This Past Year (Open)

[Lani Hunter]

Why was it that life seemed perpetually complicated? Just once, Lani wanted the world to be easy, but no, apparently that was too much to ask. Somewhere in this past year he'd been working on freezing his heart, then thawing it again. Sometime this past year he'd learned what it meant to forgive and to forgive himself. He no longer hated the person in the mirror and the pain in his heart had started to heal. There were several times in this past year that Lani felt the sting of betrayal and his wrath had showed like a dragon. Once or twice in this past year, Lani had let his power go completely and it hadn't swallowed his entire being along with it. This past year Lani had learned how to let the past be the past. This past year he also learned to never forget, but he also learned that forgetting wasn't the same thing as forgiving and forgiving didn't mean he had to forget.

This past year, he'd seen his world tossed upside down twice. Spent a few hours behind bars and made sure that another far worse man stayed behind them for a few decades. Lani had broken everything he'd believed when he'd partnered with the police against his old Boss. He'd discovered that there are those who genuinely do want to help. This past year, Lani Hunter had begun to change. For the better and for the worse. Lani had been through to rock bottom once again and been pulled out by wonderful friends and family. Lani's trust had been broken and though everything he thought he stood for screamed at him not to break, Lani had yielded his heart to give Odion another chance. Lani looked at himself in the mirror. He found himself more familiar with the person staring back at him.

The person in the mirror was a world class thief who just this past year had seen riches pass through his hands and countless burglaries. Lani the thief was proud, he was well sought after in the underground. His skill and efficiency had been yet to be surpassed, and it was unlikely, since his telekinesis put him leaps and bounds ahead of his competition. The person in the mirror was a student and a friend, who this past year had successfully passed his third semester of community college and connected with friends of a lifetime. This person had also seen heartbreak and the return of his dearest love. Over the past year Lani had forgiven and yet he was still holding back. For this past year, Lani had not overcome fear. Lani pulled on his running shoes, light and agile shoes with toes that provided mostly a cushion between his feet and pavement.

This past year had given Lani a great deal to think about and to process. Lani turned on his ipod and trotted down the stairs. Lani did his best thinking when he was occupying his body. He started off at a gentle trot before he made a turn and wove through the alleyways until he found himself at the lake. Yet again, Lani had failed to overcome his fear of water this past year, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the paths around the lake. There was a light layer of snow on the ground and the Lake was frozen over. He wore running sweat pants and a hoodie, chasing off the chill by running faster. He turned down a path in the leafless trees, music playing in his ears as he considered his life based on this past year.

[Karalie Heise]

It had been one of those weird days where memories were swirling around in her mind, memories that were not her own.  Well, some of them were.  It was getting difficult to tell which were hers and which weren't these days, often making Karalie give pause to think if she'd dated a boy named Mark.  When she could only recall one memory with him, those brilliant green eyes that made her heart melt it seemed, she knew that memory wasn't her own.  Those eyes didn't make her heart melt, but someone else's.  It had started with a restless sleep as it always did.  She must have had a dream that sparked it all, and when she woke suddenly her mind was still pulling up random memories as if they were on a Rolodex.  When she looked in the mirror she found blood crusted under her nose, a sign that things must have gotten pretty bad in her sleep, though she was grateful that she slept through it all.

Karalie couldn't focus on anything; studying, reading, watching television.. nothing seemed to bring her mind back to where it belonged.  Finally she gave up and decided to go for a run.  Running had always been her go to when things weren't going well.  It was why she was on the track time, why her legs and stomach were ten time more toned than her arms.  She'd always loved running, even as a small girl.  Then again, what child didn't love running around? It was the single love she was able to take with her from her former life, the life she had before touching everything brought strange memories into her mind.

She pulled on her black sweats, the word PINK written across the rear and her North Face fleece jacket.  Her ensemble wasn't complete until she had had a loose knit hat on her head, covering her ears which had small earbuds pushed into them, some matching gloves and her neon pink and green running shoes.  In a few minutes she was out of her dorm and taking off down the road, nothing but her music and the hard pavement under her feet to keep her company.    

