[IC] Digital or Real?

[Scout]

"James, I hope you plan to finish that sandwich before it attracts any ants," Said his mother with a teasing smile as she huffed. "And would you pay attention? My goodness, mayonnaise on your shirt, really? You've not even finished half of it!" She fussed, reaching forward.

However, the boy of no more than thirteen pulled away, his eyes absolutely glued to the gaming device in his hands. "Mum! I'm... Ugh, I'm about to get my fifth badge!" He whined, not really caring about food or the mess he'd made on himself as he read the words on the screen and commanded whatever game he was playing.

"Seriously, James... are you ever going to look up and around you?" She asked, only to see him shake his head in response. Didn't he only just get that game the other day..? Then again, she never knew what he was talking about, so she only sighed and glanced about the outdoor potluck.

Families sat on blankets, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the food. Some people stood in groups and even so there were several frisbees to be thrown and footballs to be kicked back and forth. James, however, moved to lay down on his stomach, holding his videogame beneath a tree, a clear look of concentration on his face. He heard his name being called, but he was so intent on the electronic in his hand that it went into one ear and out the other, buttons being mashed.

"James! Your father is calling you, put your game down and pay attention," She scolded seriously.

The boy looked over at her, surprised - he hadn't realized he was being called. He put his game down and looked over, "Sorry, dad, what?" He called back, sitting up onto his knees.

"Get over here and kick the football around a bit," Came the reply as a ball was dropped to the ground and held under his foot.

James sighed and looked at his game, hesitating before he heard his mother, "Don't you even think about it." He groaned and climbed to his feet, at which point she reached forward with a wipe in hand and cleaned off the spot on his black sleeveless shirt.

"Walk a little slower, you pillock," Chimed in a boy of about seventeen. Matt, James' brother, had dark brown hair like their mother, unlike James, who took after their father's young white hair.

"Matt! Watch it, that's your little brother."

James stuck his tongue out teasingly, "Yeah, Matt! I'm too sensitive," He said, feigning offense as the ball was kicked off.

It was merely a game of passing it around, none of them were professional, but it got them all moving and bonding. Matt, however, was always very athletic; he was strong, fast, and rather intelligent. James, on the other hand, was absolutely in love with technology - everything from games to programs, he was glued to it. That didn't mean he detested sports or activity, though he lacked the coordination in his feet and had terrible aim with his kicks. One couldn't help but commend him for his effort and vigor in the game, even if it did make it that much harder for Matt or his father to receive the ball. Finally, as the ball came to him once more, he took a couple of steps back and then ran forward and slammed the side of his foot into it as hard as he could. It flew right past the larger boy and bounced across the small field of grass straight into the eating space of another family, where it knocked into plates and kicked up food. James stood, dumbfounded as Matt bolted after the ball.

"Oh god, sorry," He apologized, "My brother isn't very good at this sort of thing and I wasn't fast enough to catch the ball that time."

"Hey!" James yelled as he came up from behind, red in the face, "I'm not that bad - you're just too slow!" A hand was placed on his head and his hair ruffled as his brother laughed.

"He'll happily help you clean up here and get you more food if you need it," Matt said, ignoring the boy before turning around.

Finally, their father joined the mix, "Boys, stop. I swear, if you two don't stop I'm... well, I dunno, but you can bet your ass when I figure it out you'll wish you were better to each other," He threatened unconvincingly. "Oh, hey," He said, recognizing the members of hte family, "You're the Watsons, right? I think I've seen you at the school before, I think James here and your daughter are classmates, right?"

James turned a bright red and looked up, as if asking why it mattered. "Yes, dad. Sasha and I go to school together... God, why do parents think that just because people go to school together, they're friends... I don't even know her," He retorted as Matt had already opened his mouth for a teasing.

"Matt," Their father cut him off, "I'm sure your mother needs help cleaning up our area... I think you should go," He insisted before looking to the group on the blanket again. "Mind if we sit down and help with the mess that we made?" The man offered, "Oh, I'm Peter, by the way - Peter Delacourt."

[Genkai]

Summer air, summer light, summer sky and summer yearning.

It was indeed summer and most her age would be running around, discovering their hormones or playing at the local pool or arcade.

Instead Sasha Watson liked to spend her time indoors, playing games or writing. Of course this wasn't a sign of an introvert, she was actually quite inviting and could befriend nearly anyone she set her eyes on. She went out with friends and kept her mother company when her father was off working late nights. She and her mother had a close bond. When she learned her mother was going to give birth to a son soon, it only tightened their bond. Sasha was looking forward to being a big sister.

The girl had spent the morning with her mother, helping put the finishing touches on a cake for the neighborhood potluck. She and her family were nice to their neighbors but it was to be polite. With the school year close to starting up, it was decided that everyone should mingle together and savor the last few bits of sunlight. Sasha looked at the finished cake and felt compelled to stick her finger along the edge, just to give it a taste.

Not giving into temptation, she helped pack it up.

This act of self-control didn't go unnoticed, as her mother ruffled Sasha's blond hair. "Good girl." Her mother said and then put her hand to her enlarged stomach, she was nearly eight months due and couldn't wait to have her child so her feet would stop hurting. "I'm sure you'll have a very good brother too. Richard will be lucky to have an older sister to look up to, you'll do great, sweetheart." She smiled. Sasha's hazel eyes which sometimes went from brown to gray, lit up at the boost of encouragement. "You've been such a great help."

"I can't wait to see Richard, mum." Sasha said and placed her hand atop her mother's.

The two women soon packed up the car and found that it was time to get a move on. Summer in London was hard to come by. Usually they had rain or wind so whenever the came out, it was bound to be a fantastic day. "Let's go, come on Robert, we're all ready." The pregnant woman called out. A tall slender man came out and took the woman's hands. "I'm fine, I'll rest when I get to the park and settle down." She assured the doting husband.

"I love you, Janet." Robert kissed her softly as Sasha ran back into their flat. "Sash, come on darling!" He tried to summon her back out to their car. "I'll go fetch her." He said as he helped his wife into the passenger's side of the car. The man then pushed his thick black rimmed glasses back up his nose and jogged back into their flat. It was small but cozy and even with the impending arrival of a son, they would be fine. It would just be cramped. The neighborhood was good, there was no need to look elsewhere just yet.

"I'm coming!"

"Don't bring your games with you, mum wants you to make some more friends." Robert warned his daughter who reappeared in the living room with a small backpacked which he hoped didn't have her newest handheld gaming gear. He put an arm around her and placed a kiss atop her head. "Come on then." He smiled and gave her a light push to the car while he locked up.

The ride to the park was short and therefore uneventful.

Sasha kept her eyes outside, watching the houses and trees flash by her view. She looked toward the chocolate cake beside her in the seat. Her mouth watered as she forced herself to look back out the window. When they finally arrived, Robert grabbed the cake and set it on one of the tables where other dishes and treats were set up. He then helped set down a white and red checkered blanket so they could sit and mesh with the others around them.

With Janet and Robert situated, Sasha was free to roam around. She talked to a few people but thanks to her delay, most of the kids were already off together and didn't seem too eager for another addition. Sasha headed back and she and her father made plates. Robert and Janet ate and chatted to one another while Sasha was content to occupy herself with some books.

Beside her, she had her plate which she seemed to be neglecting. As her eyes scanned the last line of her current page, she heard a brisk wisssh and before she looked up to assess the origin, a football jettisoned into their personal space. "Bloody hell." She whispered to herself as her father hastily began to clean up the mess. Her mother on the other hand, was more understanding and passive about the mishap.

"It's quite alright, no harm done." She told Matt. Soon they were joined by yet another culprit. "Hello." She smiled, seeing the two rambunctious boys made her think of her own which she would surely need to handle. She wondered if Richard would be into sports like rugby or football or if he would be into music or art. As a mother, she would love her children no matter their passion. Matt apologized for his younger brother and said he'd clean up the mess. "No need to worry about it, accidents happen. It could have been worse, really." The woman with long blond hair laughed.

A third male then hurried to the scene of the crime and Robert looked up to greet them. "Hey there." He said and looked to his wife and daughter who had finally closed her book, having checked it for stains or spills. "Yes, I think they do." He replied and patted Sasha's leg.

"Um yeah, we do." Sasha gave the trio of males a smile. The boy, James, was quick to give a retort which caused Sasha to close her mouth quickly. Parents could be highly embarrassing like that.

"I'm Robert and this is Janet." Robert replied as he grabbed a few more napkins. "Sasha, why don't you and James go get some food?" He suggested.

"Okay." Sasha said quickly and got to her feet. As much as she wanted to stay and get back to her book, she decided it would do her some good to get out of her head and actually be present. She had on a pair of simple light wash denim and a light pink blouse which had faint white etchings of roses and rose buds. "Come on then." She motioned for James to follow her. She couldn't help but poke fun at the awkward accident. "Kind of a pikey move dontcha think?" Sasha teased James as they reached the table. The blond quickly piled on what they had been eating at the time.

"Guess you're not big on football?" She then noted as she started to work on the second plate of food. Her eyes went to the cake, for the moment, no one had dug into it. Secretly, the girl hoped no one did so she could take it home and have it all to herself. Smiling a bit brighter, she turned back to James, someone she had seen around but ultimately did not know. She didn't even know he had an older brother. They said hello in passing as a pleasantry but never went any further.

