Slowly bringing in some characters ;)
Characterizations are somewhat mixed with actor's in real life.
Chapter 4
Sebastian had an okay relationship with his Uncle. He was like a male version of his mom. He was smart, witty, and always had this big smile. Even when he and Alain had gone into all sorts of trouble, he didn't need to raise his voice to get them to confess. And he always treated them fairly almost like young adults rather than just some naughty children, which Sebastian appreciates.
Alexander Smythe's office space was in a very beautiful part of Paris. One of the tall buildings that surrounds a large park with men and women in business attire strolling or conducting meetings in the Parisian Summer. Alexander approached a tall dark haired man with a messenger bag wrapped around his torso talking to a young teen with pale blonde hair.
"John!"
"Ander!" the man greeted, grabbing his hand in greeting and wrapping the other around Alexander's shoulders. "Thank you for taking the time to see me. There are some last minute documents that they wanted to send over but they didn't know how."
"You're here on vacation, John." Ander scolded. "You should be spending your time with your wife and kids."
"And I will." John said. "After I finish these last requests and have them faxed to the office. They can wait for the original copies when I get back. But they need a copy before the end of the week. You know how hte courts can be."
Alexander rolled his eyes. "Of course."
The man named John suddenly looked at Sebastian standing in the side. "Is this Alain?"
"No. This is my sister's younger son." Alexander motioned for Sebastian to come closer. "John, this is my nephew, Sebastian Allen. Bastian, this is John Sterling. One of my good friends and partner in my law firm in Ohio."
"Nice to meet you, Sir." Sebastian greeted, shaking John's hand.
"You can call me, John." John insisted. "The Smythes were practically family growing up. You must be Nora's son."
He turned to the blonde haired boy who he motioned to step closer. "Let me introduce my eldest, Ander, you remember my son, Jeffrey."
"Nice to meet you both." Jeff looked to be around the same age as Sebastian. He stood confidently beside his father in regular blue jeans, a brown peacoat, and navy blue scarf that highlighted the pale color of his hair which Sebastian suspected looked bleached.
"Ahh, yes, I remember." Alexander said. "How are you, Jeff? How are you liking Paris?"
"I am well." Jeff answered politely. "Mom wanted to bring Jamie out to go shopping so I went with dad instead."
"Actually, Ander. I do have a few things I wish to discuss with you privately." John said. "Maybe, thirty minutes at most."
Alexander hesitated looking at Sebastian. "I don't think…"
"I'll be fine, Uncle Alex." Sebastian insisted. "I can stay here and walk around the park while you and John go handle some business."
"I'm not comfortable leaving you here alone, Sebastian."
"Alain and I have actually gone around this park before." Sebastian admitted. "Aunt Sabine brought us with Stacy here the other day. And I'm good with directions. Plus, I can always ask for directions."
Alexander hesitated.
"I can keep him company." Jeff volunteered to the surprise of John.
"Jeff?"
Jeff shrugged. "It's a beautiful day out. And I saw a store with some trinkets I wanted to get for Jamie and the brothers. Not to mention Nick. Maybe Sebastian can help me pick something out."
"Are you sure, Jeff?" John asked. "You can always stay inside with me while I handle business."
"I'll be fine, dad." Jeff said with a slight eyeroll and a cheeky smile. "Sebastian and I can go get some hot chocolate or something. Instead of black coffee."
"Brat." John teased but looked at Alexander. "If you're okay with it."
Alexander looked at Sebastian who gave him a hopeful look. "Fine."
"Thanks, Uncle Alex!" Sebastian said happily. He had gone out of the house after being indoors all day and was looking forward to walking around the park.
"We'll be back in thirty minutes." Alexander instructed. "Stay within the park, and keep your phone on you."
"Same goes for you, Jeffrey."
"Yes, dad."
"I promise, we will be fine, Uncle Alex." Sebastian promised stepping beside Jeff. "We'll be fine. It's just thirty minutes. Go do your thing."
Sebastian hooked his arm around his 'new friend' and they started walking into the pathways of the park. They unhooked as soon as they saw both adults enter the office building.
"Thank goodness, they agreed." Jeff said. "I was not looking forward to being stuck inside a stuffy office at some random person's cubicle while dad does whatever court case thing he needs fixed. Dad being overprotective wouldn't let me wait for him out here."
Sebastian chuckled. "And what if I was some scary, dangerous teenager, out to take your lunch money."
Jeff rolled his eyes. "Dad knows Ander from Dalton. You're more likely a stuck up snob than a dangerous bully." he paused and gave him a smile and offered his hand. "Jeff Sterling. Only dad insists on calling me by my full name cus I was apparently named after my grandfather. I'm twelve."
"Sebastian Allen." Sebastian shook the offered hand. "I'm twelve, too. You can call me Seb."
"Your English is really good." Jeff commented. "You must have some really good teachers."
"That or I don't live here." Sebastian said cheekily. "I live in Central City with my parents and brother. We are also visiting."
"And you decided to join your uncle for work?"
"No." Sebastian said as they continued to walk around the park taking in the sights. "My brother, Barry, wanted to go to some fancy science museum. I wasn't going to spend my day just I quote 'watching the research of scientific advancement to change the world' or whatever it is they do there. Mom and Aunt Sabine had gone shopping which my cousin is also very invested in. So I opted to stay at home with Uncle Alex."
"Then this turned up."
"Yep." Sebastian agreed. "What about you? What is this trinket you are looking for."
"Oh, my best friend, Nick, he likes collecting little trinkets. Those small souvenir coins or keychains from wherever someone goes somewhere." Jeff explained. "I saw this small coin design in one of those stands. I figured if i join dad instead of whatever shopping Mom and Jamie wanted to do, I might be able to buy one."
"Wouldn't they have souvenirs at the shopping district?"
