AU: Ready, Steady, Go (Sean, Zac, Salem)

[Joshua Bernstein]

The Pilot Ridge Community Fair was always a well attended event. Rides, races, food and crafts were a draw even in the City, and the sleepy nature of the rural Vermont town meant that there was nothing else competing for attendance.

Josh had marked the date on his calendar when Sean had first told him about it, and he'd been counting down the days. He was excited in part because he enjoyed spending time with his friend.

But he was also excited about the prospect of making more friends. His school wouldn't start sessions until next week, which he looked forward to. Although he liked Sean he wanted more than one friend.

He had dragged the other teen to the three legged race first of all, bouncing on the balls of his feet with enthusiasm.

"See anyone you know?"

He was still blissfully unaware that Sean had no other friends, oblivious to every glaring sign. And he remained unaware that hammel wasn't a school for brilliant and talented teenagers: he desperately wished to meet Sean's classmates not only for friends but because he wanted to know what Olympic athletes and Picassos were like as teens.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean looked forward to the Pilot Ridge Community Field Day every year. This year, more than in past years, he had a true reason to look forward to it: this year, he had a friend with whom to participate and enjoy the day.

Josh had been excited, as expected. When Sean had gone to pick up his friend, the other boy had spoken excitedly about all of the plans he had. He wanted to participate in the three-legged race, he wanted to get carnival food, he wanted to play games, and he wanted to go on rides and look at craft booths. The telepath was happy to indulge Josh in anything he wanted, and he had said as much.

Upon arriving, he found himself all but bodily dragged towards the area for the three-legged race. As they wrote their names on the competition sheet, Sean looked around at the people in attendance. He recognized some from around town, and then others from Hammel.

“Some of the kids I go to school with are here,” he answered after a long moment. Not my friends from school but simply people with whom he shared the facilities. He had no kinship with anyone at Hammel, and he hadn’t since first arriving years ago.

[Deleted]

Zach had been at Hammel for a little under a year. He'd been one of those late-blooming metas, and thus the was a little older than most first years at the Institute. He hadn't been happy about the move, but luckily he'd managed to find his own little niche in the student population to integrate himself with. Hipsters, mostly. Maybe you'd see him hanging around those guys dressed all in black and wore their hair lopsided and long. Zach wore his hair long. It made him stand out without him having to do anything, even though he was really antisocial and didn't like talking to people, especially if they weren't misunderstood like him. He wore black because it was the color of his soul. And he didn't talk much because talking was for fools. The less he spoke, the more profound his words were when he did.

Salem understood him. They'd met shortly after Zach's family moved to Pilot Ridge and hit it off pretty quick.

He could stand to talk more around Salem. Because he got it. Zach didn't have to explain things to him for Salem to understand. "Hey….thanks for coming out man," Zach muttered softly to his companion. "You know…family. They're always making me…do stuff." It was because of them that the black-clad, skinny jeaned(thanks Claudia!) teenager was even out on a hot sunny day in a crowd of vomit-worthy merriment.

Though who's idea really was it for the pair to enter in the three-legged race? There better not be anybody he knew around to take a picture of him doing something so…silly.

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh leaned down to tie his and Sean's legs together. Although he wasn't short, Sean was still several inches taller than he was, which could make this competition difficult.

But wasn't that the point! It was going to be so much fun.

"Who?" He queried, glancing around to scope out who might be one of Sean's classmates. There were a fair few people in their age range, including a blonde guy and his alternative (goth? Emo? Hipster? Josh wasn't sure of the differences in those subcultures) friend. They looked an unlikely pair, but nobody ever said one had to only befriend people who looked like you...right?

Josh wondered if they went to his school, of if they were talented geniuses from Hammel.

"Maybe after the race we can talk to some of them!"

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Despite their differences in height, Sean and Josh had one advantage over the other teams: Sean’s telepathy. His powers would allow him to get in tune with the other boy, and that would allow the telepath to adjust his stride accordingly. He wouldn’t deliberately cheat, but as so many applications of telepathy occurred on an unconscious level, and nobody at Hammel had even tried to teach him to counteract those natural effects, it would likely occur regardless of his efforts one way or another.

Sean simply wanted to provide his friend with a good time. Josh had been so isolated, and the other boy wasn’t as used to it as the telepath was.

At the question, Sean gestured vaguely in the direction of Salem and Zachary. He didn’t keep up with everyone else’s circles of friends, although he had more knowledge than one might expect, simply due to the telepathy. It was enough that they went to school with him and that they, like most of the other students, paid him no mind. Still, he would rather be ostracized than actively persecuted, so that was something.

