Tess Abrahams
May 21st, 2007, 04:29:51 AM
There was peace in running. A rhythm that demanded unity and expelled all unnecessary thoughts. It was true that it became an addiction after a time; there grew to be a physical pull that longed for the patterned fall of footsteps, of breath indrawn. Tess Abrahams had begun running six years ago, when she'd signed up for a community gymnastics class. At nine it had been a rather harried, limbs jostling wildly, shoelaces untied affair. Gradually it had grown into a morning ritual as indispensable as breakfast.
When the teenager had first stepped foot in New York, she thought she would die. The cramped, crowded, noisy streets were a far cry from the open wilderness of Oregon and Tess knew she would not be able to find the same solace in the sport on pavement as she had on pine needles. That was before she'd seen the Institute.
Cullens had, simply, beautiful grounds. The lawn was a blanket of thick, healthy grass that was artfully adorned with clusters of trees and fountains. There were flowers neatly planted by the buildings, but it was at the North end of the grounds that Tess found particularly soothing; it was tamed untamed forest, thin enough to prevent hiding but thick enough to get lost in. It was her chosen track and nearly every morning the girl could be seen loping down at an easy pace.
Today had been no different, and Tess was enjoying the warm post-run rush as she walked into the lobby, red-faced and panting. Her long brown hair, cut simply and dead strait, was pulled back at the moment but the tiny flyaways that framed her face had gotten plastered against her forhead with sweat. The girl wiped at her face with one jerseyed arm and waved to a passing classmate.
"Nice outfit." It was the self-righteous tone that made Tess turn to search out the source of the comment. She found it, black miniskirt and all. Ashley Cornish was in the same English class as Tess, and that was where their similarities ended. Blonde, blue-eyed, and all confidence, Ashley had taken an immediate dislike to Tess, apparently on the grounds that she was, to quote, 'an absolute social disaster.' "Is the butch look in?"
Tess smiled sweetly and took a few steps closer to Ashley, glad that she reeked of perspiration just for the look it put on the other girl's face. She disliked Ashley because Ashley disliked her. "Actually the hooker look is big right now," She admired the girl's skirt and tank top. "But you have the monopoly on that one, Ash."
Ashley rolled her eyes, the lids of which were positively bending under a heavy layer of glittery shadow. "Whatever."
"Did you get all tarted up just so you could come down here and meet me on my way to the showers?" Tess scrunched up her face. "Because that's a) really pathetic and b) kind of creepy." A couple of younger students had just come downstairs and paused, eyes flitting from Ashley to Tess, before they quietly and wisely skirted the older kids.
Ashley balked and placed a manicured hand on her hip. "No. I was looking for you because we--Anna, Emmy, and I--have decided to help you reign in this nature-girl look you've got going and make you somewhat respectable."
Tess almost laughed out loud at the thought of Ashley making her look respectable. She shook her head and walked backwards, shoving her hands into the pockets of her track pants. "Thanks for the offer Ashley, but I think I'd rather take my chances. I'd much rather rally for orphans in Rwanda on a Friday night than display myself so I can suck face with a guy." Again with the sweet smile. "You might want to change before one of the professors sees you, that top doesn't exactly fit the dress code."
"God, Tess." Ashley flicked her hair off her shoulder and sighed dramatically. "We're all mutants here, but you really are a freak." With that she stomped back up the stairs, no doubt to wash her face and cover up before class. Tess watched her retreating back until it turned the corner and then she sighed softly, padding down the hall and into the computer lab.
The exhilerated feeling from the run had dissapeared now, replaced by a dismayed mood. Ashley was just one girl, Tess knew, but she was the sort whose comments ought not to matter but always did. "Sticks and stones." she reminded herself, plopping into a chair and logging onto a computer.
While she waited for the desktop to appear, Tess let her thoughts wander back to the trip into the city a few days ago. A group of fellow students and herself had intended to go to an environmental hearing and a ball game, and instead wound up in the thick of a genuine riot. There had been a man there, a speaker before all the fuss broke out, talking about a uniting of mutants. His turn of phrase had been curious, and Tess had to admit it was a very interesting idea. Of course, it meant that she and Ashley would have to get it together. "Fat chance of that happening."
Within a few moments Tess had accessed her email account and smiled at the sight of a little envelope bearing her mother's addy. There were a few letters advertising that the love of her life was waiting for her at Matequest.com, and another few sounded so filthy she deleted them immedietely.
Tess was about to open the letter from her mother when she noticed a curious item in her inbox.
Remember the Park? read the subject heading. Tess moved the cursor over it and hesitated; what if it was a virus? It seemed a little coincidental but...
With a quick plea to the technology gods, Tess clicked the message open. She was surprised to see her name.
Tess,
You had questions, and the Brotherhood has answers. Unfortunately circumstance did not allow the bringing of the two together last time, but that can be remedied. Come to The Haven tonight at six o'clock. It's probably best to use discretion--certain authorities at the Institute don't encourage exploration.
It was signed with an address, which Tess quickly wrote onto her hand with a pen laying beside the computer. She reread the email again, and got halfway through it when the entire thing suddenly faded into an advertisment for a six day, seven night cruise around the Jamaican Islands--only $ 499, for a limited time.
"Those things are a scam, Ms. Abrahams, and you are going to be late." Tess jumped and turned to see Mrs. Brenner, the monitor, smiling down at her. She nodded and hastily signed off.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Tess glanced at the now dark screen. "But I thought I'd take a look."
* * * * * *
It was five-thirty and she was ten minutes from her destination. The bus was crowded with people, most cranky, and Tess had been forced to stand. It was just as well, since she had enough nervous energy to render sitting inconceivable. The last time she'd left the school without permission, it had been in the middle of the day and it had turned out disasterous. This time she was certain to get back well after curfew, which would mean trying to sneak onto the grounds and back into the dorms. Which was impossible. Which meant she'd be caught. Which meant trouble.
