Just a little road bump (Andi)

[Ethan White]

Ethan never really liked how Hammel’s breaks work differently than normal. At first he liked teasing his siblings about having a longer summer break than them, but after a while, he realized that though they may have shorter breaks, combined together, they’re a whole lot longer than his. The odd and usually conflicting schedule between him and them also means that he is usually left whenever they go somewhere else on vacation. He had exams in the local high school when they went to Hong Kong, basketball semi-finals while they were in France and was lost in UVM while they were out tanning in the Caribbean.

But the worst part about having a different schedule is that he’s usually the one that ends up being quite the errand boy.

Take today for example. With his friends off somewhere else, the teen found himself on the couch once more, too lazy to walk around or exercise so instead he’s out playing video games. As it was his father forgot a stack of essays that he needs to return so his students can revise them and submit another one, so in the middle of a boss battle, his phone suddenly rings and he’s instructed to go and bring it there. Within the hour at that.

Groaning, Ethan simply threw on a plain shirt and slipped on a pair of shorts, went to the basement to grab his father’s stuff and drove to the Institute. Maneuvering within the convoluted hallways wouldn’t have been so tough since the boy’s been running around the halls since he was eight (or younger), but with a huge stack of papers in front of him, dodging the rowdy metas while balancing the said pile proved to be quite the feat.

“What the fu-“ growled the boy when he bumped into someone, causing him to fall on his bum as the essays flew in all directions. “Seriously?”

[Andi Thalis]

Andi never really liked essays.

She hated writing in general. All those words, and the subjects, tended to fuddle with her brain. She liked typing them, because she could listen to her music and type at the same time, but those handwritten essays? They were a pain in the neck. They made her so mad that she had already lost control and blew up three pencils, making the class laugh and the teacher send her to do some errands to make up for the distraction in his class. She wore a grey tank top over some khaki shorts and some normal flip flops, earbuds in her ears as she walked down the hall.

However, as her luck would have it, she looked down to change the song just as she bumped into someone. Yelping as she landed on her bum, her backpack keeping her from landing on her back, her earbuds fell out as well, letting her hear the other person’s voice. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking,” she told him, moving her hair out of her eyes.

Hello, gorgeous.

“I am so sorry," she apologized again, moving to kneel as she picked up pieces of paper to help the other guy. She saw them to be essays and frowned before neatly stacking them.

[Ethan White]

Had this been like any other encounter, Ethan would’ve let out a torrent of curses that could and would probably make a sailor shrink in shame. No matter how hard his parents tried to raise him in an environment where cursing is not tolerated at all, the mannerisms one picks out from his peers is just a bit too much to control. The slight pain on his bum and the scattering of the papers, in addition to prior grumpiness he was feeling due to the whole I-was-relaxing-till-you-called scenario, would’ve caused quite the volcano to erupt.

Thank goodness Andi was hot.

Ethan had just collected and stacked the few that were close to him and was about to send hell unto his ‘attacker’ when he saw her. As it was, he stopped in his tracks for a split-second, stunned by the sight in front of him. “It’s all good,” his tone quickly changed, throwing traces of anger and distaste away and replacing it with a sweet, mellow one, “My fault I wasn’t looking too.” He would’ve made a comment about being distracted by the sight of her, but the fact that neither of them saw each other prior to bumping (or at least he assumes that) renders the retort senseless.

Kneeling on his knees, he reached out for the few wayward papers and started forming a stack in front of him. “Thanks for helping,” he grinned, flashing his supposedly thousand-watt smile (did he remember to brush before going here anyway?), “Three or four classes worth of essays, all a minimum of 850 words each. Dad’s a pain in the ass really.” No harm filling her in on what she’s stacking anyway right? “At the risk of sounding like a total creep, you don’t go here right? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I’d remember a pretty face when I see it.”

Not exactly smooth as he would’ve planned it, but hey, it’d do. He’s already swept her off her feet (in a way) after all.

ooc:
Late. Sorry. D;
- Jam

[Andi Thalis]

She was busy stacking essays when she heard his voice. Slightly surprised by the kindness in the voice, she looked up with her pile of essays in hand and gazed at the handsome boy. He had features that were familiar, although she couldn’t place them yet. “No problem,” she replied, handing him her stack as she gathered her iPod and earbuds and straightened herself so that she looked less than ruffled. She caught his smile and a matching one appeared on her face, shining white teeth flashing in the light.

His next comment made her look at him a little bit more, and she could see the features more clearly…“You’re Mr. White’s son, Ethan, right?” she asked curiously. She knew he was the only one of the White clan who didn’t have powers, which was why she hadn’t seen his face around Hammel. “Your dad is mean to us who don’t like essays.” She winked in good nature. “Yeah, I’m a meta here, sorry,” she apologized, not wanting to raise his hopes. His next comment made peach flush her face in a blush.

She stood and walked over to him, offering her hand. “My name’s Andi. I’m sorry I ran into you, I guess I was distracted by my music and having thoughts about pranking your father,” she told him, smiling again. “I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.”

