Ridiculous (Jared)

[Lani Hunter]

Lani laughed carefree for once in his life. Something about this place was changing him. He shook his head he couldn't even image that many Jareds running around. He would be out of luck there. "Oh dear god!" He exclaimed shaking his head. "The horror!" He pretended to be terrified but at the same time could not keep from guffawing at the thought. "I think I would just hide. One of you is enough." He winked teasingly. Lani shook his head and muttered a soft swear under his breath. He was almost overwhelmed with this welcome. Everywhere he turned there were reasons, new people and friends, to stay here, but then there was always something pushing him to run until he no longer could away from this place. Back to his little sister who still needed him and back to his old life when things were simple and there had been no question about what he was going to do with his life. Now he wasn't sure anymore. He had planned on working on breaking his bad habit and getting a real job. Now his world was upside down and he clung to the bad habits that were familiar and comforting.

Lani shook his head and rubbed the back of his head trying to push the thoughts out of his mind. Lani laughed and shook his head giving Jared a ruffle through his hair, "Wishful thinking, are we?" Lani joked to hide how close Jared was to hitting the mark where he was confused. So he hid his embarrassment and indecision by teasing the kid back. Lani didn't really know where he stood in that, there had never been a girl nor boy who he mooned after. But then again the thought of Lani mooning after anyone was a humorous thought. Sometimes the thought of being in a relationship and completely open and vulnerable made Lani cringe. Lani wasn't even completely honest and open with his sister or parents. Perhaps for everyone's sake Lani should just stay single for the rest of his life. Honestly the more he thought about it the more becoming a hermit appealed to him.

Lani nodded and shrugged, "I don't know sometimes I do sometimes I don't. It's weird." He admitted unsure of what else to say. Lani was far to complicated to be determined and figured out in one sitting. Only his sister knew him truly and even he kept secrets from her, though she somehow seemed to always know. Part of that is that when people knew him they knew his flaws and that could bring them to call him out on things. He hated people pointing out his flaws to him. He knew himself and knew his flaws people didn't need to rub them in his face. He shrugged. "Who knows maybe we just haven't met the right people," he suggested. It was always a possibility but it was saddening to see all the people paired off and then to see himself standing like he had a spotlight on him for being single.

Lani grinned slyly finally finding something that would annoy Jared as much as poking him annoyed Lani. Lani laughed and looked up at his hair, "How's that working out of you?" He took a precariously places lock of Jared's hair and moved it the opposite direction. He shrugged, "Well the grasshopper must be patient. Once he can grab the coin from my hand he is ready." He laughed and held out his empty palm jokingly. Lani was a serious person unlike how he acted he had a very quick off switched when he was joking. He went from joking and teasing to deathly serious all in the same sentence sometimes. His best friend had once described him as her favorite chocolate truffle, a hard outside but soft and warm on the inside. He had laughed and never given it more thought but after a few years he realized she was right only it was more like a metal shell with metal supports in a flimsy foam. He blinked and cut off his though realizing suddenly how odd it was. He flinched away and couldn't help smiling. He was really in trouble if a lot of people learned about his sensitive sides.

Lani reached out when Jared teetered. He smiled but couldn't bring the light to reach his eye when Jared spoke. If only he could control his power this would never have happened. Jared was such a naturally happy person and the smile he now held made Lani's heart clench with guilt. He ducked to give Jared more support and that also gave him an advantage to hide the fury and guilt in his eyes. After what he had done he had expected Jared to be disgusted with him, afraid of him. Images of his sister's terrified face screaming as he lifted the table. But rather the younger man had defended him again Mr. Fjiki. He looked at the teacher rather than his friend when Jared spoke again and the man nodded and Lani helped him over to a heap of mats that served as the only place other than the floor to sit.

"Don't worry about it. I should have been more careful." He said returning his awkward hug. He froze every muscle in his body tensing. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He touched his power tentatively and flashed back into reality hissing a little bit. He should have seen this coming. His power was blocked. He pushed at it an unsettling separation from his power making him want to draw on it more. He could feel it just beyond his reach, like a cup of water when you were parched that was just beyond your fingertips. One good thing is that there was no headache. He couldn't believe his reaction, he knew this would be bad, his power would over compensate when it struck his mind again as soon as the teacher removed the block things would go crazy, quite literally. But he had wanted it gone so long now it felt like he was missing a limb.

"Jared are you sure you're ok?" He asked turning a worried gaze on his friend slightly glad he didn't have to worry about controlling his power for a little while. "Do you need some ice or something? Isn't there a nurse here?" He let his eyes rake over Jared searching for signs of further wounding.

[Jared Park]

If Jared just knew that Lani was confused about who he was, or in this case, about his sexuality, he wouldn’t have teased the older boy that much. He knows how it feels to be confused, or rather, to have people confuse you for something else. Because of his rather soft and feminine features, combined with his flamboyant clothing and outlook in life, Jared was teased early on about being gay. He isn’t homophobic in any sense, but the teasing did do a number on his self-esteem. Why do people keep insisting he’s something that he’s not anyway? While he did get over it after some much needed talk with his siblings, that he grew confident that he is in fact straight, the unnatural (for him, apparently) dormancy of his hormones somehow led him to question if he is who he says he is (he does hope it doesn’t mean he’s asexual though, being a hermit does not suit him, or so he says).

Unfortunately for Lani, Jared’s not a mind-reader. So instead of stopping, he upped his teasing a bit more, this time snuggling between the older man’s arm and chest, looking at him with batting eyelashes. (Apparently the gesture did not strike him as odd in anyway; Jasper and his guy friends are pretty much used to Jared being all cutesy like that, so why would Lani feel weird). “It’s not wishful thinking if I know it’s true,” he laughed, his right arm twirling behind Lani’s waist to give him another playful poke. He giggled loudly, quickly distancing himself from the telekinetic to prevent himself from getting tangled in another head lock. His hair is messy as it is already (no thanks to Lani of course), no need to mess it up more.

“So you do have no one else at the moment! Gotcha!” Jared smiled when Lani tried to comfort him about his supposedly sleeping hormones. “And you had me thinking you’re such a hottie.” He’s actually considering the thought of consulting the older boy for most of his school problems, considering Jasper’s too far off and emailing something is a bit of hard work. And besides, most problems are simple things that need urgent solving, so he figures he needs an older male figure to turn into. Since he has some apprehension about talking to Institute officials, he figured Lani would be the best bet. His subtle confession about not having someone yet was a bit of an indication that the older guy may not be the best one to come up to for romantic advice, but then again, not everything he’ll experience in high school is romantic in nature, so Lani’s still the greatest he has right now. “Yeah, probably I’m not ready yet. I’ve got a whole two years before I get to your age anyways, hopefully something eventful will happen by then.” Oh yes Jared, always the hopeful one.