'Cause we're young and we're reckless, we'll take this way too far. It'll leave you breathless, or with a nasty scar. Got a long list of ex-lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane, but I've got a blank space, baaaby, and I'll write your name.

Karalie turned down the path she always did, noticing the other runner not too far up ahead.  That competitive spirit in gripped her heart and a mischievous twinkle flashed in her deep brown eyes.  She sped up, still trying to pace herself as she got closer to the other runner.  She wouldn't be happy until she'd passed him, just like during a track meet. She'd win this race.. it was good practice after all.  She was quickly gaining on him, noting he was going pretty fast for a jog.  That was fine, she liked the challenge.  

Boys only want love if it's torture. Don't say I didn't say, I didn't warn ya. Boys only want love if it's torture. Don't say I didn't say, I didn't waaarn yaaaaah!

Closer... closer...  "Pardon me." She called out as she passed the boy, giving a friendly, and mildly smug smile as she passed him, keeping the pace so as to keep her lead on him.  Nothing like a friendly little race to help clear the mind during a simple run.

[Lani Hunter]

So many things had changed and so many things had returned and reverted and twisted back into a strange new familiarity. Lani was so confused the only things that seemed to make sense anymore where the mindless activities. He’d kept himself busy and occupied by Christmas shopping. He’d been so determined and focused that he’d gotten that done way earlier than he’d expected and then he’d gotten himself a bus ticket home. Then he spent another four hours debating whether or not to get two tickets. He wasn’t sure if Odion and he were back to that point yet, not to mention there would be his family to contend with. He wasn’t sure if he was mentally stable to deal with both Odion and his family. Then he wondered if he should just stay in Vermont for the holidays. No, they were ‘rescuing’ his grandmother from the nursing home and his uncle and aunt were flying in with his cousins. Basically, Lani would never be forgiven for missing.

He breathed deeply as he rounded a corner, his mind going a mile a minute, his body was very far away at the moment. The telekinetic had been so dedicated to not focusing on anything in particular that he spent a full day chasing and wrestling his cats into collars. He’d gone to the pet store to get some toys for them, since it was Christmas and all. After he’d spent way too much time wondering how the hell he had ended up with four cats roaming his apartment he finally came out with some toys. It was then he decided they should have collars. They didn’t have any yet and he then spent a good hour selecting just the right one for each of them. A black one for Shadow, a light blue for Darshay to match her eyes, black and white patterned one for gray LJ, and finally a green one for orange Zoi. He looked at wonder at their names engraved into tags. He hadn’t been sure what else to put on it so he put his phone number on them, then after a second thought added Odion’s. He knew that Odion would be just as heartbroken as he was if they went missing.

Needless to say the kittens had not been happy with the new arrangement. LJ had meowed so loudly, Lani was pretty sure someone probably thought he was killing the cat. Zoi looked paralyzed and Darshay seemed upset then just went along with it. Shadow had perhaps been the hardest because he was also the most adept at running and hiding. He smiled faintly shaking his head, well if he didn’t have about a million scratches from just that one chore he’d be surprised. His breath came out evenly and relaxed. His mirth was washed away as he sensed someone come up behind him. The power swirled around the person and quickly identified them as just another runner. He forced his suspicion to go back down. Just a normal person, no big deal. Lani thought about glancing over his shoulder, but as soon as he decided against it he heard her voice, muffled from beneath the music in his ears.

Pardon me? Did he hear that right? Lani took her in from her brown hair to the PINK printed not so subtly over her backside. His eyes came back to her face and his brow rose with interest at her expression. Well, that was a mistake. This girl didn’t even realize she’d found the most competitive person on the planet. Lani’s lips quirked up in the corners and an impish grin appeared across his features. Falling back, he let her think she was winning. He didn’t hang back long, just enough to make it seem as if he weren’t interested. Then when he thought he’d let enough time pass he lengthened his stride and slipped past her. He glanced her way and gave her a cocky smile. Lani made a motion of tipping a hat to her before he turned forward intent on leaving her in his dust. The challenge had been initiated, now it was accepted.

