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Post by ValkoinenLeuka on Feb 9, 2017 4:56:58 GMT -5
"Are you sure?" Mika asked, still hesitant. "At least let me help you up then. Or wait for me to run to the corner store and get an Icy-Hot or something..." He offered. There had to be a better way to help than just letting her push herself.
(Sorry its short)
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Post by Holly on Feb 9, 2017 16:08:20 GMT -5
Alec narrowed his eyes uncertainly. "What time does this concert start again? And how long do you think it'll go?"
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Post by Holly on Feb 9, 2017 16:08:41 GMT -5
(Wow, talk about a short post! Oops. Haha.)
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 9, 2017 16:52:49 GMT -5
Hope didn't know where to begin. In her mind, everything ran together. She took a deep breath and decided to summarize. She sat up before she spoke, but she didn't look at Lisa. "My mom left when I was eight, and then my dad became an alcoholic. So I decided to start staying away from home as much as possible. I ended up making some not so great friends... as you know..." Hope pause for a moment, she was unsure how much she wanted to share about what had landed her in the Thompson's home. "I met a guy... Jaxon..." She started of slowly, choosing her words carefully. "We started doing everything together...shoplifting... arson... almost everything that was on my record." As she spoke she could imagine the look on Jaxon's face after they would commit a crime, he had always looked so happy afterwords. "Well... the decision was made to rob this house one night...several towns over..." Hope bit her lip as she remembered that terrible night when her life was flipped upside down.
(And cliffhanger!)
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 9, 2017 17:58:10 GMT -5
(@nihtfeather Of course! Here it is!) (Don't worry about it!) (Me too! It feels nice to be free again. XD) (LOL!) (Then maybe we'll find a way to win them over later on. I'm sure there's something Lumi can make them a little less grouchy towards her.) The elf listened to her account of things with no sign that he believed or doubted her words. His job was to bring her testimony to the Council, and nothing more. He didn't need to ask any additional questions or dig deeper into the events that had happened. That was the Council's part of the trial. "Very well," he muttered once her testimony was completed. "If you will follow me, I will show you to the Council. I assume you have told her the proper way to act." He directed the last statement to Baltore. "I was just getting to that," Baltore admitted. Loran and him had both agreed it would be better to wait and explain the workings of the Court the day before the trial. However, since the trial had sprung up unexpectedly, neither of them had gotten the chance to explain to her. "Of course," the guard muttered with a hint of irritation. Turning back to Lumi, he began to give her the simple instructions. "Don't speak unless you are asked a question, you are to bow when you approach the Queen, and do not make eye contact with any of the Council." She was just a lowly human after all. It starts at seven in the evening, and it'll last maybe two, two and a half hours, Tori replied. We won't make it home until after midnight. Which leads me to my next question of do you think we should drive home right after the concert, or should we spend the night in a motel?(Don't worry about it! Her mother will make an appearance after this question is answered, so you'll have more to reply to.)
Lisa nodded her head slightly as the girl spoke, but didn't say anything. She would have time to comment on the story after Hope had finished. Yet, at her pause, she felt as if she needed a little encouragement to continue. "I take it he had nothing good planned," she muttered, being careful not to cast blame on Hope.
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Post by Holly on Feb 9, 2017 21:35:40 GMT -5
Alec pursed his lips for a second. "Yeah. That's kind of late to be driving, and quite honestly, I don't like driving in the dark anyway, but especially if I'm tired... What do you think?" he asked, twirling his fingers absently in her hair. "It could be fun to make a whole trip out of it."
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Post by Holly on Feb 9, 2017 22:30:49 GMT -5
Funny, Alec hadn't forgiven her for her behavior over the past eleven years. He glanced up in surprise as Mrs. Sparks made her presence known. She was a lot less scary now that he had yelled at her. Part of him--a very small part, mind you--felt bad for having yelled so loudly at a lady, but he still felt like she deserved it. But anyway, having argued with somebody and having realized during the course of that argument that you are bigger and louder and generally a more decent person than they are did a lot to decrease their intimidation level. "The concert this weekend. We were discussing our travel itinerary."
