Time Warp: Here We Go Again

[Samantha Emerson]

Backdated late February, 2013


Samantha rolled her luggage along the road as she headed for the dorms. She had one larger one that held dorm essentials and a smaller one that carried her clothes, toiletries, and the like. She jerked the smaller one over a small bump in the road, the movement full of angry frustration. Samantha didn't like to to be angry, and she certainly hated to look upset, but given the circumstances, who could blame her, really? At least, that was her excuse.

"Thank you, mom and dad, for staying at home and making me go by myself. But of course, you've already seen Hammel. With Sydney." She muttered angrily. If she was honest with herself, Sam hadn't really expected anything different. What with her father always on some kind of trip and the distance Hammel was from home, it wasn't too practical for her mother to go with her. Also, they'd seen it all, asked all the questions, met all the important people when Sydney had gone through. And oh how they fussed.

The memory only added to the pile of pent-up frustration that had collected throughout the whirlwind of sudden changes that had brought to this spot, wrestling her belongings through the door. Sam huffed as she finally got her things inside. She stood for a moment and just soaked in her surroundings.

Clothes

[Sydney Emerson]

Sydney had received an email from her mother several days before, reminding her that her elder sister was due to arrive at Hammel. It seemed her sister had developed an ability as well. Perhaps it should have seemed odd to her that she had manifested before her older sister, but to her it all seemed rather normal. She was a grade ahead of her sister after all, despite the age difference.

Of course, it didn't occur to her that way of thinking could be considered arrogant or rude.

The sisters had been at odds practically since birth though - as long as Sydney could remember at least. Still, she understood familial obligations. Her sister was often unkind to her but she was still her sister and all of Sydney's research on the matter seemed to indicate that the familial bond trumped all else. It was this knowledge that had her leaving her own dorm to find her sister and help her to settle in.

Considering Sydney had already been at Hammel for nearly two years now, it made sense for her to help anyway. She knew her way around the school and she had already completed her sophomore year, so she was very well acquainted with what Samantha's academics would be like. Really, she was the perfect person to guide her sister.

If her sister would let her.

But it was with optimism that she navigated the first floor of the dormitories, looking for her sister. After all, she hadn't hardly seen her sister since she had come to the boarding school. Maybe Sam would hate her so much anymore.

"Samantha!" she called out as she spotted her sister wrestling with her bags as she came through the door. Her step hastened slightly to a brisk walk as she approached. "Hello," she said. "Welcome to Hammel Institute."

[Samantha Emerson]

Samantha took a deep breath, exhaled, and prepared to move on to her dorm. She still couldn't really believe that she was here. She jerked her head up at the sound of her name, and saw her sister coming towards her. Of course. She was here too. A swirl of emotions surged up within her: familiarity, jealousy, delight, frustration, anger. Sam let them all run their course. She wasn't sure what exactly she had expected to feel anyway. She kept a neutral expression, though as Sydney came closer a ghost of a smile turned the corners of Samantha's lips.

"Sydney." She greeted, as soon as her sister came within earshot. "Long time no see." She said in a polite, slightly stiff voice. A flash of bitterness crossed her face, and her tone followed suit. "Thank you. I feel welcomed." Sam wasn't sure what to do next. She had promised her mother to try and be civil, but that was such a foreign attitude where Syd was concerned that Samantha, for the first time since elementary school, couldn't find her tongue. Or rather, an appropriate tongue. 

"It looks like I'll be living...here" Sam tried awkwardly in clipped tones, holding out a folded piece of paper with her dorm number on it. She prayed that it wasn't anywhere near her sister's. 

[Sydney Emerson]

Perhaps she ought to have noticed the stiff, forced politeness to her sister's voice, but Sydney had never been particularly great at the nuances of social cues. Why should she be? Her focus was on academics and things that she could put on her college application, like athletics. Socializing was very low on her priority list.

Of course, there was no missing the change of tone that followed. Even if she hadn't heard it in Sam's voice, the sudden wave of bitterness made it quite impossible for the empath to miss. What she didn't understand was why though. She was being perfectly welcoming after all. Was it because their parents hadn't come? Surely Sam had to realize how impractical it would have been, not to mention unnecessary. After all, their parents were already familiar with everything, and Samantha was far older than Sydney had been whenever she had come to Hammel, which meant she at least should be more independent as well.

