Having not seen Hyacinthe in a few days, Isabel thought she would make the long trek from her hut to his today. The weather was great and she actually felt pretty good today, so it seemed like the perfect time to go visit an old friend.
And wouldn't you know it, but up ahead she spotted Tim's friend, the one he said was the best guy he knew. Figuring that now was as good a time as any to meet him, Isabel jogged up the boardwalk a little until she caught up with him.
"Hey," she said, coming up beside him. "You're Tim's friend. Jason, right?"
"I would be Tim's friend, Jason," he said, slowing down a little -- the rest would do him good, and squinting up at her with a friendly smile. "And you'd be... Izzy?" he guessed. Tim's descriptions weren't always so great, but they weren't always limited to the girl's rack.
"Isabel. Izzy. Whichever," she said with a laugh. "I'll answer to just about anything, as long as it's not, you know, 'that bitch' or whatever." Which she'd been called plenty of times behind her back at home, she knew.
"I saw you that night of the ball, I think. When you guys were having that party. You know, that was way better than the ball. You two might wanna think about regularly hosting alternatives to fancy island shindigs."
"Isabel," he corrected himself, nodding and coughing out a laugh, "Yeah, I think I'm a little grateful I don't remember a whole lot about that night. But you know Tim, he's gonna take any excuse he can find to break out the beer."
Running on the boardwalk was a novelty and one that Duck had reminded her would be safer on her ankles a number of times. It was three miles from the compound to the beach, which was a comfortable distance to run, if she didn't push herself too hard. When she saw a guy in a chair coming towards her, Charlie slowed to a job and made room for him.
"Not bad," he agreed, stopping for a quick rest and panting through his grin, "Not bad at all."
It was beautiful, and he could honestly feel himself buzzing with the excitement of it. He'd been waiting for this for months, and now it was all he could do not to hate himself for making the trip sooner.
Maybe Ariel just hadn't been up to the Compound enough lately, but she had never before seen anyone in a chair like the boy coming down the boardwalk was in. A chair with wheels! It was like a giant stroller, self-propelled.
"Hello," she said cheerfully, stepping out of his way so he had more room to maneuver. "I like your wheeled chair."
Smiling crookedly, Jason hesitated, if only because her kind of butchering the word and the fact that it was a line he usually heard come out of kids at least half her age.
"Thanks," he said, rapping his knuckles on one of the tires. Not quite affectionately, but maybe an acknowledgment of how important it was to him. It was something he still hadn't quite accepted yet.
"I've never seen anything like it, it really is quite clever," Ariel continued, peering at the wheel he'd just knocked. She walked to the back of the chair. "Are these handles in the back for pushing it? Would you like me to push you down the path? It would probably be much easier than doing it yourself, I'll bet."
"Might be easier, sure," he said, nodding his head and flashing her a grin, "But it wouldn't be quite the same. I think I need to make it out there on my own."
He didn't expect her to know what it was he was getting at, being a stranger and all, but it was just something he needed to do. He needed to get there off his own steam.
In all honesty, Jo could not help but be amused by what would have been a highly inappropriate sight, had she been anywhere but on the edge of a dock. Back home, these things were frequently frowned up, what with all the water, sun, and unladylike clothes.
She couldn't be damned though, and she had just started to lean back across the wood planks when she saw the glint of the sun on the wheels. "Oh, hello. They decided to let you out of the coop, did they?"
There was a long moment where all he could do was stare, face blank with awe, breathing in the salt air and feeling something almost like... like that peace he'd been searching for so hot and heavy for so long.
He heard her voice and smiled, arms folded across his knees, watching the tide lap at the base of the dock. "Free and without supervision."
"Impressive." It wasn't quite as impressive as she wanted to pretend was, seeing as it was entirely useless to keep a grown person indoors like child or some sort of dog. It wasn't like they were going to break.
She turned the page. "I suggest you not abuse these new found priveleges or next time they might take away the key."
