Disclaimer: I bow to who ever thought of the concept of Higher Ground and
their characters. Bow, Bow.
Dwayne leaned against the window, surrounded in the silence of 4 other people. They stood and waited not sure of what else to do. The door opened and a collective breath was drawn as a teenage boy stepped inside. His hair was shorn to 3 inch spikes tipped red and silver. On his neck was a tattoo of a sun combusting. The cast around his wrist bore graffiti and what looked like paint. But the army jacket was the same. The clothing was the same. The eyes looked around warily the same way. And it was still Rowan. For a second no one said anything. That second was enough for Rowan to start to turn again, hand reaching for the knob. "Wait," said Kat. "Why would you wanna start over again?" He didn't get a chance to answer before Peter asked, "Where have you been? We've been worried." "I got my hair cut. The blood. the blood matted my hair to the point it needed to be cut. I was getting tired of dreads anyway." "That's it?" "Hit a store or two and bought some clothing. Thanks Dwayne for leaving my monthly allowance out where I could get it." "No prob." Rowan moved to the bathroom. "What are you doing?" "Going to shower. Do I need a chaperone for that, by any chance?" "Well, no, but wouldn't you like to say hi to-" The bathroom door shut. "He's back alright." Jasper asked quietly, "Do you think I should just leave?" "No," answered Sophie, "he just didn't recognize you, that's all." Dwayne's throat tightened and part of him wished that Jasper really had been blown off the face of the earth.
Dwayne leaned against the window, surrounded in the silence of 4 other people. They stood and waited not sure of what else to do. The door opened and a collective breath was drawn as a teenage boy stepped inside. His hair was shorn to 3 inch spikes tipped red and silver. On his neck was a tattoo of a sun combusting. The cast around his wrist bore graffiti and what looked like paint. But the army jacket was the same. The clothing was the same. The eyes looked around warily the same way. And it was still Rowan. For a second no one said anything. That second was enough for Rowan to start to turn again, hand reaching for the knob. "Wait," said Kat. "Why would you wanna start over again?" He didn't get a chance to answer before Peter asked, "Where have you been? We've been worried." "I got my hair cut. The blood. the blood matted my hair to the point it needed to be cut. I was getting tired of dreads anyway." "That's it?" "Hit a store or two and bought some clothing. Thanks Dwayne for leaving my monthly allowance out where I could get it." "No prob." Rowan moved to the bathroom. "What are you doing?" "Going to shower. Do I need a chaperone for that, by any chance?" "Well, no, but wouldn't you like to say hi to-" The bathroom door shut. "He's back alright." Jasper asked quietly, "Do you think I should just leave?" "No," answered Sophie, "he just didn't recognize you, that's all." Dwayne's throat tightened and part of him wished that Jasper really had been blown off the face of the earth.