All these thoughts ran through the younger girl's mind, though she didn't voice any of them. Yet she couldn't quite bite back a frustrated sigh. Even with this gift of empathy which was supposed to help her understand people, her sister still confused her to no end.

"Yes, all the dorms are in this building," she said automatically. After all, sharing information was always a good thing, right? At least that was how Sydney saw it. She took the offered paper, scanning it until she found her sister's room number. However she visibly paled as she read it. "You're in room 407..." She swallowed hard. "So I guess that makes us roommates."

[Samantha Emerson]

Of course Samantha noticed her sister's small sigh, though neither said a word. Sam did, however, tilt her chin ever so slightly upwards, as if in defiance. She had her reasons for what she did. Perfectly sound reasons, in her opinion. Maybe not perfectly logical reasons, but emotion was just as, if not more, important than logic. After all, a person's feelings was what made them human, wasn't it? 

Samantha gave a quick nod at what Sydney confirmed. She knew that she and Sydney would very likely be on the same floor, but at the younger girl's reaction, Sam's heart fell.

Looks like we're not on opposite ends of the fl- Her thoughts were cut short by Sydney's last statement. Samantha just stared at her sister for a few seconds, trying to process the full implications of that new fact. "You have got to be kidding me." She said finally. Even as she said it, she knew that Sydney had told the truth. 

Everyday, for next few years, Sydney would be there. Everything that came along with Syd, or that Sam associated with Syd, would be there too. "No. I can't do this." She said flatly, her expression flinty. "I am not living with the likes of you. I'll talk to someone important. It's not happening." She snatched her paper back from Sydney and offered one more, dismissive, sentiment. "You've fulfilled your duty. I know Mom made you say hi. I don't need to see you anymore. Go back to your books." 

[Sydney Emerson]

Sydney didn't read her sister's defiance in her body language so much as she felt the streak of stubbornness that flared in response. She could essentially feel Sam digging her heels in, in an emotional sense. It irked at her, but she was trying not to argue, for once.

Reading that they were to share a room however was quite distressing. They operated in entirely opposite ways and Sydney knew that having her sister in such close proximity would drive her crazy. For starters, now that she could feel the anger and negativity that her sister harbored, it would be torture to have that forced upon her at all hours. Of course, there was always the chance that Sam would be so giddy from the fact that she was disrupting Syd's life that she might dampen the effect.

Sydney couldn't help thinking that was a sad thing to hope for.

Much as she knew all these facts though, she couldn't help but feel insulted by her sister's reaction. "Excuse me?" she responded instantly. "Sorry, I don't see the comedy in that statement," she added dryly at the insinuation that Sydney was playing some sort of joke on her. She had never had much of a sense of humor truthfully. If anything, she had a tendency to take things too literally.

Yet the snideness that overflowed from her sister had her jaw dropping. Normally she would have accepted the dismissal and left her to her own devices - if she wanted to attempt to get a room switch then fine - but as an empath, there was no denying that the emotions she sensed, especially such strong ones, had a stronger influence on her.

"That's rude. If anything I would be a good influence on you," she snapped. "You've gotten lazy and distracted as you've gotten older. The likes of me is exactly what you need." It was so unlike her to say these things, but she couldn't stop herself. "You know they won't let you transfer. This time of year, there aren't exactly a whole lot of open rooms. But if you want to let the staff know already how petty and childish you are, then by all means, try your best." Her tone was harsh and clipped, but her voice was perfectly level and respectably quiet even.

Her sister's anger was too strong for her and she couldn't suppress it, nor the words it brought to her lips. She should stop, she knew that. What she was saying what do nothing but upset her sister further, yet try as she might to silence herself, she didn't stop there.

"And for your information, Mom didn't make me do anything. Unlike you, I actually am capable of thinking independently instead of being content to be an insignificant sheep my whole life. So I came down here to help you, because you're my sister and I thought that meant something. It seems that I was mistaken. So maybe I should go back to my books. At least they have something to share that's actually worthwhile, unlike you."

[Samantha Emerson]

Samantha's eyes widened in incredulity. "A good influence. Like I haven't heard that before." She spat as her hands flew to her hips. "And I beg to differ. You moving to Hammel was the best thing that ever happened to me. I had friends. I got good at painting, and better at piano. I learned the play violin. I joined clubs at school. Is that lazy? Is that distracted? Is that in need of a good influence? No, would you, the library-haunting, reclusive nerd, be the one to 'better' me? " Sam shot back, her voice rising in volume. 

