Hiding From Something (Fer)

[Elisia Lark]

Exploring the school grounds for a place to enjoy the snow without being caught in another snowball war, Elisia came upon the little pond that she rarely ever went to. It was beautiful of course, especially with the snow covered trees and frozen lake. Ellie was sure she'd found a nice place to spend alone. All of the socializing she'd done in the past few weeks was enough for this wallflower.

Between her lessons with Jack, her weekly meetings with Robbie, occasionally talking with Callie and hustling Chris, she was sure that she didn't need to seek out anymore people. It was probably for the best that she didn't go out of her way to talk to people because there was a new bully around Hammel that she was steering clear of. From what she'd heard from a few conversations in the dorm rooms, he wasn't a very nice guy and wasn't just a bully, but the worst kind of bully in her eyes. An ignorant and prejudice bully.

She wasn't sure who he picked on the most, but she didn't want to take any chances. Of course Robbie would be there to protect her, but she hated having to run to her big brother when someone was mean to her. It just wasn't something she sought out to do.

Sitting out by the pond, she glanced around to see a few people that she'd seen around the dorms a little. None of them knew her or probably had even seen her, but she spent a lot of time watching people. From a little distance she saw a boy, probably around her age if not a little older than her and he was frantically looking around like he was waiting for something to jump out at him. Once he got closer she noticed his eye was bruised and she had a feeling it wasn't from willingly getting into a fight. He stopped and sat a few feet away from her by the pond.

So much for not seeking people out, "Uhm hey a-are you okay?" She asked quietly as she walked over to him.

[Fer Reyes]

Wearing glasses had become the norm for Fer these last couple of days. It wasn't like he didn't want people to know about his black eye, because everybody knew, it was just that he didn't want to sport it all over school so the few that weren't in tune with Hammel gossip could find out. Plus, at least with glasses, he can make them combine with his clothes, but a black eye? It doesn't look good with anything.

For a small second he removed the glasses to rub his healthy eye, as it was bothering him a bit, and wore the glasses back immediately after. He just hoped no one had enough time to notice the dark spot. In anyway, he had arrived at his destination, and simply sat in one of the benches next to the pond, and just as he was taking his lunch out of his bag, a girl approached him.

"Why-eh, yes." Fer branded a soft smile as he removed the tin foil from his sandwich. "Just... didn't feel like having lunch in the cafeteria." Not ever since that day. "You want some?" He offered his sandwich to the girl, a small smile still in his face. "Honey and eggplant sandwich. Made it myself."

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia hadn't meant to intrude on him while he was trying to eat his lunch. Of course she hated intruding on anyone at any time, but his eye had sparked her curiosity and she couldn't help herself. He seemed nice enough when she approached him, he hadn't started screaming or cursing at her at least. Maybe that was what she had been expecting. Either way she was pleasantly surprised.

"I know what you mean, I've been avoiding crowded places a lot lately. Have you heard about that guy that's been going around threatening people?" She asked giving a slight shudder. That was the last person she'd want to run into. Being picked on by people when she was younger about her fathers was pretty bad, she didn't need to keep going through it at this age.

He offered her his sandwich and she smiled, "That sounds interesting. I'd love some, thank you." Elisia sat beside him on the bench and took his offering. "I'm Elisia by the way. Or Ellie works, too. What's your name?"

[Fer Reyes]

Fer swallowed saliva with the girl's question. Of course he had heard of him, in fact, he had lived it. Said guy was the reason he had to constantly been wearing glasses and was avoiding crowded places like she mentioned. But he just couldn't simply say that, could he? The whole point of the glasses was to hide it, and was he supposed to simply point at his black eye as response to what she was asking? He didn't feel like lying either, though. Fer wasn't a liar, he was better than this. He was also stronger.

"Yeah I..." The dark-haired boy looked away for a moment. "know of him..."

He passed her his sandwich, hoping she'd enjoy it. It was very simple to make, and still, rather exotic-tasting for most people, not to mention strange. He had first tried it when he was in Kocher, taught to him by one of his friends and immediately became one of Fer's favorite quick-dishes. He hadn't found many people that liked it so far, though.

"Do you like it?" He then smiled softly at her. "I'm Fer."

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia had no desire to ever run into that guy. Ever. From the things she’d seen he only ever picked on guys and there was really only one thing a guy like that had to bully them about. She may not be a homosexual or bisexual guy, but if word got out about her fathers, she’d be lumped in with them. Not that she had a problem with that, she’d even stick up for all of the guys that got made fun of for it. Her fathers had taught her that everyone deserved to be loved and she truly believed it.

“He’s scary. I mean I haven’t run into him, but I don’t even want to,” Ellie said with a frown. She thought about asking him about his eye, but she didn’t want to invade on his privacy and she could sort of guess that he knew the bully a little better than she did. “I can’t imagine what reason he’d have to bully people like that.”

