A Daydream Away (Dennis)

[Michelle Reed]

To say that Michelle was tired was an understatement. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon at the mall, applying to every shop that would take her resume, including the food court. Since she was sixteen, Michelle figured it was about time to put herself out there and get a job. The extra cash would be nice and she didn't want to burden her parents any longer. She had the capabilities, save for the social skills. That was something Michelle was willing to admit and expand that she hoped her first job would help develop those skills. It was worth a shot.

Since she had some leftover resumes, she decided to take a detour downtown and see if any of the shops there were hiring students. A few had politely declined while a couple more said they'd call her back soon, which was mildly reassuring. Michelle just hoped she left a generally favourable impression and got a job soon.

To say it had been an exhausting afternoon was an understatement. The Canadian had stopped for a quick bite to eat at the Velvet Tone, and now was making her way back to campus. She didn't have a car, so walking would have to do. Not that she minded the extra fresh air. 

The night atmosphere was dark, illuminated with flecks of white stars. Michelle caught herself with a craned neck, looking up at the sky. She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, her fingers wrapped around the half-warm cup of her cinnamon latte, completely unaware of the world around her. Just her and the midnight sky.

[Dennis Pautler]

A car pulled up from behind a corner. It was dark, but it looked to be full of people, judging by the voices floating out the door when it was opened. Loud, raucous voices. They shouted into the night for a minute until their tone turned to farewells, and one hand reached out the driver’s side to wave good-bye. The car drove away. It left a gangly figure standing there, who adjusted his coat. Michelle might have recognized him by his figure alone: tall and long-limbed, cropped hair and all. He didn’t recognize her - at least, not at first. It took one fortuitous moment passing under a streetlight for him to notice her long, wavy hair and her dark eyes.

Dennis raised a hand. “Hey! Michelle!” He wanted to get her name out there before he approached, to let her know that he was familiar. It was dark, and she was walking alone; he didn’t want to startle her. “Hi,” he said, quieter, when he’d approached some. “Remember me? I haven’t seen you since - ” Dennis paused, then pointed - uselessly, a random gesture. “The retreat, right?”

He stuffed his hands in his jacket. “It’s pretty late. You wanna walk up to the school with me?”

[Michelle Reed]

Michelle had been so enthralled with the stars that she didn't take notice to the car and loud voices. Certainly not to the familiar figure standing a few feet back. Her eyes were pointed towards the sky, flickering in each and every direction. Endless. It was impossible to see this kind of night back in Vancouver, especially on a cloudy evening. Here, the sky never seemed to end, spotted with distant white lights. It was beautiful. 

The soft-spoken girl blinked out of her daze, only coming down once someone addressed her name. She turned around, a bit confused, until her sight landed on him. Dennis. The boy with the fire in his palms. From the retreat. A wide smile stretched across her lips, as Michelle freed one hand to give a small wave in return. "Hey," She answered, nodding. "I remember you, Dennis. It's been awhile." She commented. A couple of months, at least. Michelle had seen him around the halls a couple of times since then, but never approached. The last thing she wanted to do was to make a fool of herself in front of him.

The smile lingered. Michelle glanced up, peeking at his face. It took her a second to process his offer. "Oh, sure.. yeah. That'd be nice, thanks." She took another sip of her lukewarm beverage, gesturing for him to lead the way back to school grounds. She wasn't about to object to spending more time around Dennis. He was nice to have a conversation with; loud, but not enough to send her running. 

[Dennis Pautler]

He grinned and his eyes narrowed when his dimples raised, as if her agreement were a pleasant surprise. He’d met a lot of girls since Michelle, in class and out of it, in town, fleeting faces and blurs of muted color. But hers stayed in one place, like a fixture. Her name too (Michelle) tugged in the corners of his mind. Dennis had never had a real ‘crush’ before, and even now he couldn’t be certain that’s what it was: he lived only in the dreamy, vague infatuations depicted in non-threatening, banal romance movies. This felt more…solid.

Did that make it real? he wondered.
But there was no way he’d share that inkling of a glimmer of a thought with her, he knew that much. They’d only really talked to each other once.
“Cool,” he said. Make it twice.

