Coconuts and Days Off

[The Amazing Flick]

Lady in a red dress, slender legs, black high heels, face shadowed by a hat. Hmmm…. High society, pretends to be innocent and unknowing, probably lost her virginity around 14 to the cabana boy, married but still wants to know other men are looking at her. Not worth it. Teenager, pleated jean skirt, flip flops, pink polo with green ribbon in her hair, got wasted at 12 has been drinking ever since, smokes pot with her friends on the weekend and maintains a B average in school, plays daddy’s little princess. To commercial. College student, shorts folded at the top to become…shorter, tight blue cami, no visible bra on, hair left down, high heels on? Hm. Interesting. Ah boyfriend in the car, never mind Not Worth It.

So by now, you must be wondering, what the hell is going on. Who IS this creepy stalker of a man, watching women and girls, deciding whether or not to approach them? Is he some old perverted guy? No. Actually, the blue iris’s that observe these women belong to Jeremy Swanson, a sixteen teen year old student at Hawthorne Academy. Does he plan on pulling a Jack the Ripper on these women? No, never fear of that. Jeremy is simply doing what pretty much every boy does in their free time. Watching girls. And when their not watching girls? Their talking to girls. And when their not talking to girls? Screwing girls. And when their not screwing girls? Thinking about girls.

Today was Saturday and instead of waiting around for Arrow or Sam to get their asses out of bed, Jeremy decided to venture out of the school walls on his own. Into Manhattan. It really wasn’t that interesting of a place, much to clean and everyone about seemed to be filthy rich. Not exactly his neighborhood. Son of Andrew and Kelly Swanson, Jeremy grew up in the boondocks of New Orleans (and has still to this day, a thick Louisiana accent). From birth, Jeremy was different and though his parents did not know why, his father certainly could sense it. At first, his father thought his son was born gay and of course in a strict Christian home in Louisiana, that was just not plausible. So the boy underwent years of verbal abuse from the man. Let me clear it up now, Jeremy is NOT gay and never has had a single queer thought in his life. His mother, thought perhaps he had a mental disability for he always seemed distant to other children and always seemed so much smaller than the rest.

But Jeremy. Jeremy knew what was wrong with him. The first time it happened, he was in kindergarten, playing hide and seek. The boy simply closed his eyes and when he opened them again, found that he was now the size of a pin tip and had to quickly run away from the other students feet. When he arrived home, normally sized and without clothes he convinced his mother that some of the other students took them from him. He didn’t change size again till he was in second grade, when Jeremy was walking home from school and felt suddenly ill. He rushed to an alley way and when he returned to the street, he was about the size of a house. When he returned home with his clothes torn he convinced his mother that the other kids had roughed him up. This lie of bulldum(not a word) fooled his mother for almost 15 years.

Jeremy had always been fond of reptiles, especially snakes. There was something about them that he simply adored. Throughout his life he had a number of frogs, snakes, turtles and the likes. But his favorite and current pet, was a beautiful Snake named Polaris. Polaris had been a fifteenth birthday present and the boy loved him to death, and often shrunk to be just a bit bigger than Polaris so that he could talk to the creature at his level. Not that the animal ever responded but it was always fun to talk to it. Well one day, Jer said something that apparently Polaris was not fond of. His mother appeared in his room to clean it and found shrunken Jeremy in a constricting grip held by the snake.

Needless to say his secret was out.

"Andrew be resonable. HE can change, maybe theres someone that can fix him!"

"Mom I'm not broken."

"Shut up I'm trying to help you! Andrew please, hes our only son, leave him alone."

"I have no son. Hes a stranger. Get the fuck out you fucking absterd or I'll blow your fucking face off."

That was the last time he saw either of his parents. Jeremy took Polaris, a small bag of clothing and left his home, wandering the streets, finding his way into town, living of scraps and trash and the like for a few months. Until, a man found him. The man told him of a school, a school in New York believe it or not(a place young Swanson had always wanted to visit) for people like himself. For teenagers like himself. A place were he could learn how to control his size, how to control his anger (when he became large it seemed he had no control over emotions what so ever). He resisted at first and then eventually agreed to attend.

That was a year ago. Now, sixteen, so much had happened to him. Lets start with the biggest, shall we? He lost his virginity. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, this is no boy your looking at, but a man. (This is when you shout Mozletov!) His first year at the school had been amazing, but when summer holiday came Jeremy had no home to return to, so he was permitted to stay at the academy as long as he kept things orderly. Well, over the summer he happened to get together with this girl, perhaps you know her, her names Blair. Well anyway, he and this girl bowchiakbowbowed multiple times, on multiple surfaces of the school and grounds. (No one knows about it just the two of them). He had yet to see her this year so far. Second big thing, he had made friends. For the first time, Jeremy had friends. And friends that accepted him immaturity and his powers. Which was pretty god damn sweet. Third, he had a man to look up to, a fatherly figure. The Dean. Jeremy held his opinion over all others. Lastly, he had a nickname.

