compass point .

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He was told that it was warm for October and everyone that passes him is wearing some form of autumn/summer hybrid outfit. But Ben Olsen who is dressed in a black hoodie and jeans, is regretting not bringing another layer. A beat up skateboard is tucked under his arm. Five minutes ago he gave up trying to skate, fighting the crowds wasn't worth the small thrill and an older woman with greying roots had shook her fist at him – he was afraid she was flowing him with a scowl. This decision had changed his timing, as he had factored in the time it would take to skate to Central Park. He was now a few minutes late, which made him imagine Ava Anderson recoiling from nature and walking backwards into her fort of video games. Five minutes and she's there. Her platinum hair making him do a double take and squinting to focus on her before moving forward with certainty. "You're not worried you're getting a tan?" he jokes as he comes up behind her and wraps his lanky body around hers, pulling her into a hug.

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In a form fitting black polo neck and tiny denim cutoffs, Ava was enjoying the Frankenstein hybrid of summer-fall weather. New York had always been a city that wore autumn well, leaves falling from the uniform trees lining the streets, the air sweet with the scent of a thousand pumpkin spiced lattes. It was less good at summer, when the smell of hot garbage filled the streets, trapped in by all the skyscrapers. So it was nice to have the most picturesque season with none of the chill, and it was even nicer to have Ben by her side to enjoy it with. Not that he was just yet, since he was late. "You're late," she said when the scruffy boy appeared, stating the obvious. His arms wrap around her waist and she squeezes them, "but no, a tan would go with the blonde, wouldn't it?" She turns to face him, throwing her arms around his shoulders and giving him a tight squeeze.  Elated by the sight of him, she slipped her arm into his, leading him into the park. She bites into a full lip, which is uncharacteristically adorned with a layer of berry lipstick-- Amber had said it was important to get guys to look at your lips, for some reason. "You didn't have to come, y'know. The whole point of me going to Hawaii was to save you a trip."

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"I know, some lady yelled, 'you damn kids and your wheelie boards, you're going to kill somebody!'" his voice gets high as he mocks the lady and exaggerates the story a little bit. He wiggles his sunglasses down his nose and studies her hair, "it fits," fingers pinch and tug at a piece of the soft gold. He returns her hug with gusto, and lifts her tiny frame off the ground for a moment. As she leads him through Central Park, he tips his head upward and takes in autumn. The orange trees and the bright blue sky, it's the type of weather white girls sip their pumpkin spice lattes to. "Wrong. The whole point of Hawaii was to get you out of your bubble," he chucks his skateboard on the ground and slips from her grip. His feet landing on the board and gliding a few feet before picking it up and tucking it away under his arm again. "I like New York in the fall anyway."

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Ava's cheeks burn crimson as he assesses her hair. Immediately she's flooded with insecurity, assuming he hates it and worse, thinks she was stupid, or misguided to dye it this way, desperate for approval she'll never get. Of course he says none of this, but she's still embarrassed. "Well, it did that," she agrees, thinking back to the pristine beaches and the feeling of her, then dark, hair gritty with sea salt. She can still feel the sun on her skin as she remembers it, though it brings along embarrassing memories of how awkward she was with his friends, and how surprised he'd been to see her at the airport. It wasn't like her to feel awkward around him, but the last couple years had changed things, and even watching him skate didn't feel the same. She rolled her eyes, relieved as he scooped it up. "Stop being so sporty, it's making me wish I'd stayed in and had another go at Cuphead."  "How was your flight? How long are you staying for? My mom's still mad at me for going to Hawaii by the way, and she thinks my new look is your doing. You're a terrible influence, Ben Olsen."

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A grin spreads out on his boyish features and he dangles the board in front of her for a moment, "you wanna try? I'll let you lean on me?" He's kidding of course and he tucks the board away before she can deny his invitation. He shakes his head at the mention of Cuphead. He has no idea what it is but can only assume that it's some sort of video game. "Long.. too long. You know I can only stare at a screen for so long," he knocks shoulders with her and passes a cheeky smile. "Just a few days, I have to go to Tahiti from here... Really? I'm almost honored she thinks I'm a) that influential and b) that handy with a bottle of bleach," he laughs, turning to survey the hair once again, "it looks really good though. I never pictured you blonde, but you suit it. "

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For a split second Ava's tempted to take him up on his offer, the idea of having him hold her steady one that makes her heart beat hard against her ribcage. She swallows it down. It was annoying to her, this sudden change in her feelings around him-- this was Ben, her oldest and dearest friend, someone who held nothing back from her and was always there to catch her whenever she thought that she might fall. Their friendship was something too precious to risk, but Amber's voice was in the back of her head-- he's hot, you should go there. Why had she shown her his Instagram? "Oh," she said to his response of only a few days, before forcing a big smile onto her face. "Tahiti, huh? Surfing, right? God, I thought video games were an expensive hobby, how do you afford it?" She blushes again as he turns to look at her hair. It's pulled up into a topknot, a few strands left out framing her face... she had loved it at first, but now it seemed pathetic, try-hard. She was almost as embarrassed by it as she was her new smoking habit, one she had sworn to hide from him. "Thanks," she said, "I'm not sure how me it is, but Amber said the dark made me look like a corpse. Hey, do you want to head back to mine yet? All this fresh air is giving me a headache."