Glancing back, she saw the clean up had been finished. "Come to think of it, I've only seen you playing video games." She commented, trying to recall upon memories with him in it but honestly, they were very murky. "What do you play? Since it's clearly not football." She joked lightly as they made it back toward the blanket. Setting both plates down she couldn't help but think that with her plate now gone, she had a fresh start to get what she wanted, namely some chocolate cake. "D'you like cake? We brought some with us and I've been dying to have a slice." She offered to James.

All around them, people were chatting and enjoying themselves. People from varying ages as well as backgrounds. She wondered when the next time would be for everyone one to come together and blow off some steam. She could smell the faint bitterness of beer, well aware many of the adults liked to drink it no matter the weather. But this of course begged for it. And she never really knew why. Not that she cared.

Cake, that was her beer, in her mind.

[Scout]

Peter nodded to the kids, "That would be great, thanks kids," He said before looking to Robert and Janet with a smile, crouching down to help with the mess, apologizing once more. Hannah, his wife, joined them with Matt once more a short while later as James and Sasha headed for the food table.

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Erm... Yeah, I guess I'm not too athletic," He admitted, embarrassed. He caught her glance to the cake and he could see why; it looked absolutely delicious and he had to wonder why it was untouched. He shook his head, "Football, basketball, rugby... My brother is really good at all f them, but I guess I'm just not cut out for it. My mom says I'm a lot like her, but I don't really know what she means," The boy explained with a shrug as they started loading plates. He really wasn't too hungry, but he really enjoyed the chicken and dumblings that somebody had brought with rolls, so he had a rather scarce plate. He had never really spoken to Sasha, but it was good to see she was friendly and at conversational, though he wasn't sure how to answer the question of what he played. A better question would be what didn't he play? He almost said so too, but thought better of it before he made himself appear entirely pathetic.

"Yeah, not football... I play a lot of games, really..." As she joked, he blushed and shrugged, "If you wanted to, you could come over and play some time. I mean, me and my mates do it all the time," The boy suggested without thinking.

From behind, Matt had decided to join them and was already on it, "Ooh, little Jimmy's going to have his girlfriend over," He teased playfully.

"Shut up, Matt; I barely even know her," James retorted with irritation, sitting on the blanket with the girl as she made her offer. He had moved for his own small plate, but at her suggestion, he looked up and nodded, "I'd love some," He accepted.

Naturally, his mother, Hannah, had heard Matt's teasing and spoke up, "I think it's a fantastic idea to have James and Sasha get together," She said. Peter nodded in agreement and Matt, naturally, made a sarcastic, teasing remark under his breath, which only elicited a light, warning smack to the back of the head from his father.

James finally dug back into his piping hot dumblings, a look of clear satisfaction on his face. The soft breeze swept over them and carried with it the smell of flowers and the delicious food brought by the community. He looked to Sasha, "So, I saw you reading... what do you like to read?"

[Genkai]

At the boy's suggestion for her to come over, she began to smile. Before she could reply with a positive response, the older brother chimed in. She quickly shut her mouth and pressed her lips together. She knew he was joking but he wasn't making things any better for his younger brother. She supposed that's how siblings behaved around one another, not that she would know much about the playful banter and teasing. She was an only child, soon to be an older sister and she hoped she wouldn't tease her younger sibling too much. You never knew until you were in position of course.

"I'd love to come over, Mom?" She turned to her mother who said it was fine with her, seemingly tickled that her daughter was hitting off so well with someone, namely a boy.

James said he would like some cake so she went and got up and soon came back with a slice for them both. Upon her return, it seemed the parents were all in agreement that they should hang out. Sasha blushed a little, not sure what the big deal was. Sure, most of her friends were girls. Well all of them were, but she'd have to befriends guys at some point right? And James seemed nice enough, a little loud but all boys were from her point of view.

"Here." She set the plate down by his other one, which didn't have a lot on it.

James asked what she liked to read, "Oh I like to read anything. I guess." She wasn't sure how to answer. "if the cover looks cool, I tend to pick it up and give it a try. I like fantasy stuff, you know with magic and myths and stuff like that." Sasha said, trying to better collect and organize her thoughts. "I also like to draw and write, so someday maybe I'll be able to make a book that people will fall in love with."

The idea of discovering new worlds and people was exciting. Her current life was okay but nothing special, maybe that was why she enjoyed getting lost in worlds of make believe and tales of mystery and romance. The girl took a bite of cake and a smile crossed her lips. It was soooo good. She licked her lips and looked to see her parents once again enjoying the new plates she had fixed for them.

Her mother drank tea while her father had beer. Sasha looked back to James who had made himself comfortable. She wondered what else she could talk to him about. "I have some games at home too. But my mum wouldn't let me take them, she wants me to socialize a little bit more before school starts." She said. She still had her books, they were better than electronics in her mother's mind.

"You know that new Pokemon game came out? I think it's Pokemon Rainbow? I just got it." She admitted sheepishly. It wasn't like the old games where you followed the path of someone aiming for the Master title. You could do many more things and the games were more personal and took time to make progress. Sasha enjoyed the challenge, having played some of the old games like Black and Y, she found them a bit too easy to get through.

Pokemon Rainbow let the player take on many goals and faced other challenges aside from the region's crime syndicate. And starting pokemon no longer kept to the usual fire, water and grass types. Sasha was enjoying it but her massive pile of books at home somehow always swept her away. Even so, games were another good way to escape life.

Her parents would watch telly at night and most it sounded pretty bad to her but she never knew why. And to her, it wasn't really that important. She was just a kid after all. "So when should I come over?" Sasha asked him. She had some old Pokemon cards she could dig out and see if he knew how to play.

Would befriending a guy be the same as a girl? She wasn't sure yet but she was happy to give it a go.

[Scout]

"Thanks!" James said gratefully, taking the small plate and diving in as the discussion about the two children continued... oddly enough, they weren't quite so involved with it. As it turned out, Sasha seemed to be absolutely in love with stories - not simply reading, but creating them both visually and linguistically. James enjoyed reading as well, but not nearly to the extent that Sasha seemed to. He was always absorbed in his games or doing his homework; in all honesty, he was fairly average in most subjects except for math. His mathematical ability, however, was rather stunning, and consequently so were his strengths in their early level language classes. The two subjects were often in correlation as far as one's aptitude for learning them was concerned.

"That's really cool," The boy replied enthusiastically. Amongst his small number of friends, none of them were very artistic. The topic turned to video games and James seemed slightly more excitable, "Yeah! I was actually playing it before we took up the football," He pointed out. "I love that game. It's so different from the old ones, my dad lets me play his on his old handhelds and it's so primitive," He spoke before being cut off.

"Hey! I'm right here... They weren't primitive - we all loved them when I was a kid," Peter butted in to defend himself.

James rolled his eyes and subtly shook his head to Sasha, "But my favourite is Soulsilver out of the old ones. The new games are great, but my dad does have a point - the old generations of Pokemon have the more creative and original ideas for monsters, the new ones seem really weird in comparison, if you ever get a chance to play the older ones." It truly was amazing, though, how interactive the games had become since their beginnings. "I really like the end-of-the-world games that they've been selling too... Not Nintendo - I just mean that type of game..."

The conversation took another shift and he shrugged, "I dunno. With school starting soon, I'd say in the next few days some time would be good."

Hannah finally cut in cheerfully, "Well, we're not doing anything tomorrow. If you'd like, and Sasha wants to, she can help us clean up and we'll take her home with us, then give you a call tomorrow and take her back to your house. If another day works better, though, we can always just call later and talk about it," She suggested, leaning against her husband. "Of course, we've still got some time left in the potluck - it's supposed to go until early evening, anyway."

James looked to the small girl brightly, "Yeah, tonight would be cool. I can show you my dad's old games and stuff; you've got your books with you too, so we have plenty to do," He chipped in, causing Matt to snicker more. However, the older brother didn't actually say anything much more embarrassing, making a comment about how cute they were.

[Genkai]

At the mention of Soul Silver, she gave a nod. It rang a bell though she hadn't yet gotten a chance to play it. Most of those old school games were tough to find and you'd only play it if you knew someone who kept theirs in good condition. But for the games of today, Sasha was pretty happy and had no complaints. James then mentioned games which centered around the end of the world.

"Yeah those can be interesting, a little too sad for me though." Thinking about that could be kind of hard.

And at times unwelcomed.

Then there was a proposal where she could go home with James and his family and stay for the night. Her mother, Janet seemed okay with the idea though her father appeared a bit more uneasy, not because something would happen but because it was another reminder that his little girl growing up and would someday spread her wings and move far away, get a job and a boyfriend, a degree and all of that stuff. Janet looked to Hannah. "That would be fine, I'm sure she won't cause any trouble. Will you?" She looked to Sasha.

"Of course." Sasha sighed softly, she wasn't a little kid anymore.

"We could use a night to ourselves, I'll be honest." Janet leaned over to the other mother. This comment went unnoticed by the other kids and teens amongst the group though. Sasha turned her attention back to James who mentioned that they could play games and look at books. The girl was sure they'd find plenty of things to do together, despite being opposite genders. Matt snickered a little more and Sasha gave him a bit of a smile, still unsure as to how to act around an older boy, let alone a brother of a potential friend.