Flick.

Why flick? On account of the fact that when he shrunk, you could flick him like you might a wad of paper. Today, ‘Flick’ sat on a park bench in the center of Manhattan, watching the women of high society pass by. He had never been a gorgeous boy, but beauty is only skin deep. What he lacked in good looks he made up in humor and his immature antics and pranks was what got him noticed in school. But in public? Bah he barely stood out. Wearing a simply white t-shirt and baggy jeans, he leaned back on the bench looking around.

“I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts dedaleedee there they are standing in a row bumbumbum.”

[Lainey Carson]

Lainey wasn’t used to the city. Hartford was a city, but her rather large house had been in an exceptional high-security neighborhood with snotty neighbors, a golf course, and a country club. She rarely had to go out and when she did she went to the mall. And that was nothing like a city. Manhattan was big and polluted. Buildings sprouted toward the sky endlessly. More people walked then drove. It would just be enough to sit and watch how many different people there were. Celebrities roamed the streets, businessmen, hobos, and normal people as well. And now, superheroes were on walking on Broadway and 42nd Street, and probably criminals and super villains were as well. Since, after all, they kind of go hand in hand.

She crossed a busy street marveling at how fast the taxi drivers drove down the crowded narrow streets and how somehow, they didn’t crash. She watched as people walked across the street confidently where as she had to watch everyone else to know when to start walking. Some walked heads held high, a cell phone in one hand and a briefcase in the other. One woman must have been at least six feet making Lainey look like the midget she was. Her long blonde hair looked fake, but her stick thin figure and long slender legs made Lainey jealous. Not that Lainey really had anything to be jealous about. Her attributes were her own; her body was made for sports. She had short legs, but they were well shaped, with defined calf muscles. Her stomach was flat from crunches and sit ups, her arms not too skinny or flabby from push ups, and unlike other athletes, she was blessed in the bra department.

She stopped in at a small café that was rather busy. After ordering a diet coke and sitting by a window seat, she finally noticed all the shops. How could she have missed them? Lainey wasn’t a huge shopper, she preferred comfortable sweat pants and slept in a baggy t-shirt, but every girl knows that Manhattan has some of the best shopping in the world.

Lainey couldn’t pass something like that up.

She deposited her drink in the trash can and brought herself up to windows, examining each store with scrutiny, trying to decide whether she could go in or not. An expensive looking store with ornate prom dresses called to her, persuading the blonde to come in. The store was fabulous inside and out. Everything they had was fabulous, from the tags on the dresses to the wallpaper. As she walked in, she felt the clerk look at her, sizing her up as if to say, ‘She’s one of those. Just walking in to browse and be annoying.’

And he probably was right. These dresses looked like thousands of dollars. Back at Hartford, with Julie to back her up, she could afford any number of these dresses. But, since technically she had run away from home against her “mother’s” strict orders not to come, Lainey probably couldn’t ask for money to buy a dress. There was the prospect of getting a job. Lainey liked to work hard, it wouldn’t be a problem. And with all the fancy restaurants in Manhattan, anyone would make a good pay. Except there was the problem that she was not only on the Team which could call on you at any moment of the day, and you’d have to drop absolutely everything, but there was the three sports she was already doing this year. She already had more on her plate than she ever did back home. Plus homework, tests, midterms, and finals. She was in for a big year and there were no open spots for work.

So, either way, she brought herself to browse through the dresses. An infinite number of colors, designs, and sizes clouded her brain. These were beautiful. They’d make anyone look amazing. And if that was true, how would they look on her?

A bright red one stuck out at her like a sore thumb, but a beautiful, silky, amazing sore thumb. She took it off the hanger and brought it back to the dressing room which didn’t disappoint—the best looking dressing room she’d ever seen. Lainey took off her clothes and pulled the dress on, zipped it up in the back, and then ventured a look in the mirror. She tilted her head surprised, but happy. She pushed open the dressing room door and strutted down the little hallway to the mirror, playfully. She liked it; she loved it. The red dress was lightweight and had a halter top tie. It showed just enough skin on the back. It reached her knees and strongly reminded her of the Marilyn Monroe dress. Imagine that: Lainey Carson, the next Marilyn Monroe.

She’d often thought of becoming an actress and a singer, one of her secret desires. Julie never liked the idea because she didn’t want to support something like that. Julie had never been talented at the arts, so how dare her “daughter” be good at anything she wasn’t?

Lainey took the dress off, knowing that keeping it on too long would just convince her more that she’d have to have the dress. She walked out of the store, knowing the clerk was thinking that she was just some half assed poor girl wishing she could afford things like that. Well she was neither. Or, actually, she was kind of poor now. And she did tend to be half assed sometimes. So maybe he was right. Lainey took a right on the next street, listening to the cheerful sounds of honking horns and shouting. In front of her, she saw a familiar looking blonde haired boy sitting on a bench. And as she drew nearer, she could swear she knew that song. Was that from Lion King?

