Making Friends

[quotemyname]

"Hero this, and hero that..." Eddie said feeling a bout of irritation set in, "Is all they do train us to be the city's protectors? What if we want to do something else? I just don't like to be pigeon holed into something I may not be fit for..."

Eddie placed the headphones on his head once more... He began listening to something at low volume that could not be heard by the others. Nothing visible began to happen in terms of his music based powers.

[Electra]

"It's not like they're going to tie you down and make you help people," Erin said, looking a bit annoyed at his attitude. "But if you've got these special powers, why not use them for good? You only get so much time on the planet, you know, and then it's over. Why wouldn't anyone try and do the most good they can in the time they've got?" She gave the metal ball a spin, letting it twirl up its tether on the tips of her fingers. "Sure you could be a DJ or a movie star or a rich Scrooge who has more money and cars and houses than he could ever dream of, but you're eventually going to be worm food anyway. Don't you want to be remembered as one of the folks who gave it all to make the world a better place?"

[quotemyname]

Eddie shrugged, "Don't get me wrong... It's not that I don't want to help people. I do. I am just not sure how, or even why, I should." Eddie moved and sat down next to the tree. He laid his bag out next to him. He withdrew a CD. It was a CD by U2.

"Take these guys for example. They probably could have been anything else they set their minds to, but they chose to make music. Good music. And afterward, now that Bono is incredibly rich, he pours a lot of money into charities. Maybe if I make myself rich I can help people in that respect. Not to mention living the good life while I am at it. Who says that just because I have super powers means I need to go around thwarting evil schemes and stuff?"

I love it when real life can be compared to music... Eddie mused.

[alderwitch]

Alex's brow furrowed and her gaze flicked from Erin to Eddie and back again.

"But they don't have super powers. Your analogy is flawed," Alex lifted up one shoulder in an uncomfortable shrug, "No one's gonna make you be a hero, but every kid in this school have powers that they need to be able to learn responsibally. Its easy to be tempted to use 'em but we all have to be aware of the harm that can come if we're not careful. Like, I could use my powers to know what someone's thinking, right? But normal people couldn't stop me. At what point is it a neccesary use and when does it violate someone's right to privacy? Sure, I could use my powers to do lots of great things. Or terrible things. An' in the end its up to me to make that choice."

[angrydurf]

Mike shifted uncomfortably and stared intently at the ground throughout Alexs' comentary. It wouldn't have been so hard for him if she wasn't so damn right, but as it was the whole arguement unsettled him. He glanced up expecting all eyes on him and was glad to see that was not the case. It took him a moment to remember that the whole thing had been for Eddie and not himself.

He looked to Eddie then and spoke quietly for a boy of his size "Its not about one being better or anything, I mean who's to say that Bono isn't a hero of his own sort. I mean its not powers its what you do with them, even if thats nothing. But here you can learn how not to lose control ya know?" Mike glanced to Erin then Alex "I mean regardless of what you want to do in the end you do have powers and have to have control or its just irresponsible, people can get hurt," Mike looked at his feet and added in a whisper more to himself than anyone else "sometimes bad."

[Electra]

"Fine then," Erin said with a shrug, letting the steel ball unwind itself as she watched her own blurry reflection spin past in its face. "Go to music school, or Hollywood, or wherever. But if you don't want to be a hero, and you think you've already got your powers to a professional level, then what are you going to be doing here? This is a school to teach people how to use their powers for good. It doesn't sound like you think you need it."

[quotemyname]

"No..." Eddie mused, "You're all right. I DO need the training. And what's more, I DO want it." He stuffed the CD back into his bag. "I'm just anxious about it. I'm worried I'm not going to like it and that it will turn me off to the super-hero business. My biggest problem is that ever since I got my powers, I have never really been sure about much. That is one reason why I am excited about attending Claremont, because at the very least, maybe they can show me what having powers is all about."

Eddie took the time to pause and shrug. He stood up from the tree and continued speaking, "I've just got a lot of questions running through my head and I'm not sure that they're going to be answered any time soon. It certainly don't seems they will be until the next semester starts. But what am I worried about? You guys seem to like it quite a bit. I should have nothing to worry about right?" He finished with a smile gazing at the others.

I think Erin may think I am wasting her time, Eddie thought turning his attention her way, She seems incredibly antsy for just idle conversation. I hope it's not because I interrupted her training. But Mike and Alex are both right. If nothing else, I need to do this to prepare me for the things that ARE out there. Even if I don't plan on making a career about stopping super villains, I should at least know enough that they don't take advantage of me or my powers...I certainly don't want anyone getting hurt...And I hope I haven't upset mike too much. I'll remember this as a subject that's sensitive to him. Maybe I can get him to tell me about it later....

[alderwitch]

Alex flashed Eddie a sweet smile, "Its just nerves, I bet. I don't know if any of us will be Freedom Leaguers but I think its all about the desire to make a difference. If you're here, you've got the powers. As long as your hearts in the right place, everything will be fine."