[Karalie Heise]

Her muscles were warm, her face chilled by the cold air. Karalie didn't think she would ever get used to the Vermont weather. Sure, it was nice on some level, but the temperature.. she could do without the windchill hitting below fifty. That being said she did like watching the snow from inside. It was something she didn't have down in Mississippi, other than maybe once or twice and even then it never stuck. Not like it did at Hammel.

She dodged a snowy patch on the path just as the next song was starting in her ears, giving her just enough time to hear the footfalls of someone behind her.

Because you know I'm all about that bass, 'bout that bass 'bout that bass, no treble, I'm all 'bout that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble..

The boy came up on her side and Karalie looked over just in time to see the cocky smirk sliding across his smug little face. Her lips parted and the corners of her mouth creased up ever so slightly. So it was going to be like that, was it? After her tipped his imaginary hat at her, Karalie let her eyes narrow. The game was officially started.

The girl paced herself, not letting the guy get too far ahead, but making sure not to exert too much energy in passing him. Her breathing was steady and her legs had just the right amount of ache in them. She would work through the pain and soon she would be pulling ahead. Only this guy was fast.. Clearly he was an experienced runner, but so was she and she wasn't willing to give up the fight. She kept close to the guy, gaining on him slowly so as not to wear herself out. Her intent was to pass him and stay ahead, after all.

I wish that I could be like the cool kids, 'cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in. I wish that I could be like the cool kids, like the cool kiiiids.

Finally she was coming up beside him. She turned to offer that sweet, innocent smile she'd perfected during her years of pageantry, before pushing forward into a sprint. If he wanted a race, he was getting it.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani had caught her bait and her smile was all he needed to let his competitive edge out. This wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when he’d gone out for a run but if anything it took his mind off of all of the things he was avoiding dealing with. The glorious distraction was just what Lani needed and as his song switched as well he was more than ready to get this show on the road. He was by no means imagining that this was over when he passed her by. She was biding her time and so Lani lengthened his stride to conserve energy until he needed it. He kept pace rather well, stress got him out and running and well, this past year had been a stressful one and so he’d gotten better. He was still a better sprinter but he’d learned to conserve energy better and it made him that much better as a thief. He still wasn’t as good at obstacles as Odion was just he was working on that as well.

She was taking her time and Lani didn’t glance back at her. He didn’t need to, his power was tracking her counting the paces as her feet hit the ground. She was gaining on him slowly and so he didn’t adjust his pace, he didn’t want to sprint while she was moving at a constant pace, she’d overtake him for sure if he did that. Maybe not immediately but eventually. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t had a running challenge since Adrianna. Wow, that seemed like a million years ago. His best friend was doing better, still shaken by the death of her mother he was sure. He was giving her space but he missed her, he sometimes wished she’d talk him out of all of his bad decisions. And he wasn’t certain that giving Odion another chance was a good idea.

The telekinetic braced himself, holding himself back as he felt her getting closer and closer. All he wanted to do was speed up but he struggled with himself to hold back. He waited until she was creeping up to him then he allowed himself to glance over at her. He met her sweet smile with a sly one of his own. Once they were side by side Lani increased his pace, keeping with her even as she sprinted. He was grinning, his lips parted to allow for easier air flow into his lungs. His heart thumped warm blood through his veins and soon the chill of the air was something of a distant sensation. The cold air burned in his lungs but he focused on the music, distancing himself from the pain. He glanced over at her from time to time, then finally pushed himself a little faster, testing her resolve and stamina.

Lani dodged a patch of snow, jumping over it more than going around it. His lanky frame made it easy for him and well, tall as he was he really didn’t need to go around it. His stride was long, especially when going at a speed like this. Lani was just hopeful that neither of them hit a patch of ice. They were easy to see at least and the snow patches were helpful as well. He smirked at her, daring her to try to pass him again.

[Karalie Heise]

He wasn't going to give up easily, the boy made that more and more clear with every step.  He kept pace with her, not allowing her to pull ahead during her sprint.  She liked his style, more amused at this unexpected race.  Karalie's eyes narrowed at him, the right side of her lips curled up as she glanced at him.  Her dark eyes then moved forward again, her lungs beginning to burn already.  She could keep up, she was designed to keep up! Hell, she'd probably win.  What would even be considered a win? They would eventually go separate ways and this would likely end in a draw.  

