Stage Fright (Roland)

[Adrianna Carstyn]

So as good at dancing as she was, Adrian was not the type who danced alone in front of people. Usually she'd twirl around her room coming up with new choreography she thought went with the song that came on her ipod randomly. She had gone down to the auditorium with her ipod in her hand. Luckily they had a stereo set-up on the stage.

She was wearing a typical Adrian dress and her hair was pulled back in a braid that hung over her shoulder. She went up the stairs of the stage and set up the music station. The song she had been working on the most was Belief by Gavin DeGraw. It was a lyrical dance, one of her specialties.

She stood in the middle of the stage after pressing play and waited for the introduction. As she began her dance, she got caught up in the music. Adrian always seemed to lose track of where she was and her surroundings when she was dancing. It was just a stress relief for her, and she hadn't had much time to really do it lately.

She spun around and flowed with the music, unaware of any audience.

[Roland Singleton]

Why is it that even when he waited an extra twenty minutes to go eat Roland always had trouble finding a place to sit in the cafeteria? He had gotten his food as usual and after shifting through crowds of students had decided to bail. He grabbed his chocolate milk and an apple and dumped the rest of his food before throwing his tray on the washer conveyor belt (which took an unnecessary amount of time because Roland had forgotten to get a plastic tray and the metal one was clinging to his hand). He snuck into the auditorium and gobbled down his food in peace.

Roland had been just about ready to leave when a girl came in carrying an ipod. She was very pretty and her dress was short but classy at the same time. Roland had been sitting in a rather shadowed corner of the room in case someone came in asking why he had food in there so the girl walked by without even giving him a glance. She set up the music system and walked onto the stage and Roland had a second long mental battle before deciding to not speak up and see what she was doing.

The music started and the girl began to dance, and Roland watched with interest. He had danced for a long time and he knew exactly what to appreciate when he saw someone skilled move. She flowed perfectly, every turn was taken on the balls of her feet, every arm extension was stuck precisely with care, it was beautiful to watch. Roland caught himself blushing for some reason he couldn't explain. It was like he had walked in on something private and personal and he couldn't look away as she continued to move.

Roland stood as the music began to slow and he walked towards the stage cautiously. The last thing he wanted to do was offend the girl by bursting in out of nowhere but all Roland could do was slowly start to clap as he reached the the steps to the stage. "That was spectacular. Sorry I didn't speak up earlier but I rather enjoyed watching you perform. My names Roland, how long have you been dancing you do quite well." Roland said sheepishly as he approached the girl before him "Ive been dancing since I was twelve so I can totally tell you you are good."

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna ended her solo and was about to change the song when she heard a voice from in front of the stage. Her head snapped up and she jumped. Someone had actually seen her dance and she hadn't even realized it. She folded her arms across her chest as she looked at the boy talking. Younger than her, but not by much. Decent looking. And a dancer?!

Adrian was pretty impressed. She kept the look on her face straight and indifferent. She tried not to smile at his compliment, but it was difficult. She blushed dark red and looked down, pulling her braid around her shoulder and twirling it around her finger. She looked up at him and finally got her voice back.

"Thanks, um I'm Adrianna and I've been dancing since I was four." She chewed on her lower lip and watched him carefully. She got this sudden shock of an electric vibe from him and automatically knew the power. Electrokinesis. New. And boy did it sound cool! She continued appraising his appearance. Lightly tanned skin, gorgeous blue eyes, and a pretty decent body, but that came from dancing of course.

"So what exactly are you doing in the auditorium anyway, no one ever comes in here during lunch." She asked softly, trying to distract herself.

[Roland Singleton]

Roland watched the girl apprehensively after he spoke up, he wasn't sure if she was going to be mad that he was observing her dance or not. He saw her slightly blush and mess with her hair and Roland wondered if maybe he had accidentally embarrassed her, though as her face reddened Roland felt his own flush momentarily. Adrian introduced herself and Roland allowed his eyes to take a quick glance over her as she bit her lip. She was older than Roland, maybe by a year or two, and she had a certain grace in the way she stood before him.

When she was dancing he had noted how every inch of her moved, but only now after she had stopped moving did the full effect of just how fine she was hit Roland. He felt his face brighten even more as he saw how she filled out her dress and the way she twirled her hair and after a few seconds his attention was caught by her questioning what brought him to the auditorium.

