Dancing 101 (Lani)

[Adrianna Carstyn]

The auditorium was empty yet again after classes had ended and the week was too coming to an end. Every Friday that she found the auditorium open, Adrianna grabbed her ipod docking station and made her way to the stage. This Friday however, was a tad different. Instead of working on her own choreography for the songs she'd been working on, she was teaching Lani how to hip/hop dance. It was a promise she'd made when they first met and after their little night out at the club she realized he really did need some lessons.

After she'd come back to the school that night, Adrian had made a quick call to her mother and went all out in detail of the night. Amelia had been so happy and was excited to meet him already. Adri was a little hesitant about that though, she didn't want to scare him away with meeting her mother after one 'date.' She was pretty sure she'd already scared him a little because of her innocence, she didn't want to make it worse. But Amelia was thrilled and on the phone she almost sounded healthy again. Adrian knew that her mother wanted her to be happy and find a guy that would stay with her; Amelia didn't want the same thing to happen to Adrian. Once Adri had talked about the reckless side of Lani, Amelia was all for them being together. It was funny really.

When she got off the phone with Amelia, Adrianna had sat up for a few more hours sketching like crazy. At first it was a sketch of him and what he was wearing, then it went to a close up of his face and eventually she just ended up sketching his eyes. The pretty, kind eyes that she hadn't been able to get out of her head since she left him. Surprisingly enough, the what ifs hadn't gotten to her that night and she'd slept soundly with thoughts of the night still playing in her head to the music of A Thousand Years.

The song that played when they first kissed, she had listened to more times than ever. The week after that night she'd spent a lot of time messing around with foot work and eventually came up with a lyrical dance to the song. She actually planned on showing him after or even before they started the lesson. But that wasn't the only song she'd been singing all week. It was the next day that she heard a song that fit them pretty well. After their lesson, she planned on playing it for him. It was a cute song, one that she kept humming over and over again. Talk about a lovesick teenager.

Adrianna was early to the auditorium, she'd told Lani to come around 3:30pm when classes were over, but it was three and she was already changed and setting up for the dancing lessons. Her ipod was on playing whatever came up. Mostly it was the actual songs, but every once in a while it was just the music without words. She finished everything that she needed for the lesson and the song changed to one that hit a bit of a sore spot for her. The song was Hiding My Heart, a cover that was done by Adele. The song itself was gorgeous, but the lyrics were what made Adrian really relate to it. So as the song began she turned around to face the back wall and began to sing to herself as she waited for Lani to show up. It'd be any time now.

[Lani Hunter]

“I don’t think you understand me,” Lani said slowly into his phone sitting on his bed and rubbing his forehead to ease the growing headache. “Yes… I know…” Lani flopped back on his bed as he listened to the lecture his boss was giving him. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you want me to do! I’ve still got school, I’m failing right now! I need a lighter load… yes I know… No, the reason I’m here is because my parents didn’t think they could control me… I know that… No sir, I’m really trying but they’re Nazi’s about sneaking out after hours here. Yeah I’ve been caught… no, no one suspects a thing.” He paused realizing he was lying. Martin knew something, he wasn’t sure how much Martin knew but he was going to have to find out. “I am trying… He’s threatening me. Yeah, holding things over my head, I mean I’m killing myself and taking risks that would make your skin crawl... I know that, but you would never make me do anything I couldn’t. Why did you send him?”

Lani closed his eyes and listened, his boss thought he was failing. This conversation was over and Lani was sure he had lost. “But if you’re under that much strain you can’t do your best.” His boss said, “I’ll talk to him, but I’m going to need you here this weekend. No excuses.” Lani agreed and hung up with a ‘thank you’. Well this was certainly a can of worms he was glad he had finally called his boss though. This guy was just insane! Unfortunately saneness wasn’t something that ran in the higher ranks of the elite. Oh well. He looked over at the clock and his heart jumped into his throat. He was supposed to meet Adrianna! As of two minutes ago! With a swear he sent a quick text ‘Sorry on my way!’ He jumped off his bed and quickly changed from his jeans to a pair of sweatpants and after a moment of consideration decided to keep on the old Who shirt.

He was in a rather sad state of disarray, his hair sticking up randomly. He smoothed it as best he could and then decided it looked halfway decent and went out the door. He bit his tongue regretting that he was late. If only he hadn’t had to make that phone call. His boss had lectured him for quite a while. Not to mention that a headache was blooming just behind his forehead. As he walked he popped a pill in his mouth and grabbed some water as he passed a water fountain. He wasn’t sure what this would bring but he just hoped she would forgive him for being late. He opened the door to the auditorium and paused. He was like a cat and closed the door silently and padded across the floor. Her voice caught his attention, singing. A smile crossed his lips and he cocked is head listening to the words, they were something mournful and sweet at the same time. It wasn’t anything he had heard before.

“You sing too?” Lani asked as the song trailed to an end announcing his presence. “You’re just full of talent.” It was true she was so much better than he was at all of this stuff. He was certainly hoping that no one would happen to spy them cause Lani was sure he was going to look more like a prancing rhinoceros than anything graceful. He leaned against one the chairs and watched her for a moment. He then moved easily and hopped up onto the stage neglecting the steps. “How are you?” He asked reaching out and taking her in a hug. “Sorry I’m late; I got tied up with something.” He shrugged and gave her a long suffering look.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna had gotten lost in the words and was trying hard not to think of the real meaning behind the lyrics. They tied to her so much that it hurt, but she couldn't not love the song. It was beautiful and so well written. The music was soft and slow, but her voice was strong and steady. Her mind wasn't on the song or the stage, it was on the boy that she'd fallen so hard for recently. It wasn't healthy and she was afraid to be in a relationship, especially after what she'd been through. The what ifs had begun popping back up in her head as she sang and it was making her tense up.

Eventually the song drifted to an end, and a voice caught her attention back on the present. She hadn't been completely aware of his presence, but the small part of her brain that controlled her power had, otherwise she'd have shown more surprise. Instead, she just smiled faintly, still focused far too much on what her mind had been on. "Not very well, but every once in a while I'll sing along to something I like." She spoke quietly as the song changed again to another Adele song that was not something that she had wanted playing. Quickly, she jogged over to her ipod and stopped the song from continuing. Take It All, great song, bad for her mind at the moment.

Adri stepped into his arms and wrapped hers around his torso. The thoughts that had been there were intensified at first, but after a while of being held by him, they slowly slipped away. She was so screwed up. But he didn't need to see that. No one did ever again as far as she was concerned. Things like this just didn't matter, she needed to get over what happened with Talen and her father and everything else and just chill. If Lani left, it was his choice, not hers. If he found someone else, she just hoped he'd tell her before she got in too deep. If he wanted her, she was his. Simple.

But really, it wasn't. Her abandonment problems didn't allow for simple situations. He spoke again and she looked up to meet his suffering look. With a slightly wider smile, she stretched up and pecked him on the lips. It wasn't anything special, but she had hoped it would make him want more. At least he liked her in the physical aspect, even if she was slightly insane. "It's no big deal, I was just setting up. I had to change too, so you weren't too late."

