Time Warp: Lovebirds (Closed)

[Midori Hawkins]

Tory waited patiently outside the English classroom, one foot casually propped up on the wall. His art class had let out early, which had suited the teenager just fine. It had given him time to wind through the hallways and camp out near Meg's classroom. He was eager to show her what he'd made last period.

He didn't have long to wait. The bell rang overhead, the door opened, and students flowed out into the hallway. All he was waiting for was the familiar shock of vibrant red hair. Once he spotted that, he knelt down by the door just as she was exiting.

"A flower for m'lady?" Ever the showman when he was on stage, he also knew how to work a certain amount of charm. In art he had constructed a red rose from sleek red feathers and green wire with felt stuck to it. From a distance, it looked fairly real. His offering was now held out to Meg as he got back on his feet.

"Can I escort you to lunch, Miss Meg?" Tory grinned and offered out his arm to her.

[Kateri Rivera]

Unlike her mother, Meg liked English. It was like arguing, which she also enjoyed--words written properly on a paper could change the world, she was convinced. She just had to decide--author or lawyer? Or speechwriter? Or maybe she could write scripts for movies or plays. So many options when you started thinking about what you could do with words.

She was caught up in her usual daydreams as she exited the room and started when Tory knelt by the door, then laughed, accepting the rose with a good deal of grace and admiring it. "A feathered rose. Awesome." She grinned at him. She had her mother's red hair, but her father's lively brown eyes. And somewhere along the line, freckles had been introduced to the mix. A lot of freckles all over her narrow face. She took his arm. "Why, you can, Master Tory." She kissed his cheek. "I know it's only been two hours since I last saw you, but I missed you already. You don't think that's creepy, do you?"

[Midori Hawkins]

If he was asked by anyone, Tory would admit to liking drama the best of all his classes. There was something about the stage and theatre work that ignited some sort of passion in him. By default, he liked English too. Reading plays and noels that had been adapted for the stage or screen was thrilling to him. Part of him suspected that his father's genes had a hand in that. He knew he looked like his father. His mom said it enough. Thankfully it wasn't enough for complete strangers to call him out on it. Sure, it was cool his father was a crazy famous actor, but that didn't define him.

"Only the best for a beautiful maiden," he replied with a grinand a bow of his head. "You can thank Mr. Wentsworth for letting me raid the art supplies." Satisfied that she was happy, he started heading down the hall to the cafeteria. "No, it's not. It means we fit together." It made sense. They had practically grown up together. "How was English? Have you penned the next great work of literature yet?"

[Kateri Rivera]

Meg thought it was cool that Tory’s dad was famous. Cool, but she didn’t talk about it much. Partially because she knew he wasn’t around much and because she also knew how he wanted to be his own man, a trait which she found endearing.

Not that she’d tell him that. Meg, like her mother, believed in avoiding inflating men’s egos.

She flushed at his statement and nudged him with her elbow. “I am not beautiful. I am…cute.” She flashed him a grin, then headed forward. “You and Mr. Wentworth. He’s a good teacher, but I think you two get along way too well. Peas in a pod.” She pouted. “I would if they ever let me stop writing papers on other people’s work. How about you? How is drama? Got any agents wanting to cart you off to New York yet? I’d tag along as your writer. Write you all sorts of plays, like…Danny Kaye and his wife! It would be fun.” Then again, he might take that wrong, and she flushed again. “Not as your wife! Maybe not. We’re too young anyways.”

[Midori Hawkins]

Unless Tory needed something, he usually ignored the fact that his father was famous. He wasn't close with him, that was certain. Birthdays and Christmas were usually dotted with cards and either money, or some neat behind the scenes token of his latest movies. He had a small collection of autographs that he kept in a file folder, but that was it. Besides, he didn't want to make friends because his father was some actor everyone knew about. He wanted to base friendships on his own skill set.

Apparently he'd done well enough on his own with Meg, which was nice. Granted, they'd practically grown up together, but it was still nice to know he was able to do things without his father in the background.

