Worth A Little Trouble [Alex]

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

It was maybe twenty minutes since the end of class and the professor supervising detention had finally walked in. Seth lounged in the front of the room, long legs propped up on the seat of the chair next to him. As always, he was bored. This school seemed determined to suck the life out of him and hold it for ransom. A clock hung in the front of the room, ticking slowly and driving him insane. Surrounded by at least ten other Silas students, Seth hunched down with a scowl. He didn't want to put up with the idiots that frequented detention. All the regulars eyed him with distaste, the same amount of disgust he showed them. This wasn't something he enjoyed, and he usually skipped detention all together until they assignment him a different punishment, once that didn't make him sick.

Today though, he remained sitting in his chair and staring at the clock. Waiting. Every minute or two his eyes would drift to the door. Technically he was early. Detention didn't officially start for another few minutes. He was never early. In fact, he was usually the last one in the room. Before he'd walked in he'd heard that the professor watching detention was going to be Walters. The flakiest professor at Silas. Which meant there was a good chance he'd be marked for being here, and then he could leave. That would solve any further problems before they happened.

He crossed his arms sullenly. Professor Walters stood at the front of the classroom, painstakingly writing his name, letter by letter, on the board. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Silas teachers actually had powers. They seemed as clueless as all other adults. Except that Seth could feel the power in the room. He could practically taste each different type and he knew exactly which came from which person.

Sinking lower in his chair, he tried to block out the clock, but the ticking increased in volume. He groaned slightly, catching the attention of a large student, who glared at him. He sneered back and eventually they both looked away. No defeat, just calm acceptance that neither of them were going to fight. That's all this place was, a very careful balance between fear induced by reputation and the realization that a fight would be completely stupid.

His eyes drifted to the door again, ready to leave. Maybe he could find someone entertaining to bug. Unpredictable maybe. Someone who could keep him guessing. He wished for a split second that he didn't know exactly who he wanted to bug for the rest of the day.

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

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[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] Ever since she parted with Seth in the hallway, Alex felt nothing but dread. She had time to kill between the class she ditched and detention and made every attempted to put the time to good use. She desperately searched the campus for her dear roommate, granddaughter of the headmistress of the academy. Surely Rini could get Mrs. Palmer to pull some strings for her right? But Alex found their dorm room empty and even went so far as to check the stables, one of Rini’s favorite places. Apparently detention was her inescapable fate. By the time she reached the door of the room that housed the delinquents of Silas every day after class, she had less than a minute left before she would be considered late. Didn’t she just make a vow to arrive five minutes early to every class? Sure detention wasn’t class, but being late probably wouldn’t sit too well with whoever was in charge. Alex drew in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Should she introduce herself to the professor? What if she already knew them? What would they think of her? No, she’ll just quietly slink in and avoid eye contact with everyone. Alex quietly pushed the door open just enough for her to slide in, keeping her eyes low and her back towards the professor. Without wasting a moment she quickly sat in the nearest open seat, but immediately regretted it when the fellow sitting behind her felt the need to wolf-whistle at her. She immediately shot out of that seat without looking at the guy and scanned the room for a face she knew would be there. There he was, and there was an open seat next to him too. Well, sort of. Keeping her head down, Alex made for the seat next to Seth, but accidently kicked someone’s foot on her way. Alex had never seen someone get so upset over something so little, even after she apologized. According to him, the next time he saw her, he was going to teach her what the bottom of a trashcan looked like. Alex nodded as if that was a totally acceptable thing to say to someone before safely arriving at the empty seat next to Seth. “You have to let me sit there. There was no question in her voice, that seat was hers.

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

Walters was just beginning his spiel for the beginning of detention when Seth looked up long enough to notice Alex slinking around the room like something was going to kill her. Seth glanced at the other students and quickly noted it was more likely she'd be jumped. A rather uncomfortable situation for someone who'd never dealt with it before. When a guy lashed out at Alex and told her he'd throw her into a trashcan if he saw her again, Seth glowered at him. The kid didn't notice and went back to whatever the heck he was doing.

It didn't take her long to realize that the only safe spot really was next to Seth. Although how safe being near him was, well… Seth wasn't sure even he could answer that. After all, wasn't he the one who'd probably nearly killed her by taking away her healing powers? A person who's lived without pain for most of their life can't cope with the introduction of it, and that's what he did to her. How she could stand in front of him and beg to sit beside him made no sense. He stared at her for a moment and then very purposefully put his feet down on the floor, freeing up the seat for her to take.

"You should feel lucky. No one sits by me." He watched her for a second and then turned to face he professor who was standing and staring at the room full of trouble makers. There was a moment of indecision and then he sighed deeply.

