Wrong address? I think not. /Amber/

[Layne Hudson]

It was a remarkably beautiful day. Now, this probably sounds just like every day in the O.C, but when you're new, even an average day was a miracle. Scanning the city block was a bubbly young gal, whom seemed to be in a much better mood. Her eyes widened with wonder as she moved, taking in each and every surrounding. Many gorgeous apartments, just like her own, were among the scene. She'd remembered how Cole lived in one of these places, and couldn't help but be curious as to /which one/. Ew, now she was starting to sound like a stalker. 'Pfft.' she thought, strolling up to the entrance. Her head tilted back in delight as she gazed up at the enormous skyscraper. Why hadn't she chosen to live here? Must've over-looked it. Hard to believe, considering it's expansive size and magnificent oceanfront view. Shrugging, she pulled open the large glass door and moved into the building. Air conditioning welcomed her, though she shivered at first. Goosebumps arose due to the sudden change from hot to cold; and her clothing hadn't helped either. Speaking of clothing, Layne was sporting an elegant black and grey wrap dress along with Christian Louboutin Mary Jane pumps in black. They had a cute little peek toe, which she loved so much. Her hair was in loose tendrils and bounced lazily as she moved. Adjusting to the new room temperature, Layne glided over to the front desk. "Morning. I'm looking for the room of a Mr. Colby Hill?" she asked, twirling a ringlet on her index finger. She smiled upon finishing, finding it funny to call him Colby. She was used to calling Cole. "Ahh." the man said, pointing to a door on the left. "Thataway." She nodded and took to the direction in which was pointed, spotting an elevator rather quickly. "2 floors up!" the man added from behind her, and Layne listened, stepping into the elevator and obediently hitting the '2' button, which illuminated it. When the doors re-opened, she was staring down an impeccably decorated hall, with doors lined along it. Remembering the number the man had told her, Layne mentally matched the numbers and gave a friendly knock on the door. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this.

[Amberlynn Rogers]

Gently bobbing her head to the soft, upbeat music flowing from the stereo, the female moved her hips from side to side in tune. Dipping her brush into paint once again, she smoothed it over the canvas, watching her art becoming more defined, and not just look like some random splashing of colors. Taking a break from that, she spun in a circle, bare feet hopping from one to the other, torso dipping forward. Her brown curls tumbled about her shoulders, whipping from all over the place as she moved. If Cole was home, he'd have tried to get her certified to some mental asylum. The damn stick in the mud. Humph.

Gazing at her painting through light brown eyes, she tilted her head to one side. Her face was free of make-up, being as she was home. Plus, she didn't need it really. As for her attire -- loose grey sweatpants and a plain old black tanktop, both splattered in paint from past sessions. Completely comfortable, and completely weather appropriate. The eighty degree weather was dreadful, but she knew it could get much more horrid in Cali. Air conditioning was a godsend. Really.
Doorbell breaking her from the trance she was in, she set the brush down, walking semi-briskly to the door. She wasn't expecting any company, so Amber had no idea of who it could be. Looking through the peephole first, she saw some girl she didn't know, and figured she must have the wrong address. No problem. Amber would just point her in the right direction.

Opening the door, she leaned in the doorway, smile curved on her lips. "May I help you?" she asked, friendly as ever. She ran a hand through her tousled hair, trying to look somewhat neat. Meh, it didn't matter. It wasn't like she needed to make an impression on anyone...

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[Layne Hudson]

Layne's eyes brightened as the door opened. A very comfortable looking young gal opened the door, and Layne was taken aback. "Hi there." she simply stated, a warm smile gracing her features. She had not the slightest idea of whom the person was. Perhap's Cole's girlfriend? Sister? Cousin? "Um, perhaps. You see, I'm looking for a Cole --" she stopped, spotting the paint splotches on the girl's sweatpants. "You paint?" she asked bluntly, hoping at once it didn't sound rude. She nibbled on the inner corner of her lip, shifting her weight to one side. Obviously this girl wasn't Cole, but for some reason, it hadn't mattered.

