First bit of Garrett's story in a loooooooooooong time.
She ran. And ran. And ran and ran and ran until she was sure he couldn't see her anymore.
She stopped, but not to catch her breath. She hadn't needed to do that for a long time, a very long time indeed, longer than any mortal human had ever lived. She waited, counting, listening to the tick of a clock three corridors away. Three minutes. He would be in his class by now. She ran until she was exactly where she had just been, and, blushing, stepped through the nearest door. Okay, he believed me that time, when I said my class was on the other side of the school, but he won't next time. And he already suspects something. I'll have to get out of this class as soon as possible, and then I'll get out of school early with a "fever" -I'm good at that- and I can be out of Oregon by tomorrow. I think. This is ruining my life! Why do stupid people have to go around being smart all the time?! she bit her lip, and tears formed in her eyes at the thought of leaving this beautiful place, where no one would ever suspect someone like her to live. Where there were no people who would devote their lives to tracking and catching her. But never succeeding, she thought, with just a touch of pride.
There were potential friends here, if only they didn't resent her existence so much. She was close to figuring out why people disliked her so intensely! She was sure it had something to do with her grades, and her clothes. After that she wasn't sure. Huma- Other people, she corrected herself, were strange creatures. You never really knew what they were thinking. The bell rang, or rather, sneezed continuously, and she realised that she had gone through the whole class without really attending. She was the first out of her chair, the first to grab her bag from the floor where it sat, slumping against the desk like a very unhappy cheese. She dashed for the door faster than any normal person could move. When she flew through it, hitting the metal push plate with such force that the door handle left a dent in the wall behind it, she ran out not into an empty passage, but straight into Garrett. Damn you, narrative convention! I could have run into ANYONE in this school, but no, I had to run into the person I LEAST want to see. She stopped dead just before crashing into him, leaving quite a large amount of expensive heel on the floor in the form of a skid mark. He looked quite startled to see her, and it dawned on her that he hadn't been waiting there to catch her in her lie, but merely passing by with no idea that it was her class. He knew now, though, and he also knew that she had lied to avoid answering any more questions. She decided to be the first to speak.
"What are you doing here? Did they let you out early?"
"I'm delivering a message to the office. What about you? I thought your class was on the other side of the school?"
"Um, I realised in the middle of class that I forgot a book in here-" Oops, first period. "-Yesterday," she amended hastily. "And I needed it. For my, um, geology class." She invented frantically.
Garrett mulled this over, and then said (rather bluntly, in Eiliyse's opinion):
"Yes, but that's not true, is it." His expression was the classic "Uhm, yeah right."
What?! I know it was entirely transparent, but all the facts are in place. There is a geology class on the other side of the school, and it explains why I have my bag with me.
"For instance, why would you be taking out a geology book in your algebra class?"
"I was looking for something at the bottom of my bag."
"And you didn't notice that you'd left out a textbook when you repacked it?"
"I was in a hurry!"
She watched anxiously, waiting for him to decide that it was either truth-shaped, or a load of horse mackerel. The flow of people around them had turned from a trickle to a torrent.
"No," he said, with the not-so-classic 'dost thou thinketh me a fool?' expression, "that's not true either, is it."
At this point, Eiliyse had become convinced that he could somehow tell when she was lying, that it showed on her face. In reality, he was pretty much winging it. She looked down, and said very quietly,
"No, it's not. I don't really have a class on the other side of the school, and I just said that so I would not have to answer your questions. I'm terrible at lying, you see."
"Yes, you are." Again, a little too blunt. "But why would you have to lie? I wouldn't believe you if you did."
"You wouldn't believe me if I told the truth." Even quieter.
"Why not?"
"It's unbelievable."
"I can believe anything."
Garrett and Eiliyse were thoroughly startled by the yell from an anonymous boy:
"OH LOOK AT THE LOVEBIRDS, ISN'T THAT SWEET!!"
(don't you just want to stab him?)