'I have classwork to get done. I'll be back to check on you all at the end of detention. An hour and a half folks. You all better still be here.' He darted out of the room quickly, leaving the students in a brief moment of complete silence. Then raucous laughter and lewd comments broke through the calm. Seth didn't move for a few seconds longer.

He turned to face Alex again and then hopped out of his chair, putting his arms on her desk and leaning forward like he had in their history class less than an hour ago. He grinned widely. "Alright, Troublemaker, lets see if you can continue with your crime spree. No rest for the wicked." He leaned back and then walked toward the door, looking back for a moment with a knowing smirk. "It's come with me or spend a couple hours of quality time with this lovely crowd. Your choice."

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

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[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] Alex waited impatiently for Seth to move his feet, hoping that she wasn’t attracting the attention of the professor. When she noticed who the professor was, Alex was able to breathe a sigh of relief; he was no one she knew. Thankfully Seth found it in his heart to go without a leg rest for Alex’s sake and she quietly slipped into the seat. To be honest, Alex did feel lucky, lucky that she wasn’t going to have to sit directly in front of the creep who whistled at her. Just to be sure, Alex turned to see who was behind her, but was relieved to see him fast asleep. “Blessed actually, I feel blessed.” When the professor in charge announced that he would be leaving the classroom, Alex could hardly believe her ears. This was detention right? A room filled with class cutting, vandalizing bullies? In what way did he think that leaving such a group unattended was a good idea? Alex turned to Seth, about to ask if this was normal, but decided not to. She watched as the room suddenly came to life and realized that she’d never been so out of place in her life. Suddenly Seth was at her desk, once again. Was this going to be an instant replay of what happened less than an hour ago? His words left her in confusion, but when he turned and headed toward the door, Alex couldn’t help but stare. Was he really just going to leave her here? All alone with these people? Although he invited her to join him, Alex felt that skipping detention would surely result in further punishment. Clenching her bag, Alex tapped her foot as she looked about the room. Could it really be so bad in here? She could fend for herself right? If something went wrong she could simply. Wait, what would she do? When her eyes fell upon the creepy whistler, she was startled to see that he had completely turned around with his head resting on the back of his chair as he stared at her. That was it. No more. She was leaving. Alex quickly got up from her chair and practically ran to the door, gently pushing Seth out into the hallway. “There’s no way I’m staying in there.” The mere thought of the creepy guy made her cringe. In fact, there’s no way she’s ever going to detention again. As she stood in the hallway Alex looked to Seth. “What do we do now? Do we just go home?”

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

Seth could feel her staring as he walked towards the door, but it certainly didn't slow him down any. She could come if she wanted, but he wasn't sticking around for an hour and a half of detention. Staying in detention was for the goody two shoes who winded up in their by some fluke. He smirked at the thought of Alex floundering in detention alone. There was no way she was going to stick around. He hesitated for a second as he realized that he, Seth Turner, had become the safer option. Scowling, he let out a steady huff and then was immediately pushed through the door of the classroom.

Turning in surprise, he stared down at Alex. He chuckled at her admission, practically hearing the fear in her voice. Putting his hands into the pocket of his leather jacket, he strolled calmly down the hallway. It was fairly rare to find any teacher's wandering around, so there was a good chance they'd get out of the building without being question. He stopped walking, turning back to look at Alex who was still just outside the classroom door. "Go home? You've got no imagination." Shaking his head, he walked back towards her and then placing his hands on her shoulders, pushing her forward a few steps. "We'll hang out, do some fun stuff and be back here before that whack of a prof gets back. Easy as all get out. And it'll protect what's left of your reputation. Although I warn you, someone might see you with me."

He gave her a small push for good measure and then nodded his head at the door at the end of the hallway. "I'll catch up, just give me a second. I forgot something in the classroom." Jogging away from her, he walked back into the classroom and shut the door. Immediately he had the attention of everyone in the room. Ignoring the majority of them, he walked up to the guy who'd threatened to hurt Alex if he saw her again. Without waiting for a reaction, he wrapped a hand around the guy's neck, baring his teeth in a grin. The guy raised his arm to throw a punch and his grip tightened. "I realize that you think that you're tough. But no one's tough after I take their powers." The fist was lowered. "Next time you see that girl, you don't talk to her." He looked up and stared at the whistler guy. "You too." Without waiting for a response, he let go and quickly left the room.

Stuffing his hands back in his pockets, he offered Alex a sarcastic smile. "Now, I've got an idea. You up for it? 'No' is not an acceptable response."