[[Ew. Sorry it's so short. D:]]

[Amberlynn Rogers]

Ooc:||It's okay x)

Bic:||"Colby? Yeah, you're in the right place then, but he's not here right now," Amber responded with a nod, crossing her arms over her chest as she did. "You'd think when a guy asked you to be his girlfriend, he'd be around a bit more," she said in all seriousness, brows knitting in a deep frown. "I mean, we've only been dating for the last couple months. How are we to build our relationship if I'm the only one making an effort?...and there I go rambling about something you probably had no want to hear about. It's my relationship woes, after all..." she trailed off, pursing her lips. After a few seconds though, the serious look disappeared as a smile played about her lips, and then she broke right into laughter. "Okay, sorry. I just had to do that," she grinned, biting her lip to keep from laughing again. "I'm his cousin...Amberlynn. And you are?" she asked, sticking a hand out, intending for the girl to shake it. She knew this wasn't Elizabeth, so she was wondering if this was her cousin's new romantic interest or something.

At the girl's question, she nodded. "Yeah, I paint...and sketch, dabble in charcoal. Once it has to do with that sort of Art, I've probably done it...Damn pants gave it away huhn?" she mumbled, slightly wrinkling her nose. "Anyway, was Cole expecting you? You can just come in and wait for him, if you'd like," she said, walking back into her living room. "Close the door behind you." Pausing at the entrance to the kitchen, she added, "Would you like something to drink? Must be torture out there." She washed her hands off, not wanting to get paint on every surface like she was a little child or something.

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[Layne Hudson]

Layne emitted a fit of giggles once the girl named Amberlynn had finished her little charade. She'd really had her there, for a minute, of course. It wouldn't have been hard to believe, considering how attractive she was; even in paint. "Well, It's very nice to meet you." Layne began, also extending her hand to the girl. She shook her hand gingerly before returning it back to it's original spot, which had been laced in the other. "I'm Layne," she added, nodding a bit. "I came merely on sudden impulse, and I suppose it was for the better. Charcoal, hmm? I myself am more of the oil pastel type, but I have to admit, charcoal comes in a close second." She followed Amberlynn inside, taking interest in the split design elements in the apartment. "I see you and Cole most likely disagree when it comes to interior decorating." Smiling, her eyes settled on the work in progress that was in front of her. "My, your brush strokes are fantastic... Water's fine." she called, her eyes remaining on the piece. The colors, and even basic format of the artwork were great. Layne was refreshed to have finally found someone with even remotely similar interests as her. Patting her bottom lip with her index finger, Layne appeared to be deep in thought. She'd yet to try paint since moving to the O.C. Perhaps it wasn't as big a deal as certain relatives of her had made it seem. As she waited for Amberlynn to return from the kitchen in which she'd ventured off into, she took interest in the music that was playing, supposing that maybe the music helped her with her art. It wouldn't be suprising. Afterall, most artists were influenced by outside forces such as music or any of the fine arts, for that matter. "You been involved in art long?" she asked, figuring that she might as well hold up a conversation while she was here.

[Amberlynn Rogers]

"Nice to meet you too," Amber said, amusement still clearly etched on her face as she shook the other's hand. "Layne? Hmm, he hasn't mentioned you," she murmured. "But then again, he doesn't really tell me anything either. He thinks I'm annoying, for some reason or another." Looking nonchalant over the whole thing since it really was of no consequence to her what Colby thought, she went about brushing a bit of lint off her sweatpants. "Oil pastels eh? My Art professer only has us sketching at the moment, but working with oil pastel is good too," she nodded, seemingly impressed that the girl was into Art as well. Most everyone about the O.C. only bought artwork or went to a gallery to examine pieces -- they rathered that than getting their hands dirty.

On her trek through the kitchen, she chuckled. "If it was only up to Cole, the rooms would be done in Cobalt blue and grey. Like his laptop," she murmured. "And frankly, everything would look cool and boring. I like lots of colors...a bright room can make someone's mood all the more better," she smiled. As she poured a glass of water, she crinkled her nose. "I dunno. I see much more room for improvement," she stated, being modest. She could never just accept someone's criticism with a 'thanks', mainly because she thought nothing she did was really great. That would be the case even if she was someone who was running at the top with Van Gogh and Da Vinci. "As long as I can remember. I mean, I've been punished for drawing on my parents' living room walls when I was a little kid," she said sheepishly, re-entering the living room, handing Layne the glass of cool liquid. "It's practically the only thing I'm good at. Right now I'm involved in indepent course at a local college," she informed. "Basically, Art is my life."