[Ethan White]

Ethan muttered a silent ‘Thanks’ when she placed the stack on his hand, the floor a whole lot neater within moments. Two heads are definitely better than one. (Or four hands than two, but hey). “Don’t worry. You still look pretty even if a strand or two’s out of place,” he grinned, trying to resist the temptation to flirt but clearly failing, “Prim and proper’s out the window anyway. Looking just a tad bit shagged makes you seem a whole lot sexier. Trust me, I know.” Poor choice of words? N’aww. Carefully placed, if any really.

“Yeah. I’m his prodigal son who isn’t thinking of returning anytime soon,” chuckled the boy. Yes it makes no sense, but who cares. He was rather surprised (and a bit proud) that she knows him though. His father didn’t say anything about telling his class about him (not that he needed to anyway). Or maybe she’s talked to Chris or Brea? Then again, they always said he had his father’s eyes. Not that he’s complaining though. “He’s mean even to those who likes working on essays. You know I never got even a B- whenever he checks my essays? But when I submit it to my actual teacher, they’re always at least an A-.”

He was a little surprised when she offered her hand (he was supposed to be the one doing it after all), but took it nonetheless; the pile made standing up a little too hard for comfort. “I’ve been through much worse. And besides, I have an iron butt.”

Normally he’d give her a little bow and be on his way already, but she was just too damn hot to let go that easily. “So, are you going somewhere Andi? Classes over and all that? I’m just dropping this off my dad’s room anyway.” He’s totally not a creeper. Not at all.

[Andi Thalis]

Oh, he was a flirt. She was too, a part of her nature like her skin or dark hair. His grin was friendly, flirty and tempting to press a kiss to its corners, and Andi couldn’t help but smile back at him. “Well, I hate essays overall in general, it’s nothing against Professor White,” she told him as she helped him up, the warmth of his hand making her temperature spike up in warning. Strong emotion triggered her powers, but it was just the touch of his hand. Good thing he wore no rings or watches, or else she would have let go.

As it was, she held onto it a bit longer than she should have, releasing his fingers with a reluctant swish as her hand fell back to her side. Her other hand tucked strands of her hair behind her ear, while her hazel eyes looked up at him. “My classes are done for the day, yeah,” she replied to his question, smiling a bit. “I was just heading off…to do…something, I can’t remember.” Actually, she had been heading back to her room to try and relax for the rest of the day, but she was suddenly glad for this bump in the hall.

“I could come with you if you wanted, to drop the papers off,” she added with another smile. Thalis, you’re practically throwing yourself at this boy. You’ve had your fun with Lukas, and then it was Matt with the coffee shop and Jace at the club. Another one? She ignored the voice in her head and looked at the taller guy. “It’s not like I’m doing anything now, and I’m sure your father would like to see me doing…something productive.”

[Ethan White]

“You do know that it’s perfectly fine to talk trash about my dad? That you don’t have to sugarcoat it around me and all that?” His other friends from Hammel do it all the time; he used to be a little bit iffy about it (this was his dad they’re talking about after all) but he slowly learned to just deal with it. They do know their boundaries and are careful about crossing lines, so no harm done. He even joins them from time to time. “And besides, I don’t think I can rat a lovely girl like you out to my dad anyway.”

He did feel that she held her hand longer than needed, making him grin rather smugly. He quickly forced himself not to gloat about it though; the last thing he needs is to be thought of as a guy too full of himself. While he is confident of who he is and whatnot, he’s not that confident. “You forgot? Ha. Please don’t tell me it’s because of my eyes or else I’d think I’ve developed powers this late in my life,” he chuckled.

“You would? That’s great. Promise it won’t take long,” grinned the teen, happily leading the way to his father’s room. Fortunately this time he didn’t bump into anyone. He snickered slightly at her last statement, barely containing himself. “‘Doing…something productive’? I’m not ‘something productive’ am I?” Then he remembered that he wasn’t in college and that she’s, more likely than not, a minor. “Forgive my crude language,” he quickly added, hoping to save his skin, “Force of habit.”

He motioned for Andi that she can stay outside the room while he gives the papers to his dad if she pleases. “You should’ve been here-” “-fifteen minutes ago. I know. You shouldn’t be using your son as an errand boy either.” Not that his relationship with his father was strained; Andi just caught them in a bad day. Ethan didn’t appreciate being disturbed in the middle of his relaxation back home, Adam didn’t appreciate being talked back to.

After a few minutes later, Ethan kissed his dad goodbye and hurriedly went out. “So, coffee? Or did every guy in your class already take you out to Kali’s so you’d want something different, like say ice cream and frozen yogurt?”

[Andi Thalis]

“I didn’t know you were that kind of person, Ethan,” she told him as she walked by his side, a bit of color sweeping into her cheeks when he complimented her again. Yes, Andi knew she was gorgeous; more than once, she got a confession of love from some underclassman who thought they had a chance with her. “Most people are…choosy when people talk about their parents.” She chanced a glance at his profile and liked what she saw; he looked normal enough.