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

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[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] Well, besides home where else were they supposed to go? Maybe he was right, maybe she did need a better imagination. Alex listened closely to his plan as he pushed her in the direction of the door. She hadn’t even thought about returning, but was glad he did. The plan may have been simple, but to Alex it was ingenious; skip the greater part of detention and have some fun, but come back to make sure no one knows. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Alex laughed at his comment about preserving her reputation. “What would it matter if someone saw us together? I’m sure that half the school thinks we’re together after that stunt you pulled in history.” She’d almost forgotten about that too, but she expected to be reminded of it several times within the coming days; juicy news like that always spread like wildfire through the halls of Silas. If Rini got wind of it, Alex would surely have hard time getting even a word in to explain through all her scolding and disapproval. Alex continued down the hallway as Seth headed back for the room. What could he have possibly forgotten? He never brought anything to class, what was there for him to bring to detention? Shrugging off the thought, Alex took a little side trip to get a sip of water from a water fountain and made it back in time to see that Seth had returned as well. “Did you find what you were looking for? An idea? What kind of idea? Alex was a little worried about simply agreeing to his plan before knowing what it was. But how bad could it be? They were already ditching detention. For a few moments Alex stood quietly and eyed Seth as if she was suspicious, but finally put on a smile as she agreed, “Fine, I’m game.” Alex smirked as she pushed the doors open and exited the building, a chilly winter breeze nipping at her face. “Lead the way Captain,” she said as she held the door open for him.

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

"Only half? Man, I was really going all the way on that one." He tried to smirk but he was afraid that it ended up as a genuine smile. Dang it, being around this girl was not good for him. Although he did notice that she didn't sound upset about the school thinking they were together. It was probably buried deep down by her niceness. "Although I'm sure that professor will never forget. After all, he witnessed history being made right in front of him. The perfect student walking out of class." Seth still couldn't believe she'd done it, but it also made him incredibly impressed.

He shrugged at her question, not bothering to answer. The last thing he wanted was for her to find out. His threat at least ensured that if he wasn't in detention the next day, and she was, that nothing would happen to her. No one in that room was going to risk getting on his bad side. Seth wasn't stupid, he knew he wasn't the toughest person at Silas, but the thing about super powered bullies was that they all were deathly afraid of losing their powers. That made everything easier for the power absorber.

"Captain, huh? How did you find out that's what I have everyone call me? I was going to ease you into it." He stepped outside with a laugh, shivering slightly at the rapid change in temperature. It was definitely still winter. Turning slightly, he glanced back at Alex, momentarily unsure if she was actually going to come. She was game? It didn't make any sense. He narrowed his eyes slightly then turned back around, purposefully walking across the campus.

"In all your wonderful time at Silas Academy. How much time have you spent at the Labyrinth?" The former comment was made with heavy sarcasm, but his question at least was genuine. Not bothering to walk on the sidewalk, he cut across the grass. They only had an hour and a half after all. He grinned over at her, still waiting for her to back out.

It only took a couple of minutes before they were standing in front of the tall entrance to the maze. This was Seth's favorite place. After all, if someone was looking for you, hiding was easy. Being alone was easy in the maze, and it was pretty much a guarantee that you wouldn't be annoyed regularly. If you're going to need a bread crumb trail to find your way back, I suggest you start now." Grabbing her hand, Seth pulled her into the maze and then glanced down with shock, left go of her hand. This was a bad idea. Turning, he walked deeper into the maze, making several turns. He knew this place backwards and forwards, so getting lost wasn't possible for him. "This is the most rebellious thing you've ever done, isn't it? Skipping detention." He smiled down at her in amusement as he walked.

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

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[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] Even Alex had a hard time believing that she walked out of class earlier that day. It was something she’d never done before, and if she hadn’t have been so embarrassed and surprised by the turn of events, she wouldn’t have just left. She was almost always able to remain composed and had suffered through worse without losing her cool. But he was right, Professor Hamilton wasn’t likely to forget what had happened. “Just a lucky guess,” she joked as she zipped up her jacket. Had it been this cold earlier today? Alex looked to the sky, wondering if there was any possibility that it would snow. The thought excited her, but after her brief moment of excitement, she suddenly realized that she was being left behind. She quickly followed after him, trying her best to catch up, but his strides were rather long and he seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. Where was the fire? It took longer than she’d like to admit to finally catch up with Seth. Where exactly were they going? It seemed like they were headed towards the academy’s garden, but what could possibly hold Seth’s interest there? She’d gone there a few times during the spring and summer, but never lingered there for long. “Not much. Getting lost isn’t really one of my favorite pastimes.” She was starting to wonder if the labyrinth was a place he often visited. Alex couldn’t imagine a single reason why Seth would be drawn to it and couldn’t help but ask. “Do you go there often?” Alex trailed after Seth, frozen blades of grass crunching beneath their shoes as the crossed the academy’s lawn. Everything looked better when glittering with a cold day’s frost, but apparently the other students didn’t care for the cold weather; she’d never seen it so quiet and empty before. Before long they were standing outside the entrance to the maze, an opening in a wall of tall hedges. Having a loaf of bread right now actually didn’t sound so bad. “Darn it, should have saved my sandwich bread. If we get lost and don’t make it back in time, it’s your fault,” she said with a smile. It was a little surprising when Seth suddenly took her hand and pulled her into the maze, but Alex didn’t try to pull away. Before she could even think about what was happening, he abruptly let go, as if he hadn’t meant to do it in the first place. She was even more confused when she found herself disappointed that he let go, but was sort of glad for his quick subject change. “You know me so well,” she chuckled at his question, even though she knew that it was true. “You wanna know what’s even worse? The second most rebellious thing I’ve done was getting detention. That was also true, and it made Alex feel a little pathetic.