"That'll be fun, sure." Sasha told James. She looked and saw the playground had finally be vacated by the other kids. "Come on." She tapped the boy on the head as she got to her feet. While munching on cake was quite fun, she felt like running around for a little bit, enjoy the sunshine.

Scurrying over to the playground, the girl took a seat on the swing.

They were one of her favorite things at the park. She enjoyed the sensation of flying, of being weightless in the air, even for just a split second. She dug her toes into the sand and began to push herself backwards and then forwards, using her legs to build up momentum. The girl took a deep breath, her stomach beginning to flutter. It was so familiar to her. Sasha imagined it was how magic felt. James was slow to join her but when he finally did, she gave him a grin.

Part of her had also considered that James may want to get away from everyone, they were making a big deal out of nothing right? "I love summer, but autumn isn't bad either." She commented, "I mean school starts sure but we get Halloween and other stuff too."

[Scout]

In all honesty, James was excited about having his new friend over as everything was finally decided. He felt a tap on his head and looked over, "Huh? Oh, uh, alright," He said quickly, getting up off the ground and following after her, completely oblivious that they were the subject of conversation once they had left the area. He saw her sit down on a swing and stepped behind the one beside her, tugging at the chains and checking it as she already began to swing rather high. He watched as she rose to the apex of her seat's arc and seemed to be in a whole different world. He was never one for heights; they made him rather uncomfortable, but he sat down and pushed himself back, penduluming back and forth slowly. However, he didn't really try to get any form of momentum running, he was happy with a sweet little back-and-forth motion, enjoying being a slightly more secluded area. It was refreshing to know somebody who just liked to talk and make her own conversation.

He tilted his head slightly, "Autumn's my favourite... I like long sleeves and that perfect time in October when the leaves are on the ground, but the trees still have plenty of them," He shared thoughtfully. While James didn't often dress up for Halloween anymore, he enjoyed the idea of the holiday. He didn't want to embarrass himself by saying so, but he also looked forward to school starting again; he didn't see his friends as much over the summer as he did during the school year. The routine and structure were rather comforting; he loved that organization in his life.

"What's your favourite class?" He asked, looking over to her curiously. "I like math... Dad says it's in my blood, he's an engineer for the government, but doesn't really like to talk about it. I think it's really cool," He said enthusiastically, a bright smile on his face, his eyes shining slightly in clear admiration. "My mum stays at home, but she says she goes out with her friends while we're at school. I don't think she does it as much as she says so because the house is always clean and dinner is getting started when we get home," He noted with a shrug.

James had always been rather observant, despite his age - his mother said he had an eye for detail like she did. In fact, if one looked around their house, a lot of the paintings on the walls were done by her; James had very little artistic talent, but he did pay attention to the finer points of whatever he worked on.

[Genkai]

James moved to the swing beside her but was slow to get on and get moving. Whatever floated his boat though. Sasha couldn't say if she had a real favorite season, they were all good in their own way. London hardly got warm, it was pretty much submerged in three seasons so whenever they got a glimpse of summer, it was terrific. James then asked about school subjects and she made a face. He liked her worst subject. She never knew how people liked that stuff, numbers were hard and to hew knowledge, they would only get harder. Still, she gave a nod when he mentioned that his father was also good at it and worked for the government.

That explained it.

Her brain wasn't wired like that though.

"I'm not very good at math, so I kinda hate it." She said. "You'll have to help me." She laughed a little. "I love English and Art, guess I'm into creative stuff and don't like Science and numbers." Sasha figured. She kept swinging but slowed down so she wasn't going too high or fast, if she was, it would make for annoying conversation. The girl looked back over at James, he seemed like the type who was into the things she couldn't begin to comprehend. In a sense, they were near polar opposites.

And still, they were able to talk about fun things like games and seasons.

Giving a bit of a shrug, she looked back up at the wide open sky. "What if you helped me in math and I help with someone you don't like." That way it worked out for them both. And Sasha was all about making sure everyone was happy, that things were fair among everyone. She had only heard her parents talk about the unrest overseas but to her it wasn't a big deal.

They were safe on their little island of sorts.

"I think when the new year starts, we could even walk to-" She was cut off by her parents calling them over. It seemed like they were being called over because things were wrapping up. She noticed the blue sky was now turning a bit more gray and foreboding. And they knew rain would be on its way soon enough. Sasha jumped off the swing and let out a sigh. "The sun couldn't last forever..." She shrugged and headed back with James.

She helped his family clean up and then waved to her own family before she went off to hop in the car with James and his brother who mentioned wanting to go out and see a movie before dinner. Sasha glanced out the window as they made the very short drive back into their gated neighborhood. For a moment, a bundle of nerves tangled themselves in her stomach. She had never been to a boy's house before. What would it be like?

They parked and she slowly got out, reminding herself to be polite and helpful. "Thank you for inviting me." She said as they gathered up the picnic things and headed inside. Down the street, she spotted her parents unpacking the car as well. Sasha just looked to James and followed him inside. She wasn't a little kid anymore, she could have different friends and not worry about it right? School hadn't started yet and she didn't have to worry about what others thought.

Why should she anyway?

"So what did you wanna do?" She asked James. "Any games we can play?"

[Scout]

James tilted his head curiously as she began to make a suggestion; a call for the two of them cut her short and while he was interested in what she was going to say, it was completely forgotten in that moment. He gave a small laugh, "Good - I love the night time," He told her a little bit proudly. Any time before the sun came up or after it went down was the most desirable time of day for James simply because it was quiet and so easy to get lost in a different world there. As they walked back to their parents, he remembered something she had mentioned and finally decided to address it, "Er, yeah... I try really hard to hide it, but I'm really bad at art... I can't do a lot with my hands... Like, uh, up here," He said, motioning to his head, "I can have a perfect picture of what I want to see, but... When I try to make it, it just comes out bad," he said. After a moment of thought, he smiled, "Also, science... A lot of people don't get it... like the teachers keep saying that math and science need each other, but they don't... It's only science that needs math," He argued, clearly trying to hide his agitation at the common comparison.

Sasha's polite demeanor was well-received by James's parents, though Matt continued his light heckling every now and then, it was beginning to feel more like natural joking than actual teasing and James would quip back at him. The car was finally unpacked and everybody had begun to resign to their usual evening activities after Peter vetoed the request to go to the cinema. Rather, he took up a book and sat in his chair in the parlour. Matt took the remote for the television and sprawled onto the sofa as Mrs. Delacourt was off... doing something... mom-things, they would all assume.

"Hang on a minute," He said brightly to her as she asked what they could do and he disappeared, the sound of his feet pounding up the stairs filled the house for several moments.

The parlour was a cozy little den as the sound of Doctor Who's millionth season filled the room, Matthew staring like a zombie with a smile plastered across his face. A gas fireplace was turned off nearby but it added a bit of a gentleness to the atmosphere. The coffee table had a cabinet attached beneath it which was home to various board games as well as a rather nice chess set. James's father and brother were notorious for never letting him win a game while his mother always seemed to make a move that would deliberately lead to her loss. Only once had James seen noticed a falter in his brother's attitude at one of his moves, but it was quickly cleared and the older sibling overtook him... But that taste of victory was reassuring, at least, that he was improving. Nearby, one could see the cover of Peter's book - it read Number9Dream with the name "David Mitchell" printed along the edge. The man fixed his reading glasses and would glance over at Matt, then to Sasha and (when he was in the room) James, keeping an eye about the room every now and then. The curtains were drawn, but the soft glow of streetlamps peeked through slightly.

Another series of thumps sounded as James returned in a pair of gym shorts and a cleaner shirt before he entered the parlour once more and sat down near her. "Uh, well it's up to you, there are lots of games in the cabinet there, I brought down my dad's old games, or we cou- Gah, Matt, would you turn the telly down? We're trying to talk."

"And I'm trying to watch!" The older brother argued back, the volume rising once more.

"Boys," Peter cut a bit sharply, "Cool it. Matt, turn it down, I'm trying to read - James, maybe you and Sasha could go up to your room, or any other room, so that Matt doesn't keep cranking the volume up on this drivel?"

Both boys seemed offended for a minute, but James was surprisingly the first to speak, "It's not drivel - it's a great show," He stated factually, "Just too loud and I've seen this episode a million times... I really don't know how Matt likes this one... I hated this season..."

An argument seemed ready to boil over between the two before Peter cleared his throat, "Another room, James," He chimed, though it was clearly a warning. "My god, you two can make a fight out of anything," He muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Fine," the boy sighed, "If you wanna play something out of the cabinet, we can grab it quietly before we go wherever... I'll bring the games," He said, motioning to the decade-old handheld and its pile of Pokemon, Zelda, and Mario games. The thing was in great condition for its age; though the devices and games weren't exactly ancient in the gaming world, they were certainly long-forgotten by most of the new generation.

Once they had gathered their things and left the room, James awkwardly tapped the floor with his foot, "We can go up to my room if you want; it's, uh, kind of a mess, but... I mean, there's plenty of room," He said, "Or the dining room has a table and stuff - whatever you wanna do," He suggested with a shrug. "And we can start with whichever game you want - you're the guest."

