Time Warp: Present Arms!

[Deleted]

October 2011

The 15 year old had his camo-green duffle bag flung over his shoulder as he walked away from the car that dropped him off and began to cross the courtyards towards the dorms. This seemed like a pretty big school, a pretty adequate school. Neat and tidy. There were kids of many ages frolicking around the golden shades of fall, the orange and browning leaves settling slowly from the trees to the faded grass.

It was getting chilled outside, but Anthony paid it no mind. After all, he was wearing his camo-BDUs as well, to match the duffle bag, along with his matching black combat boots. Don't forget the matching mud-green t-shirt and brimmed cap. The sunglasses were a nice touch though, settling just off the edge of his nose like John Lennon. Speaking of, he also had a song stuck in his head and was humming it in the car from the airport.

So here he was, arriving at a new school, and walking from one end of the courtyard to the next like they just gone and rolled out the red carpet for him, not being cold, and humming the melancholy tune of "Yesterday" from the deep recesses of his throat. He dropped his bag and sneezed, bringing his hands up to rub his arms and jittering his teeth.

Damn it was cold. Maybe Anthony did need a jacket? He knelt down beside his fallen baggage and started to search for his windbreaker.

[Kailin Bishop]

Kailin was out and about in the fall of 2011, not ready to yet go home for the day. She didn't have any particular agenda planned, as she usually did things spur of the moment, but the only thing she did know was that she did not want to go home. At 14 years old, she thought she was old enough to wander around a campus that she was familiar with.

After all, she was at Hammel for almost 2 years. Seniority was a wonderful thing.

The blonde was wandering around the courtyard, her hands in her jacket pockets. It wasn't too terribly cold, so she only wore stockings underneath a white dress. Her hair was draped across her shoulders in her natural, loose curls. Her head fell to her feet as she idly kicked a rock around the ground.

When she lifted her head, she noticed a very interesting sight: A boy in army gear searching through a duffle bag. Her curiosity was piqued, so she stepped in the direction of the army-boy, the rock she had once been kicking was forgotten. She reached a decent distance from him, without crowding him, and she cleared her throat slightly.

"Whatcha lookin for?" Kailin asked, her head tilted slightly.

[Deleted]

Where was it, where was it? Where was his windbreaker?

It was a good one too. His mom got it for him last Christmas and he wore it every day it was cold, every time he went to the gym, Anthony had a lot of memories with that windbreaker.

He didn't forget it at home, did he? Man…that'd mean he'd have to get his mom to send it to him.

Anthony was musing about this as he shuffled through his duffle bag for that windbreaker, or perhaps just a sweater if he couldn't find that, when a voice of the sirens happened to reach his ears. He looked up to see a golden haired angel.

With his hand still shuffling in the bag, he looked up at the girl with a broad smile. "Mmm," he grunted, looking down then up again quickly, "My jacket. It's colder than I thought." Anthony bit his lip as he looked down again. "I'm Anthony," he introduced himself as he met their eyes for a third time. He blinked and smiled again. "What's your name?" he asked with a shallow nod.

[Kailin Bishop]

Being that she was in a dress and stockings, Kailin obviously didn't find it to be too chilly on that day. However, she spent about five years in Vermont, so that probably had something to do with it. "It gets cold in Vermont, yeah." Kales gave him a sheepish smile, and when he introduced himself, it widened.

"I'm Kailin. So are you new here?"

The blonde was 99 percent sure that he was, considering she had never seen him around, and the fact that he had a giant bag with him that didn't look like just a simple gym bag. His clothing choice was also a bit of an indicator. However, she felt as if she were asked, just in case.

Standing there, hovering over him, she started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Kailin hated talking down to people. Even younger children, she typically squatted down to speak with them. Granted, she was only about 5'4" at the time, her shoes adding a bit of height to her. The girl crouched down, looking at him with curiosity filled hazel eyes.

"If you are, I'd be willing to give you a tour?"

[Deleted]

One would think that traversing the country would have given Anthony the ability to tolerate different weather conditions better than your average person. But nope, that just meant that he never got to stay in one place long enough to build a tolerance. And dumb as he was, Anthony always waited too long to hold out before realizing he couldn't any longer. But at least he kept his spirits up regardless.

He chuckled, his teeth shining bright. "I kind of noticed, yeah." Kailin. That was a pretty name for a pretty girl. Anthony nodded, continuing to switch his attention back and forth between the bag and the girl, Kailin. "Yeah," he confirmed out-loud. "Just got here today, actually. Mmm….guess that's kind of obvious though." Anthony jerked his head to the side in an awkward shrugging movement.

