|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:13 am
Adjusting to life in Sovereign Heights was strange, especially being back on the basketball team. A year came and passed, and he was now officially in his second year in this school. For some reason, it was difficult to wrap his head around this concept, even as he watched Belle grow bigger; she wasn't exactly what one would call a puppy anymore. It was probably because he could still remember Hillworth; from how exactly he had gotten in there to being transferred in. It was something that was hard to forget. It was like a blemish on his life that would ingrain itself in the minds of those who knew him forever. Especially his own.
But he was getting better at controlling his anger now and that was all that mattered. His mother liked to say that it was probably her idea of letting him take responsibility of a pet that had helped. He liked to think that it was that and his determination to change.
He had separated his daily jogs from Belle's walks when she was younger, but now that she had grown, he had found that she adored jogging besides him, and let her do so. Today was no exception, which saw the both of them running through the park; the dog's eyes shining brightly with happiness.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 2:20 am
The park was bustling with activity, Sam was just a small piece in its puzzle. Earlier, his mother shoved him out the door, begging him to go play outside. So he had made his way to the park nearby. He was running about with a bunch of other kids on the playground equipment, swinging from one monkey bar to another. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone familiar.
Rubbing his eyes to be sure, Sam watched the young adult jogging along with a dog.
Although he looked older, Sam was sure it was his cousin. He didn't remember there being a dog, but he was still certain it was him. For the last couple years, Sam wasn't allowed to see Damon. Or it was the other way around. Ever since Damon was sent to Hillsworth, he was banned from coming around the house. The Colts felt that their nephew had become a bad influence for their son. At the time, Sam was already getting into trouble at school. A knack for getting into fights was something the two boys shared, and something that Sam's parents desperately wanted to stop. Cutting Damon out of his impressionable cousin's life was just a step.
Sam had always admired Damon. He didn't have any siblings, the Amarys were as close as he was going to get. Sam wasn't aware of why he hadn't seen Damon over the last few years. As far as he knew or understood, they had just drifted away. Now was his chance.
Like a little ninja, he stalked Damon across the field. Running up behind him, he wound up a punch. A small fist hit Damon square in back. It was friendly jab that turned in a hug as he wrapped his arms around the larger boy's waist.
"Damon!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:49 am
Belle noticed Sam first, slowing down to look curiously at the boy who was currently heading towards her master. Damon wasn't as observant as his dog, however, and only realized the boy's presence when a light jab stopped him in his tracks. It took him a while to register who exactly it was as arms were wrapped around him and his name was called out. "Sam!" It came out in a tone of surprise, mixed with a tinge of delight. He hadn't seen his younger cousin in quite a while, and he didn't blame his uncle and aunt from restricting him from seeing Sam again. It had been his fault after all, and Damon too, didn't want Sam to follow in his footsteps.
Still, it was nice to see Sam again after all these years; he had always thought of his cousin as a younger brother of sorts. Sure, he had Delphine, but sisters were different from brothers.
He had avoided going near the Colts' neighborhood due to the request of Sam's parents and his own desire to become a more positive role model before approaching Sam again. It was pretty inevitable that they would meet, however, like the coincidence of today. If it had been a year ago, when he had been trying to fit in at Sovereign Heights, he would probably have ran away and denied his identity.
Now however, Damon could only grin, giving Sam a light noogie in return. "Hey, how have you been doing, sport? Grown taller, I see. Does this mean you're going to challenge me at basketball now?" He was interrupted slightly when Belle barked, tail wagging as she loped up and attempted to give the boy a greeting that mostly consisted of licks. "Oh yeah... uh, that's Belle. Don't know if mom told you guys we got a dog."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:13 pm
Sam giggled as the dog gave him sloppy kisses. He tousled Belle's fur, rubbing her head vigorously in a way that mimicked the noogie he had received. "Good!," he smiled widely up at Damon.
"Yeah, lots taller. Almost as tall as you!" It was an exaggeration, Sam was no where near Damon's height yet. But, the kid hadn't seen his cousin in such a long time the difference was huge. Last time they had seen each other, Sam was barely level with Damon's chest; now he was just a few inches from his shoulders.
"Maybe, but I'm not that good... yet." Honestly, Sam didn't have that much interest in basketball. The pre-teen much preferred sports like dodgeball, any game that had multiple balls flying around. Just one ball was a bit... boring for his young mind. However, Sam knew that his cousin was a big basketball star and he admired that. He remembered how, when he was lucky, he'd be allowed to shoot some hoops with Damon. It made him feel grown up to play with a teenager. It was a treat he had sorely been missing.
