Leaving
Barry fervently looked through his book, occasionally flipping to the index and quickly scanning the page before squinting at a word and flipping back. Jill watched for an hour before she finally became bored and snuck up behind him to look at the title.
"Idiot's Guide to Being Psychic..." Jill laughed, "never knew you had it in ya!"
Burton, slightly irritated, swatted her away and returned to his book.
*Let's see now... Telekinesis, what the hell is that?*
Mike rushed around his cramped room. There was no way he would fit all his stuff in one duffle bag. Turning to yell for another one, Leland was met with a huge suitcase and a pair of miserable eyes.
"Dylan please don't do this now," Mike said, crushing more shirts into the new bag.
Dylan sat on the bed and watched his roommate scurry around, trying not to make eye contact with him.
After a couple of minutes Mike stopped dead in his tracks. "You know I had to... No one else wanted me."
Dylan sighed, "No, you just didn't want anyone else."
They both looked down and the quiet shuffling resumed.
Hours passed and Dylan never left the room. When Mike felt satisfied with his luggage, he ducked under the bed and pulled out another duffle bag. This one was heavy and he had trouble pulling all of his gear out the door. Dylan stood and made a hand gesture to give him a bag. Mike was more than willing to unload himself from the extra weight.
The elevator ride was even more difficult and every passing second seemed to slow down more than the last.
On the ground floor Mike hailed a taxi and when a busted red one arrived he threw in his stuff and helped Dylan with the weighty carrier.
When the trunk was closed Mike looked at his friend at last. They both nodded at each other in a lack of words.
"I think it's time," Leland almost whispered.
Dylan nodded but with a sad look on his face he abandoned his pride and gave Mike a quick one-armed hug. Leland patted his best friend on the back and separated from him.
"Look, whatever happens... I'll always be here and I'll always be your best mate. So if you ever feel like you need somewhere to go or someone to talk to, I'm right here."
Mike laughed, "Sounds like I'll never be rid of you!"
Dylan smiled and playfully punched him. "Get going."
Mike opened the cab door, ruffled his friend's hair, and closed it before he could get revenge.
The car began moving and Leland settled in his seat.
"Keep in touch you jerk!" Mike heard Dylan lightheartedly scream and waved through the back window.
Back at the STARS headquarters Barry stood up and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Alright people! He's going to be here any minute. I want you all to make Leland feel at home!"
Claire looked up from her magazine. "Ahhh, so his name is Leland."
Barry sighed, "His name is Mike Leland."
"Great time to tells us!" Jill yelled from behind the refrigerator door.
"What's he going to do here anyway?" Chris asked, forcefully pushing in between his sister and Leon on the couch.
Burton made an ecstatic noise, put his hands together, and looked up towards the heavens. "Everything!"
"Don't start drooling again," Jill mumbled through a full mouth.
"Sir. Sir! We're here sir!" the driver shouted, trying to revive the sleeping boy.
Mike looked through the cab window. They were somewhere in the suburbs. He yawned and stretched, listening to the leather seat crumple under his weight. Reaching into his wallet, he took out seventy dollars and gave the roll of money to the patient driver.
"Can you help me with my bags?"
"Sure man."
The doorbell rang and Barry almost jumped with anticipation.
"He's here!" he yelled.
Unfortunately the rest of the group didn't share his enthusiasm and no one moved an inch as he put his hand on the doorknob. Something stopped him from turning it.
"Hey listen up! Our mission is on a need-to-know basis with this guy, alright?"
Everyone stared at him.
"Are you serious?" asked Leon. "Does he even know what we do?"
"No and he won't until the right time."
Barry swung open the door before anyone could retort.
Barry fervently looked through his book, occasionally flipping to the index and quickly scanning the page before squinting at a word and flipping back. Jill watched for an hour before she finally became bored and snuck up behind him to look at the title.
"Idiot's Guide to Being Psychic..." Jill laughed, "never knew you had it in ya!"
Burton, slightly irritated, swatted her away and returned to his book.
*Let's see now... Telekinesis, what the hell is that?*
Mike rushed around his cramped room. There was no way he would fit all his stuff in one duffle bag. Turning to yell for another one, Leland was met with a huge suitcase and a pair of miserable eyes.
"Dylan please don't do this now," Mike said, crushing more shirts into the new bag.
Dylan sat on the bed and watched his roommate scurry around, trying not to make eye contact with him.
After a couple of minutes Mike stopped dead in his tracks. "You know I had to... No one else wanted me."
Dylan sighed, "No, you just didn't want anyone else."
They both looked down and the quiet shuffling resumed.
Hours passed and Dylan never left the room. When Mike felt satisfied with his luggage, he ducked under the bed and pulled out another duffle bag. This one was heavy and he had trouble pulling all of his gear out the door. Dylan stood and made a hand gesture to give him a bag. Mike was more than willing to unload himself from the extra weight.
The elevator ride was even more difficult and every passing second seemed to slow down more than the last.
On the ground floor Mike hailed a taxi and when a busted red one arrived he threw in his stuff and helped Dylan with the weighty carrier.
When the trunk was closed Mike looked at his friend at last. They both nodded at each other in a lack of words.
"I think it's time," Leland almost whispered.
Dylan nodded but with a sad look on his face he abandoned his pride and gave Mike a quick one-armed hug. Leland patted his best friend on the back and separated from him.
"Look, whatever happens... I'll always be here and I'll always be your best mate. So if you ever feel like you need somewhere to go or someone to talk to, I'm right here."
Mike laughed, "Sounds like I'll never be rid of you!"
Dylan smiled and playfully punched him. "Get going."
Mike opened the cab door, ruffled his friend's hair, and closed it before he could get revenge.
The car began moving and Leland settled in his seat.
"Keep in touch you jerk!" Mike heard Dylan lightheartedly scream and waved through the back window.
Back at the STARS headquarters Barry stood up and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Alright people! He's going to be here any minute. I want you all to make Leland feel at home!"
Claire looked up from her magazine. "Ahhh, so his name is Leland."
Barry sighed, "His name is Mike Leland."
"Great time to tells us!" Jill yelled from behind the refrigerator door.
"What's he going to do here anyway?" Chris asked, forcefully pushing in between his sister and Leon on the couch.
Burton made an ecstatic noise, put his hands together, and looked up towards the heavens. "Everything!"
"Don't start drooling again," Jill mumbled through a full mouth.
"Sir. Sir! We're here sir!" the driver shouted, trying to revive the sleeping boy.
Mike looked through the cab window. They were somewhere in the suburbs. He yawned and stretched, listening to the leather seat crumple under his weight. Reaching into his wallet, he took out seventy dollars and gave the roll of money to the patient driver.
"Can you help me with my bags?"
"Sure man."
The doorbell rang and Barry almost jumped with anticipation.
"He's here!" he yelled.
Unfortunately the rest of the group didn't share his enthusiasm and no one moved an inch as he put his hand on the doorknob. Something stopped him from turning it.
"Hey listen up! Our mission is on a need-to-know basis with this guy, alright?"
Everyone stared at him.
"Are you serious?" asked Leon. "Does he even know what we do?"
"No and he won't until the right time."
Barry swung open the door before anyone could retort.