The Institute was still a ways away. It would take them ten minutes at least to get there. He was already longing for the warmth; most people assumed a pyrokinetic couldn’t get cold, but it was precisely the opposite. Cold affected their sort more than any other. Dennis had three layers on and it was hardly doing it for him.

“The retreat, right? I barely remember it,” he said. “Man, it seems so long ago. Sorry we haven’’t talked much - sucks we don’t have any classes together.”

[Michelle Reed]

Inside, Michelle was ecstatic to have Dennis' company on the walk back to the school. She would have been okay on her own as well, as it was only ten minutes away, but his presence made it more bearable. It was different, seeing him up close again instead of stealing glances from across the busy hall. Maybe if she were a little more outgoing and less fearful of looming rejection, Michelle would have approached sooner. But she lacked the capability.

Sharing the sidewalk space, she walked along, periodically taking sips until the latte was finished. Nodding in agreement, Michelle added "It did feel like awhile ago." She had a good time; she was secretly happy that her parents encouraged her to step out of her very limited comfort zone. Not that Michelle would ever tell her parents that. "It's okay." She smiled, glancing up to his face. Probably been busy. "If we were in class together it would make it easier." Another nod in agreement.

"So, what were you up to tonight?" Michelle asked, placing her empty cup in the next garbage can.

[Dennis Pautler]

“Just hanging out,” he replied.

He didn’t elaborate. Not out of any effort to be deceptive, of course. “I came back early.” He was already in trouble for missing three classes in a row: they’d called home, and Dennis had gotten an earful from the other end of the line. “I’m trying to keep my grades up. Last semester didn’t go so well.”

His smile suggested that the fact didn’t bother him all too much.

“So what’re you doing out here so late?” he asked. It was cold and quiet. It probably couldn’t have been too dangerous for a girl to walk around late at night, not around here, anyway, but he’d always been taught never to let a lady walk home alone after dark. Old-fashioned manners, maybe. His grandmother had instilled them in him during her dating spiel. ”Nobody knows what it means to be a gentleman these days,” she’d bemoaned.

“It’s too cold for a walk.”

[Michelle Reed]

Michelle nodded once in response. Her idea of hanging out wasn't to go outside, but rather, to sit in the student lounge with colourful yarn and the television on in the background. Two completely different ideas. "Didn't feel like staying out later?"

She adjusted her jacket, before stuffing both hands into her pockets. "Well, hopefully you improve this semester then." Michelle added optimistically. She would have offered to help Dennis if he wanted to, but didn't want to come across as condescending or conceited. So, she didn't mention it.

A small smile made its way across her lips. "Oh, just.. applying for jobs." Michelle was sure her cheeks were pink at this point. Hopefully, the dark sky was enough to hide the touch of embarrassment. "One place has got to feel pitiful and hire me." She wasn't particularly set on a certain job; maybe something that allowed for minimal interaction with customers.

"It's not too bad outside." There were worse days.

[Dennis Pautler]

“It’s terrible,” he asserted, hunching his shoulders for effect. Couldn’t get much worse than this. He heard it was going to snow soon. There had been some snow in Arkansas, but not nearly as much as in Vermont. It had quickly worn through its novelty for Dennis: as far as he was concerned, snow and ice only ruined his plans and kept him homebound. “I can’t wait for spring. I’m freezing my nuts off.” Dennis glanced over. “Sorry. I don’t always talk about those.”

He nodded as Michelle went on. His grandparents often got on him about getting a job, too, but it seemed that Michelle had gotten the initiative on him. “Oh, I heard the places ‘round here always hire students,” he told her. “What do you wanna get? You want to sell clothes or something? I know someone who works at the book store.”

He had a feeling Michelle wouldn’t have a problem finding a job. He’d already made that hard on himself, what with the tattoos and all.

[Michelle Reed]

"Terrible's a bit of an overstatement." Then again, Michelle wasn't afraid of a little snow. The weather where she was from was mild in comparison to Vermont, but still manageable. She looked up at Dennis with a soft smile, to show that her intentions were lighthearted. Nodding in agreement, Michelle froze in movement, her cheeks turning pink. "It's okay; it's just a, you know, statement thing." Well, that sounded intelligent.

She looked to the ground, her hair falling forward and hiding her face until she was sure that the momentary pinkness had faded. Then, Michelle looked upright again with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm... not too sure," She paused, "I'm not the best with people... like, I stammer and talk too much when I'm nervous and that could be a disaster." Like right there.