Gesturing to the couch and armchair, she said, "Have a seat. Unless you'd rather the floor or something." Smirking lightly, she grabbed a pack of Newports from off the coffee table, as well as the lighter. Opening the window, she sat on the wide ledge, legs outstretched. If she fell off, she'd just end up hitting the floor's balcony, so she had no worries off falling to her death. Bringing a cigarette to her lips, she lighted the end, inhaling deeply. She'd chosen the window so the smoke and general scent could drift outwards, and Layne wouldn't be uncomfortable around her if she disliked cigarettes. So she had a bad habit -- it couldn't be broken. "So how do you know my cousin?" Might as well get that out of the way, she thought, emitting the smoke through her nostrils.

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[Layne Hudson]

"They've got art classes here?" she asked, immediately regretting even asking. Of course they had art classes here; they had EVERYTHING here. "Sorry, that was a stupid question," she added sheepishly. "Oh yeah, I think it's great. I've yet to attempt anything other than opaque full-canvas stuff. My brush selection isn't expansive enough to get into much detail." With a shrug, Layne looked back over to Amberlynn. "I met Cole at the beach. He seemed cool enough, so I figured I'd stop by and sneak up on him. As you can imagine, things didn't work out." She smiled genuinely, accepting the drink handed to her and taking a quick sip. "I can imagine why he wouldn't mention me. I'm sure I'm not the first girl he's met." Layne didn't linger on the rememberance of Cole. She was having too good a time with Amber to worry about it. "Navy and grey, eh? Well, at least his color pallet isn't entirely ridiculous. Dark, maybe, but certainly not as bad as sports banners and scantily clad women all over the walls." She smiled, taking another sip of the water. "But I do agree with the whole 'art affects mood' bit. I mean, one walk through of my apartment and you'll notice immediately the slick color scheme and modern flair it has. I don't like things bland, so by doing things like painting the walls all stark white, it enhances any color you put on the decor. Much like a canvas." Finishing up her small speil, Layne took another look around the room. She figured that Amber knew everything she was talking about, and wasn't in the mood to be lectured. "What about you? Have you lived here long?"

[Amberlynn Rogers]

"Yeah, of course they have Art classes," Amber laughed, shaking her head at the girl. "Hmm. Ever thought of taking a class? That'd broaden your horizons. Before we know it, you're going to be labelled 'the next Picasso'." Intently listening as the girl relayed how she'd encountered Cole, she nodded. "Just like him to pick up girls at the beach. Just like any guy really. Always reeled in by a girl in a bathing suit," she dryly joked. "Heh, Cole doesn't like surprises. I should know," she gave the girl a bit of friendly advice. That was indeed the reason she'd thought Cole had been expecting her. Hmm, so she wasn't a new girlfriend. Too bad. She was starting to like this Layne chick, and she'd only just met the girl.

"I had an ex-boyfriend who was like that. I left his ass in the company of his posters, since it was obvious those were the type of girls he wanted. Pity they wouldn't have given him the time of day," she smirked, tapping a bit of ash unto the tray. Taking another draw from her cigarette, she nodded, agreeing with everything Layne had to say. She knew it all already, of course. "Well, I was born in Los Angeles. Only lived there for three years though. My mom got a job out this side, and therefore moved us. Been in Orange County for fifteen years," she smiled. "Only just recently moved out of my parents' house though, and only because Cole had needed a room-mate...How about you?" she asked, deflecting back the question to Layne.

