Emotions Be Damned [open]

[Zara Montgomery]

She hated it here. She wanted to be at home, where she could talk to the dead her brother and her mother. It didn't matter that she was progressing here greatly. It didn't matter that here, she was staying away from her fathers threats of sending her to an asylum. It didn't matter that she was probably a lot happier away from home than she was at home. Because here, she couldn't contact Sebastian. She couldn't talk to him about the boy that wouldn't stop staring at her and listen to him go on about how he would beat the shit out of that kid. Here, she couldn't cry to her mother about clothes and dresses. They were dead. But it didn't feel like it when she was at home. She wasn't lonely when she was at home.

Sure, this had resulted in kind of an obsession (an unhealthy one, at that), but at least she could communicate with the two most important dead people to her. Here at Hammel, she was trapped. She was trapped and forced to train and control her powers. It wasn't like she was out of control and causing mayhem. Was it really necessary for her to train like this? She was grateful for her powers, without it she felt like she would have truly gone insane after the car accident.

So this wasn't technically a bad thing. Not nearly as bad as her father had first made out to be. Of course, he had believed that she was insane (Zara did at first, too). She didn't mind being insane if it meant being with Mother and Sebastian. Though Father seemed to mind it a lot more than she did. He had always worried about the public and what others thought of them and that's what frustrated her the most. The two weren't close in the first place-- but this had driven a deeper hole between them. Zara began to dislike her father more and more every day.

It was supposed to be good news, knowing that she wasn't insane. That she wasn't just hearing and seeing things. That she was actually talking to the dead. That she was a meta-human. But instead, Mister Montgomery only worsened. He called her unnatural and refused to even look at her. Even then, Zara didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave fore Hammel (despite the fact that it was obviously a better place for her). It didn't matter that her Father was disgusted of her. She didn't need him anyway.

In the end though, she ended up going. Because even she wasn't that stubborn (it's not like she had a choice in the first place). Sebastian thought it would be best too. He had promised to be there when she got back and that's what Zara kept looking forward to.

Most of the time here at Hammel, Zara liked reading. Their library was large and full of interesting books. Today she was rereading Wuthering Heights, sitting on a bench in her vintage style polka-dot dress with silver braided gladiator sandals.

Hey, she could endure another few years of staying here, right?

hey it’s, done!
cause you’re awesome, open
they’re all, 525
i love them, template @ + stockholm syndrome / lyrics @ the script *live like we’re dying
just letting you know, “ This really sucks. I just need to get used to playing Zara like this ”

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac had nothing to do. Yes, you’ve read that right: Zac had virtually nothing to do. So ’nothing’ in fact, that he had time to finish all the school stuff he needs to do, even the projects that are due three weeks from now – which is actually saying something since Zac is known to be the perpetual crammer. He’d check every site on the internet (well, not every site, but you get the picture) and even had time to drop by on a video conference with his dad and the board members of their company. There were no good television programs at the moment and his phone hasn’t arrived yet (he just destroyed his old one a couple of days back). Nothing left but to wander aimlessly around Hammel grounds.

He tried the library but it was much too stuffy, with a lot of people going in and out. “I blame the midterms coming soon,” he mumbled. He had no more class for the day and the training rooms are all but full. Almost out of options, he decided to head over the ever-so-eventful courtyard. “Something’s bound to happen there,” he told himself. An out-of-control newbie, a fist fight between weirdoes or simply people having fun waiting to be messed upon, he’s hoping he could find something to do when he gets there.

And he was right. The weather was the perfect mix of being windy and sunny to entice people to spend the rest of their day on the majestic courtyard grounds. The sun was perfect, lighting every nook and cranny, giving the place a relaxing green glow. The wind, blowing with such a cool breeze, created gentle waves with the grass, making it appear like the ocean in a calm day. Clouds and trees combined to give the place enough shade. Good thing the courtyard was large else people wouldn’t even have room to breathe. Students were up and about, running, laughing, playing, relaxing.

