Time Warp: Don't You Wanna Be in Debt With Me?

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

College was amazing. That was one of AJ's first thoughts. Being free from Hammel meant a lot of things, but most importantly, it meant that she was in control enough of her power to roam the town like a normal person and go about her life. She'd be lying if she said that she was worry free about losing control of her power, but Mr. Meian, her powers trainer had made sure to make her a lot more comfortable with it using his methods.

It was her second year at the University of Vermont, and while part of her thought she'd always return to Minnesota, she just couldn't see it happening anymore, although she had made trips to her hometown to see her parents and had to deal with the memories that came with it.

She fumbled with her keys to unlock the apartment door, 5C, home to her and her roommate, Adaryn Breslin. When she opened the door, she was grateful to dump her bookbag on the floor by her desk as the English text books were no easy task to carry around. "Addie?" she called into the seemingly empty apartment, wondering if she was home.

[Adaryn Breslin]

Adaryn spent her time working at starbucks, and most recently a job at an after school care with younger children. While she didn't have time for herself, she loved working with the children and just making them laugh and smile. All of the young kids seemed to love her. It made her happy to know that she was appreciated.

But AJ had been going to college, which was something she had always wished, but what with the bills she currently had and the jobs that were taking up her time, she really didn't think it was a possibility just yet.

Luckily, it was a day off for her. The kids were off on a weekend, and then Starbucks had not scheduled her to work that day. So she spent majority of the day upside down, right-side up, sideways, reading and drawing. There was a plethora of books available in her home -perks of having another book lover as a roommate- and so she utilized the excess.

"I'm in my room!" Adaryn called out, currently upside down on her bed reading Renegade by J.A Souders.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ was grateful to hear her roommate's voice. It wasn't often they were home at the same time. Adaryn worked two part time jobs and AJ went to school and worked her part time job at the Book Nook, which she still loved.

She appeared in the doorway of the other brunette quickly, having left her book bag discarded near the entrance of the apartment. "Day off, huh?" she asked, smiling as she leaned up against the doorframe. "That's lucky. And you're spending it, reading..." She tried to read the title of the book which was upside down considering Adaryn's current reading position. "Renegade? Is it good?"

[Adaryn Breslin]

"Finally, in like three weeks." Adaryn waved at her roommate, turning from her upside down position to one that was primarily human. Adaryn had found that whenever she had off, she really didn't have anything else to do other than read. What with Monroe always being tired and working the night shift, she tried not to bother him too much. There was a few times she showed up at his apartment with Eloise and had to wake him up just to hang out with him, but he was always happy to see her, much like she was always -for the most part- happy to see him.

While Adaryn was relatively free of her depression, it still haunted her at times, and during such times, she simply wanted to be alone. AJ understood that as much as Monroe and Eloise had.

"It's really interesting. After the first chapter, it sort of hooks you because you know something is up. Like immediately. They really waste no time, but that's kind of refreshing, you know?"

Addie placed the book down, closing it with a piece of printer paper to hold the place. " But I'm being rude. How was your day?"

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"It's funny, isn't it? How you want to do so many things like spending time outdoors and such, but when you finally get a day off, you have no energy?" AJ asked, speaking from her own experience. That's how she felt anyway. She'd just want to lay around tangled up with Oliver, reading, usually an assigned reading for class, but she enjoyed those as well. Occasionally they'd stop reading to share funny or inspiring passages with each other before going back to reading. It was so simple. And she hadn't known how they'd been able to get back to that simplicity of their friendship, but it had happened and she found herself falling for him even through it all.

"Yeah, I think there's an element of excitement to those sorts of books, specifically beginnings. They keep you reeling from the beginning rather than including a ton of exxposition," AJ agreed. "No, you're not." And Addie honestly wasn't. She enjoyed talking about books, especially with others who loved to read as much as she did. "Fine. You know, literature analysis, reading, all of that." She sent her roomie a smile. "No Monroe today?"

[Adaryn Breslin]

"It's my life. The kids wear me out with their games and tricks," Adaryn mused, thinking of how she was dragged into a game of kickball when she was only supposed to watch them, and ended up having an absolute blast with it. Of course, she would purposely kick it lightly so they would be able to catch it and tag her out. We got you, Miss Addie!. Their joy was really therapeutic for the Empath, but it was also incredibly draining. "So I just go with it."

