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Post by Bright on Jul 28, 2012 10:42:26 GMT -5
Win stepped out of his car in front of his grandmother's house, small, and made mostly of brick, which made it only more like an old grandmother's house. Most of the yard's grass was yellowing and nearly dead, but flowers were planted outside of the front porch. He sighed, shutting the passenger side door and walking up the porch.
About halfway up, Ms. Sintowiski opened the door, her grin ear to ear.
"Warren, darling!" she gushed, hobbling out of the doorway across the porch to hug her grandson around the neck. Win had to bend down a little first, since she was a small lady, only around 5'3. "How are you?" she asked. She didn't sound like Win was about to take Sam some hundred miles away to his apartment in Austinlin.
"I'm fine, how are you?" Win asked, his voice soft.
She pulled away, and pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "I'll call Sam for you," she said. She opened the door and called, surprisingly loudly for a woman of her age, "SAM, WIN IS HERE TO PICK YOU UP!"
Win bit his tounge, considering how to say the sentence that was on his mind. "You're not, mad or anything? About losing her?"
His grandmother smiled. "I always knew she wasn't going to stay forever, Warren." She turned to the door again and yelled, "SAM?" Warren flinched slightly, his ears ringing.
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Cloudy
Junior Member
Fangirl and proud.
Posts: 42
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Post by Cloudy on Jul 28, 2012 12:23:58 GMT -5
Sam was hastily stuffing various skirts, jackets, and shirts into her suitcase. Thankfully, all of her clothes seemed to fit, quite perfectly, into the neon pink thing. Sam grinned a face splitting thing, stretching from one ear to the other. She zipped it up and looked around her room. When her eyes landed on her bookshelf, the grin slid off her face.
Crap, how am I going to fit in my books? She wondered.
She reopened the bag, stuffing some of her books in. The bag wouldn't close this time. Sam huffed, her yellow hair flying away from her face. She sat on it, her face resting on her hands.
For a few minutes, she sat there, trying to flatten in bulging bag, while listening to pop songs blare on her vintage radio system. She heard a car door slam somewhere, and her heartbeat jumped. Sam raced to the window. From her room, she couldn't see the driveway, only the dull grass and the corner of the roof that obscured her vision.
"Sam!"
The girl frowned, unsure if she had actually heard her grandmother's voice.
"SAM!" Sam made for the door. Before she could think, she thundered down the stairs, taking two at a time, nearly toppling down as her foot slipped on the first step, grinning goofily as if Christmas had come early. As she jumped the last few steps, worry mugged her. I'm meeting my brother for the first time in years and what am I wearing? She looked down at her baggy 'West Pravda Winged Boars!' tee, and her cotton sport shorts, suddenly self-conscious. She tried to comb her wild bedhead with her fingers, managing to coax a few curls into a less crazy looking state.
I should have put on some make up and a dress, she thought. Or at least, I should have done my hair.
Shoving away her awkwardness, Sam made a face at herself. She was seeing her brother, for God's sake. He wouldn't care what she was wearing. Regaining her enthusiasm from before, Sam ran to the door, where her Gran stood with a tall man. For a moment, she took in his dark hair and dark eyes. Then she saw his ears, sticking out like she remembered.
Sam giggled. Win looked so much like Gran and the pictures of mother lying around the house, just more man and awkward.
"WIN!" She ran through the open door, tackling her brother with a massive hug. With her arms wrapped around his neck, Sam dangled a few inches from the ground.
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Post by Bright on Jul 28, 2012 18:09:32 GMT -5
As Sam rushed off the front step, Win noticed just how grown up she was. It was crazy, that she was sixteen and he hadn't seen but a glimpse or two of her. It was ridiculous, even, just how his life had turned out. A bit of his mind jumped at this.
Yeah, maybe then you would actually be on Team I now and Jacob and Amy Jane wouldn't have to pester you.
He physically blinked away the idea. His mother was gone. His father was gone. What more reason did he need, really? He faced the fact that one day, the Team would need him. And that was fine. But for now, he could deter that coming by just staying on the track he was on.