"Cute, beautiful, stunning, all of the above." Tory grinned and took the elbow like a man, barely missing a step before falling back beside her. "It's because I behave, and don't throw paint around like a monkey." Not that any of his classmates did that. Unless you counted the telekinetic who'd tried to paint with his powers alone. "Just one of these assignments where they let you choose which work you want to write about, write about your own." He flashed a playful grin. "See how long it takes for your teacher to catch on."

As for his own classes, he just shrugged. Sometimes he wanted to shake his love for drama because of his father''s career. He'd seen it before, sometimes the kids of actors got into the business, and were terrible, but kept at it because their parent or parents did it. He was good, sure, but how good? "No agents sniffing yet, but it's only a matter of time." The false confidence was something he knew he got from his mother. Put on a brave face no matter what was happening. "You'd be an amazing writer, Meg. Famous in no time, and you know I'd perform anything you wrote." He grinned, false bravado gone and more genuine feelings slipping back into place. "By that time we'll be graduated. If you're famous before me, you can be my sugar mama instead of my wife. How's that?" His expression showed he was kidding around. He'd never use her like that. "Or my wife. I like you enough." With that he gave her a sneaky kiss to her ear. "Enough to buy you lunch, anyway."

[Kateri Rivera]

Meg had been friends with Tory long enough to respect his choices and to respect him for him. Besides, her mother had sat her down when she’d been old enough to understand that Tory’s father and Tory weren’t the same things, and that Tory should be taken on his own terms. She hadn’t exactly understood it at the time, but she’d gotten it when she was older.

“Now you’re just spoiling me, stop it,” Meg said. She was still flushing again, but she didn’t elbow him again, but instead enjoyed walking next to him. “And no one throws paint around since we were five.” When Meg had been throwing the paint around. She’d gotten into a lot of trouble with Devon—um, Wentsworth, considering it had been in his art room because she was usually there when her mom was at work—and she still wasn’t entirely allowed in the art room without supervision (usually Tory’s). “Oooh, I like that idea,” she hummed, tapping her finger on her lips. “I wonder how long they would take to notice. I dunno, some of them are pretty intelligent on this.”

She smiled at him at his shrug. “No nonchalant shrugs for you, Tory! The key word there is yet.” She knew all about false confidence because Kateri was an expert at that kind of stuff. Hers wasn’t so much a brave face no matter what, but more of the idea that everything and anything was possible, which was heady in its own right.

“Ooh. You better remember that when I write your next monologue.” She smiled at him, then laughed. “Supporting you, would I be? You know our parents wouldn’t stand for that. They’d strangle us both.” She shivered slightly at the touch, flushed red again, then managed to smile at him. “Now that’s true love. Lunch.”

[Midori Hawkins]

Truth be told, having a famous father was neat. At first. Tory had had a great time when he was younger, especially when he had been sent small props at the like, and gotten autographs of celebrities he admired. As he’d gotten older, it had started to wear on him. Classmates asking him questions he didn’t know the answers to about a man he barely knew, being asked for autographs. This was why he was so grateful that Meg was so down to earth about it all. Ever since they were little, he’d never felt like their friendship, or anything else between them, was because of his father.

“Meg, I live to spoil you. Get over it.” Tory grinned at her. “And you say that now. You aren’t in a class with a telekinetic that likes to experiment.” Still, he wouldn’t put it past Meg to try throwing things around now. It was probably why he was in art classes and she... wasn’t. There was some strange aversion his art teacher had to Meg and the glitter drawer that he still didn’t understand, so if she was in the art room he usually had to keep an eye on her. Not like that was difficult. “I don’t think they’d catch on until they couldn’t find anything on the book you wrote on. You’re clever.” He had the utmost faith in her writing. Someday she’d be a famous writer, in one form or another.

“Right. I suppose I could always go running to my dad.” He rolled his eyes, trying not to let a bitter tone creep into his voice. “He’d get me a job in Hollywood, no problem.” Of course, he’d never do things that way. He wanted things done by his own talent, not ride on his father’s coattails. “We’ll get there one day, on our own. I promise.” There was less false bravado this time, even if it was mostly for Meg’s sake. Her talent was incredible when it came to the written word.

