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Aaron Jacobson {willful child} ([info]backoff) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2009-12-04 18:08:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:dorothy, willful child

Who: Aaron Jacobson and Madison Tanner
What: The first day of school. Yay. Only not.
Where: Outside of the building.
When: 7:30 AM Monday morning.
Warnings: None. It's probably going to be stupid-fuzzy.
Notes: It's really cold in New York at that time of morning. /obvious.

Aaron already knew this was going to be a disaster. It was just a question of what level of disaster it was going to be. Either it was going to be world-ending, or maybe just catastrophic. Either way, he really wasn't looking forward to getting shoved into a social system he had no idea how to navigate with a bunch of hormonal kids bleeding their problems into the very air around him while he was trying to figure out if he should be in pre-calculus or geometry.

The girl in #101 would probably be judged on a similar scale. Either he'd be able to stand being within a yard's length of her or he wouldn't. If he could, chances were he'd freak her out so much that she would take off within the first five minutes, and if he couldn't chances are she'd do something stupid like fall in love with him, or something. (It could happen.)

Grateful that the weather was so cold that he could get away with multiple layers of thermals, sweatshirt, jacket, beanie hat and gloves, Aaron hoisted his backpack a little higher on his shoulder and waited in the center of the lobby for the girl to show, staring blankly up the staircase and wondering to himself why a building this old wasn't teeming with the kind of psychic remnants that usually made his life hell.



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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-05 03:43 am UTC (link)
Madison was for the most part equally excited and nervous about her first day at a new school. Growing up out in the country only prepared a girl for one type of life, and the City was most certainly not it. On top of that, she was about to meet a boy and walk over to the building. Following a series of questions by Aunt Dolores (Madison could never lie to her), she was tentatively allowed to leave.

After she was ordered to be bundled up in layers of clothing, leaving her with the feeling of having been dipped in a vat of marshmallow puff. She suspected it wasn't just about the cold, but sometimes she let things slide. She was just glad they cared, even if it was a little overbearing at times.

Meandering down the hall, she was a little relieved to see a boy standing by himself, if only so she wouldn't have to holler for him through a crowd. "Hey," she called out, "I sure hope you're Aaron. I'm Madison," she grinned, holding out her gloved hand in greeting. Well shoot, ain't he just adorable.

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[info]backoff
2009-12-05 05:02 am UTC (link)
She was pretty. Nobody was smokin' hot in this many layers, but maybe without them she would be. She sort of had that perky earnest thing going for her, he thought. He used both hands to pull his backpack up again, keeping them busy so he had an excuse not to take her hand. They were both in a lot of layers of clothing and a decent amount of space was between him and her, so he just got vague overtones of nervous excitement and mild amusement. Uncertain about whether the amusement was about him or about something else, he just nodded at her awkwardly. "Yeah, that's me." Wait, what else are you supposed to say? "Uh, hi." This was the part where they went out the door?

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-05 06:14 am UTC (link)
Oh, um, he didn't take her hand. Maybe that's a city thing, she decided, her smile still there to show she took no offense. "Howdy Aaron, let's go so we're not late!" Pushing on the door to the outside, she crinkled her nose and shivered. New York was currently almost as cold as back home. Doing her best not to bump into anyone (an impossibility), she checked to make sure Aaron was still there while she attempted to converse with her new friend acquaintance. "So where ya from? I'm sure my talking gives it away, but I'm from Kentucky, born and raised."

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[info]backoff
2009-12-05 06:24 am UTC (link)
He didn't really have much idea where they were going, so he trailed a step or two behind her, much relieved she didn't resent his lack of personal contact. "Yeah I can... kinda tell," he smiled a little so it wasn't an insult. "I'm from Montana." Aaron didn't talk in sentences long enough for there to be any real accent to notice, but he did have one when he said certain things. "How come you moved here?"

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-05 07:06 am UTC (link)
Madison laughed at Aaron's comment. "It's really obvious, but I don't mind. Ooh Montana! I've seen pictures, it looks mighty fine." So he's from further west than her. Mental note! Trying not to feel swallowed up, she answered him back. "Oh, things weren't going so well and my folks had to sell the farm and we got family nearby so here I am!" She shrugged with a wistful smile. "What about you? New to town or are ya a seasoned veteran?"

