What happens now? (oriel)

[Hay-lin Mae]

Hay-lin took a sip of water from her bottle. She sat in the back of the auditorium. She had just got done the club meeting for the dance team. She had gotten used to everyone leaving as of late. She was never the type of person to make anyone stay when they didn’t want to, but always made the act a welcoming one. She liked working with the student’s one on one, it gave her a chance to get to know them, and bond with them. Hopefully even inspire them in ways she couldn’t do during club activities or during a class.

One of her more popular one on one cases seemed to have stopped staying behind all together, while other students had taken to only staying behind certain days, or getting in touch with her well after club hours. It made her wonder if Oriel stopped his visits was because of her leave… She wished the boy would let her apologize for leaving without a good reason, but she really wasn’t going to tell the boy she was leaving for five months to act in a movie. It was something she was proud of yes, because it was her first American movie, but she was not the type of person to boast and Oriel was the last person she wanted to do that with… Other than being worried Oriel was mad at her, she actually missed the boy. It was weird, but something always felt off when he left with the other students, and it made her feel weird. Like how a parent might feel when their child was giving them the silent treatment. Was that what this was? The silent treatment? Had she really hurt Oriel by leaving? Or was this something entirely different? Did Oriel not need her anymore? Or felt like he no longer wanted her a part of his life? Somehow those last two reasons hurt more than the first one.

As she thought about it more, Oriel has been acting a little weirder than he has always been. She knew he had gotten himself into quite some trouble with the Hammel worker following him around. However, she did not know how to take this, one she didn't know who to talk to about it, or who would even tell her anything considering Hay-lin wasn't Oriel's well anything other than teacher. So anything that was going on with Oriel really wasn't any of her business, which felt weird to her in some most likely selfish way.

[Deleted]

Oriel was....to be honest, he had missed Hay-lin during her extended absence. She was one of the few adults that didn't suck. One whom he connected with and...her continued encouragement over the past year had been one of the reasons why he'd made any progress at all. Phoenix was the primary reason, of course, but having an adult around that he trusted was a big part of it too. That is, until he fucked up all over again....

He wasn't avoiding her, per se...well, yes, he was. And he had the perfect excuses to not stay behind after practice. The first one would be, what was the point of him being there anyway, if he couldn't even participate in the performances? Then...as soon as classes were over most days, Oriel had to be carted down to that fucking anger management class. When he wasn't doing that, Oriel was down at the church or at some other volunteer event doing...whatever it was they wanted him to do. He still wasn't sure how he felt about doing that, but it at least have him something to do(rather than melt into the corner of his bedroom) and made him feel useful.

Today wasn't much different. He had to go to one of those...though he had time to waste before any of it actually started. He always had some time between the end of practice and the start of that stuff. He was moving slowly today, though. As soon as they were cleared to leave, most everyone else was well in their way out of the auditorium by the time Oriel had started packing up his backpack.

Oriel lifted his gaze to meet with Hay-lin's. Then he quickly looked away. He knew she couldn't technically see him, but...even being blind, it felt often like she saw a lot more than most people did. And right now, Oriel was certain that she could see right through him. He picked up the pace, suddenly wanting to get out of there quickly.

[Hay-lin Mae]

Hay-lin would have told him that any practice is good practice; he never knew what the future would hold. He might not be able to participate in performances now, but in the future he would be, and maybe in the future there would be something more than just performances at a school. Hay-lin even still practiced, even though there was nothing for her to practice for. She would go to her mother’s dance studio, not just to teach there but to do her own thing.

She sighed as she ‘watched’ oriel pack his bag quicker, it made her assumptions right. She placed the cap back on the water bottle and stood up. Walking over to Oriel, she wasn’t sure what she was going to say, or how she should even react. It was his life, his choices, and if he chose to push her away than Hay-lin couldn’t do anything about it. But she at least wanted to know why, and to try to talk it out. What type of person would she be if she ignored something like this? This was how any type of relationship crashed and burned, no communication what so ever.

“Still not talking to me huh?” She smirked, “Or did you just become busy? A job maybe?” At least she really hoped it was a job… Even though she knew that was probably the last reason, she still wanted to give Oriel the benefit of the doubt. Then Oriel’s security person chuckled, and Hay-lin gave that person a very hard stare, just because she was blind did not mean she didn’t know how to use facial expressions.

[Deleted]

Oriel knew…it was better for him to just do stuff than it was for him to not do stuff. Like, no matter how depressed he was, or anxious he was, or pissed off he was, it was better that he just focus on something rather than those complicated emotions that would no doubt drive him into the hole he was barely starting to dig himself out of. So…that’s why he was still showing up to dance practice. That’s why he’d started doing the fucking volunteer shit. That’s why his grades hadn’t fallen quite as much one might have expected them to. Oriel was just trying to find anything, anything at all, to distract him.

Anything to distract him and avoid having to tackle the issue straight ahead. He didn’t…he didn’t want people to be asking about what his problem was…or what had happened…or what was happening. To that end, Oriel hadn’t really talked to much of anyone since that shit with him and Phoenix went down. He was afraid that if he started…then he wouldn’t be able to stop…and he’d end up saying more than he meant to…and maybe even lash out at people he didn’t want to scare away….

Oriel cringed as he heard Hay-lin’s voice address him and his movements slowed. He’d been caught…hadn’t he? “What’re you….it ain’t that I’m not….” Oriel couldn’t get it out properly. He didn’t really have a proper explanation, really. “Something like that,” he admitted, referring to her other assumptions. “Got some things I gotta do, so’s been taking up my time.” That was good enough, right? Was she going to ask what it was that got him so busy? If he just told her the one part, then maybe she didn’t have to find out about the other? “Have to do some volunteer work after school…you know, ‘cause I fuck up so much.” Half a lie, because nobody was making him go to those events. Oriel was just bored…and needed to keep busy to keep his mind of things.