Time Warp: Looking at You Looking at Me

[James Lawrence]

Conventionally, Ella was attractive. And by no means was James shy about expressing his opinions on other people's looks. It was how nearly all of his conversations with the opposite sex went, either opening or closing with him telling them they were pretty.

The time it took for her to response was almost painful. The New York native was in blind territory now, with no previous, comparable experiences. There was nothing to fall back onto. It was getting harder and harder for James to keep it up, but of course, the charming and all knowing exterior stayed. For his benefit, he hoped she wasn't telepathic.

He nodded, his eyes moving from her face to look around the halls. Everyone else seemed absorbed in their own conversations once more, and a frown flashed across his face. "I can be honest." James said. Plus, there was no point hiding it if she already figured it out. Her next statement had him raise an eyebrow, shocked that she said that. "I can see that." He answered with a small laugh. In his eyes, James saw this as a rejection, but thankfully due to previous experiences, it was something he took with a grain of salt. There were always more babes around. "A good majority do though." It could be interpreted as a joke or not.

Her hand was coming closer to his face. James eyed it, briefly wondering if she was going to slap him. His line of vision followed, until it reached his ear. And then, the cigarette was in her hand, and she was holding it in front of him. "Well, yes, it's a habit of mine if that's what you're asking." He snorted at the 'cool' part. Because that's what had led to it. Hanging around with the rougher boys of the neighbourhood and being an impressionable young boy. He honestly didn't know what to expect next, but James' eyes stayed on hers, nonetheless

[Ella Robbinson]

When he broke eye contact, Ella couldn't help the relieved sigh she breathed. For a little moment, the pressure was off her. Because honestly, no one ever looked at her like he just had, and she didn't know how to handle it. "I know that." Ella replied. She'd have to be completely blind not to notice how many people would swoon in his very proximity. Truth be told, she was surprised she was still standing.

Of course it was a habit. Why carry it around if it wasn't? But she wasn't even sure if he actually smoked or if it was some kind of strange image thing.

Either way, it was definitely working somehow.

"So why'd you start?" She asked, her gaze refusing to waver despite the physical thing between them. Until it did, and she placed the cigarette back where she found it, "Actually, I take it back. I don't want to know." She amended, taking a quick step back. Curious as she was, she couldn't believe she'd stumbled this far into an actual conversation with him.

[James Lawrence]

His eyes landed back on hers after the brief moment of wandering around the halls. James simply smirked in response. So, she had noticed him before. It was hard not to, afterall.

It was an integral part of his image, past and present. He hung around the 'wrong' crowd back in New York and was offered one at thirteen. Made him fit into the group of boys. Now, it was part of the persona; him. James wasn't himself without a pack on him at all times.

Ella posed him a question, and he opened his mouth to respond before she was placing the cigarette back behind his ear and stepping back. Without much thought, James took the necessary step forward, to close the distance between them again. "Why not?" He asked. It was a simple question he'd answer often enough. "It's easy. Peer pressure. The better question would be why do I keep smoking?"

[Ella Robbinson]

Proxy to James' persona, Ella was hardly the ideal physical trope match. There she was; the proverbial new girl. The girl next door. While she was social, she was always just that little bit distant. She had friends, but they didn't know her. There was something hidden about her that she kept so on purpose. And she managed to play that to the best of her ability.

Until she was actually looked at by people like him.

Because she was beginning to realise that he wasn't simply here to talk to a pretty face. That didn't make sense any more. He was smarter than he gave himself credit for; that was evident in the way he spoke when he thought no one cared enough to listen. And here she was, questioning him until she lost her nerve. But he answered anyway.

She took a slow breath when he stepped forward, her eyes glancing down before looking up to catch his eyes again. Was he actually talking to her about this? Was he being serious? And above all, why was he actually telling her? She expected a hollow answer - actually, she expected no answer.