[Genkai]

Having been left behind, Sasha stood there and waited, trying not to get in the way of everyone though it seemed they all found their rut to settle into for the night. The girl glanced down at her feet, unsure if she should muster up the will to converse with them since they all seemed so busy or if she should just wait patiently for James to come back from whatever he was doing. She looked over to see credits begin whizzing on the telly which was of course Doctor Who. How it manged to go on and on and on way beyond her. Of course anyone from the UK had to love Doctor Who just as they did tea. It was in their blood.

Still standing quietly, she kept her focus on the telly to be sort of polite. The idea of time travel was wicked cool but she wasn't sure if they'd ever be able to do it. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and wondered if Matt wanted some company or not. But based on the way Matt and James got along, she wasn't sure if she'd be turned away or not just because she was James' friend by association. Matt could very well turn his taunting laser gun on her, which she wouldn't really mind. She wasn't one of those girls who cried over anything and everything. No, she could take a joke here or there. Life was better with laughter and everyone had their own sense of humor.

Finally James did make his way back to her and she looked back at him with blinking eyes of curiosity.

It seemed he had changed into something else. She moved over to sit down and he joined her so they could pick back up on the topic of what to do. Before they could make any progress, James yelled at his brother to turn the telly down. Of course it didn't go over well with the older sibling who seemed to have a lot more freedom in the household dynamics. Soon another bout of bickering broke out between the two boys as James and Sasha were told to go somewhere else while Matt had to lower the volume. Sasha got up, not wanting to be part of the pointless fight. "It's okay. I'm sorry. Come on." She said to James, trying to get his mind away from his older brother.

She picked out some board games while James selected some more techy ones. They headed off but then James had to figure out where they'd go. His room or the sitting room. Sasha wasn't a picky person and shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me, it's your house after all." She told him. "How about the sitting room?" She didn't mind messy rooms but she knew some people did so she decided the safest bet would be someplace like a sitting room. They headed there and set up some games so they could entertain themselves. They first played a simple board game which involved marbles and dice and all sorts of rules to get all of your marbles from one part of the board to the other, using small holes and paths.

After that, they decided to play something more modern, well not exactly modern but something with video games. They set up manual links between their devices and did some pokemon battling. They could have made better teams but it seemed pointless to waste time roaming around different routes when you had someone else waiting on you. Soon it was time for dessert and tea. Since they had all had good food earlier, they just had something light. The girl couldn't help but wonder how her family would change with the addition of another person, a new baby. She would be in Matt's position but she hoped she'd be nicer than him. Of course brothers acted differently with each other. If there were sisters in the equation, it got even more messy.

It was something to think about anyway.

"Thanks so much for inviting me over, can I help with the dishes or anything like that?" She asked James' parents as they finished their tea and small almond cakes. Being a guest, her offer was refuted and she and James were told to go get ready for bed. She was given some spare clothes to change into as well as a toothbrush to use. She thanked James' mother and headed off to get ready for bed. She came out in a pair of pink shorts and a long white top which almost hide her shorts from view. She ruffled up hair and found James inn his room. She knocked on the door and poked her head in. "I think your mom mentioned we could get sleeping bags and sleep outside. That sounds like fun doesn't it?" She smiled.

[Scout]

James was a bit surprised at how easy it was for them to just have fun together doing so little. As the night progressed, Sasha proved herself to be more polite than most of his friends and his parents didn't dare let her help with any of the things that needed done. As he heard the quiet knock at his door, he looked over and saw the girl poke her head in and he nodded, "Yeah. I was just getting the bags," He said pulling one from the closet and setting it beside another.

His room was a little bit of a mess, in part due to his rummaging about the closet for the sleeping bags. Posters dotted the chamber and some clothing was strewn about the floor. Old issues of Game Informer magazine were stacked messily in a corner while the newest one rested on his nightstand. In front of the window was a telescope which seemed easy to move if he were to open the window. He brought the sleeping bags out with him and shut the door behind him, handing one of them to the girl as they descended the stairs. Things in the house were winding down as they went outside, James's dad had set up a small tent for them already, whenever they were ready to sleep and while they were laying their bags down, his mother came out with two thermoses of hot chocolate, a warm smile on her face.

"Have fun you two, and don't stay up too late - it's harder to ignore the morning's son out here," She warned teasingly, handing over the beverages and then leaving. James laid out a blanket as well, outside the tent, and sat cross-legged with the hot drink beside him as he leaned back, his hands supporting him from behind as he looked up.

It was quiet for a little bit as a small smile puleld up the corners of his lips. Lights blinked as satellites orbited the planet from an unfathomable distance. "My dad told me that a lot of the stars that we can see have already burned out. But uhm... he said that the light comes at a certain speed... and they're so far away that when they're gone, the light is still coming," he explained thoughtfully, trying to remember what he was taught. "I wonder how far it goes... Do you think there's an end?" The boy asked, looking over for a moment before his eyes were glued to the sky once more. He took a timid sip from the thermos at his side, trying not to burn himself as it warmed his hands.

The school year seemed to be approaching faster every minute too, soon they would have homework and activities filling their schedules. Not to mention it would be getting cold. "Hey," He started, breaking away from the sky, "Do you think we should walk to school together? I mean... you're not too far away and... I dunno, maybe it'd be fun..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you joining any clubs? I haven't really decided yet, I just know I won't be on the football team," The boy laughed, carefully holding his thermos with both hands and tipping it back for a short, satisfying sip as the heat warmed his face.

[Genkai]

"Oh okay." Sasha nodded, not sure if she could help him navigate through the mess or not. She waited instead and soon they were situated outside. The air felt nice and comforting, not all at restraining or suffocating. Today's weather had been quite the blessing. James' dad set up a tent for them but for now sitting outside under the stars seemed like the best option in her mind. James' mother then headed outside and handed them some hot cocoa. "Oh thank you!" Sasha said cheerfully. She did enjoy sweet things. And what girl didn't like chocolate? She sat down on the blanket with James as she smelled the beverage, wanting to wait and not burn her tongue. She was sure they'd get a lovely sunrise outside and that sleeping would be cut short but she didn't mind. As long as sprinklers didn't come on, she wouldn't have anything to fuss about.

James leaned back slightly, having set his drink aside. Sasha looked over at him, wondering what they could talk about. Somehow, for some reason, in movies meaningful conversation usually took place outside under the stars. She brought the mug of hot chocolate to her nose, getting a more intense aroma. Her mother craved chocolate like crazy because she was pregnant so Sasha rarely got to have any for herself lately. James spoke up and mentioned how the stars they were looking at were already burned out which didn't make a whole lot of sense of her. They looked just fine from where she was sitting.

"Hmm." She blinked at James as he slowly tried to relay the explanation his father gave him, to her. He then wondered how far it went, she wasn't sure if he meant light or just space itself? She looked back up at the dark abyss which was littered with specks of light and wisps of clouds. "I dunno. I don't think so...I mean if there was an end, would you wanna find it? That might spoil things, don't you think?" She commented, finally bringing the thermos to her lips to take a small cautious drink. "Mmm." She licked her lips and felt a bit more relaxed. James then spoke up, asking her if they ought to walk to school together since it could be fun. She opened her mouth to speak but he then quickly mentioned clubs.

Clubs?

"O-oh...I'm not sure. I've only heard about a few, and some don't get continued after certain members think." Sasha wasn't totally sure how they worked or what was offered but she would want to join one or two if time allowed for it. And if she wasn't needed at home of course. The future, despite it nearing the present and merging together, was quite unknown. "I'd love to see if they have a Book club or maybe a Gaming club...or maybe something to do with animals...?" She wasn't sure but it was something to consider. "I don't know, I hear most freshmen are supposed to join one, so you can get used to the school and everyone in it." Sasha frowned a little. While the idea of everyone becoming part of something was a good natured one, she wondered what people did if they honestly didn't fall into anything offered.

She supposed they could make a new one or be forced to try something new.

Then she remembered his question. "I think it would be fun to walk together, i mean we're going to the same place and we pretty much come from the same place. There's no reason why would shouldn't have some company and encouragement for when it's pouring or when we've got some big test." She smiled at James as she took another drink of hot cocoa. Deep down, she was still a little nervous, this was a guy. And for most of her short life, guys and girls did things separately. And now come high school, they were encouraged to interact and find common ground. And yet being with James wasn't too bad, they had some things in common and they were from the same cozy neighborhood. Still, Sasha was still uneasy, change was happening all around her. High school, a new sibling, new friends and classes, clubs and everything else. She wished she could hit pause and enjoy freedom a bit longer.

"You like space and numbers and games...you should probably go be an astronaut or something like that." She told him lightly as she took another drink. "Go figure out where it all ends of where it all came from." She said and yawned. Despite the sugar nestled between her hands, she figured it was time to get some shut eye. A long day was now behind her and night was beckoning her into dreamland. Sasha fidgeted and got up, finishing her drink. She set it down on a nearby table and looked back to James. "We better try and get some sleep." She advised as she moved for the tent and saw the sleeping bags had been set up.