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[Layne Hudson]

Layne giggled again, not at all suprised at her own stupidity. "Then I'll definately look into that." she said with a nod. She listened as Amber mentioned how Cole picked up girls. "Funny. It was me who acrually approached him." she raised her brows and smiled as she took another sip. "Lovely then. This suprise should be especially... annoying for him. But at least I have the excuse of meeting you here." Her smile remained, and she watched as the girl tapped her cigarette in the ash tray. She'd never been fond of smoking, but had no problems with other people smoking. Addictions were hard to break, and Layne was all too familliar with being nagged to break one. Sure, hers wasn't potentially lethal, but annoying, none the less. "Wow, so you're really quite the oldschool Californian, hmm? I, as you most likely have noticed, am not. I actually came here on an internship for fashion design in an up and coming industry. I'm originally from New York." The only thing that seperated her from other newcomers was her voice. No traces of an accent remained, though she'd just moved only weeks ago. Thank God her parents never let a New York accent form. Talking classes prevented that. Though, if she wanted, Layne could pull off a full out voiceover. Some guys found it sexy. Ha. "But so far I love it here. I take it you're not a fan of the heat?" she asked, remembering an earlier comment she'd made about it being dreadful outside.

[Amberlynn Rogers]

Ooc:||Sorry this is so late. -still feeling crappy- Anyway. Didn't want to keep you waiting until I'm fully better. x) Plus, I can't sleep...anywho.

Ic:||"Ha, I was joking," Amber grinned, turning her head to the wind, allowing the 'acrid' smoke to drift through the slight parting of her lips. "I wouldn't know how he picked up the ladies. I mean, as I've said before, he doesn't share much with me. Not only that, I haven't seen him involved in many relationships. He's...how can I say this? Uh, pretty damn commited when he finds a girl he likes, and he won't just allow any girl to be his significant other. There has to be something pretty amazing about her...and I don't mean looks-wise either," he murmured, outting the small stub of her cigarette and lightly another. Chain-smoker much? She'd quit after this one though...for the moment at least. Grinning over at the girl, she nodded. "True. You seem cool enough. Hey, were you in town long enough to attend the Cotillion?" she asked, wondering if the girl had enjoyed herself. If she'd had the opportunity to go, of course. Amber sure hadn't. To her, it was pretty damn over-rated. The only plus had been Clyde's return to town.

"Ohhh, that's big. Fashion design is a nice field to venture into. And one you manage to fully break into it, you're there for life. Even if your designs suck, people going to be 'hitting you up' for outfits. As long as your name tagged on it, then it's the 'shit'. So speak," she chuckled. "Good luck with that." Allowing the cigarette to dangle from her lips, she threaded her fingers through her hair, twirling it into a loose, quite messy bun at the nape of her neck. "Meh. I'm used to the heat by now, actually. But some cold weather would definitely be a welcome. I sometimes just travel out of town when summer rolls around, but I had good reason to remain here this year," she responded, giving a healthy reply though a simple 'yes' or 'no' could have sufficed.

"So New York," she said after a brief moment, finally returning her gaze to Layne. "I didn't note an accent," she smiled. "Do you miss the place? Got any family this side you're staying with?" She shot the questions one after the other, but that was mainly since she was quite interested to know.

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[Layne Hudson]

ooc: No problemo. Feel better! =)
Bic: "How cute," Layne remarked almost sheepishly. It was so cute of him, she couldn't help but feel bad for teasing him behind his back. Sure, they were just friends, but she liked him, and it was the first time someone had brought out feelings in her; feelings she couldn't and didn't want to go away. "Yeah, I was at Cotillion," she said briskly, finding it a good time to change the conversation. "Just about after I met Cole, I'd say. It was fun I guess." On the inside, Layne was nodding insistantly in the negative shouting 'Hell no!' but what did it matter? After all, /everything/ was great in the O.C. "Shorter than I'd thought it would be," she added, beginning to scan her eyes over the girl's painting once again. It intrigued her, really. She was simply drawn to the piece. Ungluing her eyes from the work, Layne looked over to Amberlynn. "Yes. To tell you the truth, I'm rather overwhelmed by all Orange County has to offer. This place is just so... captivating." That bit happened to be true. Everything in the O.C was either top of the line or over, and it never ceased to amaze her how one place could be so finished. So complete.

"Yes, New York. And you better bet I don't have an accent. What happens in New York stays in New York," said Layne, smiling. However, she quickly added "Nah. I had one at an early age, but after vocal lessons and diction classes I've pretty much done away with it." She shrugged slightly, settling back into her chair. "My folks still have theirs, though." A new more entertained smile played itself across her face, clearly amused by their hardships. "Speaking of the 'rents, they live in a tiny little cabana not too far from Orange County, right on the shoreline. And when I say tiny, I mean 5,000 square feet." That may have been mediocre size for here, but for two people, it was enormous.
ooc:Sorry ill work on it later. It was bad.

