Not So Much Gratitude Than Attitude - Henry

[Haley Shapiro]

Haley trudged about the compound with bleary eyes, yawning every five seconds. It was a Sunday morning but she somehow found herself awake and without bothering to shower, she pulled on a sweater and had started walking about aimlessly.

It was her second month in Hammel and she still hated the place. She wasn't supposed to be here. Then again, without this place, she had nowhere else to go. She couldn't think about that. Not now.

She was still in no way in control of her powers and they were even more erratic now. One minute she's bending spoons and the next she's getting into trouble with bullies and her power goes kaput.

She also still didn't have any friends. Girls her age were...well...girls and Haley didn't know what to do with girls her age. The boys...they were lame. One had tried to tell her she was pretty if she scowled less and she had punched him in the gut. She was kind of glad that was on an off day.

As these thoughts ran in her head, she almost didn't see the looming figure ahead of her until she bounced back from him. She looked up and found that it was that tall dude who asked those bullies to desist. The one she had kicked in the shin. The one she still hadn't thanked yet for basically saving her life.

Haley sneered at him and stuffed her hands in her sweater pockets. "You stalking me or something?"

[Henry Ballo]

Henry was most certainly not stalking. He hadn’t even noticed her coming into the courtyard. This was because he was very focused on studying. For once.

Why did physics have to be so hard? Why was he even taking physics? Oh, certainly it would help him get into a better school. If he wanted that. Better meant expensive. Of course, better classes (and better grades in them) also meant more scholarships, which could also lead to affording better schools. That was a plus, right?

Not if it means physics. He could do this. He just had to--

He didn’t even move much when he felt someone very small run into him, didn’t acknowledge it, but just focused on his book, trying to figure out the formula for gravity, when the girl spoke. He finally looked up, eyes widening, and whirled around to look down at her. Way down.

Ah. It was the girl who had kicked him in the knee. After he’d helped her. The book snapped shut, and he tucked it under his arm to scowl down at her.

“No, you are stalking me,” he corrected. She still seemed so small and innocent….but he knew better now. Or, so he told himself. “I was just minding my own business. Are you here to kick me again, or shall I lie down and make it easier?”

A little bitter? Yes. Yes he is.

[Haley Shapiro]

"Psh, why would I bother?" She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and adopting a stern look. Quite frankly, she was glad the boy was even talking to her. She had a whole lot of apologising and thanking to do.

Not that she was going to admit that out loud.

"Well...I was minding my own business too. You suddenly showed up out of nowhere and made me bump into you." No, it really didn't make any sense but try telling that to an angry little girl who was really not a morning person.

When the older teen reminded Haley of 'the incident', Haley scuffed her shoe against the ground and avoided eye contact. She just couldn't look at him. She knew if she did, she'd just feel all guilty and she hated feeling guilty for anything. Even if it had solely been her fault.

"You're not funny, brah." She mumbled before apologising in the quietest of voices.

[Henry Ballo]

“I do not know,” he said, still irritable. “Why would you?” It wasn’t entirely her fault that he was so grumpy, he knew. It was this stupid physics test, or otherwise he would have been…well, not more polite, but maybe less rude. She was, after all, a young girl still. She didn’t deserve the tongue lashing he was giving her.

Even if she was able to hold her own.

He rolled his eyes at her statement and was going to return to his book, then stopped, because he’d just caught her mumble. He looked up from his book, then back down at her, shutting it once again.

“Excuse me? Did you just…?” His brows furrowed, and his eyes took in the shuffling feet, the guilty look, and sighed. Damn it, he never could turn down anyone who had that much of a hangdog look. So as much as he would have wanted her to squirm a little more…

“Apology accepted,” he said, equally quietly, then smiled, just a little. “But do you treat anyone who tries to help you like that? I do not find it a good way to continue on through life, you know.”

[Haley Shapiro]

Haley was finally realising that Henry had a funny way of talking. Sure, there had always been the whole "Desist" thing going on but then again, everyone else in this whole damn town had that problem probably. Using big words on little children. But this was a little more...different.

He basically said every single word out. She knew there was an English word for it, Miss Singleton had taught her just the other day...no. It doesn't matter what the word was because it was weird in and of itself. Something to do with contracts. Whatever.

