DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, Issue #1

[Keia]

Lorenzo Reynolds HP 2/2

"Ok, that sounds strange. But I still don't buy it and you allready said you're no mutant. I guess if you where you would have noticed it somehow?

"Haven't noticed a thing really," Lorenzo said, following along with Kyle and Jennifer - more to act as a referee if they got into it anymore. Lorenzo smiled and gave a brief chuckle, relaxing and enjoying the now rather than worrying about what ifs. "And, Jennifer, if you don't buy it that's good enough for me."

Lorenzo continued his natural talent of being easy going - going with the flow. As far as he was concerned the whole mutant matter was dropped - at least for now. Now was the time to sneak onto the school's computers and find some secrets . . . and maybe change his days absent again.

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

It wasn't her intention to send him off-balance like that. Eleyna felt instantly horrible. I should just tell him the truth. It's not like it's really a big deal, not compared to his problems. Plus, he so sweet and he just wants to help and there's really no way it can hurt him... not really... She would have liked to think that were true. But look at them now. Something was different. They were getting closer just sitting here talking, she felt a connection. But, the closer they got, the more she might end up hurting him. No, it wasn't fair to him.

"Sure, um... yeah, we can get, uh... we can get something to eat, if that's what you want... But... um... Gabe? First, I... yeah, I could really use a friend right now, too, so... It's just that... I haven't talked to anyone in such a long time. I trust you, I do... I just need some... I need a little time to..." Guilt overwhelmed her - she was supposed to be helping Gabe, not making things more complicated for him. But she couldn't stop the tears welling up in her eyes, and it became clear to Gabe whatever she had to say, it was very difficult for her to do so. She turned away from him, her voice edged with an urgency and desperation that Gabe couldn't ignore. "I just don't want you to think that this... that my stuff is more important than you. I just don't want anyone to suffer for my problems. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore!”

Shocks of pain began to surge in her abdomen...

Gabe had leapt up almost before Eleyna had finished talking and moved over to her, his face a mask of shocked worry and compassion.

"Eleyna, it's alright, it's really alright.."

Gabe moved over, gently putting his hands on Eleyna's shoulders and moving so he could see her face. He looked very serious, more so than Eleyna thought she'd ever seen him. The words poured out of him, spoken with a compassion and conviction that Eleyna had never heard from Gabe.

"Look, Eleyna...I'm not competing for attention with your problems. I have my problems, and you have helped and are helping me with them. But you shouldn't feel that you have to put other people's problems *before* your own; you shouldn't feel that you aren't allowed to have time for your own reasons, or think that having such time betrays people you're helping. You're not hurting people by having problems, Eleyna; nobody lives a life free of them. You're hurting yourself by feeling guilty over having your own problems, and it hurts other people to see you hurting. People care about you, Eleyna. They worry about you. Friendship, and understanding, and supporting other people through their problems..it works both ways. You shouldn't feel that you have to deal with whatever it is alone; you shouldn't feel that you're intruding on your friends if you ask for their help. You'd do whatever you could for your friends, I know you would. Accept that other people feel that way about you! I know...I know I do."

Gabe sagged slightly after his impassioned speech, obviously unused to such intense speaking, but his eyes remained steady, fixed on Eleyna's, and his hands remained a comforting presence on her shoulders. There was no deceit in his expression; just a powerful compassion and a deep understanding. He spoke again, his words quieter, but still full of an underlying sincerity.

"Eleyna..whatever the matter is, I'll be here for you. You're not hurting me by asking for help. You're not making me suffer by admitting that you have problems of your own. If..if I can help you, I will. Believe that."

Gabe embraced Eleyna gently, trying to express his support in deeds if the words hadn't already managed it, the idea of food already forgotten.

 

[KaintheSeeker]

Kyle Graham

"Okay, let's see what your dad has under the hood." Kyle says as he sits down and starts typing away to call out to the school server bank and do the long labourious task of trying to hack in.