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

"What, the campus bad boy can't appreciate nature?" His smile was sarcastic, but it was still an honest question. What did everyone think he spent his time doing? "You probably think all I do is slink around in shady places looking for my next victim." He was having a hard time not pulling out the 'I vant to suck your blood' card. "I know it must be disappointing to hear, but I am in no way a vampire." He smirked at the idea of people really thinking that about him. It was absolutely ridiculous, but then again, so were people in general. He started fights, in fact, he usually enjoyed starting them. And yeah, people thought he was basically a super powered thief, but that didn't mean he liked hurting people. He clenched his hands into fists and took a sidestep away from Alex, putting another half foot of distance in between them.

"So what, Miss Perfect over here always loves being around people, is that it? This place is pretty much the only place you can go and not be found. At least, it is for me." He shrugged his shoulders and refused to look over at her. He wasn't fishing for sympathy or pity, and if he saw even an ounce of it on her face, he was going to go insane. The last thing he needed was someone pitying him. A small grin tugged at his lips when she responded to his quip about bread crumbs. "Me get lost? Hah, you don't know me very well at all. I never get lost." He smirked and proceeded into the maze.

"All the bad stuff you've ever done happened today, all because of me. Huh." He probably should have felt bad, but feeling bad was never something Seth was particularly good at. Instead, he felt rather smug about the whole thing. "I thought that would be your badge of honor. Up until today, you were the poster child of perfection. And hey," He nudged her lightly on the shoulder. "After tomorrow's quick detention, you can go back to forgetting I exist, and once again being perfect." That was probably exactly what she wanted after all. Seth was walking proof that she'd ever messed up, more than once. Today, she'd got two days of detention and then skipped out on detention. Two years ago, she'd lost her powers for basically a week. All her mistakes started with him.

Stepping away from her again, he felt along a the hedge. His hand found the indention and with a grin, he disappearing into the foliage. He waited for a moment, then poked his head back out, to look over at Alex. "I never follow the rules. What makes you think I wouldn't cut corners. Come on." He held out a hand and waved at her to follow him. You weren't supposed to cut through the hedges, but it wasn't like rules mattered to Seth. Besides, this would get them to the middle of the maze faster.

A sharp pang radiated in his head, spreading through his body quickly. He doubled over for a second with a gasp, then quickly straightened. It'd been too long since he'd absorbed a power. Gritting his teeth, he shoved away the desperate need of his own ability. Steeling himself, he stepped out of the hedge and then cut to the right, walking slowly so Alex could keep up. "So you're honestly telling me that you've never come into the labyrinth before? What do normal people do with their time. Wait, let me guess, you do your homework, read, go shopping, and wait for it, talk about boys. How sweet." He smirked at her but continued walking. "How do you manage to stay excited about life if every thing is so… predictable. Don't you ever want to do something different? And I don't just mean skipping detention."

