EDIT: Longer explanation in the previous one, but I posted this too early, so go back and read the other one then come here to review it.
Pleasedon'tkillmebecauseIdidn'tpostlastweek. But you get it a day early than I was planning because I'm going off to Camp Grandparents.
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or any of the characters except the ones everyone knows I own that I'm not listing anymore because it would take too long.
Charles
March 14, 2016
I dash through the apartment, grabbing my backpack by the coat rack.
"Wait, Charles, you forgot your lunch!" Kate shouts from the kitchen. I run back, jumping over the cat. Kate tosses me a brown paper bag. "Did you finish your math homework?"
"I'm going to be late," I tell her. She gives me a look, but makes a shooing motion with her hands. I head out of the door, feet pounding quickly down the stairs. I glance around before using my powers to unlock my bike, stuffing the chain in my pocket. I hop on, standing up to go faster. I arrive at Happy Harbor High just as the first bell rings. With a flick of my hands, my bike is locked to the rack, leaving me to make it to class on time. I slip in through the door just as the tardy bell rings. With a sigh of relief, I plop down in my desk in the front row, dumping my backpack on the floor.
"Almost late, as usual, Monsieur Beaulac," Ms. Roberts, my French teacher, remarks drily.
"Not yet," I grin. She smiles back and turns to address the class.
"Good morning class. Now, before we get started on our usual business, I want to introduce a new classmate." She gestures to someone standing in the corner by the door. My eyes widen, I can't believe I didn't notice the girl before. She tentatively steps forward, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "This is Miranda, she just moved here from New York City. Say hello class."
"Hello, Miranda," we chorus. The corners of her mouth twitch into a smile quickly before she finds a sudden interest in her shoes.
"Sit wherever there's an empty desk, dear," Ms. Roberts tells her. Miranda's eyes flick around the room, settling on the nearest desk, which happens to be the one on my left. She scurries over, quietly and carefully placing her bag on the floor. I stare at her for a few moments, noting how her every moment draws as little attention as possible. "Just a reminder that for anyone who wants extra credit, you can sign up to tutor after school," Ms. Roberts announces. Miranda leans forward, taking in every word. "Now, I believe it's time to pass up our reports on snow festivals in Quebec?" I groan playfully along with the rest of the class before digging around in my bag, the spell broken.
Miranda appears a few more times during the day. She's in my math class, and we have the same lunch hour.
I slam my locker shut, spinning the knob back to zero before heading to the library to tutor, not that I need the extra credit. French is the only class I have a high A in. But I like Ms. Roberts, and I'm one of her best students, so I do it anyway. I push open the heavy wooden door, nodding at Ms. Polley, the librarian, who's going through the book returns. I walk to my usual table, only to see someone else standing there. Huh. Normally I'm the first one here. Must be someone who really needs help. Getting closer, I realize it's Miranda. I smile at her while putting my bag down.
"Are you here for tutoring?" I ask, pulling out a textbook.
"Of course not," she scoffs. "I'm here to be a tutor. I signed up after class."
"Oh. Well. I guess I'll go sit somewhere else then," I mutter, moving to the other side of the library.
"Hey, Charles!" Sadie, a girl I've been tutoring regularly skips up. "I really need your help to prep for that test Friday." I smile before pulling out a chair for her. Madi rushes in, hair unkempt and notebooks practically falling out of her backpack.
"Darn it Sadie, I really need Charles's help!" she grins good-naturedly, but there's still a tinge of frustration in her eyes.
"Ladies, ladies, no need to fight," I laugh, holding up my hands. "Madi, you go over to Miranda today, and then we'll switch tomorrow?" She sighs and nods, walking over to the other table. Pulling Sadie's textbook closer, I begin to explain imperfect tense. Every once in a while, I glance over to see how Madi is faring. Both of the girls are smiling, even laughing.
"Alright guys, time to close up shop," Ms. Polley calls from the desk.
"Thanks Charles," Sadie tells me as she packs everything up.
"No problem." I wave at her one last time as she walks through the door. Grabbing my own things, I walk out of the library, smiling at Ms. Polley when I pass the desk. Walking outside, I breathe in the crisp air, glad for my jacket. A twist of my fingers unlocks my bike, and I prepare to hop on.
"Wait!" someone yells, running after me. Now I can see that it's Miranda. "Wait!" she shouts again. I lower my foot and turn around fully. She slows into a walk a few meters from me, breathing heavily. She holds up a gloved finger for me to wait while she catches her breath.
"Well?" I ask once she's stopped puffing like a dragon.
"Oh, um." She stares at the ground, suddenly shy again. "I want to apologize for earlier. I shouldn't have been so rude."
I shrug. "It was no big deal."
"Still."
"Well, apology accepted."
"I'm Miranda by the way." She sticks out her hand, and I shake it.
"Charles. And I know." She blushes.
"Um, bye." She gives me one last shy smile before walking away. I follow her, pushing my bike along through bits of snow that the sweeper missed. Miranda eyes me. "Are you following me?"
"No. Well yes. But not really," I stutter. "This is my way home, too."
"Oh," she blushes. "So where are you from?"
"Normandy, France, actually."
"I thought so. Or well, I thought France."
"How did you know?" When I look over, I see that she's blushing.
"Oh, well, um, my mom's a linguist, and she does a lot of translating, and I help her sometimes, and so I've gotten pretty good at picking out accents."
"Cool. Does she travel a lot?"
"Yeah. But we talk on the phone and video chat and stuff a lot. And my dad works at home, so it works out pretty well."
"Why'd you move from New York?"
"Our apartment got broken into one night." My eyes widen.
"Was anyone hurt?"
"No. My mom was in D.C., and my dad and I were on a walk. But it still spooked us, and my grandma lives here, so we decided to move."
"Wow, some story."
"Yeah." She stops walking. "This is my house."
"I guess this is good-bye."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow." She smiles and walks up to her house. I hop on my bike for the rest of the ride home, which isn't very far. I pull out my key on my way up the stairs, unlocking and going through the door noisily. I hate coming home to a quiet apartment, but Kate works all day, so I make my own noise. I turn the radio on full blast before grabbing a banana from the kitchen and heading to my room to start homework. I breeze through French, struggle through civics, and come to a dead stop at geometry. Sighing, I grab my phone and dial the bookshop where Kate works.
"Leather and Vellum, Kate speaking!" she answers cheerfully.
"It's me. Do you understand…" I glance down at the worksheet. "circles?"
"They're round," she replies in a hopeful tone.
"I can see that. Anything else?"
"No. You can call Kaldur…I mean, Jaime. Try Jaime. Or maybe Wally. Or Robin or Nightwing." She punctuates the end of her sentence with a sigh.
"Kate…"
"I gotta go, there's a customer. All of Jaime's and Wally's numbers are written in the front of the phone book, and the other two should be at…work. Bye." Without waiting for a reply, she hangs up. Sighing, I gather up my things, deciding to go to the cave for help. Besides, I really want to talk to Moth and Gosling some more.
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