With a bit of reluctance, she stepped out of his arms and walked back over to the docking station, sliding her jacket off to show a lot more skin than she had been. She knelt down in front of the music player and changed it to something with more of a hip/hop beat to it. It was something she'd found searching online one day and it was just slow enough for him to get the beat down first. That was the first lesson. "Okay, so we're starting of with something slow, smooth, but still with a good beat. Are you ready?" She stood up and turned to face him with a shy smile on her face. Her first dance lesson...oh jeez.

[Lani Hunter]

Half of Lani’s mind was occupied by the worry that he was about to completely make a fool out of himself. Certainly he had the physical ability to dance he just wasn’t sure if he could connect the muscles he usually used for… rather different performances to this new kind of public display. Caroline danced and he could romp with her but she wasn’t quite at that age where dancing started to become something intimate but rather she just liked to swung around and spun. The more he thought about it the more he decided that Adrianna reminded him of Caroline. It made him more want to help Caroline become independent than anything else. Though he wanted to always come to her rescue he wanted her to not need him to. Already ‘Big Brother Lani’ had had to scare the wits out of a rather rude classmate of Caroline’s when he refused to stop teasing her. He didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she ever got a boyfriend.

Lani would have liked to listen to her sing for a while longer but the song ended and so did she. It would be completely unfair for him not to announce himself. He smiled at her explanation. He was very much of the same mindset. He absolutely refused to sing in public. “Nonsense,” he replied, “You sing beautifully.” The song changed and he smiled bemused as she rushed over to turn it off. Adele wasn’t someone he was particularly a fan of but he didn’t have any strong emotions against her. He just hoped Adrianna would remember she was teaching him hip/hop ‘cause he wasn’t sure he was really the kind of person who could prance around the stage and still retain his dignity.

He held her in his arms for a few moments feeling stronger than he had a few hours ago when he was arguing with his boss. There was quite a bit still distracting his brain, like Martin, that foolish man. He hadn’t run into him since that incident on the roof but Lani wasn’t foolish enough to think that it was over. Things were getting complicated and unfortunately a girlfriend was currently not high on his list of priorities. But he hadn’t lied when he said he didn’t want to be just friends. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame but he wasn’t sure why. They could be friends, yes, but Lani wasn’t sure he would be alright with that. She reached up and kissed him lightly and that only solidified his feelings, as confusing as they were.

She spoke and he let out a sigh of relief. “Good.” He watched to reach out and grab another kiss but she stepped away and went to her ipod. He smiled as he watched her go. Devious. The desire was there and it was strong. He just hoped when she saw him in broad daylight with his stiff movements she wouldn’t be completely overwhelmed, throw her hands up and declare him an ‘impossible case’. Though dancing wasn’t something he was completely into he was willing to try it out for her. Besides what Adrianna didn’t know what that when Lani put his mind to something it was very hard to get him off track. It was too bad this resolve had missed school and power training or else he would probably be somewhere at the top of his class.

He raised a brow and decided he really liked her dress. It was stunning on her. He blushed a little as his thoughts went a little deeper. He scratched the back of his head and looked down at himself. “Well, I’m feeling a little under dressed, should I go back and change again?” He asked a sly joking light in his eyes. She changed the music and Lani took a deep breath, well now or never. He nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” He wasn’t sure how he should prepare for movement so he bounced on the balls of his feet his hands held slightly up like he was ready to fight. "Should I just follow your lead?" He asked unsure where to start with the music. He really didn't want to start out with the same flailing display he had subjected her to the other night.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna was trying to focus on other things. Dancing. Not the emotional dancing she was used to, but fun upbeat hip/hop that she only did when she was at a club or just wanted something different. The girl could dance pretty well with any beat. She couldn't help but think of the night she'd first hung out with him at a club. It was only a little while ago, but it seemed so different. The problems hadn't gotten to her then, but they were reaching her now. She just hoped being around him would make all of her worries disappear, if only until he left.

Smiling shyly, she blushed dark crimson. Being complimented on something like that was new to her. No one had ever really heard her sing, let alone a song that held so much meaning to her. She was happy he liked it though. As soon as the song switched over her mind halted and she tried to keep from thinking of what the song was about. Hopefully he wouldn't notice how freaked out she was. Things had changed since that night, maybe not with him, but definitely for her. Fear had taken over and she was forcing herself to keep a steady hold on herself and the situation. No mistakes, and no fast movements that she'd regret later.

Of course, being in his arms didn't help her steady hold. She couldn't help but relax though. His presence was soothing and she felt safe with him. Despite her fear of being in another relationship, she didn't mind being close to him. They didn't have to label it. That would cause her to become far too attached and then the problems would erupt. If she just went with the flow, things may actually turn out okay. If he didn't want her like that, she'd deal with it. Adrian refused to lose someone else because of her over reaction. That was how she'd lost Talen as a friend and she'd regretted it ever since.

She would not lose Lani, too.

Adri smiled and couldn't help but smirk a bit when she realized he'd really wanted another kiss. She was quite mischievous when she wanted to be, even when she didn't want to be it happened. Lucky for her, teaching was a hands on type of thing. When she'd been taught as a little girl, the teacher showed her exactly what her body was doing by physically doing it for her. This was a lot different, but she didn't mind it. The wicked thought in her head just made her smirk widen. She was really excited for the dancing to begin and she actually hoped he wouldn't catch on too fast, that would defeat the purpose of 'hands on learning.'

Having been in dance for so long, so many different costumes, Adrian barely felt any different when she left all of her skin exposed like it was. The fabric clung to her curves (not that that was the reason she picked this particular dress...nah) and fit her snugly. Glancing over her shoulder she noticed him taking it all in and was satisfied with his reaction. Once she stood back up she focused on what he was saying and stuck her tongue out at him, "You're actually dressed perfectly, except most hip/hop costumes for guys are wife-beaters and sweats, y'know so they can show off their muscles to the ladies." With a wink she made her way to the center of the stage, beckoning him to stand beside her.

Once her feet were planted and the auditorium was filled with the soft rhythm, she bounced from foot to foot in time with the beat. Her teacher had called it marking time and it also was the first thing she'd learned in that class. Once you get the beat in your head and down to your feet, dancing is a piece of cake. "Just follow me, first we're going to sort of hop back and forth putting weight on one foot then transferring it to the other, but your feet never leave the ground. This will help you get the tempo down first and that's the most important thing to do in any dance."

[Lani Hunter]

Lani’s stomach was full of butterflies. He wasn’t ready to face the possibility that he might actually be bad at this. Well, he knew he was bad, but he really had no idea if he was going to be a model student or not. He shook his head as if to dispel ever thought occupying the space that wasn’t currently of importance. There were a lot but those thoughts he was pushing back for later were heavy and he felt like he was ready to take on a new task. Well it wasn’t like this was the first time he had been able to forget about the rest of the world. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not but he liked the momentary time when he didn’t have to face his problems. Didn’t have to come up with answers to questions he couldn’t even figure out. He didn’t want to have to think about how every idea he came up with had some terrible flaw in it.