“Are you sure they’d strangle us? I’d have thought they’d be happy.” He grinned and bumped his forehead against hers for a moment. “That was my plan. Buy your love through lunch. Is it working yet?” Not that he needed food to sway her. He was pretty sure that they were equally smitten with one another.

[Kateri Rivera]

Meg was also happy to keep it that way. She could tell that having a famous father sometimes bothered Tory. Sometimes he liked it—getting the cool gifts and stuff like that. But she could always tell when he was looking at someone, as if trying to figure out why exactly they were friends with him. She hated that look and she always wanted to hug him because of it. But that was being Sentimental and Meg didn’t really believe in that kind of rubbish. Or at least, not saying it out loud.

“Never.” But Meg didn’t seem inclined to complain as she bumped elbows with him again, smiling at him and briefly resting her head against his shoulders. “Oooh, telekinetics.” She shivered. “Mom has some stories about them and her classroom. Mind, she has stories about everything. I’m beginning to think she makes them up. And you really think my writing’s that good? Or my ideas are? Awww.” She beamed at him. “You’re too sweet.”

Meg knew him well enough to know the bitter tone, and she elbowed him again. “Stop it. You’re gonna do it on your own, just like we said. I’ll write you good stuff and you’ll act and won’t walk away with some starlet strumpet. Got it? If you do. I’ll write you something terrible and you’ll never know the difference.”

“Nope. Strangle. C’mon, it’s my mom and yours. Can you picture either of them really doing anything different? I know my mom likes you, but she still freaks out. She’s like an overprotective father. And, um, maybe.” She smiled. “You know how much of an appetite I have.”

Ravenous. It came with the whole speed-thing. They entered the café. “But one day I’ll buy you lunch,” she said. “And then you’ll REALLY know how much I love you.”

[Midori Hawkins]

Tory adored Meg for many, many reasons. Of course she was beautiful, cute, whatever description she was willing to accept for the day. She was also smart and talented in everything she did, and she had been an amazing friend as they'd grown up together. He'd never, ever worried about why she hung around him, like he did with others. She was just... well, amazing to him. And it still shocked him that she'd been open to dating after being friends since childhood. Somehow, she was his, and that was something he was grateful for every single day.

"If you're going to insist on being difficult, I might have to take that rose back, Miss Rivera." Not that he ever would. Her head on his shoulder just proved that she was, in fact, well over it. Smiling, he reached up to card his fingers through her soft hair. "You think your mom has stories? My mom's the one that sees all these kids when they first manifest. Next time you're over, just ask." At least his mother being a recruiter had made things easy when his own power had manifested. The sudden ability to twist and move metal objects was bad enough, but at least he'd had some idea of what was going on. "Meg, your writing is up there with Tolkien. ... Only easier to read." The Hobbit, he'd loved. Lord of the Rings... had made his eyes cross more than once.

This was just another reason why he loved Meg. She was always encouraging him, and getting him out of the little pitfalls he made for himself. "I know," he admitted slowly. "I'm still scared I'd get booked just because I'm Darryl Freaking Bond's son." As for running off with some hollywood girl, he just shook his head. "Meg. When are you going to learn that I'm not going anywhere? It's you I like. And I resent the idea that I don't know good writing from bad." With that he stuck out his tongue and ducked away from any elbowing retaliation she might have coming.

"My mother would never strangle you. She loves you, and she's buddies with your mom. Besides, I wouldn't purposely tick off your mom. She might throw some impossible quiz my way and tell me if I fail, I can't see you anymore." He'd been in Kateri's class before, and it wouldn't shock him if she tried that. ... Good thing he was good in math.

As they headed into the cafeteria, he slung his arm back over her shoulders. "Believe me, Meg. I know how much you love me, and if it's half as much as I love you, we're set for life." With that, he pressed a kiss to her ear and led her over to the lunch line.

[Kateri Rivera]

Because Meg was sometimes fickle, the descriptions she accepted tended to vary from day to day, and she found this to be perfectly acceptable and normal. But Tory was willing to put up with her. He was willing to put up with all the crazy dreams she had, and her even crazier mother, and had known her since childhood and even in her early teens when she was awkward and gangly and flat and had pimples (although her mother had sworn they’d go away and she’d been right, thank goodness). She liked him because he was down to earth and sweet and determined to do things, and, well, the whole aspect of him being absolutely wonderful to look at hadn’t hurt either. So she’d been open to dating. Of course she had. And she hadn’t regretted it since.