"But yeah, I really recommend you read this. I can see it's another dystopian with the cliche love pairing, but the way the entire world is executed is pretty interesting." After all, it took place in a 'utopian' society underneath the water, so that was a plus. Addie moved the book out of the way and patted the spot beside her, looking at her roommate expectantly, "Sounds tiring."

The Brunette hadn't really moved around the apartment, and her phone was out in the living room. She had talked to Monroe a bit in the morning when she had her morning coffee, but aside from that? He probably had fallen asleep afterwards, anyway. "Nope, not really. We've texted a few times, but he needs sleep and I just need a day to myself. I was planning on seeing if he wanted to go to lunch or a movie tomorrow. How about Oliver? He coming over?"

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"I bet," AJ said, wrinkling her nose, a signature thing she often did when she didn't like the sound of something. It wasn't that she didn't like kids, but they made her nervous, as if she was going to break them or something because they were so much smaller than her. Obviously they did the exact opposite for Addie, but AJ was just glad that the girl seemed to have found something else she enjoyed. "Seems to be the best tactic with children....just going with it, I mean."

She'd finally entered the room further from the threshold of the doorway. "I'll take a look at it," AJ mused. "I mean when I actually have time to read for myself again." She loved all of the novels she was reading for classes, but it was hard to find time for books on your own shelf. "Ah, okay." She felt bad for the guy. He still didn't get enough sleep, even after being out of Hammel for several years. "Any good movies out right now? Oliver and I just keep going to movie to book adaptations." They were addicting. "I'm not sure. Our schedules sometimes don't match up."

[Adaryn Breslin]

"It really is the only thing I can do. It's literal hell trying to reprimand them, though." They said that Addie didn't have a tough bone in her body, and maybe that was true for assertiveness, but when it came to surviving difficult hardships, she sure as hell was sturdy as a rock. However, screaming and hitting kids never was easy, especially when she had to put them in time out.

There was also a strict -no powers- policy to be used on the kids, and so that was out of the question.

"How long has it been since you have read anything for yourself?" Adaryn asked curiously. She knew that the college books were getting in the way of actually enjoying books in the way that AJ used to. While Adaryn had always wanted to go to college, with the lack of funds, the two jobs she was working, and the potential to not enjoy her books the way she wanted to, she wasn't sure whether she wanted it anymore.

The one thing about Addie was that she was completely on her own in the financial aspect - her family didn't even call. Hell, she figured they moved away.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"I bet," AJ agreed, wrinkling her nose. It was a habit of hers whenever she didn't like the idea or the sound of something. It expressed distaste. "Kids are adorable, but the second I get to close to them, I think I'm going to break them or something." She laughed a little, kind of nervously at the thought. Sure, her anxiety wasn't nearly as bad and she was warming up to the possibility of someday having kids.

"The summer?" AJ answered, more questioning her answer than actually giving Adaryn an answer. She wasn't quite sure actually. "I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy what I'm reading, but I don't get to pick it, you know?" She was sure Adaryn would understand. "I do love college though, even if I don't get to prepare my own reading lists." She wanted to even go to grad school and eventually be an English professor. Then she could make her own reading lists.

She thought carefully about what she was going to say next. "You know, I know you love your job with those kids....and I know you don't really care to talk about it, but I really think you'd love college. It's different than high school. It's easier to find people who understand you and love what you love. I'm sure there are grants available." She didn't want to add 'for people in your situation.'

[Adaryn Breslin]

Adaryn laughed at the idea of AJ breaking a little kid. She was so kind and gentle, it was almost comical to think about. "I promise you wouldn't break them; if anything, they'd probably break you." Not that AJ was weak, but they most definitely could be pretty physically demanding. They kept her in shape, that's for sure.

Adaryn understood that AJ loved to read, and that included the classics and almost everything that was thrown her way in her classes had given her some sort of satisfaction in reading. Adaryn wasn't much of a fan of the classics, and she enjoyed reading what she liked, rather than reading what she had to, so that could have been an issue. "That's the attitude you need to get through college, or so I've heard."

