one of those nights || Atlanta

[APRIL EVANGELINE TISZA]

outfit (minus the guitar)


April held her breath. She'd been wandering (at warp speed) through Oregon for weeks trying to find her sister. The state was cold and often wet, and she had almost given up when she'd finally managed to overhear a conversation in a cafe she'd stopped at. The men were talking about a small town where people who were different could find respite. While they hadn't actually explained what different entailed, April had gathered the meaning from their hushed tones and covert glances. Eavesdropping wasn't really her style, but she decided it was probably her best bet for finding her sister. So she casually settled down at a table near the men and pretended to be engrossed in the task of eating her breakfast as she listened for the name of the town.

It had taken her four days to find Heatherfield. It wasn't terribly difficult once she'd heard about it. Rumors about the place circulated more often than she'd expected. Now that she was here, though, she wasn't entirely sure where to start. It was obviously a very small town, and anyone she talked to who knew Atlanta would probably tell the girl that someone was asking about her. April still wasn't sure her sister wanted to be found, either. So she settled for reasoning out the logical places her sister would hang out.

Intuition told her that the best place to find a girl who was a gifted singer was somewhere that would let her perform. There weren't a lot of venues in this area, so April figured the bar was the best place to start. Technically, she shouldn't have even been there. At seventeen, she was much too young. But she'd sweet talked the bouncer, who apparently was a sucker for tall, skinny blondes, and gotten herself in. The bartender had assured her that Atlanta performed there regularly and would be arriving soon to prepare for her set. All that was left now was to wait.

[/size]

[ATLANTA MAE TISZA]

OUTFIT

Atlanta was thrilled to finally get to go back to work. Singing in the shower just hadn't really been able to cheer her up. There was nothing like a live audience and just thinking about it made her grin. Things had been a little strange recently, people suddenly wanted to talk to her and not just hear her sing. It was fine, but alarming. Knowing people meant becoming friends, and friends asked you deep questions about your life, and Atlanta preferred to keep her heart at arms length. She would me much to hurt if she left the shallow bubble she clung to so desperately.

She drove to work, parking her little powder blue VW bug behind the bar. The bar didn't strike her as sexy enough, but it worked and it was cuter than most of the other hunks of junk she could have afforded back when she bought it nearly three years ago.

Atlanta came in the back way, carefully not to chip her freshly manicured nails. French tips were so classy. Her heels clicked on the floor as she leaned toward a mirror to apply some ruby red lipstick. Once satisfied, she walked out into the bar to see the crowd and check with her boss about what time she went on. A quick glance told her it was a quiet night, but that was okay.

"Hey George," Atlanta called, knocking on the bar. "Can I get a drink before I go on or what?" She teased.

[APRIL EVANGELINE TISZA]

April wasn't very good at waiting. As it turned out, she'd arrived pretty early, though, and she had a good bit of time to kill before her sister would be there. She milled around the place, looking for something to occupy her time. There wasn't much, though. Pool tables, the bar, and a lot of empty space. Since she couldn't drink, April figured the bar wasn't the best option, and she didn't know how to play pool, so that wasn't an entertaining idea, either. Besides that, the place was dimly lit, and the sunglasses she'd been sporting since her change in eye color were making it hard to see. She very nearly convinced herself to leave a few times on the assumption that if her sister wanted to be found, she would have kept in contact.

Having exhausted her patience and run entirely out of things to stare, April headed back for the bar, asking the bartender politely for a coke. She wasn't stupid; she knew she didn't look old enough to drink, and she wasn't going to cause a scene. He returned with her drink a few seconds later, and she sipped at it as she watched the back door. As time passed, more people filed in, and she started to blend in to the crowed. Well, as much as a nearly six foot tall girl in shorts, a letter jacket, and sunglasses could, anyway. Still, her eyes remained fixed on the door in wait of her sister's arrival.

After what seemed like hours, Atlanta made her way through the back door, her appearance oozing sex appeal. April's heart lodged in her throat and she stared open-mouthed at the girl, startled by her appearance. Their father had always been vehemently opposed to clothing that showed off their bodies, as he figured it would tempt them to engage in sexual behavior. Granted, both girls could probably have gotten into their fair share of trouble even if they were wearing garbage sacks, but his rules regarding their clothing had kept them pretty well covered as long as they lived at home.

When she finally got her wits about her, April noticed that her sister had stopped at the bar. Drawing a deep breath, she slowly made her way there, sidling up beside Atlanta and watching her cautiously. It took her several seconds to find her voice. When she did, all she could come up with was, "Wow... You look different..." Probably not the best opener when she hadn't seen Atlanta in three years, but it was the truth. Hopefully her sister wouldn't take it the wrong way.