What her sister said about the dorms being full was, no doubt, true. Sam didn't say anything - couldn't say anything - on the matter, but sneered at Sydney anyway. Really, her sister was too smart for her own good. Sam wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have any friends. It was a petty thought, but apparently she was entitled to such thoughts, according to her dear sister. 

"Insignificant she - You think I want to be here?!" She snapped quickly. "You think I came plodding along behind Mom or Dad or the government or whomever? No! I dug my heels in deeper than an old mule; they had to drag me here. I didn't ask to be a meta, I didn't want to come here, I can't hardly do anything 'special' anyway! I was actually happy at home, without your overbearing presence. You might belong in this freak school, but I certainly don't!" She retorted, the words shooting rapid-fire out of her mouth. 

Sam was genuinely surprised that Sydney had come to meet her on her own, but that did little to douse the fire. A small flicker of movement distracted Samantha's attention for a brief moment, but a brief moment was all it took. They were making a scene. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, quite visibly making an effort to calm down. 

"Sisters. Right. Let it be noted that I appreciate your concern." She said flatly, suppressing her emotions for the time being. She had a feeling that she was going to need lots and lots of paint canvas in the coming years. "Just show me the dang room and we can get out of each other's hair." She said, accompanying her words with a flick of her wrist. Her voice and actions were still quite full of attitude, but lacked the confrontational edge from only a minute ago.

[Sydney Emerson]

"Wait, so now you're trying to say that my existing somehow prevented you from all of that? Because that is ridiculous and you know it! You never let me in your life, Sam. So don't you dare try to blame your unhappiness on me," she shot back. Her voice was low, unlike her sisters, but there was a harsh intensity to it that didn't require volume to get her point across. "As for your original question, since you're still prioritizing popularity over education, then yes, I would say you are lazy and distracted. And not that I owe you any sort of explanation, but for your information I am heavily involved in several clubs and teams here as well as being at the top of my class. So by every definition, yes, I am exactly the sort of good influence you need."

Sydney knew she was only making this worse at this point, but she just couldn't stop herself. Her sister had always tested her restraint, especially when she made such outlandish accusations, but she didn't have enough control over her ability to shut out Sam's anger, nor to stop its influence over her.

Sam's response about Hammel though had her biting her tongue, shocked more than anything. She didn't understand why her sister was so upset for one. Sure, there were times where she hated her ability - after all, emotions did nothing but distract really - but at the same time she was grateful for it. She had always struggled to understand people. She had made a study of psychology to help, but putting it into practice was difficult. Her empathy helped her to understand better than she could ever hope to without it. It might be inconvenient at times, but it was also an asset at times.

Luckily, her shock in that moment overshadowed her sister's anger and allowed her to think clearly. It seemed that Sam's rage was fading anyway as she realized the attention her shouting was attracting. She watched her sister force herself to calm and felt the effect as she repressed her emotions for the time being.

"Even I can tell you don't mean that in the least, Sam," she said softly, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. "You don't care what I think or feel in the least and we both know it, so why bother lying?" Her voice was quiet and sounded more defeated and confused than anything. She had accepted long ago that her sister would never care about her, yet the older she got, the more obvious that rift seemed. She wasn't sure if her sister didn't know about how she struggled to make sense of their relationship, or if she just didn't care how it affected her.

"Fine. This way," she said flatly, picking up two of her sister's bags before heading towards the stairs to lead Sam to her - their - room.

[Samantha Emerson]

Samantha's eyes flashed in anger. "You're right. I never did let you in my life. Why would I want that? Everyone else did that for me. Always beaming at Little Miss Precocious, then turning a pitiful eye to the one strangling in her shadow." She retorted. "Well, won't Mom and Dad be so proud." She said, much too sweetly. "Just like they are Every. Single. Year."

She exhaled and ran a hand through her hair as her emotions ebbed slowly away. Or least not as high as they had been. In Syd's words, Sam heard an end to their lovely reunion fight. While she was the older sister, she hadn't yet matured completely, especially when dealing with her sister. She mis-interpreted Sydney's tone as one of concession, a yielding of some sort that that nothing to do with a failed connection between two human beings, and everything with winners and losers.

Sam said nothing, but picked up her remaining bags and followed Syd up. As they reached the dorm with the fateful number, Sam spoke again. "Hey." She said, her tone much quieter and less provoking than before. She motioned to the bags that Sydney had carried."Thanks for picking those up." She said, more out of obligation than out of sincerity. She remembered her promise to her mother and winced.

