AU: Don't Hold the Wall

[Ella Robbinson]

Since arriving at the Hammel Institute two years ago, Ella had found her footing in life. She had everything she needed; the move to a new place had completely redeemed everything she was. Who she used to be was no longer a factor. Now that she'd arrived, she was there. She could be whoever she wanted to be in high school with such a clean slate. And that worked out pretty well.

Popular. She was popular. Over the course of months she'd elevated to a greater height; she implemented herself in all the best clubs and climbed the proverbial ladders associated. There was nothing lame, or quiet, or shy about Ella Robbinson. Everyone knew who she was. She carried a reputation; one that wasn't always good, but it was still a reputation nonetheless. When she walked the halls, everyone took notice of her. And who she took notice of deserved some of that attention too.

With her own needs first on any given day, Ella couldn't help the way her eyes had caught sight of someone completely unfamiliar. Sure, she'd seen him around once or twice, but no one ever really looked at him. No one saw him. And surely, no one talked to him, much less anyone with her social standing.

Stepping away from the crowd she so rarely walked without, Ella stood on her own as she made purposeful steps towards the crowded hallway to the boy in question. What was his name again? Did he even have a name here?

"Hey," She called, raising her head a fraction as she fell into place walking beside him, "You. What's your name?"

[James Lawrence]

Moving was hard. Transitioning to a completely new way of life, with meta abilities, away from his parents and friends back in New York, was even harder. The change had struck a nerve with James, who never found his way, never quite able to adjust or fall into a routine like the rest of his classmates. He was always on the outside looking in; an outsider. A loser.

The name branded the long haired boy early on from the start. Always daydreaming in the middle of class, but unlike the others, he never had a quick reply, a snappy comeback to make his classmates laugh. Instead, James faltered and became the reason they were laughing. He was an easy target to ridicule, and high schoolers were vicious and cruel.

For that reason, he kept to himself. Head down, hiding away from everyone else. James had his music and that was about it. When he walked the halls, he had headphones on, to tune out the conversations that he could hear; James heard everything. But for today, he'd left them in his dorm. His plan was to make a beeline straight for his dorm room, but that was interrupted by her.

Ella. Everyone knew her name, even a nobody like James. She was gorgeous and he was sure she was one of those people who knew it. She was everything he aspired to be; confident and well known. He almost didn't believe she was talking to him. Afterall, who would? Nobody talked to him, let alone someone like her. And then, she walked beside him.

His step fell out of line. Scrambling to match pace, James' gaze peeked to the side, to her. "Uh.. me? You... you're talking to me?" He couldn't contain his confusion, or surprise.

This had to be some sort of a joke.

[Ella Robbinson]

Stepping beside him, Ella hugged her books close to her chest as she walked. She kept her eyes on him, her head slightly turned to catch his attention. People tended to move out of the way when she walked, so she didn't really need to focus forwards. It wasn't necessary. Most attention to the outside world wasn't necessary; they were all too busy looking at her.

His response wasn't a name. His response was nothing but a question. And a really stupid one at that.

What, was he an idiot or something? Could he not see her standing there? Could he not hear the words passing her lips, or see her lips moving at the precise time the sound cut through the air?

"Yes." Ella replied simply, raising her eyebrows.

[James Lawrence]

James felt the intensity of her eyes on him. Maybe he was imagining the intensity, given that it was rare for anyone to pay attention to him when he hadn't done anything notably lame. He felt uncomfortable, gaze flickering between his peripheral vision to look at her and straight ahead. The crowded hallway parted, for her, evidently. People were gawking.

For good reason. She was walking with him.

Yes, she answered. Eyebrows lifted in surprise. James realized his question fell short; the better word choice would have been why was she talking to him. But he knew better than to ask.

"Oh... okay." He trailed off, daring to glance to his side again. To look at her. "James." He didn't have to ask for her name; he knew. The fact that everyone was looking at them.. no her, was unnerving. James felt his cheeks go hot in response.

[Ella Robbinson]

Each step Ella took was lined with obvious confidence. Like she didn't think for a second that she'd offer false footing; like there was no way she'd step into someone else's trajectory. Momentarily, she glanced towards him. She looked at the way he seemed so surprised, and it worked wonders to fill her with a stint of egotistical pride. She felt smug. And really, why wouldn't she?