Finally finding a sweater to replace that lost windbreakr(hopefully he'd find it later), he looked back up at Kailin, pulling the black sweater over his head and threading his arms through. "Oh, really? You would? Well, then, i'm going to have to accept," he said with a smirk and a random flurry of brow movements. He zipped up the bag and hefted it over his shoulder again. "Just let me dump this body-sized bag up in my room and we'll, uh, get to it." Anthony kept up his smile as he met her eyes again then peered down again to look at a paper he pulled from his pocket. "You know where this is?" He pointed at the paper that was supposed to have his room number on it.

[Kailin Bishop]

“Your clothing choice says it all, really.” Kailin grinned, her eyes light and her tone airy. It was a teasing that the blonde constantly maintained with anybody she met. Of course, she could handle what she dished out, so if others shot back, it wouldn’t bother her. Kailin was very kind, and generally would stop if other’s did not appreciate it. The girl would always look for a marker in body language to indicate that fact, because most people didn’t like to tell her.

“That’s great!” Kales beamed, standing up and placing her hands in her coat. It was still chilly, that much was true, and cold hands were not fun. Not at all. The 14 year old maintained her smile, much like she always did. After all, she had a boy’s attention. What was better than that?

Kailin looked at the room number, Room 507, and she nodded. That was the boy’s dorm, first floor, dorm 7. Wouldn’t be too hard to find. Kailin had a few friends in the guy’s dorm, and she helped them drop some stuff off a few times. “Yeah, just follow me.”

The blonde started walking, a bounce in her step, even with the heeled boots she wore. “So how old are you?” Maybe they would have a few classes together? Even though she was a freshman, if he was a year or two older, there was still a possibility for her to have a class with him. She was two years ahead in Math and a year ahead in science, after all.

[Deleted]

"Clothing choice?" he asked with an incredulous smile. "You mean these superior styled articles of clothing? Well, I knew they'd have to catch somebody's attention." Not really…Ok, yeah, Anthony totally wore his BDUs as a way to stand out on his first day and make an impression. The plan was to waltz in like was reporting for basic, but that'd quickly been foiled by a little woman called mother nature.

Well, she sure was bouncy and bubbly. Quite an eye-catcher too, if he did say so himself. So best not keep the pretty lady waiting. First things first though, and that was depositing his things in his brand new home.

How fortunate that Anthony had a very forthcoming guide to help him on his first day. While his smile outside was thin to accompany his strut, inside he was grinning like a little boy and skipping circles in glee. Yeah…he had a girl's attention.

"I'll be 16 next month," he announced. Which essentially made him a Sophomore in high school. He wondered how the classes were going to be here and which ones were offered. Then also… "So, what kind of clubs do they have here, hmm?" He already knew there wasn't a JROTC program, so he may as well find some other things to do.

[Kailin Bishop]

"Oh yes, of course. I must bow down to the superiority of your fashion sense. Forgive me." Kailin laughed. It was a light, airy, and girlish giggle. The blonde's hand covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her teeth. It was a reflex the girl had when laughing. It was to hide both a blush that may have formed and just the fact that she was a bit insecure with her teeth. She brushed and flossed twice a day, but they still weren't as white as she would like them to be.

Kailin walked beside him, a decent distance away. She was just as excited internally as she was displaying externally. Kailin was an open book for all to see, as her mother had once put it. "Oh, so you're a Sophomore?" That put an extra bounce in her step. So he was older.

"I'm only 14 right now, but i'll be 15 in February. So that makes me just a freshie. I'm in advanced classes, though. Maybe we will have a class together?"

Kailin was hopeful, oh so hopeful, that she would be in a class with him. He was cute, after all! By this time they were halfway towards the boys dormitories, and she was beginning to shiver slightly. The warm air would be a relief from the dropping temperatures.

"Oh, they do have some sports and stuff. Though since we're meta's, we can't actually compete with normal highschools. We have culinary club, art club, Journalism... There are quite a few extracurricular activities, I just can't remember them off the top of my head."

[Deleted]

"Well. At least you can recognize it when you see it." Anthony bowed his head like royalty. "You are forgiven." Nothing like someone who would indulge your own sense of an overgrown ego.

But wow, this girl was cute. So prim and proper, right down to covering her mouth like a proper lady when she tee-hee-hee'd. Anthony didn't think he'd ever seen that kind of thing in anyone nowadays.