-xxx-

Jared sat down on the gym benches with a grunt. He could see Mr. Fjiki still eyeing him (or them, he couldn’t really tell) so he gave the man a weak smile. He’s sore all over, possibly because instead of falling butt first he fell as stiff as a log, but he can’t show that much pain as, in his mind, it might worsen the tension between Lani and Mr. Fjiki. While it may seem heroic in some standards, to Jared, it’s not. He just doesn’t like conflict between people around him, much more when he’s feeling so much hurt in the new boy.

He gave his leg a light rub as he could feel his muscles pulsating in pain already. He should’ve gone to the weights room and worked out, like Tim said. He said it’ll make him a bit more tolerating of pain. “Don’t worry. I think I can handle it,” he said with much difficulty. Keeping a strong face isn’t as easy as it looks after all. “Ah!” he shouted, quickly rubbing his back. “I don’t think I need to see Dr. Prideaux right now, but I do think I need to get back to my dorm,” he said shyly, “I think I’ll just sleep this off. Would you mind asking Mr. Fjiki if we could simply get off class, just for today?” He gave the older boy’s arm a tight squeeze before sending him off, “And Lani, don’t let Mr. Fjiki get to you. He’s just concerned, that’s all. It’s not your fault really. He just can’t see it yet.”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani sometimes wished he didn't love being around people so much, for he would be absolutely be completely fine with leaving the entire world behind and living on a deserted island using his power to steal food from ships passing by. He shrugged absently to the internal monologue he was entertaining. Lani was one of eternal inner turmoil. The moment when Lani himself figured out who he was and what he was here for would be the first moment Lani felt content. For some reason he felt like if he had been given this 'gift' he had been given it for a reason. Maybe once he found that reason he wouldn't feel so lost in the world. Perhaps once he found that he wouldn't have to hide anymore. Maybe he could stop stealing and start helping. He sighed to himself frowning with frustration.

Lani was completely unprepared for what happened next. The poke he had expected but the closeness Jared had come to him startled him into a frozen state. Lani couldn't help the redness that flowed into his face. He gritted his teeth and swatted at Jared as he moved away hiding his face and glaring. "Get out of here! Goofball!" He exclaimed twitching to the side as Jared poked him. His eyes grew icy and vicious at the action. He knew he was confused why was Jared taunting him? If only his power worked on people... He shook his head his eyes pulling away and inward. They matched the ice in his heart and the anger in his soul. So though his smile was free and his laugh heard often his eyes never thawed. Distance was best, he reflected. But he didn't want to distance himself from Jared. He shook his head forcing himself to relax and his power to calm.

He blinked getting the anger out of his eyes and wondering what had come over him there for a moment. He hated being called out on his flaw and in Lani's eyes his confusion was a weakness and he hated that Jared not only saw it but said it. Lani made a face, "What are you talking about? I am a hottie." He winked and grinned his joking side slipping back into place. That was one of Lani's many skills; being able to go from a bad mood to a good mood with a few thoughts and kicking the bad thoughts into the back of his mind. Lani smiled, "I have had a few dates before." He said mildly defensive. By a few Lani meant like two... three max. "You're still young," Lani agreed with a smile reaching over and ruffling his hair. Lani smiled he was sure that with Jared's happy and upbeat personality he would have no trouble getting a girlfriend.

Lani was like a fretting mother hoping that Jared wasn't hurt but at the same time wanting to do anything he could to help. The brave face that Jared was giving was making Lani's heart lift. Jared at least wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge and milk and injury for all that it is worth. Lani's brows came together with worry and he put a hand out gently to touch Jared's back, "You sure?" Lani asked, his absence of power completely forgotten with worry for Jared. "I think you should go see someone, that was a nasty fall." Lani narrowed his eyes at Jared, one did not sleep off pain and soreness that only made the injured areas stiff and more painful the next day. But rather he just shrugged and slid off the bench, "Sure." He hesitated when he felt Jared's hand on his arm. He didn't say anything but just turned away to go toward the teacher who had started up another game in their absence.

"Excuse me," Lani said politely. He didn't believe Jared. It was his fault. Even if he didn't do it on purpose it was still his hand that had done that and his responsibility. Mr. Fjiki concerned? He didn't believe that either. "I know I'm not in a position to ask but Jared wants to know if he could leave early?" He asked his eyes steadily resting on the teachers trying to establish a air of equality rather than superiority.

"Mr. Hunter do you realize now what a danger you are if you do not train your power. Shutting it on and off will never be enough and eventually it will take over you instead of you taking over it." He lectured and Lani resisted exploding. "Do you understand? What if that had been your sister? What if it hadn't been a rubber ball?" Lani's mind filled with images and he shook his head violently trying to dislodge them. "I understand." He said stubbornly gritting his teeth pained at having to admit defeat. He took that as a yes from the teacher and turned back toward Jared. "Lani." He turned and blinked as Mr. Fjiki's finger touched his forehead. There was a rush and then pain so intense his knees shook. He had almost gotten used to the lack of pain. He caught his balance again and ignored the pain. It was normal again and he ignored it as best he could. "Take care of him." Mr. Fjiki turned back to the game like nothing had happened.

He stumbled numb back to Jared and nodded his head slightly. He had really gotten used to not having pain in his head. Now especially since his power was raging and he was trying to keep it from wreaking havoc. "Well Jared you're good to go, but I have been given directions to make sure you can make it to where it is that you are going." He said laying a stern hard glare on Jared, daring him to protest. "Come on," He said gesturing and holding out his arm for Jared to lean on him.

[Jared Park]

Perhaps it goes without saying that Jared can’t live without people. That unlike Lani, the thought of being alone in an island, out of reach from civilization, is all but a huge nightmare to the kid. Aside from being a bit of a tech-savvy (no civilization means no cable, no internet and no other comforts he has, which means hell), the kid somehow needs the constant contact with the people around him. It’s like he can’t survive a day without talking to anyone. He’d go insane if he’ll be left alone for the whole day. He does value his privacy and all that, but if it goes in the way of his social contact, he’d gladly let go of that privilege. Jared is a social butterfly, one that lives off and craves for the nectar that is conversations and bonding, and without it, he’d be nothing.

Jared quickly retreated when Lani suddenly shouted at him. Surprised and shocked, his eyes grew wide as he tried to look at the older kid for signs of disappointment and anger. He asked himself what he might’ve done wrong. Did he poke too the older guy too much? Is the guy’s sexuality a delicate manner that he shouldn’t have probed on it? He tried to tell himself that he didn’t know, but then Jasper’s infamous ‘ignorance is not an excuse’ sermon came to his mind. He caught a glimpse of Lani’s icy stare and it made him really confused. He almost felt hurt. Why would he suddenly lash out on him anyway? They were having some good clean fun, why be a spoil sport? Jared did not gropetouch him indecently, right?