She got in and plopped down on hers and stretched her arms above her head. "Ah!" She then moved and got in the sleeping bag. She briefly wondered how her parents were doing. She smiled, knowing they were fine and not that far away. "Thanks for having me over, I'll have to have you come over sometime." She smiled to James as she laid down and tired to get comfortable. "Night." She said quietly when she finally did get settled. Her dreams weren't anything to remember and when she next opened her eyes, she was greeted by a bright light. She cringed and pushed herself up, reminding herself where she was and why. Grinning, she looked over and saw James was still sleeping so she quietly went outside and wandered inside.

The smell of waffles greeted her. "Morning." She said sleepily. James' mother greeted her and said she made up a place for her and James as the table. Since the other males in the household were still sleeping, Sasha was advised to get James up now so they could enjoy a slightly less chaotic breakfast. She hurried back outside and wondered as to how she could wake James up. She could, and should be nice about it or she could have a little fun. Scampering around to his side of the tiny tent, she tapped and scratched on the tent wall and let out a few growls, one which angry animals or demons might make.

That seemed to do the trick. James was quickly up and she laughed at him as they went back into the kitchen to eat.

"James and I were thinking of walking to school together." Sasha commented as she buttered her waffle. She looked over at the boy who's hair seemed quite wild though she was sure hers was too. "I'll make sure he's never late and doesn't forget anything." She laughed a little as she poured some syrup on her waffle and thanked his mother for the food, as well as the cocoa from last night.

[Scout]

And so the school year began...

The days were filled with classes, homework, and club meetings. Sasha and James found that, though they had little time to do anything after school, they could hang out on the weekends. They shared classes in Math, Science, and Art spread throughout the day, but they were separated for their other periods as well as for lunch. After school, however, James had found more clubs than he thought he would want to join. First was robotics, where he learned that mechanics were a bit more interesting than he gave them credit for only weeks ago; and he was good at it too. True to their word, he and Sasha joined a gaming club, which was a bit more active than he had thought a club for video games could be. The heat of summer turned into a cool, breezy Fall and more indoor activities. The sun started rising later and setting sooner as the leaves began to change into beautiful yellows and oranges. James grew out of nearly every thread of clothing he'd had before the start of summer. While he wasn't a painter or performer, he delved deeper into his love for words by pouring everything into his essays for English class and became something of an artist. He had become a creator; devices and worlds filled his head and a spare notebook he kept in his single-strap bookbag at all times. Somehow, he found time to work in his own study of coding and programs, bolstering the robotics club which, until recently, had been dying and even rather pathetic. Of course, his father helped wherever he could.

"You're sure that you guys don't need a ride? It's getting awfully cold outside, I don't want you two to get sick," James' mother stated worriedly as he stuffed the remainder of breakfast into his mouth.

"Ye' ohm, I'm 'ur," He said agitatedly with a roll of his eyes as he spoke through a piece of toasted bread in his mouth as he pushed his arm through the sleeve of his coat.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth," The woman chastised, crossing her arms.

He pulled the bread from his mouth and swallowed the bite, "I said, yes mom, I'm sure. It's going to be way too cold soon, so I wanna enjoy it," He stated. He began to fasten the buttons on the double-breasted military-style coat before slinging his pack over one shoulder and putting the food back in his mouth, "'ye, mum," He said, heading for the doors.

"Hey, hey, wait a second," She said and he froze at the door. "Goodbye, love you, see you tonight," She said, kissing his cheek as he rolled his eyes and mumbled an appropriate response, pushing out of the house.

The wind kicked up the leaves and gave the air a nip as he shrugged his shoulders and popped his collar, trying to keep warm. As he moved for Sasha's, he could feel his heartbeat picking up. How many of his friends had asked him if they were a couple? It had to be all of them so far... He wasn't just tired of having to explain they were just friends, he really had wanted to be more since a few days into the school year. When she came out, he gave her a smile, I'll ask after Gamers' Club tonight, don't want to make the whole day awkward if she says no right now, right? he resolved to himself, Plus, if she says no, then at least we'll be able to have enjoyed today. "Hey, how's your art project going?" He asked, his hands keeping warm in his pockets as the wind softly whipped the little bit of slack on his scarf about. "I thought my sketch turned out well enough, but now that we have to colour it, it's turning into utter shite," He joked, shaking his head pathetically.

[Genkai]

Ever since school began, everything seemed to be moving at quite a quick rate.

Sasha signed up for Gamers Club, as well as Poetry and Literature. She got to read a few of her short stories and the others in the club seemed quite supportive of her ideas and progress. Sasha was fine with making friends in her various classes. So far, she hadn't fallen into any cliche pitfalls with bullies or popular kids. The school year seemed promising with the change in weather. Things were getting cooler and days were seemingly getting more and more shorter. The cool breezes and color of the leaves were so euphoric. She loved walking around campus and the neighborhood.

The autumn season gave her a great deal of inspiration and motivation.

Having James with her in Gamers Club was very fun, they got to meet other like minded people and gossip about the latest news for games and products. It was pretty fun compared to the schoolwork and the other club she had joined. Sasha was weary to join any more since she wanted to stay accessible to her mother when the baby arrived which would be any day now. Sasha was up early, as usual, helping her dad make breakfast for them and her mom. They were eating scrambled eggs and toast while drinking copious amounts of tea, as usual. Sasha and her dad talked about some of the tests she had coming up. Her mother soon wandered out and kissed them both as she made herself a cup of tea.

Sasha's eyes lingered on her mother in a bit of a protective manner but she just went back to eating. Soon it was time to head out and meet up with James as they had been for the past month since school began. She wiped her mouth and ran to brush her teeth quickly. By the time she ran to the door, her dad handed Sasha her things and kissed the top of her head. "See you, bye!" She smiled up at him and skipped outside. She didn't need to look back to know that her dad was still watching her as she crossed inevitable paths with James. "Morning." She said as she always did at the start of each day, just like she'd always say "Night" when they parted ways. "Oh it's going greeeeeat." Sasha flashed a toothy grin. It was going quite well, much to her amazement. "Aw I'm sure it's not utter shite...well maybe just a bit." She teased as they began to walk down the empty road, all those going to work had left a while ago.

"Colouring is always the tricky part cause you can't exactly erase it like you can with a dinky pencil." She said thoughtfully as she peered up at the pale sky. "You gotta help me with the Math and Science tests coming up this Thursday." She nudged him. "I need heeeelp." She whined and tugged at her glasses frames, she didn't really need them because her vision was fine but from time to time, she liked to put them on when she was feeling silly. They were hot pink and caught loads attention for fun. There were people in the class she could ask for help but she decided to bother James before approaching anyone else, they were neighbors after all. As they got to school, it seemed some group of upperclassmen were putting up flyers and decorations.

Why?

Tapping James' shoulder, she jogged over to a baby blue flyer and read it. It seemed there was a big dance in two weeks for the school year's start. The theme was to welcome back returning students, to welcome new ones and to bring in the season of pumpkins and everything magical like that. The letters were deep red and expressed that it was semi-formal and tickets would be on sale this Friday and next Friday. She glanced over to James not sure why the prospect of a dance made her a bit nervous. Not a lot of things made her nervous. Other students seemed to be pushing to take a look so she stepped off to the side by a bush to let the others check it out. "Our first high school dance huh?" Sasha mentioned to James. "Could be fun...dancing, snacks and music!" She spun around and pumped her fist in the air with a bright smile.

Why be worried when you could be excited for something new?

The bell rang and she adjusted her backpack. That was the bell to signal they had five minutes to get to their first class. "Heh, I'll see you in class!" She waved and hurried off to her first class which was English. What a great way to start the day. She could wake up her brain and her heart with reading and writing. Most of her classmates were sluggish and sleepy but she was always wide awake and ready for whatever their teacher wanted them to work on. The rest of the day went by smoothly. Lots of kids were talking about the upcoming dance when she ate lunch with her friends. A few of them were already gushing about who they wanted to ask them but Sasha just shook her head, not wanting to worry about finding someone.

She and James met up for Math and Science and Art was last on the list. As the bell rang to let them out, she packed up and wandered over to see what he was working on. "Not bad." She told him. Of course she was mighty proud of hers so she wouldn't say much on the subject since she knew James wasn't happy with his so far. "It's Art, how can they fail you for trying? It's all subjective right?" She offered as she went to wash her hands and get her things so they could head to Gamers Club. Her other club met on Tuesdays and Thursdays while the Gaming one met on Mondays and Wednesdays. "Someday we'll be Seniors walkin' these halls, I can't wait. I mean that's in four years, four years ago, we weren't even in Middle School." Time was funny like that. It always amazed her. "We'll never be Freshmen again, not until university..." She shrugged and put her hands behind her head as they walked, her hands messing with her wavy blond locks.

'I should grow my hair out.' She considered as they walked along. 'I'd like that, lots of girls have long hair and pretty clothes...' Her musings trailed off as they passed by the vending machines. "Oh, want anything to eat? I'm kind of hungry and thirsty." She paused and pulled her backpack around so she could fumble for some pence. "If not, you can go on and I'll catch up with you there." Sasha muttered as she kept hunting down her coins. 'Where the bloody hell are they? Never around when you need them.' She pouted slightly as she finally found some money. She'd need to ask her dad for some more, also to buy a ticket to the dance. Of course she wanted to go, regardless of friends or some sort of...date. It seemed logical to her, that if she wanted to go, she would go.