"Yes, but it would also mean, I become a living Ken Doll." Jeff rolled his eyes. "My sister got us into a dance competition and wanted to coordinate outfits or whatever it is."
"You dance?"
"I join a few dance competitions." Jeff admitted. "It started by me joining my sister for her practice and I ended up joining in. My partner Renae and I compete during the fall."
"Does that explain the bleach?"
"No, that was just a prank gone wrong" Jeff said with a laugh. "I spilt lemon juice on my brother's hair which turned pale after a day swimming, they decided to retaliate and add mom's hair bleach in my shampoo. Very Matilda like. But jokes on them I like it and I managed to convince mom to get my hair bleached properly."
The two boys found a small stall that sold small trinkets and souvenirs and spent some time looking. "So what about you?"
"I'm sorry?"
"What do you do for fun?" Jeff asked. "You dont seem like a stuck up prep school kid. And you mentioned a brother. Tell me about you."
"I have a brother not that much older than me but so much smarter."
"That's got to be hard." Jeff said sympathetically. "Living in your brother's shadow."
"A little." Sebastian admitted. "But Barry's great, he doesn't let me feel down about it. And even Dad and Uncle Alex kind of talked to me about it. Barry got into this scholarship for a science school. And here I am not knowing what to do."
"What are you good at then?"
"I do musical theater." Sebastian admitted. "School plays and dance group. But I don't want to do that full time."
"I get what you mean." Jeff said. "I'm doing dance for now. But do you know how many different injuries you can get from dancing? While it might not seem like it you can get into some serious injuries in dance like any other athlete."
"What are you planning then?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead." Jeff admitted. "Maybe business or marketing. I don't think I'm meant to follow my dad in law. I'll leave that for my sister."
"My uncle said that debate can help with problem solving and in the justice system." Sebastian mused as he looked at some of the keychains the store was selling.
"It might not be for me, but it might work for you." Jeff said. "I mean, we did just meet, I don't know you that well. But your Uncle is a good lawyer, who knows you might have the same skills he has."
"I thought that he got that from studying in some fancy prep school in Ohio."
"Dalton probably helped." Jeff admitted. "But it's just an extra step. There are hundreds of professionals that graduated from public schools."
"Are you planning on joining Dalton too?"
"Nick and I are planning to apply to transfer for high school." Jeff said. "It would be nice to see where our dads became best friends. And we thought it was cool to have it full circle. They met at Dalton and became roommates and best friends. Then Nick and I grew up best friends with our family being so close. We want to bring the Duval Sterling Duo back to Dalton."
"Isn't Dalton a prep school." Sebastian said. "So snobby rich kids with their parent's money. Aren't you afraid of getting harassed for not being some trust fund kid like them?"
"Well Dalton has a no harassment policy." Jeff revealed. "Nick's older brother started Dalton last year. The way he explained it, it's like freedom with harsh limitations. Some of the policies are strict like the no harassment policy. But the students run everything. Outside of classes, they encourage kids to handle themselves like adults, encouraging hard work and collaboration. Upperclassmen take in the underclassmen showing them the ropes before they graduate and it just continues and grows."
Sebastian had a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm. that does sound intriguing."
"Granted, tuition is steep. And it's not for everybody." Jeff said. "But with rumors on how the boys in that school are and historically how their graduates fare, I think it would be a good first step when you're looking to get into corporate or something similar."
Sebastian nodded. "I want your opinion."
"Sure."
"What do you think of this?" Sebastian pulled on a souvenir beanie with Paris written in embroidery in the front. "I think it's a perfect souvenir for Barry."
Jeff laughed.
~()~
"You missed it, Bas!" Barry explained. "There was a whole exhibit just for carbon dating. The whole research on the evolution of the sea creatures that might have lived all those years ago."
"I'm sure the dead fishes didn't miss me that much." Sebastian said playfully, his eyes not leaving the computer. Barry jumped on their shared bed beside Sebastian to check out what his brother was doing.
"Dalton Academy?" Barry asked. "Isn't that where Uncle Alex went to High School?"
"Yeah." Sebastian confirmed. "Apparently, it's an all boys school just the the outskirts of Westerville where Grandma and Grandpa Smythe live."
"Why are you looking at Dalton?"
"I was thinking." Sebastian started. "Maybe, it might be a good step for me."
"In Ohio?" Barry asked incredulously. "With Grandma and Grandpa?"
"It's a boarding school." Sebastian explained. "They offer courses that are college level. Almost like for CCSA, if I get in and take some of the courses, they will be credited to whatever University I go to."
"What brought this on?" Barry asked. "Was it that year book? Did you find something that you want to do?"
"Not really," Sebastian admitted. "But, I met one of Uncle Alex's friends' son. Did you know Uncle Alex' partners in his firm in Ohio are his friends from Dalton?"
"Really?"
"Yeah." Sebastian confirmed. "Jeff said all his dad's friends are mostly from Dalton and more than half of them share business ventures and are still very close to this day. Mom and Dad went to college in Central City and barely even talk about their friends from college."
"But Ohio, Bas." Barry complained. "You'd be far away."
"It's not final." Sebastian said. "I'm just….looking at my options."
Shorter chapter than normal but it's fine. I wanted to bring in Jeff. I wanted to have him meet a peer rather than a mentor figure like Wes.
I made Jeff into a dancer (cus Riker joined DWTS and I thought it was fun) I am adding some small details to the characterizaitons for the Warblers based off some of their current or past projects as actors to add a bit of flair to their personalities. and of course I will be including some OCs but we'll see :)
I'm thinking of splitting the fic into two parts. This will be the prologue. To intro Seb's story. but the main part where he is in Dalton will be a standalone not a crossover fic to avoid any confusion.
Let me know what you think.
