Post by JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE on Jul 22, 2011 19:18:40 GMT -5
Country clubs had been a regular part of Joshua's childhood. With rich parents who didn't believe in letting a nanny raise their child for them, he'd constantly been dragged off to the most boring of social gatherings in these places. It was at these places he'd often been shoved with a few of the kids his own age and been told to play nice, which had usually led to the small groups of children to sit alone and complain as they waited for their parents to return. In youth Josh had usually opted to bring a book to such places, knowing that he'd be much better off reading than trying to socialise. Now, however, was a different story. He yawned and slipped his sunglasses over his eyes, listening to his father talking to one of his colleagues about expanding the hospital and possible plans to open up another one in a different city. Though Donovan was a doctor by trade he was a businessman by upbringing, so his son supposed it was only natural he wanted to expand his reach. But it wasn't very interesting to sit and listen to them droning on about it. At least the alcohol wasn't too cheap. He was nineteen now, legal drinking age for British Columbia at last. It helped to take the edge off of the fact that there were a few other select places he'd rather be. Her lips twitching in amusement, she nodded at the beer in his hand. "Are you tipsy, Joshua?" Her voice had meant to sound teasing, but he could tell she was seriously worried about his level of intoxication. She'd left for a moment to talk to her girlfriends, and it was only natural she'd be worried--she'd never witnessed her son drink before. His birthday hadn't been that long ago. What a birthday it had been, indeed. Joshua didn't want to think about it. "Not even close," he groaned in complaint. "This is my first." It was only halfway finished. "I can hold my liquor better than that, Mum." She fixed him with a stern and scolding look, but seemed to decide on leaving it there.
"I know this is boring, sweetheart--"
"Don't worry about it," he reassured her like clockwork, waving a lazy hand. The glass beads on the bracelet crafted for him by his sister caught the sunlight. Annabel was sleeping over at a friends house, her own way of getting out of this. Lucky her. Joshua really didn't mind too much, however. He was a tad bored but he was used to this from his childhood. It fascinated him a bit more back then to see his father dealing with business as he also drank with friends, but in contrast he was older now and had more free will. "I came of my own accord." It had been an awkward request from father to son. Donovan usually didn't ask if Joshua wanted to accompany the family somewhere--he demanded that it happen no matter what. This time, however, had been different. He'd awkwardly asked Joshua if he was interesting in, "Accompanying your mother and I to the club." When Joshua thought of clubs, it was not sweaty nightclubs and beer breath. No, thanks to his upbringing he thought of golf courses and fancy restaurants. They still sometimes referred to Maple Hollow as a town, given that it had been started as such, but it was now quite a large settlement with three distinct communities based on class. The country club was the jewel of the upperclass community, and it had therefore been a place he'd seen a lot of. He'd learned how to play tennis recreationally solely so he wouldn't be the only one sitting around and doing absolutely nothing.
"I think I'm going to go play tennis," he decided as the thought crossed his mind, standing up. His mother watched him as if concerned he was tipsy enough to start giggling and staggering, but as standards went Josh wasn't even the slightest bit buzzed yet. "Have fun, Mum. Tell Dad where I've gone, if he asks." The eldest Dale child glanced toward his father, currently shaking hands with someone in a suit and looking pleased with himself. Some sort of successful business conducted, no doubt Joshua and his mother would be hearing all about it on the drive home. Right now, though, he was abandoning his glass of warmed beer and heading toward one of the several tennis courts in the area. He saw his father hail Patricia and drag her off toward a couple who he felt should be familiar, but from the distance and through the haze of his shades it wasn't something he could put his finger on. Shrugging, he entered the court and realised with hesitance that two people were already going at it rather fiercely. Curious but not wanting to join in--just a spectator--Joshua lingered to the side for a moment before realising that he recognised the two. Asha and Ace Woods. The latter a pain in the backside, the former someone that the Fire graduate actually considered a friend. Unfortunately of the two twins it seemed his friend was coming off the loser in this fight.
She wouldn't really like sympathy, he supposed. No one really liked to be pitied when they lost. So when Ace managed to thrash his sister Joshua merely called out, "Tough luck, Asha." Waiting until she was looking at him, he jerked a hand in a lazy wave. Leaning against the court fence with sunglasses and a bottle of water in one hand, he must've looked about as bored as he felt. Tennis wasn't really something he'd actually been in the mood for--more of an excuse to slip away from stuffy businessmen than to actually enjoy himself. Asha, however, was someone with whom he could occupy his time. "Didn't expect to run into you." Realising who the semi-familiar sillouettes might have been, he said, "I think our parents might've run into one another as well." Small word. He shrugged slightly and yawned. "Fuck, I'm bored as hell. What's up with you?" He cast a glare toward Ace, but didn't actually address him. He was friends with Asha and thus enemies with Ace, that was just how it worked.