He was about to ask for forgiveness in case he had done something wrong and simply move away from the telekinetic, in case he still has some issues to solve by himself and would like to be alone for a minute, when he suddenly changed, the warm stare and welcoming smile back into the older boy’s face. Jared was indeed confused but was delighted enough to let it pass. “For a minute there I thought I went too much with my poking,” he chuckled, subtly telling Lani that he was rattled and confused beyond compare, “Fine. You’re a hottie now. You’re a love guru. The new Eros and Adonis. Happy?” He’d go with teasing the guy now. No more poking and other sorts of physical contact for the moment. He sat back beside him, but told himself to keep his distance now. An enraged Lani is not a happy sight to see. “Seriously? You aren’t pulling my leg are you?” he laughed as Lani tried to recall his dating life, “Then you wouldn’t mind giving me tips in case I have a date? Operative word: in case.” While Jared does have confidence in his people skills, he still fears that he’ll make a big fool of himself in case he successfully scores a date (who isn’t anyway?). He thinks he’ll be like the typical awkward guy in the movies and television, rambling on and on about inane and trivial things, making his date feel as awkward as hell. He knows that’s what he did when he last attended the Autumn Dance, lucky for him Noor was a bit more mature than he is and handled him properly.

-xxx-

“Are you ok Lani? Did Mr. Fjiki turn your powers off?” he asked when the older boy came. He didn’t really hear what they were talking about (he wishes he had super eavesdropping abilities) but he did see their gym teacher touch Lani’s forehead, which may mean he used his negation on him. “Don’t you feel weird then? Like, how does it feel, having your powers temporarily stripped from you?”

He gave a slight smile to Lani when he told him he got the green light to go and Lani was assigned to accompany him. He was a bit worried that Mr. Fjiki might assign some other guy to help him and insist that Lani stay behind. Not that he didn’t want to be with anyone else but he’d actually like to know Lani more. And he could feel that the senior could use the break too, seeing his rather stressed state. “Well then you can lead me outside town to the clubs and let’s go partying,” he joked, grabbing Lani’s hand and quickly pulling himself to the boy’s side, his balance not yet fully restored. The pain isn’t really going down, in fact now that he’s rested, he could feel the pain in his legs spreading. Not really a good sign isn’t it? “Let’s go to the lockers first. We can’t just leave our stuff right?”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani winced at his own stupidity. He really messed up. Getting angry over nothing. He silently scolded himself, "Nah, sorry that was just me." Lani shrugged, "Don't worry you didn't do anything wrong I just get headaches randomly and they make my temper really short." He half lied, his temper was really short these days but that hadn't been the reason. Lani was sensitive about his sexuality though if you ever asked him he would deny it to the grave. He regretted that Jared had to the one for him to yell at but at the same time his mind was coming to the idea that the younger man was just acting like he probably normally did messing around with his friends. Lani felt like Jared was a friend but wasn't quite ready for the extent of friendship where one could tell the other anything.

Lani smiled but the humor was lost in his outburst. Why did he have to ruin everything by his fear of getting close to people? He was a humorous person and liked to joke but he was cold when it came to things that were too close to home. He smiled and reached over to tug gently on Jared's hair, "Hey don't worry about it, ok?" Lani let the smile light his eyes he didn't like the way Jared was avoiding him. Sure it was his fault if he wasn't so damn touchy this wouldn't be a problem but he hated when people looked at him with fear or hurt. It just reminded himself of how dangerous he was and how careful he needed to be. Just to show Jared he was calm again and the outburst had been brief and was over he commented, "And of course I'm hot. Why would you think otherwise?"

He nodded, "Pretty sad, huh?" He sighed wistfully, he wasn't even sure there was a person out there for him. He laughed a little, "Sure if you ever need to know how to repel women just come to me." He joked, teasing himself and laughing about it. Jared was probably one of those cute little people who would grow up over night into a heart throb. Too bad for Lani this was it, he had hit his last growth spurt two summers ago and he was actually hoping he never got another one. Having ones body grow that much was not pleasant at all. It made him clumsy and uncoordinated for a terrible few months.

Lani smiled then shook his head, "I'm fine he just gave them back." He explained, "He took them for a while right after... well." He shrugged and nodded in affirmative it was very weird. "Yeah it was odd. I would have given anything to be rid of this power but then when its gone it was like... I don't know like I was missing an arm." He shrugged, "but I was getting used to having a clear head," he chucked, "Oh well I'd rather have it in my hands than in anyone else's." Something told him that getting his powers negated once would lead to him never wanting that to happen again. He smiled a little bit. It was like being helpless even though he still had his hands and feet. Somewhere between the time Lani had gotten his powers and this time he had come used to having his powers and leaned on them a little.

Lani laughed, "You wish." He grinned and supported Jared as he stood. He could only imagine the pain plus landing flat on his back must have knocked the wind out of him pretty well. Lani could relate the one time he fell of a fence. That had hurt but he hadn't fallen flat but rather on his side. He was one big bruise as he was sure Jared was from the way he was moving. To answer Jared he helped him to the locker room pushing the door open with his power so he could help Jared through. He really liked his power when it behaved itself. "Alright now I know you want to go sleep it off but you're not going to." Lani said sternly, "With a fall like that if you are immobile for too long you will get stiff and it will be even worse than it is now." He hesitated and helped Jared to a bench then added, "Trust me," for emphasis.

[Jared Park]

Lucky for Lani Jared bought his white lie fully. “I see. Headaches are indeed painful.” While he hasn’t experienced a headache strong enough to make him grumpy and grouchy, he does have his fair share of moodiness due to being under the weather, so to some point, he can empathize with Lani. “Have you tried asking the school nurse for, it is aspirin? Yeah, aspirin, that’s right.” Up until now, Jared’s been anything but familiar with the anti-pain medications people are taking. After all, his powers haven’t been all wonky and when it did decide to give Jared more problems than what he already has, it’s not really that painful. But he has heard enough from people to piece stuff together and somehow infer that there’s a more ‘used’ term for painkillers than the word ‘painkillers’ itself (he thinks). “I think the school has an unlimited supply of that one, seeing that headaches are the most common side effect of all sorts of powers.” He gave Lani a light pat in the head as if he’s the older, more experienced one. “No worries. I’m sure it’ll die down once you get foothold of your powers.”

“Nah. I’ll just spray Axe all over me and I’m sure no one will even bother to come near. Betcha even the plants around me would die. I’ve even developed a new power,” he chuckled, thinking that Lani’s been putting himself too much. He doesn’t look half bad, if Jared could say so himself. He’s tall, he’s lean. He also looks very clean and neat, making his short blonde hair work for him. Then again, if he would hear Lani’s thoughts about him growing up to be quite the heartthrob he’d laugh rather loudly. While he does think the older boy’s got charms, he rarely thinks of himself as a charismatic lad, much less an ugly duckling who’ll transform into one hell of a swan when he goes thru puberty. Sure he is trying to cope with his newfound height and lankiness, but he doubts it’ll be able help him get girls anyway. So much for hypocrisy.

