Hustle & Bustle of the Early Morning

Those were a lot of sports to choose from. Lorilynn pondered for a moment about what she might want to play. She didn't want to play basketball, for it always gave her a little reminder how good Leon was. She didn't need to thing about that. Lorilynn was fond of tennis and volleyball. She remembered watching them on TV with her father. She thought they looked so cool, diving for the ball. The games were always so intense that she felt like she was part of the game herself. Making her decision, Lorilynn looked back up at the brunet. "I've always been fond of tennis and volleyball." Deciding that her hair was in the way, she retrieved a purple band to put her hair up into a ponytail.

While doing so, she said, "Well, that's expected. Many people do think dance is girly." After fixing her hair, she returned her attention to Becky. "But hey, if you teach me how to play those sports, I'll teach you a thing or two about hip-hop dance. That is, if you don't already know anything." Being that she was in Miss Bernard's dance class, Lorilynn had to learn many different dances each week. From ballroom, to hip-hop, to ballet; it was a lot of work. A lot of blood sweat and tears went into her work, and even though the pain would be unbearable at times, you had to suck it up and keep the show on the road, unless you wanted Miss Bernard to lash out on you, of course.

"Sounds like a decent trade-off to me," Rebecca replied flippantly. It did seem like a pretty good trade--she enjoyed trying new things when girlishness was not involved, and hip-hop... She remembered hearing something about dance being good for athletic performance and that type was less harmful on her pride. Her eyes followed Lorilynn's hands as the girl pulled up her long snow-white hair. Unconsciously, Rebecca's fingers reached up to her own unkempt ponytail. Her hand dropped back loosely when she half-noticed it.
"I'll admit, I don't know much--only what they have you do in aerobics in gym class. But it shouldn't be big deal right? And sure, volleyball especially." Lorilynn had hit on one of Rebecca's favorites, so if things went well she'd have a partner to play against. Sometimes guys and girls might randomly play on the beach, but someone more consistent could be nice to have around.

Kevin unsmilingly said, "I never really did like anything my brother enjoys. I just avoid the things he likes. I think he likes to dance although I don't believe he really knows how. So I avoided it." Kevin pushed his black hair back out of his blue eyes, the movement so much like his brother's. He smiled a little sadly...this time the emotion was for real. He thought of how his parents, relatives and everyone who knew Chepe always loved him and Tesanee better than Kevin. He was so bitter because of it...and he couldn't wait for his revenge. . Kevin supposed Chepe just was so used to it he didn't notice it. Kevin was rather enjoying the conversation between the two girls and he was ok with backing out of the conversation for now and letting them continue if he was getting in the way. If they wanted to keep talking to him they would, but if they were like most they would stop as soon as he did. Chepe though was the one girls fought to talk to, not Kevin. Everyone loved him and wanted to be around him. Kevin however...well, he was the one most likely to be ignored if ever he was stupid enough to be caught with his brother.

"Nope, it shouldn't be a big deal." Lorilynn confirmed. "You're already good at sports, so think it'll be easier for you." A small smile made it's way on her face when Becky said she would definitely teach her to play volleyball. Lorilynn was always very competitive. In dance competitions, she never liked coming in second or third. Second was the first loser, and that wasn't acceptable for her.

"You shouldn't just stop something, even if your sibling's into it. If you like it, you should stick to it." She said to Kevin. She remembered when Rose wanted to do dance. Lorilynn didn't mind it, she just wanted to show her sister she was better than her at it. She was successful when Roselyn complained that it hurt her feet and she didn't want to do it anymore. Dance was something she really enjoyed, and she wouldn't let Roselyn ruin it for her. She felt that Kevin should do the same.

"no...that's not it...I just don't like doing things he likes. I have avoided everything he likes for years. See, I really don't get along with my brother well." Kevin looked away from the people around him. It felt so odd to admit his feelings about Chepe. He would NEVER say he hated his brother to ANYONE, even though he seriously did hate him.

"Oh. I guess I don't have much advice I can give you then." Lorilynn said quietly. Kevin seemed to get fishier and fishier by the moment. She couldn't piece everything together, but the bat, his mannerisms, and talk about his brother - if he wasn't lying - were very suspicious. Lorilynn decided not to think about it too much. It wasn't her place to get into other people's business anyway.

"I'm sorry, I can see I am making you nervous," Kevin said quietly."I am not trying to worry you." he said, thoughtfully. "I never had much of a real family life is all." He looked away from her, digging with the toe of his shoe in the dirt of the courtyard. "I'm really bad with explaining all that to people." Kevin shook his head, his black hair falling about his face. The only real difference between Kevin and Chepe was that Kevin's eyes were blue, unlike the other boy, and Kevin was also shorter.