And that would start with Sam coming to live with him, what their father wanted.
"WIN!" Sam cried as she launched herself off of the porch and hugging her brother around the neck, startling him. He laughed, spinning around on his heel and wrapping his arms around his sister.
"Hey, Sam,"he replied, on the tail end of a laugh. He was a good three or four inches taller than her, so she was lifted off the ground when he hugged her.
Wondering, he asked quite seriously, "How old are you? Jesus christ."
He hated when relatives asked things like that, but she was seriously tall. She would probably be as tall as him soon.
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Cloudy
Junior Member
Fangirl and proud.
Posts: 42
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Post by Cloudy on Jul 28, 2012 19:52:39 GMT -5
"Sweet sixteen, idiot!" Sam said, not without affection. She contorted her face and stuck out her tongue. For a second, she kept that face before it relaxed into a grin again.
She playfully flicked at his ear, before asking, "And how old are you?" in a mocking tone. She tried to lift up an eyebrow, bringing both up instead. Her mock serious expression faded as she started giggling again.
Sam released her arms from where they were locked behind her brothers neck. She drops unceremoniously onto the pavement. The sudden feel of rough concrete under her bare toes was jarring, but Sam doesn't let it show.
Suddenly remembering the circumstances in which Win came, Sam immediately dropped her grin. "So..." She shifted from foot to foot. "How was the funeral?"
Sam had wanted to be there for her brother, to see the people who had been friends with the father she had barely known. Win didn't invite her though, which made sense to her, completely; he was better dealing those depressing events by himself. So was she. Must be a family trait.
Also it would have been plain awkward, to go to the funeral. Sam hadn't known her father enough to weep at the loss of him, but she knew him enough for the passing to bring a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. Almost as if someone at Team Justice had punched her in the gut.
"Did they catch the guy who... killed him yet?"
The word kill was surprisingly hard to say. Sam had to force it out of her mouth.
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Post by Bright on Jul 28, 2012 20:23:22 GMT -5
As Sam stuck her tounge at him, Win laughed and retaliated with the same reaction. Sam was really something else, a force to be reckoned with, and he doubted anyone tried her temper at school.
"And how old are you?" she asked, making fun of him.
"Twenty-two. I'm kind of old. Only a little." he replied. Behind Sam's back, their grandmother covered her mouth, her eyes smiling.
Sam dropped down from where her arms were linked behind Win's neck, and he braced her as she did, as the even inch-tall fall looked a bit painful. But she didn't say anything, not as her grin disintigrated. Win felt his own disappear, bracing for anything that came next.
"So.." she reset her footing, back and forth. "How was the funeral?"
Win swallowed, staring at the doorframe, his trance only broken when he blinked. Clearing his throat, he replied. "It was.. good. It went well." Oh, yeah, and Ace and Dream Walker were there. But not to give their respects, only to bother me about not joining the team after Dad died. "No one else died there or anything, god forbid."
He threw up his hands slightly at the question of finding the killer. He wasn't frustrated with her or the question, but himself. "I don't know, Sam. I saw it with my own eyes, the killer just disappeared right after.." he trailed off. "Anyway, you hungry? We can get something to eat before heading to Austinlin, if you want."
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Cloudy
Junior Member
Fangirl and proud.
Posts: 42
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Post by Cloudy on Jul 29, 2012 14:32:44 GMT -5
Sam made a pfftt sound. "Twenty-two." She repeated, then added jokingly, "We're gonna have to get you a wheelchair soon, huh Gramps?" Mirth was alive in her tone.
She quieted on hearing how to funeral was. On hearing his hesitation, Sam fingered that Amy and Jacob had paid her brother a visit. Oh. My. God. She thought with growing horror. They probably made him an offer to join the team now that Dad's dead... Which means he'll find out about Maskette sooner or later and will make me quit......
Sam winced. Making physical expressions while she thought was something of a bad habit, one she was hoping to break. Realizing how odd her wince looked to Win, she hastily made up an excuse. "I think I stepped on a bug." She lied.