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Ben's naturally unaware of who he has grown to be. It's only recently he had experienced his 'glow-up' as it's only been the past two years that he's grown into his lanky frame. He's blind to the attention that is attracted to him, but maybe it's better being blind and modest than aware and full of himself. So when he catches Ava's hovering eyes he's raises a brow, thinking he has something on his face, "what?.. oh, yea. Well, sponsorships help. It's the second last stop on tour.. but the last is Oahu, it hardly counts." He frowns down at her, "really? Who's Amber? You look great either way. A prize blonde or brunette." He laughs at her plea to head back the apartment. He could keep going for hours, but realizes that Ava has a limit. "Yea, sure, I guess we could head back for a couple hours. Take a nap while you play video games."

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She smiles more naturally as he talks about sponsorships and the tour. Real affection filters through her hormonal distractions, and she's proud of Ben for everything he's achieved. Growing up she had been the one bringing home glowing report cards while he had barely been able to stay focused through class, and seeing him make so much of herself made her flush with genuine happiness for him. "Look at you, such a big shot," she said fondly, giving his arm a playful punch. Normality was starting to set in and she felt less shy around him, which was a relief, since she had wondered if this was it now. "Oh, Amber's some girl, she goes to NYU. You'll have to meet her," she says, though the idea of the two of them meeting made her feel sick for reasons she couldn't quite comprehend. "Thank you," she added, slipping some hair behind her ear and looking down as she spoke, not able to meet his eye. Of course he agrees to return though she knows he wouldn't want to, and she smiles at him, giving him a nudge. "Oh okay, let's stay out a while longer. I promise, no gaming for as long as you're here, okay? My Twitch fans will hate me but that's a small price to pay."

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He becomes shy when he speaks about his success in his career, a bashful smile appearing on his face as he avoids her eyes. Ben had always done poorly in school and got by minimally. His mother thought it was a miracle that he graduated high school. "No big deal," he says modestly. He couldn't imagine what he would have done if he hadn't found sport, he'd probably be flunking out of college and wasting his student loans on failure. He cocks his head as she talks about Amber. "Yea, maybe drinks tonight?" He glances around the perimeter, everyone is cheery with the rare October warmth and laughing in their t-shirt/scarf combos. His eyes shoot back and widen at her proposal. It's part mock but also real shock, "are you feeling alright, Ava? Here let me..." The back of his hand presses against her forehead, "feverish, maybe? Here, let's get you in the shade." He pulls the girl off the path and into the grass, finding a tree to sit under. "Sit there until you feel a little more hermity."

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The introduction to Amber had been a hollow offer, and now that he's pursuing it she's feeling a mix of emotions. Why is he so keen? The idea that she isn't enough seizes her, that the promise of meeting another girl is a tempting one to Ben, since she doesn't qualify. It's a ridiculous jump to conclusions that isn't at all based in anything he's said or done, ever, but then she is a twenty year old girl, and it rather comes with the territory. Not wanting to seem fussed, she half-shrugs, nodding half-heartedly. "Sure, I'll see if she's free," she said, making no moves to do so. What was it that she was so afraid of? Ben losing all interest in her for the more glamorous Amber, or was it worse, was it the fear of being exposed-- either as a fraudulent little geek to Amber, or a try-hard wannabe to Ben? Either seemed equally possible and equally horrific. No matter what happened, she knew they couldn't meet. His hand meets her forehead and she does feel feverish, though only at his touch. "Oh shut up, I leave the house sometimes," she grins, batting his hand away. Pulled into a secluded spot under a tree, the platinum haired girl leans back, basking in the pleasure of being in her favourite city with one of her favourite people. The more time she spent with him the easier it was to act normal, their old familiarity seeping into the situation and putting her at ease. She even nestled in to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she looked up to the tree above them, leaves staying stubbornly on the branches. "I love this city, don't you? It feels like you can do anything and be anyone here."