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[info]backoff
2009-12-05 07:17 am UTC (link)
Sell the farm? Aaron didn't even know people still owned farms, like families, and stuff. He didn't say that out loud. "Oh. Sorry to hear that." Was that what people said about losing the farm? "No I... just got in last week." He thought about telling her he'd never been to a high school before, but he decided that would just be some form of suicide, so he backtracked and said nothing. Why couldn't he come up with anything to say that wasn't an awkward response to a question?

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-06 02:52 am UTC (link)
There isn't really much one can say in the matter of loss except 'sorry.' Madison took it to be sincere and shrugged again. "My mom always said when one door closes another opens. Here's to the new door!" she triumphantly declared, giving a thumbs up to Aaron. "So do you like dogs?" she asked, changing subjects. "Rex likes everybody, he's just a little guy but he likes to think he's big and tough," she laughed.

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[info]backoff
2009-12-06 05:22 am UTC (link)
Madison's good-natured optimism successfully cheered Aaron; or perhaps her good-natured optimism became his by proximity, which was the nature of who and what he was. They talked about dogs, specifically her dog, all the way to school. Aaron liked dogs; they had simplistic feelings. Everything was HAPPY or SAD or HUNGRY, and being in contact with one was like the world coming into focus for him. After they got through the gates, they parted, as Madison already had her class schedule, and Aaron had to go to the office and get one.

His day went down hill from there, and he wouldn't see her again until lunch in one corner of the school cafeteria.

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-07 10:18 pm UTC (link)
Madison's morning had been largely uneventful when it came to events. Other than the slightly embarrassing though expected introductions not to mention some kids making fun of her 'hick' accent behind her back (she's not deaf thankyouverymuch), most of the curriculum was on par with what she was being taught back home. She found she was ahead in science, but had been reading a different book for English which meant there would be much cramming in her immediate future.

Lunchtime was especially difficult. At best, it reminded her of the Louisville zoo trip her class took when she was in third grade. The sheer amount of people moving around with barely inches between them was certainly something she wasn't used to, sparking a level of anxiety she didn't know she had. Luckily, she spotted a familiar face sitting by himself. Clutching her sack lunch, she barely made her way over to Aaron. Emanating small waves of nervousness and relief, she smiled down at him. "Hey, mind if I sit here?"

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[info]backoff
2009-12-07 10:42 pm UTC (link)
Aaron was having an absolutely miserable day. The only plus side was that after the forced inspection of his backpack for illegal substances when he exhibited "suspicious behavior" (i.e., extreme adversity to any physical contact) no kid was coming within five yards of him. He was eating an airport Snickers bar, which is the ultimate in teenager nutrition, and he was ruminating on what had made the dean such a bitter person, when Madison's tentative good will edged into his senses. Looking up with some surprise, he gave her a little nod of agreement. "As long as you don't care about your rep, I guess." 'Rep' was a word that Aaron had seen used on television. He was perversely pleased to get a chance to use it.

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-08 12:12 am UTC (link)
"My rep?" she giggled. If there was one thing Madison wasn't striving for next to the best location for lockers, it was her 'rep.' At least, it wasn't as big of a deal back home. Then again, there weren't that many students at her to develop a hierarchy on. Scootching herself across from Aarson, she plucked out items from the paper bag: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, orange, apple juice and oreo cookies. "This school's so...big," she started, stabbing the straw through the foil. "And so many people! It's kinda overwhelming ain't it?"

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[info]backoff
2009-12-08 03:04 am UTC (link)
Aaron looked over to watch the parade of nutrients reveal themselves. "Yeah. And they're all so selfish," he said, sounding tired and rather bitter. He watched one kid go by, a big kid in a football jacket who wore a big, fixed smile, and took another bite of his candy bar. "Or miserable." Aaron figured it must suck to have to pretend when you were happy when you felt that bad about yourself. He sighed and looked up at her from under one eyebrow. "I really hope they been better to you than they have been to me. Get your classes okay?"