"Yeah that's what I was counting on, the cafeteria always gets super crowded and it's hard to just kick back and relax when you can barely find a seat. I just came in here to eat in peace, well until I saw you come in and start dancing." Roland said grinning shyly.

With great effort he tore his eyes away from the girl and turned, placing his hands behind his head. He was never very smooth when it came to talking to girls, especially pretty once, but he hoped not to make a total fool of himself this time. An idea suddenly triggered in his mind and he walked over to the music player, bringing out his own ipod and hooking it up. He glanced through his music collection and quickly started one of his favorite songs, "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton.

He turned back with sly smile, "So my fellow dancer, any good at couple's work?" He asked playfully, working his way up the stairs.

Normally trying to dance with someone you just met would be weird to some, but Roland firmly believed that dancing with someone was one of the fastest ways to get to know them.

He offered Adrian a hand." Figured since we got some time to kill we could chat as we danced, though be careful I tend to shock people at first contact, static electricity and all." He added, playfully hinting at his powers.

"Its nice to meet ya Adrian, andnot to be nosy but where ya from? I know we get students from all over here at Hammel and I haven't seen you around before."

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna watched him closely as he seemed to be examining her as she had him. Part of her wondered what he was thinking and if he liked what he saw. Most men did, even the young ones. She felt a little self-conscious though as he looked at her. Being self-conscious was new to Adrian. She was used to being the cause of nerves, not actually feeling them. But something about the boy in front of her made her heart take off.

She nodded slightly at what he said. It made sense of course, less crowded and relaxing. That's what she was there for, why wouldn't someone else think the same thing? She smiled at his shyness and started gaining confidence from that.

Adrianna let out a small breath of relief when he turned away. His eyes had her captured and were more intense than she was used to. Usually it was dark eyes that drew her in, but those blue eyes were deeper than she thought possible. She saw him take out his own ipod and put on a new song. Luckily, she had recognized it. Eric Clapton was one of her mother's favorites. Adri had grown up listening to him. "Wonderful Tonight" was just one of the many she listened to non-stop.

Adrian smiled brightly when she heard it start. When he turned back she saw a smile that made butterflies flutter in her stomach. She chewed on her lip again momentarily and her smile turned into a smirk, one that was known to make a man nervous. "Of course, duets are my specialty. The real question is darling, can you keep up with me?" She winked and twirled around before taking his out-stretched hand.

She stepped closer and hid the flush that threatened to expose just how nervous she was around him. Once she felt the shock from touching him she couldn't help but blush more. (Talk about an electric relationship forming.)

She rolled her eyes slightly, "Electrokinesis and electric formation. That's a new one I'll just have to add to my arsenal of powers." She smirked at the knowledge her power gave her. Power mimicry always was handy. "I'm from California, but I'm not your typical bimbo, blond, air-head." She smiled and laughed lightly.

[Roland Singleton]

Roland listened as the girl spoke and performed an elegant twirl and grasped his hand. He was slightly worried he would shock her as he tended to do when he touched people, especially when he was excited or nervous, but if he had she made little note of it. Lord, was he nervous. For some reason this girl was getting under his skin in an especially interesting way. He grinned even wider as he felt her make contact, her smooth hand touching his.

"Oh well, I make no guarantees but I tend to do rather well. And I have a slight advantage because I do believe courtesy dictates that the man be the leader in couples dances." He joked, feeling his face redden.

She stepped closer and Roland felt himself glow an even darker shade of red as she approached. He was never really good with women, especially when he could rate that they were way out of his league. This girl definitely fit in the "way to hot for you" category and the fact that she was even giving Roland the time of day was astounding to him. His piercing blue eyes cracked internally with electricity as he looked into hers, distracted by her long lashes and perfect lips. Roland wrapped his other hand around her slender waist and pulled her closer, which was both a blessing and a curse. He loved the closeness but knew he was going to blow it somehow.

He slowly began to guide her with quick precise steps as she continued the conversation. He was earnestly surprised when she accurately and completely labeled his power and his face showed it. He quickly regained his composure, well as much of it as he had had before given his blushing.

"Hmm, all full of tricks huh? Can tell right off the bat what Im able to do. And add it to your arsenal? I'm assuming that means your ability is to duplicate others powers?" Roland guessed raising an eyebrow.

He listened further as she explained where she was from and made a joke and Roland releases her waist and guided for her to spin as they progressed across the stage. He whipped her back in, replacing his hold on her waist, and allowed himself to laugh lightly.