-xxx-

“Woah. He suppressed it even from that distance? And like, you’re the only one whose power he suppressed right? What precision.” He knows he shouldn’t really be patronizing Mr. Fjiki right now, especially since Lani seems so discouraged by the man, but he just can’t help it. It’s the first time he actually saw the gym teacher use his powers on someone. He actually thought his powers worked on an area-of-effect thing, like everything within a certain radius gets their powers nullified and all that, but since he didn’t feel anything change within him, he figures it just works differently. (Of course he didn’t factor out the fact that he never really used his powers voluntarily before, hence not feeling the difference of having his powers nullified or not). “Oops. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he blushed as he finally realized that he may have gone a bit too far this time.

“Ooh. Like, what did Jasper call that again, a ‘phantom limb’ you say? I didn’t know telekinesis worked that way.” Jared knew telekinesis involved willing stuff to move from afar, but he never imagined it working like a real hands, complete with fingers and the sensation of having another arm. “Haha. Seems you’ve made quite a bond with your power still. I, on the other hand, would be a bit too relieved if I had my powers negated. I should really call on Mr. Fjiki whenever I want to talk to my parents,” he laughed, apparently finding the notion of having his powers suppressed more lighthearted than Lani did, “Though I can’t say anything private if ever he’s around.”

He clapped for a bit when Lani opened the changing room doors with his powers. How he wishes he had a power as useful as that. “Fine Mommy Lani, take me wherever,” he laughed. Not that Lani had a motherly vibe around him, but he just found his concern about his welfare comforting and nice. “My gym locker’s just around that corner,” he said, pointing Lani to the one in the not-so-far corner. He squiggled out of Lani’s hold and leaned to the lockers for support. Seems his legs aren’t cooperating just yet. “You go get your stuff first and I’ll get mine. Don’t worry, I can manage,” he winked, hoping Lani would take it as a sign that he shouldn’t baby him too much (not that he doesn't like it or anything).

[Lani Hunter]

Lani held back a sigh of relief as Jared completely bought his lie. He nodded, "Yeah real bad, and I have they have a bottle waiting for me on their counter." He laughed it was humorous if it never happened that when he actually went to get it he was in agony. "But I have a ton around my room too," Lani laughed, "God knows I need to get that foothold soon or I'm gonna be in trouble." Lani laughed happy that Jared was back to himself again, at least a little bit. He found he didn't really like an upset Jared. He hadn't laughed this much in a while and the thought that he hadn't startled him and he really didn't like it. He used to laugh so freely and joke so much but here he had kind of developed a reputation for being dark and humorless when that couldn't be farther from the truth. But that being said it meant Lani had find very few things to feel happy about here.

Lani shook his head at the younger boy, "Don't sell yourself short." Lani shrugged and then gave him a sly look, "Never underestimate the power of Axe." Even if no one really came around Lani had noticed the one time his friend had playfully sprayed him the girls in his classes leaned closer and stood closer. He wasn't sure what it was but women seemed to really like it. Lani certainly was a fan of the stuff himself though he never really saw the point. If women were attracted it wasn't just because of the smell. He shook his head he had gone to Homecoming dances and stuff with people but those were the only real dates he'd been on. Save a few that went on a little while after one of the dances but it never really took off past a surface relationship. One girl told him that the only reason she really dated him was because she wanted to say she had dated the mysterious Lani. It was her who had told him he was distant and secretive.

Lani gave Jared a look that said very clearly what his mind was thinking, 'Not in the mood' especially not with his power being taken away. He shook it off, "No don't be, it is kinda impressive." He certainly didn't want it to happen again. He nodded and elaborated, "When I use my power its like having a million hands that can do anything. Even if I'm not lifting things and using my powers they're always going around and 'feeling' things. It makes me super aware of the world around me in the way of things not so much people. It's just odd to be without that awareness." The phantom limb? That was a new phrase but it made sense, people who had missing limbs felt as though they were still there.

Lani laughed, "That's true, isn't there someplace here or someone who can give us something to make us normal? For like an hour or for a day?" He asked entertaining the thought and wanting to know if he could still get away with things without his powers. It had been strangely quiet in his mind for those few moments. Peaceful, he would like to have that at some points in time just for the relief of not having a headache. His mind now was never peaceful and he couldn't zone out without having his power do something. He had to be completely focused all the time. He couldn't even daydream for fear that he would lift something and unwittingly hurt someone. Like he had Jared. Jared wasn't the first person he had hurt with his power on accident. Those officers when if first came, his recruiter, his first trainer who had pushed too far and gotten a table to the face.

"I'll drop you," Lani said in response to the 'mommy Lani' though it was funny, he was acting very protective. Lani let Jared go skeptical but left all the same. He opened his locker and changed quickly back into his jeans and a long-sleeved smoky gray shirt and put his also gray but lighter shaded collared shirt over it. To be plain and simple was Lani's nature. Do not draw attention. He shoved his gym clothes into his locker and switched his tennis shoes out for softer sneakers. He didn't have a book bag with him considering he had found himself having a lot more time between classes than he initially thought so he would go to his room which now doubled as a locker and gather his things for the rest of the day avoiding leaving anything in the locker room. Just a little bit of Lani's thief paranoia. Never leave anything where he might get into it. He walked back around the corner and leaned against the lockers looking off at the blank wall.

[Jared Park]

Jared kind off expected Lani would have a stash with him in his room but a ton? Even if it is an exaggeration, it must mean that he does have a significant amount with him, which would then translate to the immense strain he must be feeling each day due to his powers. That somehow made Jared rethink his any-powers-ok-as-long-as-it’s-not-mine-no-matter-what-the-side-effects-are philosophy. He was kind of passive when Mimi told him she experiences insomnia due to her perfect recall (apparently she can’t turn off her brain activity) or when Tim shared about his momentary numbness a few seconds after he shifted from his ‘golem’ form, but now that he’s heard of Lani’s constant headache, it seems a bit too much. Then again, he figured Lani’s a special telekinetic, an extremely powerful one seeing that he’s developed a bit later than most, hence the exponential pain. He does believe Lani will gain control of it soon. He’s much too headstrong to let his powers get hold of him. “That many? Gosh, you sure you aren’t a substance abuser yet?” he joked, giving Lani a light nudge on the side. Jasper once told him that any type of drug can be very addictive, even the legal ones. Could one possibly develop an addiction to aspirin because of the extreme pain they experience?

Jared’s one oxymoronic child. Or maybe just hypocritical. Despite his blatant bashing of Axe, he does in fact use it as his personal body spray and deodorant. While he agrees that at times it does become too strong and repulsive, he does like the ‘manly scent’ it gives. As kid forever plagued by his effeminate image, he buys Axe for the sole purpose of being ‘smelled a guy’. He has enough trouble being mistaken visually for a girl already, no need to further it and be smelled as one. (And nope, he says he doesn’t buy it because of the commercial; he has a friend who ‘overdosed’ himself with Dark Temptation and he never really got that much dates). “Hah. Don’t tell me you’re an Axe-fanatic too? I find their advertisements extremely fake but incredibly hilarious.”

