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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:18 pm
He'd woken up, late in the morning, to hear his phone alerting him to a message left in voice mail. Groaning he rolled to the edge of his bed and hanging his feet over the edge of his bed he got up while grabbing his phone off his bed side table.
Fingers dialed his voice mail, he needn't look at the buttons to know he was correct in the numbers he pressed. Listening to his voice mail, the only one he had, he seemed to frown a bit as he heard the words playing in his ear. It seemed his fellow book lover was in trouble with a parent and wanted to go out for coffee and a chat.
Not one to turn down coffee, and if he could somehow help, Alexandre decided to call back while he meandered his way into his closet and pick out his clothing for the day.
After an exchange of words, and a time and place, he'd hung up and was preparing to meet her at the cafe of her choice.
What sort of trouble she was in he didn't know, he'd get the details from her at the cafe. He'd sort of rushed her off the phone a bit, explaining he'd just woken up. Now though he was dressed and keys in hand as he headed out the front door. The a.c in the car, suv really, was going on the moment he got in. The summer heat was killing.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:48 pm
"Like I told you, dad, I do have friends. They're just few and far between. I'm picky." Christa explained, sipping at her water. She stared across the booth at her father Benjamin while sitting at the local Starbucks. Benjamin himself considered Starbucks to be too expensive for an everyday thing, but he enjoyed his coffee just the same as everyone else. He appreciated a good blend. With hands wrapped around his cup, he regarded his daughter's insistent demeanor. She wasn't an incredibly social person, but she'd either actually met or created two individuals in a very short span of time - one Talullah and another named Alexandre.
Being that Alexandre was most likely male, he was more intriguing than Talullah at that very moment. Christa didn't often associate with many people at all, but to call upon two friends the elder Calloway had never met in such close proximity made him suspicious. Christa showed him the text she had sent to Alexandre, asking if he was busy and if he wanted to go out for coffee. Obviously she didn't show her father the text about what kind of hot water she was in. The teen didn't expect Alex to follow through, for he was probably a busy boy just like everyone else. Still, it didn't hurt to show her text really did go through and that the number at least existed.
"You're sure he'd actually come, this Alex boy?"
Christa nodded, knowing exactly what her father was thinking - it was a boy, therefore, he needed to be scrutinized and picked apart with a fine tooth comb. Little did her father know that Christa bore no romantic feelings towards Alexandre. They were equals - intellectuals. "He said he would. If you'd like me to prove his existence, I can call him again and you can talk to him. I promise he knows who I am."
Benjamin shook his head. "I'd rather wait for this... charming young man."
Christa rolled her eyes.
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:11 pm
Starbucks was not a good blend, not in his opinion. But he'd let Christa pick the place so he'd gone with it, even if they didn't have what he liked. Parked in the lot behind the coffee house he made his way in through the backdoor, one hand in a pant pocket, while the other hand hung at his side. Approaching from behind Christa, he dropped himself into the seat at her side.
"I apologize if I'm a touch late, traffic." He stated. He didn't like dealing with traffic but it was a part of how things went, hence he dealt with it.
Jeans, dark wash as he preferred, and sneakers he had on a favorite black polo shirt. The inside flap to the strip of three buttons was done in a pale blue check pattern - Burberry. He had his favorite brands, and it was one of them.
"You told me you were in some form of trouble?" He questioned, his pale eyes on the female at his side, silently asking her to answer his question. A quick glance to her, the question asked, and he turned to the man across from him. "Good afternoon, sir."
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:20 am
Benjamin, with his own gray hair and brown eyes, stared at Alex as if he were a goblin or a fairy made real. His daughter was busy speaking to Alex while all this was going on. "Yes, you see dad? He's very real, and a lover of books to boot. I told you so." She leaned in to whisper to the boy that trouble was putting it a touch too harsh, but essentially was right. Father thinks you were a figment of my imagination. she continued and leaned back into her proper position. Benjamin still stared at Alexandre, who seemed to have the very same (or very similar) demeanor as his daughter.
Oh god, a match made in Hell itself.
The boy's manners were good, he noticed, and quietly sipped at his coffee before saying anything. "Good afternoon to you too, Alex. Ah, might I ask how you two met?" Christa already explained it once, how they had met at a bookstore and started up a conversation on life, religion and even history and medicine (which sounded just like his daughter) and that started the spark of a friendship. Okay, fine, but Benjamin wanted to hear it from the boy to see if the stories matched.