Alex kept her posture tilted towards the group but she reached out to squeeze Mike's arm supportively as she spoke, trying to shake him out of bad memories, "I bet you'll have summer stuff, Eddie. At least placements."

[angrydurf]

Mike was lost in thought but snapped his head up when Alex jostled him. He looked furtively ot each of the other teens and tried to focus on what he had heard but not really paid attention too. He glanced to Eddie "Yea you'll proabbly have orientation and placement stuff. Despite everyhing else its still a school and most of it is algebra and histroy and everything."

Mike was visibly relived to have the focus of the conversation returning to the relitively mundane and he even forgot to glower for a few moments at least.

[Electra]

Erin wasn't sure she entirely agreed with Alex, but Alex was generally pretty good at making people feel better, so she held her peace. "It's supposed to be the best place in the country to learn, so if you make it here, you'll make it anywhere." She stilled the ball with one hand and turned to Alex. "And I guess since you're here, it's time for some tutoring," she asked with a half-smile. "Congratulations on the test, by the way."

[quotemyname]

Eddie watched as Alex approached Erin, he decided to see what the two had in mind for tutoring. But in the meantime there was no reason he couldn't still talk to mike. Eddie still had questions that wanted answering, after all.

"Mike, I think I can handle the algebra and the basic subjects pretty well. I was a pretty decent student back home, even if I didn't bother to play attention that much. But what are these placements that you've been going on about?" Eddie asked mike as he watched the two girls discuss something.

I wonder if it is a common practice for students to tutor other students? Eddie thought to himself, If it is, then I suppose that it's a good thing I have made so many friends on my first day here. I could easily use the help...

[angrydurf]

Mike looked up to eddie mildly confused at being approached directly. Normally his oversize cranky bad boy act kept people away, or maybe Alex just stuck herself out in front before anyone bothered. He blinked a couple times as if trying to understand what Eddie said while he tried to remember if that was stuff they discussed or not.

Decideing that Eddie woudl find out soon enough anyway Mike began explaining "Well, we all had normal placement stuff for grade level and all that us none of us went to traditional schools before coming here." He glanced over at Alex, "And some of us were a bit advanced for the standard high school stuff anyway."

The big teen looked back to Eddie before continueing "If you were in normal school before they probably won't need those for you though." He looked somewhat uncertain if he should say more then decided there wasn't any harm at this point. "They also run you through your paces on powers stuff a bit." He explained "Ya know to get a better idea of what you can do so they can make sure you know what your doing and can keep a lid on it when needed."

[quotemyname]

"Oh, Okay. That makes sense," Eddie replied. "I think my parents faxed over my transcripts, so far, so you're right, I probably won't have to be placed as far as regular school work is concerned. I am more interested in the Power placements," Eddie explained.

Is he always this spaced out? Eddie wondered.

"When do you think they will do those for me? Before or after the semester starts?"

[angrydurf]

Mike shrugged and paused a moment considering. "I dunno really. I mean I think we all have done or have our schedualed now." He glanced to Alex and Erin "I would assume once you're fully enrolled like when they do an orientation deal they'd do it then so you don't need to make a seperate trip or anything."

Mike looked Eddie up and down quickly and added "Course it might vary dependant on what you can do. Some stuff is more common than other stuff, If they need to design new tests it might be longer." Mikes answer wasn't very thorough and it was clear he wasn't really an expert on the schools methods.

[quotemyname]

"Gotcha," Eddie perked up, "Guess I'll just have to hang around with you guys and some of the other students. Maybe I can get some practice in before these tests. That way I won't make a complete fool of myself."

Eddie turned and watched the two girls for a moment, before another thought popped into his head, "So besides being psychic and throwing a mean punch, do those two do anything special? And what about you, you seem like kind of a book worm from all the books you carry around with you, even if some of them are Alex's."

[alderwitch]

"Tutoring time, indeed! And I brought lunch too." Alex said cheerfully as she flopped down onto a blanket under the tree. Swinging her pink and flowered backpack down from one shoulder, she began pulling out packaged sandwiches and canned drinks along with carefully wrapped treats. "A fed brain works better. Honest!"

She wrinkled her nose playfully at Erin and began to unwrap one sandwich, glancing up occasionally at the boys as she asked her roommate, "What did you want to work on today?"

Alex was an effective tutor in some ways. She was both knowledgable and able to explain complex ideas in an easy to digest manner. She, however, relied on her students to really push themselves on their studies rather than pressure them. Except for Mike, of course, Erin had already seen Alex nag the older teen multiple times but Erin was never treated to the pointed reminders she levelled at Mike now and again.

[angrydurf]

Mike looked at Eddie baffled for a minute then gave a light shrug. "I think that basically sums up the supper stuff about Alex and Erin. I mean I dunno about Erin too much we really don't end up using powers much actually."

He glanced at his bag for a moment "Yea some of its Alexs and I like to read in my spare time, its calming and quiet you know?"