[Scout]

"Just a bit," He agreed playfully. "And I'd say the pencil is the most important part... Colouring should be left to the imagination, if you ask me," The boy said with a shrug, obviously blowing off his inability to colour accurately as an unimportant skill. As she whined about needing help, he laughed and nudged against her, "Whatever you need, princess," He teased and stuck his tongue out. "You know I'm always happy to. Dad always says that the best way to learn is to teach." In all honesty, he was never bothered by her asking for help, not even once. He loved doing it and they always had fun. Besides, why not? It just meant they had an excuse to spend more time together. He would have completely ignored the flyers and commotion as they arrived at the school had Sasha not taken him snooping.

... A dance? This is why everybody was crowding around one sheet of paper? His stomach twisted into a knot as Sasha started talking about it. She really wanted to go and he wasn't going to tell her how nervous it was already making him. He didn't dance and, much like most of the friends he had in his clubs, he wasn't the least bit social on a scale like that. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad; after all, he'd be with her. As she ran off to English, he left for French class, where his attention gradually drifted, snapped back to the teacher, and drifted off again. In fact, it happened all day in every class. His notes for the day, if one looked into his notebook, had gone from diligent and well-taken to completely useless for whatever was studied. Or, at least, for any class that Sasha wasn't in with him they were.

Entire lines were left half-finished and illegible as he forgot what he was writing or began to daydream in the middle of the teacher's lecture. It was debilitating and nigh impossible to tell if the day was going quickly or slowly. In Art, as he labored away at his mediocre drawing, he found himself glancing up and across the room at Sasha. Why was it they could pick their seats in the two most important subjects that the school had, but then in Art class they were assigned? How ludicrous... When the bell rang and he began packing up, he saw her peeking at the work and he shrugged, "Completion grades... The most wonderful and stressful part of this class. Puts the pressure on to do well for yourself and not for the teacher," He pointed out before putting everything he had away.

They began to walk for Gamers' Club and he held his coat over his shoulder, one hand in his pant pocket. It was quiet, but not awkward as she spotted the vending machines ahead. "I'll pass. You look really nice today, y'know," The boy pointed out while she fumbled for cash. One machine had drinks and the other had snacks, so while she put money into one, he pulled out his wallet and paid for her favourite snack from the other, already knowing what she wanted and handing it over with a smile before they started for the meeting again. She could offer it all she liked, but Sasha would know that he would stay with her. James was excellent with money, likely due to his math skills, so he could make money from birthdays and holidays last far longer than most of his friends. High school was just so different and he honestly felt like a different person than he used to be, even if it had only been a couple of months.

Gamers' Club was surprisingly active. A few of the members, most, really, subscribed to the Game Informer Magazine and the new issue had just recently arrived, so for the first part they passed it around and talked about everything from upcoming games to gear and technology in it. The second half of the meeting was rather surprising as the idea of a club-sized paintballing event was brought up. While most of them did not have the materials to play, it was also noted that most paintball places had supplies just for that reason. They discussed how to pay for it and James, being a slight control freak, volunteered to work out the club's financing for it. The club had a very loose set-up for its "leadership." There was little officially decided apart from a President, Vice President, and Secretary. They had to keep track of what they did and the school required the President and Vice President positions. However, the club, if compared to any government, was joked about as being the most Communistic of all the clubs. James often found himself taking a clerk's position and watching the small amount of funds they had. However, typically the group was just friends doing whatever they wanted.

After the meeting, as James pushed his arms into his coat, he spotted, from the corner of his eye one of the club members by Sasha. His stomach did a flip in his stomach. As he passively began to listen in, he sighed exasperatedly. Everybody already knew that Alex, a sophomore, had not joined the club because he had any interest in it. In fact, he only showed up to half of the meetings, but the real question was why. It wasn't that he was a bad guy, but a lot of the others got an aura from him that just said he was in the club for reasons known to him alone.

"Hey, Sasha," He said, leaning against the desk she had been sitting at, his hands helping support him at his sides as he smiled at her. "So... I'm guessing you've heard about the dance that's coming up... I was wondering if you'd do me the honor of letting me take you. Y'know, it'd be your first one and I just... well, it's important, y'know? I wanna help make it special."

James turned around and began placing things in his backpack. He thought he was maintaining his cool, but one of his friends looked at him as if to say what are you doing? Turns out he was packing up a little bit more aggressively than usual. However, with Sasha distracted, he was able to fix the behavior, he hoped, before she saw him. By the time he turned around again, Alex was gone and he realized that he had stopped listening and had no idea what the outcome was. He dared not ask her what had happened because he didn't want her thinking that he was listening in. So, they departed on their usual walk home.

He felt his heart pounding again... Was he really going to drop the chance yet again? For what excuse? Because Alex had already asked? If anything, that was all the more reason as he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and sighed. "Sasha... Please don't go to the dance with Alex... I'm sorry, I was listening when he came up to you earlier." He looked up at her as he let out a breath, "I uh... Because erm. I'd really like if you went with me, instead," He stated briskly, doing anything he could to not meet her eyes. And, at the last minute, he added, "Y'know, as friends... or something." Nice job... Very well done. He sarcastically applauded and chastised himself at the same time. "I mean, I understand if you wanna go with him or whatever, I just kinda figured we'd go to our first dance together, y'know?" When they finally returned to their walk, regardless of her answer or the awkwardness of the air, "Oh, my dad's cooking dinner tonight, which is kinda uncommon. We're having crêpes, if you wanna join us... We can study for our tests later this week, if you want."

Alex

Click for higher resolution.

[Genkai]

"Oh...u-um thank you." Sasha gave a warm smile as he said she looked nice. It was unexpected to hear him say such a thing, but it was sweet of him. When James paid for her snack, she gave him a bright smile. She'd have to buy him something to pay him back. At the club, they sat around and talked, it was quite nice to be in school and not have to deal with actual school stuff. At the idea of paint balling, Sasha's head raised in interest. That could be really fun. Messy and fun. Hopefully her parents would let her go, she'd been doing okay in school so far. When things began to wrap up, Sasha stayed where she was, mostly because someone had come up to her. She glanced to Alex, a bit curious as to why he'd be approaching her. But she was never one to turn down a new friend. "Hello." She smiled politely at hm.

"Mm yeah, I have." She gave him a nod when he mentioned the dance. He went on to ask her to the dance, saying he wanted it to be special since it would be her first one. Her face turned bright red. "I didn't think I'd be asked by anyone like you. That's...um..." She wasn't sure what to say actually, far too flustered to make much sense. "I'll think about it." She told Alex. She then glanced to see James nearly done packing though he seemed a little upset about something. She went back to packing her own stuff and soon found herself beside James as they headed for home as they usually did. As they walked, nothing was really said between them. Her own mind was caught up in what had just happened.

A guy had actually asked her to the dance.

A sophomore no less!

The blond was really nervous. She would go with someone she didn't know what if they didn't have anything in common? Was it better go and mingle or to go with someone who you knew you'd have a good time with? As she considered the issue of how to date and who to date, James stopped walking and told her to not go with Alex. She looked up, not sure where his statement had been coming from. And why he wouldn't like it? Did he know something about Alex that she didn't? He explained he had heard what Alex asked her and she nodded, not really sure why he'd eavesdrop on her and Alex. She felt even more embarrassed to know that James had heard the conversation when she could barely speak up and give a simple answer.

James moved over to her and said that he'd like to go with her but then seemed to look anywhere else but at her face.

A warm knot tightened in her chest as she began to consider what he had meant. Go together? He was asking her out? Before she could sort out her massive collection of confused thoughts, he quickly added that they'd go as friends or something. Or something? Friends? Or something else? She was a bit thrown off by his statement, not really sure what to think. For a moment it seemed like he wanted the dance to be a date, which somehow gave her butterflies in her chest. But then those went away when he mentioned as friends. Why was she bothered though? "Umm...yeah sure...we can go as...friends." She glanced off, not really sure why she would turn down a possible boyfriend to just go with someone who was her friend. But she liked James and his company.

Thankfully the mention of crepes was brought up and it took Sasha back out of her thoughts. "Oh, I'd love some!" She smiled. Sweet or savory, crepes were a great treat to have. She had dinner with James and his family. Thankfully the topic of the dance was somehow miraculously avoided and Sasha headed home after she helped clean up. "Night!" She waved to James as she jogged back home. When she got there, she spent some time with her mother. They talked about boys and awkward feelings and all that stuff. Sasha wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't sure why James would be upset if she went with Alex, if she and James were just friends. Her mother mentioned that James might like her as more than a friend. Possible.

"He did sort of ask me out...and then said as friends." It was possible. That night, she didn't get a lot of sleep. She and James spent time studying in the library when they could and that weekend, they decided the Gamers Club would go out to a posh paintball arena. It would be outside. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. The club had about twenty people in attendance and it seemed even Alex showed up. Once they were all ready with their gear and ammo, they were broken into two teams. Thankfully, she and James were on the same team, she tapped the top of her helmet. Even though there weren't head-shots permitted, it was still a necessary precaution. "We should get something to eat after this." She mentioned to James as they scuttled around the woods, as the game began. "I mean not just the group, I mean you and me-" Sasha cut herself off as she saw a flash of red, the other team was closing in.

No time to talk now!

"Come on!" She sped up and ducked behind a tree and held onto her gun tightly, a tsunami of excitement hitting her.

