Fast Forward (Open.)

Still trying to focus on speeding up the time, Odi was seriously caught off guard when someone was suddenly standing in the room with him, just by the door. He hadn’t even noticed the clicking sound of the doorknob. He could feel his face flush a little as she called him curious. And then it happened, his heart caught in his throat and instead of saying something charming, he simply slowed down time.

His eyes darted around as the girl before him seemed to be frozen in time. Odion took a breath and time returned to normal, a hand of his going to scratch the back of his neck. He had only stopped time for a moment or two, so hopefully whoever this was, wouldn’t be angry with him.

“Sorry for doing that, you caught me off guard,” he said, hopping off of the desk, looking sort of past the girl instead of directly at her as he spoke. All the boys here seemed overly flirtatious – Odi was not of this variety. It was a more subtle kind of flirting if it happened at all. “Did you have the room booked for training? I didn’t know if it was free...” He was rambling, a small smile replaced his voice.

The girl’s lips were highly visible, and he had to wonder if this was done with a particular reason in mind. She also looked very done up – getting ready for a date perhaps? Odion had always been taught to be observant – it had its payoffs. A crooked smile graced his face, did this girl often spy on other people training?

“Uh, name’s Odion,” he said, trying to be polite and inviting.

Odion was mentally kicking himself for not having better control over his powers. Some days they just seemed to come so naturally, others it was like breathing – involuntary, but very useful. He made a mental note of not making a habit out of freezing those he was just about to meet. First impressions were everything; hopefully he hadn’t blown it with this lovely blonde girl.

“So it would seem the curious one here, is you,” the red head quipped happily, glad to sneak in a little bit of charm. Odion wasn’t in the business of winning friends, but surface value conversations he could handle. At least the girl was being honest about being a snoop – Odi appreciated that. His dark blue eyes tried to follow her as she circled around him, like he was some kind of trapped animal. Should he be worried?

Odion was seventeen and had never dated anyone. That part of his life had only opened up in the past year or so. Having to live on the streets made food and shelter a number one priority. Emotional wellbeing, personality development, and having a love life, just wasn’t in the picture. Odi had every day down to a routine: wake up, eat whatever was around from the day before for breakfast, pickpocket, use the money found for more food, try and pawn the rest for money in order to buy essentials, try to find a place to sleep, and finally pass out from exhaustion. Finding that perfect someone seemed like it was important now that his basic needs were cared for, but he was in no rush to get there. Rushing was not a word Odion would use to describe himself.

“You’re forgiven,” he said carefully, wondering if Alice made a habit out of spying on others. “Is this how you make friends?” He asked with a small smile, curiosity written on his eyes. “Transferred from Ireland actually,” he said, despite his lack of an Irish accent. It was the country where he was born, but he had spent his life traveling most of Europe. It was a dream most American teenagers had, and Odion secretly wondered if any of them would be able to survive the way he had in unknown territory. Odi was street smart and very cautious, with every move calculated and well placed. He couldn’t afford mistakes.

Shaking Alice’s hand gently and graciously, Odion smiled brightly, the freckles on his cheeks dancing around his eyes. “Didn’t I say you were forgiven already?” The red head released the girl’s hand, stuffing both of his into the pockets of his jeans. “You’re the first person I’ve met at this school, Alice,” Odion said, saying her name in order to memorize it along with the face it captured. Was that too much information to share right off the bat? Was it making him look pathetic? Most kids had learned to not care about what other people thought of them, but it was all Odion cared about. If she was the first person he met here, she in turn held some weight on her shoulders when it came to how Odi would decide how he fit in here - or not. First impressions mattered to him. He was a loner, always keeping people at an arm’s length, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be a hermit. Gaining a few people’s trust without bearing his soul was a good thing, a small nugget of good he had learned from his hard life.

An apologetic smile spanned Odion’s slender face. “My apologies, I suppose I should have asked if spying on people is how your friendships start,” he said, his right hand making a waving motion as he spoke. It must have been a European thing. The red head usually didn’t walk with his hands, but he knew it make other find him more trustworthy, almost more childish. Everyone had their quirks, Odi was careful to select his. “Friendships requite a lot more work than simply becoming someone’s stalker.” His tone was serious but the smile on his face said he was amused, and intrigued by his company. She, admittedly, found him interesting.

“And what’s so great about a boy sitting on a desk, staring at a clock?” He asked, playing the devil’s advocate. He tried to put himself in her shoes and find what was so interesting about the picture he imagined himself in. It looked rather boring.

Odion smiled along with Alice as she recalled her memories. “Yes, I know the place,” he said politely, the contrast of his hair and eyes making his face appear pleasant. But her words had hit home for him more than she knew. Living in a world by yourself. It wasn’t just Ireland where he lived alone. If only she knew the half of it. But he had never told anybody about that, and the only person who knew even a small amount about his life, was Rhett. They were truly in the same boat.

There was something about Alice that captivated the boy though, and he was truly thankful she hadn’t asked about his parents. Scratching the back of his neck, Odion looked down at the floor and sighed. “Honestly, I don’t really know which part,” he said with a small smile, looking back up at the girl to hold her ice blue eyes. She was very intriguing, although he was a little bit suspicious about her. Why was she interested in him anyways? Odion had grown up in a harsh world, and he knew that most people were nice for a reason, not because the trait was innate.

“You have lovely eyes,” he said, rather plainly, like how one would say ‘two plus two is four’. It was obvious and a nice thing to say, hopefully something she wouldn’t take the wrong way. It was a pretty big change of topic. Maybe he would get lucky and she would pin it on his testosterone going into high gear - which was fine by him. A small smile passed his face and he was looking at the clock once more. Maybe she would figure out for herself why he hadn’t really sought anyone to talk to at this school.

