Francis looked the same as ever - in fact, it was kind of unnerving. It had been, what, about five years, maybe? He didn't look any older than she remembered. Not a day older. He still looked like that fresh-faced boy, red hair, freckles, lanky, who had back then seemed so adult to her. Well. Not exactly the same - she had never seen that look on his face, before. Defiance, when he looked at the bully, melting into shock when he heard her voice, when Aileen was striding into view. Clutched in his hands was a package, but before she could really focus and get a closer look, her attention was drawn away by the bully.<br/><br/>He was... well, he was<em>hot</em>. Tall, dark, mysterious. And he had a magnetism and an intensity that stole Aileen's breath, made her feel like a tween in front of a celebrity. What'd Francis call him? 'Rory'? Still, he looked like he belonged in college. What was he doing here, then? An alumnus, or something? That wouldn't explain why he'd been roughing up Francis, though.<br/><br/>Rory gave her a look, up and down, somehow making a slouch, hands in his pockets, look imperious. "Pretty face." He wasn't looking at her face when he said that. He threw a look over to Francis. "Really, though? Her? If we're so lousy with the damn things that we can afford to hand them out like candy to the ones like her, maybe we oughta be lendin' 'em out to the others." Even though Aileen didn't even know what he was talking about, just for a heartbeat, she found herself agreeing with him, about to nod before she shook the feeling.<br/><br/>Francis, though, ignored the handsome stranger, hurriedly straightening himself out. "Aileen. Hi. Long time, no see." She'd never seen him embarrassed like this before - no, not embarrassed, more... humiliated. Like he hadn't wanted her to see him this way.