He wondered absently if Martin would be any help. He looked at Adrianna and wondered again what she would think if he told her. It wasn’t a pleasant idea that Martin might tell someone. So far no one had come after him with handcuffs so he was taking the man’s word that he wouldn’t say anything. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t tell Adrianna. But then again she wasn’t acting any differently. Maybe he could figure this all out himself, keep Adrianna completely out of it and use Martin as a resource. He could figure this out. He had things under control. As foolish as it seemed Lani was certain that once he figured out what to do about his boss he would be free. But then he was still held to the school and the responsibility to practice his power. Maybe after all this he’d just vanish…

When Adrianna pulled away Lani wondered what exactly they were. They weren’t dating, were they? Maybe it was a kindling romance but he had no idea what to describe it as. Either way he was sure that he and she would get along, even if friendship was where their relationship stopped. Lani said flexing his hands, “Let’s see how this is gonna go.” He grinned at her and shook out his arms like someone with too much energy waiting to start a race. Speaking of races… “So we still need to have our race,” he reminded her. “’Cause I still need to beat you.” He waggled his brows at her and laughed through his teeth. Then as an afterthought he put his hands together and bowed, “I’m ready to start, Master Yoda.”

He wondered how much touching they would have to do. Not that he would mind but he was rather more like a stiff branch when people tried to move him. His sister tried it occasionally and complained that he was incompliant. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her and her dress. It was cute and she looked fragile. She seemed so strong at the club but this made her look gentle but seductive at the same time. Again he wondered what he was getting himself into. He smiled absently at her his thoughts going a million miles a minute. Wife beaters and sweats. Well he certainly had the sweats down. He wasn’t sure that a concert T for The Who really counted, but they were one of the best bands ever.

He grinned at her and rolled up one of his sleeves and flexed. “I’m not sure you’re quite ready for that yet.” He smirked a little. He rolled his sleeve back and shook out his muscles and joined her. He glanced at the doors a little self conscious and hoping no one would be curious enough to come investigate the noise. He took a stance like hers and nodded watching her feet. She explained and he started to bounce. It was not so different from bouncing on your toes when starting to fight or preparing to flee. He got into a half rhythm that was just a half beat off of hers. He watched his feet and her feet and glared at his own demanding that they perform the way he wished. He paused a little and then got late. This was going to be a long day.

Finally he stopped and bobbed his head a few times before jumping in with her again. He jumped in on time and he swayed from side to side slowly keeping time. A small smile turned up one side of his lips and his enthusiasm increased. He pulled himself back, this was just the beginning, there were still plenty of chances for him to screw up. His concentration lapsed and he realized he was he was off again. He cursed under his breath and tried again. His brow came together in focus and concentrated on linking the music he was hearing in his head to his feet. They had never felt so far away before. It finally seemed like he was getting it down.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

As oblivious as ever, Adrianna strayed off into her own little world. A world that was less painful and more fun. The world that she got caught up in whenever she danced or sung. Music had a strange affect on her, it had ever since she was little. It helped her escape reality and all her problems and instead held her focus on what she was doing with her body. The way her muscles would stretch and contract when she made one move or another. Dancing was a good relief from all of the strain she put on her mind. Dancing usually got rid of her migraines after being in a room full of metas, it eased her tension and was soothing. Even the most upbeat and fast pace songs helped calm her.

The fact that her best friend had left her behind just recently was an added weight on her shoulders, one that she’d like to get rid of. It was nagging at her that the boy who knew her better than anyone was now gone and she no longer had anyone who understood just how messed up she was. Lani could be that guy, but she didn’t want to add any weight onto his shoulders especially since they’d just started talking not too long ago. How would he feel about being romantically involved with a total nutcase? Probably not too good. She didn’t need to give him any reason to leave, not yet. Keeping him around was the tricky part; she could have gotten rid of him the first day they met. She didn’t want to make him leave.

Adrianna rolled her eyes at him and laughed, “We do need to have that race, just so I can see you in a purdy pink dress that I’ve already picked out.” She smiled at him, but not evilly, more just happily. She liked that they joked around with each other constantly, but still had those moments of being serious. His mentioning of Yoda made her snort and giggle again, just as she had when they’d first talked about Star Wars together. How nerdy was that? She shook her head slightly, “I may be adorable, but I’m definitely not a little old green guy.” She stuck her tongue out at him and giggled again.

Adrian may have been looking forward to the hands on stuff, but she was also nervous about it. She was trying to keep a safe distance for herself, and touching him that much might not help with that. But she knew that no matter how stiff limbed he was, she’d be able to help mellow him out and give him a flexibility he didn’t even know he had. She was good at flexibility, it came naturally to her mostly because not only had she been in dance most of her life, but she’d also taken up gymnastics at a young age. Talk about a big help for dancing.

With a mocking swoon she laughed again, “You’re right, I nearly fainted right then and there. Please warn me before you do that again so I can better prepare myself.” Giggling, she nudged him with another roll of her eyes at his silly behavior. It was definitely cute when he acted all confident around her because she knew that when they were with each other, neither of them was really as confident as they liked to believe. At least she wasn’t. She saw him glance at the doors and she put her hand on the side of his cheek, “Focus here, not out there. No one usually comes in here, the only person that might is the dance team instructor, and that’s because she knows I’m always in here. You’ll be fine.” They began the first basic step and she watched him try and get on tempo. After a while he got it down, but over thought what he was doing and was delayed. Luckily, it had helped her see what his main problem would be.

He started getting it again and she couldn’t help but smile when he did, “There you go. Stop over thinking and just feel the pulse. Thinking is what creates bad dancers. You’re doing great, just a little bit longer.” She kept her pace steady and even as she continued watching him. He would be a great dancer, she could see it already. His only problem was his mind getting in the way. And when she’d first started out, she had done the same thing.

[Lani Hunter]

Bright eyes and surprisingly clear headed Lani had just taken a pill that eased the constant headache. Sometimes he wondered if he was building up a resistance to the pain. Every day he trained with Malcom he was able to do more and more before he had to stop and treat the pounding in his brain. He wondered if other people had these problems. Perhaps telekinesis was like a muscle in the mind. And like any other muscle when it was worked it was painful and got sore but eventually came out stronger. He was rather enjoying it. He hadn’t found anything he couldn’t do with it yet, well save grabbing living things and making those walls Malcom did. But lifting wise, there hadn’t been anything too heavy or too awkward. Sure keeping it in the air was a challenge and keeping it from spinning or wobbling was difficult but he was working on it.

Lani was taking the responsibility of building Adrianna a backbone rather seriously. He wasn’t sure how he was going to go about doing that but he had a few ideas floating around in his mind. He partially wanted to know the source before he started doing things that might make her hate him. Honestly she was too much fun to be around to lose as a friend. They could joke and be serious but no one could really make him laugh like she did. Partially it was her innocence. She trusted him, whether consciously or not, to not hurt her. Which he wouldn’t do physically, but he couldn’t speak for emotionally. He was still awkward and unsure of himself around her and he had a bad feeling that everything he said might be taken the wrong way.