[Electra]

"I need help with the algebra again," Erin admitted with a grimace. She looked over to where the guys were standing, but they seemed to be amusing themselves, so she gathered up her bag from where she'd hung it on a tree branch and took a seat on the edge of Alex's blanket. "I just don't understand how I'm supposed to be solving for X when I don't know what Y is. It doesn't make any sense." She took a sandwich and a can of soda as well, more to be polite than because she was hungry, unwrapping it as she dug out her algebra textbook and the notebook she'd been filling with fruitless equations. "Mr. Skyler helped me with the first five, but I still don't get it."

[quotemyname]

"Yea, man," Eddie began, "I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way about music," Eddie continued his conversation with Mike.

"How come you don't use your powers all the time though? I can understand Alex not wanting to get into other people's heads, but I mean I use my powers almost non-stop sometimes even without thinking about it if I get particularly lost in a song. I can't imagine not wanting to use your powers..."

I notice he didn't mention exactly what it is that HE does...

[angrydurf]

Mike visibly tensed and looked almost pleadingly to towards the girls. Seeing they were hip deep in algebra he turned back to Eddie his face dark then dropped his eyes to the ground. "We don't use them all the time because we don't need to." He hissed through tight lips. "We can do things normal people can't, its our responsebility to see to it we keep control and don't let anyone get hurt."

Mike looked directly at the smaller boy, "I'm ..." Mike paused struggling for the words "very strong. If I lash out or use that carelessly people can get hurt really bad." Mikes eyes glistened with moisture and unfocused as if he was looking at another scene entirely. "So no I don't use my powers all the time."

Mike slumped against the tree looking away to some far off point "Most times I wish I didn't have them at all." he whispered to himself. The tall boys pain was almost palpable and clearly out of keeping with the questions asked.

Mike took a deep steadying breath "I'm sorry, I have strong feelings on the matter its hard sometimes to ..." he trailed off with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

[alderwitch]

Alex was deeply involved in enthusiastically demonstrating algebraic principles, using the snacks she'd brought as physical representations when she stuttered mid sentance and tilted her head to one side, almost as if she was listening to something Erin couldn't hear.

Her face turned toward the boys and she murmered, "Uh, oh."

[Electra]

Erin tensed immediately, following Alex's look. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly, trying to suss out the situation from a distance. It looked like the boys were still just talking, but she didn't have Alex's special in on the situation. She pressed her hands against the ground, ready to stand up and intervene if it seemed necessary.

[quotemyname]

Eddie was aghast. He considered for a second how much of an idiot he was for not stopping to think about things sometimes. After he finished picking his jaw up off the floor, Eddie began to speak quietly and slowly, "Mike... I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to strike a nerve like that. I'm and idiot." Eddie hung his head for a second before continuing. "Your totally right," he admitted, "I should be more careful."

Eddie thought for a second, He's upset, and I made that happen. I really don't want to have to live with that...

Eddie placed a reassuring hand on Mike's arm, "Look I can see this is pretty upsetting to you, and I know I can't read minds like Alex," Eddie gestured to where the girls were sitting with a slight jerk of his head, "But if you ever feel like talking about it...I guess what I'm trying to say is: Maybe I can recommend a song to make you feel better," Eddie smiled at his new friend.

[angrydurf]

Mike shrugged off the comforting hand and continued to stare off for a few moments clearing his head. He didn't stop looking at the horizon when he next spoke and his voice was low though free of any real malice. "You didn't know, not you fault. Just try and remember that it isn't all fun and games this stuff gets serious real fast, hero or not we are not normal and aren't gonna be."

Mike didn't want the other boy to feel guilty he really had no way of knowing what a tender subject it was but he desperately didn't want to talk about it any further. Not the most socially skilled at the best of times right now it was a struggle not to completely alienate this otherwise perfetly nice kid who had just happened to stumble into Mikes issues. To Alex Mikes pain was clear though why he hadn't stormed off as was his usual MO was anyones guess.

[alderwitch]

Despite her attention on the boys, Alex remained on her stomach on the blanket although her slender body had tensed from head to foot. She bit her lower lip, her worried gaze still on Mike as she replied to Erin.

"Mike and I've always had our powers. Like, forever and always. When we were little, he... hurt another kid. Real bad. It was an accident and he didn't understand that he was so very strong then. I mean, we were, like, five. Its why he's so touchy about stuff with his powers. With everything, really. I knew it was gonna come up eventually. He hasn't stormed off which is good!"

Despite the fact that the boys were far enough away, Alex was almost whispering as she guiltily confessed Mike's big secret. "I should let him deal with it on his own. I mean, he has to but... Maybe a little help would be okay?"

A line appeared between her brows as she focused and reached out as gently as possible to touch Eddie's thoughts. She was careful to project just her mental tone and made certain she wasn't reading any of his inadvertantly, Eddie, uhm, its Alex? Don't worry, I'm just sending you my 'voice'. I can't even hear your response with this kinda connection. Uhm. Don't feel bad. You've hit a subject even I'm not allowed to talk 'bout. And that's supposed to be an appology in Mike-speech. He's really bad with them.