Peace and Quiet? (Harmony)

[Angela Chambers]

Despite the cold weather, outside was where Angie was spending most of her time. Since most of her classmates were staying inside because they considered it too cold, it gave her exactly what she loved most, the chance to be alone. Add the sketchbook that she was filling with doodles in her lap and this was quickly turning out to be probably the best day she’d had since starting here.

Of course, the cold was beginning to get to her too. Her nose and cheeks had been pink for the last several minutes. But she was so entirely against going back inside. With people. Loud people. In your face people. It was completely unappealing. So instead, in her fight to stay planted like the tree she was leaning against, she tugged one part of her scarf up to cover the lower half of her face.

Much better, she thought to herself. Though it really wasn’t. It was only the teeniest bit better. But lying to yourself wasn’t something she thought would ever come back to hurt her. It was more like… Optimism. If she told herself she was a lot warmer, then maybe she’d actually start to feel a lot warmer. Because that’s absolutely how it works.

Switching out her regular pencil for a light blue one in her pencil pouch, her shoulders hunched over as she worked more intensely on the picture that she’d only just started to bring to life in her book. After swirling the blue around in small circles, she switched that out for black, making even smaller circles within the blue ones.

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony was stomping around the grounds, grumbling to herself. Christmas hadn’t been exactly enjoyable, even with the thin truce she had Josef had established. Her mother had called, of course. But only to play twenty questions and give a lecture about living up to her expectations.

I’ve got some expectations of my own, she thought, kicking at a clump of grass. Like her leaving me alone for the next decade.

Her uncle kept saying she would get used to her new life. But so far her only feeling was that this one sucked as much as the old one had. Lame school. Lame students. Lame town. Lame family. Except now she didn’t even have her old friends to agree with her. Maybe her uncle would drive her to see them for a weekend.

She kicked at some more grass, sending dirt flying up towards another student. Looks like she wasn’t the only one who preferred the cold weather over the idiots inside. Harmony noticed she was doodling in a sketchbook and stepped closer to take a look. “Whatcha got there?”

[Angela Chambers]

Angie had been concentrating so hard on her drawing that she hadn’t heard somebody approach her at all. And the dirt that flew towards her went completely unnoticed too. The blue wasn’t the exact right shade, but she doubted she’d could get exactly right. But since it only needed to be slightly darker, she switched out the black for a slightly darker blue.

She was just grateful she was in the middle of switching out pencils when the person spoke. Surely, if she’d had the pencil against the paper, it would’ve cause a long streak across her picture because she was startled.

Thankfully, all she did was gasp and drop her pencil. Well, and she hugged her sketchbook to her chest. It had to be hidden. It was obvious from the voice that it wasn’t him, but what if this person knew him and told him?

“Oh uh… Nothing. J-just a drawing.” Doing her best to move too fast for her to see the sketch of a face, Angie closed the book and laid it in her lap. Finally looking up at the girl, she smiled timidly. “Hi… I’m Angie.” She was speaking louder than she normally did, she thought perhaps of the shock of being snuck up on. Despite being loud for her, she was still being fairly quiet.

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony smiled, seeing that she had started the other girl a little. She couldn’t wait to get her teleporting more under control so that she could really give people a start. What was the use of having ability if she couldn’t have a little fun with it now and then.

She caught a glimpse of what looked like a boys face in the book, but she wasn’t even positive of that. It was hard to get a good look as the girl closed it. “I’m not gonna say it’s a horrible drawing,” Harmony said, which wasn’t exactly the truth. If it was bad, she wouldn’t feel the need to say it wasn’t. “I’m just curious.

Ignoring the other girl’s attempt at an introduction, Harmony continued to reach for the sketchbook. “Awh come on,” she teased. “Why won’t ya let me see? You writing a love letter or something?” She tried to knock the book from Angie’s hands. “You might wanna get some critique before you show it to your boyfriend.”