In the corner of his eye, he caught a familiar figure silently reading a book on a nearby bench. He silently approached the lady, hoping to play a trick on her.

Zac shared many similarities with Zara. They both came from illustrious families and both lost their mothers to some car accidents. They’ve both been in Hammel for a good four years, so it would be a bit weird to say that they don’t know each other. They met at a party once, but wasn’t in speaking terms until after they entered Hammel. Zac even tried to hit on Zara, but despite her riding along, therefore sending mixed signals to Zac, she made it quite clear that she wasn’t really into him. Zac reasoned that they may have been a little too similar, hence their personalities clashing every so often, so it would be better that they would remain friends. But that doesn’t mean Zac doesn’t flirt with Zara still every so often.

He silently approached the lady, coming in from her back. When he somehow made sure that she didn’t know he was behind her, he jumped in, covering her eyes with his hands. He smirked, feeling oh-so-proud of himself. “Guess who,” he said playfully.

[Zara Montgomery]

It was rare to see Zara smile. And to see her smile at a person was even more rare. See, she's not really a social person exactly. Zara tends to stray clear of the crowd but not for the reasons one would think. She's not shy-- oh not at all. In fact, Zara will be more than happy to voice her opinion if you ask her. She just doesn't find most people very interesting. They were rather repetitive and boring and annoying. She stayed away from people because she'd rather spend her time alone than talking to people who only looked at her father's wealth, because she had a vagina or anything else that was typical. She had seen it all. They all kept on this mask and she hated it.

It was different, talking to the dead though. Believe it or not, but death seemed to have made people more... decent. Zara found talking to spirits was far more entertaining and time-worthy than talking to the living.

(She also felt like she could be more open with them because, hey, they were dead, who the hell were they going to tell?)

Most of them were wise thus Zara felt like she could also listen to them without wanting to (re)murder them. She liked hearing their stories albeit they were really depressing half the time. (Of course, they're depressing Zara you're talking to ghosts. Dead people. Death is depressing.)

But there were a handful of living people that Zara could stand to be around. Zachary was one of the lucky few. The two had met quite a while ago at one of those parties that her father attended and dragged her to. Of course, they didn't actually speak much then. That came later on, at Hammel. She found him not that bad. She could actually admit that she enjoyed Zac's company. Not only that, but there was definitely some sort of attraction (though Zara wasn't exactly ready to admit that). Something was there. And although Zara had sent him signals about staying just friends, there were many times where she flirted with him (hey, she's a girl, she's allowed to be confusing). The point was, she wasn't sure if she was ready for a long term relationship or anything even close to that just yet. There was a voice at the back of her head that said she needed to get herself out there, she was seventeen and never once had a steady boyfriend. Maybe that was her mother talking. Either way, it was a small voice. One that she could ignore for now.

He had caught her off-guard (she gets lost in books, it's the one place she doesn't have to worry about) and caused her to inhale sharply to avoid letting out a yelp. But as soon as she realized who it could be (who else could it possibly be?), she smiled (that rare smile).

"Zac.

[/color]" The smile widened, automatically lifting one hand off of her book and raising it to his, teasingly pushing his hand away and turning her head to look up at him. "Hey, you.[/color]"
[/blockquote][/blockquote]

hey it’s, done!
cause you’re awesome, Zac
they’re all, 517
i love them, template @ + stockholm syndrome / lyrics @ the script *live like we’re dying
just letting you know, “ This really sucks. I just need to get used to playing Zara like this ”

[/sub]

[Zachary LaRousse]

“Oh pshaw,” Zac laughed, quickly evading Zara’s hand, “Is my voice really that predictable? Maybe I should try to find a mammal with a different vocal range then. Like a bat or a giraffe perhaps?”

Zac felt nice seeing Zara smiling and enjoying herself as she did right now. Before they became friends, Zac saw Zara as this cold girl who’ll first sentence to you would be to tell you how irritating you are acting or how bad your dress fits you, followed by a huff, a quick swish of her hair and a final glare before turning around and walking away. But for some reason, her snobbish nature only drew Zac even closer.