There was never an option to go to college, in Adaryn's mind. With everything that happened, it just wasn't realistic. So when AJ brought it up, her lips pursed slightly. "I'm sure I would but," Adaryn said in an almost dismissive tone. But there wasn't anything that she could think of to reject the idea of a grant - it was 'gifted money' after all, and wouldn't cause any debt which was what she was fearful of. "I don't know."

It was a touchy subject that she didn't like bringing up, and there was also the fact that she didn't want to accept anybody's money for something that might not take her somewhere in life. She was finally happy with what she had, why would she ask for more?

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

"That's true," AJ pointed out with a laugh. "I heard they keep you busy and can sometimes be vicious." Adaryn handled kids very well though, it seemed. "Still not for me though. I mean, your job isn't."

She knew that Addie would try and brush off what AJ said the moment she'd said it, not because she was being rude, but because she didn't believe that college was an option, no matter how much AJ tried to gently nudge the idea into her cute little head. But even now, it didn't seem as if she could come up with an actual logical reason not to go with grants available to her. "I'm just throwing it out there," she said, giving her friend a weak smile. "College isn't for everybody, but if it's something you want, you should go. It's not about needing to go, but if you want to do it." She truly believed that after all. "And if you do, then there are ways to help pay and you'll be in debt, but really, who isn't?"

[Adaryn Breslin]

"It's a matter of attention - it always is." Viciousness in children could always been lead back to wanting to prove something, wanting to be noticed, or something or another. However, when it came to disciplining the children, she learned to have a bit of a tough skin. Obviously the brunette couldn't do anything but sit them out and talk with them or send them to her boss, but she found methods to work with them.

"But most people with debt have a family to back them up, AJ." Their words went to a more sour note, and Adaryn wished it hadn't. AJ was one of the few people who truly knew what occurred between her family and herself; how she was basically outcast in her junior year and left to fend for herself. She didn't say anymore, and instead picked herself up to leave the room, towards the living room where her phone was left. Anything but this conversation.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ was trying to help her do something good for herself, but not pressure her to do so, and she was afraid she came off that way when Adaryn had a negative response. She was right though, she didn't have a family to back her up like AJ did, even if AJ had distanced herself from them for almost a year. They were still there for her. She almost wished she could call up her mother and father and tell them they were adopting Adaryn. She knew they'd love her. Although adoption wasn't possible when she still legally had parents. AJ knew that they would want to help the girl out and if they could take her in they would. After all, she was an only child and she knew her mother had always wanted another.

She watched as Adaryn got up from her bed and walked past her out of her bedroom. AJ stood in the door frame for a long moment before sighing and following her. "You do have a family to back you up, Addie. You have me, and Oliver and Monroe and Eloise. And I'm sure that my family could help you with finanical aid...if you wanted." She knew that Addie wasn't big on taking hand outs, even if that's not what it was.

[Adaryn Breslin]

Adaryn sighed, staring at the blank screen of her phone. The distraction was needed, because this conversation wasn't just a conversation about financial aid and school, but it was bringing up memories of abandonment. And yes, if it were anybody else, it wouldn't be so harsh. But rather, it was Adaryn, and she may have had friends and a boyfriend, but she wasn't going to be taking any of their money. Nor was she going to take AJ's parents money. That was not how she did things.

"I can't AJ. What if it's all a big waste? What if I cant even pass my classes and then your parents money is wasted? I can't do that." Come on, Monroe. Somebody. Text me. Adaryn loved AJ like a sister, like she would have loved Carly, but there was some things that someone could help, and there were some things that couldn't be helped. It was hard to admit that, but it was Adaryn's life. She was happy how she was - working with kids and working at the coffee shop. It would be selfish of her to ask otherwise.

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ knew what response was coming as she stood in front of her. "That's just you talking yourself down. If you want to go, you should go. There are ways to get help. And you're smart. That's all I'm saying." She just wanted to help and sometimes AJ just really wanted people to realize their potential, she saw the good in everybody, especially in Adaryn, who was smart and could go to college if she really wanted to.

She let out a sigh. "I just wanted you to know that. As your roommate, and as your friend, that it's possible for you. I don't want you to feel trapped. But as long as you're happy doing what you're doing right now... that's the important thing."