Also noting how well dressed the kid seemed to be (the Burberry flew right over his not-fashion-minded head, as it did Christa's, though she recognized that it was something special, just nothing specific), Benjamin concluded he either worked his a** off to look nice, simply cared a little bit, or his parents doted on him. Not that it made any difference, because both snobs and laid back people could have money. The older man was just surprised anyone his daughter's age cared at all about looking nice and not necessarily following a trend.
"Thank you very much for coming on such short notice, Alex. I hope I didn't disturb you from any work you were doing?" Christa felt the need to apologize, but she didn't want to be banned from more intellectual discussions simply because her father thought she had an overactive imagination.
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:37 pm
Bringing a hand to his mouth, to laugh over Christa's words. A figment of her imagination? Really, how interesting, utterly so. Why would someone invent a person, unless they were a child? Keeping up with stories was tedious.Whispering back. Why would someone wish to condemn them self to tedious story telling, and keeping a record of said story?{/i] He questioned.
Glancing away from Christa the blond nodded his head. "Some would call it odd, others would figure it normal. People meet and talk in book stores often, however teenagers meeting and discussing the wide variety of things we did is what would be most unusual. However, it's what did take place. I found meeting someone who has some intelligence about them to be worth speaking with at length." A glance over to Christa. "Have you spoken to that one at the library yet?" A question her father may not understand, but Christa knew it was about a book club of sorts.
Laughing he shook his head, bangs coming to scatter across his face. Brushing his hair back into place, with a gentle motion of his left hand. "I was just waking when I received the message. So no disturbance I assure you." He didn't work, his parents did dot on him but also he cared about himself in general. It wasn't to say he didn't busy himself with things he considered work. His plants and painting took a good deal of time, among other things. But he was still a student, summer vacation or not, and he had a social life.
"It was my pleasure to come to speak with a friend at their request."
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 9:07 pm
Benjamin listened carefully to Alex's story, which matched up completely with his daughter's. Slowly but surely, his features softened as he came to realize that yes, indeed, they were both telling the truth. (Well, either that or a very elaborate lie, but he was more inclined to believe his daughter now than he was before). Christa could tell by the look of his eyes and the way her father carried his shoulders and let out a sigh of relief. Mission accomplished for the most part, and crisis averted. For now.
Christa shook her head to Alex's next question. "No, not yet. When I was in volunteering last, Mr. Darrow must've been away. I'll catch up with him one of these days, I'm sure." She didn't know what Mr. Darrow's opinions and likes were as far as intellectual discussions went, but she was sure he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to host a discussion on books, that was for certain. She folded her arms across the table and regarded her father with an 'I told you so' look and wondered if this would stop him from doubting her further down the line.
"Alexandre, where do you go to school? Since you two met so recently, it makes sense that I haven't seen you around. Tell me a little about yourself." Benjamin was genuinely curious about the boy, and no doubt harbored romantic thoughts about him and his daughter, which Christa would quash later. Her father was hopeless sometimes.
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:08 pm
"That would be good. I've honestly never gone to the public library." He just bought the books he wanted, weather he heard about them in class, read them in class, or heard about them online. Or best yet, the back got his attention. Sometimes a title would get him also. Though most of his books were plant and herb lore related he did have his fair share of fiction books. Mostly classics, Shakespeare, Poe, and others.
Startled, by the man wanting to know about him. He really shouldn't have been surprised, honestly he should have seen it coming. A mental scolding before he replied, like he did to people on a fairly regular basis.
"I'm a student at Meadowview High, by choice." He could have gone to Azure Valley, but it was a boarding school and that simply wouldn't do. It took too much free time, free time he put to use, away. "I paint and grow plants, I'm an only child. I prefer the arts to other subjects, not to say that I don't do well in my other classes." Should he go on? It was the basics, mostly the only thing people really cared about. Where he went to school, favorite subject(s) and if he had siblings, though most people already knew he had none.
"I'm sixteen, I turn seventeen early next year. I do drive, I don't work as I mentioned earlier." here he took a look at Christa, silently asking if he should, or was expected, to say more.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:45 pm
Christa gave Alexandre a nod to say that was all the information that was needed. She could tell her father was simply dumbfounded that his daughter found her near clone in a bookstore. The young man's talents in growing plants were like Christa's writing abilities - they each had something to call their own, but they were definitely cut from the same cloth. If Benjamin didn't know any better, he could have sworn he was staring at a son he didn't know he had. And that thought was frightening.
