Disclaimer: What I own
consists of Susana, the couch, and various and sundry other things not worth
suing for. What I don't own is Jono,
Artie, Leech, the Massachusetts Academy mansion, and the rights to Garbage's
Version 2.0(plus anything I forgot to include here). Many thanks to my roommate Jen, who helpfully looked up in her
anatomy book where the human body's smell receptors are. Yay Jen!
Disclaimer part 2: Don't
smoke. It's a bad habit and it's
expensive as hell.
Notes:
sound
*thought*
} telepathic conversation {
Setting: Susana's
room in the girls' dormitory. About
8:45 PM.
Jono knocked
lightly on the door to Susana's room, trying not to disturb anyone studying in
the lounge a few doors down. }Hey gel,
you in there? I talked to Artie and
Leech.{
"Come on in,
Jono. What'd they have to say?"
At her invitation,
he bumped the door open and stepped inside, nudging it closed with his toe before
stepping further into the room. Looking
around, he noticed her standing in front of the stereo, holding a CD in each
hand and apparently trying to decide between the two. He walked over to see what they were. *Garbage and En Vogue…interesting combination.*
}Can I request
that we listen to Garbage? It's more my
style. As for the picnic, they loved
the idea. They'll come to the kitchen
when their classes get out for lunch. I
talked to Emma, she said she approves and she'll tell their teachers not to
worry if they're a little late to class.
I don't think it would be a big problem anyway, since they've got recess
after lunch.{
"Sure, you can
request Garbage," she said even as she dropped it into the stereo. "I was just thinking I wanted to hear "When
I Grow Up", so that's what I was going for anyway. You know, I'm excited about this. I haven't really spent much time around little kids since I
helped with the school-age kids' beginning yoga class at the center. That was funny, but I'm glad I didn't have
to really tell them what to do. I just
had to make sure they didn't hurt themselves or overstretch. It was a pretty easy job."
}I can see you
working with kids, you've got that kind of laid-back personality. I don't quite know why Artie and Leech like
me…maybe it's the fact that my mutation makes me noticeable like theirs
do. I'm sure it's not my winning
personality,{ he commented wryly.
"Oh, just shut up,
will you? You have a wonderful
personality…you're a complete smartass."
}That supposed to
be a compliment, gel?{ If it were
possible to psionically growl, she was sure he'd just done so.
"Yes, it is a
compliment, Sir Angst the Basement-Dweller.
You're sarcastic, self-deprecating, and generally pretty damn
amusing. And you help with dishes. I think we'll allow you to stick around for
a while."
*You know, it's
astonishing how nice compliments are when you believe them. When's the last time I got a compliment I
believed?* he wondered as he planned his retort.
}Why thank ya, little
lady. That's right nice of ya,
keepin' a useless old feller like me 'round.{
"hey now, no
cracking on my southern heritage!
It's…insensitive. And anyway,
you're not old. You're 19, right?"
}Yes, I'm 19…and
you? By the way, what southern heritage
are you talking about? The one where
your parents are…what, British and Mexican immigrants?{
"I'm 19 too. Yes, my dad's British, and my mama's
Mexican. What's your point? I love Louisiana's culture. You would, too, if you'd ever been to Mardi
Gras."
}Is it true they
give you time off from school for that?{
"Absolutely…Mama
taught at Tulane, and they used to get a week off when the parades were going
on. At my school, we used to get at
least a few days off every year." She
stared at the wall, a bit of a misty look flitting through her eyes.
}You miss
it.{ It wasn't a question, because he
could tell she did. }Want to talk about
it?{ He figured it couldn't hurt to
offer, and besides…sitting here on the couch with her was nice. When she smiled, she got this little dimple
by the right corner of her mouth. It
was very…cute, he supposed, was the best word.
*Starsmore, you
arse…if you're going to prompt the gel to talk about it, you might want to
listen to what she has to say.* Turning
back to her, he was guiltily relieved to find that she hadn't said anything
while his attention had been elsewhere.
"Nah, it's not
like I can't go back. My family's still
there, and the general public tends to be a bit more accepting…I mean, we're
talking the former home of Marie Laveaux, the Voodoo Queen. They accepted, even liked, her back then,
and there's even some speculation now that she was an early mutant. Whatever she was, she was definitely a very
powerful woman. That's what I love
about New Orleans…all the history is so interesting, it's not just battlefields
and dates when things happened. You can
still see where she lived, or where the rich folks had their huge parties and
dances and balls." She hopped up from
the couch.
"Want to go for
that walk around the grounds that you mentioned while we were doing
dishes? It's actually not too bad out
now, it's even supposed to hit 60 next week.
Funny how I was just bitching about the cold to Jubilee and now it's
getting warm again. I suppose it's
time, though…it is April now, after all.