Taking the sandwich from him and taking a bite, she tilted her head to the side. It was an interesting combination of flavors, one that she actually happened to enjoy. How anyone thought of such a thing was beyond her, but it was quite good. She smiled at him and nodded with her mouth full. It would have been impolite to say anything and she was miss manners. Once her mouth was cleared she smiled again, “It’s nice to meet you Fer! What ability do you have? Oops, that’s a little personal, uhm I’m a musical psychometric.”

[Fer Reyes]

Fer looked away as the Eli talked about the infamous bully. He bit his lip a bit and stared at the pond. Didn't those koi fish had it easy?

"Can we not..." He turned his face to the girl. "...talk about him?"

The boy was speaking with a very soft voice, almost weak. His mood hadn't been the best these last couple of days, and it was easy tell by the way he was speaking and by his body language. A small smile formed in his lips as he noticed the girl enjoyed the sandwich, though. It was always nice to find people that liked all the quirky things he did, and he was quite sure that anyone that liked eggplant and honey had to be a good or interesting person.

"It's fine." Fer nodded softly before acknowledging what Elisia's power was, one which he had actually seen before. "That's nice."

He then showed Elisia the palm of his hand and then closed it into a fist for a small second. As he opened, a small penny was in there. He closed it and opened it again, showing this time two pennies. He quickly repeated the process until he had six identical coins, three of which he offered to Elisia.

"I make magic." He pointed at the pond. "And my coins can grant wishes."

Fer threw the first of his replicated coins to the pond. Make the pain go away.

[Elisia Lark]

“I-I’m sorry,” Elisia realized then that she really shouldn’t have even brought up the bully considering she could more or less figure out on her own that he’d in fact run into that guy. If she had been maybe a tad bit bolder she would’ve asked him what happened, but she didn’t want to upset him further, so she kept the question to herself.

Just seeing and witnessing how he was so introverted and quiet was heartbreaking and Elisia wished she hadn’t said anything. The poor guy didn’t even seem like he could have done anything to deserve it. Then again, that was the case for most bullying.

After she told him her power, she waited as he began to show her what she figured was his. Ellie’s eyes widened each time that the coins duplicated. He handed her three of them and she appraised them closely to see if they were real. They looked real and even felt real, but there was just no way he could do something like that magically. Ellie watched him as he threw the coin in the pond and she did so as well.

Please let me make friends. It was a pathetic thing to ask for, but for Ellie that was all she wanted now. “I have to say, your ability is a lot cooler than mine,” She said with a smile.

[Fer Reyes]

"Thanks." Fer agreed, replicating objects was a very cool power. "Yours is too." He said. "I had a friend with that one and she always had the greatest time when dancing to electronic..." He chuckled for a bit as he remembered him. "He said sometimes, he felt like he was doing drugs, if the composer had been doing drugs when composing the song."

Throwing the second coin to the pond, Fer this time wished to find love. It was one of his life-long wishes by now, and love was still avoiding him for some reason. Normally, he'd be unbothered (much) about it, but at the moment, it was different. Moments like this, dark times, were when he wished it, and needed it, the most. A strong embrace from a strong guy who whispers him in the ear "everything will be ok" before landing a soft peck in his cheek seemed like such a great thing.

"I think I've seen you around before..." Fer returned his eyes to the girl as an image popped into his mind. "You're with that blonde, Jack, right?" He smiled very dimly. "Quite a catch."

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia giggled as he told about his friend. It was funny because it did seem like that sometimes. If someone was drunk while composing a song, Ellie acted a little out of character. She attempted to stay away from those types of songs. From the 60s through the 70s, Elisia was a little hesitant on listening to songs. "It's pretty crazy, I've acted like I was drunk one time and I haven't listened to that song since," She laughed again.

Upon flipping her second coin into the pond, she heard him ask about Jack. Her second wish was for just that. She wished that something good would come from her time with Jack. Whether it be a close friendship or more, she just hoped he didn't turn out to be like every other popular guy. It wouldn't have surprised her if he did turn out to be a jerk, but she hoped for the best.

"Me and Jack? Oh no. W-we're just f-friends if anything," Ellie stammered. Gosh she wish she was with him though. He was such a cute guy and not just that but he sang! And played guitar and, well he was just perfect. "I've sort of got a crush on him though, not that anything will come from it, but..." She trailed off with a shrug.

[Fer Reyes]

"Ah..." Fer acknowledged Elisia's words and looked away.

He figured that she probably didn't like alcohol that much. It was fine, even if Fer still couldn't quite understand how why wouldn't someone like it? If Fer had that power, he'd probably abuse lightly of drunk-music or drugs-music like his friend from back in Kocher did. Maybe Ellie was like Mia, a goodie-two-shoes. It was always amusing and nice to meet people like that.

"Friends?" The Brazilian boy send a naughty smile at Ellie. "Riiiiight." He nodded a bit and frowned at Ellie's words. "Why? I mean, you both are good-looking. You'd make a cute couple."