Lani wrinkled his nose at her in mock disgust. “Pink dress…” He shook his head and decided he didn’t want her to know it bothered him. So he joked about it. “Come on now Adrianna you can’t possibly think pink would go well with my eyes.” He turned to her and batted his eyes in an exaggeratedly feminine manner. “Just remember you still have to beat me,” he smirked at her his confidence outwardly showing much more than inwardly. Lani lost all of his composure when she snorted out her laugh. He loved her laugh; it was so real, so genuine. Not like a woman who tried to make their laugh more subtle and ladylike but this was full on laughter that she didn’t contain. He joined her, his shoulders shaking from the force of his laughter. He took her in a hug and bent his head so he could snuggle up against her. “You are so adorable,” He agreed, “And I have to say I’m rather glad you’re not a little old green guy.”

He smirked and pointed a finger at her the side of his mouth quirking upward. “See, I’m just looking out for you.” He did feel a little impressive, despite the fact that he knew she was joking. He was rather clueless. Apparently he was attractive but he wasn’t really sure why. He could tell that Adrianna was certainly attractive, she was beautiful. He could also see how Martin was attractive but he didn’t even want his mind to go in that direction. Lani wasn’t sure that he could be tied down at all. Freedom was important, and could he have freedom when he was with someone? Lani’s dream was to travel, would Adrianna want to travel? Was that thinking too far into the future? Yes, that was thinking too far into the future. He shook it out of his head and turned his attention back to the present.

His cheeks warmed at her touched and he smiled. “Well hopefully she doesn’t show up.” He said honestly. The less witnesses for this the better. Then he couldn’t be held accountable for the amount fail that was about to be spread all over this stage. Frustration was building up in him as he tried and failed and tried again. Lani wasn’t someone who things came very easily to but when it was something simple as this it was frustrating. Especially since keeping a beat should be easy as breathing. Some people said Lani marched to the beat of his own drum but that was only because he couldn’t keep the beat of the person currently pounding the drum. Over thinking was just how Lani did things. Spontaneous as he was Lani liked to plan things out and he was constantly using his mind and his power to feel out the area and find all of the possible options. It was just in his nature and even more so now with his power to constantly be thinking about something. If his mind wandered… well his power had a bad habit of following suit.

He smiled at her praise but didn’t let himself get cocky. He was a long way from being a dancer of any caliber other than bad. He actually might go in the record books as the worst dancer ever to try. Hopefully Adrianna was prepared. He bounced back and forth and tried to disconnect his mind from the movement flowing in his body. Part of him held onto his power but the music moved through him and like the emotions that were unconscious the beat also became unconscious. Lani narrowed his eyes at the curtains a little ways off and for a moment feared he was tipping too far and going to pass out. For the curtains were swaying. It took him a little while to realize that it was him that was moving it. He blinked and firmly clamped onto his power and the curtains swayed slowly coming back to their original restful place. “Well that complicates things.” He said unsure with whether he was upset by that or not.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna was glad to be away from the large meta crowd. The constant pulsing in her head was something that always was bothersome. She’d figured eventually an immunity would have built up, after all it had been six years since she first came to Hammel, six years of a constant migraine just being in the classroom. Taking medication rarely helped unless after she took it she didn’t spend time around the other metas. Getting away from the school helped, but very rarely did she go out farther than downtown Pilot Ridge. And Pilot Ridge was filled with metas.

Oblivious to his plans, Adrian wondered what life would bring her after Hammel. Would she finally begin to put up a wall so she didn’t keep getting hurt? Unlikely. Her problems just weren’t easily solved. She needed closure from her father. Both of the men that were supposed to care for her. She needed a reason that they left, a reason that would explain everything. Were they scared? Did they not love her? Was she too much of responsibility? She just wanted a simple answer. Maybe then she’d finally stop being so naïve and innocent. Unless someone beat them to it. If she could find someone who was straight with her, no sugar-coating, just honest, then maybe things would get better.

At the wrinkling of his nose Adrian expected him to freak, as would most men that weren’t comfortable with dresses or girly colors in general. Luckily, he played it off as a joke and she relaxed the tension that had built up in a matter of moments. “Well I could always make it a powder blue, that would match your eyes perfectly dearie.” She giggled when he batted his eyelashes and a flash of envy shot through her, he had such pretty eyes. Long lashes. Why did guys always get the perfect lashes? She shook her head slightly so she would stop day dreaming about how beautiful his eyes were. She waved her hand in a mocking dismissal, “I can so beat you. With my eyes closed, though that’s probably not the safest thing.” She laughed again with a louder snort as she pictured them blindly running a race. That was a disaster in the making. He pulled her into a hug and she curled into his chest willingly. “I personally think Yoda is pretty sexy, so if I was a little old green guy, that’d just make me irresistible and you know it.” Adri tilted her head up to look at him and smiled.

Adrianna smiled wider when he smirked after her comment. She wondered what he saw in her at that moment. Did he see what everyone else did? A beautiful girl on the outside? She couldn’t help but wonder if he saw anything else besides a pretty face. That was what most people saw right away, no one really bothered to look deeper. The only reason a lot of guys she’d been with even knew about her mother or her abandonment was because she blurted it out randomly. But she hadn’t with Lani, at least not the abandonment part and that was the part that affected her the most. So clearly all he saw was the pretty girl with the bubbly personality.

“If she did show up, she’d probably be of more help to you than I am. After all, she is the professional.” Adrianna said quietly, her thoughts darkening her mood slightly. She was glad they’d started dancing, but the last time she had danced with too much on her mind, well she’d ended up injuring herself. The beat was slow enough that she wasn’t too worried and it wasn’t like she was doing any complicated jumps like she had that day. She kept watching him to see if she was doing anything right. Dancing came naturally to her, teaching apparently didn’t. Her mind just kept racing on about everything and it was building up a lot of frustration. Taking a few deep breaths, she attempted to relax. Let the music take over and don’t think.

Once Adrianna looked up, she noticed the curtains moving and she couldn’t help but smile. Well that would be a bit of a problem. She wished that Ash was around for the power suppression helpful hand. She looked back at him and shrugged, “Slightly, but I think I may be able to help with that, if you’d like me to try? I’m friends with a power suppressor and I still have a slight bit of the ‘energy’ left so maybe if I suppressed your power for the first exercise, then you’d be able to handle it the rest of the time…” She suggested in a soft and very insecure tone. It might have been the dumbest idea she ever came up with, but it was worth a shot.

[Lani Hunter]

The awareness of Adrianna’s power would have driven Lani nuts. Despite the fact that it could be very useful he was sure glad that he could focus on one power and train it fully. He certainly had a love hate relationship with his power. It was becoming more apparent now than it ever had. He relied on it even as much as it annoyed him. Eventually, everyone said, he would learn how to control his emotions and even control his power so well that no matter what the emotion he would be able to control his power. Lani would be really relieved when that happened. Perhaps he should just focus on one at a time but then again with the pair being so much in sync it only made sense to tackle both of them at the same time.