"...Maybe we can practice sometime?," he asked tentatively. Sam didn't bother to ask why it had been so long since the last time they had seen each other. He didn't want to scare Damon away with an uncomfortable question. Instead, Sam just gave Belle affectionate pets and smiled up at Damon. His wide soft brown eyes were filled with joy, a half healed bruise on his cheek was just barely noticeable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:54 am
"Fat chance." Damon retorted jokingly with a smirk. Of course, he didn't discount the possibility that his cousin might one day outgrow him, but it was weird. Almost as weird as thinking that Delphine would probably get married someday. To him, they would always be like younger siblings that he would worry about. It was a big brotherly part of him that was difficult to change.
"Uh..." The older boy was struck speechless by the question. It meant that Sam wanted to see him again, and while Damon was open to that, he wasn't sure that the Colts would allow Sam to continue 'fraternizing with someone of a bad influence'. He couldn't bring himself to reject the offer, although he knew that he would be dealing with a lecture if his mother knew that he was meeting his cousin discreetly. During this silence, Belle's tail wagged happily at this attention, distracting him from thinking too much about it.
"Well, I..." He began, then stopped, peering at Sam's cheek, eyes wide in confusion. "Is that... were you bullied in school? Man, are you alright?" Concern seeped into his voice; Damon didn't want to make the insinuation that he had been influencing Sam after all. Perhaps he hadn't gotten into a fight of his own accord. Nor did he want to assume anything.
Damon wasn't a good figure to offer advice on these matters. Of course, the 'correct' advice that he should tell a teacher or a parent about it if there was a bully in question. He had been at that age once, and reporting would do no good; it would only make the bully think that you feared him. But if he said otherwise... what if Sam ended up in Hillworth like he had?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:30 pm
Sam eagerly awaited Damon’s reply. His smile was wide, until Damon noticed the bruise. A hand automatically lifted to his cheek, gingerly touching the greenish bruise. “This? It’s nothin’. Got into a fight... I won.” Sam said it proudly.
Of course he knew better than to get into a fight at school, but sometimes it was inevitable. Boys will be boys. Still, he was proud that he didn’t let some other kid get the better of him. The large toothy smile shrank into a cool smirk. “Pretty cool, huh?”
Damon’s shady history and time at Hillworth weren’t well known to Sam. He knew that Damon had some temper issues, but Sam made the assumption that his cool older cousin would be pleased.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 5:27 pm
There were a lot of conflicted emotions within Damon as he simply stared at his younger cousin, struggling to find the appropriate response. Belle had gone from happy licks to sniffing Sam's leg, which meant she wasn't a very good distraction at the moment. He was at a loss for words; should he chide Sam like the adults would want him to? But boys were boys, and they would get into fights... something he himself knew very well. Then again, it wasn't right for him to encourage Sam to fight like he had and end up like Damon had, or even worse.
"Well," he said slowly, trying to sound neutral. If he sounded too harsh, it would be like he was lecturing him, but if he sounded too accepting, Sam would have no qualms in continuing fighting with other kids. "It's good that you didn't lose." Of course, winning had its downsides too, like getting too cocky and thinking that you had the authority to continue getting into fights... "What was the fight about?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:17 pm
Scratching Bell's head, Sam gave a low shrug. "Dunno really. Some kid was being mean. I stepped in." He shrugged again and cocked his head, ever so slightly, to the left. He did know what the fight was about, he just didn't want to admit that he partially started it in defense of another kid at school. So he told a half truth.
"It's no big deal. Mom and Dad said no more dessert for a week, because of it. But I think they'll still let me have some in a day or two." A sneaky, snide grin creeped across his face. If there was one thing Sam was good at, it was manipulating his parents into giving him treats.
Sam made a move towards Damon. One hand kept scratching Bell, back and forth across her head. His other hand reached for Damon's, latching onto him. He gazed up at his cousin happily, "Whatcha been up to all this time, Dam'?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 10:45 pm
That was a pretty good reason, in Damon's standards, at least. It was always good to teach bullies a lesson or else they would get cocky and continue their tyranny. Of course, there were always repercussions to such actions, like the bruise on Sam's face. Or even being called into the principal's office for disciplinary action. Or yeah, being banned from desert... which really wasn't that big a deal, Damon thought. Besides, Sam was just a kid, with no track record... and he did hope his cousin wouldn't start building that up. "As long as it's for the right reasons." He said simply, and he couldn't help but crack a grin at Sam's confidence that he could get out of his punishment soon enough.