Odion looked back at Alice, admitting she was far more interesting than the clock he was trying to speed up. "It's quite easy to be charming about the truth," he said sweetly, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. How often did this girl hear compliments? She seemed a little strong, like she had a domineering personality. Perhaps people were too afraid of her reaction to even try and be honest with her. Odion wasn't afraid of much, but girls were definitely something he didn't fear. They were rather intriguing, and Alice was especially interesting. At first she was prying, and now she was shy. The red head noted that he could have the desired effect on her if need be.

Alice didn't need to butter Odion up with her powers in order for the boy to tell her what they were. To the boy, it was like sharing which classes he was taking and where he enjoyed eating when he wasn't at school. Some things were valuable information, and to Odi, everyone had powers here. It wasn't like Alice would be able to harness his gifts right? Still, he gave the information a little easier than normal, and that raised some questions in his mind. "Yes, I can manipulate time to be faster or slower and move through it at whatever speed I choose," he said, simply and bluntly. There was nothing special about his power to Odion, it had always been like a sixth sense to him, an asset.

"And you my dear," he said, looking the blonde up and down, "have a way with words." Odion was being vague, but that's just how he operated. He wasn't trying to be mysterious, but that often became the most attractive part of his personality. He could've been complimenting her, but really he was alluding to her powers. However she chose to interpret what he said was up to her. What was her game though, seeing as she seemed more interested than anyone should be in what Odion was all about.

Odion placed his hands in his pockets, glancing at the door, assessing his escape. If Alice was going to keep questioning him, Odi worried that eventually she would ask something he would regret telling her. The boy glanced at her with questioning eyes, wondering what was her aim. It would literally take him a second to escape the situation, and he wanted to be ready to take that opportunity if he needed to.

It was strange to have someone like Alice so interested in him, and Odion could feel himself blush as she called him fascinating. Odi was not in the business of being in the spotlight, it made him uncomfortable. He was good at playing in the shadows, he was good at getting away with things he shouldn’t be doing, as in his mind, anything was legal if he didn’t get caught. Being under the scrutiny of a very beautiful girl, however, was not something Mr. Martins could deal with without fidgeting under her stare.

Odion’s lips quirked up into a smile as Alice began giggling. Was this a show or was she sincerely interested in him? And if so, why? The red head held his smile, glad to be affirmed of his suspicions. He might not have known what her powers were before, but he certainly knew now. “It sounds like a very satisfying power,” he said, his eyes holding hers, “better than reading minds, since you have the person admitting to everything you need instead.” It would also be great to have people hand over their possessions than stealing them... Odion had a smile on his face that could be labelled as wicked, but it soon disappeared. He couldn’t have her thinking he was some kind of loon – unless it would be to his advantage.

Odi smiled, giving Alice another once over. “I’m always worried around those who I’m unfamiliar with, however, you don’t seem very wicked.” It was just another reason to get a better look at her, which served several purposes. He did suppose that she could be wicked if she wanted to be. Besides, if she was wicked, then right at this moment, she would think she was gaining the upper hand in convincing him of her very innocent act, which she was playing very well. “You are just as cute as I am, Alice,” he said, a wink sent her way. He didn’t want to figure her out, he just wanted to stay in the darkness.

The boy considered the deal, and in his mind knew that he would be able to slow down any request he didn’t feel comfortable with once he realized what she would be asking. “Alright, then I suppose it’s my turn,” he said politely, as this seemed to be working between them. Alice surely would be careful with her words, or Odion would be gone before her pretty eyes. He would play her game until he decided to quit, and she wouldn’t be able to stop him.

“What will you gain from talking to me?” He asked, leaning against the table he had been sitting on, taking a more relaxed stance. Odion didn’t let his eyes stray from Alice, lest she caught on that if she tried to con him, he would be gone in a second.

Odion hadn’t planned on meeting anyone today, especially Alice. She was interesting and playful, and even though he felt like he was walking on eggshells, he knew there could only be a good outcome from meeting her today. He liked playing this game with people, and Alice was quite good at it. Boring would never describe her, she was intellectual and Odion liked the challenge.

Watching the blonde carefully, he waited to see if she would lie about what she wanted from him. There was a true reason why Alice was so interested in him, and he was determined to find out. Odion raised a thin eyebrow, the smirk disappearing from his face. She couldn’t be serious, could she? He was about to say that he could never give her the world, but then he realized she was matching him in mystery. To say the boy was interested would be an understatement, and it showed in his body posture. He was hooked.

From what he could piece together, she wanted him to be a part of a group, for what he wasn’t sure yet. Alice didn’t know this, but Odion loves to figure things out for himself, and in speaking so cryptically, she would likely end up having him wrapped around her little finger in no time. He had been craving some kind of group for a while now, like a dog seeking a pack. He was no leader, nor did he want to be, but he knew he could prove useful in someone else’s hands. She hadn't exactly answered his question, but it was too late to mention that.

His thoughts were interrupted when Alice spoke up once more. As her eyes captured both his eyes and mind, Odion couldn’t help but think the question was a little... vague. “As far as my powers can take me,” he said, glad she hadn’t asked what his heart’s desire was. “I break the law on an almost daily basis.” Odion’s eyes grew wide in surprise, his face flushing as he looked down at his shoes. He didn’t really want to volunteer that information, but a hopeful smile spread across his face when he finally had the courage to look back up at the girl before him.

“Are you going to turn me in for that?” He asked, a charming smile passed his face, absolutely no worry in his eyes. He could just be playing the bad boy part, or he could be telling the truth. It was a waste of a question, but maybe what he had said before was what the blonde wanted to hear. In essence he was asking what side Alice was on – that’s what really mattered.