He didn't quite know Jack, or didn't know at all, but he had seen him around school, and well, no cute guy in Hammel is outside Fer's radar, even if they're straight. He meant it when he said that he and Ellie would make a good couple, and it was noticeable that Ellie liked the other boy in an honest way, maybe more than simply and crush. Maybe if he couldn't get love himself, she could. That was Fer's third wish as he threw the last of coins to the pond, for Ellie and Jack to happen, for them to be an item.

"It'll happen, don't worry." Fer said softly and with confidence. "I know."

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia took goody-two-shoes to a whole new level. She'd never even kissed a guy and she was turning sixteen in a matter of days. Sure, Robbie was making her more out there and with the whole hustling thing that she did, well she wasn't as innocent as she was before Robbie. He still had yet to drag her into a bar for a wild party though and she was perfectly fine with that.

Blushing at his smile, she bit her lip. Yes, friends and only that. "Well I mean just look at him, sure I'm alright looking I guess, but he's popular and really attractive. He could have any girl he wants and I doubt he'd want a nobody like me." Ellie wasn't usually one to down herself, but when it came to a guy that looked like Jack going for a girl that was as shy as her, she just thought it was unrealistic.

Before tossing the final coin in, Elisia thought about something she could give to the boy next to her. He seemed so nice and it was actually fun talking to someone different. Sure, the thing that led her to him wasn't pleasant, but they didn't have to talk about the bad. It was nice just talking about guys and her irrational crush on Jack. His words made her smile and she flipped the last coin in wishing that the boy would get whatever he most wanted in that moment. She didn't know what it would be, but either way she hoped for the best for him.

"Gosh I hope so. How about you, do you have any irrational crushes or someone you're with?" She asked turning her attention back to him.

[Fer Reyes]

"But you're very attractive too," Fer smiled as he took another bite from his sandwich. "If I weren't gay, I'd like you for sure."

He actually had to think a bit before saying that last thing out loud. It was being gay, after all, what had gotten him into trouble, what had gotten him that black eye he attempted to hide, in the first time. He didn't know anymore if he still should be stating it publicly and proudly. He had decided after talking to his dad, that he was not going to let it get him down. He was a king, after all, and that guy, he was a fairy, he was no one.

"I... don't know..." Fer crossed his legs in his seat and turned his whole body to the brunette. "There's... this guy." Behind his glasses, Fer looked down for as small second as he talked. "He... stood up for me, to defend me. But he disappeared ever since, so I don't know," he slightly shrugged. "He's the kind of guy that only appears for one thing only, I guess I shouldn't be that surprised."

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia gave Fer a shy smile, "Th-thanks, that's really nice of you to say." Thinking nothing of the fact that he had admitted to being gay, she turned her attention back to the pond.

Until she realized that it could have been the reason he was bullied. Ellie bit her bottom lip and frowned, it was better for her to keep under the radar with the bully then because she didn't want him finding out about her fathers and taking it out on her. Fer's admittance to his sexuality cleared the question up that had been in her mind and she really did empathize with him, she didn't have to be bullied because of her sexuality, but instead because she accepted those who were gay due to her fathers. If this bully ever crossed her path and said something bad about someone who had a different sexuality, she wasn't the type to stand by and let it happen, but she'd definitely run after she spoke her mind.

As he began to answer her question she sat and listened. She had a feeling there was someone in the picture, most of the time there was. Ellie's eyebrows pulled together and she bit her lip as she tried to think of what to say. The guy sounded like he could be a good guy if he'd actually try to be. It seemed like he wasn't willing to though. "Hm, well I mean if he stuck up for you then obviously he has to care right? Otherwise he would have turned the other way like most people seem to. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show that he cares?"

[Fer Reyes]

"I don't know." Fer shrugged slightly.

He tried to give it some more thought as he took another bite of his sandwich, but he realized he didn't really want to think much of it. Overthinking only led to disastrous results, and the thing Fer needed the least at the moment was to add something to his stack of problems. Things were (sort of) fine the way they were, and any attempt on trying to fix them could only lead to making them worse. He didn't want to risk it.

"I think I'd prefer to meet someone new." Fer nodded. "Our relationship's screwed already." In more ways than simply literally. "It's just so hard to find good guys here anyway, they're all interested in one thing. I'll never understand men..." He sighed. "You're lucky you found Jack."

[Elisia Lark]

Elisia wished she was better at dating advice, but the truth was, she didn't know anything about what guys were like. The first guy she'd liked was Jack and she was sixteen. She'd never been kissed and she had never been on a date. So her advice was strictly based off of common sense and things she'd picked up from Robbie.

"Well I'm just throwing this out there, but I mean if you do meet someone new not only would it be a good thing for you, but it could also nudge the other guy into realizing what he's missing out on by being a jerk," Ellie wasn't sure if that would happen or not, but it was possible. She sighed, "I'm only lucky if he likes me. And I'm sure you'll find someone, just don't lower your standards because you deserve a good guy." Everyone did, but especially the guys that were as nice as he had been to her.