Magic's Pride (Caroline Hunter)

[Lani Hunter]

One thing a lot of people didn’t know about Lani was that he was a rather needy person himself. He needed people around him, he needed to be able to help them or else he would have to focus on his own problems. That was often a hard pill for Lani to swallow and so he liked to surround himself with people and problems. A lot of people didn’t see the darker side of Lani because he never let anyone. He could let people in only so far but he had his masks to defend himself and he needed that security. But people weren’t just a distraction, it didn’t take a lot for Lani to warm up to someone but trust was another issue entirely. He cared about people and didn’t just need to help them he wanted to. The want had somehow turned into a need sometime and it was what made him happy, seeing other people happy made him happy.

Lani chuckled and gave her a wink. Of course he wanted to show her off. When he got started talking about her it took a lot for him to stop. Lani never wanted her to see him as anything else. He would always be strong for her, he couldn’t let her see when he was broken down, when he was beaten. It had happened a few times, like when his power came out and when he went home after he had left his boss. But then his mother and father had cleaned him up rather well before she had gotten home but he was still just lost in the dark. Sometimes he still felt like he was lost but it was getting better, easier to find his way out of the darkness.

Lani laughed and nodded. “You have no idea, just this week I’ve argued with a telepath, lied to a lie detector, and read a paper from someone who can learn any power.” He nodded. That was still a little over his head. Willow could learn any power. Not just have, but learn. That meant that there was something about these powers that was in everyone. Perhaps certain people were just under the right circumstances to learn.

Lani took a sip of water and his gray eyes stuck on Caroline as she told him her story. Lani’s brow came together as she got to the part where she was pushed in. His big brother instincts kicked in and it was a very good thing that Caroline added that it was not a big deal or else some poor kid was about to have the wrath of Lani visited upon them. Lani calmed himself and he frowned, he didn’t like it but he supposed he didn’t really know the swimming world and perhaps pushing people into water was an accepted practice. Nodding Lani did his best to suppress his own fear. Whenever they went to the beach with their parents Lani picked a spot far from the water and sat and read a book. The thought of swirling and spinning water was about to make Lani have a panic attack and he subtly inhaled and exhaled counting seconds to keep himself rational. He sighed and twirled some spaghetti around his fork. “I hate that it had to happen like that,” he said. He would have much rather had her story included gently controlling ripples or something. “But it gets better, I can promise you that.”

“Like look. Do you remember when my power first came and I couldn’t stop from throwing everything all over the place?” He asked knowing she remembered. He could still see the terrified expression on her face in his dreams. “And now, Hammel has helped me do this.” He moved his fork to his lips without touching it. Ok so maybe a lot of that was his own stubbornness and working with his power, he really hadn’t been to his trainer in a long time. He was going to be in so much trouble when he did show up again. But Caroline didn’t need to know that. She should not follow Lani’s example and go to her trainer. “You just have to work at it. And don’t let it scare you. It’s your power, you control it. It doesn’t control you.” Lani said encouragingly. He knew Caroline could do it, she had beaten cancer into the dust she could beat her power too.

[Caroline Hunter]

Unlike Lani whose happiness was dependent on helping people, Caroline's happiness much more depended on being helped by others. She felt happiest when she had others around her who were there for her. She was great at giving out love but she felt best when she received the help. Maybe that was part of the reason the siblings got along so well.

Caroline's eyes grew big. "Wow... Life sure is a lot more interesting here then back home." To her Hammel sounded almost like something from another world. She still couldn't believe that this was now her life. It scared her in some ways but in others it was so incredible. She really couldn't believe it was happening to her. Having Lani there though made everything seem a little more real. It helped her know that the world she knew before this one was still out there. Kept her tied to reality in a way.

Caroline shrugged a bit, her eyes on her food as she began to pick at it slowly. It wasn't terrible but it definitely didn't compare to a real home cooked meal. She suddenly felt homesick. She wondered when she would have another meal around the dinner table again. Suddenly something so simple became such a big deal. "It wasn't to bad. At least I didn't hurt anyone." Caroline said. She was relieved that none of her friends had been injured. That would have made this whole thing all the worse.

She looked up at Lani and giggled as he brought the fork to his mouth. He really had gotten control of his ability. Hopefully she would soon be able to do the same. It would take a lot of time and practice but Caroline would learn. "I guess your right.." It was hard to believe though that she could control such a powerful thing. How she had gotten such a crazy ability baffled her. "This is not going to be easy." She said taking another bite of her food. Caroline gave Lani a reassuring look though. She wanted him to know that she was going to be okay.

[Lani Hunter]

It was probably a big part of how they had gotten to be best friends. They both got what they wanted and needed to be happy. Lani sometimes wondered if it were possible to keep Caroline from growing older because he really dreaded the day that she no longer needed him. And relationships. Lani was not ready for Caroline to start doing anything at all with anything to do with dating. Granted she still had a few years before Lani thought she’d be thinking about something like that but he wanted her to have several years before that. He couldn’t believe that she was already twelve, almost a teenager. It was mind blowing really. To think that when he was little he would hold her in his arms. Nothing like a growing little sibling to make someone feel old.

Lani laughed and nodded. “You have no idea. I’m sure you’ll meet your fair share of terribly interesting people here.” All kind, he hoped and sent a prayer to the universe for that. He almost laughed at himself. Lani was not religious but somehow the universe had suddenly become a living entity that was to be blamed for his trials and tribulations as well as being thanked for all of the blessings and luck. So much for escaping fate, it seemed like he was not going to break its hold on him anytime soon. But he was not going to stop trying, if fate wanted him it was going to have to work.