Karalie dodged another patch of snow, picking up speed in the process.  She wasn't winded yet, but she knew if she stayed at this pace her run might end sooner than she expected it to.  Either way, it had gotten the desired affects.  Her mind was now focused entirely on the running and the friendly competition afoot instead of the drama in her life.  No weird memories swirling around her mind, no thoughts about crazy roommates or their crazier girlfriends, and no pangs about her ex.  This was exactly what Karalie had needed. 

Karalie peeked over at the guy again who smirked back, almost daring her to try and take the lead.  She bit her bottom lip and turned forward, intent on maybe trying to do just that.

Bang bang into the room, I know you want it, Bang bang all over you, I'll let you have it.. wait a minute let me take you there, aahhh, wait a minute 'til ya, aaaaaaah....

By the time she saw it, it was too late.  Her foot hit the ice and her body couldn't compensate at that speed.  She ended up stumbling, catching herself before falling flat on her face, but the sudden break from the run propelled her forward and she ended up rolling onto the ground in a full wipe out.  

Karalie didn't know how many times she rolled before coming to a stop, disoriented as she laid on her back.  It took a second for her to even realize she'd taken such a big spill, but when she did her cheeks flushed crimson red, right at the same time her knee and elbow started to ache.  Had the boy seen her fall? Of course he had!

How mortifying!!

[Lani Hunter]

Lani would be content leaving this one as a draw, especially since this was where the bend was coming up on a fork and one path flanked the lake and another circled back on itself. Try as he might to keep his eyes forward he kept a close watch on her from the corner of his eye, keeping her pace, not attempting to go faster, nor refusing to let her pass him. It wasn’t a mad dash, no that was not either of their style and Lani was glad he had something else to think about besides heavy thoughts. He felt free from the burdens of his heart for the first time in what felt like a forever long year. This was only a temporary reprieve, he knew, but it was worth it. His song switched again, this time 30 Seconds to Mars calling them to arms.

She picked up her pace and Lani followed suit, paralleling her like he was her shadow. Foot races were always exciting. Lani’d heard so many people talk about how bored they got when they were running and he just didn’t understand it. If it wasn’t thinking about something he was enjoying the world around him, or someone came along with a challenge. And she was a challenge. He didn’t think he’d pushed himself this much in a long time. Adrenaline poured through his veins, thrilled by competition. Lani’s mind was focused on very few things for once. Only the pain in his legs and lungs, the primal desire to be best. It was beautifully simplistic and he caught her eye as she peeked over. He turned his eyes forward, seeing that spark in her eyes. Her eyes were alight with determination and the stubborn unwillingness to give up that rivaled Lani’s own.

He saw her vanish out of the corn of his eye and it took him a moment to realize what had happened. He half turned and it happened so fast he didn’t even register what happened until she’d already fallen and come to a rest. By that time he’d come to a stop. He breathed deeply, panting now that he’d stopped. He trotted back to where she’d landed. Plucking his headphones out of his ears, he looked down at her concern clear in his eyes. “Are you alright?” He asked leaning over, resting his hands on his knees. That had been a nasty fall, must have been a patch of ice or something. Now that he’d stopped moving he was feeling the ache in his limbs like a vengeance. His muscles were groaning at him, demanding to know what insane thing he had been thinking.

Going as fast as they were going, she was lucky she didn’t come out with more scrapes, but at least she was wearing long pants and a jacket, that probably helped out a bit. “That was a nasty spill,” he said, giving her a sympathy wince. Admittedly it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to run when it was icy, much less have an unofficial race. He didn’t understand… was she blushing? He almost laughed, a nasty fall like that and she looked like she was more embarrassed that it happened than she was in pain. He resisted and took a moment to take a deep breath to calm his panting. His heartbeat rang in his ears and the sound of his music was slightly audible in the frigid air as then hung around his neck.