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

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[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] Alex couldn’t help but let out a nervous little laugh; he wasn’t far off from the truth, actually. Although she knew he definitely wasn’t a vampire, Seth always came off to her as a mysterious individual. The fact that he was one of the school’s most rebellious and troublemaking students didn’t really help to paint the fairest picture of him in Alex’s mind. Before the incident in the forest, Alex hadn’t known much about him at all. But soon afterwards, she found herself paying closer attention to what people said about him. She suddenly felt guilty for making assumptions about Seth based on the rumors she heard about him. “Being around people isn’t so bad! Especially when you’re with the ones that you enjoy being around. You should try it sometime, maybe it’ll help soften up that stone heart of yours,” she said teasingly, even throwing in a little wink for the effect. But she couldn’t help but be somewhat perturbed by the fact that he came to this place so often so no one could find him. “And what are you going to do now that I know of your top secret hiding place?” But would she actually come here to look for him? Alex pondered on that quietly as she followed him into the maze. As she walked near his side, Alex soon discovered that she wasn’t the only one here with preconceived notions about the other. He was making her sound like a pompous know-it-all who had no room in her life for imperfection, including imperfect people. But he was far from the truth. Yes, she was borderline obsessive about maintaining her perfect academic record, but it wasn’t like she thought the rest of the academy was composed of incompetent miscreants. Wait a minute, did she mishear? Did he just say that she could go back to pretending that he didn’t exist? Before he could take another step, Alex softly grabbed his arm and pulled herself in front of him, stopping him much like he’d done to her earlier that day in the hallway. “I think I must be confused, because from what I remember, it was you who pretended that I didn’t exist, ever since that night in the forest.” As soon as Alex recovered her powers and the guts to actually leave the safety of her room, she tried approaching Seth. But it seemed like every time she was within a few yards of him, there was suddenly something requiring his immediate attention somewhere else. “I don’t know if I’ve ever said or done anything to make you think I wanted to forget that you existed, but if I did, I’m really, truly sorry.” Although she was pretty confident that she hadn’t done such a thing, at least not purposely, Alex was never fond of hurting people. She was the type of person who accepted just about anyone for who they were and was always quick to make friends with the people everyone else rejected. Not long after they started walking again, Seth suddenly disappeared into the wall of the maze, motioning for her to follow. Sighing, the healer smiled weakly as she gingerly stepped into the hedges, trying not to get her hair caught in the twisted branches. Just ahead of her she noticed Seth hunching over for just a moment and heard his short gasp. But before she could even ask, he was already up as if nothing had happened. He was quick to bring up a conversation, but Alex found herself unable to listen to him. Completely ignoring his questions, Alex quickly responded with her own. “What was that back there? You were in pain, I could tell. Are you going to be alright?”

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

Seth didn't try to stop the snort of derision. She was acting like there were people who actually enjoyed being around him. Did she honestly think that he had close friends that he loved hanging out with? It wasn't like he just randomly tried to make new friends. He glanced over at her but quickly looked away. He wasn't trying to make her his friend, that much was obvious. They could never be friends. After all, wasn't there some rule against her dropping down to his level? There had to be. Gritting his teeth together, he tried to get rid of the thought, but he couldn't shake the idea of them becoming friends. It'd been so long since he'd had a real friend… Callie, she was the last true friend he'd had. And how well that went..

"It's really quite simple. Even if you know I come to the labyrinth, I'm willing to bet you wouldn't be able to find me." Or wouldn't want to, Seth didn't really care which it was. Either way, whether she knew where he was or not, there was no reason for him to be concerned. The only people who ever looked for someone else, were the ones who cared about that person. Seth was well aware of the fact that very few people would care enough to look, and if it ever happened that someone did care, then the maze would be enough to keep him hidden.

Before he could figure out how to get out of the serious moment, Alex was standing in front of him, with one hand on his arm. He stiffened, forcing himself to stay still and not jump away from her touch. She seemed pretty intent on setting the record straight, but it shouldn't matter. Why did it matter so much to her? "So one person didn't want to talk to you, I'm sure it was a real shock. After all, everyone loves Alex Duvell. Everyone." Why wouldn't they, she was always nice to everyone, and she made everyone feel like she was their friend. Why couldn't she just be mean to someone for once? It was a stupid thing to wish for, but Seth wasn't feeling all that intelligent. He glared down at her, but then she was apologizing and he felt like a jerk for everything he just said.

"You didn't do or say anything Alex, okay? Don't beat yourself up about it. I'm sure you heard enough about me from everybody at Silas to realize that there is no reason for what I do. If I avoided you, it was because of something I did, not you." Despite everything, Seth was just getting more aggravated with the fact that he couldn't be a downright jerk to this girl and not basically apologize to her a second later. She was beginning to rub off on him, and he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of it.

Seth left her for a second, but waited around long enough for her to follow him into the maze. The pain from his powers was enough to make him pause to catch his breath. Of course, his momentary lapse in control was not missed by Alex. Her question made him angrier than it should have. Why did she have to ask such stupid things? Why did she have to be so naive? "My god Alex, why do you have to be such a freaking angel all the time? You never want to do anything wrong and no matter how much I've done to you, you still act like you care if I'm okay."

He whirled around, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Hate me. Come on, everyone else does. So why can't you? I promise, it's easy. I'm sure your roommate could show you how." He pushed her back a step, but kept his hands on her shoulders just to make sure he didn't actually push her over. Then he let his hands swing down to his sides, staring at her. "Your power… it makes you feel comfortable, safe… Mine hurts me, all the time. So if you're looking for a reason behind every stupid thing I've ever done, there it is. Now you know more about me than anyone else. Only fair I guess."