He gave her a narrow eyed look and for a moment held the look but as soon as she spoke he lost it again and just laughed. Well there was no way of getting out of it; he would actually have to win. Oh well. He laughed a little extremely glad they could joke about something like this. It honestly made him really freaked out. He would never say anything out loud about it but he actually wasn’t completely sure about his sexuality. The whole thing was rather confusing and he was actually really glad that he had found Adrianna and that he felt so strong about her. But then again he had never had time for relationships but he had certainly never felt strongly about anyone of either gender and when he did the feelings were strange and he pushed them away before he had to reason why. He raised a brow at her and snickered. “Such confidence, but if you have your eyes closed you can’t see me beating you.” He winked.

She was too cute; it was actually more than a relief that she was a little quirky. Sometimes people pretended to be someone else when they first met someone. It was really sweet that she had let her Star Wars love slip. Her comment totally threw him for a loop. He chuckled and then pulled away holding her at arm’s length. His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out the never ending riddle that was becoming Adrianna. “You certainly have a strange taste in men,” he teased and shook his head. “I have to say that small and green isn’t exactly my type. I’m sure he was quite a lady killer in his time but he’s what? A thousand years old?” He laughed a little. “Wouldn’t that make you some sort of cougar?” He grinned slyly his eyes taking on the light of someone with mischief on his mind.

Whatever Adrianna was afraid of was a fear Lani didn’t even think about. He connected with her on a mental level as well as a physical level. That was what had him so intrigued. She wasn’t like anyone he had met before. He could joke around and be happy with her. But was that a happiness that was temporary or could it be permanent? He had no clue. He probably wouldn’t know until he was free of his boss. Ever since he had starting thinking about getting out he couldn’t quite figure out what he was going to do with his life. He knew college wasn’t an option, but the real question was: did he want to stop stealing? Ever since that night Lani had run into Martin he had been thinking about that. There was such a thrill in stealing that he had forgotten. It was so exciting and the chase at the end reminded him that he was better than he had become. He had been training in secret at night when the training rooms were deserted. It wasn’t necessarily parkour he was doing. It was more, it was the ability to move quickly and skillfully along with the skill of doing so silently and without being seen.

He cocked his head at her confused by the change in mood. He laughed hoping to alleviate whatever bad feelings were between Adrianna and the dance coach that would make her so negative. “Well I hope she doesn’t come in because she’ll probably tell you that I’m a hopeless cause.” Lani when he started speaking his mind was on other things that weren’t his feet and unconsciously he fell into the rhythm. He noticed and just as quickly forgot about it again just in case he were to jinx himself. Maybe Adrianna was onto something. Maybe this wasn’t so different than what he did. He had to know what he was doing and have an idea of how he wanted it done, but for the most part he could just move without thinking and trust his body to what it had to do. It was a kind of relieving thing, when his muscle memory was so trustworthy and he could focus on making sure he was silent and he could worry about other things, like if he was being followed.

He raised a brow at her surprised that she had a solution. But when he heard it he immediately cringed away from the idea. He had had his power suppressed once. Granted he had lost control completely in gym class and someone certainly would have gotten hurt if the teacher hadn’t been a suppresser. But afterward he had a terrifying feeling that someone was going to take away his power. While it was gone it was like a phantom limb, like he had had arms and now he had none. It had been a real eye opening situation. He hadn’t even realized how much he relied on it for even little things like knowing what was around him. He had felt blind and severely limited. He never wanted to feel like that. With his power he was truly unlimited. He winced a little outwardly. “No, thanks though, I feel better knowing that my power is here when I need it. It’s actually a rather nice training exercise, eh?” He shrugged, “People are always saying how telekinetics can run around or and telekinetics move objects but that we lack the ability to do both at the same time. So I’m gonna see what I can do with this.” He grinned and swayed along to the music.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

As frustrating as her power got, Adrian didn’t mind having it. She liked being able to try out everyone’s power at different levels of control. Tactile anesthesia was still one of her favorites. With one touch she’d made a six foot boy drop, and he had deserved it too. She also liked pyrokinesis and all of the different elemental controls. Winged flight was pretty interesting, but painful as hell. To say that she didn’t like her ability would be a definite lie, but it did become a pain when all she wanted was to be a normal human. It was rare that she wished to be normal, but usually it happened after she used her power a little too much. She still hadn’t gotten a good feel of her limit and when she needed to stop.

Being serious was never Adri’s strong suit. Anyone could change her mind with a few simple words. If someone got angry with what she was doing, she’d stop instantly. If Lani was going to get mad if she won, she wouldn’t make him wear a dress. Making people mad didn’t go over well with her because she just hated it so much. The fact that he was laughing made it a little easier for her to joke about it, but she was still nervous about screwing up her chances. Clearly she was oblivious about how he felt about her. Adrian was convinced that he didn’t like her that much. It was just a little crush, maybe. But she still hoped it was more. When he snickered at her she stuck her tongue out at him and giggled, “You’re underestimating me Mr. Hunter, for it will be you who will be watching this hotness cross the finish line before you.” She motioned to herself and shimmied a bit with a flirty smile.

Her mother was always picking on her for her quirks, but Amelia was the same way. She was always telling Adrian that being quirky only made you better because it prevented you from turning into a fake person. Some girls tried way too hard, heck even guys tried too hard just so they could impress people. Impressing someone wasn’t something Adrian focused on. She didn’t understand why she had to impress people with her personality because that was who she was. Adrian was pretty sure that more girls liked Star Wars than they let on. Heaven forbid a girl like flashing light swords and hot guys (Anakin in Adrian’s opinion). Girls acted like it was so crazy, but really, it wasn’t. She thought the movies were just so cool! With some seriously great one-liners. She tried to keep a straight face as he pulled away, but she couldn’t keep from shaking with laughter. “My taste in men differs. I don’t discriminate, a man is a man. Short, fat, balding…okay so the fat and balding I’m not into but height doesn’t always matter and skin color doesn’t either.” She nodded as if it was a normal thing to say. “And I’ve been known to like men of all ages, older guys are more experienced after all.” Adrianna blushed dark red when she realized the double-meaning of her words. “Not like that! That’s definitely not what I meant. Oh gosh.” She buried her face in his chest to hide from embarrassment and erupted into giggles like a little girl.

It was moments like this that Adrian really understood why she liked Lani. No matter how much she embarrassed herself, he never made fun of her or judged her based off of what she said. He may laugh a little, but it wasn’t laughing at her stupidity, it was laughing at her reaction. She connected with him on more of an emotional level than she had any of the others. Physical connection was nothing new to her, but the emotional stuff was. It was so new to her, but she liked it. She enjoyed joking around with him and also having those serious moments. No matter how upset she got, he always made her smile. She was happy with him, but her head kept getting in the way. She wasn’t entirely sure of what he felt. If he felt like she did. It scared her not knowing. Out of habit, she started chewing on her lip, biting down hard.