Anyway, like I was saying, want to go walk around? I'm all wound up and I don't feel much like
meditating right at the moment. I feel
like…having a smoke. Haven't done that
for a while."
}Neither have I,
gel…neither have I. Just let me go get
a coat and I'll meet you at the main door, OK?{
"Sounds
great. I have to put on real clothes
anyway." She picked at her leopard
print pajama pants and black tank top.
"Somehow I just don't think the weather out there is quite as warm as it
needs to be for me to wear these outside.
By the main door sounds like a good place to meet. See you there in about 5 minutes, OK?"
With that, she put
a hand on his arm to turn him around, then moved it to the small of his back to
propel him out the door and down the stairs towards his room. *You know, I could very well get used to
being touched by that girl*, he thought as she closed the door behind him. He paused for a moment and indulged himself
in thoughts of what was going on behind the door, then headed down the stairs
so she wouldn't come out of her room and find him still standing there.
~~~~10 minutes
later at the Mansion's main door~~~~
Jono shifted
uncomfortably in one of a set of perfectly matched, hideously ugly antique chairs
flanking an equally ugly hallway table that Emma had bought at an auction a few
weeks after he arrived at the school.
*Where is she? I thought she
said 5 minutes…* He heard a thump on
the stairs and looked up to see Susana skipping down the stairs and trailing
one hand lightly along the carved banister.
"Sorry I took so
long…had to change, find a lighter-that was a trick-, and I also had to
actually find a cigarette…thankfully Jubes still has a clove weakness,
so she let me steal one. Whew…I don't
know that this is really such a good idea."
}What d'you
mean? You opposed to taking walks?{
"No, I was
referring to the cigarette part…I need to do more endurance training. All the yoga-enhanced flexibility in the
world won't help me out if I can't run for any amount of time." She buttoned her leather jacket up over her
fuzzy white sweater, then wrapped a pink cashmere scarf around her exposed
neck. Stepping in front of him, she
held out both hands to pull him to his feet.
"Shall we go, monsieur mopey-ass?"
}Damn, gel…not
sparing me any harassment, are you?{
"No, why should
I? You're funny when you want to be,
and if mocking you makes you stop moping about for a minute to say something
smartassed, then hooray for that. In
fact, I intend to keep it up until you actually laugh again. So there."
She stuck out her tongue.
}Right then…who am
I to stand in the way of such noble intentions. Shall we go?{ He stepped
to the door and opened it, giving her a sweeping bow and a mocking }After you,
mademoiselle.{
"Whay ah dew
thaynk you eh-vah so much, kahnd suhr, Now if ya'll could be so kind as to get
me a mint julep, I'd be most obliged," she drawled in an exaggerated southern
accent, dropping almost onto the ground in a mockery of a graceful curtsy. Straightening, she looked around the
mansion's dimly illuminated front yard, then turned to him. "Where do you think we should go on this
walk?"
}I thought maybe
along the edge of the horses' paddock, since it's still light out and there are
some nice hills out that way. Unless
you have another preference?{
"No, that sounds
wonderful. I haven't been out to the
stable and fields yet since I've been here.
Are they nice?"
}From what I've
seen, they're quite nice. But then, I
don't know much about horses and stables and such. Growing up in working-class London doesn't give you too many
opportunities to deal with horses, y'know?{
"Wow…I can't
imagine what my childhood would've been like without horses. I started riding in Australia, and then kept
it up when we moved back to Louisiana.
I even rode a little at UT. It's
a Texas school, there's always some form of riding available in Texas." She plucked the cigarette out from behind
her ear and pulled a lighter from her jeans pocket. "You sure you don't mind if I smoke this?"
}Course not. What's it going to do, give me lung
cancer? Or-even better- throat or mouth
cancer? No, it's fine. Go ahead.{
*God I miss cigarettes.*
"Jono, dear…you
are aware that you projected that last bit, right?"
}Huh? I did?
Oops…it was unintentional. I'm
fine.{
"I'm curious,
-tell me if I'm getting too nosy- Can you still inhale? Can you smell stuff? I mean, how does the whole chest-o-psionic
energy thing work?"
}You know, I'm not
quite sure how it works myself. I can't
actually inhale-gotta have lungs for that- but I can still smell things if
they're fanned towards me. I think I
remember reading that smell receptors are in the nasal cavity…{
"Well, it could be
worse. You could be completely
senseless."
}Who's saying I'm
not?{
"I am. You're an eminently sensible little
mope." She lit the cigarette and
inhaled deeply, then coughed a bit at the remembered, yet unfamiliar feel of
the smoke. "Want me to exhale in your
direction next time?"
}You have no idea
how happy that would make me. I really
have missed the smell of smoke. It
reminds me of playing at clubs back home…before…you know.{
"Yeah, I
know. I have a question…were you
happy? Before it happened, I mean?"
