A Ramblin'

[Tess Abrahams]

Midway through chapter eighteen, the girl realized that any attempt at making her ten o'clock physics class would meet with certain failure. John Krakauer was simply too captivating a writer, Into Thin Air too beguiling a narrative, and statistical mechanics too daunting a subject to tackle this early in the term. As she read under the comforting weight of blankets, cozy in sweats and a ragged tee, Tess Abraham's efforts at self-motivation were quickly turned against her the further she delved into the book.

'One more paragraph, that's it!' became 'There's only half a page left..."; "It's the beginning of the year!" transformed itself into 'It's only the beginning.'; her last scrap of resolve, that applying statistical principles was an important concept to grasp, was effectively dispelled by a sarcastic eye-rolling by her inner-self.

Class was well over and done by the time the rumpled teenager rolled out of bed, reading the epilogue and author's notes as she navigated through strewn clothing and belongings (so hopelessly mixed that it was impossible to derive whether their ownership belonged to Tess or Jacinda) and into the bathroom. Finally turning the last page as she relieved herself (that was the problem with good books, you couldn't even stop to go), Tess decided that since it was almost lunchtime, and since she'd skived off her morning classes anyway, there was no point in going to study hall either. She tossed her book out into the mess between the beds, and set about showering and getting ready for another day at the Institute

It was quick work. Tess loathed makeup and was terrible at styling herself, preferring instead to leave her fine features untouched and allow her hair to air dry. She pulled on shorts and an organic, fair-trade cotton yoga tank, ran a brush through her thick and dripping hair, and shoved her feet into practically-disintegrating flip flops (a most treasured pair that she and her roommate both used and loved with equal frequency.) Then the girl left, tying a sweatshirt around her waist just in case.

Tess had no purpose in mind, but she wasn't worried about being bored. There was always something going on at Cullen's.

[Jacinda Blake]

It was too early in the year to have memorized the class schedules of all her friends.. but she was sure that Tess was supposed to be here. Right now she was in study hall. She was supposed to be sitting and working on her homework to turn in the next day, but Jacinda had long since finished it. Now the only thing she had occupying her mind was - Where had Tess gone?

Jacinda was sitting at a long table, one of several in the room, her seat pushed back from the table, legs crossed, one foot shaking in sheer boredum. Other students sat pouring over text books, or writing in ringed notebooks. The longer she sat there, the faster her foot wiggled..

She sighed. It was too much...

Professor Selvano wasn't teaching, so much as keeping an eye on them.. The green-thumbed instructor was standing at the open windows, absently tending to the gorgoeus, blooming flowers growing in window boxes along the sill. The open window let a bit of fresh air in and ruffled Jacinda's hair.

It was all the encouragement she needed. She tore a piece of notebook paper free and scribbled a note..


Hey, Casper..
Have you seen Gumbi today? <3


Then she folded the page into a little paper airplane, something she was getting quite adept at lately. With a grin, she made sure the teacher wasn't watching and sent the message flying, her own little version of air mail.

[Ghost]

Chris had been lost in admiration of his latest sketch - Professor Felicity Beaumont in a figure-hugging catsuit fighting crime as her sexy alter-ego, Amazon Girl - when the paper airplane touched down gracefully on his open jotter. He looked at Jacinda, she pretended to be engrossed in a copy of Advanced Genetics but the smirk gave her away. He unfolded the paper, read her note then grabbed a red felt-tipped pen and scribbled one of his own:

Not since yesterday. Maybe she's sick. Let's go and cheer her up - I could show her my moonwalk!

He tore out the page, folded it neatly, and slowly rose out of his seat to enhance his line of sight. Professor Selvano was preoccupied, humming merily while stuffing compost into a flower pot. He carefully took aim, his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth, and launched it. The little airplane shot across the classroom, it's course straight and true, but before it could land on Jacinda's desk it looped dramatically and crashed into the side of her head.

[Jacinda Blake]

She grabbed the note, making a face at Chris, like he'd hit her in the head on purpose. She shoved it into the pages of her book to read, lest she get caught tossing notes in class. The scandal!

Despite the fact that she had high grades, and was working this year as a teacher's aid, Jacinda had seriously loosened up and was not above getting into a little mischeif, if it was for a good cause.

Tess was a good cause.

Jacinda peeked back over to Chris and nodded, mouthing the words:

'You first!"

[Tess Abrahams]

By this time the truant student had casually made her way downstairs, pausing briefly to return a few books to the library. The halls were mostly empty as classes were still in session, but Tess wasn't worried about being stopped; a normally diligent scholar, there was no reason for anyone who spotted her to think she didn't have reason for loitering.

Tess herself was a little surprised that none of her close friends were about. At the least, Carlos could usually be counted on to be where he shouldn't.