The yeller immediately melted back into the crowd. The mass of students moved and turned around them, forming a silent ring- well, initially silent, at least. Whispers, mutterings and high-pitched giggling soon hung thickly in the air. Garrett's face was bright red, and she knew that she, too must be blushing furiously. However, in under a minute, the group had dispersed one member at a time.
"My guess?" Garrett said, one minute later, "He was jealous."
"Of what?" (Oh ha ha, isn't poor little Eiliyse naive.)
"Of me. Because I was talking to you."
"Oh." She knew she must be blushing again. However, it is not a good idea to multitask under those circumstances. The multiple tasks being performed at this time, you inquire? Walking, thinking, and wearing a hoopskirt and heels. Do not try this at home. You are bound to trip over something, as she did then.
This happened to be one of those cords with the covers that are supposed to be impossible to trip over, but as anyone who owns one knows, it just so happens that they are impossible NOT to trip over.
(shifting gears here, guys-- moving from Eiliyse's point of view to Garrett's. Ready? go!)
She regained her balance in time, but dropped her bag; the ancient, cheap stitching on the seams gave way as it hit the floor and the bag practically exploded. Pencils, pens, books, and a scattering of small, mysterious packages sprayed out onto the floor.
She sank to the floor and began to gather them up together, snatching up the little packets first- they were all squarish, but they were completely different shapes and sizes, all wrapped in tissue paper in varying pastel shades.
"Want some help?"
"Sure, thanks," she said, distractedly.
Garrett picked up a black plastic water bottle that had been trying to make an escape, and placed it upright.
It wasn't the same kind of hard, translucent plastic that was popular for water bottles-- he found himself wondering if the reason for her choice wasn't cost, but opacity. After all, that wasn't necessarily water in there...
What the heck, subconscious. What is wrong with you.
No, what's wrong with you? I mean, you're talking to your subconscious.
Only because you're talking back!
I finished writing the character profiles for Eiliyse, Garrett, and... one other person. That one's a secret. :) She's not coming out until 2009.
So in the comments, tell me what you think's gonna happen! I'd like to know!
She stopped, but not to catch her breath. She hadn't needed to do that for a long time, a very long time indeed, longer than any mortal human had ever lived. She waited, counting, listening to the tick of a clock three corridors away. Three minutes. He would be in his class by now. She ran until she was exactly where she had just been, and, blushing, stepped through the nearest door. Okay, he believed me that time, when I said my class was on the other side of the school, but he won't next time. And he already suspects something. I'll have to get out of this class as soon as possible, and then I'll get out of school early with a "fever" -I'm good at that- and I can be out of Oregon by tomorrow. I think. This is ruining my life! Why do stupid people have to go around being smart all the time?! she bit her lip, and tears formed in her eyes at the thought of leaving this beautiful place, where no one would ever suspect someone like her to live. Where there were no people who would devote their lives to tracking and catching her. But never succeeding, she thought, with just a touch of pride.
There were potential friends here, if only they didn't resent her existence so much. She was close to figuring out why people disliked her so intensely! She was sure it had something to do with her grades, and her clothes. After that she wasn't sure. Huma- Other people, she corrected herself, were strange creatures. You never really knew what they were thinking. The bell rang, or rather, sneezed continuously, and she realised that she had gone through the whole class without really attending. She was the first out of her chair, the first to grab her bag from the floor where it sat, slumping against the desk like a very unhappy cheese. She dashed for the door faster than any normal person could move. When she flew through it, hitting the metal push plate with such force that the door handle left a dent in the wall behind it, she ran out not into an empty passage, but straight into Garrett. Damn you, narrative convention! I could have run into ANYONE in this school, but no, I had to run into the person I LEAST want to see. She stopped dead just before crashing into him, leaving quite a large amount of expensive heel on the floor in the form of a skid mark. He looked quite startled to see her, and it dawned on her that he hadn't been waiting there to catch her in her lie, but merely passing by with no idea that it was her class. He knew now, though, and he also knew that she had lied to avoid answering any more questions. She decided to be the first to speak.