[Karalie Heise]

She heard him before she saw him approaching, wishing he would have just continued so she could attempt to keep some of her dignity. He asked if she was alright and she peeked up, avoiding eye contact.  Her heart was pounding and she was still trying to catch her breath, every second on the ground revealing a new ache.  Her knee and elbow throbbed and her rear was getting damp from sitting on the ground.  Why had she gone running in this weather? There was a gym for this! The gym wasn't the same for her, but it was a much wiser choice this time of year.  Never again!

"I'm alright." Karalie said softly, brushing her knees and glancing back up at the kid again.  She realized her music was gone and a quick look around revealed that her ipad was still in her pocket, but the ear buds had popped out and were laying on the ground beside her.

"Stupid ice."  Karalie could not believe this had just happened to her.  Her cheeks were still flushed, partially from the cold air that had been whipping her face, and partially from the embarrassment.  The pink ran down her cheeks to her neck.  "Ya'll didn' need tuh stop."  Karalie put her hands on the ground and pushed herself up, immediately falling back onto her ass and sucking in a sharp breath as she pulled her knee up.  She was starting to get goosebumps from the cool air and now the mixture of having a wet bottom.  This was shaping up to be a bad day.  

"I'm alright." She insisted again, biting her bottom lip.  She flexed her leg again, her knee throbbing now.  What the heck had she done? Probably just bruised it.  That was exactly what she needed. "You.. you can go on." She had to figure out a way to get back now.  This was going to be the worst day ever.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani gave a skeptical look but didn’t say anything. Better to let her think she let him believe that she was alright. He smiled softly at her, as if he knew better but wasn’t going to say anything. He wouldn’t be okay after a fall like that, but then he’d probably be doing the same thing. Never show weakness. He breathed slowly, gulping air deeply and reducing his panting by force of will. His body was at least still warm and so he wasn’t freezing quite yet. He kept his distance, waiting for her to get her bearings back and waiting to see if he could help. Lani felt a twinge of guilt, if he hadn’t egged her on then she probably wouldn’t have been going that fast and would probably have been paying more attention.

The telekinetic smiled sympathetically and chuckled softly, “That stuffs dangerous,” he agreed, “I didn’t even see it.” He looked back toward the patch, it wasn’t actually that hard to see, but it was something that had to be looked for, it wasn’t like there was a sign or anything. He shook his head at her apology and gave her a charming smile. “Oh no, I don’t think I could have made it much farther,” he chuckled his eyes bright with happiness. What a wonder a little running did! Feeling lighter than he had in a long time, Lani was looking to keep this little feeling of euphoria, at least until he had to face the real world again. Lani gasped and reached forward to catch her when he saw her falling again, but he was too late and he winced as he saw her hit the ground.

His eyes were pulled to her knee when she moved it, with what looked like pain inching across her face. “Alright,” he agreed but held out his hands and added gently, “But, let me help you.” He ignored her comment, clearly she wasn’t thinking straight if she thought he was just going to leave her here cold and hurt on the ground. He could no more leave her than he could have if she were his own sister. He crouched and reached a hand out to her knee, stopping before he actually touched it. He looked at her his eyes trying to catch hers. “May I?” He asked politely. He didn’t think it was broken or anything but if it was swollen that could be a problem.

The girl was clearly embarrassed and Lani smiled shyly. “You know, I’ve been here before.” He chuckled to himself, he and Adrianna used to run together all the time, at least until she got busy with school. “I was racing my best friend this one time and I tripped over my own clodhoppers. I was laid out flat.” He made a swiping motion with his hand and chuckled, “I’m sure you can imagine she found that highly amusing.” He grinned inviting her to share in his embarrassment and in turn he would share in hers. Granted that time, he and Adrianna had been dating and he had found her extremely distracting. Lani wasn’t very clumsy unless he was around someone that stole part of his attention.

[Karalie Heise]

The boy offered to help and suddenly Karalie felt her mind buzz with recognition.  It was something Luke would've said.  She reminded herself it was something any decent person would offer to do, not that Luke was decent.  She didn't want to admit she needed help, though it was becoming evident she might.  She knew she could get up if she could wiggle forward and use her hands to get herself back onto her feet, but that wouldn't help her knee much.  She must have looked hesitant enough because the guy crouched down and was about to touch her knee, stopping before he actually did and asking permission. She bit her lower lip, her brows knitting gently.  "Ya'll don' need tuh do that." She told him weakly, though she was suddenly glad to receive some amount of warmth from someone.  There had been a lot of negativity in her life as of late.