She took a seat next to him on the bench, and offered a smile. “Hi Flick. Or Jeremy. Which do you prefer?”

Lainey played with a blonde strand of hair as she waited for his answer. Her chocolate eyes watched the traffic go by, and they lit up every time she saw a limo go by. She wanted to be in one of those one day. And knowing how competitive she was, how much determination and will was in that small body of hers, there was no way she wouldn’t be in a limo one day.

“So what are you doing out here?”

[The Amazing Flick]

Agh dinner
-growls-
I'll post when i get back, or tomorrow
-nods-
I promise
-nods-
-winks-
-POOF-

[The Amazing Flick]

Jeremy didn't actually know what he was doing here. Had he come for a purpose or was he just that desperate to breach the academy walls? To be honest, he prefered being in the school, it was the only place he felt safe, at home. In the school he WAS a normal teenager, he was like everyone else. He could be himself without worrying about something staring at him like a freak. Outside the walls? He had to pretend to be normal, pretend that he was like everyone else and hope to god he didn't suddenly change in size. Here he was just some kid, another kid, sitting on a park bench watching the world pass by but something inside him told him that everyone someone looked at him, it meant they knew.

Paranoia.

It was something new for Jeremy. It hadn't ever been paranoid before, so why was he now? was it a letter he had recieved from his father that made him feel so? Ugh. The man was a plague on human kind, funny that thats what he called his only son in the letter. But Jer, lets not dwell on the past. moving on. Jeremy leaned back a little more and then his stomach grumbled loudly. lunnnccchhh feedddd tthheee beeassttt it growled at him. Ok well it didn't really say that but it did remind him of what his purpose was this fine saturday afternoon. To eat or be eaten. And not in the pleasent way either. Just then the lady in the red dress reappeared from inside a store and peered at him from underneath her hat. Jeremy shifted in his seat, a noticeable smile on his face, and he leaned forrward a bit nodding hello to her.

A wave. A smile...a WINK?!

The boy racked his memory. Had anyone actually winked at him before? I mean, women obviously look at him hes a stud of a guy, but wink? Never. Flick swollowed nervously and contemplated walking over to say hello when his contemplation was interupted by a voice. Looking up his squinted a bit at a goddess like figure. H-h-h-ott anyone? Flashing a grin that hardly ever left his face, Flick ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"No one calls me Jeremy anymore. Flick'll do."

He often joked that Jeremy was his slave name.

"People watching I guess, nothing interesting really, its kind of awkward because all the ladies keep looking at me when I'm glancing their direction and smiling. But I have that reaction on women."

Shrug.. Grin

"And you? Don't you have some team meeting to attend?"

{absolute crap}

[Lainey Carson]

She laughed. He was funny. And not in the outrageous Jake way, more subtle, sarcastic, humor. Lainey watched his blue eyes travel from person to person, his big smile. He seemed like an all over nice, happy, kid.

“I tried on a dress,” she said lamely, shrugging. Then a smile appeared on her face. “And no, I don’t have a meeting. You’ll know when I’ve had one; I’ll be in a horrible mood or I’ll be sporting a really cute black eye. Or both. Most likely, both.”

Her chocolate eyes watched people going by, stuck on a bunch of black people with their shorts big, baggy, and dragging. Some woman looking ages older than she probably was smoking a cigarette was breathing heavily a few feet away from them. A group of people walked by wearing all black. They were wearing numerous bracelets and atrocious clothing with chains and what not. She tilted her head as she noticed that you could see cuts on their arms. Across the street, someone had painted themselves silver and was standing completely still. She had a jar at her feet, which people dropped coins in every once in a while. After a while, she picked up her jar and followed some guy who hadn’t given her anything. They turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

An old man walked by, a stench of something rotting all over him, and held out his hand to her. He begged for money softly, but when she backed up, looking horrified and shaking her head, he walked away. An adorable pout crossed her face as she watched the man hobble away, then ask a man for money, and be told to ‘Get Lost!’

No one had ever approached her like that before. She hadn’t seen sights like this ever before. Her eyes were glazed over in excitement, appreciation, apprehension. The city was a weird place, a dirty place no doubt, but there was so much life to it. It seemed so much more interesting than Hartford, Connecticut ever had been. In fact, it seemed more interesting than Hawthorne Academy, which surprised her. Hawthorne Academy had been a huge culture shock. It was an amazing place with never ending surprises. But so was the city.

She sighed. “I was people watching before, and it’s kinda nice, you know? There’s so many weird, crazy people, that when you look at them, you don’t feel as freaky anymore. And I feel lucky. At least that’s how I see it.” She shrugged, digging her sneaker into the hard concrete. Then she looked up at him. “So, what can you do?”

And she hoped he understood she meant powers. Lainey had been learning about all the different powers people had. Some were stronger than others, some more fascinating. Some powers were out there and only a few people had them, while others were common. A few kids had mastered their powers well, while a few couldn’t control their powers at all. Everyone was so varied, and she had remembered feeling self conscious coming to Hawthorne Academy. She remembered feeling like she’d stick out, she’d be too different. But it was obvious that wasn’t the case. She had fit in pretty well, she had strong powers, she could control them, and she was on the Team.