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Post by Holly on Feb 9, 2017 22:54:09 GMT -5
"We've been planning on going for awhile," Alec said in addition to Tori's note. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this. It would be just like her to put up a fuss about something that would make Tori happy for no real reason. Oh no! Heaven forbid my imperfect mute child actually enjoy her life! His eyes narrowed slightly and he sat up straighter, getting defensive already. His shoulders stiffened and he pulled his arm away from Tori's shoulders, watching her mom suspiciously.
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 10, 2017 0:16:50 GMT -5
Hope took another deep breath. But this one came out ragged as she fought tears. "It was all going as planned... We got into the house and everything... but he had thought that everyone was gone..." She spoke the sentences slowly. At this point she had closed her eyes as she spoke, visualizing the words. "They had left their 13 year old son at home... The kid made the mistake of trying to stop Jaxon while waiting for the cops to arrive..." She stopped for a moment again. "The kid was in a coma for two days before passing away." She finished with the hard part and opened her eyes. "It wasn't okay with me...I found my line. I didn't want anyone to die. So I went to the police station and told them that I had information. But in return for it I wanted to make a deal. I wouldn't be an accessory and wouldn't go to prison... And then I turned him in." Hope finally turned to look at Lisa. Her eyes were searching for something, but she didnt know what.
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 10, 2017 16:56:27 GMT -5
Hope shook her head slowly in response. "No... He is in prison now...it's the rest of the group from that night that I am supposed to meet." She lay her head back in her hands and stay silent.
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Post by Iceheart014 on Feb 10, 2017 17:23:33 GMT -5
Hope looked up at Lisa again. This time her eyes showed a different sadness. Not one of fear, but of longing. "Mrs. Thompson... I want to go..." She paused for a moment, thinking over her reasoning. "I think I need this closure..."
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Post by Holly on Feb 10, 2017 20:16:22 GMT -5
Alec clenched his teeth for a moment, then did his best to let it all go and be as pleasant as possible. "Oh, it's just over in Fletcher," he answered, naming the closest big town where the concert would be. "We can print out the address and directions and everything for you. My parents said it was okay a long one ago."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 10, 2017 21:25:14 GMT -5
"You're parents might be fine with it, but that doesn't mean I am," Heather replied. Her tone dared Alec to argue. "She's not going."
Why? Tori signed, disbelief slowly sinking in. She was about to continue signing when she remembered it'd do her no good. Instead, she wrote frantically, We've been planning this for months! Mom, this might be the only time I get to see this band. I've been waiting forever to see them! And that's the moment Heather Sparks used the lowest blow she could have possibly used.
"You didn't seem to concerned about seeing this band when you tried to take your life away, did you?" Her mother asked. "They must not be that important."
Tori froze. The words spoken were a slap to her face that she flinched from. Unconsciously, she pulled her left arm, which was free of stitches and any bandages for a month, closer to her. Her mother was wrong. She had thought of the concert during that time; she thought with a crippling grief how she would never experience the show with Alec. It only added to her misery. Yet could she make her mother understand that? Not in the slightest.
"I don't like the idea of you being in a place where anything could happen," Heather continued. "You'll be off around people doing God knows what. On top of that, I'm not fond of the idea of you two being alone for an entire night." She cast a pointed look at Alec. "The fact that you're dating doesn't give me any reassurance that I can trust you two not to do anything while away from home. I don't care what you do with the tickets, but you are not going to that concert."
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Post by Holly on Feb 10, 2017 21:32:47 GMT -5
(OhmygoodnessIhateher!!!! Ha ha. Will reply soon. Ish. Gotta craft it. Haha.)
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Post by Holly on Feb 10, 2017 22:10:40 GMT -5
"Hey!" Alec growled. Seriously, why did they put up with this b***h? Maybe he and Tori should just elope and disappear in the middle of the night. They'd send Victor postcards through his parents and would never have to deal with Heather again.