Anthony nodded as they walked beside each other, shuffling the bag up on his shoulder whenever it slipped too much. "Yeah," he said with a slight shrug. "I would've liked to have started as a freshman, but…late bloomer. Guess it happens sometimes." So he had to change schools halfway through his sophomore year. Hopefully now, though, he could get some stability in his life.

"Advanced classes?" He smiled, clearly impressed. "You're pretty smart, I take it. Mmm, that's cool. I hope we do have a class then." That would be awesome! Then he wouldn't be going into classes with people he didn't know. "I don't have my class schedule figured out yet. Which classes do you have that are sophomore level? Maybe I can..strategically arrange my schedule?"

So they did have sports but no competitions. That suuucked! And none of the culture and art clubs appealed to him much. "Mmm, guess I'll have to feel them out. Figure out what I like." That was going to take some work. "Is there a volunteer committee here?" But more importantly. "Are you part of any clubs?" It'd be great if she was. He might join and use that as a place to start.

[Kailin Bishop]

"I'm so glad," Kailin didn't usually see guys are cute or otherwise at this age. The girl mainly looked for personality similarities that she could connect with because all she was looking for were for friendships. However, this boy was really cute. The blonde didn't have a type, but she did enjoy when guys had longer hair. It was a common thing for her to see, actually. None of her younger or older brothers had short hair. The shortest might have been JJ, but she was still able to run her hand through their hair and her fingers would disappear in it. This boy was plenty attractive without the hair, though, so Kailin figured she could get used to it.

Most people got pissed off when she implied she was smart. Jealousy, maybe? It never dampened her spirits, because who was going to put her down for making a good future for herself? Nobody. "Yeah, I'm kind of a straight A student, too." It was why she was always asked for tutoring students by most of her teachers. It was nice, it really was.

"They have student council," Kailin said, not quite sure what he meant by a 'volunteer committee'. She gave him an answer, though not necessarily what he wanted, it was an answer. She looked turned her head to look at him then, "I am. I'm on the track team. But that's a sport, not a club. I'm also in Drama and Cheerleading."

Yes, she was blonde, and she was pretty. Typical cheerleading material. But what usually wasn't accounted for was the fact that she didn't have people doing her homework for her, she was doing it herself and keeping her grades up. That was quite a bit of work, but Kailin enjoyed being busy. It kept her out of trouble.

[Deleted]

Concerning girls, Anthony tended to get attached and essentially latch on. Or, if he couldn't get that close, he'd just admire from afar. If he got the nerve to talk to them, they'd usually become fast friends, but….actually coming out and telling the girl was what always tripped him up. As for his type, feminine was the primary factor. And Kailin fit the bill here perfectly.

"Hey, that's great!" he congratulated her. Wow, pretty and smart! You didn't see that combination too often. And didn't bother Anthony in the least that she was probably smarter than him. He shrugged, "Maybe you can teach me a thing or two? I suck at math." And a few other choice subjects. Basically, anything that had to do with numbers or writing.

Just like Kailin kept her grades high for the sake of her future, Anthony prepared himself by gaining experience in the world though volunteer activities. It was something that was expected in the corps at his old high school, to provide service to your community, so combined with his own Air Force father, such ideals were engrained in him. "Student council, huh? Think I'm too new to run for office?" he pondered, stroking his chin.

Drama and Cheerleading. Well, those were immediately off his list. And track…he might be able to try that. Running wasn't too bad. "Well, I guess I could give track a go. You know, to start off with." He planned on keeping himself busy as much as possible. Make connections with both the students and communities. You could never know too many people, one of them might be the key to getting your foot in the door towards some endeavors.

[Kailin Bishop]

“Yeah, definitely. I’m usually the class tutor, so I don’t mind helping you out in anything you need help with. You’d just have to catch me on campus. I live at home.” Since Anthony was new, he wouldn’t know the whole ‘Bishop’ legacy. Oh, if he ever found out, he’d probably be stunned. Though if he was in Sophomore year, he’d probably know Lany by the time the year was over. That is, if she ever got over his very… open personality. Lany was an introvert by all means, and well, most extroversion did not take well with her.

Kailin noticed she really did like the way he aimed high rather than aiming for just mediocre. First day at Hammel and he was already thinking about running for Student Council. That definitely made him so much cooler in her mind. People who simply settled were usually people she didn’t associate with. Or at least, she’d like to think so. “Aim big, I see.” The blonde said simply, as she stepped in front of the door with the designated room number.

“Oh here you go, home sweet home.”