Which all meant that this had better be worth it.
When the teenager had first stepped foot in New York, she thought she would die. The cramped, crowded, noisy streets were a far cry from the open wilderness of Oregon and Tess knew she would not be able to find the same solace in the sport on pavement as she had on pine needles. That was before she'd seen the Institute.
Cullens had, simply, beautiful grounds. The lawn was a blanket of thick, healthy grass that was artfully adorned with clusters of trees and fountains. There were flowers neatly planted by the buildings, but it was at the North end of the grounds that Tess found particularly soothing; it was tamed untamed forest, thin enough to prevent hiding but thick enough to get lost in. It was her chosen track and nearly every morning the girl could be seen loping down at an easy pace.
Today had been no different, and Tess was enjoying the warm post-run rush as she walked into the lobby, red-faced and panting. Her long brown hair, cut simply and dead strait, was pulled back at the moment but the tiny flyaways that framed her face had gotten plastered against her forhead with sweat. The girl wiped at her face with one jerseyed arm and waved to a passing classmate.
"Nice outfit." It was the self-righteous tone that made Tess turn to search out the source of the comment. She found it, black miniskirt and all. Ashley Cornish was in the same English class as Tess, and that was where their similarities ended. Blonde, blue-eyed, and all confidence, Ashley had taken an immediate dislike to Tess, apparently on the grounds that she was, to quote, 'an absolute social disaster.' "Is the butch look in?"
Tess smiled sweetly and took a few steps closer to Ashley, glad that she reeked of perspiration just for the look it put on the other girl's face. She disliked Ashley because Ashley disliked her. "Actually the hooker look is big right now," She admired the girl's skirt and tank top. "But you have the monopoly on that one, Ash."
Ashley rolled her eyes, the lids of which were positively bending under a heavy layer of glittery shadow. "Whatever."
"Did you get all tarted up just so you could come down here and meet me on my way to the showers?" Tess scrunched up her face. "Because that's a) really pathetic and b) kind of creepy." A couple of younger students had just come downstairs and paused, eyes flitting from Ashley to Tess, before they quietly and wisely skirted the older kids.
Ashley balked and placed a manicured hand on her hip. "No. I was looking for you because we--Anna, Emmy, and I--have decided to help you reign in this nature-girl look you've got going and make you somewhat respectable."
Tess almost laughed out loud at the thought of Ashley making her look respectable. She shook her head and walked backwards, shoving her hands into the pockets of her track pants. "Thanks for the offer Ashley, but I think I'd rather take my chances. I'd much rather rally for orphans in Rwanda on a Friday night than display myself so I can suck face with a guy." Again with the sweet smile. "You might want to change before one of the professors sees you, that top doesn't exactly fit the dress code."
"God, Tess." Ashley flicked her hair off her shoulder and sighed dramatically. "We're all mutants here, but you really are a freak." With that she stomped back up the stairs, no doubt to wash her face and cover up before class. Tess watched her retreating back until it turned the corner and then she sighed softly, padding down the hall and into the computer lab.
The exhilerated feeling from the run had dissapeared now, replaced by a dismayed mood. Ashley was just one girl, Tess knew, but she was the sort whose comments ought not to matter but always did. "Sticks and stones." she reminded herself, plopping into a chair and logging onto a computer.
While she waited for the desktop to appear, Tess let her thoughts wander back to the trip into the city a few days ago. A group of fellow students and herself had intended to go to an environmental hearing and a ball game, and instead wound up in the thick of a genuine riot. There had been a man there, a speaker before all the fuss broke out, talking about a uniting of mutants. His turn of phrase had been curious, and Tess had to admit it was a very interesting idea. Of course, it meant that she and Ashley would have to get it together. "Fat chance of that happening."
Within a few moments Tess had accessed her email account and smiled at the sight of a little envelope bearing her mother's addy. There were a few letters advertising that the love of her life was waiting for her at Matequest.com, and another few sounded so filthy she deleted them immedietely.
Tess was about to open the letter from her mother when she noticed a curious item in her inbox.
Remember the Park? read the subject heading. Tess moved the cursor over it and hesitated; what if it was a virus? It seemed a little coincidental but...
With a quick plea to the technology gods, Tess clicked the message open. She was surprised to see her name.
Tess,
You had questions, and the Brotherhood has answers. Unfortunately circumstance did not allow the bringing of the two together last time, but that can be remedied. Come to The Haven tonight at six o'clock. It's probably best to use discretion--certain authorities at the Institute don't encourage exploration.
It was signed with an address, which Tess quickly wrote onto her hand with a pen laying beside the computer. She reread the email again, and got halfway through it when the entire thing suddenly faded into an advertisment for a six day, seven night cruise around the Jamaican Islands--only $ 499, for a limited time.
"Those things are a scam, Ms. Abrahams, and you are going to be late." Tess jumped and turned to see Mrs. Brenner, the monitor, smiling down at her. She nodded and hastily signed off.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Tess glanced at the now dark screen. "But I thought I'd take a look."
* * * * * *
It was five-thirty and she was ten minutes from her destination. The bus was crowded with people, most cranky, and Tess had been forced to stand. It was just as well, since she had enough nervous energy to render sitting inconceivable. The last time she'd left the school without permission, it had been in the middle of the day and it had turned out disasterous. This time she was certain to get back well after curfew, which would mean trying to sneak onto the grounds and back into the dorms. Which was impossible. Which meant she'd be caught. Which meant trouble.
Which all meant that this had better be worth it.