}Well, I had a
great girlfriend, and lots of fans, and a great band I got to work with a lot.{
"Jono, don't duck
the question. You're dealing with a
master of ducking the question and misleading the questioner. I know the tactics- had to if I wanted to
keep people from finding out I was a mutant."
}Right. Forgot that. No, I wasn't particularly happy.
When I got here to the states, I talked to the professor before coming
here to the school. He said it sounds like I was maybe a little bit
manic-depressive. I know I did lots of
drugs…I also drank a lot, smoked more.
I knew it wasn't healthy, but I didn't have the self-restraint to stop
myself. Of course, now I don't even
have those glands that caused m'hormones to go all crazy and bumped me into
depression. So I guess that's an upside.{
"Damn…and I
thought my mutation sucked. It kicked
in right about when I hit 6th grade. Man, the things kids think about each other but don't say…they're
truly evil little bastards." She took
another hit of her cigarette, then motioned for him to lean towards her. Exhaling, she continued, "It's even worse in
high school. I never felt like I looked
ugly, or that I was dumb…but some of the people that did just floored me. I was really glad when I started studying
yoga with Joan in Austin. The concentration
techniques also help block unintentional telepathy. I'm basically doing a yoga concentration exercise any time I'm
not projecting my thoughts. It's gotten
so that it's second nature. Go ahead
and take a look around if you want," she said, tapping a finger against her
temple and taking another puff from the cigarette.
}Ok, I'll take you
up on that{ They had stopped at the
edge of one of the paddocks, and he leaned against the fence, letting it
support him as his eyes glazed over and his mind wandered about in hers. Surprisingly, he really couldn't pick up
anything from her. He retreated,
completely leaving her mind, and lounged against the fence while his mind chased
away the lethargy using his powers always brought on. }Very impressive. Is that
why you never seem to slip up, where I do so more than I'd like to admit?{
"Might have
something to do with that. Want me to
teach you some of the techniques?"
}If you want to,
that would be great.{
"When do you want
to start?"
}I dunno…what are
you doing after the picnic tomorrow?{
"Helping you learn
some yoga techniques."
}Ladies and
gentlemen, not only does she cook, speak multiple languages, ride horses, and
kickbox…she can also tell the future.
She is, in short, the perfect woman.{
She kicked him in the foot.
}Hey! What the bloody hell was
that for?{
"Jonothan Evan
Starsmore…"
}Oh, God, I'm in
trouble now. She's using the middle
name.{
"Sarcasm does not
become you, sir."
}On the contrary, ma'am,
I find it very entertaining.{
"And I find N*Sync
entertaining. Do I inflict them on
you? Noooo I do not."
}Aw, shaddup. You said yourself I'm funny because I'm a
smartass.{
"Alright, I
give. You are the funniest man I have
ever, ever known, and I want to bankroll your trip through the comedy
club circuit. Now will you shut up and
enjoy this smoke? I'm not used to
smoking for two."
}I believe that
may be the only time you'll get to say that without getting horrified stares
from passersby.{
"Jono, there are
no passersby here, unless you count that horse. Please tell me you don't count the horse."
}I would if he
were capable of horrified stares. As
he's not, I don't think you need to worry.{
"I think anytime
I'm around you I need to worry."
}Right you
are. I'm a scary fellow.{ *or a
deformed freak, one…*
"No, you're not a
scary fellow. You're just very odd
sometimes." She tried to keep her voice
normal. She didn't think he'd react
well to knowing that he'd projected that particular thought. *Jono, you poor sot…do you really think your
mutation is somehow your fault? Or that
it makes you less of a person than before?
I really don't think that's the way things are.* She looked up, surprised to realize they
were almost to the driveway, which meant they weren't far from the mansion
itself.
Once they got onto
the pavement, she yelled, "Race you back!" and took off running. She knew he had all the advantages, but she
figured it would be worth losing a race, even one she'd be tormented about for
days to come, to give him something, however small, to feel good about. Sure enough, halfway down the driveway, she
noticed him slightly behind her. As
they both ran down the pavement, he edged in front of her until suddenly he was
at the doorstep and she was still on her way there. She slowed and climbed the steps, then plopped down on the top
step to catch her breath. He looked
down at her and raised an eyebrow.
}Feeling tired
there, gel?{
"Yes, you
long-legged, non-winded, obnoxious hateful ass. I am feeling very tired.
Don't gloat. It's unattractive."
}But it's such a
lot of fun!{
"Do I look like I
care currently? Didn't think so." She stretched out her legs and gripped the
toes of her shoes, then gave up with a gesture of disgust. "I'm going to take a shower, stretch out so
I'm not sore in the morning, and then I'm going to bed. I suggest you do the same. I'll see you at 11:00 tomorrow morning."
}Right. See you then. Sleep well.{ He entered
the mansion and headed for the basement, mentally congratulating himself on
winning the race.