[Scout]

Stupid... Stupid, stupid... He chided himself angrily as she left for home.

"What's the matter?" He shut the door as Matt spoke, scowling as he looked back.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar. What? Did somebody ask your little girlfriend to the dance?" He teased, sticking his hands in his pockets. Matt, despite how he and his brother were always at each other's throats, was a nice guy when things seemed serious. He also managed to get voted in for class president and had had a hand in the organization of the event.

James was rather surprised that he had guessed so quickly; he didn't even argue that she wasn't his girlfriend. The two talked for a while and at the end, James mentioned the paintball fight and that Matt would be allowed to come if he wanted to. He said he'd think about it. How could he take back the 'as friends' comment though? Matt said that it was clearly the biggest mistake that he could have made in asking her out, that he should have trusted her enough to know that even if it was a no, then they would still be friends... probably. However, he didn't want to bring up anything while they were trying to study. Test day came and went, both of them doing well, as expected. Match day came quite quickly and the air was absolutely thick with excitement. Some of the club members were in some kind of ROTC program and Matt had decided to come.

Matt was, perhaps, the most desired fighter of them all. Not only did he even out their numbers to be split into two teams, but he was also the best shot and the most athletic of them all. He paintballed often enough and, though he had yet to tell his parents, was planning to enlist in the military. He was on the other team. Of course, the club was rather hell-bent on somehow evening it out, so a lot of the other seniors were against him, with the exception of James, Sasha, and a couple of other underclassmen. James checked his equipment; he had a basic rifle-style gun and a handgun. He'd never really cared for weaponry, but a part of him was always curious so he was at least a bit excited.

And thus, the game began. He looked to Sasha with a playful grin as she mentioned dinner. "Sur-" He started as CO2 was expelled from a gun not far away. The two ran to hiding places not far from one another as the paint splattered a nearby tree in vibrant red. He hadn't even tested the gun yet! What kind of range did it have? How quickly did the balls travel? As Sasha's tree was hit over and over again, pinning her down, he really stopped thinking and hit his knee, swinging out from behind his own. Instinctively, he began to pull his trigger...

... and was met with a feeling that he had never felt before. Up to that moment, it was the greatest thing he had ever experienced and he quickly grew addicted as he lined up the weapon and bombarded the other side. Their assault stopped and one stepped out.

"I'm out already?!" He shouted in frustration. It was Alex and James spun back behind his tree, hiding how absolutely ecstatic he was. They could play a hundred more rounds and he could have absolutely no hits in any of them and he wouldn't be upset after getting the blonde boy out. He felt like he could do anything as the others called for a retreat to regroup and attack again. They were singled out quickly, but it seemed like it had been Alex's attack plan with a few of the underclassmen from his own team. James waited to hear the footsteps running the opposite direction and he rose, running for Sasha's hiding place as something struck his leg painfully. It stung and he tripped, ending up against a fallen log with paint clearly visible on his left leg.

"No! My leg! I... Er... C-can't walk," He said breathlessly, trying not to laugh as he leaned up against the log and the woods filled with shouts and gung-ho charges. It was only about ten versus ten, so the round would probably not last all day. He beckoned for Sasha, and when she was by him, he put a hand on her shoulder, "M-my liege..." He said, improvising a scenario of war. Stories just made things more fun as he tried to keep from having a case of the giggles, clearing his throat and making his expression more sturdy. "I can't walk, you must... find the rest of the group. Don't... don't let the other team take you as they shall me..."

"James!~" Came Matt's call, "I got a report you were over here. You and Sasha took one of my men; I'm here for revenge."

"Blast!" James cursed under his breath, "Go. Don't let him see you, I'll keep him at bay for as long as I can... Go!!" He insisted dramatically.

Waiting until he was sure that she was gone, James called over his shoulder and beyond the log, "I'm over here, Matt!" He fired off his gun a few more times, only to hear it 'click' softly with emptiness.

"Stand up and face me, James," The older brother spoke as he spotted the boy. After a few deep breaths, he pulled his handgun from his hip and stood up shakily, keeping weight from his "injured" leg, lining up the small pistol.

"You're not going anywhere," He fired, but Matt was already sheltered. He didn't stop until he'd nearly emptied the weapon. Two more figures stepped out from nearby trees as James began to back away, limping backward. Three guns were now trained on his chest and he shook his head. He'd never be able to take them all out.

"What are you doing, Matt?!" He cried out, balling his hands into fists. "Think about what you're about to do!! I'm your little brother..."

"And you were protecting the enemy! You traitor, why do you deserve to live?" Matt called back fiercely through his mask.

"I'm not the traitor, you are... I was doing what I thought was best for us all!"

"Little brother... you don't get it... The road to Hell is paved with good intention..." Matt shook his head solemnly, tsk'ing as he readied his rifle.

"I... I never thought of it that way..." James sighed and looked down, "In that case... Then... I guess..." He quickly brought his pistol up, "I'll see you there!" The soft expulsion of gas sounded and a moment later, Matt was looking down and he fell to his knees.

"You... you killed me..." He looked up pleadingly to James.

"You were going to kill me, brother... What did you expect..?"

Matt's breathing grew falsely laborious and he sighed, raising a hand, "Hold your fire until I'm gone, men..." He ordered, looking to James. "I'm sorry, James... Perhaps... Perhaps I was wrong, but there's no going back now... We all live with our mistakes, and so I'll die with mine. Fight for what you believe in, and..." The older brother took a deep breath and released it quickly, "Never forget me..." he shut his eyes and a flurry of red balls were unleashed onto James, splattering all over his plastic chestplate before he fell to the ground dead. A few moments later, the two brothers would rise, laughing, and take a seat to the side, spectating their own deathzone as they waited for the round to finish.

"Hey, uhm... I might be home later than you tonight. Sasha and I might go grab a bite when the club is done here," James said, taking off his mask and setting it aside with a wistful smile.

[Genkai]

It was all so quick.

The fumes hung in the air as someone fired at her. She quickly put her gun up to protect herself. She laughed a little, thinking about how silly she must look. Thankfully James sprang from wherever he had been hiding and managed to fend off the onslaught of fire. As he approached her, he took note of his hit. "Oh no!" She cried, putting her hand over her mouth to fake being heart broken. "Be strong, you can't leave me here." She pleaded, a small grin trying not to break her serious-ish expression on her face. As someone else approach them, she glanced around and saw James' older brother approach them. Likely not to help, she guessed.

James told her to go and she scampered off, keeping her ears peeled in case she heard more firing from where she had just left James. She managed to find a duo of the enemy team. She took one of them out, firing into their back but the other one quickly got away and she took after them. "I'm gonna get you!" She laughed as she ran after the survivor. In the end, the two met in a clearing and drew their weapons in a scene that could have come right from an old western. Sasha ended up losing and fell to the ground in a dramatic heap. The other person, a freshmen like her, approached and helped her up. The two girls laughed about it as they headed back to also wait out the round. They played two more times before it was all over.

Sasha had a great time and even struck up a conversation with some members she had yet to really get to know. She was nervous about talking to Alex, though she wasn't sure why she had to decline his offer because she had an offer from James. But Sasha was sure she could find a romantic date, someone who she actually knew better, by the time another dance rolled around. "Alex, can you wait up a sec?" She asked as everyone was wiping themselves off with wet towels and getting out of their protective gear. "I'm sorry...I think I'm going to have to say no to your offer. I'd like my first dance to be one without a lot of pressure..." She tried to explain. "Not that you pressured me or anything but I'd rather go with some friends first and maybe when the next one rolls around, I'll be able to say to whoever asks me." She smiled a little, her nerves building up slightly.

As much as she wanted to grow up and try dating, she felt like such a kid for saying no to a guy who had asked her out. And who knows if she'd get asked out again some other time? Still, the prospect of going to her first dance without dealing with other stuff felt a little better. She was sure that there would be other chances in the future to figure out her feelings for people. Alex understood and tossed her a wing, saying he'd be waiting for the next dance to come around. Sasha was glad he wasn't mad at her. She didn't intend to hurt his feelings or to get him mad at her. She hoped when they next dance did come around, that she'd be more used to high school and all of its possible pitfalls. As she finished cleaning her hands and face, she saw Matt and James talking before James came over to her.

"Hey." She waved and picked up her purse, ready to take off. "I was thinking pizza. There's this posh place near by that we could check out." She said as she waved to one of her friends who was heading off. London was a big city but taking the bus and walking was doable for people like them. Most kids were pretty independent, hell, some even smoked and drank who were their age. Sasha didn't of course. They headed away from the area and grabbed a bus to get over to the little eatery. They had combo meals where you could get a slice of pizza and a drink for a decent price. As she was looking at the menu and trying not to get distracted by the scent of cheese and sauce, she remembered wanting to pay James back for buying her a snack at school.

"This is my treat." She smiled to him as she headed up and gave her order to the woman behind the counter. When James added his, the girl paid and they headed outside to sit down and wait. "That was really fun, I hope we get to do it in the spring, I mean I hear finals are tough so we may all need to let out some more steam." Sasha mentioned to James. Part of her wondered if she should tell him that she turned down Alex. It's not like it really concerned him though. Then again, they were friends and friends didn't disclose things, didn't keep secrets so after they got their food, she spoke up. "I told Alex I wasn't going to go with him...as his date, I mean." She said. "Maybe the next one though..." She gave a shrug. "I just think it might weird to go to a dance with someone you barely know so...it's a good thing we're going together."