"James." She repeated, nodding her head once. She took it in and took it on as she looked towards him, catching his eyes as he looked at her.

He was blushing, and she knew it would happen before it did. Little ticks of a heart's rhythm clued the hemokinetic in long before anything definitely happened. "You're face is like, bright red." She pointed out, her smile dragging into something a little more amused at the fact. And the fact that she just called him out on it.

[James Lawrence]

James nodded, a little self consciously, half expecting a snide comment about his name. His middle name, which was better than his given name of William. In his opinion, anyway. Two pairs of dark eyes met each other, and he felt his own dart away first. To avoid eye contact.

It wasn't enough to stop the colour in his cheeks. He could feel it; that's what made it worse. To know you were embarrassed in front of someone like her, someone notable, and not being able to do anything about it except let the moment pass. Except that wasn't the case. She pointed it out, an action James could only describe as cruel. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." He said, with a little bite to his voice. He wish he had remembered his damn headphones.

"What's the point of this anyway?" James asked, still averting his gaze. He couldn't face her, especially when still as flustered as he was. His heart rate was beginning to settle, crimson shades settling to pink. "Why are you even talking to me?"

[Ella Robbinson]

"The point of talking to you?" Ella repeated, leaning in just a little in order to ensure she caught his statement correctly. Sure, there had been a break amidst them and she allowed him such a simple second to breathe, but this was different. She leaned back, raising her head a little, her chin held high. Scrutiny.

She really shouldn't judge so harshly.

"I'm confused." She admitted, her nose crinkling as if he'd somehow offended her, "Why not? Is there a rule that says I can't talk to you?"

Then, before anyone got a chance to interject, she nodded her head a few times. Ella wore sudden clarity, "Oh," She breathed, turning her gaze forwards finally, "You don't like me." Because why else would he even remotely try to get her to talk to someone else?

[James Lawrence]

James nodded when she repeated the question, directing it back to him. A simple nod that served its purpose; to confirm that that was what he meant. Nobody ever came up to just talk to him. There was always some sort of motive lingering, and he had no idea what Ella's intentions were. A second to breathe, to collect himself.

The colour had nearly faded entirely from his cheeks. James opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, she said something. Her words struck a chord with him, who wore a surprised expression for the millionth time. "I didn't say that," He corrected, brown eyes moving to meet the side of her face, where it was easier to look. Eye contact was too intense.

"I have no reason not to like you." James said, moving his gaze to the floor of the halls. If there was ever a time where he felt like a massive loser, this was it. Intimidated by a confident, gorgeous girl, who was talking to him. "It's just... nobody ever talks to me." He was sure that much was apparent, if someone like her even paid attention to the insignificant students such as himself. Surely, there were more important people to be concerned about.

"There might as well be an unwritten rule saying so." He took a shaky breath. "Girls.. like you, they don't associate with people like me." Was her entire purpose to embarrass him? In front of everyone? People continued to stare, and James walked, visibly uncomfortable.

[Ella Robbinson]

Ella pursed her lips as he all but called her out. Sure, he didn't say what she'd implied, but he didn't need to. Some things were articulated without direct verbal expression. Everyone knew that. And she was so rarely wrong; why start assuming she was now?

And she laughed a little when he pointed out that he didn't have a reason to dislike her. Of course he didn't. Who rightly did? Sure, she could be a little pushy and abrasive at times, but she knew where she stood on the proverbial social ladder, and she knew how unlikely it was that she'd be shaken from that place any time soon. He should have liked her. He probably did.

Her eyebrows furrowed as he continued. Some kind of unwritten rule. How she wasn't allowed to associate with him. A hot button issue, telling a hemokinetic what to do. Her heart rate started to heighten instinctively, like spiking on a chart just at the thought.

"Umm..." She drawled, rolling her eye instinctively, "I can if I want to. There's no stupid rule saying I shouldn't or I'm not allowed to. So don't act like there should be."