"Well, I graduated from Hillworth after a year, thank goodness." Hillworth wasn't a nice place, and he hoped that Sam wouldn't get in there, or even harbor a desire to want to. "I'm studying at Sovereign Heights now, and hey, I even got back into the basketball team. Mom also let me get my motorbike. I can take you on a spin anytime, if you'd like." Of course, Damon would insist on helmets, like he did with Delphine whenever she wanted a lift from him. It never hurt to be safe, after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 5:01 pm
“Hillworth? Sovereign?” Sam was oblivious to what schools these really were. His small world revolved around pretty much just Knightside, the names of other schools beyond that and Meadowview weren’t well known to him. His parents were planning his educational future, and Sam wasn’t really interested in those plans to care.
The very second her heard the word motorbike, Sam lit up. He was bouncing slightly with excitement. “A bike? REALLY!? How fast does it go, what kind is it? What color? When can we go? You’re not going to tell my mom are you?” Sam was buzzing with questions. He sincerely hoped that he could go for a ride on the bike, though he knew his mother would probably never allow it. Though Mrs. Colt would have multiple reasons to say no and disapprove, Sam was only aware of the fact that it would be because motorcycles are ‘dangerous’.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:39 am
"You know," Damon pointed out, "Hillworth's one of the high schools. Sovereign's a prep school. ...But well, I guess you don't really need to think too much about that right now." Sam was just a kid, after all. It was best for him to not think too much and have fun for now.
"It's a sports bike." Damon liked speed, after all, though he did promise his mother never to go too fast. He couldn't help but grin when he talked about his bike, which he treated like it was his baby. "It's a black Honda Fireblade. And don't worry. I won't tell your mom if you won't tell mine. They'd have a fit if they knew." And really, imagining both his mother and aunt yelling at him and lecturing him about being a responsible cousin was headache enough. He didn't want that imaginary situation to become a reality at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:14 pm
Once explained a bit more, the schools started to ring a bell for Sam. “Oh. Right, yeah. I think I’ve seen kids with those school uniforms. Is Hillworth bad? Can’t be, cause you went there.” In Sam’s eyes, anything his big cousin did could not have been bad or wrong. If Damon had gone to Hillworth, it must have been a good place, and Sovereign must be equally amazing.
Just the same, Sam didn’t know that much about motorcycles, yet. He knew the basics about what kind of brands there were and in general how engines works. However, he did not know exactly whether or not a certain brand was good or bad. But if Damon had a Honda, it must be good.
“Awesome! Won’t tell a soul. When can we go!?” He slid his hand across his mouth, gesturing that his lips were sealed. Sam was practically jumping up and down, too excited about the idea to contain himself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:29 am
Can’t be, cause you went there.
Those words hit him then, and it hurt, and Damon wondered why Sam thought of him so well, when he in fact, was not some sort of hero. It wasn't as though he was a villain either, but he was trying. He was trying to redeem himself in everyone's eyes, and it sort of made him guilty that Sam wasn't told the truth. Maybe, just maybe, one day he would actually be worthy of what his cousin thought of him. "Meadowview was better." Damon murmured, fluffing Sam's hair. At the very least, he could try to steer him away from Hillworth, even though he suspected that his aunt and uncle wouldn't want Sam in that notorious school either. But it seemed that Sam would rather listen to him than his parents, and Damon was determined not to lead him down the path he had gone.
That was his responsibility.
"Are you free some time next week?" He asked, lapsing into thought. "Maybe a weekend afternoon?" Weekdays were usually reserved for practice and training, after all. Belle gave a little whine and pressed herself against his legs because she was being neglected, and he gave her a few absent-minded pats on the head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:04 am
Sam nodded. "Yeah! I'm free on the weekends. Mom keeps complaining I'm in the house too much. I'm sure she'll be happy if I went out with you!"
Delia Colt would not be happy. Delia Colt would, in fact, be worried sick if she knew exactly who he was spending time with. Her head would be full of exaggerated ideas about what former-Hillsworth boys were like, and that Damon would be giving her precious only child ideas. Nevermind that Damon was her nephew and that she actually knew what he was like. Her mental image of him was tarnished with the stain of being associated with Hillsworth. But these were all things that existed in her head, and not in Sam's or even Sam's father's. To Sam going out with Damon should please both himself and his parents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:43 am
Damon tried not to grimace. He could imagine his aunt calling his mom, yelling frantically over the phone about how he had kidnapped Sam. She wouldn't be very happy either if she heard that Damon was giving rides to Sam on his motorbike. Of course, Damon always insisted on his riders to wear a helmet, something that had always made him lapse into long arguments with Delphine, but Mrs Colt would only think about his reputation as a Hillworth kid.
"We should keep it a secret, actually." He confided his thoughts. It wouldn't do to have a family argument, after all. "Since, you know, Aunt Delia probably would think that motorcycles are dangerous and not let you come." It was a pretty lame excuse, but hey, it was pretty plausible!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