It would probably become her greatest accomplishment. And years later when someone would ask that, she wouldn’t be able to answer it. Everything about Hawthorne Academy was a secret. The public knew there was a team of superheroes who saved them. They didn’t know who they were. They didn’t know they were being trained by schools. They didn’t know there were more schools. And if they did, just think of all the press it would get. Think how the government would react. Imagine how they’d jump to a conclusion, because the “superheroes” they’d say, would be plotting against us all. We could take over if we wanted to. And the government would assure the public that’s exactly what we were planning. As if.

Lainey bit her lip and looked around. The wind blew her hair around her face and she tried to tame it by pushing it behind her ear. Her stomach grumbled loudly and she smiled to herself. “Want to grab something to eat? My treat.”

[Ehh.]

[The Amazing Flick]

A dress? Oo-la-la. Flick allowed his mind to wander on this thought but kept his eyes on her, s if still listening to what she had to say. What kind of dress? Hmm. a short one? No, she wasn't the kind of girl who would go for that kind of dress...maybe...knee length? Yeah, conversative yet provocative. Blue? She'd look mighty pretty in blue, but he had a feeling she'd be drawn to red. He could see her in it too, silk red. Pretty, veyr pretty. But without the dress? Ah, so much better. He snickered a bit and then snapped out of his trance.

And no, I don’t have a meeting. You’ll know when I’ve had one; I’ll be in a horrible mood or I’ll be sporting a really cute black eye. Or both. Most likely, both"

"Yeah I'd probably be peeved to if I had to spend more than five minutes with the icey bitch queen, Jadezilla."

The thought of her made him cringe. And ont in fear, but in disgust. She was perhaps the only girl, that Jeremy ever wanted to punch directly in the face. The only girl he had never tried to pull a move on. 1. Because in all likely hood, Jade would probably cut his balls off and save them in a jar on her windowsill, and 2. because she was a bitch through and through incapable of any human emotion other than evil. Flick half expected her to show up at class one day with horns and a tail, and perhaps one of those curly mustache things? He had to admit one thing though, she had a nice ass. Atleast she had that going for her.

Know who else had a nice ass? Blair. What a rockin body that bitch had. Blair, too, wasn't very nice but atleast she showed weakness, and even smiled now and then. Which was more than he could say for Jade. It was like someone stuck a botox needle up her ass and left it there, leaving her body stiff and her attitude forever fucked. Why Seth had a thing with her was beyond him. BUt then, he wasn't that fond of Seth. He didn't hate him or anything, but if he had a choice, he'd prefer not to socialize with him.

"Lots of things you've never seen before babe, let me reassure you," he said with a smile and a slight wink, "Or wait, did you mean powers?"

Har.har.har. Well he found himself funny, thats all that matters right? RIGHT? But she made sense, it truely was true. There were so many strange people in New York, it sometimes made him feel less strange. Except for in Manhatten. In Manhatten,he always seemed to be an outsider, what with his crazy blonde hair, skinny physic and deep louisiana accent. He was a freak here, an alien no matter what, with powers and without. MR. Swanson took a look around at the manhatten street. Seemingly empty. Closing his eyes he allowed his body to shrink to the size of a shoe, though his clothes slipped off his now miniture body, he quickly positioned himself and closed his eyes again. Regular sized Jeremy, fully clothed. A technic he had finally learned to adapt.

"I can go much larger, so that my bodies propotional with...well you know." He said with a smile, "Kidding, but seriously I suppose I can reach about eleven feet if I truely like."

Pride. Pride is the root of all evil. The boy leaned back.

"And you? What do you do Lain? You mind if I call you Lain?"

Jeremy smiled. Was his face ever without a smile, a grin a smirk of some sort? Doubtful. At least no one had proof of any event ever happening in the history of his life. The world seemed easier if you smiled, people didn't ask as many questions, they just assumed you were a fun and funny person. Which was better than being a Bitchy McBItchbitch from DepressingBitchville U.S.A.

"Eat?" He stomach growled, "You gotta be a mind reader, sounds like a good deal. Don't worry about the check though, I got money."

Money meaning about fifteen bucks, but he suspected he wouldn't get more than a burger or something, fill up on bread or whatever...maybe chips? His mouth watered thinking about the salty treat and he stood up. Was she as tall as him? Shit, she seemed to be about an inch shorter. Fuck, if she was wearing heels, he'd be even smaller.

[Lainey Carson]

I'm really sorry this is taking so long.
*Nod*
I have finals and field hockey training.