“I’m not selling myself short. Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I’m incredibly tall as is already,” he laughed, congratulating himself inwardly for that rather weird joke he said. Not that his height bothers him really. He spent most of his childhood days looking up to his grandparents or sibling whenever he’s talking to them, it’s about time they look up to him.

-xxx-

“That’s awesome. So you really don’t have to see things to be able to move them? Cool.” Nope, Jared did not consider the fact that your brain’s going to have to process so much even if you’re doing nothing because your telekinetic hands are out and about. He somehow envies Lani more now; his power has an awesome ‘side effect’ in the sense that not only is he able to move things, he’s able to sense things too. This fact only made Lani’s power even more impressive than normal in Jared’s eyes. It only proved that Lani is indeed a special telekinetic. “So would that mean you can ‘see’ the texture of certain objects too? That is so amazing.”

He leaned over the lockers for a bit and waited as Lani vanished over to a different aisle to change. Walking or merely standing by himself is already a painful feat (due to the fact that his arms, legs and back are still aching), but he told himself he won’t look like a damsel in distress. It’s just a fall, I’ll survive, he tells himself. He slowly made his way through the lockers and flopped ungracefully to the benches in the center as he opened his gym bag and began to change.

Unlike Lani, undressing and redressing is a bit of a stretch for Jared, mostly because of his condition. He can bend his arms and legs a bit, but it still hurts like hell. Seem he has to see the school nurse like Lani subtly suggested. He can’t stop himself from grunting as he struggled to remove his gym shoes, shirt and shorts. He looked at his white shirt and leopard-print pants for quite some time, asking himself how on earth is he going to put them on. “Oh boy,” he chuckled.

Clad only in his Pacman boxer shorts, he gave Lani a shy smile as he asked, “Would it be too much to ask if you can help me put this stuff on?” Hopefully helping another teenage boy put his stuff on won’t weird Lani out, ‘cause Jared definitely doesn’t find it awkward, only a little embarrassing (not because he’s conscious that he’s only in his underwear right now, but because he can’t even dress himself properly, and because some bruises, which he did not knew he has until now, are showing). Thank goodness he didn’t bring his skinny jeans right now.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani grinned, "I'll be ok." He assured Jared. He certainly wasn't a substance abuser and he was sure even if he was going to be someone here would stop him. It wasn't like Lani would purposely kill himself or become hooked on drugs. That would hurt his sister. There had been more than once he had contemplated throwing himself out of a window, at the beginning but he never had the courage or rather the cowardice to do so. It would hurt those he loved and no life was truly that hopeless or that bad. Lani had certainly decided that his life was worth living. He had friends now, his family, his sister, his power. As terrifying as it was he was as Jared had mentioned bonded with his power. It almost seemed to look out for him some days. Other days it was a pain and he wanted nothing to do with it but then some part of him always felt comfortable with it.

Lani laughed and shook his head, "Hardly," he used cologne but never anything like Axe. It was way too strong and he had hated that smell hovering around him for that entire day after his friend sprayed him. "It's too strong." He commented. He silently reflected on the progress of the conversation, it was funny how it had started out being about the end of the world and their power and somehow had morphed its way onto men's cologne. He smiled a little at the way things had changed so quickly and so randomly. He loved these types of conversations that lasted forever and just seemed to morph until one couldn't even remember what they were talking out at the beginning.

It took every nerve in Lani's body not to connect his palm with his face at Jared's joke. He nearly choked on laughter and rolled his eyes at the younger boy. "From where I'm standing you're still pretty short!" He teased waving a hand over Jared's head. Sure Lani wasn't too much taller but still... every inch was a victory. He grinned like a loon very proud of his height. He had been short for a very long time and had pretty much rocketed to the height he was now at the beginning of his freshman year of high school. It was terrible, he was clumsy and his parents were getting annoyed with him breaking things so much. However after he got used to his new body he had started to love it. He could reach things and climb, quite literally, to new heights.

Lani shrugged, "Not exactly, it certainly helps to see things but I don't have to see them. Cause just like with my own hands my other hands leave things out and sometimes I don't get the whole picture." He hadn't actually tried moving anything without seeing it, save his light switch when he was already comfy in his bed and had forgotten to shut the light and other minor things. If he couldn't see things he could move them and feel them but he couldn't tell if that was the only thing in the room. "Like if I closed my mind and tried to move a ball I would probably end up moving all of them cause my power can't tell the difference in things that are similar. I probably could, but I'm not there yet. Not by a long shot." He nodded to himself, his trainer had wanted him to move stuff in the dark but he couldn't feel people and always balked at moving things around them when he couldn't see.

"I can feel them." He emphasized, "Not see them. Like from here I can tell that the that metal is smooth but I don't know if it is hot or cold or even what it looks like. I can feel the shape and put a pretty good picture together in my head but I can't see it." He explained it probably in the most confusing way possible. Part of that was that Lani himself didn't really understand it completely. No one really did, about any of this. The whole meta world was laced with questions. No one knew everything about even one power or what kind of limits each one had because as unique as the powers were their wielders were just as unique and part of the power was the person holding it. Lani shrugged and went to go change coming back when he heard Jared speak again. He laughed a little to himself wondering what it could be that Jared was having problems with.

Unfortunately Lani's first assumption had been right. Now his palm did connect with his face as he resisted a laugh. Lani's humor was lost when it appeared that Jared was indeed one big bruise. He shook off his guilt and a flash of self loathing and laughed a little shaking his head, "You have to make this as awkward as possible don't you." He asked with a teasing smile, "Nice boxers by the way." Lani paced over and picked up the leopard patterned pants and held them up completely baffled. "Ah, where on earth did you get these monstrosities." He teased giving Jared a small quirk of his eyebrow. He certainly had never seen anything like this in his life. Much less in clothing.

[Jared Park]

Jared gave Lani a cutesy smile, one that entailed him puffing his cheeks and squinting his eyes so he’d appear like some sort of furry-chibi creature, when he said that he’s not and will be a substance abuser (yup, childish and a bit oblivious that he is, he does have the ability to infer a lot from three simple words from time to time). He never actually liked anyone who are drug users. Or even extreme drinkers and smokers. He was raised to reject and despise such practices and he wouldn’t hesitate on helping others refrain from such practices too, even if they’re just mere acquaintances. Life’s just too precious to waste on things like that. Not to mention the money you’ll spend on acquiring such weapons of destruction. It’s just not worth it. (You have got to thank Jasper for all his brainwashing; it seems to have worked).

“I know right,” said Jared, continuously making faces around Lani as he spoke, “Which is why I only use it sparingly.” Apparently he didn’t realize that he just revealed that he’s an Axe user amid all his bashing of the product. Hopefully Lani won’t notice. Would Jared have the right focus and brainpower to make his mind multitask, hence realizing how far they’ve gone in their conversation, he would be extremely happy and proud. Talks with complete strangers or people who just don’t ‘click’ with him start and end with the same topic. The mere fact that they’ve tackled something so basic and cliché as each others’ powers to something way off the chart as one’s love life means he and Lani are more than just mere acquaintances now. In Jared’s book anyway.