[Amberlynn Rogers]

Chuckling lightly, Amber brushed away a bit of smoke which had settled in front of her face being as the wind had stilled. Damnit. She'd been enjoying the breeze. "By you saying 'I guess' at the end of that, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you didn't exactly enjoy yourself," she smirked, thinking she'd done a good deduction right there. "You don't have to lie if you didn't enjoy yourself ya know. Just spit it out," she chuckled. "I hated it. I mean, there was this big hype for nothing. Only the really popular girls got what they wanted out of the night. Not that I'm jealous or anything, but before the Cotillion date even came, I thought it would be a waste of my time. Not because I didn't have a date, but because I knew I'd have more fun partying at the Trieste," she murmured, smile flickering about her lips. "I guess, the only two things I liked about the night, was dancing with my father...and when Clyde surprised us with his presence. He's Cole's eldest brother, in case you didn't know. Clyde, Colby, Christopher. You know Christopher right?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "He goes by Ryder. His middle name," she shrugged. "It was short for me because I hauled ass out of there as soon as boredom completely overtook me. Clyde and I went clubbing right after." And that was of course, when the fun started. Glancing towards the painting when she'd seen Layne's gaze that way, Amber hopped off the ledge, half-finished cigarette still in hand. "I still don't know where I'm going with this one," she murmured randomly. It was an ancient city of stone that was hidden away, but there were invaders on the horizon. Somehow, the image sprang up in her mind and she'd felt the need to put it on paper. "Whatchu think?" she asked Layne, thinking a second opinion was at hand. "Meh, I wanna travel. The O.C.'s cool but I wanna go somewhere foreign again. Already been to Spain, and loved it. The guy's are...gorgeous..." she trailed off as she was moving to another room. Re-appearing a minute later with one of her old sketch pads in hand, she plopped down next to Layne and untied the string. Flipping through it with her free hand, she set it down on Layne's lap. "There. Gorgeous aren't they?" she asked, having quite a few guys on recurring pages. Not just guys though, as there were women and children, old folks, people in cafes. Then there were the sites themselves. Absolutely amazing. Everything about the place was gorgeous.

"I thought it was everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," she grinned at the girl, standing once again. She moved to the kitchen, taking another drag from her cigarette as she did. "So they're close? That's good. My folks live on the other side of town." Of course she didn't mention the type of home they lived in, but it was a basic mansion. She visited them when she had the time. "What do your parents do for a living?" she asked. "And do you have any siblings?" Amber herself was an only child, and it may explain why she was always so attached to her Hill cousins.

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[Layne Hudson]

"You got it," Layne mused, almost glad that Amber didn't mind. "To be honest, I found it very boring, and much too hyped up about. Who knows, maybe next year will be better." Shrugging lightly, Layne focused on her next question. Christopher? Ryder? Layne racked her brain, finally remembering a comment Cole had made about his brother Ryder being the bad boy of the family. "Ahh yes! I know Ryder. Well, I've heard about him." She smiled lightly, finding the way she worded that to sound like he was some sort of celebrity. As Amber stood and made her way into another room. "I love it," she called, and looked up as she returned with a sketchbook. Reaching out her hands to accept the book, Layne placed it in her lap and flipped open the cover. The pages were filled with beautiful drawings, capturing the culture perfectly in every way, shape, and form. "My, they're beautiful," she murmered, referring to the drawings in general; though the guys /were/ gorgeous. "I've been to Paris a few times, but Spain has always been on my list of places to go," Once she'd carefully flipped through each page of the book, Layne handed it back up to her. Hearing her next remark, she changed posture and looked up at her. "Same thing." she beamed with a smile, sighing a happy sigh inwardly. "Yes, I suppose you'd say that. My mom was a law firm owner, and my dad was a gold investor. Quite the super-couple, eh?" A small laugh escaped the girls lips and she took one last sip of her drink before realizing it was empty. Must've been the heat. "I'm an only child, though my parents tried to have another kid once. What about you?" She'd forgotten whether she'd asked that or not, but if she did Layne hadn't remembered, so it was okay in her book.