"I don't know," Ella replied on instinct, her voice dropping a touch. Because now it felt like she couldn't step away even if she wanted to; "Why do you? Do you know?"

[James Lawrence]

Maybe that's what caught his attention, what had James wanting more from this dark haired beauty. He may have started off on a conquest to flirt and make a pretty girl blush and giggle, but something unexpected had happened. He was having a conversation with Ella... an actual conversation. By this point, most people would give up and walk away or he would've charmed them enough to get a phone number and a promise to meet up later in the evening.

But he was enjoying this, whatever it was.

Although their physical appearances dictated otherwise, James thought the pair was a good match. After he stepped forward, his eyes instinctively flickered down to meet hers once more. "Not really." James admitted. Was it the cool factor? The fact that nicotine was incredibly addictive? A bit of both? "If I had to pinpoint it, I'd say it's an addiction."

Without much thought, he reached forward with one hand and brushed back the loose strands of her hair that had fallen earlier, tucking it behind her ear, all without breaking eye contact.

[Ella Robbinson]

It visibly surprised Ella to hear that he actually didn't know why he did what he did. It didn't seem like something someone like him would so willingly give up, especially to someone he didn't know. Was she supposed to take that as something personal? Did such a thing carry more meaning than it was supposed to? Was she taking it the wrong way?

Why would he even remotely open up to her.

She raised her eyebrows when he reached out towards her, faltering in the moment and physically letting him do so. Because as much as she wanted to shy away from the contact, she couldn't. She didn't want to.

"That's a strange addiction to want to have."

[James Lawrence]

The overconfident teen rarely did admit not knowing something; it contradicted with the front he worked so hard on putting up. Whether it was for good or bad reasons, (most likely the latter) James knew he was well known across the school. Uncertainty wasn't something he liked, or enjoyed admitting. And here he was, letting such a thing slip out.

James couldn't explain anything, even as he reached out towards her face, to move the strands of hair away from her eyes.

"Who says I want to have it?" James asked, even though he realized that he could stop but chose not to. His hand lingered behind her ear, before letting it slowly fall back to his side. The overwhelming desire to simply kiss her was making it impossible for James to think. His eyebrows narrowed slightly at the thought. "But nonetheless, a common addiction."

[Ella Robbinson]

Ella opened her mouth to speak, immediately to answer whatever it was he was going to say before she even heard it. But as the question hit her ears, she froze. It was hardly the response she expected to receive. She was hardly ready for that. She really didn't deserve it.

When his hand finally moved away from her, she exhaled the breath she held so intently. How was it that he made it so impossible to breathe? That he could make her lose control over something so involuntary?

Was that his pulse suddenly beating harder, or her own?

"That's-" Ella started, and she furrowed her eyebrows. Trying to finish something so open ended felt as much a chore as taking her next breath. "Stupid." She offered on an exhale, and immediately she closed her eyes under how pathetic a response it was.

[James Lawrence]

His eyes never moved from her face. He didn't know if he could at this point. If James knew what Ella was thinking, that she didn't deserve to hear the confession, then he probably would have rolled his eyes. How someone could have such low self esteem came as a surprise to him, who found it easy to love himself. Afterall, who wouldn't?

He heard the difference between her breathing beforehand, and the sharp outtake of air after his hand moved away from her face. James couldn't help it, the corner of his lip twitching into a mix of a smirk and an amused grin.

Maybe it was his pulse; James hadn't noticed the way it hitched up after thinking about kissing her. And then she replied that it was stupid. "Possibly." He said, and without much thought, drew the physical contact close again by slinging an arm over her shoulders. "So, how about you? Is there something that you crave?" Tilting his head, James refocused on her expression, to see how she reacted.

[Ella Robbinson]

Maybe it was his pulse, but her own was pounding in her ears to intently at this point as Ella registered the now familiar protocol in place. She was going to blush. The way her heart muscles grew more and more erratic under his eyes and his touch and his impression made it so obvious.