“Don’t be so confident on that lofty pedestal of yours Goliath,” he laughed, ruffling Lani’s hair in the process, “David’s going to catch up to you real soon.” He estimated the difference in height between them and clapped in amusement when he noticed that it’s not that large. “I’ve only started puberty Lani, while you’re almost done. So sorry old-timer.” Hopefully Lani won’t take the age joke too hard, as apparently Jared had forgotten Lani’s rather sensitive situation about being a high school senior being sent back to a PE class younger than him.

-xxx-

While Jared somehow knew that Lani’s power made his life easier by helping him do those trivial tasks like turning the light switch off before going to bed or putting the plates in their proper places in the cupboard after washing and drying them, he would be extra jealous if the older boy would tell it to his face. And Lani won’t be at a fault really. It’s not his fault he’s given an extra special power compared to him. After that, Jared would go back to his sulking and mild depression about his powers, albeit a temporary one. “Just like you with the bowling ball and the dodge ball earlier?” he laughed, not realizing that he might have given another offensive joke. “No worries, I’m sure you’ll gain control of it sooner or later. I just know you’ll be throwing cars across the courtyard in a year’s or even six month’s time.”

Jared simply nodded while Lani explained his accessory ability. It was a bit confusing, but it was enough to form a decent image on how it works on Jared’s mind. He is a comic book geek after all so powers aren’t that hard to understand for the boy. “That’s so cool. I wonder what else you can do with your ‘invisible hands’.” Lani’s still new, he knows he’s just as confused about his powers as Jared is. But he could feel that his power just holds so much potential. He just wishes Lani won’t be too scared to push boundaries; Jared wants him to be able to use his powers to the fullest. “I just wish we really had a manual along with these powers. It would make life a lot easier.”

“I’m too young for you,” he laughed rather loudly, hoping his joke would somehow lower the anxiety and awkwardness Lani’s feeling. After all, what’s so wrong about guys seeing each other in their underwear (or a guy seeing another in his underwear, as Lani’s already dressed)? “Thank you,” he answered rather sarcastically, “You haven’t seen nothing yet. You should see my CareBears boxers or Superman/Batman briefs.” Never ever let your older sister shop for you. Especially in terms of your underwear.

“Don’t feel bad that you don’t have the legs to wear those stuff,” he chuckled. Jared couldn’t stop his teasing-mischievous side from emerging; Lani’s just making things so much fun for the little boy. He stretched his arms above his head and raised his feet from the floor. “So are you just going to stand there or dress me up?” he winked. It’s not every day someone will agree to dress you up, so better take advantage of it.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled a little and shook the dark thoughts away from his head. Drugs were not one of those things that were well thought of. And anything could be abused. He knew that all too well, some thieves got paid in drugs and that was the worst condition ever. It was the way some people controlled others and it was a terrible thing. Lani had seen it happen before, thank goodness not with his employer but it was a terrible sight to see, especially with rival gangs. Lani knew rivalries mad things like that even more dangerous, that was why thieves, though the most untrustworthy of creatures, always stayed loyal to the person who put money in their pockets and kept them away from the others who would brainwash them with drugs.

Lani leaned close for a moment and taking in a strong breath he mock recoiled. "Sparingly, huh?" He only caught the slightest scent but anything to tease the kid would make Lani laugh right now. He really didn't have a problem other than it was strong and his poor nose was too scarred from the years in locker rooms where the smell was basically pumped in. Something had always made him wonder what it was about the stuff that made people so attracted to it but he would probably never get his answer. Something about Jared using Axe made sense but at the same time didn't. Jared didn't strike him as the kind of person to go with the flow and follow trends, but at the same time Jared seemed like the kind of person who didn't really care about what people thought about him and used the product because he liked it. Lani glanced around the room, he couldn't strand trend followers.

The joke was lost on Lani who had never gone to church and never even seen the inside of the Bible. Rather he knew the premise and the whole New Testament thing because of his classes but the Old Testament was lost on him. "What?" He asked confused, "Who is Goliath? David?" He shook his head, apparently that had to do with height of some sort. "Old-timer?" He asked with a twitch of his eyebrow. Luckily for Jared Lani wasn't taking such a thing personally, he would actually hate it if he shot up again like he had. He grabbed Jared again and put him in a head lock ruffling his hair. "Well this old-timer will always be a step ahead, huh?" He teased making sure Jared's hair was standing up all over the place before he let him go with a laugh.

Lani winced visibly at the comment about the ball. He had almost done Jared in twice today, why was it Jared wasn't angry with him? Probably his obsession with how awesome his power was. "Yeah, sorry sometimes my power grabs things just because it wants to." He offered as a half-assed explanation. He shrugged personally he thought that all his life his power would be surprising him. What he was afraid of was that he would try to move something too big or to heavy and his headache would turn to a concussion. What if he didn't wake up at all? What if his power killed him? Lani turned shocked and hurt eyes on Jared at the car comment. He shook his head, Jared didn't know it wasn't his fault. He closed his eyes and saw the terror and pain as the cars flew through the air. He hadn't been sane enough at the time to determine if anyone had been severely hurt and he hadn't checked the news or anything to tell him that someone was hurt.

"Tell me about it," Lani tried to smile and follow Jared's joke but he fell short. He couldn't shake the idea that he was dangerous. "I don't know, something tells me grabbing and throwing are about the only things it can do," at least that's all it had been shown to do. Perhaps Jared was right, when his mind healed and he stopped reacting and started working with his power he'd get the hang of it and be able to do more than Grab and Throw. Lani couldn't help it, Jared's next comment got a genuine laugh out of him. "Good thing my sister is younger, I am so sorry man," He laughed enjoying having something to tease Jared about for once. What was it about him that made his feelings be written all over his face. For a thief he was a terrible liar because his face betrayed him.

Lani flushed and threw the pants at Jared for that comment. He laughed, covering up his unease. "Another comment like that oh Queen Jared and you will walk out of here in those boxers." Lani threatened with a bright grin that would have scared most people because his expression clearly said: Not bluffing. He stepped forward and grabbed the pants and shoved Jared's feet into the legs. He kept his eyes trained on the pants and his head down thinking of only the worst of things to keep himself from going red. Imagine that he was helping someone who couldn't dress himself and he was the one that was embarrassed. He got them up to the knees and backed up, "You can get it from there." He stated like it was fact. "I still can't believe you have leopard print pants, and even more that you wear them in public." He shook his head with a small laugh.

[Jared Park]

Had Jared picked up on Lani’s confusion about his apparent stand on the use of Axe, whether he likes it or not, he would’ve been a bit embarrassed, may or may not blush a little, and would probably be a bit confused as well. It had never occurred to him that having such conflicting views about a particular product can cause others to somehow be confused about one’s personality anyway. He would probably ramble for quite some time to find the right words to clarify his stand on the entire thing. Not that it matters much, but he would want Lani to understand his nonconformity-but-still-conforming-a-bit attitude in life (as confusing as that sounds).