He jumped up and stormed around Tori's chair to face off with her mother. He would honestly be surprised if steam wasn't literally roiling from his ears. "You don't get to talk to her like that! If you," he accused, jabbing an accusing finger at her, "hadn't driven her to that point in the first place, we wouldn't even be having this problem. Now HEAVEN FORBID she go out and have fun and live life and find love when she could SIT HERE WITH YOU and be MISERABLE for the rest of her d****d life! Is that what you want? Is that really what you want?" His shoulders deflated suddenly as the question struck a chord in him. His ears rang with the echo of it. "What do you want?" he asked, watching her eyes closely. Her eyes were like Tori's, kind of; pretty but not in the deep, soulful way Tori's were. What did she want? Obviously it wasn't for Tori to be happy. Why did she act this way? Why on earth would she forbid the one big thing that Tori had ever asked for?
I can't hit a lady, I can't hit a lady, I can't hit a lady. I would never see Tori again and Dad would probably send me to a shrink.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 10, 2017 22:35:23 GMT -5
(Do you censor the words yourself, or does the site? Because I know the Mods will ban people if they have to censor words too much. Just making sure so you don't get in trouble.)
Heather meet his gaze steadily, drawing herself up to her full height as Alec confronted her. She was just barely taller than the boy and wasn't going to back down. His words only fueled the anger. Heather Sparks lacked motherly nature, that was clear, but she hated when people tried to find fault in her work, whether it be her job or how she raised her child.
"I've done my very best to raise my daughter the best I could," the woman shouted back. "I'M the one who cared for her as an infant. I'M the one who made sure she had a safe home, plenty of food, and warm clothes on her back. I'M the one who has sacrificed my time and energy to make sure she's had everything she needed to survive and succeed with we life. I've done nothing but try to keep her as happy as she could be, so don't you DARE tell me I'm the one who pushed her to the brink. She was just fine before the talk of you two being a couple arose, so how am I to believe you're not the one who caused this mess?"
She paused a moment to take in a few, heavy breaths. She too was struggling not to strike out at the boy insulting her. If she did, she knew it would only be bad her. "What I want is to keep my daughter safe above all else. I can't do that if she's a thousand miles away. I want her right here where I can keep an eye on her, and I don't want her anywhere alone with you. She's not going to that concert, and that's final!"
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Post by Holly on Feb 10, 2017 22:47:04 GMT -5
(I do it myself. I'm hoping if nobody comes and does it for me, I'll be able to fly under the radar. But thanks for looking out for me. Lol.)
Alec gritted his teeth. He shook his head slowly for a moment after she had finished. "And I'm the one," he said slowly, his voice dangerously calm and quiet, "who has tried to keep her safe from you. And Jason. And everyone else who thinks she isn't enough or isn't redeemable just because she can't talk out loud, or just because the weight of all that 'Not Enough' became too much. Why can't you get that? Why can't you get that kids just need moms to love them, no matter what? Not control them, not keep them safe all the time. Just--" He clenched his teeth again. "You're going to really miss her one day, you know that?"
He was done with this conversation. If he could take Tori away right now, he would. But it would be asking her to leave too much behind. He turned his back on Heather and snatched the tickets off the table, shoving them into his pocket where Heather couldn't get to them, never minding the fact that he was crinkling them. "Tori." He was tempted to grab her and kiss her, prove to her mom exactly how worried she really should be about their spending a night alone and exactly how much he didn't care. "I would very much like to go for a walk; unless you'd rather stay here." He signed quickly, trying to hide the words from Heather even though she wouldn't have any idea what he was staying. Your choice. I will not leave you either way. But I can't stand her. I'm sorry. It wasn't eloquent, and it didn't cover everything he wanted to say, but it would suffice for the moment.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 10, 2017 22:59:29 GMT -5
(You're welcome. I'd just hate to see you get banned for something small like that.)
"I love my daughter more than you ever could!" Heather spat back. As a mother, she did have a love for Tori that couldn't be matched by anyone else. It's just a shame she loved her work so much that it kind of overshadowed the affection for her daughter.