Adrianna couldn’t help the constant mood shifts she had. She didn’t know if it was bipolarity or if she just get herself in trouble by thinking so much. Both were possible. She looked over at him as he laughed and tried to lighten up a bit. “You aren’t a hopeless cause, you just need to practice a little,” She said with a small smile as she noticed him falling into rhythm. So she was right. Huh. She smiled wider, but said nothing so that she didn’t mess him up. He was doing well and the burst of pride in her chest made her mood lift up and put a little pep in her step.

The reaction he gave was not unexpected and Adrianna felt bad as soon as she suggested it. Of course he wouldn’t want that sense shut off while he was trying to focus. She couldn’t even imagine her power being shut off. A shudder slid up her spine and she bit her lip again to suppress it. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking out loud. I understand,” She spoke a little softer and looked away, trying hard to find something else to focus on. Her feet got a little tripped up and she stopped abruptly in order to get the beat back in her mind. She hopped back into the rhythm and kept up, “Are you ready for the next step?” She asked as she risked a glance in his direction.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled absently, how was it that with Adrianna everything seemed to slip away. Nothing was quite so important anymore. Whether forgetting his problems was a good thing or a bad thing he couldn’t be sure. But either way he loved it. Despite how much he claimed to hate his power he actually couldn’t live without it. At least not anymore. It was too much a part of him. It was parasitic and acted on its own a lot, but honestly those were times when Lani’s emotions generally drowned out his logical brain. But then there were a few times, like when it first manifested where it had showed a parasitic quality. It was clear that his power would act on something if it meant protecting its host. Lani was sure that would go away with time as he learned more to control it and integrate it more into his life.

As much as Lani tried to play it off he was a little uneasy about wearing a dress. Well, a deal was a deal and he would wear it if he needed to. He just needed to not have to make that choice. He would really hate it if she let him win if she knew it bothered him. It wasn’t so much a threat to his masculinity as it was for his confusion. Lani had never been one hundred percent sure one way or another. But then she didn’t need to know that. No one had to know that. But dressing like a woman wasn’t really going to help him. It anything it made him more self conscious. Because his father was extremely opinionated on the matter Lani just never chose to bring it up. Sometimes he wondered if talking about it might help, but the risk was too high. He shrugged it off and gave her a sly look. He let his eyes trail down her body and smiled liking what he saw. “Well, in that case, I might just have to let you win so I can see that.” He said his voice low and suggestive.

He raised a brow but didn’t comment any more on the matter. Some things were better left unsaid. Which was rather good because Lani could babble on and on about things that made no sense. It was better he just shut his mouth and smile. He was glad when the subject changed but then he was completely unprepared for this one’s direction. He raised a brow at her and crossed his arms curious to see how she would talk her way out of this one. “Uh-huh,” he commented unwilling to let his mood drop but she definitely digging something. Not a grave yet perhaps but it was certainly a hole. He wasn’t getting upset but he had a strange sinking feeling in his gut. Was that it? Was he just another guy? The doubts started and Lani couldn’t shut them out. A man is a man. So what made him any different than any other guy she had dated? He had heard of guys who treated women like objects but he had never considered the other way around. Not that Adrianna was treating him like an object, but he felt a little uncomfortable. Why him then? If she could have anyone. “So short and green is ok… so long as I’m not bald?” He asked teasingly not letting her weasel out of this one so easily. “Oh-ho!” Lani cried in shock as she rambled herself into a corner. “So the truth comes out!” His head rolled back in laughter. He reached out to her. “C’mere,” he said wrapping his arms around her, she was so precious. She was certainly embarrassed but Lani wasn’t sure he wanted to let her off the hook yet. “Well, seeing as you’ve been around, you know short green guys and all, I have a feeling I’ll have a lot of growing to do… or rather shrinking?” He crouched so he was just under her eye level. “Is this better?” He grinned like a loon up at her and chuckled.

She was too easy sometimes, she walked right into door and Lani being Lani he couldn’t help but open them for her. He was a jokester at heart. He supposed the only thing that kept him from being a complete ass sometimes was that he was able to and regularly did make jabs at himself as well. He knew he wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. He wasn’t even sure his arrow would hit the target on that one. So he could hardly expect Adrianna to be any better. Laughter and jokes make life fun. As long as it never went too far it was all in good fun. It was rather interesting. Adrianna let him get away with a lot, granted she didn’t know him very well, but still. Martin on the other hand didn’t put up with any of Lani’s antics. When he had run into the redhead on the roof he had hardly expected a lecture on manners. It made Lani think; take responsibility for his actions, something he was still very new at. He wasn’t sure he liked it but it made him curious. Well either way he enjoyed Adrianna’s company, it was very pleasant.

He raised a brow at her and grinned. “You’re too sweet, Adrianna,” he leaned over and kissed her lips softly for a moment. “That means a lot.” He said seriously. As his track record was not the best not a lot of people believed in him. It was true that he was smart, if he applied himself to school he could excel, if he practiced at something long enough he could do it. But most of the time he gave up. It either interfered with his ‘job’ or he just didn’t see the purpose in doing it. He hoped this would be different, but he was still afraid that he was so far behind that it would take a lot of hard work. Well, Adrianna had done it, there it was, that small crack in his thick shell. He didn’t trust her with his heart yet, it wasn’t like with Martin where he wanted to talk to the man about stealing, because he already knew Lani’s biggest secret. But this was different it was more of a gift than a stolen secret.

It was a reaction that Lani wasn’t ashamed of, but Adrianna seemed to take it hard. He smiled softly at her but she wouldn’t look at him. “Hey,” he said softly brushing her cheek with his hand trying to goad her into looking at him again. “Don’t apologize; it was a thought and a good one. Don’t worry about it; you were just trying to help.” Anger wasn’t something he would describe as his emotions at the moment. More bemused than anything else. He couldn’t quite figure her out. It almost seemed like she was walking on eggshells. When she lost the rhythm Lani was more than surprised. “Really, it’s ok,” he repeated, wondering why she had taken it so hard. He shrugged it off when she hopped back in. He caught her eye when she looked back at him and gave her a dazzling smile. “Whatever you say, teacher.”

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrian was slowly realizing that she hadn’t really been worrying much about her problems this whole time. Other than the obvious ones she had right in front of her, nothing else seemed to bother her when she was around him. He always cheered her up and made her laugh just before the problems made their way back. It was strange to forget about her problems for a long amount of time, but it made it easier to handle when they did come back. It was weird how that worked. She’d always thought that putting off a problem would make it worse, but in this situation it happened to be better. Odd. She didn’t mind it though, it was an escape from stress and she was all for that.

She didn’t really notice much of a change in his expression, but she noticed enough to know that he wasn’t too keen on the idea of losing. Not that she would be either in his position. The guilt was making her want to take the bet back, but she doubted he’d be okay with that either. What if she accidentally let him win? Would that make it better? Unlikely. She honestly had no clue of what she could do about the situation. Other than be a total flirt like she was used to. She saw his eyes move down her body and she couldn’t help but blush darker. His words only made her giggle and bite down on her lower lip, “No throwing the competition though, you’ve still gotta try. Even if you do get distracted.” Adrianna let the last word roll off her tongue and she winked at him with a bright smile on her face. The ache to be close to him caught her by surprise, but she suppressed it quickly. They needed to work, not play. But she wanted to play soooo bad.