"California, eh? That pretty great considering I'm from LA myself, my mum is a party planner for celebrity bashes and such." Roland explained, he decided he would try to be a bit smooth, as unlikely as it was. He dipped Adrian, holding her against him and making it so there faces were rather close together.

"And I'm glad to hear you're not one of those girls, I've met too many of them back home, and trust me I prefer a girl I can have a conversation with. So tell me a bit more about yourself," Roland said, holding her in the dip for a bit longer.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrian giggled at his joke and nodded, "This is true. It takes a true man to lead a woman when dancing. Some of the guys I've danced with have fallen a little short of that role." She explained quietly, trying to keep the bitterness out of her tone. She had been talking about one specific boy that she had danced with when she first met him as well. She was well over him, but it still had it's bad memories attached.

She noticed him blushing darker when she got closer and she smiled reassuringly. Though she had plenty of luck when it came to finding guys, she didn't really have luck keeping them. Usually she was the one who ended up getting hurt which was never fun. It also seemed to cause her to be a little distant at first. For some reason she couldn't keep that distance with him though. Then again, the whole static cling thing could be a part of it. Adrian's heart jumped again as his hand wrapped around her waist.

As nervous as she was, Adri was actually completely comfortable. She felt that odd sense of security with him. But it frightened her because she had felt the same thing with the last one (and everyone knows how well that turned out). She looked up into his eyes and listened to his soft, velvety tone.

"Not bad rookie. You're kind of right, it's power mimicry. Physical contact makes it easier for me to actually get a sense of the power, but I can use it if I'm within a few feet of the person with that power. Unfortunately, I get the person's control of their power too. It ends badly sometimes," She said softly thinking back to the pool and the infirmary. Bad times there.

Adri spun around and placed her hand back on his shoulder with a smile. He was a surprisingly good dancer. Definitely not what she had expected.

Her eyes widened slightly when he said he was from LA. Someone else from Cali...FINALLY! "You're mom is a party planner? I'm so jealous! That's what I want to be when I get through Hammel and college. My mom used to be a dancer on Broadway...well until she got pregnant with me and then she got sick, so she didn't really get back into it." She frowned at the thought of her mother.

"Don't worry about me being one of 'those' girls. I've gotten into fights with those types. Not a big fan at all." She smirked and looked up at him, his face only a few inches away from hers.

[Roland Singleton]

Roland nodded in understanding as Adrian explained how her mimicry worked. It sounded cool, and dangerous, but Roland' was kind of excited at the idea of being able to touch someone without worrying about his current overpowering them. With her ability once they made contact he hoped she would be uneffected by his electicity because she could mimic it with her own.

"Wow, mimicry huh? Sounds a lot cooler than being a human light bulb. As much as I enjoy my power it has it's drawbacks, which I'm sure you will figure out if we spend more time together," Roland said, still holding Adrian in his dip, enjoying feeling her close to him and feeling her presence. He normally had problems talking to girls, but for some reason he was doing fine here. She was interesting, seemed highly intelegent, and they had common ground. There had to be a catch right?

He raised Adrian from her dip, purposly pulling her up rather forcefully so they were even closer, he could feel his nose almost touching her's and her sweet breath against his lips.

"Yeah, my mum is pretty awesome, she is coming in soon. We are going to go see the Elephant man at the local theater and if your interested you could come along. SHe can give you some hints and tips. Never to early to network. And Broadway? Seriously, I want to act there one day so bad." Roland said excitedly

He was alarmingly aware of how close they were and he began to guide her around the stage once again in a tighter closer form, pulling them back together and stepping to the side so as to never let his face gain anymore distance from her's. He was trying terribly hard to keep his head, after all he had just met this girl if he jumped the gun he could ruin everything, but she just looked so good.

Roland allowed his vision to take in the reflective mirrors hanging from the high wall on the other side of the gym. He saw them dancing, a gorgeous teen girl and a guy that if he hadn't known better he would never believe was actually him. He looked like one of the luckiest guys Roland had ever seen. The music began to slow and as the song ended Roland moved both of his hands around to Adrian's back in a slight embrace.