She listened more attentively as he told her a story about when he'd gone running and wiped out himself, coaxing a small smile from the still very mortified Karalie.  She knew what he was trying to do, and it worked.  He wasn't teasing her or making her feel about about what had happened, and something told her that later he wouldn't be regaling his friends with this idiot girl who tried racing him and then practically killed herself on an obvious patch of ice.  

"Id've died." She teased back with a small, hesitant smile.  The thought of being laughed at for falling didn't sit well with her.  Then again she was used to being judged.  To screw up even a little, even in every day life, was cause for being ridiculed and Karalie hated being in such negative spotlight even if she put herself there.  She looked down at her own knee and bit her lip.  "I'm sure it's nothin', just uh li'l bruise is all."  She swallowed hard, suddenly glad for the gloves on her hand.  If she was going to let someone help her up she didn't want to swipe a memory in the process.  She straightened and bent it again, able to do it but with a deep ache.  Walking wouldn't be fun for the next few days, that was for sure.  Good thing she was heading home soon.

"Certainly not broken."  Her dark eyes met his pale ones and again she swallowed hard, a strange twisting in her stomach.  "Wouldn't mind uh leg up, though I s'pose." Her voice was bordering on nervous though she was trying to sound a little more confident now as she reached a hand out a little anxiously.  She supposed this scenario could have been a lot worse.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled and withdrew his hands. He didn’t want to hurt her and so he took that as a ‘no’. “How bad does it hurt?” He asked, ignoring her true statement again. No matter how much she told him she didn’t need to help, that didn’t do anything to make Lani want to walk away from her. Instead of touching her knee he braced himself with his hands on the ground and looked at it visually. It didn’t look swollen, but she was also wearing long pants and that could make it hard to tell one way or another. The telekinetic wished he had some ability to look at things that were alive, but alas that power escaped him. He had no indication of how her knee was feeling unless she told him. He smiled gently at her and said, “Don’t worry about it.” He only wanted to help her feel better.

Watching her smile a little let Lani know he had gotten through to her. It was a true story, for once, that Lani was telling and it had the desired effect. He wasn’t going to make fun of her, not only because he’d been there before, but that looked like it had hurt a little more than just physically. A wounded pride was something that felt worse than the pain sometimes and Lani was only glad he could share this with her to help ease some of that. Lani’d been in a position not too long ago when his heart had been so damaged it felt like he would never be whole again. He’d tried to force it out but it had been the comfort of friends that had helped him survive and return to normalcy. Now that had all been turned upside down but that was beside the point.

Laughter escaped through Lani’s teeth and he blushed, surprised but gladdened by her teasing. At least she wasn’t feeling so miserable anymore. “I wanted to,” he agreed giving her a dazzling smile in return. It hadn’t helped that at the time he and Adrianna had been dating, Lani had all but wanted to vanish into the dust. Lani nodded, no better equipped to diagnose her wounds than she was. “Sure,” he agreed, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. It certainly wasn’t broken, he doubted she would be able to have a conversation if it were broken. He remembered still how much it had hurt when he broke his arm when he was a kid. He’d been about as conversational as a rabid dog. He met her eyes and smiled warmly. The telekinetic rose to his feet and when she reached out her hand he grabbed it and pulled her to her feet.

He braced his feet to make sure he wouldn’t slip and so if she did happen to slip again he’d be able to keep her sturdy. He put his other hand under her elbow, to steady her. “How’s it feeling?” He asked looking down at her knee. They weren’t too far from the parking lot, but anything probably felt long with a sore leg. Well, his workout was over for the day, he was tired out anyways. He breathed deeply and looked at her his smile warming his eyes as he met her dark eyes. “I have to say, you’d have beaten me if we went much farther. Do you compete or just run for fun?”