And there it was. The screw up she’d been waiting for. It wasn’t exactly her fault, she couldn’t help that she was experienced and that she trusted so blindly which left her in the arms of many suitors. But she never used a guy for anything. She was the one who got used, and yet she came off as the whore. How was it that these things happened? It wasn’t like she was throwing herself at the first guy she saw, it was just that she liked to flirt. A lot. And it didn’t’ help that she was so good at it. Her mouth got her in trouble again and she didn’t like his reaction to it. The guilt nearly crushed her and she was just about to stream out all the apologies she could come up with in a short amount of time. “You’d look good bald too…” Adrian started and tried to keep going, but couldn’t figure out what to say. For once she was at a loss for words and the guilt was winning. Then, unexpectedly, he reached out to her and she hugged him tight to hopefully show that he wasn’t just another guy to her. At least, she didn’t want him to be. In fact, she hoped that he’d be the guy that would take all of her pain away. Just like she’d sang in the song as he walked in. His words made her smile despite how awful she felt and she shook her head at his silliness. With a roll of her eyes, Adrian put her fingers under his chin and lifted it to his full height, “You’re perfect just like that, and to be perfectly honest…I wouldn’t want you to change at all.” The seriousness in her tone was unmistakable, but was accented with a shy smile.

Adri had a habit of walking right into jokes that she’d laid out perfectly for anyone who was willing to call her out on it. Her innocent little mind just didn’t think before she spoke. Sometimes, it put her in a bad position, other times it was just too easy to make a joke out of it. But Adrian had a good sense of humor and was able to laugh at herself whenever a joke was made. It wouldn’t be right if someone passed up the chance just because they didn’t want to hurt her feelings. And she hoped Lani wouldn’t do that. The embarrassment was just killing her, but she couldn’t keep from laughing and snorting at her own ridiculousness. It posed for some entertainment though, and it lightened the mood a bit too.

And yet another surprise shook her when Lani leaned over to kiss her. It was soft, but incredibly adorable and she was really happy that he appreciated her words so much. Everything she told him was the truth, to think that something like this would affect him so much, she never could have imagined. It was one of those small things that she picked up on though. Very few people believed he could do something if he put his mind to it. The realization made her sad, but she understood the thoughts he must have had. After all, Amelia had been told she couldn’t do a lot and she was out there doing everything she could while she was still living. To hell with those who doubt her abilities was her motto and the thought made Adrianna smile wider, “Hey, it’s not biggie. But it’s the truth. You can do anything you want if you just have a little faith in yourself. As my mother would say, ‘to hell with those who doubt your abilities, you’ll show them just how wrong they are.’” She smiled at him and kissed his cheek, “You’re gonna be a great dancer, just like you’re already a great telekinetic.”

Adrian didn’t like the feeling she got whenever she made someone uncomfortable or uneasy. She wondered if that was what made her father leave. The uncomfortable situation of having a child at such a young age. She always blamed herself for it. She felt his fingertips brush her cheek and she tried not to look at him, she just couldn’t bear seeing the look on his face, no matter how many times he said it was okay. Skipping a beat was a rarity for her, she was a dancer for crying out loud! It was just so frustrating because she was worried about making him not want to be around her. Everything she said always seemed to come out wrong and she couldn’t figure out why. Her past experiences with men were really starting to weigh down on her and if she didn’t tell Lani soon, it could be the reason he didn’t want to be around her. When she looked back at him she caught sight of his beautiful smile and returned it with a half smile that slowly turned into a brighter one. “Alright, alright. Enough with the cute faces, I swear you’re trying to distract me now. Okay. Now that you’ve got the beat, I want you to take a half step to the right, then bring it back to where your feet are shoulder width apart, then take a half step to the left and bring it back to shoulder width apart. Keep doing that on the beat. Ready? 5, 6, 7, 8.” She stepped off with her right and began the foot work she’d just described, but was focused on his feet.

[Lani Hunter]

The beat filled his mind and his body moved with it. It was still shaky and uneven but it was certainly easier. His power tried to wiggle its way into the world but he carefully controlled it and with almost a resigned feeling it settled into his mind. He kept hold on it but lightly loosened his grip when he felt it was safe enough that it wouldn’t send things flying. At least he was happy at the moment. The power got harder to control when the emotions were anger or frustration. He hadn’t had to deal with it too much but sadness and hurt also were strong influences. Even in his sleep when he had been carted to Hammel his power had been so affected by the sadness of being betrayed by his family that he had nearly demolished his recruiter’s office. Not that he was sorry about that, not in the least. There was too much pain and anger at the time for him to care.

Lani was really training for this race. It wasn’t that it was very important; it was just that he was so competitive. And personally he would rather get a massage than wear a dress. It would really solve all his problems if he were able to win. But he certainly wouldn’t want her to let him win. That wouldn’t be a real victory. A small giggle bubbled out of his throat as she got redder than a tomato. It was nice to flirt like this without worry and without fear of being judged. He was sure there was some sort of judgment going on in his mind but he ignored it. And they were all positive judgments too. He laughed and winked at her. “Don’t count on it,” he said matching her smile, “I still want my massage.” It would be terribly hysterical if Lani allowed himself to be distracted by something when he was striving for a goal. Like he could practically shut out the world when he was on a heist, at least the world that didn’t matter. Knowing where security was is always an important occupation of his mind.

Lani considered his thought about being used. He couldn’t be an object to her, not if there was this emotional connection. He only hoped that she didn’t think he was just using her either. There were two logical explanations. Adrianna used boys to get what she wanted and tossed them away when they no longer amused her, now that sounded about as far from Adrianna’s personality that Lani couldn’t even bring himself to consider it. Second; boys took advantage of Adrianna’s innocent and trust. That was by far the more likely the former. Adrianna had such a soft heart that he doubted that she could find it in her heart to hurt someone even if she hated them. Lani on the other hand with his stone heart was looking out for himself most of the time. At least that was how he saw himself. He didn’t like to think that he could get attached and not be able to run. There were a few people that knew that about him, his parents and most of all his sister. And unfortunately his boss also knew that. He made a face at her. He had been bald, and he had looked like an alien. She hugged him back tightly and Lani smiled burying his face in her sweet smelling hair. His antics earned him a smile and she lifted him back up. He felt as if he were to grow wings when she did so. He smiled sweetly honestly unable to think of anything to say back. Finally after a few moments the only answer seemed to be a wordless one. Gently cupping her face in his palms he gave her another kiss. Pulling away he whispered, “Perfection is just an illusion.”