He turned away from her, walking back the way they had come. "This was stupid. Let's just get you back to detention before you get in even more trouble."

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

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[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] “I’ll just let you keep believing that,” she said playfully, though she was pretty sure that Seth was right. Alex wasn’t as “navigationally challenged” as some were, but she’s gotten herself lost on more occasions than she cared for. The labyrinth really was an incredibly smart place to hide from people, especially if you knew your way around it, as Seth claimed he did. As she examined her surroundings, she couldn’t fathom how anyone could familiarize themselves with the place. Although they had been walking for several minutes now, every new part of the maze she encountered looked nearly identical to the last. A frown slowly began tugging at the corners of Alex’s mouth at Seth’s abrasive sarcasm. She suddenly felt like a big baby. There were plenty of people at Silas that couldn’t stand her, that didn’t want to be anywhere near her, but Alex never minded those people. Why was she bothered when one of those people were Seth? In fact, all of that was in the past, why did it matter to her now? But he was still wrong about one thing, not everyone “loved” her, or even liked her. “I can think of one person who doesn’t…” she muttered quietly, not caring whether or not he heard. “You’re right, I’ve heard an awful lot about you from people at Silas. They call you selfish and cold, and those are actually the nicer things they have to say about you. But if I took every bad thing that they said about other people to heart, I wouldn’t have half the friends I have now. I don’t believe everything they say about you Seth, you’ve proved a lot of them wrong already.” In just the short amount of time she’s spent with Seth today, Alex had seen more sides of him than she could imagine. Yea, he could be a bit of a pain in the behind, but he was also funny, and a few times he was even kind to her. The Seth she saw today wasn’t anything like the Seth she had pictured in her mind by piecing together other people’s opinions about him. The response she got from Seth took her by surprise and she stood before him stunned, once again becoming victim to his sharp words. Before she could even utter a response, he had his hands on her shoulders and continued berating her for being so forgiving and tolerant. As he continued to lash out at her, Alex found herself staring at their feet, quietly absorbing all of his frustration and anger. Even as he released his hold on her shoulders, she kept her face down because she was fearful that if she looked at him, she’d end up crying and making a fool of herself. She felt bad. There was no other way to describe the way Alex felt after hearing his words. He wanted her to hate him because everyone else did. He couldn’t stand that there was one person out there that could put up with him. But what bothered Alex the most was that this was clearly the first time someone had ever cared enough about him to ask if he was alright. Alex couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to feel so alone all the time, to live in a place where not a single soul had a shred of concern for you. But after being alone for so long, after being despised by everyone else he met, shouldn’t he be glad to have someone to care, someone who was able to look past his mistakes and flaws? Why was he pushing her away? For several more moments Alex stayed quiet, waiting long enough to calm herself so that her voice wouldn’t falter. “Why is it so hard for you to accept the fact that I do care about you? I care about people, I can’t stand sitting idly when I know someone is hurting. It’s who I am Seth, don’t fault me for it. And I don’t know why you keep talking like you’ve done something horribly wrong to me. Getting detention wasn’t the worst thing to happen to me, I’m over it!” Alex took a moment to breathe deeply, to maintain her calm. “I don’t understand why you want me to hate you, and no matter what you say, you couldn’t possibly make me hate you.” Alex was quiet for another moment, unsure if she should say what was on her mind all day. Even as Seth started towards the way they had come, she just stood there. Could she have been wrong? Maybe everything today was all just fun and games for Seth, maybe tomorrow he’d go back to ignoring her again. Alex sighed before quietly muttering, “Maybe it was stupid of me to think it, but after today, I thought that we could be friends. I really don’t see what there is to hate about you. I like being around you, is that so hard to believe?”

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

One person? Out of the hundreds that despised Seth, and he sometimes wished that was an exaggeration, she could only think of one who didn't love her? He eyed her critically for a moment. Was she talking about him? That he was the one person who didn't love her? Surely not. Besides, what he thought of her shouldn't matter. If everyone loved her but him, then she had all the love she needed. "So what, we spent an hour together and you think you've unlocked some hidden part of me that suddenly transforms me into mr. nice guy? I own up to the fact that I'm a jerk. In fact, I enjoy it." He didn't look at her when he said it, in fact, he wasn't sure if he could. It was getting harder to be honest with her, because something was beginning to creep into his thoughts when he was. Shame. He was ashamed of who he was, but it seemed like the only time he felt that way, was when he was anywhere near Alex.

This day would have been so much easier if he' d just skipped his history class. He was always bored in that class, so why he'd chosen to go today was a mystery. One stupid decision led to an even worse one, and it the climax was this moment. A girl too naive to realize that she was in actual danger being around him. Not just emotional danger. No, he wasn't worried about hurting her precious feelings, but he didn't like the idea of physically hurting her. And right now, his anger and frustration was draining the control he had on his power. If this went on too much longer, he wouldn't be able to keep himself in check. He could practically taste her power in the air. It promised comfort and yet every time his power strained out to touch it, the feeling would flicker out of reach and he would be just as empty.