[Angela Chambers]

“Oh… Uh…” Angie struggled to come up with an excuse as to why she closed it, other than she simply didn’t want this girl to see it. “I didn’t think you would… I-I’m just done working on it. For right now. Don’t want to… Don’t want to use up all my concentration.” Nodding as she looked up at the girl, she hoped she sounded at least a fraction more convincing than how she thought she sounded.

A blush covered Angie’s entire face as her eyes widened looking at the girl. “He’snotmyboyfriend.” Her words came out rushed and only slightly loud. Releasing just how… Attention grabbing that was, she tried to distract her from it. “And it’s most definitely not a love letter.” She added under her breath.

“So what’s your name?” She still had yet to meet many people here, so trying to be kind and make friends seemed like a good idea. “How long have you been at Hammel? I’ve only been here about two months. Still not quite sure how I feel about it though."

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony smirked at the other girl as she continued to hide her sketchbook and started to stutter a little. When she denied that the drawing was some sort of love letter, Harmony burst out laughing. “Awh, how cute,” she contined in her mocking tone. “He doesn’t know you have a crush on him yet.” She laughed again. “Be sure to leave a space for him to check ‘Yes’ or ‘Hell No’ at the bottom.”

She plopped down on the ground beside the girl, still trying to catch a glimpse of what was being hidden so desperately. “Don’t change the subject,” she said, not bothering to answer the girl’s questions. “I’m enjoying talking about your love connection.”

Harmony shoved the girl, a tad harder than playfully. “Come on, Lemme see. Or are ya scared?”

[Angela Chambers]

Angie’s face turned a very dark red. Her tone wasn’t exactly what somebody might call pleasant. And to be frank, the timid girl was rather uncomfortable. “I don’t have a crush.” She denied, though it was obvious she did. After all, she was drawing pictures of Bell in her sketchbook. “And even if I did,” the blonde started, trying her best to fain confidence. “I wouldn’t pass him a note to check a box.” But it was quickly dwindling, because she started to speak quieter, almost whispering when she said “Th-that’s just… immature.”

Flinching when the girl sat beside her, Angie realized this person wasn’t going to be leaving her alone anytime soon. The hope that she’d soon find another to torment had completely vanished. “There is no love connection.” Her voice sounding pleading. Why wouldn’t she just leave her alone? What had Angie ever done to her?

And then came the shove. And it brought back so much to Angie. It made her remember her last days at home with even more clarity then she normally did. Using her hands and feet scoot away quickly from Harmony with wide eyes, the sketchbook fell away from Angie. “Don’t touch me.” She said with a bite that surprised even herself. Her overreaction to a shove, that wasn’t entirely nice but not downright mean, would probably send up red flags to anybody that something was wrong with or had happened to this girl. And if that weren't enough, her scared eyes and the small tremors running through her should be.

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony was really enjoying herself. This girl was so pathetic it was hysterical, especially when the blushing in her cheeks seemed to take over her entire face. When the girl continued to deny, Harmony laughed. “Yeah right. You don’t have a crush, and I’m trying out for the NBA next season.”

When the girl snapped, Harmony was a bit surprised. But not in a way that made her want to lay off and give her fellow student some space. Instead Harmony continued to smirk, as the picked up the sketchbook lying out in the open. Ignoring the other girl’s obvious wishes to be left alone, Harmony started to flip through the sketches. “Well well,” she said. “Looks like someone’s a liar. Pants on fire?” She laughed at her own joke. “At least you’re not drawing stick figures. That would be totally lame.”

Harmony was actually impressed with the quality of the other girls drawings, not that she would admit it. “What did you say your name was again?” she asked the other girl, still flipping through the book. “Or should I just call ya lovebird?”

[Angela Chambers]

Angie found this girl to be much less than pleasant. Horribly so. Being mocked and made fun of wasn’t exactly her idea of fun. But apparently this girl thought so. But the blonde just found it to be awful. The way she was being treated and this girl. “Well I don’t know you, so you very well could be.” Angie said with more bite. She knew the logistics of the NBA. Basically, that grown men played it, not young girls. And when she realized her comment could be taken as Angie calling her a boy, she felt bad about it. Uncharacteristically though, she didn’t immediately take it back.