A smile crossed Lani’s face. He remembered being in her place a little over a year ago and somehow the food had just gotten worse. Perhaps it was that it was pretty much the same blandness day in and day out and the fact that while there were so many choices sometimes it was very hard to find something that was good. Lani nodded, that was good at least. “Good, you know some of them are probably jealous.” Lani still didn’t know if anyone had been hurt when he had started flinging cars when his power manifested. It was something that had kept him up at night for a long time when he first came. He then figured if someone had been hurt Hammel would know and would inform him, if only to give him incentive to practice. So he bent toward thinking no one was hurt but he was still terrified it might happen again.

“Skills, huh?” He said around the forkful of noodles. He grinned, really it probably wasn’t the best idea to move sharp objects. But he had gotten that control, a little bit at least. He still was too afraid of it to do what several people suggested which was just to let it go. Lani shook his head. “No it’s not, but just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It merely makes the accomplishment all the sweeter.” He smiled at her, he knew that if anyone could do it, it was Caroline. Lani breathed a little sigh of relief. She was at least doing better than the girl who had been crying in the car. She was a strong girl. She’d get through and any bumps in the road Lani could help smooth out.

[Caroline Hunter]

Caroline hadn't really given much thought to boys yet. Sure, she had talked with her friends about who they thought was cute and who had a crush on who but the idea of actually dating someone was still a foreign concept to her. That would of course come soon though. She was less then a year away from being a teenager and boys were coming seemingly more appealing. However, that would still be a while. Caroline had her brother now to. At that moment, he was the only man she really needed, or wanted, in her life.

She gave a smile and a nod. "Maybe there will even be someone else like me here." Caroline liked the idea of this. If there was someone else who knew about her ability and could help teach her that would be amazing. She knew that there were trainers at the school but she was thinking of another student. Someone who had been through just what she had been through and could help her through this difficult time. Even if there wasn't though, she had Lani and that would be more then enough as well.

Caroline couldn't help but shake her head just the tiniest bit. Why would someone be jealous of her? "No, I doubt it..." She was also thinking that they probably all thought she was some kind of freak. Which she was. Of course she didn't tell Lani that. Caroline knew she could tell her brother everything and anything but that didn't mean she always told it to him. Sometimes she felt a little to embarrassed to tell him.

As she ate her food, Caroline kept her eyes on Lani as he spoke, listening to his words. It felt so, well, right to have him there to give her advice and help her with any problems she might be going through. It felt like the world had been spinning the wrong way and now that Lani was back in her life, everything was spinning the right way. She already felt so much better then she had barely an hour or so ago though it felt like days or weeks since she had driven up to the doors of Hammel and seen Lani waiting for her.

"You're right. I'll make sure my accomplishments are the sweetest ever!" She said with a big smile to Lani. Caroline wanted him to know that she was determined. She would fight through this, just like she had the cancer. She would survive this chapter in her life with Lani by her side, just like she had done before.

[Lani Hunter]

“I’m sure there will be,” he nodded now that he thought about it he couldn’t recall anyone who had her power by name. The only one he could think of was that old English teacher but he was long gone. Lani shook off any thoughts about that man. “I can’t think of anyone, but there are a ton of people here I’m sure someone has it.” Now Lani hoped that if someone did have that power that they were kind and not someone who would take advantage of Caroline. He hated people who took advantage of younger students because they saw them as role models. Now Lani doubted that he would ever be able to take advantage of Shapiro but there were other kids here who were so easy to manipulate.

Lani could already tell that as far as recovery went Caroline was going to be the best medicine for the events that had occurred over the past couple of weeks. Odion coming back and them struggling to get themselves to a place that made sense again. Lani was still trying to figure out the most important information that had been given to him. It was something he wasn’t taking lightly and something that he found himself sitting on a lot when he had a spare moment. Odion had struck a nerve by admitting that he had started to fall for Lani. Lani knew his lack of reaction had stung Odion but Lani just didn’t know what to do with the emotions and the information that had been thrown on him had been on top of already too heavy a load. But having had time to really think about it especially when Odion was gone it had started to dig deep into his heart the reality of the situation. He hadn’t just broken Odion’s trust he had ground it into the ground with his lies.

Lani’s eyes found Caroline’s and he smiled. He needed her too. She was someone he could count on and someone who could help him through this. If mending a relationship with Odion was the end goal he would need to learn to be honest. Perhaps Caroline could help him with that. It was a terrifying idea but something he was willing to go after because he had too fallen for Odion and the idea of losing him was terrifying. Lani smiled. “Oh come on now,” he said her voice calling him back from his thoughts, “You have to admit, controlling water, that’s pretty cool.” He knew that a lot of people if not jealous were interested in telekinesis. Sure it had its perks but it was much more of a hassle than anyone thought.

“That’s the spirit!” Lani grinned enthusiastic about her determination. He reached around her to give her a one armed hug. He knew Caroline would make him proud. And should she hit a few holes in the road she had Lani to cushion the fall and help her get on her feet again. He took another few bites, using his hands this time and finished up his meal. “I really can’t wait for you to meet everyone. Adrianna is excited to meet you and so is Odion,” Lani told her with a grin knowing that she had heard an earful about his girlfriend and best friend. He knew Adrianna would love her, they were alike in so many ways. He knew that if Odion didn’t immediately fall in love with her that it wouldn’t take her long to win him over.