It actually took more than what Zac usually does to get Zara to smile at him so casually. In their early days, Zara responded more with huffs and glares than his and hellos. He was surprised that his usual LaRousse moves, as he’d like to call it, made no effect whatsoever on Zara while any other girl would’ve fainted with infatuation right there and then. He tried to revise it a couple of times, try other moves or simply repeat what he did before. Zac almost lost his (self-proclaimed) ’smooth player’ image but still, Zara was all but elusive. She was stone cold despite Zac’s best efforts. Still, he tried. Perhaps it was genuine attraction (which Zac rarely felt) or just extreme vanity (as Zara resembled Zac, personality-wise), but nonetheless, Zac went day and night to get closer to Zara.

That’s why Zac almost threw a party the day Zara smiled back at him casually. He somehow forgot what he did for Zara to smile at him like that, but it happened. He almost shouted for joy in front of her had he not thought that she’ll look like a dork celebrating like that.

Sure they didn’t end up together, causing quite a heartbreak for Zac, but at least they became friends. Not best friends, but still good friends. It was nice to have someone who came from the same background and experienced similar ordeals. She really understands Zac, and with her witty and sarcastic ways, tells Zac the things he needs to hear, whether it be positive or not (mostly the latter). And besides, being good friends can give an excuse to flirt with her some times, albeit playfully. After all, his affection for Zara has all but transformed into a platonic sense, right?

“So, watcha reading?” he asked, jumping from the back of the bench to sit beside Zara. He bent over quickly to read the book’s cover. “Wuthering Heights again?” he said, giggling, “How many times have you read that book? 2? 3? 10?” While Zac was once quite the bookworm himself (he rarely has time to read now), he preferred to stay away from those considered as classics, claims the language is too much for him to understand. He prefers modern day works, especially those dealing with sci-fi, magics or anything not considered normal by the average human being. “The Wicked series is a good read,” he said, idly stretching his arms atop the back of the bench.

[Zara Montgomery]

Despite what she might claim, Zara was glad she had Zac. It really was hard to actually go through life on your own (even if you asked her, she would stubbornly refuse and tell you she was perfectly happy with just talking to the dead). Having Zac as a friend probably helped a lot of her out of most of her downs. She felt like she could actually trust him with a lot of what she went through and experienced. They shared so many things. Same up-bringing, same life-style and the same tragedies. How long could she keep herself locked up for anyway? She was bound to explode if she did.

And she couldn't let that happen. Exploding meant a mess. And she couldn't be a mess. She might not completely fit in with the rich kids but it had effected her (how could it not? She had grown up like this). Like her choice in clothing. She liked dressing up, that much was clear to most people around her and she liked looking nice. Another trait was keeping your head held high and keeping yourself composed. Which meant, no mess. She had an image to keep up and being a hot mess wasn't part of the job description.

So the point was, she was grateful to have a friend like Zac. Because she too, felt that he could understand her. And she knew that he was noticing how she was slowly opening up over the years they had known each other. She could speak more carelessly around him now, smile more often. And it came naturally (really shocking, isn't it?). But why was it that, that small voice in the back of her head always seemed to start yapping when he appeared? Why did it keep pointing out how easy it was to be happy around him? Why was that voice demanding so much attention? It was easier to ignore when he wasn't around. But right now, it was talking again. Telling her how she needed to put that book down and start paying attention to other things.

But yes, it was clear that Zara has grown very fond of Zac (just ask that voice in the back of her head). Even her father had heard about him over a phone call. Normally, she doesn't like talking to her father much at all. He calls her once a month though, trying to keep what's left of the family alive, she guessed. He never did get past the formalities however. Hello, Zara. How are you? How is school going? Did you make any friends? It did bother her a bit, although she would never actually talk in depth with him even if he tried. But if he tried, she would know that he cared, right?

"That wouldn't work.