Well, most days. Just like when they’d been friends, some days she was pretty sure she wanted to strangle him.

“Nuh uh.” She tucked it into her hair and gave him a look. “This is mine, got it? You can’t take it back, I don’t allow it.” But she didn’t complain when he ran his hand through her hair, and hummed softly at the contact. “Is that so? I’m going to ask her next time.” Her own manifestation had gone well. Kateri had been slightly disappointed that her daughter wasn’t a weather manipulator like her or her grandfather, but hadn’t been particularly surprised by the superspeed and had dropped her off in a recruiter’s office almost immediately. She blushed again at his comment and shoved him. “You’re just doing that to make me blush. You know how much I like Tolkien.”

She tilted her head to the side. “So? I mean, Robert Downey Jr. was somebody’s son. Drew Barrymore was someone’s daughter, and I mean the list goes on, c’mon. It could help you get in the door, but after that it’s on you to be the famous one, you got it?” She grinned at him. “And you’ll be better than your dad. I never liked his acting anyways. Besides, you don’t know. You think Tolkien is boring.”

She did have to nod at the assessment of her mother, a little regretfully. “Yeah, she would. That’s why you can’t break up with me while you’re here. Impossible math tests for the rest of your days here. Not good.”

She was more than happy to be led over to the lunch line, and she nudged him again. “You know, keep saying things like that, and you’re going to jinx us.”

[Midori Hawkins]

Tory never saw it as putting up with Meg. To him, they just fit together, and always had. Whether they were playing swordfights as kids, or studying together, or going on their first date, they seemed to click. He encouraged Meg’s dreams, just as she did his, and he’d never once thought that they would drift apart. So far, he’d been right. If they made it to the end of their Hammel schooling, and the end of post secondary, they’d never come undone.

Or maybe that was just the romantic in him.

Sure, they both had days that they got miffed at one another, but they also worked past them. He wanted to be good for Meg, and sometimes that meant manning up and apologizing. (Even if he still didn’t think he’d really done anything wrong.)

“Oh really? Don’t think I won’t go in there.” Not that he’d want to take it back in the first place. It was a gift, and he wasn’t in the habit of taking those back, especially from Meg. “She’ll be happy to tell you, I’m sure. She has some crazy ones.” He was sure that all the recruiters did, but his mom’s were always special. As she shoved him, Tory grinned and moved back, enveloping her in a bear hug. “No, I’m doing it because it’s true.” With that, he kissed her ear and let go before she could hit him again.

Her logic, as always, was flawless, but it didn’t really help to make him feel better. “I know. I just don’t want to end up riding his coattails, and only be known as his kid, you know?” It helped immensely that he didn’t have his father’s last name, but it hadn’t seemed to matter growing up. “And I don’t think Tolkien is boring. I just think that reading Lord of the Rings is harder than it should be.” Give him the movies any day.

“You know, I’d rather stay with you because I want to, not because I’m afraid of your mother,” he teased lightly, reaching down to squeeze her hand. “And I’m not jinxing anything.”

[Kateri Rivera]

She made a face at him. “I know you won’t go there. How do I know you won’t go there?” she laughed. “Because I’ll tell your mom and then you’ll be in trouble. Or I’ll tell my mom and you’ll get those impossible math tests again, remember?” She grinned at him and leaned in to squeeze his hand. She squeaked as he swooped in for a bearhug, and she was blushing again when he let go of her. “Oh, shut up,” she grumbled, but she didn’t shove him again and even leaned into him a little bit.

She nodded. “I know. But you’ll make it even without him. I know you will. But not without me, got it? Me you need.” She laughed. “And one day you’ll make it through Lord of the Rings. I have faith.”

She squeezed his hand back and smiled at him. “Good. Then we’re not jinxing it.” And she was pretty happy about that. She didn’t know what she’d do without Tory.

But, of course, she couldn’t say that without swelling his head. For now, they’d just stay on-track the best they could.

(Annnd wrap!)