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-08 04:33 am UTC (link)
"I'm just not used to this many people. My science class had almost as many students as my entire school," she remarked, emphasizing 'entire.' She began peeling her orange, starting off slowly in an attempt to detach the peel in one curl, but toward the end gave up and ripped into it in unladylike fashion. "I guess so, I dunno. Some kids were being stupid, but whatcha gonna do, you know? Found my classes okay though, 'cept I need to read a whole new book in a few days which I wasn't quite prepared for, but science looks like I'll be fine--oh I'm sorry!" she paused and sipped her juice. "Now look who's being selfish, how was your classes?"

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[info]backoff
2009-12-08 05:51 am UTC (link)
"I dunno," he shrugged. "I didn't get through any of 'em. My first one was the wrong level, so they sent me back to the office. Then in the second one they thought I was a junkie, so I got to the last one late." Aaron sighed and leaned back to kick a foot up on the bench next to her hip, just because he felt like it.

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-08 05:59 am UTC (link)
Madison's eyes widened. "They thought you were what? That's ridiculous!" she firmly stated, lightly pounding her fist against the tabletop. "Why would they think a thing like that?" she added incredulously. Granted, she hadn't known Aaron for that long, but he just didn't seem the type. He didn't 'rub her the wrong way' as her uncle always said. Family intuition and all that.

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[info]backoff
2009-12-08 06:00 am UTC (link)
More shrugging. "I'm kinda twitchy about people touching my stuff," he finally admitted, folding his candy bar wrapper into halves and then quarters with great concentration. "So they thought I had something in it or something."

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-08 07:03 am UTC (link)
She scoffed in response, but it wasn't directed at Aaron. "That doesn't mean you're on drugs," she frowned, biting into one half her sandwich in irritation. "What gives them the right to go rooting through your things? We call that harassment back home." Madison still had on her frowny face as she sorted through lunch. "Bet they looked stupid when they didn't find anything," she quipped, the corner of her frown turning up at that.

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[info]backoff
2009-12-08 08:21 am UTC (link)
That got a little bit of a smile out of him, at least. "I don't even have a cell phone or chewing gum. They got a little desperate at the end there." Finally, he gave up on shredding the candy wrapper, and was just about to ask her if she was really going to finish that sandwich when the bell rang. "I better go before they suspend me for being five minutes late," he said, conjuring up a smile in better style for her this time. "Thanks for hanging."

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[info]metrogingham
2009-12-09 03:05 am UTC (link)
Aaron was definitely having a crappy day so Madison was pleased to see him appearing to be in a better mood by lunch's end. She was about to comment on the candy bar (that was certainly not a lunch) but--drats!--the bell rang. Holding out her bag of oreos, she asked, "You want them? I probably won't eat them today and it'd be a shame if they went to waste."

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[info]backoff
2009-12-12 02:25 am UTC (link)
Aaron, who was perpetually hungry and felt something knawing at his stomach lining, took the cookies gratefully. "Thanks." Looking around, then back to her. "Later." And, in the true style of a distracted teenager, he wandered off across to the opposite building, bag over his shoulder.

It was sort of like Moses and the Red Sea; people just got out of his way. If he noticed, it was too far away to see his expression, not even after two football jackets plowed through the crowd in his direction. The first one, the same one Aaron had noted in the cafeteria, put his hand against the wall in front of Aaron, impeding his path. When he tried to back up, the other one stopped him. A crowd started to form almost immediately, and it was hard to see what happened next. A short conversation took place, and it appeared that Aaron did reply, and whatever he said wasn't real popular with his listeners. The first one took his hand off the wall and made a move in Aaron's direction.

Everyone was watching the football player's fist, and not Aaron's heel, so to most watchers it looked a lot like the big guy just sort of lost his balance and went down on one knee, even though what he'd done was give him a sharp kick to the back of it. They did see Aaron catch him in the chest with an elbow in midair as he fell, though, and nobody, including the teacher that happened to walk up right at that moment, missed him sliding across the pavement three feet into a locker.

The crowd erupted after that, scrambling ants still craning to see what was happening as three more faculty members pushed through the crowd, and before anybody could do more than watch the football player stagger upright, Aaron was hustled off to the office, leaving behind a babble of teenage speculation as the bell for class shrilled.

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