Tomorrow or Wed. I'll be able to post.
Sorry.
*Pout*

[Lainey Carson]

Once again, she laughed. Men were seriously over-confident, obsessed with how “big” their genitals were, and always trying to get laid. It was the same for every guy, and like most of the more intelligent women on the planet, Lainey thought it was amusing. Boys with big egos made her laugh. Her last boyfriend had been like that, too. Jimmy absolutely adored talking about himself. In fact, he recounted his football stats of the last two seasons for her. What a sweet guy. Sometimes he talked in third person. He never failed to mention how sports came incredibly easy to him and how some girl told him he was good looking every day. He didn’t fish for compliments—he complimented himself. Jimmy had definitely been one of a kind.

And she had enjoyed his company. He liked being seen with her in public, tended to push her closer, put his arm around her, and slip his hand through hers. He would always rather go on dates then stay at home and eat take out. While Lainey loved sitting around when she could, he was all out for showing her off. She had known he was like that the first day she met him. But she never really understood why he had wanted to show her off. She was sports obsessed, too short, too competitive, and she didn’t dress that well. Sure, she had style, but she preferred sweats and t-shirts. It was by luck she was friends with Hayley and Shorey, the two most gorgeous girls in school. But whatever. She was here now. Not at Hartford, and she was standing next to Flick, not Jimmy.

“Cool,” she said appreciatively, watching the boy shrink in the middle of the street and return to his normal size. He knew how to control his impressive powers. The blonde girl looked around cautiously, wondering if anyone had noticed, but it didn’t seem like it. Everyone just walked on by. Lainey shrugged. “It must be cool to be able to be that tall.”

She considered the possibilities. How much easier would it have been if she had just been a few inches for basketball? Even lacrosse would be easier. And she could look down on people instead of looking up at them. That would be the best part of all.

“Lain’s fine,” she replied, then considered the possibilities. “Well, I’m still kinda learning about them, but so far I have telekinesis and visions. And I can throw energy things? I don’t really know.”

Lainey shrugged, feeling incredibly stupid. Half of the new things she’d learned with her energy blasts and shields weren’t very consistent. Heart-stopping anger could easily help her powers work, but Lainey wasn’t angry very often. She was forgiving and lenient: a good quality for a friend or anyone in particular. Telekinesis she could handle. It had changed from an anger inspired power to being concentration based. Visions were a whole different story. The Dean had promised that she’d be able to control them; that the pain in getting one would stop. But so far, two visions had passed her way, only flashes of a crumbling neighborhood, and she’d fallen unconscious from pain. Both times, she’d rolled on the floor screaming in agony.

Not exactly a fun experience.

She grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled him along, her eyes shining as she watched all the different buildings pass by her, Flick, and her quick stride. She tilted her head, contemplating a snug looking parlor, which was too cozy and couple-y. New word? They passed by a big Mexican place across the street. The soft smell of fajitas and salsa floated on the air, through all the pollution and gas stenches, and reached her nose. The sweet waft of Mexican called to her, but looking at it, she knew it should be saved for a huge meal. A celebratory meal, birthday meal, or just when she was incredibly hungry.

A diner was on the corner in front of them, on their side of the street. It looked like a nice and not horribly expensive place to eat. She shrugged, tilted her head again, looking at the choices and this seemed like the right one. Lainey dragged him in and waited as the hostess seated them in a booth and gave them their menus. Her chocolate brown eyes slowly went down the menu, studying the options. This place had quesadillas, along with turkey clubs, pancakes, burgers, macaroni and cheese, and just about anything any really hungry person could possibly imagine. Her stomach, growling, told her to hurry up and make a decision. She crossed her legs, deciding on quesadillas, and sat, waiting for the waiter to return and take their order.

She placed her menu back on the table, her eyes flickering all over the diner, watching all the different types of people. Even in a diner, people watching was interesting. Her eyes lingered on an old man sitting up at the bar with a dirty trucker hat on and diving into a huge French toast platter complete with sausage and scrambled eggs on the side. Lainey rechecked the price of the quesadillas – six dollars, and then plus a drink would still be under seven fifty. Not counting tax. And even though Flick had offered to pay, there was no way she was going to pay at least half of the bill. She bit her lip for a second as she checked if her money was still there. And it was.

“So, it’s my first week, and Hawthorne seems okay,” she said slowly. “But is it worth it? Leave everything behind back at home and come here.”

Good question. Was it worth it to leave her home, the only place she ever knew and trusted? Was it worth it to run away under her mother’s strict orders not to attend this school and end up severing ties with the one person in her family? Had it been worth it to come and learn about who she really was? She had just found out about the great pressure that had been on her shoulders even before she had been born. Nice. Awesome. Was it really worth it? Couldn’t she have just stayed home and never found out? Innocently naïve. A part of her was incredibly angry with herself for asking questions and encouraging herself to take that chance. What would she lose?—How about everything? But as she looked around at all the people around her, she realized how selfish she was being. There were so many people in worse situations than she could ever imagine. Why couldn’t she just be happy?

Forcing a grin, she tapped her fingernails on the table for a second and then asked, “And what’s there to do for fun?”

[Sorry that took so long.
And sorry if that makes no sense.]