"What are you doing here? Did they let you out early?"
"I'm delivering a message to the office. What about you? I thought your class was on the other side of the school?"
"Um, I realised in the middle of class that I forgot a book in here-" Oops, first period. "-Yesterday," she amended hastily. "And I needed it. For my, um, geology class." She invented frantically.
Garrett mulled this over, and then said (rather bluntly, in Eiliyse's opinion):
"Yes, but that's not true, is it." His expression was the classic "Uhm, yeah right."
What?! I know it was entirely transparent, but all the facts are in place. There is a geology class on the other side of the school, and it explains why I have my bag with me.
"For instance, why would you be taking out a geology book in your algebra class?"
"I was looking for something at the bottom of my bag."
"And you didn't notice that you'd left out a textbook when you repacked it?"
"I was in a hurry!"
She watched anxiously, waiting for him to decide that it was either truth-shaped, or a load of horse mackerel. The flow of people around them had turned from a trickle to a torrent.
"No," he said, with the not-so-classic 'dost thou thinketh me a fool?' expression, "that's not true either, is it."
At this point, Eiliyse had become convinced that he could somehow tell when she was lying, that it showed on her face. In reality, he was pretty much winging it. She looked down, and said very quietly,
"No, it's not. I don't really have a class on the other side of the school, and I just said that so I would not have to answer your questions. I'm terrible at lying, you see."
"Yes, you are." Again, a little too blunt. "But why would you have to lie? I wouldn't believe you if you did."
"You wouldn't believe me if I told the truth." Even quieter.
"Why not?"
"It's unbelievable."
"I can believe anything."
Garrett and Eiliyse were thoroughly startled by the yell from an anonymous boy:
"OH LOOK AT THE LOVEBIRDS, ISN'T THAT SWEET!!"
(don't you just want to stab him?)
The yeller immediately melted back into the crowd. The mass of students moved and turned around them, forming a silent ring- well, initially silent, at least. Whispers, mutterings and high-pitched giggling soon hung thickly in the air. Garrett's face was bright red, and she knew that she, too must be blushing furiously. However, in under a minute, the group had dispersed one member at a time.
"My guess?" Garrett said, one minute later, "He was jealous."
"Of what?" (Oh ha ha, isn't poor little Eiliyse naive.)
"Of me. Because I was talking to you."
"Oh." She knew she must be blushing again. However, it is not a good idea to multitask under those circumstances. The multiple tasks being performed at this time, you inquire? Walking, thinking, and wearing a hoopskirt and heels. Do not try this at home. You are bound to trip over something, as she did then.
This happened to be one of those cords with the covers that are supposed to be impossible to trip over, but as anyone who owns one knows, it just so happens that they are impossible NOT to trip over.
(shifting gears here, guys-- moving from Eiliyse's point of view to Garrett's. Ready? go!)
She regained her balance in time, but dropped her bag; the ancient, cheap stitching on the seams gave way as it hit the floor and the bag practically exploded. Pencils, pens, books, and a scattering of small, mysterious packages sprayed out onto the floor.
She sank to the floor and began to gather them up together, snatching up the little packets first- they were all squarish, but they were completely different shapes and sizes, all wrapped in tissue paper in varying pastel shades.
"Want some help?"
"Sure, thanks," she said, distractedly.
Garrett picked up a black plastic water bottle that had been trying to make an escape, and placed it upright.
It wasn't the same kind of hard, translucent plastic that was popular for water bottles-- he found himself wondering if the reason for her choice wasn't cost, but opacity. After all, that wasn't necessarily water in there...
What the heck, subconscious. What is wrong with you.
No, what's wrong with you? I mean, you're talking to your subconscious.
Only because you're talking back!
I finished writing the character profiles for Eiliyse, Garrett, and... one other person. That one's a secret. :) She's not coming out until 2009.
So in the comments, tell me what you think's gonna happen! I'd like to know!