"So, what else should I know about you my dear dance partner?" Roland said holding the girls eyes with his own

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna laughed quietly, "Well I find human light bulbs very interesting. I've never really been around one before though." She continued looking up at him trying to keep her composure, without making a total moron out of herself. It was bound to happen sooner or later though. She was never a bumbling fool when it came to guys, and yet here she was, nervous as ever.

She was surprised at how easy it was talking to him. He was smart, funny for sure, so adorable and they were from the same state! Talk about fate.

She was pulled up from the dip and was pulled closer than she had anticipated. Not that she minded...at all. It was just different considering she was used to being the one making the moves and the guys being to awestruck to do anything at all. She got caught up in his eyes again and she had to force herself to not stare. Her head was spinning from the nerves and desire. They were close. And her being the girl that she was, didn't think it was close enough.

"That sounds like so much fun. I love the Elephant Man, it's seriously one of the best plays I've seen. And I've seen quite a few." She said softly as they continued dancing, closer than before, but still just as smoothly. "I'd love to meet her. She sounds nice and it'd help my career too." She nodded with a small smirk. Adri was beyond excited to meet his mom though. The fact that he had even brought it up was surprising. But she wasn’t jumping into things.

Well she would try not to at least.

Once the music stopped she watched him and waited to see what he would do. She was pleasantly surprised when he tightened his arms around her. It was nice feeling wanted again. She hadn’t felt that way in a long time and she really needed it. Adri looked around the Auditorium and realized that they were still alone. She looked back up at him and answered his question. “Well what do you want to know? Ask me anything and I’ll most likely tell you.”

[Roland Singleton]

As Roland held her in the now silent auditorium he felt a beast rising in the pit of his stomach, a primal instinct for closeness, to touch her, to kiss her and as he stood there, nearly nose to nose he thought back on the dance they had just shared. She was interested in theater, she was willing to meet his mother, and if he took her last statement at face value she was not only flirting with him but willing to be open with him.

He was even more surprised to realize that he was the one making the moves. He was usually such a klutz and here he was guiding a female that he was undeniably attracted to around and she actual seemed to want him to. He could in vision himself spending a lot of time with her, lounging around and talking and it all seemed pretty great to him. He looked back into her dark eyes.

"Well what are your other interests? How long have you been at Hammel? And are you aware that you are beautiful?" Roland asked.

As he asked each question he leaned in a little more, so that when he asked her the third question (Which was a ridiculous and blunt question that Roland couldn't believe he actually asked) his lips were almost touching hers. He had thrown caution to the wind and surrendered to his inner desire to kiss her. Just as he was about to however, fate had another plan and a shrill bell sounded signaling the end of the lunch and free period. Roland had class in ten minutes, and though he could give a rats ass about it and would be entirely content to skip and remain here holding Adrian the bell ringing made him jump slightly in surprise and broke his momentary confidence in his actions. He stood looking at Adrian still, thinking about how much he hated the bell for not waiting to ring for even a moment longer.

'Do you have a class now?" Roland asked, releasing his hands from her back and praying that she would say no and stay longer. He hoped she would and that his last less than successful move hadn't scared her off. He had been a bit quick attempting to kiss her so suddenly. He wanted her to stay interested in him, and a spark of an idea shot into his mind.

"Want to see something cool?" he asked, his voice holding it's smooth serious tone.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adri had to admit, she was flirting pretty hardcore. Not as smoothly as she usually did, but still she was flirting. And he seemed to be too. So why not jump into things? Answer...because if she did, she'd get hurt. Again. The thought was unpleasant, but she pushed it back. Jumping didn't mean getting hurt, it meant taking chances, risks. She wanted to be a risk taker, not the safe girl who never tried anything.

She liked being with him. First day knowing him and she was already completely hooked. It was worse than how she had been with Tal! But Roland was just so easy to like. He was completely adorable in every way and he wasn't all arrogance. He had manners and he was still more shy than most of the guys she really ever went for. Adri had even pictured them together. Hand holding, hugging...even kissing. She looked him in the eye again and could feel her insides melting.

Interests, he got closer. Time at Hammel, even closer than before. Her beautiful...just kiss him already!

She could feel his breath against her face and his lips just barely brushing against hers. Her eyes slid shut and her arms snaked up around his neck. Just as it was about to happen...the bell decided to completely ruin the moment. Utterly and completely killed it. She jumped slightly, but once she realized what it was, she just sighed deeply and opened her eyes to look up at him.