[The Amazing Flick]

no it makes sense
-nods-
and it's alright I know you've been busy. I just had my last final today..I'll get to responding don't worry

[The Amazing Flick]

Jeremy watched her watching him. but her eyes didn't really seem to be focused on him. more like they were off somewhere else, in another world thinking about something. Whatever it was it got a smile on her face. And what a pretty little smile for the pretty little face.must be imagin me naked he thought to himself which widened his grin. It wouldn't surprise him, considering thats about all he thought about. But isn't that what most teenage boys thought about? Studies say, a boy thinks about sex every fifteen seconds. And you think girls don't? Go ahead and take a step into Blair or Hadleys minds and see if there aint kinky shit going on.

"Yeah," he said grinning. People here seemed to like his power and as he loved it and all it always seemed so less impressive as say...Wynne who could turn invisible, "It's ok. I have some problems controlling that aspect of my power though, but whatever I'm workin on it."

He grinned. Don't show weakness. And even as he said this, he said it was the utmost confidence. There was no point in life, if you were going to go around self hating and doubting yourself. And sure, you probably shouldn't go around pretending your the shit (Unless your like Flick and you are) but its better than sitting around writing emo songs and slitting your wrists. Jeremy was working on it. EVery thursday at five o'clock he met with the Dean personally, in an inclosed room. It was a decently sized room, with plain white walls, hardwood floors, a mahagony desk, book shelves and a persian rug. Key word WAS. As of this moment, the room had been torn to peices. The rug was ripped into pieces, the bookshelves shattered on the floor mixing with the splinters of mahagony the last remains of the desk. The walls had holes punched into them and many of the wood planks had been pulled up.

Hey....it's progress believe me.

"Thats really cool," he said with a nod, "Everyones learning about their powers I guess."

He could tell she was a little embarassed. She didn't need to be most of the students didn't really know their talents yet. Very few of them had used them more than once or twice. In a way he was lucky that he had been expierencing his change since he was younger, he was more advanced in his understanding of what he could do and couldn't do. Where as people like Jadezilla, despite what they liked to believe, have very little control over their powers most of the time. Which made JAdes position on the team questionable. But then that was just Flicks opinion.

"I-"

But he was cut off. The boy allowed himself to be pulled from the bench and through the park. I like a woman that takes charge. Where was she taking him? A dark alley to ravish him? Oo-la-la. Oh wait..she seemed to be looking at resturuants. Dang, shot down. Shrugging he stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for her to make a decision. A diner. YES. Louisianna had the best food in the world in his opinon, but the one thing he liked about New York was 1. their pizza and 2. their diners. He followed her inside and sat on the opposite side of the booth, picking up a menu.

Burger. Big juicey burger. And fries...annnddd....a pepsi. Yup generic and good. He put down his menu and saw her glancing at the man with the french toast. And then saw her looking at her menu with a worried look. Could she not afford it? Did he want to offer to pay for her? Yes but on the other hand, he knew how it felt to not be able to afford something. It made it worse to know someone felt bad for you and could pay for you.

"Your new?" He set down his menu and grinned widely, "It takes some getting used to. But its a safer place than out there, and the Dean's doing good things. I mean, hes the guy tryin to teach us how to control our powers so that we won't kill anyone. Hes the guy tryin to make sure we can go back home and be normal without ignoring our powers."

AHHHH heavenly choir. Flick wa sperhaps the Deans biggest defender. The man was a father to flick, almost a demigod.

"You know, since your new here...why don't you let me pay? I mean if thats ok," he said with a curious face and then quickly changed the subject, "Where ya from?"

[Lainey Carson]

The waitress arrived, pulling out a pad of paper and asking for drinks and food. Lainey quickly ordered a Diet Coke and the quesadillas. As Flick ordered, she listened to what he was saying. He seemed to sincerely admire the Dean. Lainey thought the Dean was nice and he had been trying to help her out, but he didn’t want to explain everything to her. And she wasn’t exactly sure why. She knew the man didn’t want to push her into a situation where everything was against her with no leads whatsoever. But it also seemed like he wanted to see what she’d do on her own, give her a chance to thrive by herself. She shrugged, watching as the waitress returned with their drinks and promised them that their food would be out in a few minutes.

That’s what they always say.

She sipped her Diet Coke thoughtfully. “Yeah, it’s okay, but I have money. We might as well split it.” She shrugged and smiled playfully. “Next time I’ll make sure to forget my money at home.”

The sweet smell of food floated toward her nostrils and as she looked around, she saw an older couple next to them just getting their food. They looked so cute as they munched on their sandwiches quietly. The food looked good, too, thank God. She’d been starting to doubt the place, wondering if they served good food for less money in New York. She didn’t want to find thingyroaches or hair in her food. It didn’t seem like the older couple had a problem with their food, but their senses had faded most likely, and probably wouldn’t have noticed if there was something extra crunchy in their sandwich. Gross.

“I’m from Hartford,” she replied, biting her lip. “Connecticut. Pretty place: lots of trees and golf courses and country clubs. Kind of boring, though. How about you?”