Tori watched the two argue with nothing she could do. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill as she listened to the anger behind each sentence. If she could, she would have just left the room to find someplace quite. However, the argument was about her, and she wasn't leaving Alec here to possibly say something that would get him in trouble. So when Alec turned to her and offered to go for a walk, she couldn't stand up hast enough.
The girl nodded and took his hand in hers. She didn't trust herself to make any comment yet. Her hands were too shaky, and she hadn't even been the one yelling. Without glancing at her mother, she walked with her boyfriend out of the house, pausing just long enough to grab her shoes and coat.
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Post by Holly on Feb 10, 2017 23:28:04 GMT -5
Alec managed not to slam the door shut behind them. He grabbed Tori's shaking hand--berating himself for letting her get so worked up that she would actually be shaking--and strode quickly down the street around the corner, hardly hearing everything over the pounding of his own heart. Their neighbor here had a really ugly row of bushes that lined the street, but they were good for concealment purposes. Alec stopped abruptly and faced Tori, pulling her to him and kissing her hard and quickly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I yelled. Don't cry, Tori. Don't." He cupped her face in his hands and brushed his thumbs along her cheekbones to wipe away any trace of tears that might be there, frowning apologetically. "Can I-- What do you want me to do? What can I do for you? I know I just made it worse. I'm sorry." He studied her face desperately. The adrenaline was wearing off. He wasn't sure what emotions exactly were replacing the rush, but it was some toxic mix of worry and anger and guilt, and he didn't like it.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Feb 10, 2017 23:46:41 GMT -5
Funny how when people tell you not to cry that's exactly what you want to do. Tori followed Alec without caring where they were heading. The cold air was a welcome, even as it began to numb the end of her nose and cheeks. It offered a sense of clarity that she hadn't felt inside her house. That and Alec's sudden kiss dragged we from her swirling thoughts.
Meeting his gaze, she felt the first two tears make their escape down her cheeks, only to be wiped away by his thumbs. More followed despite her attempts to calm down. I don't know, she answered him. I'm sick of how she orders her priorities and how she talks to you. I just don't want to hear it anymore. I want to leave, but I hardly have the means to do that. Alec... Her hands paused a moment as she tried to regain her train of thought. Eventually, she gave up. Shaking her head, Tori just stopped talking and wrapped her arms around him, just needing to be close to him. It didn't feel nice to go from happy excitement to sorrow in a matter of minutes, yet that seemed to be the way things worked for her. At least she had Alec. He always made things better, if only by a little.
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Post by Holly on Feb 11, 2017 0:01:39 GMT -5
Alec watched but didn't answer just yet. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and held on. She couldn't keep living like this. It was literally going to run her into the ground. Six feet into it. After a moment, he loosened his grip and took her hand again. "Come here." He led her around to the opposite side of the block and cut through a neighbor's backyard to a fort/treehouse only without the tree part. The place belonged to an old couple that were either really nice or really creepy, he had never decided which. But they had lived here forever and had always loved letting the local kids play in the fort. He and Tori had spent a lot of time there over the summers of their childhood, because it was the best vantage point to A.) watch for the ice cream truck and B.) shoot all the other kids with water guns. He stopped at the ladder. "Up you go." He was hoping it could be a temporary refuge now, a place to run away and hide and cry without having to have a meltdown in public or turn back to his house and get intercepted. He climbed up after Tori. It was a lot smaller than he remembered, but he supposed they were both a lot bigger now. He leaned back against one wall, propping his feet against the wall opposite. "Okay. Semi-privacy mode: achieved. You can cry. I shouldn't have asked you not to, that was stupid and punkish of me," he told her, hoping maybe to make her smile a little. But he still meant it. The Sisters had made it very clear to him, in word and deed, that sometimes girls needed to cry, and no matter why they were creating, even when he didn't understand--and there would be plenty of times when he didn't understand, they said, which turned out to be more true than just about anything else in his life--his job was to be there for them. "Shut up, hug her, and think about ten times about what you're gonna say before you say it. Then think again," Hannah had told him once.
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