On hearing Win's frustrated response, Sam felt a surge of anger. She wasn't exactly sure who it was directed to; whether her father for getting killed, her brother for not stopping the killing, her grandmother from shielding her from the world, or herself for even feeling like a stupid angst-ridden teenager. She quickly snapped the irrational anger away. It's not like she needed the added hormonal crap flooding her brain.
Glad for Win's change of conversational topic, Sam hastily agreed. "A bit hungry yeah. Awesome! Gran never lets me eat out; she says that a 'home cooked meal' is way better than some greasy diner food." She rolled her eyes as if really aggravated before nudging her Gran playfully in the ribs.
"Just kidding." She said, batting her blue eyes before Ms. Sintowiski could even get mad. "You know I love you Gran."
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Post by Bright on Jul 29, 2012 17:27:51 GMT -5
Win smiled at her quip about his age, made a face at her excuse for wincing as she hit the ground, and was silent as he watched her eyes after the funeral bit. Something was up, but he didn't want to make things edgy between them right as they got to be normal siblings again.
Ms. Sintowiski behind them's smile was so wide she could barely contain it. And Win was smiling on the inside. But physical smiles weren't always his thing, exactly. They were scarce but bright when they did happen.
"Homemade meals are always better!" his grandmother burst. "They cost less money, and who knows what's in a meal from a restaurant! Bugs, hair-"
"Okay," Win cut in, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I think we understand. I know I do.." He looked at Sam. "If you're all packed, why don't you put the suitcases in the car. I'll go open the trunk."
Once Sam was out of hearing distance, Win turned to go to the car. But their grandmother stopped him.
"Win," she said, and he turned, his eyebrows raised in an expectant expression. Ms. Sintowiski opened her mouth, closed it, and then shook her head. "Nevermind. Sorry."
Win nodded, a little confused, and opened the trunk of his 2008 Camry. He assumed that Sam had some good-byes to do, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.
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Cloudy
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Fangirl and proud.
Posts: 42
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Post by Cloudy on Jul 29, 2012 20:54:46 GMT -5
"Mmkay." Sam agreed, twirling a curl of hair around her finger. She took off, running into the house and bolting up the stairs.
Once in her room, Sam turned off her radio in the corner from where it was still blasting, this time some awful sappy love song that she immediately cringed on hearing.
Sighing, the girl dropped on her bed, getting up after a mo. She reopened her bag, rummaging through it for more suitable wear, eventually deciding on a floral skirt and white blouse. Sam shoved her comfort clothes into her suitcase, easily closing it with a jerk of her hand. She grabbed her hair brush from a side pocket, and fished for her cellphone. As she skimmed the top of her comforter, Sam's hand brushed against the hard plastic which she immediately picked up.
Pressing speed dial, Sam brushed her wild hair. Linda picked up before she was done with brushing her bangs.
"MY GOD SAM! YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE GOING TO CALL AT EIGHT!" Screamed a high pitched voice from the other line.
Sam cringed. To avoid becoming deaf, she took the phone away from her ear until Linda's incoherent yelling stopped.
"Sorry Lin." Sam said, smiling sheepishly even though her best friend couldn't even see her. "I slept in and had to pack. I was going to call before but then Win showed up." It was a lie, Sam had completely forgotten to call Linda. Probably because even though the girl was her best friend, she didn't feel particularly close to her. In fact, Sam felt closer to Win whom she had only talked to for 10 minutes at most.
"OOOOOOOOOO. The hot one right? The one you showed me a picture of a few days ago?" Linda's voice grew deeper, as it usually did when she was talking about boys. Well, really hot boys.
Sam rolled her eyes before remembering that Lin couldn't see. "I'm rolling my eyes Lin." She said, " I have only one brother, and will you please stop fangirling over my brother? It's pretty gross."
Linda huffed, her breath against the speaker sounding like static. "Fine. Just one more question. Or rather request."
"If you ask me to introduce you, I swear I will-"
"AWWWW! No, no! Don't hang up! Although will you please tell me why?
Letting out an aggravated breath, Sam paused a second before answering. "Well, for one, he's six years older than you, Lin. Six."