She didn't have a class, not for another hour. Usually she'd stay in the Auditorium to continue practicing, the coach encouraged it. So she didn't have to go, but he probably did. She gave a slight frown and rested her forehead on his shoulder briefly, before stepping back when he let her go. She shook her head, "Not for another hour." She answered him softly and rubbed her left arm as she looked down.

His tone caught her by surprise, and Adrian looked back up. "Something cool? Like what?" She asked curiously.

[Roland Singleton]

Roland smiled slyly as Adrian looked at him curiously. He was glad she didn't have class for another hour and he decided that he himself had earned a day off from his next class. He knew eventually they would check and see why he wasn't there after the class ended and he hadn't reported himself sick to his dorm adviser, but he figured spending more time with his newly discovered dream girl was worth it. The bell had stolen his thunder but with this extra time and a little effort Roland hoped he could get another shot.

Roland looked around the auditorium quickly, there were no bulbs in the overhanging lights except for those of the stage and the music player was too far away to go crazy if he pulled his little trick off. Roland looked into Adrian's eyes now that her head was raised again.

"Give me just a second, but first.." Roland trailed off.

He walked over to her quickly and pulled her into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around her and placing his head so his mouth was right next to her right ear lobe.

'Thanks for a great dance, your amazing, in a ton of ways." He breathed into her ear.

Roland stepped back, giving himself some room on the stage and winked at Adrian.

"Your mimicry lets you know what my power is, but knowing and seeing are two completely different things." Roland explained.

He clapped his hands together and concentrated. Assuming his electric form was not something he was great at when he willfully tried, but his nerves and pounding heart made it easier. He felt his body shift and change like he was turning into liquid and there he stood. Roland never could put into words exactly how he looked and felt when he was in this state. His closest comparison was that he looked like a blue version of the Human Torch. Roland's body was pure energy, and his physical form remained unchanged. His shape and facial features, even his clothes, all could be seen in the sharp crackling figure he was. small bolts of lighting would rise and fall all over him like spiderwebs and he couldn't help but grin. It was an amazing feeling. Everything looked more vibrant around him and he could feel the energy that comprised his body like a battery. It was like floating on air.

"What do ya think? Care for a light show?" Roland joked extending his hands upward.

He charged the lights of the stage and suddenly the room was basked in colors. Blue lights, red lights, green light, all flickering and changing in a rapid tempo that Roland controlled. After a few minutes he brought down all the lights except for the red ones and he could see the light his electrical from created bouncing off the stage. He looked back and Ardian and looked her up and down. He couldn't touch her as he was or he would most likely electrocute her, but he wondered if maybe there was a way to do it.

"Your turn. Try it out, it's a wonderful feeling. Use my power and change and come over here." Roland said in a sweet and sincere tone as he reached one hand out. "Lets let the sparks fly."

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna continued to watch him closely. She didn't know what he planned on doing, but it had to be somewhat cool. She had a lot more time with him now and for that she was thankful. She wanted to know what would happen with all this extra time. Hopefully something along the lines of what almost happened before the bell rang.

She smiled when he hugged her, and her arms automatically went around his neck. She felt his breath against her ear and she shuddered slightly. She hugged him back tight and reluctantly let him go with a shy smile playing at her lips. She saw him wink at her and she laughed once, still waiting for the special surprise.

Adri's eyes widened slightly when she caught on to what he was about to do. He was going to show her his power. She broke out into an excited smile and waited patiently to see what would happen. As he took on his electric form, her jaw dropped. That was definitely not something she had seen before, but it was SO cool! She could still see his features and his clothes, the only thing that had really changed was the color. Instead of a variety of colors, from skin and hair and clothes, he was literally electric blue. She heard the crackles and pops of the bolts. It was probably the coolest power she had witnessed so far.

She smiled and nodded in answer to his question. Light show?

Adrianna looked up at the stage lights and saw them all changing at a steady tempo around the stage. It was crazy, and yet controlled. It was organized chaos right in front of her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling and followed the lights as each went on and off. Finally they dimmed and all that was left of the lights were the red stage lights and the bright light coming from him.

Adri chewed on her lip and smiled slightly. She took a deep breath and focused mainly on that power alone. She didn't know what she'd feel when she used the power. Once it took affect, she felt a tingly sensation on her skin and she looked down to see herself glowing blue. She moved closer to Roland in more shock than anything. "Did it work?" She asked looking up at him as she took his hand and then looked back down at herself.