With a steady inhale, she continued on. "The book store would be nice, though." Michelle looked up to meet Dennis' expression. "Do you work anywhere?"

[Dennis Pautler]

“Nope,” he said. “I should, but I don’t.”

Dennis would have been the first to admit that he wouldn’t make a good worker, not as he was now. He got distracted. He didn’t keep to schedules. He liked to do what he wanted when he wanted it, and the “customer is always right” thing didn’t sit well with him at all. But there were his grandparents to consider, and they were already pretty steamed about the tattoos. “You know, you don’t seem that bad to me,” he assured her. “We’re talking, aren’t we?”

He beamed at her. “A lot of people stutter. It’s not a big deal.”

[Michelle Reed]

"Only if you want to." Michelle added. Afterall, he was still a teenager. Plenty of teens didn't get their first job until after high school.

She only wanted to to help her parents. Living in Vancouver wasn't cheap, on top of sending money to her every month and caring for her brother and sister; it added up. She just wanted to ease the financial burden a little. Plus, it wasn't like she did much of anything else.

He disagreed. It caught Michelle by surprise, and that shock showed on her features. "Really?" She questioned, before shrugging. They were talking; somehow, she hadn't made a fool of herself yet. Surprisingly, considering that Michelle was usually a wreck when it came to social situations. Especially with boys who looked like him.

She was so glad he wasn't a mind reader. Looking up, Michelle mirrored with a smile of her own. "I guess you're right. Still." She wrinkled her nose. It was embarrassing to her.

[Dennis Pautler]

Dennis bobbed his head. “Oh, yeah. There are some people who can’t put two words together, you know. Totally impossible to talk to. Like a fucking brick wall,” he said. “I mean, not that I hold it against them or anything. But - no, you’re not like that.”

Her voice was just soft. It had a sweet, charming sound, and sometimes it seemed almost musical…to him, anyway. “‘Sides, it can’t be worse than being really loud. They teach you how to project in drama class, they don’t teach you how to shut up.” He laughed. “I must sound like a drill sergeant to you.”

They were getting close now. He could see the gates ahead.

[Michelle Reed]

It was assuring to hear that she wasn't as much of a disaster as she thought. This conversation likely wouldn't change the way she saw herself; as a wreck when it came to talking to other people. "Well, that's good then. You know, being semi-decent at holding a conversation." She said, glancing over to send him a smile.

Her and Dennis were opposites; while she was gentle and shy, he embodied loudness. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. Michelle didn't think so, anyway. His voice was noticeable, one that stood out all on its own. Shaking her head, she echoed his laugh. "No, you don't." She insisted. "You're nice to talk to." They didn't fall into an awkward lapse in the middle of the conversation.

Comfortable. Not that Michelle would ever dream of admitting such. "Maybe we could both learn a little from each other." She lightly joked.

[Dennis Pautler]

What could Michelle possibly learn from him? he wondered. He wasn’t sure he should be teaching anyone to be as reckless as he was. “Just because I can talk loud doesn’t mean I make good conversation,” he told her. “I just say whatever. I used to get in trouble for it a lot more when I was younger, before I came here.”

But he smiled anyway; if there was anything Michelle thought she could learn from him, then he had nothing to complain about. “Does this mean we’ll be spending more time with each other?” he asked, flashing a grin. “I’ve got plenty of time after class.”

[Michelle Reed]

"Well, I think you're nice to talk to. I wish I could put myself out there more." Michelle said with a small sigh. "Instead of worrying about every little thing I say. You know?" A thoughtful smile crossed her features as she thought about it.

She hadn't thought about that, assuming that someone like Dennis was too busy already. He seemed to be the kind of guy that had a lot of friends. But, if he meant his offer, then Michelle wouldn't mind hanging out with him outside of class more often. As he suggested they do that, she felt a nervous flutter in her chest. "Yeah... yeah, we could do that." She said, mirroring his smile. "I'd like that. And me too." Michelle didn't participate in extracurriculars.

"So, you have a phone? And we could text each other, or something." She suggested. Michelle felt a touch of colour rising to her cheeks, and hoped Dennis wasn't able to see since it was dark out.