OOC: Computer hack rolls, can I add my gadgets' Datalink power to the attempt? What do you want?

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

"Eleyna..whatever the matter is, I'll be here for you. You're not hurting me by asking for help. You're not making me suffer by admitting that you have problems of your own. If..if I can help you, I will. Believe that."

Gabe embraced Eleyna gently, trying to express his support in deeds if the words hadn't already managed it, the idea of food already forgotten.

As Gabe embraced her, she gripped him and began to cry even harder. Much to her surprise, however, the surges in her abdomen began to subside. For the second time that day, she found herself hugging Gabe and whispering to him, "Gabe, I'm so sorry!" And although she still felt a great amount of guilt for her actions, a feeling of relief filled her - relief from the pain in her stomach, and a greater relief from the weight of her world that Gabe was now offering to help her with.

Between her residing sobs, Eleyna managed to tell him, "Thank... Gabe, thank you. Thank you so much... I just... I just need a little, a little time."

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

As Gabe embraced her, she gripped him and began to cry even harder. Much to her surprise, however, the surges in her abdomen began to subside. For the second time that day, she found herself hugging Gabe and whispering to him, "Gabe, I'm so sorry!" And although she still felt a great amount of guilt for her actions, a feeling of relief filled her - relief from the pain in her stomach, and a greater relief from the weight of her world that Gabe was now offering to help her with.

Between her residing sobs, Eleyna managed to tell him, "Thank... Gabe, thank you. Thank you so much... I just... I just need a little, a little time."

Gabe just stood there, holding Eleyna as she cried.

"Eleyna...it's all alright. You don't have to apologise..and you can have as much time as you need. I'll be here for as long as you need me to be. Just..just don't ever think you have to deal with it all on your own."

'I should have approached her. I should have tried to speak to her earlier. To think she's been going through this....'

Gabe stood there, holding Eleyna, providing support and letting her to go through whatever she needed to. His own problems seemed rather far away, all of a sudden.

 

[Radiant]

Jennifer Allen

"Haven't noticed a thing really," Lorenzo said, following along with Kyle and Jennifer - more to act as a referee if they got into it anymore. Lorenzo smiled and gave a brief chuckle, relaxing and enjoying the now rather than worrying about what ifs. "And, Jennifer, if you don't buy it that's good enough for me."

Lorenzo continued his natural talent of being easy going - going with the flow. As far as he was concerned the whole mutant matter was dropped - at least for now. Now was the time to sneak onto the school's computers and find some secrets . . . and maybe change his days absent again.

Things are getting better again and to be honest they've never been bad. They would have been if Kyle had only called her a mutant but so it was all fine.
And now her natural attitude lets her join Lorenzo's calm, he is addictive with it anyway. She starts sorting through ideas of how to help Kyle but it's no big concern to her and if she decides to do it she doesn't think it will be a big challenge.

"Ok so I normaly call this geek stuff but please tell me if you find something interesting about Catherine."

The uncrowned queen of the school has been in a running battle for rep with her for a few month now. Jen doesn't get it since Catherine is senior to her, looks at least as good as her and dates the captain of the foodball team. But despite all that the older girl seems to consider her a threat to her position. Almost everyone knows that there's no chance that could happen before Cahterine has long finished school but she doesn't seem to realize it and Jen just enjoys the game too much to care if it has a purpose or not.

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

"Eleyna...it's all alright. You don't have to apologise..and you can have as much time as you need. I'll be here for as long as you need me to be. Just..just don't ever think you have to deal with it all on your own."

Eleyna let herself be held, clutching to Gabe as though she feared he'd let go at any second. Her head was a swirl of thought - indecision about whether or not to tell Gabe and how much to tell him, guilt over her abrupt dramatic performance, panic about the sudden change in the status of their friendship, concern about Gabe being taken away for being a mutant... It was the final thought that worried her most. And the intensity at which she was worrying about Gabe astonished her. Here was someone with whom she'd been only casually acquainted just this morning, and now, mere hours later, they'd both suffered complete emotional breakdowns, in eachother's arms no less. The confusion about this made her want to simultaneously talk to him about it and draw away...