"I promised Mom I'd try to be civil. For that reason only, I'm sorry for downstairs." She kept her voice neutral, looking anywhere but her sister's face. "So. Dorm rules so we don't run into each other too much?" She asked, finally lifting her eyes, stolid and guarded as they were. 

[Sydney Emerson]

Sydney was just confused by her sister's justification for always pushing her away. "What are you even talking about? You aren't making any sense right now. They always had high expectations, for both of us. And even then, at least half the time they weren't even home to notice if we did well or not." Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember the discrepancy that Sam was talking about. Truthfully, she couldn't see it at all.

She still had more questions than she could count, but Sydney accepted her sister's silence instead as she grabbed two of her bags. She led the way and neither sister spoke. Honestly, if it weren't for Sydney's involvement in sports, she wasn't sure she would have been able to handle lugging two bags up 4 flights of stairs. Given that she wasn't naturally athletic though, it had taken her twice as much training to get into shape. Maybe she wasn't the best yet, but she had come a long way. Still, as they climbed, she glanced over her shoulder from time to time to ensure that Sam was doing alright. After all, she was the 'artistic' type which meant she was completely unused to physical labor.

But eventually they made it to the room, though they hadn't spoken a word to each other the entire way here. Sydney set down one of the bags in order to fish her own key out of her pocket since that would be faster. She paused though as her sister spoke, thanking her nonetheless.

Seriously, no one confused her more than her sister did.

One second she was mad at her and the next she was thanking her. How did that make sense in any capacity. People in general tended to confuse Sydney, but her sister made even less sense than most. Sometimes she wondered if that was just a part of Sam's personality or if it was just because she was her sister. Either way, Sam tended to give Sydney a bit of a headache.

Of course, the wince that followed negated pretty much all sense of sincerity that came with her supposed gratitude. So Sydney just shrugged in response. "It's fine." Unlike Samantha, she didn't try to be difficult. Besides, it wasn't like fighting was a new thing for them. It had always been like this really.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," she said as she opened the door to the dorm. She considered for a moment before approaching the conversation as she did all things - logically and practically. "Well, I'm pretty busy between classes, training, soccer, track, chess club and the student activities council, so it's not like I hang out in the common area very often. That should help."

[Samantha Emerson]

Samantha sighed in resignation as Sydney ascended yet another flight of stairs. The luggage made it just plain awkward, not to mention the gradual burning in Sam's legs. She was very tempted to stop for a quick breather, but every time that Syd looked back, Samantha doubled her resolve and kept on, albeit a little slower than her younger sister. But if Sydney wasn't stopping, Samantha wouldn't either. 

It had been a while since Sam's competitive (and jealous) side had reared its ugly head, but now it was back in full force. Sam's habit of letting her emotions run unchecked only made it worse. But hey, it got her and her bags up the stairs, so it couldn't be too bad, right? Samantha took a moment to spin her gaze around the dorm. She had thought that the concept of individual rooms was a little bit strange, but now she was very thankful of it. "Which room do I get? Do we have roommates?" She asked.

Samantha nodded in response. "Okay. I can't say the same for me, but I don't see why I would have to share air with you too often." She replied, only half-succeeding in preventing her tone from being patronizing. 

[Sydney Emerson]

Sydney paused for a moment, setting her sister's bags down as she did. "Your room would be..." her voice trailed off a moment as she oriented herself and came to a dissapointing conclusion. Her room was next to the empty one. Until now that had always meant peace and quiet - or at least more distance between her and her roommate's noise. "...that one," she concluded with a nod towards the room. "I'm that one right there," she added, cringing slightly.

She was sure Sam would have something lovely to say about that.

"We have two other roommates though," she added quickly, hoping that maybe Samantha wouldn't be too melodramatic about the whole rooming situation. "You'll probably like them," she added. After all, she didn't know much about them other than that they were loud and annoying as far as she was concerned. But Sam was much the same way, so as far as she could guess, there was no reason they shouldn't get along.

"Oh, I know," she replied, perhaps a bit too quickly. The only thing she had ever really known was that she and her sister were as different as night and day. So to ever think they might have something in common - even just a busy schedule - was unfathomable to her. "I hope that's a promise," she added bitterly. Her sister's patronizing tone was grating heavily on her nerves and though she knew it was wiser, she just couldn't resist commenting.