"I didn't exactly wait around for a permission slip," he admitted with a wincing laugh, "But I think I'm a little late to claim this as any kind of great escape"
The only reason he'd stopped to listen to any of those be carefuls lately was his own wariness of the island. As far as he could imagine, until that morning there'd been nothing beyond the clearing around the Compound. This unknown darkness he couldn't venture into. He couldn't quite explain how freeing it was, sitting there on the edge of the dock, just breathing.
He's seen that look on Jason's face before. Someone who wanted to be nice might call it determination, and someone who didn't might call it pig-headed stubbornness; it's somewhere between the two and it's part of what makes Jason Street uniquely himself.
But damn, it's good to see him out. About time, really.
"Nice day," he says, falling into step beside him with his hands comfortably in his pockets.
"Great day," he grinned, using Coach as an excuse to slow down and not because he might've been a little bit winded.
Yesterday had been just fine too, and the day before, but something in the way Jason woke up that morning told him today would be the day. His arms were burning and he could feel the sweat trickling down his shoulders 'til he couldn't feel it anymore, but... it didn't feel anything but good. Great. It felt great.
"Looks like," he says. Hot, but most days are. He's noted the amount of water Jason's carrying.
"Good to see you out." He returns the grin. "Was startin' to wonder if I might have to get Riggins to shove you out here himself." He hadn't wanted to push, because while pushing is something he's traditionally been professionally good at, he's not so sure of his ground here. But he also knows the value of patience.
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And wouldn't you know it, but up ahead she spotted Tim's friend, the one he said was the best guy he knew. Figuring that now was as good a time as any to meet him, Isabel jogged up the boardwalk a little until she caught up with him.
"Hey," she said, coming up beside him. "You're Tim's friend. Jason, right?"
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Sometimes he mentioned hair color too.
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"I saw you that night of the ball, I think. When you guys were having that party. You know, that was way better than the ball. You two might wanna think about regularly hosting alternatives to fancy island shindigs."
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"Hey there, sugar. Nice day for it, huh?"
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It was beautiful, and he could honestly feel himself buzzing with the excitement of it. He'd been waiting for this for months, and now it was all he could do not to hate himself for making the trip sooner.
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"Looks like we've gotten ourselves into pretty much the same state, huh?"
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Coach'd kill him if he'd been this out of shape, even during the off season.
"I'm Jason, by the way."
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"Hello," she said cheerfully, stepping out of his way so he had more room to maneuver. "I like your wheeled chair."
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"Thanks," he said, rapping his knuckles on one of the tires. Not quite affectionately, but maybe an acknowledgment of how important it was to him. It was something he still hadn't quite accepted yet.
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He didn't expect her to know what it was he was getting at, being a stranger and all, but it was just something he needed to do. He needed to get there off his own steam.
"I'm Jason."
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She couldn't be damned though, and she had just started to lean back across the wood planks when she saw the glint of the sun on the wheels. "Oh, hello. They decided to let you out of the coop, did they?"
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There was a long moment where all he could do was stare, face blank with awe, breathing in the salt air and feeling something almost like... like that peace he'd been searching for so hot and heavy for so long.
He heard her voice and smiled, arms folded across his knees, watching the tide lap at the base of the dock. "Free and without supervision."
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She turned the page. "I suggest you not abuse these new found priveleges or next time they might take away the key."
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The only reason he'd stopped to listen to any of those be carefuls lately was his own wariness of the island. As far as he could imagine, until that morning there'd been nothing beyond the clearing around the Compound. This unknown darkness he couldn't venture into. He couldn't quite explain how freeing it was, sitting there on the edge of the dock, just breathing.
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But damn, it's good to see him out. About time, really.
"Nice day," he says, falling into step beside him with his hands comfortably in his pockets.
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Yesterday had been just fine too, and the day before, but something in the way Jason woke up that morning told him today would be the day. His arms were burning and he could feel the sweat trickling down his shoulders 'til he couldn't feel it anymore, but... it didn't feel anything but good. Great. It felt great.
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"Good to see you out." He returns the grin. "Was startin' to wonder if I might have to get Riggins to shove you out here himself." He hadn't wanted to push, because while pushing is something he's traditionally been professionally good at, he's not so sure of his ground here. But he also knows the value of patience.
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