"What a wooping insurmountable gap." Lin sarcastically responded.
"Hey I should ge-"
Linda panicked. "Wait! Okay, so what are the other reasons? Do tell."
Ignoring the sarcasm dripping in Lin's voice, Sam continued. "Well, he's my brother. It's like me liking Austin." She said, naming Linda's twin brother.
"Okay. That is totally gross. I could have lived without seeing that mental image."
Sam sighed. "Lin..."
"Okay, okay. So I promise I won't fangirl over your brother. If I don't will you introduce us?" Sam doubted that Lin would all together stop her crush.
"Sure." She finally said. "I seriously gotta go though."
"Okay! Make sure you keep in touch or-"
Sam already clicked END on her phone. Whoops, she thought. It was too late for her to do anything really though. To avoid any oncoming calls from Linda, she turned off her cell. It's not like anyone important would call; Gran didn't believe in phones, and Win would be with her. She had already said all her goodbyes at school a few days ago.
Dropping her bag onto it's wheels, Sam lingered. She didn't want to go down stairs in a foul mood, not when she wanted the day to be perfect. She closed her eyes, breathing all the air out of her lungs and new air to replace it. After a few minutes, Sam slipped her cellphone into her pocket, her brush back into her suitcase, and walked to her door with the pink thing trailing after her.
At the door, she turned and looked at the room that had been her's for fourteen years. The walls were still a baby blue from when that had been her favorite color. She smiled a melancholic thing, before turning on her heel. She ran down the stairs, and out the front door.
"Okiedokie. I'm ready to go." Sam grinned. "Austinlin here I come."
Note: Did I seriously just post with close to 800 words? .__. This is a new experience for lazy Cloudy.
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Post by Bright on Jul 30, 2012 9:00:22 GMT -5
As Sam stood in the doorway, Ms. Sintowiski walked to her, her eyes brimming with tears. As soon as she turned, Win found some facsination in cleaning the back seat of his car, which was actually pretty ridden of any stray items. He was particularly neat, and when he didn't need something, he put it away. Simple as that.
"Sammy, darling," she said. "I love you, very, very much. And I will also miss you." Her voice shook slightly, a few tears falling down her weathered cheeks. "Win is a good man, just like his father, and he will take good care of you. And you should know, that your father loved you very, very, very much. He made the decision to give you to me for your own good. Life as Mask was too much for him. And it ended up being his downfall." She half-smiled. "You living his legacy is a wonderful thing, and you do him justice. And if anyone can warm Warren up to the idea of joining the Team," She smiled brightly through her tears. "it's you. He loves you. Hell!" She threw her hands up. "We all love you. And I am very proud of you." She hugged her granddaughter around the neck.
Win stood behind his car, watching over the top of his hood, his dark eyes catching the sunlight and glinting deep shades of green. He couldn't hear what Ms. Sintowiski was saying, but he saw the old woman's shoulders shake slightly with her words. It was obviously very intimate and personal and, he didn't find it appropriate to be a part of something that he never would be. But maybe he could be, now that he was closer to Sam. Wind picked up and his collar ruffled slightly, which he straightened as he walked to the back of the car and double-checked on the space. It barely occured to him that he had work today. He was too distracted and in the moment of being with family.
Casually, Win glanced back up to the step again.
OOC: YOU PLAY SAM PERFECTLY AND HER FRIEND IS HILARIOUS AND OMG I CAN'T /flails
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Cloudy
Junior Member
Fangirl and proud.
Posts: 42
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Post by Cloudy on Jul 30, 2012 11:09:08 GMT -5
"Sammy, darling, I love you, very, very much. And I will also miss you. Win is a good man, just like his father, and he will take good care of you. And you should know, that your father loved you very, very, very much. He made the decision to give you to me for your own good. Life as Mask was too much for him. And it ended up being his downfall. You living his legacy is a wonderful thing, and you do him justice. And if anyone can warm Warren up to the idea of joining the Team, it's you. He loves you. Hell! We all love you. And I am very proud of you."