Her part of Hartford never seemed to be much of a city, even though it claimed to be the capitol of Connecticut. It had never been like this. And yeah, every once in awhile a crime was committed or something huge happened that they were featured on the news. And of course, the high school kids partied and tried to go out and drink at every moment possible, but that was the same for all high schools. She didn’t really find Hawthorne Academy much different in that respect. The sports teams, except for volleyball, seemed to be around the same. And she was surprised when arriving here to learn that there were really talented athletes here. She thought at a select school like this there would be less competition. But she was happy there wasn’t. Competition pumped her up, drove exhilaration through her veins and made her who she was.

Lainey tilted her head, noticing how blue Flick’s eyes were, and then she looked back at her drink. She played with her straw, stirring the ice, and then looked back at him.

“You talk highly of the Dean,” Lainey smiled. “Are you guys close or something or is he really that great of a guy?”

Once again, she smelled food, but this time it was delivered to their table. The waitress placed their plates in front of them, asked if they needed anything else, and then left. Lainey pulled apart her quesadillas, looking at them questionably. They looked fine. She checked underneath for any hidden hairs or bugs. None in sight. She smiled to herself, and took a bite. They were no where as near as good as the true Mexican ones, but what did she expect? They were pretty awesome for being from a diner.

“Not bad,” she chewed thoughtfully. “Want to try some?”

[Liao Zhang]

Next time? So already he had the prospect of a second lunch with this gorgeous blonde girl across from him. Hot damn. Apparently he was even cooler than he thought. Grinning foolishly, Jeremy leaned back in the booth and smiled at her, watching her order her meal. She was so beautiful. Really and truely, look at her lips. Completly and perfectly pink. And apparently natural, because he didn't smell the starwberry or watermelon lipgloss or chapstick that seemed to accompany most girls that went to HAwthorne academy. Hers was a natural beautiful, unlike Blair who Flick knew was coated in product from head to toe. But who was he to complain? She as a good screw when you needed one.

"Conneticut?" He could barely phathom such a place it seemed soo....puritan, "I'm from Louisianna, New Orleans to be exact. If you can't tell from the accent."

He said sheepishly. Flick was proud of his accent usually, it made him stick out. He was kind f plain looking compared to most of the guys, the only three things he had going for him was 1. He had beautiful eyes 2. he had a hilarious amusing personality and 3. he had an accent that people remembered. Or atleast, usually. But in the two years he had been in Hawthorne, only three people had ever bothered to ask him where he was from. Sometimes he was glad, that no one asked him how he ended up at Hawthorne. But other times, he felt like he needed a therapist or something..someone to blabber to.

"He saved my life. Hes pretty awesome in my opinion."

it was true too. The man picked Flick off the streets. If it weren't for The Dean, the boy would probably still be sleeping beneath newspapers every night, searching the ground for dropped change, his only company that of Polaris his snake. The Dean took him in, clothed him, gave him a nice bed to sleep in, food to eat, an education. He was the father Flick never really had. A man who would never cast him out, or aim a gun at his face.

"I'm good, want a frie though?" he grinned offering her one fo his golden brown sticks...hehe...perverts.

"So Lain, what do you think of people at Hawthorne so far?"

He looked at her, with his big blue pools and his grin good wider as he saw her bashfully glance at her drink. Work that charm Flickeroo, work it.

[Lainey Carson]

“I could tell you were from the South,” she said, chewing on her quesadilla. “Louisiana must have been awesome.”

Lainey could just imagine it. Tons of people everywhere, no where near New York City or Manhattan, but you just had a content feeling of being in the city. There’d be great shopping and amazing food. Museums, zoos, and tourist traps everywhere, where no one would really mind being. And of course there were the bars and clubs that must have been world class. Plus, there was probably a lot of culture there, too. People spoke French, a language Lainey knew well. And then, who could forget Mardi Gras? Their famed Mardi Gras celebration must attract millions of people from all over and be a blast to attend.

Then again, Lainey didn’t realize that Louisiana was a state and there was more to it than just New Orleans. She’d never been that good at geography. Or school in general.

At his statement about the Dean she tilted her head. Saved his life? Was that some kind of joke comment that she had started to half expect from this boy. Or was he being serious? Had Flick been in some kind of trouble? And how did the Dean know in the first place. She thought it odd and miraculous that Dean Woodman seemed to know everything about everybody. He had told Lainey her whole life’s story once she arrived. If she hadn’t come to Hawthorne, he probably would have found her and dragged her there anyway. And at first she thought she was a special case. So far it seemed the Dean had sought many people out to come to his school. He knew what he had in mind for his students. And from the people he gathered it seemed to Lainey that everyone had far different talents and abilities. Opposites complemented each other perfectly and worked together. Did he do it on purpose?

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did the Dean save you?” she asked, once again stirring her drink, realizing what a personal question that was. She was being pretty nosy. “And if you do mind, then completely ignore that question.”