[/color]" Zara answered, shaking her head, the smile never wavering. "I'd still be able to tell it was you.[/color]" She assured him with a small chuckle.

She glanced down at her book before looking back over at him, shrugging. "Seventeenth, actually.[/color]" She smirked. Zara on the other hand, loved reading classics. She enjoyed the more modern books as well, but there was something about the older books that caught her interest. And no matter how many times she read a book, she never felt the need to put it down. "Huh. Is it? I may have heard of it. Tell me about the series.[/color]" She mused, leaning against the back of the bench, the smile reappearing after closing the book and returning her gaze at him.
[/blockquote][/blockquote]

hey it’s, done!
cause you’re awesome, Zac
they’re all, 589
i love them, template @ + stockholm syndrome / lyrics @ the script *live like we’re dying
just letting you know, “ This really sucks. I just need to get used to playing Zara like this ”

[/sub]

[Zachary LaRousse]

“My gawd Zara,” Zac teased, “Knowing it’s me no matter what voice I use? That’s already Stage2 of what they call the Zachary LaRousse obsession,” He gave Zara a playful pat on the head. “Don’t worry, it’s normal,” he chuckled, “You’re a girl and I’m hot. I can’t really help it. I’m His gift to womankind (and occasionally, mankind too). Exuding this manly allure is all but natural for me. So being attracted to me is all but normal too. So you shouldn’t worry, you’re not weird or anything.” Being good friends with Zara entailed the occasional (or should I say usual?) teasing, which usually borders on Zac’s innate vanity.

“As far as I know, almost the whole school’s has been infected. Yup yup, the whole school,” he added, emphasizing the word ‘whole’ to give quite a dramatic effect. He looked around and nodded, saying as if the people around them are proof to the existence of such a syndrome. “I think they even made a Zacharians Anonymous to help those who are at Stage5 or something already,” he said in a know-it-all tone, “I hear they’re even outnumbering the Alcoholics Anonymous centers or something. Scary and flattering all at the same time really.”

“But don’t worry,” he said, patting Zara on the shoulders, “You’re a long ways off from Stage5, which is the deadly obsession type. According to the experts, up until Stage3, you’re still fine. A healthy amount of obsession is good for you.” Zac then stood up and proceeded to do quite a number of acrobatic acts, like somersaults, cartwheels and back flips, on the courtyard shouting “Zara’s obsessed with me. Zara’s obsessed with me,” in a playful, childish voice.

He would’ve continued his childish teasing had he not slipped on a rock when he was about to make his fourth cartwheel, landing flat on his back with a loud thud. “Oww,” he said, rubbing his back while trying to stand up. “Screw you, you little rock you,” he mumbled, kicking the small rock with all his strength and anger. “You’ve caused me much disgrace you know,” he whispered, as his ego got more bruised than his back.

Zac walked back towards the bench with a smile, shrugging off his failed acrobatic showcase with a laugh. “That went well don’t you think?” he joked as he sat beside Zara, a bit tired and sweaty. He unconsciously spread his arms over the length of the table and threw his head up, panting like crazy.

“Seventeen?! Are you freakin’ serious?” he said with a combination of surprise and amusement, “I can’t even read the same novel twice!” He gave out a hearty laugh, trying to mask the fact that he’s struggling to answer coherently as his body’s still recovering from the oxygen loss a while back. “I mean, I can try to read a novel again, but I’d most likely be bored with the non-action scenes and skip to the parts where I know I’d find some action,” he explained, brain slowly functioning back to normal.

“As for Wicked,” he continued, “Well, it’s basically the retelling of the ever-so-popular Wizard of Oz. But this time, the Witch of the West is the protagonist. And the characters are pictured differently. It’s amazing really. Liked it better than the original.” He stopped for a bit, noticing that he’s talking a lot more than he ought to be. “What’s with Wuthering Houses anyway,” he asked, trying to shift the course of the conversation, “that is has gotten you reading and rereading it for seventeen times already?”