[/size]

[ATLANTA MAE TISZA]

George handed Atlanta her drink, vodka on the rocks. She didn't like liquids that weren't clear. Something felt less toxic when you couldn't really see it. She took a sip and was about to walk back her dressing room when she heard a voice, one that made her spin around. Despite the sunglasses, she knew who was standing before her, though she was quite a bit taller than she remembered. "April?" She got out carefully.

Atlanta did look different. For once thing, she was happy. Well, most of the time. She had a life in which she could sing and not be ashamed, in a world where being sexy wasn't a crime and she wasn't afraid to own her darker side--everyone had one. That didn't make her a bad person here, like it would have at home. Granted, she was amazed that April got away with those shorts...Had dad died? is that why she had come to track her down? Was she really so easy to find? Atlanta's brain was reeling and she downed her drink quickly, putting the glass back on the bartop.

Atlanta had missed her sister of course, but she was trying so hard to keep her reality a secret from her family. To them she was a good christian girl in braids who would one day marry a man. Not a bisexual lounge singer. "What are you doing here?" She asked, not trying to sound mad, but she was so off guard. Why hadn't she called first? Given Atlanta time to work up a false life.

"I swear to God if you tell them where I am..." Atlanta started, her eyes intense and nervous. She would sooner kill herself than go back to Kansas.

[APRIL EVANGELINE TISZA]

The longer April stood watching her sister, the more she thought it might not have been a good idea to come looking for her. If Atlanta had wanted to be found, it would have been easier to find her. Still, April hadn't put in all this time and effort for nothing, and she knew she couldn't simply return home. Her only chance at really being accepted the way she was now was with Atlanta.

Her brilliant opening statement wasn't greeted as warmly as she had hoped, though. April fought the urge to turn away as her sister's frustrated voice demanded to know what she was doing there. Biting her bottom lip, she watched as Atlanta melted from a cool, confident woman into a mess of nerves, though she was sure she only noticed the transformation because she knew her so well. She'd hardly had time to work up a response when Atlanta began launching into suspicious. April supposed it was reasonable enough. After all, she'd usually been the type to do exactly what her parents asked of her, and finding Atlanta for them might logically have been one of those tasks. Even so, it upset April to think that her sister would suspect that of her.

"They don't even know I'm here," she muttered angrily, shaking her head at Atlanta and letting out a short huff. "I thought maybe, just maybe my sister would want to talk to me. That you would be the one person I could actually look to for guidance. But if you want me to leave, I'm gone," she grumbled. Of course her comments would make little sense given the fact that Atlanta had no idea why she would be looking for guidance, but April wasn't exactly in the mood to dish out details in the middle of a bar if she could help it.

[ATLANTA MAE TISZA]

They didn't know she was here? It was hard to believe that she got all the way to Oregon without them knowing it, or paying for the plane ticket. Atlanta had every right to be worried by her estimation, and since true to family form, the first thing April had noticed was how she looked.

April seemed mad. Guidance? Her? Since when had April really needed her for that? Atlanta had always been the one to push a little too far as a child, April never had trouble with rules. She sighed. April was her sister, she couldn't jut turn the girl away--especially not mad, in case she did want to tell their parents. "I'm didn't mean to snap, I'd just rather die than go back there." She said honestly, aware that it sounded dramatic, but on some level, she really meant it.

"But obviously I can't turn you away after you've come all this way," Atlanta conceded, looking carefully at April. Family was family right? But if her parents had sent her, she'd really have to find a new place to live, which was a shame because nowhere would be as a safe as Heatherfield.

Atlana knocked on the bar top and George sent her another drink, which she sipped happily. No one ever bothered to card her, she was underage but in some ways she was older than most of them. Oh the heart attack her father would have right now if he could see them here.

Then suddenly something occurred to Atlanta and she looked at April. She looked skinny as ever but it was the only thing she could think of... "Are you pregnant?" She asked, eyebrows raised. That would explain coming to see the family slut for advice on the sly, right?

[APRIL EVANGELINE TISZA]

Atlanta had a right to be suspicious, she supposed. But that didn't really make April feel any better about the situation. In fact, it made her feel something close to regret. Maybe Atlanta really had intended to cut ties with the entire family when she'd moved. Sadness settled into April's gut and she closed her eyes briefly, forcing herself to calm down. After all, aside from assuming she might have been sent by their parents, Atlanta hadn't done anything too terrible. And they knew one another well enough that Atlanta had to know April wouldn't lie about that. April was a pretty horrible liar in any circumstance, and she suspected she'd be even worse when trying to lie to someone who knew her as well as her sister did.