It was the only thing the newly developed hemokinetic could control. So she didn't blush. It took everything she had to suppress the natural progression.

Underneath the weight of his arm, Ella wasn't sure what she was supposed to do next. The control she seemed to have over this situation had well and truly dissipated at the strength of his charm, and now she was at a total loss. Her eyes went a little wide at the question about herself. About her own cravings. Before her eyes could drop to focus on his mouth she ducked, slinking her head and shoulders out of his arms.

"Not you." Ella replied, though it was weak given the expression she wore. Before she could linger she turned around, drawing a hand to her face to cover the trickle of blood falling from her nose as she stepped away.

[James Lawrence]

Was James offended that Ella wasn't reacting in the way most Hammel babes would to his charm? Maybe a little. It was definitely a hit to the ego and stung in ways unfamiliar to the cocky teen. Of course, he didn't realize that it was the doing of her ability.

The way his arm moved across her shoulders felt natural. They continued at a walking pace down the hallway, as James posed his own question. Everything seemed to be turning around now, in his favour.

Until she slipped out of his grasp. James let his arm drop, awkwardly hanging by his side now. He stuffed both hands into the pocket of his denim jacket, thumbing his box of cigarettes, thinking of how badly he could use one right now. Not you. If that wasn't a statement of rejection, James didn't know what it was. He opened his mouth to try and charm Ella some more, but then she raised her hand suddenly to cover her nose. He furrowed his eyebrows together, hearing something that could be best described as 'moist.' And now she was walking away.

"Hey... don't go." James said, with honesty. He didn't want her to run away. He figured physical contact at this point was too much, but James did take a step forward to try and keep up with the retreating brunette.

[Ella Robbinson]

It was daunting just how great it felt to be under his arm. Ella would be lying if she said it wasn't some kind of boost to her confidence. But with that came several sets of eyes; they were probably wondering who she was. Or why he was bothering with her. For someone who wasn't interested in being so well known, it was practically worrisome. So of course, she immediately chose to sever the contact and step away.

With her hand over her nose, she had no intention of looking back. She doubted he'd remember any of it anyway given a few days or a week at the most, so surely she could slip away relatively unnoticed. But he called out to her, and she was almost certain she could feel him following.

"No." She replied, glancing back once despite how much she wanted to ignore the desire to look at him.

But it wasn't enough, not to get any kind of point across. It was hard to consider how to response considering she really didn't want to stand out any more than they already were. "Don't." She added quickly, cutting what she wanted to say into one word.

[James Lawrence]

James hadn't taken more than one step before two more words cut through the air: No, and Don't. He stopped in his tracks, feeling the crowd of students watching the two of them once more. But not for the same reason as before. Instead of eyes wondering why he was with her, they were likely wondering why she was rejecting him.

His eyes were wide with shock, his expression almost betraying the rejection he felt. Then, she looked back. "Why?" James asked. The word that could best summarize all of this. Why was she leaving? Why was he following? Why was she covering her face? Why did he care?

Eyebrows narrowing, James ran his thumb along the edge of his pack before reaching up and grabbing the almost forgotten one behind his ear. He dangled it in the corner of his mouth, eyes flickering between the students of the hall and hers. "Fine." James relented, taking one step back. Although stubborn, he wasn't going to come across as needy.

Because he had an image to maintain.

[Ella Robbinson]

Why was the most difficult question to answer, because really, Ella didn't have an answer for him. It was more than the fact that he was overwhelming, or he made her want to blush so hard her nose bled from the ability's block she was trying to put in place. He was supposed to be that guy; the one at an unapproachable distance. The one she didn't connect with so he was easier to put out of her mind and away completely.

So she stayed silent, and only when he spoke another single word did she release the air she held captive in her lungs.

"Fine." She repeated on instinct, quickly turning away and taking hurried steps away from him. With everything she had, she'd avoid him for the rest of her high school life.