When he heard that the boy was going to Meadowview by choice, the older man tilted his head. "By choice? What made you decide to go to Meadowview as opposed to... somewhere else? Some fancy private school?" In truth, Benjamin attended school out of state when he was younger, and was only involved in what schools his children attended. Zachary was into sports and therefore played other schools, but those were other middle schools. Benjamin was completely unaware of any other high schools aside from the one his daughter attended. No doubt Destiny City had its fair share of privately owned institutions.
"You seem like a smart kid. Not that Meadowview's a bad place. Just seems... curious, I guess. Christa, if we could afford a private school, would you choose to go to Meadowview too?" Now he was even more curious. His daughter leaned forward.
"I'd have to research the educational standards of all my choices, dad. You know how I function."
Her father chuckled.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:33 pm
"I could have gone to Azure Valley, but it's a boarding school. I wouldn't have had the same freedom in order to peruse and indulge in hobbies." His plants, painting. It would have made both difficult and he didn't want to leave his plants especially .They came even before his art, they were living things that needed water. Being in a green house they couldn't get the water from the rain, or by any other means aside from a human giving it.
"While a private school may suit my taste and allow for more academic freedom, and perhaps even better professors. I can't leave my plants, and I wouldn't expect my mother to be able to care for them. She's busy, too busy to tend to them as they need it." Especially if one got some form of parasite. She'd have to check each plant, for all the normal things it was known for. He knew he checked ever day for a variety of things, ranging from red spiders to mites and other bugs.
"My father wouldn't be able to manage caring for them. And being that they are dependent on people giving them water they'd die without someone, or wind up infested with parasites and eaten alive."
A look to Christa, of course she'd give an answer like that. He may have only just met her but he saw that answer coming.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:14 pm
The older man listened intently to the tale of the plants. This boy must be highly invested in them if he'd refrain from entering a particular school just because of them! That's an awfully big factor and kind of odd to boot. Christa was strange in her own way, but giving up a potentially better school for plants? Kid's either weirdly obsessed, or has some kind of plan to become a scientist or something. "What is it that you do with your plants, Alex? Do you breed them and sell flowers or grow vegetables or something? I have a small garden in the back, but nothing fancy. It's just for cooking."
Taking another sip of his coffee, Benjamin wasn't sure what to think about the whole plant thing. He settled on Alex being a scientist in the making, or maybe a farmer or researcher of some kind. Kids his age were hardly ever interested in plants or the growing thereof unless they aspired to be one of the aforementioned professions. Christa hadn't ever shown an interest in them, and neither did his son Zachary. Even his own interest in plants were rather superficial at best.
The kid was serious, though, especially how he talked about no one else being able to care for his plants, and about them becoming infested and being eaten alive. Apparently, plants were some really serious business.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:36 pm
"I grow herbs for food, some I make into tears for a friend of mine." His childhood friend Lily, she didn't go often without some form of tea from him. Some had directions on what they could do or how much was safe so she didn't become ill or anything from the tea. "The greenhouse, which was an anniversary gift to my mother, is not big enough for a proper vegetable garden. But I grow multiple flowers, of all kinds." Lily had also mentioned opening up a nursery, and her father backing him.
Maybe it would be what he did. He didn't want to lock himself into such a thing though. But it was a path to consider, heavily. "I haven't ever thought to play with breeding them. Though if I did I'd use my orchids for them. They have conventions of orchid breeders in fact. So if I ever did dabble in breeding it'd be the orchids, try to find some new coloring with a high bud count." He spoke, thoughtfully. He'd been to one such convention. It was where he'd picked up two of his more rare orchids; he had several orchids. The shape of them was just something which appealed to him not to mention the variety of color and shape/size options.
"I grew up learning to take care of my mothers plants. When I was old enough she decided the greenhouse was mine, it became a gift to me." The plants in it, the running of it, and deciding what else he might want to put in it. He really found them relaxing and to watch something you worked hard on grow, bud and bloom then. You were rewarded for your work in a lovely visual display. The smells as well. It was something he took great satisfaction in.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 6:20 am
"Hmm, I guess you two really are friends then, huh?" the older man asked his daughter. She sighed and nodded once, indicating the teenage well, duh look. To be honest, she hoped all this would finally restore some of her credibility within the family. She thought it was obvious that she had other friends and even ones who shared similar interests to her own."I work at the local hospital's medical lab. Maybe your herb and plant growing can lead to a field in medicine someday? It's something to think about." Taking another sip of his coffee, he found he was almost out. Darn.