She was ranting and Seth was doing everything in his power to ignore her. He didn't want to here her rationalize what she was doing. He couldn't listen to her, not any more. Maybe he could have completely walked away and left her alone to find her way out of the maze, but as he was walking away, he caught her final words and jerked back around to face her. This time he was glaring, or scoffing at her, he was just looking. What made her so resistant to despising him like everyone else? When someone is repeatedly mean to you, you don't open up and tell them you care. It wasn't normal.

Walking back to her, he stopped and stood in front of her calmly. "I don't." His voice was hushed, and he wondered for a moment if he'd actually said anything aloud. "I don't want you to hate me." Uneasily, he put his hands into the pockets of his jacket, unsure of what he was supposed to do now. He was good at yelling, or throwing a punch, but he tended to avoid talking to the best of his ability. "But I also don't want you to like me. Not as a person, not as a friend." He knew he wasn't really making sense, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from going on. "Two years ago, I could've killed you. I thought I had at first… And you apologized to me. Me!" He let out a hoarse laugh and shifted uncomfortably. "You remind me of a friend I had a long time ago. She was just as stubbornly kind. Always tried to get me to open up." There was a half smile on his face, but then it disappeared. "I hurt her. Hurt my only friend. So when I say you should hate me, I'm saying you should be afraid of me."

"And if you hate me, if you're afraid of me… then you'll avoid me. Because I'm not sure I've very good at avoiding you." He cleared his throat and stepped away from her again. "And you shouldn't be insulted when I say you're perfect." He turned around and walked down the path, feeling along the hedge. There was no indention. Impossible. He checked again, and then a third time. Still nothing. He looked around with narrowed eyes. Everything was different, the maze had changed itself. "Crap. We're lost."

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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[Alexandria Duvell]

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[atrb=background,http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m237/_Tsukiyo_/middlef3.png] Alex closed her eyes for a few moments and sighed. Whatever. Clearly the self-professed jerk standing before her also happened to be a deaf jerk. She waited until he was done and was half tempted to applaud him for so openly owning up to his faults and even embracing them. It sounded to her like he could never admit to having a decent side to his personality. “Jerks don’t apologize. Just sayin’.” That might have irked him some. Alex knew that his earlier apology was something that he forced himself to say; but an apology is an apology. After spilling her thoughts out to Seth, she was expecting him to lash out again, to tell her to quit being so caring, to quit being who she was. But when he turned back around, the harshness in his face was absent. He was just staring at her and Alex began to wonder if he hadn’t heard what she said. Alex opened her mouth to talk, but stopped herself once he began walking back towards her. The quietness in his voice was strange to her, but she quietly stood there, patiently listening to him. She was relieved that his anger and frustration had finally past, it wasn’t a side of him Alex particularly enjoyed experiencing. The more he went on, the more confused Alex became. So, he actually didn’t want Alex to hate him, but at the same time, he didn’t want her to like him either? Alex gave him an odd look, but kept herself quiet as he talked of the incident in the forest two years in the past. She couldn’t help but crack a smile of doubt, it was just a little power absorption right? Yea, the pain was a lot more than she cared for, and going a week without the ability to heal was a living nightmare, but never once did Alex actually fear for her life. When he spoke of a friend from his past, Alex suddenly grew curious, but didn’t want to pry about something so personal. So he didn’t want to get close to anyone because he was afraid of what he could do to them because of his powers? That hardly sounded fair. His powers were something he was born with, he shouldn’t have to isolate himself over something beyond his control. Gazing up at him with a dubious look, she tried her best to calm his worries. “And here I am, alive and well. It happened because I was being careless… And I apologize a lot, too everyone…” This time Alex couldn’t help herself as she smirked at him. “Sorry if that bothers you.” But the smirk soon disappeared as Alex took another step towards Seth. “What happened to your friend was an accident Seth, and so was the thing two years ago.” Her voice was calm and reassuring, the last thing she wanted was for Seth to get angry again. “I never once blamed you for what happened, and from what it sounds, I don’t think your friend ever blamed you either.” Hatred was an emotion still foreign to Alex. There were a few people she just could not understand the motivations and actions of. There are some who’s company Alex doesn’t particularly enjoy. But Alex never felt hatred. So hating Seth wasn’t really an option. Fearing him was something else entirely. Alex feared a lot of things. Being alone, feeling pain, and after the incident two years ago, losing her powers made its way onto her list of fears. It was true that if Seth ever lost control of his powers around Alex, she’d likely be face to face with her fears once again. But that didn’t mean that she would fear Seth. He usually had pretty good control over his powers, right? “Sorry to disappoint, but it looks like I have no reason to avoid you,” Alex found herself smiling a little, though she wasn’t sure if it was because he admitted that he couldn’t avoid her either or because he said he wasn’t trying to insult her by calling her “perfect.” Most likely it was both. She was hoping that whatever issues there were between them were now resolved. Was he done trying to push her away? Would he finally let someone in enough to be his friend? Or would everything they just said turn to smoke once they parted ways? Alex hadn’t noticed that he was struggling to find the way back out until he announced that they were now lost in the maze. How could they be lost? Couldn’t they just go back the way they came? Maybe he was just confused. “I thought the great Seth Turner “never gets lost,” she mocked playfully, referring to his earlier statement, as she strolled over to the hedge. Alex pushed at the wall of the maze where they had come through, just as Seth had moments before, searching for their little shortcut through the hedge. Confusion was written all over her face as she stepped away from the wall. “Yea… I guess we are. I guess there’s no shortcut for us this time.” This time Alex lead the way, heading down the only path that was available for them to take. Wherever the labyrinth took them in the meantime, they’d eventually end up finding their way out of it.