With a scowl planted on her face, Angie watched as this awful girl looked through her most private things. To her, her sketchbook was much like a diary. Some of her sketches were a bit darker in the emotions she wanted them to evoke. But mostly the pictures were filled with different drawings of Bell. “I am not a liar.” She grumbled, mostly in defeat. Because at this point it was nearly impossible to deny. But she would still try. “He’s just a friend.” Her chin found it’s way to the top on her knees to rest after she’d hugged her legs to her chest.

“Angie.” She didn’t even give the brunette the option of the name she preferred, Angela, believing she was undeserving of the option. Releasing her legs, Angie made a quick grab for her sketchbook. “And I would appreciate you not taking my things and looking at them without my permission.”

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony laughed at Angie’s pathetic comeback. “Are you really that gullible?” she asked. She didn’t interpret the comment as Angie calling her a boy, not that she would have taken much offense to that. She preferred her tomboy-ish status over being some wimpy girly girl. On the other hand, if this girl thought she was taking a break from the NBA to waste time here at Hammel then this school really was full of complete morons.

Continuing to flip through the sketchbook, Harmony saw that Angie was pretty talented, but that encouragement wasn’t her style. “Gee,” she said. “You really are obsessed. Maybe I should report this to a teacher. For this poor guy’s safety.” She grinned, glancing up to see how Angie’s reaction.

“Angie?” she said. Searching her brain for some sort of way to pick on that name. Harmony was jealous that everyone she had met so far in this place seemed to have normal names. Why did she have to be the only one with a weirdo hippie mother?

She was distracted by her thoughts enough that Angie was easily able to grab the sketchbook back from her. “Hey!” she yelled. “I wasn’t done with that. And who says I need your permission. Speaking of permission? Do you have that dude’s permission to ogle over him?”

[Angela Chambers]

With a scowl planted on Angie’s face, she realized she was beginning to develop a headache. She was so unused to be so run by her emotions that on the rare occasion they came along, her head developed a horrible pulsating all over. “No. I am not gullible.” She said, her voice ringing with finality that said she no longer wished to hear anymore of this girls mean and awful things. “I just didn’t think about what I was saying…” She added, in voice that was just a whisper.

“I am not obsessed. He happens to be a friend. And we’re together a lot…” Her scowl deepened and she huffed out in anger. How could somebody possibly think that Angie would every bring harm to anybody? Even now, with this girl who was angering her to point that she was shaking slightly, was completely safe. “I would never… He’s not in danger.”

Clinging her sketchbook back to her chest, Angie scrambled to stand up. “I don’t care if you weren’t done with it. And I say you need my permission. It’s my property. So keep your hands off.” Angie had never been this angry before. And in the heat of the moment, and heat of the intensity of her anger, her eyes began to water.

Straightening her back, Angie tried to project the confidence she was so desperately lacking. “You know what you are? You’re… You’re just mean! And a bully! A-and…” Angie had to stop for moment, biting her lip as hard as she could to keep the tears back that were threatening to spill over. “And I don’t like you!”

Almost instantly, she felt bad about saying that. But she wasn’t going to take it back either. But she could try to leave. And that’s exactly what she did, turned and hurried away.

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

Harmony continued to grin as Angie scowled in her direction. It made her feel proud to know that she had struck a chord in the other girl. Mission accomplished, she thought.

“Not in any danger?” Harmony said, starting to laugh. She looked Angie up and down, frowning and shaking her head as she did. “Guess you’re right about that.”

Her smile disappeared as Angie managed to get her sketchbook back. “Well at least I’m not some obsessed, love-sick artist,” she replied scowling. “And I’m exactly longing to be your best friend either!”

As the other girl hurried away, Harmony rose to her feet. “Where ya goin’?” she yelled after the retreating figure. “I was just startin’ to have some fun.” Kicking at the grass, she turned to leave in the other direction.

“Moron,” she mumbled as she walked away.