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"If she isn't, we'll still go out," he nods assertively, giving no interest to the subject of Amber. Ben was a baby when it came to women. He had a tender heart since his most recent break-up and an obliviousness to how attractive he was to the opposite sex. Both these traits didn't do when out in the dating field, and Ben often found himself the butt of his friend's jokes because of it. A woman could be hanging off him and laughing at his every word, and he'd still assume they were just being nice. "Does this particular outing count for the next month?" Ben teases, his arm wrapping around her thin shoulder as she tips her head onto his shoulder. He looks around at the city she praises and shrugs before falling back onto the freshly trimmed grass. "Maybe not a professional beach bum, but it's alright," he yawns up to the sky. Ben liked New York but he couldn't live here. After a few days he usually felt claustrophobic and antsy. With Ava's company, it was a good city. Without it, he'd be skipping it entirely. "Still kicking academic ass?"

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"We'll have to, Saskia hates it when I drink in the apartment," she said, agreeing with the idea of going out. Unlike Ben, recent outings with Amber had given Ava an inclination of her own attractiveness, with men approaching the two of them near constantly. It helped that Amber had made her swap her dowdy jerseys for skimpy slip dresses, and that Amber radiated enough confidence for the two of them. She was teaching Ava how to own her own sensuality, and in that way she had been good for her. Still, the hungry advances from strangers only highlighted to her how totally not hungry Ben was, at least for her. It was hard to imagine him hitting on anyone. "It would, if I didn't have to work," she admits, smiling at him. "Not all of us were born so in sync with the great outdoors. For someone so adept on a board, you're totally hopeless with a controller." His question makes her fall silent. Recently she had missed a couple classes, either too hungover or too busy on some adventure with Amber to go. Her grades hadn't suffered yet, but she felt a deep sense of guilt at having anything but a spotless record. She lay back beside him, "stop, you make me sound like such a nerd." Hadn't she been proud of that once? "Tell me about you, I want to hear all any and everything that's happened since I last saw you."

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Ben almost forgot about Ava's difficult roommate and her mention makes him laugh. Most people found it hard to hate Ben, but despite lack of error Saskia disliked Ben with ease. He'd tried harder than normal to make her like him - like asking her questions and giving her free compliment. But still, whenever he thought he was close to a smile, the young woman signed off with a frown. "I don't know, are you sure she wouldn't want to join instead?" "Hey now. I remember kicking your ass at Mario Kart when we were kids," he grins, knowing that she had probably let him win just as he had fallen off his board in Hawaii for her last month. Her folds his hands behind his head and stares at the bright blue of the sky, a tired yawn leaving the gap of his mouth. "I thought that was the point, nerd?" she's different and quieter than usual. It makes him concerned. "Well... I was in South Africa for a comp, that went alright. Not great, but I made it through. My sister's pregnant again. I went on four dates with one girl, but no more. What about you?"

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Ava rolled her dark eyes at the suggestion. The idea of Saskia joining them for a casual drink was as laughable as the idea of Trump becoming best friends with Clinton, so opposed to the very concept of fun was she. She also deeply disliked Ava having a male friend in the apartment and it had led to a bitter fight between the two of them, an unusual occurrence given how non-confrontational Ava tended to be. In the end logic had won out - if Saskia could have her boyfriend over 4 nights a week, Ava should be allowed her male house guest for 3, especially given she was not even "entertaining him sexually" (Saskia's words, not hers). "Things change, Olsen. Though if Mario Kart is your poison, I'd be happy to have a rematch." Stretching out her legs, she lay on her side, propping her head up with one hand and picking at grass with the other. "Like I said, things change," she said, chucking some of the grass at him in an attempt to lighten her tone. Her face lit up at the news about his sister, her mouth falling open to sing her praises-- then he mentions the dates, and it feels like the air has been sucked out of her lungs. Faltering, she quickly looks away, hoping he didn't catch her flinching. "That's so exciting. How far along?" she asks, trying to bring back some of the enthusiasm she originally felt. Feigning indifference, she keeps picking the grass as she talks, "oh? Why no more?"

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"I can't, I have.... discombobulation syndrome on the upper half," he holds out his hands like they're pathetic wads of limp meat. His brown eyes watch her pick the grass, and he begins to roll the wheel of his skateboard with the tips of his fingers. Grass lands on his round face and he blows it away with his lips. "What changed?" he presses, looking over to meet her hazel eyes. Her facial expressions change and he catches them, his brows knitting with concern but when he opens his mouth to speak she's already beat him to the punch. "Not far. Two months, maybe. Everyone's excited," he tilts his head back up to the sky. "Don't know, I'm not really feeling a relationship," he admits with honesty, "so, are you going to avoid talking about yourself for a while?"