She laughed gently. “Yes, Ethan, I forgot the plans for the rest of my evening because I gazed into your eyes, saw something there that made me forget, and look at you like a lovestruck little girl,” she retorted, sending him a wink. This playful flirting, she could manage with almost everyone she came into contact with; it was the ones who looked deeper under her skin that really scared her. “And only if you’re very lucky will you become ‘something productive’,” she added just as they reached Mr. White’s classroom. Andi stopped at the corner of the door, not wanting to get between father and son.

She listened to their interaction and bit her bottom lip to keep from saying anything. Was Mr. White like this around his only powerless child, or was it a bad day? She waited patiently until he returned, smiling at him as he offered to take her anywhere. She laughed gently as she walked alongside him, the sound transforming her face from beautiful to breathtaking. It was like the stars sparkled in her eyes and the sun shone from her smile when she laughed.

“I wouldn’t mind going to Kali’s,” she told him truthfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She had left it unbound, and so it hung in tousled waves and curls down to the middle of her back. “And ice cream and frozen yogurt sounds good too. You present difficult choices, Ethan.” She pretended to think about it, touching her pouty bottom lip with her index finger before she looked at him. “Ice cream!” she declared, smiling.

[Ethan White]

Ethan simply shrugged Andi’s compliment off (or at least he thinks it was a compliment), happily grinning over his shoulder as they walked along the halls. He doesn’t really think that it was all too big of an issue anyway, not to mention he’s fairly sure Andi doesn’t like guys who gush over every single good thing she says about them. He (wants to believe that he) knows her type – confident and self-assured, knows that she looks far above the usual – and he knows they’d expect nothing less from whoever they talk to. If he wants something more than just a casual chat, he’ll need to keep being ‘suave’ and ‘smooth’.

And no, he’s totally not overanalyzing everything. [/sarcasm].

“Oh really? Guess we run with different crowds then,” the brunette said, trying to sound nonchalant, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love my parents and all, but as long as you aren’t too serious about the bad things you’re saying about them, I think I’m good. I can even join you if you like.” It’s probably because he’s so close and comfortable with his parents that the line of authority between them blurs more often than not, making him comfortable talking about them even with his peers.

He did laugh when Andi gladly volleyed his teasing back. While he knows she’s not against any playful flirting and all that, hearing her chuckle with his joke somewhat assured him that he isn’t really making stuff up. “I knew it. Thanks for the warning though. I’ll promise to keep my lips away. If my eyes can erase your afternoon plans, who knows what these babies can do?” Ethan insists such outbursts are in no way cocky or arrogant; simply self-assured and certain. He wouldn’t achieve anything if he’s always timid and passive, right? “I’ll happily take my chances then. Too bad I’m not a probability manipulator.” He gave her a playful bump on the hips, then promptly winked, chuckling as they neared his father’s room.

“Sorry you had to hear any of that,” he said when he came out, rubbing the back of his head and blushing slightly, “Dad’s just having his period. But then if he doesn’t have it, he cuddles me like a baby boy, so it’s really a no win situation for me.”

With his arms free from the essay pile he was carrying, he casually put them across Andi’s shoulders, pulling her close just slightly as he led her out to his car. (Nope, he clearly insists that he’s not being too forward). “Ice cream it is,” grinned the boy as he pulled Andi’s door open for her. He promptly jumped to his seat soon after, and within moments they were out of Hammel premises and were cruising through Pilot Ridge.

“So, just so I’m sure, you’re not a freshman, right? I totally don’t want to look like a pedo. At all.” Ethan’s attempt at small talk. Rather lame, sure, but at least he didn’t go for the whole favorite-color thing.

[Andi Thalis]

His touch on her hip made her flush a bit darker, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she looked at said lips in question. It had been at the back of her mind, actually, to see how it would feel to kiss him. He was a very good-looking boy, he had a wonderful personality and an easy smile, and he seemed genuinely interested in her. Who wouldn’t want to kiss a man like that? Any sane female would have, and Andi, while a little on the insane side, still wanted to plant one on Ethan. “I don’t think I would mind having those little babies anywhere on me,” she replied in a joking tone.

Then he put his arm around her shoulders.

She bit her lip further, unintentionally making it fuller with the pressure she was exerting on it. He was being a bit friendly, but the girl who wore piercings and tattoos and drove a motorcycle liked the forwardness; it meant that he could take her if push came to shove. They walked to his car and she slid in before he got in and drove off the premises, and she made herself comfortable by sitting back and propping her long, golden-tanned legs on the dashboard, rolling down the window a little to get some fresh air, the breeze ruffling her hair.

His question made her grin and look over at him. “Ethan, darling, I’ve been at Hammel for the past five years,” she told him, her voice teasing. “I’m seventeen, turning eighteen next month. If I was a freshman, I’m the oldest freshman there ever was.” She poked his arm in fun. “How old are you? Please don’t tell me you’re some fifty-year-old man with a disease that makes him look this young and attractive.” She laughed a little; she was having fun.

[Ethan White]

Continued in:
Shake It Up!