"So should we get your bags into your room?"

[Samantha Emerson]

"Ooof course." Samantha exhaled heavily. She made a mental note to give fate a good ol' kick next time she saw her. She lifted an eyebrow at her sister and commented, "Scare them all away now, did you?" Without waiting for a reply, she continued, "Don't you worry little sister. I'll do my best to patch up their relationship with the Emerson family." A sickly sweet smile lit up her face, but disappeared after a moment or two. At least there were some people that Samantha could look forward to living with.

She just scoffed at Sydney's reply, not bothering to give a verbal response. Given their history, Samantha thought it obvious that it might as well have been a vow. Especially now that she knew that their dorm was quite full, she didn't want to fight too much and bother them. Though her interactions with Sydney might appear otherwise, Sam did her best to be considerate with everyone, friend or stranger. Just not...sister.

She gave a nod and flipped her hair over her shoulder, reaching for her bag once more. Pushing open the door, Samantha gave the room a quick once-over. It would do. There was definitely plenty that Sam would like to do in lieu of personalization, but that would come. "Not bad." She concluded, feeling the need to say something. The gate between her mind and her mouth was rarely shut, and she relied on intuition to guide her words. This was usually helpful, but not around her sister.

"Well, time to settle in, I suppose. It might take some time, or else I'd love to celebrate a few more years of living so close to each other. And you'd probably be busy poring over some droll textbook anyway, so I guess it works out, hmm?" She said offhandedly, even as she began unpacking.

[Sydney Emerson]

Sydney lifted her chin stubbornly as her sister implied she had frightened her roommates. She wasn't a particularly emotive person, but that wasn't to say she didn't have weak points. Her struggle to understand and therefore connect with people was one such point and it was quite rude of her sister to remark upon it. "I simply prefer to keep like-minded company. I don't surround myself with distracted sorts who will merely drag me down with them." The look she gave her sister gave no doubt just who she was talking about.

"I for one actually care about success after all. I intend to do something meaningful with my life rather than just flitting about aimlessly." She offered a small smug smile. "But, I suppose it's best to consider it a blessing that you won't be alone in your mediocrity. You'll fit right in with the rest of the flock. That was always so very important to you."

Her sister ignored her remark about not crossing paths, instead merely nodding as she agreed it was time to move the bags into the empty room. She did so silently, rolling her eyes at her sister's assessment of the space. No doubt she would focus a great deal of time and energy on decorating and 'making it her own' or some such nonsense. After all, she had always been the sort to prioritize appearance over function. One of her many flaws.

"Oh yes, I am sure you are so eager to waste your time and energy in pursuits that are utterly pointless and useless. I'd hate to delay you," she said, her voice full of false joy and enthusiasm - the patronizing tone people use with small children. Fine. She was being mean and she knew it, but she had never been the sort to allow others to walk all over her. "Besides, you are right. I am busy bettering my future and obtaining knowledge. Nothing you'd know anything about."

[Samantha Emerson]

Samantha scowled as Sydney stated her preference for nerds, as opposed to a bucket of crabs. "Then I'm glad we won't be seeing much of you then." She snapped, unable to think of a better comeback. Sure, maybe 'we' wasn't the most accurate word at this point, but it was rare for Samantha to meet someone she didn't become friends with. Plus, the word ostracized her sister. Whether or not Syd felt excluded - or cared - was irrelevant to Samantha. The borders had been drawn. You versus Us.

Sam gave a sugary smile as she was compared to a sheep. "Well. I'm flattered that you know where my values lie." She said sarcastically. "And just because I have a lot of hobbies doesn't mean I can't do anything "meaningful". I have a lot more paths to choose from than you do." She retorted. There was a brief pause in their mudslinging as Sam began marking the room as hers. She finished sorting her clothes into their respective spots as Syd made her verbal jab.

With a huff, the older sister turned to face Sydney with her hands on her hips."Pointless? Just because you're an empath doesn't mean that everyone else understands how others are feeling. Expressing one's emotions is necessary in society." She said. Sam had a feeling that her description of Syd's power wasn't quite accurate, but she ignored it, not willing to admit her mistake. Besides, even if she wanted to correct herself, she wouldn't have known what it was she had gotten wrong.

"Also, I would ask the community back home if they felt that I was misusing my time. And make sure to ask the people with nowhere to live except on the streets, even during the cold winter nights." She added hotly before turning away to unpack her school supplies.