I sure love TICS :: winwin

V and Winter had walked over to the little ice cream shack that sat on South Point beach. This was where he took the track team after meets and stuff, so Winter had already been here a few times before with him, though it was a little different this time.

"So, what kind of ice cream are you gonna get?" V asked as they waited for the shop to finish opening. They tried running early in the morning so that they wouldn't be crowded on the beach and so they could beat the sun.

They were sitting on a bright red picnic table that was nestled in the sand.

Winter walked next to V as they made their way to the ice cream shop on the beach. She was thankful that they came to the beach so early. Other than maybe a few other early morning joggers, the beach was pretty much deserted. The majority of the population of South Point was usually the students who attended Red Fern, and most of them were still fast asleep in their beds.

V wrote:"So, what kind of ice cream are you gonna get?"

"I'm not sure," Winter replied, while leaning back on her hands. "Probably a vanilla cone with sprinkles." Then she yawned, reached up and adjusted her ponytail. "I'm sleepy," she said. "I think I might take a nap later."

The two sat at the little red picnic table for about ten more minutes, talking about something that wasn't track or school. Maybe it was about Winter's family or something, so they could learn a little more about each other since all they've ever talked about is track and school.

Finally the little window of the shack opened up, signifying that they could take orders now.

The two clio got up and ordered their ice cream. V got a twist cone with crunch coat while Winter got that vanilla cone with sprinkles that she had mentioned. V smiled as she took it happily from the window. The multicolored sprinkles seemed to suit her.

V paid for them both, and then they returned to the little table to eat their breakfast.

After taking the cone from the clio working behind the counter, Winter thanked them politely then followed V back to where they were sitting. Without thinking, she sat next to him, their legs touching slightly. "This is my favorite type of cone," she told him thoughtfully while simultaneously licking her ice cream. "I always wanted it when I was younger."

V wasn't unaware of the way Winter had sat up against him, their bare legs brushing against each other. He paused for a moment before continuing to eat his ice cream.

"Everyone always likes the waffle cones the best," he said, licking off the crunch coat so that it wouldn't melt and make a mess. "But my favorite was always the cake ones. I'm not sure why, but I just always liked them better."

He looked over at Winter, though it was hard for him to do because she was so close to him.

"Oh, you've got some ice cream," he said with a laugh. He smiled and used his thumb to brush some of the melted ice cream from her nose. She was so pretty, with her red hair and pale skin.

V wrote:"But my favorite was always the cake ones. I'm not sure why, but I just always liked them better."

Winter nodded in agreement. She always liked them better too. It was something about eating the cone with ice cream still inside of it that was always her favorite part. "It's only because they're the best!" She replied, smiling at him.

Winter giggled and blushed when V wiped the ice cream off of her nose, and when she looked at him, her face only grew redder. The way he was looking at her, almost like, he thought she was pretty. That couldn't be true though! He was a teacher! Her coach! It went against every set of rules she grew up to learn. Before she could stop herself, before Wesley could stop her, she started leaning in. Maybe it was because she was use to men wanting her, or maybe it was because of the way V was looking at her, but she leaned in and kissed him. It was a simple, quick kiss on the lips, because as soon and their lips touched, she pulled away as if he had shocked her.

"Oh gods," she gasped. "Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods!" She lunged up from the picnic table. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" She dropped her half eaten ice cream cone in the sand, and touched her cheeks with both hands. "I-I'm so sorry!" She. Was. Freaking out. Tears started spilling from her eyes. Now she really was a whore. Kissing a teacher. She was a useless, dumb whore. Couldn't even keep it in her pants for a teacher. What was wrong with her?!

V was shocked. Whatever he had been expecting from Winter sitting so close to him, it wasn't that. Many students over the last few years had had crushes on him. None, however, had ever gone so far as to kiss him.

"Winter," V said with a breaking heart. He watched as she fell apart in front of his eyes. "Winter, you didn't have to do that," he told her, scared to death that she had thought it was something she had to do.

V wrote:"Winter, you didn't have to do that,"

"I know, I know!" Winter moaned. She ran her hands through her hair frustratingly, tearing her ponytail from its scrunchie, and not caring. She couldn't look V in the eye anymore, hell she couldn't even look in his general direction. She started pacing, not sure what to do anymore. She should just run away. Why wasn't she running away? "I-I need to go," she said to noone in particular.

"Stop, listen," V said, his voice strained. Gods, what was he supposed to do now? This honestly had been so far off his radar that never in a million years had he expected it.

"It's okay, it's going to be alright," he said, looking around furiously. He stood up, completely unsure of what to do.

You've really done it this time, Veil cried, her little birdy voice shrill in V's ear. Hadn't she warned him?!

"Please, please calm down," he told her, trying to keep his voice steady but letting a little panic escape anyway. "It's fine. I'm not upset. I'm not."

Winter was finally able to bring herself to look at V in the eyes. It was so horrible, awkward, and embarrassing to look him in the eyes. She could tell he wasn't fine, how could he be? His freaking student just kissed him! She decided she was going to drop out and just become a prostitute, that's all she was good for anyway, that's all most guys wanted from her. "It's not fine," she whimpered, her voice quiet. "It's not..."

"Winter, stop," V said, pleading with her. He didn't want the TICS employees to hear their conversation. For Winter's sake.

"Listen, I'm not upset with you. I'm upset with myself." He wished more than anything they could be anywhere else than this public beach. But he felt like asking her to go somewhere with him would just make the situation worse.

Oh, Gods. He was a pedophile. He was a predator.

"I never should have let that happen, Winter. But you absolutely did not have to do it. I don't want you to think you needed to do that. But it's my fault that it happened--not yours. You've done nothing wrong."

What had he gotten himself into?

Winter tried wiping away her tears, but they continued to stream silently down her cheeks. Why did she have to go and get herself into this? And now her coach probably thought she was some sort of sex fiend! "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I don't know why I did that..." She looked down at her feet, sniffling and wiping at her eyes more. "I need to go..."

V let out a breath. Nothing was going to make this right.

"Just be safe, please Winter," he told her, agreeing that her leaving was probably best. She needed time to think through what had happened. And he couldn't lie to himself--he needed that too.

"And please don't blame yourself," he said, knowing she would anyway. Ugh why did this happen?

V wrote:"And please don't blame yourself,"

Winter nodded, but it was too late. She already did. She was the slut, not V. She mumbled a goodbye, turned away and ran. She wanted to get as far away from the beach as she possibly could. Maybe off of Martha's Vineyard for a while. She wished she could just disappear off the face of Amelia, but for right now, Ughdarras would have to do.