Smiling at a young kid with green skin and bulging eyes, Tess decided to head towards the gymnasium. With no one to chum around with, and having spent far too long lazing in bed, a workout sounded like a good idea.

[Ghost]

He shrugged carelessly, closed his books and scooped them up under his arm. His approach to skipping class had always been rather unflinching and he found it fun leading Jacinda astray, she being his first ever truly intelligent friend. He caught her eye, pointed at Professor Selvano, then her, then the door to the classroom. They were hardly military hand gestures but she understood, nodded, and discreetly packed her things away.

His eyes scanned the room, he spotted something, and with a grin he disappeared. Immediately one of the students complained to the professor that it was too cold. She agreed and went about closing all the classroom windows. Study Hall was taking place in one of the institute's laboritories that week. Thier last study session ended early when an enamoured couple had an ugly break-up and the ex-girlfriend's temper tantrum resulted in seismic tremors which split the floor in two. Fortunately, the change of scenery provided Chris with the perfect distraction.

In the corner of the room stood a full-size model of the human skeleton. Evelyn Swanson sat at the table just in front of it, she was an estudious girl with bobbed ginger hair and large green glasses. Chris was especially fond of her because her screams were known to shatter glass. The skeleton shuddered on its stand, causing her to look up, and to her horror, she saw it staring down at her with its awful shark-like grin. She whimpered frightfully when it raised its boney fingers to wave at her. However, when it suddenly lurched forward with its arms outstretched, she screamed, and the model skeleton crashed into pieces on her desk.

[Jacinda Blake]

Chris was 'the best' at creating distractions. Jacinda would have felt bad, if the whole thing wasn't for such a good cause..

Yeah, just keep tellin' yourself that, Jas. Whatever gets you through the day.

She knew first hand, just how scarey Chris could be when he set his mind to it. She'd been his victim more than once and still succumbed to his antics on occasion. Usually resulting in her squealing and whacking him with whatever object was handy, then laughing herself silly because it was really funny. She had a growing appreciation for pranks, that had recently reared it's ugly head. All his fault, she was sure...

While the class was distracted, Jacinda shoved her books in her bag and jumped, literally swooping over the table between her and the door, discreetly slipping out into the hall, while covering her mouth to keep from laughing.

[Ghost]

Chris had no idea whether his distraction had worked or not. He stood alone in a pale classroom full of empty chairs. It was silent and a thick fog hung in the still air. He thought about Evelyn Swanson and the reaction he'd undoubtedly elicited. His hearty laughter echoed throughout the lifeless building and its winding corridors. He turned and walked through the wall beside him until he stepped out into the corridor. Drawing on the buzz of energy nearby, he pushed through the fog and colour flooded his surroundings once more. Jacinda stood several yards in front of him, their eyes met and he grinned.

"How was it?"

[Jacinda Blake]

Still covering her giggles, Jacinda threw her bag over her shoulder, running over and grabbing Chris by the arm. "That was awesome, now let's get out of here and go find Tess!"

She had absolutely no idea where to start looking for her bestest buddy, save for their shared room, but a quick trip upstairs found the room deserted. Jacinda came back out and shrugged at Chris.

"She's not here now, but she was recently. Or someone else saw fit to use our shower... So where next?"

[Ghost]

"It's Tess," he said, pointedly, "She's not in her room and she's not in class. Hmmm... I wonder... wherever could she be?"

He rubbed his chin to add dramatic effect to his sarcasm. Jacinda scoffed at first but quickly her expression changed and her hands fell from her hips. She darted off down the hallway and Chris jogged after her. They passed packed classrooms and ducked whenever a teacher was stood by a window. Once outside, they sprinted up a path with a basketball court to one side and a soccer pitch to the other. There was a building with an entire wall made of glass windows, it was the gymnasium. Inside, they saw someone crossing the length of the hall performing a dazzling sequence of cartwheels, backflips and somersaults - she had a familiar face.

"You worry about her too much," Chris said, gasping for air, "Why is that?"

[Jacinda Blake]

"She's my best friend? I'm required to worry about her. Besides, she knows all my dirty secrets.."

Jacinda rolled her eyes dramatically and pushed open the gym doors stepping inside, onto the highly polished wood floors. "Ain't that right, Tess?"

Seeing that no one else was around, Jacinda launched off the ground and cleared the space between them in one graceful leap, landing beside her friend and grinning because it was very clear that she had just skipped class to come find her..

[Tess Abrahams]

...Right!" Tess agreed breathlessly as she landed a double backflip neatly. She glanced down to inspect the landing; her left foot was turned out at a slight angle. The girl frowned and turned it until it was straight and perfectly in line with the rest of her body.

Once she was satisfied, Tess relaxed from her taut pose and grinned delightedly. "Hey! I was hoping someone would come!" She bent forward and wrapped her torso completely around her thighs. With a slight rocking motion a loud pop sounded from her back, and Tess sighed in satisfaction. "Oh man, that feels good.