“Maybe.” His voice was flat, as he had no particular enthusiasm for that. Sean would far prefer to find the kids who went to the local high school, so that Josh could make some friends in anticipation of the new school year. That way, the other boy wouldn’t have to sit alone in the cafeteria.

[Salem Hirch]

Well this was happening, apparently. Salem was not exactly thrilled to be out and about on a bright, sunny and slightly hot day. Neither he, nor his pale skin were exactly fans of sunlight. To top it off, he had someone joined a three legged race, which was something he thought he'd never do. However, something had coaxed the boy out of his room, more importantly, coaxed him to be around other people. He had only been at Hammel for a short time when he met Zach (his reason for being out) and since then had pretty much been hiding in his room or only talking to the black clad boy.

Outwardly, the pair were as different as any two people could be and most would probably think they hated each other. This couldn't have been further from the truth. In fact, Salem rather enjoyed being around Zach. There was this, unspoken bond between them and the blonde knew his dark haired friend understood him. Maybe it was because they were both the book nerd type?

Not that it really mattered to Salem, at least he had one friend.

Salem's bright blue eyes squinted in the sun as he turned to look at his friend as he spoke. "No prob man, I know how family is..." His voice softened for a moment as he spoke of family, but he was sure Zach knew why. The other boy was really the only person at Hammel that he outright told what happened to his brother. "Besides, it could do us both some good to get a little fresh air every now and then."

He gave a quick little smirk and bent down to tie their legs together. As he did, the blonde noticed another boy from Hammel. It wasn't that Salem wasn't friendly, he was just painfully shy. So, upon seeing the other, whom he had seen a few times before, he smiled and gave him and his companion a little wave.

"So, we gonna cheat or attempt to play this fair?" He chuckled softly as he stood back up next to his friend.

[Deleted]

Why were they doing this again?

Really, Zach would much rather be inside or at least hidden under a tree with a nice literary classic. Or a non-literary classic, Zach was as satisfied with comic books as he was with those on the bestsellers list. They were all words on paper bound at the spine.

"I guess…." Zach looked up at the hot sun and squinted. It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. While he loved his black emo clothes, they just made it that much hotter. Unfortunately, had he worn something lighter, like a tanktop, then he'd be a boiled lobster by the end of the mid afternoon.

Zach didn't notice the other pair that Salem was waving too, he was just concentrating on not having heat stroke. "Salem….it took me 19 minutes to run the mile in PE," he pointed out. "And…..these pants….they're not exactly…made for running." Or even walking. Zach didn't know how Claudia managed to squeeze her fat ass into them. Besides, if they tried too hard and they got grass stained from an unfortunate tumble, his sister would kill him. Zach held up a useless hand. "It's up to you, man. I mean, if you....don't mind looking like fools…" Of course, Zach was going to promote cheating during a public event with the use of his friend's powers. That would be wrooong….

Whatever….

[Joshua Bernstein]

Josh didn't notice less than thrilled response Sean gave, too distracted by the fact that one of the other boys had waved to them. Finally, more people his own age! And friends of Sean!

He returned the wave cheerfully before his attention was once more diverted, this time by the woman announcing the race.

"Places everyone! The three legged race is about to begin!"

Josh bounced excitedly on his toes as everyone made their way to he starting line. Winning wasn't important to him, although he certainly wouldn't object to it if it happened. What he really wanted was friends.

And maybe to accidentally end up entangled with one of the boy/girl pairs because clearly life was a romantic comedy and doing so would result in dates for himself and his friend.

"Ready...steady...go!"

And the contestants awkwardly stumbled off.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean felt for his friend. He dearly and truly felt for Josh, since he knew that the other boy was so starved for companionship. He took no offense; he knew that his friendship was valuable to Josh, and he didn’t worry about being replaced. But his friend required more social stimulation than the telepath did, and so he knew that the other boy would continue to perk up at the prospect of meeting anyone their age, or anyone remotely close to their age.

But they would cross that bridge when they got to it.

As they lined up, he could hear conversations – thoughts – between some of the other competitors. He tried to block it out, because he didn’t need the distractions. Still, he had an inkling of what Zac and Salem might do, and while he wouldn’t snitch on them, they would have to be prepared.

When they were given the signal to start, the telepath took a first step with Josh, waiting for his friend to match rhythm. Once they had taken their first shaky step independently, they took one with their joined “third leg”, and continued to propel themselves forward.

“We’re not doing too badly,” he remarked. They weren’t doing too badly for a first attempt.