He did, however, pick up on Lani’s teasing, as short and simple as it may be (which to most would lead to it being ignored). He sniffed the air around them for a bit, and found not the particular smell Lani is referring to. He gave Lani a rather exaggerated pout of mock annoyance, puffing his cheeks and crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Meanie,” he said as his pout turned into more of a duck’s bill than that of a boy’s, “For a second there I thought I used too much.” Nope, it didn’t occur to him that his almost everyday use of the product, no matter how ‘sparingly’ he used it, might’ve helped him develop some sort of tolerance, if that was even possible. He gave the locker room another whiff and got only the normal scent – the musky, sweaty, damp and humid smell of male sweat. It isn’t something pleasant, but fifteen years of producing the same odor told him it’s not too new either. Then it hit him. “You sure it’s me you’re smelling?” he said with a mischievous grin, other hand behind him, trying to find a particular bottle. He knew he was a bit too obvious, but he doesn’t care. After a few moments, he finally found what he’s been looking for and slid on the bench towards Lani (he still can’t stand on his own he’s still a bit sore), other hand not-so-stealthily held behind him. “You smell extra gross today Lani, I think we should cover it up!” he laughed as he sprayed Axe over the boy, hoping he’s sprayed him close enough to coat the older boy. He smirked, congratulating himself inwardly for his ‘ingenious’ prank (in his eyes anyway).

His eyes widened when Lani said he had no idea who David and Goliath were. “Are you freakin’ serious?” While not the most devout Christian of all time, Jared grew up in a Christian household (his parents and grandparents were both believers), which meant he was fed with biblical stories as he was growing up. The Creation of Eden, Moses and the plagues, Jonah and the Whale Big Fish. Noah’s Ark was his absolute fave – he had such a large number of animal toys as a kid and he would line them up on his makeshift ‘ark’ (courtesy of his father’s old VHS tapes, which didn’t really look much like an ark, more like a zoo really) to save them from the flood. “Really? Giant gets killed by scrawny boy with slingshot?” he asked, hoping his crude summary of the story would jog the telekinetic’s memory. “You’re hopeless,” he added, giving Lani another teasing laugh.

“Stop it!” he laughed as he waved his arms wildly, hoping to swat Lani’s nimble hands away. He made a mental note to poke the guy so much that he’d pee in his pants laughing once he gets dressed. “Pshaw. The only thing old-timer’s good at is at being old.” It didn’t make sense to Jared either, but who cares. He’s having fun with Lani and that’s all that matters right?

And it seems he struck a not-so-nice line there. Oops. “No, sorry I even brought it up. It doesn’t matter anyway,” he said, hoping he did not make Lani feel guilty again. He never really blamed the guy for all that has happened, so hopefully he wouldn’t think otherwise with his insensitive joke. And he’s got his butt handed to him by Mr. Fjiki already, no need to make him go through the same motions twice. “Mind if we move on to the next topic then?” he said with an apologetic smile. (And yes, his unhealthy obsession with Lani with Lani’s power had something to do with it too, probably).

“You have a sister?” he said in surprise (if Lani told him he had a sister earlier, he’s forgotten about it). Seems they’re more similar than he actually thought (the first similarity in a slew of differences actually). “She’d be disappointed to know her brother’s a bit too embarrassed to help a friend in need then,” he added, seeing Lani slowly turning red.

Clearly Jared wasn’t flustered. He’s been dressed by his older brother so many times that having an older guy see him bare and help him get dressed isn’t new, despite the other guy being a new friend. And while he does know what Lani may be fearing that could happen, he has no doubts he won’t sprout anything unnecessary. He might be hormonal, but being in this not-so-usual position doesn’t really strike him as uncomfortable. (Should he know that Lani’s thinking of gross things, a not-so-decent idea might enter him, thus making him sprout the unthinkable. So maybe it’s a good thing he can’t read minds).

“You’re just jealous you have nothing like this,” he laughed as he tugged at his boxers (good thing Lani’s looking down), “If you want I can let you borrow this if you like.” And yes, his not-bluffing face apparently didn’t scare the kid. Sorry Lani. He bent over a bit and grabbed his pants, wriggling to get them on. In his struggle to put the not-so-loose pants on, he suddenly stood, bumping on Lani’s forehead in the process. (Where he bumped, I will not say. *sneaky grin*)

[Lani Hunter]

((Sorry it took me so long!))

Lani chuckled at Jared's pout. He simply shrugged in reply and tossed a sly smile in his direction. Lani watched Jared grab the can and (try) to move it stealthily. He crossed his arm and raised an eyebrow. "I smell wonderful, thank you very much. At least for being sweaty and gross." He shrugged and raised a brow wondering if he should duck or flee. Lani jumped back a smile on his face. "You keep forgetting one important factor." He said and flipped around the spray's direction getting Jared more coated than himself. He laughed, "We really need to work on your sneaking skills." He winked and smelled his shirt, apparently he had gotten coated in some of the stuff as well. "Ah! Its gonna take me a week to get this smell to go away!" He laughed and gave Jared a mock glare. Without thinking about it he 'grabbed' the can with his mental hands and placed it in Jared's locker. He shook his head he really hated it when he didn't completely have conscious awareness of his power.

Goliath? He had never heard of such a thing. He simply shrugged, "How would a giant be brought down by a little kid?" He pointed out instead. "Never heard of it. Is that in a movie or something?" Surely Jared was thinking if Lani was actually serious, and sad as it was he hadn't a clue. His family wasn't religious and there wasn't even a Bible in their house that Lani knew of. He had never heard the stories. He wasn't ignorant of religion, in fact he knew the tenants of several different religions but he just never had any reason to learn any of the details of them. He crossed his arms and nodded, "Sure?"

He laughed, "Oh really? The older the wiser." He retorted. Shaking his head Lani reflected on the ridiculousness of it all. Jared was only two years younger, at the most, and Lani was sure that in any case if he wasn't wiser he could at least play the age card sometimes. "Well, also older I am the earlier I get to drink than you." He grinned slyly. Lani had slipped a few samples but for one thing he was not willing to get caught with underage. If he were to get caught with that then that would mean that they would have him on record and be able to trace the presently untraceable rare fingerprint or other DNA that happened to be left behind. But Lani was good. He hardly ever left anything behind.

Lani nodded enthusiastically not really wanting to confront his crazy power. "Yep, her name's Caroline." He smiled he loved his sister more than anything else in the world. He made a face, "I'm sure." He rolled his eyes and gave Jared a warning look reminding him that he would make the younger boy walk out of here in less clothing than he came in if he kept annoying the telekinetic.