[Seth Turner]

.

so i go insane like i always do

AND I CALL YOUR NAME, SHES A LOT LIKE YOU

Alex wasn't listening to him and Seth wasn't sure how much longer he was willing to try. She didn't see the necessity of avoiding him, but he knew… He knew that everyone who was close to him got hurt. It wasn't worth it. Besides, he hated that feeling… That desperate need to see someone. No, it was better to be alone and not feel anything at all. He was used to the empty vacuum where most peoples emotions were. He didn't feel, it was one of the things that he'd grown used to. At least, he didn't have good feelings, not pure emotion that made him act in a kind way. Not since he was a kid, and even then he was uncomfortable with it.

He couldn't help the smile as she sarcastically apologized. She'd always been so sincere when he'd talked to her before, so it was funny to see this side of her. Not good though. He didn't need to get to know her. The smile faded and he stepped away from her once again. "Don't talk like you know what happened, Alex. My friend wasn't around to blame me. I never saw her again, do you understand that? For all I know, she ended up dying because of me. But even if she turned out find, I hurt her, and she left. That's how it works."

There was that confident smile on her lips again, the one that sent an uncomfortable feeling through his body. He stiffened and looked over towards the tall hedges that surrounded them both. Were they getting closer? He shook off the thought. The idea was absurd, he was just feeling trapped, with Alex stepping closer still. "If you haven't found a reason to avoid me, then you haven't been looking. Why is it that you want to prove I'm good in some way? Do you have to be everyone's friend, Alex?" His voice was quiet, and this time, the questions were sincere. He wasn't trying to yell at her or start another argument. He just wanted to know… Why did it matter?

He hated being the project child. All his life, he'd been branded the needy one, the charity case that everyone pitched in to help with when it was convenient for their life. He didn't want another person thinking they could fix him. "Fine Alex." He looked up at her, without a trace of a smile on his face. "If you want to be my friend. Fine. But that's it. A friend. You're not going to try and change my life, make me better, make me into a stand up citizen." He muttered the last part sarcastically. She wanted to be his friend, well, truth was he could use some real friends. But if she was doing this out of some twisted view of what was right, that she was helping him for some noble cause, then he wasn't interested.

"You can be my friend, when you admit one thing." He stepped closer to her, only a few inches separating them. Leaning down so that his face was close to hers, he whispered. "You admit that being close to me does scare you. Because it should. Because my powers aren't always in control, and for that matter, neither am I." This time, he smirked, then drew back away from her.

When he turned away from her to find the way back to the main campus, he was still trying to convince himself this was going to turn out horribly wrong for everyone involved. Although, the thought of how Rini would react put a bright smile on his face for a moment. The smile disappeared as he realized he couldn't figure out how to find his way out of the maze. This had never happened before. Alex's teasing remark made him scowl and shoot a withering look her way. "The maze, I think it changed." He'd heard some students say that it could change of its own free will, but it had never done it while he was there… Alex was already marching away from him and he jogged to catch up with her, grinning slightly. "Alright, I already admitted I was lost, no need to rub it in. But lead the way, Miss Perfect." He winked at her, then stared up at towering hedges.

They turned several times, but they didn't seem to be getting any closer to the end of the maze. This was taking too long. He looked up at the sky, worried that the light soon might start to disappear. They weren't going to make it back to detention on time… He snuck a glance at Alex, trying to gauge whether she was angry or not.

notes // yup // tagged // alex // outfit // here

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