Slowly, feeling stable enough to be on her own two feet again, Eleyna withdrew from Gabe's embrace. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes with her hands, following up a meek smile with a question, "Can... can we just do something to get our minds off this right now? Can we just drive, or, or... or get something to eat. Or a movie? Just something. We can talk, too, it's just... Gabe, it's just that this is so hard for me. I'm sorry... Please understand. I'm sorry."

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Slowly, feeling stable enough to be on her own two feet again, Eleyna withdrew from Gabe's embrace. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes with her hands, following up a meek smile with a question, "Can... can we just do something to get our minds off this right now? Can we just drive, or, or... or get something to eat. Or a movie? Just something. We can talk, too, it's just... Gabe, it's just that this is so hard for me. I'm sorry... Please understand. I'm sorry."

Gabe gently released Eleyna as she drew back, and stood for a moment, looking at her searchingly. Evidently what he saw satisfied him, as he gave a gentle smile and nodded.

"That seems like a plan to me. How does getting some food and then some kind of movie sound? I don't know about you, but I'm sort of in the mood for something without too much in the way of thought required..I'm not exactly up to deciphering intricate artistic masterpieces right now. And...Eleyna, it's OK if you don't want to talk. I'm not trying to force you into anything. But if you feel like talking at all...well, I'm more than willing to listen."

Gabe stood there for a few moments before he spoke again.

"And..you don't have anything to apologise for. I do understand. Really."

"So..where d'you think a pair of students commiting the incredible crime of skipping school should look for food?"

Gabe grinned as he spoke the last words, though there was still something in his eyes..

'Whoa. I..I never told somebody else so much about me and my problems before. Seems like Eleyna may be feeling the same sort of thing. What does all this mean? What happens next?'

Hesitantly, Gabe offered Eleyna his hand, unsure whether it was the right thing to do or not, feeling like he was in a whirlpool of thought and emotion, not even really knowing which way was up anymore.

 

[kid A]

Eleyna Robertson

Hesitantly, Gabe offered Eleyna his hand, unsure whether it was the right thing to do or not, feeling like he was in a whirlpool of thought and emotion, not even really knowing which way was up anymore.

Looking up at him, Eleyna smiled again. "I don't care. As long as we can just go somewhere and forget about our problems for awhile." Gabe offered his hand, and as she took it she felt a tingling sensation inside of her. It was so strange... She felt completely safe with him.

For a moment she lingered there with her hand in his. Eleyna became aware of the not-so-uncomfortable silence, and she began to walk back to her car, pulling him as she went. "Let's get outta here."

 

[Synchronicity]

Gabriel 'Gabe' Adams, HP 2/2

Looking up at him, Eleyna smiled again. "I don't care. As long as we can just go somewhere and forget about our problems for awhile." Gabe offered his hand, and as she took it she felt a tingling sensation inside of her. It was so strange... She felt completely safe with him.

For a moment she lingered there with her hand in his. Eleyna became aware of the not-so-uncomfortable silence, and she began to walk back to her car, pulling him as she went. "Let's get outta here."

Gabe's face broke into a smile as Eleyna took his hand. 'Well, this feels...good. Shouldn't it be feeling weirder? It just feels..nice.' Gabe stood there for a moment just smiling at Eleyna, and then allowed himself to be led back to her car.

"Sounds good to me. I don't really care where we head either; guess we'll find out where we're going when we get there."

Gabe was still smiling, a broad and happy smile. He seemed much happier than he had scant hours ago, shivering and terrified of the gen-scan.
'You realise you're grinning like an idiot, don't you?'
'Yep. I just can't seem able to stop.'
Gabe had a strange feeling in his stomach, and an odd lump in his throat; but both seemed somehow alright. The sense that the world was somehow upside down had not subsided - Gabe felt like he was drifting along in a dream of some kind, and he had no interest in waking up.