Christa turned to her companion, apologies written on her face. This had to be incredibly boring for the boy. "Dad is one of the lab techs who helps do tests on blood work and other samples for doctors and patients. They're usually always busy, especially during the summer when all the medical graduates come in and take on their first patients. The requests for testing seems to skyrocket then." It made sense, given that new graduates didn't have the experience the older doctors did, so rather than guess, they tested. It kept her father well employed, that was for certain. There was never any shortage of lab work to be done.
Benjamin chuckled. "Don't I know it. This is the first day off I've had during the week in... well, months, I think. It's been a long time." He got up then to throw away his cup. Christa started to rub her temples.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 11:32 am
"Perhaps, nothing I had thought about previously." He spoke calmly, one leg crossed over the other while he glanced about the Starbuck's. "I honestly don't find an interest in medicine, or in sciences of any sort to be honest." He preferred his art classes and even English classes.
Turning to Christa, with curious slate eyes. "I see, that would make sense. Not to mention given the rash of illness in the city." He spoke, thinking of how ill he'd been, lethargic and just over all unwell. "I can't say was lucky enough to avoid this. I spent time at a friends house, hoping the change in scenery would would. I didn't have any luck, though her brother did help; he being medically trained." He spoke.
"Christa, are you alright?" A whispered question to her. It seemed like her father was bothering her, with his questions and such. He knew how that could be, he understood it though he'd never suffered from it.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:25 pm
Once her father was outside of earshot, Christa shook her head. "I'm fine. He just... bothers me sometimes with his accusations. Saying I don't bring anyone home, so I mustn't have very many friends, right? Seems logical to him, somehow. But I think this will set the record straight. I can't thank you enough for coming here. You didn't have to, you know." What bothered her the most was her father's trust issues with her, but really, who could outright say that she was a defender of justice and all that? Someone who had been reborn on earth after being born on a moon of Jupiter? It was ridiculous and frankly very dangerous.
She folded her arms on the table in front of her and watched her father return, jovial as ever. He seemed quite impressed, actually. "I think it's good to pursue something you're interested in," Benjamin started, wiping off the table so the next person wanting to sit didn't have to deal with any mess. "You shouldn't make yourself miserable doing what you think other people want you to do. Just go after what your heart says, or so I've heard." Tossing the napkin aside for when they finally leave, the older man continued. "That's why I'm in medicine - I love problem solving and helping people. I think Christa got her love of research from me." If he could pat his daughter on the head, he would have. But she would have taken off a good few fingers in the process.
"I'm not interested in medicine either. I hope to be a writer one day, I think, but I'm open to other suggestions." Christa explained. There was a glint of hope and determination in her eyes before it mellowed out again. She wasn't prone to outbursts like other people. "I'm attending DCU next year and I believe I'll start with English or Literature, but things change."
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:34 pm
"I know I didn't have to. However, I also knew you wouldn't text me for no particular reason, nor would you have told me you needed a bail out." He said with a slight shake of his head. He may not have many friends, he may come off as insulting, this was true but he also knew when to do the right thing. He had a moral compass, and it worked properly at times.
"Indeed, being miserable in what ones does I believe makes for less productive work, and of lesser quality. Not to mention a poor work life seeps into a persons every day life. My father changed jobs, years ago, because he no longer liked his work. My mother still, somehow, is still passionate over what she does." He didn't know how, she was a lawyer and had to deal with all manner of things. From business contracts to bailing people out, for things they had or hadn't done. But some of the things her clients had been accused of, not things he could imagine himself wishing to deal with.
"Being as I'm only sixteen I'm a few years away from attending DCU, which I do plan on doing. Weather I remain there depends on if it fulfills my personal and mental needs in order to do whatever it is I wish to do at the time. I've already had a friend of mine suggest I open a plant nursery of my own, her father offering to back me if I ever do so." Though Lily also said she had to be the one to cut the ribbon with him, which he had no problem with. He'd told her the same as he'd said now, he wasn't sure if he'd go with that. He honestly wasn't sure just yet. And now with a second life...he'd let both of his lives lead him to something. He'd have to wait and see, it was a mystery and one he liked.
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