Sam hugged her back, tightly. "God Gran, please stop crying. You're going to make me cry!" Sam said, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'll come back and visit! Don't act like this is the last time I'll see you! Unless you have a terminal illness. Geez, I hope you don't because that would be very very, muy, bad. Not to mention clique." The girl babbled. It was her way of keeping her tears at bay. However the tactic didn't work very well, as a few tears escaped her cheeks moistening them.
"I love you too Gran. Although I can't find why you're proud of me. All I do is what is right, with my fists. Most adults would frown upon it. But then again you aren't very much like most adults huh? Way to cool for that Gran. Don't even loose that awesomeness."
Swiping at her tears, Sam released her grandmother. "If anything happens, you have to call me. Understood?" She asked, playing the grown-up. She was very worried for Gran though. Without her superhero granddaughter to keep the robbers away, what would happen to the frail old lady?
Giving Gran one last smile, Sam turned on her heel. She threw her suitcase into the trunk of Win's car, and gave her brother a strange look. "Well don't just stand there!" She said after a mo. "Go give Gran a hug!" Sam smacked his arm for a good measure.
Note: hehe fangirling friends are fun to portray :3. Shucks Brighty *blushes* thanks for the compliment :)
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Post by Bright on Jul 30, 2012 14:17:16 GMT -5
Ms. Sintowski grinned, which made her look young, even through her many wrinkles. "I plan to never lose my awesomeness. Don't worry." she answered. "And I will. Don't worry, Sammy." She wiped away her granddaughters tears and watched her walk off the steps.
"You okay?" Warren asked.
At her suggestion, Win nodded. "Alright." he answered, shutting the trunk and nodding to the doors. "Sit whereever you like." he told her, and jogged up the lawn to the small brick house. Ms. Sintowiski opened her arms and hugged her grandson, closing her eyes shut.
"Warren," she said, the word barely a whisper. "be careful." She pulled away.
Win's brow furrowed with confusion. "What's to be careful about?" he asked.
Ms. Sintowiski glanced past him and to the car. "You have to take care of Sam now, and so you can't go chasing down criminals and getting shot at. this is where this started." She began to hobble away, throwing her arms down and opening the door. "You may be young, but so is Sam, and she's lost so much already, Winny."
"Winny-?"
"Take her to Austinlin, before I kidnap her or something." the door slammed shut.
Win got in the front seat of the car, smiling at his sister. "Ready?" he asked.
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Cloudy
Junior Member
Fangirl and proud.
Posts: 42
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Post by Cloudy on Aug 2, 2012 7:11:20 GMT -5
"Yeah I'm fine." Sam said, regaining her poker face.
When Win told Sam to sit wherever she wanted, she took the obvious seat, the passenger seat. She expected to find wrappers littering it and the floor of the car; after all, single men who lived alone in their twenties had to eat. Surprisingly, the seat was fairly neat and Sam slid into it with relative ease.
She watched Win hug Gran, with a creepy smile on her face. Feeling pedophile like, Sam pulled her phone out of her pocket, to fiddle with it or something. On realizing it was turned off, the girl sighed, putting it back into her pocket.
Turning back to look at her brother and grandmother, Sam saw that Gran was saying something to Win, and he looked confused.
Something about Team Justice I supposed.
She bit her nails worriedly. Sam wanted to tell Win the truth, about Maskette, but God knows how her overprotective brother would react to that. Especially since their father died doing vigilante work as the male counter part for her new identity. He would flip, obviously, and tell her to quite. More so if he were going to enter the business himself.
When Win started walking towards the car, Sam hastily wiped the worry off her face and put on a big smile. He smiled at her, causing a pang of guilt. "Ready?" Asked Win.
"Totally." Sam replied, "I'm starved."
Note: I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG AND IT'S SO CRAPPY!! D:
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Post by Bright on Aug 2, 2012 20:32:20 GMT -5
"Alright,"Win answered, putting the car into reverse and putting his arm over the top of his seat, turning around to see behind the trunk of the car. His eyes flicked back to Sam, full of mirth. "because I am, too."