She had to force herself to stick around, and when Atlanta finally admitted that she couldn't turn her away, April let out a relieved breath. Still, she couldn't help but think that the girl still suspected her. It was in every glance Atlanta sent her way. April was just about to open her mouth to insist, yet again, that their family didn't know she was there, when Atlanta reached a new conclusion as to why she might have come. Immediately, a deep blush crept into April's face. As a virgin, she hadn't even considered the idea that Atlanta might assume she was pregnant. Her mouth dropped open a little in surprise at the accusation, and her yellow eyes widened behind her sunglasses. "Pregnant?!" she asked incredulously. "You've known me forever. Just because you've been gone for three years doesn't mean I would run off and get pregnant!" Shaking her head, April let out a sigh and turned her back toward the bartender. "As if that's the only thing I could ever need your advice on..."

Initially, April had planned to keep quiet about her reason or coming until after they'd left the bar. But there wasn't much she could do about that now unless she wanted to risk more ridiculous accusations, so she turned her back toward the bartender and hesitantly slipped her sunglasses off. "Things have been getting weird," she explained, raising her yellow-gold eyes to meet Atlanta's.

[/size]

[ATLANTA MAE TISZA]

Granted, Atlanta did know April and she was fairly good and being good, but Atlanta would have been lying if she said she'd been a virgin at April's age. Not that she epected April to have taken her shamed place in the family, probably they all shied away from the idea of her--that's certainly what she imagined. Atlanta was about to go off an a rant about how the family seemed to think she was a slut anyway so what else could April possibly need her for, when her sister slipped off her glasses.

"Oh," Atlanta breathed.

April wasn't here for the family at all, she was here because she, like Atlanta wasn't exactly normal. It seemed to hit them both around the same time in life and she couldn't help but wonder if their siblings were next, and how this came to be. Atlanta left her drink on the bar and hugged April. She had her sister back, hey were now also runaway sisters at that. Mutant sisters.

"Come on, we can talk in my dressing room." She said. Not that she technically had a real dressing room, but she had a room where she could warm up and such in privacy. Atlanta almost said that she liked the gold, but she didn't think playful comments were going to help at this point.

[APRIL EVANGELINE TISZA]

She hadn't really intended to show her feline eyes off in public, but April also hadn't counted on having her sister assume that she was pregnant. The accusation startled her enough that she forgot where she was, and she found that she was determined to prevent any further accusations. Fortunately, Atlanta was the only one around here who knew what April's natural eyes looked like. She was also the only person standing close enough to notice.

Her sister's demeanor quickly changed, and April was more than a little relieved. She let out a sigh and pushed her sunglasses firmly back into place before surrendering to Atlanta's hug. When she'd left home in search of Atlanta, April hadn't been entirely sure what sort of reception she'd receive, but she had to admit, this acceptance felt nice. April hugged her sister back, but couldn't seem to find the words to explain anything that had happened. Fortunately, Atlanta helped her out by suggesting the head for her dressing room. "That's probably a good idea," she murmured, following the girl out of the main bar room.

Once they'd gotten away from the crowd, April wilted a bit, seeming to shrink now that she had no one to pretend for. She glanced around the makeshift dressing room her sister had led her to before turning to offer Atlanta a wan smile. "I was half afraid you'd just tell me you didn't want to be found," she admitted. If Atlanta hadn't been willing to accept her, April had no idea what she would have done. She couldn't go home. Whatever was going on with her wasn't going to get her a warm reception if she ever decided to go back.

[ATLANTA MAE TISZA]

Atlanta turned the corner and led April down the hall to her little impromptu dressing room. Her name written in sharpie on a piece of masking tape on the door. Inside there was a rack with a few funky hot dresses, a small classic vanity, covered in makeup. Two mix-matched arm chairs, a small coffee table, under which she had a pair of flats. An electric kettle and a sink in one corner.She opened the door and let April inside in front of her.

Of course, to be honest, Atlanta didn't want to be found by her past. She felt like a bitch for even thinking it. Of course, she hadn't wanted to cut out her entire family forever per say... She'd always been close with April, and their younger siblings, but she had been willing to leave them all in order to be herself without being afraid. "I didn't." Atlanta said flatly. "But you found me... you're like me." She realized. She couldn't help but wonder about their other siblings when they turned 17...

"So, what exactly can you do? And when did this all start?" Atlanta asked, ushering her sister into a faded arm chair. She sat down in the one opposite, tempted to make tea or something but she wanted another shot instead. She wasn't sure what else to say or ask