Rebecca sniffed. This guy needed to change his outlook on things, or he'd forever be stuck with the semi-depressed and limited mindset that he seemed to have currently. While it was only her unprofessional opinion, one quick glance at Carson proved he felt the same way. Try as she might, she couldn't see how anyone would or could
"Dude-- life's too short," she told Kevin shortly, a confidently playful grin playing on her face. She was only 100% serious when she had to be and this wasn't exactly one of those situations. "Seriously, think about it--I'm sure he likes to eat and sleep and empty his bowels, too." Carson looked a bit surprised and flushed at his sister's wording, which she thought was actually rather well cleaned up. "Don't let Crépe or the thought of him or his likes stop you from doing what you want. Mind over matter! Cruddy pep-talk for Mr. Unconfident over."
Rebecca avoided eye contact with Carson, whom had likely recognized her uncharacteristic words of support for a stranger outside of the hospital. She chalked it down as a gesture to a fellow older sibling, and nothing more.

Even though she was smiling in her easy manner, Rebecca couldn't help but feel slightly disconcerted. Her strong relationship with her brother had her by his side in many early brushes with Death.... Her use of the clichéd "life's too short" had nearly caught in her throat because of it. Even though with medicines of every shape and size seemed to be aiding her brother in living a healthy, more normal life, Rebecca couldn't shake the feeling the Clemenses were treading on thin ice. With that in mind, she could hardly imagine such a damaged relationship as Kevin claimed to have with Chepe, though the Clemens girl knew they existed.

Lorilynn nodded her head, agreeing with Becky, until she came up with the ever pleasant example of emptying bowels. Her cheeks were tinted with a small pink blush as she looked at Becky with uncertainty. After Becky's mispronunciation of Chepe's name, Lorilynn snorted and quickly covered her mouth. Giggling, she repeated, "Crépe..." it took her a moment to pull herself together, but she was able to stop. "You certainly..." Lorilynn started, giving Becky a small smile. "Have a way with words."

She looked long and hard at Lorilynn, attempting to decipher whether it was a compliment she'd just recieved or a thinly veiled insult. Rebecca opened her mouth in the smallest to retort, thought better of it, and started again. "Don't beat around the bush, I know I'm bad with stuff like this. But, uh, better than not trying, right?" She knew, at least after the fact, that... in retrospect certain phraseology was probably better left unmentioned, but she excused herself by also remembering it was a spur-of-the-moment speech.

"It's not that you're bad, I've just never heard a pep-talk like that before." Lorilynn giggled. "But then again, I've never heard many speeches and pep-talks." Lorilynn could only remember the speeches from her father's business partners and friends. She had to admit, they were so boring, and the speakers droaned on about how they got where they were today. Lorilynn thought most of it was bull anyway. She knew that they had to step on others to get to the top. Focusing back on Becky, Lorilynn nodded. "Well, your pep-talk was certainly better than the speeches I've heard. It's actually the truth, and very amusing." Becky was so different from anyone she'd ever met. The island was definitely full of interesting people.

Rebecca pursed her lips thoughtfully as she considered the seemingly and surprisingly sincere response of Lorilynn's. The brunette nearly appeared smug for a moment when she registered Carson's shock at the very same reaction (he must have thought, like Rebecca had, that Lorilynn had missed parts of it or something along similar lines), but her expression became neutral as she realized it was as good as useless unless the full message of it had actually gotten to Kevin.

"On another subject, so you two are essentially new here then?" The Rai Island native asked.

Kevin laughed, really laughed, for the first time in years. His face was transformed from the scowl, and the way his face generally looked. "Yes...I'm sure he likes those things as well, but I avoid eating the things he cooks or likes." Kevin really liked the way she had pronounced Chepe's name. Maybe here was a girl who would not be on Chepe's fan list, with any luck. Kevin still intended to beat the snot out of Chepe and even kill him if he could, but he let no trace of those intentions be seen. He did understand what she had meant, but Kevin was so full of bitterness and hate that he didn't know entirely how to handle it.

He wasn't sure if any of them really understood the depth of which his feelings ran, but it didn't bother him. Once the cause of the feelings were gone...he might actually start enjoying himself. Chepe was the ONLY person in the world Kevin truly hated. Sure a few people rubbed him the wrong way, but generally speaking, he was okay with anyone who crossed his path. "It's pretty difficult for me to do anything he likes to do...or eat anything he likes."

At the change in subject,Kevin breathed easier. They were travelling away from dangerous ground. "well, we all grew up here...we moved when I was 10 and my brother was 8. My sister was only a baby." Kevin ran his hand through his black hair. "We came back after our parents died, about two weeks ago." Kevin didn't tell them that he in fact did not miss his parents. In fact, the opposite was true. He was very glad they were dead. He liked seeing Chepe sad. Kevin thought in a perfect world, everything Chepe loved would be taken from him. If it was his dog, or even a girl. He would like to see EVERYTHING chepe held dear be killed or taken from him in some way. Of course, having only been back on the island four days, Chepe wouldn't have had time to meet any girls yet, except for his classmates. Kevin wondered if he would have the heart to kill that puppy of Chepe's.

Lorilynn nodded in response to Becky's question. She was very excited to be here; going to school, meeting new friends -- it made her feel like she could actually be a teenager before time was up. Another dream come true. She had always want to go to school dances, go on trips, meet other people; and now she could do that! She didn't understand what her father and Leon were talking about. Interesting things do happen outside of home, and Lorilynn definitely wanted to be apart of them. Cutting her thoughts short, Lorilynn finally spoke up. "Yes, this is my first time here. I lived in Massachusetts before coming to this island."