Lani laughed, "Oh yeah that is certainly what I'm jealous of." He sat back and without warning Jared's pelvis surged at him and Lani hit his forehead on he didn't even want to know what. He fell back rubbing his head and squeezing his eyes shut. He groaned in annoyance, "Jared!" He felt his skin burning and was sure it was as red as a tomato. He stood trying to cool down his face. He opened eyes to glare at Jared but found himself laughing. Not only had that been the most awkward thing he had ever encountered but Jared in those pants looked even more ridiculous than the pants alone did. "Ok Jared. I still can't believe you own those pants, much less that you actually wear them!" Lani was covering his embarrassment but still it was funny.

[Jared Park]

Jared should’ve seen this one coming. He knew his ‘stealthy approach’ wasn’t stealthy at all enough. He saw how Lani’s look of confusion turn into a smirk of devilish delight (ok, maybe not that evil, but impish and mischievous all the same). Heck, he was practically giving off his plan with the way he smiled as he approached. But no, he had to continue with the prank. The older guy did tease him; it’s only fair that he gets him back for that. So despite the huge stack of omens and signs, he went on with it and sprayed the guy. Wrong move.

While Jared expected some retaliation on Lani’s part, he thought it would be mild and largely futile, mostly because he is in a rather fragile state still (no thanks to Lani, though he doesn’t really blame the guy at this point). And while he did factor in the fact that his target was a telekinetic, he chose to ignore it. After all, while Lani was powerful, he lacked control. And to do what just did required so much finesse that Jared didn’t think that it was possible. Yey him then.

He had just started spraying the guy, his arms as far from him as possible and his head turned to the side, eyes closed and free hand covering his face, when he felt a little wet, and a little too ‘smelly’. “Good Lord!” he said in surprise, praying silently for accidentally using the Lord’s name in vain. He threw the offending bottle forward and laughed. “Meanie,” he chuckled, “A week? Mine’s going to stay forever!” He gave himself a sniff. Eww. “Now you’re going to have to give me a bath!” Damn that smart Hunter.

His boisterous laughter became louder as Lani expressed his apparent confusion on the topic of David and Goliath. Jared was sure he was kidding about not knowing about it earlier, but one could only continue the act for so long. And Lani was a bad liar, or so Jared thinks. “Magic,” he teased, his eyebrows going up and down in rapid succession as an impish smile worked on his face. “You seriously don’t know about the stuff? Haven’t you heard of Bible stories before?” If he hadn’t, then Jared would leave it at that. He wasn’t religious enough to preach about it anyway.

“In every rule there is an exception,” he said smugly, remembering Jasper’s favorite retort. Oh how glad was he that he finally had the chance to use it. What would make the moment even better is if he had used it on his wretched big brother. But Lani is older than him and reminds him of said brother at times, so it’ll do. “Pshaw. Drinking is overrated,” shrugged the younger boy, though he hopes he didn’t sound to stand-off-ish. It just never occurred to him to drink. He wants to, but he knows he’ll get such a beating from aforementioned brother (yup, too much brother dependence, forgive the kid). “I’ll be happy should I be able to drive,” he nodded with a child-like glimmer in his eyes, “And since I’ll be 16 next year, I can try out for my L/N already.” He just hopes the computer taking his picture would recognize him.

“Nice name,” said Jared, seeing a blonde vampire at the mention of the name. Which somehow makes sense, seeing that her older brother is a vampire blonde too. “Is she so clueless about the world like her big brother?” he joked, “And does she like Axe too?”

With that scoff, Jared made a mental note to force his newfound friend into one of his neon skinny jeans later. Just wait ‘till he unleashes the ‘cute’ face. “Don’t worry, I have one that doesn’t fit me anymore. I’ll give it to you once we reach the dorm,” he said sticking his tongue out. While his accidental pelvic thrust did nothing but make Lani even more embarrassed about his situation, it did help Jared squeeze through his leopard pants, so he doesn’t really care that much about what had happened. “Why so sissy almighty Lani?” He smiled when he realized that somehow, his words rhymed. Maybe he has a future as a rapper after all. “Meh. To see is to believe, I always say,” he smiled, as if egging Lani to tease him further. No harm done really, so why be offended or anything. He gave him a wink and raised his arms, as if to tell him that his shirt needs to be put on next.


ooc:
Pshaw, don't fuss much about it Izy. Mine's a bit late too, not to mention crappy near the end, so it's all good. (Or not. Lol). *hugs*. Happy Holidays.^^.
- Jam

[Lani Hunter]

Lani grinned like a loon as his retaliation worked. He was glad he hadn't tried anything more than just flipping the lid. He guffawed at Jared's face and reaction. "What goes around comes around," he taunted and shook his head scratching his nose as if the scent had invaded. True the stuff was potent and now Jared was indeed coated in the stuff. He could honestly say he didn't want to go anywhere near his friend at the moment. "Now that is where I draw the line." He joked shaking his head vigorously. He would have been flushing and terrified of the idea of him being unsure about his choices but he was too preoccupied with the fear that he just used his power without thinking about it. He really needed to be more careful with his power before he seriously hurt someone, like he already had Jared but he had launched a ball and not anything hard and sharp.

Lani raised a brow and cocked his head to the side making an exasperated face. He ducked his head in a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. Apparently this was something everyone knew. He shrugged, "I might have but I don't remember. My parents only started going to church after my sister got sick but I never went." He explained, "I know the gist of the Bible but that little stuff..." He shrugged again and shook his head a little bit, "I don't believe in God." He added bluntly as if that would explain his entire position. He just didn't believe that if there was a God he would make Caroline, an innocent little girl suffer so much. He just didn't see any reason to believe in something like that. He had seen far too much of the world to believe in something like that.

Lani laughed, "That is a good plan, you keep believing that." He joked. He made a gaping face and gasped, "16? Wow you're almost a big kid now!" He teased relentlessly and decided to add the fact that he was almost old enough to vote. "And just a few more months and I'll be able to legally do all the things your little self can't!" He winked slyly. He let his head fall into his hand at Jared's next statement, "Driving is a serious matter. It's not something to play around with." He grinned and waggled his finger scoldingly at the young man. Lani knew he shouldn't tease the kid so much but it was too tempting. His joking mood was put in a sour mood when Jared teased his sister. "Watch it," he warned, "She's eleven and had a rough life." He loved his sister more than anything in the entire world and even though it was just teasing, no one made fun of his sister, no one but him at least. He smiled mending the harshness in his tone, "She's such a sweet heart you'd like her, she I think would appreciate your uh... fashion sense."

Lani chucked trying to downplay his embarrassment. He shook his head at Jared, "Yeah 'bout that I'm sure I'll be completely fine without them." He cocked his head to one side and shook his head at the kid trying to wonder what in the world had given him the opportunity to meet and befriend the most annoying yet the most lovable person in the world. Lani nodded, "Uh-huh and I certainly had to see it to believe it." He made a face and sighed grabbing Jared's shirt and holding it up it certainly wasn't the eyesore he had expected but it wasn't all that good either. "I think you need a fashion intervention." He commented and stepped over to him and lifted it to his arms and pulled it down over his head. He paused leaving Jared trapped in his shirt and got a revenge poke right in the belly before pulling it the rest of the way over his head.