She physically relaxed when she heard him accept her apology only to bristle back up at the sermon. "Oh so you do not? Really? Who are you, my father? You don't know my life. You don't know what's 'good' for me." She glared. She was almost tempted to kick his shin again.

Haley wanted to walk off but she was forced to admit to the fact that Henry was probably one of the few people she had actually interacted with who hasn't tried to stuff her head in the locker or shove her through a door just to see if it would leave a hole.

[Henry Ballo]

Prickly, wasn’t she? As a man who still thought he had some temper problems, he couldn’t blame her for it. Or…couldn’t blame her for it much. But in answer to his own question: yes, she did seem to take everything personally, even if it wasn’t meant as such. Henry was beginning to regret ever leaving his room, especially coming out here. What was the point of talking to her if she took everything personally?

“I am not your father,” he agreed, voice bland but words clipped. “But I was not trying to order you to do anything, do you see? I was making a joke, but I do not have time to explain this to you. I am trying to study. So if you insist on getting angry at every little thing I say, please let me be and kick a tree so you can leave my poor knee alone.”

And with that, he sat back down on the bench, opened the book, and returned to the baffling book that was physics. It wasn’t so much that he was angry. He wasn’t. Exasperated? Oh yes. But he was nervous. Perhaps it can be forgiven.

A little.

[Haley Shapiro]

"Yeah, well...your joke sucks, hombre. Just keepin' it real or whatever." Haley said, her previous anger seemingly dissipating. After years of pissing people off, she knew when someone had had enough of her antics and this was that instance. She really shouldn't be pissing people off at this stage. She needed allies and this giant of a boy would prove to be worthy of just that. She needed him on her side.

"Augh, I'm sorry alright? How many times do I have to apologise to this dude?" She whispered mostly to herself before spitting into her hand and extending it to him. "Truce?" the girl asked, not looking at him.

[Henry Ballo]

“Right,” Henry sighed, and then returned to his paperwork, shaking his head and dismissing her completely. Or perhaps not so completely, because his eyes flickered up to Haley as she apologized. His eyebrows rose, and he nodded slowly to her words. Then, when she spat into her hand, his brows climbed, but then he shrugged his shoulders. Well, he’d done worse. The one time when he’d cut open his hand to pledge blood-brothers with another boy came vividly to mind. So he spat into his hand and took hers in a firm shake.

Well, not really took. More like…enveloped.

“Truce,” he agreed with a nod. “But I would not do that with most people. It might worry them.”

[Haley Shapiro]

She turned just in time to see Henry spit into his hand and instantly, Haley grinned. Spit brothers for life!

She shook his hand vigorously before making a sound like a balloon deflating. "Worry schmorry. It's just germs. They're good for your immune system or whatever." She pulled her hand out of the handshake and jumped up to the bench Henry was occupying and flipped through his books.

"So what are you working on? Homework? How lame." Like a switch, Haley suddenly became chatty. "Dude, you like popcorn? I do. Can you make some for me? My stomach's kind of empty-oh DUDE let's go to the canteen and steal some crusty sandwiches or something." She was still flipping through Henry's book as she looked up at him with a huge grin.

[Henry Ballo]

Henry blinked at the noise, and then at the words, and watched as she then climbed up onto the bench to start rustling through her books. With her…spit covered hand. Hm. But he couldn’t say anything in protest because she was talking. Fast.

Was that all it had taken? A bit of spit and a handshake? Really? He found it hard to believe. But at the same time…she was so small that it was kind of adorable.

Even though she seemed to be signing him up for cooking and stealing.

“Canteen?” he repeated blankly. “Why would we want crusty sandwiches? Haley, if you really are that hungry, I think I shall make you lunch.”

Wait. No, that wasn’t what was supposed to come out. It was supposed to have gone along the lines of, “Go away, you tiny thing, I need to study.” Or something more polite. But the way she grinned was just like his younger brother, and it seemed to trigger something instinctual inside his head that had him saying “whatever you want.”

Smitten? Yes. Yes he is.

He leaned over to grab the book from her and shut it, then tucked it under his arm and rose. “What is it you like to eat, then? And do not say popcorn. If you are truly hungry, then popcorn will not help. You need something to..." He eyed her and smiled. Just a little. "Help you grow more."