"So, what did I just agree with, anyway?"

[Ghost]

"That Jacinda dotes upon you far too much and probably harbours non-platonic feeling towards you which border on... shall we say... lesbian?"

He ducked Jacinda's swipe and hopped over to Tess with the happy-go-lucky nature of someone who had just skipped a boring class and was thoroughly pleased about it. He looked at Tess with a healthy measure of admiration.

"Looking good, Gumbi. And the gymnastics weren't too bad, either. Ha ha!"

His laugh was false and melodramatic, like that of a court jester, and he retreated to a pommel horse to try out some crude gymnastics of his own.

[Tess Abrahams]

"You are such a dweeb, Chris." Tess snorted, though there was too much smile in her tone for the insult to be taken seriously. Unwrapping herself from herself, she draped an arm around Jacinda. They were close enough that she knew Jacinda wouldn't mind the fact that she was grossly covered in sweat; if Chris hadn't been around she would've stripped to a sports bra, for although Tess was focused--alright, obsessed--with staying fit and had the body to prove it, she wasn't the sort to showcase it.

Tess playfully yanked Jacinda's hair and retreated to the brand-new uneven bars--she'd begged Mr. Daniels for them, and had promised to use them every single day if he'd agree. Tess chalked her hands and swung up onto the lower bar, easing into a swinging rhythm while she waited for her muscles to get a sense of her shifting balance. "I can't believe you skipped, Jas. What a rebel." At the uppermost point of her ascent, Tess let go and used the momentum to do a half-twist before grasping the high bar with a grunt. "Carlos will be stoked."

[Jacinda Blake]

Jacinda, without missing a beat, muttered something toward Chris before walking off with Tess that sounded suspisciously like.. "You're just jealous because we asked Carlos to film instead of you..." Not like she was serious, but still, it might just serve to shut him up for a minute or two while they chatted.

To Tess she tossed a cheeky grin, looking slightly too proud of her skipping, for a good-girl. "Yeah well, I figured I could afford to miss study hall, and if I got busted I could claim I was worried about you. So you're clearly ok then.."

[Tess Abrahams]

"I guess." She came to an ecruciatingly slow halt, posed in a handstand atop the bar. By shifting her weight from one arm to the other in a little, jolting dance, Tess was able to hold the position. She turned so she could look at Jacinda in an upside-down view.

"I dunno." The girl stopped balancing and allowed herself to fall, picking up speed until she was looping around the bar, a blur of olive skin and grey sweats. This was what it must feel like to fly, this effortless turning in the air; Tess let go without timing, and fired straight out like a bullet. A loud thud sounded in the gym as she hammered onto the safety mats, skidding past Jacinda with a mere few inches to spare.

Tess crumpled to a slightly-dazed halt. The dull tingling of mat-burn was beginning to warm the skin of her arms; they'd been like human skis in the slide. She looked up at Jacinda, and sighed. "You ever get those days where you're just sick and tired of the way things are going? This whole week's been like one of those days."

[Jacinda Blake]

"I hear ya.." Jacinda nodded.

She definately knew the feeling, although lately things had been on the up and up for her. Things were just falling into place. Sure it had taken some rethinking of what she wanted out of life, but now her choices were centered around what she wanted for herself, and not what she was supposed to becoem based on what future her parents saw for her..

It was liberating, to say the least.

She reached out a hand to help her friend up. "So, while I'm on a roll with this skipping class thing, what do you guys think about skipping the premises as well...? We could go catch a movie, or just run around town or something?"

[Carlos Calaveras]

There was a squeak, of footsteps against the polished gym floor. The truants looked up, to see Carlos pacing towards them. Both eyebrows raised, hands parted and outstretched, he viewed the trio of truants with genuine surprise.

“Cutting class? I would have expected this from you, Casper, but you two-”

He looked from Tess to Jacinda. “Well done.”

[Ghost]

The pommel horse was something Chris had taken an interest in ever since he saw another student performing a sequence of powerful flourishes on it. In full swing, he had looked like she was break-dancing and had given him a few tips in the past. Tess always offered her help when it came to balance and it was under her tutelage, he'd performed his first handstand on it. When Carlos arrived, he distracted him as he attempted a single leg swing and he forgot to let go of one of the pommels. His thigh smacked his arm and he crashed to the matress in a crumpled heap.

"Since we've kindly granted ourselves a day free of study," he said, dusting himself off, "Why don't we get the hell out?"

[Tess Abrahams]

"I'm in." With Jacinda's help Tess hoisted herself up, none the worse for wear from the fall. It was one plus of having a body made of rubber.

"There's a karaoke bar downtown, Brass Monkey, that doesn't card." If they were going to go out, they might as well go out.