She nodded, offered a quiet ‘Thanks’ as she took the fry from him and ate it slowly. She studied the boy. His not-so-perfect hair, his attitude, his humor, his true blue eyes, and his overall appearance—everything about Flick was refreshing. It was something new. It seemed like everyone at Hawthorne Academy was competing for something, whether it was who had the best power or who was the best looking or whatever, and it seemed like Flick could almost care less. He seemed confident and content at the same time. He was just happy to be there. And Lainey respected happiness the most, since it was something she tried to maintain all the time.

“Well,” she started, “everyone seems nice. Except Jade.”

Lainey paused for a second. The culture shock had definitely shaken her out of her place. She hadn’t even noticed people that much. Or she had and she had just stored it in the back part of her mind to be examined later. People at Hawthorne Academy were generally…taller than her for sure. Everyone was taller than her. At her old school, there were a few really pretty girls, and here it seemed that every girl was pretty. Had the Dean not only searched for the best and brightest in the superhero world, but also the best looking? How shallow. She had yet to see everyone in action, even people on her own team. Lainey hoped she wasn’t too far behind everyone else, even though Mr. Banks had told her she was and offered after school lessons. It took all her strength to politely decline because of clubs and sports. What she wouldn’t give for a few private minutes with Mr. Banks. Anyone would do anything for a few private minutes with that man.

“It just seems really competitive. Everyone’s talented and good looking. They seem relatively normal to us, but in the end I guess we’re all freaks, right?”

[The Amazing Flick]

-is thinking of a post-

[The Amazing Flick]

[feeling orange]

"Its alright if you stay in the historical or modern districts, with the old houses and new shops and such. Thats were they have the mardi grad parades. But if you wanna be safe, as a tourist, you stay away from the boonies."

IT was true too. While most of the people living in the boonies were very religious, some still believed in voodoo and dark evil and the like. They would mug or even kill tourists that wound up on their property, insist they were sent by the evils on the world to destroy their crops, their boats(as most people were fisherman in his neighborhood). Jeremy's family? Devout christians. he himself had never really believed in a God or that there was a man that walked on water, but now that he knew there were otherpeople like him, he wondered now and then if crazy people that history caled 'mesiahs' were really just genetically altered like him. Blasphemous? Maybe but what these days wasn't blasphemy?

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did the Dean save you?”

Gulp. Cough. Jeremy almost choked on a french frie when she asked that question. He took a long drink from his soda and sighed. What should he tell her? He didn't want her to pity him, he didn't want this luncheon to become awkward after he regailed her with yet another tragic tale. But then what student at Hawthorne didn't have a tragic tale? It seemed everyone had killed a man or had been abused or kicked out by a parent. By a sibling. By anyone. BUt thats who they were right? Society's rejects. It made Jeremy wonder if trying to become part of society was relaly the right thing to do. But then he remembered the Dean thought so. And the Dean was right.

"He uh...well..um," he sighed, "I'm trying to think on how to put this but there really isn't a short answer. When my parents found out what I was, they kicked me out of the house at gun point, threw my stuff out the window. I grabbed my snake, a bag of clothes and left. Walked for..god I don't even know how long. I slept under trashcans, begged for money and food, even learned how to pick pockets. I was homeless for...I dunno...three...four months. And then Dean Woodman found me, I dunno how. Brought me here. He lets me stay here holidays, provided I help with the grounds and stuff."

Jeremy looked at her and then averted his eyes slightly embarassed. This was to sad, too depressing. Come on Jer think of a joke,a prank, anything. Flash a smile. HOw was it that so suddenly the grin that was constantly there had been wiped off? He hadn't told his story to anyone, not one person, other than the Dean. No one knew he had ever been homeless, ever been completly and utterly filthy. Most people didn't even know he was from the south. The DEEP south. It felt so weird to talk about the past, it was so much easier to concentrate on the present or look to the future than deal with anything in the past.

"Ugh Jadezilla. I don't even understand how she got on the team."

He said with a shutter. just thinking about the girl kind of made him want to gag. But then he remembered his burger. Ah sweet meat of life. Taking a bite out of it, he savored the taste. God! So good. He took another sip of soda and watched her talk thinking about it. That was true. Everyone in Hawthorne was unnaturally beautiful. Like something was in the water. It wouldn't surprise him if half the kids here left and signed modeling or acting contrracts on the spot. Not one of them had ever had a pimple or a bad hair day. Or atleast thats what Jeremy believed.

"The competition is crazy here. Its annoying at first I guess, you get into it especially as you develope your uh.." his blue pools glanced at a man who watched them. Jeremy scrunched up his nose making a face at the man till he turned around and then he continued his sentence, lowering his voice, "Powers. The better you get the more competitive. Unless your like Jade who's still hella bad with her powers and still thinks she can kick my ass."

At this he scoffed.

"My powers are alot better developed than hers. But apparently she has 'more potential' and thats why she's on the team....do me a favor though and see if you can pull the stick from her ass."