"As friends." She corrected herself, since he did before. That probably went without saying though. "Maybe we can see if we can meet anyone else there." She picked up her slice and took a bite. Thank god it wasn't too hot or she'd have thrown it across the street in pain. "Does your brother have a date? He seems like the kind of guy who would." She laughed a little. Alex seemed to be well liked by everyone, which could be a good or bad thing, depending. Ideally, in her innocent mind, she'd want to go with someone she was dating so that things weren't already awkward. She'd make a note to try to make more friends over the next few months since she was getting the hang of academic life. There was a nice guy in the other club, he was a brilliant writer and had great ocean blue eyes.

[Scout]

"Pizza sounds pretty good," James agreed as the club began to break apart now that the rounds were over. James refastened his jacket and pocketed his hands again, following her onto the bus. It had always come instinctively and most people assumed that James had natural manners, but if all of his behaviors were strung together, it would almost seem like an unconscious effort to protect her even when there was no reason to. As they placed their orders at the restaurant, he reached for his wallet only to find that she was already paying... She was good. He sighed and released his wallet with reluctance, fearing that somebody might think he had made her pay. The issue was quickly forgotten and he decided not to create an argument over it as they sat down to eat. "Yeah, I had a blast. I'm sure we'll arrange another when the weather gets nice again," He pointed out, lifting up his gradually cooling slice of pizza and taking a bite. The cheese strung out as he pulled away, trying to detach the melted topping from it.

Did she just say that she turned Alex down? She seemed a bit anxious before, which meant she almost didn't tell him... But she almost sounded disappointed. James looked down at his plate for moment, wondering if he was ruining her first dance because he had backed out on his asking her out. Look, about that 'as friends' thing... I didn't mean to say it like that... I actually want to go as your date, He rehearsed in his head. Then he rehearsed it again. After doing so a third time, he was about to say it... so close, and then she asked about Matt. "Huh? O-Oh, yeah. He's taking his girlfriend, Aïsha, they've been going out for about a a year and a half now. You've no idea how much my dad's parents love her simply because she's from across the channel. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to be a relationship so long. My mom's rather surprised by it, but he really likes her. The other night, he told that he was thinking of proposing after they graduate," He mentioned, taking another bite of his pizza. Just say it you stupid prick, he scolded himself in frustration. However, anything that came from his mouth was composed of small talk with Sasha. As they finished eating and got ready to go, he knew he needed to keep the evening going a little bit longer.

"Hey, the other night, like I said, I was talking to Matt. He told me about this place just outside of town... It's not far from our houses, he said it's a really nice place," James shared, omitting the detail that it was where Matt said that he and she had their first kiss a couple. After she agreed, they took the bus to their neighborhood and he led the way. They passed the park where the luncheon was held before the start of the school year, past the school, and soon to a point where the houses were a little less developed. The neighborhood hadn't quite expanded this far yet, so a lot of houses were either in progress or composed of empty lots. James pulled out his backpack, as it was starting to get a little bit darker out, and pulled out a torch. Matt had showed him the place already, so he knew exactly where he was going, giving him the ability to confidently reassure Sasha if she were to doubt him. They pushed past a treeline and James suddenly felt like an adventurer. It was pretty exciting, leading the way like this into what would be the unknown to Sasha. They slipped between trunks and over roots before finally finding it. It was almost like a clearing, but there was actually a rather large rock in the middle of it. However, it almost seemed unnaturally flat on the top apart from a few inconsistencies in the smoothness of it.

The two helped one another to the top of it and James stretched one leg out and pulled the other in to his chest, propping himself up with his hands behind him, glancing up for a moment. "School year's going fast..." He mused, looking over to her, "Seems like more than a couple of months ago we were doing this in my backyard." The boy paused for a moment, clearly in thought as he looked down and furrowed his brow, "Uh... Sasha, there's something I wanted to say the other day..." He looked up, taking a deep breath and gradually letting it out, "I'm just... afraid of what it'll end up doing to us... 'As friends,' yeah? I don't want to lose that..." His nerves gave him an almost unbearable discomfort as he forced himself to scoot slightly closer to her. "I probably sound kinda stupid... and like I don't make a whole lot of sense... I really don't know how to do this or what to really erm... say," He mentioned, rubbing the back of his neck. "The other day, when I asked you to deny Alex... I didn't mean so that you could go and keep me company. I backed out of what I really wanted at the last second. So..." He stopped and shifted uncomfortably, taking a second to collect himself. "Sasha, uhm... Do you think you'd be willing to go to the dance with me as not just friends? Like a date? And then, well, whatever comes after?" He asked, absolutely rattled by his nerves, but finally able to take a breath and do nothing but wait for an answer.

[Genkai]

"What? Really? Wow." She couldn't help but exclaim when James mentioned that his brother might propose to his girlfriend. That sounded so romantic. The idea of marriage, let along graduation seemed so far away. Still, her heart couldn't help but flutter at the idea of someone like Matt settling down with someone. She ended up getting lost in her day dreams until James began to speak again. Small talk was made, mostly in regards to school and plans for when the weather improved, which would be a miracle at this point. "Huh?" She pulled up from her drink when James mentioned taking a trip someplace, it was close to home but still it sounded like an adventure so why not? "Alright, could be fun." She nodded to him. The two threw away their trash and she followed his lead, curious to see what his older brother had suggested for the kids.

The bus ride was a little crowded due to many people getting off work but that was typical no matter where you went, be it over in Hammersmith or someplace else in the city. The traffic and congestion fees were easy to avoid if you walked or had a bike. But for them, a bus would do alright. They had their usual Oyster Cards which had plenty of money on them for impromptu trips around. They were getting older, had cell phones, someday soon they might even find themselves working on a shop part time or some little cafe. They got off the bus as the lights came on around them. They did a lot more walking and her curiosity was building. "James, where are we going?" She asked him, trying to not bounce around too much. Surprises were fun but she wasn't sure what she ought to be expecting.

"You hear about people's dead bodies found in places like this on the telly." She couldn't help but joke.

James pulled out a lantern and just continued to walk along. The ground, due to the construction, was uneven. It was littered with rocks, sticks, bushes, and everything that you'd find in some sort of park or forest. Places like this never stayed quiet for long. Most projects got turned into shops or apartment flats or parking lots. So taking a poke around a wild area which had yet to be sullied was kind of nice. Sasha was careful to watch her step. If she tripped and fell while out with James, her mum and dad would be a bit cross with them going out so late without telling anyone. The blond girl wasn't worried though, she trusted James knew what he was doing. It was obvious that he had been to the area before. As they slowed down and approached a clearing with a rock, she and James climbed up on top of it.

It was a cool little hideaway.

"You think so?" Sasha asked him when he mentioned the school year's speed. She didn't think so but she just shrugged and looked around. she had her legs dangling out in front of her, her hands holding on either side of her body. The air was nice and you could hear little annoying bugs in the background. When James began to speak, it was quite slow and a little confusing. Sasha glanced to him, waiting for him to make a bit more sense. He moved closer to her and tried to make sense of his own words because she was a little lost. He rubbed his neck and carried on like all Brits did. "I um..." She found herself holding her breath as he finally asked if they could go to the dance, like a date. And then whatever came after that. Whatever that was. Dating? Dating was totally new to her, save for writing or reading about it.

Doing it was totally different.

Waaaaay different.

Her face turned bright red, she could have sworn her face could be seen from outer space. "I umm..." Why was she nervous? It wasn't like the idea was super out of nowhere. Sasha looked off for a moment, trying to sort everything out. James was worried about their friendship being ruined, even so he did want to try and date. And not just date anyone, her. 'If he did date someone else, how would I feel about that?' She wondered faintly and licked her lips. "Sure." She pushed the word out of her mouth and glanced to James. Soooo were they dating? Like boyfriend and girlfriend now? "So you get promoted to my boyfriend." She laughed a little nervously. "First one gets a prize." She joked a little and ran a hand through her hair. Her hand was shaking slightly, so she decided, it needed to do something.

She reached over and grabbed his hand with her other one but just as she did, her phone started to ring with a loud trill of sorts. She jumped off the rock quickly, wondering if her dad somehow knew she just grabbed a boy's hand. "I um sorry sorry." She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and answered it. "Hello?" There was a quick comment from her father and she swallowed. "Oh really? But...okay...okay bye. Give me a ring if...okay bye." She hung. Her father just called and said her mother was in labor and he was on his way to the hospital with her. He wanted her to stay with James' family for the night because he didn't think she'd be comfortable waiting for it to be over. He said he'd take her over tomorrow after school. "Guess I'm about to be a big sister. Oh gosh." She smiled.

So much was happening!

"I um...can I stay with your family tonight? I could probably stay home alone but I didn't want to ask my dad with everything going on." She rubbed her neck, not sure what was more freaky, having a boyfriend or having a new brother. Suddenly she felt like jumping in the river and swimming away, growing up was not easy. There weren't cheat codes for it, sadly. "Sorry to bother you with all this." Sasha sighed, falling back into her usual politeness.