[Jacinda Blake]

Jacinda ran over and pretty much jumped on Carlos, in greeting. There was a certain degree of excitment to this.. skipping class thing, that agreed with her. Too many years she'd been almost rigid in her determination to be a top-notch student. Now she just wanted to be happy and this was the trio that had made it all possible..

"Fine... but I'm not singing." She grinned and tucked her arm through Carlos'.

"So how are we going to get off campus without getting caught?" She was not a pro at this.. it was a bit new to her, so she'd leave it to the more accomplished delinquents.

[Carlos Calaveras]

“Leave that to us... you're dealing with experts, here,” Carlos said, drawing himself up, chest puffed out a little. He, Chris and Tess had all escaped the mansion grounds on numerous reasons, whether alone or together. Truth be told, the act of putting a lock on the gate was more a formality than anything else. It eased the conscience of the people living nearby the school, but it certainly couldn't do much to keep a bunch of bored, super-powered teenagers inside. Whether they flew over the walls or walked through them, they'd find a way out.

[Ghost]

"We'll use our usual spot," he said, Tess and Carlos were in agreement and they set off together. On the way, Chris explained the plan to Jacinda.

"You know the park behind the institute? Well, we escape into that over the high wall. Tess gives Carlos a boost and she can clear the wall by herself, you should see the position she bends herself into - it's freaky! You can just fly over, perhaps even give Carlos and Tess a soft landing on the other side. And I- we haven't forgotten about the security cams! Come on, Jas, did you hear what the man said? We're experts! We picked that spot because there's only one camera and that's where I come in, I do my thing and interfere with it while you guys get over. Then I just follow you out. Then it's sake and singing for all!"

He nudged Tess and nodded at Jacinda.

"She will sing," he said sagely, "She will sing."

[Tess Abrahams]

Tess returned Chris' nod with equal gentility. "Oh, no doubt about it. You haven't lived until you've heard Jas' rendition of 'I Believe I Can Fly'; it could end wars, that."

She darted aside just in time to avoid a playful swat from her roommate. In no time at all they had reached their appointed escape destination; someone--it looked like that new kid, the one from Georgia--was crossing the lawn in the distance but beyond that there was no one else around. It was the perfect setup.

"Alrighty Casper, do your thing." Tess took a knee and cupped her hands. She grinned at Carlos. "Ready, if you can bear to part from your lover."

[Ghost]

Chris nodded and left them. He approached a bench which sat beneath a tall classroom window, to the left of the window there was a stationery security camera affixed to the wall via a bracket. First he crouched and peeked inside the window, the classroom was empty and he turned to give his friends the thumbs up. He stepped up onto the bench and then as he raised his foot to climb onto the back of it, he vanished from sight.

The light of day turned pallid and stale, the air was swamped with fog and his soft footfalls echoed in the silent vacuum. He climbed gingerly from the back of the bench onto the window ledge and sidled across until he was within reach of the security camera above him. His finger passed through what was normally solid metal and with the same tried-and-true technique he'd used during their previous escapes, he pushed at the air with his subconsience and the fog started to roll back.

To his friends, he appeared as an unnatural shadow looming against the wall, and suddenly a spark leapt from the camera, turning its red glowing light dark and dead. That was their cue.

[Jacinda Blake]

Tess took a knee and cupped her hands. She grinned at Carlos. "Ready, if you can bear to part from your lover."
Jacinda smirked, but remained wisely silent.. Up until she saw the little red camera light go out.

"No need.." She grabbed each of the by the back of their shirts, Carlos and Tess, and then jumped - bolstering winds surrounding the trio, and shoving them up and over.

She doubted very much that she would have been able to fly the three of them for any extended period of time, as she'd only been working on flying with one person so far.. Carlos. They cleared the wall though, with a noise of shock from Tess, landing safely on the opposite side.

Jacinda let go of Tess, and gave Carlos a loud smack of a kiss on his cheek. "There.. Climbing? Feh..."

[Carlos Calaveras]

Carlos, thanks to his numerous evenings of practice with Jacinda, landed as gracefully as a boy of his stocky stature could. Assaulted by a kiss on the cheek, he gave Tess a rather swaggering smirk and took Jacinda's hand in his own.

“We better get going, before anyone comes snooping... Casper'll catch up in a bit.”

[Tess Abrahams]

Tess was suddenly grateful she'd practically made a career out of landing unprepared stunts gracefully, because she hadn't been expecting to literally fly over the wall. The girl made a face back at Carlos, and turned her raised eyebrows to Jacinda. "That? Was sweet."

They had already put a fair bit of distance between themselves and the school, and each step decreased the likelihood of getting caught. If it had just been Chris and Carlos and Tess, eventually the fact that they were all gone would have clued at least one of the professors in; but with Jacinda... well, they were basically home-free.

They were getting close to the main road and Tess glanced over her shoulder. "Where's Chris? He better not be sneaking up on us. I hate it when he does that."