[Haley Shapiro]

At the mention of lunch, Haley perked up and nodded. "Yes. Totally." With her head still bobbing up and down with enthusiasm, Haley grinned widely at Henry, like their spat before didn't even happen. "I'm very hungry." She patted her stomach a few times before rubbing it.

Haley couldn't have realised exactly what exactly was happening. It could have been the whole not having friends thing or it could have been her empty stomach. Either way, Henry was suddenly her big brother and he was going to make her lunch.

When Henry asked what she liked to eat, her instant reply was "Popco-" before he warned her not to. "Oh come on, popcorn is-" she was interrupted once more when Henry teased her. "You did not just go there!" Haley gasped before getting up to the table from the bench and jumping on Henry's back. "I'm still a kid, dude." She reached a foot down to kick his butt a little.

She jumped down to the ground and nudged him lightly. Or what she thought was lightly. "Such an ass. So, what can you make? I thought boys didn't know how to cook."

[Henry Ballo]

“Of course you are.” Henry’s smile was growing now, to the point where he almost grinned back at Haley. Almost. Unlike Haley, he’s not that forgiving, and besides: it’s going to take a lot of work for this boy to ever fully relax. “You are a growing young g—woman.” There. Flattery might spare his shins after all.

He did grin, though, when she protested his ban, and found himself laughing outright as she jumped onto his back. “Hey now!” He caught her leg to stop her from doing that and grabbed her arms, spinning a bit before he let her drop down to the ground. He was still laughing, a deep sound that seemed a bit rusty from disuse. But he ran a hand over his head and grinned down at her.

“Now do not start swearing.” He shook his head, smile turning into a frown. “It is a bad habit. But yes, I can cook. I was cooking when I was younger than you. I can do pasta. Hamburgers, some Botswanan dishes…” His lips twitched into a smirk again. “Vegetables. What do you want?”

[Haley Shapiro]

Haley scrunched her nose up in mock disgust when he called her a young woman. Oh, no Henry. Your shins might not be all that safe. But Haley did nothing in retaliation, surprisingly. She seemed to have taken a liking towards the hulking teenager. "Yeah, whatever." She rolled her big hazel eyes, hiding a smile.

"Whoa!" She squealed when she was spun around and dropped to the ground. His laugh made her grin widely before she rolled her eyes once more at his reprimand. "You can't tell me you've never done it before. That would be lying. You're not a liar are ya, Hen?" She looked up at him with a mischievous grin.

"Well, you're a weird dude, aren't ya?" She laughed obnoxiously. "Ew, veggies?" Haley stuck her tongue out in actual disgust this time. "Dude, greens are for cows and goats. Do I look like I can produce cheese? Oh man, cheese. Hamburgers. I want hamburgers with lot of cheese and meat." She nodded decisively. "So where do you cook? Do you like, bribe the cooks or something?"

[Henry Ballo]

Hm. She didn’t like being called something older than she was? Well, that was fine. He could manage with it. It just surprised him, that was all. He wasn’t used to anyone not liking to view themselves as older.

“I am a terrible liar,” he told her, completely straight-faced. “But no. I cannot tell you I have never sworn. But it is a very bad habit, and you are far too young to do so. Besides, if you continue, I will not give you some of the candy I keep in my room after lunch.”

He probably would anyways. Henry is that much of a soft-hearted wuss.

He nodded when she asked if he was weird, then laughed again as she stuck out her tongue at him. “Oh, I do not know. Continue with the tongue and I might, yes. I did not bribe the cooks—I simply asked them. They are fairly good-natured and do not seem to mind. But…” He shrugged. “It is also amazing what you can do with a microwave. Or a camping stove smuggled in.” He coughed, then offered her his arm. “Shall we? Or would you prefer I carry you again?”

[Haley Shapiro]

At the mention of candy, Haley perked up with a huge grin. "Do you have chocolate? It's the only candy worth eating." She nodded decisively, conveniently not following up his remark about swearing. If she didn't say anything, she wouldn't have to promise anything, which is more than fine with her.

When Henry admitted to being weird, Haley chuckled. So the guy wasn't such a stuck-up douche. This was a good thing! Even though he did use big words she didn't understand.

Haley laughed and jumped on to Henry's back when he asked. "Hey, who am I to complain when I get free piggyback rides?" She held on tight to Henry's shoulder.

I'm trusting you, big guy. Don't let me fall.