The car pulled out of their grandmother's property with a somewhat smooth drive, wnd Win noticed that Ms. Sintowski's face in the window, smiling, her face streaked with tears. Turning back to the road ahead of him, Win sighed as they took the first turn to get out of the neighborhood. He glanced behind them in the rearview mirror wearily, not sure what he was expecting, just being extra careful, per usual. His eyes remained on the road. He didn't want them to stray away and end up taking Sam to the hospital before taking her to Austinlin. That would be horrible.
He blinked away the thought. It was a horrible thing to think in the first place, let alone continue to think about. Win slowed at a stop light, and drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel.
"So, how's school?" he asked. "I heard through the grape vine that you're quite the track star." He reclined slightly back, draping his arm around her chair. "I never really thought about doing track in high school. I couldn't get my mind around the idea of running so much."
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Cloudy
Junior Member
Fangirl and proud.
Posts: 42
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Post by Cloudy on Aug 4, 2012 13:52:37 GMT -5
Sam grinned a little. Track was by far her favorite sport, maybe the only sport that she actually liked. Well besides martial arts, that is. Not that she could tell anyone at her old school this, since she would be no longer attending, or the people at her new school, since she would be doing much vigilante work and if they suspected her, that would be very bad. And telling Win was just plain out of the question.
She loved the rush of track, anyway, the way that all her worries and thoughts melted and the only thing Sam knew was running. Because of her practice, through her work and otherwise, Sam was good at outrunning people and maintaining a fast pace for some time.
"School's..." Sam trailed off, unsure of what to add. Tiring. Annoying. Stupid. Boring. Not fun. She hadn't liked school, not since the fourth grade when Sam had accidentally tripped Jennifer Tate during gym, causing her skirt to fly up as she fell, and for everyone to see her My Little Pony underwear. Sam had apologized multiple times to Jenny which was met with angry glares and silence. The next day, Jenny changed from one of Sam's best friends, to someone trying to make her life a living hell.
First the girl had dumped her lunch tray on Sam's head. Afterwards saying, "Move Dumpster queen."
The name stuck, becoming Sam's nickname all through out elementary school. Her baggy shirts and ratty jeans certainly didn't help. Most kids learned to avoid her, since Jenny had basically said she was social pariah, and Jenny, being one of the 'popular kids' who everyone followed although they didn't like them. Few people, like Lin, ignored Jenny's command and befriended Sam.
On entering middle school, she had started dressing more girly. Jenny started saying that Sam was "such a poseur, and should stop trying so hard."
Sam learned to ignore Jenny, and prided herself in the achievement of not punching her in the hooked nose for years. Which, had often been quite tempting, especially with Lin constantly goading her to stand up for herself. Gran, had said to keep quiet, and Sam was glad to have listened.
"School's.....school like.." She finished lamely.
"The grape vine?" Raising an eyebrow she corrected, "You mean Gran?"
She laughed at Win admitting he couldn't get his mind around running so much. "How were you a cop then?" She joked, not unkindly.
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Post by Bright on Aug 7, 2012 19:10:30 GMT -5
"School's.."
Win looked at her expectantly. School wasn't easy, he knew that from countless encounters with boys twice his size asking him for anything he had that was valuble, could be sold for over ten bucks. Telling him how puny he was at any chance. Reminding him of his dead mother, which struck a real chord. But he kept his mouth shut, but he wasn't afraid to defend himself if it came down to it. Or if he had to defend others.
He knew how school was. He went in with Amy Jane a week before and Sam's files were on the counsellor's desk, and he just happened to read it. She and Win were definitely cut from the same cloth.
"'s okay, I understand." he replied, when she trailed off. "Look, school wasn't exactly easy for me, either, and I'm assuming that's why you never finished, not because you have tons of friends and great teachers and no homework. Am I right?"
"Or a few other people besides Gran." Your files, the grapevine, same difference. Good thing you're a decent liar, Warren Madison.
"Hey." Win said. "We have cars for that, now, what century are you living in?"
//OOC: Gah, sorry, I've had no muse lately.//
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