[Karalie Heise]

Karalie's eyes traveled with the boy as he got to his feet, his hand reaching out to hers.  She looked at it a moment, hesitating, before reaching up to clasp her fingers around that hand.  With the gloves on she was certain not to grab any of his memories, which was a bonus.  Some had openly wondered why she didn't wear them more often.  Firstly it would look strange to have gloves on in class or any time during the summer, and secondly she needed to keep a better hold on her power and that wasn't the way to do it.  Besides, wearing gloves, depending on her mood, gave her memories from the gloves.  It wasn't so bad on a new pair, but once they'd been on for a while, they were worse than not wearing gloves at all.  Her power seemed to have no boundaries.  Only full control would truly stop her from seeing everything.  She was pleased with her progress in the last few months, though.  She'd been able to touch plenty of things while successfully keeping the memories at bay.  It just needed to become second nature, which it wasn't yet.  Like riding a bike.  At first you needed to concentrate all the time but eventually it became as simple as walking.

The pain in her knee was sharp as she was hoisted to her feet, and she leaned a little onto the boy as he helped her up.   She didn't put all of her weight on the leg yet, testing it out first.  She'd be fine, and in a few minutes she would probably be able to walk on it alright.  "A bit sore." She answered when he inquired about how the knee was feeling.  She was suddenly aware of how wet the ground had been from the melted snow and ice as the chilly air cooled the damp spot on her rear.  This was going to be a long, uncomfortable walk home for sure.  "I think I'll live, though."  She put on a good face, pretending it wasn't as bad as it was.  She kept her grip on him a moment, testing her weight bearing and finally putting all her weight on the bad leg.  It was definitely banged up pretty good, but not the end of the world.  She'd need to ice it when she got home and keep it up, and likely not be able to run much over break.

She snorted when he mentioned she would have beaten him, wondering if that were true.  He seemed pretty fast, and though he was a bit out of breath when they stopped, she got the feeling he could have gone on the way he had for a while.  "Both." There was a sly undertone to her words as she finally let go of his hand, bending the bad knee and getting it in working order again.  "I'm on track, but like tuh run in my spare time, too.  Always have."  Her head cocked ever so slightly to the side.  "Ya'll weren't too shabby, yah know.  Gave me a real run for my money.  I'd wager ya'll don' just do this for fun, do yah?" If he did, then he was out of his mind crazy.  He was good competition.  She was sure he did this more than just casually.

[Lani Hunter]

The telekinetic held no suspicions for her gloves. It was cold and honestly he was in the midst of thinking how much better prepared she was for the weather than he was since he had neglected to wear gloves. If he were in her shoes and someone asked why he didn’t wear gloves he probably would have not so politely told them to mind their own business. Hell, he just barely tolerated Odion’s nagging about his power. The last time his trainer had gotten on his case he tossed her into a wall. Not on purpose! But she’d pushed him to it then she’d lectured him about having done it! He understood that he had to have complete control if he ever wanted to leave Pilot Ridge but he was starting to believe he would never have full control. His power wasn’t like riding a bike, it was like riding an enraged dragon, if he lost concentration for even a moment someone would get blasted.

He braced himself and let her rest her weight on him. He winced for her and held onto her while she tested her leg, not wanting her to overdo it and end up just where she was a few moment ago. He smiled, relieved she didn’t think it was going to be too bad. “Good, just ice it and rest and you should be fine,” he suggested. She leaned her weight away from him and onto her leg. “Easy,” he said softly, “Don’t overdo it.” He was the king at not following his own advice. The last time he’d gotten sick he’d been the worst patient. The worst being that he’d just scolded Odion for not taking care of himself when he was sick then the tables had turned and Lani was the grumpiest telekinetic on the planet. It was a good think that with sickness came headache and his ability and motivation to use his power was zeroed.

“No it’s true!” He laughed. The telekinetic’s eyebrows rose and he nodded slightly, impressed by her. It also gave him a little information. She was probably younger than him, still in high school. He’d never been very much a team kind of person but when she asked him he considered many different versions of his answer. He smiled, flattered. “Eh,” he shrugged coming up with a quick answer. “I used to compete, now I just do it because I like to.” He gave her a content smile. Technically he had never been on a track team or anything, but he had been employed as a thief and technically there was nothing on the planet more competitive. Lani was free of his boss but he’d never stopped stealing. Now he did it because he liked to steal, and it was good money even if it was dirty money. “You’re really good, I bet you’re one of the best on your team.”