Sometimes Kales wished she could live in the dorms, but she hadn’t decided in time to be assigned a room for that year, so she simply opted to be at home. At least, for that year. Kailin was determined to make it to the dorms to have the full experience.

She stood by the door patiently. “I’ll wait here, because I’m technically not allowed to be here right now, and I don’t think I’d be doing you any favors by going in. There should be four rooms in there after the common area, and one of them is yours. Maybe you’ll have an option, since I don’t know how many people are assigned to the room. It varies sometimes.”

[Deleted]

Anthony was surprised(and a bit disappointed) to hear that Kailin didn't live on campus. That would mean a significant less amount of time that they could interact. Then again, Anthony was also a gentleman and could use the excuse of walking her home to his advantage. "Oh, you live at home? Have you always lived in Pilot Ridge, or did your family just happen to move out here with you?" Clearly he knew nothing of the Bishops.

He nodded and cocked his head boastfully to the side. "Yeah, well, somebody's got to do it. May as well be me. Besides, it makes me look cooler." Anthony stretched himself up to walk tall, like King Richard but with a derp smile.

Anthony had goals in mind for his future. And to achieve any of them, he had to display and practice leadership qualities. He wasn't sure exactly how far he would go, especially not in the military, college, politics if he went that route, but he had no intention of stopping. Or sitting around doing nothing.

Anthony shuffled through the door, letting his bag drop again as he looked about the room. "Looks nice," he commented. Basic living. He wondered who his roommates were. Anthony turned back and smiled at Kailin. "Thanks, I'll just find one that looks empty and drop my stuff there. It'll take just a second."

With that, Anthony hefted his bag up again and tried the first door. It was locked. The second, however, was open and he peered inside. It….appeared to be lived in. Ooops! On the third door, however, Anthony found himself in what looked like either a bedroom occupied by a guy with no life whatsoever, or a vacant room. He decided on the latter and dropped the bag on the bed. "Not bad," he said to himself, looking out the window. "….best not keep the lady waiting."

Anthony returned to the common room, closing the door to his new home behind him, and waved to the pretty blonde. "Right, so….where next?"

[Kailin Bishop]

"I live in a family of... Metas," Kailin explained. He clearly knew nothing of the Bishop legacy, but why would he? He was a new arrival to Hammel, and well, unless you were at Hammel, the story of the 12 meta children and their meta parents would not have been told.

"We moved here right after my eighth birthday when my older brother Zach manifested. That was the third child in a row who manifested, and my parents were meta's, too. They felt compelled to move. So I've been here ever since."

She simply laughed at his next comment. Though that wasn't a very hard thing to do, Kailin appreciated that he was doing it so soon. She had been speaking to him for only a few minutes, and already she could see her talking to him for a much longer time. Really, she hoped Anthony would be around for a while. He seemed like great fun.

"Kay," She said, waiting by the door, leaning on the wall and bouncing back and forth on her heels. It didn't take long for him to return and ask where the next place was going to be.

"Hm, I don't know. Maybe we can check out the track field if you're interested? Maybe I can race you?" The girl's brows raised in a challenge, her eyes bright. "Whatd'ya say? You think you handle it? I have my track uniform in my locker. You can bring a change of clothes."

Oh Kailin, you're brilliant, the blonde thought with a smile.

[Deleted]

A…a family of metas? Anthony hadn't heard of that sort of thing before. He wondered, however, just what constituted a family of metas? "That's…pretty amazing! So all your siblings are metas too?" She said that Zach was her older brother, and the third in a row. Anthony wondered how many other siblings she had. It couldn't be more than four, though. "How many siblings do you have?" Anthony himself only had a little brother so the concept of any more than that was completely foreign to him.

Anthony too was really enjoying his interaction with this Kailin girl. Not only was she pretty, was was smart, fun to talk to, easygoing…would it be too much to say he might already have a little crush on her? Was it too early for that? He'd barely known her ten minutes!

And patient too. Anthony hadn't taken very long, but he was glad that she waited for him so patiently out in the hall, even though he thought that was a terribly rude thing to do to a girl. He offered her a smile and sharp cock of the head. "The track field? Mmm, sure, sounds as good a place as any." Because Anthony surely didn't know the campus well enough to know what areas might be better to start with. "Oh, you really think you can beat me? Fine, just let me get my PT gear." He wasn't one for racing girls but sometimes they could surprise you.

Another quick trip back to his room and a couple minutes later he returned with a backpack full of all his exercising needs. Anthony motioned forward. "Lead the way."