Adrianna was too funny. She lured him in and it was strange because there was still a part of him that wanted to run away. It was different; Lani was so used to dancing around the truth, dodging questions and turning conversations. Everything about Adrianna was so honest he didn’t know how she could stand it. He kept waiting for that tell or the twist of words that would make her just like everyone else he knew. It dawned on him that he had let something slip but he wasn’t too upset, that wasn’t something really unknown. Lani grinned and gave her a sly look as she kissed his cheek. A chill raced through him every time she touched him and her soft lips against his skin were like silk. He couldn’t help but let out a little snicker. “If I dance like I use my power I’m afraid we’re both going to be in a lot of trouble soon.” His eyes were sly and his words held a double meaning that wouldn’t be caught by someone that didn’t know about his secret occupation. He was good at telekinesis when he had to do with sneaking into buildings and running. “I’m hardly a good telekinetic,” he continued, “But if you’re seeing the future right now I’d have to agree. I’ll be the best you’ve ever seen.” He gave her a wink his confidence was not feinted. He had power up to his eyeballs so when he had control nothing would be out of reach. He would be unlimited.

She was ignoring him and that just made Lani grin. He was completely oblivious to the deeper thoughts that she was having. He simply thought she was embarrassed and ashamed. He couldn’t tell why. It wasn’t a good idea. It just freaked him out. Honestly, the main reason he hated it was because that would be another person that had power over him. Perhaps it was just that Lani was easygoing most of the time… that was laughable. His thoughts were always whirring and there was always something to worry about. He could be a professional worrier. But he took great pride in pretending he didn’t care. He couldn’t quite figure her out and that worried him. One moment she was sweet and spicy and then the next she would pull away and hesitate. It was so strange. It was like her mask was incomplete and she couldn’t hold it. Lani’s mask was well formed and though it had a few cracks it was very sturdy. He started to stare at her intent on doing so until she finally broke down and looked at him. She offered a smile that grew in response and that was more than good enough. A laugh grew in his throat at her comment and he raised him hands in mock defense. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with exaggerated innocence.

Lani wasn’t prepared to jump into the next step and he coiled his legs and when she stepped off he stepped farther than a half step. He nearly collided with her and kicked himself back in the other direction. “What on earth is a half step?” He asked his eyes on his feet as his direction and length varied. He brought his left foot back too close to the other and managed to do a little comical hop. He stopped and laughed at himself for a moment. “Alright, I’ve got this.” He bounced a few times getting the rhythm again and then jumped to the right again, too bad Adrianna went left. He collided with her and his legs got tangled in hers. He hopped a few times and caught her in his arms to keep her from falling. He put his head down on her shoulder and sighed. “Sorry! I know, I know, it was my other left!” He shook his head and took a deep breath straightening. “Ok, lemme try that again.”

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna wondered how he managed to keep such a strong hold on his power at all times. She’d seen seniors struggling for a grasp on what they were supposed to do and yet Lani barely batted an eyelash and his power listened to him. At least that was how it appeared to her. She wondered how often he had to train with it. She’d done a few training exercises over the years, always with another student in the room or her trainer had something special to do. She couldn’t train on her own because her power just didn’t work that way. Though, sometimes she wished it did. It would give her the opportunity to train on her own without feeling as though she was being watched constantly. Then again, she was happy her power didn’t sporadically react based on emotions alone. That would be a disaster for her.

The race wasn’t really a big deal for her. She didn’t mind losing and she definitely wouldn’t mind giving him the massage or anything. She didn’t train excessively for running, she usually just ran so she could have the time to think. She’d gone out a lot more than usual though, due to the fact that she was stressing about her life. It was like everything just kept piling on. First Talen, then Craven now Lani and she was terrified that Lani would disappear just as the other two had. That lurking fear of being alone kept invading her thoughts. She simply couldn’t go one day without thinking about it. Especially because she had the sneaking suspicion that Lani in no way wanted to stay in Pilot Ridge any longer. Why would he?

The fear kept growing until she felt like one wrong move would make her snap. But he didn’t need to know that.

Adri wondered if he pegged her as the hurtful type of girl. The girl that toys with men to get whatever she wants. Several people had thought of her that way before, but she couldn’t figure out where they got the idea from. It wasn’t as if she treated the guys she was with badly. Or that she flirted much when she had a guy. So how could someone think of her as the bitch who wanted nothing more than an accessory? It confused her a lot. Did Lani see her that way? After the way she was talking about men it wouldn’t surprise her. She just hoped he knew her better. As hard as she tried to be tough and strong, she couldn’t be. She wasn’t a mean person at heart and she very rarely spoke badly of someone. Not even the bully that she’d had to deal with for the past year or so.

When he smiled, her thoughts turned to him. Absorbing the brightness of his smile and how sweet he was. She was slowly starting to relax as he hugged her and even more so when he tilted her face up to kiss him. It was one of those sappy love story things where whenever he kissed her, she felt like she was floating rather than standing there with him. Why? She still couldn’t figure that out, but it was definitely different than kissing Talen. It was better. They still had so much to learn about each other, and that was what she liked. Despite how it sounded, she liked that he didn’t know everything about her. His hushed words made her look up at him and she bit her lip as she tried to keep the sound of his voice stored in her mind. She wanted to be able to remember his voice as well as his smile if he ever did leave. Just so she’d remember all of him, not just the looks.

The honesty that made up Adrian’s world was thick. It was a wall of truth that she never let down. Telling a lie did no good because the truth always came out anyway. She just didn’t see the point in waiting when it was best to get it over with. That being said, she wasn’t about to just run up to a random person and tell them her deepest darkest secret either. There was a time to tell things and a time to wait, but if the question was brought up, clearly the person knew something. Her philosophy confused a lot of people and not many could live by it, but she tried to live by it as best as she could. Especially when it came to her friends and people she cared about. She never lied to her mother. Not once in her life even when she was little. It was because her mother rarely lied to her and when she did…it was something big and too complex for Adrian to handle. Even then, she tended to hint at it until Adrianna finally understood. One thing Adrian did lie about though, was the way she felt. Most of the time she was lost in her thoughts because she was upset by something or something happened to her. She never really felt happy throughout because a little patch of darkness was hiding deep in her thoughts at all times. No matter how hard she tried, she was always thinking of something bad. She tried to keep a wall up around people she didn’t trust, but her wall had large holes in it which made hiding nearly impossible. But being with Lani always made her not want to hide. She was happy with being open with him which in turn caused a lot of slip-ups. Her smile widened and she laughed quietly at his innocence, “Riiight. Sure ya don’t.”

Adrianna watched him and could almost see him over think what he was doing. He was trying to be perfect, but this basic step didn’t call for perfection. She smiled and shook her head slightly, “You’re over thinking again. It doesn’t have to be exactly a half-step, hun.” She tried to hide the smile on her face so he wouldn’t think she was laughing at him, but the more he hopped around the harder it was to hold back the snort. As he hopped a few times to get the rhythm she smiled once he got it immediately. Well, until he tried the next step and got tangled up with her. She squeaked as she began falling, but his arms caught her and she giggled like crazy. “You’re doing fine, just relax. Deep breaths, feel it, stop thinking.” She stood up and brushed her fingers across his cheek, “If it helps, close your eyes and think of something completely different.”