast hot dogs. I wouldn’t know how to do that…like if they’re cooked enough. I’m a vegetarian. Most people flipped out when Hallie told them of her personal choice, often saying that she didn’t know what she was missing. But it wasn’t like Hallie stopped eating meat because she didn’t want to kill innocent animals. She could just never get pass the taste of meat, thus solidifying her choice of become a vegetarian. And she would never force her beliefs upon someone else. She thought everyone had the right to make their own decisions. But yeah, I can definitely add hot dogs to the list of foods to buy. She flashed him a smile, happy that this bonfire was actually going to happen.

Sensing the tension when Braden sat down, Hallie willed herself to become calm. Normally she wasn’t nervous around guys, but she’s only interacted with Braden a few times before. So on one hand, Hallie felt like she didn’t know anything about the person sitting next to her; but on the other, it felt to her like the two of them have been friends for a life time. I don’t spend a lot of time here. You just seem to catch me in here a lot. She laughed quietly, as Braden was kind of dead on. Ever since their first meeting in the bathroom, Hallie has come here often, especially when Alex is pissing her off. Glancing over at his second comment, Hallie grinned. Do you really mean that? Maybe Braden didn’t realize it, but that sent a wave of delight through Hallie, because it meant that he didn’t totally hate her after what happened in the Great Hall. And that he enjoyed her company just as much as she did his.

While waiting for Braden to answer her question, Hallie asked herself if she was ready to hear what he had to say, and if really she actually had feelings for him. After that first initial impression of Braden and his hotness, Hallie wondered what made her keep going back to him. Other that the fact that they both attended Hogwarts at some point during their lives, they had absolutely nothing in common, as Hallie was just beginning to realize. Not only were they in different houses, but Braden smokes and eats meat. And although Hallie can tolerate other’s decisions and choices, she recognized that Braden would be better suited for one of the other Cauldwells, not the nonexistent one. But maybe it was the fact that they were total opposites, and that’s what interested Hallie. Regardless, she practically destroyed her own friendship for him, so there was something there—maybe deeper than the superficial layer—that was keeping Hallie around.

So lost in thought about why Hallie liked the guy sitting next to her, she almost missed his answer. Looking over at him, Hallie raised an eyebrow in question. Uhhhh. Oh. She wasn’t exactly aroused by his reply, but she wasn’t disappointed either. He said that he liked hanging out, which Hallie took as a good sign. Which means that one, he didn’t hate her and wanted to hang out some more, and two, all of her efforts before weren’t put to waste. So maybe there was something between them, which just took a little longer to come out. Not to mention, Braden wasn’t exactly one for words.

Not wanting things to become awkward, as she searched her mind for something to respond with, Hallie gracefully rose to her feet. She dusted herself off, not caring about whatever dirt might be on the dress, and walked over to the window. She recalled countless memories of looking out of her window and seeing all the stars shining brightly over her Scottish castle. With a grin spreading across her face, Hallie turned back to Braden. Using her wand, she summoned up some soft background music. Hey Bray. I never did get a chance to have my fairytale dance tonight. She looked down, using her big toe to trace the cracks in the tile. She quietly whispered, but loud enough so he could hear. Would you like to have a dance? She looked slowly back up at him, a hint of hesitation in her actions and words. Obviously wanting him to say yes, Hallie just hoped she wasn’t rushing into things, with the possibility of him going back on his word about them hanging out again. Especially because she knew he wasn’t into these types of things. But tonight, with the exception of some things, was a fairytale for Hallie, and she didn’t want it to end just yet.

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[braden royce barbary]

As Hallie started to tug at her shoes, Braden shot her a curious look. He didn't see why anyone would want to take their shoes off in a place as disgusting as the bathroom, but it wasn't really his problem. His feet were nice and covered and he had no reason to worry about it at all. If Hallie wanted to go dirty up her feet on the floor of the bathroom than that was her decision. A slight snarl passed his face at her comment, shrugging it off since he had no intention of really paying far too much attention to it. "Yeah, whatever. We could throw that on there too," he said. Obviously, that still left enough room for him to be allowed to burn whatever he wanted to, but it also let Hallie be all proper and burn something stupid and boring like wood. What a lameo.

At once, his faced paled when she mentioned that she was a vegetarian. Braden was a pretty big fan of eating meat and it was rather impossible for him to imagine not eating it at all. In fact, that generally was something that he would frown upon. However, he wasn't going to pitch a fit about it, since that was something else that was her problem. It made her totally weird though. "Ah, well, alright. Whatever you want," he shrugged. Obviously, he didn't care what she went ahead and bought. Though, he was still rather doubtful that the whole bonfire idea would actually ever happen. After all, it was just Hallie prattling on, right? Since she was all upset and whatever she was probably just talking shit and it likely never would happen. At least, that was what Braden was assuming.

To be honest, Braden wouldn't have been a bit surprised if Hallie used the bathroom as some kind of weird hangout or something. He knew that Ravenclaws liked to study and whatever, so it was a pretty quiet place if they wanted someplace to sit around with a book and not have a lot of people distracting them. He raised an eyebrow slightly at her question, which seemed to come with quite a bit of enthusiasm. Braden, not being the most enthused of guys on most occasions, simply shrugged a bit. "Yeah, it's whatever. I mean, I'd rather hang someplace that wasn't the bathroom," he nodded. Even though he wasn't the most cleanly a lot of the time, Braden couldn't say that he was particularly fond of being surrounded by all the ick that came along with the bathroom setting.

At Hallie's rather less than enthused response, Braden scratched at the back of his head for a moment, rather awkwardly. He wasn't really sure what she wanted him to say, so he just kind of left it at that. Braden had never been the best at dealing with mushy stuff or feelings or any of that sort of thing, so he found it easiest to just avoid it whenever possible. Hallie, on the other hand, definitely seemed like the type of girl that was all bubbles and emotions. They were two entirely different people and it surprised Braden to no end that he didn't mind having her around. In fact, he tended to kind of like it. He probably wouldn't really admit to anything other than just that, but that was just how he was as a person.

Braden was just about ready to leave the awkward situation at that and give a hasty goodbye when Hallie started to get up from where she was seated. He regarded her with a slightly curious, but definitely wary expression as she moved about and flick her wand around. The whole music, window thing threw him off a bit and he kind of looked at her with a vacant expression for a moment. He wasn't a fairytale sort of guy, that was for sure. At the same time, however, he didn't want to set her off into some sort of psychopathic rampage either. He nodded slightly in response, not really sure what to say to that and stepped forward slightly. He knew how to dance fine, since he'd been to a few different events over the years that required such knowledge, but he didn't know if he felt comfortable doing that. Than again, it wasn't like he had a choice. Clearing his throat a bit, he awkwardly set his arms in the proper position on Hallie and waited for her cue to start dancing.

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