[James Lawrence]

Her response was snappy; James hadn't expected that. He expected her to agree, to say something along the lines of how someone like him was lucky she was talking to him. Taking precious time out of her day to talk to him. It was a conversation James had before; the highly elite of the student population treating it like some sort of game.

So, of course, he expected the same

It was enough to catch James off guard. Then again, anything remotely defensive had the capacity to knock him down. He caught the subtle change in her tone, the pivotal shift. She could do what she wanted. She could do anything.

He didn't answer for a minute, still not understanding the point. His silence spoke enough for the absence in words. James didn't hate her. But what did she gain from this moment? "Alright." He relented.

[Ella Robbinson]

Ella had hoped for some kind of definite response. She was waited for an explanation as to why he thought this was so weird. Maybe it would have worked wonders to bolster her already soaring ego. Or her confidence, which somehow surmounted her ego. There was some kind of resentment in the little response he offered, she was sure. She thought to call him out on it.

Instead, she went manic. Ella could have little moments where her mind wandered harder than her mouth would let her. Silence made her consider what she'd said and why he might take offence to it, but she couldn't figure out an instance where he might. He should be glad she was walking with him. Glad she was talking to him. But he just seemed so weird about it; not quite awe, but something she couldn't put her finger on.

"I mean, why wouldn't I?" She asked, genuinely.

[James Lawrence]

"For starters, you never showed any interest in talking to me before." James answered, averting his gaze back to the hallway floor. He bit down on his tongue, not afraid of saying more, but almost apprehensive about potential consequences to what he said. He had to be careful; someone with status, someone popular like Ella, could ruin him with the snap of her fingers.

And he didn't need any help sinking further. He was already low enough in the high school chain, acutely aware of what his peers thought about him. Whispers were never quiet enough.

"I just assumed you had better things to do." Better people to associate with; James didn't say that, but it was implied. "Just... nevermind." He shook his head.

[Ella Robbinson]

Ella nodded her head lightly to the side once when he gave her his first answer. Alright, so he might have had a point there, but she felt the rising urge to argue it anyway. After all, how did anyone start any kind of talking relationship if someone didn't take the initial leap? What was his deal anyway? Why was he so weird? So quiet and so shy. That wasn't what high school was about. Sticking to the walls was an absolutely useless mentality.

No one survived that way without a few harsh hits.

Shifting the books in her arm lightly, she freed a hand. Her steps stalled suddenly, and her fingers curled around his upper arm to get him to follow suit. To stop despite the number of eyes on them so she might take a closer look at the face he was giving her.

"Nevermind what?" She asked, quirking her eyebrows up once.

[James Lawrence]

Sticking to the walls was what James knew best; was his defence against the harsh reality of high school. Hiding was easier than getting back up from the fall, from his perspective. It was easier than listening to everyone laugh at him.

But someone like Ella would never understand.

He kept walking, not paying close enough attention to the shift in pace. What caught his attention was the connection bridged across them in the form of her taking hold of his arm. James stopped in his tracks, his gaze immediately drawn to her hand. Before James felt the gaze of the student population on him, he heard the whispers.

Attention. She always attracted attention. Walking down the hall was enough but to stop? To reach out?

James felt his cheeks burn, as the spotlight was on them. Her, mostly, but him by default. He exhaled, before finding the means to look up at her face. Her features. In their short conversation, he was already repeating himself a lot. But James couldn't help it; he was that stunned. "Nothing important." He hesitated. "I.. I have nothing to offer. No benefits. You gain nothing from talking to me. So, why?"

[Ella Robbinson]

His face was literally on fire at this point. Ella was hyper aware of the eyes on them - of the potential detrimental state it could put her in - but in that moment she didn't care. She did what she wanted in any given moment, and how people could analyse that was anyone's guess. Her hold on him loosened a little, but Ella refused to outrightly let go in the same instance.

"What, do you think this is supposed to be some kind of power play?" She asked, exhaling an amused breath at the idea. Because honestly, she had a good explanation to give. She had so little to gain from this interaction. Nothing, actually, except a questioning nature from everyone she knew. Everyone who was looking. People would wonder about him for a while, now. "Why would you assume I'm trying to get anything out of this?"