[Karalie Heise]

Karalie gave a nod, knowing what he meant.  Once she was done with school she probably wouldn't continue running track.  Well, maybe at college, but that was something she would decide then considering her courses and how much work she had.  If she could stand to do the extra curriculars then she probably would.  Karalie gave the boy a hard look.  She didn't remember seeing him on the track team before, but that didn't mean he went to Hammel.  He could just be a university student, or another local high school kid.  She was trying to figure out his age.  Something came across as older to her, but if so not by much.  

He commented on how good she was and Karalie felt a blush rising back into her cheeks.  It hadn't completely left since the chill kept whipping her face, but now the color was due to an unexpected compliment. "I'm not one tuh brag." She said in a coy voice, turning her head slightly, a mischievous gleam in her dark eyes.  "So I won't.  The team's got plenty uh talent."  She liked to think she was one of the better runners, but there were definitely some who could make her eat their dust.  Of course, some of the kids had certain qualities about them that naturally made them quicker on the track, but she didn't hold that against them.  She could take most of the team on and still come in the lead under the right conditions.  

Karalie looked back in the direction they had come from and she wondered suddenly if she was keeping the guy from something.  "Anyway," She started, giving the guy a sweet look she'd mastered as a little girl.  "I don' wanna hold ya'll up if yah got somewhere tuh be.  I'm alright now."  She nibbled her lower lip, pulling it partially into her mouth before letting her teeth scrape against it as it slipped back into place.

[Lani Hunter]

There were too many variables open to assume anything about them. While she accurately pegged him for a Hammel student that didn’t mean she knew it as fact. And besides he said he used to compete, not that he used to run track for a school. Lani’s lies were smooth because they were half-truths. There was also the matter of his late arrival at Hammel, he’d been brought into his power in his senior year and as a result, it was fully possible he’d run at his former school and like everything at Hammel, he just couldn’t be bothered to care. Lani figured she couldn’t be that much younger than he was, she looked like someone at the tail end of their high school career and Lani had just barely begun living life outside of it.

The girl colored nicely and Lani fought to keep a smile from his face. He couldn’t help but think she looked a little bit like Adrianna with her brown hair and beautiful and warm doe eyes. She had a kind face. To be honest her smile reminded him of Adrianna when they’d first met, and consequently all of the things he stole from Adrianna. Things he’d stolen without even meaning to. “Ah,” he nodded understandingly his eyes bright with humor. He chuckled. Her accent was sweet. “Sure, I believe it.” He didn’t for a moment believe she was one of those people that was in the middle of the pack. He could see her perhaps being in the middle until the end. She was smart and knew he limits and well, she knew how fast she could go and keep on going, that was a talent Lani was still learning. Honestly, he still was a sprinter at heart and hadn’t completely gotten the hang of conserving his energy yet.

“Are you sure?” He asked doubtfully. She didn’t seem like she was alright, sure she could stand but he’d yet to see her attempt to make a move to walk. “I’m not busy,” he said and gave her a hard stare, “At least let me help you back to your car or something, I’d hate for you to slip again.” He raised a brow at the offer, besides she’d made no move to let go of him yet, which told him she wasn’t altogether as confident in her ability as she sounded. Lani was a master at hiding aches and agonies, she had to try a little harder than that if she wanted to convince him that she was feeling well enough to walk. Lani vaguely became aware that his music was still playing and chose to ignore it for now, it wasn’t distracting. “Besides, I’m tired of going in circles.” He said looking back down the path a distant look in his eyes. Here he was twenty years old and still running away from his problems.

He turned his eyes back to her and smiled charmingly. “I’m sorry I haven’t yet asked your name. I’m Lani.” He moved his free hand, which just so happened to be his left, and offered it to her, unable to hide his humor at the obvious flaw in normal social interaction.