Kevin looked at Lorilynn. "Have you been on Rai Island long?" he asked her. He meant if she'd been there a few weeks, or a few months. He figured that it was more like a few days, the same as him. "I always loved the island...but I adjusted well when we moved. I was able to settle wherever we ended up."

"Only a couple of days." Lorilynn replied plainly. She had to admit, she was a bit jealous when Kevin said "where ever we ended up". She thought he was so lucky to get the oppertunity to travel and see different and new things. Kevin made it seem like it was no big deal. She was always at home doing nothing where he was probably in places she'd never heard before. She couldn't help but shoot him a look of envy. "So, you travel a lot, huh?" she asked, her tone just dripping with jealousy. "Where have you been? Was it interesting? Did you have fun? What do the people indigenous to the place like to do for fun?" she asked quizzically. Although she may have been jealous, Lorilynn definitely wanted to here all about different customs and the great experiences. It was always interesting to listen to. Maybe after school today, she'd buy a journal and keep all of the interesting memories in there. Maybe she could share it with her mother when she was back at home.

Kevin smiled, a little shocked that this girl was still talking to him. "Well...we didn't really travel much. We mostly just went to a few states before my parents decided to park us in Valley, California. I never really liked it there, but I adjusted." Kevin leaned up against a nearby tree, as he continued talking. "Mom always said she traveled before she married my dad, and she insisted we go to Mexico and Australia. Both were pretty fun....but I was so young I don't remember much of either place. I do remember seeing animals in Australia. I would love to go back to both places someday." Kevin stretched his back, and said, "I would really like to just travel all the time."

"It's a shame you don't remember much. I would have loved to hear about it." She sighed. Maybe she'd go to one of those places for vacation sometime. Lorilynn would have to have a buddy tag along. It's boring going alone since you couldn't talk to anyone. Well, there was always the random stranger, but Lorilynn couldn't see herself starting a conversation for no particular reason.

Kevin smiled. "You should, if you have never done it before." he said. "I wouldn't mind having you and some friends come along, if I ever go back." That's if I'm not in jail after today. I'll just have to make sure no one sees me. he thought. He really was planning on Chepe being alone when he followed him. "I am quite looking forward to being able to travel again." he said

He actually wanted her to tag along? Lorilynn found that a bit odd. She only met him today, or rather, fifteen minutes ago. Folding her arms underneath her chest, she gave him a smirk. "Thanks for the offer, but mother always told me not to follow strange men. Lorilynn finally said, glancing at the baseball bat Kevin was holding. Turning from him, her eyes landed on a very silent Carson, who stood behind Becky. "Carson, right? You haven't been saying much." Lorilynn wondered if he was shy or intimidated by the bat. If he was, she didn't blame him. She couldn't help but feel that way as well, but she was doing a great job of covering it.

Kevin blinked before looking away, realizing what had come out of his mouth. "Umm I just meant it's kind of boring to go on a trip like that by yourself." He said. "And yeah, I admit I am strange, definitely." He shook his head. "It won't be for years anyway. I have to be able to save up the money to do it. I couldn't afford to have a sea turtle give me a ride off the island right now." he joked a little bitterly. "Anyway, I wouldn't blame you if you liked my brother more than me if you meet him. Most people do." By people he meant GIRLS. "Anyway I wouldn't actually ask you unless we knew each other."

Gadiel left his house and headed toward the school, driving his car. He left it behind and walked the rest of the way to the courtyard of the school. "I've got to get a dorm here." he grumbled to himself. Amazingly there were alot of people already out there. He waved at them and looked around, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

Yui was running to class hoping to get there before everyone else this time when she caught sight of familiar long red hair. She looked at it in awe for a few minutes and then the thought hit her. "Nii-chan?" SHe asked herself and then a huge excited smile appeared on her face. "Nii-chan!!" She called over to the tall man really loudly with a slight tint of pink on her cheeks. She waved over at him happily.

Carson's light face flushed pink when Lorilynn spoke to him out the blue. "Uh, um, sorry......" His eyes turned down as he tried to speak up. "Sometimes, Dad did...does...did? take us places with him.....but more often he goes by himself a lot.... I think he's in Tunisia now..." Carson's voice fell again, he was again unsure. He'd imagined a more one-on-one-like conversation, more than that intimidated him. In those moments Carson felt hopeless--he wanted to meet people but became frozen in fear when he did? "Um, I should get to class, huh...."
He was afraid of people's opinions of a coward like him--why could he not be more like his sister? It would be better, he thought. I mean, she isn't afraid of anything!
He fled to the ________ before anyone could put in another word.

Gadiel turned toward the sound of the familiar voice, smiling widely. "Yui! Hi," he said, moving toward her. "Would you like to walk the rest of the way to class with me?"He asked her. "How are you doing this morning? It's a beautiful day isn't it?"